Organisation Behaviour Essay

Expolanka Bangladesh Limited is a group companies in Bangladesh . It has several sister concern who are holding different airlines General Sales Agent (GSA) in Bangladesh. Wings Classic Tours and Travels Limited is one of the sister concern who is holding General sales Agent of Virgin Atlantic Airlines. The Accounting Manager in the accounting department prepares different types of report to assist management with decision. The Manger plays a vital rule for decision making in this organisation. This analysis revealed including the requirements of this managerial job ,how a manager interact with inside and outside group or individual who are important, principle characteristics of these individual or groups, A job task analysis provides a basis for establishing the knowledge, skills, and abilities to work in a managerial position . It determines what job tasks manager performs on a daily, fortnightly, monthly, and yearly basis . These job tasks are separated into different stages based on duties, responsibility, type of job task and so on. ? Accounting Manager’s job description : The Accounting Manager is responsible for all areas relating to financial reporting. This position is responsible for developing and maintaining accounting principles, practices and procedures to ensure accurate and timely financial statements. Financial statements include Income statement, Balance sheet and Cash flow statement, changes of equity and notes to the accounts. Accounting standard (International Accounting Standard),Corporation Act, company law ,taxes rule must be maintained and complied by him to prepare that reports . The Accounting Manager supervises staff accountants and is responsible for managing the team to ensure that work is properly allocated and completed in a timely and accurate manner . He interacts with top management, corporate team and other departments e. g. sales department, marketing department and operation department within the organization. He deals different type of reports and data with them. This position involves a multitude of accounting activities including general ledger preparation, financial reporting, year end audit preparation and the support of budget and forecast activities. The Accounting Manager contacts with senior-level and the firm’s Managing Director ,Executive Director and Corporate Finance Controller which requires strong interpersonal communication skills both written and verbal. He represents all the financial activities in the board meeting. He monitors and collects outstanding payment within stipulated credit duration from clients , makes the payment to the principal that is virgin Atlantic as per terms and condition , takes necessary action about financial transactions and deals with financial institutions and leasing companies as well. Corporate Finance Controller is assisted by him in the daily banking requirements. This position collaborates with the other department’s managers to support overall department goals and objectives. Managing Director , Finance Controller, and other wide managers get respond regarding financial results, special reporting requests from this position. He handles personnel issues relating to staff conflicts, absenteeism, performance issues, etc. Monitoring and analysing departmental work to develop more efficient procedures and use of resources while maintaining a high level of accuracy also include under manager duties and responsibilities. This position requires to follow any other job-related duties required by the management. This job description in no way implies that these are the only duties to be performed. (Accounting job description, n. d) Individuals/groups who are important to this job : The Accounting manager interacts with different groups and individual inside and outside the organisation. The Managing Director, Finance controller and Human Resources Manager are the most important to his job inside the organisation. He has lots of routine tasks with them. Besides that other department’s Manager e. Sales manager ,marketing Manager and operation Manger is also important for his job position. Other accounts executives inside the organisation play important rule to assist the Accounting Manager requirements. In addition to that Financial institution (bank ,leasing company )and the principal (Virgin Atlantic Airlines) and the clients are important to carry out his job. (Accounting job description, n. d) Main characteristics of these groups /individual : Managing Director: Mr. Mahbubul Anam is the Managing Director of Expolanka Bangladesh. His esponsibilities is to manage, monitor and guide the working of the organisation. He involves of controlling all important departments such as finance, sales, human resource, marketing etc. He also supervises and monitors the work these entire departments. Decisions ,advices and recommendations are also taken by him to achieve the organizational goal. He conducts meeting with respective department in the company to find out business strategies for growth of the company in terms of sales figures and net profit. She involves to taking right decision in favor of the company’s interests and satisfies of the shareholder. Managing Director job description n. d ) Finance Controller : The main job responsibility of the Finance Controller is to manage all financial issues. This includes : †¢ The first task of the Finance Controller is to manage and conduct financial resources. So that he plans for future needs and support regarding finance to run the business smoothly. †¢ Preparing and monitoring of financial budget and submit that report to the board of directors of the organization. †¢ Where any inconsistencies to reconciliations , He takes action or refer to relevant personnel as appropriate Statutory authority and audi t requirements are complied . †¢ Ensure compliance all taxation and legislative requirements at all times. †¢ Provides monthly and weekly report to the head quarter, monthly financial statement, fortnightly and daily different reports to the management . (Accounting job description n. d) Human resource manager: Human resource manager plays important role to recruit employee in this organization. His duties includes : †¢ Compensation, benefits and performance management systems, and safety and recreation programs are administered by him. Identify staff vacancies and recruit, interview and select applicants. †¢ Allocate human resources and ensuring appropriate matches between personnel. †¢ Provide current and prospective employees with information about policies, job duties, working conditions, wages, and opportunities for promotion and employee benefits. (Human Resources Manager n. d ) Sales Manager: †¢ Develops a business plan and sales strategy for the market that ensures attainment of company sales goals and profitability. †¢ Prepares action plans by individuals as well as by team for effective search of sales leads and prospects. Initiates and coordinates development of action plans to penetrate new markets. †¢ Assists in the development and implementation o f marketing plans as needed. †¢ Provides timely feedback to senior management regarding performance. †¢ Provides timely, accurate, competitive pricing on all completed prospect applications submitted for pricing and approval, while striving to maintain maximum profit margin. †¢ Maintains accurate records of all pricings, sales, and activity reports submitted by Account Executives. †¢ Controls expenses to meet budget guidelines. ( H. Rob n. d ) Marketing Manager : †¢ manage and coordinate all marketing, advertising and promotional staff and activities †¢ conduct market research to determine market requirements for existing and future products †¢ analysis of customer research, current market conditions and competitor information †¢ develop and implement marketing plans and projects for new and existing products †¢ manage the productivity of the marketing plans and projects †¢ monitor, review and report on all marketing activity and results (Sample Marketing manager job description n. d) Principle characteristics: Name |Position |Age |Gender |Personality |Pattern of interaction |Efficiency |Effectiveness |Satisfaction | |Mr. Mahbubul Anam |Managing Director |50 |Male |Negotiable |Face to face Telephone E-mail Fax |Efficient |Effective |yes | |Mr. MH khusru |Finance Controller |40 |Male |Friendly |Over the telephone E-mail Face to face fax |Efficient |Effective |yes | |Mr. Bahauddin Ahmed |Human Resources Manager |42 |Male |Extroversion |Over the telephone E-mail Face to face fax |Efficient |Effective |Yes | |MS. Naima Imam Roy |Sales Manager |38 |Female |Agreeable |Over the telephone E-mail Face to face ax |Efficient |Effective |Yes | |Mr. Shahidul Islam |Marketing Manager |42 |Male |Openness to experience |Over the telephone E-mail Face to face |Efficient |Effective |yes | | Nature of interdependency: The Accounting manager is independent in this organization. Even though he collaborates with other department for various issues like credit duration, credit realisation within stipulated ,cost minimise , more profit and increase revenue. He is also part of mid management to achieve the organisational goal. Managing director: Accounting Manger always expects to support from managing director. In this situation Accounting Manager propose to finance controller and he conducts with Managing director. This is sequential way to communicate. He also assumes major decision for financial issues and approval for strategy from managing director. On the other hand, Managing Director expects cost minimization, increase net profit , efficiency of financial information and effective time management from Accounting Manager. Finance controller: In this regard, Accounting Manager requires all financial support from finance controller manager to carry out the business. However, Financial controller also assumes to minimize operational cost, proper utilization of resource and increase the net profit by efficiency. Sales Manager: He also expects accuracy of the financial support, various financial report and information to achieve his departmental goal and organisational goal as well. In the same way ,Accounting Manager require sales target, financial requirement to implement that sales from sales manager. Marketing Manager: He manages and coordinates all marketing, advertising and promotional staff and activities. He determines and manages the marketing budget by submitting the budget to the Accounting Manager. Accounting Manager prepares at a glance report with appropriate supporting then forwards to the management for approval. Diagram of interdependency: Evaluation of the interdependent of group: Effectiveness: Effectiveness is the capability of producing a desired result. All the Manger in this organisation are doing well their task effectively by systematic way. All kind of tasks are assigned by the management to achieve the organisational goal. For example Accounting Manager has ceiling to access his financial power. He is entitled to access up to that finance power. If the transaction is more than that ceiling then he needs to get approval from managing director. In this way, all Managers perform their activities with effectively to run their business. Efficiency: Efficiency means to do right things in right time. If Accounting Manager can get the financial decision form Finance controller instead of Managing director then it would be more efficient. However, they have finished their work more efficiently what we have assigned to achieve the goal and target. Satisfaction: All managers and employee are satisfied in this organisation. They practise and follow multinational culture. Every employee works as a team member with their satisfaction not like superior or subordinate. Recommendations: Airlines industry is a high competitive industry. it has a positive image in the market due to its high service level , wide market coverage and at a reasonable rate with fast service; †¢ All department managers should be more helpful and cooperate to each other to achieve the goal †¢ All manager should get free mobile for better communication. Management should arrange the transport facilities for their employee because of transport problem in Dhaka city. †¢ They have to build up strong communication network from lower level to top level for perform their job efficiently. †¢ Try to introduce more motivational workshop for employee training. All department managers become friendlier to their subordinate; looks like a family member. 01. Accountin g job description (n. d) Retrieved on August 10, 2012 from http://www. accountingjobstoday. com/cm/Job-Descriptions/accounting-manager2. tml 02. Expolanka (Bangladesh) Limited (n. d) Retrieved on August 11 , 2012 from http://www. expolankafreight. com/regional_offices/bangla. htm 03. Managing Director job description (n. d) Retrieved on August 13, 2012 from http://www. buzzle. com/articles/managing-director-job-description. html 04. Human Resources Management (n. d) Retrieved on August 13 , 2012 from http://www. burtoncontractors. com. au/files/Financial%20Controller. pdf 05. H,Rob( n. d) Sales Manager job description example Retrieved on August 13, 2012 from http://www. alescareersonline. com/articles/article_08132006_2. html 06. Sample Marketing Manager job description (n. d) Retrieved on August 13, 2012 from http://www. best-job-interview. com/marketing-manager-job-description. html 07. Human Resources Manager (n. d) Retrieved on August 13, 2012 from http://job-descriptions. care erplanner. com/Human-Resources-Managers. cfm [pic][pic][pic][pic][pic] ———————– Managing Director Human resource manager Accounting Manger Finance controller Director Marketing Manger Sales Manager

My Leadership Style Analysis Essay

My Leadership Style Analysis WGU Leadership SAT2 Task 1 My Leadership Style Analysis A1. Leadership Style Evaluation There are many different leadership styles. After reading the assigned chapters for this task. I was able to identify my own leadership style as a result. In order to know my leadership style, I took a series of assessments in order to determine my personal leadership style. Assessments I took that helped me to determine my personal leadership style are: â€Å"the Emotional Expressive Scale, Personal Magnetism Deficit Inventory, Task Oriented Attitudinal and Behavior assessment, Clarifying your Work Values, What Style of Leader are you or would you be, What is your propensity of taking Risk, How Flexible are you, the Least Preferred Co-worker Scale for Measuring Leadership style, and Measuring your Situation and Perspective assessments (DuBrin, A. (2010). Leadership: Research findings, practice, and skills (6th ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western, Cengage Learning. ISBN-13: 9780547143965). After taking the above assessments, I was able to determine that my personal leadership style is Participative. A Participative leader is â€Å"a person in charge who shares decision making with group members† (DuBrin, A. (2010). Leadership: Research findings, practice, and skills (6th ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western, Cengage Learning. ISBN-13: 9780547143965). A1a. Strengths As a Participative leader, my leadership style advocates teamwork. Advocating teamwork is considered strength for my leadership style. This is strength for my leadership style because advocating teamwork gives team members opportunity to participate in the decision-making making process of developing team, and as a result, employees are empowered, and feel a sense of belonging as a result. Another strength that my leadership style has is that my leadership style strives for consensus. This is considered strength for my leadership style because having a consensus empowers employees, and provides them with a sense of belonging as a result. A1b. Weaknesses One weakness of my leadership style is that if team members do not agree on something, a decision cannot be made until all team members are in agreement with a specific decision. This can be considered a weakness for my learning style if team members are not able to Another weakness for my leadership style is the opportunity for wasting time. This is considered a weakness for my leadership style because if teams are not able to form a consensus for any reason, productivity stops, a valuable time is lost until a consensus is formed. A2. Comparison of Leadership Styles Other leadership Styles that I learned about and found interesting are the Autocratic Leadership Style, and the Entrepreneurial Leadership Style. The Autocratic Leadership Style is when the leader â€Å"retains most of the authority for himself or herself† (DuBrin, A. (2010). Leadership: Research findings, practice, and skills (6th ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western, Cengage Learning. ISBN-13: 9780547143965). Unlike the Participative Leadership style, the Autocratic Leadership Style retains most of the authority, while Participative Leadership Style allow team members the ability to make decisions based on policies and procedures develop by teams, with the final approval of management. In addition, the Autocratic leadership style are not concerned with the concerns of team members. While the Participative leadership style allows for team members to develop and form their opinions, and as a result, this privilege implies that this leadership style is concerned with the concern of t eam members. The â€Å"Entrepreneurial leadership style stems from personality characteristics and circumstances of individuals† (DuBrin, A. (2010). Leadership: Research findings, practice, and skills (6th ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western, Cengage Learning. ISBN-13: 9780547143965). The Entrepreneurial leadership style is a leadership style for individuals who are innovative enough to open and operate their own  business. The Entrepreneurial leadership style is completely different from the Participative leadership style. The Entrepreneurial leadership style tends to have higher achievement and is where the Participative leadership style tends to strive for consensus. The Entrepreneurial leadership style tends to be more creative and enthusiastic than the Participative leadership style. The Participative leadership style tends to negotiate demands of employees, and the Entrepreneurial leadership style responds immediately if a crisis presents. A3. Leadership Style Discussions Understanding different Leadership Styles can help me to become an effective leader by helping me to identify deficient areas in my personal leadership style. Being able to identify personal leadership deficiency will give me the opportunity of being aware. Being aware of deficiency in my leadership style will help me to gain new skills that will help me to improve and perfect deficient areas in my leadership style. This newfound awareness will allow me the opportunity to obtain knowledge, skills and abilities needed in order for me to become an effective leader. Another reason understanding different leadership styles can help me to become an effective leader is that it will give me the opportunity to think outside the box. This skill will help me to be more creative in my leadership style, and as a result, I will gain and implement new leadership skills to my personal leadership style. This new skill will allow me to future improve and perfect deficient areas of my leadership style , and will help me to become an effective leader as well. In addition, understanding the many different leadership style will also help me to become a effective leader by ultimately allowing me to understand the many different learning styles, this will allow me to improve my communication skills, which will allow me to effectively communicate with employees. This skill will improve my leadership skills, and help me to become an effective leader as a result. A4. Problems In order to minimize problems for leaders in the workplace, it is imperative that leaders are emotionally intelligent, know their own personal leadership  style, and understand the many different leadership styles in order to minimize problems for them in the workplace. Problems that can present for leaders in the workplace that do not have a complete understanding of differences in leadership styles are miscommunication, and a decrease in employee moral as a result. A4a. Overcoming Problems In order for leaders to improve miscommunications in the workplace, leaders should hold weekly meeting and encourage employee input. This will demonstrate to employees that the leader is concerned with team members and is accessible to employees when needed; this can improve communication in the workplace as a result. In addition, conducting weekly meetings will also establish an open door policy for employees. An open door policy demonstrates to employees that you are available, and as a result, communication can future be improved in the workplace. In order for leaders to increase moral in the work place, leaders should take the opportunity of the open door policy to get to know their employees personally, in addition, in an effort to increase employee moral, leaders should plan team building activities in an effort to increase employee moral as well. Taking the opportunity of the open door policy to get to know your employees personally will increase employee moral in the workplace. Employees will continue to believe that their organization appreciate them as employees, and as a result, communication will improve, and employee moral will increase as a result. Leaders can further improve employee moral by encouraging team-building activities. For example, leaders should incorporate quarterly activities such as employee luncheon, and or employee picnics in order to improve employee moral. These teambuilding activities will further demonstrate to employees that the company appreciates them and as a result, employee moral will increase as a result. A5. Synergies Three potential advantages that may be created between the Leadership styles are the ability to collaborate with other team members, obtaining a higher level of enthusiasm, and the ability to make decisions confidently. The Participative leadership style can create the advantage of allowing team members to obtain knowledge, and implement skills that are presented by  other team members as a result. . The ability to collaborate with team members will allow both employees and leaders opportunity to develop ideas as a result. The Entrepreneurial leadership style will give teams and leaders the opportunity to become enthusiastic while performing job descriptions. Being enthusiastic in the work place will allow both team member and leaders to become motivated while performing job descriptions as a result. The Autocratic leadership style will give leaders opportunity to make business decision more confidently. This ability for leaders to make business decisions confidently empowers leaders in the work place, when leaders are empowered, they develop self-confidence needed while making business decisions as a result. A5a. Increasing productivity The ability to obtain knowledge, and implement skills that are presented by other team members will increase productivity because employees will gain new ideas and skills that can help them to perform their job description with ease. When employees are confident with performing their job description, productivity will increase as a result. Being enthusiastic while performing duties in the workplace stimulates and motivates both team members and leaders the same, and as a result, team members are eager and happier while performing their job descriptions, and as a result, productivity increases when employees are happier in the workplace. When managers have the ability to make sound business decisions with confidence, leaders are empowered, employees become subordinate to their leaders, and as a result, productivity increase because leaders become responsible for administer employees performance appraisals that can provide raises for employees as a result. B. References Ciulla, J. B., Price, T. L., and Murphy, S. E. (2005). The quest for moral leaders: Essays on leadership ethics. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar. ISBN-13: 9781845429454. Topchik, G. (2007). The first-time managers’ guide to team building. New York: AMACOM. ISBN-13: 978814474297. Anonymous. (2009). Introducing the  one-on-one dispute resolution process. Dispute Resolution Journal, 64(3), 90. Brown, J. (2010, January). Leadership vs. management. Supply House Times, 52(11), 118,120-121. Gesell, I. (2010). How to lead when the generation gap becomes your everyday reality. Journal for Quality and Participation, 32(4), 21-24. Guttman, H. (2008). Leading high-performance teams. Chief Executive (231), 33-35. Momeni, N. (2009). The relation between managers’ emotional intelligence and the organizational climate they create. Public Personnel Management, 38(2), 35-48. DuBrin, A. (2010). Leadership: Research findings, practice, and skills (6th ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western, Cengage Learning. ISBN-13: 9780547143965.

Pieta by Michelangelo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 11

Pieta by Michelangelo - Essay Example The Pieta is also the only work ever signed by Michelangelo Buonarroti. The Pieta was created during the Renaissance. The Renaissance was a cultural movement that lasted between the 14th and 17th century. It started in Italy in the final period of Middle Ages and consequently spread to the remaining parts of Europe. Socially, the period included creative flowering of vernacular and Latin literature, starting with the 14th century revival of learning found on the basis of classical sources, which contemporaries attributed to Petrarch, the establishment of linear perspective and other methods of portraying a more natural veracity in painting, and steady but extensive educational reform. During this period, the states were made up of four social classes. The nobles were in possession of much of the land. They also stayed on sizeable estates outside the city. They disdained the merchants and lived according to the regulations of gallantry. The merchants were the newly rich. They got thei r wealth from sectors, for example, banking, boat making and wool processing. They tried to safeguard their property by marrying into the noble family and controlling the government. They also became supporters of talented artists so as to acquire public favor. The workers occupied the lowest position. They were extremely dependent on their employers and did not have job security. Those who went against the rules could be dismissed from their occupations or have their wages withheld (Wallace 72). Nonetheless, the workers had better lives than peasants who were situated in the rural areas. Politically, this period played a significant part in the development of the standards of diplomacy. It is often argued that the intellectual change acted as a bridge between the Modern era and the Middle Ages. Even though this period was marked by revolutions in a number of intellectual activities, as well as political concerns, it is conceivably best recognized for its artistic creations. The dis tinctive political structures of this period have made some people to hypothesize that its remarkable social climate permitted the surfacing of an exceptional cultural efflorescence. Also, a large number of the cities during this time were developed among the wrecks of ancient Roman structures. It appears likely that the nature of this period was connected to its basis in the heartland of the Roman Empire (Wallace 74). Economically, there was the surfacing of successful merchants and cities. These merchants got considerable income from foreign customers and their urban subjects. The trade kept the cities functioning. Also, the thoughts were taken to the cities, and capital was amassed. In addition, cities were areas of creative mind and production of wealth. Merchants offered a ready market for goods, and it was only in the city, with the assistance of talented individuals that the development of magnificent goods and the complicated technology of producing books were probable. The social, political, and economic factors contributed Michelangelo Buonarroti’s approach to the creation of the Pieta. Artists of this period required new benefactors to finance their work, and the rich merchants of cities were the ones reasonable to pay the expenditures. The Pieta was one of the works which was supported by the wealthy merchants (Wallace 98).

Critical Analysis for Managers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Critical Analysis for Managers - Essay Example In case there are hitches in the systems or the cultural elements are disjointed, the organization ends up performing below its standards. Through a case study, this paper will compare and contrast the systems and cultures and discuss the extent to which each can illuminate and inform the management role. In Disney-Smile Factory case, the employees identify themselves with the organization. The organization has been able to develop a positive culture which ensures that the employees are proud of working in Disneyland. For instance, Disneyland look is often a source of some amusement to the subordinates who feel privileged to be part of the group that puts a smile on the faces of thousands of the customers who visit the park each day. As a result, even during stressing days, employees are able to control their emotions and deal with delays and queries emanating from the customers without feeling aggrieved by the load of the work and responsibilities (Inceoglu 2002). The systems have played a significant role in enabling the employees to feel as a part of the organization. For instance, the organization has ensured that the systems that are in place minimize the contact of the employees with the customers (Murthy 2007). Therefore, when they are needed to intervene, the employees go out of their way in order to initiate contact with Disneyland customers. However, such a hitch does not make the employees feel as if it’s odd. This is because they are satisfied with the working environment in the organization and they are always ready to ensure that they go out of their way in order to ensure that the customers are satisfied with the services being offered (Hiriyappa 2009). This aspect has played a significant role in increasing customer loyalty towards the organization. Furthermore, it has lowered the level of turnover in the organization. The systems especially those

(EAST ASIA) 20th century korean history Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

(EAST ASIA) 20th century korean history - Essay Example When the Catholics were massacred by Taewon-gun, one of Korea’s prominent leaders, the incident gave France a good excuse to put up aggression against Korea whose forces, however, resisted the French invaders. The latter pulled out in failure in October of 1866. Japan started its plans to have control over Korea in 1868 and was impliedly encouraged by the Americans and, in 1871, the United States government gave orders for its Asian naval war chests to occupy the island of Kanghwado in an attempt to compel Korea to open its ports. Despite their might, the American soldiers did not succeed in gaining entry and withdrew from Korean territory. Japan finally got control of Kanghwado with full combat equipment on January 16, 1876. Under intimidation and vitiated consent, the Koreans were coerced to enter into a very one-sided treaty consisting of twelve articles all advantageous to the Japanese while onerous against the islanders. The pact gave what appeared to be a legal basis for Japan to win some more concessions in its favor. Gradually, Japan established further prominence and influence in Korea in 1881 when its Wonsan and Inch’on harbors were opened. As Japanese presence and supremacy became apparently burdensome, the Korean people started to differ in their inclinations. Some were against the corrupt foreign intervention while others were for reforms in the domestic landscape. Koreans who were advocates of the theories and principles of Confucius despised the entry of foreigners including European capitalists. These idealists considered the intrusions disturbing and destructive. In the process, the Confucian creed followers initiated alliance with other ethics with whom they can work toward restoring Korean preeminence. At this point, there were already deprivations in spiritual, political and financial aspects. As a matter of fact, many local schools with Taewon-gun orientations were closed. The characteristics of this

How would you explain the popularity of the cakewalk in the late Essay

How would you explain the popularity of the cakewalk in the late nineteenth-century United States - Essay Example This kind of song and dance competition took place among the slaves in the southern part of the US mainly before the emancipation but it is needless to say that even after emancipation the dance and song style did not die off. This paper seeks to explain the popularity of the cakewalk in the late nineteenth-century United States. Most of the facts of cakewalk dance and song were not extensively documented as at 1981. However, there existed a myriad of accounts about the dance. Brooke Baldwin in his 1981 articles (in the Journal of Social History) the Cakewalk: a Study in Stereotype and Reality submitted a nearly complete compilation of the already existing accounts of the dance (Baldwin, 1981: pp203-212). The compilation was, to larger part, accounts of the eye witnesses of the dance. These eye witnesses were the ex-slaves who may have also took part in the dance. The accounts by the Virginia and Georgia ex-slaves had already been verified by the WPA researchers in the 1930s. Baldwin clearly notes in his article that after the 1930 WPA research, it became immensely difficult to hide the happier side of slavery (Baldwin, 1981: pp207). One of the respondent recalled how she used to sing the songs and cakewalk. She also added how cakewalk was indeed fun among the slaves during the slavery times. According to this specific respondent, the women wore long dresses which were often ruffled and the men wore not only high hats but split tailed coats. They sometimes used walking sticks during the dance. The dance was done in couples and the couple that danced the best would receive the prize. It is interesting to note that the white slave owners would attend the cakewalk dances and they enjoyed a lot watching the slaves dance. Actually, the slave owners decided the winning couple. This account was a first hand account from a former slave in Virginia. Besides the first hand accounts, Baldwin also

Information Processing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Information Processing - Essay Example The way human brain processes information about the outer world depends on different factors and, above all, upon the context. For instance, if a person looks at some complicated picture, e.g. a portrait, it is enough to cast one glance at what is depicted on it, whereas comprehending the same picture would hardly be possible if this person begins analysing different parts of this portrait separately, one by one. This peculiarity of information processing is due to the fact that the brain operates the sensory signals that are perceived together, not separately. (Schweizer 1998, p. 89) The visual signals normally reach our eyes simultaneously and therefore in case with visual images the processing of information begins from the retina. The sounds that constitute speech reach the hearing organs successively, and that is why for processing a sound image it should first be stored in short-term memory. For the identification of the already known images, the brain compares the information recorded in the short-time memory with the classes of images contained in the long-term memory that contain the information about the previous experience that has been collected in the process of studying and communicating. One of the challenging aspects of processing information is perception of stimulus in the situations where there are a lot of similar symbols - e.g. when someone is talking to another person in a noisy room. In such situations, though the stream of sounds produced by the interlocutor is accompanied by other sounds, it is normally possible to comprehend the speech. Quite a simple example where the context of information creates the context is the illusions of sound continuation or phonetic restoration. A brilliant example of this phenomenon was described by Richard Warren: if you hear some phrase whose meaning you cannot catch, but you definitely hear its ending - '... eel is on the' Now, if you put the word 'orange' at the end of this phrase, you will hear 'peel is on the orange'; if the word is 'wagon', the phrase will sound as 'wheel is on the wagon'; if it is 'shoe' you will perceive the phrase as 'heel is on the shoe'. (Warren 1970) This experiment shows that the sound stimulus in itself (noise + 'eel') fails to determine unambiguously what will be heard by the recipient. Attention Attention is the process of sorting the information that comes from outside in accordance with the importance of the tasks a person has. There are several kinds of attention: active (voluntary) attention that is conditioned by a certain conscious goal, and automatic (involuntary) attention that is actualized under the influence of unexpected and new stimuli in the form of orientating reflex. (Lachman & Lachman 1979, pp. 183 - 185) The effectiveness of attention can be determined by its level (concentration and intensity of attention), volume, speed of switching to other objects, and stability. It has been proved that the attention processes are connected with functioning of the corpus collosum, the left part of the brain ensuring selective attention and the right part - maintaining the general level of awareness. Memory Memory is a very important phenomenon that is crucial for our lives. Thanks to it, we are able to use our own experience and the experience of other people in our lives. There is short-term and long-term memory. Short-term memory is also called operative memory. To illustrate the

Blood Disorders Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Blood Disorders - Research Paper Example Another reason that can result in iron deficiency anemia is due to hemorrhage. But Amy is basically suffering from anemia because of her imbalanced diet which fails to supply iron to her body according to her requirements as she is a young child and the iron requirement is high in young children. The diagnosis is based on the history of the patient as well as the physical examination in which pallor will be seen and increased heartbeat may also be present. Also clinical tests need to be done which include complete blood count as well as the count of reticulocytes. The treatment needs to be directed towards returning the level of iron and hemoglobin in the blood to normal. If there is severe deficiency, iron supplements need to be provided. The next thing is the correction of the diet and the addition of iron rich foods in the diet. These include meat, eggs as well as fish. Vegetable sources include spinach, green vegetables and lentils. Fruits rich in vitamin C should also be taken b ecause they assist in absorption of iron. These include oranges and strawberries. Prevention of the disease is basically focused on the correction of the diet and the maintenance of a proper healthy diet which contains adequate amount of iron. Marcus is a 5-year-old African-American male who has just moved to New York City, and is visiting his new pediatrician for a kindergarten physical. His mom tells the nurse that she carries the trait and wants Marcus screened for it. Marcus’s mother is carrying the sickle cell trait and she wants Marcus to be screened for sickle cell disease which is a condition with a very high preponderance in African-Americans. Sickle cell anemia is a bleeding disorder which is mainly hereditary and is inherited. The disorder results in the synthesis of an abnormal form of hemoglobin which is known as hemoglobin S and it also leads to a decreased lifespan of the red blood cells. This hemoglobin alters the oxygen carrying

Final project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 3

Final project - Essay Example The following essay outlines the different programs that the police will lead the youth in the creation of a clean environment as well as the creation of a healthy relationship. The program outlines different goals with their composite objectives and the time frames between every act. The program is set to take a total of seven days. The social; activities will take at least three to four hours a day. In other scenarios, the time, may extend or be shorter depending on the objective of each day. The program is set to take place either in the afternoon or the weekdays and take place in the midmorning hours during the weekends. Extensions of the time frame are dependent on exogenous variables. The variables include the weather conditions; the amount of work constitutes the seven days. In addition, the time frame is subject to additional activities that include recreational activities. The recreational activities may be after the clean up or ion other instances, single and simpler activities may take place after the cleanup activities. The recreational activities will help in the creation of more time for interaction through sports and other mutual activities. The program is set take part in the major social facilities. The facilities include the playing fields that are around the area. The fields will hold the events that constitute the competitions. Other tasks will take place in indoor facilities that are also for social work. If need arises, the police may use their fields to host activities such as the martial arts. The cleanup tasks will take place in the streets in which the community inhabits. However, the cleanup is a tedious work activity and will thus include even the other members of the societies who are not necessarily in the program. The main activity in the particular PAL activity is the cleanup of the streets. However, the program is set tom incorporate more recreational activities. Some of

Impact of Technology on Individuals and Society Essay

Impact of Technology on Individuals and Society - Essay Example Since human beings apply technology in everyday life, it has led to the emergence of impacts to individuals as well as society. Such impacts have been either positive or negative and have had a significant influence in human life. Therefore, the paper discusses such impacts in detail and thus enlightening society and individuals. With the inventions and innovations of social sites, individuals learn more about different people with relation to culture, practices, and religion of individuals in the environment. For instance, individuals can learn about Chinese culture, Indian culture, or even Japanese cultural practices without having to visit such geographical regions or have face-to-face communication with people from those cultures (Benchmann, Decker, Fiedeler & Krings 2). This knowledge enhances understanding and peaceful coexistence among individuals. The introduction of new and advanced technologies such as telephones, internet, TVs, Radios have ease communication and made it effective irrespective of distance or time barriers. Individuals now efficiently communicate with one another through emails, Facebook, Google+, phone calls, as well as short message services (Hollon 1). Moreover, technology has enabled individuals to share ideas, information, and news very quickly with little effort as compared to the older times. This has made life simple, easier, and enjoyable due to lack of communication stresses. The invention and adoption of technological tools, software and machines such as computers, the internet and search engines like Yahoo and Google have created opportunities for learning (Hollon 1). As compared to the olden days, an individual in the contemporary world finds learning easier and simpler due to the presence of internet search engines. For example, students can now conduct research on any topic by searching for information pertaining to the

Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe Essay Example for Free

Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe Essay Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was a German writer and polymath back in the 1800s. Goethe is considered the supreme genius of modern German literature. Although he was alive so long ago, the ideas he put out there are still pertinent to the modern world: such as my personal life, recent movies, and current events. Goethe came up with this viewpoint on life: Until one is committed there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation) there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help that would never have otherwise occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision rising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen, incidents and meeting and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, proven and magic in it. Begin it now! Goethe’s quote is a universal truth. His philosophy is even proven in my life. A project was given to me that I grew abhorrence for. Procrastinating until a couple days before the due date, I became upset and overwhelmed. I started convincing myself I could not do it. My mother said, â€Å"you’re making it harder than what it is. Do your research. Let the ideas come to you. It will all come together once you start. Stop putting it off and just do it. â€Å" With that in mind, I centered my concentration to my project and nothing but my project. Ideas kept coming to me as I let my mind and words flow. I became the person I needed to pretend to be for the project. I completed it to my best ability. I even made the appearance of my project outstanding. My teacher was so impressed with my work that she presented it to the class, and it was passed around the room. It all happened because I focused my mind on that specific goal. The movie Forrest Gump is an all-time favorite. The main character was committed to every task he was given. One day he decided to run, and he ran across the United States. It took him 3 years, 2 months, 14 days and 16 hours until he felt he was finished. Furthermore, while he was at camp in the army, all he did was play ping-pong. All he thought about was ping-pong. He even played ping-pong in his sleep. He was so good a whole crowd would come to watch him play. Even when he was in the army and went to save his â€Å"best good friend† Bubba, he didn’t stop until he found him. He saved his whole platoon that day while searching for Bubba. Every time he was on a mission or had a goal, he would direct all his focus to that particular objective. He had the ability to focus on anything and do it to his full potential. In the world today, we are in an economic crisis. Companies lay off workers; therefore, there are loads of unemployed people. Since they have no jobs, they are not receiving money. Companies aren’t selling much because people have no money to buy things that are not necessities. There is no flow of money. Everyone is afraid to put their cash out there because they are frightened by the fact that they might not be successful and wouldn’t have enough to buy necessities anymore. There is ineffectiveness and hesitancy in the world. No one wants to take a risk and be committed to one thing. Once people devote themselves to fixing the economy, it will happen. However, everyone is waiting on someone else to do it. Just like in the great depression, everyone was afraid to do something about the problem, until everyone said enough is enough and were devoted to fixing the problem; and look what happened because of that. We solved the crisis. In my final analysis, many people are not focused and are worried about too much. Focus on one thing and commit yourself to it. Everything a person does should be there center of attention. By doing this, one will achieve their goal and maybe even more than expected. Goethe’s philosophy shows how to reach a goal: Focus, commit, and do it. Just like Nike, a successful shoe company, says, â€Å"Just do it† and whatever you want to happen, will happen.

Exercise Addiction Essay Example for Free

Exercise Addiction Essay Exercise is important for the overall health and wellbeing of all people. People engage in physical activity for a variety of reasons. For some, being healthy is their only reason for exercising; for others, it may be to build more muscle, or gain endurance. â€Å"Exercise involves planned, structured, repetitive bodily movement done to improve or maintain physical fitness. † Exercise should always be beneficial; however excessive exercise can lead to harmful outcomes, and in come cases exercise can become an addiction. Exercise addiction has many of the same characteristics seen drug addiction such as: tolerance withdrawal, lack of control, intention effects, time, reduction in other activities, and continuance. Researchers have developed conceptually sound diagnostic criteria for exercise dependence, but have yet to determine a suitably convincing mechanism for its onset. In order to determine what type of interventions would be effective for treating or overcoming exercise addiction, researchers must first have an understanding of what causes the addiction. Understanding what psychological and physiological mechanisms are present in exercise addiction can help researchers to develop an intervention that will address all factors that nurture the addiction. The purpose of this study is to examine existing literature on the underlying mechanisms that could be responsible for the onset of exercise addiction in individuals in order to determine what types of intervention are needed to effectively treat exercise addiction. The study will include interviews to assess exercise addiction. Theoretical background In 1977, psychiatrist George L.  Engel released an article, The Need for a New Medical Model: A Challenge for Biomedicine, in which he proposed the Biopsychosocial Model, or BPSM. 1 â€Å"The Biopsychosocial Model is a method of understanding health and illness through biological, psychological, and social factors. † 2 Prior to Engel’s model, the Medical Model was the primary approach to medicine. The Medical Model focused on finding a single specific cause of illness to cure the disease, not the person as a whole. In The Need for a New Medical Model, Engel outlined weaknesses of the Medical Model. Engel addressed the Medical Model as a reductionist approach to medicine. 3 The Medical Model suggested that all diseases could be reduced to a single underlying â€Å"measurable biological variable† and treated without consideration of the other factors that may be related to the onset of the disease or illness. 1 (p 319) According to Engel: †¦a medical model must also take into account the patient, the social context in which he lives, and the complementary system devised by society to deal with the disruptive effects of illness, that is, the physician role and the health care system. This requires the Biopsychosocial model. (p324) According to the Medical Model, health can be equated to an absence of disease. Engel argued that the biological factors found in the medical model are not sufficient to provide a full understanding of disease. The Medical Model neglected to take into consideration individuals who feel well and are diagnosed with a disease, as well as individuals who are free of disease but feel sick. Engel proposed, â€Å"a biopsychosocial model which includes the patient as well as the illness would encompass both circumstances. † 1(p324) The BPSM explains disease through biological, psychological, and social factors. The BPSM can be understood by examining the components of the model. 4 The biological component â€Å"plays a key role is the BPSM. † 2 This component of the BPSM explains disease in relation to physiological causes such as pathogens or disorder in the functioning of the individual’s body. 5 A plausible biological mechanism of exercise addiction is the beta-endorphin hypothesis. â€Å"Aerobic exercise is known to stimulate the release of beta endorphin and other endogenous opioid peptides that appear to exert analgesic effects and may also produce addictive behaviors. Endorphins can block stress and create feeling of euphoria in an individual. Individuals who exercise excessively will be more receptive to endorphins and could potentially develop a tolerance for the hormone. Once the individual has developed a tolerance for the beta-endorphins, he or she will need to exercise longer and harder to achieve the same effects as before tolerance. This leads to the individual engaging in addictive behaviors that can also be explained as psychological process. 7 The psychological component of the BPSM explains disease as a manifestation of the individual’s thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. â€Å"Psychological dependence causes an individual to feel they need a substance to feel good. † 2 Negative thinking, low self-esteem, personality disorder such as perfectionism, etc. , could cause the addictive behavior. For example, an individual who does not cope well with stress may form a behavioral habit of exercise in order to feel good; they are addicted to exercise because of its mood-boosting biological effects. â€Å"In a philosophical sense, the biopsychosocial model states that the workings of the body can affect the mind, and the workings of the mind can affect the body.   However, biological and psychological factors alone are still not sufficient to completely explain exercise addiction in individuals. 2 The sociological component of the BPSM explains how social factors such as culture or socioeconomic status can be an underlying cause of illness. The behavior of an individual can be closely related to the culture and peer groups to which they belong. An individual may become addicted to exercise because of pressures of social norms. For example, an individual may have developed an addiction to exercise as a result of peer pressures to be thin. Significance of Proposed Research  The biopsychosocial model can be used to conceptualize exercise addiction. It is important to study the BPSM because further research is needed to determine the etiology and effective treatment for exercise addiction. To successfully treat or overcome an addiction, the individual must address each component that contributes to the overall behavior. The significance of this study will be to improve understanding of exercise addiction using the biopsychosocial model, determine the types of intervention needed to treat exercise addiction, and develop, as well as, test a multicomponent clinical strategy for treating the addiction. Proposed Methods The study will involve the evaluation of the biopsychosocial model in relation to exercise addiction. The targeted population for this study includes the following: individuals who are physically active and individuals who are classified as addicted to exercise. In order to ensure an efficient sample will be chosen, the target population will consist of 100 individuals. The sampling technique that will be used is a survey type of research, the Exercise Addiction Inventory. The EAI will include questions such as â€Å"When I exercise do I feel guilty† and â€Å"Is exercise the most important thing of my life? † (8) From this research, a sample from the target population will be selected. The sample will include 10 males and 10 females who are classified as addictive exercisers, as well as 10 males and 10 females who are non-addictive exercisers. Individuals who are classified as addicted to exercise will be submitted and additional questionnaire that will identify whether the individual has evidence of physiological dependence or no physiological dependence. Conclusion Exercise addiction is a disorder that has many underlying and contributing factors. Previous research did not provide sound information on the mechanisms of exercise dependence. The biopsychosocial model approach to addiction can be used to formulate an intervention for individuals who are diagnosed with exercise addiction. In order to treat an exercise addiction all components of the individual and the disease should be addressed.

Hip Hop, Music and Fashion

Hip Hop, Music and Fashion Hip hop is a musical genre which developed alongside hip hop culture, defined by key stylistic elements such as rapping, DJing, sampling, scratching and beatboxing. Hip hop began in the Bronx in New York City in the 1970s, primarily among African Americans and Jamaican Americans, with some Latino influences. The term rap is often used synonymously with hip hop, but hip hop denotes the practices of an entire subculture. Rapping, also referred to as MCing or emceeing, is a vocal style in which the artist speaks lyrically, in rhyme and verse, generally to an instrumental or synthesized beat. Beats, almost always in 4/4 time signature, can be created by looping portions of other songs, usually by a DJ, or sampled from portions of other songs by a producer. Modern beats incorporate synthesizers, drum machines, and live bands. Rappers may write, memorize, or improvise their lyrics and perform their works a cappella or to a beat. Roots of hip hop/history Hip-hop originated at Bronx located in New York City, by a Jamaican DJ, Clive Campbell also known as Kool Herc who was born in 1955 at Kingston, Jamaica Jamaican born DJ Clive Kool Herc Campbell is credited as being highly influential in the pioneering stage of hip hop music, in the Bronx, after moving to New York at the age of thirteen. Herc created the blueprint for hip hop music and culture by building upon the Jamaican tradition of toasting or boasting impromptu poetry and sayings over music which he witnessed as a youth in Jamaica. Herc and other DJs would tap into the power lines to connect their equipment and perform at venues such as public basketball courts and at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue, Bronx, New York, a historic building where hip hop was born.Their equipment was composed of numerous speakers, turntables, and one or more microphones.[17] In late 1979, Debbie Harry of Blondie took Nile Rodgers of Chic to such an event, as the main backing track used was the break from Chics Good Times. Herc, along with Grandmaster Flash was also the developer of break-beat deejaying, where the breaks of funk songs-the part most suited to dance, usually percussion-based-were isolated and repeated for the purpose of all-night dance parties. This breakbeat DJing, using hard funk, rock, and records with Latin percussion, formed the basis of hip hop music. Campbells announcements and exhortations to dancers would lead to the syncopated, rhymed spoken accompaniment now known as rapping. He dubbed his dancers break-boys and break-girls, or simply b-boys and b-girls. According to Herc, breaking was also street slang for getting excited and acting energetically. Hercs terms b-boy, b-girl and breaking became part of the lexicon of hip hop culture, before that culture itself had developed a name Later DJs such as Grand Wizard Theodore, Grandmaster Flash and Jazzy Jay refined and developed the use of breakbeats, including cutting and scratching. The approach used by Herc was soon widely copied, and by the late 1970s DJs were releasing 12 records where they would rap to the beat. Popular tunes included Kurtis Blows The Breaks, and The Sugar Hill Gangs Rappers Delight. Emceeing is the rhythmic spoken delivery of rhymes and wordplay, delivered over a beat or without accompaniment. Rapping is derived from the griots (folk poets) of West Africa, and Jamaican-style toasting. Rap developed both inside and outside of hip hop culture, and began with the street parties thrown in the Bronx neighborhood of New York in the 1970s by Kool Herc and others. It originated as MCs would talk over the music to promote their DJ, promote other dance parties, take light-hearted jabs at other lyricists, or talk about problems in their areas and issues facing the community as a whole. Melle Mel, a rapper/lyricist with The Furious Five, is often credited with being the first rap lyricist to call himself an MC. In the late 1970s an underground urban movement known as hip-hop began to develop in the South Bronx area of New York City. Encompassing graffiti art, break dancing, rap music, and fashion, hip-hop became the dominant cultural movement of the African American and Hispanic communities in the 1980s. Tagging, rapping, and break dancing were all artistic variations on the male competition and one-upmanship of street gangs. Sensing that gang members often violent urges could be turned into creative ones, Afrika Bambaataa founded the Zulu Nation, a loose confederation of street-dance crews, graffiti artists, and rap musicians. By the late 1970s, the culture had gained media attention, with Billboard magazine printing an article titled B Beats Bombarding Bronx, commenting on the local phenomenon and mentioning influential figures such as Kool Herc. Hip hop as a culture was further defined in 1982, when Afrika Bambaataa and the Soulsonic Force released the seminal electro-funk track Planet Rock. Instead of simply rapping over disco beats, Bambaataa created an electronic sound, taking advantage of the rapidly improving drum machine, synthesizer technology as well as sampling from Kraftwerk. The appearance of music videos changed entertainment: they often glorified urban neighborhoods. The music video for Planet Rock showcased the subculture of hip hop musicians, graffiti artists, and b-boys/b-girls. Many hip hop-related films were released between 1982 and 1985, among them Wild Style, Beat Street, Krush Groove, Breakin, and the documentary Style Wars. These films expanded the appeal of hip hop beyond the boundaries of New York. By 1985, youth worldwide were embracing the hip hop culture. The hip hop artwork and slang of US urban communities quickly found its way to Europe and Asia, as the cultures global appeal took root. The 1980s also saw many artists make social statements through hip hop. In 1982, Melle Mel and Duke Bootee recorded The Message (officially credited to Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five), a song that foreshadowed the socially conscious statements of Run-DMCs Its like That and Public Enemys Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos. During the 1980s, hip hop also embraced the creation of rhythm by using the human body, via the vocal percussion technique of beatboxing. Pioneers such as Doug E. Fresh, Biz Markie and Buffy from the Fat Boys made beats, rhythm, and musical sounds using their mouth, lips, tongue, voice, and other body parts. Human Beatbox artists would also sing or imitate turntablism scratching or other instrument sounds. Definition of hip hop Hip-hop is a modern culture consisting of music, fashion, and art. The first people who made this music genre are the African Americans. Keith Cowboy, a rapper with Grandmaster Flash and Furious Five, made the term hip-hop. He was singing the words, Hip hop hip hop,when he was teasing a friend who had just joined the US Army. Hip-hop began to be popular all over the world. The four fundamental elements in hip-hop: hip-hop dance, hip-hop art, hip-hop music, and hip-hop fashion. Hip-hop dance includes break dancing and interesting forms of street dance. Hip-hop art includes urban inspiredart and graffiti. Hip-hop music includes Dj-ing, beatboxing, rapping, and hip-hop production. Rapping includes MC-ing and urban-inspired poetry. The Influence of Hip-Hop Around the World Hip-hops influence has become worldwide. This kind of music has been both a negative and positive influence to the young people. Some students in schools have violated the dress code by wearing hip-hop fashion, such as baggy pants, tank tops, and many other clothes. Some songs contain harsh language and violence-related themes. Those were some examples of how hip-hop can be a negative influence, but there are many positive sides to it too. Hip-hop culture represented the African-Americans freedom and culture. Many young African-Americans want to stop gang wars and put hip-hop music into a positive side. Hip-hop and rap is the most popular music genre in the United States; it had made more than 10 percent of the $12.3 billion music sales in 1998. This music genre replaces another popular genre called rock and roll. Rap musics share of sales increased over 150% over the last ten years and is still increasing. Also,breakdancing, a type of street dancing, is part of the hip-hop movement. It combines a series of toprock, downrock, power moves, and a freeze or suicide ending. This form of hip-hop dance has become a common dance amongst everybody. In fact, it has encouraged gang violence to decrease. Hip-Hop Fashion After the 1970s, hip-hop fashion has evolved into another different style. Today, it is a popular style of fashion for teenagers all over the world. Hip-hop fashion now includes large glasses (stunnershades), Kangol hats, brightly colored designer tracksuits, multi-fingered rings, oversized gold door-knocker earrings, and custom sneakers, also known by brand-names such a Nikes or Jordans. Many elements of this fashion style were worn by famous hip-hop singers. These hip-hop stars are adored by their thousands of worshiping fans, who follow their style of clothing, wanting to be like them. That is why this fashion style is popularly recognized. The in accessories to wear in the style are gold necklaces, bling-bling, huge watches, grillz (no, not the barbeque grills; the grills we are talking about are gemmed, flashy oral pieces covering your teeth), and pendants or earrings filled with sparkly diamonds or anything that shines (the bling-blings). Hairstyles very much mattered in the early-1980s; singers put their hair either in curly or messy knots atop their heads. Some people thought they were crazy, but decades ago, this was the style that everyone craved. They also tied it straight into ponytails or pigtails to get a fresh look. Hip-hop today is mostly the wearing of baggy pants and black ink tattoos. Hooded sweaters were very famous for this style; gold teeth were also in in the late 80s. For hats, hip-hop trend followers would either wear baseball caps or famous leather hats. Hip-hop fashion really matters for most adolescnets, and is the new trend today. Some brands that produce hip-hop clothing are G-Unit, Anchor Blue, d.e.m.o., Tillys, Iced Out Gear, Tommy Hilfiger, Phat Farm, Roca Wear, Ecko, Baby Phat, Dickies, Akedemiks, and many more. Hip-Hop Music + Dance Hip-hop music was popularly known as rap music. Hip-hop existed in the United States during the mid-1970s. Hip-hop dance was known as breakdancing, it is a very popular street dance for teenagers that influences people to watch them. Performed by a DJ, the beat, is a count as a rhythm for the music. Hip-hop is followed by the rhythms of RB, disco, and funk. Hip-hop has a little bit of slang, which inlcudes words that have a special meaning, although the word itself can be grammatically incorrect and doesnt make sense; slang words are often used in hip-hop songs. In the late 90s and early 21st century, these words have been used into many different songs across America and globally.

The Philosophy of Science Essay -- Realism

The study of the philosophy of science explores whether scientific results are actually the study of truth. Scientific realism is an area of study in the philosophy of science and has a contrasting view called anti realism. The debate between the two revolves around their disagreement between the existence of an external world. A scientific realist believes that an external world exists independent of our minds whereas the anti realist, or the idealists, believes that no such world exists outside of ourselves. A stick underwater seems bent while railway tracks seem to meet in the distance, when they do not. Our vision plays tricks on us and therefore the phenomena appears misleading. Seeing as there are doubtful sources to our experiences we cannot know anything derived from our senses. Moreover, the anti realist believes that matter, objects and the world, all exist as electric signals occurring in our brain. To illustrate, envision yourself eating a strawberry. You do not actually face the strawberry but only its perception in the brain. Simply put, the fruit is nothing but the interpretation of electrical signals, regarding the smell, taste, shape and so on. More importantly, the two differ on their interpretation of scientific theories that refer to unobservable entities. A scientific realist maintains the belief that unobservable entities, which make up many scientific theories, are in fact real world entities. Meaning, a berry is a berry regardless of what we perceive it to be. Anti realists state that theories distort reality by building on premises that are only seen indirectly and therefore should never be considered true. Hence the disagreements, the anti realist claims that the only thing that exist in reality are our ... ...uccess is not a miracle. Science has contributed more tangible and intangible success than any other field, i.e. religion. From the industrial revolution to the information age science has created medicine, travel, communication; it has opened the world to us. It contributed everything to our modern world whereas other ‘fields’ presented us with doubt, controversy, and death. Other theories, such as creationism, do not accept different alternatives, is not open for criticism and is meant to be taken at face value. Whereas science is continuously evolving. Theories are constantly being redefined when new data emerges and rejected when results differ the second time. Over time advances in technology could possibly convert many theories into fact. But till than we should believe who we feel has the most logical, rational and reasonable answers to our questions.

History of Fireworks :: Design and Technology

History of Fireworks The birthplace of fireworks is generally recognized as China. It is said that a Chinese cook accidently mixed three common kitchen ingredients (black powder): Potassium nitrate or salt petre, sulphur and charcoal and lighted it. The result was colourful flames. The cook also noticed that if the mixture was burned when enclosed in the hollow of a bamboo shoot, there was a tremendous explosion. The first application of this technology was for entertainment. Slowly the theory took roots that this loud sound was perfect to chase away evil spirits and to celebrate weddings, victories in battles, eclipses of moon and religious ceremonies. Once the recipe for black powder was perfected, they found that it was easily used as rocket fuel, and they made hand carved wooden rockets in the shape of a dgoran, in the sixth century. These rockets shot rocket powered arrows from their mouth, and were used against the Mongol invaders of 1279. The principle behind these rockets is still used in rocket powered fireworks today. From China the fireworks moved on to the West, through adventurous explorers. Legend has it that Marco Polo brought this new accidental invention to the West from one of his many trips to China and other eastern countries. Thus the knowledge of making fireworks spread west, through Arabia in the seventh century. The Arabs called the rockets Chinese arrows. The earliest recorded use of gunpowder in England, and probably the western world, is by the Franciscan monk Roger Bacon. He was born in Ilminster in Somerset in 1214 and lived, as a master of languages, maths, optics and alchemy to 1294. He recorded his experiments with a mixture which was very inadequate by todays standards but was recognisable as gunpowder. His formula was very low in saltpetre because there was no natural source available, but it contained the other two essential ingredients: charcoal and sulphur. In 1242 he wrote: "...if you light it you will get thunder and lightening if you know the trick", Fireworks as such probably arrived in the 14th century, brought back from the East by Crusaders, and they rapidly became a form of international entertainment. The first recorded fireworks in England were at the wedding of Henry VII in 1486. They became very popular during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Shakespeare mentions them and they were so much enjoyed by the Queen herself that she created a "Fire Master of England". James II was so pleased with his coronation display that he knighted his firemaster. King Charles V as well had a great liking for fireworks. He had many 'fireworkers' in his staff. History of Fireworks :: Design and Technology History of Fireworks The birthplace of fireworks is generally recognized as China. It is said that a Chinese cook accidently mixed three common kitchen ingredients (black powder): Potassium nitrate or salt petre, sulphur and charcoal and lighted it. The result was colourful flames. The cook also noticed that if the mixture was burned when enclosed in the hollow of a bamboo shoot, there was a tremendous explosion. The first application of this technology was for entertainment. Slowly the theory took roots that this loud sound was perfect to chase away evil spirits and to celebrate weddings, victories in battles, eclipses of moon and religious ceremonies. Once the recipe for black powder was perfected, they found that it was easily used as rocket fuel, and they made hand carved wooden rockets in the shape of a dgoran, in the sixth century. These rockets shot rocket powered arrows from their mouth, and were used against the Mongol invaders of 1279. The principle behind these rockets is still used in rocket powered fireworks today. From China the fireworks moved on to the West, through adventurous explorers. Legend has it that Marco Polo brought this new accidental invention to the West from one of his many trips to China and other eastern countries. Thus the knowledge of making fireworks spread west, through Arabia in the seventh century. The Arabs called the rockets Chinese arrows. The earliest recorded use of gunpowder in England, and probably the western world, is by the Franciscan monk Roger Bacon. He was born in Ilminster in Somerset in 1214 and lived, as a master of languages, maths, optics and alchemy to 1294. He recorded his experiments with a mixture which was very inadequate by todays standards but was recognisable as gunpowder. His formula was very low in saltpetre because there was no natural source available, but it contained the other two essential ingredients: charcoal and sulphur. In 1242 he wrote: "...if you light it you will get thunder and lightening if you know the trick", Fireworks as such probably arrived in the 14th century, brought back from the East by Crusaders, and they rapidly became a form of international entertainment. The first recorded fireworks in England were at the wedding of Henry VII in 1486. They became very popular during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Shakespeare mentions them and they were so much enjoyed by the Queen herself that she created a "Fire Master of England". James II was so pleased with his coronation display that he knighted his firemaster. King Charles V as well had a great liking for fireworks. He had many 'fireworkers' in his staff.

The Dangers of Living with an Eating Disorder Essay -- Health Eating D

The Dangers of Living with an Eating Disorder Imagine waking up every morning, struggling to get out of bed. The room spins. Stumbling over to the mirror, you study and criticize every last inch of your body as the words â€Å"fat, ugly, worthless† echo in your head. You then stagger to the bathroom, using the wall to hold you up. You don’t remember the last time you ate a â€Å"normal† meal. Stepping on the scale will determine your mood for the day. If it has decreased since yesterday, you have succeeded; if it has stayed the same, or worse, gone up, those voices inside your head become stronger, telling you how useless you are. Throughout your day, you skip meals and avoid food at all costs, or binge on whatever food is in sight and secretly purge in bathrooms where nobody can hear you. Or like many women in this country, you flip-flop between both of these behaviors. For approximately seven million American women, this is their reality. This is the life of a woman with an eating disorder. â€Å"I needed to lose weight†¦fast,† said 18-year-old Liss of Boston. â€Å"So I started counting calories, and then counting meals, and then counting pounds, and then inches. I had lost 20 pounds in one month. Not too shabby I thought to myself. The weight loss became an obsession and it took over.† Liss’s story is all too common. What begins as a diet to â€Å"lose a few pounds† becomes an obsession. Young women across the country become fixated with numbers on the scale, numbers of calories, fat, carbohydrates, inches, etc. The two most dangerous eating disorders are bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa. Bulimia is characterized as a disorder in which a person binges on large amounts of food, well past the point of fullness, and then purge... ...r because they feel as if their eating disorder defines them; they are nothing without it. â€Å"Ed wants you to think that he is your identity,† Schaefer said. â€Å"But that is a lie; you are not your eating disorder. You are [you]. He tells you that he is what makes you special.† Schaefer admits that she also believed that her eating disorder defined her at one point in her life as well. However, she then went on to learn that all it caused was â€Å"excruciating pain.† â€Å"Treating my eating disorder like relationship, not a condition or an illness, really worked for me,† Schaefer said. Schaefer also suggests journal writing and being surrounded with good supports. â€Å"In recovery, it was difficult to connect with Jenni at first,† Schaefer said. â€Å"But with lots of patience and persistence, I eventually found her, and I am thrilled to now be living a life without Ed.†

Quality Management Essay

Before we start our subject, let’s define briefly some key words that will be used in our studies. We will describe quality management, quality assurance as well as quality control. For a better understanding of our subject we will run all these quality types with more details in the next pages. Quality management, used by many companies, has a specific meaning within many business sectors. The quality management doesn’t especially promote a good quality for a firm, but rather to ensure that a product or organization is consistent, can be considered to have four components: quality planning, quality control, quality assurance, and quality improvement. Quality management focuses not only on product or service, but also in the way to achieve it. Therefore, quality management is using quality assurance and control of processes as well as products to achieve a better quality. We will describe clearly these two types in our subject. However quality assurance known as QA; refers to engineering activities that are implemented in a quality system so that requirements for a product or service will be accomplished. Quality assurance is associated with feedback loop that confers error prevention, systematic measurement, comparison with standard and monitoring of processes. Additionally, there are two principles included in quality management: â€Å"Fit for purpose†, the product should be suitable for the intended purpose; â€Å"Right first time† mistakes must be eliminated. Quality assurance manage quality of assemblies, product and components, raw materials, production and inspection processes. In the other hand, quality control knows as QC is more general. It is a process by which companies review the quality of all f actors involved in production. This approach can be described on three aspects: 1- Elements such as controls, job management – defined and well managed processes, performance and integrity criteria and identification of records 2- Competence such as knowledge, skills, experience, and qualifications 3- Soft elements such as personnel, integrity, confidence, organizational culture, motivation, team spirit, and quality relationships. Controls is also a product inspection, in different way every product is examined visually and often using a stereo microscope for deep details before the product is sold in an external market. Usually inspectors provide lists and descriptions of defected products such as surface blemishes or cracks for instance. After defining all these terms, we can obviously examine our subject with more  details. Let’s start with quality assurance. Remember the basic principle of a quality assurance, is working out the best course of action beforehand and communicating it to all department concerned, applying this concept whenever a planned process is complex. Beyond this, the decision to follow a quality assurance depends on your organization’s decision; however the firm should answer the following questions: * Is your organization prepared to invest time to follow the formal discipline required? * Does the regional law require your organization’s compliance with a specific standard such as pharmaceutical manufacturers? * Do your customers insist on your organization’s compliance with a standard; (nowadays many companies prefer to deal with supplier with quality assurance certification)? After answering all these questions positively, and making the decision to implement quality assurance. We can start in general way by identifying the tasks, processes or systems critical to the business and writing clearly a guidelines and instructions for employees. Use a guidelines and instructions for training and day-to-day reference. For processes and systems covered will basically reduce: * Wasting time and materials associated with error * The number of errors; * The number of problems to fix and customer complaints; * The time spent on giving day-to-day instructions; * The time needed to improve processes and systems by establishing a stable base. However, you can also take this general principle of clearly documenting tasks, systems and processes to the next level, by using ISO 9000, which is related to quality management systems and to help organizations assure that they meet the right needs of clients and other stakeholders, while meeting statutory and regulatory requirements related to the product. We could also establish another appropriate quality assurance system code as a model to cover all aspect of quality, using formal discipline for controlling information accuracy, and reviewing and improving systems. Therefore quality assurance is deeply involved in any commercial product, from MP3 players, to children’s toys, to video games. A specialist needs to test and use almost all items you buy. Is not performed by one person but by a group of people, and it has many level of testing, from the minute, testing tiny pieces of code, to the gigantic, testing the final  products. In United States, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Environmental Protection Agency and other federal and states regulatory agencies have instituted rules and regulations regarding manufacturing practices and products. In large measure, it is the responsibility of the quality assurance department to maintain compliance with these regulations. After all, companies using quality assurance get benefice from it. This system basically increases customers’ confidence and companies’ credibility, which very important nowadays in the current market. Improving work processes and efficiency will definitely enable to better compete with other competitors and increase earnings. Today’s quality assurance systems emphasize catching defects before they get into the final product. The quality assurance team uses a popular tool commonly called PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Act) to evaluate and determine excellence and provide improvement. The principle is, once a hypothesis is negated, beginning and implementing the cycle again will further extend knowledge, bringing about perfect output and operation within the company. In the other hand, quality control is similar to, but not identical with quality assurance. As described before, it is a procedure or set of procedures intended to ensure that a manufactured product or performed service adheres to a defined set of quality requirements or mee ts the needs of the clients and/or customers. In order to install an effective quality control program, the firm must first decide which specific standards the service and/or product must meet. Then the extent of quality control actions must be determined – for instance, the percentage of units should be tested from each lot. After that, the real-world data must be collected – the percentage of unit that fail, and the result should be reported correctly to the management personnel. Next, the corrective actions take place and decided upon and taken – defective units must be repaired or rejected, and service repeated at no charge until the costumers are satisfied. In some companies, if too many failures or instances of poor service happen, the plan must be devised to improve the production process and then that plan must be put into action. However, quality control process must be ongoing to assure the remedial effort by producing satisfactory results, and immediately detecting recurrences or new instances of trouble. The quality of product or service is ensuring if proper designing process is followed. This designing process needs to be  back by an appropriate process design which confirm to requirement of customers. Quality control also ensures error and defects are prevented and finally deleted from the process of production. However, quality control should include: Planning, designing, implementation, gaps identification and improvisation. The benefits from an organization which is implementing a stringent quality control are as follow: * Reducing product defects lead to less variable cost associated with labor and material; * Increase in employee motivation and awareness of quality; * Increase in productivity and overall efficiency. * Reduction in wastage, scrap and pollution; * Ability to produce quality products over longer period of time; * With quality maintenance needs for inspection reduces leading to decrease in maintenance cost; * And finally ensure customers satisfaction; However the quality of any giving product and service determines success of failure of the company. All consumers expect the company to maintain high-level of quality and consider it one of the most important aspect of satisfaction. Therefore, quality management becomes very important as far as any organization is concerned. It can be accomplished through various quality control techniques. Quality assurance and quality control are objectively oriented and can be achieved through statistical quality control. Quality reviews are conducted to gather evidence on whether or not standards are being met. An effective quality review is a team effort involving several roles. The three most important roles will be given different names depending on the type of organization, but can generally be described as the creator, the reviewer and the manager. REFERENCES: 1- Wikipedia.com: Quality Management, Quality assurance and Quality control 2- Whatls.com: http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/quality-control-QC 3- Asq.org: http://asq.org/learn-about-quality/quality-assurance-quality-control/overview/overview.html 4- C2.com: http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?QualityAssuranceIsNotQualityControl 5- Hci.com:

Interpersonal Relationship and True Friend Essay

Tens of thousands, or one jillion? How many a(prenominal) people will we undertake in a whole smelltime, and how many of them do we have family relationships with? Every soul is born into a family without their choice, so they resolve to keep a legal relationship with all family members to live happily, but sometimes it can be a mishap for some people to get along with family members. However, we can choose to have groovy a relationship or non with acquaintances. Ive met with lots of people, sometimes I get dressedt get the chance to shut in myself, sometimes I had a good time with them, Sometimes I was disappoint by their behavior, and decided to say so long forever.There atomic number 18 many characteristics that destine whether a soul is a familiarity or acquaintance. Considering my experiences, there argon terzetto types of acquaintances avowedly helpmates, ex-friends, and temporary acquaintances. I gestate for a person to be considered a true up friend the y must be trustfulnessworthy and loyal. Someone whom will eternally stick by your side through thick and thin and would not distribute you out. A true friend demand to be fair, caring, and loving. A true friend is mortal who can make you grinning or laugh a person that will make you happy when you are sad.However, a true friend postulate to be honest and must be fit to tell you the truth even if it isnt pleasant to hear. A true friend needs to be able to tell you something that you talent not essential to hear. At the same time, a true friend needs to be someone who wont try to change the focal point a person is and needs to be able to accept different personalities and characteristics. A true friend must hit the sack that it is very hard to gain trust however. it is easy to lose it. People might say that a life without a true friend is no life at all.On the other open there are people who I cant say are friends anymore, so I consider them ex-friends. I was once close to them because of good times, humor, premier impression, or similar interests, but subsequent found out they used me, lied, and were selfish. I sometimes felt resentful, and realized I had better