Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Starbucks Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Starbucks - Essay Example Each company faces problems and obstacles, even successful ones like Starbucks. One of the main challenges that Starbucks is facing is dealing with competitors. Coffee retailers are scattered all over the world in huge numbers. By involving thousands of shops operating in the coffee field, and as the competition increases, it makes the task more difficult for Starbucks to maintain its place. Also, the most obvious challenge that Starbucks is dealing with is the current financial crisis in America. Compared to other cafes prices, Starbucks is one of the most expensive cafà © shops in the world, and a number of consumers find the prices are exaggerated (Fellner 2010). A recent research made by a team of mystery coffee researchers shows that, the rates in Starbucks compared to Costa Cafà © and Cafà © Nero is the highest (Burks 2009). As seen on the graph above, Starbucks has experienced fluctuations in profit, starting from 2005 with a steady increase in the net income, and then it dropped down in 2008, decreasing the net profit from more than $600 million to less than $400 million. On the other hand, sales grew in 2010 getting the highest net income over the earlier 5 years. In 2010, Starbucks turned about 11% of its revenue into free cash flow (FCF). The company earned more than  £600 million cash on net income (Nadine 2008). Also, there has been a surprising increase in the company’s net income in the last year. In the third quarter of 2011, the income rose up to 33%, earning more than $880 million net income. Howard Shultz stated on July 11, 2006, "First and foremost I want to thank you for making Starbucks the $6.4 billion global company it is today, with more than 90,000 employees, 9,700 stores, and 33 million weekly customers." Taking the 33,000,000 weekly customers and dividing it by 7 you will get 4.7 million customers per day. Since that time Starbucks has added many, many new stores so

Monday, October 28, 2019

Secret Life of Bees in-Class Writing Assignment Essay Example for Free

Secret Life of Bees in-Class Writing Assignment Essay How would you describe Lilys feelings about her mother? Do they change throughout the novel? Lily loves her mother very much and misses her lot, especially when she can’t sleep. The guilt she feels for her role in Deborah’s death haunts her. Later when Lily learns that her perfect, fantasy mother abandoned her she quickly grows to resent her mother for leaving her with T. Ray. Finally she comes to terms with her real mother, a flawed, complex, very real person. As a result of all these revelations, Lily’s relationship with her deceased mother, Deborah, is very complicated. When the Secret Life of Bees starts, Lily loves her mother very much and blames herself for her mother’s death. As stated on page 52, â€Å"My mother’s name was Deborah. I thought it was the prettiest name I had ever heard†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Lily spends a lot of time thinking about her and fantasizing. She creates a perfect mother in her mind, a mother who would make her pretty and happy. When she finds some of her mother’s gloves in the attic, â€Å"I feel foolish about it now, but one time I stuffed the gloves with cotton balls and held them through the night. † (p. 5) Because nobody in her community is willing to talk to her about her mother she is clinging on to whatever part of her she can get, even if it is just a pair or old gloves. The guilt of her mother’s death is also present when she says, â€Å"This is what I know about myself. She was all I wanted. And I took her away. † (p. 40) She is overwhelmed with emotions and has no way to effectively deal with them other than let her feelings boil and fester inside of her. This combination of unlimited love and regret reflect how Lily feels for about the first half of the novel. Later, Lily’s feelings for her mother change drastically when August admits that Deborah abandoned her with her abusive father instead of taking Lily with her to Tiburon. As she puts it, ‘Unwanted’, I thought. ‘I was an unwanted baby’ (p. 628), and, â€Å"My mother had left me. † (p. 634) This admission and realization throws Lily into a whole world of hurt. Instead of the glorious, perfect, loving mother she though Deborah had been, she is appalled to find that her mother is far from flawless. Lily realizes, â€Å"I’d spent most of my life imagining all the ways she’d love me, what a perfect specimen of a mother she was. All of it was lies. I had completely made her up. † (p. 635) In fact Deborah was suffering from severe depression. As August put it, â€Å"When I picked her up at the bus station, she didnt even look like herself. She had gotten so thin and had these dark circles under her eyes. † (p. 633) In shock and feeling betrayed, Lily finishes her conversation with August hating her mother. Finally, Lily had to come to terms with her mother’s abandoning her and with the new, flawed image that is now emerging. As she says, â€Å"I’d traded a pack of lies for a pack of truths, and I didn’t know which one was heavier. † (p. 25) She is confused and stuck between hating her mother for leaving her and being disgusted with herself for feeling this way. She describes it as; â€Å"I felt my heart in my chest. It hurt so badly. Like it had been stepped on. † (p. 655) However when August gives Lily a collection of her mother’s possessions, she finds a photo of her and Deborah that allows her to finally begin to move on. In it, â€Å"her face was tipped toward mine, our noses just touching, how wide and gorgeous her smile was, like sparklers going off†¦I figured May must’ve made it to heaven and explained to my mother about the sign I wanted. The one that would let me know I was loved. †(pgs 693-694) In a way Lily’s feeling about her mother, however complicated, come almost full circle. While she starts off with loving a fantasy, her dreams are soon crushed when she learns the bitter truth about her mother. With time comes acceptance however, and Lily soon begins to allow herself to love and lose the new version of Deborah, flawed yes, but still a version filled with love and hope.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Never The Sinner - Production Critique :: essays research papers

This paper is a critique of a production of Never the Sinner, a murder drama written by John Logan, which was performed and produced by the Department of Theatre and Dance at E.S. Strother Theatre located on the campus of Ball State University. Director Judy E. Yordon captures the viciousness and brutality of the murder of an innocent, young boy in this dramatic account of a homicide at the hands of two young men who are intertwined in a dark, sexual relationship. During the murder and trial of â€Å"the crime of the century† the director and cast portray to the audience the sheer violence and torment these two men are willing to affect on another human being for the utter enjoyment of killing another person. This is done by exposing the events of the murder to the audience and then allowing the audience to conclude the motive of the murder, by means of interpretation using the final scene as the keynote in the performance. I found the last scene of the performance to be rath er disturbing to say the least. The performers in the production were very suitable for the roles in which they were cast. Dustin Bennett (Nathan Leopold) and Andrew Burt (Richard Loeb) were excellent in their performance and portrayed their characters well. Both ideally fit the roles in which they were cast. As for the other five members of the cast they to were well suited in their roles and showed much talent in their ability to portray different characters in the same performance. Especially that of Natalie Ellis who portrayed both a girlfriend and a doctor in the play and who easily adapted to her changing roles within the scene. The actors knew their lines of dialogue and exactly what they were talking about, which made it easy for the audience to follow along. The actors could clearly be heard and had clear enunciation, expect during the scene of the trial, in which, the police officer was on the stand. This was in part due to the fact that he was seated in an area beside the audience and it was hard to make out what he was saying because the audience was blocking him from my view. The voice the characters used was appropriate, especially during the trial when the attorneys were speaking and when Germaine Rheinhardt was on the stand. The men were harsh, loud and assertive and Germaine spoke in her sweet, innocent and naive voice when answering their questions.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

feel safer now :: essays research papers

Feel Safer Now? 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In order for organizations to function, there must be a free flow of information. This is a complex process, which becomes even more complicated when information is expected to flow freely from one government agency to another. This is the difficulty which plagued US agencies in the events leading up to September 11th. There were several sources of breakdowns in information present before the attacks in New York.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the large breakdowns in information was due to information overload. There are many agencies in the states which involve national safety, such as the FBI, CIA, NSA and DAINS. Each agency possesses vast amounts of information and it was difficult for the bureaucracies to decipher which information was credible and important from information that was inconsequential and trivial.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Insufficient amounts of information and inadequate flow of information strongly affected information sharing among agencies. First, each agency had different methods and rules for doing business. Because of this information was not uniformly documented or organized. This caused trouble when it came to relaying facts and suspicions to a different agency. Secondly, the agencies sabotaged adequate flows of information by being incredibly secretive with their own knowledge. Information was not easily or willingly shared between the agencies. Next, the agencies all had critical information about the pilots of the planes which crashed into the Trade Center but failed to adequately communicate their information. The NSA and CIA both held valuable pieces of the puzzle in catching Nawaf al-Hazmi but failed to piece them together to actually realize he was a threat. Lastly, because the FBI was only responsible for crimes already committed, information was not passed on from the CIA regarding al-Hazmi’s link to al-Qaida. These are all severe negative results from a system breakdown due to insufficient and inadequate flow of information.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Errors also occurred due to interpretation of information. The text states that written messages are more ambiguous and make differences in interpretation much more likely. A written request for a search warrant for a presumed hijacker (Moussaou) was sent to the US national security court. The writers of the request failed to include valuable French reports connecting Moussaou to al-Qaida. Another interpretation of data error was incredibly blatant. NSA intercepted a conversation in Arabic and failed to translate it. This missed message spoke of a â€Å"big event† planned for September 11th. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Most of the errors leading to September 11th were those which seem to be errors in hindsight.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Bullying in the Elementry School Essay

Every day we face situations that affect our diary to live. The children have a beautiful daily beginning, until they come to their school environment. There they found truly friends, but also children who damage them. The school harassment or â€Å"bullying† is a social problem that affects the majority of the children in our country and the world. The school harassment is the intimidation that a child creates, with power or force and aggression on one or more children to call the attention or simply to avoid to be one more. The â€Å"bullying† since better it is known refers to any act of physical or verbal aggression that it realizes one or more children against his homonyms. At the global level there is a phenomenon that affects the education of children and young people. This is manifested within the centers of education and has been for decades a serious problem that can bring repercussions to the students. Garcia (2011) indicates that the bullying cause serious damage to the mental and physical health in the people involved. It is inferred that the bullying is a problem, to the extent that we see as the students identify to this as an evil that harm permanently or part. Another reason is that it breaks with the expectations of society, which searches for a good school environment and therefore, it becomes an antisocial behavior reprehensible. To learn this behavior we must begin with the main participant, the aggressor. The aggressor is usually mostly feel need to dominate, are impulsive, show little empathy and are presented as people physically stronger. Olweus (1980) reaffirmed that it is natural to assume that they have developed a certain degree of hostility toward the environment, such feelings and impulses can make injure or harm to others causing them satisfaction. The aggressors may be people who work, study or provide services within the school and its grounds. We emphasize that the aggressor is not only the student but that involves other people. The spectator is an indirect aggressor, which according to Trautmann (2008), is the hearing of the aggressor and in which the aggressor is stimulated or inhibited by them. Any type of attacker can reach express violence with direct contact, psychological, emotional and the use of technology. These, the aggressor and the spectator or cooperator assault to another person, the victim, which suffers from all the aggressions. Galvez (2008), mentions that the victims usually are children that do not have the resources or skills to react, are little sociable, sensitive and fragile. Children who suffer from bullying are rejected by the other students and live in constant search of acceptance. These behaviors can have serious consequences for the physical and mental health of the victim permanently or part. From the right to education, physical, mental and the life, is that I am looking for studying this phenomenon as a social problem so that, identify their mode of operation, how to treat it and prevent it. Bullying The term bullying (Olweus, 1978) is now common in the literature on the topic of bullying among schoolchildren, to refer the situation of sustained violence, mental or physical, guided by an individual or by a group, directed at another individual in the group, who cannot defend themselves. The problem, being a new phenomenon, if it adopts new dimensions and it is worrying that our industrialized society that seems to have reached a certain level of welfare, employment of abuse and violence in school environments, paradoxically being detected ever so more alarmingly early age. The analysis of the problem offers some things to consider. It can be verbal, physical or psychosocial. Sometimes presents socially acceptable ways such as competitiveness academic, sports, social success, which in itself makes others feel inferior. It is necessarily repetitive behavior and causes pain at the time of the attack and sustained, to create an expectation on the victim of being white future attacks it is characterized by the dominance of the powerful over the weak in any context. The dynamic character bullying is â€Å"expansive† since its inception; a specific episode of abuse happens to be an assiduous dynamics of exclusion, violence and impaired socialization. It comes as a group phenomenon, from the moment that requires the support of the group and therefore, must be within the network of relationships that it is generated. Ramirez (2002) mentions that bullying is usually violent events among students and on occasion, there have been reports of violence by individuals outside the classroom to students. They identify certain behaviors as other forms of violence that affect the relationship between students and teachers, such as absenteeism, lack of participation and punctuality. It should be noted that in many of the cases, a student’s absences constant victim of harassment are to avoid being attacked, mocked at school and choose not to go to the classroom. Being one of the most common characteristics a victim of bullying. Areas affected by bullying Professor Dan Olweus was initiated investigations on the subject of bullying. At the beginning of 1970, Olweus began their investigations within schools in Norway, presenting a problem about assaults on persons; it is noteworthy that the institution had no interest on the subject. It was not until the 1980s that three young people between 10 and 14 years old committed suicide as a result of the activity of aggression upon them by their peers, thus arousing the attention of educational institutions on the problem. Education it is essential for the progress of a person and the country, also that it is a constitutional right. This phenomenon happens in all centers of education and in all its facets. Obviously affect the education of students to large scale and their mental, physical and emotional health. Because of this, it is vital that you consider this phenomenon as a problem and identify ways to treat it and prevent it. To achieve this, we must attack its root, which is located within the school facilities. It is important to study the bullying at the family level, since education starts at home, teaching behaviors to avoid that children create behavior hostile or conversely, too quiet. Also of utmost importance that the family is in constant orientation in order to keep your children from bullying and be able to identify when they are victims of this. Rodrigo (2004) says that family relations continue to be a relevant element in the analysis of behavior and lifestyle of the teenager. Aviles (2002) indicates that both the structural aspects of the educational institution and its dynamics are very important in explaining and, above all, prevent abuses among equals at the school. Polanin (2012) suggests that researchers and administrators of the school should consider the implementation of programs that focus on the supplementary behavior of transient bullying intervention and prevention programs. Cepeda, Pacheco, Garcia and Piraquive (2008), indicate that to learn if there is bullying, we must recognize that there is a relationship of power, power-submission, by one or more assailants on the victim and if the aggression has been consecutively. Attacks could be physical with some degree of aggression or psychological. Salmivalli (1999), comments that the aggressor is classified into two types, the predominantly dominant with antisocial tendency and the antisocial predominantly related to a low self-esteem. Recent research Del Prado (2011) notes that there has always been bullying and that many of the victims are marked for life. He mentions that according to statistics, 12 out of 100 students suffer bullying by peers. It indicates that victims choose to suffer isolation and a terrible fear of going back to school, clinging to silence as his only witness. Also infers that contrary to myth, the aggressor is not always bigger and stronger. This can be any child with low self-esteem need to get attention from their peers. He advises that we must ensure that the victim signals show how, insulation, etc. depressive symptoms. It concludes that a good interaction of the institution and parents is crucial in preventing this phenomenon, but that happened is the responsibility of the school. Traulsen (2011) this has been a drastic change of bullying. One of the new ways is cyber bullying, which is committed to social networks or technological means. Indicates that bullying can occur because of race, color, religion, sexual preference etc†¦ The victim did not reach the necessary maturity, fails to adequately address this situation. It is difficult for parents to detect that your child is being targeted because they tend to isolate themselves and hide the facts. For this family, school and government are essential to help combat this evil. The author infers that it is time to take drastic action against this phenomenon that is often taken for granted, so that in this way we ensure viable and proper education. Martinez (2005) investigated bullying and specific problems or patterns that occur in schools. The author conducted a review of the main conflicts of bullying, with the purpose of investigating and detecting possible solutions. We mentioned some factors that influence antisocial behavior as social inequality, the media, the motivation of the student and others. Refer some of antisocial behaviors that arise in the school as classroom disruption, indiscipline, vandalism, physical violence, psychological, social and in some cases, sexual assault. The conclusion is that using any direct remedy to remedy the phenomenon, beyond programs and techniques will be effective in resolving this conflict. Barcelo (2011) indicates that violence in the family learned and interactions with the environment influence bullying. He reports that for us to understand this phenomenon, teachers need to see this phenomenon as one of violence. Defines bullying as a type of violence where there are three participants who consist of the offender, victim and the spectators. The stalker uses different types of techniques from physical, verbal, psychological, social and racial harassment. As a result, the victim feels isolated and sometimes even can lead to dropout, suicide or retaliate against the aggressor to death. From here you have the need to intervene with this phenomenon and use punitive methods to the aggressor. And finally work with the victim, improving self-esteem and school environment. Teresa (2010) indicates that in the phenomenon of bullying are direct and indirect aggressors. Live is one who commits indirect aggression and has been the viewer. Mostly the harasser is narcissistic and needs of people who support or encourage them to commit their acts. Here is where the participation of the viewer aggressor, who plays a double role. On the one hand supports the harasser but the other is solidarity with the victim. This becomes a stalker and manipulator. Mention other accomplice’s classification called conscious or unconscious, the first known his actions and still participates. The second is usually a person close to the stalker who acts without realizing the facts. Study concludes that there are certain to classify accurately, what kinds of people are bullies. What if it could be located, is that bullies mostly come from the upper class. Methods to assess bullying Arzoz (2011) in his Thesis Analysis of the Situation and Proposed Intervention in an Education Center recommends an evaluation of intervention programs and techniques carried out in schools about bullying. He argues that it should take an individualized program in each school that meets the needs of them and take into account existing features. He points out that there is a shortage of technical or individualized treatments with students. Refers to the method of questionnaire on campuses is a good tool to detect bullying and work on time or remedy in cases where necessary. On the other hand emphasizes the validity of the method Pikas and teaching social skills as a factor in prevention. The author concludes that having prevention programs, we would reduce the phenomenon in question. Garcia (2011) states that as bullying phenomenon. This postulates that the lack of values, economics, drugs, among others, may be determining factors for violence in the perpetrator arises. Also emphasizes the serious damage this phenomenon generated on both sides: bully-victim, and that the best strategy is prevention. For this, we have developed a program that is based on parameter to the prevention and students involved in bullying. Within the prevention distinguishes three lines starring: education in emotions, feelings and values in cooperative group work and democratic management of coexistence. In the situation of students involved have proposed six programs which are: a) conflict resolution, b) peer support, c) quality circles d) development programs empathy, e) and f assertiveness programs ) the Pikas method. Emphasizes that despite the myths no spend this very worrying phenomenon that prevails in all schools at all levels.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Notes for Child Care Essay

Notes for Child Care Essay Notes for Child Care Essay Support children and young people’s health and safety CYP 3.4 1.1 Everyone is an individual and may have particular needs. It is important to include safety in planning. * Every child is an individual- when planning activities, it is important to consider the different needs depending on the age and abilities. * Some children with specific impairments need to be thought about when planning. * Different needs of families and carers must be considered. * Be clear about why you are using the environment in question. * Duty of care of a setting to children, parents and carers is a legal obligation. Child’s safety and welfare must be thought of when planning. * Desired outcomes for children and young people at starting point. Activities should have clear aims and objectives that required for the outcomes linked to their age. * Lines of responsibility and accountability, everyone at the setting are responsible for the health and safety of children and staff. 1.2 There should be clear policies and procedures about health and safety in all settings. All rooms and equipment must be checked to ensure everything is working. It is a managers duty to make sure health and safety checks are carried out. Almost every setting has visitors on most days, it must be ensured that they are not exposed to any hazardous objects that could injure them or cause an illness. It is important that they follow safety guidelines to protect children or young people in

Monday, October 21, 2019

Converting Feet to Meters - Conversion Example Problem

Converting Feet to Meters Problem This example problem demonstrates how to convert feet to meters. Feet is the English (American) unit of length or distance, while meters are the metric unit of length. Convert Feet to Meters Problem The average commercial jet flies around an altitude of 32,500 feet. How high is this in meters? Solution 1 foot 0.3048 metersSet up the conversion so ​that the desired unit will be canceled out. In this case, we want m to be the remaining unit.distance in m (distance in ft) x (0.3048 m/1 ft)distance in m (32500 x 0.3048) mdistance in m 9906 m Answer 32,500 feet is equal to 9906 meters.Many conversion factors are difficult to remember. Feet to meters would fall into this category. An alternate method to perform this conversion is to use multiple easily remembered steps.1 foot 12 inches1 inch 2.54 centimeters100 centimeters 1 meterUsing these steps we can express a distance in meters from feet as:distance in m (distance in ft) x (12 in/1 ft) x (2.54 cm/1 in) x (1 m/100 cm)distance in m (distance in ft) x 0.3048 m/ftNote this gives the same conversion factor as above. The only thing to watch out for is for the intermediate units to cancel out.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

What Comes After Trillion Names of Large Numbers

What Comes After Trillion Names of Large Numbers SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Not sure what number comes after trillion? Interested in the names of other very large numbers? What is a Googol exactly? Read on to learn what comes after trillion, the name of every important number that’s larger than trillion, and some ways to help you conceptualize extremely large values. // What Comes After Trillion? What’s after trillion? Trillion is a 1 with 12 zeros after it, and it looks like this: 1,000,000,000,000. The next named number after trillion is quadrillion, which is a 1 with 15 zeros after it: 1,000,000,000,000,000. // There are, of course, many numbers between trillion and quadrillion, but it isn’t until quadrillion that that number value actually gets a new name. Numbers between the two would always include the word â€Å"trillion†: two trillion, a hundred trillion, etc. // As you can see from the chart in the next section, there is a new name every time the power of a large number increases by 3. // Names of Large Numbers While trillion is an incredibly large number, there are actually many numbers that are larger than it. Below is a chart of all the significant numbers that come after trillion. // The numbers are written with scientific notation to make them easier to read and understand. Name Number Million 1 x106 Billion 1 x109 Trillion 1 x1012 Quadrillion 1 x1015 Quintillion 1 x1018 Sextillion 1 x1021 Septillion 1 x1024 Octillion 1 x1027 Nonillion 1 x1030 Decillion 1 x1033 Undecillion 1 x1036 Duodecillion 1 x1039 Tredecillion 1 x1042 Quattuordecillion 1 x1045 Quindecillion 1 x1048 Sexdecillion 1 x1051 Septendecillion 1 x1054 Octodecillion 1 x1057 Novemdecillion 1 x1060 Vigintillion 1 x1063 Unvigintillion 1 x1066 Duovigintillion 1 x1069 Trevigintillion 1 x1072 Quattuorvigintillion 1 x1075 Quinvigintillion 1 x1078 Sexvigintillion 1 x1081 Septenvigintillion 1 x1084 Octovigintillion 1 x1087 Nonvigintillion 1 x1090 Trigintillion 1 x1093 Untrigintillion 1 x1096 Duotrigintillion 1 x1099 Ten-duotrigintillion (or Googol) 1 x10100 Skewer’s Number 1 x10130 Centillion 1 x10303 Googolplex 1 x 1010100 Skewes’ Number // As you can see, for most of the chart, the power of 10 increases by three for each new number, which means you add three extra zeros to the end of the number to get the next number.For example, a billion is a 1 with nine zeros after it or: 1,000,000,000. Trillion, the next number, is a 1 with twelve zeros after it, or: 1,000,000,000,000. // This pattern continues until you get to Ten-duotrigintillion, more commonly known as a Googol (yes, this is where search engine Google got their name from). There are no names for the numbers between Googol, Skewer’s Number, Centillion, or Googolplex. // You may have noticed that â€Å"zillion† is not on here. Zillion is not actually a real number; it’s simply a term used to refer to an undetermined but extremely large quantity. Understanding Large Numbers You can see all the key massive numbers by looking at the chart above, but what do those numbers actually mean, and how can you understand them?It can be difficult, or even impossible, to conceptualize extremely large numbers, but there are some tricks to getting a general idea of just how large they are.Trillion is one of the smallest numbers in the chart, but it’s still an incredibly large number. If you were to try to count to trillion, it’d take you roughly 31,709 years to do so! A googol, or a 1 with one hundred zeros after it, looks like this when written out: 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. Writing a large number out like that can sometimes give a better sense of how big it actually is compared to using scientific notation. And what about a googolplex, one of the massive numbers in the chart? A googolplex is 1 followed by a googol of zeros. A googolplex is such a large number that there really is no known use for it yet in math, and some mathematicians and astronomers hypothesize that a googolplex is even greater than the number of atoms in the universe. But, there are numbers even larger than a googolplex. Skewes’ number, developed by mathematician Stanley Skewes is 10 to the 10th to the 10th to the 34th. Skewes was particularly interested in prime numbers, and, when his number was introduced in 1933, it was described by a colleague as "largest number which has ever served any definite purpose in mathematics." However, Skewes’ number has since lost that distinction to Graham’s number, which is currently designated as the world’s largest number. Graham’s number, which cannot be written with conventional notation, was developed by mathematician R.L. Graham. It is so large that, even if all the matter in the universe was converted to pens and ink, it still wouldn’t be enough to write out the number in its entirety. Summary: What Comes After Trillion? What’s after trillion? The next number after trillion is quadrillion, or a 1 with 15 zeros after it: 1,000,000,000,000,000.Knowing the names of large numbers can be useful if you’re working with extremely large values or doing higher-level mathematics. Currently, the largest known number is Graham’s number, which is too large and complicated to either be written down or conceptualized. What's Next? Writing a research paper for school but not sure what to write about?Our guide to research paper topics has over 100 topics in ten categories so you can be sure to find the perfect topic for you. Learning about natural logs? Check out our guide on the 11 natural log rules you must know to ace this subject. What is dynamic equilibrium and what does it have to do with rusty cars? Find out by reading our complete guide to dynamic equilibrium.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Human Resources Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Human Resources Questions - Essay Example Instead of a bell curve, individual performance takes on a â€Å"power-law† – also known as the Paretian distribution wherein there are only few of the best performers can carry out most of the production output and business success (Aguinis; Miller). According to O'Boyle and Aguinis, individual performance should follow a ski jump-shaped Paretian distribution. Since only few employees are responsible for the success of the business, O'Boyle and Aguinis strongly suggest the idea that the modern HR managers should take time to re-evaluate the old strategy used in measuring employee performance (Miller; O'Boyle and Aguinis). In most cases, this can be done by carefully identifying responsible people and compensate them well for their outstanding work performances. A power-law or Paretian distribution is characterized by an â€Å"unstable mean, infinite variance, and a greater number of extreme events† (West and Deering). ... Given that a business organization is very much oriented with regards to each employee’s production output, the company should consider the importance of implementing a pay-for-performance system (McPhie and Sapin). In line with this, the HR manager should be able to tailor its pay-for-performance system based on the company’s desired level of individual work performances. For example, the individual work performance of employee A is represented by â€Å"point A†, therefore, her pay level should be at â€Å"pay A†. Assuming that most employees’ individual work performance is at â€Å"point B†, then, their individual pay level should be at â€Å"pay B†. In case an employee’s individual work performance is at â€Å"point C†, then, her individual pay level should be at â€Å"pay C†, and so on. 2. After a lot of thinking, you decide to take a risk. You quit your job in human resources management after gaining experienc e in life and career planning. You open up your own advisory and coaching practice. Your very first client, Rashid, is a 35 year old engineer who has worked for a construction firm since graduating from college but has discovered, â€Å"I really hate being an engineer now but I am not sure what I want to do. And I know I want more than a job†¦I want a calling and something that really interests me yet I don’t want to waste my skills.†What assessment instruments do you recommend for your very first client, Rashid? Be sure to fully explain why you selected the recommended instruments. The case of Rashid is a good example of a person who does not know what he wants in life. To be able to suggest the type of job suitable for Rashid, the HR manager should be able to assess

Friday, October 18, 2019

A Good Man Must Know One Song by Heart Movie Review

A Good Man Must Know One Song by Heart - Movie Review Example A gripping story set in 1929 about a family of three. The father leaves home for New York to work there along with his friends as members of a band. The band becomes popular at that area, and pay becomes even better. Way back home, the ten-year old son and his mother alternates time among playing piano, strolling around the vicinity, and cooking food. The situation forces the son to look for his father bringing only with him a song that his father taught him years ago.The film's narration played as a flashback starting out promisingly in what is supposed to be an abandoned area in New York, where the son is shown to be cuddling his father while humming a tune. The father was looking aimlessly at nowhere in his tattered suits, while the son looked simple in his pants and jacket. The transition to the next scene was poignant and dramatic because the succeeding scene was beautifully juxtaposed with the previous scene. In the second scene, the father was seen cuddling his son while singi ng the song "While My Baby Lulls in a Hammock." The mother entered the scene, and then all at once, the audience was introduced to all the principal characters of the film. But just when you are expecting things to get even better, as the film tried to give the audience an idea of the setting and the zeitgeist of the story, the film slowed down and devoted too much time to the protagonists' uneventful music sessions. There, the film accommodated half of the total number of songs-there were ten-that were supposed to be played in the entire film. While the film's first half tried your patience, it picked up speed as the focus shifted to where it should be: New York and the specter of the Great Depression. There were two significant events between the period of 1925 and 1935 that were woven into or depicted in the film: 1) The movie's moral crackdown in 1934-Due to the newly-enforced rigorous production code courtesy of Will Hays, the film's dialogues, song lyrics, and the presentation of the visuals were seemingly sanitized. Rumor has it that several lines-including "Mother, do you think is it acceptable for Father if I were to fall in love with someone, but not marry her"-were intentionally omitted during the post-production to suit the taste of the members of the so-called Legion of Decency. As a result of this, the film in its entirety was devoid of any shocking but commercially appealing dialogue and situations. Instead, unnecessary optimism pervaded all throughout in its less than 90-minute run. Such existential optimism was manifested in script like "Do not worry son. Your father will soon find his way to us." 2) The ushering of the Great Depression in 1929-discussions among bankers visiting the club where the father plays centered on the issue of Wall Street's fall. Although, the site of Wall Street was never included in any of the scenes, the actors really talked about blue chips like Standard Oil and Westinghouse, and the plummeting values of the shares of White Sewing Machine with ease that one could have an impression that bankers who were forced to resign from financial institutions were acquired as actors. Commentaries One critic said that there was a visible effort on the part of the filmmakers to show that this film had set the bar high in terms of visuals, sounds, and historical accuracy. Although the visuals, through camerawork, hardly moved to prevent the scratches made by camera from being recorded, the actors' faces registered clearly and properly projected to create an impression of a depressing scenario. The sounds consisted of a few songs of longing and melancholia and crisp and concise audible (and inaudible) dialogue. The claim to historical accurac

A retail sales presentation Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

A retail sales presentation - Coursework Example He is able to ascertain his customers’ needs and goes direct to providing a solution for these needs through transfer of his confidence about the pens’ benefits to the customer at the same time appealing to the customers’ emotion about how the brother will feel about them concerning the gift and as such the customer is able to make a wise fast decision to purchase it. The sales person is able to recognize when to ask for the order with a strong call for action which will definitely result in more sales closed. Overall, the salesperson handled the sales process very well. He made the customer feel comfortable with him; he understood his needs and had the right solution for those needs. He asked for the sale and closed the deal. Ron Kapra only thinks about sales and not service. His strategy is very short term. Company loyalty is at stake due to the unauthorized disclosure of product launch information. Ron and Bill are not morally upright when they go beyond their company ethics as demonstrated. Ron needs to understand the value of long term relationships with his clients and at this point he doesn’t seem to push on that line. As for Bill, company loyalty should be critical to overall company success. Premature release of company information may result in insurmountable losses especially from competitors. If I was Ron, I would use the launch information to develop a solid strategic plan, scale down on promoting the Laserton I product and wait for a recall of Laserton I as I wait to push Laserton II to the market. After all, the cost of Laserton I will be refunded to the company and they will have more money to purchase more Laserton II stocks. If I was Bill, I would ask for official redress of the matter with Bill and a high level executive and explain my position. If they will not see my point of view, then I will go ahead and down play promotions for Laserton I. I will inform my customers that a good

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Leadership, Effective Leaders Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Leadership, Effective Leaders - Essay Example It is importnt tht competing demnds nd pproches not prlyze mngers but insted provide cumultive nd integrtive improvements to ledership effectiveness. In view of bove, current pper provides impiricl pproch towrd the concpet of ledership. Bsing on the book of Chrles Mnz nd Henry Sims, The New SuperLedership, where the principl of self-ledership is peoneered, present discussion covers theorieticl review nd prcticl impliction of types of ledership. It is the im of this pper to present new content nd exmples designed to help leders develop the kind of utonomous, quick-recting workforce necessry to thrive in these turbulent times. I first introduce the theory of ledership styles. Through the discussion of two types of ledrship, I grdully comme to the discussion of effective ledership techniques nd end up with personl model of ledership. Using the exmples of two leders this pper is gret reflection of efficient nd inefficient pproch to ledership. Drwing on contemporry exmples nd profiles, mny from the high-tech nd informtion sectors, Mnz nd Sims shtter the myth of the trditionl, ggrndized versions of "heroic" ledership. They show tht leder truly becomes successful by turning followers into extrordinry self-leders-pillrs of strength tht will support the orgniztion t every level. They detil series of ction-oriented steps through which the SuperLeder provides n opportunity for followers to express nd develop their own ledership skills-nd in the process become highly motivted, dynmic contributors. The typology of ledershi introduced by uthors describes four brod ledership rchetypes: strongmn, trnsctor, visionry hero, nd SuperLeder. The strongmn relies on uthority nd coercion to mke subordintes perform the tsks. Coercion, s mens of influencing the behvior of others, depends upon the expecttion of specified positive or negtive consequences. Coercive power requires tht the expecttion of consequences be reproduced consistently. The continued ppliction of these consequences is usully enough to ensure tht others' behvior will continue to be influenced. Coercion is esy to estblish but costly to mintin since the expecttions of others must be met if their behvior is going to be influenced beyond the previous instnce. uthority is the opposite: it is difficult to estblish but once in plce it is highly effective mens of influencing behvior since specific consequences, nd the inculction of the expecttion of them, re not required. While often considered relic of pst mngeril prctice, mny contemporry leders still employ this uthoritrin style. The trnsctor uses rewrds nd snctions to motivte employees. Positive reinforcement not only shpes behvior but lso teches nd in the process enhnces personl self-imge s Chrles Mnz nd Henry Sims note, the wy the reinforcement is crried out is more importnt thn the mount. First, it ought to be specific, incorporting s much informtion content s possible. Second, the reinforcement should hve immedicy. Third, the system of feedbck mechnisms should tke ccount of chievbility. Compnies should rewrd smll wins. Good news swpping is common in the excellent compnies. The fourth chrcteristic is tht fir mount of the feedbck comes in the form of intngible but meningful ttention from top mngement. The third type, visionry hero, uses inspirtion nd vision to motivte employees. SuperLeders ccomplish this by encourging individuls to set their own gols, monitor

Innovation and Change Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Innovation and Change - Assignment Example According to Dehoff (2005, 1-2) the internal factors that influence an organization’s ability to innovate and change is the decision making process within the organization, the amount and nature of information available, motivators within an organization and the structure of an organization. Furthermore, Dehoff (2005, 1) stated that organizations focus their innovation efforts on development cost, quality of services and products, and the time it takes for products and services to reach the market. This present assignment will provide answers to questions regarding innovation and change, drawing on readings and research that were previously provided. The hallmark of strategic innovation Philips et al. (2006, 175-196) conducted a research on the innovation process as well as the effective management of innovation and the findings overwhelmingly indicated that there is are set of good practices or the hallmarks for innovation that denote an effectively managed innovation process . However, these good practices are only applicable in times when there is stability in the market as well as on the products and hence, the innovations are only required to make the market and the product better. Philips et al. (2006, 183) stated that in case there is a realignment in political force, market force, and technological force an organization will be required to implement discontinuous innovation that has its own distinct set of good practices. Philips et al. (2005, 176) listed the hallmarks of strategic innovation and they include close monitoring and evaluation at each stage of innovation, active involvement of users in the innovation process, the early identification of problems with the innovation, simultaneous engineering to assist in the speedy development whilst retaining cross-functional involvement. Other hallmarks of strategic innovation are incorporation of teamwork into the process and utilization of tools such as rapid prototyping or CAD to increase speed a nd quality of the innovation process. In case of discontinuous innovation, Philips et al. (2005, 183) listed some of the good practices and they include exploring alternative future scenarios and then identifying different possibilities and building the capacity for exploring different innovation strategies at the same time. Importance of organizational features in encouraging innovation Kontoghiorghes et al. (2005, 185-2005) conducted a research study that aimed at exploring the relationship between some characteristics of learning organization and adaption of change, innovation, and the financial performance of an organization. From this study, it is possible to extract the importance of some organizational features in encouraging innovation within an organization. For example, in their study Kontoghiorghes et al. (2005, 197) stated that open communication and information sharing within an organization are the leading organization feature that have an influence on change adaptatio n, innovation, and improvement of a company’s profitability. These features encourage innovation in the sense that different stakeholders within an

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Leadership, Effective Leaders Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Leadership, Effective Leaders - Essay Example It is importnt tht competing demnds nd pproches not prlyze mngers but insted provide cumultive nd integrtive improvements to ledership effectiveness. In view of bove, current pper provides impiricl pproch towrd the concpet of ledership. Bsing on the book of Chrles Mnz nd Henry Sims, The New SuperLedership, where the principl of self-ledership is peoneered, present discussion covers theorieticl review nd prcticl impliction of types of ledership. It is the im of this pper to present new content nd exmples designed to help leders develop the kind of utonomous, quick-recting workforce necessry to thrive in these turbulent times. I first introduce the theory of ledership styles. Through the discussion of two types of ledrship, I grdully comme to the discussion of effective ledership techniques nd end up with personl model of ledership. Using the exmples of two leders this pper is gret reflection of efficient nd inefficient pproch to ledership. Drwing on contemporry exmples nd profiles, mny from the high-tech nd informtion sectors, Mnz nd Sims shtter the myth of the trditionl, ggrndized versions of "heroic" ledership. They show tht leder truly becomes successful by turning followers into extrordinry self-leders-pillrs of strength tht will support the orgniztion t every level. They detil series of ction-oriented steps through which the SuperLeder provides n opportunity for followers to express nd develop their own ledership skills-nd in the process become highly motivted, dynmic contributors. The typology of ledershi introduced by uthors describes four brod ledership rchetypes: strongmn, trnsctor, visionry hero, nd SuperLeder. The strongmn relies on uthority nd coercion to mke subordintes perform the tsks. Coercion, s mens of influencing the behvior of others, depends upon the expecttion of specified positive or negtive consequences. Coercive power requires tht the expecttion of consequences be reproduced consistently. The continued ppliction of these consequences is usully enough to ensure tht others' behvior will continue to be influenced. Coercion is esy to estblish but costly to mintin since the expecttions of others must be met if their behvior is going to be influenced beyond the previous instnce. uthority is the opposite: it is difficult to estblish but once in plce it is highly effective mens of influencing behvior since specific consequences, nd the inculction of the expecttion of them, re not required. While often considered relic of pst mngeril prctice, mny contemporry leders still employ this uthoritrin style. The trnsctor uses rewrds nd snctions to motivte employees. Positive reinforcement not only shpes behvior but lso teches nd in the process enhnces personl self-imge s Chrles Mnz nd Henry Sims note, the wy the reinforcement is crried out is more importnt thn the mount. First, it ought to be specific, incorporting s much informtion content s possible. Second, the reinforcement should hve immedicy. Third, the system of feedbck mechnisms should tke ccount of chievbility. Compnies should rewrd smll wins. Good news swpping is common in the excellent compnies. The fourth chrcteristic is tht fir mount of the feedbck comes in the form of intngible but meningful ttention from top mngement. The third type, visionry hero, uses inspirtion nd vision to motivte employees. SuperLeders ccomplish this by encourging individuls to set their own gols, monitor

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

William Shakespeare Sonnets Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

William Shakespeare Sonnets - Essay Example Sonnet 144, 146, 147 and 152 are a few of his completed works and these sonnets carry with them important themes and messages. The theme of love is evident in these sonnets like all of his works. Sonnet 144 mainly discusses the theme of how women are evil owing to the distraction that they provide to men and hence move men away from their faith. The sonnet explains how men are physically attracted to women and Shakespeare considers this attraction to be of threat to pure love. On the other hand, Sonnet 146 carries a spiritual theme and reflects upon the segregation of the soul from the body upon the death of a person. Sonnet 147 explains the theme of illness and how illness drives a person towards depression. The last sonnet in discussion that is sonnet 152 revolves around the confusion of the poet regarding love and whether the love of the dark lady can be trusted and relied upon. The four sonnets carry with them individually very deep themes and meanings which are to be understood by the reader. Sonnets William Shakespeare is one name that fails to be unknown. From children to elderly, whether associated with Literature or not, everyone knows him as a man, who wrote plays and poetry. As general as that sounds, that is the magnanimity of his reputation and fame. To be more precise, William Shakespeare is a person who has contributed to English Literature more than anyone else. In his life, he was known for his plays, theatres and drama, but after his death, the rest of his published work showed that he was a much more intense and qualified poet. The sixteenth century celebrated him and his talents, nevertheless, any celebration or recognition remains small to the size of his contributions. His poetry remains alive today and his sonnets are a perfect example of it. As deep as his sonnets were, they had a certain mysterious element to it. There is a hidden story in each sonnet, yet they all seem connected and extremely personal at the same time. It’s the typical Shakespeare magic. The sonnets discussed in this paper are Sonnet 144, 146, 147 and 152; their complications, themes, story and their whole Shakespeare affect. Sonnet 144’s main theme is about how a woman is an evil figure when it comes to luring men. In this Sonnet, Shakespeare talks about good and bad people and refers them to as the â€Å"two loves† and the â€Å"two spirits†. He is explaining the human nature of men as to how women attract them physically and damage their faith. It somehow reflects the reality of life that no matter what happens; men will always have a desire for women. Shakespeare writes this sonnet with a feeling of threat that he feels from this evil to his â€Å"pure love.† This sonnet clearly explains the war that rages within a man after he falls in love; a war between his spirit and body. And according to this sonnet, the woman is the evil that supports body over the spirit. In short, the woman is like a wall between he ll and heaven. Moving on, sonnet 146 is said to be the only sonnet which has a grave religious element to it. None of the other sonnets by William Shakespeare have that connection to God. This Sonnet, in particular brings out the feeling of â€Å"impending death.† Even though there is no particular mention of God, there is a spiritual and a meditative feel about this. And once again, we witness a battle between the soul and body but in a completely different way. This battle is the detachment that takes place between the body and soul when a person dies. Sonnet number 147 is a different story in whole. It portrays the poet, that is, William Shakespeare as a sick man who is suffering from a disease that involves an excruciating fever. The expression in the sonnet

Subject of Course Project Essay Example for Free

Subject of Course Project Essay In today competitive economy, we need information system in every aspect of the organization because Information systems help in decision making process in a cost effective way. Using technologies to discover, analyze and act in real time on the large volumes of data in research laboratories will be beneficial to the organizations. Every organization produces large amount of data and we need a system to contain it and extract information effectively. Databases management systems are design to ease difficulties in maintain complex information systems. An organization such as Mayo Clinic not only has the clinical heath care system but also has the larger department focuses on research and innovations. These types of organizations contain many different research laboratories that use different database system and technologies, bio specimens and produce many different results. This indicates that they have large valuable data yet missing a system that can link them together so that we can compare and contrast all the pertaining data out there. Business Problem Statement The core problem to be solved is inefficient database systems of each disconnected database systems to a system that can communicate many different databases with easy to pull information out of. Due to difference in needs of each research labs, it would be very unproductive to use one type of database for all the labs. However, we need a system that can communicate different databases and queries all the information quickly. Name of the Organization The name of the organization is Mayo Clinic. I want to specifically focus the issue of database system of research department and more specifically about the database system of the lab that I am currently working with. At my lab, we are currently using a Microsoft Access Database to store both clinical and laboratory information by saving in it the share folder for other team members to access. However, there is no tracking system in place and with multi users involve, we have no way of know who or where the information could be wrong. Many other labs also have issues with current databases that they are using due to limited user abilities, missing tracking in place, and waiting time for programmer to give us reports. General Benefits By building a system that can give both clinical information and research information help save time and money of the organization and employees. It will encourage more collaboration within the institutes. If we have information on the samples that other labs already worked on, we no longer need to waste resources to produce the same data by sharing the results. There will be more time for innovations by removing the repetitive experiments. This system can also help at finding more resources such as which labs are working on the similar samples or experiments thus increase collaboration either by exchanging samples or working on the ideas together. It is also important to point out the sharing contents will be control by the users to avoid conflict. A system that can communicate with other database can pull up information of the same patients without needing to re-enter them in many different databases will save time and employee can focus on different tasks. High Level Approach Building a database system will take hours of mapping connections and writing a program that can be customized by users. The best way is to have web base database systems for the labs which don’t have a good relational database yet. Then, build a system that can link the entire relational databases to talk to each other and pull out data. There is two ways we can build the system either by outsourcing or in-house program development. Another step is to find out which way is more cost effective with the time we need to have them ready. Also, it would be important to have a research server and a team to maintain the systems. Audience The needs of an effective research laboratories database system are obvious yet it is costly and time consuming to build one. All the principle investors need to be participating and build the system together and budget into their lab cost. Senior managements and mangers of the labs of Mayo Clinic need to know the importance and benefit of having central research database system.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Self-Assessment on Group Work

Self-Assessment on Group Work The End or The Beginning? Donald J. Peters Doug Flemming Introduction This module has served as a reminder that I should not give up on group interaction. I need to embrace the dynamics so I can be a better manager, leader and group member. We have learned about the significance of groups and that a large part of our professional life fundamentally relies on our group interaction skills. Improving group interaction skills can be very satisfying to all group members and advance the business organizational model as well. There are also some significant difficulties and hurdles intertwined with small group interaction. This makes groups a crucial focus for study, examination and action. The goal of this summary paper is to identify key concepts or topics that we have discussed, examine why we study group interaction, a self-analysis of our ability, and a discussion on how group OL313 is functioning. Topic 1 Discussion Background factors The first subject I want to discuss is background factors. By definition, background factors are attributes that existed prior to the groups formation and will probably endure after the group no longer exists. Some relevant background factors include personalities, age, health and values. Personality is one of the most important background factors in small group interaction (Tubbs, 2009). I am a member of a modification proposal working group and attend monthly meetings for my organization. In this working group, we discuss issues and the perceived failures of the modification proposal process. The normal attendees from the Tinker AFB location include both government and civilian employees who were purposely selected by the working groups senior member and government manager. There are various subject matter experts who also attend based on leaderships selected topics and questions. I was directed to attend and support this working group as I have been anointed the subject matter expert for these issues. My office has the responsibility to receive the modification proposals from the initiator and insure approval in a timely manner. Often this is not as easy as it appears. The working group chairperson is one of the high-ranking government employees in our building. Questions are asked at the meetings and the answers are not listened to. These processes are documented by the Air Force and there is very specific guidance detailed in the instructions. It is my observation that the chairperson has a need to control or influence the process to the point that it is interfering with the outcomes of the group. Due to my perceptions of the chairperson and the group in general, this meeting is basically a time killer for me. I continue to provide information as requested but I no longer have the patience to deal with the point counter point discussions which keep the process moving in a circle. There have been interactions with other group members who have noticed that there is a difference in my attitude when I attend this meeting. I would say I need to do a better job of camouflaging my attitude while attending this meeting. I dont believe I can bypass my attitude without engaging the source. Personality appears to be the most relevant background factor in this situation. It appears that the chairperson has trained themselves to look for opportunities for improvement without regard for the documented process. I was trained to follow the documented process for repeatable, sustained results. I have conceded that the documented processes may be too restrictive for our purpose, but there is also a process to seek relief from said restriction. Situationally, I have determined that this could be a personality issue, at least on my part. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), a popular method of measuring personality, revealed that I demonstrated a high tendency towards introversion. Some of the ways introverts are described include, more reserved, like to be alone and more focused. I have learned, that although I dont see this as my fault, I have been a contributing factor to the problem or issue at hand. I have been a hindrance to the working groups goal of resolving the modification proposal issues. I have set a personal goal to try and resolve this conflict. I may not be able to fix a problem within a working group but I should be able to control my actions and set an example to follow. Topic 2 Discussion Circumstance and Structure I work in a windowless building but the technology used in some of our conference rooms is our window to the world of the B-2 bomber. Normally the atmosphere of the building I work in feels restricting. A dreary place where the atmosphere never changes. The conference rooms however, are very well maintained and tastefully decorated. It gives off a good vibe when you attend meetings in these conference rooms and I believe it effects the way people act and react to the information discussed in these venues. The meetings that I normally participate in take place in three large, well maintained conference rooms located throughout the building. There are normally several large rectangular tables set up in a horseshoe design and the chairs are very comfortable. The horseshoe layout allows dignitaries or the head of the meeting to sit at the head of the table. This position allows all participants to view the leader of the meeting. Due to the number of personnel, there is an overflow area established on both sides of the tables. One large advantage we utilize in our conference rooms is the ability to video teleconference (VTC) between geographically separated units. The attendees can view each locations speaker if they share the same equipment architecture. The conference rooms also have the capability to push briefing slides, normally power point, across multiple locations and that ability allows all participants to share data. I enjoy the capability to observe the VTC briefers as they provide their information to the group. It helps me remember that they are people like me, and not just another voice with a tasker or an assignment. The VTC capabilities also help to reduce travel expenses that would otherwise be accepted as the normal cost of doing business. During the last five years, I have noticed that people tend to sit in the same locations when attending meetings in these conference rooms. I also sit in the same locations depending on the meeting content and my role during the meeting. There are meetings when I am required to brief information to the group and its during those meetings when I sit at the table. That seat is as close to the VTC camera as possible so I am off camera to the group, but located near a microphone so I can be heard. Another meeting I attend puts me more in a support role and I try to sit away from the table, but close enough to the briefer to assist with questions or clarifications. These perceived seating assignments appear to be accepted as the norm by all attendees. I have needed to sit in other locations than my normal place and there have been times when the meeting chair did not think I was in attendance. The size of the group does have an impact on discussion. Smaller groups, less than ten, appear to be more relaxed and willing to facilitate the exchange of ideas or speak up when required. The larger groups, to include the offsite attendees, lose focus on the discussion topic and start sidebar conversations. Theses sidebar conversations can be very distracting and limit the exchange of ideas and reasoned answers to topics at hand. I personally think I perform better in the smaller groups and need their feedback to help my performance. The larger groups are a challenge for me as I dont always know who the players are and how they normally function. It appears or feels as if there is no cohesion or unity. The communication network that I see demonstrated during these meetings, using our wonderful VTC system, is the wheel. In this case the leader is viewed as the central person, or hub of the wheel and all communication and comments must pass through the hub or leader (Tubbs, 2009). The leader of the meeting is in control of the technology and responses are restricted to the leader of the meeting. The other offsite users appear to manage their meeting in the same fashion. I think it works very well in preventing people talking over one another while using the technology. The ability to have productive meetings is related to many different factors. From the setup of the conference room tables to your territorial seat at the meeting, these influences can contribute or impede the groups ability to operate. Some organizations have grown very adept at the use of this technology and I feel that its use provides everyone with more feedback on the items discussed. Although it appears our leade rship is using a restrictive communication network described as the wheel, it seems to work well for the groups using this technology. Why Study Group Interaction At the basic level interaction is simply communication. Small group interaction is the process by which three or more members of a group communicate, verbally and non-verbally, to influence one another (Tubbs, 2009). Why does an organization or individual need to educate themselves about interaction? The answer appears to be straight forward in that almost every business requires some form of interaction or communication. For that communication to be successful, it requires certain skills and capabilities. The continued study of communication will refine your skills and competencies which, in turn, will allow you the opportunity to become a more effective manager, leader and team member. This knowledge can save the organization time and limit expenditures. Self-Analysis The first thing that comes to mind is how much time has passed since I have been in a classroom. The experience has initiated a reassessment of my abilities as a student, learner and team member. As a student, I realize I need to improve my study skills and practice interaction daily. After retiring from the military, I intentionally sought out employment that would limit interaction. I did not want to be in leadership or management as I did not want to have that responsibility again. As I have progressed through the current company, I require those skills once more if I hope to be promoted. My ability to learn has not changed and for that I am thankful. But knowledge application has suffered. This course has shed light on some communication issues I am experiencing at work and that identification has led me to a new goal. That goal is to participate in the process through interaction and communication. Im not sure if I can reverse any of the negative interaction trends I have noticed, but I am sure I want to be a person that contributes, not a person that detracts from the group goals. Once I wrapped my head around what the professor expected and the teaching style, I enjoyed the class. I am a slow starter with new information but my interest in the subject matter increased with each week of instruction. Group OL313 Another module down and the group is that much closer to completing the objective of a college degree. I dont presume to know what the rest of the class thinks but I for one am very comfortable being part of this group. The fact the most of us have either had military experience or have worked close to the military complex seems to be the one thing we all share; other than being human I mean. I do not recall one instance where we had an issue within the group. As the oldest member of the group, I have faced technology challenges during instruction. Everyone in OL313 has helped or offered to help me sort out those issues. There have been several in our group who appear to have shown a marked improvement in communicating and interacting. It has been a pleasure to witness those changes for the better. I appreciate working with a group of this caliber and look forward to the few months we have remaining in this program. Conclusion To conclude, I have briefly discussed the background factor of personality and that it is the one of most important factors to small group interaction. Personalities exist prior to group formation and will likely remain the same after dissolution. The topic of structure was addressed with discussion centered on seating arrangements and technology. A brief self-analysis of my skills and where I think I need to go from here; as well as some thoughts on why we need to study small group interaction. And finally, I closed with analysis if how I think the OL313 group is performing. References Tubbs, S. L. (2009). A Systems Approach to Small Group Interaction. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

College Costs :: essays research papers

Beyond Sticker Shock - Extracurricular College Costs You've probably already calculated tuition bills and costs for room and board. Yet the hidden costs of college — from pizza to airfare, from library fines to laundry money — can easily add up to another $2,000 per year. To get a handle on those extras, you'll want to put together a monthly budget that estimates your costs. Be sure to include: Books: Book costs vary widely, depending on your courses. Call your bookstore to get early warning of book prices for your various classes. Transportation and travel: If you commute, figure in car insurance, gas and parking fees. Some colleges offer free parking, while others may charge up to $100 for a permit. Don't forget to include the cost of holiday travel. Often you can cut these costs by carpooling or shopping around for special saver or student rates on airfare. General food: Dorm dwellers may have a pre-paid college cafeteria plan, while students living off-campus will pay their food bills on a weekly basis. Either way, it's good to figure out how much you'll spend at the grocery store and in restaurants. Appliances and utilities: Apartment dwellers usually have utility bills: gas, electric, heat and water. On-campus students face different charges: mini-refrigerator rental fees, for example, can range from $35 to $120. To limit phone bills, consider getting a pre-paid phone card with a set amount of calling time to limit long-winded and expensive phone calls. For staying in touch on the cheap, see if your school offers free Internet access and e-mail. Personal supplies: Remember when things like soap, toilet paper, makeup and laundry detergent were just there? It's easy to forget these when you're planning your budget, but they add up. Washing your clothes at a coin laundromat, for example, will run you $1 to $2 per load per week. Fraternity or sorority dues: Charges vary widely, depending on the school and chapter. Budget $30 per month minimum, although $50 fees and more are likely. However, Greek life can have an upside; if you live in a house, the dues sometimes cover extras like laundry, social activities and access to a computer lab. Printing, copy and computer costs: Stock up on printer paper and floppy discs at a discount store before the school year starts (on-campus supply stores often charge many times the going rate). You'll not only save money, you'll avoid last-minute exam week supply crises.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Essay Comparing the Runes and Magic in Beowulf and The Saga of the Volsungs :: comparison compare contrast essays

Runes and Magic in Beowulf and The Saga of the Volsungs      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the Old English poem Beowulf and in the Icelandic The Saga of the Volsungs, a saga representing oral traditions dating back to the fourth and fifth centuries, we see the mention of runes, which were used with connotations of magic or charms.    An unknown author wrote the The Saga of the Volsungs in the thirteenth century, basing his story on far older Norse poetry. Iceland was settled by the Vikings about 870-930, who took there the famous lay of Sigurd and the Volsungs. Native Icelandic poets loved the story of Sigurd and the Huns, Goths, Burgundians, with whom he interacted. This prose story is based on traditional Norse verse called Eddic poetry, a form of mythic or heroic lay which developed before 1000 in the oral folk culture of Old Scandinavia. In The Saga of the Volsungs the hero Sigurd is the one who corresponds best with the hero Beowulf in the Anglo-Saxon tradition. George Clark in â€Å"The Hero and the Theme† mentions: â€Å"The form of Beowulf taken as a whole suggests both the ‘Bear’s Son’ folktale type (especially as we find it in Scandinavia) and the ‘combat myth’. . . .† (286). The â€Å"combat myth† is what this saga is. When Sigurd was born, he was t he grandson of King Eylimi; when Beowulf was born, he was the grandson of King Hrethel. The king said of Sigurd that â€Å"none would be his like or equal† (55), and this proved true; Beowulf as a young man was so strong that â€Å"he was the strongest of all living men† (196). The similarities between Sigurd and Beowulf continue through both works.    The Icelandic skald is the equivalent of the Anglo-Saxon scop. He was a storyteller. Icelandic material builds on a long oral tradition just like Anglo-saxon, going back in their stories to the fourth and fifth centuries (Byock 2). Skalds stayed in the royal courts of Scandinavia like their counterparts to the south.    Beowulf is an Anglo-Saxon narrative poem whose oral traditions date back to the sixth century. We see the first mention of runes in this poem in connection with the magic sword. When the hero is in deadly combat with Grendel’s mother in the mere, he is at the point of   being killed by the monster when suddenly God shows to him the presence of a special sword nearby on the wall.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Reasons for United States Possible Attack on Iran Essay

The topic on the possibility of United States launching a military attack against Iran has dominated much news for several years since the Bush administration and during which some quarters speculated that such an attack would be ordered before the administration left office. As early as 2005, a number of articles had started revealing the imminent plans by Pentagon to order military operations against Iran. While people and the media may speculate and give their opinions about many aspects of the imminent war, the most important issue to understand is the reasons which may spark the attack. It is therefore the objective of this paper to discuss the reasons why US would engage in a military land war with Iran. 2. 0 The Euro-Based Oil Bourse This is one of the major reasons which revolve around the plan by Tehran government in 2005 and 2006 to start competing with the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX), the largest physical commodity futures exchange in the world based in New York and the London based International Petroleum Exchange (IPE) by using the euro-dominated oil trading mechanism (Clark, 2004). The logic behind this is that by using this mechanism in international oil trades, the euro is going to take dominance and establish a firm ground which will serve to overshadow the strength of the U. S dollar in the global oil market. The U. S government therefore considers this a real threat by Tehran government which warrants intervention to protect the dollar from being toppled off from its long term monopoly in the critical international oil market. It is worth noting that lack of an oil pricing standard that is euro-dominated also referred to oil â€Å"marker† in the oil trading industry is one of the technical challenges facing the euro-based trading system in oil transactions. The oil markers currently in operation today are the U. S dollar dominated which include Norway Brent crude, West Texas Intermediate crude, and the UAE Dubai crude. In the spring of 2003, Iran laid down a requirement that all the transactions for its Asian and European oil exports be conducted using the euro currency though the pricing of oil was still predominantly controlled by the dollar. Following an official announcement in 2004 that Iran had intentions to develop an Iranian oil Bourse, it raised the concerns that a stiff competition would ensue between the Iranian oil bourse and the U. S owned NYME and the IPE (Clark, 2004). The macroeconomic implications of such a development would cause a shift in the international commerce in both Middle East and the European Union which is the largest importer of oil from OPEC producers. Consequently, the financial hegemony enjoyed by the IPE and NYMEX would be greatly challenged and thus the U. S is likely to avoid this through military action. 3. 0 The Ambitious Nuclear Program of Iran The Tehran’s nuclear ambition is another possible reason as to why the U. S may launch a land military attack on Iran. This has been seen from the latest series of sanctions on Iran by the Obama administration which mainly targets the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps which is the most powerful social, political and economic institution in Iran. The organization also has a large number of companies and banks and therefore makes it an appropriate target for these sanctions (LANDLER & COOPER, 2010). However, the critical thing to focus on with regard to this issue is whether these sanctions have the capacity to compel Iran to halt its nuclear program. If the history of political and economic sanctions against countries is anything to go by, then Iran may not change its course despite the sanctions and this may lead to war. The reason for the sanctions is to â€Å"contain† Tehran which depicts a link which leads from diplomatic pressure to military action (Nadal, 2010). Tehran views this threat as real considering that its two neighbors to the west and to the east have a large number of U. S troops. 4. 0 Conclusion A possible military action on Iran by the US cannot be overlooked since the reasons surrounding this possibility would also have major effects on the economy and the security of the US. Considering the economic problems facing the US, the attempts by Iran to establish the euro-based oil bourse may seem as an attempt to suppress the dollar in the international oil market. The nuclear program also would threaten the security not only of the US but also of the world if it is not either regulated or completely halted. To aver the nuclear weapons development, Washington ought to try and alter the perceptions of threat harbored by Iran against America. References Clark, W. (2004). The Real Reasons Why Iran is the Next Target: The Emerging Euro-denominated International Oil Marker. Retrieved August 20, 2010, from http://www. globalresearch. ca/articles/CLA410A. html LANDLER, M. , & COOPER, H. (2010). U. S. Eyes New Sanctions Over Iran Nuclear Program. Retrieved August 20, 2010, from http://www. nytimes. com/2010/02/10/world/middleeast/10sanctions. html? _r=1 Nadal, A. (2010). Sanctions against Iran and the Next War. Retrieved August 20, 2010, from http://www. campaigniran. org/casmii/index. php? q=node/10518

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Moral Values Essay

Morality is the differentiation of intentions, decisions and actions between the ones that are good and the ones which are bad. The philosophy of morality is ethics. Morality is a synonym of goodness. Laurence Sterne has rightly said â€Å"Respect for ourselves guides our morals; respect for others guides our manners†. Moral values are important to an individual as it makes one feel peaceful. They give your life a purpose and make it meaningful. Honesty, decency, modesty, kind heartedness, sincerity, forgiveness and gratitude are some of the moral values. It is very easy for a person high in ethics to control his life. It changes your perspective. You only look at the brighter side of anything. The negative forces do not hold you back any more. It becomes easier for you to strive towards your aim in life. Moralistic approach seems virtuous. It helps you bond with the world far and away. Moral values make you trustworthy and accord you a respectable place amongst the others. World can be easily captivated by you as people count on your fair and sincere approach. Not only to others, moralistic approach assists yourself too. Your integrity will allow you to advance in both personal and professional life. Being compassionate is like a big virtue. It helps you deal with any misfortune that comes your way. Also you can be a big support to your friends and fellow beings in their difficult times. While I was studying, in my college days, I was more of a notorious child. Never realising the value of time was one main thing which I used to do. I never used to finish my assignments on time, always used to be late for lectures and even bunking the classes at times. I can still recall number of events where I had submitted late work. I never used to study regularly. Always kept on piling up work till the last day of assessment. A day prior to the exam used to be like hell on earth for me. As I had never prepared for the exam before I usually got low grades in the examinations. My parents always told me to adopt good values but I never listened. My mother always instructed me and even told me the ill results, but as is expected of youngsters I even ignored her. One similar day I went to the college. Walking confidently, showing off myself, typical me. When I reached my classroom what I saw shook my very foundations, it was an exam day. Only because I had never paid attention in the class I didn’t know about it. I somehow mustered my courage and sat for the exam. I saw everyone engrossed in writing and I was all blank. However the day passed. The worst had yet to come. It wasn’t far and the results were out. As expected I flunked in the subject. I was down with shame and disrespect not just because of failing but because of the extremely low grades. My grades were perhaps the lowest in the entire batch. I could not find any place to hide my face. It is still very difficult for me to put it in words how I faced my friends and family post the result. I went home, low and forlorn. The only person I could share it with was my mother. I know she was heartbroken, but she held me tight and told me there is never any time in life when you cannot rise up again and correct your improprieties. I hugged her tight. Her warmth gave me the strength to rise up again. From that very moment I resolved to leave behind all the bad habits and move on the right track. I did stick to this and was always moralist in my approach thereafter. It was then I realised how irreverent and impertinent I was and such a human being is incapable of any type of self-abandonment. He is either a slave of his pride or his egoism which ultimately makes him a prisoner of himself. This is exactly what happened with me. I was blind to values. I never gave things a chance to unfold themselves in their proper character and approached everything in such an importunate way that I only listened to myself and ignored the rest. Now I can proudly say adopting moral values has made me overcome any obstacle that has intervened my way of progress. I ended up my college with outstanding grades not only the result but I also managed to get myself a respectable job. I joined in a company as a business development executive and was eventually promoted to the post of a business development officer. I always wanted to excel in my professional life. But to achieve higher levels I needed higher education. MBA was my dream. But to adhere it I went through a difficult time phase. I was impatient as time was passing by but at the same time I had to be responsible to the compliance. As recognized by Socrates and Plato, it is better to suffer injustice than to commit it; I stuck to my moral values and didn’t lose patience. My hopes were always high. I knew I would attain my dream. Now I am in a foreign land, perusing a different course, for which I waited three long years. Things around me have changed. There is one thing that hasn’t and will not change ever – and that is my values. I follow them and they acknowledge me. I have been through quite a lot of experiences in the recent few years. All I can say is moral values are extremely important for your wellbeing. They will always keep your stress levels lower and help you lead a harmonious life. You are able to direct your behaviour towards beneficial and fulfilling activities. Moral values are the highest amongst all natural values. Positive values are the focus of the world whereas negative values are the greatest evil. Man himself is responsible for all his deeds and actions. Martin Luther King Jr said, â€Å"If we are to go forward, we must go back and rediscover those precious values – that all reality hinges on moral foundations and that all reality has spiritual control†. (Cravvley & Kendall, 2009) In goodness there shines a light which bestows on the good person an intellectual dignity. I feel I am lucky I was born in a family which withholds strong moral values.

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

Case Study BA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Case Study BA - Essay Example Few widely known facts about the terminal 5 are: Information Systems employed by BAA seems to have incorporated great ideas but they forgot to actually implement the ideas. They had ample car parks and had segregated car parking spaces for public and staff but people and staff could not find the car parks and spent lot of time trying to look for parking spaces. The problem being, the details of parking spaces (no. of slots, in use, empty etc.) were not updated in the information system database and were not displayed at appropriate places for people to see. One of the biggest faults in their system was that the staff at baggage handling and sorting section were not able to log on to their computers. This affected both incoming and outgoing baggage. The security checkpoints were not updated to the staff. There were no maps or location guidelines. Search facility was not ready for both staff and passengers. As far as the methodical preparations for terminal 5 are concerned, BA Authority did have some Information Systems in place. However, the Information System was highly ineffective. The reasons for it being ineffective may be incompetent people in the IT management team, lack of exposure of IT engineers with regard to such a large scale implementation as was terminal 5 of Heathrow airport or any other. The ineffectiveness of the Information Systems can be realized due to the following problems that occurred in terminal 5 on the very first day of its opening. Car Parks and parking spaces were not well managed. No software was employed to keep track of full and available parking spaces. Designated car parks for staff were not available and there were no sign board or any other means to locate the car parks due to which public and the staff spent lot of time looking for parking spaces. There was no signage at any place in the terminal. The terminal should have been equipped with monitors displaying the map of

Tuesday, October 8, 2019

Electronic Methods of Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Electronic Methods of Communication - Essay Example By thoroughly discussing these four questions, we can come to a more critical and intellectual viewpoint on this subject matter. The aim of this paper is to thoroughly discuss all of this, as well as any key elements which are in relation to this issue. This is what will be dissertated in the following. A virtual office is a location which allows many people doing business to share an office address and business machines, and is a facility which often includes such things as receptionists, mail support, telephone banks, fax machines, copiers, computers, and sometimes even call answering services. With the technology currently available, business can be conducted easily from basically anywhere. The virtual office is considered as being easily one of the most important applications of the Internet, although its recognition is surely lacking. The Internet is easily the most popular communication tool which is completely changing the entire concept of what it means to be an agency. "The key to making an office virtual is enabling everyone in the agency to be able to work together as smoothly as they would if they were all physically in the same place. The Internet is beginning to make this type of integration possible because it allows rapid, low-cost communication between individual u sers and businesses." (Anderson, 2000). The virtual office is certainly a thing of popularity and efficiency; however, not everyone is a candidate for working in a virtual environment. This type of setting requires a special type of person in order to function properly; the person has to be able to work from home, and a special kind of manager is also required to effectively manage virtual employees. Largely as a result of the falling price of telecommunications and the increased sophistication of such things as relevant technology, all businesses, regardless of size, are suddenly able to take advantage of global efficiencies that were once available only to large corporations and multi-nationals. "There are a number of implications of decentralization. The integrity of corporate data can be compromised in the absence of strong data management and storage policies. The inevitable proliferation of duplicated data sent over public networks to individuals or offices in remote locations also presents significant security risks. The management of outsourced services (with well defined service level agreements) requires a different approach to those supplied from in-house, and is likely to be even more challenging when services are undertaken in a different country. Differences in culture, time zone, standards, legislation and language are the obvious ones. Deficiencies in any of these areas can lead to reputation risks as well as increasing the costs of compliance." (Evans, 2006). Is Personal Contact Even Necessary at This Point In regards to technologically speaking, it appears rather obvious that personal contact is in fact unnecessarily in most cases. However, a matter of a related issue is that of is

Monday, October 7, 2019

WestCiv4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

WestCiv4 - Essay Example It is urging the while people, rather it is a command to the whites to take over the burden and colonize the people of other nations. The Europeans virtually looked down upon the Africans and the Asians condescendingly. They considered the non-Western culture and traditions as inferior to theirs and this European ascendancy is known as â€Å"cultural imperialism†. The Europeans had the attitude that they were destined to rule over the non-Western countries. The White men were culturally and technically advanced and always carried that air that they were superior to others. This in itself provided a motivation for the Europeans that they were destined to take care of the under privileged. This is driven by the feeling of superiority which has been confirmed by the Darwinian Theory that the â€Å"strong survive†. It promotes the idea that the white European race was superior to others. The Europeans were more advanced in culture compared to other races. The ‘surviva l of the fittest’ is the rule of the game and as believed by Kipling, the Europeans being superior were the fittest. The second motivation comes from the evolutionary theory, which believes that nature is a "kill-or-be-killed" system. It is based on the principle that if necessary, kill others to save your self. Those that cannot keep are either left behind or cut off. Even the Nazis claimed that murder of the Jews in World War II was an act of cleaning out the inferiors. To protect themselves, the superiors could even exterminate an entire race of people. It is not possible for people of two different races to survive in harmony and rather than be killed, it is better to kill them. As the others are uneducated and lack culture, they could turn savage and kill the Europeans and before they do that, the Europeans are urged to make the move. Rather than live with the â€Å"burden† it is better to kill them. Any war takes place with the motive of

Sunday, October 6, 2019

The Intriguing World of Soccer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Intriguing World of Soccer - Essay Example In soccer, anything can happen and all the enthusiasm, spirit and energy involved in the game make the blood of the men rush to their brains. The big, fast and muscular men chasing the soccer ball is more than what it seems t o be. Soccer is the fastest game and is the most watched sport in the whole world. The reputation and fame which soccer holds is cannot be equivalent to any other sport in the world. Even though, it can be injurious to health many a times, the intense energy and spirit it offers to the world makes it an invaluable sport. The world cup is the largest sports event in the world, which showcases soccer as a game and the future world cup is being hosted by Qatar in 2022..Qatar is an Arab country with immensely rich culture and Qatar nationals love to exhibit their cultural heritage passionately. The country follows Islam as their religion and 90% of their people belong to the same religion. We can find elements of Bedouin culture in Qatar and this country was earlier engaged in fishing and pearl hunting. They follow a Sharia law and have their typical Arabic cuisine which mainly consists of seafood and dates. According to (Weill Cornell) â€Å"Qatar is a traditional country experiencing rapid social changes. When Arab men meet, they usually shake hands. A man does not generally shake hands with a woman†.

Saturday, October 5, 2019

Nursing Competencies Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Nursing Competencies - Thesis Example s focused on the discussion of some of these competencies as offered by tree organizations, namely: American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), Quality, Safety Education for Nursing (QSEN), and the National League for Nursing (NLN). The challenges in the industry will also be discussed alongside a personal reflection of the author on the relevance of these competencies to his personal career. Nursing is a critical profession in the United States and, as has been dictated by the increasing healthcare needs, advancements in it are paramount. Advancements in the profession are of equal importance, all in an effort to empower nurses and help in meeting the rising healthcare needs across the country. As such, there are many stakeholders and public agencies that focus on the achievement of this goal by providing the skills that nurses need throughout their academic and professional lives. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), Quality, Safety Education for Nursing (QSEN), and the National League for Nursing (NLN) are primary contributors in this. These three associations have made unique efforts in trying to equip nurses with specific competencies at the Masters level. In addition to these competencies, this paper will discuss some of the factors in the nursing profession and the health care system that make the achievement of these skills necessary, based on evidence from current literature. From a personal and reflective point of view, this paper will also discuss how these skills and competencies related to my career trajectory and describe the steps I am willing to take in an effort to achieve the knowledge and skills necessary during my graduate studies as I seek to master each of these competencies. The AACN has outlined a number of competencies that it is willing to equip nurses with in an effort to enhance their skills. Of the many competencies that it defines under Adult- Gerontology Acute Care NP Competencies, one of the most