Philosophy In The Matrix Movies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Philosophy In The Matrix Movies - Essay Example The Matrix movies explore Plato’s idea of reality as an illusion, particularly depicted in his â€Å"Allegory of the Cave.† In this literary work, a cave of people imprisoned in a distinct manner since conception is Plato’s depiction of this illusion. In this allegory, one prisoner escapes the imprisonment after being illuminated and liberated concurrently. This particular prisoner’s experience metaphorically indicates the procedure by which humans seldom free themselves from reality’s misconceptions and superficiality (Lawrence, 2004). In Enter   The Matrix, the matrix pulls Neo from a sort of cave from where he gets a glimpse of the truth about reality for the first time in his life. This experience makes him realize that everything he believed to be real was, in fact, an illusion, just like the prisoners in Plato's allegory. Plato adds that people who liberate themselves are obliged to tell the rest who are still in the â€Å"cave.†    In the first Matrix film, Neo fulfills this derivative when he makes it his priority to save humankind from ignorance and credulity.The Matrix movies explore Plato’s idea of reality as an illusion, particularly depicted in his â€Å"Allegory of the Cave.†   In this literary work, a cave of people imprisoned in a distinct manner since conception is Plato’s depiction of this illusion. In this allegory, one prisoner escapes the imprisonment after being illuminated and liberated concurrently.

Individual, team and racquet athletics Essay Example for Free

Individual, team and racquet athletics Essay Sport contains mainly perceptual motor skills so it is important to select the correct skill for the situation. The process used to select the correct skill is called the information processing system or the DCR process, because we Detect information, Compare it with previous experiences and then react. Welford said that all information is taken in as stimuli through our senses. It is then stored in the short term memory before being sorted, if the stimulus is relevant to the current skill then it is stored in the short term memory where it is compared to previous experiences in the long term memory. Then a decision is made as to what action to take based on this comparison. The action that was performed and the outcome from this action are then stored in the long term memory for future reference. Welfords model is shown below: This model makes a performer react in the way that they do to a situation but there are many factors that can influence what action the performer decides to take. These include; time available, number and intensity of stimuli, experience, anticipation, fitness and motivation of the performer. The effect these factors have on a performer will vary from individual, racquet and team sports. The time that you have available to process the incoming stimuli differs in each sport. For example in rugby, which is externally paced, you have a small amount of time to process the stimuli and make a decision because there are usually many defenders around you. Tennis players also have very little time to react because the ball is usually travelling at a high speed and if they dont make a decision and return the ball they will lose the point. However in golf, an internally paced sport, the player can take as long as they need to make a decision because there are no opponents directly around them. There are three main types of stimuli that enter the sensory input these are; Vision: is where a player will react to a visual stimulus such as the position of the ball or an opponent. These stimuli are easier to detect and react to if the stimulus is brighter. For example in tennis the ball is bright yellow which makes it easier to see. But there are also unwanted stimuli such as ball boys moving or crowd movements these stimuli are obviously irrelevant but they are still initially taken in which slows down the whole process. In an individual sport there are fewer visual stimuli for example in a 100m race the only real visual stimulus is where the finish line is in relation to you. Audition: this is all stimuli that are heard, for example when a team mate calls for the ball in rugby. Auditable stimuli are heard and processed easier and faster if they are loud and clear. There are also irrelevant auditable stimuli such as crowd noise these will slow down the information processing model. Proprioception: this is made up of three components; Equilibrium: this is an awareness of your body position and balance. We can tell if we are about to fall over and where we are in relation to objects. Team sports are more likely to have an uneven playing surface which means that your balance will have to be constantly adjusted as you are running. But in individual and racquet sports the playing surface is fairly constant with the exception of golf, where a stance may have to be altered to adjust to the surface. Kinaesthesis: this is where the body senses the muscle movement and contraction it is sometimes known as muscle memory. It is if the movement feels right to the performer. It is developed through practice and experience one example would be a conversion kick in rugby the player may take there step away from the ball in the same way they usually do but they may just feel that they are not in the right place. It doesnt apply as much in team games as in individual and racquet sports apart from set plays. Tactile sense: this is the feeling of pressure this is important for all sports. It can be affected be the weather conditions because cold weather affects our ability to feel effectively. The short term sensory store is where all information is stored for a split second before it is processed. All relevant and irrelevant information is stored in here before it is replaced and lost. This does not differ between sports only what enters it does. The perception stage is where all the information that has come from the short term sensory store is processed. This is when irrelevant information is thrown away and useful stimuli such as where the ball is, is kept to make a decision and stored in the STM. This will vary between individual, racquet and team sports because of the amount of stimuli. In team sports there are more stimuli so it takes longer to sort through whereas there are relatively small amounts of stimuli in individual sports so it wont take as long to sort them out. It also differs depending upon whether the performer is experienced or not as it will be easier for a expert to sort through the stimuli because they have more experience. We sort through the stimuli with selective attention and take only the important pieces of information because only around 7-10 pieces of information can be stored in the STM. The information passed on from the perception stage is then stored in the STM. Because only 7-10 pieces of information can be stored an experienced player may chunk information together so that the position of all players is one piece, but a beginner may not be able to do this so each player may be a separate piece. Team sports would be much more affected because of the amount of information so not all stimuli can be stored so a poor decision may be made but less poor decisions will be made in an individual or racquet sport because there is less information. The LTM holds information on movement patterns and the results of using them in certain situations and can hold them for a lifetime. Team sports have many memories but individual sports may have less. The decision making process is where whats happening now (in the short term memory) with what has happened previously (in the long term memory). In the LTM the performer will be looking for similar situations and actions and their outcomes. This makes team games decision making process a lot longer because of the vast amount of information and possible actions to take. Whereas in an individual sport there is much less information and less possible actions. The motor output is the performance of the chosen skill. One example may be for a badminton player to put in a drop shot because the opponent is at the back of the court. The action is referred to the muscle movement in the LTM. The action and its consequences are then stored in the long term memory for future reference. Individual sports, because they are individually paced, make them the simplest in the IP model. Also because there are fewer stimuli there is a shorter reaction time which gives the performer more time to carry out the IP model which should result in a better decision. Racquet sports are externally paced due to the fact that there is an opponent; this means that there is less time for the performer to react. There are some irrelevant stimuli which will slow down the IP model which means it takes longer to decide than in an individual sport but not as long as in a team sport because there are fewer possibilities for what action to take. Team sports are externally paced which reduces the time available to react. Also there are much more irrelevant stimuli in team sports, this will lengthen the IP. The IP will also be lengthened due to the complexity of most team games because there are more situations and possible responses to choose from. Bibliography Advanced PE for Edexcel Heinemann by F. Galligan et al.

The Influence of Women in Epic of Gilgamesh Essay -- Epic Gilgamesh es

The Influence of Women in Epic of Gilgamesh Gilgamesh can be viewed as a writing that describes the social scene of the times it was written in. The characters of Enkidu and Gilgamesh are strong males. The roles of women in Gilgamesh are submissive and subtle. Women in this ancient Sumerian tale tend to be passive, but capable of influencing the outcome of events. Enkidu is a mighty force to confront. He is so strong that he is seen as a wild animal in his first appearances in the book. Gilgamesh is as strong or even stronger than Enkidu. He is the king of Uruk and is part god and part man. These dominant male characters command the most attention of the reader. The prostitute is one of the roles of women in the text. She brought about the conversion of Enkidu from a savage creature to a civilized member of society. Without this female intervention, Enkidu would not stand by Gilgamesh's side in the adventures to come. The harlot is used by society as a tool to draw Enkidu in. The male trapper told her to entice Enkidu with her nakedness and to lie with him. Once Enkidu had do...

Evolution and Darwin Essays -- Fittest Science Religion Competition Es

Evolution and Darwin In a society based on survival of the fittest, adaptation and evolution are the keys to success. If there is a hurdle that a species cannot conquer as it is, it will then do everything it must to overcome it, even if that means change. Throughout time, evolution has helped us to thrive in the toughest of times. The human species is at the top of its class, overthrown by no other, but what happens when a species begins to encounter hurdles within its own society? Can the human species overthrow itself, making a new kind of human? (Bear 195) Did Charles Darwin leave out the last piece of the puzzle? If adaptation and evolution are inevitable when faced with a problem, then the demise of our species as we know it and the birth of a newer, better model is inevitable as well. In Greg Bears, Darwins Radio, our society has become so consumed with competition that evolution is beginning to occur, the only problem is that at a first glance, this adaptation appears to be the outbreak of a viru s, one that will wipe out the entire population. Few McCandless 2 believe in the truth, but with such a small number, can they possibly help the government to see the truth before it wipes out an entire population faster than Mother Nature can create it? Set in a time and place very similar to our own, it is very easy to note the similarities. The values and beliefs and trends in society in this story were so closely related to today that it felt as if I were reading non-fictional material. We pride ourselves on the fact that we live in a free country. We are allowed, encouraged even, to think and believe freely. Some people choose to believe in religion, others in science, and some in both. Many times, those who believe i... ...? Are we as a species really so confident in ourselves that we think there is no way to better our performance against Lifes hurdles? There is always room for improvement and in a world filled with constant stress and competition we have no choice but to improve. Everyone hates it, but we have to compete or we end up out on the streets. (Bear 245) What better way to keep up with the competition than to mutate into a stronger species? If a creature is thrown into an environment it will adapt, if it doesnt, it will surely fail. Maybe Charles Darwin was on the right track when he created the theory of evolution, but the last (Or should I say the next?) piece of the puzzle has not yet been fitted in. All theories leave room for improvement and addition, and his is no exception to the rule. Works Cited Bear, Greg. Darwins Radio. New York: Ballantine Books, 1999.

Prostitution Should Be Legalized

Prostitution should be legalized Prostitution was estimated to date back to at least 2400 B. C, along with doctor, scribe, barber and cook (Little known facts in the prostitution debate, n. d. ). Despite this length of service, whether sex industry should be legalized or not is still a controversial issue that takes a lot of time to find the best decision. In my opinion prostitution should be legalized for a better prostitutes’ working condition, for a lower sexually transmitted diseases rates and an enhanced power of governments toward this job.To begin with, prostitution’s legalization with rules setting prostitutes’ rights and duties will help to provide them with a better working condition. In present situation, sex workers are being treated in a subhuman way. Suraya, a sex worker was reported to have been beaten, threaten by a knife, raped many times, stolen all money and finally thrown out of the car by her own customer (Pauw and Brener,1998). Not only be c ustomers’ victims, prostitutes also are exploited by their pimps.Kudlow (2006) found that â€Å"even though the girls take home the cash, make no mistakes, the pimp gets all the money. There is no such thing as a commission, percentage, cut, kickback, or dividend†. Moreover, according to Fighting sexual exploitation and trafficking in Indonesia (2004), in Indonesia, one third of sex workers are being underage girls. These girls have not grown up both physical part and mental part, but they are swept into this job too early, which can turn them to a disastrous end.These raw facts, which are requiring for an urgent action from the government, set an alarm to wake us up. If there is an official legalization along with rules setting about prostitutes’ rights and duties, the pimps will no longer be able to coerce these sex workers, these workers can receive their salary fairly and underage girls will be prevented from entering this job too early. Secondly, prostituti on’s legalization with rules requiring periodic health checks will help to reduce sexually transmitted rates through this service.Sexually transmitted diseases, which are haunting a number of infected people and their families, are all society’s interest. The sex industry’s legalization with a requirement to access periodic health checks is an intelligent method for this problem. Prostitutes with sexually transmitted rates will be found out and treated in time, and also the number of people catching diseases through prostitution will be reduced. Some third countries have gained a significant fall in sexually transmitted rates in this way such as Kenya and Senegal.After the prostitution’s legalization, the number of condoms used by sex workers in Kenya had increased to more than 80%. In Senegal, by special clinical services such as offering regular examinations and treatments for registered prostitutes, HIV prevalence among pregnant women had fallen into u nder 1% (Steen, as cited in Liberator, 2005). Obviously, prostitution’s decriminalization with rules requiring periodic health checks is the best way to lower STDs rates through prostitution as well as improve the social health.Finally, present laws with its prohibition against selling sex have not come up with people’s expectation. Almost everywhere in the United States, sex workers and their customers are penalized for what they did as consenting adults. However, after having paid the fines, sex workers come back to streets with their work and no decrease in the number of them has been reported. Also in this review of legalization’s benefits, they added that â€Å"Making prostitution legal will allow the act to be managed instead of ignored†.In addition to this situation, present laws do not provide prostitutes with enough protection. A prostitute murder confessed to have killed a total of forty eight sex workers â€Å"because he knew he would not be h eld accountable† and it took police 20 years to detect his crime (Ditmore, 2007). Some people may argue that prostitutes and their job break the society’s morality. This opinion only focuses on the merit of the surface, considering prostitutes as criminals and criticizing them, not regarding to the fact that they are also human, they also have to labor inturn of money.According to a survey (Lobert, n. d. ) named â€Å"What do you need† conducted among prostitutes, 78% need home and safe places, 58% need health care and 42% need legal assistance. These girls are living in a subhuman life, they are requiring all basic needs. Moreover, prostitution will always exist because its serving important function in societies (Kingsley & Davis, as cited in Kendall, 1998). Without customers’ demand, prostitution would no longer be able to continue. Consequently, prostitutes deserve to work under the laws’ patronage.In conclusion, based on the real situations, pr ostitution should be legalized. Along with the legalization, there will be rules setting about allowed age, working condition and health check requirement. This legalization not only brings about a better working condition for those sex workers, but also contributes to reduce sexually transmitted diseases, and thus build up a better world.References Kendall, D. E. (1998). Social problems in a diverse society. Chapter 7, p. 136, p. 141. United States. Kudlow, M. (2006). Selling sex. Retrieved November 21, 2009, from http://thegauntlet. ca/story/10365 Liberator, M. (2005). Legalized prostitution: Regulating the oldest profession. Retrieved November 21, 2009 from http://liberator. net/articles/prostitution. html Little known facts in the prostitution debate (n. d. ). Retrieved November 21, 2009, from http://prostitution. procon. org/view. resource. php? resourceID=000116 Lobert, A. (n. d. ). Prostitution statistics-the real truth. Retrieved November 21, 2009, from http://powerhouse-min istry. rg/annielobert_prostitution. aspx Pauw, I. & Brener, L. (1997). Naming the danger of working on the street, p. 80. Agenda Feminist Media. Available online at http://www. jstor. org/pss/4066227 Raymond, J. & Ditmore, M. (2007). Debating legalized prostitution. Retrieved November 21, 2009, from http://humantrafficking. org/updates/643 UNICEF (n. d. ). Fighting sexual exploitation and trafficking in Indonesia. Retrieved November 21, 2009, from http://www. unicef. org/infobycountry/indonesia_23650. html Prostitution Should Be Legalized Prostitution should be legalized Prostitution was estimated to date back to at least 2400 B. C, along with doctor, scribe, barber and cook (Little known facts in the prostitution debate, n. d. ). Despite this length of service, whether sex industry should be legalized or not is still a controversial issue that takes a lot of time to find the best decision. In my opinion prostitution should be legalized for a better prostitutes’ working condition, for a lower sexually transmitted diseases rates and an enhanced power of governments toward this job.To begin with, prostitution’s legalization with rules setting prostitutes’ rights and duties will help to provide them with a better working condition. In present situation, sex workers are being treated in a subhuman way. Suraya, a sex worker was reported to have been beaten, threaten by a knife, raped many times, stolen all money and finally thrown out of the car by her own customer (Pauw and Brener,1998). Not only be c ustomers’ victims, prostitutes also are exploited by their pimps.Kudlow (2006) found that â€Å"even though the girls take home the cash, make no mistakes, the pimp gets all the money. There is no such thing as a commission, percentage, cut, kickback, or dividend†. Moreover, according to Fighting sexual exploitation and trafficking in Indonesia (2004), in Indonesia, one third of sex workers are being underage girls. These girls have not grown up both physical part and mental part, but they are swept into this job too early, which can turn them to a disastrous end.These raw facts, which are requiring for an urgent action from the government, set an alarm to wake us up. If there is an official legalization along with rules setting about prostitutes’ rights and duties, the pimps will no longer be able to coerce these sex workers, these workers can receive their salary fairly and underage girls will be prevented from entering this job too early. Secondly, prostituti on’s legalization with rules requiring periodic health checks will help to reduce sexually transmitted rates through this service.Sexually transmitted diseases, which are haunting a number of infected people and their families, are all society’s interest. The sex industry’s legalization with a requirement to access periodic health checks is an intelligent method for this problem. Prostitutes with sexually transmitted rates will be found out and treated in time, and also the number of people catching diseases through prostitution will be reduced. Some third countries have gained a significant fall in sexually transmitted rates in this way such as Kenya and Senegal.After the prostitution’s legalization, the number of condoms used by sex workers in Kenya had increased to more than 80%. In Senegal, by special clinical services such as offering regular examinations and treatments for registered prostitutes, HIV prevalence among pregnant women had fallen into u nder 1% (Steen, as cited in Liberator, 2005). Obviously, prostitution’s decriminalization with rules requiring periodic health checks is the best way to lower STDs rates through prostitution as well as improve the social health.Finally, present laws with its prohibition against selling sex have not come up with people’s expectation. Almost everywhere in the United States, sex workers and their customers are penalized for what they did as consenting adults. However, after having paid the fines, sex workers come back to streets with their work and no decrease in the number of them has been reported. Also in this review of legalization’s benefits, they added that â€Å"Making prostitution legal will allow the act to be managed instead of ignored†.In addition to this situation, present laws do not provide prostitutes with enough protection. A prostitute murder confessed to have killed a total of forty eight sex workers â€Å"because he knew he would not be h eld accountable† and it took police 20 years to detect his crime (Ditmore, 2007). Some people may argue that prostitutes and their job break the society’s morality. This opinion only focuses on the merit of the surface, considering prostitutes as criminals and criticizing them, not regarding to the fact that they are also human, they also have to labor inturn of money.According to a survey (Lobert, n. d. ) named â€Å"What do you need† conducted among prostitutes, 78% need home and safe places, 58% need health care and 42% need legal assistance. These girls are living in a subhuman life, they are requiring all basic needs. Moreover, prostitution will always exist because its serving important function in societies (Kingsley & Davis, as cited in Kendall, 1998). Without customers’ demand, prostitution would no longer be able to continue. Consequently, prostitutes deserve to work under the laws’ patronage.In conclusion, based on the real situations, pr ostitution should be legalized. Along with the legalization, there will be rules setting about allowed age, working condition and health check requirement. This legalization not only brings about a better working condition for those sex workers, but also contributes to reduce sexually transmitted diseases, and thus build up a better world.References Kendall, D. E. (1998). Social problems in a diverse society. Chapter 7, p. 136, p. 141. United States. Kudlow, M. (2006). Selling sex. Retrieved November 21, 2009, from http://thegauntlet. ca/story/10365 Liberator, M. (2005). Legalized prostitution: Regulating the oldest profession. Retrieved November 21, 2009 from http://liberator. net/articles/prostitution. html Little known facts in the prostitution debate (n. d. ). Retrieved November 21, 2009, from http://prostitution. procon. org/view. resource. php? resourceID=000116 Lobert, A. (n. d. ). Prostitution statistics-the real truth. Retrieved November 21, 2009, from http://powerhouse-min istry. rg/annielobert_prostitution. aspx Pauw, I. & Brener, L. (1997). Naming the danger of working on the street, p. 80. Agenda Feminist Media. Available online at http://www. jstor. org/pss/4066227 Raymond, J. & Ditmore, M. (2007). Debating legalized prostitution. Retrieved November 21, 2009, from http://humantrafficking. org/updates/643 UNICEF (n. d. ). Fighting sexual exploitation and trafficking in Indonesia. Retrieved November 21, 2009, from http://www. unicef. org/infobycountry/indonesia_23650. html

The eNotes Blog Remembering Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author Oscar Hijuelos, Dead at62

Remembering Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author Oscar Hijuelos, Dead at62 â€Å"Oh yes!The sweet summons of God to man.   Thats when He calls you up to His arms.   And its the most beautiful thing, a rebirth, a new life.   But, just the same Im in no rush to find out.†Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬â€¢Ã‚  Mr. Ives Christmas  by  Oscar Hijuelos Oscar Hijuelos, who was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1990 for his novel The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love  ,  died yesterday of a heart attack while playing tennis, according to his agent, Jennifer Lyons.   Hijuleos was 62. Hijuelos was the first Latino writer to be awarded the coveted prize.   The novel traces the journey of two Cuban brothers who leave Havana for a life in New York to pursue a career in music. In 1992, the novel was adapted into a film starring Armand Assante and Antonio Banderas. Although the Pulitzer brought the author fame, it also brought hardships.   Hijuelos felt labeled as an ethnic writer.    In an interview on NPRs  Newshour  in 2011, Hijuelos   discussed his memoir Thoughts Without Cigarettes.   He  told interviewer Ray Suarez that he   sometimes felt like a freak, simply because the level of my success and traveling around the world as quote a Latino writer as much as anything, was sort of wonderful and also very strange for me at the same time, because, indeed, Im I came up as but one version of many potential versions of Latinos that there could be. And I have never as I say in the memoir, I have never intended to represent myself as a spokesman for anybody but myself. And yet I would be in a roundtable in Sweden, in Stockholm, Sweden, at a live television show, and the host would come on and look around trying to figure out who the Latino guy was in the group. That kind of thing was both interesting and alarming at the same time. Here is the complete interview. Rest in Peace, Mr. Hijuelos.

The Differences Between Manga And Anime

The Differences Between Manga And Anime Manga And Anime: Two Different But So Close Kinds of Japanese Entertainment If you go deep into the history of anime, you will reach its Japanese origin. Anime is an abbreviation from English animation, even though many used to think this word has French roots. In 1917, in the country of the rising sun, the world saw the first cartoons that were more traditional for the Japanese audience than for the American. Until the seventies, Japanese cartoons were called manga-eiga, pointing out to the close relationship between anime and manga. In todays development, the anime has several types: TV series, films, OVA (anime exclusively for video), ONA (anime for the Internet), and TV-Specials (bonus series, often not connected with the main storyline). CONCLUSIONS Anime appeared in the early twentieth century, while the manga has been known since the Middle Ages. It is important to remember, anime are cartoons, and manga is a comic book. The subjects of manga are more profound and interesting, while the anime stories are somewhat simplified. Manga is often black and white, whereas anime is in color. Only a few people work over the creation of manga; the creation of anime requires a large staff, cash, and labor costs. Even though manga and anime have a completely different purpose, they both are exclusive examples of exquisite Japanese culture due to underlining the importance of different style. The next time you are going to buy manga or watch an anime series, remember the sophisticated story that lies behind its creation and people, who tried hard to bring the entertainment to you.

Make Mind Maps that Stick with Labels

Make Mind Maps that Stick with Labels Adhesive address or shipping labels come in a variety of shapes and sizes, which makes them ideal for a variety of activities in the classroom.   One way to use labels to encourage critical thinking in the classroom is to have students use labels printed with ideas or topics from a unit of study in order to create mind-maps or diagrams that visually organize information on a topic. The mind-map is an interdisciplinary strategy where a student or group of students build(s) off a single concept or idea: a drama, an element in chemistry, a biography, a vocabulary word, a event in history, a commercial product. The concept or idea is placed in the center of a blank sheet of paper and   representations of other ideas are connected to that central concept are added, branching out in all directions on the page. Teachers can use mind-maps as a review exercise, a formative assessment, or interim assessment tool, by providing students individually or in groups with printed labels and asking students to organize the information in a way that shows relationships. Along with the topics or ideas provided on the labels, teachers can provide a few blanks and ask students to come up their own labels associated with the central idea to add to the mind map. Teachers can vary the exercise according to the the size of the paper that allow a few students (poster size) or a large group of students (wall size) to work collaboratively on the mind-map. In preparing the labels, teachers select words, phrases or symbols from a unit of study that are critical to developing student understanding.    Some interdisciplinary examples: Concepts or ideas on labels for Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet (English Language Arts): Romeo, Juliet, Mercutio, Paris, Nurse, Friar Lawrence, a letter, a ring, Apothecary, Rosaline, â€Å"my only love sprung from my only hate†, â€Å"Two households, both alike in dignity.†Concepts or ideas on labels for a biography on Robert E. Lee (Social Studies): Washington College, West Point Military Academy,Mary Custis, Mexican War, Confederacy, President Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, Ulysses S. Grant, Traveller, Harper’s Ferry, Appomattox, the Army of Northern Virginia, Battle of Gettysburg.Concepts or ideas on labels for labels for iron (Chemistry): metal, atomic number, Earths outer and inner core, oxidation states, transitional metal, boiling point, melting point, isotopes, chemical compound(s), industry. Labels can be created in word processing software such as Word, Pages, and Google Docs and printed on products from manufacturers such as Avery or office supply stores. There are hundreds of templates for different sized labels ranging from full sheets 8.5† X 11†, large shipping labels 4.25 x 2.75, medium size labels 2.83 x 2.2, and small address labels 1.5 x 1. For those teachers who cannot afford the labels, there are templates that allow them to create their own without adhesive by using label templates made available by World Label, Co. Another alternative is to use the table feature in a word processing program. Why use labels? Why not have the students simply copy the ideas or concepts from a list onto the blank page? In this strategy providing pre-printed labels assures that all students will have the labels as common elements on each mind-map. There is value in having students compare and contrast the completed mind maps. A gallery walk that allows students to share the final product clearly illustrates the choices each student or groups of students made in organizing their identical labels. For teachers and students alike, this label strategy in creating mind-maps  visually demonstrates the multiple different points of view and learning styles in any class.

Art Review on Piece of Art Work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Art Review on Piece of Art Work - Essay Example The woman in the piece equally has two necklaces that appear modern and trendy. The artist has also chosen to have the piece in black and white. Significance of the title The title Walks like a Duck, Quacks like a Duck’ is significant in its ability to draw attention to the piece because of its catchiness. It is not only catchy in rhymes that denote it but also prompts an observer to find deeper meaning on the work of art by provoking comparisons between quacking and the female body, that makes a significant part of the piece. The title is vague enough to elicit mixed interpretations yet narrow in an artistic way to provide a first impression opinion on the piece (Arnason & Mansfield, 2010). Attraction to the work The attraction to the work was from the unique combination of the hand and a woman’s upper body in the piece. On close examination, further interests grew in the sign symbol of the ‘head hand’ that aroused a connection between the piece and its ti tle. The combination opens the piece to a broad interpretation on whether the piece depicts woman as quacking ducks or have duck tendencies or if there is a deeper meaning than the gender issue in the work. On first observation, the piece may be interpreted as an illustration of modern women who whine and yap without much substance. From this perspective, the piece gives a picture of traditional stereotypes in modern women. Since time immemorial, women have been regarded as poor managers of their tongue with men depicted as more reasonable and laid back. This has an element of truth depending on one’s point of view; feminists totally disagree with the traditional depiction of women as loose talkers and lifetime gossipers while men have always seen their female counterparts as â€Å"mouths first and brains later† to imply that they usually talk without giving much thoughts to their utterances. Research has a revealed that a man uses about 15000 words per day while woman uses 30000 within the same day. I f this finding is true, then, feminists must agree with their male counterparts that women are indeed more talk and less thought as stereotyped by art the society (Butler & Mark, 2007). The modern woman is said to said to a more serious talker than her previous predecessors, this is subject to debate but should it be true, which it most likely is, then the piece lives to its title of ‘walks like a duck, quacks like a duck’. Art from the days of Leonardo Da Vinci, has been used to depict significant events and changes in a society, even to this date, art still serves that function and contemporary artists, in as much as they may not use expensive and different colure tones, still use art work to pass important messages. From graffiti to modern painting, 21st century art is achieving similar results in terms of conveying messages like the ancient artists (Robertson & McDaniel, 2010). The piece under review gives a clear picture of the mo dern trends as seen in the woman’s dress code with the hand symbolizing the changing traits of a modern woman. Traditionally women were meant to be submissive to their husbands and take second place after them. That is not the same anymore with women stepping up and being very vocal on issues that were traditionally handled by men. The modern woman knows her rights, dresses as she pleases and fights for masculine positions that were in the past left for men with her male counterparts. The piece by the Andrew Stenehjem therefore

Strategic Review based on Zara Case Study Essay

Strategic Review based on Zara Case Study - Essay Example The report presents a brief introduction to the capabilities and competence of the organization which leads to the competitive advantage of Zara over its rivals. Resource audit of Zara briefly highlights the physical, financial, and intellectual resources of the company. It also puts some light on human resource and then critically evaluates the intangible assets of the company. The report clearly mentions that vertical integration is the hallmark of Zara which is well supported by its value chain. The paper critically discusses how Zara adds value to its products to gain a competitive advantage to dominate the fashion industry. Zara is one of the most recognized global brands in the world, but it was badly affected due to the allegations of slave-labour. The incident is stated briefly in the middle of the paper. In the end, the case study configures that Zara is practicing a hybrid strategy which is combination of cost leadership strategy and product differentiation strategy. The pa per recommends few steps and target markets where Zara should venture. No doubt, due to globally changing scenario, Zara must take few innovative steps with respect to its online retailing network and expansion strategy. Table of Contents Table of Contents 3 1.0Introduction (203 words) 4 1.1 Aims and Objectives 4 1.2 Methodology 4 2.0The External Environment (1201 words) 5 2.1 PESTEL-DG (All information extracted from Appendix-1) 5 2.2 Porter’s 5 Forces 7 3.0The Internal Strategic Audit (1192 words) 9 3.1 Resource Based View (RBV) 9 3.1.1 Resource Audit 9 3.2 Value Chain 11 4.0The Company Reputation and Brand Image (486 words) 13 5.0Zara’s Strategy and Recommendations (1308 words) 15 6.0REFERENCES 20 7.0 Appendices 23 7.1 – Appendix 1 – PESTEL-DG 23 7.2 – Appendix 2 – Porter’s 5 forces 24 7.3 – Appendix 3 – Resource Audit 25 7.4 – Appendix 4 – VRIO Model 26 7.5 – Appendix 5 – Value Chain 27 1. 0 Introduction (203 words) Zara apparel has become the flagship brand of the ?2.5 billion holding group Inditex (Zara Case Study, 2013), Zara has 1,751 stores around the world with 65 in the UK alone (Inditex Group, 2013). The company’s founder, Amancio Ortea Gaona, began retailing clothes in 1963 with the first Zara store opening in 1975. He is current the third richest man in the world with a net worth of ?38 billion (Forbes, 2013). Zara’s strategy has been instrumental to its success, hence why it is so important to analyse it. This report is a strategic report which will review Zara and the industry it is in. It will primarily focus on the UK market but will also include global aspects. 1.1 Aims and Objectives This report has four main aims and objectives: To analyse the external environment To carry out an internal strategic audit To review the company’s reputation and brand image To identify the company’s current strategy and give recommendations on how they should continue in the future. 1.2 Methodology This report took an analytical approach grounded in existing literature and evidence from reliable journalistic, practitioner and government sources. All the research is secondary research based mostly upon qualitative data but also including quantitative information were needed. 2.0 The External Environment (1201 words) This section is focused to looking at the external envi

Time management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Time management - Assignment Example Another skill that I have acquired is the importance of team work especially when dealing with sociological challenges that have an implication on the economic performance of any country. This is evident on the initiative to involve various individuals including counselors, mentors, law enforcement officers, and clinical officers. Through the collaboration of the various professionals with diversified skills and experience, the problems faced by juvenile adolescent males will be significantly mitigated. Proper time management Proper time management and scheduling of activities is a major skill that I have gained though the program proposal. I have understood that for the success of any program, it is imperative to allocate adequate time to ensure each and every activity is effectively undertaken. In this program, the major activities included training on time management, counseling, training on the entrepreneurial skills, communication skills and group mentoring. To ensure that the p articipants will have adequate time to learn the various skills as outlined on the time table, I have indicated the time and the occurrence of the activities. In the same way, I have acquired skills on how to prepare a work plan that involves the date of the commencement of the activities as well as the deadline and the occurrence of the activities. This is a very crucial skill that I will put into practice during my future careers as a project manager. The importance of program evaluation In the process of preparing the program proposal, my skills of program evaluation have been enhanced. Most importantly, I have gained an extensive knowledge on how to implement logic model during evaluating my future program as an administrator (McLaughlin and Jordan, 1999). In addition, I have understood on how to put in place the appropriate inputs during evaluation in order to attain the preset program objectives. Effective allocation of resources, staff support and recruitment In the contempor ary business world, stiff competition has been experienced as firms compete for the available resources to maximize their outputs. Through this program proposal, I have gained an appropriate knowledge on how to allocate the available resources to ensure that goals of a program are achieved. In addition, during the preparation of the line item budget, I was exposed to various expenses that a program should cover in order to retain a motivated work force. These expenses include salaries, Medicaid, health insurance, professional dues, training as well as travelling and car allowances. By covering these expenses, employee’s productivity is improved and the continuity of the program is enhanced. Similarly, I have gained skills on how to undertake employee’s recruitment process to ensure that the activities of the program are on the hands of experienced and well educated personnel. Searching for sources of funds In my efforts to prepare the program proposal, I have gained sk ills on how to search for appropriate sources of funds that will provide adequate financial assistance during the implementation of programs especially those dealing with juvenile delinquency and youth education. It is worth to note that various state, local and federal agencies have put in place various eligibility criteria that beneficiaries must adopt in order

Business Continuity Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Business Continuity Plan - Essay Example In particular, each of the systems must be evaluated and placed in one of the two categories of risk, as described below: The systems must be based on an assessment of the loss and how it will hit the various departments using it and how it will be in costs of that loss and to recover the data. See the IT Departmental Team Plan on more in depth information on the risks and how best to assess them at senior management level. Stated by MIT (1995). It consists of senior managers from each main department that useing the applications identified above; their role is to ensure the personnel can function during a critical outage, in particular that there is a recovery plan to cover Critical and Emergency states. To this end there must be an alternative system in place, which is up and running at all times. To be in charge of the BTC is the Director of Security who will have the final decision making controls for the team. To report to the Business Continuity Team (BTC), within two hours once access is allowed to the company premises, any application that has been compromised during the outage or attack, then give any advice to the BTC about the best way forward if there is a problem with hardware or for users. Hardware procedures are in the "Maintenance Handbook" maintained by the Facilities department and cover as many eventualities as can be covered. It will be the first set of procedures covered especially if there is a difference in the stated objectives between the BTC and the handbook. IT and facilities are then responsible for putting the recovery into motion. Stated by MIT (1995). Technical equipment such as servers and routers must be locked in cabinets in a locked technical room. Ensure their are ports disabled if not required and working ports are have encrypted passwords strong enough not to be broken. Access is by staff with proper security clearance given by the Security Directors office only. Any contractor

Leadership Approach of Habermas Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Leadership Approach of Habermas - Essay Example The essay "Leadership Approach of Habermas" talks about the leadership theories that comprise of all the factors that are helpful in making a good leader and particularly the Habermas Approach. The main subject matter of the Great Man theory is that the leaders have inherent qualities of leadership from their birth and those qualities can not be injected into any ordinary person. The term ‘Great Man’ is used because at that time it was mainly referred to the male military leaders and it portrayed them as mythical heroes. The trait theory of leadership have few similarities with the previously discussed Great Man theories, it emphasizes on certain qualities that a leader possess. Those qualities are the factors that make a good leader and they are identified from the behavior and personalities of great leaders. The theory had limitations in explaining the fact what if any ordinary person possesses those qualities but he is not a leader. The contingency theory of leadership has its focus on the specific environmental variables which determines the leadership style according to the circumstances. The theory emphasizes that there is no particular style of leadership which can suit in every situation so; the leaders have to be flexible in their style to tackle various situations. The situational theories of leadership emphasize on the choice of action by the leaders which best suits the present situation. Though different leadership styles can be more appropriate in a case of some specific decision makings.

Business Continuity Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Business Continuity Plan - Essay Example In particular, each of the systems must be evaluated and placed in one of the two categories of risk, as described below: The systems must be based on an assessment of the loss and how it will hit the various departments using it and how it will be in costs of that loss and to recover the data. See the IT Departmental Team Plan on more in depth information on the risks and how best to assess them at senior management level. Stated by MIT (1995). It consists of senior managers from each main department that useing the applications identified above; their role is to ensure the personnel can function during a critical outage, in particular that there is a recovery plan to cover Critical and Emergency states. To this end there must be an alternative system in place, which is up and running at all times. To be in charge of the BTC is the Director of Security who will have the final decision making controls for the team. To report to the Business Continuity Team (BTC), within two hours once access is allowed to the company premises, any application that has been compromised during the outage or attack, then give any advice to the BTC about the best way forward if there is a problem with hardware or for users. Hardware procedures are in the "Maintenance Handbook" maintained by the Facilities department and cover as many eventualities as can be covered. It will be the first set of procedures covered especially if there is a difference in the stated objectives between the BTC and the handbook. IT and facilities are then responsible for putting the recovery into motion. Stated by MIT (1995). Technical equipment such as servers and routers must be locked in cabinets in a locked technical room. Ensure their are ports disabled if not required and working ports are have encrypted passwords strong enough not to be broken. Access is by staff with proper security clearance given by the Security Directors office only. Any contractor

Statistics - P-Values versus Critical Values Essay

Statistics - P-Values versus Critical Values - Essay Example However, if the calculated value is less than the critical value, the null hypothesis is accepted and the alternative hypothesis is rejected. The advantage of this method is that it helps define the rejection region in terms of the sample mean and therefore if the same experiment is repeated many times in the field, one can draw the conclusion of the hypothesis test right then without having to make any other calculations (Statistics Glossary, para 22). The disadvantage of this method is that one is stuck with a fixed level for the test. The probability value or p-value method is a measure of how likely the sample results are, assuming the null hypothesis is true. Small p-values suggest that the null hypothesis is unlikely to be true. The smaller the p-value, the more convincing is the rejection of the null hypothesis. The advantage of this method is that, by reporting the p-value one allows the reader to decide if the result is significant or not (Statistics Glossary, para 26). For e.g., one might think that the 5% level of significance is good while the reader may prefer 2% level of significance. Therefore, the p-value allows the reader to draw their own conclusions. The disadvantage of this method is that one can’t make quick conclusions based on just the sample values as can be done in the critical value method.

Individual Gathering and Evaluating Information Essay Example for Free

Individual Gathering and Evaluating Information Essay List the APA reference citation for the source. Determine the credibility of the source. Consider the following criteria: What is the purpose and affiliation of the organization or author related to the article? What are the author’s credentials? Is the information current? When was the information last updated? Does the information cross-reference with other sources? Does the source contain bias without evidence to support the claim? Explain in at least two to four sentences what information you can gather from this source. Source (formatted consistent with APA guidelines)What makes the source credible or noncredible? What information can you gather from this source? Curfman, G. D., Morrissey, S., Drazen, J. M. (2013). Affirmative action in the balance. The New England Journal of Medicine, 368(1), 73-4. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1266235513?accountid=458 What impact the outcome may play on school admissions. Hu, H. (2012). Debate over affirmative action in college admissions continues. Diverse Issues in Higher Education, 29(19), 8. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1117362730?accountid=458 This article has been peer reviewed for credibility.Another perspective of Fisher vs. University of Texas. The role NACAC plays in admissions to schools. Julia S. Jordan-Zachery, Richard Seltzer, Responses to affirmative action: Is there a question order affect?, The Social Science Journal, Volume 49, Issue 2, June 2012, Pages 119-126, ISSN 0362-3319, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.soscij.2011.08.012. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0362331911001169) This article has been peer reviewed for credibility.This source will be used to show the public’s response of Affirmative Action, and its varying degrees. This source also has great experimental results that can be incorporated. Fullinwider, Robert, Affirmative Action, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2011 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2011/entries/affirmative-action/ This source is from the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.This source will be utilized for various information since it covers many topics. This source will also be used to explain the beginning of affirmative action. American Association for Affirmative Action. (2013, July). American Association for Affirmative Action. Retrieved from American Association for Affirmative Action: www.affirmativeaction.org The American Association for Affirmative Action is the association of professionals managing affirmative action, equal opportunity, diversity and other human resource programs.This source will be used to explain AAAA and its role in Affirmative Action. Illustrate any current legislative cases that may be happening. †¢What strategies did you use to gather reliable information for your research paper? Affirmative action has many policies about race, color, religion, and/or sex. In essence affirmative action is equal opportunity, not only in a work environment but also admissions. Looking at search results gave way to sub topics. In order to write a streamlined paper a subtopic will be the focus of this paper. The subtopic will need to be relevant and current. When having a relevant and current topic, there must me multiple credible sources to back up the information on that topic. Searching through the University of Phoenix Library yielded many positive results on the topic of Fisher vs. the University of Texas. This outcome of this case could change the course of affirmative action when it comes to admission into school. This is a historical case of today’s time, similar to many landmark cases from the civil rights movements of the 1960’s. The sources that are to be used will be from peer reviewed articles or websites that are the authority on this topic. †¢What other strategies might you use? Provide a rationale for your choices. Other strategies that will be used through this paper will include a devil’s advocate approach. When talking about affirmative action there are two groups, those in favor and those against. The goal of this essay is to explain the reasons behind both groups’ arguments and allow the reader to make their own decision. All information will be relevant data. The question that will need to be answered â€Å"is affirmative action still needed today?† By illustrating both viewpoints the reader should have enough base information to research more. Once they have research more on their own they will be able to formulate an answer. This essay will give the reader a start of materials to research, and may have those asking questions never before thought of. The word count associated with this essay does not allow the author to get too far into detail on such a vast topic.

Environmental Strategic Analysis

Environmental Strategic Analysis Running head: ENVIRONMENTAL SCAN AND STRATEGIC ANALYSIS OF HP Environmental Scan and Strategic Analysis of HP Introduction to HP Hewlett-Packard (HP) is a computer and electronics company, and in the Fortune 500 list, it has been ranked 11th. It has an eminent team of 142,000 employees scattered around 170 countries. Palo Alto in California is the headquarter of HP. The companys offerings are in the fields of Information Technology (IT) infrastructure, personal computing and access devices, imagining and printing, global services. Silicon Valley start-up is the other name given to HP and is known for developing scientific calculator which was the first hand-held. It has a huge Product and service categories. The company has a huge investment in Research and Development (RD), nearly about $4 billion. This has fuelled the invention of new products, technologies and solutions (Datamonitor, 2004). Step 1 Following are the three forces from remote environment, which Influence the company are: Technological factor Political factors Ecological factors Technological factor Technological factors comprises of the factors that are associated with applied knowledge, machines, materials those are used for the production of goods and services that greatly has a impact on the business. Important factors that influence technological environment are technological sources like company source, foreign source, external source, and cost of acquiring technology. Another factor is development in the technology, rate of change of technology and research and development. In Todays world technology plays a vital role. This factor has a great relevance to the company, as it has a great impact on human beings and also effects communication in management. It is used as strategic weapon in order to fight the competition in a long run. The technology of HP addresses in China, Russia, Brazil, and India. It has successfully adapted to various needs; for example to the non-Western languages, infrastructures, that are unique. Researchers are striving for creating such a technology that can leverage a role of mass communications medium instead of television. As compared to internet, TV is much more persistent as more than 130 private channels are available. HP Labs researchers are looking for the ways to complement TV broadcasts with synchronized printed material that is used for education and other important applications (kotler, 2003). The strategic implication of technological change has lead to change in competitive cost position, creating new markets and also refined business segments. The companys major goal is to assist customers across the world by enhancing the access to information and communications technologies which can satisfy their needs in best possible manner; this can help the company to capture its next billion customers. HP has the ISS Technology that gives information about new updated technology innovations and their implementations in the Industry Standard Server (ISS) product line. Conventionally management products were built on Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), which became a persistent management technology. However, relative to current alternatives SNMP-based management solutions has gained scrutiny for their simple structure. A new product which is based on Web-based Enterprise Management (WBEM) was introduced by HP, that consist of management and Internet standard technologies which help to unite the management of distributed computing environments. HP Insight Management WBEM Provides Many advantages for Windows. Ecological Factors The major global concern is the deteriorating environment. The concern arises because many global cities have crossed the dangerous level of air and water pollution. The greenhouse gases are the major cause of these environmental hazards. In many countries strict rules have been imposed in order to reduce industrial pollution. Many clubs and NGOs have also came forward as watchdogs. New regulations being imposed on companies have proved expensive to them. The industries like steel, auto, IT, FMCG, have invested billions of dollars in environment pollution control equipments. Many other industries had to increase their products biodegradability (Misra Puri, 2007). The companies have to be more conscious about various opportunities and threats arising due to ecological degradation. Some of the areas of concern for the companies are shortage of raw material, increased energy cost, increased level of pollution and change in government rules. (Kazmi, 2002).HP was using Brominated flame Retardant (BFR) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) for computing products which are harmful to the nature. It has resorted to eliminate all uses of Brominated flame Retardant (BFR) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) from its computing products which are to be launched in 2009 because of the availability of technologically feasible alternatives, which will not negotiate product performance and quality and will not adversely impact health and the environment. HP eliminated more than 95 percent of the BFRs used in the external case parts of its products more than 10 years ago, including two, PBDE and PBB, which were subsequently among the substances restricted by the Restrictions of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive. During the same timeframe, HP also eliminated polyvinyl chloride from the external case parts of its products. It is further working with suppliers and identifying such materials which will have no/reduced adverse impact on the environment and the customers as well. They are in the process of evaluating the whole life cycle of the products, cost and environmental impact of new products and identifying alternative materials which will have less impact on the environment. In spite of their best efforts, it is difficult for them to confirm the claims for new materials used because the new materials may not have been researched as thoroughly as existing materials. Political Factors All the company decisions are very much affected by the political and legal developments taking place in the countries it is operating. This environment comprises of the pressure groups, laws and government agencies which influences and limits various companies and their working. It consists of factors related to management of public affairs and their impact on the businesses. Industrialist shows keen interest in the politics of both home and host countries. The reasons may be several. Legislations affecting business are set by political parties. The government despite of taking liberalization measures, exercise enormous regulatory powers that can make or destroy any organization. Political funding of elections is widespread among the business houses. Several of them come openly in favor of a particular political party while a few join politics. Political stability in the country also attracts multinationals, because the stability in the country is directly linked to the economic development of the country as a whole. Hewlett-Packard is also liable to follow the regulations regarding hazardous substances, such as the EU restrictions of Hazardous Substances and Japan J-MOSS. These restrictions have forced the company to use substitutes of hazardous materials. The other regulation REACH, which replaces the existing EU legislations of chemicals with a single system for all chemical substances, has also to be followed by the company. These regulations give greater responsibility to the company to assess the properties of chemicals and manage the environmental and health risks, and at the same time communicate information to suppliers and users for the supply of the materials of such specifications only. While complying with all regulations, HP is supporting the overall objective of REACH to improve and protect human health and the environment. The long standing policy of Hewlett-Packard is to provide such products and services which are safe to use and environmentally favorable throughout their lifecycle. The company is planning to meet all the specifications of such rules and is committed to provide its customers with the required information about the chemicals which are being used in their products, in order to comply with REACH. The company is also working with government and industry to ensure a workable system which satisfies the primary goal of REACH. The suppliers are also convinced to ensure that the companies products mach the needs of the regulations. Step 2 HP has gained Strategic adaptability through Sustainable competitive advantage, which helps the company to maintain and improve the competitive position in the market. Customer plays a key role in todays world as they want the products quicker, cheaper, and also want it their way. The company has built its sustainable competitive advantage around the following: The corporate capabilities: Competitive advantage can be determined in two ways- firstly based on distinctive capabilities and second reproducible capabilities. People also act as the Main Source for Competitive Advantage. Corporate Culture plays a vital role in achieving competitive advantage HP has gained it through intricate interactions between individuals, organizations and environmental factors. Environmental analysis of HP through SWOT analysis For making the overall environmental analysis of Hewlett-Packard we analyze the companys strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. The strengths and weaknesses of the company constitute the internal environmental analysis while the opportunities and threats constitute the external environmental analysis. Strengths of HP Its customer loyalty is the main strength of HP. Apart from this; HP is the leading innovator for nearly seven decades as it invests almost $4 billion annually on RD. Other strengths lie in Printer business, Brand, Technology Knowledge, relationships, Sales compensation. It has been able to supply the different features that consumers want at competitive prices. HP has been able to retain the customer loyalty because they are strongly attracted to the unique features of products. Technical superiority and quality products have kept the company at the top of the computer printers market. Weaknesses of HP Its wide range of operations all round the world possesses the problem of communication in the organization. Its manpower team of about 142000 employees round the world sometimes paves the way to cultural differences. Other weaknesses lie in Distribution of inventory, Culture, internally focused, incur excess Costs Opportunities of HP With its high and focused research team, it can make more innovative products and develop products of customer requirements. Its huge size and scope of operations will enable it to reach new markets and serve them with comparatively lower costs. Its supply chain of $52 billion will also help the company expand its business. Threats of HP The company being ranked at 11 positions in the world poses the competition from other big and small companies like DELL (producing cheap, quality, no inventory), IBM, Microsoft, Starbucks etc. Its main area of concern is to focus on a small segment of electronic goods only. It has been observed that other threat is weaken manufacturing system. Remote environment The Remote environment consists of Economic factors, Social factors, Political factors, Technological factors and Ecological factors. Economic factor: It involves factors related to production and tells about the distribution of wealth. A year ago, the revenue in third quarter rose to $21.9 billion, up 5%. In 2005, the quarter was greatly affected by a larger-than-normal provision for taxes of $960 million which resulted from the companys decision in order to send home $14.5 billion in cash from foreign earnings. Company reported a 65.4% improvement that is in terms of operating income. According to the analyst of Goldman Sachss, HP does not seem to be tripping over out of its way to cite problems in the overall economic environment. According to the beat analyst of HP, the company announced to buy back $6 billion in stock, which is larger repurchase and represents more than 6% shares at current prices. The computer division in the competitive market is very profitable for the company. Due to this the revenue of the company has grew 8% to $6.9 billion. Technological factors: Development in the technology, rate of change in technology and research and development are the major factors. The latest technologies announced by the company are:- Gesture keyboard: Roman alphabet was the prominent feature in Traditional keyboards; recently HP researchers have produced a stylus-and-tablet solution, which is easy for people to study and use. For filling out forms, Pen-based solutions: it consists of digital ink which can be transferred to central location, here handwritten input gets converted to machine-readable text which helps in storage and processing . TV broadcasts that are Print-supplemented: HP researchers are focusing on developing technology which can deliver print material in synchronization with TV programming. Multimedia education centers: HP researchers are working on a technology that can provide on-demand broadcast education programming for learning institutions which can enable multimedia access. Secured paper documents: Company is extending its public services to small towns in remote areas with the help of Internet cafes instead of local government offices. The problem in the secured paper documents is the authenticity of the transmitted documents. Political Factors: Hewlett-Packard is also liable to follow the regulations regarding hazardous substances, such as the EU restrictions of Hazardous Substances and Japan J-MOSS. The other regulation like REACH, which replaces the existing EU legislations of chemicals with a single system for all chemical substances has also to be followed by the company. Ecological Factors: The companies have to be more conscious about various opportunities and threats arising due to ecological degradation. Some of the concerning areas for the companies are shortage of raw material, increased energy cost, increased level of pollution and change in government rules. HP was using Brominated flame Retardant (BFR) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) for computing products which are harmful to the nature. It has resorted to eliminate all uses of Brominated flame Retardant (BFR) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) from its computing products which are to be launched in 2009 because of the availability of technologically feasible Political Factors This environment comprises of the pressure groups, laws and government agencies which influences and limits various companies and their working. Hewlett-Packard is also liable to follow the regulations regarding hazardous substances, such as the EU restrictions of Hazardous Substances and Japan J-MOSS. These restrictions have forced the company to use substitutes of hazardous materials. The other regulation like REACH which replaces the existing EU legislations of chemicals with a single system for all chemical substances has also to be followed by the company. These regulations give greater responsibility to the company to assess the properties of chemicals and manage the environmental and health risks, and at the same time communicate information to suppliers and users for the supply of the materials of such specifications only. Social factors HP is involved in various social issues. For e.g. it is engaged in various soil and ground water conservation products. It also recycles the PCs and other electronic goods which it produces. This helps to safeguard the society. It also takes cares of its employees health and safety. Global Environment Reasons for firms going Global In few years more companies are venturing into global operations in order to achieve the benefits of economies of scale and widen their customer base. The home country market becomes saturated after a period of time, which forces the company to search for new markets in order to enhance its revenues. Companies also venture foreign markets in order to take the advantage of cheaper sources of material and other resources. Going global also reduces the dependency on any on market. Complexity of the global environment When company goes global various complexities are faced by it, these include the differences in culture or know how to deal effectively with the national of other country, difficulty in understanding the preferences of the customers of that country, the company might also to offer a product which is competitively attractive. Various legal regulations also put forth many problems in front of the companies going abroad. The devaluation of currency, Political instability, property which is expropriated and huge cost involved in setting up plants and basic infrastructure are the other factors which creates complexities for the companies. Control problems of the global firm Major control problems of the firms include the differences in way of handling the issues and problems by the employees. For example the companies of US follow the X theory while the Japanese follow the Y theory of dealing with employees. Global strategic planningIt is essential for every business in order to attain the growth of the business. Its future depends on the strategic plans it made I its die course of operations. In order to exploit various environmental opportunities and limit the adverse effects of environmental threats strategic planning is essential. Industry environment HP most complex global supply chain IT industry. Approximately $50 billion it spends annually in order to procure materials, components, manufacturing, and distribution. HP is investing in supply chain, social and environmental responsibility (SER) which reflects the global citizenship principles committed and shows whether supplier diversity meets stakeholder expectations. HP main foundation lies in the protection of international human rights HP is committed towards the lives of the workers who manufacture the products. Competitive forces that helped HP in gaining competitive advantages HP has gained Strategic adaptability through Sustainable competitive advantage which helps the company to maintain and improve the competitive position in the market. Customer plays a key role in todays world as they want the products quicker, cheaper, and also want it their way. The company has built its sustainable competitive advantage around the following: The corporate capabilities. Competitive advantage can be determined in two ways- firstly based on distinctive capabilities and second reproducible capabilities. People also act as the Main Source for Competitive Advantage. Corporate Culture plays a vital role, in achieving competitive advantage HP has gained it through from intricate interactions between individuals, organizations and environmental factors. Contending forces Threat of entry: new entrants decrease profitability. The profit rate will fall unless the entry of new firms is blocked by incumbents. HP can focus on patents, rights, economies of product, brand equity, switching costs Powerful suppliers: it can be described as the market of inputs. Raw materials, components, and services which are provided by suppliers can exercise power over the firm Powerful buyers: it refers to final consumers or the distributors of the firm or the market of outputs. There bargaining power of customers puts the firm under pressure to change prices. Substitute products: these are the alternatives available to the consumers; their availability enhances the propensity of customers to switch to other products (Ramaswamy Namakumari, 2007). Operating Environment Competitive position: HP is the worlds largest computer and electronics company. It ranks 11th in the fortune 500 companies. The company is known for the first Silicon Valley start up. Its goodwill in the market is very good. Customer profiles: As the company is working worldwide it has a large customer base which is loyal to it. The customers include both the direct customers and business houses as it customers. Suppliers: Suppliers are the most important part of the organization. Without them no organization can survive. The supplier base of HP is of around $52 billion which is the largest in the IT industry. The company chooses them on the merit base of their products. Creditors: The creditors constitute a very important part of the company. They are the firms and individuals which provide company with funds on credit. The suppliers also form a part of the creditors. Human resources: The Company has a wide employee base with about 142000 workers working all round the world. Its employees are highly innovative and culturally diversified. Vision and values of HP Vision and values of HP has helped in achieving long term objectives. For about 7 decades, HP has proved to be a leader in innovative products. Its objectives and mission being aligned with its size and scale help the company to offer customers competitively priced products at lower costs. The company has a $52 billion supply-chain which is the largest in the IT industry. The company focuses on improving its customer relations and tries to make them learn about the company. Its strategies for supply are successful because it supplies competitive products at low prices. Its customer loyalty has also been excellent. References Kotler, P. (2003). Marketing management. 11th Edition, New Delhi: Prentice Hall of India. Ramaswamy, V.S. Namakumari, S. (2007). Strategic Planning Formulation of Corporate strategy. New Delhi: MacMillan India Ltd. Misra, S.K. Puri, V.K. (2007). Economic environment of business. Mumbai: Himalaya Publishing House. Kazmi, A. (2002). Business policy and Strategic Management. 2nd Edition, Delhi: Tata McGraw Hill. Wheelen, T.L. hunger, J.D, (2007), Strategic Management and Business Policy. 9th Edition. Delhi: Pearson Education Pte. Ltd. H. R. practices. Retrieved March 20, 2008, from www.hp.com

Ivan Denisovich Essay -- Social Issues, Poverty, War

The crimes of Stalinism in Europe are endless. The experience of the people who lived under the Soviet regime after the end of World War II lived in a time of terror, hopelessness and misery. For Soviet citizens and the prisoners life was miserable. One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, a short novel written by Alexander Solzhenitsyn, is a story about the one day in the life of a person caught between the chaos of the war and the faceless entity that controls their lives. The story takes place somewhere in Siberia in 1951 at a â€Å"special† (forced labor) camp. Ivan is sent here after escaping from the Germans that captured him and some other men on the northwest front. Due to the control and paranoia of Stalinism, instead of being welcomed as a hero, he is accused of being a spy for the Germans and is forced to â€Å"confess† or be killed (71). During this one day of Ivan’s life the iron clad control Stalin has is apparent in daily life and there are little touches of humanity, faith and hope that give him and the others on the 104th the strength to get through each day at the camp. Ivan is representative of mainstream Soviet society; he is an uneducated, peasant Russian man. Ivan has an average name and does not aspire for much and his needs are fairly simple. The first suggestion of Ivan being uneducated is at the beginning of the story when Ivan goes to the dispensary in hopes of getting out of work for few days. From the masonry work that the squadron does during the day we know that Ivan is a skilled laborer. The other prisoners in his squadron long for freedom but Ivan views freedom as home. Ivan received a sentence of ten years but learns later that there is a chance that they could give him another term at the camp or he woul... ...world and after the work day ends continues to work. This is only space that Ivan feels he can claims as his own. The prisoners quietly fight the system by holding onto anything that makes them feel they still have individuality and control. Solzhenitsyn illustrates the life of an average Soviet citizen. Stalin controlled everything about a person’s private and public life. Individuality was taken away through various methods such as making giving numbers instead of names and taking away personal belongings. Families were torn apart by sending men away to camps and letters were censored. People were deprived of all things that made them feel human. The story emphasizes the importance of having faith to endure hard times and to keep the human spirit intact even in one of the most ominous regimes in history. Ivan concludes that it was â€Å"almost a happy day† (p 159).

Plutonium :: essays research papers

Plutonium   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Plutonium is a radioactive metallic element. Although it is occasionally found in nature, mostly all of our plutonium is produced artificially in a lab. The official chemical symbol for plutonium is Pu, coming from its first and third letters. Its atomic number is ninety-four. Plutonium is able to maintain its solid state until very high temperatures, melting at six hundred and forty degrees Celsius, and boiling at three thousand four hundred and sixty degrees. The density of Plutonium, at twenty degrees centigrade, is 19.86 grams per cubic centimeter.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Plutonium was discovered, in the laboratory, by Glenn Theodore Seaborg, and his associate Edward M. McMillan. The two shared the Nobel prize in 1951 for their discoveries of Plutonium, Americium (Am), Curium (Cm), Berkelium (Bk), and Californium (Cf). In addition, Seaborg later contributed to the discovery of three more radioactive elements, Einsteinium (Es), Mendelevium (Md), and Nobelium (No). Plutonium was Seaborg’s first discovery. Its name came from Pluto, the planet after Neptune for which Neptunium was named. In 1940, at the University of California at Berkeley, he bombarded a sample of Uranium with deuterons, the nuclei in atoms of deuterium, transmuting it into plutonium. Shortly after, Seaborg was able to isolate plutonium 239, an isotope used in atomic bombs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Plutonium is a highly dangerous and poisonous element because it rapidly gives off radiation in the form of alpha particles. Alpha particles, which are identical to the nucleus of a helium atom, consist of two protons and two neutrons tightly bound together. Although the particles can only travel about five centimeters in the air, they can cause great damage when the enter the body, causing cancer and other serious health problems. Beyond the danger of their radiation, Plutonium will spontaneously explode when a certain amount, called critical mass, is kept together. Soon after the discovery of Plutonium, it was discovered that at least two oxidation states existed. It is now known to exist in oxidation states of +3, +4, +5, and +6.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Currently, there are fifteen known isotopes of Plutonium, with mass numbers ranging between 232 and 246. The most important isotope is plutonium 239, or Pu-239. When struck by a neutron, this isotope undergoes a process called fission. In fission, When struck by a neutron, the nucleus of the plutonium atom is split into two nearly equal parts, and energy is released. Although the energy released by one atom is not much, the splitting of the nucleus releases more neutrons, which strike more plutonium atoms. This process, called a chain- reaction, produces enormous amounts of energy. This energy is often used to power nuclear reactors, or to provide the energy for nuclear weapons.

Speech on the Importance of Co-curricular Activities in School by R Jain

It happens more than sometimes that a student who has consistently shown in studies does less well later on in life than a student who has always been academically mediocre. The reason is not, necessarily, that the former has not lived up to expectations, or that the latter has all the connections that count. Often it is just a case of the mediocre rising to excellence because he has had the good luck of finding himself. Albert Einstein, Leo Tolstoy and Rabindranath Tagore were not considered particularly bright prospects in school, but nevertheless took the world by storm. Obviously, academics is only one yardstick of a student’s ability.At the school level, it is presently the most important yardstick and will probably continue to be so in the foreseeable future. It is generally agreed that an educated person is required to have grounding in certain specified areas of knowledge that may be termed as ‘basic subjects’. Over and above that, though, a good school wi ll offer a wide variety of supplementary or co-curricular activities involving games, music, art, literature, photography, the computer, and what have you. The more varied and better organised these activities are, the greater are the chances of a student succeeding in discovering himself.What does that mean? It means finding out what one likes doing, what one is good at and what one would like to develop one’s skills in. It is not impossible for this to turn out to be a fairly long drawn-out trial-and-error process. A student may begin by trying his hand at painting and find himself lacking; he may then move on to debating and discover he is worse at it; he may then have a shot at acting, but in vain; finally, he may find his metier in creative writing. He starts writing stories and poems and getting appreciation for and feedback on them. It makes him a happier, more motivated, and more energetic person.He may have been an indifferent student, but now, because his self-estee m has risen and he is more confident of himself, he attains a higher rank in class as well. It is not necessary that he should go on to become a famous writer. The very fact that he has confidence in himself now will make a world of difference to how he goes about life and what he does with it. It is up to him to seek out suitable avenues for the expression of his creativity, but once that is done, that initial act of self-discovery in school will prove to be one of the most positive turning-points in his life.What today is called ‘co-curricular’ was yesterday known as ‘extra-curricular’. The change in wording is significant and reveals recognition of the worth of non-academic pursuits in education. That one does not need to sit in ‘examinations’ in most co-curricular activities is a factor that makes them more enjoyable than classroom study; however, that may also be the very reason why a section of students don’t take them seriously en ough.More and more colleges and organisations have begun to look beyond the school-leaving and graduation and post-graduation certificates while deciding whom to take in and whom to leave out during admission or employment, and a good co-curricular track record may well give one an edge over a rival candidate who has no such background. This development, also, should further the worthy cause of co-curricular activities.

Factors Influencing Comprehension

Factors influencing Comprehension The article under the sub- heading Understanding Comprehension stated that â€Å"comprehension is complex†. It is my belief that teachers whether in the primary or secondary system should see it as such and not just a situation where a passage is just read and the questions answered at the end of it. It has been brought to my attention that comprehension is affected by a variety of factors some of which may be considered internal as well as external. Some of the internal factors may include stressful situations and the external factors would include the reading text assigned and the pages with dense text with few paragraph breaks or illustrations. It is then my belief that if the pre-service and inservice teachers saw this as a critical issue then for those of us who have not been taking it as seriously then we need to. The students who we teach may have been affected by these factors but because of teachers ignorance comprehension lessons where not adequately prepared. Secondly, the fact that background knowledge was so important on the side of the pupil just did not occur to me. I thought that what I gave initially at the beginning of the lesson if they had no experience it would be enough. Students being taught the comprehension lesson should have some experiential background to the text being used or the teacher could run into problems. â€Å"Schema theory tells us that readers must have adequate back-ground knowledge to understand what they read; it also tells us that readers must activate their prior knowledge† (Langer, 1984). Preparations for students doing comprehension lessons must therefore be more in-depth not only on the teachers part but in light of the students as well as one needs to investigate if the students has any prior knowledge. Thirdly and quite interestingly the Transactional theory brought home the fact that different students read for different reasons, the efferent stance or the aesthetic stance. The fact is a student’s stance can influence his or her comprehension. In teaching we need to know just how important the material is to our students or rather how important we make it for them. The fact that they may be quizzed at the end of a reading may generate more interest. The students who read just for sheer experience may just not comprehend as well as the one who does it for a purpose that could be considered more important. Fourthly, comprehension as a process is very stimulating to a student or students for that matter. The fact that this process begins before actual reading and end long after the reading is finished emphasises the activities that are used to grab and keep the students involved in the whole teaching and learning experience. Dividing instruction into prereading, during reading and post reading helps teachers design activities for each stage that will improve students’ comprehension (Carlton, 1982) and provides opportunities for teachers to demonstrate strategies that readers can use at this stage†. The actual process of comprehension and the strategies used has truly been an experience and will be a welcomed difference in my approach to the teaching of comprehension.

Minnesota Rag Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Minnesota Rag - Essay Example Johan Morrison began to publish the Rip-Saw, this was published weekly which exposed the illegal uses and other vice, which according to Morrison were carried out directly or indirectly by the municipal authorities. Of the targets of the newspapers were the two legislators who weren't satisfied with route to ordinary defamation laws. With the help of the press established as Minnesota they sketched the Public Nuisance Law 1925 which allowed the permanent judge to direct the newspapers from publishing upon a finding that is "customarily or regularly" published "defamatory, malicious and scandalous" material. The defense was a truth given that the intention behind were good for justified ends. This was passed with little or no fame and press didn't show up an opposition, but before Duluth representatives, in order to shut down the Rip-Saw with the help of gag law, Morrison died. (P.14-27) Apart from the above another crisis rose of the whiskey trade from Canada, when Jay Near and an associate started the publication of the scandal sheet of their own called Saturday Press. While the conventional press often soft-pedaled its reporting on vice and corruption, the Press held nothing sacred. Sometimes trustfully but always recklessly, it accused law enforcement and political figures of seizing every available illicit opportunity. Unlike, Morrison, the publishers of the Press were scandalmongers without redeeming moral zeal, and they were frequently accused of using their paper as an instrument of blackmail (p. 32-35). In May 1928, the Minnesota Supreme Court unanimously upheld the law's constitutionality, finding the Press to be a nuisance to public comfort and repose akin to noxious weeds, dogs and houses of prostitution. The court had no difficulty distinguishing "nuisances" like Near's rag from the "the sincere and honest voice of the press," which had no need to fear the statute (p 61). The constitutional guarantee, the court insisted, extends only to the boundaries of propriety; "licentiousness" is unprotected (p. 61-62). Consequently, the court found that "there is no constitutional right to publish a fact merely because it is true" p62. And when the fledgling American Civil Liberties Union announced that it would undertake an appeal to the Supreme Court on Near's behalf (p. .63-64), the Minneapolis Evening Tibune's editorial echoed the court's emphasis on the need to protect only "responsible" journalism: "The Civil Liberties Union will no doubt make a great pother about the freedom of the press, but the legitimate newspapers will be rather bored than excited about it" (p.64-65). Enter Colonel Robert R. McCormick and his Chicago Tribune. Obsessed by government hostility to press freedoms McCormick nudged out the ACLU and assumed the financial burden and strategic control of the case. He believed that Near's accusation about local politicians probably were true (p. 70), and he feared in any event that, unless stamped out quickly, Minnesota technique for suppressing newspapers would spread to other states (p. 78). Client and patron soon developed divergent interest; while Near bridled at delays in resuming his tawdry livelihood, McCormick and his law firm were intent on gaining a constitutional victory at the highest level (p. 77, 84-87). In the end, McCormick had his way. At oral argument before the Supreme Court, Weymouth

Consumer Behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Consumer Behaviour - Essay Example In today’s world, most wives are much educated and employed. So surely while deciding on the attributes of TV sets, the husband and wives would have more equal dominating power. The sex-role structure orientation would leave the women with more dominating power than the men in the family. The family life cycle would have an affect on the dynamics of decision making. In the young married stage the decision would be dominated equally by the wives and husbands. In the later stages husbands are supposed to be more dominated. A TV advertiser would could make an advertisement for a high end expensive TV to attract more men than women. As per the opinion leadership theory, an opinion leader is the person who is quite accustomed to media and advertisement. He tends to interpret the meaning of those advertisements to the lower end users of the same. An opinion leader, mostly, is an expertise in a particular field. Sometimes viewers are more inclined to get influenced by the opinion lea ders as they believe that they know more than the consumers. In such a case companies use such leaders in the advertisements.

Airline Sales Plunge Blame Low Fares Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Airline Sales Plunge Blame Low Fares - Essay Example Unlike the demand curve, the supply is positively related to the price hence the higher the price, the higher the quantity supplied to the market. At market equilibrium, the quantity demanded is equal to the quantity supplied hence there is absence of excess demand or excess supply in the market (Wessels 28). The quantity demanded is determined by several factors which include the income levels of the consumers, the price of the commodity, the price of related commodities, the future expectations of changes in price and the population. The quantity of commodity supplied in the market is determined by the price of the commodity, technology and the prices of inputs of production. The supply is also determined by subsidies and government taxation (Wessels 58). This paper will discuss the airline sales plunge which may have been blamed on the low fares. The paper will examine the effect of the recession on the airline industry. Research questions and methodology The paper will answer the questions on what were the causes of decrease in the quantity demanded of airline tickets. The paper will also answer the question on the effect of the fares charged on the cost or price which was actually paid by passengers. The paper will review articles on the impact of low fares on profitability of Airline industry during the recession. The airline passenger sales revenues declined by 19 percent in September year-to-year which was not attributed to lack of business but the low passenger prices for the fares. The number of passengers who travelled during the period also declined slightly by 2 percent according to the Air transport association while the average price per one mile of flying declined substantially by 18 percent (Smith 2). The scenario can be explained by the low demand in the airline industry. The fees which started to be charged on services which came free initially include the checked baggage fee, pet travel, non-alcoholic drinks and food. The extra fee accumulat ed to $ 1.15 in 2009.bsome of the major carriers like U.S Airways, Delta Airlines and Continental Airlines gained about $ 10 surcharge revenues for holiday travels while maintaining their normal fares. The decline in Airline industry profitability was also affected by the increasing prices of crude oil (Smith 2). The decline in the quantity demanded of the Airline industry fares during the recession can be attributed to the decline in consumer income levels. A reduction in the income levels would lead to reduction in the quantity of goods demanded especially goods which are not basic. The recession led to decrease in the number of tourism travels and other leisure related travel hence the Airline industry had to lower their prices in order to attract and retain customers during the recession. The low fares partly attracted demand since the passenger volumes fell by 2 percent but it negatively affected business profitability since prices of inputs like crude oil increased. The prices of other related transport services like ship transport did not increase hence the airline industry had to lower their prices so as to maintain their customer base (Smith 4). The recession negatively affected the global economic and business environment whereby major multi-national companies scaled down their operations hence the volumes

Self Evaluation of Writing Essay in English Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Self Evaluation of Writing in English - Essay Example A Chinese language essay is stylistically like a circle, which means the readers have to figure out the meaning through personal interpretation as they return to the original intention of the author. On the other hand, the American English essay is stylistically like a straight line, which means the reader will find the thesis statement directly given at the beginning of the essay. Even though the process of writing an essay is similar in English and Chinese, it has been difficult for me to change from the Chinese style of writing, presentation, and organization to the American way represented in brainstorming, outlining, establishing a thesis statement, and completing the research in a structured pattern. Because of this, I have reflected on my own experience and mistakes in English composition to formalize a list of issues I need to correct in my own writing and work. When I was studying previously in the ESL program and taking a writing class at Seattle Central Community College, I typically did not â€Å"brainstorm† by writing down all of my ideas as part of my essay preparation. Frankly, I thought to brainstorm was wasting my time. There were only forty-five minutes permitted for an in a class writing assignment, so I always felt that I had no time to brainstorm. However, because of this, I always got stuck on the assignments where I had no idea what I should write next. For example, when I wrote my final, a timed writing assignment for my level three writing class, I did not write enough words because I had nothing prepared in advance that would allow me to continue to write on the topic after the first few paragraphs. After I got a humiliating grade on this final exam, I thought I had made a wrong choice and should have pursued a better topic to write about initially. I asked myself why I did not choose another question for the writing originally. In retrospect, at this time, I did not know the importance of brainstorming. Sometimes my ESL writing teachers would ask me to brainstorm before I started to write, but my brainstorm always was prepared after my rough draft was finished.