Obesity Essays - Obesity, Bariatrics, Nutrition, Applied Sciences

The numbers do not lie, according to the National Institute of Diabetes 68% of America is either overweight or obese. By definition, a person is obese when their body has enormous proportions of fat, concentrated mainly around the abdomen. Obesity has continued to plaque the United States year after year. Obesity increases a person's risk for diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke and cardiovascular diseases. Obesity has no preference when it comes to color or gender. Age is not a factor either, because of technology and other outside factors, child obesity has increased at alarming rates. Although the United States has the largest obese population in the world, the daily convenience of the American lifestyle causes this condition because of the affect that fast food has on the body, the lack of physical activity and the lack of knowledge concerning a healthy way of life. When it comes to food, convenience is not always a benefit but a hindrance to your body. As children, we were taught the four basic food groups: fruit, Legumes, whole grains, and vegetables. The United States Department of Agriculture as implemented a food pyramid. The new food groups are grains, vegetables, fruits, oils, milk and meat dinner or any snacking that has been done. Children fare no better then their parents when it comes to fast food. For children ages 4 to 6, their daily caloric intake is 1800 calories. Feed a child a cheeseburger Happy meal from McDonalds and they have consumed 710 calories in one meal, that is nearly ? their daily intake. Remember the body processes what it need the rest is stored as fat. The nutritional value of fast food may contribute to obesity, but a person's activity level plays just as big a role in this epidemic. Technology has changed the way the world operates. With the invention of the Internet, anything a person desires is just a click away. From grocery shopping, to writing letters, if a person has a computer it can be done. Television, video games and other electronic devices have replace imagination and outside activity for both adults and children. Child obesity rates have increased year after year because children no longer go outside to play after school, instead they stay inside and play Xbox or Play Station for hours, or they sit and watch television shows such as Sponge Bob. Technology has affected adult activity levels as well, social chat rooms, online gaming and surfing the internet as taken the places of interaction with their children. Families no longer go to parks and play; they stay inside and remain inactive. It is recommended that a person take part in at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day to remain healthy. This activity can include walking, running, jumpi ng; anything that increases your heart rate. Physical activity can reduce excess body fat caused by overeating; reducing the chances of obesity. The reduction of excess body fat increases the chance of a longer healthier life. Not only can physical activity help to decrease

Biography of Rubén Blades

Biography of Rubà ©n Blades Rubà ©n Blades Bellido de Luna (born July 16, 1948) is a Panamanian singer/songwriter, actor, activist, and politician. He was a key figure in popularizing New York-based salsa music in the 1970s, with socially conscious lyrics that commented on poverty and violence in Latino communities and U.S. imperialism in Latin America. However, unlike most musicians, Blades has been able to toggle between multiple careers in his life, including serving as Minister of Tourism in Panama. Fast Facts: Rubà ©n Blades Known For:  Salsa singer/songwriter, actor, Panamanian politicianBorn:  July 16, 1948 in Panama City, PanamaParents:  Rubà ©n Darà ­o Blades, Sr., Anoland Dà ­az (original surname Bellido de Luna)Spouse:  Luba MasonChildren: Joseph VerneEducation: Masters Degree in International Law, Harvard Graduate Law School (1985); Bachelors Degree in Law and Political Science, University of Panama (1974)Awards and Honors: 17 Grammys (9 U.S. Grammys, 8 Latin Grammys); Honorary Doctorate degrees from University of California, Berkeley; Lehman College; and the Berklee College of Music Early Life and Education Rubà ©n Blades was born in Panama City to a Cuban mother, musician Anoland Dà ­az (original surname Bellido de Luna), and a Colombian father, Rubà ©n Darà ­o Blades, Sr., an athlete and percussionist. He earned a bachelors degree from the University of Panama in law and political science in 1974. In 1973 Blades parents had moved to Miami because Rubà ©n, Sr. had been accused by General Manuel Noriega, then chief of military intelligence under President Omar Torrijos, of working for the CIA. The following year, after graduating from the University of Panama, Rubà ©n, Jr. followed his family to the U.S., but headed not to Miami, but to New York to try and break into the salsa scene. He began working in the mailroom at Fania Records, where he would eventually become one of the labels major recording artists. He took a break from his musical career in the early 1980s to pursue a Masters Degree in International Law from Harvard University, which he earned in 1985. Rubà ©n Blades and Willie Colon in the 1970s. Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images Cultural Impact Blades has had a significant impact on Latino music and culture writ large, particularly with regards to his recordings with Fania Records and other leading salsa musicians of the 1970s, like Willie Colà ³n. Their joint album Siembra is the best-selling salsa album in history, with over 25 million copies sold. He is widely known as the intellectual of salsa music, with lyrics that reference Latin American literature and issue bold social critiques on a range of issues affecting Latinos. Regarding his desire to make more explicitly political music during his time with Fania, he recently stated, â€Å"It didn’t make me popular in the industry, where you aren’t supposed to antagonize people, you are supposed to smile and be nice in order to sell records. But I never bought into that.† Ruben Blades with their Grammy Awards for Latin Pop at the 2000 Grammy Awards held in Los Angeles, CA.   Scott Gries / Getty Images As an actor, Blades has also had a long and fruitful career, which began in 1983 with the film The Last Fight and most recently included a role on the TV show Fear the Walking Dead. He has often turned down roles that reinforced stereotypes about Latinos. When offered a role as a drug dealer in the hit 1980s show Miami Vice, he rejected the offer, stating: â€Å"When are we going to stop playing the drug addict, the pimp and the whore?...I could never do that stuff. I’d rather kill myself first†. He continued, regarding the scripts he continued to receive: â€Å"In half, they want me to play a Colombian coke dealer. In the other half, they want me to play a Cuban coke dealer. Doesn’t anyone want me to play a lawyer?† Politics and Activism Blades is well-known for his left-leaning political orientation, particularly his critiques of U.S. imperialism and intervention into Latin America, which have often made their way into his music. His 1980 recording Tiburà ³n, for example, was an allegorical critique of American imperialism, and Ollies Doo-Wop (1988) addressed the Iran-Contra scandal that funded the U.S.-backed war against the socialist Sandinista government in Nicaragua. However, he has also been critical of leftist authoritarian governments or Marxist Leninist dictatorships, as he referred to the governments in Cuba and Venezuela. Musicians Residente (R) of Calle 13 and Ruben Blades perform onstage at the 10th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards held at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on November 5, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Michael Caulfield / Getty Images Blades political activism stems from his experience as a young Panamanian in the 1960s who saw Americans living in the Canal Zone disrespecting Panamas sovereignty and treating the country as an extension of the U.S. He began to learn about racial segregation in the U.S. and its historic treatment of Native Americans, which contributed to his emerging political consciousness. U.S. foreign policy in Central America in the 1970s and 80s- particularly its role in the civil wars in El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Guatemala- was also an issue that affected Blades deeply. The U.S. invasion of Panama in 1989 to depose Manuel Noriega was a major reason Blades returned to Panama in 1993 to run for president. He founded a political party, Papa Egorà ³ (meaning Mother Earth in the Embera language of Panamas indigenous population), and ran for president in 1994, coming in third place out of seven candidates, with 18% of the vote. He was later asked to join the government of Martà ­n Torrijos, and served as the Minister of Tourism from 2004 to 2009, an important post since tourism is the countrys main economic driver. He has spoken about not wanting to sacrifice Panamas natural environment in exchange for foreign investment, and the fact that he stressed the development of small-scale eco-tourism and cultural tourism over large-scale tourist amenities. There has been speculation for years about whether Blades will run for president again in Panama, but thus far he has not made an announcement to that effect. Writing Blades publishes a fair amount of opinion writing on his website, mostly related to the political situations in various Latin American countries, with a focus on Panama and Venezuela. Sources Rubenblades.com. http://rubenblades.com/, accessed June 1, 2019. Shaw, Lauren. Interview with Rubà ©n Blades. In Song and Social Change in Latin America, edited by Lauren Shaw. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2013.

Managing Human Resources Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Managing Human Resources - Essay Example What Should A Company do over The Short and Long Term to Maximize the Use and Value of Its Benefits Choices to Employees? Maximization of benefit choices largely depends upon the company’s willingness to retain topmost talents. It can be stated in this similar concern that the companies may follow as well as execute different effective measures for retaining top talents. They may opt for incurring huge figure of expenses which may result in the development of high incentive schemes categorizing into monetary as well as non-monetary benefits. Specially mentioning, the companies can introduce various attractive offers and bonus plans for satisfying those employees whose continued contribution matters a lot for them (Barringer & Milkovich, 1998). Furthermore, it is to be argued that a particular company can revise all its incentive plans on a quarterly basis so as to make the top employees feel comfortable to work with the company. In addition, the companies can work upon towards reviewing the top performances of the employees by introducing effectual training programs for them. If the contributions made by the employees are highlighted and applauded, then these would eventually boost the other employees to perform their respective work even better. This process will benefit the companies both in the long run as well as in the short run. Moreover, this particular practice will also help the companies in lessening the attrition rate of the personnel by a greater degree. In this regard, it is to be affirmed that high attrition creates lots of imbalances in the overall efficiency and operations of the companies and therefore, it should be avoided (Barber, Dunham & Formisano, 2006). The companies can also maximize its benefits plans by allowing the top performing employees to avail multiple reimbursements from their respective the organizations. Besides, the companies can reward their respective employees for their unprecedented performances in terms of providi ng them with attractive tour packages and time outs resulting in rejuvenating themselves and thereby motivating them for conducting better performance in future. Furthermore, the companies can allow the employees to avail medical benefits in terms of insurance plans covering them and their whole families. The companies should provide different insurance plans so as to entitle quality benefits to the employees. They can provide health insurance along with accidental as well as life insurances to the personnel. For the purpose of attracting as well as retaining top-notch talent, the companies can make the employees to be accustomed with the overall work atmosphere by offering them with proper promotions in relation to their contribution to the company for the overall development. It can help the personnel to remain motivated in the organizations. If the benefits plans are provided to the deserving employees, then it will certainly lead towards further development of the organizations and will benefit them in long-term perspective which is quite necessary. Thus the company can make proper usage of the benefit plans for ensuring retention of top employees by a considerable level. The company can also create mass awareness of the benefit plans by entitling various types of benefits that the employees can choose

Can Leaders Really Motivate Employees Assignment - 1

Can Leaders Really Motivate Employees - Assignment Example There are certain employees who want more salary, while there are others who want more power, or other kinds of benefits like accommodation and privileges. Taking these facts into consideration, it can be said that managers motivating employees is a matter of chance. Occasionally, the steps managers take are the ones required to motivate a certain employee, and thus it happens. However, this does not always happen. There are certain ways in which the tendency of an environment to motivate the employees can be enhanced. Still, the influence of that environment upon the employees’ performance would vary from one case to another. Generally, an organization should link reward to performance, and really reward the employees who are found to display better performance. â€Å"To be a successful manager/motivator you must first understand that you cannot motivate anyone. You can only create an environment that encourages and promotes the employees self motivation† (Lowe,

Modeling and Simulation Environments (Infusing Technology in the Assignment

Modeling and Simulation Environments (Infusing Technology in the Classroom) - Assignment Example It has also been argued that the best way for students to learn from an environment that stresses on an individual’s use of cognitive and analytical skills while employing the use of technology, is through modeling (Hung & Khine, 2006). A modeling activity is, generally, referred to a constructive use of objects and models in order to learn in a way of assessing individual selves (Lajoie, 2000). An example of a modeling activity that involves the use of technology is Spreadsheets (Jonassen, Carr & Yueh, 1998). These are basically, computerized record keeping systems which were launched with the purpose of substituting manually-held accounting systems. Perhaps, an accounting student might know its best usage. Apparently, it is a grid having rows and columns represented by numbers and letters respectively. Each row and column has a number of empty cells which is open to be used by the user to put in his/her desired values. It works in a way that values and formulas are fed to th e spreadsheet, which itself manipulates the values into other cells according to desired action made by the user. These spreadsheets are user-friendly in a way that a formula applied once would automatically be applied by the computer to all the values inserted by the user and the values would thus, be recalculated. The modeling activities have been termed to be under the umbrella of Engagement Theory, which advocates that students willingly engage themselves in an environment where they learn things which might not be so well taught by a human instructor as the processes of cognition, problem solving, evaluation and self-improvement are done individually (Kearsley & Shneiderman, 1999). But here, problem solving is the main focus. The same applies to simulation activities as well as regards to cognition, analysis and evaluation. There are a number of examples related to technology-based simulation type of activities. One such example is that of the Microworlds in which the students use

The Goal A Process of Ongoing Improvement Essay Example for Free

The Goal A Process of Ongoing Improvement Essay The two authors are finalising the first comprehensive bibliography on the Theory of Constraints (TOC)[23] which is to be published by North River Press, the publishers of several works on TOC, most notably Eli Goldratt’s seminal works [l l-171, such as The Goal, It’s Not Luck, and Critical Chain. Based on our extensive search of the literature, this talk will draw on examples of applications of TOC, and summae important findings on the theory and practice of TOC. Although initially a manufacturing method, TOC has now developed into a theory about management: a powerful systemic problem structuring and problem solving methodology which can be used to develop solutions with both intuitive power and analytical rigour. TOC is increasingly being applied to situations outside the manufacturing context, including distribution, marketing, project management, accounting in fact, any situation involving change to a system. 1 Introduction The main motivation for the research reported in this paper was the realisation that TOC is growing very rapidly, and we simply did not know what was â€Å"out there†; ie what had already been tackled. Hence our mission two years ago was to conduct a literature search to identify recent works (mostly post 1990). This search has culminated in an annotated bibliography, which is to be published shortly by North River Press [23]. Alongside this literature research grew a Masters thesis, pulling all this material together, both the theory and the practice. [2] This paper will first briefly outline the background to TOC, and then report on the practice-related material from the survey of published applications and the findings. Readers wishing to gain the benefit of a fuller treatment of this material for a review of the entire TOC field are referred to [2]; while those wishing to obtain a copy of the bibliography are referred to [23]. In its brief 20-year history, TOC has developed rapidly in terms of both methodology (see for example [6], [S]) and area of applications (see for example, [ 191, 271). In the late 1970’s, the founder of the Theory of Constraints (TOC), Eliyahu Goldratt, Israeli physicist turned business guru, developed a revolutionary method for production scheduling [lo] which was in  stark contrast to accepted methods available at the time, such as MRP. Central to the TOC philosophy was that any organisation (or system) has a constraint (or small number of constraints) which dominate the entire system. The secret to success lies with managing these constraints, and the system as it interacts with these constraints, to get the best out of the whole system. The Drum-Buffer-Rope schedulingsystem, together with the general principles espoused in The Goal, were elements of TOC that became part of successful manufacturing management. Even so, some companies failed in their attempts to adopt OPT, the software package based on Goldratt’s method [lo]. Such failure was usually diagnosed as an inability or unwillingness by the organisation to discard old traditions, and embrace the new philosophy and the new measures that were concomitant with successful adoption. The most common measures that need to be reviewed are accounting measures, as TOC promotes the use of global system-wide measures, rather than local measures. The motivation for this is that if a system as a whole is to achieve its goal, it is best for the system’s individual parts to work as a team in â€Å"sync† rather than at their own individual speeds. Given that the major constraint to improvement was the resistance to changing these measures, it is not surprising therefore that this is the direction that TOC followed, to tackle this biggest constraint to adoption behaviours. Thus the TOC Thinking Processes were born: a suite of tools that allows people to learn and use the thinking processes that enable them to develop their own solutions to complex problems. This suite of tools enables analysis of a situation, using the rigour of cause and effect thinking following strict logic rules, combined with the intuition and knowledge of the persons owning, or intimately involved with, the problem. The TP’s enable more complex problems (â€Å"messes†) to be tackled, and have much in common with other soft systems approaches such as SSM and SODA/cognitive mapping. In our opinion, these thinking processes now offer much to OIUMS practitioners (as well as the more traditional users from the Operations Management field). 2 The Survey The literature search has uncovered over 310 items on TOC, including 32 books. The majority of these were developing/discussing the methodology from a theoretical viewpoint. Many claims were made regarding the benefits of TOC. These included increased throughputs, reduced inventories and lead-times, which in turn would lead to higher sales, and improved profits, quality, and customer satisfaction. However we felt it would also be useful to collect together and analyse the actual reported data on the benefits of TOC, to verify or disprove these claims. The literature search identified over one hundred case studies or vignettes that contained information on the results of applications of TOC. Not all cases or vignettes provided quantitative data on the results of applying TOC. In total, we were able to collect quantitative data on the application of TOC to seventy-seven different companies. The types of organisations covered by these cases varied from giant multi-national corporations and industry leaders like Boeing and GM, to military organisations lie the US Aii Force, to small town bakeries. The vast majority of TOC applications were in the manufacturing sector. Within this sector, there are significant clusters of applications in the aerospace, apparel, automotive, electronics, furniture, semiconductor, steel and heavy engineering industries. Most of these focused on the manufacturing operations of each organisation. However, there were several instances of application to administrative functions. Analysis of the frequency of article and book publications per year shows a considerable growth of publications in recent years. This is partially due to the formation of the Constraints Management Special Interest Group within the influential APICS. This year, we have seen a dramatic increase in the number of books published on TOC, withnine new books hitting the shelves, including [6], [21], [26]. This takes the total number of books on TOC to 32, since the release of The Goal [ 151 in 1984. TOC is a complex methodology requiring skill and cooperation to implement. This may be why there have been few â€Å"complete† applications of the methodology reported in the literature. Most applications involve components of the overall philosophy, predominantly the operations management technique, DBR, and the constraint oriented continuous  improvement technique, the Five Focusing Steps. This is significant as many of the results of applications, summarised below, are the result of only the partial power of TOC. The case survey methodology [20] used for data collection has limitations, the main one being the lack of consistency in the reporting conventions. Authors used a range of different frames and methods for reporting results. Thus, there were limitations to the types of data that were usable. However, sample size of 78 applications provided sufficient data for robust conclusions for most variables, the only exception being changes in profitability; the small sample size for this is thought to be due to commercial sensitivity. However, this deficiency is made up by a reasonable sample of organisations reporting changes in revenue resulting from the application. In total, a sample of twenty-five -data points were gathered for changes in financial performance. Inherent within the case survey methodology is the potential for bias on the part of the authors themselves, and academic journal editors. However the latter bias may be mitigated in part, as articles relating to TOC were published in some 83 different journals and magazines. The great majority of applications reported in the literature were conducted in North America. A number of European applications were reported, with only a few cases emerging from the UK and Australasia. 2.1 Data Analysis This research exercise is believed to be the first published examination of the actual performance of the Theory of Constraints’. The table in Appendix 1 gives a selection of the results2. We were initially concerned that there were so many apparent gaps in the data, as it could be argued that these omissions indicate that these factors were not improved, or that only a few factors in each case improved, perhaps even to the detriment of other factors. However, on reflection we recognised there are many valid reasons for such omissions. Firstly, several of the measures used are essentially measuring the same  effect: eg Lead-time, Cycle Time and Due Date performance all measure the company’s ability to respond speedily to customer orders. Thus one would not expect authors to report all measures. Secondly, many companies do not wish to report factors such as financial results, for competitive reasons. Thirdly, many companies adopt TOC with a particular focus, such as to improve due date performance and may fail to give much attention to effects outside this focus. Furthermore, it is often difficult to collect hard data: people do not always take measurements before they make changes: they may not envisage how effective this approach will be often they have tried other methods before, and the results have not been noteworthy, so why should this method be any different? Sometimes the results are simply too hard to calculate: eg to calculate the Inventory figures using Goldratt’s definition (see [6], [ 161 or [27]) is problematic if the company’s accounts are prepared using normal cost ’ To our knowledge, the only other published survey of applications to date is that by Noreen, Smith and Mackey [27], which reported in depth on 25 organisations that were using TOC. ’ The complete table runs to some 7 pages, so is not included here due to the page limit.accounting conventions (GAPP), as experience with Expozay showed [22]. Or they may have changed the way they measure Inventory as part of the change to TOC, and hence any reported figures would be misleading. Another reason might be that people would prefer not to know how bad things really are at the start. Finally, when taken in context of the articles themselves, it is apparent that the authors considered TOC to be a success. For all these reasons, the gaps in the data are not considered to be unreasonable. The data available was analysed using Exploratory Data Analysis methods. 2.2 Findings of the analysis The results of the analysis of reported changes in operational and financial performance, resulting from the application of TOC, are summarised below: Lead-Times: Mean Reduction 69 % A mean reduction in lead-time of 69% emerged from the sample of thirty-two  observations, all of which reported reductions. Over three quarters of the sample experienced reductions in lead-time greater than 50% Cycle-Times: Mean Reduction 66% In every case where changes in cycle-time were reported, the reports showed a decrease, or improvement in cycle-time. Fourteen observations made up the sample for change in cycle-times. Due-Date-Performance: Mean Improvement 60% Improving due-date-performance is synonymous with meeting delivery promises to customers. A mean improvement of 60% emerged from the sample. Twelve observations made up the sample for change in due-date-performance. Several organisations experienced improvements of over 100%. Inventory Levels: Mean Reduction 50% Reducing inventory is associated with reducing lead-times in a DBR system. A mean inventory reduction of 50% resulted from the sample of 28 observations. Lead-Time and Inventory Reduction: Correlation 0.77 Goldratt and Fox (1986) claim that when DBR is applied to a manufacturing system, the reduction in lead-time is strongly correlated with the reduction of inventory level. This research verifies the claims of Goldratt and Fox, as shown by a 0.77 Spearrnan’s Rank Correlation. This analysis was conducted on a sample of thirteen observations where organisations provided data on changes to both lead-times and inventory levels. Revenue / Throughput: Mean Increase 68% (outlier exclusive) This variable represents the amount of money coming into the organisation. All reports represented increases in revenue or throughput. The impressive mean increase of 68% excludes one outlier, a 600% increase at Lucent Technologies achieved within one year. Five organisations, from the sample of eighteen, reported increases in revenues in excess of lOO%, within one financial year.Combined Financial Variable: Mean Increase 82 % A sample of twenty-five observations for the combine revenue / throughput / profit variable revealed a mean increase of 82%, excluding the 600% increase at Lucent Technologies. 2.3 Conclusions from this analysis: l In the survey of over 100 cases, no failures or disappointing results were reported. l Some substantial improvements in operational variables as well as financial variables were reported. On average, inventories were reduced by 50%, production times (measured by lead-times, cycle times or due date performance) improved by over 60%, and financial measures improved by over 80%. In addition, inventory reductions were accompanied by lead-time reductions a feat not matched by JIF. l The vast majority of cases reported only partial applications of TOC. We are left to wonder whether improvements would have been even greater had more of the methodology been applied. l The entire survey revealed over 300 articles and books on TOC, of which only a handful contained negative comments, and none of these related to actual applications of the methodology.  While there were several papers reporting computer simulations comparing TOC with other scheduling methods, typically MRP and JIT, none showed TOC to be inferior to other methods; most showed a significant advantage on most measures. l TOC evokes some emotive responses, which is not surprising given that TOC challenges some fundamental notions. l The technical solution to dramatically improving financial and operational performance, is comparatively simple to identify (especially in hindsight4) l The major difficulty is overcoming the behavioural tendency of resistance to change. l TP applications commonly find that underlying core problems are erroneous or deficient measurements, policies and/or training’. Often these are found to be outdated, and no longer consistent with the company’s goal. l Not surprisingly, our enquiries and experience have identified a great number of other applications that have not been published: in many instances the results will never be published, because the focus is on internal change management for competitive advantage.

A Separate Peace :: Essays Papers

A Separate Peace A Separate Peace by John Knowles is a complex novel that portrays war in many different forms. Gene Forrester was attending Devon School during World War II. This was a representation of different wars he was having within himself. Gene was feeling a kind of jealousy toward his friend Finny. He also felt like Finny was trying to sabotage him with relation to his schoolwork. Lastly Gene felt guilt, guilt from what was described by him as a â€Å"blind impulse† and also from having the truth revealed to him resulting in a fatal accident. Gene fought with his fears throughout the story. He thought that he was a complete person, full of what a man should be, but when he got to Devon and met Finny, he felt he was incomplete, as though he lacked something. He tried to find ways to fill the void by associating with all that Finny did. As a result he did become more well-rounded but he also felt guilt for the consequences. Guilt was also an internal war or conflict Gene had with himself. After â€Å"jouncing the limb† while Finny was on it, Gene sensed he was wrong in doing so but he was not fully regretful. After the truth came out though, and Finny once again broke his leg, Gene did feel complete remorse. At Finny’s funeral Gene didn’t cry but it’s not that he was not sad or that he was not sorrowful, but he felt like it was his own funeral and he knew that you don’t cry at your own funeral. Gene also thought that Finny was trying to sabotage his schoolwork by taking him places and convincing him to do things that were illogical and impulsive. Although this was not the case Gene really fought with himself, over-analyzing all of Finny’s shenanigans and deciding whether or not they seemed to be plots against him. As Gene went through life he was still not settled by the events that had happened in Devon those years.

College Pressure at Lehigh University Essay

In †College Pressures†, author William Zinsser spends most of the time talking about students’ pressures, especially in the 60’s and 70’s, based on his experience at Branford College at Yale University. The article shows that students are facing pressures in lots of aspects, such as economic, parental, peer and self-induced aspects. However, these pressures are not rare in just a few universities. Economic pressure, parental pressure and peer pressure is present even in a prestigious university like Lehigh. Pressure is the new disease that is spreading through many universities and causing students to lose sight of the actual purpose of school by focusing only on test scores. To begin with, the tuition of Lehigh University increases each year, student’s economic pressure goes up as well. Since students don’t earn too much money, they have to plan each use of money carefully. For instance, in order to save money, students buy e-books instead of textbooks, buy things on Amazon, and sell things they don’t use anymore on E-bay. They have to save money for pursuing higher degrees later. It seems that the biggest pressure most students confront is the economic pressure. As Zinsser mentioned in the article, â€Å"The pressure is almost as heavy on students who just want to graduate and get a job.† (Zinsser, 1979, p.73) For international students, parents pay a lot for their children to study abroad because they want them to get a better education and thus lay a good foundation for their future. Studying in America costs lots of money, therefore, students have more pressure and push themselves to study harder. Additionally, competition for jobs and internships actually starts from freshman year. Chuxin, one of my friends at Lehigh University, goes to career services frequently to seek internships. I asked her why, and she said its better for us to care about our career since freshman year. Through internships, we can gain experiences for when we are looking jobs after graduation and add some excellent items to our resume as well. This obsession with getting a job as soon as possible is due to the desire to lower the economic pressure on the family of student. Moreover students have to face reality and make the best decision for their major and future direction. Sometimes a secure job is much more important than personal interest. As an international student in Lehigh University, I sometimes questioned myself about my purpose of studying abroad. Since seeking for good jobs has been a cruel race for undergraduate students in recent decades, pursuing higher GPA in college has truly stressed them out. Secondly, the parental pressure is another factor that is causing students much distress. One simple example, comparing their children to other children is one favorite way for parents to encourage their children, but this behavior sometimes can annoy children. Even though sometimes parents don’t intend to push their children, the children feel even more pressure. Parents work hard to pay for their sons and daughters; therefore, students should work harder to repay them. Take me as an example. When I was young, my parents divorced, eventually, my mother became a businesswoman and raised me up all by herself. I exert myself to get good grades so that I can return what she offered me one day. Hence, when getting bad grades on examinations, I feel sad and blame myself because I disappointed her, and because of my uselessness. For this reason, when I get bad grades, it will always be a long time for me to refresh the emotion. Furthermore, parents like to make choice, which in their mind, that considering the best for children’s future. My cousin, dreams to be an engineer, applied Lehigh University. Instead, however, her mother wants her to be a doctor because doctor has high social status, respected by others, and earns higher salary. She was matriculated by Case Western University already, which is good at medicine, but she is still waiting for the result of Lehigh University. She told me that she’s nervous because she doesn’t want to be a doctor at all. This creates the scenario in the article, where Zinsser said: â€Å"It is easy to look around for villains — to blame the colleges for charging too much money, the professors for assigning too much work, the parents for pushing their children too far, and the students for driving themselves too hard. But there are no villains, only victims. †(1979, p.73) Not only do students have to worry about parental pressure they are also concerned with peer pressure. From what I observed, half of students come with AP credits. I was once proud of m yself because of the superiority 14 credits in AP. Recently, however, I know that two of my friends already have 36 and 37 credits, and a few have more. One of my friends said to me †Hurry up, then we can graduate together!† I feel so nervous because everyone pursuits the higher-level academic performance and I stressed out because of the drastic competition. About 70 percent of my friends will go to summer school in the coming break, either in China or at Lehigh University. It seems that graduating in four years can’t satisfy us anymore; only if we study harder can we chase others’ rate of progress. Since competition among students becomes more severe, it causes peer pressure. Also, students care about each other’s study. One of my friends complains to me that her roommate cares her â€Å"way too much.† Her roommate always asks her where she is heading up to or what she is studying for. When the examination’s grade come out, she asks my friend’s final grade but doesn’t tell my friend hers. This kind of situation happens not rare. Students are interested in compare other’s grade with their own. In order to get greater achievement in study, students have to make the balance between time to study and time to do the activities. One of the students I know, for the sake of pursuing a higher GPA in this semester, has even give up the time for doing sports and participating extracurricular activities and dedicates his time to study to improve his academic performance. From my personal perspective, students will stress out by doing these kinds of things. I have a friend named Kai. He is a sophomore and has double major in mechanical engineering and electrical engineering. He overloads several credits each semester and the most important is that he got a 4.0 GPA in freshman year. Therefore, he becomes the â€Å"target† for all freshman students. When he walks on the street, some people, even not familiar with him, always stop him and ask him how he handles the study. We once chatted, and he told me he is just interested in engineering and wants to obtain real knowledge. He just does what he likes and is not the kind of person who succeeds by studying hard for tests. While, pressures young people face become universal today. Pressure on students is an â€Å"epidemic† in Lehigh University basically in three reasons: economic pressure, parental pressure and peer pressure. These are pressures that are conspicuously faced by a large number of students, and stress is more likely based on students’ academic study. There are still some other pressures caused by professors, friends or even students themselves. Pressure is not totally bad because it can motivate students to move forward and explore themselves better; nevertheless, students can’t let academic performance dominate their entire campus life, and it’s good for them to relax a little bit; otherwise, students sacrifice their education by becoming skilled test takers rather than truly gaining any knowledge in college. Reference Zinsser, W. (1979). College Pressures. Blair and Ketchum’s Country Journal, 6(4), 72–78.

Lil Wayne vs Drake Essay

Music is something that everyone loves and some people go to music to calm themselves down when their stressed, angry, sad, or happy just in general. Personally, I listen to a lot of music, so I’m choosing Lil Wayne vs. Drake. Lil Wayne thinks of himself as the â€Å"Best rapper alive†; & yet he is known to be one of the best rappers according to magazines, record sales, and etc. Lil Wayne is also in charge of Young Money Entertainment which is an American record label founded by rapper Lil Wayne. Drake is also rising to the top very quickly, but Drake is a part of Young Money Entertainment also. They both are featured in each other’s song and a lot of people love them rapping together. They both rap about similar things such as, fame, drugs, money, cars, and women; however even though they rap about similar things. They have completely different ways of saying it. Wayne is more outspoken I’d say and he is more straight forward with whatever message he’s trying to prove to you. Drake makes you think a little more about whatever message he’s trying to deliver. I actually like how drake phrases some of the things he says. Wayne focuses on his analogies more I believe when he raps, verses drake focuses on more just getting the message out. Wayne uses his imagination when he raps, but drake actually paints the picture. I’d say that Drake has 2 sides to him; he has the rap side and he has the singing side. Drake is known for connecting with women through his songs, words, his real life problems, and his voice that almost every girl loves. Drake is more open when he raps and he explains to you how girls have broke his heart, how he’s had people doubt him in life and his music career, and he isn’t afraid to admit that sometimes life hurts. He makes you feel like he too has been in the same situation like he’s actually felt pain like normal people without millions of dollars do. Lil Wayne will talk about something seriously hearting him in maybe about 3 or 4 songs, but other than that Wayne gives you the image that everything in his world is perfect. He makes you want to feel what it’s like to have millions of dollars, and cars, clothes, women and etc. , but in reality it’s not really like that for the average person. That’s why more people feel like they can relate more to Drake, because he talks about real life situations and pain in a lot of his songs. Both, Drake and Wayne have been nominated for plenty of different awards on the different shows, and they have also won quite a few of those nominations, especially Lil Wayne. Wayne helped Drake get to the where he was at, he showed him a way and now Drake is so popular he probably would be okay on his own; but they all work together as a team, that’s why they’re all apart of Young Money Entertainment. In conclusion, we could keep comparing and contrasting both Drake and Lil Wayne all day, but in the end all that matters is that they both make great music, and they are both listened to and enjoyed by millions and millions of people. There so much alike in the end to where it would balance out anyways. They are a great team together and they are both very successful. However if I had to chose which one I preferred to listen to more, I think I’d have to chose Lil Wayne, â€Å"The best rapper alive†.

Definition and Examples of Illustration in Composition

Definition and Examples of Illustration in Composition In rhetoric and composition, the word illustration  refers to an example  or  anecdote  thats used to explain, clarify, or justify a point. And the word illustration, pronounced [IL-eh-STRAY-shun], is from the Latin Illustrationem, which means vivid representation. In writing an illustration, says James A. Reinking, we try to show readers something truthful about our understanding of the world. They wouldnt read what we have written if they suspected we were unusually careless in our thinking, or if they thought we were trying to deceive them by skewing our evidence or distorting our examples. (Strategies for Successful Writing. 8th ed., 2007.) Examples and Observations of Illustration The Function of Illustration Illustration is the use of examples to make ideas more concrete and to make generalizations more specific and detailed. Examples enable writers not just to tell but to show what they mean. For example, an essay about recently developed alternative sources of energy becomes clear and interesting with the use of some examples- say, solar energy or the heat from the earths core. The more specific the example, the more effective it is. Along with general statements about solar energy, the writer might offer several examples of how the home building industry is installing solar collectors instead of conventional hot water systems, or building solar greenhouses to replace conventional central heating. (Rosa, Alfred and Paul Eschholz.  Models for Writers. St. Martins Press, 1982.) Joe Queenans Illustrations: You Cant Fight City Hall ​Books, I think, are dead. You cannot fight the zeitgeist, and you cannot fight corporations. The genius of corporations is that they force you to make decisions about how you will live your life and then beguile you into thinking that it was all your choice. Compact discs are not superior to vinyl. E-readers are not superior to books. Lite beer is not the great leap forward. A society that replaces seven-tier wedding cakes with lo-fat cupcakes is a society that deserves to be put to the sword. But you can’t fight City Hall. (Queenan, Joe. interviewed by John  Williams  in ‘Books, I Think, Are Dead’: Joe Queenan Talks About ‘One for the Books.’  The New York Times, Nov. 30, 2012.) Tom Destry Jr.s Illustration: Stick to Your Own Trade Nobodys gonna set themselves up above the law around here, you understand? I got something to say to you. I think maybe I could illustrate it a little better if I told you a story. I used to have a friend that was an opry singer. Then he went into the cement business, and one day he fell into the cement. And now hes the cornerstone of the post office in St. Louis, Missouri. He should have stuck to his own trade. You better stick to yours. (James Stewart as Tom Destry in  the film Destry Rides Again, 1939.) Don Murrays Illustration of Writers as Dawdlers Even the most productive writers are expert dawdlers, doers of unnecessary errands, seekers of interruptions- trials to their wives or husbands, associates, and themselves. They sharpen well-pointed pencils and go out to buy more blank paper, rearrange offices, wander through libraries and bookstores, chop wood, walk, drive, make unnecessary calls, nap, daydream, and try not consciously to think about what they are going to write so they can think subconsciously about it. (Murray, Donald M. Write Before Writing.  The Essential Don Murray: Lessons from Americas Greatest Writing Teacher, Heinemann, 2009.) T.H. Huxleys Illustration of the Word Fish If any one wants to exemplify the meaning of the word fish, he cannot choose a better animal than a herring. The body, tapering to each end, is covered with thin, flexible scales, which are very easily rubbed off. The taper head, with its underhung jaw, is smooth and scaleless on the top; the large eye is partly covered by two folds of transparent skin, like eyelids- only immovable and with the slit between them vertical instead of horizontal; the cleft behind the gill cover is very wide, and, when the cover is raised, the large red gills which lie beneath it are freely exposed. The rounded back bears the single moderately long dorsal fin about its middle. (Huxley, Thomas Henry. The Herring. Lecture delivered at the National Fishery Exhibition, Norwich, April 21, 1881.) Charles Darwins Illustration: All True Classification Is Genealogical It may be worthwhile to illustrate this view of classification, by taking the case of languages. If we possessed a perfect pedigree of mankind, a genealogical arrangement of the races of man would afford the best classification of the various languages now spoken throughout the world; and if all extinct languages, and all intermediate and slowly changing dialects, were to be included, such an arrangement would be the only possible one. Yet it might be that some ancient languages had altered very little and had given rise to few new languages, whilst others (owing to the spreading and subsequent isolation and states of civilisation of the several races, descended from a common race) had altered much, and had given rise to many new languages and dialects. The various degrees of difference in the languages from the same stock, would have to be expressed by groups subordinate to groups; but the proper or even only possible arrangement would still be genealogical; and this would be strict ly natural, as it would connect together all languages, extinct and modern, by the closest affinities, and would give the filiation and origin of each tongue. (Darwin,  Charles. On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection. 1859.)

Bank strategy & performance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Bank strategy & performance - Essay Example nd communication technologies by the banking sector are – â€Å"cost-reduction, mergers and acquisitions, strategic alliances, competition, globalization, operational risks, cost reduction, time to market, surging volumes, e-commerce, enhancing flexibility, business diversification such as non-financial services and becoming ‘‘service aggregators’’, etc† (Centeno, 295). Holding a desirable market share, enhancement of cost efficiency and expanding the reach to customers are the main reasons why banks use the Internet banking facility. On an overall basis, IT investment in banks especially in hardware, software and IT related services are assumed to bring about improvement in bank performance. However a research shows that despite the banks being one of the key investors in IT, there is little association between IT related investment and the efficiency of bank operations. This gives rise to a contradiction in profitability. However the impact is mixed for different products. For instance, investment in IT services seems to bear a positive impact on accounting profits and profitability. On the other hand, investment in hardware and software related products tend to reduce the performance of banks. There might be certain factors working behind it. For instance, there could be lowering of entry barriers, which lead to loss in market power. (Beccalli, 2007, p.2229) Technology of Internet banking is changing pretty fast. Essentially the technologies in rural markets have been lagging behind and therefore community ban ks are slow in taking on this technology. For such banks cost of adoption of Internet banking itself might be expensive. Internet banking helps the banks to compete across a large spread of demography and facilitates the access of modern technology by the customers. Therefore community banks need to adopt such technologies in order to be at a competitive advantageous position. (Sullivan, 2000, pp.12-13) Internet has brought in a new wave of

Social Media Impact on the Nonprofit Organizations Essay

Social Media Impact on the Nonprofit Organizations - Essay Example These statistics clearly prove that modern businesses and intelligent marketers can spend less in social media to reach many. In fact, many smart marketers have abandoned marketing activities on conventional mediums like T.V and Radios in order to make sure that whatever they spend is efficient with respect to the cost and number of people that the medium reaches. This holds true not only for the profit making businesses but also for the charitable organizations. In fact, charitable organizations have a greater responsibility of using their funds efficiently so that the welfare in the society is maximized (MC Marketing Charts, 2010). Many businesses and non-profit organizations can take advantage of this tremendous growth in industry. They can use this media as a cheaper and better option to advertise their mission and to attract more donors for their cause. This will involve creative thinking and a lot of effort but once, these organizations understand the true potential of how Soci al Media can be used to their advantage. It is also believed that with the passage of time, as the industry matures, these sites are going to attract more and more traffic. This large turnover will encourage companies to advertise more on these websites. As a result, these websites will experience an even larger growth in their revenues. As a result, many big brands consider advertising on these sites as a better way to grab the attention of "target market" towards their products (Nielsen, 2009). This industry, in the recent times, moved from niches to become one of the most coveted sectors. This growth has also caused creative destruction for the other mediums of marketing like radios and televisions. The targeted market for the Non-Profit Organizations is mainly donors or affluent people who can help the organization in the achievement of their aims and can guide the firm towards success. One person who believed that social media and social networking websites can serve successfully as a medium of exchange for marketers was Joseph Walther. In this Social Information Processing Theory he stated that using computer-meditated-communication two parties can develop a relationship which is as close and strong as developed through face-to-face communication. This is because the sender has opportunity to select his target market or the person he wants to send his message to. Once the message is sent, the receiver can magnify the message and use the same channel to give feedback which enhances the communication process and draws favorable impression on the both parties. He believed that social media can effectively be used to create hyper personal relationships. In other words, social media fosters the relationship of trust and harmony between the sender and receiver of the message and hence it can be used by the non-profit and charitable organizations to first create trust an d favorable impression and then use the advertising in such as way as to encourage these people to donate. This is not possible in conventional mediums of advertising and marketing. The communication approach used in these mediums is purely one way communication and thus it cannot build the same level of trust and harmony among the parties initiating the communication process as it is been built through the use social media by non-profit organizations. SIP theory believed that Social Media or