Federal emergency grant Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Federal emergency grant - Essay Example The center works in liaison with the US fire administration, police, Emergency Response Institute and the Federal Emergency Management Agency among others for better preparedness (Kimmel 2006).Apparently San Marcos is prepared to respond to emergency through the many training sessions facilitated by Emergency Response Institute (ERI), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Texas State University. There is also awareness creation on the potential hazards in the area through participatory assessment of those hazards (Ashby, 2010). The school has and the community has access to hotlines in case of emergencies for immediate response. The school needs the grant to improve their preparedness by increasing the equipment required, expanding the transport system to prevent possible accidents. They also needs funds to conduct a comprehensive, strength based vulnerability assessment of the school buildings and grounds given that the district lies on the fault line. This will help us improve our mitigation plan (Burnet, 2008). Currently the fault lines have led to creation of springs which provide water to the residents and act as tourism attraction. San Marcos River as never run dry thus providing water for agricultural purpose. The Aquarena and wornderworldare spring are major tourist attraction for rearing some of the endangered aquatic species on earth. The school is collaborating with the community to develop appropriate policies and procedures in building a better team that is well prepared to respond to crisis. This way the process is integrated so as some of the resources can be shared. The school has looked at Federal Emergency Response and Crisis Management Plans Discretionary Grants legislation, regulation and administrative requirement and is certain to comply with them. The school is ready to sign the required agreements, documents and permits together with preparing a quarterly

After Reading The Road Not Taken Essay Example for Free

After Reading The Road Not Taken Essay Introduction Within works of literature, often times the most valuable part of the work is not that which is readily apparent after a quick reading of the work; the true gems to be found within literature are those which are only discovered after a thorough study of the work and a deep consideration of what the author is really trying to convey to a reader, or perhaps conclusions that readers can draw on their own through the use of their imagination and interpretation. With all of this in mind, Robert Frost’s The Road Not Taken will be the focus of this research. Why This Work was Chosen There are several reasons why this work was chosen as the focus of the research; first, even when the work is quickly read and taken just at face value, as was earlier discussed, the words flow beautifully and make the mind of the reader travel, just as the narrator of the work seems to do. When Frost uses such adjectives as â€Å"yellow†, â€Å"grassy† and the like, one feels peaceful and calm. On the other hand, just as this work reveals certain elements to the reader from the first reading, closer review and consideration drives the imagination of the reader to create other reactions and conclusions about the work, and perhaps that is the best thing that any work can do-to inspire the reader to a higher level of thought, emotion and belief. With all of this in mind, it is now possible to discuss reactions to Frost’s work which makes all of these points much clearer. Reactions to the Work Simply put, the first reaction that came about through a study of The Road Not Taken is one of excitement for the limitless opportunities open to human beings as indicated by Frost. When Frost wrote: â€Å"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference† (Frost, 1930, p. 131), what he appears to be saying is that by taking on those challenges and directions in life that other cannot or will not take on in fact can strengthen the individual and give them a deeper and more meaningful life. Additionally, this work has also come across as a highly inspirational one, as it tells the reader that they can be or do anything they choose- representation of the ultimate level of freedom. Conclusion As this research moves toward its conclusion, there are a few key points that deserve repeating. First, this research has shown that through the talents of skilled authors, words can in fact be put into sentences and phrases which transport the reader to another place and state of emotion. In this way, people are able to be enhanced and changed by reading, and experiencing, given works of literature. Second, while many works are captivating and enlightening from the first reading of them, the more and more that they are read and more deeply studied, there are new attributes which come to the surface. Third, and perhaps most importantly, literature proves that the human experience is not something which reaches a certain level or age and is considered complete; rather, it is a constantly changing and ongoing phenomenon which is enriched through things such as literature which expand the mind, broaden the imagination, and soothe the soul of readers. These conclusions came to mind as a result of studying The Road Not Taken and only prove, once again, that choosing this work to research was an excellent idea. References Frost, R. (1930). Collected Poems of Robert Frost. New York: Henry Holt.

Case Study: Urbanisation In Nairobi

Case Study: Urbanisation In Nairobi With an ever-growing global population have come changes in the way that cities emerge and develop, with urbanization being one of the most prominent. While only 10% of the worlds population lived in cities in 1900, this percentage has now ballooned to over 50% (Benton-Short Short, 2008, p. 66). During this period of urbanization, trends characterizing urbanizing cities have developed, each posing their own unique challenges for urban planners. These trends include: the emergence of predominant age groups, variations in the size and distribution of cities, environmental degradation, the introduction of institutional changes and participatory planning, and changes due to poor economic conditions. A city is largely defined by its residents. While developed and transitional countries are characterized by aging populations, it is estimated that 60% of residents in urban areas of developing countries will be under the age of 18 by the year 2030 (United Nations Human Settlements Programme [UN-Habitat], 2009, p. 10). These countries will also see their young urban populations grow by 50% within the next 40 years (ibid, p. 10). A country defined by older citizens and a declining or negative growth rate has different priorities and needs than a rapidly growing country with a young populace. These distinctions create different challenges for urban planners. Urban planners of developed and transitional countries are faced with the problem of renewing cities now in their deindustrialization phase. They have to transform areas and structures that have been abandoned by redeveloping waterfronts and brownfields, supported by programs such as the Brownfields Initiative in the United States, so that these areas can contribute to the future growth of the city (Benton-Short Short, 2008, p. 83). They also need to consider how current health systems and facilities for the elderly population can be updated and expanded to accommodate the aging baby boom population. Urban planners in the global south, however, are tasked with developing infrastructures to supply rapidly growing populations with housing, water, and sanitation. Systems need to be developed that will support the surge in young residents, providing facilities and programs that will serve this age group as they begin to shape the future of the city. The emergence of predominant age groups challenges planners to consider the specific needs of that age group. As cities grow in population, they also tend to grow in physical size and expand outwards. This expansion is apparent as the majority of the worlds urban population lives in cities and towns of less than 500,000 people rather than in megacities, which are home to populations of at least 10 million (Benton-Short Short, 2008, p. 73; UN-Habitat, 2009, p. 11). In developed countries like Canada and the United States, this growth has manifested itself in the form of sprawl, creating suburbs that are made up of homogeneous segregated uses: housing subdivisions, shopping centers, office/business parks, large civic institutions, and roadways heavily dependant on collector roads (Randolph, 2004, p. 37). These suburbs are auto-centric, characterized by their residents tendency to travel by personal vehicle. Planners must consider how to guide a citys growth and maintain its sustainability in the midst of the air pollution and high energy consumption associated with automobiles. Unlike these d eveloped countries, Hostovsky (2010b) notes that growth in the developing world has manifested itself as over-urbanization rather than sprawl (p. 19). Huge populations form cities in these countries, which are then surrounded by informal housing areas known as shantytowns or slums. Since shantytowns are considered illegal, there is often no government support to provide the infrastructure necessary for adequate water supply, sanitation, electricity, trash collection, etc. (Benton-Short Short, 2008, p. 90). Planners are challenged to consider how to approach these underserved communities as previous attempts to formalize these areas have resulted in further deterioration in quality of life (UN-Habitat, 2009, p. 12). Urban planners must consider how sprawl and over-urbanization affect the countries in which they occur, and ensure that infrastructures reach the necessary distances and serve the huge numbers of underprivileged citizens that they need to. There is also an alarming trend of environmental degradation and an increasing frequency of natural disasters. Climate change is soon expected to affect the worlds ability to access water, produce food, and maintain healthy populations (ibid, p. 2). Exacerbating this issue of climate change is the proliferation of suburbs and industries that rely on oil as an energy source, leading to significant increases in greenhouse gas emissions (ibid, p. 3). The climate change issue is one that all countries must consider, be they developed, transitional, or developing. Countries are faced with the challenge of supplying their populations with access to food and water in an environment that will no longer be able to sustain such large populations and rapid growth. If the entire globe were to live at the same standards as North Americans, two additional planets would be required to accommodate the increase in ecological load (Hostovsky, 2010a, p. 35). In addition to the degradation of the natura l environment, has come an increase in the frequency of natural disasters. The global rate of occurrence has increased fourfold since 1975, with a threefold increase in Africa in the past 10 years (UN-Habitat, 2009, p. 14). Of particular concern is the fact that disasters have the greatest impact on the poorest of the poor. Of the 270 million people affected by disasters in 2002, 98% of those people were residents of low-income countries (Benton-Short Short, 2008, p. 125). This can be charged to the fact that these low-income countries simply do not have the financial capability to implement disaster preparedness programs like developed countries. Planners will need to use innovative ways to build infrastructures that will be able to withstand these natural disasters and mitigate the economic and human life losses that ensue. By mitigating climate change and planning for natural disasters, urban planners have a significant role in ensuring that the expected population growth is sus tainable with one planet. The trends of urbanizing cities are occurring not only amidst changes in the natural environment, but also changes in the political environment. Governments are no longer in the same form as when these cities were first founded. Citizens are demanding participatory approach to planning, no longer willing to merely accept the planning decisions of their leaders (UN-Habitat, 2009, p. 3). Planners will need to recognize that public consultations will partially guide their work and that their work will only be effective in a political environment that is stable (ibid, p. 3). All of the trends discussed above exist in an economic context, one that has changed significantly over the past century. Economies of the world have become integrated through the process of economic globalization. As a result of this globalization, all countries are feeling the effects of the current recession. This recession is expected to decrease the amount of funding available for urban development projects, increase unemployment rates, and exacerbate current poverty levels (ibid, p. 12). All countries, regardless of whether they are developed, transitional, or developing, will have to face these financial issues. Planners will be faced with the challenge of developing sustainable urban centres with limited budgets. With the trends associated with urbanizing cities (the emergence of predominant age groups, variations in the size and distribution of cities, environmental degradation, the introduction of institutional changes and participatory planning, and changes due to poor economic conditions) come unique challenges for urban planners to ensure that this rapid urbanization is successful and sustainable. Part 2 A Global City: Nairobi, Kenya Overview Located in eastern Africa, Nairobi is the capital city of Kenya (see Figure 1). With 3 million residents, the citys population is growing at a rate of 3.8% per year (Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 2007). The majority of the residents are between 15-64 years of age, with a median age of 18.7 (Central Intelligence Agency [CIA], 2010). Nairobi was founded in 1902 by the British colonial government and informal housing has been developing there ever since (Warah, 2001, p. 1). The colonial government believed that Africans did not need, nor deserve, accommodation as they were the source of disease (Republic of Kenya, 2005, p. 4). Strict regulations and planning laws restricted the Africans access to urban land in order to isolate them from the Europeans and as a result, informal housing began being built on the perimeter of the cities (ibid, p. 4). These areas were soon destroyed and the residents were forced to return to rural areas. When Kenya achieved independence in 1963, new legislation was introduced that provided subsidized housing, but these subsidies favoured middle and upper income groups even though 70% of the demand for this housing came from the poor (ibid, p. 4). In the 1970s to early 1980s, the government provided minimal services to the slum communities, but when Structural Adjustment Programmes were introduced in 1986, the government no longer provided subsidies, causing life in the shantytowns to further deteriorate (Warah, 2001, p. 2). In the past, there have been attempts to upgrade these shantytowns but lack of affordability, high standards for infrastructure, land tenure complication, misallocation and administrative inefficiency have caused mixed results (Republic of Kenya, 2005, p. 5). The Republic of Kenya and United Nations came together in 2000 to develop the Kenya Slum Upgrading Programme (KENSUP) which is in the process of implemented (ibid, p. 5). Sixty-percent of Nairobis population lives in slums that cover 5% of the citys land (UN-Habitat, 2010). In these slums, only 20% of residents are connected to electricity and 4% have water connections, while solid waste disposal services are nearly nonexistent (ibid). Economy Nairobi began as a stop on the Kenya Uganda Railway (Mitullah, 2003, p. 1). Although it used to be a mere stop on the route, the city became a centre for commercial trade and business when the railways headquarters were moved from Mombasa to Nairobi in 1899 (ibid, p. 1). Today, over 86% of Nairobis residents participate in the citys economy (ibid, p. 4). The citys labour force is comprised of 67,900 individuals in[the] manufacturing industry, 39,700 in building and construction; 57,300 in trade, restaurants, and hotels, 42,200 in finance, insurance, real estate and business services; while community, social, and personal services [employ] 155,900 people (ibid, p. 4). Although so many residents are employed in these formal industries, the majority of people still engage in informal economic activities such as small trade because employment in the informal sector has grown by 176% while formal sector employment has contracted by 0.43% (ibid, p. 4, see Figure 3). As Kenyas capital city, Nairobi also plays a large role in the countrys economy, serving as the regional core for trade and finance (CIA, 2010). It is through this trading capability that Kenya can export almost $4.5 billion worth of tea, coffee, petroleum products, fish and cement to the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Uganda, Tanzania, the United States and Uganda (ibid) per year. Social Issues Nairobi is home to one of the largest slums in the world, Kibera (see Figure 2), which has a population of over 1 million residents (Amnesty International, 2009). Kibera is plagued by social inequities and issues, some of the most prominent being the high rate of HIV/AIDS, the high levels of youth crime, and inequality for women. Youth in Kenya usually only receive ten years of schooling (CIA, 2010). With the lowest literacy rate in the country, Nairobi youth are not empowered to solve their own problems and problems of the community (City Council of Nairobi, 2009, p. 7). This lack of education continues with them and affects the quality of decisions that they make in the future. For example, leaders failed to recognize the effectiveness of antiretroviral treatment programs in the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS and it is estimated that their delay in making these programs available led to 3.8 million person-years lost in South Africa from 2000-2005 (Harvard School of Public Health, 2008). Over 1.2 million of the countrys population is estimated to be living with this disease with 150,000 dying each year, making Kenya 4th in the world in terms of the number of deaths attributed to this disease (CIA, 2010). There is a lack of education and social stigma surrounding this disease that prevents the country f rom mitigating its horrible effects. Crime is another issue that proliferates throughout Kenya and Nairobi. The frequency of crimes such as armed robbery, murder, mugging, car-jacking, housebreaking, physical and sexual assault have all been increasing (UN-Habitat, 2007, p. 1). A trend is also occurring where the majority of crimes are committed by youth. In fact, over 50% of convicted prisoners are between the ages of 16 to 25 (ibid, p. 1). The Mungiki movement is a key case of this. The movement is considered the most organized criminal group in the country. They are responsible for the death of 23 residents in 2002, imposing illegal taxes, and controlling the security, water and electricity in slums (ibid, p. 1). Although the residents of Kibera are all exposed to the issues that face the shantytown, women are particularly affected by this negative environment. They are not given the same access to education, they are expected to care for their families, and they are not protected by the police force. Although women are given access to an education, they are often so burdened with home responsibilities that they drop out of school. They feel this burden because they not only take care of their own siblings and children, but they often end up caring for orphans whose parents passed away from HIV. As a teacher in the area notes, [Girls] are not given time to learn and study at home. So that means they will eventually fail (Amnesty International, 2009). These women are not only underprivileged but they are also invisible to the systems that should be meant to protect them. The corridors of these slums are unsafe, especially at night. Should a woman be raped, her report to the police would be use less unless she herself can find the perpetrator herself (ibid). As a result, fewer reports are filed and the vicious cycle that allows these acts to occur continues on. Nairobi residents, especially those of slums like Kibera, are often uneducated, without the knowledge to protect themselves from HIV/AIDS and the growing rates of youth crime. Women and girls are often the greatest impacted due to the social inequality towards women, without the opportunity to receive a proper education and subject to the apathy of the police force. Environmental Issues and Infrastructure As mentioned previously, Nairobi is home to Kibera, one of the largest shantytowns in the world (Amnesty International, 2009). These areas of informal housing are exposed to the environmental issues. Residents are plagued by issues in air pollution, solid waste management, and potable water supply and sanitation. Like many cities in North America, increased use of personal vehicles has caused an increase in air pollution in Nairobi. The pollution is also created from industries, charcoal fire, and the incineration of waste in open pits (City of Nairobi, 2007, p. 8). This air pollution has already led to a loss of biodiversity, an increase in acid rain and climate change (ibid, p. 8). Nairobi only has one solid waste disposal dump at Dandora, which is believed to have already reached full capacity (City of Nairobi, 2007, p. 9). With nowhere to dispose of their waste, residents of Nairobi slums have resorted to illegal dump yards, residential backyards and commercial property (ibid, p. 9). Over 50% of the wastes are organic (ibid, p. 9), and when these materials decompose, residents are exposed to high levels of bacteria and vector borne diseases such as malaria and Rift Valley fever (CIA, 2010). The most evident environmental issue in Nairobi is related to its water supply and sanitation. Water is crucial to the survival of all living things, and yet, only 42% of Nairobi households have access to clean water (City Council of Nairobi, 2007, p. 11). Further exacerbating this issue of lack of clean water is the fact that contaminated water is not always treated. In fact, only two-thirds of Nairobi residents have access to sanitation, with many slum residents using a pit latrine that is shared by many people (ibid, p. 12). Forced to fetch potentially unclean water from other sources, residents are exposed to dangerous water-borne diseases which are responsible for 30% of deaths in the global south (Benton-Short Short, 2008, p. 163). Residents are at a high degree of risk for waterborne diseases such as bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, typhoid fever, and schistosomiasis (CIA, 2010). Part 3 Conclusions Africa is one of the regions experiencing the greatest rate of urbanization in the world (UN-Habitat, 2009, p. 10). Although this urbanization provides new opportunities for economic and social growth, it also poses unique challenges and issues for the development of cities such as Nairobi. Planners need to consider trends that are true of most urbanizing cities (the emergence of predominant age groups, variations in the size and distribution of cities, changes due to poor economic conditions, and an increasing susceptibility to disasters), but also focus on the issues that are specific to Nairobi. Nairobi has a growing population of young people. With the lowest literacy rate in the country, Nairobi youth are not empowered to solve their own problems and problems of the community (City Council of Nairobi, 2009, p. 7). These youth are also at a high risk for HIV/AIDS and are susceptible to being influenced by organized crime groups. If planners manage to develop systems that will educate and protect these young residents, they may reduce the risk of contracting such a deadly disease and the crime rate. Like other urbanizing cities, Nairobi is growing in size as its population increases. However, unlike North America where this growth has been characterized by the emergence of suburbs, Nairobi has been over-urbanized. Since Africa is dominated by a few key cities, planners must be prepared to deal with the sprawl, congestion and environmental effects that are often associated with urban primacy (UN-Habitat, 2009, p. 12). While the entire world is experiencing more natural disasters, Africa is at the peak of this, experiencing a three-fold increase in the past 10 years alone (UN-Habitat, 2009, p. 14). Since lower-income countries are more susceptible to both capital and human loss due to the lack of disaster recovery programs, Nairobi will be faced with the challenge of building infrastructures and implementing programs that will help in the mitigation of loss during these disasters. Finally, these trends and issues faced by Nairobi are occurring in the worst economic recession since 1945 (UN-Habitat, 2009, p. 12). Planners will be faced with the task of building new infrastructures and implementing new programs with less financial support, and in an environment where unemployment and poverty levels are rising. Nairobi will encounter a long journey before it can become an ideal model of a global urbanizing city. Its greatest weakness is its lack of an official plan. The latest approved city plan was developed in 1948, with a revised version submitted in 1973 that was never approved (City of Nairobi, 2007, p. 3). Without a plan, leaders and citizens can never expect to develop a city that is successful and sustainable. Figure 1 Map of Kenya (CIA, 2010) Figure 2 Kibera, a slum in Nairobi (Amnesty International, 2010) Figure 3 Comparison of formal and informal sectors (Mitullah, 2003, p. 4)

Congo :: essays research papers

Desperate Battle Defines Congo's Warlike Peace At the southern extreme of a ragged front line that winds 1,400 miles across Congo lies a ferry, dirty pink and half-submerged in the muddy Luvua River. Facing it on a gravel ramp stand the burned-out husks of 33 military vehicles -- armored personnel carriers, trucks, an ambulance -- waiting in a line that never moved forward. Unopened syringes lie underfoot, amid charred tires and a trampled note that a fleeing Congolese junior officer left behind: "Attaque," reads the neat cursive French. But by the time Rwandan forces approached Pweto on Dec. 3, the Congolese government army was in no position to attack. It was in panicked retreat, leaving a tableau of ruin on the riverbank and opening a rare window on a war usually fought out of sight. In two months of back-and-forth fighting here in the southeastern corner of Congo, all the elements that make this country's 21/2-year-old war such a dangerous puzzle came into play: foreign armies, ethnic militia groups, remote terrain and villages utterly emptied of civilians who, from the safety of refugee camps in a neighboring country, repeat matter-of-fact accounts of massacres. This is the "situation on the ground" that has kept the U.N. Security Council from dispatching 5,500 peacekeepers to monitor a cease-fire that appears to exist only on paper. This lightly populated, mostly forested stretch between Lake Tanganyika and Lake Mweru had been one of the few corners of Congo where both sides had essentially honored a peace agreement signed 18 months ago. The Lusaka Accord, named for the Zambian capital where it was signed, was meant to arrest the cycle of advance and retreat that has marked a sprawling conflict that pits the Congolese army and allied troops from Angola, Zimbabwe and Namibia against an assortment of rebel forces bolstered by Rwandan and Ugandan troops. But Congolese President Laurent Kabila, who signed the Lusaka pact in a moment of military disadvantage, has swept it aside whenever he spied what looked like a military opening. Last spring, his forces pushed back rebels sponsored by Uganda in Congo's far northwest, only to lose the same ground months later. And on Oct. 15, Kabila's armies launched a massive assault on Rwandan-held positions in the southeast, striking 100 miles north of Pweto at the town of Pepa. Six weeks later, just as happened in the northwest, Kabila's forces once again lost far more than they gained.

Ibm Ceo Virginia Rometty

Female CEO Biography Virginia (Ginni) Rometty, IBM CEO Abstract IBM recently promoted Virginia (Ginni) Rometty to its top leadership position. Ms. Rometty will become the first white female chief executive officer in the company’s 100-year history and every move she makes will be carefully watched. Rometty has truly earned this position and has an impressive history with IBM to show it. There are challenges ahead but Ms Rometty’s education, experience and determination will suit her well in this new role. Female CEO Biography Virginia (Ginni) Rometty, IBM CEO On January 1, 2012, Ms.Virginia Marie Rometty took the helm as CEO of the 19th largest revenue generating company in the world and 5th largest in market value, IBM (Hempel, 2012). At age 55, she will earn a $1. 5 million salary to add to her current net worth of $25 million. Rometty began her ascent at Big Blue over 30 years ago and hasn’t looked back. Research into her background, education and experience p aint a picture of a woman who is the true embodiment of success. Rometty has paved her way up the corporate ladder using unparalleled determination and drive that can only be admired by career women (and men) worldwide.Born in July 1957 as Virginia Marie Nicosia, the IBM leader grew up outside of Chicago, IL. She is said to come from a close-knit family, the eldest of four and raised by a single mother who saw great potential in all of her children. Ginny and her siblings were pushed to aim high. Brother Joseph is a figurehead in the commodities trading world and recently stepped down from Allenberg Cotton after serving 30 years as the CEO. One sister is a partner at Accenture and another is a senior executive at Coca-Cola. In September of 1975, Rometty entered the McCormick School of Engineering atNorthwestern University on a General Motors scholarship (Waters, 2011). She went on to intern for the automobile giant during her junior and senior years and graduated in 1979 earning a B achelor of Science with high honors in computer science and electrical engineering, an area of study dominated by males. Upon graduating, she accepted a position at GM where she was responsible for application and systems development. It is also where she met her husband, Mark Anthony Rometty. They married in 1980. Rometty & Rometty have been married for 32 years and have no children.They live their personal lives as far out of the spotlight as possible. They own homes in New York and Florida and enjoy scuba diving, Broadway plays and golf. Ginni credits her husband with providing great strength, support and encouragement throughout her career; something critics have interpreted as sacrificing his own career in the process (The New York Times, 2011). This societal stereotype that women should stay at home (or have a less successful career) and men should be the primary breadwinners is detrimental to the advancement of women.Mark Rometty should be applauded for his self-assurance and not falling victim to this mainstream thought process. Shortly after her second year with General Motors, Rometty accepted a systems analyst/technical consultant position at IBM (Hempel, 2012). She spent the first 10 years working her way up through sales and management positions in a variety of industries such as banking and insurance and made headlines in 2002 when she was credited with leading the largest professional services acquisition in history. Bloomberg (2011) reports that the $3. billion acquisition of PricewaterhouseCoopers Consulting gained her the attention of then CEO, Sam Palmisano. Palmisano promoted her to senior vice president of Enterprise Business Services in 2005 and within 2 years of the move, she increased EBS’ profit by 42%. In 2008, she was made Managing Partner of the Business Consulting division and rose to head IBM global sales where she was responsible for IBM’s worldwide results exceeding $99 billion in 2010 (IBM, 2012). It was at this p oint she became recognized as one of the most powerful women in business and a potential successor to Sam Palmisano.A strong voice of women’s initiatives, Rometty has been instrumental in IBM’s Women in Technology Council and the Women’s Leadership Council. She has been named to Fortune Magazine’s annual â€Å"Most Powerful Women in Business† list for eight consecutive years and is also a regular on the presentation circuit speaking at industry and business conferences. She continues to serve on the Board of Trustees of Northwestern University and the Board of Overseers and Managers of the Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (Daily Finance, 2012).Her strategic approach, innovative mind and keenness toward risk-taking define her leadership style. Ginni Rometty has said, â€Å"I learned to always take on things I’d never done before† (Hymowitz, 2011). She admits to having an ever-present internal critic who judges everything she thinks and do es. She quite enjoys this process of objective analysis and believes â€Å"growth and comfort do not coexist† (Hymowitz, 2011). Rometty has a magnetic personality and has always been comfortable engaging people and forging lasting relationships.This strength helped her to be at the top of her game in a career she has spent largely courting big name clients. Ms. Rometty’s new role is a first in her career, a first for IBM and a giant leap forward for career women everywhere. However, all eyes will be focused sharply on Ms. Ginni Rometty. While many have high expectations and are watching in hopeful anticipation, it is understood that there are significant challenges ahead. Some believe Rometty is not up to this task and is only promoting her predecessor’s vision and strategy for the future of IBM.She has stated her goal of adding $20 billion in revenue growth between now and 2015, and has further confirmed she will be following a plan put in place by Palmisano to do it (Zolman, 2012). However, it should be noted that Rometty had significant input into this plan and has implicit faith and trust in its underlying principles. Rometty does not accept second best and would not take stock in any plan for the future that she did not whole-heartedly believe in. Another area of concern expressed by Zolman (2012) is the change in corporate culture at IBM.Skeptics are critical of the inefficiency and ineffectiveness resulting from the layers of management that have accumulated over the last decade. These layers slow the decision making process, hide true accountability and cost the company large sums of money to provide salaries to managers hiding virtually undetected within these layers. Further, IBM has changed from a hardware company to a professional services corporation. While this decision has served them well for the most part, the sales culture is quite possibly tainted in that their product knowledge is limited and their desire for higher and higher margins is criminal.Rometty will need to address culture issues to keep IBM ahead of its industry. While the challenges are many, there is no one better suited to lead this icon of corporate America into the second century. Her technological expertise along with her storied business and management success at IBM make her a top choice to lead IBM. Ginni Rometty is driven and unrelenting and will only accept the highest levels of achievement in her pursuit. At the same time, her feet are planted firmly on the ground. She knows this will not be a walk in the park, and she prefers it that way. pic] References Daily Finance. (2012). IBM Key Executives. Retrieved November 17, 2012 from http://www. dailyfinance. com/quote/nyse/international-business-machines-corp/ibm/key-executives Hempel, J. (2012, September 20). IBM’s Ginni Rometty looks ahead. CNN Money. Retrieved October 16, 2012 from http://management. fortune. cnn. com/2012/09/20/powerful-women-rometty-ibm/ Hymowitz, C . , & Frier, S. (2011, October 26). IBM’s Rometty breaks ground as 100-year-old company’s first female leader. Bloomberg. Retrieved October 19, 2012 from http://www. loomberg. com/news/2011-10-25/ibm-names-rometty-to-succeed-palmisano-as-its-first-female-chief-executive. html IBM (2012). Virginia M. Rometty Bio. Retrieved November 15, 2012 from http://www03. ibm. com/press/us/en/biography/10069. wss Stewart, J. (2011, November 4). A C. E. O. ’s support system, a k a husband. The New York Times. Retrieved September 30, 2012 from http://www. nytimes. com/2011/11/05/business/a-ceos-support-system-a-k-a-husband. html? pagewanted=all&_r=0 Waters, R. (2011, October 28). More than a

Free Essays on Swinburnes Hertha

she is all. The third part is from lines 32-56. In this part Swinburne shows his blasphemous behavior when he has Hertha question Man’s devotion to God. She seems to not understand why she was forgotten. She asks the God of her creation why he has gotten all the credit for her acts. Her questioning almost sounds like jealousy. By the fourth area, lines 57-86 her jealousy has reared it ugly head. She is troubled by the way her children forsake her, and pray to a man, when it is woman who creates. She continues her jealous rant into the fifth area, lines 57-111. This is where she relates more to the earth as her body, and this God as a figment of man. She also decrees that these Gods of man shall die, because they are nothing compared to her truth. The sixth area found on lines 112-156 has Hertha excepting her fate as a second to Man’s God. She, sounding like the mother she is, states that even if she is not remembered she still wishes the best for her children. The seventh and final section has Hertha asking why, but accepting her fate. She also returns to the premise that these God’s time is almost ov... Free Essays on Swinburne's Hertha Free Essays on Swinburne's Hertha Algernon Swinburne’s â€Å"Hertha† Swinburne’s â€Å"Hertha† is an example of, as was explained in class, a matriarchal poem. I noticed that the poem seems to be separated into seven different parts. The first starting on line 1 and going to about line16. The first area this poem discusses is the explanation of character. Hertha is the Germanic goddess of earth, fertility, and growth. From her God and man were created. Man being her child, and creation and God their creation. She merely explains her place in the scheme of things, and sets her claim of being before all. From line 17 to 31 is the second part, which hopes to do pretty much the same as the first part. That is explaining her place in creation. In this part she say that she is the beginning and end, the felt and unfelt. In other words she is all. The third part is from lines 32-56. In this part Swinburne shows his blasphemous behavior when he has Hertha question Man’s devotion to God. She seems to not understand why she was forgotten. She asks the God of her creation why he has gotten all the credit for her acts. Her questioning almost sounds like jealousy. By the fourth area, lines 57-86 her jealousy has reared it ugly head. She is troubled by the way her children forsake her, and pray to a man, when it is woman who creates. She continues her jealous rant into the fifth area, lines 57-111. This is where she relates more to the earth as her body, and this God as a figment of man. She also decrees that these Gods of man shall die, because they are nothing compared to her truth. The sixth area found on lines 112-156 has Hertha excepting her fate as a second to Man’s God. She, sounding like the mother she is, states that even if she is not remembered she still wishes the best for her children. The seventh and final section has Hertha asking why, but accepting her fate. She also returns to the premise that these God’s time is almost ov...

Free Essays on The Great War

The Great War As war consumed Europe, Americans hoped that the Atlantic ocean was enough to seperate them from it and keep them out of the war. President Wilson said that the US would stay out of it saying it was a war in which we had nothing to do. But America could not help but take sides. As immigrants from Europe gave roots to many Americans, it was hard for them not to be opinionated about which side to take. The herirage shared by most Americans and Britain put American public opinion on the sides of the Allies. Trade between the US and the Central Powers also shrank giving another reason it was hard to remain neutral. Adding to that was the fact that exports to the Allies nearly quadrupled and ties between them became closer. In 1915 the British passenger liner, the Lusitania was sunk supposedly by German U-Boats, pissing many people off. Most Americans considered this grounds for war. Wilson, however, refused to take extreme measures against Germany but instead sent them several messages insisting that its government safegaurd the lives of noncombatants in the warzone. When the Sussex was torpedoed by a German torpedo Wilson demanded that they give up submarine warfare or risk war with the US. The Sussex pledge was made out of that where Germans said they wouldnt sink any more merchant ships without warning. Wilson was re-ellected in 1916 and focused on finding a peaceful solution to the war. He knew the only way to keep America out of this war was to end it altogether. Germany announecd on January 31st, 1917, that any vessels in the waters near G.B., France, and Italy would be sunk without warning. This was a violation of the Sussex Pledge and caused the US to break off diplomatic ties with Germany. America Finally entered the war due to the fact that Germany and Mexico were going to attack the US. On April 2nd, 1917, Wilson asked the members of congress to d... Free Essays on The Great War Free Essays on The Great War The Great War As war consumed Europe, Americans hoped that the Atlantic ocean was enough to seperate them from it and keep them out of the war. President Wilson said that the US would stay out of it saying it was a war in which we had nothing to do. But America could not help but take sides. As immigrants from Europe gave roots to many Americans, it was hard for them not to be opinionated about which side to take. The herirage shared by most Americans and Britain put American public opinion on the sides of the Allies. Trade between the US and the Central Powers also shrank giving another reason it was hard to remain neutral. Adding to that was the fact that exports to the Allies nearly quadrupled and ties between them became closer. In 1915 the British passenger liner, the Lusitania was sunk supposedly by German U-Boats, pissing many people off. Most Americans considered this grounds for war. Wilson, however, refused to take extreme measures against Germany but instead sent them several messages insisting that its government safegaurd the lives of noncombatants in the warzone. When the Sussex was torpedoed by a German torpedo Wilson demanded that they give up submarine warfare or risk war with the US. The Sussex pledge was made out of that where Germans said they wouldnt sink any more merchant ships without warning. Wilson was re-ellected in 1916 and focused on finding a peaceful solution to the war. He knew the only way to keep America out of this war was to end it altogether. Germany announecd on January 31st, 1917, that any vessels in the waters near G.B., France, and Italy would be sunk without warning. This was a violation of the Sussex Pledge and caused the US to break off diplomatic ties with Germany. America Finally entered the war due to the fact that Germany and Mexico were going to attack the US. On April 2nd, 1917, Wilson asked the members of congress to d...

Separate Nations essays

Separate Nations essays During the Indian removal of the early 1800s the 5 Civilized Tribes and other Indian tribes where dealt with as if they were small nations. Generally most people think of nations on a much larger scale. Indian tribes have some of the attributes we find familiar in other nations; language, religion, and social customs certainly set them a part from other Americans. Why do Indians believe that they are so much different from the rest of the mass of American culture and for the most part continue to resist assimilation? It has nothing to do with the complex culture and ancient traditions that have slowly died out and have no meaning over the years, as it does with the legal and political ideas developed over the centuries by Indians which give them a much different world view than the average American. Self Government is not a new idea, but has been burning in the minds of Indians for years. Not until the early 1960s did the idea of separate Indian nations take full force and Indian rights movements begin. Indian affairs are such a small portion of the domestic American scene that the federal Indian legislation no longer has a permanent committee in either houses of Congress. In 1824, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) was created by Congress as a division of the War Department to seek a military solution to the growing Indian problem. After the (BIA) relocated the Indians on to reservations, their main responsibility is to manage the 2.3 percent of American land on behalf of the various tribes. If the land and people are in such good hands with the (BIA) then why are some reservations referred to as rural ghettoes and not one of the 300 treaties between tribes and the U.S. Government been honored? If they are in such good hands then why are Indians the poorest race of people in the U.S. with the highest suicide rate and alcohol related illnesses? The U.S ...

Film Analyze Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Film Analyze - Essay Example Ang Lee, when making this movie, he knew from the word go that this film was to capture the attention of all sorts of audience, an ambition that was partially accomplished due to Lee’s diverse technical-know how in various film markets. Utilizing his childhood years, Lee nicely combined his kung-fu style movies knowledge with famous Hollywood visuals and themes. He then blended all these styles together with Chinese actors and set the film in an amazing landscape all over the China’s mainland, hence making Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon relevant to all audience across the world. However, reviews have shown that this disingenuous blend was not the cause for the widely diverse attraction of the film by the audience. Normally, the stereotypical dominant male hero is associated with Kung-fu and he goes out to save the day for the female figures who are not only weak but also gentle. On the contrary, the characters in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon do not follow this formulaic schema at all. Instead, the female figures dominate Lee’s film. Lee attracted a large number of audiences to his film dubbed Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon by using challenging and conventional social gender norms to portray the characters in the film. The traditional views of these gender norms have to be intensively explored before the discussion of characters in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. The traditional Chinese norms viewed women as gentle, emotional, incapable and weaker sex that depended entirely on a stronger and more agile man for protection. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was set in the late 1700s when Chinese women were not strong enough to have full control of power as far as their lives were concerned. For instance, no opinion was considered from a bride-to-be during marriages, instead the Chinese conventional women were to maintain their silence and accept their fates without defiance or

Business Plan Input and Matching stage Term Paper

Business Plan Input and Matching stage - Term Paper Example orating with Microsoft Corporation, development of vehicles with LTE 4G broadband connections and car designs with removable bicycle frame tucked in its body. These factors increase sales of vehicles in the company. In addition, U.S requirements such as federal emissions Standards and heavy duty vehicles contribute to the political factors influencing sales of Ford Company. The supplies of Ford Motor Company include electronics, braking systems, car batteries and integrated vehicle systems. The major suppliers are Johnson Controls and TRW Automotive Holdings Corporation. Johnson and TRW Companies have high bargaining power because of low competition (University of Kentucky 1). The major consumers of the Ford products are people and schools who need vehicles. People with ages 55 to 64 whose estimation is around 76 million are the major buyers in comparison to other age cohorts and so have higher bargaining power. The potential of new entrants in the motor industry is low and depends on who is planning to enter the industry. High capital needed to start a motor company, competition from existing firms and establishment of new suppliers are barriers new entrants face. Ford Motor belongs to the transportation industry whose potential substitutes include air, water and railway transportation vessels. Air transport as a substitute is very convenient and fast. Lower costs of transport on the substitutes may lead lower sales in motor industry. The top management team includes Chris Policinski who is the president and CEO, Lisa Deverell is the senior vice president, John Ellenberger senior vice president, Jim Fife executive vice president. The HR is expected to conduct all company’s business while obeying the laws of the country and ensure that all employees observe the ethics of business. Ford’s culture is to win the hearts of many customers and maintain the relationship. Ford sells high quality vehicles at affordable prices thus attracting high market. Financial

Culture shock Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Culture shock - Essay Example Group study replaced solo study with parents and teachers. I do not come from a wealthy class therefore I had to support myself in college for tuition funds and my pocket money. I come from a middle-class family. My parents and family members expect a lot from me. For this reason, they gave special attention to my studies while I was in school. This soft authority and system made me comfortable and dependent on it. Unfortunately, this is not nurturing or helpful in the long term. Eventually, a child has to open his wings and fly to leave the nest. Freedom, independence and choice were alien to me regarding life-changing decisions. I always had my parents and family there to guide me about difficult decisions. But college life is where parents expect their children to prove that they are capable of taking care of themselves. It was a whole different challenge to me. I believe that my family life was an educational ground for me to be ready for college life. My family background supported, nurtured and raised me in a secure and relaxed environment. The college life challenges people that they need to come out of their comfort zones. College life is where students do not care about laundry; bunking classes is the norm and having no money for anything is the story of almost every student. While at home, one is expected to live ‘normal. Obeying parents is the law. It is not just me, my fellows also feel this cultural shock. Some fall victims to this stark change while some adapt and refine themselves. I do not believe that one should consider college life as the ultimate test where penalty is either life or death. This way of thinking can turn average students into ‘useless’ bookworms. I have used the term useless because if someone learns nothing after spending hours reading something, he/she could have spent that time in more ‘useful’ ways. The illusion of acting well is worse than behaving bad. The

Evaluation of Engineering Markets Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Evaluation of Engineering Markets - Assignment Example From this study it is clear that about 200 million motorbikes are currently in use as a mode of transport in different countries across the globe. This accounts for about 33 motorbikes for every 1,000 persons. Research also indicates that third world countries in the Asian continent lead in terms of motorbike usage, which stands at about 58% with the exception of Japan where cars still lead as the preferred mode of transport. China, for example, had about 54 million motorbikes by 2006 that were already in use. At the same time, China’s motorbike production currently stands at about 22 million per year. China is followed closely by its neighboring India where an estimated 37 million motorbikes are in use.This paper outlines that  European countries where the use of motorbikes has widely been embraced. In this regard, it is reported that nowadays a majority of the U.K. citizens used motorbikes as a means of transport. In fact, it is said that one hardly walks for more than a m ile before coming across a motorbike in the U.K. today. The number is also expected to increase as more people continue to embrace the use of motorbikes as a mode of transport in the U.K.  One such is the motorbike test law, which is aimed at encouraging additional training among young riders. This new legislation has changed the rules for obtaining a motorbike license in the U.K.  despite resistance by the British government arguing that the new legislation being imposed by the European Union is very complex and not achievable.

The Invention of the Perspective In the Renaissance Essay

The Invention of the Perspective In the Renaissance - Essay Example The first 'book' refers to the 'diminution of plane surfaces' (6), the second explains the trial of ' diminution of square bodies' and those having a number of faces positioned at right angles to the planes'(7) and the third one 'the diminution of bodies' (8), that seems more difficult to realize. Analyzing Francesca's different ways of perspective, Kim Veltman notices 'geometrical proportion using diagonals' (9) a 'surveying type using a rod or a plane' (10) and 'a diagonal' (11) to determine the distance. There are also new 'perspective views' considered by Francesco in his book 'The Geometrical Method' ,these were basically used in the context of pavements, ceilings, facades and buildings and. He also used 'The Window Method' that had more elaborate details and was represented in architecture. Duccio di Buoninsegna was an Italian painter (1278-1319) who demonstrated the use of perspective in architectural forms. His style seems to be different in his tendency of giving his figures more volume. His 'perspective 'infuses elements from Byzantine style with more dramatic scenes and specific figures. In his 45 panels representing scenes from the Bible and saints he inspired from primitive Christian style regarding the outlines of figures, gestures, and clothes. In this way he tried to create a more natural visual impression. His art of 3 D perspective created a special spatiality, a type of 'breathing space' (17) around the persons and objects. The artist used a special technique of registering in his paintings intricate details (for example

Write a case study on a small group, community, or organization

Write a on a small group, community, or organization - Case Study Example The paper is a comprehensive explanation of the mode of interaction between the American Indians and the rest of Americans. The American Indians are the indigenous inhabitants in the United States of America. They are distinct from the rest of the Americans because they preserve their traditions and are not easily influenced by the modern technology. California in 2000 had the largest population of American Indians. The census report of that year indicated that there were 628,000 American Indians in total. The American Indians are composed of numerous distinct tribes and ethnic groups whose migration happened over thousands of years ago. It involved different groups which are usually referred to as Native Americans or the American Indian. These people crossed over from Asia through a frozen land bridge to the modern day Russia which was by then still part of northern America. They later migrated to Alaska as the ice began to decline thus making them move even further to the southern part. These migrants eventually settled in the modern days United States. Due to their conservative nature, American Indians are regarded as uncivilized by majority of the rest of Americans. But they value their practices since they attach them to identity and unity symbols. Just like all the other communities, they adhere to various social concepts and theories. This is because they have to interact with the rest of the Americans thus making them venerable to internal and external influences. The social concepts and theories apply in various levels and aspects of the American Indians’ lives just like in other social units. Amongst the theories affecting American Indians is the conflict theory. The theory argues that in any society, people do not coexist in pursuit of equilibrium where everybody receives an equal share of resources. It further states that people live competitively with everyone trying to outdo the other with the weakest

Evaluation of Engineering Markets Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Evaluation of Engineering Markets - Assignment Example From this study it is clear that about 200 million motorbikes are currently in use as a mode of transport in different countries across the globe. This accounts for about 33 motorbikes for every 1,000 persons. Research also indicates that third world countries in the Asian continent lead in terms of motorbike usage, which stands at about 58% with the exception of Japan where cars still lead as the preferred mode of transport. China, for example, had about 54 million motorbikes by 2006 that were already in use. At the same time, China’s motorbike production currently stands at about 22 million per year. China is followed closely by its neighboring India where an estimated 37 million motorbikes are in use.This paper outlines that  European countries where the use of motorbikes has widely been embraced. In this regard, it is reported that nowadays a majority of the U.K. citizens used motorbikes as a means of transport. In fact, it is said that one hardly walks for more than a m ile before coming across a motorbike in the U.K. today. The number is also expected to increase as more people continue to embrace the use of motorbikes as a mode of transport in the U.K.  One such is the motorbike test law, which is aimed at encouraging additional training among young riders. This new legislation has changed the rules for obtaining a motorbike license in the U.K.  despite resistance by the British government arguing that the new legislation being imposed by the European Union is very complex and not achievable.

Write a case study on a small group, community, or organization

Write a on a small group, community, or organization - Case Study Example The paper is a comprehensive explanation of the mode of interaction between the American Indians and the rest of Americans. The American Indians are the indigenous inhabitants in the United States of America. They are distinct from the rest of the Americans because they preserve their traditions and are not easily influenced by the modern technology. California in 2000 had the largest population of American Indians. The census report of that year indicated that there were 628,000 American Indians in total. The American Indians are composed of numerous distinct tribes and ethnic groups whose migration happened over thousands of years ago. It involved different groups which are usually referred to as Native Americans or the American Indian. These people crossed over from Asia through a frozen land bridge to the modern day Russia which was by then still part of northern America. They later migrated to Alaska as the ice began to decline thus making them move even further to the southern part. These migrants eventually settled in the modern days United States. Due to their conservative nature, American Indians are regarded as uncivilized by majority of the rest of Americans. But they value their practices since they attach them to identity and unity symbols. Just like all the other communities, they adhere to various social concepts and theories. This is because they have to interact with the rest of the Americans thus making them venerable to internal and external influences. The social concepts and theories apply in various levels and aspects of the American Indians’ lives just like in other social units. Amongst the theories affecting American Indians is the conflict theory. The theory argues that in any society, people do not coexist in pursuit of equilibrium where everybody receives an equal share of resources. It further states that people live competitively with everyone trying to outdo the other with the weakest

How does Shakespeare examine the themes of revenge in Hamlet Essay Example for Free

How does Shakespeare examine the themes of revenge in Hamlet Essay The revenge tragedy established itself within Elizabethan theatre as a tremendously popular genre. The style of the play had gradually evolved from the works of Seneca, an ancient Roman playwright. Once translated these plays performed, steadily rose in popularity, with plays such as Middletons The Changeling, Kids The Spanish Tragedy and Tourneurs The Revengers Tragedy being most popular. The typical revenge tragedy play has several important conventions within it, which are key to the genre. see more:revenge hamlet A five part structure of: Exposition, anticipation, confrontation, partial execution and completion, portray the central character the revenger, discovering the deed he must avenge, wrestling with his conscience over the justification and validity of the act, then planning and eventually executing the act of revenge. Often Jacobean revenge tragedy often questioned the revengers morality. How far does the task of revenge affect the revenger? How far does it taint the person? How can the audience be sure the protagonists madness is not actually real? Is it possible that the conflicting morality suffered by him brings unto the revenger real madness and mental instability? The questions over morality are furthered by the death of the protagonist another generic feature. Elizabethans generally firmly believed in the concepts of heaven and hell, dying without forgiveness from God would mean eternity in perdition like the limbo in which Old Hamlet is in, in Hamlet When I to my sulphrous and tormented flames Must render up myself. As the revenger usually dies at the end of the play after carrying out revenge, he dies without the chance of confession and absolution. This means the act of murder has not been forgiven. Inevitably this leads us to assume the protagonist will spend eternity in hell. We can debate the authenticity of the spirit demanding for revenge. If they were once a loved one of the revenger why would they make them vow to perform a deed, which would lead them to damnation? Could it be that the spirit is not in fact the spirit of the deceased but an evil spirit taking their form, tricking the revenger? After dispensing with some of the generic features, such as narrative by the ghost, it retains many of the conventions of the revenge tragedy. Hamlet is summoned to avenge the murder of his father, by his fathers spirit, the murderer being Hamlets uncle, now stepfather and newly crowned King Claudius. Hamlet feigns madness to disguise his intentions of revenge and has a play entitled The Mousetrap performed, in which the murder of Old Hamlet is re-enacted. On preparing to kill Claudius Hamlet is set back by Claudius asking for forgiveness from God in a moment of prayer. This leads to an inevitable climax, which results in the death of Hamlet, Claudius and Laertes in a typically bloody ending. All of these events are to be expected from a revenge tragedy. Further more, Hamlet contains several scenes, key to its portrayal of the revenge theme. In act one, scene five Hamlet follows the supposed spirit of his father and is informed of his fathers murder I am thy fathers spirit sleeping in mine orchid a serpent stung me. This scene conveys the task of revenge being set, the whole of the play hinges on this event. The imagery within this scene is also telling. Old Hamlet is dressed in battle fatigue, thus symbolizing him as a war-king; the audience having been informed of the war he started against Old Fortinbras. This suggests that Old Hamlets position in hell is right and not solely due to him being unable to confess before his untimely death. This suggests repercussion on whether or not Hamlets soul will actually be damned, having not confessed but essentially living a good life. If the nature of damnation does in fact relay solely on whether or not one has lived a good life, and not whether or not one has confessed ones sins, then it is possible Hamlet has gone to heaven, thus Shakespeare can be seen to be subverting the ideas of religion within the revenge tragedy genre. Young Fortinbras comments Bear Hamlet like a solider, in death Hamlet is viewed as a hero, in this context it is not difficult to assume he has escaped damnation The theme of kingship is continued in Act two, scene two. We are presented with an image of Claudius, which is in direct contrast to the one presented of his predecessor. Talk of Claudius averting war with Young Fortinbras, shows the new king to be one which favours diplomacy to war. Surely such a king is more advantageous for Denmark than a bloodthirsty leader like the image we are presented of Old Hamlet. This furthers the question of whether Hamlet has enough moral justification to take a life, especially one that is so beneficial to the country. This scene is also important as the first signs of Hamlet feigning madness are demonstrated to the audience. In act three, scene two the feature of a play within a play is portrayed. Claudius is outraged by what he sees Give me some light. Away. Hamlet interprets Claudius reaction to the play as unequivocal proof of his guilt. This a crucial turning point in the play. Up to now Hamlet has been unsure of whether or not to perform his duties. That he is assured by Claudius reaction (poor evidence in hindsight) may illustrate Hamlets degradation by the mission he has been set. Ill take the ghosts word for a thousand pound In Act three, scene four the death of Polonius can be seen to serve multiple purposes. In its most insignificant form it leads Ophelia further into the madness, which eventually leads to her death. Also it demonstrates how the revenge plot has affected Hamlet A bloody deed. Almost as bad as kill a king and marry his brother. He has killed, in cold blood and without provocation, the father of his love and yet seems to show little remorse. Can Hamlet still be seen as the hero of the play when he himself is placed in the same situation as Claudius? Polonius death introduces a secondary revenge plot. Laertes now has to avenge his fathers death, inviting the audience to compare Laertes and Hamlet as revenger. The alleged actions of Claudius have provoked a cycle of revenge plots, in which all involved are led to their deaths. The penultimate scene of the play affects the resolution of the three revenge plots. Hamlet and Laertes both achieve revenge, in doing they so they sacrifice their earthly bodies and possibly their eternal souls. Young Fortinbras revenge on Denmark for his country as he and his armies easily occupy, thus turning previous defeats on their head. Both Hamlet and Laertes at the beginning of the play were both well-liked and talented men; Hamlet had the possibilities of becoming king bestowed upon him. Yet at the end each die as a murderer who is damned to Hell. Hamlet in this form can be seen as a severe commentary on the idea of revenge, that it is the role of God to act upon those who have wronged, not the individuals. A modern audience may read Hamlet in ways different to that of a Jacobean counterpart would have viewed it in. Themes of religion are very strong in the play, and while an Elizabethan audience may have had a strong belief in the concepts of divine retribution, a modern audience may be less convinced by this. Religion is not as central to modern life as it was in the era the play was written. Thus issues such as deeds on earth having direct consequences on a persons fate in the afterlife- a crucial part of the genre, lessen in their importance.

Effect of Technology on Public Transportation

Effect of Technology on Public Transportation What evidence of the social shaping of technology, if any, is provided by the history of public transport in London Paris (1820-1990)? The following will discuss the evidence or otherwise of the social shaping of technology with regard to public transport in London and Paris between 1820 and 1990. During this period technological advances in public transport were pronounced and whether they shaped social changes will be outlined below. London and Paris are apt examples to use as they developed rapidly during the 19th Century and had continued to change until the end of the period. In 1820 both London and Paris were expanding cities yet their transport systems with the exception of canals to London had hardly changed at all in hundreds of years. However, the impact of industrialisation and urbanisation would mean that London and Paris would need the improvements in public transport to get their populations to work, school and home again. These advances in technology in turn would bolster the social and economic changes that had fostered them in the first place. The British population increased from 10 million in 1800 to 36 million in 1990 whilst that of France went from 27 million to 40 million (Roberts, 1996, p.322). In the same period the population of London went from 900,000 to 4.7 million whilst that of Paris went from 600,000 to 3.6 million. Most of the rise in the London and Paris populations resulted from the increased migration promoted by public transport (Roberts, 1996, p.322). The term ‘commuter’ came into everyday use during the 1850s to describe the people that travelled into and around London daily to work. These commuters travelled by train and in any of the 800 horse drawn bus services. After 1862 commuters could travel on the first complete section of the underground from Paddington to Farrington Street. The underground was developed and built by partners including the City of London and Great Western Railway. The construction of such systems in London and Paris showed great engineering skills not least because of the need to tunnel or bridge the Thames and the Seine respectively (Evans, 2000, p.101). The Paris metro was opened on July 19 1900 when it only went from Porte de Vincennes to Porte Mailliat. Like the London underground the metro was extended much further than the original line. Line 1 for example now runs from Chateau de Vincent to La Defense. The Paris metro gained a reputation for not only being more efficient that the London underground but also more elegant. The metro resulted from the engine ering know how of Fulgence Bienvenue and the architectural elegance of Hector Guimard. The metro has 211 kilometres or 130 miles of track that serves 380 stations that means that any within Paris is merely 500 metres away from the nearest station. The metro is slightly bigger than half of the London underground yet has a hundred stations more (Mills, 1997-2005). Improvements in technology meant that more people travelled to London and Paris to live and work, thus more of them could travel within and beyond the city limits. That was due to the increase in the provision of public transport. In the early part of the period 1820 to 1990 was the advent of the railways. The first successful rail service between Stockton and Darlington was developed by George Stephenson provided the impetus for a great expansion of railways (Hobsbawm, 1962, p.187). As respective capital cities London and Paris were logically at the centre of their national rail networks. Technically speaking, although the train services into, from and in London were providing a public service they were privately owned until after 1945. Britain had a head start over France when it came to the amount and density or rail and track not only in the capital but nationally as well, over 750 kilometres squared compared to between 250-499 kilometres squared for France (Hobsbawm, 1975, p.310 ). The advent of the railways meant that the Londoners and Parisians could have better links to the provinces, also cities such as Newcastle and Marseilles were easier to reach. The railways also meant that other parts of their cities were easier to get to (Hobsbawm, 1975, p.56). Southern Railway that ran the majority of train services in and around London was the only private rail operator (before nationalisation) that was regularly in profit (Black, 2000, p.89). Linked to the spread of the railways was the adoption of underground – systems in both London and Paris. The underground and metro systems offered the capacity and ability to carry millions of commuters daily without causing as much disruption as having all the rail tracks above ground. London expanded its operative underground -system in 1890 and Paris alongside other cities followed within a decade. The London underground is roughly double the size of the Paris metro since the completion of its last extension in 1999 with 392 kilometres or 244 miles of track with 280 stations (Crystal, 2003, p.950). In contrast to the railways the London underground continued to expand during the 1960s and beyond. The new Victoria Line of the 1960s was followed by the Jubilee Line and the extension of the system to Heathrow Airport in the 1970s (Black, 2000, p. 91). The underground systems gave the advantage of transporting more people with greater speed than other forms of both private and public transport. At that point cars and buses were barely in existence. Even as cars became more common they remained out of the price range of many Londoners and Parisians until the 1950s. Using public transport had the advantage of being cheaper without the need to worry about parking or having to stay stuck in traffic jams (Black, 2000, p.86). Another way that public transport has made on the social shaping of technology in London and Paris was the role of buses. Prior to the invention of the internal combustion engine there had been the horse driven bus. However, the buses driven by petrol or diesel engines were able to carry more passengers further than their horse driven predecessors. Buses could pick passengers up from places where the train and the underground did not go. Buses were introduced into London and other British cities from 1898 (Black, 2000, p.87). Buses tended to operate later services than the trains did in London. Within London and outside it, train companies before the Second World War often ran bus services. The Second World War led to London’s travel infrastructure been badly damaged whilst Paris had escaped heavy bombing although other parts of the French rail and roads had been destroyed (Black, 2000, p.88). In most respects the coming of railways amply demonstrated the social shaping of technology. It helped to speed the movement of people from the smaller towns and villages to major cities such as London and Paris. The railways allowed goods or people to travel much faster and also generated great wealth for their investors. Such wealth was shown in the elegant stations such as King’s Cross and Paris du Nord. The railways employed thousands directly or indirectly whilst transporting millions more (Hobsbawm, 1987, p.27). France had been slower in building railways than Britain yet managed to double the amount of track it had between 1880 and 1913 (Hobsbawm, 1987, p.52). The railway workers and other transport workers shaped society in ways linked to technology or in times of industrial disputes the refusal to use that technology. Both the British and French transport workers had a reputation for their radical trade unionism. In the British General strike of May 1926 support among st London’s transport workers was solid and not a bus, train or underground train ran for nine days (Brendon, 2000, pp 46-47). France tended to be more prone to strikes than Britain. In the summer of 1936, Paris and the rest of the country came to a halt after a series of strikes spread to the transport workers after starting at Renault (Brendon, 2000, p. 296). Even in more recent times strikes on the metro are frequent, especially if the French trade unions are unhappy with their government. Unlike their counterparts in London most Parisians can walk to work if that happens (Mills, 1997-2005). There was another development in public transport that allowed some social shaping due to technology, the aircraft. At first air travel was restricted to the rich, the military and cargo carriers. However the increasing cheapness of flights and the opening of airports such as Charles de Gaulle and Heathrow near Paris and London respectively made package holidays and internal business flights easier (Hobsbawm, 1994, p. 15). It was in the production of the supersonic airliner Concorde that both countries collaborated to show how technologically advanced they were. Concorde would allow people to travel to and from London and Paris in luxury as well as been good for national prestige (Crystal, 2003, p. 214). Whilst the French have made efforts to maintain and modernise their rail network in Paris and nationally the decline in the British railways has been marked. The total mileage of track halved between 1945 and 1992 whilst the number of car owners increased twenty fold in the same peri od. That meant that public transport was taken more seriously in Paris than London (Black, 2000, pp. 90-92). Therefore, it can be argued that social shaping technology was evidenced by public transport in London and Paris between 1820 and 1990. It was the development and expansion of the railways that greatly contributed to the expansion of London and Paris during the 19th Century. The railways generated wealth and trade as well as bringing people and jobs to both London and Paris. The development of underground-systems also contributed to social shaping and more and more people were able to commute to work and school. Public transport was further enhanced with the introduction of powered buses whilst the availability of cycles and later cars meant that not everybody had to rely on public transport. Whilst the greater availability of public transport had made social shaping changes the wider availability of cars led to more people moving out of the cities centres in to the suburbs. Public transport still remains vital for millions of Londoners and Parisians and commuters that travel from fu rther afield to go about their everyday business in London or Paris. Bibliography Black, J (2000) Modern British History since 1900, Macmillan Foundations, Macmillan, London Brendon, P (2000) The Dark Valley – A Panorama of the 1930s, Jonathan Cape, London Crystal, D (2003) The Penguin Concise Encyclopaedia, Penguin Group, London Hobsbawm, E (1962) The Age of Revolution 1789-1848, Weidenfeld Nicholson, London Hobsbawm, E (1975) The Age of Capital 1848-1875, Weidenfeld Nicholson, London Hobsbawm, E (1994) The Age of Extremes – the short Twentieth Century 1914-1991, Michael Joseph, London Mills, I C (1997-2005) The Paris metro www.discoverfrance (Barry Vale)

Modernist Works and the Fear of the Fin de Siècle Essay -- Literature

Modernist Works and the Fear of the Fin de Sià ¨cle      Ã‚  Ã‚   Fin de sià ¨cle is a term which is now used to refer to the period of the last 40 or so years of the Nineteenth Century and its art, yet at the time the word had genuine sociological connotations of modernity, social decay and reaction.   In France in particular though arguably throughout Europe, society was changing in such a way as to merit such a pessimistic term for the trend evolving.   The growing ability for the mass of the people to access all areas of society, previously only available to an appreciative elite coupled with the growing crime rate and visible decline of this elite are factors of this social phenomenon.   The modernist writers, typically the youthful offspring of the old elites, certainly used fin de sià ¨cle as a theme.   There is evidence of a conflict with the concept of fin de sià ¨cle, but it is too simple to say that they displayed a fear of fin de sià ¨cle.   As I will try to show in this essay, the modernist reaction to and in terpretation of fin de sià ¨cle is not static and, as though proportional to the development of modernity as an aesthetic, develops through works of varying mediums by different authors over the period identified as 'modernist'.    The phenomenon of   fin de sià ¨cle is like any term, including modernism, not rigidly set chronologically.   It can be used to describe any time in the period between about 1860 and around the beginning of the First World War.   This roughly coincides with the chronology of modernism.   This is no coincidence, since the two are linked exponentially and develop so.   But whether the relationship between the works of modernism and fin de sià ¨cle is one of fear, is not a clear cut 'yes or no' situation.   In ... ...arles Baudelaire, The Flowers of Evil, Aylesbury: Oxford University Press, 1993. Joris Karl Huysmans, Against Nature, St Ives: Penguin Books Ltd., 1959. Thomas Mann, Death in Venice, St Ives: Penguin Books Ltd., 1971. Bram Dijkstra, Idols of Perversity - Fantasies of Feminine Evil in Fin de sià ¨cle culture, New York: Oxford University Press, 1986. J.A. Cuddon, Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory, St Ives: Penguin Books Ltd., 1992. Ruth Harris, Murders and Madness - Medicine, Law and Society in the Fin de sià ¨cle, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1989. Eugen Weber, France - Fin de sià ¨cle, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1986. Richard David Sonn, French Anarchism as Cultural Politics in the 1890's, Michigan: Ann Arbor, 1981. 1 Eugene Weber, France - Fin de Sià ¨cle, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1986, pp. 9 - 26   

life stinks :: essays research papers

Graduation speech Good afternoon distinguished guests, parents, teachers, administrators, friends and especially to the CLASS OF 2003. Today marks the end of a chapter in our lives. Tomorrow we will embark on a journey to places unimaginable. No longer will we be sheltered by those things that have been our foundation for so many years. We will have to make decisions independently. In fact we will be independent. Independent from our parents, from our communities, and from the friends that have defined who we are. But, with this independence comes responsibility. Mark twain states â€Å"Independence is loyalty to one’s best self and principles.† Before starting the rest of our lives we must be sure of who we are. We must set principles for ourselves and stand firm on those principles. Fighting for what we believe in; never sacrificing who we are. We should never settle for less than our dreams. Each of us has the capacity to accomplish all of our goals. We are the walking embodiment of potential. At this time in our lives we have what most adults envy, options. Thomas Edison said â€Å"If we did the t hings we are capable of, we would astound ourselves.† Strive to live a life worth living. Do not define success as the amount of money in your pocket or the square footage of your homes. But instead determine success by the relationships you have and the happiness you find. We are prepared and eager to face the Journey ahead. As we begin this next chapter of our lives, my desire is to live life to the fullest or as John Eldredge more eloquently states â€Å"I want to love with more abandon and stop waiting for others to love me first.

Discussion Board 2 †Apologetics Essay

1. What are some ways the Christian gospel is perceived in our culture? To many individuals, the Christian gospel is seen as selective and intolerant. Although we are all free to accept the gift of salvation through Christ, He tells us in John 14:6 that He is â€Å"the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.† To many, this will seem intolerant and almost haughty. How can a God who wants nothing more than to have a relationship with us say that there is only one way to do so? 2. What are some specific moral reasons people may reject the Christian gospel? Many individuals who will reject the Christian gospel do so for moral reasons such as their sexual preferences (gay, bi, or straight), their marital status, or the apparent intolerant moral code found in the Word of God. People believe that you have to give up everything that is worldly to follow Christ, and that Christians think they are more righteous than others. The fact is, you will have to give up living in sin, and you will have to give up treasures of the world, but the heavenly treasures that you gain will outshine any possession that you will have on this earth. 3. What are some specific emotional reasons people may reject the Christian gospel? One specific emotional reason that people will reject the Christian gospel is that they cannot grasp the concept of God’s unconditional love. God loves each and every one of us, even the worst sinner, and tells us in His Word. People will say things like â€Å"God would not let me be poor, or God would not have let me be abused like I was.† Even though we are all loved by God, and He wants us to have a relationship with Him and be happy and well, even the most devout Christian has to go through trials and tribulations. 4. What are some specific intellectual reasons people may reject the Christian gospel? For most Christians, believing in God is â€Å"faith-based,† and that there is no room for science and fact in Christianity. Many non-Christians will say that the Bible is nothing more than a collection of fairy tales for those who are easily enchanted and to make the people who read them feel good. The intellectual non-believer’s insistence that the Bible has no basis in fact  is one reason that they will reject the message, even though there is historical proof to show that Christ lived, died, and was resurrected, as well as that many other Biblical places and people existed at one point in time, even if they do not anymore. 5. What can Christians do to address these objections and better communicate the Christian gospel? As Christians, when we approach someone and begin to talk about our faith, it may seem like they are a little frightened, or maybe just upset and unwilling to take a leap of faith. They maybe feel like we have come on too strong, even though we know that we are just eager to talk about our faith. It is important for Christians to learn that we need to be patient with others but also diligent as we share the gospel of Christ.

Policy of Appeasement: Good or Bad? Essay

After the Great War, Germany and a couple other countries were greatly punished, having to pay reparations and territorial losses. Hitler, soon to be a dictator, wanted to change that. He believed that Germany had been punished too severely and wanted revenge; because he had such a strong government and military, there were many ways of going about stopping him. During the 1930’s, the policy of appeasement was the most effective response to Hitler’s aggression because of many reason but mainly that it keep peace and didn’t start war, the people did not support the war, and because the British needed more time to prepare for war. First of all, one reason why appeasement was the most effective response because for the time being, it kept peace throughout Europe, and after only 20 years of peace from the Great War, people didn’t want another. While Chamberlain was secretly trying to get more time he claims that he is just trying to keep peace but if necessary, he will take action, â€Å"I shall not give up the hope of a peaceful solution†¦yet if it were sure that any nation had made up its mind to dominate the world by its fear of force, I should feel that it must be resisted†¦but war is a fearful thing† (Document 7). This quote signifies that although Chamberlain said he was a man of peace that if he thought it was necessary he would start a war. One problem with appeasement is that some people think that war could have been totally avoided if Hitler had been stood up, â€Å"because the Czech defenses were very strong†¦ and because the German generals, conscious of Germany’s relative weakness at that moment, were actually prepared to attempt to remove Hitler† (Document 9). So if the British had stood up to Hitler and beat him, the war would have been over and Hitler subdued. Furthermore, appeasement was a good policy because even if Chamberlain had wanted war, the Congress didn’t and after just coming out of a pointless war that killed many lives, nobody was willing to do another. British historian Keith Eubank states: â€Å"Neither the people nor the government of (Britain and France) were conditioned to idea of war†¦Hitler had done nothing that any major power considered dangerous enough to warrant a major European war† (Document 10). Another problem with appeasement is that if you are going to have a trust between people over a controversial topic, you can’t do it with a man like Hitler who is known for backstabbing and disloyalty. Trusting Hitler was a risky thing for Chamberlain because while they are resting in peace, Hitler could sneak attack and take an advantage on a very important war. Lastly and most importantly, Chamberlain made the most effective response of Hitler’s aggression because at that time, the British needed more time to update their weapons and prepare for war. They were not at all ready and Germany was acting very aggressive lately so Chamberlain made the right choice of buying the British time so they could win the war. A British foreign secretary describes his meeting with other governments, â€Å"public opinion was strongly opposed to any action against the Germans†¦most people were saying openly that they did not see why the Germans should not occupy the Rhineland†¦taking almost any risk in order to avoid the situation† (Document 12). It was also believed that if Britain had more time, they would win the war, â€Å"time is in our favor†¦it would be better to fight her in say 6 – 12 months’ time, than to accept the present challenge† (Document 13). The most important reason as to why appeasement was a bad thing is because it gave Hitler more land and freedom. When Hitler received Sudeten territory without having to lift a finger causes him to believe Britain and France don’t want to fight a war (which they didn’t) and makes him think he can get away with more things. Hitler sees their peacefulness and takes his aggression into action, â€Å"Germany toady cast off the last shackles fastened upon her by the Treaty of Versailles when Adolf Hitler, as commander-in-chief of the Reich defense forces, sent his new battalions into the Rhineland’s demilitarized zone† (Document 4). Britain used appeasement to buy precious time to prepare and Hitler thought of this as them backing down and took force, which almost won him the war. The whole idea of appeasement was a controversial topic between politicians. It was a good idea because it kept peace throughout Europe, people wouldn’t have agreed to the war aspect anyways, and that it bought British the time they needed to recover for another war. It was a bad policy because it gave Hitler confidence, Hitler may have been overthrown if a little opposition was expressed, and that Hitler couldn’t be trusted. In conclusion, the policy of appeasement was the most effective way to stop Hitler’s aggression.

Discuss the view that businesses exist to make profits and that we Essay

Discuss the view that businesses exist to make profits and that we should not expect them to take on social responsibilities.( SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY OF BUSINESS - Essay Example According to Waddock, Corporate management can not avoid corporate social responsibility, as it is the basis for the formation of Corporate Citizenship / Waddock, 2005/ The Committee for Economic Development suggested one more definition of CSR, which is based on â€Å"three concentric circles† approach. In this approach the inner circle is composed of primary economic functions like economic development, company production and jobs offered. The next, intermediate, circle states the necessity for awareness of modification of social values in the process of goods production. Finally the third, outer, circle includes new and therefore still vague responsibilities, which are important for the company seeking to improve social environment / Committee of Economic Development, 1971/. However, the attitude to corporate social responsibility is not such simple. Some experts are quite inspired by the concern of the companies and their desire to make contributions to the society. Their opponents consider that the primary task of any business is to make money not to make the world better. It is not new that companies benefit from being socially responsible. It should be noticed that different companies experience different kinds and different levels of benefits from their CSR policies. This depends greatly on the nature of the business itself, on the country, where the company operates. Besides, it is quite difficult to measure the extend of the benefit from CSR. The question of the benefit to the companies from being socially responsible was one of the primary ones since the introduction of the practice of social responsibility policy. There exist a number of literature investigations focusing on the influence of the corporate social responsibility policy on the performance of the company of the market. Among the best-known

California Voter Online Registration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

California Voter Online Registration - Essay Example This essay demonstrates that the information entered by the prospective voter online will be checked carefully by the elections official before an applicant can be qualified as a voter and be enlisted on the voter rolls. Basically, the law allows for a more convenient, easier, and faster way to register to vote as registration can be carried out even in the comfort of the applicant’s home. After the law has been passed, the Republicans, according to Yee, started running and â€Å"we start grabbing online registrations and that’s how we won† (Sankin n.p.). Another beneficent face of this law is that it increased California citizens’ participation in the election. Because the voter registration was made easier, more applicants have come to register online. Essentially, this brings a better turn out during elections because the State will be represented more accurately by the growing number of potential voters. Furthermore, because California is a very divers e State, it would allow for ballots to be translated into different languages which will improve access to all citizens. Nevertheless, the fear of online hacking and virtual theft would be an apprehending issue. Also, there might be a need to add more people for the verification of voter’s identities and the voters’ votes – whether they are genuine or dummy. This is to say that while California has evolved in terms of its voter registration system, there is no way that technological threats and legal implications can be discounted.

Week-long Thematic Unit Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Week-long Thematic Unit - Research Paper Example This unit is to enlighten English Language Learners on pumpkins through books, exploring pumpkins, as well as school field trips. The learners will begin by going through a manuscript on the life cycle of a pumpkin along with filling out a KWL chart on each and every thing they know concerning pumpkins (Harada, & Yoshina, 2003). Then, the class will discuss vocabulary, as well as what words they need to know when explaining and making maps. During the course, they will be informed that they are going to go on a field trip to Bonny Brook farmhouse. Prior to the trip, they need to sketch a map or plot of finding the best likely way to arrive at the pumpkin patch so as to find their pumpkins (Baker, Cooley & Pingel, 2002). Then, after they collect their pumpkins and the class gets back to school, they will inspect the pumpkins through estimating and measuring aspects of the pumpkin. After that the class will read an informational manuscript about pumpkins. To conclude the pumpkin course as a class, we will compose a picture book, which characterizes the pumpkins and each and every thing they learned about pumpkins. This "Pumpkin Science" plan will lesson gives students who learn English as a Second Language a background of how to grow plants. It also grants them a practice in predicting and estimating outcomes. Component Sections of this Thematic Unit 1. Subject. The paper will select an appropriate subject that reflects on text topics, student experiences, interests, problems or issues. 2. Grade Level Correctness 3. Focal Point. Here students will be asked to develop a one-sentence focus statement, which summarizes the intent and direction of the unit. 4. Objectives. This section will identify three or four aims the educator wishes the students would understand by the end of the unit (Max, 1997). These can be limited to county or state competencies and objectives. 5. Resources and Materials. It is beneficial to establish all the crucial resources and materials af ter the unit has been developed. The way, the educator will avoid limiting him/herself to a few recognizable items. a) Printed Resources. pamphlets, newspapers, notices, junk mail, travel guides, journals, letters, diaries, maps, brochures, advertisements, flyers, dictionaries, encyclopedias, magazines, professional journals, booklets. b) Computer along with CD-ROM Materials. Reference works, educational software, simulations and educational games associated with curriculum, and CD-ROM variations of writing. c) Internet Resources. d) Visual/Audio Resources. Videos, filmstrips, films, movies, overhead transparencies or slide programs. Audio tapes, records, tapes and books, and CD’s. e) Community Resources: 1. Motivational speakers 2. School field trips f) Instructional Television Resources: 1. Cable 2. ETV g) Literature Resources: 1. poetry 2. Non-fiction 3. Fiction 6. General Activities. This section will establish activities that the educator wishes to use all through the un it. For a majority of the unit, these activities will be mixed, incorporating the range of curricular fields, as well as reflecting elements of a literature-related program. 7. Discussion Questions. This section of the lesson will include an array of open-ended questions, which help students mull over the topic in a divergent and varied manner. 8. Literature Selections. See Resources and Materials above. This section will select books associated with the topic of each thematic unit. For literature selection, the lesson plan will develop a pre-reading activity, a range of cross-curricular education activities, and