Frito Lay Case Study

Develop A Plan for Implementing the Chosen Alternative Porter’s Generic Business Strategy Cost Leadership Strategy It is a low cost strategy focusing on broad mass market. – Requires good scale facilities, tight cost and overhead controls and cost minimization in selected functional areas like manufacturing cost, marketing, r & d and advertising Reasons for cost reduction:- Learning experience Frito Lay’s is a worldwide leading manufacturer of snack chips and has 8 to 10 top ten famous brand with brand loyalty customers. They have skills and thereby increase the productivity of the labour.Specialisation and division labour Standardization of work may increase productivity by labour. Efficency is the key factor with less training. – Economies of scale Mass production will reduce the cost. As per test market, Frito Lay’s will be serving about 1. 98 million households that are identified as users of snack chips at the area of Minneapolis – St. P aul Metropolitan. As such, – Control of expenses can charge lower price to customer – Low price strategy serves as a barrier of entry to competitors Differentiation Strategy It is pursued when the product can be differentiatedSun Chips Multigrain Snack is a crispy consisting of blend whole wheat, rice, corn and oat flours with lightly salty multigrain taste and slightly sweet aftertaste. Brand loyalty able to create barriers to entry for new entrants Frito Lay’s has good reputable brand name with their other well-known brand and it is difficult for competitors to entry for new entrants due to high cost of marketing. Frito Lay could use their brand name as the key differentiating strategy in attracting new customer 3. Focus Strategy – Focuses on certain segments of the market in selling productsFrito Lay’s target market segment is those who is taking snack but not everyday because of health conscious concerns – Able to focus efforts on specif ic target market segment more efficiently Develop A Plan for Implementing the Chosen Alternative Porter’s Generic Business Strategy Cost Leadership Strategy It is a low cost strategy focusing on broad mass market. – Requires good scale facilities, tight cost and overhead controls and cost minimization in selected functional areas like manufacturing cost, marketing, r & d and advertisingReasons for cost reduction:- Learning experience Frito Lay’s is a worldwide leading manufacturer of snack chips and has 8 to 10 top ten famous brand with brand loyalty customers. They have skills and thereby increase the productivity of the labour. Specialisation and division labour Standardization of work may increase productivity by labour. Efficency is the key factor with less training. – Economies of scale Mass production will reduce the cost. As per test market, Frito Lay’s will be serving about 1. 8 million households that are identified as users of snack chips at the area of Minneapolis – St. Paul Metropolitan. As such, – Control of expenses can charge lower price to customer – Low price strategy serves as a barrier of entry to competitors Differentiation Strategy It is pursued when the product can be differentiated Sun Chips Multigrain Snack is a crispy consisting of blend whole wheat, rice, corn and oat flours with lightly salty multigrain taste and slightly sweet aftertaste.Brand loyalty able to create barriers to entry for new entrants Frito Lay’s has good reputable brand name with their other well-known brand and it is difficult for competitors to entry for new entrants due to high cost of marketing. Frito Lay could use their brand name as the key differentiating strategy in attracting new customer 3. Focus Strategy – Focuses on certain segments of the market in selling products Frito Lay’s target market segment is those who is taking snack but not everyday because of health conscious concer ns – Able to focus efforts on specific target market segment more efficiently Frito Lay Case Study Develop A Plan for Implementing the Chosen Alternative Porter’s Generic Business Strategy Cost Leadership Strategy It is a low cost strategy focusing on broad mass market. – Requires good scale facilities, tight cost and overhead controls and cost minimization in selected functional areas like manufacturing cost, marketing, r & d and advertising Reasons for cost reduction:- Learning experience Frito Lay’s is a worldwide leading manufacturer of snack chips and has 8 to 10 top ten famous brand with brand loyalty customers. They have skills and thereby increase the productivity of the labour.Specialisation and division labour Standardization of work may increase productivity by labour. Efficency is the key factor with less training. – Economies of scale Mass production will reduce the cost. As per test market, Frito Lay’s will be serving about 1. 98 million households that are identified as users of snack chips at the area of Minneapolis – St. P aul Metropolitan. As such, – Control of expenses can charge lower price to customer – Low price strategy serves as a barrier of entry to competitors Differentiation Strategy It is pursued when the product can be differentiatedSun Chips Multigrain Snack is a crispy consisting of blend whole wheat, rice, corn and oat flours with lightly salty multigrain taste and slightly sweet aftertaste. Brand loyalty able to create barriers to entry for new entrants Frito Lay’s has good reputable brand name with their other well-known brand and it is difficult for competitors to entry for new entrants due to high cost of marketing. Frito Lay could use their brand name as the key differentiating strategy in attracting new customer 3. Focus Strategy – Focuses on certain segments of the market in selling productsFrito Lay’s target market segment is those who is taking snack but not everyday because of health conscious concerns – Able to focus efforts on specif ic target market segment more efficiently Develop A Plan for Implementing the Chosen Alternative Porter’s Generic Business Strategy Cost Leadership Strategy It is a low cost strategy focusing on broad mass market. – Requires good scale facilities, tight cost and overhead controls and cost minimization in selected functional areas like manufacturing cost, marketing, r & d and advertisingReasons for cost reduction:- Learning experience Frito Lay’s is a worldwide leading manufacturer of snack chips and has 8 to 10 top ten famous brand with brand loyalty customers. They have skills and thereby increase the productivity of the labour. Specialisation and division labour Standardization of work may increase productivity by labour. Efficency is the key factor with less training. – Economies of scale Mass production will reduce the cost. As per test market, Frito Lay’s will be serving about 1. 8 million households that are identified as users of snack chips at the area of Minneapolis – St. Paul Metropolitan. As such, – Control of expenses can charge lower price to customer – Low price strategy serves as a barrier of entry to competitors Differentiation Strategy It is pursued when the product can be differentiated Sun Chips Multigrain Snack is a crispy consisting of blend whole wheat, rice, corn and oat flours with lightly salty multigrain taste and slightly sweet aftertaste.Brand loyalty able to create barriers to entry for new entrants Frito Lay’s has good reputable brand name with their other well-known brand and it is difficult for competitors to entry for new entrants due to high cost of marketing. Frito Lay could use their brand name as the key differentiating strategy in attracting new customer 3. Focus Strategy – Focuses on certain segments of the market in selling products Frito Lay’s target market segment is those who is taking snack but not everyday because of health conscious concer ns – Able to focus efforts on specific target market segment more efficiently

HIPAA, CIA & Safeguards Essay

First enforcement action resulting from HITECH Breach Notification Rule Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee (BCBST) has agreed to pay the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) $1,500,000 to settle potential violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Privacy and Security Rules, Leon Rodriguez, Director of the HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR), announced today. BCBST has also agreed to a corrective action plan to address gaps in its HIPAA compliance program. The enforcement action is the first resulting from a breach report required by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act Breach Notification Rule. The investigation followed a notice submitted by BCBST to HHS reporting that 57 unencrypted computer hard drives were stolen from a leased facility in Tennessee. The drives contained the protected health information (PHI) of over 1 million individuals, including member names, social security num bers, diagnosis codes, dates of birth, and health plan identification numbers. OCR’s investigation indicated BCBST failed to implement appropriate administrative safeguards to adequately protect information remaining at the leased facility by not performing the required security evaluation in response to operational changes. In addition, the investigation showed a failure to implement appropriate physical safeguards by not having adequate facility access controls; both of these safeguards are required by the HIPAA Security Rule. â€Å"This settlement sends an important message that OCR expects health plans and health care providers to have in place a carefully designed, delivered, and monitored HIPAA compliance program,† said OCR Director Leon Rodriguez. â€Å"The HITECH Breach Notification Rule is an important enforcement tool and OCR will continue to vigorously protect patients’ right to private and secure health information.† In addition to the $1,500,000 settlement, the agreement requires BCBST to review, revise, and maintain its Privacy and Security policies and procedures, to conduct regular and robust trainings for all BCBST employees covering employee responsibilities under HIPAA, and to perform monitor reviews to ensure BCBST compliance with the corrective action plan. HHS  Office for Civil Rights enforces the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules. The HIPAA Privacy Rule gives individuals rights over their protected health information and sets rules and limits on who can look at an d receive that health information. The HIPAA Security Rule protects health information in electronic form by requiring entities covered by HIPAA to use physical, technical, and administrative safeguards to ensure that electronic protected health information remains private and secure. The HITECH Breach Notification Rule requires covered entities to report an impermissible use or disclosure of protected health information, or a â€Å"breach,† of 500 individuals or more to HHS and the media. Smaller breaches affecting less than 500 individuals must be reported to the secretary on an annual basis. Individuals who believe that a covered entity has violated their (or someone else’s) health information privacy rights or committed another violation of the HIPAA Privacy or Security Rule may file a complaint with OCR at: http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints/index.html. The HHS Resolution Agreement can be found at http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/enforcement/examp les/ resolution_agreement_and_cap.pdf. Additional information about OCR’s enforcement activities can be found at http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/enforcement/examples/index.html.

Unit 2 assignment 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Unit 2 assignment 1 - Essay Example To fulfill the purpose of this study, the researcher designed three questions to be answered in the course of the study. The qualitative data collection methods used for this study involved open-ended questions. This is an appropriate method for this study in that it open-ended questions allowed the respondents to articulate their beliefs and insights freely. In addition, because there was no need for control of any behavioral events, a case study method was appropriate. Therefore, semi-structured interviews and participant observations were quite appropriate for this study. The problem in question involved workers and the research had to unravel why they shared or did not share knowledge. Therefore, through interviewing the workers that the researcher got to understand why they would choose to share or not share knowledge.This research design is quite consistent with the methods chosen for this study. Other additional data that the author would have said about the data collection strategies is how he managed to avoid bias. Use of semi-structured interviews allows the researcher’s respondents to provide many facts and opinions, as they wanted. This can make a researcher deviate from the main purpose of the study. The data needed for this research could have been collected differently using structured questions. Such an interview consists of verbally administered questionnaires where lists of predetermined questions are asked with little or no variation. This method is good because it consumes less time and resources. In addition, the fact that there is no variation in the questions makes the process less bias (Gill et al., 2008). However, although the method is cheap and easy to administer, they allow a limited participant response and thus not suitable for depth participation. The doctoral study has a well researched background in that the authors has researched well for this topic. The author has used

Integrations and reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Integrations and reflection - Essay Example My skills and abilities has increased through this session as I am now able to analyze situations well and also at the same time I am able to critically evaluate different situations.. My knowledge in terms of business and its supporting factors has increased and now I am able to understand well the business cases and even solve cases on my own. This session has been able to make me more confident and now I feel I can talk more openly and express myself well in comparison to what I was before this session. During the session I was appointed as the team leader of my class and I did not manage a team of 30 students in order to design a realistic business plan which can be implemented in the real world. I tried my best and was able to deliver the required conditions for the plan as stated by my teacher with the support of team members. However I feel as a leader I could have performed well through effectively managing my team in order to reduce the conflicts that took place within my team. I personally did not understand well the topics related to business finance. This was because of the factor that financial management that was taught in the class was very subjective in nature and there were less of practical life examples that would have helped me to analyze financial situations of a company (Dlabay and Burrow, 2007). The course can be modified by incorporating more of companies as examples so that we can analyze its financial situations and also at the same time think of probable solutions. I feel that this course would prove to very beneficial for long run as it encompasses all the subjects that are very essential for handling situations in the business environment. The ways through which I can measure the effect of this course is through my ranks and marks in this particular field and the recognitions I achieve in the future. I have been able to achieve the outcomes of the course as now I think that my analytical skills have improved and I am being able

President Truman's decision to drop Atomic Bomb Assignment

President Truman's decision to drop Atomic Bomb - Assignment Example In the words of Walker, another option available for Truman was to try a Normandy-type amphibious landing. In this case, the estimated casualty would have been anything around a million (2008, p. 9). That is, though cruel at the first sight, Truman’s decision was not less ethical given the options available at that point of time. In the words of Wainstock (2013), the Japanese government had no respect for the lives of its own citizens and was not trying to save them. For example, though Japan faced several critical military defeats along with a crumbling industrial capacity, it exhibited a reluctance to give up the war. In contrast, it adopted highly unethical practices like ‘Kamikaze’ attacks where suicide bombers were used to target American military (Wainstock, 2013, p. 56). From this point, it is only rational to assume that had the war continued, Japan would have used its every citizen as a human shield. Thus, the decision by Truman to end the war instantaneously and unconditionally was the right option at that point of time. Admittedly, Truman was advised that the power of the atomic bomb should be demonstrated to the government of Japan before its actual use so that they could take an informed decision. However, a close analysis reveals that it was not possible for Truman to do so. For example, had the demonstration failed, it would have caused serious damage to America, and Japan would have continued with increased rigor and confidence (Wainstock, 2013). In addition, even if Japanese authorities had known the power of atomic bomb, they would not have ceased. Firstly, Japan was duly warned of a â€Å"total destruction† but there was no effort from Japan to stop war. Instead, it went on adopting unethical practices like ‘Kamikaze’. However, before giving a clean chit to Truman, it is wise to assess the other side of the argument as well. Firstly, Goldberg

School Counseling Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

School Counseling - Essay Example Post the diagnosis, I started seeing my struggles in schools in an optimistic light which led me on a path towards self-exploration and self-acceptance instead of being critical and frustrated for being different. I agree with the implications mentioned by the writer in terms of frustration, depression and low self esteem. Overcoming these hurdles is not easy however the key lies in coming to an understanding about the unique way in which ones mind works. 3. I find commendable the way in which the ADHD is addressed not just from the student’s perspective but also that of the teachers, making the approach suggested much more effective and practical. What I feel works best with this approach is the fact that instead of treating the child like something is wrong with him the student’s hyper-ness is treated like it can be used to create a positive impact on his life when used appropriately. 4. The angle with which the topic is approached is highly plausible; that of addressing the severity and the lack of awareness of ADHD being a genuine flaw of the academic teaching staff – teachers. Their inability to spot a child with ADHD and in some cases be indifferent even when they do seems to be an area of genuine concern. 5. I agree with the core essence of the topic which goes right into the root of the problem as far as emotional and behavioral disorders are concerned, looking at all the right places – family, home life, history and background information. The common example of the girl who internalized her problems leading to cutting herself being one I can highly relate. 6. As much as I appreciate the approach suggested by the writer by taking in a holistic view of the individual’s problem to come up with a tailored treatment approach, focus and goals, what concerns me is the critical role time will play in the approach. Collaboration with the individual’s

Indias Participation in Global Economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Indias Participation in Global Economy - Essay Example The Indian society is now subject to western imperialism and quite a distinct reflection of the western culture, styles, and language and business activity. The economic environment of India, after the reforms has predominantly changed from socialist policies to more liberal policies, facilitating an expansion of international trade. Some cultural values are very strongly established amongst the Indian workforce and may deter further expansion of international trade but Indian culture is one of business orientation because of its historical significance and industrial background and thus strongly supports trade activity. Yet there remain some economic challenges that may deter further growth of the economy. These include an inadequate infrastructure to support a growth rate of 8%. With so much international pressures to quality conformance and timely production, India must invest in up gradation of its ports, rail networks, roads, and power and water supplies. Hence, in order for Ind ia to capitalise on its economic benefits, it must overcome these economic challenges and increase its international market presence by developing indigenous brands and thus expanding international trade. 1.Problem Identification and Analysis With the highest population in the world of about 1.1 billion, second largest to China, India has made its way amongst the world’s leading economies in the year 2007. ... ccording to the World Bank Report, its economic growth rate was 8%, close to 10.4% of China, despite the high dependence of its economy on the agricultural sector (World Bank 2004). Recently the economy has moved towards massive production orientation in the manufacturing sector and there has been an observable proliferation of information technology and telecommunications. It is the augmentation within this sector, the software companies and call centres that have fuelled the economic growth in India. India has developed the right infrastructure to facilitate this rapid economic growth through development of an educated, English speaking workforce and thus has become a hub for outsourcing for large multinationals and overseas services to US companies (Banik 2007). Many companies like Ford Motors, General Motors and software companies have subcontracted their business services including customer service support, business support and troubleshooting computers, to this sector of Asia. Moreover, the country also has some skilled personnel to conduct customer surveys and research that provides the foundation for its international trade. Many companies are considering outsourcing their most expensive marketing process that is research, to the low cost researchers in India (Suresh 1999). The main reason that has fuelled this structural change is the emergence of a class characterised with young business professionals. It is also the culture of the country that promotes diligence, struggle and goal orientation (Kumar and Agarwal, Liberalization, Outward Orientation and In-house R&D activities of multinationals and local firms 2000). Therefore, the impact of globalization has been tremendous on Indian economy. With more and more companies looking to outsource in attempt to

Marketing Strategy of Procter and Gamble Term Paper - 1

Marketing Strategy of Procter and Gamble - Term Paper Example From this paper it is clear that other basic problems include but are not restricted to what appropriate marketing strategy to adopt—should Scope be positioned as a â€Å"better tasting pre-brushing dental rinse† against its previous recognitions as a â€Å"better tasting and breath freshener† manufacturing issue concerning how to produce product that will match the standardizations required by As the discussion stresses Canadian Health Protection Branch, The Canadian Dental Association and Saccharin/Cyclamate Sweeteners requirements; finding alternatives to funding the marketing of Scope since the product has so far received its highest finances in years, and that funding another line of product might be helpful to reduce cost competitively; recognizing the significance of spending more on advertising another line of product to shore up customers’ interest in Scope; and discovering the best approach as far as Procter and Gamble’s operations and purchasing are concerned. The cause of this important analysis of Procter and Gamble’s operations in Canada is based on the fact that other rivals in the same niche of health care product like Plax, Colgate, Listerine, Listermint and Cepacol which brandish their comparative quality of pre-brushing rinse has captured the market from Scope. This is because these other products offer consumers the opportunity to fi ght their plaque—â€Å"which is the soft, sticky film that coats teeth hours after brushing them†. The Canadian Mouthwash Market Shares below justifies the fact that Plax has made significant gain against Scope, having started with a mere 1% of the market share in 1988 to commanding an appreciable 10% of the same market in 1990.

Management and interpersonal relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Management and interpersonal relations - Essay Example It would not happen overnight, and thus I shall find ways and means to get the tasks reach the finished stage with acumen and intellect, shown by the employees themselves. The management part derives its basis from a number of factors, most significant of which remain the controlling, organizing and leading tenets. The management domains depend a great deal on how leaders are able to re-collect themselves after they had had a difficult time coping up with the employees which have not produced results. What this means is the fact that management comes of age and tells the employees what exactly is required of them, and how they shall go about delivering results with a sense of purpose and hard work on their part. Hence an understanding of the management premise is all the more significant in the time and age of today because employees are giving in their best and producing results that are based on the long term, and finding solutions which bring value towards the business realms. It is always a wise proposition to make sure that business entity remains supreme so that success is managed easily by the employers and the employees in the long term scheme of things. It would settle quite a few scores as far as management’s competition levels are concerned. My philosophy of interpersonal relations are such that these depend a great deal on how the human resources management and the top management in combination with one another depict the aspect of bringing in a change which is for the betterment of the organizational environment in the long range scheme of things. Interpersonal relations always come to the fore whenever a prospective employee wishes to join an organization. He would like to know what kind of environment exists within the organization’s realms and what the organization is doing to make sure that the employees remain cordial and jovial in each other’s company. This is important because interpersonal relations always seem to bring a positive or a negative connotation for the sake of the organization in the long range scheme of things, and is the marked difference between how prospective employees would like to come to terms with such companies in the future. It also speaks highly of the business entities wh ich are renowned for their working conditions and the ones that are not so famous for having the best possible relations amongst its employees (Hayes, 2002). The need is to have the best possible interpersonal relations within an organization’s realms so that people become attracted in joining it within the future. The interpersonal relations are always deemed as significant for any business enterprise because it sets the basis for organizational growth and harmony across the ranks. It makes things easier within an organization because the employers know that their employees would not start fighting with each other, instead they will remain calm and contented with what they have and how they will achieve success for not only their own selves but also for the end goals and objectives that the organization has set for its own self. This is a very quintessential aspect because it is being spoken about more and more in this day and age. Hence my understanding of the philosophy of interpersonal

Strategic plan for robin hood and merry men and women Research Paper

Strategic plan for robin hood and merry men and women - Research Paper Example This has put Robin in a dilemma and he has to make a decision sooner than later to feed all of them. An option that he is considering but not sure is creation of transit taxes. Robin acts as the CEO, and is responsible and makes all the important decisions. He is assisted by lieutenants who have specific roles assigned to them and concentrate on that. This is in the lines of Fayolism theory (Gallagher et al., 1997). But this is now very tough considering the size of the organization. The charismatic leadership of Robin has worked wonderfully until now. He has been bale to influence his followers by his personal characteristics rather than his position of authority. He has all the characteristics of a charismatic leader such as passion, vision, risk taking, etc (Daft, 2007). But now he will need to find other charismatic and transformational leaders who can work within the organization. BMMMW needs to rework on the focus. Robin’s personal vendetta must not come in the way of th e much higher goal of welfare of the people. BMMMW still do not have a proper strategy to achieve their goal. Recommendations On assessing the current situation and the primary objective of the organization, following recommendations are made: A plan of action needs to be designed.

Gay Community Essay Example for Free

Gay Community Essay The gay community or LGBT community is a loosely defined grouping of LGBT and LGBT supportive people, organizations and subcultures united by common culture and civil rights movements. Furthermore, the remarkable growth of the gay community in recent history has revolutionized our culture and consciousness, creating radically new possibilities for people to â€Å"come out†, and live more openly as homosexuals. Before the early years, homosexuality was a taboo subject. Since then, times have changed and this community is somewhat being accepted. Moreover, this diverse community is constantly expanding, and consists of many types of people. The gay community has gained great attention in arts, entertainment, media, and politics. Most of the people that make up this community each have their own unique style in all different aspects. Consisting of races throughout all aspects of life, the gay community is worldwide. That being said, what makes up the gay community? Within the LGBT communities, there exist identifiable sub-communities, such as the leather community, bear community, chubby community, lesbian community, bisexual community, transgender community, and the drag community. Nevertheless, each one of the sub-communities have there own particular ways and views of there sexuality. In other words, they all stick together. The gay community generally celebrates pride, diversity, individuality, and sexuality. The term gay pride is used to express the LGBT community’s identity and collective strengths; gay pride parades provide both a prime example of the use and a demonstration of the general meaning of the term. Also, within the gay community some people create there own particular family. These families consist of the mom, dad, children, and so on. They create a bond and they indeed stick together. Other interests within the gay communities include gay nightclubs, pageants, balls, and also lip singing shows. The gay community is frequently associated with certain symbols; especially rainbow or the rainbow flag. The Greek lambda symbols (â€Å"L† for liberation), triangles, ribbons, and gender symbols are also used as gay acceptance symbol. There a many types of flags to represent subdivisions in the gay community but the most commonly recognized one is the rainbow flag. Nevertheless, each color represents a value in the community. Pink represents sexuality, red represents life, orange represents healing, yellow represent the sun, green represents nature, blue represents art, indigo represents harmony, and last but not least, violent represents spirit. As far as language, the gay community have there own slang, just as other slangs like African Americans, Jewish slang, Hispanic slang, or any other slang. Usually one must be in the group to know its slang, but there are many words in gay slang that are known to all of us, such as drag queen, butch, or bull dyke. Other newer gay slan g words used today are fag-hag, which is a straight female who prefers the company of a gay male and dish which means gossip. Communication between gays, what they say opposed to how they say it, is quite unique. For instance, many gay males use alternate â€Å"lady-names†, and masculine female use alternate â€Å"male-names†, both used as a form of address within gay circles. The gay community is continuously growing and has been acknowledged in so many ways. Homosexuality is seemingly more accepted and tolerated in the United States today than decades ago. There are laws in many states that make it a crime to discriminate based on sexual orientation and many communities across the country have gays and lesbians openly serving in important roles. Yet there are many who still oppose homosexuality and many object to it on religious grounds. I do pride this community because I am apart of it. But like the old saying says â€Å"To each is his own†. Everyone has there own opinion.

Literature and Social Change

Literature and Social Change Literature written during the period between 1650 and the mid 1800s encourages us to think for ourselves rather than blindly accept the status quo. Tolstoy, in The Death of Ivan Ilyich reminds us to be mindful of the folly of keeping up with the Jones. Molieres Tartuffe warns against the unquestioning acceptance of religious authority. Swift and Douglass condemn the unthinkable acceptance of human degradation. Whether describing the indiscriminate acceptance of authority or social norms these stories inspire us to use critical thinking as a means of restoring moral principles. Tolstoys depiction of the struggle between the physical and spiritual world reminds us that a life of integrity is a life of meaningful choices. Choices that require careful consideration about what is truly important in life, namely the people in our lives. Ivan Ilyichs acceptance of the challenge to keep up with the status quo led him to a place of painful isolation. Each thoughtless choice cost him personal integrity until he is compelled by impending death to take a judicious look at his life. A Modest Proposal. Historical and cultural biases and stereotypes prevent both oppressors and oppressed from seeing not only the need but the ability to change. Acceptance of poverty as a regrettable condition or an acceptable lifestyle for those people without questioning the validity of such ideas degrades all humanity. Swifts work provoked critical thinking and discussion among the people changing expectations, reforming abuses and reaffirming the value of humanity. Douglass work asserts the worth of all mankind. The practice of enslaving human beings chained not only the slave but the owner as well. Each choice to ignore was a choice to endorse slavery as a reasonable practice. Only when reason was applied, prejudices examined and stereotypes dismantled did ideas about slavery begin to change. The abolition of slavery required rethinking the value of human freedom by slave holders and slaves alike as well as society as a whole. What began as individual revelation grew into a revolution renewing integrity of individuals and a nation. Each story draws the reader into an abusive world created and affirmed by ignorance then offers the means for change, independent thinking. Unquestioned our biases and assumptions unjustifiably impact our thought processes. Restoration of integrity comes about when we are mindful of circumstance and apply critical thinking skills to our situation. As each author illustrates, our power to reason is a powerful tool for change. Question 3 Relevance Still Searching for Significance The stories we read from 1650 through the mid 1800s all address issues that are relevant today. Religious hypocrisy, poverty and slavery still exist with long lasting and detrimental effects. I believe Leo Tolstoys Death of Ivan Ilyich holds the most relevance for todays audience because it speaks to what we have the most control over, our day to day choices. We all have the potential to live meaningful lives and affect our world in a positive way. Tolstoys Death of Ivan Ilyich addresses me, my family, and my community. Our priorities are easily confused when trying to keep up with appearances. Tolstoy contrasts the way we usually live our life, keeping up with appearances and the way we should live our life, with kindness and gratitude. One hundred years after the authors death people still search for fulfillment in materialism. Years ago He who Dies with the Most Toys Wins was a popular bumper sticker. I rarely see it anymore. Consumed by debt we struggle to survive. He who Dies with the Most Debt doesnt have quite the same laugh in the face of death attitude. Its not just toys, we invest heavily in cars and homes, jobs and after school activities believing we are what we appear to be. Appearances are artificial. The substance of who we are, the way we treat people is deeper than appearance. As a nation September 11th especially reminded us of the importance of the people in our lives. Listening to phone calls made to loved ones by nine-eleven victims we wondered, Who would we call first if our plane or building was going to consume us? Who would miss us if in the rescue of another human being we were to loose our life? Certainly the sacrifice of life would be evidence of a life well-lived, an authentic life. But even Ivan Ilyich in a sense sacrifices his life. Certainly he wanted what was best for his family yet they see him as a nuisance, they really just want him to go away. This man provided the best for his family and in return they want nothing to do with him. The material things he provided are ultimately unimportant. Gerashims compassion for Ivan sheds light on what is truly important. Both Ivan and Gershim benefit because of Gershims compassion. Ivan is cared for, his loneliness and pain are lessened. Gershim, having made a difference in someones life, is filled with a satisfaction that can not be cast off. His life has meaning. His compassion comes from his spirit, it is love in action. All the material gifts we give will disintegrate in time but compassion, love for another, has a regenerating power. Love authenticates our lives. When we show compassion for our family, friends, and neighbors our communities are better places. Places where hypocrisy, poverty and slavery have a difficult time existing. The choices we make daily can add up to a meaningful life and a better world. Question 5 Favorite A Renewed Appreciation I thoroughly enjoyed the works we read especially Frederick Douglass, Moliere, and Jonathan Swift but the work that is my favorite is Leo Tolstoys Death of Ivan Ilyich. Tolstoys story had the most effect on me. As I read the story the first time I found myself substituting my own husband for Ivan. He, like Ivan works hard to keep up appearances and works in pain. I, like Ivans wife can barely be bothered with him. The story reminded me that compassion is a two-way street. Now when I think about the story it is not someone else I see in Ivans place but myself. The story is my favorite because it has caused me to think about myself and seek change. The work that is my least favorite is Alexander Popes Rape of the Lock. It was my least favorite because the subject matter and the imagery felt so foreign to me. The piece was difficult to understand, yet I was intrigued, the verse was captivating. As I learned about the imagery and epic poetry I came to appreciate this mock epic. Reading the literature from this time period has caused me to appreciate history and the changes that can be initiated through the power of words.

Requirements Engineering and the Agile Approach

Requirements Engineering and the Agile Approach Yangqing Lu   Ã‚   With the evolution of Project Management (PM) methodology, Requirements Engineering (PE) has experienced huge change, especially when Agile is adopted by projects increasingly. However, no matter how the PM approach develops, the importance of PE is unshakable. Based on the Qualitative Research Approach, three articles has been viewed to introduce requirements issues regarding requirement elicitation,   consensus, prioritization, user story. In the first article, the author introduced concepts of traditional RE and some changes in Agile approach.   The second article demonstrates criteria of how to build qualified user stories. Ten requirement prioritization methods are compared in the third paper. These three articles are sound fundamentals for readers to gain basic skill for requirement management. Requirements Engineering and Agile Software Development This article discusses the difference and similarities between traditional Requirements Engineering (RE) and agile approaches. RE is a process comprising Requirements Elicitation, Requirements Analysis, Requirements Documentation, Requirements Validation, and Requirements Management. RE have a high dependency on documents for communications and the manner of prediction of future needs often leads to over documentation. (Paetsch F., Eberlein A., Maurer F., 2003) During Requirements Elicitation, approaches concerning the closed or open interviews of stakeholders, use cases and scenarios, observation and social analysis, focus group, brainstorming, and prototyping are often conducted during the period of the Requirement Elicitations. Based on this phase, in phase Requirements Analysis, information gathered is checked prioritized regarding necessity, consensus, completeness, consistency, and feasibility. Requirements are discussed by stakeholders and developers before write them down in requirement documents which are verified to be acceptable to organizational standards and organizational knowledge. (Paetsch F., Eberlein A., Maurer F., 2003) By contrast, the Agile approach is preparing to cater to continuous requirement changing and close collaboration so much that it has been adjusted to deliver upgraded products frequently. The mission of Agile determines that it cannot precisely follow the standards of RE. In fact, Agile never prepare to include a formal RE process: people cannot clearly separate a phase regarding Requirements Elicitation or Requirements Analysis from Agile process. Whereas, most RM methodologies are embedded into the Agile process: such as elicitation methods concerning interviews, brainstorming, and prioritization are also adopted in Planning Game a phase designed in Extreme Programming(XP). (Paetsch F., Eberlein A., Maurer F., 2003) It is highlighted that requirement document is both essential for RE and Agile. However, Agile, as the lazy approach, do only the right thing by eliciting, analyzing, validating, and documenting only when needed (Paetsch F., Eberlein A., Maurer F., 2003). Improving Agile requirements: the Quality User Story framework and tool This article introduces the concept of User Story and thirteen items of criteria towards creating Quality User Stories (QUS). Basing on the introduction, a software tool called Automatic Quality User Story Artisan (AQUSA) is introduced and its function has been assessed too. According to (Lucassen, G., Dalpiaz, F., van der Werf, Jan Martijn, E. M., Brinkkemper, S., 2016), User stories are a concise notation for expressing requirements that are increasingly employed n agile requirements engineering and in agile development. As explanations of requirements, user stories are used to discuss ideas with stakeholders and also act as criteria for acceptance. A user story should be able to state who it is for, what it does, and optionally why does that. Thus, an accepted user story format is As a, , I want , [so that, some reason/end]. Whereas in Scrum a specific Agile pattern, Epic and Themes also involved into user story design with the former one identifies a list of smaller, implementable user stories and the later one defines a set of user stories who are in the same criterion such as authorization. To qualify a user story, thirteen criteria are separated into three categories regarding Syntactic, Semantic, and Pragmatic. Those standards are used to guideline the creation of user stories and aim to make user stories clearly defined, focus on a single feature, able to be estimated, etc. The article also gives out a table of ill-defined user stories to explain what regulation is broken. Such as I want to see an error when I cannot see recommendations after I upload an article, this user story breaks the law of well-formed since the role is missing in the story. (Lucassen, G., Dalpiaz, F., van der Werf, Jan Martijn, E. M., Brinkkemper, S., 2016) User stories inside a specific user story set must be unique without confliction (no similar stories can exist in one set, the scope of work items must be consistent), uniform (most stories in the set use same format), independent (stories must not rely on the implementation of another case), and complete (a story cannot use an undefined term without reference. the undefined term or dependency should be stated in terms of relationship). (Lucassen, G., Dalpiaz, F., van der Werf, Jan Martijn, E. M., Brinkkemper, S., 2016) Both those 13 single-user-story criteria and four user-story-set criteria are guideline for agile project engineer to follow when they want to create agile requirements in high quality. Comparison of Requirement Prioritization Techniques to Find Best Prioritization Technique This article introduces ten techniques for requirement prioritization and compares them to find the best method. Some methods are using grouping approach by assign requirements with different group level then those requirements in the same group will be in the same priority. One of the famous grouping methodologies is Museum of Soviet Calculators on the Web (MoScoW) who provides four prioritization groups concerning MUST have, SHOULD have, COULD have, and WONT have. Based on the research result demonstrated in this article, grouping approaches feature low effort, low difficulty, consistent, and high confidence from the users. Especially, MoScoW can help to handle a large number of changes. (Javed, A. K., Rehman, I. U., Yawar, H. K., Iftikhar, J. K., Rashid, S., 2015) Bubble Sort, Minimal Spanning Tree, and Binary Search Tree provide methods for sorting requirements into a requirements list from the most important requirement down to the least important one. When these approaches are adopted, stakeholders and software engineers should be able to compare requirements pair by pair then adjust the location of their importance one by one until all requirement have been put into the correct position. The sorting approach needs the most number of decisions although this method is easy to use. (Javed, A. K., Rehman, I. U., Yawar, H. K., Iftikhar, J. K., Rashid, S., 2015) Hundred Dollar Method and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) are typical methods using ratio to identify priorities of requirements. During these processes, stakeholders should either balance importance among several requirements or mark out between requirements to what extent one is important than the other. AHP is considered to be the most reliable approach for its fault tolerance, consistency, ratio feature. However, to get the final results, AHP needs the most effort regarding decision making and time-consuming. (Javed, A. K., Rehman, I. U., Yawar, H. K., Iftikhar, J. K., Rashid, S., 2015) Requirements are the baseline for specific IT product or service since they define what the product/service is, regulate development scope, provide background for discussion and negotiation between stakeholders and project engineers, and most importantly, act as a guideline for newly hired engineers to understand the product/service. Thus, requirements management are essential for all kind of IT project. To elicit requirements, interview, brainstorming, and observation is often adopted. While to reach consensus, negotiation and team-decision are often valuable to be considered. (Paetsch F., Eberlein A., Maurer F., 2003) However, Traditional RE approaches cannot fulfill the current project management approaches. With more and more project adopt Agile methodology, engineers use user stories to replace traditional requirement document, and the way they elicit requirement has also changed: they document what exactly needed only when needed; more collaborations are involved whenever they need, but they only discuss what are needed; traditional requirements tend to explain what customer need or want while user story focuses on interaction between role and object user to machine, user to user, machine to user, machine to machine. (Paetsch F., Eberlein A., Maurer F., 2003) Since user stories are as important as traditional requirement document, the quality of user stories become equally important. To define high qualifies user stories, a set of guideline consisting of 13 criteria concerning syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic are required to adopt. (Lucassen, G., Dalpiaz, F., van der Werf, Jan Martijn, E. M., Brinkkemper, S., 2016) Before start iterations or springs, choosing specific requirements or user stories out of the whole repository on the basis of requirement prioritization technology is a must. To mark priority of each requirement or just sort them in order, the customers must make most of the decisions such as a case is a must or just what they want. Project engineers also need to estimate time effort and provide to what extent they think the estimation is accurate or not (risk aspect). Sometimes, stakeholders are asked to group these requirements (grouping requirements) or to vote 100 dollars to several requirements(buy requirements).   Some prioritization methods are easy to use and reasonably accurate (MoScoW) while some are the most reliable but very difficult to use regarding (AHP). (Javed, A. K., Rehman, I. U., Yawar, H. K., Iftikhar, J. K., Rashid, S., 2015) Requirements: conditions or capabilities that must be met by the project or present in the product, service, or result to satisfy an agreement or other formally imposed specification Requirements engineering (RE): is a traditional software engineering process with the goal to identify, analyze, document and validate requirements for the system to be developed. Requirements Prioritization: to deliver the most valuable feathers as early as possible under a tight schedule, limited resources, and high customer expectations, the customer should decide which requirements are more urgent than others to be implemented. Javed, A. K., Rehman, I. U., Yawar, H. K., Iftikhar, J. K., Rashid, S. (2015). Comparison of requirement prioritization techniques to find best prioritization technique. International Journal of Modern Education and Computer Science,7(11), 53-59. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.5815/ijmecs.2015.11.06 Abstract: This paper describes an assessment of different requirement prioritization techniques (binary search tree, AHP, hierarchy AHP, spanning tree matrix, priority group/Numerical Analysis, bubble sort, MoSoW, simple ranking and Planning Game) on the basis of previous literature. Five research papers and thesis are critically reviewed, in order to select best requirement prioritization method. The study of literature shows that AHP is the best requirements prioritization technique amongst all the requirements prioritization techniques. It provides the most efficient and reliable results which are on ratio scale. It is fault- tolerant and provides a consistency check. Lucassen, G., Dalpiaz, F., van der Werf, Jan Martijn, E. M., Brinkkemper, S. (2016). Improving agile requirements: The quality user story framework and tool. Requirements Engineering. 21(3), 383-403. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00766-016-0250-x Abstract: User stories are a widely adopted requirements notation in agile development. Yet, user stories are too often poorly written in practice and exhibit inherent quality defects. Triggered by this observation, we propose the Quality User Story (QUS) framework, a set of 13 quality criteria that user story writers should strive to conform to. Based on QUS, we present the Automatic Quality User Story Artisan (AQUSA) software tool. Relying on natural language processing (NLP) techniques, AQUSA detects quality defects and suggest possible remedies. We describe the architecture of AQUSA, its implementation, and we report on an evaluation that analyzes 1023 user stories obtained from 18 software companies. Our tool does not yet reach the ambitious 100 % recall that Daniel Berry and colleagues require NLP tools for RE to achieve. However, we obtain promising results and we identify some improvements that will substantially improve recall and precision. Paetsch F., Eberlein A., Maurer F. (2003). Requirements engineering and agile software development. International workshop on enabling technologies: infrastructure for collaborative enterprises,IEEE.308-313. doi: 10.1109/ENABL.2003.1231428 Abstract: This article compares traditional requirements engineering approaches and agile software development. Our paper analyzes commonalities and differences of both approaches and determines possible ways how agile software development can benefit from requirements engineering methods.

First World War Poets Essay -- World War One Poets Poetry Poems Essays

First World War Poets The First World War poets were able to affect the emotions of their readers. Choose two or more poems that have affected you in some way, and analyse how the poets have achieved this affect. The subject of war is a delicate one to write about. However, Wilfred Owen expertly describes the horrors of conflict to his readers in a way few are able to. He conveys images and uses language in ways that can move the reader. In this essay I will look at two of his poems, written during and after the war, and aim to discuss the methods Owen uses in order to successfully influence the readers’ emotions. After reading each of the poems, I felt I was able to recognize more fully the suffering that the men on the front line endured. Although the full extent of the terror of the trenches should never be seen again, Owen’s writing gives a good idea of what war was like 90 years ago. The poems moved me and sadden me, and also opened my eyes to the horror of war. The poems I will be studying are ‘Spring Offensive’ and ‘Futility’; they differ from each other in a variety of ways but each communicates a feeling of compassion for those who died in 1918. While one will use perhaps horrific detail, another will use a milder and gentler method. In answer to the essay title, I will show which techniques Owen uses in each poem and how they move the reader. The first poem I will look at is ‘Spring Offensive’. We can see from the title that Owen may talk about conflict as ‘offensive’ suggests. The opening line is one of sadness and imminent death, ‘Halted against the shade of a last hill’. The use of ‘last’ implies that the men are nearing the end of their lives and that the hill is that last one th... ...suddenly they are ‘exposed’ to the ‘unseen bullets’ of the enemy machine guns. This also makes the soldiers appear very brave, as they show little fear. To conclude, I would say that ‘Spring Offensive’ is an exceptional piece of writing that moved me greatly. I felt real sympathy and sadness for the men that lost their lives for their country after the officers threw them into the front line. This feeling is strengthened through ‘Futility’, which makes the pointlessness of the War even more apparent. Owen uses rhythm and style to paint the terrible pictures of war in order to rouse the reader into thinking about his ideas. His use of rhetorical devices further reinforces his views on war and its senselessness. Finally, his questioning of God and his way of making nature appear all-powerful adds an effective twist to the overall view of his writing.

My Role Model :: essays research papers

My Role Model In my life I have had very few role models. They have been mostly famous people I see on TV like Michael Jordan, but what young man hasn't wanted to seemingly fly through the sky and slam dunk a basketball? But as you grow older and mature you soon realize that more than just famous people can be role models to you. To me one of my role models is my friend Nick. Nick and I are a lot alike. We both grew up without a father and had a very supportive mothers who love us very much. Nick is three years older than me and we have been friends for about two years. To begin to understand why I look up to Nick you will first have to learn about his past and where he is now. Like I said Nick grew up in a single parent home where the dad was gone. He went to school like everyone else. Every week he went to church on Wednesday and Sunday. His mom struggled to support him by working several jobs, although she was there when he needed her his relationship with her was strained. Through high school Nick played sports and hung out with a variety of people. Some good, some not so good. Eventually he fell victim to the so called "party crowd". He started drinking, doing drugs, and selling drugs. He just didn't care what others thought. All the while he was doing this he continued to go to church and pretend everything was fine. Eventually Nick graduated and moved on to college where things would get worse. His first year of college all he did was party. It got so bad that he was out five nights a week drinking. After his grades started to suffer he realized he had a problem. All this while he was still going to church. Church is eventually where he turned to find help. After kicking his bad habits Nick decided to help others who might have problems like his. Nick decided the best way to help others was to get involved in as an adult leader in the youth ministries program. He has really shown me what is like to grow up and take responsibilities. The reason I most look up to him is because he has turned away from all that pressure the world puts on people to be popular and is doing something with his life.

Music and the Leit Motif in Hamlet :: Free GCSE Coursework

Music and the Leit Motif in Hamlet Throughout William Shakespeare's Hamlet, many leit motifs were seen. If the definition of a allegorical symbol was used for the concept of a leit motif, music was a leit motif in Hamlet. Music was repetitively brought up, in the play, and was also used by Shakespeare as a means of portraying the concept of being played upon. The flute was used to illustrate how Hamlet and Claudius played upon others and each other. Ophelia and other characters sang while they were mad, or dealing with mad characters. The use of music in Hamlet tied in with the concepts of Apolonian verse Dionysian, spying and lying, madness, poetry verse prose, and the burden of revenge on a thinking man. Possibly the most obvious case of music being used as a lead in for the idea of one playing upon another was seen in Act 4 Sc. 1, on lines 25-38. At this point in the play, Hamlet was confronted by Guildenstern, as Guildenstern made an attempt to spy on Hamlet. Hamlet countered Guildenstern's inquiry when he questioned him as to if he could not play a pipe, how could Guildenstern expect to play Hamlet, when he stated "You would play upon me†¦do you think I am easier to be played on than a pipe? Call me what instrument you will, you cannot play upon me." (Act 3. Sc. 2. Ln. 394-402). Hamlet then likened flute playing to lying, when he stated that "It is as easy as lying." (Act 3. Sc. 2 Ln. 387) Though Guildenstern attempted to play upon Hamlet, it was a futile attempt, as even Guildenstern admitted that he did "not have the skill" (Act 3. Sc. 2. Ln. 392) to play upon Hamlet. If being played upon was linked to music through the previously mentioned scene, three other major instances of characters were seen were one character played upon another. The first of these cases, were Hamlet put on the play to trick Claudius, was also in Act 3 Scene 2. Hamlet put on the play to prove to himself that the ghost's words were true and that Claudius did indeed kill his father. Claudius was successfully played upon when he stormed out of the play at the exact point where the player king was brought back to life. The play tied the leit

Do miracles still happen and how do they compare with those of the Acts of the Apostles? Essay

When studying the subject of miracles they must be approached with objective reason and when questioning the existence of miracles we must first fully understand what the word ‘miracle’ means. According to the Oxford English Dictionary a miracle is described as an extraordinary and welcome event attributed to a divine agency, a remarkable and very welcome occurrence or as an outstanding achievement. The word miracle originates from the Latin word miraculum meaning ‘object of wonder.’ A miracle is a supernatural event that consists of divine intervention into the natural order as a demonstration of God’s power and mercy, all of these properties are seen in the Acts of the Apostles as God does intervene in human events and they can be seen as responses and as a reward for faith. The Acts of the Apostles contains many miracles however all of these miracles are not the healing of those with demons but the spread of Christianity through the early church in both Paul and Peter’s missionary journeys. St. Paul can be seen by some as a fake apostle because he was not one of the chosen twelve and therefore had not experienced a close relationship with Jesus, this is turn may have threatened the apostles at first. However St Paul managed to become one of the apostles greatest assets as he went on to teach to not only Jews but to pagans also. â€Å"Because this man is my chosen instrument to bring my name before pagans and pagan kings and before the people of Israel.† Acts 9:15. This allowed the Christian church to grow as more believers were joining thus the Christian church’s faith began to grow. Two of the best known definitions of a miracle are that of St. Thomas Aquinas who believed in miracles and that John Stuart Mill who did not. St. Thomas’s definition of a miracle is this: A miracle is something beyond the order of created nature. Therefore since God alone is not a created being, He also is the only One who can work miracles by His own power. In this the word nature can be used in three senses, it may mean â€Å"all that exists†, â€Å"all created things†, or â€Å"all material things†. John Stuart Mill’s definition of a miracle is: A phenomenon not preceded by any antecedent phenomenal conditions sufficient again to reproduce it. This definition implies that there is nothing but the material world in existence. It takes no account of the human will, still less of the will of God. The purpose of miracles in the new testament itself comes in two parts – the first part is that they were used for confirmation as they confirmed who Jesus was and that Jesus and his apostles message was that of God’s, the second part is that they were carried out in order to cause belief in the listeners in Jesus. In the New Testament we see confirmation that Jesus is in fact who he is said to be when we see the miracle in Acts 3:6 where Peter and John are going to the temple and cure the lame man who is sitting as the beautiful gate, Peter says to the lame man ‘I have neither silver nor gold, but I will give you what I have: in the name of Jesus Christ, walk! This incident brings us face to face with the question of miracles in apostolic times and shows us that Jesus had the power to perform miracles through his apostles. We also see within the New Testament that the miracles were carried out to cause belief in Jesus as in Acts 8:4-8 were those who escaped one of which was Philip from the arrest of Saul to Samaria proclaiming the Christ. â€Å"The people united in welcoming the message Phillip preached, either because they had heard of the miracles he worked or because they saw them for themselves.† Acts 8:6. This helps us understand that miracles or even the stories of miracles help us to believe in Jesus as the son of God. However people who believe that miracles do not happen in today’s society may argue about the existence of miracles that miraculous power was passed on by the laying on of the apostles hands and as no-one today could possibly qualify as an apostle of Jesus then no-one today could possibly have the power to perform miracles. Those who believe this refer to Acts 1:21-22 where it states that the apostles â€Å"must therefore choose someone who has been with us the whole time that the Lord Jesus was travelling round with us right from the time when John was baptising until the day when he was taken up from us – and he can act as a witness to his resurrection.† These three conditions therefore conflict with any hope of miracles happening today. It is commonly agreed that miracles are the reward and result of faith; however faith in God should not be based on miracles. They should be seen as the work of God rather than the essence of God. Moreover some people believe that if Jesus had not performed these miracles then their faith in him may not be as strong. In order to be able to perform a miracle the person wanting the miracle must have faith in God and those performing the miracle must have a strong relationship with God, in order to have such a good relationship with God a person must pray in order to strengthen their relationship. Many people may say that in society today, there are those who have a strengthened relationship with God such as Priests, Nun’s and Monks. This may mean that they have the power to perform miracles however the person wanting the miracle may not have enough faith in God in order to support the miracle. Another argument that could be used in order to prove that miracles do not occur today is that God confirmed his word through miracles, signs and wonders during Jesus’ life on earth; therefore he does not need to reconfirm his existence to this generation as we have enough proof in biblical readings in order to prove his existence. Although miracles benefited the individual, their true purpose was for confirmation, even though they were often motivated by compassion and belief of those observing. Today some people may believe that miracles still do happen but not in such a magnificent way as they did back in the time of Jesus. People do nevertheless believe that in order to receive a miracle you must have a strengthened relationship with God through prayer and acting on spirit. Some people may argue with the second circumstance in the sense that they cannot strengthen their faith in God because there are no miracles today that allow them to expand their belief. On the other hand some would say that miracles still do happen today through the work that Doctors, surgeons etc. can do which in apostolic times would have been regarded as miracles. A modern miracle story would be that of an atheist couple and their little girl, the couple never told their daughter anything about the Lord. One night when the little girl was 5 years old, the parents fought with each other and the dad shot the Mother, in front of the child. Then, the dad shot himself. The little girl watched it all. She then was sent to a foster home. The foster mother was a Christian and took the child to church. On the first day of Sunday school, the foster mother told the teacher that the girl had never heard of Jesus, and to have patience with her. The teacher held up a picture of Jesus and said, â€Å"Does anyone know who this is?† The little girl said, â€Å"I do, that’s the man who was holding me the night my parents died.† In my eyes this example can be seen as a modern day miracle as it shows Jesus helping a little girl through a time of mourning and grief. A miracle found in Acts that can be seen to contrast to this modern day story would be that of the shipwreck in Acts 28. In this Paul, the centurion and his men all rely on God for strength through his intervention to Paul in Acts 28:24 an angel appeared to Paul and told him â€Å"Do not be afraid, Paul. You are destined to appear before Caesar, and for this reason God grants you the safety of all who are sailing with you.† This contrasts with the modern day story of the little girl as they both show God giving strength to those in need. Another modern day miracle is this of Rowena Angell. Since 1982 Rowena was only able to walk short distances. By 1986 Rowena was using two walking sticks and to go any distance she had to use a wheelchair. The pain never went away. Life continued in this way until 1991 when Rowena was diagnosed as having Lupus. Just after Christmas in 1998 God told Rowena that she was going to be healed from the awful pain and a few weeks later Pastor Revd. Alan Clarredge told her that when she was baptised she would be healed. Rowena had told no one what God had told her so she knew Alan was confirming what God had already told her. On Sunday the 20th January 2002, she with others went up to the front for prayer. The pastor was directed by God to pray for healing for her. It was tremendous, amazing, the Holy Spirit was so strong! After the meeting ended her Husband Henry went to get the car and as she walked to meet him, a voice said to Rowena â€Å"why are you using your stick†. She thought about that voice all the way home, was it real? Did she imagine it? When she talked it over with Henry, his reaction was to go in faith he said. Rowena went in faith and the pain has gone away for the first time in 27 years, the joy of waking in the morning with no pain. A few months later a test showed that there was no trace of Lupus in Rowena’s body! She was totally healed! She will never forget the pain she had and she will serve God with whatever he leads her to do, with joy in my heart she dedicates her life to Him to do, as He wills. Praise the Lord for He is merciful. These modern day miracles are very different from those at the time of Jesus and shortly after. They can be thought of as a persons calling or saving, this can impact highly on a person’s life especially if they were not brought up with Christianity. In Acts 9:32-35 Peter heals Aeneas at Lydda. This miracle proves to Aeneas and all those who lived in Lydda and Sharon who were watching that Peter had a close relationship with Jesus and also shows how much power he had inherited from the Holy Spirit as instead of Peter saying ‘I cure you’ Peter said to Aeneas ‘Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you get up and fold up your sleeping mat.’ In this such miracle people today may believe that Peter was taking the glory of the work that Jesus Christ has performed through him as he says â€Å"I cure you.† Also in the modern day miracle the shape of Jesus suffering for all of mankind on the cross can be seen to some as the sign that it was Jesus who performed this miracle. On the other hand in the miracle which Peter performed on Tabitha in Acts 9:26-43 the women is not healed in by Peter however it was in the name of Jesus which helps people understand that the miracles that are happening both today and in the time of the New Testament are performed through the power of Jesus. William Barclay argued that miracles can happen apart from â€Å"we think too much of what we can do and too little about what Jesus Christ can do through us.† Miracles altogether play a huge role on the church today as they are an important part of individual’s religion as it gives them something to believe in that only Christ is able to do. I personally believe that these modern day miracles allow peoples faith in God to be strengthened as it allows us to understand that if we need it – even if we do not want it God will be there for us. Both of these miracles found in Acts are important to Christians today as they are a sign of God’s power, they also show that Jesus lives and has power through the Holy Spirit and the invocation of his name. David Hume however is the arch-enemy of miracles who said that â€Å"A miracle is a violation of the laws of nature† he also said that â€Å"It is no miracle that a man, seemingly in good health, should die suddenly: because such a kind of death, though more unusual than any other, has yet been frequently observed to happen. But it is a miracle that a dead man should come to life; because that has never been observed in any age or country. There must, therefore, be a uniform experience against every miraculous event; otherwise the event would not merit that appellation.† However I do not agree with David’s Hume’s views and myself I believe that a miracle is a God-powered supernatural event. Overall I believe miracles today and miracles in Acts of the Apostles contrast well with each other as they are both God centred and can be directed at both believers and non-believers. Bibliography www.oxfordonline.com http://religion.krishna.org/Articles/ http://www.byfaith.co.uk/paulmiracle William Barclay – the new daily study bible – Acts of the apostles The Jerusalem bible new testament http://www.katapi.org.uk/ChristianFaith/XVIII.htm

Negative effects of Immigration

Immigration has created our economic instability in the United States. With more immigrants migrating to the U. S every year, our economy is slowly getting worse due to strain on our nation's budget. The overall population isn't benefiting to having to provide for more people flowing into the country. Money is an issue in our economic system currently. With the national debt rising every year, we cannot afford to support any more people.Immigration into the U. S. creates strain on Social Services, takes up natural resources and takes Jobs away from American workers. With more and more immigrants coming into the U. S. , our social service program is being flooded by more and more people every year. Since immigrants don't pay as much taxes as American-born citizens because of the much lower income, it puts strain on the budget. The median income of immigrant households is 36 percent lower than the average American family.The household is the primary contributor to our social services p rogram. With immigrant families paying less in taxes and using more in social services the system is estimated to go wrong. With immigrants using he welfare system so much the nation's budget is increasing rapidly from over-use. With the growing population in the United States, natural resources are becoming scarce. Supporting a growing population requires more resources and it's a problem when you have people coming in by the millions.The increase of population puts strain on our nation by finding diplomatic solutions to food, materials and space. The amount of food we would have to produce to feed the growing population of the U. S. would create problems. Our resource base has started shrinking rapidly throughout the years. Immigration causes 3 major things to happen to natural resources. First, a large amount of immigration leads to a greater use of natural resources. Second it causes prices of raw materials to rise.Third, it requires creating timely and costly research for diplo matic solutions to substitute the materials. Immigrants that come to the U. S. will obviously be looking for work. With unemployment rates increasing there won't be work for a large portion of U. S. citizens. The idea that immigrants take Jobs that Americans don't want to do is completely wrong. Over 40 million Americans are out of the labor force and the ncreasing population isn't helping the unemployment problem.American workers are being replaced by immigrants who are willing to work for lower wages. This put out a lot of American-born citizens out of work. The issues with todays growing immigration rates will not improve our nations economy. There needs to be a change in the amount of immigrants we can allow into the U. S.. The overall population isn't benefiting to having to provide for more people flowing into the country. Our nation's economy will collapse if the rate of immigrants continues. Negative effects of Immigration By nessdane

Critically examine the theories that underpin the process of personal development planning and the role of self-reflection

The review will focus on the theories that inform and contribute to the process of personal development planning (PDP) and how these theories encompass and relate to the personal aspect of self-reflection and progress. What is the meaning of personal development planning. The Quality Assurance Agency has defined personal development planning as [A] structured and supported process undertaken by an individual to reflect upon their own learning, performance and/or achievement and to plan for their personal, educational and career development. What does the PDP process involve. Personal development planning involves an individual going through a certain process of continually developing and refining skills and constantly reflecting upon their own learning experiences. PDP can be developed to support coincided with academic, personal and career progression. The process of PDP includes looking at you own progression, enables an individual to assess their skills and recording these achievements. Record of Achievements (RoA) has an important role within PDP, as this profile/recording progress provides the means for students to improve their skills through RoA, it allows individuals to relate to the learning experiences, to review and reflect upon their learning experiences. This process gradually develops students to be aware of their skills, which initially gives them more confidence. This is achieved through reflecting and reviewing learning experiences that help students make targets and actions plans within profiling. By profiling it turns reflecting into a learning process, learning from experiences. The profiling process can be beneficial to the student as it allows them to think in what career path they would like to pursue in. â€Å"Profiling can be used by a student to focus in on particular career options, or it can be employed as a device, within the workplace, for thinking about professional development.† So not only does profiling help the individual whilst in Higher education but also gives an advantage in their career aspects of PDP. Is PDP important? PDP is of importance as it encourages an individual to reflect, review and set goals for themselves, this process helps an individual to develop their confidence and self awareness which is vital within the educational and work place settings. Any theories underpinning the process of PDP? These ideas and strategies, which contribute to PDP have been influenced and put into practice by theories from a wide rang of theoretical perspectives and approaches. Theories and idea's which will be looked at in this review are: * Peter Honey and Alan Mumford's Learning Styles. * David Kolb * Dewey * Moon * Illich * Bently. Theories that have contributed to PDP Theories Honey and Mumford What have they said Within their theory, Honey and Mumford had said that we, as individuals learn through different ways, for example we are not all passive learners, so we may not learn through that particular method of learning. They had categorised the learning styles into four main categories, so an individual was either one or the other. These categories where: * Activist Activists are individuals, are active learners and enjoy challenges and being involved when learning something. They tend to learn effectively and with enthusiasm when they are involved and taking apart in something. However activists turn off and lose interests in learning when they are not actively involved and are being taught passively. * Theorist Theorists are those who always want to know how things go together within a logical structure. They like to use theories in order to get their views across to others and to relate situations and ideas to the theoretical side of things. They use theorise to understand things and put theory into practice in situations. Theorists tend to mistrust claims or views, which have doubts or a weak foundation to it. Also they find it hard to learn when they cannot look into depth in something or relate it to theory. * Pragmatist These individuals learn through putting theory into practice, enjoy the practical side of learning. They like proving the theory, for instance testing out something based on the theoretical perspective and seeing how that incorporates within the practical framework. Also they may switch off from learning if they cannot see why they are doing something or for what purpose it is that they are doing something. * Reflector The reflectors seem to learn from their experiences, always thinking off how this could be done or what ifs and then putting these into their learning. Taking time when thinking things through and always making use of time. Also reflectors find it hard to cope with when running out of time, for example when trying to meet a deadline. Honey and Mumford suggested that to find out which category of learning styles a person falls into they would have to complete a number of statements, where in the end of the questioner you will be able to indicates which type of learner you are. How is this related to PDP Honey and Mumford's theory of learning styles is linked to PDP, as it focuses on individuals and how a individual can develop their skills through knowing what type of learner they are and most importantly how knowing how they can learn best and what are the best ways to learn. The learning styles can indicate an individuals strengths and weaknesses. By knowing how you learn best can have a huge impact on PDP. As you can plan and reflect upon yourself and see if you really are a theorist or a reflector and what makes you like this, so this is a type of reflection and also how from knowing how you learn can help you progress and develop your skills. How effective is it to PDP and own development Looking at these learning styles from a personal perspective, I myself had completed the learning styles questioner and discovered that I was a Theorist. This has been beneficial towards myself and PDP as at first when I read what it takes to be a theorist, that I could relate to that and I felt that that was my learning style, learning through wanting to know about the theories behind anything for solid proof. Has it been useful? However when I read up the other three learning styles I thought I was a bit of all of them put together. I know that I learn through reflection and I like to take time out and analyse what has happened and also that I fine it extremely hard to work when I have a limited amount of time. So I feel that I am limited to a certain extent if I say that I am a theorist because that is not completely true as I have the characteristics for the reflector style of learning as well. Any other links to other theories? The learning style theory was partially based on Kolb's learning cycle and adapted from the four main stages within Kolb's learning cycle. David Kolb's * Kolb * Dewy * Moon * Illich * bently * Conclusion Which theory overall has been most effcetive when considering my own learning why should we include PDP in our degree is it useful?

Veil of Roses

Book Report Noor-ul-ain Zar 4/29/12 8-10 The book I have chosen to do this month is Veil of Roses by Laura Fitzgerald. I have chosen this book because I think it describes some similar things, I have heard of and some things that happen in my country sometimes too. The genre of this book is realistic fiction. And realistic fiction means, it's not real but it could definitely happen to anyone. The book is basically about an Iranian-women named Tamila who has been basically stuck in Iran for the longest time and finally got to come to America for the first time.And she is so used to not having any freedom, America opens many doors for her. But only on one condition, she has to find a husband in two months, which is hard work. The setting on this book goes to America to Tucson, Arizona. It also takes place in, houses, coffee shops, English class and even outside. The mood of this book (or how the reader feels when reading the story) goes on and off. It goes from mysteries, to happiness, and sadness too. Usually, the tone of the book reflects the mood of the book. If the way the author writes the book, and a certain chapter is sad, then the reader will also feel sad.The point of view the book is in first person. And I know it's first person because it contains the words â€Å" I, and me†. The characters in this book are, Tamila Soroush or known as Tami Joon (the main character) basically she is fun, shy, and open to new things. She basically has been shut in a box because she hasn't had much rights and now that she is in America, she is very experimental. She has a family who cares a lot about her, but also are very protective. Maryam, Tami's sister is very protective. She loves Tami a lot, but always has an eye on her.She tries to get Tami the best husband as possible but needs to realize that Tami should be on her own to find one. Ardishir ( Maryam's husband) is very supportive, rich and also takes care of Tami. He seems Tami's point of view in things, and is very nice and not that important in the story. Ike (Tami's love interest) she meets him in America at a coffee place and at first they don't click but later they do. And the other character, Haroun who potentially wants to marry Tami. This story is basically about a girl named Tami, who comes from Iran to America to live with her sister Maryam and her husband Ardishir until she finds a husband.She only has a short period of time, and cannot live with Maryam and her husband for long because her Visa will expire. If she does not find a husband, who has a Visa she will have to go back to Iran forever. So she comes and lives with Maryam, and isn't adapting to change very well. When she gets to America, she is open to all types of things she never got to do when she was in Iran. She got to go out without her hijab (covering of woman's head) and got to do everyday things that are usually taken for granted like going out for coffee, which cannot be done in Iran.So as she searches for a husband one day she goes to a coffee shop on her way to her English class and meets an American guy named Ike. She doesn't try to talk to him, but when Tami gets confused because shes from Iran, Ike helps her out and they become friends, but she hides Ike from Maryam because she isn't supposed to engage a conversation with any other American guy. Then Maryam finds other people for Tami, and none are good and after tons of hardships Tami finally marries Ike. Yes, the story is very effective and powerful. I enjoyed the story very much.The strengths are that, the author made it so believable that she is from Iran even though it's realistic fiction. The weaknesses are that it could have been written more effective, and better words. My overall response to the book, is that I enjoyed it very much and mostly because I could relate to it being from a different country and knowing how hard it is to settle to a new country, and see how differently things are done and different places. I wou ld recommend this to people with the similar, country or someone who understands being from other places.But I would also recommend this to people who aren't from other countries so they can learn about new cultures and how things are done in Iran. Overall, I really did enjoy the book and I think If people actually didn't judge the book by the cover and read it, they would enjoy it. It teaches a lot of things, and opens you to new cultures. You will also start, to learn how we take little things for granted like simply walking down the street for granted. But, overall this book was amazing and I would recommend this, to everyone.

Dewey's Democratic Individualism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Dewey's Democratic Individualism - Essay Example Even crime is becoming corporate. What happens nowadays is that "these corporations [effect] a change of social life from an individual to corporate affair." Reactions of the individual and society as a whole to this change are manifold: they affect the psychological, professional, and political sphere. According to Dewey, "they affect the working ideas, beliefs and conduct of all of us." However there is a split within individual and in a society, and most specifically-the split within the new business mind. The split comes about because "the results of industry.. are corporate and collective" while the inner motives are private and individual. Dewey calls resolution to this state "a law of mental integrity"; this will come about when inner motives become concerned with corporate goals-that is to say, shared goals. Dewey says: "When the corporateness becomes internal, that is, it is realized in thought and purpose, it will become qualitative Law will be realized not as a rule arbitrarily imposed from without but as the relations which hold individuals together." According to Dewey, these two statements are closely connected with essential question pertaining to individuality: the need for a new theory and new morals which would explain human nature and its connection to society in these new economic conditions. This would be the basis of democracy in current American society. Dewey states that "Dewey states that "[a]ssured and integrated individuality is the product of definite social relationships and publicly acknowledged functions." These relationships being established, as well as the public acknowledgment of the role of different human endeavors within a current society, the split of the business mind would be healed. There needs to be "some consensus of belief as to the meaning of finance and industry in civilization as a whole". This would supply a sense of meaning to the business mind and its importance within a society. Dewey further analyzes this social and individual split. What is lacking as a reward for achieving one's ends, (the reward presently being financial profit), is a sense of social fulfillment. Social fulfillment of individuals is a key factor in new democracy. The current standards of value are "derived from pecuniary success and economic prosperity". This is not enough for individual fulfillment, as human beings need a sense of solidarity and participation. This then implies shared and common values. The essential trait of human nature, according to American tradition, is love of liberty, but Dewey wonders if men would surrender their liberties in the name of solidarity, with the sense of union that it entails and respect by others it provides. What is needed is new psychological and moral theories to explain human nature, and which are in accordance with society at present and its corporateness. Culture is another important element of new democracy. For political freedom, freedom of culture is essential: "positive conditions, forming the prevailing state of culture, are required". Everybody should share in enjoyment of the arts. Culture is extremely important because it determines the patterns of behavior of any given group in a specific period-as proved by recent anthropological findings. It also puts a new spin on the problem of relation of the individual to the social -as it defines current customs, rules, traditions, and institutions. Dewey

Critically discuss the work and skills involved in front-line jobs and Essay

Critically discuss the work and skills involved in front-line jobs and the extent to which these skills are controlled - Essay Example They are associated with the daily operations of a company and have direct contact with the money making process of the company. Some examples of front line workers include the assembly worker, bank tellers, and workers servicing in the service industry. Skills of frontline workers are crucial to the success of an organization. Skills in people can be improved upon by imparting training to them. The key concept of skill has been explained in the human capital theory by Schultz. According to the human capital theory, the productivity of workers can increase manifold if they are imparted useful knowledge and skills. This will inevitably lead to increase in their future earnings and future income. This theory rests on the importance of firm-specific training. The paper will focus on skills needed at work in lieu of front line workers. The paper will discuss the work and skills involved in front-line jobs and the extent to which these skills are controlled. Various theories and counter t heories and evidence will be presented from literature to support the argument. The crux of the argument would revolve around the importance of training and using measures like performance appraisals to build on skills needed for front line workers. Skills Skills have been increasingly debated world over. According to many critics this term is very popular amongst most managers, policy makers and academic circles in precarious and amorphous ways to the point that today it comes close to meaning everything yet nothing. Spenners study on skills shows that there used to be a unanimous consensus that skills comprise of two main elements. These are job complexity and job discretion. Job complexity implies the simplicity and difficulty associated with doing a particular job. Task discretion refers to the extent to which decision making power is given to the job holder. Does the worker have enough latitude to choose from a wide range of techniques in solving a problem or does he have to pa ss on the problem to an expert worker or does he have to ask a supervisor?. It is said the greater the latitude the job holder has, the higher skilled is the job. (Tett , 1991) An important aspect of skilled jobs that has been debated over and over again is the proxies which are used to measure skills and the kind of competencies that they measures. The most popular modes of skill assessment have been requirement qualifications and the level of training needed to inculcate those skills. These are partial measures of skill assessment. Skills and their control has often been a crucial aspect of debates in policy circles and academia. These debates have varied from skills related to people working in the manufacturing sector to people associated with the service sector. These could be home care assistants, the nurses, the retail store workers, the call center workers and the job centre work. However work on service sector related skills and has often raised eyebrows by analysts. Some a nalysts feel that the neglect should not be treated as astonishing and shocking as the same principles apply equally from manufacturing related workers to services related workers and from knowledge work to services. (Salgado, 1999) Recently conducted surveys by the Institute of Employment studies and MoRI denote that the major areas of deficiencies in the skills of front line workers are in communication skills. According to the survey, this skill deficiency leaps across the board

Extended analysis paper on The Rocking-Horse Winner by D. H. Lawrence Essay

Extended analysis paper on The Rocking-Horse Winner by D. H. Lawrence - Essay Example Early in the story the boy Paul has a talk with his mother about money. But the talk is not the usual mother-son conversation that promotes hard work and ingenuity. The mother advocates the avenue of easy money by the use of luck. She carries the definition a step farther as she blurs the line between money and luck. "Filthy lucre does mean money," said the mother. "But its lucre, not luck" (Lawrence). The use of the words filthy lucre interjects an almost obscene sense of money and wealth. The mother continues her idolization of the character trait of being lucky. She insults Pauls father and says "...its better to be born lucky than rich" (Lawrence). She then tells Paul that his own father is "very unlucky" marking him as a failure as a father and a husband. These images are burned into the mind of Paul at this young age and tempers his value system throughout the rest of his short life. The mother has almost no connection with her husband or family. She occupies the house in body but not in spirit. The household had healthy children and a modest income, yet it was squandered by the mothers view of it. Lawrence describes it as "at the centre of her heart was a hard little place that could not feel love, no, not for anybody". It was love that Paul craved and needed, and it was his mothers love that he would spend the story in search of. Because she was distant and disconnected, she would be easily satisfied with material goods, money, and a lust for it. Paul could sense the emptiness in his mother and her need for a husband, luck, and money. Pauls early attempt at fulfilling his mothers needs, and thus replacing the father, is seen in his early experience on the rocking horse. Lawrence describes Pauls quest to satisfy his mothers need for money, luck, and sexual satisfaction. There is a scene where he is furiously riding his rocking horse striking it with a whip that he had gotten

The Operating Principles for a Community to which I Belong to Essay

The Operating Principles for a Community to which I Belong to - Essay Example In a detailed analysis of these activities and interactions, I can definitely prove that our communities provide us with a sense of stability, serve our needs and, more importantly, accept us for who we are. In my community setting, I have often realized that my family accepts me for what and who I am. Thus, I share my activities and interactions with my daughter and we protect each other, which has always helped me in my family life as a single mother. One of the important operating principles of my community has been to be faithful and frank to the members of the community and we share our activities and interactions. Thus, my daughter and I enjoy great fun in our system of instant messaging or texting family and friends. Many often, I introduce my daughter to my chat friends and she has no online friends whom I don't know. Most of the friends of my daughter in her Facebook account came through my contacts and she never retreats an illegitimate relationship through her online activities. Another significant operating principle of my community life is not to blame or to indict others with or without strong reasons for their actions. Instead, every member of my community strongly supports each other and understands each other completely.

Criminal Justice System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Criminal Justice System - Essay Example Otherwise, the people would lose confidence in their capacity to protect the people and keep them safe. The most insistent factors that must be considered in the case given are first, the protocol of the police station or simply the rules that they must follow, second, the rights of the suspects and third, upholding justice for the victim. It may seem that all these are very distinct and therefore uncorrelated at first glimpse, but a thorough study will show that they are very much consistent with each other. Given the situation, what I would probably do is to insist to my partner that we redo the interview with me in the room and the same being videotaped. I would make an effort to notify accordingly that affirmative action must be done. This would assert a number of the major things that must be considered in an ethical decision. It would not be far fetch to consider that the confession was coerced. Not to mention that both are minors aged only at 14 years old. â€Å"The ethical t reatment of others requires that we treat them as rational agents who are authors of their own decisions, and not as tools that we may use or manipulate as we like† (Kleinig, 2008). It is by duty that I uphold that justice is served. The mandate for interviews was established for a reason.