Red Bull Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Red Bull - Case Study Example The responsibility for the success of the world's No. 1 energy drink is shared by the company's 7,758 employees around the world (compared to 6.900 in 2009). The Red Bull headquarters are based in Fuschl am See, not far from Salzburg, Austria† (Red Bull, N.D., par. 3). The case study hereby aims to proffer issues pertinent to a comprehensive evaluation of the marketing program designed specifically to enhance the brand image of Red Bull and to maintain and sustain market leadership. Conclusion The case study was able to achieve its objective of exploring the comprehensive details of Red Bull’s branding strategies. The highlights of the discourse would reveal that through Red Bull’s strategy not to select a specific target market, it was able to design programs pertinent to product, packaging, place, price and promotions that are applicable to diverse clientele. The need to maintain and sustain marketing momentum through brand extension and awareness of competitorà ¢â‚¬â„¢s strategies, coupled with extending to non-drink markets have been positively instrumental to reviewing its positioning and acquisition of an innovatively different marketing focus.

The New Rave Generation Essay Example for Free

The New Rave Generation Essay Electronic Dance Music, better known as EDM, has the potential to be the largest genre of music in the near future. From the start this music has acted as a spiritual and emotional release for anyone who listens, this being one of, if not the most innovative forms of music in the history of entertainment. Throughout the existence of this genre there were many struggles amongst the industry. After nearly 40 years of efforts, EDM has revealed itself to the mainstream of music entertainment. â€Å"For an industry increasingly reliant on aging headliners like Bruce Springsteen, Madonna and the Rolling Stones the appeal of a genre with fresh stars and a huge young audience is undeniable.†(The New York Times) In other words, the older generations of music are fading out for a new wave to come in. Without this new generation, the rise of EDM may not have occurred. The origin of this music varies depending upon the specific type of EDM. The United States progression from traditional acoustic music to Electronic Music started in the 1970’s and now grows larger than ever expected. The true origin of this genre was in the 1960’s in Jamaica. Artists would overlay multiple tracks (normally instrumentals of existing tracks) on reel to reel tape players, which were commonplace at the time, to create their own unique tracks. They’d hook the reel to reel tape player up to an amp, along with an MC, and then throw large parties. Disco being one of the original forms of EDM was heard during the mid to late 1970’s among a very diverse but specific crowd which included the black, Latino, gay, and psychedelic communities. Donna Summer’s 1977 hit â€Å"I Feel Love† took the recent birth of this music put a slight twist on it which in turn expanded the electronic music culture. Although Donna Summer experimented with many genres, her impact on electronic dance music was substantial. Pairing with producer Giorgio Moroder was a defining moment for not just the sub-genre disco but for all of EDM. Disco’s combination of beats, strings, horns, and synths significantly impacted, whether directly or indirectly, every electronic artist from burgeoning house music DJs and New Order in the ‘80s to modern producers, like Calvin Harris and Avicii, revisiting those same sounds. Donna Summer’s career and more specifically her hit song â€Å"I Feel Love† is in some way responsible for every mainstream genre of EDM due to the explorative diversity of her music. Upon entering the 1980’s disco’s short lived popularity diminished. From the ashes of disco arose many new genres of EDM featuring electro, freestyle, techno and house. The musical aspect of the Jamaican culture, dub music was soon carried over to the US where artists such as Frankie Knuckles, known as the â€Å"Godfather of House†, began to introduce this magical genre. Due to the low demand for this electronically crafted music concerts were non-existent. In place of concerts, fans heard this music at warehouse parties and nightclubs. Using RB records, Frankie Knuckles and other artists used a mixer and two turntables. These records were not just left to play, the DJs reconstructed their sounds by mixing two records together at the same time, adjusting their tempos, and layering percussive beats over the top. This was the start of mainstream House Music. Night clubs and discos such as Paradise Garage and Studio 54 in New York City, or The Wharehouse in Chicago started employ DJs for every night they were open with the demand for EDM rising. These venues would have their sound system prepared more for DJs rather than the traditional live acts. At this point the interest for the DJs themselves had surpassed any expectation. In other words, fans began to appreciate the talent and dedication these artists possessed. With sudden interest in the DJs, they began to produce more of their own music. The increase in production led to the making of remixes. Remixing music proceeded to increase the popularity of this music and the individual DJs. By the 90s there was enough content and a large enough response to EDM where large concerts would be held indoors or outdoors casually known as raves. Raves feature loud, live music with breathtaking light shows which will put almost any person in awe. â€Å"Happy people, dancing happily without a hint of cynicism.†(Huffington Post) describes the atmosphere of any rave, perfectly. Raves gave off a sense of happiness among the whole crowd which is an indescribable feeling. Over years raves varied in styles to broaden the appeal, the venues started adding additional interactive entertainment including paint, glow sticks, foam and other stimulating accessories. Although the rave scene should have boosted the fan base substantially, EDM had reached the boundaries of its popularity for many years. Recently the electronic dance music scene has expanded past any expectations. Currently EDM is one of the most popular genres among all cultures. â€Å"If you’re 15 to 25 years old now, this is your rock ‘n’ roll,† said Michael Rapino, the chief executive of Live Nation Entertainment, the world’s largest concert promoter. This young audience is known as the new rave generation and they are nearly growing in numbers and variety. There are more performers, better technology and larger events every year. This scene is expanding with no intentions of slowing down. Electric dance music festivals are the hosts of the craziest events in the United States. These festivals took the average rave and super-sized it in every way possible. Most festivals are held over multiple days some providing overnight accommodations. Fans will spend thousands of dollars in preparation for these unforgettable couple days. The Electric Daisy Carnival in 2011 had over 200,000 guests at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. These fans gathered from all around the world to hear the top DJs of the industry give the crowd everything they had. As the crowd roars across the many stages thousands of people share something they will take with them forever. This remarkable experience gives out a vibe like no other and greatly impacts the lives of everyone attending. Electric Dance Music has not only impacted the music entertainment industry forever but also the lives of millions of people. With roots from all over the world EDM has collectively created something nobody could have ever had predicted. Bringing thousands of enthusiasts from around the world together for a spiritual journey creates a surreal experience nobody can dislike. EDM is a genre that is here to stay and will continuously influence generations to come.

Chaos In The Currency Markets : Currency Crisis Of The EMS :: essays research papers

Chaos in The Currency Markets : Currency Crisis of The EMS 1. What does the crisis of September 1992 tell you about the relative abilities of currency markets and national governments to influence exchange rates?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The currency markets and national governments both have abilities to influence exchange rates. Like other financial markets, foreign exchange markets react to any news that may have a future effect. Speculators are the part of the currency markets that take currency positions based on anticipated interest rate movements in various countries. Day-to-day speculation on future exchange rate movements is commonly driven by signals of future interest rate movements. By using the signal, speculators usually take the position before the things actually occurred. Sometime, if high power enough, the speculators position can influence the exchange rate movement. The government controls is one of the factors affecting exchange rate. The government can influence the equilibrium exchange rate in many way, including direct intervening (buying and selling currencies) in the foreign exchange markets and indirect intervening by affecting macro variables such as interest rates. 2. What does the crisis of September 1992 tell you about the weakness of fixed exchange rate regimes?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  From European currency crisis of September 1992, it shows us that there are weakness of the fixed exchange rate system. When exchange rate are tied, a high interest rate in one country has a strong influence on interest rates in the other countries. Funds will flow to the country with a more attractive interest rate, which reduces the supply of fund in the other countries and places upward pressure on their interest rates. The flow of fund would continue until the interest rate differential has been eliminated or reduced. This process would not necessarily apply to countries outside ERM that do not in the fixed exchange rate system, because the exchange rate risk may discourage the flow of funds to the countries with relatively high interest rate. However, since the ERM requires central banks to maintain the exchange rates between currencies within specified boundaries, investors moving funds among the participating European countries are less concerned about exchange rate risk. 3. Assess the impact of the events of September 1992 on the EU 's ability to establish a common currency by 1999.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A major concern of a common currency is based on the concept of a single European monetary policy. Each country's government may prefer to implement its own monetary policy. It would have to adapt to a system in which it had only partial input to the European monetary policy that would be implemented in all European countries, including its own. Chaos In The Currency Markets : Currency Crisis Of The EMS :: essays research papers Chaos in The Currency Markets : Currency Crisis of The EMS 1. What does the crisis of September 1992 tell you about the relative abilities of currency markets and national governments to influence exchange rates?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The currency markets and national governments both have abilities to influence exchange rates. Like other financial markets, foreign exchange markets react to any news that may have a future effect. Speculators are the part of the currency markets that take currency positions based on anticipated interest rate movements in various countries. Day-to-day speculation on future exchange rate movements is commonly driven by signals of future interest rate movements. By using the signal, speculators usually take the position before the things actually occurred. Sometime, if high power enough, the speculators position can influence the exchange rate movement. The government controls is one of the factors affecting exchange rate. The government can influence the equilibrium exchange rate in many way, including direct intervening (buying and selling currencies) in the foreign exchange markets and indirect intervening by affecting macro variables such as interest rates. 2. What does the crisis of September 1992 tell you about the weakness of fixed exchange rate regimes?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  From European currency crisis of September 1992, it shows us that there are weakness of the fixed exchange rate system. When exchange rate are tied, a high interest rate in one country has a strong influence on interest rates in the other countries. Funds will flow to the country with a more attractive interest rate, which reduces the supply of fund in the other countries and places upward pressure on their interest rates. The flow of fund would continue until the interest rate differential has been eliminated or reduced. This process would not necessarily apply to countries outside ERM that do not in the fixed exchange rate system, because the exchange rate risk may discourage the flow of funds to the countries with relatively high interest rate. However, since the ERM requires central banks to maintain the exchange rates between currencies within specified boundaries, investors moving funds among the participating European countries are less concerned about exchange rate risk. 3. Assess the impact of the events of September 1992 on the EU 's ability to establish a common currency by 1999.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A major concern of a common currency is based on the concept of a single European monetary policy. Each country's government may prefer to implement its own monetary policy. It would have to adapt to a system in which it had only partial input to the European monetary policy that would be implemented in all European countries, including its own.

Wellness :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The wellness wheel couldn’t have come at a better time because I’ve recently been trying to change my dieting and exercising habits, as well as the way in which I feel and look at myself. Knowing that my answers to some of these questions could be completely bias, I realize that the wellness wheel is how I look at myself in my perspective. Others could have different opinions about how I score myself.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I found that I did very well on section eight, scoring a perfect twenty. Now, that is just how I felt at the time I took the test. Different answers and scores could appear at different times depending on my mood. Section eight was about wellness with playing and working. I feel I did very well on this particular section because I know how to separate work from play. I know when and how to work hard; and I’m very proud of the things I do and my accomplishments. On the other hand, I know when I’ve been working too much, and personal enjoyment away from work is almost like therapy to me. I think that the way I work is what enabled me to do so well in this section. I usually enjoy work, and I always try to turn work into an enjoyable activity, instead of â€Å"work†. I feel that if you work hard, you should play hard too.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The main areas that I scored low in are the areas surrounding diet and exercise. Throughout my life, up until the past couple of years, I’ve always been extremely athletic and did some form of exercise regularly. However, now that I have more responsibilities; working full-time and going to school full-time, I’ve notice that I have slipped from exercising regularly, to not exercising at all. I’ve become a couch potato, figuring that I put so much time and effort into work, that when I get home I should sit on the sofa and plop my feet on the coffee table, eating junk food till my stomach erupts. I know this isn’t me, and I don’t want to be a couch potato for the rest of my life. However, this horrible habit that I’ve developed is a cycle that spirals downward leading me to unhealthy obesity. I’m only 170 pounds, still in shape, but on the verge of gaining an actual beer belly. I need to break the cycle and set a rou tine exercise plan for myself that will also include a relaxed diet.

Family Practices Essay

Parents have the big responsibility of rearing their children in the best way they can. They have a lot of investment towards their children to bring them up in the most righteous way. Parents impart knowledge, values and even some of their known practices which they grew up with. There are so many common practices imparted to us by our parents. These practices revolve maybe on simple things such as eating together during dinner and saying a prayer before we sleep. Our family believes in the power of herbal medicine that would be able to heal our illnesses. Herbal medicines are kind of medicines that come from plants (Bupa’s Health Information Team, 2007). An herb is a plant that is commonly used because of its flavor, scent and medicinal properties. Many of these herbs are processed and are available in the market is various forms such as tablets, capsules, teas, etc. but there are still some herbal medicine that may cause threat is people’s health. Some may cause health problems and some may not interact well with other drugs (â€Å"Herbal Medicine†, 2009). The Western hemisphere has long abandoned the used of the herbal medicines due to the advancement of technology and healthcare that is able to provide a single medicine that will cure illnesses. Many people, professional and lay individuals, do not know that plants may be able to provide useful health benefits. The benefits of the plants are in the form of alternative and complementary medicines and many people consider it as irrelevant part of folk times (Ernst, 2000). This nontraditional health practice has been passed on my family through generations. Not only able to preserve our family solidarity but our health as well. References Bupa’s Health Information Team. (2007, August). Herbal Medicine. Bupa. Retrieved January 20, 2009 from http://hcd2.bupa.co.uk/fact_sheets/html/herbal_medicine.html. Ernst, E. (2000). Herbal Medicine: A Concise Overview for Professionals. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann. Herbal Medicine. (2009, January 13). Medline Plus. Retrieved January 20, 2009 from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/herbalmedicine.html.

Some Hairy Expressions

Some Hairy Expressions Some Hairy Expressions Some Hairy Expressions By Maeve Maddox Warning: This post may offend some readers. Words, however, are just words and thats what DWT is all about. Curious minds want to know! DWT reader Jess received an email in which the sender said I got a wild hair about me. Jess says that the expression was used in the sense of acting impetuously. However, the expression for which wild hair is a shortening is to have a wild hair up ones ass. The meaning of this vulgar expression is to have an obsession or fixation about something. Garrison Keillor conveys this sense in his August 2, 2008 News from Lake Woebegone segment. In this instance its not a hair but a quarter, and its not up anything, its between the butt cheeks. Hes talking about a woman who is very angry about something and is going to confront her brother about it: she stalked across that farmyard like somebody whos carrying a quarter in their butt. If you go around carrying a quarter in your butt, you wont think of anything else. Disagreement exists as to why a hair should cause such single-minded discomfort, but I suppose there could be such a thing as a painful ingrown hair. The word wild in this context refers to the fact that the hair in question is not going where it is wanted. The meaning implied in the email, to act impetuously or in an uncharacteristic manner, doesnt seem as apt. Some other hairy idioms: to split hairs to dissect a subject down to the most trivial and unimportant details. I want to give the go ahead and all you want to do is split hairs about what color the tags should be. hair-brained foolish, ditzy. The expression originates from the erratic behavior of hares and is more properly spelled harebrained. However, the spelling hair-brained is quite common. I never heard of a more harebrained idea in my life! hair of the dog short for hair of the dog that bit you. In modern usage it refers to the notion that a person with a hangover can cure himself by drinking in the morning what he was drinking the night before. The expression originates in an ancient homeopathic cure for the bite of a mad dog. Pliny the Elder gives several remedies, one of which is to rub into the wound ash, prepared by burning, from the hair under the tail of the mad dog itself. by a hairs breadth by a narrow margin. He escaped death by a hairs breadth. Possible origin: a formal unit of measurement called a hairbreadth, equal to one-forty-eighth of an inch. hair-trigger a trigger that requires very little effort to release. The term can be used figuratively: Her husband has a hair-trigger temper. to let ones hair down to relax and be at ones ease with people. Come on, Charlie! Let your hair down and dance! The term originated in the 1850s and probably first applied to women who wore their hair up in public. hair-raising frightening and exciting. Follow Indiana Jones in another hair-raising adventure. a hairy situation something fraught with difficulty. The conversation became a bit hairy once he mentioned Alison. hairpin curve a curve in the road that goes back on itself. Younger readers may not know what an old-fashioned hairpin looked like. The curve at the joined end was much wider than the curve of a mere bobby pin. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:36 Adjectives Describing LightFlier vs. FlyerWood vs. Wooden

A Review of Think Through Math

A Review of Think Through Math Think Through Math (TTM) is an interactive online mathematics program designed for students in grades 3-Algebra I. It was created in its current form in 2012 and was a spin-off of the popular Apangea Math program. The program provides users with both direct instruction and remediation. Think Through Math was developed to prepare students for the Common Core State Standards and the rigorous assessments associated with the standards.   Students are enrolled in a unique pathway based on their grade level. Students are also given an adaptive assessment that prescribes precursor activities designed to build skills needed to achieve grade-level proficiency. These activities are added to the pathway. Each lesson in a pathway is divided into six unique skill-building components including a pre-quiz, warm up, focus, guided learning, practice, and a post-quiz. Students who demonstrate proficiency on the pre-quiz for a particular subtopic are able to move ahead. Think Through Math is a revolutionary program for student learning. It combines a unique blend of adaptive assessment, skill building, student motivation, and individualized live instruction. The entire program is geared to enhance classroom learning by filling gaps that a particular student may have and prepares them to meet the rigor of the Common Core State Standards. Key Components Think Through Math makes it simple to add a single student or a whole class by uploading a data template. It has terrific reporting that makes it easy to monitor individual student or whole class progress. It also has a terrific and easy to use interface making it easy for teachers and students to monitor usage, check performance, compare accomplishments, and check goals. Think Through Math allows and encourages students to access the program at home after school and on weekends to maximize the impact of the program. Think Through Math allows teachers to send messages to directly to individual students through the messaging system. Students are only able to receive these messages. They cannot send or respond. Instructional With Diagnostic Components Think Through Math provides both direct instruction and intensive remediation within the same program. It places each student in a â€Å"pathway† containing skills needed to be successful at a particular grade level. It also provides students with an initial adaptive assessment which assigns precursor activities designed to remediate the skills needed to do the required grade level work. Think Through Math continuously monitors and adapts to the individual, adding new material, based on performance throughout the program. Think Through Math Is Motivational Think Through Math allows users to create and personalize their own unique avatar. It provides continuous contests across multiple categories for terrific prizes such as an iPod touch, gift cards, etc. It also allows teachers to set classroom goals for a pizza party or ice cream party. Students can then donate their points towards that goal, and when the class reaches the goal, the teacher will receive a gift card to help purchase the goodies for the party. Think Through Math allows students to donate their points to charity. $10,000 points $1.00. Charities that they can donate to include St. Jude’s Children Hospital, World Wildlife Fund, Make-A-Wish Foundation, The Boys and Girls Club of America, The Wounded Warrior Project, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center, and American Red Cross. The program provides users with incentives and rewards. Each time they complete an activity, they earn points. They can use their points to purchase new features for their avatar, donate points to a charity, or they can give points towards a goal their class is trying to achieve as discussed previously. Think Through Math provides users with badges for achieving goals or reaching for milestones within the program. There are four levels of badges including bronze (easiest), silver, gold, and diamond (hardest). Students can see both the badges they have earned and those they have not earned. They can then work towards earning badges they do not have. Think Through Math provides students will printable certificates each time they pass an individual topic. Think Through Math Is Comprehensive Think Through Math is Common Core aligned in content, process, and assessment that encourages critical thinking and problem-solving development. It provides students with access to a calculator, critical math formulas, and key mathematics vocabulary terms at any time within the program. Think Through Math has an audio tool available in both English and Spanish that allows questions and answer choices to be read to struggling readers or English Language Learners. Think Through Math gives students the opportunity to demonstrate mastery by taking a pre-quiz over a particular topic. A pre-quiz consists of eight questions. A student who demonstrates mastery on the pre-quiz will immediately move on to the next lesson. It provides students with a three question â€Å"Warm Up† activity designed to activate prior knowledge by reviewing the math skills you have already mastered, but that is essential to the new skill you will be learning. The program provides you with step by step illustrations and explanations for solving each problem no matter whether you get them correct or incorrect. Think Through Math provides students with a three question â€Å"Guided Learning† activity allowing you to work through the new math. It also provides students with multiple help features within the â€Å"Guided Learning† activity. This occurs through a learning coach. To receive help simply click on the learning coach at any time. If you have not answered the question, an explanation of the concept with visuals will pop up to help you. If you answer the questions incorrectly, an explanation of the concept will pop up. If you still do not understand, you may again click on your learning coach. A box will pop up asking you if you want to work with a teacher. Click â€Å"teacher† and you are able to connect to a live certified math teacher that will walk you through the process and answer any questions you have. If you have audio and a microphone, you can have a direct conversation with them. If you do not, then you can communicate with each other in a text chat. Think Through Math provides students with a ten question â€Å"Independent Practice† activity allowing them to practice what they learned and to use the feedback to understand the concept further. Think Through Math provides the student with an eight-question â€Å"Post-Quiz† activity allowing them to demonstrate their understanding of the new concept. Students are only given one attempt per question. If they fail, they will have to retake or remediate the concept. Key Reports An overview report allows you to monitor how many lessons each student has attempted and passed and gives you pass rate percentages for both target and precursor lessons, while a student detail report provides you with a detailed progress report for each individual student. An individual pathway report provides you with a detailed overview of the progress that an individual student is making on their individual pathway, while the standards report allows you to monitor student progress based on individual state standards or the Common Core State Standards. Cost Think Through Math does not publish their overall cost for the program. However, each subscription is sold as an annual subscription cost per seat. There are several other factors that will determine the final cost of the programming including the length of the subscription and how many seats you will be purchasing.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Research Think Through Math is a research-based program. Its development spans over two decades. It is grounded on the foundation of helping students analyze and solve word problems effectively. This is done through the principles of active problem solving, explicit instruction, gradual release, elaboration theory, categorization of a prototype, mastery learning, a zone of proximal development, assessment and differentiation, and worked examples. In addition, Think Through Math has been the focus of several critical field studies involving more than 30,000 students across seven different states.

How to Make Easy, DIY Rochelle Salt

How to Make Easy, DIY Rochelle Salt Rochelle salt or potassium sodium tartrate is an interesting chemical that is used to grow large single crystals, which are attractive and interesting, but also may be used as transducers in microphones and gramophone pickups. The chemical is used as a food additive to contribute a salty, cooling taste. It is an ingredient in useful chemistry reagents, such  as Fehlings solution and Biuret reagent. Unless you work in a lab, you probably dont have this chemical lying around, but you can make it yourself in your own kitchen. Rochelle Salt Ingredients Cream of TartarWashing Soda or Sodium Carbonate (which you can get by heating baking soda or sodium bicarbonate in a 275 °F oven for an hour) Instructions Heat a mixture of about 80 grams cream of tartar in 100 milliliters of water to a boil in a saucepan.Slowly stir in sodium carbonate. The solution will bubble after each addition. Continue adding sodium carbonate until no more bubbles form.Chill this solution in the refrigerator. Crystalline Rochelle salt will form on the bottom of the pan.Remove the Rochelle salt. If you redissolve it in a small amount of clean water, you can use this material to grow single crystals. The key to growing Rochelle salt crystals is to use the minimum amount of water needed to dissolve the solid. Use boiling water to increase the solubility of the salt. You may wish to use a seed crystal to stimulate growth on a single crystal rather than throughout the container. Commercial Preparation of Rochelle Salt Commercial preparation of Rochelle salt is similar to how its made at home or in a small lab, but pH is carefully controlled and impurities are removed to ensure product purity. The process starts with potassium hydrogen tartrate (cream of tartar) that has a tartaric acid content of at least 68 percent. The solid is either dissolved in liquid from a previous batch or in water. Hot caustic soda is introduced to attain a pH value of 8, which also causes a saponification reaction. The resulting solution is decolorized using activated charcoal. Purification involves mechanical filtration and centrifugation. The salt is heated in a furnace to drive off any water before being packaged. Persons interested in preparing their own Rochelle salt and using it for crystal growth may wish to adopt some of the purification methods used in commercial production. This is because cream of tartar sold as a kitchen ingredient may contain other compounds (e.g., to prevent caking). Passing the liquid through a filter medium, such as filter paper or even a coffee filter, should remove most of the impurities and allow for good crystal growth. Rochelle Salt Chemical Data IUPAC Name: Sodium potassium L()-tartrate tetrahydrateAlso Known As: Rochelle salt, Seignettes salt, E337CAS Number: 304-59-6Chemical Formula: KNaC4H4O6 ·4H2OMolar Mass: 282.1 g/molAppearance: Colorless, odorless monoclinic needlesDensity: 1.79 g/cm ³Melting Point: 75  Ã‚ °C (167  Ã‚ °F; 348  K)Boiling Point: 220  Ã‚ °C (428  Ã‚ °F; 493  K)  Solubility: 26 g / 100 mL (0 â„Æ'); 66 g / 100 mL (26 â„Æ')Crystal Structure: Orthorhombic Rochelle Salt and Piezoelectricity Sir David Brewster demonstrated piezoelectricity using Rochelle salt in 1824. He named the effect pyroelectricity. Pyroelectricity is a property of some crystals characterized by natural electrical polarization. In other words, a pyroelectric material can generate a temporary voltage when heated or cooled. While Brewster named the effect, it was first referenced by the Greek philosopher Theophrastus (c. 314 BC) in reference to the ability of tourmaline to attract straw or sawdust when heated. Sources Brewster, David (1824). Observations of the pyro-electricity of minerals. The Edinburgh Journal of Science. 1: 208–215.Fieser, L. F.; Fieser, M. (1967). Reagents for Organic Synthesis, Vol.1. Wiley: New York. p. 983.Kassaian, Jean-Maurice (2007). Tartaric Acid. Ullmanns Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry (7th ed.). Wiley. doi:10.1002/14356007.a26_163Lide, David R., ed. (2010). CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics (90th ed.). CRC Press, pp. 4–83.Newnham, R.E.; Cross, L. Eric (November 2005). Ferroelectricity: The Foundation of a Field from Form to Function. MRS Bulletin. 30: 845–846. doi:10.1557/mrs2005.272

The Treaty of Versailles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Treaty of Versailles - Essay Example Certainly after President Wilson’s 14 points speech, it was clear though that the U.S. interest went beyond the defense of its marine. Out of the famous ‘Fourteen Point’ 1918 speech from which the President hoped to bring a ‘‘peace without victory’’, eight of the points directly dealt with territorial and political settlements. These points extended to the ideology of self-rule nationalism in various ethnic populations in Europe. The rest focused on prevention of future war. As stated by Roark et al. (p.25-9), when negotiating the Versailles Treaty, Wilson used the Fourteen Points as the foundation that ended the First World War. His role in the conference that led to the Treaty felt like some of his points were adopted while others were not. In what seemed like failed American ratification of the war, League of Nations was created, freedom of the sea, creation of Poland, reduction of armaments, and independence for Turkey and other nations were agreed upon from Wilson’s Fourteen points scheme. However, the political interest with which the President negotiated using his Fourteen Points scheme failed to be adopted fully. Even though the treaty was not fully keen on the U.S. ‘‘unselfish’’ vision, Wilson’s Fourteen Points is still memorial and powerful assertion of the real strain in the American diplomatic

Outsourcing and Its Impacts on Corporations Research Paper

Outsourcing and Its Impacts on Corporations - Research Paper Example The paper looks at the core of Apple's business model and its operations, and identifies the key problem as relating to its need to manage its outsourcing relationships and networks in order to secure its manufacturing strategy. The ensuing analysis makes use of IOM concepts and tools to identify technological and management interventions to make the outsourcing strategy work (Wailgum, 2011; Terry, 2013; Chen, 2012; Kabin, 2013; Langlois and Robertson, 1989; Gupta, Kim and Levine, 2013; Smith, Buddress and Raedels, n.d.; Google, 2013; Reuters, 2013). II. Background Information The business problem is outsourcing and the impact of outsourcing on corporations, and this problem is culled from relevant business and academic articles and cases. In general outsourcing is seen as providing benefit to many companies in terms of paring down costs of doing business and being able to delegate work that is better and more efficiently done by third parties so companies can focus on the things tha t they do well, and which add to their overall ability to compete and do well in their respective industries. Outsourcing has been a key reality in doing business for several decades now, and earnest literature recognizing its importance and its groundbreaking impacts on global business extends to at least 2006, with all industries and all kinds of firms profoundly affected by the outsourcing of different kinds of work and corporate functions to India and other parts of Asia, and with outsourcing becoming such a crucial issue that is has been singled out as a political issue in presidential elections in the US (Engardio, Arndt and Foust, 2006; Hochschild, 2012; Corn, 2012). Of particular interest in this paper is the role that outsourcing plays in Apple Inc. Apple is in the business of designing, marketing and manufacturing devices for communications as well as for multimedia, geared towards consumer markets, together with computing devices, software platforms, services, and content and apps developed by parties for the operating systems and software platforms that the company develops. The core products of the firm include its iconic iPhones smart phones and iPad tablet computers, as well as Mac computers and laptops. Platform-rendered services out of its core computing platforms are iTunes, and the Mac Store, as well as its App Store, which serve up music and other digital multimedia content, as well as third party software and apps. Together these software, services, devices and content delivery platforms make up an ecosystem that caters to the comprehensive network of products and services for everyday consumer computing and telecommunications. The company is also branching out into new areas of computing, including search and cloud computing, with a growing array of core technologies being developed and or acquired to beef up competencies in those emerging areas of consumer computing, and in reaction to new market realities and opportunities, as well as c ompetition initiatives and strategies. Its core competitors include Microsoft, Samsung, Google, Motorola, HP, Nokia, and HTC, for different aspects of its primary businesses (Google, 2013; Reuters, 2013). Apple has been extraordinarily successful not just in its own technological sector, but in general as an American company reaping extraordinary levels of revenues and profits, even besting oil in terms of its overall market valuation. This is reflected in the high historical

The Role of ICT to Support Development of Literacy Essay - 1

The Role of ICT to Support Development of Literacy - Essay Example Aims of research on ICT/Digital film use in schools This critical review sets out the key messages from the literature, which focuses on:- a) The infrastructure to support the use of ICT in schools, b) The impact of this on learning and literacy levels c) The extent to which its adoption has supported communication in schools and the community at large The report analysis will further present an opportunity for further exploration and research. Research indicates that there is an increase in the use of computers and other new technologies in homes through the same suit is not followed at the schools where the authorities are so strict on print and print-based texts. The embracing of technology is viewed as a lot of a waste of times, which should not be the case as children and school going individuals are already expressing enormous interest to learn through the adoption of the new technologies like the digital film techniques (BESA 2006). Setting the context: ICT/Digital film techno logy provision and access In the recent years there have been numerous surveys formulated to provide information on the extent to which schools are developing the capacity to integrate digital technology in learning and teaching to improve the level of literacy in the UK. The evidence gathered shows an increase in the number of computers and other technologies like digital technology over time with most schools achieving the baseline for the computer-to-pupil/student ratio (BESA 2006). The evidence on the impact on learning and teaching indicates that the use of digital film technology is effective and efficient in enhancing the students learning experience and therefore teachers are motivated to integrate a number of technologies like the laptops to produce an interactive environment with whiteboards and the internet. Through the emergence of the digital technology, teachers have been in a position of integrating a combination of hardware; software and connectivity to allow them to have an innovative approach towards learning and teaching hence a bust in the level of literacy (Watts 2007). A critical factor in the effective use of digital technology is the fact that there exists a school level e-strategy; this gives room for the future development and maintenance of the ICT systems. Research has it that school going aged children are embracing the use of new technology through the engagement of a wide variety of Digital practices. These range from the use of CDs, playing computer games, play stations, internet mobiles, and mobile phones. It worth noting that computer games so far is the most popular components engaged in by children as they are able to access the internet at a very tender age (BESA 2005). From research, therefore, it is evident that children have been engaged in multimodal literacy’s in a manner that the print media is being faced out. Because digital texts are fast facing out print media most so in the young populations perspective, s chools through the authorities need to adopt such systems as they will in the first place engage the youth keeping them away from accessing intolerable material online. Research on the use of digital film technology in the UK shows that, through the new technological advancement, teachers are able to develop creativity within potentially limited confines, and pressures of curriculum guidelines.

HISTORY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

HISTORY - Essay Example Alexander thus was a far better war tactician than Caesar. However when comparing merits as a ruler, it is not just war exploits and successes that need to be considered, but the issue of what was done for their people, and were the people better off under their rule and subsequent to their rule. At the age of twenty Alexander succeeded his father King Phillip as King of Macedonia. He spent the next few years consolidating his power among the Greek nations, and by 334 BC was ready to set out to conquer the world, though handicapped with a small army, no navy, and lacking in the means to finance his dreams. Still he crossed over into Asia Minor to begin the conquest of the Persian Empire. He conquered Asia Minor and at Syria met the forces of the Persian King Darius and defeated them. Darius fled to Mesopotamia. Alexander took Palestine an Egypt and then turned his eyes on Mesopotamia. He soon conquered Mesopotamia. The vast lands and wealth of the great Persian Empire was all his now. He then turned his attention to Afghanistan and India. He gained Afghanistan and a hold on the north-western parts of India, At this point he had to turn back, as his army had become restless with so many years of fighting away from home. His eastward thrust thus ended in 327 BC, just seven years after he had set out. There is no doubt that no ruler ever has achieved so much in conquests in so limited a period of time (Alexander the Great). The driving force behind Alexander’s dreams of conquering the world is a much debated topic. The debate remains on whether wanting to spread Greek civilization or whether it was his megalomania that was the cause. However there is agreement in that his conquests and the speed at which they were executed remain with a parallel in history. However, the same speed with which the conquests were seen in the collapse of his empire after his death. In that sense his conquests did

Organisational behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Organisational behaviour - Essay Example Generation Y comprises of people born between 1981 and 1994 with some others extending the period to 2002. They are depicted as ethnically diverse people who are optimistic, achievement oriented, confident, independent, and digitally savvy and dislike being micromanaged (Tapscott, 2009). Millennials are joining organisations in large numbers and may presently contribute to the largest percentage of employees in a company. As they join the workforce, new demands are emerging in order to meet their requirements, which seem to differ from those of the boomers and the Generation X employees. Therefore, companies are creating models based on evaluation of Generation Y’s values, characteristics, and aspirations, then applying them with some well-known theories to incorporate this generation into the workplace (Pepermans and Kerpel, 2008:907). Analysis of the Main Issues facing Management at Rising Entertainment Rising entertainment has a few problems when it comes to the management of Generation Y employees. Firstly, the Generation Y and Generation X employees seem to be in a dispute. The Generation Y wants the Generation X employees to immediately adopt the new ideas that they possess. Josh introduces the idea of marketing the new series on websites, blogs and You tube because he thinks that it would improve sales. Sara, on the hand, nods in agreement but quickly brushes off the idea making Josh feel insignificant. The Generation Y employee has great ideas, but forgets to make further plans like the fiscal capacity needed for implementation. Josh seems to possess a pool of new ideas but in his haste, overlooks planning and protocols, a characteristic associated with the Generation Y. Generation Y employees are creative and forward thinking as depicted in the case of Josh (Erickson, 2008). Generation Y employees are impartial towards protocol and traditional power structures that exist within an organisation. This leads to distrust between employees (Erickson, 2008). Josh meets the company’s C.E.O., Sam, and immediately talks about his marketing ideas and how they would increase sales. Sam tells Josh to give a presentation in a meeting scheduled on the following day. Josh is not even aware of the meeting for he is not scheduled to attend. He is not prepared either. Generation Y employees seem to disregard protocol as Josh did, thus conflicting with the other employees. They are in always in a hurry to get push their ideas and see most of them implemented, therefore, going to the extent of bypassing relevant authority. After finding out that Josh contacted Smithson, Sara gets angry because Josh did not follow the right channels (Erickson, 2009). Generation Y employees await daily feedback about their performance and continuous recognition for their contribution. They feel that they have valuable knowledge and should take credit for it (Erickson, 2008). After getting recognised, Generation Y employees want rewards, which are in this case, promotions and flexible calendars. The flexible calendar ensures that they have some free time off the job to enjoy life (Munro, 2009:7). Josh wanted his ideas taken seriously and implemented so that he could be rewarded. Josh can be seen yearning for some free time to enjoy Los Angeles nightlife. He thinks that he can get a senior position by

HISTORY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

HISTORY - Essay Example Alexander thus was a far better war tactician than Caesar. However when comparing merits as a ruler, it is not just war exploits and successes that need to be considered, but the issue of what was done for their people, and were the people better off under their rule and subsequent to their rule. At the age of twenty Alexander succeeded his father King Phillip as King of Macedonia. He spent the next few years consolidating his power among the Greek nations, and by 334 BC was ready to set out to conquer the world, though handicapped with a small army, no navy, and lacking in the means to finance his dreams. Still he crossed over into Asia Minor to begin the conquest of the Persian Empire. He conquered Asia Minor and at Syria met the forces of the Persian King Darius and defeated them. Darius fled to Mesopotamia. Alexander took Palestine an Egypt and then turned his eyes on Mesopotamia. He soon conquered Mesopotamia. The vast lands and wealth of the great Persian Empire was all his now. He then turned his attention to Afghanistan and India. He gained Afghanistan and a hold on the north-western parts of India, At this point he had to turn back, as his army had become restless with so many years of fighting away from home. His eastward thrust thus ended in 327 BC, just seven years after he had set out. There is no doubt that no ruler ever has achieved so much in conquests in so limited a period of time (Alexander the Great). The driving force behind Alexander’s dreams of conquering the world is a much debated topic. The debate remains on whether wanting to spread Greek civilization or whether it was his megalomania that was the cause. However there is agreement in that his conquests and the speed at which they were executed remain with a parallel in history. However, the same speed with which the conquests were seen in the collapse of his empire after his death. In that sense his conquests did

Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 12

Law - Essay Example Alain, while in the course of the act of helping Mrs Todd balance the shopping, owed a duty of care to the Plaintiff during the course of his employment. He approached the plaintiff to help her balance the shopping, and therefore was under the obligation of taking care while performing the act. However, he failed to take enough care and made the mistake of hanging the heavy shopping bags on the accelerator bar, which led to the scooter speeding off to disaster. Applying the test of remoteness to this case, we observe that Mrs. Todd was directly in the path of any act or omission of Alain. (1856) Alain did not act prudently and carefully while balancing the shopping bags. Any reasonable man would have known that hanging the bags on to the accelerator would amount to a disastrous accident, especially when Mrs Todd was still on the scooter. The case of first came out with the concept of duty of care. (1990, 1932) â€Å"There must be, and is, some general conception of relations giving rise to a duty of care, of which the particular cases found in the books are but instances. The rule that you are to love your neighbour becomes in law you must not injure your neighbour; and the lawyers question: Who is my neighbour? You must take reasonable care to avoid acts or omissions which you can reasonably foresee would be likely to injure your neighbour.  Who, then, in law, is my neighbour? The answer seems to be - persons who are so closely and directly affected by my act that I ought reasonably to have them in contemplation as being so affected when I am directing my mind to the acts or omissions that are called in question. A manufacturer of products, which he sells in such a form as to show that he intends them to reach the ultimate consumer in the form in which they left him with no reasonable possibility of intermediate examination, and with knowledge that the absence of reasonable care in th e preparation or putting up of products will result in an injury

Alcohol and Energy Drinks- A literature review Essay Example for Free

Alcohol and Energy Drinks- A literature review Essay ?In recent years, researchers have begun to focus attention on an emerging trend of consuming energy drink mixed with alcohol AmED. Consumption of AmED is thought to have a correlation with high-risk behavior and negative effects on the consumer. Several research articles have examined the various facets of this practice. Some of the points of consideration that have been researched include the motivations behind consuming AmED, the effects of consuming AmED on alcohol consumption and the likelihood of engaging in risk taking behaviors after consuming AmED compared to alcohol alone. This literature review will examine the following four articles in an attempt to explore this area of research. Energy drinks are beverages that boast the ability to provide the consumer with an increase in energy. Energy drinks frequently contain large amounts of caffeine. The upper daily recommended limits for an adult in regards to caffeine is XXX. Levels of caffeine can be up to 300mg per serving. A 6oz coffee contains 100mg. The caffeine from energy drinks is known to have a stimulating effect on the nervous system. Many brands of energy drinks contain additional chemicals including plant-based stimulants (guarana and yerba mate). The effect of these on the body is not well understood as there has been little research. Simple sugars such as glucose and fructose are also found in some energy drinks. Other potential ingredients include glucronolacteone (a naturally occurring metabolite), amino acids (taurine, carnitine and creatine), herbs (Ginko Biloba and ginseng) and vitamins. In a research paper by Peacock and Bruno (2012a), patterns of use and motivations behind the consumption of AmED were examined. The focus of this investigation was to examine the motivation of participants to consume AmED through self-reporting techniques in the form of an online questionnaire. The sample of 400 participants aged 18-35 years who had reportedly consumed AmED in the past 6 months. The results of the study indicated that 75% of participants used AmED for energetic purposes, 50% reporting use to extend their stay at a public venue, 60% claimed they were motivated by situational circumstances, such as mixed drinks containing ED, 40% reported sharing AmED with a companion, 20% used AmED to mask the flavor of alcohol, 50% of the sample reported using AmED to have more fun and only 33% reported consuming AmED to get more drunk Peacock al et (2012a). In addition to taste and situational reasons, the participants in this study appeared to be motivated by functional and hedonistic outcomes. Only a small number of participants being motivated by the desire to increase the level of drunkenness or experience similar effects to elicit drugs. A study conducted by O’Brian, McCoy, Rohdes, Wagoner and Wolfson (2008), where by responses from 4,271were recorded via a web based survey. Participants who consumed AmED in the past 30 days reported consuming significantly more alcohol in a typical drinking session as well as reporting more drinking sessions than those who did not consume AmED O’Brian et al. (2008). AmEd consumers also reported episodes of weekly drunkenness and among the sample who reported consuming AmED a single drinking session consumed 36% more than students who didn’t not report consumption of AmEd. The results of Peacock et al. (2012b) indicate that although risk taking behaviors occurred during sessions of consumption of both alcohol and risk taking behavior that occurred with AmED was statistically less than the risk taking behaviors that occurred in alcohol alone sessions. However consumption of AmEd did result in higher negative physiological and psychological outcomes than those reported from consuming alcohol. Verster, Aufricht and Alford (2012), conducted a review of articles of articles relating to the consumption of AmED. It was revealed through a critique of multiple correlational studies that there are currently insufficient properly controlled studies to draw any firm conclusions regarding the effects of AmED. Conclusions reached in their report were that only a minority of the student population occasionally consumes AmED Vester (2012). Research also suggested some evidence that AmED may result in an increase in some aspects of alcohol- induced performance impairment. There is no consistent evidence that alcohol alters perceived levels of intoxication, no evidence that consumption of ED causes an increase in alcohol consumption, no direct evidence exists to suggest that ED is linked to drug and alcohol dependence or abuse. A personality predisposed to higher levels of risk taking behavior may be the primary reason for increasing alcohol and drug abuse and that AmED may be a component of that lifestyle. The literature available relating to AmED consumption is insufficient. Presently there is an insufficient amount of evidence to link the consumption of AmED to an increase in risk taking behavior, increase in consumption of alcohol or negative effects on health. To understand the true effects of AmED further research is required. To draw more concrete conclusions about the effect of AmED there is a need for more complex and properly controlled clinical studies need to be undertaken. Research design needs to explore relationships with a within subject design whereby the relationship between the ingestion of AmED and the consumption of alcohol is further explored and documented.

Conflicts and Disputes: Causes and Types

Conflicts and Disputes: Causes and Types 1. INTRODUCTION The two key terms conflict and dispute are interchangeable, as this was supported by dictionary meanings of these terms which are as follows: conflict is a fight, struggle and disagreement and dispute is debate, argue and quarrel. Conflict is a natural and unpleasant disagreement between parties who want to achieve their independent goals. Dispute is a time consuming, expensive and unpleasant circumstance in which the claim is rejected as particularly or entirely or simply disregarded by the other party. Claim is a demand of ones right, but disagreement is the difference in opinions of the parties. The contrasts between conflicts and disputes are useful for investigating the fact whether conflict is only inevitable or both conflict and dispute are inevitable. Conflicts are categorized into two which are functional and dysfunctional conflicts. Functional conflicts are the positive, manageable and productive ones which have outcome, but dysfunctional conflicts are non progressive, destructive and insufficiently managed ones which will lead to disputes. According to this perception conflict refers to disturbance of the human interactions. Conflicts must be managed whether they become functional or dysfunctional by the methods of domination, compromise and integration. These methods used can also be defined as avoidance of disputes. Disputes need third party resolving actions in other words an independent third party should accomplish to identify and contemplate main aspects and be able to affirm that a dispute is present, but it may not be as obvious as this especially in commercial projects where one party can cautiously prevent rejecting the claim, as the party may inquire supportive information about the claim. If the parties do not agree the claimant will hold right to arbitration which this will help the claimants who aimed to proceed their claims against the other partys delay strategy. As arbitration the other dispute resolution techniques are employed to bring disputes to a concluded and resolved status. 2. CONFLICT AND DISPUTES ARE INEVITABLE ON COMMERCIAL PROJECTS 2.1 Causes of Conflicts and Disputes Causes of conflict were analyzed by Thamhain and Wileman. According to their view three main sources of conflict are project priorities, project schedules and workforce where on these extents project managers have limited control. Furthermore, technical estimations, performance trade offs and administrative and organizational contention, cost and interpersonal disparities are other sources. From one stage to another in a project life cycle the causes of conflict change. Sources of conflict in each phase of the project life cycle were summarized by Thamhain et al. on the table below. In the beginning stage of the project, the ambiguity may be high. A successful commercial project relies upon the good communication between the client and the lender which is the project sponsor. The sponsor or client in the beginning phase whether may not have definite confidence of the project or they may have the certainty, but not sufficient communication is available. Subsequently, this sort of ambiguity will contribute conflict to emerge in the initiating phase. The uncertainty and risk in a project will lead to conflict, if these circumstances come into existence: Firstly if one of the probable events of risk develops and parties are affected through the consequence of this. Secondly, when a condition emerges in which either the risk applicable for the project had not been determined by the suffering party or risk had been characterized, but inadequate proceedings were achieved to reduce its effects. Thirdly, if there is a condition which the risk distribution between the par ties was not certainly set up as a primary issue. During the time in which ambiguity characterizes the initiating phase, negotiation and communication constitute the planning process. According to the table above, priority conflicts expand from the previous phase and additional to the priorities, technical requirement issues, schedule pressures and procedures are other sources of conflict in the planning phase. Good communication between project manager and resource manager is vital at this point, as conflicts normally emerge form the underestimation of project managers. Execution and Control stages in a commercial project lifecycle are interconnected with each other. During these phases, deadlines for delivering the services become more difficult to handle and labor demands and pressures from stakeholders increase. Conflict emerges in case which the expectations from the stakeholders are not operated suitably. Lastly, in the close out phase, schedules persist to be the principal factor for conflict, because pressure meeting the goals on time increases. Besides, concerns for a new project intensifies the personality associated conflicts, as oncoming new projects and incorporation of the personal back into factional divisions generate conflicts of labor force. The causes of disputes were analyzed by Groton et al. and according to his analyses cause of disputes are under one of these headings: Project Uncertainty: Uncertainty arising from pre-existing conditions, outside forces and the complexity which cause change beyond the expectations of the parties. Process Problems: Problems in the contracting process including contracts, incomplete scope definition, unrealistic expectations with regard to cost or completion date, and poor performance in the execution of the work. People issues: Issues and problems arising between people as a result of poor inter-personal skills, poor communication, lack of responsiveness and unethical or opportunist behavior. Taking lead from the analysis of Groton et al., it is seen that conflicts lie under the main causes of disputes. When the whole process of conflict and disputes are concerned, both arise from project uncertainty and during the project lifecycle both have similar sources in causing them to emerge. Accordingly, it is necessary to mention that disputes are the combinations of dysfunctional conflicts. 2.2 Functional and Dysfunctional Conflicts Functional and dysfunctional conflicts were described by Smith. Functional conflict was named by him as conflict (with a small c) and he continued that One party contends one thing, the other something else. It requires work by both parties to resolve. This inescapable consequence of a contract is therefore a functional conflict. Furthermore, he named dysfunctional conflict as conflict (with a capital C) and commented that if two parties are in ditch having a fight and one is on top of the other, they are both in ditch and they are both suffering. Some would define this as a dysfunctional conflict. Conflict can create two possibilities in a project which it can either develop confidence, creativity, team cohesiveness or as a second possibility it can harm personal relationships and professional relationships and increase employee turnover. Functional or dysfunctional conflicts arise from these possibilities. In the early theory, conflict was designated as a disruptive matter of fact which should be prevented. Three systems of dealing with conflict which are domination, compromise and integration were analyzed by Mary Parker Follett and supported by Glasl (1999). Domination is a win- lose situation where one party have more superiority than the other. Secondly, compromise is a lose-lose situation where both parties lose things without recording gains at the end of the process. Lastly integration which can be named as positive-sum is a win-win situation where both parties gain something without losing. Domination and compromise can cause further conflict, but integration is suggested by Follett as the best method in managing functional conflict. According to Gray et al. (2002), the management of dysfunctional conflict is much more challenging assignment than stimulating the functional conflict, because uncertain, unmanageable and unsettled conflicts (dysfunctional conflicts) give rise to disputes as stated by Robbins (2008). The contrast between conflict and dispute was explained by Burton (1993) by which disputes are disagreements which are able to be solved in a short period of time and conflicts are long term non negotiable issues which oppose against resolution. Moreover, it was stated that conflicts and disputes can be formed either interdependently or independently. In short, during the project lifecycle disputes which are short term disagreements can be present in the long term conflict process which demonstrated in the diagram below. Respectively, conflicts are inevitable and disputes should be avoided in a project. This was supported by De Bono (1985) who specified that conflict is inevitable but dispute is not. Furthermore, disputes appear in such a circumstance where conflicts can not be managed. Conforming to the diagram above, the whole process starts before the disagreements come into existence. The conflicts should be avoided in order to prevent disputes from emerging by using number of interconnected techniques which are risk analysis, procurement plans and contractual arrangements. The risk involved in a commercial project can be listed as technical, schedule, organizational and financial risks. The risks in these areas should be identified and allocated properly so that conflict will be avoided.

Dantes Inferno Essay example -- Dante Inferno Essays

Dante's Inferno It was sometime in the middle of the 17th century that British cleric Thomas Fuller wrote, "He that falls into sin is a man; that grieves at it, is a saint; that boasteth of it, is a devil." If Fuller was right, where does one place Dante, the pilgrim who bravely wandered where no man had wandered before? Certainly, the sojourner precisely written by the poet of the same name was a man. Certainly, also, he repented his sinful ways (how could one not after braving not only the depths of Hell but later the stretches of Purgatory and the "many waters" of Heaven?), but he was no saint. Indeed, Inferno itself can be easily construed as a boast of sorts—made it through hell, met Lucifer, bought the t-shirt. But in reality, the book is much more subtle, and the journey much more enlightening to readers as one watches Dante, an Everyman if ever there was one, change his thought processes even as foot passes foot on his journey downward. When examining just what type of man Dante the poet was, it's important to note the society of the times. To be from Italy†¦or, even more specifically, from Florence†¦was an important distinction. Even today, Italy is a center of religion. In 1330, Italy was not only a Catholic Mecca but a republican haven. Dante the poet was not the only citizen of the city to gain distinction—Michelangelo, Raphael, and da Vinci all proudly added "Florentine" under their signatures. Additionally, Pope Gregory XI would find the city sinful enough to excommunicate the entire place forty-six short years later. Living in such a tumultuous and dynamic atmosphere, it was no wonder that Dante the poet, already in exile, would place his literary counterpart (for clearly the pilgrim is ss otherwise specified... ...e progress of the pilgrim from a sinner, sympathetic even to those condemned by God, to that of a saint of sorts, vindictive and scornful of the enemies of the church. The presence of the two further episodes of Dante the poet's Divine Comedy (Purgatorio and Paradiso) indicates that the pilgrim's spiritual education is not complete, but he has learned a great deal throughout his journey throughout hell—arising from the subterranean with less moral confusion and a greater sense of God-fearing reverence. For 14th century Italy, the alternative was more than a personality flaw†¦it was a stigma. The poet, alone and in exile, had taken truly to heart and to paper the words that his Romantic counterpart Percy Shelley (a man who would be called to Italy himself time and time again) would write nearly 500 years later: "The great instrument of moral good is the imagination."

USS Arizona, A Great Ship :: American History Pearl Harbor World War II WWII

On December 7th, 1941 tragedy struck when Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Japanese. Many ships were sunk during the attack, but one of the most recognizable was the battleship the U.S.S. Arizona. This was one of the ships that was in line in the infamous battleship row. Because of where the U.S.S. Arizona was located it was a sitting duck to dive bombers and torpedo bombers of the Japanese. Once the ship was hit it went down in nine minutes. The sinking of the U.S.S. Arizona caused 1,177 service men to die while on board. The U.S.S. Arizona should also be known for all of its accomplishments during its tenure as a battleship. The Arizona had a very long and prestigious career before it was sunk. During the U.S.S. Arizona's life is served many important functions, from patrolling waters to escorting important people. The loss of the U.S.S. Arizona will forever be remembered as a tragic loss for the United States and its armed forces. The U.S.S. Arizona was in the United States Navy for a very long time before it was sunk. The reason why the U.S.S. Arizona was built was because it was part of America's pre-World War 1 modernization of the Navy. It was built in the Brooklyn Naval Yard with the other Pennsylvania class battleship. The builders of the U.S.S. Arizona started the layouts on March 16, 1914. It took a few years before the Arizona would finally be launched. The U.S.S. Arizona was put into commission on October 17, 1917. When it was built it was a very expensive ship. After all the construction was done the grand total for the ship was 12,993,579.23 dollars. When the Arizona was built it was considered to be a Pennsylvania class battle ship. This meant that it was an upgrade over the Nevada class battleship, which was the types they built before the Pennsylvania class. The main upgrades that they made was that they ships of the Pennsylvania class had two more main battery guns, a greater length and wate r displacement, and it had four propellers for a higher maximum speed. They also upgraded the size of the secondary battery guns. Because of this the U.S.S. Arizona carried a punch that no one would like to deal with. This consisted of four triple turrets for the main battery, and 22 single turret secondary battery. The Arizona also had many anti-aircraft guns for protection.

Investigatory Project in Physics

Investigatory Project in Physics Submitted by : Jay Loteyro Anecito Trongcoso Submitted to: Ms. Matilde Macawile Balloon Powered Car When it comes to powering a race car, there are a ton of different options. Some cars are powered by gasoline, diesel, or other combustible fuels, or you can even power miniature race cars using a mousetrap! In the Balloon Powered Car, we'll show you how to build a racer that uses the power of air pressure to roll across a room. Objectives: a. ) to create a balloon powered race car for maximum speed and distance b. ) to incorporate Newton's Laws of Motion Materials: Foam core or corrugated cardboard * Wooden barbeque skewers * Regular cardboard * Straws * Tape * Balloons * Scissors * Wire cutters Procedure: 1. ) Start off by cutting the chassis of your car. We don't condone the use of blow torches or saws during Sick Science experiments, so you have to create the chassis using scissors and foam core (corrugated cardboard works great, too). Cut a 6Ãâ€"3 inch piece of your chosen material using the scissors. 2. ) A car is nothing without axles. Given the size of your car, wooden barbeque skewers will make perfect axles. Use wire cutters to snip two 4†³ pieces of skewer. 3. You need to mount the axles to your chassis in a way that allows the axles to turn freely. For mounts, cut two 3†³ sections of straw and use tape to fix the mounts to the front and back (3†³ sides) of your chassis. 4. ) Now that you have axle mounts, mount your axles! Slide the wooden skewers through the middle of the straws. 5. ) Axles are great, but humans invented the wheel for a reason. The wheel was invented for use on the Balloon Powered Car! Use scissors to cut four quarter-sized pieces of regular cardboard. Similar essay: Vinegar Battery Conclusion If it helps, you can trace a quarter or circle of similar size to give yourself some guidelines. . ) Push the cardboard circles onto the skewers, one on each end of both skewers. Without needing lug nuts or a compression wrench, you've mounted your wheels. 7. ) Cut the mouth ring (the lip that you blow into) off of the balloon. This will allow for a better seal between the balloon and the exhaust pipe. 8. ) For the exhaust pipe, insert a straw approximately 1†³ into the balloon. Use tape to securely fasten the straw inside the balloon. The tighter the seal, the better your exhaust pipe is going to work, so make sure as little air as possible can escape. 9. Mount the exhaust pipe so that the point where the straw and balloon connect is about 1†³ from the end of your chassis. Taping it at this point is your best bet. Secure the straw so that it points straight out from the chassis. 10. ) Inflate the balloon and pinch the straw to keep air inside the balloon. Place the racer o n the ground and let it go! Conclusion : The concept behind the Balloon Powered Car is pretty simple, but that doesn't make it any less impressive! When you blow up the balloon, set your racer down, and let it go, escaping air from the balloon rushes out of the straw causing propulsion.The principle at work is Newton's Third Law of Motion, which states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. In the case of the Balloon Powered Car, the action is the air rushing from the straw. The reaction is the movement of the car! The moving Balloon Powered Car has kinetic energy, but even an object that isn't moving has energy. This energy is called potential energy. The potential energy of the car is in the elastic material of the balloon. As the balloon fills with air, it builds more potential energy. As the air flows from the balloon, it changes to kinetic energy. This is the conservation of energy.

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What are the various types of mallard? How do worms differ from viruses? D o Trojan horses carry viruses or worms? The various types of mallard are viruses, worms, Trojan horses, polymorphic threats, virus and worm hoaxes, back door or trap door, dentifrice's and distributed dentifrice's, and mail bomb. B. A virus must be executed such as opening an infected email attachment while a worm can be initiated with or without the user downloading or executing the e file. C. A Trojan horse carries neither a virus or worm. 2. Why does polymorphism cause greater concern than traditional mallard?Ho w does it affect detection? A polymorphic virus is a complicated computer virus that affects data types and functions. It is a selflessness virus designed to avoid detection by a scan near. Upon infection, the polymorphic virus duplicates itself by creating usable, alb tit slightly modified, copies of itself. Polymorphism, in computing terms, means that a single definition can be use d with varying amounts of data. In order for scanners to detect this type of virus fourscore programs must be written to combat and detect the polymorphic iris with novel variant configurations. Polymorphic virus might have a virus decryption n routine (AVID) and an encrypted virus program body (EVE). When an infected applicant launches, the AVID decrypts the encrypted virus body back to its original form so the virus can perform its intended function. Once executed, the virus is reentry De and added to another vulnerable host application. Because the virus body is not al tired, it provides a kind of complex signature that can be detected by sophisticated an diverts programs. 3. What is the most common violation of intellectual property? How does an org nation protect against it? What agencies fight it?The most common violation of intellectual property is theft, which is illegal taking of another's property. The value of information suffers when it is copies d and taken away without the owner's kn owledge. Within an organization, that prop retry can be physical, electronic, or intellectual. Physical theft is controlled relatively ease Electronic theft is a more complex problem; the evidence of crime is not read apparent. Physical theft can be controlled quite easily. A wide variety of mess urges can be used from simple locked doors to trained security personnel and the install action of alarm systems.Electronic theft, however, is a more complex problem to man GE and control. Organizations may not even know it has occurred. The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPE), an organ of the United Nations, suggests laws t enforce Intellectual property rights worldwide. The convention of this organize action establishing on July 14, 1967 focuses on protecting the right of intellectual pro Perry. 4. How is technological obsolescence a threat to information security?

Teacher Professionalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Teacher Professionalism - Essay Example Frpm this research it is clear that when she asked Mario if he understood the corrections, she displayed what reflects the 3rd Feature laid by the MELS which expresses that teachers must â€Å"judge how well the student has read the problem situation.† These two features in the 5th Competency would mean that the MELS notion of the role of teacher not only comprises instruction, but also the social aspect. It is clear then that teachers should motivate and inspire the students in order for the teaching and learning process to be more effective. This will equate to a turnaround of the traditional means of evaluation for the teacher, thus bringing about a reformative process of the professional conduct in schools.This study presents that in the reporter's ongoing professional development as a teacher, I observed and now comprehend that the conduct of my skilled CT is professional and that she is a very caring individual. She gave the student a chance after recognizing that indeed he understood what were his mistakes. This correlates slightly with the other features under the 5th Competency which is similarly grounded on the idea of evaluating the student progress on a standpoint of socio-constructivism.  This situation introduced him to the standard of teaching where the virtues of compassion and understanding are instilled. It is worthy of emulation!   the importance of a teacher being supportive in giving encouragement and building a positive self-image for the student.

A Socioeconomic Analysis in Sierra Leone Research Proposal

A Socioeconomic Analysis in Sierra Leone - Research Proposal Example The aggregate microfinance program in Sierra Leone has currently a loan portfolio worth US$3.4 million, with some 45,717 active borrowers and 23,243 depositors accounting for US$963,373.90 (MIX, 2011). Microfinance has been intended as the flagship project through which the government and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) may effect grassroots level economic development while at the same time providing women the impetus to explore a wider range of possibilities and thereby contribute to the advancement of their families and communities. There is great difficulty, however, in the sourcing of loans for women to establish their businesses with. Traditionally, women are able to get loans only from their male relatives, and oftentimes with substantial collateral. While loans are available from the bank, this channel would only grant loans to women who have a man’s backing. When the loan is being taken out without a male endorser, it has been the case that women are commonly pressured into having sex by bank staff (Guardian, 2011). The sorry state of women under the traditional norms in Sierra Leone has prompted development planners to embark upon sustained and organized microfinance aimed specifically at women. Recently, the U.S. State Department had sent a mission, comprised of women technology experts, to Sierra Leone in order to gather the facts and recommend a solution as to how technology can improve women’s ability and subsequently empower them.... The sorry state of women under the traditional norms in Sierra Leone has prompted development planners to embark upon sustained and organized microfinance aimed specifically at women. Recently, the U.S. State Department had sent a mission, comprised of women technology experts, to Sierra Leone in order to gather the facts and recommend a solution as to how technology can improve women’s ability and subsequently empower them. â€Å"We know effective development comes when women are targeted† (Guardian, 2011), because of women’s generally close affinity to the household. As it stands, there are still no businesswomen’s group or any organization of the sort which could accelerate the process of enabling women to be economically productive 1.3 Statement of the research goal Briefly stated, the goal of this research is to determine whether or not the microfinance programs undertaken among the women in Sierra Leone have succeeded in empowering Sierra Leonean wom en in a significant way. 1.4 Research objectives In order to arrive at relevant conclusions in response to the research goal, the research shall seek to find answers to the following objectives: 1.4.1 To describe the state of operations undertaken by microfinance programs implemented in Sierra Leone 1.4.2 To determine the impact of microfinance programs on the economic development of the country 1.4.3 To determine the perception of women microfinance borrowers of their level of empowerment as a result of their availment of microfinance programs 1.4.4 To compare the data on the microfinance programs and the perception of respondent women borrowers of their level of empowerment, in an effort to correlate the two 1.4.5 To

Help Desk Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Help Desk Paper - Essay Example Actually, help desks have already become a routine reality for the majority of large and small businesses all over the world. The question remains in whether it is worth outsourcing Help Desk Agents and what criteria efficient Help Desk Agents should meet. To begin with, a Help Desk is a place where a customer or an information technology user can obtain important information, call for support or obtain technical support and assistance (TechTarget, 2010). Many companies hold help desks to provide customers with the quality customer service and support. A help desk can be a person or a group of persons with a phone number and the skills necessary to resolve the majority of the emerging technical and organizational problems (TechTarget, 2010). Help desks may consist of a group of technical experts that will use software to track the status of the emerging problems and to solve them promptly; a help desk may also work in the form of a call center, which accepts user complaints and suggestions and helps them to track their orders, shipments, and concerns in real time (TechTarget, 2010). That businesses enjoy the benefits of call centers and help desks is difficult to deny. The question is in what Help Desk Agents can be considered as efficient and what it takes for businesses to hire efficient Help Desk Agents. An efficient Help Desk Agent must meet the specific set of criteria, to match the Help Desk Agent job requirements and to successfully cope with his (her) responsibilities. According to Hiles and Gunn (2009), these criteria include â€Å"skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy, and feedback† (Hiles and Gunn, 2009). An efficient Help Desk Agent will possess a variety of skills necessary to resolve numerous technical and customer service dilemmas; in other words, an efficient Help Desk Agent will not only be

DQ2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

DQ2 - Essay Example Job analysis is basically concerned with establishing the qualities and roles needed for an individual to perform the job and these range from qualifications, physical as well as mental capabilities. In the practice of HRM, this information is very useful as it would enable the recruiter to select the best candidate for the job from a pool of other applicants. Without detailed information about job analysis, it would be difficult to conduct job description which is very important in determining the position held by an employee as well as remuneration. If an employee is fully aware of the position he or she holds in the company, there would be less chances of confusion and duplication of duties since all the workers would be aware of the positions they hold within an organisation. The information gathered from a job analysis is very crucial in that it determines the value of a job within the organisation thereby allowing the management to make informed decisions in terms of compensation and benefits to the workers. Usually a salary that is commensurate with a person’s qualifications and skills is determined from information obtained from conducting a job analysis. The process of conducting a job analysis is also important in that it promotes good relations within an organisation. It often helps the organisation to be more objective in making performance appraisals as well as making informed decisions when employees are considered for promotion or even demotion. A well prepared job analysis is always advantageous in that it can help the employer to prove that any action that may be taken regarding employees would be legal. In most cases, decisions made from information obtained from a job analysis are often regarded as objective with little chances of b ias since they would be relying on practical data. 2. In recruitment of employees, there are

Organisational Behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Organisational Behaviour - Essay Example Events at Work and their Relation to the Theories of Organisational Behaviour A notable incident that took place at work during the week was the instigation of a conflict between the management of the company and the bottom-end employees, who perform the tasks like housekeeping, cafeteria management and other miscellaneous errands of the office. This group of employees were not happy with the company’s projected offer for salary increases and benefit packages over the next five years and were threatening to strike unless the company agreed to increase the salary and benefit packages to a satisfactory level. These employees perceived that the company was being indifferent towards them and hence felt discriminated. On the other hand, the management of the company felt that these employees were being unreasonable in their demands. This resulted in a stressful situation between the two parties. Stress is generally characterised from a ‘demand-perception-response’ view point. The fundamental notion is that stress depends on both the person’s perception of the demands being made from them and also on their perception of their potential to fulfil those demands. Any disparity between the two perceptions would lead to stress for the individual1. This conflict situation could have accelerated and resulted in a lot of stress in an organisation possessing an uncooperative organisational culture.  As a consequence of such a scenario, the employees within the organisation would have felt secluded and alone.   Nevertheless, the company employed the most excellent defence against such a circumstance, viz. healthy communication. This approach of discussing the issue on equal grounds facilitated the company to solve the matter and reach at a settlement. This approach was in alignment with the principle introduced by ‘Roger Fisher and William Ury’ that groups in disagreement ought to focus on their requirements and not on their positions . When the groups concentrate on positions, they are likely to emphasise on the differences, but when they focus on needs, they would find they have more in common than what they had thought2. However, this incident made the company’s management realise the significance of conflict management as well as stress management. Consequently, a mentor was appointed to hold workshops in order to help the people cope up and relief organisational stress. The mentor attempted to understand each participant’s perspective; set ground rules for improved healthy communication between the parties; trained participants on efficient communication styles; equalising power; and helped participants’ plan for future interface. This approach helped to lessen stress by promoting a positive attitude in the company2.   The other prominent event that took place in the company during the last few days was the conduction of a training programme targeted to enhance the work life balance of the employees as well as motivate them in order to improve their overall job performance. The human resource management of the company believed that work-life equilibrium is a significant concern that requires substantial notice. Due to the altering characteristics of the global economy, a large number of companies, particularly those operating in the telecom sector have to function on a 24/7

The News Director of a Local Television Station Term Paper

The News Director of a Local Television Station - Term Paper Example In this regard, effect on viewers and story ratings are essential concerns to consider in deciding on the lead story (Harcup, 2009). In the scenario presented, there are two cases of a possible lead story. The first one relates to the city park and the council’s decision to close it three days a week. The second one relates to the death of the celebrity. While the park is associated with greater viewer effect, the celebrity’s death comes with bigger ratings. Even though both are important, the celebrity’s death makes a fundamental lead story. This is because death is an eventual occurrence while closure of the park is not. There must have been follow-up events on the news in relation to arriving at the decision of closing the part for the said three days. On the other hand, celebrities are crucial social icons that are great regard to different people. Also, the ratings would not be realized in the absence of creating significant viewer effect. In the making of l ead stories, the viewer effect or the rating achieved are fundamental but not primarily the only concern for journalists and their media houses. There are other after-story concerns that emerge every time a lead story is done. Just like any other business, media houses have financial objectives and goals to achieve. They have to generate revenues in every aspect of their business aspects. To do so, they have to relate all variables that affect the leads story ad further account for the impacts thereafter. The main concern is to create a name for the media house in every aspect that touches on the society as a whole. The city park may is likely to be of much significance to the residents of the city. The death of a celebrity is of national and international concern, making it the most favorable leads story between the two. On the same note, the media houses are likely to have the celebrity’s death as their main story during that time, following up the unfolding events therein. Disregarding this aspect relative to the likely regard that the celebrity may hold in both national and international contexts would not be addressing viewer concerns. Over and above this, the success of a lead story and the media house at large in realizing viewer effect is as much as significant as a bigger rating. It is important to account for all-round media variables when deciding on the lead story, other than just being oriental to the greater effect on viewers (Harcup, 2009). Part Two Television and movies are essential components of social design and development. Regard for television and movies vary across individuals, with one thing being commonly evident; interest for television and movies. In the television and movies context, culture is a diverse and dynamic concept. Variables that define culture vary, but aspects of culture are always evident. Culture is reflected in television and movies in unaccountable ways. However, the most common ways through which culture is r eflected in this regard can be condensed to constitute a few significant and notable ways. Themes of televising and movie making serves as a medium through which television and movies reflect culture (Miller, 2003). Movies must account for some theme, and so do the television. Themes are essentially the central variable focused on in television and

Teacher and Confucius Essay Example for Free

Teacher and Confucius Essay What kind of person was Confucius in everyday life? Focus on the following: his clothing and diet, his possessions, his pastimes, the company he kept, and anything else that is relevant. In everyday life Confucius was a relaxed and cheerful man who was constantly in search of new knowledge. He studied the Chinese Classics mainly focusing on the Books of Odes, History and Rites. In his spare time, however, he liked to relax in his manor. He was very picky with the people he chose to keep around. They had to love strategy and the possible success you could get from it. He taught culture, conduct, conscientiousness and good faith and was also picky about who he let in to his school. They had to be modest and willing to listen because he didn’t repeat lessons. He loved music. He would sing in the company of those who were singing. When passing through Ch’I he heard their music and said, â€Å"I did not imagine that music had reached such perfection. † (Confucius 35). This having been said he also traveled with his students and neglected his family duty. Once when his son saw him in passing and Confucius asked him if he had â€Å"Studied the Odes? † (Confucius 102) His son said no so Confucius told him that he would have nothing to use in conversation. So his son left determined to study the book of Odes. On a different day his son saw him again and a similar thing happened only this time Confucius asked about the Rules of Ceremony. The result was exactly the same as the first time. This goes to prove that those who can teach don’t always put their own teachings in to practice. Why is Volume One, Book Two entitled â€Å"Concerning Government† but barely mentions government? Hint: the contents of Book Seven may assist you in answering this question. You can’t teach someone how to run a government but you can teach them how to be a better person in hope that they will be able to better govern the country. One must correct themselves before they try to correct others. This is exactly why Volume One, Book Two says little about government and a lot on how to be a better person. Confucius said â€Å"If a man put himself aright, what difficulty will he have in the public service; but if he cannot put himself aright, how is he going to put others right? † (Confucius 75) This saying is basically saying one must correct themself first and others later, but if one can’t correct themself then they have no right to attempt at correcting others. In some senses Confucius was a very straight forward man and in others he was just plain confusing. This was one of the areas that he was straight forward with his teaching. It was very important to him that one knew how to act. Despite his reputation as a charismatic teacher, Confucius makes no claim to originality—in fact, it is hard to discern exactly what his teachings are. Why is this the case? He himself did not claim to be a teacher at all. It was his disciples who made him so. He had people who followed him and listened to what he said and this was enough to make him a teacher, whether what he was saying was original or not made no difference. What mattered was that he had a group of students who were willing to listen to what he said and put it into practice. His teachings, however, were hard to understand. This was because he didn’t want just anyone to be able to follow and understand what he was saying. They had to be smart and make an effort to understand. This was also because sometimes he just spoke in riddles and didn’t give a simple answer. When he did this it would seem that what he was saying was completely unrelated to the question asked, but in some roundabout way it was actually the answer to the question all along. His students just had to think it over a lot before they understood. Confucius himself had no desire to be a teacher but because so many people liked his teachings, it just sort of happened that way. What contrasts does Confucius present with the religious figures of ancient Egypt, India, Mesopotamia, China, etc.? Does he strike you as a particularly â€Å"religious† figure? Why or why not? In contrast to the religions of the ancient world Confucianism is more about teaching someone how to live justly. Confucius teaches his students to respect their family and honor their ancestors not about the gods and the afterlife; this is probably the biggest difference. He teaches about what it means to live in this life and how one should go about doing so. In the religions of ancient Egypt, India and Mesopotamia there has always been a priest like figure who would perform religious and sacrificial ceremonies. This figure also had the task of letting everyone know about their religion and how to follow it properly. Sometimes these religious leaders were the head of their country/city/empire and if they weren’t, the leaders had almost always practiced the same or a very similar religion. Confucius was neither the king nor a particularly important person in society (or at least that’s what I gathered from the Confucius Analects). He was just an ordinary man who just so happened to know what he was talking about and how to teach others how to properly live their lives. One could do this by honoring their ancestors and by living a virtuous life. In these other religions, however, there has always been some form of afterlife, be it cheerful or gloomy, and most of these ancient civilizations buried their dead (especially those who were important) with luxury items for them to take to the afterlife. Confucius never taught about the afterlife though. Once a student of his asked about death and Confucius replied, â€Å"Not yet understanding life, how can you understand death? ’ (Confucius 61). Confucius does not seem like a religious figure at all. In fact, there is some debate about whether or not Confucianism can actually be considered a religion. What Confucius taught was how to live a moral life as a human being. He taught that one should study the Chinese Classics and follow a few basic rules of life. This is why he does not seem like a religious figure or to have been a religious man.