Butler Lumber Essays

Butler Lumber Essays Butler Lumber Paper Butler Lumber Paper Why has Butler Lumber borrowed increasing amounts despite its consistent profitability? How has Mr.. Butler met the financing needs of the company during the period 1 988 through 1 990? (It would be helpful to develop a cash flow analysis (use vs.. Source) and the cash flow statement based upon the income statement and the balance sheet provided in the case for the period of 1988 to 1990. Through the period of 1988 to 1 990 Mark Butler has met the needs of financing through decreasing the amount of cash the company carries, by increasing bank loans, by increasing the size of accounts payable, and by carrying net income over into retained earnings. The needs of this cash was generated by the loan to Mr.. Stark as M. B. Needed this money to buy out Mr.. Starks share in the company, an increase in account receivable, an increase in inventories, and an increase in fixed assets. Working capital turned out to make up a use Of 68% during the years 1 988 to 1990. The buy out of Mr.. Stark made up 22% of the use of cash. Source bank note payable 49%, trading credit 28%, retained earnings 16%. All in all Mr.. Butler has been using the wrong sort of financing to raise funds. If you were to make a comparison as to how Mr.. Butler has been generating funds thus far it would be like financing a mortgage with a credit card. 2. Has the financial strength of Butler Lumber improved or deteriorated? The ratios show that the strength of Butler Lumber is slowly deteriorating. Their current ratio has been slowly going down from 1. To 1 2, if this continues it will only be a matter often until Butler Lumber will no longer be able to cover their current liabilities with their current assets. Along with this the company is growing more and more leveraged from 54. 5% in 1988 to 71. % in 1992. As their working capital decreased through the years and into the projection BAL average payment period is increasing from 35 days to 47 days. It will not be long until t heir vendors grow tired of the slow payments, not to mention the fact that BAL is not taking advantage of the vendors 2% discount by paying in ten days from the purchase. Bless times interest earned is growing smaller also. In 1988 Bless TIE figure was 3. 8 but now the estimated figure for 1992 is 1. 9. This means that Bless BIT is becoming increasingly lower relative to the interest that they must pay out on loans. . Does rapid sales growth always result in a need for substantial external finance? (Hints: exam asset management, does the efficiency of using assets at Butler align with its rapid sales growth? ) In this case MBA needed a loan to buy out Mr.. Starks interest so that in itself caused a need for external financing. Generally when companies experience rapid sales growth they do need substantial external financing. As sales increase accounts such as A/P, A/ R, and inventory always increase also, which creates a demand for more funds, for instance in net working capital. This is needed so that the business can operate smoothly, make their payments on time, absorb increases in accrued expenses, and meet the needs of countless other needs of cash that come along with increases in sales. The speed at which sales are growing is the reason why a company needs external financing, assuming that the company doesnt have a rich uncle with 4. How attractive is it to take the trade discounts? A 2% percent discount will result in a savings of $41000 in 1991 and $60,000 in 1 992, which will increase net income significantly to 58,000 in 1991 and $73,000 in 1992. The increased savings in net income will show up in retained earnings and will provide a source of cash for the coming year which will in turn reduce the amount of external financing that the company needs. The annual cost of not taking this discount works out to be 20% Once again this shows that Mr.. Butler is not using the best source of financing because he could take out a loan at a much lower rate of interest to pay his bills in 10 days and save quite a bit of money. 5. Do you agree with Mr.. Butlers estimate of the companys loan requirements? That is, will a credit line of $465,000 be sufficient to meet the Meanys needs beyond 1 991 if it takes the trade discounts? How much will Mr.. Butler need to finance the expected expansion in sales to $3. 6 million in 1991 and to take all trade discounts? (Develop projected income statement and balance sheet, and then estimate the financial needs. ) If MBA takes the 465,000 line of credit and does not take the trade discount he will be able to operate through the year of 1991 but he will need even more money to continue into 1992. By not taking the trade discount BAL will not be running very efficiently and their current ratio will continue to get worse. If Mr.. Butler does take the trade discount the projected external financing for 1991 is $666,000 so it seems that the 465 thousand line of credit will not be enough for BAL to continue experiencing the rapid growth. 6. Would you, as Mr.. Dodge, agree to lend Butler the money needed? This is a tough call based just upon these numbers. It seems a bit risky for the bank to extend this financing to BAL. I do not have industry figures or what the current home building growth is projected to be. It mentions in the book that MBA thinks that even if home building slows residential remodeling will continue to rive his sales. I think that Mr.. Dodge should recommend BAL to scale back sales growth to a more manageable rate. 33% sales growth per year is very high. History shows us growth at this rate never continues year after year. Additionally, growth at this rate generally causes financial problems and lower chances for the companys survival over the long run. As things are going right now Mr.. Dodge probably would not grant this loan. 7. What are the alternatives open to Mr.. Butler if Mr.. Dodge refuses his request for an increased credit line?

Rabindranath Tagore Essays

Rabindranath Tagore Essays Rabindranath Tagore Essay Rabindranath Tagore Essay Tagore being an active politician of his age has written numerous literary works on his ideologies about the social, economic, and political situation of India. He seeks the re-establishment and reconstruction of the old ideas and ideologies and seeks new ones as well.Tagore was not keen for the attainment of political freedom. He believed that unless there is not an atmasakti in us, we cannot be worthy of freedom. Tagore believed that spiritual liberation was an integral part in the attainment of political and social liberation. Emphasizing on this idea of atmasakti, he said that in order to regain atmasakti, regeneration of rural society was essential. He made an effort in forming a rural society where there will be a social hierarchy and at the top of the hierarchy, there will be a Samajpati through whom the people would be able to maintain contact with everybody in society. He said that regeneration of rural society was possible by encouraging yatras, folk -songs and organizing village fairs. We can see that he establishes this idea in his play, The Post-office. Here he presents an ideal village scenario where the King is the Samajpati through whom the villagers are connected. He wanted self-sufficiency of the villages like old times. Though, his attempts failed in forming this kind of a society.Defending his idea of a hierarchical state he displays in his play, The King and the Queen, the sympathetic Queen eventually rebels against the callousness of state policy toward the hungry. She begins by inquiring about the ugly sounds outside the palace, only to be told that the noise is coming from the coarse, clamorous crowd who howl unashamedly for food and disturb the sweet peace of the palace. The Vice regal office in India could have taken a similarly callous view of Indian famines, right up to the easily preventable Bengal famine of 1943, just before independence, which killed between two and three million people. But a government in a multi-party democracy, with elections and free newspapers, cannot any longer dismiss the noise from the coarse, clamorous crowd.Occasionally Tagore took part in the deliberations of the Bengal Provincial Conference held annually since 1890 with his young nephews and expected the leaders to speak in Bengali rather than English. He insisted that the Englishman in India was an external fact and that the country was the truest and complete fact: Try to build up your country by your own strength because realization becomes complete through creation. Hence, Tagore advocated that we can only realize our own self in the country if we seek to create the country we wish to live in by our thought, our activity and our service. He criticizes the character of the King, as he is wasting the countrys potential by his lack of determination and irresponsible attitude. Tagore affirms that a homeland is the creation of the mind and that is why the soul realizes itself on its own experience in the mo therland (as the King does not attend the council house or the streets of his kingdom he does not experience and see the devastating conditions of his country). Tagore believed the country would attain a form of salvation only when all of its parts pulsated with passion for the recovery of the motherland (the Kings kingdom, in The Lovers Gift, could not attain salvation as the government officers were corrupt). Hence, Tagores method for liberation was an internal and an intellectual movement which he wanted to present.The word alien in the first act of, The Lovers Gift is an indirect reference to the Britishers; the King in the first act says, Banish all the foreign robbers from my kingdom this moment. This is Tagores voice to banish the Britishers from the subcontinent. He wants them banished, but he also asserts through the play that until and unless the countrys leaders and the citizens do not have that atmasakti then this freedom from the Britishers is useless, (as the King hims elf would not probably prove to be a good leader even when the foreigners would be banished.) Instilling national pride, he believed that India must earn her freedom. The role of the leader in a state is very important.Tagores passion for freedom underlies his firm opposition to unreasoned traditionalism, which makes one a prisoner of the past. He firmly disapproved of dictatorship and imperialism which the Mughals and the British Raj represented, by portraying the careless and irresponsible King in the play, The Lovers Gift.In December 1903 the government decided on the partition of Bengal. The Bengali Muslims welcomed the proposal whereas the Bengali Hindus deeply opposed the idea and retaliated. So, Amritsar massacre of April 13, 1919, took place in which 379 unarmed people at a peaceful meeting were gunned down by the army, and two thousand more were wounded. Tagore strongly disapproved of the idea of punishment, so he wrote a letter to the Viceroy of India, asking to be relieve d of the knighthood he had accepted four years earlier. Referring this to the play, The Lovers Gift, we see that the King by attacking Kashmir is indirectly punishing Queen for leaving him not realizing the severe consequences that the people would face.Tagore establishes a new political idea with its focus on individual and humanistic approach towards the set ideas. The novel Gora exemplifies Tagores vision of new, syncrestic India, rising above the considerations of caste, community and race. The character Gora is a staunch Hindu and a believer in nationalism (nationalism with its emphasis on self-respect and preservation of tradition). He focuses on Goras process of self-realization and a change from a nationalist to an internationalist. Gora projects himself as a true Indian to whom neither caste nor race nor nationality can inhibit. He is shown as a symbol of the rising nationalism of the twentieth century.Rabindranath rebelled against the strongly nationalist form that the ind ependence movement often took refrained him from taking a particularly active part in contemporary politics. He wanted to assert Indias right to be independent without denying the importance of what India could learn, freely and profitably from abroad.I invited thinkers and scholars from foreign lands to let our boys know how easy it is to realize our common fellowship, when we deal with those who are great, and that it is the puny who with their petty vanities set up barriers between man and man. (Rabindranath Tagore 1929).He wanted Indians to learn what is going on elsewhere, how others lived, what they valued, and so on, while remaining interested and involved in their own culture and heritage. Unlike Gandhi, Tagore did not resent the development of modern industries in India, or the acceleration of technical progress. Tagore was concerned that people not be dominated by machines, but he was not opposed to making good use of modern technology.Tagores criticism on patriotism is a persistent theme in his writings. He believed patriotism can limit both the freedom to engage ideas from outside narrow domestic walls and the freedom also to support the causes of people in other countries. As early as 1908, he put this in a letter replying to the criticism of Abala Bose, the wife of a great Indian scientist, Jagadish Chandra Bose: Patriotism cannot be our final spiritual shelter; my refuge is humanity. I will not buy glass for the price of diamonds, and I will never allow patriotism to triumph over humanity as long as I live. Tagore presents this idea through the character of Kumarsen in the play, The Lovers Gift; he surrendered to King Vikram in the name of patriotism but the fact is that the position of his people remains the same, they will be subjugated by the Kings army anyhow- his sacrifice is useless.He wants a new kind of leadership which is sincere, dignified and not dependent. Tagore presses for more room for reasoning, and for a less traditionalist view , a greater interest in the rest of the world, and more respect for science and for objectivity generally. In his play, The Lovers Gift, Tagore mocks such political leaders who for their own selfish reasons exploit the whole nation. He has drawn a caricature out of the Kings character to show a contrast to the character Kumarsen; the King becomes a foil for Kumarsen. Kumarsen shows extreme patriotism by surrendering his life for his people and his peoples respect for him was so intense that they tried to hide him knowing that teir lives were at stake. Here, Tagore also presents the idea that political leaders, like the King, are just wasting the countrys potential by wasting it on insignificant words and means which are neither practical nor propitious. Tagores disillusionment with contemporary Indian politics found expression in the following poem of Kadi O Komol:Tell me not to sing please do notAre we assembled here to seek cheap fame, to getApplause by weaving mere words,To pass the night uttering insincere speechesAnd earning false fame?Who will wake up today and plunge into action?Who wants to wipe out our Mothers shame?Tagore had a set concept of Indian womanhood. He re-established and re-affirms the state of woman in accordance with the old ideas. He believed that a womans domain differs from that of a man that is why her role in politics is limited. He disapproved of the fact that young girls were holding revolvers killed or tried to kill the British administrators. He told Dillip Kumar Roy;I do not think that woman stands to gain in the long run by rushing out into the open as a fellow-scabbler of her mate for the same laurels She could never be at home in the sphere of masculine rough and tumble activities.In his play The Lovers Gift he presents this belief; the Queen, though a strong character, leaves her husband to fight for her country but returns to the King humbly asking his pardon, she could not fight for her brother, all she could do was surre nder herself.Rabindranath insisted on open debate on every issue, and distrusted conclusions based on a mechanical formula, no matter how attractive that formula might seem in isolation (such as This was forced on us by our colonial masters we must reject it, This is our tradition-we must follow it, We have promised to do this-we must fulfill that promise, and so on). The question he persistently asks is whether we have reason enough to want what is being proposed, taking everything into account. Important as history is, reasoning has to go beyond the past. It is in the sovereignty of reasoning-fearless reasoning in freedom-that we can find Rabindranath Tagores lasting voice.

Implementing Strategies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Implementing Strategies - Essay Example The leader supervises activities within the organization and helps the employees to accomplish their objectives through generating enthusiasm and motivating them, which is important in enhancing their productivity. Jimmy Collins has devised a model of "Level 5 Leadership"(Collins, 2001). This essay is an evaluation of my style of leadership using this hierarchy as the frame of reference, which includes an analysis of various strengths and weaknesses. The behavioral theory of leadership has also been discussed. At level one is the highly capable person but he can work best as an individual than in a team. This kind of leadership style is useful in situations where personal output is needed rather than team work. The may only be required to supervise in order to ensure that the product is of good quality without intervening in the production stage. In the University where I work as an Admission and Recruitment Supervisor, team work is highly appreciated to supplement personal capabilities. This is because there might happen to be some weaknesses in recruiting as an individual. I therefore have to demonstrate level two of Collin’s leadership style whereby I participate in team work, contributing my abilities in one of my role as a leader of the Marketing Steering Committee in order to create and maintain a positive and consistent image of the University in the community by creating an integrated marketing strategy that aligns all University academic and services departments’ ma rketing goals upon the University’s Strategic Priorities. As a leader of my team, I demonstrate a high level of management capability through creativity, flexibility and adaptation. I have the strength of initiating new innovative practices and experimentation with new ideas. I have strong planning capabilities whereby I demonstrate competence in selecting the team which has to have good

Discussion 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Discussion 1 - Essay Example It would also involve gathering of insects, eggs or even hunting birds and animals (Andersen & Taylor, 2011). These activities require women to have sophisticated knowledge on trapping skills, fishing and even root and tuber searching. Tools such as digging sticks, bows, knives and fishing nets are used in the activities mentioned above. Women are also involved in cultivation of crops such as tubers, roots and even grains in gardens using ordinary hand tools such as hoes. The status of women has been impacted negatively because they are not empowered. In the societies above, women are required to stay close to their homes to take care of the children. They are required to bear children and work hard to provide for them. Therefore, they stay around homesteads and dig in the gardens around them. In this context, the women are home makers and cannot explore distant areas like their male counterparts. This situation has made women be left out in contributing to economic development within the foraging and horticultural based societies. This has resulted to women spending much of their time in gathering, hunting and taking care of the family. The situation above is being experienced in developing countries such as those within Asia. In such societies, women would even bear many children so that food procurement becomes easy because such a step would increase the labor force. On the other hand, their American counterparts contribute to economic development of their nation. In fact, most of them spend most of their time working and would even earn more than their husbands. Here, women have fewer children that they can easily manage, and this allows them to focus on their careers. To the American women, food is not a problem, and they do not spend much time in accessing it. In such societies, processed food is used, and it requires them to buy it, and present it for consumption. This brings out the difference between

Jewish Holy Days Essay Example for Free

Jewish Holy Days Essay Roy Rehberg Jewish Holy Days Paper Many different religions celebrate holidays of all kinds. Throughout history, each religion has developed their own traditions. These traditions are important as they have been traced back through our ancestors and provide a valuable lesson on how important traditions are. Judaism is no different. Although Judaism was the base of Christianity, the traditions are very different. Those of Jewish faith celebrate three major holy days in succession; Rosh Hashanah, ten days later is Yom Kippur, and finally five days after that is Sukkot. Time of the Year of Holy Day It all starts in the fall with the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah. Following that is the most sacred day of the year, Yom Kippur. Although these days are now celebrated on specific days, it was not always like that. They used to just base it off of the harvest season. Yom Kippur is referred to as the Day of Atonement, which means to make up for faults. It is during this time that the Jewish people stick to a strict regime of prayer and fasting. Occurring in late autumn is Sukkot, which marks the end of the wandering period by the Jewish after their departure from Egypt. Altogether, this whole period in time is called the Days of Awe because of the effect it has on the people (Molloy, 2010). Historical Origin of Holy Day In order to fully understand Sukkot, we must first go back in the Bible to Exodus, more specifically the book of Numbers. In the book of Numbers, we are told of the Israelites being led out of Egypt by Moses. They were led out because 400 years before that, they had been made slaves. Moses led the Israelites to Mount Sinai where God handed down to him the Ten Commandments. After this they made their way to the Promise Land. Once they found the Promise Land, God told them they could enter; however, no one trusted God enough to go in. As part of a punishment for not having faith in God, they were forced to wonder for forty years. Sukkot commemorates the end of the Jewish wandering by giving thanks for a plentiful harvest. It is now one of three pilgrimage festivals that those of Jewish faith celebrate. Religious Practices Associated with the Days In the Torah, it states that on this holiday we should â€Å"live in booths seven days†¦in order that future generations may know that I made the Israelite people live in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, I am the Lord your God† (Lev. 23:42-43) (History Of Sukkot, n. d. ). Sukkot means â€Å"booth† and refers to what the Jewish people were required to live in during this time. These booths must have 3 walls and be covered with some kind of material that will not allow for the building to be easily knocked down. In order for the roof to fulfill the commandment, the roof needs to be made of a material from the earth, has to be something that allows for rain to enter and the stars to be seen (Jewish Virtual Library, 2014). Theological or Cultural Differences Throughout all the different religions, people have made small changes or adjusted things to better fit their lives. For example, Christmas is a Christian holiday, but the way every family celebrates it may vary quite a bit. Theologically speaking, there is a definite difference between Orthodox Jews and Liberal Jews. Orthodox Jews believe in complete acceptance of the Torah, whereas liberal Jews believe that Torah laws are more lenient or adapt to the modern world. The cultural difference will not be as significant when it comes to Jews in different countries. For example, one difference would be the food served on Holy Days. Conclusion Sukkot is a very important holy day to those who are practicing Jews. The booths they build during this time are also significant to this day because they are a symbol of a more humbling time. Not only does Sukkot remind the Jews about bountiful harvests, but it is also a reminder of the faith they should have had in God at the promise land. Traditions such as these are handed down through ancestors and are an important part of our heritage and religious beliefs. References History of Sukkot. (n. d. ). Retrieved from

Leadership Definition Essay -- Definition Leader Leading Leadership Es

Leadership Definition There are lots of definitions and interpretations for the term LEADERSHIP. One is â€Å"A relationship through which one person influences the behaviour or actions of other people† (Mullins, L.J. 2002, Management and Organisational Behaviour, 6th Edition, FT Publishing, p904). Another popular definition would be, â€Å"the process of influencing an organization or groups within an organization in its efforts towards achieving a goal† (Johnson, Scholes & Whittington, 2005, Exploring Corporate Strategy, 7th Edition, FT Prentice Hall, p.519) Leadership Theories on Behaviour To me, leaders are constantly surrounding us. People constantly need to be led and they seek out individuals around them who have personalities that stand out – the basic qualities of leadership, the Great Man Theory. This could be in terms of their appearance, knowledge, charisma, behaviour or style. For example, popular actors/actresses might not be great leaders but they influence the thoughts of people through advertisements through their appearance and charisma. Leadership is also a process where trust of people needs to be gained and established before followers are doing things willingly and without having to use pressure. Managers are different in this aspect, as they are given authority/power and trust factor might not be required to actively participate in management, subordinates might not be performing their tasks willingly. The above idea is adopted from the most recent leadership definition by Manfred Kets de Vries, he defines leadership style as the point of int eraction between the leader’s character, the follower’s character and the situation. (Manfred Kets de Vries, The Leadership Mystique, Financial Times Prentice Hall, 2001) To gain people’s trust, the first steps is to communicate, Warren Bennis observed the significance of rhetoric and eloquent, â€Å"Effective leaders put words to the formless longings and deeply felt needs of others. They create communities out of words.† (Bennis Warren, An Invented Life: Reflections on Leadership and Change, Reading, Mass, Addison-Wesly, 1993) The Traits theory, otherwise known as the Great Man theory, is the origination of leadership theories. This theory believes that there is a unique set of qualities for a leader, mainly: his intelligence and ability to judge, his knowledge power, self-confidence and dependabil... ...and Organisational Behaviour, 6th Edition, FT Publishing ïÆ'˜Â  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Johnson, Scholes & Whittington, 2005, Exploring Corporate Strategy, 7th Edition, FT Prentice Hall ïÆ'˜Â  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Manfred Kets de Vries, The Leadership Mystique, Financial Times Prentice Hall, 2001 ïÆ'˜Â  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Bennis Warren, An Invented Life: Reflections on Leadership and Change, Reading, Mass, Addison-Wesly, 1993 ïÆ'˜Â  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Steven F. Hayward, Churchill on Leadership, 1997, ICS Press ïÆ'˜Â  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Blake and Mouton (1964) ïÆ'˜Â  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mcgregor’s X and Y theory (1987) ïÆ'˜Â  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Leadership styles, 2002, Tony Kippenberger ïÆ'˜Â  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Human Resource Management, Derek Torrington, Laura Hall & Stephen Taylor, 5th Edition, 2002 ïÆ'˜Â  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hitler’s Leadership Style by Dr Geoffrey Megargee http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/war/wwtwo/hitler_commander_01.shtml ïÆ'˜Â  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Secrets of Leadership: Hitler and Churchill by Andrew Roberts http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/war/wwtwo/hitler_churchill_01.shtml ïÆ'˜Â  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Adolf Hitler http://www.remember.org/guide/Facts.root.hitler.html ïÆ'˜Â  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hitler as he believes himself to be http://www.nizkor.org/hweb/people/h/hitler-adolf/oss-papers/text/oss-profile-01.html Leadership Definition Essay -- Definition Leader Leading Leadership Es Leadership Definition There are lots of definitions and interpretations for the term LEADERSHIP. One is â€Å"A relationship through which one person influences the behaviour or actions of other people† (Mullins, L.J. 2002, Management and Organisational Behaviour, 6th Edition, FT Publishing, p904). Another popular definition would be, â€Å"the process of influencing an organization or groups within an organization in its efforts towards achieving a goal† (Johnson, Scholes & Whittington, 2005, Exploring Corporate Strategy, 7th Edition, FT Prentice Hall, p.519) Leadership Theories on Behaviour To me, leaders are constantly surrounding us. People constantly need to be led and they seek out individuals around them who have personalities that stand out – the basic qualities of leadership, the Great Man Theory. This could be in terms of their appearance, knowledge, charisma, behaviour or style. For example, popular actors/actresses might not be great leaders but they influence the thoughts of people through advertisements through their appearance and charisma. Leadership is also a process where trust of people needs to be gained and established before followers are doing things willingly and without having to use pressure. Managers are different in this aspect, as they are given authority/power and trust factor might not be required to actively participate in management, subordinates might not be performing their tasks willingly. The above idea is adopted from the most recent leadership definition by Manfred Kets de Vries, he defines leadership style as the point of int eraction between the leader’s character, the follower’s character and the situation. (Manfred Kets de Vries, The Leadership Mystique, Financial Times Prentice Hall, 2001) To gain people’s trust, the first steps is to communicate, Warren Bennis observed the significance of rhetoric and eloquent, â€Å"Effective leaders put words to the formless longings and deeply felt needs of others. They create communities out of words.† (Bennis Warren, An Invented Life: Reflections on Leadership and Change, Reading, Mass, Addison-Wesly, 1993) The Traits theory, otherwise known as the Great Man theory, is the origination of leadership theories. This theory believes that there is a unique set of qualities for a leader, mainly: his intelligence and ability to judge, his knowledge power, self-confidence and dependabil... ...and Organisational Behaviour, 6th Edition, FT Publishing ïÆ'˜Â  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Johnson, Scholes & Whittington, 2005, Exploring Corporate Strategy, 7th Edition, FT Prentice Hall ïÆ'˜Â  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Manfred Kets de Vries, The Leadership Mystique, Financial Times Prentice Hall, 2001 ïÆ'˜Â  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Bennis Warren, An Invented Life: Reflections on Leadership and Change, Reading, Mass, Addison-Wesly, 1993 ïÆ'˜Â  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Steven F. Hayward, Churchill on Leadership, 1997, ICS Press ïÆ'˜Â  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Blake and Mouton (1964) ïÆ'˜Â  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mcgregor’s X and Y theory (1987) ïÆ'˜Â  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Leadership styles, 2002, Tony Kippenberger ïÆ'˜Â  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Human Resource Management, Derek Torrington, Laura Hall & Stephen Taylor, 5th Edition, 2002 ïÆ'˜Â  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hitler’s Leadership Style by Dr Geoffrey Megargee http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/war/wwtwo/hitler_commander_01.shtml ïÆ'˜Â  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Secrets of Leadership: Hitler and Churchill by Andrew Roberts http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/war/wwtwo/hitler_churchill_01.shtml ïÆ'˜Â  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Adolf Hitler http://www.remember.org/guide/Facts.root.hitler.html ïÆ'˜Â  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hitler as he believes himself to be http://www.nizkor.org/hweb/people/h/hitler-adolf/oss-papers/text/oss-profile-01.html

CMTG Network Security Infrastructure

Each Kudler Fine Foods location would be protected via higher end firewall recommended for small/medium size businesses with higher security requirements (Cisco, Watchguard, Barracuda). Each Kudler Fine Foods location, regardless of its geographical location, would have hi-speed internet access that would keep it connected to the headquarters location. Each firewall would be configured to provide maximum security for each location as well as Virtual Private Network (VPN) connection between the location and the headquarters. Headquarters location would host Main POS Database Server which would be synchronized with all other POS database servers every fifteen to thirty minutes. All of the synchronization would take place via VPN that has 1024bit encryption. Each geographical location would be able to access necessary data and files at the headquarters location via VPN at any time. Depending on the network authentication and network policies, not every person would have access to the same data. Since Kudler Fine Foods employs only two computer support specialists, we would recommend for the email to be hosted off site and be accessed either via Outlook Web Access (web-mail) or POP/SMPT/IMAP protocols with the Microsoft Outlook client. We also recommend that Email SPAM filtering be provided by the Email Host, but Kudler Fine Foods computer support staff should have access to email spam filters and manage them as they see fit best for the organization. Read this  Chapter 2 – Why Security is Needed We would also recommend for the Website to be hosted outside of the Kudler Fine Foods network but would recommend that Website’s database be synchronized with the network database via secure connection. Main reason for suggesting Email and Website services to be hosted off-site is security, downtime and support staff. Each firewall would handle IDS and IDP (intrusion detection and prevention service), as well as web access filtering, attachment filtering, traffic monitoring, virus scanning. Each computer and server would also run virus protection software. Firewall would be setup to shut down and block any suspicious network incoming/outgoing traffic in case of security breach and log it and email notify the computer support specialist (DoS, Hacker attacks, Virus outbreak). Firewall security updates would be done automatically and in the background and would provide security against latest threats. We believe that proposed network security infrastructure for Kudler Fine Foods would be secure, centralized, manageable by the small IT staff, reasonably priced to implement and easily upgradable and expendable in the future.

Abstract Globalization Essay

Abstract Globalization is a term now circulating frequently in both popular media as well as formal academic disciplines. It has many meanings, some of which are contestable, others simply descriptive. This work attempts to explore some implications of globalization for the field of curriculum studies. This paper is an attempt to explore some of the symbols of nationality that are embedded in, or associated with, our curriculum, and to suggest that these may present some problems in terms of values and of equality. The work will explore the hegemonic relationship exerted by culture through the curriculum, relating this particularly to the ways in which a curriculum might be assessed. The particular curricular examination suggests that African-American life and history are reflected in various conceptions of the curriculum. Therefore the study will also consider how functional approach to teaching social skills to African American students is infused throughout the curriculum. Curriculum Development Introduction A vague presumption has come to pervade the public’s understanding of education, namely that its content should somehow be apolitical and value-free. If values are not explicitly addressed in the classroom then what is taught are simple â€Å"facts† – unadulterated and value-neutral. Values, however, are not a separate category of the mind, but arise, part and parcel, out of our total understanding of reality, our worldview. It is this realization that three of our contributors bring to bear, each in a different way, on the problems of the contemporary curriculum. James B. Macdonald (1971) asserts: The process of curriculum development †¦ includes selection from the total culture and the creation of a pattern of encounter that will maximize the authenticity of the material and the probability of its being internalized by learners. As a system of ideas and beliefs, it includes aspects of the cognitive world isolated by disciplines and/or subjects in terms of facts, information, generalization, principles, laws, and the like. It also includes awareness of and facility in the use of expressive symbols such as art, music and language. Further, it includes systems of value orientation for action in the form of such things as modes of inquiry, seeking new knowledge, respecting the integrity and worth of individuals, being concerned for other peoples, using democratic procedures , and so forth (pp. 97-98). Macdonald takes issue with the attempt of all scholars to mimic science as the only reliable path to â€Å"truth. † For him, restructuring the curriculum does not mean trying to integrate the disciplines as they now exist, but rather, seeking an altogether new worldview -what he calls a new â€Å"anthropology. † His point is that we need to consider values, meaning, and purpose in the curriculum in order to create a more adaptive and accurate vision of the world. A balance must be maintained between local culture and global culture. Thanks to that balance, groups win be able to develop or reinforce local cultures, and at the same time will be able to communicate with the main global culture in a mutually reinforcing relationship. We must of course agree as to what language to use to communicate throughout the global network. The problem is not very different from what we do for instance in air traffic control. At a certain moment we must accept that in order to communicate we must have a common global language. This does not negate local languages and cultures – on the contrary. The fact that one speaks English does not prevent him/her from communicating in his/her native Italian, nor does it reduce his/her pride in Italian culture. By speaking English, he/she is able to communicate that culture to other cultures, and vice versa. The â€Å"Global Education† mentioned in the abstract might be understood as the universal education of humankind – a worthy goal. But we first have to ask: what will we teach? There are too many facts to be taught, yet they are insufficient. We need instead to exercise our intelligence to grasp and teach what is best – namely the promotion of our well-being. The cultural/historical dimension, whereby students are stimulated to broaden their perspective on life, is already being addressed in some programs of curriculum reform. At my home institution, Temple University, for example, a two semester course entitled â€Å"The Intellectual Heritage† is required for all undergraduate students. This course introduces seminal texts and ideas from Western, African, and Asian traditional intellectual histories and cultures. Through classic works such as the Tao Te Ching, the Koran, and the Analects, the heritage of all humankind, students are able to enlarge their intellectual and historical vision, while becoming sensitized to the values of their own, often unexplored, roots. This suggests that curriculum must include voices, visions, and perspectives of people of color and other marginalized groups. Literature Review Henderson noted in her paper that conventional economic theory is based more on the values of economic theorists and their wealthy sponsors than on actual observation of real economies (Davis 1988). Not only economics, but everything that is taught bears the stamp of someone’s values – whether those of a legislator, a teacher, a textbook writer, or a group of academic theorists. Value-neutrality is one of the most pervasive misconceptions of modern education. The curriculum is not unbiased, and students are not left to form their own opinions. Whatever is taught bears the imprint of the values implicit in society, and if by chance those values are part of the cause of a society’s problems, then it becomes necessary to address them openly and critically in the educational curriculum. This, of course, is the real meaning of â€Å"academic freedom,† something that the American public has yet to accept. The problem of what set of values, what sort of vision of humankind, we could put in place of – or at least use to modify – our present faulty vision is taken up by Charles Weihsun Fu in a brilliant analysis of the distinctions between two of the world’s dominant worldviews: the Eastasian and the modern Western. Fu skillfully juxtaposes the Confucian and Judeo-Christian understandings, pointing out the social and political consequences of each, and especially their inherent weaknesses. More specifically, he contrasts their respective bases in personal morality and social responsibility on the one hand and in law and contractual relationships on the other. Fu concludes with a proposal for interweaving these two approaches which, if introduced into the Western curriculum, could serve simultaneously to correct our destructive tendencies toward alienation while softening our pretensions of moral superiority. His arguments seem to us to feed well into those of Johan Galtung, who discusses the path to global peace under the next theme. The process by which change is to be accomplished likewise is addressed by Frances Moore Lappe, as she critiques our political value system. Too often, Lappe argues, the curriculum teaches only superficial explanations for society’s problems, relying upon the unexamined assumptions of single disciplines, which are often graced with the label of common sense. She calls for the introduction of dialogue into the curriculum to force us to delve deeper into the underlying causes of problems, thus revealing their true complexity. Such dialogue ultimately demands the critical self-evaluation of values and a sense of political engagement that she believes are essential for an active, informed, truly democratic citizenry. If they are to achieve a productive dialogue rather than a polarizing debate, both Western traditionalists and the multiculturalists must face some facts. The growing number of people of color in our society and schools constitutes a demographic imperative educators must hear and respond to. The 1999 Census indicated that one of every four Americans is a person of color. By the turn of the century, one of every three will be of color. Nearly half of the nation’s students will be of color by 2020 (Council for Exceptional Children 2002). Although the school and university curriculums remain Western-oriented, this growing number of people of color will increasingly demand to share power in curriculum decision making and in shaping a curriculum canon that reflects their experiences, histories, struggles, and victories. People of color, women, and other marginalized groups are demanding that their voices, visions, and perspectives be included in the curriculum. They ask that the debt Western civilization owes to Africa, Asia, and indigenous America be acknowledged (Grossman 1998). The advocates of the Afro centric curriculum, in sometimes passionate language that reflects a dream long deferred, are merely asking that the cultures of Africa and African-American people be legitimized in the curriculum and that the African contributions to European civilization be acknowledged. People of color and women are also demanding that the facts about their victimization be told, for truth’s sake, but also because they need to better understand their conditions so that they and others can work to reform society. The significance of culture in curriculum implementation is supported by Michaels’ (1981) study of differences in narrative styles used by African American children and their European-American teacher. In Michaels’ study, a European-American teacher did not make explicit the literate narrative style employed in school learning and, thus, African-American children did not acquire a prerequisite skill for reading acquisition. Narrative styles are culturally acquired. The narrative style employed in school is based on the European-American culture and does not need to be made explicit to most members of that culture. Schools and the curriculum are often portrayed as culturally neutral and, because the practice of schooling has become traditional, it is difficult to identify the specific aspects of culture that are present. A more specific example of teachers’ response to students’ cultural or ethnic background is found in a research study reported by Perry Gilmore (1985) in which African-American children’s access to advanced literacy is denied on the basis of their level of acculturation rather than acquisition of prerequisite skills. Creators of the standard curriculum as members, of the society, function in multiple settings (e. g. , systems) and, as a result, are socialized by many agents. Attitudes about what children should be taught and how they should be taught are shaped. Likewise, attitudes about social issues such as race and ethnicity are also influenced heavily by multiple systems-giving messages, sometimes conflicting messages, about the importance of these factors. Branch (1993) suggested that the ethnicity and race of the teachers/educators and learners figure prominently in the learning equation. He posits that the attribution of characteristics to learners influences how they perform in the classroom, perhaps as much as their abilities. Frequently, teachers view African-American children’s academic performance as a function of their race and ethnicity and the children themselves may develop limiting self-perceptions as a consequence of their interactions within the ecosystem. For example, Fordham and Ogbu (1986) reported that some African-American high school students perceive academic excellence as an instance of â€Å"acting White. † Background It was not easy, even in the heyday of nineteenth-century nationalism, to define what was meant by national identity. Nations were often based on some notion of unity, or of consanguinity, or of some shared culture, or appearance, or language. None of these seems to be either a necessary or a sufficient condition, however. The United States manages without consanguinity, for example—though it currently seems to see language as a defining issue, as can be seen in the moral panic about the possibility of non-English speakers forming a majority. The pedagogic will seek to produce structures and curricula that are designed to maintain national identity, particularly at moments when national authority might seem to be in question. Bernstein (1971) expressed part of this when he wrote that â€Å"how a society selects, classifies, distributes, transmits and evaluates the educational knowledge that it considers to be public reflects both the distribution of power and the principles of social control†. If existing power structures and distribution are to be maintained, knowledge, and the particular kinds of knowledge that constitute cultural capital, must be selected and transmitted to particular groups. Such cultural capital must be identified, protected and valued over other cultural phenomena. Authorities need to assert their identity and control, and, in the context of the arguments presented in this paper, they need national and cultural symbols to do this, and they need control over the way in which they are transmitted. Some of the unhappy facts of our condition are being disseminated through the media, but in spite of this we still suffer from serious misunderstandings about the nature of global problems. While we have all been told that there are environmental, economic, and political crises – the greenhouse effect, species extinction, the hole in the ozone layer, the Third World debt, the instability of political institutions – and have been informed that there are some causative agents such as carbon dioxide emissions, deforestation, poverty, and a dearth of the appropriate sustainable development, we clearly do not comprehend. We misunderstand precisely because an insistence on the facts alone constitutes that little bit of knowledge that is a dangerous thing. Western traditionalists and multiculturalists must realize that they are entering into debate from different power positions. Western traditionalists hold the balance of power, financial resources, and the top positions in the mass media, in schools, colleges and universities, government, and in the publishing industry (Duckworth 1996). Genuine discussion between the traditionalists and the multiculturalists can take place only when power is placed on the table, negotiated, and shared. However, multiculturalists must acknowledge that they do not want to eliminate Aristotle and Shakespeare, or Western civilization, from the school curriculum. To reject the West would be to reject important aspects of their own cultural heritages, experiences, and identities. The most important scholarly and literary works written by African-Americans, such as works by W. E. B. DuBois, Carter G. Woodson, and Zora Neale Hurston, are expressions of Western cultural experiences. African-American culture resulted from a blending of African cultural characteristics with those of African peoples in the United States (Wald 1996). Rather than excluding Western civilization from the curriculum, multiculturalists want a more truthful, complex, and diverse version of the West taught in the schools. They want the curriculum to describe the ways in which African, Asian, and indigenous American cultures have influenced and interacted with Western civilization (Combleth 1988). They also want schools to discuss not only the diversity and democratic ideals of Western civilization, but also its failures, tensions, dilemmas, and the struggles by various groups in Western societies to realize their dreams against great odds. The inclusion of African-American literature (a) clearly reveals the conflicts and contradictions of class, race, and gender bias in a democratic society, (b) puts students in touch with their own bias and that of their peers, and (c) helps students learn to challenge bias in themselves, their peers, and the larger society, and in the literature they read. The teacher’s personal commitment allows to overcome aspects of the school culture and resistance and racial conflict among students to reach a point of shared understanding and experience for students. The racial conflict clearly raises the issue of personal and group identity, however. Method Curriculum development is designed to reflect the course of study in schools. It is intended to present information to students in an organized manner through various instructional methods and strategies. Teachers must be cognizant of creative and innovative ways to individualize and maximize learning for pupils by providing practical learning activities. Designing curriculum involves two major methodologies (Grossman 1998). The first methodology is experimental instruction. Experimental instruction is designed to intrinsically motivate student interests inside and outside of the classroom. The second approach, systematic instruction, involves teacher/student interaction. The major purpose of systematic instruction is to develop a skill or concept and design materials and activities that enable students to achieve the selected objectives. Curriculum development in most school districts is concerned with developing academics in order to equip pupils to master the complex tasks presented by our society. This approach is valid for most pupils. However, due to poor social and interpersonal skills development of many minority and young African-American students, social skill development may be necessary before academic skills can be mastered. It is generally agreed by most professionals in the field of education that schools should be involved in teaching social and interpersonal skills. For example, social skills education and interpersonal skills development are ideal ways to teach responsibility for self and others and for exploring the meaning of human interaction and relationships. A social skills curriculum can also help students understand: (1) how to develop self-esteem along with their emotions and how their emotions affects others; (2) how to develop positive social relationships; (3) respect for others; (4) respect for rules and regulations; (5) ways to develop moral and character; (6) ways to examine one’s values; (7) ways to make responsible choices; (8) their potential and worth as human beings; (9) How to develop a sense of responsibility toward others and ways of behaving appropriately in public places; (10) the role and duty of responsible citizens; and (11) how to develop effective communication skills. Curriculum strategies outlined in this text are designed to address the social skills and others as they relate specifically to African American students. Experimental, direct, and systematic curriculum methodologies were employed. The phenomenon of educating African-American students has been studied and investigated extensively, resulting in numerous educators advocating that these â€Å"special† students demonstrate inappropriate social skills/ behaviors inside as well as outside the classroom. Developing the appropriate social skills for successful interaction with peers and significant adults (teachers, parents) can be considered one of the most important accomplishments of childhood and early adolescence should be addressed as soon as possible. This is particularly true in the area of establishing and maintaining relations with peers and authority figures. Not only can social skills deficits have a negative impact on future interpersonal functioning, it may also affect current functioning, reducing the quality and quantity of the learning experiences to which students are exposed in their educational settings. Social skills have been defined as goal-oriented, rule-governed, situation-specific learned behaviors that vary according to social context. Social skills involving both observable and nonobservable cognitive and affective elements that help elicit positive or neutral responses and avoid negative responses from others. As such, social behavior constitutes an intricate interfactional process. As a result, the behavior of school-age children influences and is influenced by that of their partners (e. g. , teachers, mentors, tutors, and peers) within the interaction. Society expects that when children reach various developmental stages, they will demonstrate greater foresight and more controlled behaviors. Society also expects that children will be capable, not only of meeting increased demands within learning tasks, but also more complex, subtle social situations. Failure to meet these expectations may increase their sense of social alienation and helplessness. The curriculum presented here is designed to enable African American students to become socially contributing members of society by meeting expected standards. Strategies have been developed to assist educators in providing these students appropriate social skills training to enable them to operate successfully in the schools and society. Intervention techniques have been selected based upon research techniques to assist young Black students in controlling aggression, assuming responsibility, and becoming productive members of the group. The author highly endorses that proactive approach be employed when teaching social skills to African-American students. Since proactive instruction provides children with social intervention before negative behaviors occur, this approach is preferable to reactive teaching. Whereas proactive instruction teaches social skills before social rejection is experienced, reactive instruction waits for the individual to fail and then applies intervention strategies. Many African-American students have problems developing appropriate social skills due to the problems outlined throughout the text. Proactive instruction will prevent many of the negative consequences of inappropriate social skills, as well as improve the self-image of young African-American males. Recommended strategies for proactive instruction may assist the boys in: 1. dealing positively with accusations 2. accepting the feelings of others in a nonthreatening manner 3. respecting the feelings of others 4. avoiding fights and conflicts 5. dealing effectively with teasing 6. giving praise or compliments to others 7. accepting compliments from others 8. apologizing for inappropriate behavior 9. expressing anger in a positive way 10. showing affection and appreciation toward others 11. practicing self-control These instructional activities may be expanded or modified as needed. As indicated, African-American students must be taught appropriate social skills if they are going to be contributing members of society. The social skills outlined here should be infused throughout the curriculum and integrated as needed by the teacher. These strategies are seen as immediate, useful sources for teaching pro-social skills to African-American students. Additionally, the curriculum is based upon in-depth research and years of teaching and observing the social skills development of African-American students. Results The initial step in developing a social skills curriculum is to identify those general social behaviors that are critical to successful social functioning. These general social behaviors are then rewritten as general objectives, which provide the framework for constructing other components of the curriculum. The second stage is to sequence specific objectives as they relate to the general objectives. All specific objectives are designed to achieve the general objectives. Specific objectives are stated in behavioral and measurable terms. The third step is to identify activities and resources that can achieve the stated objectives. Activities should be functional and reflect real life experiences that African-American students are exposed to. As much as possible, parents should be involved in reinforcing the social skills taught. Parents may be used as resource individuals and may offer suggestions relative to material and activities. The fourth step is to include cultural, ethnic, and racial diversity into the curriculum. This approach affords young African-American males the opportunity to appreciate and understand their own self-worth and sense of importance and belonging as well as identify Blacks and other minorities who have made significant contributions in several fields. An additional benefit is that the young Black males can identify and associate with appropriate role models. A curriculum that does not highlight the contributions of Blacks and minorities gives an inaccurate and distorted view of the many significant contributions made by them. Multicultural activities and strategies enrich the curriculum by showing differences in cultural styles, patterns, and interests of diverse groups. Conclusions and Recommendations A social skills curriculum should be based upon those social skills needed to function successfully in one’s society. Much of the research reviewed indicates that a significant number of y African American students have not mastered the social skills needed to function successfully in our society. A functional approach involves exposing the learner to real-life situations, concepts, and activities such as self-identity, acquiring self-concept, achieving socially acceptable behavior, bonding, respecting the rights of others, maintaining good interpersonal skills, achieving independence, employing problem-solving skills, taking turns, and communicating appropriately with others. It is language – the exquisite use of symbols – that makes us truly human, and I would like to see a core curriculum in which students study the origins of language – not just parts of speech (Frisby 1993). I would also like to see students consider how symbol systems vary from one culture to another, how language can be shared, and perhaps all students should become familiar with a language other than their own, so they can step outside their own language skin to understand better the nature of communication. And surely a course of study on the centrality of language would include mathematics, which is a universal symbol system. All human beings respond to the aesthetic. This condition is found in all cultures on the planet, and students, in the new core curriculum, should study the universal language we call art. When Picasso confronts the unspeakable agonies of war, the dismembered child, the scream of a bereft mother, the shattered home, and puts them on a huge canvas called â€Å"Guernica,† he makes a universal statement about destruction that can be felt in the heart of every human being (Spears-Bunton 1990). I am suggesting that for the most intimate, most profound, most moving experiences, we need subtle symbols, and students should learn how different cultures express themselves through the universal language of the arts. Bibliography Bankee N. C. & Obiakor F. E. (1992). â€Å"Educating the Black male: Renewed imperatives for Black and white communities. † Scholar and Educator: The Journal of the Society of Educators and Scholars, 15, 2:16-31. Bernstein, B. (1971). â€Å"On the Classification and Framing of Educational Knowledge†, in Young, M. F. D. (ed. ) Knowledge and Control: New Directions for the Sociology of Education, London: Collier-Macmillan. Bok, Derek. Higher Learning. Cambridge, Mass. : Harvard University Press, 1986. Branch C. (1993). â€Å"Ethnic identity as a variable in the learning equation. † In E. Hollins, J. King, & W. Hayman (Eds. ), Teaching diverse populations. Albany: State University of New York Press. Combleth, Catherine. (1988). â€Å"Curriculum In and Out of Context,† Journal of Curriculum and Supervision, 3:2, pp. 85-96. Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). (2002). Addressing over representation of African American students in special education: The prereferral intervention process – An administrator’s guide. Washington, DC: National Alliance of Black Schools Educators. Davis, Allen J. (1988). â€Å"Education for Citizenship: The Role of Progressive Education and Interdisciplinary Studies,† Innovative Education 13, 1. Duckworth E. (1996). The having of wonderful ideas and other essays on teaching and learning. New York: Teachers College Press. Falvey, M. A. (Ed. ). (1995). Inclusive and heterogeneous schooling: Assessment, curriculum, and instruction. Baltimore: Brookes. Frisby C. (1993). â€Å"One giant step backward: Myths of Black cultural learning styles. † School Psychology; Review, 22(3), 535-557. Fu Charles Wei-hsun. (1988). On the Task of Constructive Modernization of Confucian Ethics and Morality, Taipei: Universitas (Philosophy and Culture) Monthly. Fordham S. & Ogbu J. U. (1986). â€Å"Black students’ school success: Coping with the burden of ‘acting white’. † The Urban Review, 18(3), 176-205. Grossman, H. (1998). Ending discrimination in special education. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas. Hirsch E. D. , Jr. , (1993). â€Å"The core knowledge curriculum – What’s behind its success? † Educational Leadership, 50, 23-30. Macdonald, James B. (1971). `Curriculum Development in Relation to Social and Intellectual Systems. In The curriculum: Retrospect and Prospect, part I, pp. 97-112. Seventeenth Yearbook of the National Society for the Study of Education. Chicago: University of Chicago press, 1971. Michaels S. (1981). â€Å"Sharing time: Children’s narrative styles and differential access to literacy. † Language in Society, 10, 423-442. Obiakor, F. E. (1994). The eight-step multicultural approach: Learning and teaching with a smile. Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt. Obiakor, F. E. (1999). Beyond the steps: Multicultural study guide. Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt. Obiakor, F. E. , & Schwenn, J. O. (1996). Assessment of culturally diverse students with behavior disorders. In A. F. Rotatori, J. O. Schwenn, & S. Burkhardt (Eds. ), â€Å"Advances in Special Education: Assessment and Psychopathology Issues in Special Education† (Vol. 10, pp. 37-57). Greenwich, CT: JAI Press. Spears-Bunton, Linda A. (1990). â€Å"Welcome to My House: African American and European American Students’ Responses to Virginia Hamilton’s House of Dies Drear,† The Journal of Negro Education, 59:4, pp. 566-576. Wald, J. L. (1996). â€Å"Diversity in the special education training force. † NCPSE News, 1, l&6.

Habits and Traits of Braconid Wasps

Habits and Traits of Braconid Wasps Experienced gardeners love braconid wasps, the beneficial parasitoids that so visibly and effectively kill their despised tomato hornworms. Braconid wasps (family Braconidae) perform an important service by keeping pest insects under control.    Description Braconid wasps are an enormous group of rather tiny wasps that vary greatly in form, so dont expect to identify them accurately without the help of an expert. They rarely reach more than 15mm in length as adults. Some braconid wasps are inconspicuously marked, while others are brightly colored. Certain braconids even belong to Mà ¼llerian mimicry rings. Braconid wasps look similar to their close cousins, the ichneumonid wasps. Members of both families lack costal cells. They differ in having just one recurrent vein (2m-cu*), if present at all, and fused second and third tergites. Classification: Kingdom – AnimaliaPhylum – ArthropodaClass – InsectaOrder – HymenopteraFamily - Braconidae Diet: Most braconid wasps drink nectar as adults, and many show a preference for nectaring on flowers in the mustard and carrot plant families. As larvae, braconids consume their host organism. Certain subfamilies of braconid wasps specialize on particular groups of host insects. Some examples include: Aphidiinae – parasitoids of aphidsNeoneurinae – parasitoids of worker antsMicrogastrinae – parasitoids of caterpillarsOpiinae – parasitoids of fliesIchneutinae – parasitoids of sawflies and leaf-mining caterpillars Life Cycle: Like all members of the order Hymenoptera, braconid wasps undergo complete metamorphosis with four life stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. The adult female usually oviposits into or on the host organism, and the braconid wasp larva emerges ready to feed on the host. In some braconid species, like those that attack hornworm caterpillars, the larvae spin their cocoons in a group on the body of the host insect. Special Adaptations and Defenses: Braconid wasps carry the genes of polydnaviruses within their bodies. The virus replicates within the braconid wasp eggs as they develop within the mother. The virus doesnt harm the wasp, but when the egg is deposited into a host insect, the polydnavirus is activated. The virus prevents the host organisms blood cells from recognizing the parasitoid egg as a foreign intruder, enabling the braconid egg to hatch. Range and Distribution: The braconid wasp family is one of the largest insect families, and   includes over 40,000 species worldwide. They are widely distributed throughout the world, wherever their host organisms are present. * See Insect Wing Venation Diagram for more information on the recurrent vein. Sources: Bugs Rule: An Introduction to the World of Insects, by Whitney Cranshaw and Richard Redak.Borror and DeLongs Introduction to the Study of Insects, 7th Edition, by Charles A. Triplehorn and Norman F. Johnson.Encyclopedia of Entomology, 2nd Edition, edited by John L. Capinera.Family Braconidae – Braconid Wasps, Bugguide.net. Accessed online April 4, 2014.Parasitoid Wasps (Hymenoptera), University of Maryland Extension. Accessed online April 4, 2014.Braconidae, Tree of Life Web. Accessed online April 4, 2014.

Carlin on Euphemisms, Redundancies, and Soft Language

Carlin on Euphemisms, Redundancies, and Soft Language Words fascinated George Carlin. From his early routine on Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television to the inventory of euphemisms in Airline Announcements, languageespecially bent or abused or soft languagewas his recurrent theme. By and large, he once said, language is a tool for concealing the truth. Carlin, who died in 2008, clearly knew a thing or two about claptrapand twaddle, poppycock, balderdash, gobbledygook, and drivel. In fact, drivel was the word he used to describe his own writingsGood, funny, occasionally smart, but essentially drivel (Napalm Silly Putty, Hyperion, 2001). For an example of Carlins drivel, consider his short essay Count the Superfluous Redundant Pleonastic Tautologies. The essay doesnt include all 200 of the common redundancies in our own list, but it comes close: My fellow countrymen, I speak to you as coequals, knowing you are deserving of the honest truth. And let me warn you in advance, my subject matter con ­cerns a serious crisis caused by an event in my past history: the execution-style killing of a security guard on a delivery truck. At that particular point in time, I found myself in a deep depression, making mental errors which seemed as though they might threaten my future plans. I am not over-exaggerating.I needed a new beginning, so I decided to pay a social visit to a personal friend with whom I share the same mutual objectives and who is one of the most unique individuals I have ever personally met. The end result was an un ­expected surprise. When I reiterated again to her the fact that I needed a fresh start, she said I was exactly right; and, as an added plus, she came up with a fi ­nal solution that was absolutely perfect.Based on her past experience, she felt we needed to join together in a com ­mon bond for a combi ned total of twenty-four hours a day, in order to find some new initiatives. What a novel innovation! And, as an extra bonus, she presented me with the free gift of a tuna fish. Right away I noticed an immedi ­ate positive improvement. And although my recovery is not totally complete, the sum total is I feel much better now knowing I am not uniquely alone.(When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops? Hyperion, 2004) Behind Carlins comic observations lay the sharp linguistic insights of a self-described disappointed idealist. Question everything you read or hear or see or are told, he recommended in a 2004 CNN interview. Question it. And try to see the world for what it actually is, as opposed to what someone or some company or some organization or some government is trying to represent it as, or present it as, however theyve mislabeled it or dressed it up or told you. Now that Carlin has passed on, kicked off, checked out, made his exit, gone to glory, cashed in his chips, and joined the great majority to sleep the big sleep, we wouldnt dare say nice things about him. Its too late for that. Its a perverse fact that in death you grow more popular. As soon as youre out of everyones way, your approval curve moves sharply upward. You get more flowers when you die than you got your whole life. All your flowers arrive at once. Too late.(Napalm Silly Putty, Hyperion, 2001) So well just say, thank you, George. Thanks for all the drivel.

Luxury Marketing- Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Luxury Marketing- - Essay Example The GDP per capita as on 2012 is $49,000 that positions it at rank 16 as compared to other countries2. 1.2 Demographic UAE is considered to have the world’s third best demographic profile after Qatar and Macau (China). According to the reports of the International Labour Organization a quarter of the population is estimated to be 4.8 million and is categorised under non-working age who are dependent either on their family members or on support from the government3. 1.3 Social and Cultural After Abu Dhabi started to export oil, the society of the country also started to transform. Emiratis are traditionally conservative but UAE is considered to one of the most liberal countries in the Gulf. Other believes and cultures are tolerated especially in Dubai4. 1.4 Technology UAE has spent about $5 billion (Dh 18.36 billion) as an investment towards technological upgradation. The main aim behind doing this was to make UAE the fastest growing region of the world in spending towards info rmation technology5. 1.5 Political Politically the region remains authoritarian. Until 2006 it remained as the as the only country that do not have elected bodies. In 2012 restriction was introduced related to usage of internet. However the authority of UAE tries to reduce the dependency on oil export and diversify the economy by creating boom in the tourism, construction and business sector6. 2. Industry Analysis 2.1 Overview Fragrance Foundation Arabia has claimed that a significant growth has been marked by the regional and global fragrance industry and is seen to get almost double from US$ 17 billion in the year 2010 to US$ 33.5 billion by 2015. More specifically a research by Euromonitor International stated that UAE has witnessed a high-end sales growth of signature products at a compounded annual growth rate of 5.4% and reach AED663.5 million by 2014. The sale in the mass fragrance for the same period is also expected to be AED247.9 million7. This is a clear indication of tha t the market of UAE has a preference for luxury goods and more specifically high-end products. 2.2 Entry Barriers The major entry barriers are the competitors operating in the market like Clive Christian, Tom Ford and Yves Saint Laurent who are some of the prominent players in the oud-based fragrance market. In UAE there are 3000 brands operating8. 2.3 Trends The current trends suggests that previously about 70% of the business was dominated by oud-based perfume but now it has reduced to only 30% and rest are occidental perfumes9. As per the survey record of UAE Ministry of Economy the per month average household income of the residents is AED18,248.60. The report has also revealed that the AED11,241.20 is the average household expenditure of the resident in one month with most of the income spent on drinks and food10. The age structure of UAE is 20.6% of the total population is between the age group of 0-14 years (male 577,599 and female 551,346), 13.8% is between the age group of 15-24 years (male 449,258 and female 306,410), 61.5% is between the age group of 22-54 years (male 2,570,054 and female 798,070), 3.1% is between the age group of 55-64 years (male 127,569 and female 40,996) and only 1% is above 65 years (male 33,481 and female 19,189) as on 201311. 2.4 Success factors Lifestyle of the people has changed. Now they want to look good and in fact smell good. Strong economy has made the region and the fragrance sector more lucrative. Growth in the expat population also plays a major role in

Conventional architectural theoray Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Conventional architectural theoray - Essay Example Beauty lies in the potential of the cogent mind to dig up prescribed conventions from the contiguous world, thereby making transparent collective mechanism of the perfect apparatus. It comes as no shocker that progressive modernists often took an aggressive stance to the communities they lived and worked in. the modernist architect’s modernist architect progressivism regularly amounted to elitism and paternalism. But as of today, architecture has become essentially sophisticated and contradictory in its very insertion of the conventional Vitruvian aspects of commodity, inflexibility, and pleasure. Presently, the needs of programs, structure, mechanical apparatus, and articulation, even in solitary buildings in plain perspectives, are diverse and conflicting in ways originally unimaginable. â€Å"Orthodox Modern architectures have tended to recognize complexity insufficiency of inconsistency.†1 Thereby in their effort to break with convention and begin all over, again, t hese architectures romanticized the primordial and basic at the expense of the varied and the compounded. Crystal Palace Joseph Paxton’s design for the Crystal Palace in London in the 1850s was both creative and avant-garde in its design. Besides being a phenomenal building to look at, the design of the Crystal Palace as well gave rise to increasing philosophical and ideological inference on the range of glass as an architectural material. Smith hence opines: â€Å"building materials in the modern are assumed significance in architectural theory that had not possessed in the past.†2 The very notion of utilizing architectural design as an ideological symbol has just presently become a motif of hypothetical assessment, although its embedded utilization as a political statement dates back as far as the art structure itself. The perceptual utilization of glass as a representation of vision permits for an elasticity of assessment that involves looking at, being stared at, a nd staring at whilst being glanced at. The Crystal Palace is regarded a symbol of the progress towards modernity, an enclosure for the exhibition of value objects that imitated Walter Benjamin’s notion of exhibitory value. On the other hand, Bentham’s Panopticon, implying that whist that buildings with the express function of permitting everyone to be seen, the Crystal Palace was instead designed so that everybody inside could view out. Nevertheless there is sense that the political functions of architecture are covert. Architecture can and must be critiqued as ideological undertones; however the mistake rests on presuming ideological intent among designers. For the Crystal Palace, it is effortless enough to view that glass functions ideologically for critics. Loews Philadelphia Hotel(PSFS Building Plan) The construction of the PSFS Building was designed as opposition to conformity for its architects, Philadelphians namely George Howe and William Lescaze. The structure is innovative in every account. An arc foundation beginning on the street level and moves up five stories above grade: a T-shaped plan surfaces, held up from the foundation, housing 32 floors of office space. The levels have perpendicular flow at the junction of the T-shape. The street level sketch, in response to the robust economy of the early 1920s and the raise of consumerism, is committed virtually nearly to retail. The curved facade attracts patrons and is welcomed