Renewable Sources Of Energy Glasgow And The West Of...

It has recently come to light that Glasgow and the West of Scotland have been using a great deal of our earth’s precious finite resources. To combat this we must take advantage of our valuable surroundings and look for long term replacements such as solar, wind and tidal power as well as geothermal and hydroelectric sources. In the interest of our planets wellbeing and our country’s economy, the engineers at SECC have created the following report. Our aim is to help you realise the potential of these alternative sources and push for them to replace the power plants burning through our finite resources. One of many possible renewable sources of energy is biomass. Biomass energy is the power that is contained within plant and animals.†¦show more content†¦Furthermore, it would reduce the need for landfills as all organic waste can be turned into biomass energy. Biomass has also been developed as an alternate fuel source and has helped to reduce dependencies on fossil fuels. It is an incredibly versatile form of energy as it can be used for many different purposes. However, despite its many advantages biomass still has many disadvantages. Firstly it is not as efficient as fossil fuels, for example the ethanol produced for cars via biomass is not even close to the efficiency of petrol and does damage to engines over time. It also has the potential to harm the environment through increase of methane gases which are produced as a bi-product if animal and human waste is used. Biomass also requires a large distance away from residential areas in order to burn it and a large amount of fuel in comparison to other energy sources which can have dramatic effects if large portions of forests are cut down to provide lumber.1 The majority of biomass power plants use direct combustion. In a cogeneration facility the steam from the boiler is captured to heat water and buildings. Although this is a dependable technology it only achieves a thermal efficiency of 20%. This can, however, be increased by cogeneration or by co-firing which is the burning of biomass along with coal. Another method being used is gasification of biomass.

Making My Fashion Dreams Become A Reality - 1912 Words

Growing up surrounded by historical landmarks, creative arts, and Southern charm, I have always been an admirer of fashion and beauty. When I was a young child of five years, I would continually play dress-up and dream of becoming a Fashionista that assists movie stars and social elite for their red-carpet appearances. I wanted to contribute to others in seeing the beauty in themselves and the world around them. After about eighteen years, nothing has really changed within my mind-set. Today, I still dream of working in the fashion industry, but more importantly, making a difference in the world. In the process of making my fashion dreams become a reality, at seventeen, I secured enrollment at Northeast Mississippi Community College majoring in fashion merchandising. My first two years at junior college were wonderful, and I thoroughly enjoyed participating in the arts, being the Captain of the Tiger Dancers and Pom Squad, playing as a member of the tennis team, and supporting Prenti ss county as Miss Hospitality 2013. These years taught me time management like no other while also leading me down the path of self-expression and competitiveness. Finding immense knowledge and encouragement from professors in little classrooms and civilians in a small Mississippi town perfected my willingness to strive to do my utmost best in every circumstance, whether it be reaching my goals or helping others. Attending Northeast Mississippi Community College opened for me a world ofShow MoreRelatedIs There a Relationship Between Consumption and Identity?1598 Words   |  7 Pagesexistential for each individual, using the personal responsibilities for ones own actions which create ones own moral values. 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All of Alise’s dreams were cut short when life came into play; balletRead MoreHow Did a Serpent Succeed Where an Angel Failed? Essay1320 Words   |  6 PagesHow Did a Serpent Succeed Where an Angel Failed? The Temptation of Eve in a Dream and in Reality Throughout John Miltons Paradise Lost, the reader feels a sense of foreboding. Because the reader knows that the fall of humankind is inevitable, the warnings and discussion of free will throughout the first eight books of the poem serve only to make Eves transgression all the more tragic. The reader sees evidence of how the fall could have been avoided, and therefore feels as if it was unnecessaryRead MoreThe American Dream By Dolores Hayden871 Words   |  4 PagesThe American Dream The growth of cities, and their subsequent decay due to a capitalistic order followed by attempts to renew city life along with an exodus of those with means and/or appropriate skin color assisted by policy instruments. 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Willy Loman, Tragic Hero or Selfish Individual free essay sample

Willy Loman, the protagonist in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, is often referred to as a tragic hero who is forced to commit suicide to valiantly save his family from the â€Å"elusive† American Dream. The majority of critics give readers the impression that Willy was a selfless man that worked himself to death in order to support his family and ensure their success and happiness. He is portrayed as a hard worker with a life full of tribulations and challenges. However, his hard work never seemed to pay off and instead he found himself living the American nightmare. Unfortunately his true character and image is constantly being distorted and readers constantly fall into the trap of believing Willy Loman is a tragic hero, whom deserves nothing less than respect and sympathy. However, after complete understanding of the play one realizes that Willy Loman brought all his misfortunes upon himself due to his warped mindset about success, his dedication in acquiring the approval of others, and his tunnel vision that was only directed towards money and wealth. We will write a custom essay sample on Willy Loman, Tragic Hero or Selfish Individual? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Critic Bert Cardullo summarizes this whole play by claiming, â€Å"What is left in this play is neither a critique of the business world nor an adult vision of something different and better. Rather, it’s the story of a man (granting he was sane) who failed as a salesman and father, and made things worse by refusing to admit those failures, which he knew to be true,† (Cardullo 9). Not only did Willy Loman refuse to admit his constant failings, he also abruptly ends his own life at the end of the play, which should not grant him the title and status of tragic hero, instead Willy should be considered a selfish and arrogant salesman who’s constant failings lead him to commit suicide in order to escape from his dead end life. Critics across the world agree on very few issues when it comes to analyzing literature. However, critics were able to come to a common consensus in defining a tragic hero. All tragic heroes have common characteristics such as wisdom, a flaw or error, recognition that their own actions is leading down the wrong path, and a reversal of fortune. When comparing Willy Loman to the common archetype of the tragic hero he does not come close to fitting the mold all critics agree upon. Through his actions and business endeavors only realizes that Willy Loman lacks any type of wisdom. His constant failures also show that he refuses to recognize the action’s he has taken have been the wrong ones and therefore his difficulties were self inflicted. As the play begins Willy Loman appears to be a salesman hit hard by America’s capitalistic society, which leaves him with most of his unsold merchandise at the end of the day and a family that he is unable to provide for. The fact that he must travel hours on end to attempt a sales deal, and go through many inconveniences to keep his commission-based job, and still have to borrow money from his successful neighbor, portrays Willy as a man who has no luck and is in a desperate state. However, as the story progresses Willy Loman displays a great deal of stubbornness and an irrational understanding of success. His only concern in life is to achieve the elusive American Dream. Unfortunately, â€Å"in a country with an every-man-a-king theology the delusion of royalty is a powerful drug, a dangerous dream. And Miller argued that the fall, on waking up, can be fatal, can meet the demands of tragedy,†(Corliss). The reader realizes early on that Willy did not truly understand what the American Dream meant and that he was headed down the wrong road. Willy is in this position of desperation because he acts like he is working hard to support his family when in reality he is only consumed with acquiring wealth and status. During one of Willy’s flashbacks he says, â€Å"Bernard can get the best marks in school, yunderstand, but when he gets out in the business world, yunderstand, you are going to be five times ahead of him†¦Be liked and you will never want,† (Miller 935). Willy is advocating that education is a waste of time. He attempts to convince his son that high marks in school may seem nice for the time being, however in the business world they mean nothing. Willy Loman is an emotionally stunted father that refuses to act his age and is setting the worst of precedents for his two sons (Thompson). How can a man with such a mindset be given the honor and title of tragic hero? All archetypes for tragic heroes mention wisdom early on the list of characteristics. If Willy had a bit of wisdom he would emphasize the importance of his children’s education. Rather he explains that success and happiness come from the approval of others. Although his job is clearly heading in the wrong direction, he does not press pause and try to turn his situation around. Instead he dedicates his time and effort to other minuscule causes such as seeking approval of his counterparts. Willy is a salesman with high goals and expectations. It is common knowledge that success and achievement of goals is due to a definitive plan and determination. As a salesman Willy must understand that his success will only come from making sales. Rather than spending time he will never get back trying to seek approval, he must spend that time reaching out to new potential clientele and trying to convince them to buy his product. Unfortunately, at this point in the play, Willy has reached the age of senior citizenship and the reader realizes that he spent countless time running after a dream with the wrong game plan. Instead of focusing all his efforts on making sales and finding new clientele, he spent a large portion of his time with people who would not benefit him and chasing after selfish causes. He was completely blinded by the opportunity of achieving high status. He did not realize that status would take away from the success and advancement of his business. One would think that with age comes wisdom. Willy has been working in sales for as long as he can remember yet he was never able to recognize that his actions were taking him through a cycle of failure. He is not able to understand that success comes with hard work and dedication. At this point Willy is at a dead end. He refuses to actually put some work and effort into his business endeavors. He is at a point where everything that lay before him was composed of difficulties, trials, and tribulations. He led himself into a state of extreme poverty and he was relying on the financial support of his neighbor to provide for his family. Unfortunately, Willy had too much pride to speak to his family about the situation he has put himself into. He felt that eventually he would be able to work his way back up the ladder, however he was digging himself into a deeper hole with each new day. With all these difficulties the reader is compelled to feel sympathy for this helpless character which is a characteristic of a tragic hero; however he did not deserve an ounce of sympathy because a true tragic hero’s fate is much greater than what he truly deserves. Willy Loman’s fate was self inflicted. He had so many debts and a dead end job because he did not work. He would go on business trips and make a social hour out of it. His fate and situation was fully deserved. Another clear flaw in Willy’s character was he was given an opportunity to redeem himself, erase his past, and turn his life around. His neighbor Charlie, offered Willy a job. Charlie explained to him, â€Å"You can make fifteen dollars a week. And I wont send you on the road,† (Miller 969). For a man in desperation, this would seem to be an offer sent down from the heavens. However in the case of Willy, this offer was an insult and a direct shot at the little pride he was able to build over the years. Ultimately he rejected the job offer out of arrogance. Willy, who felt life should hand him amazing opportunities rejected a job that would make all his difficulties disappear. A tragic hero is known to make many mistakes along his journey. However, eventually they have an awakening and attempt to make a genuine change. Willy was handed the situation where he can make a genuine change and he selfishly denied it so people would not think of him as a lesser man; Willy fails to realize that people do not even bother to think of him as a man. Critics constantly argue that Willy Loman was left in a situation with no hope. They argue that Willy’s main concern was to keep his family happy and fully supported. Contrary to popular belief, he was a selfish and arrogant person who only cared for status and wealth. Had Willy been concerned about the state of his family and their survival, he would have jumped at the opportunity for a new job. He would not have thought twice about it and he would have accepted on the spot. This job could have turned everything around for him and his family. He was always explaining that he was worn out and, â€Å"tired to the death,†(Miller 924). It was apparent that he was no longer in shape to travel anymore, however he denied a job offer that gave him everything he desperately longed for, leaving one to question his true intentions. Was Willy truly concerned with the well being of his family? As Willy’s life passes him by, he misses the most important aspects of it. He is not able to realize that he has something many men long for. He has a wife, Linda, who is not concerned with the amount money he makes. She says â€Å"I don’t say he’s a great man. Willy Loman never made a lot of money. His name was never in the paper. He’s not the finest character that ever lived.†(Miller 948). However even after all these shortcomings, she makes it clear that her love for him will only grow stronger with each new day. He also has two sons, yet he always ignores them and has a bad relationship with them. He does not even attempt to reconcile with his sons. His son Biff resents him because he found out that his father was having affairs with other women while he travelled. His son Happy has never been put in the spotlight, or given any attention even though he is the most successful one regardless of his position of â€Å"assistant to the assistant manager.† Willy tries to convince himself that his family is the most important aspect in life, however he never truly tries to be there for them both physically and financially. All these problems cannot be blamed on capitalistic America. Instead there is no one to blame but Willy himself. He was not interested in the well being of his family; if he was, he would connect with his sons and he would rebuild his relationship with them. Willy’s actions are contradictory to the dream he so desperately appears to be chasing. He is having troubles maintaining stability within his home and therefore uses his business as an outlet to get away. He hits the road pretending to make sales when in reality he is after an unclear dream, status and pleasure. Willy brings all these problems upon himself causing his own hopelessness. Eventually all these problems begin to cause regret and denial in Willy. Instead of accepting the job offer from his neighbor he begins to think of other ways to get his family back on their feet. He realizes that he has no choice but to kill himself. He felt that he was, was worth more dead than alive (Miller). Willy was so pompous, he would rather end his life and provide his family with his insurance policy instead of taking a hit to his pride and admitting his wrongs. He did not want to be judged by others and therefore he rejected a perfect job opportunity, although nobody would judge a man that was trying to make a genuine change for the wellbeing of his family. He convinced himself that the only resort would be killing himself. He thought his suicide would show him in a more positive light and would allow him to pay off his debts, causing others to consider him a righteous and respectable man. He was willing to take his own life for the sake of some recognition, which he never received after he was gone. Arthur Miller put Willy Loman in such a situation because, â€Å"He was grieving for mankind, for man’s inability to connect with his fellow man, maybe for the need to dream. Miller saw the American Dream as a kind of curse, for it led us to mistake ambition for destiny, and to suffer the inevitable slump and crumble when reality makes mock of the dream† (Corliss). This play is not supposed to instill sympathy in the reader, proving that Willy was not created to be a tragic hero. Instead, he is supposed to be used as an example of how not to go about achieving your dreams and goals. One critic goes on to claim that Miller’s true intentions were to, â€Å"identify the sins of the father, of all the fathers who grabbed for too much, who didnt care enough,† (Corliss). Willy made mistakes which are human and acceptable, however he was given multiple chances to redeem himself and he rejected them out of arrogance. A person in despair should not be embarrassed to seek assistance and should accept advice from the wise people that surround him. People need to learn to connect and work with each other. Embarrassment and pride, similar to Willy’s case, will only lead to downfall. Critic Bert Cardullo summarizes the end of Willy by stating, â€Å"In fact, he [Willy] kills himself for money. Because he confuses materialistic success with worthiness for love,†(Cardullo 9). In conclusion, Willy Loman’s pride and delusions led him to commit suicide. Willy did not die the death of a hero he died the death of a man who was too full of himself. His actions would have been understandable if he was cornered and had absolutely no other choice to financially support his family. However, one opportunity after the other was thrown in his direction to redeem himself and his precious pride caused him to reject them. He felt his suicide would make all his problems disappear and bring his family happiness. A hero does everything in his power to fight until the end, yet Willy saw no hope and therefore saw no reason to continue living. Willy left his wife grieving over his grave, questioning why he would leave his family and causing them to endure all this pain. His entire life was based on working towards the American Dream and achieving the approval of others, but we see how far that got him when no one attends his funeral. Willy Loman did not truly desire the American Dream. He was in the pursuit of a warped version of success. He spent countless hours and business trips seeking the approval of others and sexual pleasures. His death and journey were not one of a tragic hero. Willy never admitted to his flaws and never attempted to turn things around. Simply put he was a selfish and self consumed individual. When he realized how deep the hole he dug himself into became, he arrogantly ended his life as an escape. He did not think twice about what he was leaving behind. Willy only cared for wealth and status, and when he realized he would never attain either, he no longer found a purpose for his life. Critic, Bert Cardullo, proves this point in his journal entry in the Columbia Journal of American studies by writing: â€Å"In fact, he kills himself for money. Because he confuses materialistic success with a worthiness for love,† (Cardullo). Willy’s perception of status and wealth being the epitome of success blinded him from the true purpose of life and the true American Dream. Such a character is an ill to society that does not deserve the honor to be classified as a tragic hero. â€Å"Willy Loman is an aging and mediocre salesman who will not grow up, but who will instead remain an impulsive and â€Å"mercurial† boy groping ineffectually for success in a world that pays him no heed,† (Thompson 245).

The US Mexico Border free essay sample

Mexico border region is inhabited by many Native American groups who have lived in the area for centuries. 1535 Spain establishes colonial government in Mexico. 1819 Adam-Onis Treaty: U. S. -Mexico boundary established by Spain and the United States. 1821 Mexico wins independence from Spain. 1824 Mexico becomes a republic. | 1846 The U. S. Mexico war begins. 1848 Gold is discovered at Sutter’s Mill in the Sacramento Valley area of California. By 1849, large numbers of U.S. pioneers and immigrants from around the world travel to the mining area. Many gold seekers set up camps on Mexican-held land, forcing out some of the original landowners. 1848 The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo brings the U. S. -Mexican War to an end. 1883 Chinese labor is reduced because of the Chinese Exclusion Act, and railroad companies search for alternative sources of cheap labor. Mexican workers are increasingly recruited. 1890 Increasingly, Mexican Americans work for the railroads. Railroad construction continues throughout the early 20th century. We will write a custom essay sample on The US Mexico Border or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page 1890 Copper mining continues to lure people to Arizona, driving more Mexican Americans from their lands. 1900 Copper, silver, and zinc are found in Arizona and New Mexico; Texas begins to mine salt, leading to further expulsion of Mexican American land owners. 1904 The first border patrol is established to stop Asian workers from coming into the United States through Mexico. 1910 Mexican Revolution begins. Thousands of Mexicans flee across the border for safety. 1921 The Immigration Act of 1921 restricts the immigration of Southern and Eastern Europeans. Agriculture lobbyists rally to block the movement to include Mexicans in the proposition. 1924 Largely due to a lack of immigration quotas, more than 89,000 Mexicans come into the United States on permanent visas, making 1924 the peak year for Mexican immigration. 1924 Immigration Act of 1924 halts the flow of other immigrant groups, border stations are established to formally admit Mexican workers, and a tax is collected on each person entering. 1942 The bracero program begins, allowing Mexican nationals to temporarily work in the United States – primarily in the agricultural industry. 1951 The Bracero program is revived. 1953 Operation Wetback: The U. S. Immigration Service deports more than 3. 8 million people of Mexican heritage. 1954 The film  Salt of the Earthis heralded by many as a true representation of Mexican Americans and their struggle. 1964 The first maquiladoras are established under the Border Industrialization Program; mass employment of cheap labor along the Mexican border by U.S. companies begins. 1964 The bracero program is finally repealed, and Mexican American labor leaders see an opportunity to work toward unionizing the farmworkers. 1965 The Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965 limits immigrants into the United States. 1982 The largest increase of maquiladoras occurs after devaluation of the Mexican currency. 1994 The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) comes into affect, stimulating trade between the United States and Mexico. Massive increases in border populations occur due to the treaty.

Us Economy Essays (1668 words) - Taxation, , Term Papers

Us Economy Introduction How easy is it for smaller business men to achieve the Aamerican dream. How to stop corporate domination. The question I pose to you is Is the American Dream still achievable? The opportunity is there but for what select few is the opportunity available to. If the resources are out there but I can't tap into the resources they rae of no use to me. (Make note of the fact that we live in a market economy. Body Just about every definition of the market in the dictionary connotes an oppurtunity as a place where goods are bought and sold.(cite dict.) As an abstraction, a market is the possibility of sale. Goods find a market, and we say there is is a market for a service or commodity when there is a demand for it, which means it can and will be sold. Markets are opened to those who want to sell and a convenience for those looking to purchase.(cite 2) The market represents conditions as regards, opportunity for, buying and selling.(cite 2) The market implies offering and choice. The way a market economy works is that there are market pressures that develop for different commodities. The pressures work in one direction for a while, but at the same time pressures are budding that work in the opposite direction. As people look forward and see there's going to be some profit made from their production, they'll make decisions to increase volume, usually hiring more people, buying more materials, often bidding up their prices. When people are competing in the same market, that tends to generate more and more pressure in the direction of expansion. But at the same time, as costs and possibly interest rates rise, pressures begin to operate in the other direction, against profits.(cite 1) The public as a whole must get their fair share of the benefits. Macroeconomic reforms should translate into a more efficient delivery of public services, equity, social welfare and social security.(cite 3) The Economic Policy Institute (EPI) has released its findings on American living standards. The report, issued every other year on a decline that begsn in the late-1970's. The EPI's report also contends that the Americans are working more for less money because of slow growth in wages since 1989. According to the report, wages in the bottom 80% of men have declined since 1989. The report also contends that 20% of women have experienced a decline in trsl esgrd dincr the 1980's, a period in which wages fell but family income increased because of longer hours at work and increased participation of women in the workforce. Critics assert that the report wrongly focuses on declining wages as a gauge to the income of the American family. Such critics find spending a more appropriate means by which to measure income.(cite 4) One proposal would birng back the 10% income deduction for second earners that was eliminated in the Tax Reform Act of 1986.(cite 5) Under that rule, a couple with two earners can deduct from taxable income 10 percent of the earnings of the spouse with the lower earnings(generally, the wife) up to 30,000 of earnings.(cite 5) Since almost all married working women earn less than 30,000, this is equivalent to a 10 percent reduction in the wife's marginal tax rate.(cite 5) To get a sense of how substansial this offset would be, consider a typical middle-class two earner couple. The husband earns 45,000 per year, and the wife earns $15,000 per year by working 1,000 hours at $15 per hour. They pay tax at a marginal income tax rate of 28 percent plus a payroll tax of 7.65 percent.(cite 5) They also pay at a typical state income tax rate of 5 percent.(cite 5) As a result, the wife's $15 per hour wage produces only a net of $8.90 per hour.(cite 5) If she didn't change her work, the deduction would reduce her taxable earnings from $15,000 to $13,500.(cite 5) With a marginal income tac rate of 28 percent, that would cut her tax payments by 420 per year.(cite 5) That's how the current method of revenue estimation would evaluate the revenue effect of the deduction, a $420 revenue loss. But the 10 percent cut in her effective marginal income tax rate (which would result from deducting 10 percent of her earnings from taxable income) would raise her net hourly take-home by a little less than 5 percent, from $8.90 per hour to $9.32 per hour.(cite 5) Statistical studies of the labor supply of

Go for It With Pa’lante

Go for It With Pa’lante Palante is not a word you will find in any standard Spanish dictionaries. Spanish teachers might even cringe upon hearing it. It is a Spanish slang word loosely translated as onward, go ahead, or go for it. Where Pa’lante Comes From Palante  is a well-understood  slang  word apparently originally used in Caribbean Spanish-speaking areas and seems to be gaining popularity in other parts of the Spanish-speaking world. Its a shortened version of para  adelante, a fairly common phrase made up of the  preposition  para, often meaning for, and  adelante, an  adverb  (sometimes functioning as other  parts of speech) meaning forward. What is unique about this word and its use is that  contractions and  apostrophes  are rarely used in Spanish. In fact, using apostrophes to indicate letters are missing is usually thought of as an Anglicism. For some inexplicable reason, palante is sometimes spelled as palante and is listed that way as slang in the Collins Spanish Dictionary. But the spelling of palante is far more common. It is not listed in the Royal Spanish Academy Dictionary (known as DRAE for its Spanish initials), the languages most authoritative reference source. Famous Word at Rallies Palante is something commonly heard at rallies usually used to rile up a person or group to action. As evidence of its burgeoning spread outside of the Caribbean, the word was used as part of a slogan at pro-Hugo Chvez rallies in Caracas, Venezuela:  ¡Palante Comandante!  Chvez was the president of Venezuela from 2002 to 2013. A literal translation of the rhyming phrase  ¡Palante Comandante!, would be something like Forward, Commander! although that direct interpretation does not capture the subtle connotation nor the colloquial nature of the phrase. El  CotVmandante  was a popular reference to Chvez. In the context of rallies, other translations of palante might be go ahead, onward, go for it, hang in there or keep on going. Pop Culture References Pop icon and Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin brought the word mainstream in his 1995 musical hit,  Marà ­a. A popular line from the song: Un, dos, tres, un pasito palante Maria! The line translates to, One, two, three, one little step forward, Maria!  The song topped the charts at the time and became Martins first international hit single. Before and after Martin, Spanish music artists have been using the slang word in music hits. Other famous titles with the word include Echa  Palante, by  Mexican recording artist, Thalia, made popular in 1997. The song was featured in the 1998 dance competition movie Dance with Me in a memorable scene starring  Vanessa L. Williams  and  Puerto Rican  singer  Chayanne. As an example of the words use in song prior to Martin, Puerto Rican-American Latin jazz great, Tito Puente released a song, Palante, which he subtitled Straight in English.   Palante con Cristina (Palante With Cristina) is a popular show on Telemundo, a U.S. cable TV network. Related Phrases One related phrase that is widespread is echado para adelante. The sentence Estamos echados para adelante can mean something like, Were all ready to go for it. Sometimes echado para adelante is shortened to something like echao padelante. These phrases are not considered formal Spanish, but would most likely be used in the context of colloquial speech or familiar conversation.   Palante in Names of Programs or Groups Palante has become word often used in the names of organizations on programs to help convey they idea of progress. Among them: Mujeres Palante is a cooperative employment organization of and for the benefit of women. It is based in Barcelona, Spain.Palante Harlem is a New York tax-exempt organization devoted to housing issues.Echar PaLante is a campaign devoted to the betterment of Puerto Rico.PaLante Pacà ­fico is a philanthropic effort connected with the University of the Andes (Universidad de los Andes) in Bogot, Colombia.The PaLante Afterschool Program is for elementary children in Allentown, Penn. Key Takeaways Palante is an increasingly common Spanish slang word that isnt listed in most dictionaries.Palante is used to indicate concepts such as encouragement, enthusiasm, resolve, and progress.The word can be found in song titles and names of organizations throughout the Spanish-speaking world.

What will replace passwords Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

What will replace passwords - Research Paper Example At the same time, social media has created a medium for people to interact and share their personal information with other people located in different parts of the world. Countries have democratized the use of technology in order in order to sustain the stream of development that can be accrued from the use of the internet. It is now evident that the expanding of cyberspace is bringing new opportunities and at the same time; new threats. While the cyberspace is encouraging open markets and open social orders, the openness of this space has exposed the people towards cyber attacks. Many of the countries have tried to protect their people against the attacks. However, the technological sector is evolving very fast, an aspect that is making it very hard for the institutions that have been put up to deter the attacks to keep up with the changes. The internet providers and social media companies have not been able to put up stern measures to avoid the attacks. A cyber-attack is the conscious misuse of computer frameworks, technology-ward endeavours, and systems. Cyber-attacks use pernicious code to modify computer system, rationale, or information, bringing about troublesome results that can trade off information and lead to cyber crimes, for example, data and wholesale fraud (Wilson, 2014). Cyber-attacks were originating from various distinctive sources and varieties. There are different procedures to use in cyber-attacks and an assortment of approaches to control them to people or foundations on a more extensive scale. Attacks are broken down into two classes, Syntactic attacks, and Semantic attacks. Syntactic attacks are direct; it is viewed as vindictive software which incorporates viruses, worms, and Trojan stallions. A standard computer virus, presumably the most widely recognized type of a cyber-attack, may addition beginning to access to a computer or framework in two ways: remotely or proximately. A few viruses, for example, Conficker, spread through a

Creole linguistics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

Creole linguistics - Essay Example Although there are still many debatable aspects their inclusion into the linguistic arena has motivated scholars to have closer inspections. Unlike languages such as Slavic and Germanic languages Creole languages are different because they have no common ancestor (Baptista 5). All the creole languages put together can never be traced to a particular language or group of languages but what is evident is that there are traces of many different languages within the creoles of different regions. One of the observable features of creole is the use of the double negative or the subject as well as the verb in the negative. This double negative could be influenced by the Romance languages such as Spanish since this is grammatically incorrect in English. The Spanish, â€Å"Yo no voy a ninguna parte,† to Jamaican Creole, â€Å"mi na go no wey,† to the English, â€Å"I am not going anywhere,† is an example of this feature. This is used by the creole speaker to show emphasis and assertiveness. A creole is a restrictive language. Scholars point out that they were developed for communication means. They therefore lack many of the linguistic structures found in other languages. One of the features that point to this restriction is with regard to questions. The structure of the sentence is usually the same as when one makes a statement. The only difference is in the intonation. This could be due to the absence of a written code for the language. A language that is only perpetuated orally will have reduced structures different from those languages that are written. For example, Guyanese Creole â€Å"he gone,† can both mean â€Å"he is gone,† or â€Å"has he gone?† One is just left to the mercy of the speaker’s intonation before being able to decode the message. Apart from questioning there are other areas of creole languages that involves the intonation and emotional involvement

Summary and strong respond Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Summary and strong respond - Essay Example Several states have been on the move to completely do away with the use of the death penalty while in other states actions have been taken to limit its use. For example, The United States is one country where use of the death penalty has been highly controversial and greatly debated (Walker 10). Capital punishment has no confirmable preventive effect but in real sense, it has caused loss of life, and this may contribute to a cycle of violence that raises murder rates. This loss is brought about when a person kills another, the convicted person is killed, and this shows how the death penalty is costly more than keeping convicted murderers in prison for life. There has been a number of cases where innocent people have been condemned wrongfully due to lack of enough evidence. This has led to several innocent people being executed because there has been no standard guidelines regarding which criminal would receive a death sentence. Defendants who were poor, a member of a minority group, uneducated, or mentally ill received the death penalty more often than those who did not fit these characteristics (Walker 12). In the past, some states allowed the capital punishment for crimes such as rape, criminal assault, kidnapping, forgery, concealing the death or birth of an infant, and arson. Each state has the death penalty that is used in cases of the first murder degree. This system of capital punishment entrenches different states to be obsessed with killing people. It teaches the lesson that some people may kill others willfully, deliberately, and with premeditation as long as they are the right people doing it for the right reasons in the rig ht manner ( Bedau 10). It is true that such killings as a punishment are not necessary, since there are several well established alternative methods of punishment including long-term imprisonment that is used by most states worldwide. Those who argue for the capital

Takeover and Strategy Proposal

Takeover and Strategy Proposal The following strategy and takeover proposal examines the contracting division of Masters Building Company Limited. The proposal undertakes a SWOT analysis, used as the foundation for strategy in marketing, division structure, and teamwork. Each area of concern is examined based on what has previously occurred, what is proposed to occur, and what the expected outcomes are. The strategic initiatives seek to prompt Masters Building Company Limited into a new era of relationship marketing, decentralised managerial structure, and strong employee morale. The firm’s strengths are that it has a strong consumer base with a positive history and social status. This is assumed from the long tradition of the firm in its operative area. The firm has very low debt and is profitable. There is some growth in the contracting division. The firm’s weaknesses are the lack of new client contracts, the recent decision to open new offices requiring overdrafts for the new offices of the contracting division. The contracting division also has low employee moral. Another weakness is that there is little work in the Exerter area and low complexity of projects. The firm has opportunities in altering its managerial and team structures to create stronger employee moral. It has opportunities in creating more complex projects through regional marketing of the new offices. The firm’s external threats are the credit crisis and recession, increased pressure from creditors for early payment and delays in receiving stage payments. The firm can overcome these threats by focusing in its strengths of tradition and customer relationships which can be implemented through stronger marketing strategies. The construction industry is highly competitive, and the ability of management to use marketing as a valuable service is imperative to gaining contracts (Shutt 1995). The focus of the takeover proposal is to generate more complex construction work for the betterment of the company. In doing so, the takeover proposal recognises that Masters has the potential to increase its commercial bids through a stronger marketing mix. Commercial bids are preferred due to their work complexity, which generates revenue and knowledge based experience for the firm (Finkel 1996). Furthermore, commercial bids are understood to have mixed uses and are often allocated by internal funds, thus they have minimal effects of interest rates and public policies (Finkel 1996). Since the scale of major construction projects is a barrier to small firms, it is imperative that Masters be placed under a strong examination of capital requirements in terms of current and necessary tools and materials, as both time and money are required to create jobs in commercial markets (Shutt 1995). Specialty contract work in commercial industry is the focus as this allows for small to medium sized businesses such as Masters to enter the market, generating stronger income (Canter 1994). The focus will be on small, complex projects in renovation and alteration. The takeover proposal is to include the past customers with new potential in a stronger marketing strategy as the firm moves towards the development of new offices it will require more marketing resources in Plymouth, Bristol and Bournemout. The takeover proposal must include a strategic business outline as: Figure 1 Marketing Strategy The current structure is very linear and hierarchical. While this has worked in the traditional construction industry, it bars open communication. It is recommended that the structure be evaluated and redistributed to increase communication between areas of the contracting division. This is imperative as the firm is expanding to add new estimators and managers. The takeover proposal is not to remove Frank Burton, but to readdress his position as an authoritarian manager into one of quality leadership that allows for stronger determination of the firm’s detection of, allocation of, and income from, the contracting division. Deficiencies in structure occur when there are low knowledge flows, which constrict planning techniques and lessen control of the contractual position (Finkel 1996). Figure 2 Structure Strategy Under Frank Burton’s traditional authoritarian management, the contracting division has low morale. Change management is required to rejuvenate the team. The contracting division has multiple intricacies that are dependent on the ability of management to integrate capabilities (Shutt 1995). The contracting division has a discontinuous business environment due to temporal bidding and allocation concerns, creating less efficient workloads (Shutt 1995). Establishing measures for efficiency is imperative to increase productivity, variables in staff periods, job roles, training incentives, and operations should be set to overcome staffing issues (Shut 1995). Figure 3 Team Strategy The impact of previous changes in the structure of the contracting and specialist service divisions have lead to a third reduction in overhead costs as staffing levels have been reduced, however turnover has increased. The contracting division has a turnover of 4,377,000Â £ with overheads at 9.5% and profits at 2.1%. Thus, net profits are only 91,917Â £, while overhead is 415,815Â £, which shows a negative cost efficiency strategy. Overhead costs are higher in Bristol and Bournemouth, where net profit is also lower, and that regional office has a smaller staff. This is likely due to the increased debt of the Bristol and Bournemouth locations. The common economic pathway for reducing overhead costs is not always to strategically move staff and relocate management or offices in new regions. This may lead to a false economy, since overhead costs were not lowered, just moved. Therefore, the takeover must consider strong evaluation of Masters complete economic position for the sake of reducing the high overhead costs. Market economic show that overhead cost reduction is found in low-cost production, availability of quality products and effective supply chain management (Rockley 1984). Cost concerns require a more efficient use of temporary and low-complexity work, and examining the markets in the regional offices to evaluate their cost effectiveness (Rockley 1984; Shutt 1994). It is not clear if the move to the regions such as Bristol was cost effective, however it is assumed that this was not an efficient move since it has higher overhead and lower profits (Rockley 1984). Therefore, it is likely that these regional offices ar e simply geographically out of place for the construction market (Shutt 1994). Furthermore, the construction industry itself is highly labour intensive, therefore it stands to reason that staff turnover and quality control as well as the product supply chain must be streamlined to lower costs and increase profitability (Shutt 1994). Activity name Project Leader Estimated start Estimated finish Market Analysis of Service Differentiation Len 4-Jan-09 4-Mar-09 Market Analysis of Relationship Management Len 20-Jan-09 21-Feb-09 Market Analysis of Marketing Mix Len 6-Feb-09 16-Apr-09 Restructuring from Hierarchical to Decentralised Gordon and Frank 24-Feb-09 25-Apr-09 Communication Pathways Open Door Policy Gordon and Frank 8-Mar-09 18-Mar-09 Communication Pathways Between Regional Offices Gordon and Frank 19-Mar-09 29-Apr-09 Examination of Job Roles Gordon and Frank 10-Apr-09 20-Apr-09 Examination of Training Gordon and Frank 10-Apr-09 22-Jun-09 Examination of Employee Resources Gordon and Frank 18-Apr-09 30-Aug-09 Supply and Production Analysis Sammy 30-Jun-09 30-Aug-09 Quality and Effectiveness Analysis Frank 30-Aug-09 21-Jul-09 Regional Market Analysis Frank 14-Jun-09 12-Aug-09 Figure 4 Milestones Canter M.R. (1994) Resource Management for Construction, London: Macmillan Finkel, Gregory (1996) Economics For Construction Industry. London: M.E. Sharpe Rockley L.E. (1984) Finance for the Non-Accountant, USA: Business Books Shutt R.C. (1995) Economics for the Construction Industry, London: Longman

Deception Point Page 34

Tolland looked only partially comforted, his relief apparently clouded by a deeper mystery. â€Å"I can't be for sure without a microscope,† Tolland said, â€Å"but it looks to me like this is a bioluminescent plankton from the phylum Pyrrophyta. Its name means fire plant. The Arctic Ocean is filled with it.† Corky shrugged. â€Å"So why'd you ask if they were from space?† â€Å"Because,† Tolland said, â€Å"the meteorite was buried in glacial ice-fresh water from snowfalls. The water in that hole is glacial melt and has been frozen for three centuries. How could ocean creatures get in there?† Tolland's point brought a long silence. Rachel stood at the edge of the pool and tried to get her mind around what she was looking at. Bioluminescent plankton in the extraction shaft. What does it mean? â€Å"There's got to be a crack somewhere down there,† Tolland said. â€Å"It's the only explanation. The plankton must have entered the shaft through a fissure in the ice that allowed ocean water to seep in.† Rachel didn't understand. â€Å"Seep in? From where?† She recalled her long IceRover ride in from the ocean. â€Å"The coast is a good two miles from here.† Both Corky and Tolland gave Rachel an odd look. â€Å"Actually,† Corky said, â€Å"the ocean is directly underneath us. This slab of ice is floating.† Rachel stared at the two men, feeling utterly perplexed. â€Å"Floating? But†¦ we're on a glacier.† â€Å"Yes, we're on a glacier,† Tolland said, â€Å"but we're not over land. Glaciers sometimes flow off a landmass and fan out over water. Because ice is lighter than water, the glacier simply continues to flow, floating out over the ocean like an enormous ice raft. That's the definition of an ice shelf†¦ the floating section of a glacier.† He paused. â€Å"We're actually almost a mile out to sea at the moment.† Shocked, Rachel instantly became wary. As she adjusted her mental picture of her surroundings, the thought of standing over the Arctic Ocean brought with it a sense of fear. Tolland seemed to sense her uneasiness. He stamped his foot reassuringly on the ice. â€Å"Don't worry. This ice is three hundred feet thick, with two hundred of those feet floating below the water like an ice cube in a glass. Makes the shelf very stable. You could build a skyscraper on this thing.† Rachel gave a wan nod, not entirely convinced. The misgivings aside, she now understood Tolland's theory about the origins of the plankton. He thinks there's a crack that goes all the way down to the ocean, allowing plankton to come up through it into the hole. It was feasible, Rachel decided, and yet it involved a paradox that bothered her. Norah Mangor had been very clear about the integrity of the glacier, having drilled dozens of test cores to confirm its solidity. Rachel looked at Tolland. â€Å"I thought the glacier's perfection was the cornerstone of all the strata-dating records. Didn't Dr. Mangor say the glacier had no cracks or fissures?† Corky frowned. â€Å"Looks like the ice queen muffed it.† Don't say that too loudly, Rachel thought, or you'll get an ice pick in the back. Tolland stroked his chin as he watched the phosphorescing creatures. â€Å"There's literally no other explanation. There must be a crack. The weight of the ice shelf on top of the ocean must be pushing plankton-rich sea-water up into the hole.† One hell of a crack, Rachel thought. If the ice here was three hundred feet thick and the hole was two hundred feet deep, then this hypothetical crack had to pass through a hundred feet of solid ice. Norah Mangor's test cores showed no cracks. â€Å"Do me a favor,† Tolland said to Corky. â€Å"Go find Norah. Let's hope to God she knows something about this glacier that she's not telling us. And find Ming, too, maybe he can tell us what these little glow-beasties are.† Corky headed off. â€Å"Better hurry,† Tolland called after him, glancing back into the hole. â€Å"I could swear this bioluminescence is fading.† Rachel looked at the hole. Sure enough, the green was not so brilliant now. Tolland removed his parka and lay down on the ice next to the hole. Rachel watched, confused. â€Å"Mike?† â€Å"I want to find out if there's any saltwater flowing in.† â€Å"By lying on the ice without a coat?† â€Å"Yup.† Tolland crawled on his belly to the edge of the hole. Holding one sleeve of the coat over the edge, he let the other sleeve dangle down the shaft until the cuff skimmed the water. â€Å"This is a highly accurate salinity test used by world-class oceanographers. It's called ‘licking a wet jacket.'† Out on the ice shelf, Delta-One struggled with the controls, trying to keep the damaged microbot in flight over the group now assembled around the excavation pit. From the sounds of the conversation beneath, he knew things were unraveling fast. â€Å"Call the controller,† he said. â€Å"We've got a serious problem.† 40 Gabrielle Ashe had taken the White House public tour many times in her youth, secretly dreaming of someday working inside the presidential mansion and becoming part of the elite team that charted the country's future. At the moment, however, she would have preferred to be anywhere else in the world. As the Secret Serviceman from the East Gate led Gabrielle into an ornate foyer, she wondered what in the world her anonymous informant was trying to prove. Inviting Gabrielle into the White House was insane. What if I'm seen? Gabrielle had become quite visible lately in the media as Senator Sexton's right-hand aide. Certainly someone would recognize her. â€Å"Ms. Ashe?† Gabrielle looked up. A kind-faced sentry in the foyer gave her a welcoming smile. â€Å"Look over there, please.† He pointed. Gabrielle looked where he was pointing and was blinded by a flashbulb. â€Å"Thank you, ma'am.† The sentry led her to a desk and handed her a pen. â€Å"Please sign the entry log.† He pushed a heavy leather binder in front of her. Gabrielle looked at the log. The page before her was blank. She recalled hearing once that all White House visitors sign on their own blank page to preserve the privacy of their visit. She signed her name. So much for a secret meeting. Gabrielle walked through a metal detector, and was then given a cursory pat down. The sentry smiled. â€Å"Enjoy your visit, Ms. Ashe.† Gabrielle followed the Secret Serviceman fifty feet down a tiled hallway to a second security desk. Here, another sentry was assembling a guest pass that was just rolling out of a lamination machine. He punched a hole in it, affixed a neck cord, and slipped it over Gabrielle's head. The plastic was still warm. The photo on the ID was the snapshot they had taken fifteen seconds earlier down the hall. Gabrielle was impressed. Who says government is inefficient? They continued, the Secret Serviceman leading her deeper into the White House complex. Gabrielle was feeling more uneasy with every step. Whoever had extended the mysterious invitation certainly was not concerned about keeping the meeting private. Gabrielle had been issued an official pass, signed the guest log, and was now being marched in plain view through the first floor of the White House where public tours were gathered. â€Å"And this is the China Room,† a tour guide was saying to a group of tourists, â€Å"home of Nancy Reagan's $952 per setting red-rimmed china that sparked a debate over conspicuous consumption back in 1981.† The Secret Serviceman led Gabrielle past the tour toward a huge marble staircase, where another tour was ascending. â€Å"You are about to enter the thirty-two-hundred-square-foot East Room,† the guide was narrating, â€Å"where Abigail Adams once hung John Adams's laundry. Then we will pass to the Red Room, where Dolley Madison liquored up visiting heads of state before James Madison negotiated with them.†

Stalin did more harm than good to Russia

The role of Joseph Stalin in the history of post-revolutionary Russia is remarkable as well as the history of the USSR itself. Stalin is associated with great purges, repressions, victory over the bloodiest regime in the WWII, mass deportations and the executions. Stalin’s name is also associated with the huge industrial raise of the USSR at the pre-WWII period, forcible collectivization of peasants and relocation of hundreds of thousands of people. He is also responsible for the bloodiest repression system known as Gulag and suppression of any manifestations of oppositions.The roots of â€Å"the red terror† in Russia go back to the attempt of assassination of Lenin in 1918. The thesis of â€Å"class struggle† became the dominating one and the ideology of the newly established state was programmed for the violence. This thesis correlated with the general course of the Bolshevik’s propaganda of the â€Å"global revolution† and establishing the Commun ist rule globally as the final aim. Joseph Stalin, a student of the Orthodox seminary in Georgia was grasped with the ideas of Karl Marx and joined the students in their protests against tsar.Stalin joined the radical organizations attempting to protest against authorities, was arrested by police and exiled to Siberia. Stalin escaped in Siberia several times, made friends with Lenin and became growing in the hierarchy of the Communist Party. After the revolution of 1917 he took the leading posts in the Communist Party. He took on the roles of political commissar for the Red Army during the civil war, and was the editor of Pravda translated as â€Å"truth,† In these capacities, Stalin was able to become a powerful figure within the party, but he did make enemies.One of them was another key revolutionary figure, a man named Leon Trotsky. By 1922, Stalin was powerful enough to take on the role of General Secretary of the Communist Party. 1 After the end of the Civil War the Bols heviks started to re-evaluate the political course. There were several groups advocating various ways of the future development. Before his death in 1924 Lenin warned his colleagues on the rudeness of Stalin and Stalin opponents tried to get the chance to back him from the power.Stalin presented an argument that Lenin before his death was sick and all his warnings should not have been taken seriously. Ideologically Stalin in contrast to Trotsky advocated an idea of building the socialism in the particular taken country. It contradicted the idea of the global proletarian revolution supported by Trotsky and his followers. Before his death Lenin introduced NEP, the new economic policy based on the partial liberalization of economy, turning it partially to the private sector. This measure was considered to be temporal and brought certain results.Before the revolution Russia was one of the main exporters of grain. After getting power Stalin took certain steps to renew the image of Russia as the main grain exporter. The former economic relations had been destroyed and the new ones were not built. The first wave of repression known as collectivization began. Peasants were forced to enter the collective farms, more or less well-to-do peasants were exiled and their property was confiscated. The military units collected the harvest by force and sent the products to cities.The repression machine started working and people were prosecuted and sent to prison even for to gleaning. One of the most striking phenomena of the 30’s Soviet Union was famine which burst out even in the rural regions of Ukraine famous for its fertile soil. The agricultural products were forcibly collected and sent to the cities. Of course, Stalin was responsible for this. Meanwhile the inner ideological struggle between the Communist Party leaders was going on. Stalin tried to eliminate any influence of the exiled Trotsky.The advocates of the Stalin’s rule stated that the situation of the USSR was difficult, it was surrounded by the countries with the hostile according to Lenin ideologies and the country needed the strong leader to renew the industry and provide the economic growth. Having nothing but the repressive machine Stalin started the great renewal of the industry. The huge repressive machine started its operations in 1936 after the assassination of Kirov in 1934. Huge formation described by Alexander Solzhenitsyn as â€Å"Archipelago Gulag† was established.GULAG is the abbreviation from Russian of Main Department of Prisons. NKVD (secret police) tried to unmask imaginary anti-Stalin conspiracies throughout the country. One of the most tragic consequences of the Stalin’s repression was the elimination of the Soviet military elite before the WWII. Almost all outstanding military leaders were repressed and executed. At the same time all remarkable pre-WWII industrial achievements were associated with Stalin and mass repressions. Article 58 of the criminal code presupposed severe repressions for being â€Å"the people’s enemy†.The interpretation of the code was very broad. The representatives of intelligentsia, science, and army were imprisoned according to this article. This article could be applied to anyone and condemned had to work hard building the hydropower stations, plants, roads and channels. The cheap labor of Gulag was the main reason of the industrial achievements of the 30’s. At the same time the cult of the Stalin’s personality was steadily growing. A number of songs, poems and films were devoted to â€Å"the Father of Peoples†.The adoration was reaching absurd forms very often and it was nothing more but fear to be repressed moved the Stalin’s admirers. This is one of the examples of widely used odes to Stalin: O great Stalin, O leader of the peoples, Thou who broughtest man to birth. Thou who fructifies the earth, Thou who restorest to centuries, Thou who makest bl oom the spring, Thou who makest vibrate the musical chords†¦ Thou, splendour of my spring, O thou, Sun reflected by millions of hearts. 2 The USSR was completely unprepared to the WWII known as the Great Patriotic War in the history of the Soviet Union.It is very complicated issue to discuss the reasons of the war but the role of Stalin was remarkable. By 1941 when German fascists attacked the USSR the personality cult of Stalin was successfully formed and played its certain (though questionable) role in the consolidation of the nation. The political biography of Stalin is a remarkable phenomenon. Millions of people were executed and the bloodiest human hating fascist regime was eliminated. He turned the theory of socialism upside down; he replaced the original thesis â€Å"socialism for people† by his own â€Å"people for socialism†.His saying â€Å"there is no problems if there is no a person† reflects his style of leadership. Outstanding scientists were intentionally imprisoned to work in the secret closed scientific institutes developing the mass destruction weapon. Stalin played his certain positive role in the WWII, but the causes and consequences of the war have not been yet still clearly defined. The victory over Nazism is sometimes presented as the Stalin’s personal achievement and historians sometimes don’t care about the 200 million people and brilliant military leaders who directed Soviet soldiers.The historical evaluation is very difficult thing and the responsibility of Stalin for genocide against the Soviet people is unquestionable. At the same time the dictators are not just villains. This would be a very simplified approach. Soviet people under the guidance of Stalin built one of the world’s most powerful economies though it cost millions of innocent victims. The Soviet leader of the 60’s Nikita Khrushev admitted and unmasked the cult of personality of Stalin but system changes took place o nly in late 80’s under the guidance of Gorbachev

2nd Class Citizens In Greek Society Essays - Free Essays

2nd Class Citizens In Greek Society Essays - Free Essays 2nd Class Citizens in Greek Society Throughout human history the roles of women and men have been defined in part by physiology and in part by the attitudes conveyed by those who hold power and influence. In ancient history, societies were centered around women and the worshipping of goddesses. These roles changed quickly as hunting and warfare became increasingly more important and women's less powerful physique placed them in a weaker position. Just prior to the Hellenistic Age, three men wrote of their times, and of their perceptions, attitudes and ideas regarding men, women, and civilization. In Oedipus Rex by Sophocles we get a glimpse inside the life and tragic misfortunes of a royal family. Thucydides wrote a history of the Peloponnesian war, and in his recounting of Pericles' Funeral Oration the duties and benefits of Athenians were revealed. Plato's The Republic, was a philosophical dialogue covering the times as they were and how he felt they possibly could be better. In each of these works t! he roles of women are revealed not only through their position within the community but also through the relation of the benefits and rights men enjoyed which women were denied. During the time of Sophocles, the Greek population led a simplistic life enjoying a dynamic life of festivals, light work loads and the attendance of compulsory dramas paid for by the state for human enhancement. The Greek population consisted of free men, free women and slaves. Men were at the top of the hierarchy enjoying all the benefits provided by their civilization; involvement in politics, ownership of property, influence, and the freedom to chose their actions. Women on the other hand were primarily delegated to keeping up and nurturing the appearances of society; care of the home and children, upkeep of possessions, and more importantly upkeep of their husbands reputations and honor. Throughout Sophocles' Oedipus Rex the values that make a good citizen (that being a free male) are introduced. These include being humble before the gods, being responsible for your actions while having respect for humans and for the instructions of the gods. The expectations and roles of women are also shown through the actions of Jocasta the queen in comparison with the actions of her husband Oedipus. Jocasta is not entitled to as much public power as her husband, her role is in the background, helping direct him privately and always caring to keep up his reputation. She says during one of Oedipus's public outbursts, "Into the palace now. And Creon, you go home. Why make such a furor over nothing?"1, while at another time she submissively says, "...But do let's go inside. I'd never displease you, least of all in this."2 This weak and dependent perception of women is evidenced even more when hearing Oedipus talk of his children to Creon, "... my daughters, my poor helpless girls, clustering at our table, never without me hovering over them ... take care of them, I beg you."3 He continues saying to his children; "How I weep for you ...just thinking of all your days to come, the bitterness, the life that rough mankind will thrust upon you. Where are the public gatherings you can join, the banquets of the clans? ...And when you reach perfection, ripe for marriage, who will he be, my dear ones? ... Who will marry you then? Not a man on earth. Your doom is clear: you'll wither away to nothing, single, without a child."4 When Jocasta and Oedipus finally hear that their fate has indeed come to pass, the actions of each are very different, but also very indicative of their perspective roles. Oedipus takes a powerful stance by inflicting a life-long punishment on himself. Jocasta takes the meeker route, by hanging herself she saves herself from the dishonor of having to live with the knowledge of her fateful actions, and from the terribly rough life she would have being stigmatized and being forced to live without a proper husband and provider. By the time of the Peloponnesian War, the status of women had not changed much. Although women were allowed to own some amount of property, the daily management of that property was the responsibility of her husband. A women's

Essay Sample on HR Technique during Periods of Change and Uncertainty

Essay Sample on HR Technique during Periods of Change and Uncertainty It is widely believed that one can fool anybody for all time, one can fool everybody for a short time but it is impossible to fool everybody for all time. This is the focal point of the above statement. I believe that an organization is a long termed project and not just a sort termed profit making scam. To attain success in the long term and attain success an organization must look into issues that would help the organization in the long term. One such issue is to maintain sustainability over a long period of time and to attain sustainability the most important variable related to an organization is Trust with a capital T. It is this trust that helps an organization to be fruitful and develop. By using the word trust it is not meant to be applicable to any specific firm or individual. It is not only applicable towards clients and suppliers but it is relevant to everybody associated with the company or organization. This principle could be formulated into a HR technique that would yield surplus in the long run. Trust is not just about the stake holders of the company but more so it is applicable towards its employees too. There is no meaning of showing a bright future where there is none; rather it would be far more positive attitude to reveal everything that is true about the organization. It is not only a moral approach but a trust building operation that would prove to be helpful in future and a HR manager would never let go a chance to win the faith of a worker. (Mukherjee, 28) Revealing the open truth about the company is the most effective way of taking an employee into complete confidence. If you need a custom essay, research paper, thesis, term paper, dissertation on Management, Business or other discipline feel free to contact our professional custom writing service.

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

Journal 2 - Essay Example Barfing is something that is universal and yet so private, which makes it a perfect symbol of identity. Myles is telling a story about her political sestina, and then she narrates a story concerning a boat of barfers. She wants to puke herself because of her poem and her own feelings for it. She wants to express her sincere emotions, like a barf would have. In real life, however, it is hard to be â€Å"real† without being judged as fake. I believe she wants to say that to puke is â€Å"to be,† in the terms of â€Å"identity.† To puke is utterly natural in a most disgusting way. Who said it is disgusting anyway? Why cannot people freely barf without being judged? In other words, why cannot people be who they are and who they want to be with without feeling the disgusted eyes of the people around them? Myles is showing the way to knowing thyself through the art of barfing the inner contents of oneself. Myles’ relationship with her mother is troubled and the center of her barfing because as her mother, she is her foundation as a person. Myles, nevertheless, admits her complex relationship with the woman who gave birth to her. On the one hand, she wants to be near her again. I want to confirm with Myles if it is for companionship. Does she want to be with her mother because of her failed relationships with other women? She might be craving for comfort from the original woman of her life. Or, Myles might be blaming her mother for controlling her life, so she might as well suffer with her. Despite the restless emotions, Myles understands that her mother has not completely destroyed her. Living with her mother has turned her into a puke hater. She must have wanted to puke because she has a hard time being who she is with her mother. Myles cannot directly express her identity to her mother. Puking is her release. It is her way of â€Å"being† without being so blatant about it. Forming and

Program and culture class in architecture Assignment

Program and culture class in architecture - Assignment Example I have particularly chosen this site because it presents a different culture from my own. I come from Indonesia and would like to experience a different culture. A sizeable number of customers attends the cafà © and as such, the number will be enough to draw meaningful conclusion. Riverside Public Library is one of the smallest libraries in the United States and I can easily access it since it is public. It is not congested like other public libraries and as such, I can easily conduct my study there. People attend the library from different cultural background and my visit there will provide me with an opportunity to mix and interact with different cultures. I will be able to identify one fellow who will introduce me to the place. The grocery is located with the Guatemalteca Bakery Restaurant and offers Guatemalan and Latin American foods. It is visited by a sizeable number of people and is accessible to members of the public. Since It is mostly attended my Latin American people, I will get an opportunity to interact with the new

Quality Standards Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Quality Standards - Essay Example The paper further provides a comparative analysis of the strategies adopted by the department before and after the abolishment of the CAAs. Introduction According to Cote (2009), the Quality Assurance (QA) systems used by the Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue Services (FRS) have traditionally been developed from several important commitments and principles outlined by the government with regards to public services. The framework for QA is based primarily on developing long-term policies and strategies that deliver tangible outcomes without focusing solely on short-term issues. The quality of service provided is measured with respect to the satisfaction levels among citizens and whether they full all their requirements. As such, QA procedures and systems used by the Nottinghamshire FRS do not give any special preference towards providers. Improving efficiency and providing quicker services without any room for mediocrity are also other parameters that have been given due importance by the QA systems (Odpm, 2009). As the subsequent paragraphs will demonstrate, the Nottinghamshire FRS also realizes the crucial role of technology in its operations and has made some important investments to include technological developments within its internal workflows. From an economic perspective, Nottinghamshire has faced two major challenges over the preceding decade. PAC (2009) says that the region faces a low level of innovation and income levels when compared on a national scale which has resulted in fewer jobs within the private sector. Between 2008 and 2009, the local economy faced the greatest challenge from the financial crisis and global recession. This has increased unemployment and has affected several industrial sectors within Nottinghamshire. In this scenario, the public sector has emerged as a major provider of jobs in the country. In the case of the Nottinghamshire FRS, the situation presents a challenge in terms of providing quality service to citizens, planning for future expenses more carefully and creating more jobs within the existing financial constraints (Wilkinson, 2010). Another issue that faces the region is the rapidly aging population, which is expected to double by 2025 (Hessami, 2009). These demographic trends have prompted a long-term challenge to the Nottinghamshire FRS when planning future services. The FRS notes that elderly people are prone to depend more on rescue services then other age classes. Besides, the pressure from a larger elderly population, enhanced by age-related health problems and pensioner poverty, is only likely to increase their dependence on the FRS. The department has been working towards improving its response times in such cases and is contemplating several educational programs to instruct elderly people on the danger of dwelling fires, which have been noted as primary causes of mishaps among people aged above 80 (National UK Fire Statistics, 2009). This paper provides a discussion of the agency’s quality assessment performance before and after the abolition of the Comprehensive area assessments (CAA) introduced in 2009. Methodology The

Multimedia learning proposes Essay Example for Free

Multimedia learning proposes Essay Multimedia learning proposes ways of going beyond the pure verbal messages which have been used in lectures and printed lessons for hundreds of years. Multimedia learning as Thomas Edison predicted has proved to be an effective method of teaching, has revolutionized our educational system and has supplanted the use of textbooks. Multimedia presentations are known to help learners. The newly developed multimedia technologies which incorporate simultaneous presentations of narration, images and text make the possibilities for instruction vast. Yet how should educators use these technologies to ensure that there is optimal learning? The answer is that the multimedia messages should be designed in the best way using the eight principles for multimedia design as a guideline. Background to the multimedia principles: Mayer is known for his research in the field of cognitive theory. According to Mayer, a multimedia instructional message is a presentation which involves words (such as spoken or written text) and pictures (such as animation, video, illustrations, and photographs) in which the goal is to promote learning. Mayer links cognitive learning theory to multimedia design issues, validating three theory-based assumptions about how people learn from words and pictures: the (1) dual channel assumption which is based upon the theory that pictures are seen by eyes and are processed as pictorial representations in the visual-pictorial channel. Spoken words on the other hand enter through ears and are processed in the other channel of human cognition, the auditory-verbal channel. (2) Limited capacity assumption is demonstrated by auditory- verbal overload. Because each channel in the human cognitive system has a limited capacity for holding and manipulating knowledge, presenting too many visuals and a lot of sounds at the same time causes the auditory-visual channel to become overloaded. And the (3) Active processing assumption implies that optimal learning occurs when learners engage in active processing within the channels which include relevant words and pictures organized into coherent pictorial and verbal models and integrated with each other and other knowledge. The discovery of the eight principles of multimedia design was a result of Mayers research. Each principle was based on the cognitive theory and was supported by the finding of the research. The multimedia principles discussed with good and bad practice examples: These eight principles are explained as follows in more detail, along with their applications. Multimedia Principle: This principle states that carefully and selectively chosen words and pictures enhance a learner’s understanding of an explanation better than words alone. Mayer tells us that deeper understanding occurs because students mentally connect pictorial and verbal representations of the explanation. A study was conducted in which students viewed a narrated animation about pumps or brakes or simply listened to a narration; the students who viewed the narrated animation scored substantially higher. There are numerous examples of the multimedia principle. Desktop publishing programs and the illustrative capabilities of Microsoft Word and PowerPoint adding pictures to a multimedia presentation has become relatively easy. A good practice example would be to use an animation of how an earthquake occurs to support the textual and/or verbal description: when the frictional stress of gliding plate boundaries goes beyond a certain value and causes a failure at a fault line, which results in a violent dislocation of the Earth’s crust. At this point, elastic strain energy is released causing elastic waves to be radiated, leading to an earthquake. The goal of this principle is best achieved when graphics used are meaningful and illustrative in juxtaposition with text. Images which convey meaning, not simply multitudes of clip art images with no instructional purpose. It would be bad practice heaps of pictures which show destructions caused by earthquakes are used when explaining how earthquakes occur. It would actually be a hindrance in the process of learning as it would take focus off the topic and instead bring the costs of the earthquake into discussion. A good use of this principle would be when pictures and animations are used for presenting instructional content where there are used as lesson interfaces and not for any decorative purpose. Contiguity Principle: The contiguity principle examines how words and pictures should be coordinated in multimedia presentations. This principle states that there is more effective learning when the narration and animation are presented simultaneously rather than successively. Also, words and associative pictures should be close each other and presented at the same time so that when the narration or words describes a particular process or action, the animation or picture shows it at the same time. A good practice example of the contiguity principle would be showing a car assembly procedure where narration and video are presented simultaneously. Students would learn better when the two things are coordinated than otherwise. It would be bad practice if the entire textual description or narration of the car assembly procedure which has 23 stages is presented first, prior to the animation or when the animation is played prior to the verbal description. A good idea is to display the narration and animation in close time proximity so that when words describe the action, the visual depicts the same action at the same time. This will make it more likely for the learner to build mental connections linking the verbal and visual representations. Modality Principle: This principle states that students learn more deeply and effectively when words are presented as narration rather than on-screen text. Using animation and text is a method most people use when designing PowerPoint presentations. According to Mayer when both pictures and words are used are displayed in multimedia, only the visual channel is utilized and it easily becomes overloaded. A good idea therefore is to use both processing channels; the visual/pictorial channel and the auditory/verbal channel. When the narration presented is auditory, it is processed by the auditory channel allowing the visual channel the resources to process the graphical content without it becoming overloaded. A good practice example of this principle would be to present an animation of how a bicycle tire pump works together with the narration of the explanation. Presenting some information in visual mode and some in auditory mode will expand working memory capacity and reduce excessive cognitive load. It would not be a good idea to play the narration after or before the animation. Redundancy Principle: This principle states that students learn far better from multimedia presentations consisting of animation and narration than from animation, narration, and text. The redundancy principle rejects the idea of presenting duplicate instructions in different forms. Unless it is necessary, presenting the same information both in narration and on-screen text hinders the process of learning rather than facilitating it. Some people think presenting the same information in multiple forms is safe and at best advantageous. However we must understand the architecture of human cognition. When dealing with new and technical instruction, working memory is very limited and presenting the same information in narration and on-screen text will mean that not all information will be processed. A good practice of this principle would be when a lecturer uses presentations to deliver his lectures. He can narrate the instructions while his presentations present animation and pictures. It would not be good practice if the lecturer has text heavy-slides and yet continues to try to maintain the attention of the audience. This redundancy causes the learners or audience to become wrapped up in either the verbal presentation or the textual material and miss the other. Even worse the learner may decide to not pay attention at all when he is being bombarded with so much information. Coherence Principle: This principle states that students learn better from multimedia presentations when irrelevant material is excluded rather than integrated. Irrelevant words and pictures, interesting but irrelevant sounds and unnecessary words huts the students learning process. Learners throughout the multimedia presentation try to make sense of the material by building a coherent mental representation and any irrelevant information that comes out of nowhere is likely to disturb the process. A good practice example of this principle would be that when discussing the issue of widespread public display of affection and whether there should be laws imposed against it. It would be a good idea to stick to the topic and present points for or against the argument and the reach a conclusion. If however a person is tempted to spice up the presentation, it would be bad practice. Including dramatic stories of politicians engaged in the art of public affection and video clips where couples are seen showing affection in public would be highly entertaining but off topic and the audience might get upset if they do not make out anything from the four hour long presentation. It would also not be a good idea to include any other non instructional material such as unrelated clip arts, background music, sound clips or detailed textual descriptions. Personalization Principle: The personalization principle states that students learn better when words are presented in a conversational style than in a formal or expository style. Students or audience responds better when a more personalized tone is used in narration. A good example of this principle is when explaining how a human respiratory system works, there is a use of your instead of the. For example instead of saying During inhaling the diaphragm move down creating more space for the lungs we say When you inhale, your diaphragm moves down creating more space for your lungs. Also when addressing community issues using multimedia presentations it is always a good idea to use your community rather than the community. It will help the learners see that it is his community that has issue and not some other community and will provoke him to take action or become a responsible member of the community. Segmenting principle: This principle states that lessons should be divided into manageable segments. When an unfamiliar learner is introduced to a continuous presentation with a lot of inter related concepts which are complex it is easy for the cognitive system to become overloaded. A good practice of this principle would be when a lecture breaks down complex geometry problems into segments rather than present them as a single solution. This helps learners learn at their own pace. Pre-training principle: This principle suggests that people learn better from multimedia presentations when they are familiar with the names and idea of the core concepts. There is a better transfer of knowledge when the audience is trained on the components the presentation would use preceding a narrated animation. A good practice of this example is when explaining the phenomenon of global warming to children, it would work better when terminologies such as green house gases are explained and smaller concepts are built before proceeding to the presentation. This will help the children integrate their built in concepts into understanding the main problem of global warming. It is not good practice to start with the subject before providing the learners with an appropriate start up knowledge neither would it be a good idea to stop in the middle of the lecture to explain some terminology or a hidden concept. Conclusion: Multimedia enhances learning but for learning to be optimal, there should be effective use of animation, narration and on-screen test in multimedia presentations. Techniques to increase working memory by reducing cognitive load have been proposed by many theorists. These techniques improve instructional design, learning efficiency, and effectiveness. Richard E. Mayer and his Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning has highlighted well-established principles of multimedia learning which the research continues to support, including (a) the multimedia principle, (b) the contiguity principle, (d) the modality principle, (e) the redundancy principle, and (f) the coherence principle and (e) the personalization principle. These principles aid users to design effective multimedia presentations. References Clark, R. C. Mayer, R. E. (2003). e- Learning and the science of instruction: Proven guidelines for consumers and designers of multimedia learning. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer.

Climate Change: A Greenland Perspective Essay -- Global Warming Envir

Climate Change: A Greenland Perspective Works Cited Not Included Climate change is the alteration of temperature and precipitation patterns over an extended period of time. Across the globe, scientists are identifying climate change in relation to the greenhouse gas emissions and solar cycles. While most researchers believe that the increase of atmospheric CO2 is effecting global warming, others are endorsing the concerns of another Ice Age, which is likely to occur due to orbital variations of the Earth. In his article, Abrupt Climate Change, Richard Alley titles one section, ?Chilling Warmth,?15 which perfectly describes the angst of many people who foresee a deadly warming trend, and also the paradox of global warming causing another ?Little Ice Age.? These competing discourses are extremely pertinent to the country of Greenland, which is at the forefront of the climatic change debate. Greenland and other Arctic countries continue to be at the head of the discussion on climate change, whether due to melting ice caps, or advancing glaciers. Our understanding of climate change across the world has been possible due to Greenland?s ice cores; proxy records, such as O18 dating, reveal atmospheric air temperatures at which the sheets of ice were formed.16 Oxygen in the ice cores can also reconstruct the history of precipitation. Greenland remains a critical story teller of cooling and warming trends, since the 1990s, when scientists first started to extract from the gigantic sheets of ice.17 Scientists who view increased CO2 emissions as directly related to a warming climate are radically concerned for the outcomes of warming oceans, rising sea levels, and higher precipitation levels. For example, in an article for Nationa... ...ric air temperature, but in contrast to Amos? belief that Arctic temperatures in Greenland have decreased by 1.29 degrees Celsius, since 1985, Peter Spotts of The Christian Science Monitor, documents a seven degrees Fahrenheit increase in Alaska, western Canada, and Russia over a fifty year period.33 From the research that I have conducted, I have realized how integral Greenland is in the dialogue on global warming and abrupt cooling; furthermore, I recognize that climate change needs to be of global concern, not only to scientists, but to the government and all citizens; every regional climate change in the Northern Hemisphere directly influences temperature and precipitation in the Southern Hemisphere. We are all connected, and it is imperative that humans intervene and become aware of how their environmental choices may affect biodiversity around the world.

Infosys Case Study

Oracle Customer Case Study Infosys Goes to University to Build Business Worldwide â€Å"The quality of the courses is very good and the materials are extremely well designed. We have also had extremely strong feedback from Infosys staff who have completed courses at Oracle University. † – Dr Subhash Chandra Rastogi, Head, Enterprise Solutions Academy, Infosys Technologies Ltd Infosys Technologies Ltd (NASDAQ: INFY) defines, designs, and delivers IT-enabled business solutions. These solutions focus on providing clients with strategic differentiation and operational superiority. Infosys creates these solutions by leveraging its domain and business expertise to offer a complete range of services. For the fiscal year ending March 31, 2007, Infosys recorded revenues of more than US$3 billion with net income of over US$850 million. Infosys is a NASDAQ 100 company. Infosys uses a global alliance with Oracle to deliver Oracle-based systems and services to clients worldwide. These enable businesses to build a more flexible architecture to support faster deployment of new applications, achieve a consolidated view of their global supply chain, reduce costs by leveraging global sourcing, or employ predictive capabilities to exploit emerging opportunities or avert looming obstacles. To support Infosys’ status as a Global SI Partner—recognized at the Worldwide Certified Advantage Partner level—Oracle has provided extensive training support through its Oracle University educational resource. More than 3,000 Infosys employees globally have benefited through Oracle University-based knowledge, enabling them to deliver Oracle products and services to a high level of expertise. Oracle University courses typically run between five and 15 days, depending on the complexity of the product and associated business process changes. â€Å"The quality of the courses is very good and the materials are extremely well designed,† said Dr Subhash Chandra Rastogi, head of the Enterprise Solutions Academy at Infosys. We have also had extremely strong feedback from Infosys staff who have completed courses at Oracle University. † Copyright  © 2008, Oracle. All rights reserved. Oracle is a registered trademark of Oracle Corporation and/or its affiliates. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners. Published February 2008 Infosys Technologies Ltd Bangalore, India www. infosys. com Industry: Professional Services Annual Revenue: US$3. 09 billion Employees: 80,500 Orac le Products & Services: Oracle University Key Benefits: Ensured more than 100 staff are certified in Oracle E-Business Suite, qualifying them to deliver the solution to customers worldwide Provided feedback into the beta version of Oracle E-Business Suite Enabled staff around the world to undertake training in their own time via online courses Enabled more than 3,000 employees to take various Oracle University learning programs through a range of delivery modes Oracle Customer Case Study Upskilling Delivers Results Infosys is one of the world’s most rapidly growing consulting and information technology services companies. In 2007, the company’s revenues crossed US$3 billion. Key to the company’s success is its low-risk, high-quality Global Delivery Model, whereby work is broken up into logical components to be completed in the most efficient location. With staff numbers rising sharply, in 2003 Infosys created an Enterprise Solutions Academy (ES Academy) within the company to manage the educational requirements of everyone from new recruits to 20-year veterans. The ES Academy currently has to service an annual intake that reached 1,740 engineers and MBA graduates in 2006. â€Å"This is a very different concept for a systems integrator, but we had to ensure our staff could get the expertise nd certification needed to service our clients to the very highest level,† said Dr Rastogi. While the ES Academy itself provides an extensive portfolio of training and certification courses, the academy has partnered with Oracle University to provide its consultants with training in Oracle products. â€Å"Oracle is constantly growing its portfolio of solu tions, upgrading existing products, and acquiring new product companies,† said Dr Rastogi. â€Å"Oracle University provides expert, in-depth training across the Oracle suite of products and services. There is no point in us trying to duplicate this effort or invest in something we don’t need to,† he added. Participating in the Oracle University program brings benefits to Infosys other than a more skilled workforce. As a strategic partner to Oracle, Infosys can also contribute knowledge to the development of new Oracle products and services. â€Å"We did contribute to the beta certification of Oracle E-Business Suite, with more than 150 Infosys consultants providing input to Oracle University as to where the product could be improved,† said Dr Rastogi. We now have more than 100 people certified in Oracle E-Business Suite—more than anyone else in the world— and they continue to provide lots of input to Oracle as well as staying appraised of new developments. † Copyright  © 2008, Oracle. All rights reserved. Oracle is a registered trademark of Oracle Corporation and/or its affiliates. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners. Published February 2008 Oracle Customer Case Study Oracle University Reviews Infosys Curriculum It often becomes viable for the ES Academy to deliver Oracle courses internally based on the level of demand, or for some basic products. For example, 85% of consultants that specialize in relatively ‘vanilla’ products such as Oracle9i Database are trained in-house, with the remaining 15% undertaking courses at Oracle University. â€Å"To ensure quality, we engaged Oracle University to review our curriculum content, materials, and questions for course attendees,† said Dr Rastogi. â€Å"They give us sound advice that ensures we deliver the best possible internal courses. † These courses do not cover newer products, or products taken on through acquisition of companies such as Hyperion or Demantra. About 95% of consultants that specialize in these new areas take the relevant courses from Oracle University. Overcoming the Tyranny of Distance Infosys’ burgeoning growth within India and worldwide has created a geographically distributed organization that makes delivering face-to-face training, a sometimes costly exercise. â€Å"This has posed a problem for us because people in India are not used to alternatives such as e-learning,† said Dr Rastogi. â€Å"People prefer to come to a classroom. â€Å"In addition, the firewall we apply across our systems prevents Infosys employees from viewing streaming audio and video. To create more flexibility for staff to access the online courses available through Oracle University, Infosys is establishing e-libraries in offices in Pune, Mangalore, and Hyderabad. These currently include 20 PCs where staff can access streaming audio and video. This number is expected to grow to 100–150 by late 2008 across various locations i n India. Employees working in Europe and the U. S. are already benefiting from streaming audio and video. The availability of online courses through Oracle University means staff will be able to undertake training without disrupting their client work. The benefits of e-learning apply to staff outside India as well. â€Å"Our certification program applies to employees regardless of Copyright  © 2008, Oracle. All rights reserved. Oracle is a registered trademark of Oracle Corporation and/or its affiliates. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners. Published February 2008 Oracle Customer Case Study country,† said Dr Rastogi. â€Å"We have 25 to 30 staff who specialize in Oracle E-Business Suite who work in Europe or the U. S. † Helping Ambitious Employees to Get Ahead A certification from Oracle University can provide ambitious employees with an edge in the competitive Infosys culture. Because it’s an external certification, it provides good branding for an employee,† said Dr Rastogi. â€Å"They become of greater value to Infosys and to our customers. † Infosys Technologies Ltd (NASDAQ: INFY) defines, designs, and delivers ITenabled business solutions. For the fiscal year ended Marc h 31, 2007, Infosys recorded revenues of more than US$3 billion with net income of over US$850 million. Copyright  © 2008, Oracle. All rights reserved. Oracle is a registered trademark of Oracle Corporation and/or its affiliates. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners. Published February 2008 Infosys Case Study Oracle Customer Case Study Infosys Goes to University to Build Business Worldwide â€Å"The quality of the courses is very good and the materials are extremely well designed. We have also had extremely strong feedback from Infosys staff who have completed courses at Oracle University. † – Dr Subhash Chandra Rastogi, Head, Enterprise Solutions Academy, Infosys Technologies Ltd Infosys Technologies Ltd (NASDAQ: INFY) defines, designs, and delivers IT-enabled business solutions. These solutions focus on providing clients with strategic differentiation and operational superiority. Infosys creates these solutions by leveraging its domain and business expertise to offer a complete range of services. For the fiscal year ending March 31, 2007, Infosys recorded revenues of more than US$3 billion with net income of over US$850 million. Infosys is a NASDAQ 100 company. Infosys uses a global alliance with Oracle to deliver Oracle-based systems and services to clients worldwide. These enable businesses to build a more flexible architecture to support faster deployment of new applications, achieve a consolidated view of their global supply chain, reduce costs by leveraging global sourcing, or employ predictive capabilities to exploit emerging opportunities or avert looming obstacles. To support Infosys’ status as a Global SI Partner—recognized at the Worldwide Certified Advantage Partner level—Oracle has provided extensive training support through its Oracle University educational resource. More than 3,000 Infosys employees globally have benefited through Oracle University-based knowledge, enabling them to deliver Oracle products and services to a high level of expertise. Oracle University courses typically run between five and 15 days, depending on the complexity of the product and associated business process changes. â€Å"The quality of the courses is very good and the materials are extremely well designed,† said Dr Subhash Chandra Rastogi, head of the Enterprise Solutions Academy at Infosys. We have also had extremely strong feedback from Infosys staff who have completed courses at Oracle University. † Copyright  © 2008, Oracle. All rights reserved. Oracle is a registered trademark of Oracle Corporation and/or its affiliates. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners. Published February 2008 Infosys Technologies Ltd Bangalore, India www. infosys. com Industry: Professional Services Annual Revenue: US$3. 09 billion Employees: 80,500 Orac le Products & Services: Oracle University Key Benefits: Ensured more than 100 staff are certified in Oracle E-Business Suite, qualifying them to deliver the solution to customers worldwide Provided feedback into the beta version of Oracle E-Business Suite Enabled staff around the world to undertake training in their own time via online courses Enabled more than 3,000 employees to take various Oracle University learning programs through a range of delivery modes Oracle Customer Case Study Upskilling Delivers Results Infosys is one of the world’s most rapidly growing consulting and information technology services companies. In 2007, the company’s revenues crossed US$3 billion. Key to the company’s success is its low-risk, high-quality Global Delivery Model, whereby work is broken up into logical components to be completed in the most efficient location. With staff numbers rising sharply, in 2003 Infosys created an Enterprise Solutions Academy (ES Academy) within the company to manage the educational requirements of everyone from new recruits to 20-year veterans. The ES Academy currently has to service an annual intake that reached 1,740 engineers and MBA graduates in 2006. â€Å"This is a very different concept for a systems integrator, but we had to ensure our staff could get the expertise nd certification needed to service our clients to the very highest level,† said Dr Rastogi. While the ES Academy itself provides an extensive portfolio of training and certification courses, the academy has partnered with Oracle University to provide its consultants with training in Oracle products. â€Å"Oracle is constantly growing its portfolio of solu tions, upgrading existing products, and acquiring new product companies,† said Dr Rastogi. â€Å"Oracle University provides expert, in-depth training across the Oracle suite of products and services. There is no point in us trying to duplicate this effort or invest in something we don’t need to,† he added. Participating in the Oracle University program brings benefits to Infosys other than a more skilled workforce. As a strategic partner to Oracle, Infosys can also contribute knowledge to the development of new Oracle products and services. â€Å"We did contribute to the beta certification of Oracle E-Business Suite, with more than 150 Infosys consultants providing input to Oracle University as to where the product could be improved,† said Dr Rastogi. We now have more than 100 people certified in Oracle E-Business Suite—more than anyone else in the world— and they continue to provide lots of input to Oracle as well as staying appraised of new developments. † Copyright  © 2008, Oracle. All rights reserved. Oracle is a registered trademark of Oracle Corporation and/or its affiliates. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners. Published February 2008 Oracle Customer Case Study Oracle University Reviews Infosys Curriculum It often becomes viable for the ES Academy to deliver Oracle courses internally based on the level of demand, or for some basic products. For example, 85% of consultants that specialize in relatively ‘vanilla’ products such as Oracle9i Database are trained in-house, with the remaining 15% undertaking courses at Oracle University. â€Å"To ensure quality, we engaged Oracle University to review our curriculum content, materials, and questions for course attendees,† said Dr Rastogi. â€Å"They give us sound advice that ensures we deliver the best possible internal courses. † These courses do not cover newer products, or products taken on through acquisition of companies such as Hyperion or Demantra. About 95% of consultants that specialize in these new areas take the relevant courses from Oracle University. Overcoming the Tyranny of Distance Infosys’ burgeoning growth within India and worldwide has created a geographically distributed organization that makes delivering face-to-face training, a sometimes costly exercise. â€Å"This has posed a problem for us because people in India are not used to alternatives such as e-learning,† said Dr Rastogi. â€Å"People prefer to come to a classroom. â€Å"In addition, the firewall we apply across our systems prevents Infosys employees from viewing streaming audio and video. To create more flexibility for staff to access the online courses available through Oracle University, Infosys is establishing e-libraries in offices in Pune, Mangalore, and Hyderabad. These currently include 20 PCs where staff can access streaming audio and video. This number is expected to grow to 100–150 by late 2008 across various locations i n India. Employees working in Europe and the U. S. are already benefiting from streaming audio and video. The availability of online courses through Oracle University means staff will be able to undertake training without disrupting their client work. The benefits of e-learning apply to staff outside India as well. â€Å"Our certification program applies to employees regardless of Copyright  © 2008, Oracle. All rights reserved. Oracle is a registered trademark of Oracle Corporation and/or its affiliates. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners. Published February 2008 Oracle Customer Case Study country,† said Dr Rastogi. â€Å"We have 25 to 30 staff who specialize in Oracle E-Business Suite who work in Europe or the U. S. † Helping Ambitious Employees to Get Ahead A certification from Oracle University can provide ambitious employees with an edge in the competitive Infosys culture. Because it’s an external certification, it provides good branding for an employee,† said Dr Rastogi. â€Å"They become of greater value to Infosys and to our customers. † Infosys Technologies Ltd (NASDAQ: INFY) defines, designs, and delivers ITenabled business solutions. For the fiscal year ended Marc h 31, 2007, Infosys recorded revenues of more than US$3 billion with net income of over US$850 million. Copyright  © 2008, Oracle. All rights reserved. Oracle is a registered trademark of Oracle Corporation and/or its affiliates. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners. Published February 2008