Sentence-Imitation Exercise Complex Sentences

A complex sentence is a sentence that contains an independent clause and at least one dependent clause. This sentence-imitation exercise will give you practice in connecting independent clauses with dependent clauses using subordinating conjunctions. Instructions Use each of the ten complex sentences below as the model for a new sentence of your own. Example:Original sentence: Whenever I look at a mountain, I expect it to turn into a volcano.Imitation: Whenever I bite into an apple, I expect a worm to crawl out any minute. TIP: To view this exercise without ads, click on the printer icon near the top of the page. The air whistled around me as I ran down the dark street.The dog hid in the bedroom and whimpered while Chris played his violin.When I was a child, I would place the covers over my head before I went to sleep.One hot summer evening, my sister and I watched in awe as bolts of lightning from a distant storm lit up the sky.It is difficult, when faced with a situation you cannot control, to admit you can do nothing.(Lemony Snicket, Horseradish: Bitter Truths You Cant Avoid, 2007) When I write, I feel like an armless, legless man with a crayon in his mouth.(Kurt Vonnegut) As she walked down the stairs into the club, she was looking forward to a seething, teeming, wriggling, wiggling throng of dancers.(Nick Hornby, Juliet, Naked, 2009) There is love enough in this world for everybody, if people will just look.(Kurt Vonnegut, Cats Cradle, 1963) As Pecola put the laundry bag in the wagon, we could hear Mrs. Breedlove hushing and soothing the tears of the little pink-and-yellow girl.(Toni Mor rison, The Bluest Eye, 1970) Miracles are like pimples, because once you start looking for them you find more than you ever dreamed youd see.(Lemony Snicket, The Lump of Coal, 2008)

The Integrative Model Of Social Responsibility Essay

The integrative model of social responsibility, which involves the stakeholder theory and moral minimum theory, and the philosophical ethical theory of utilitarianism are the most responsible approaches to business because they involve the standards of knowing who your actions affect, knowing how to help the most people possible, and knowing how to benefit those who are left out of the positive externalities of a business decision. This paper will discuss the implications of these theories in further depth and will look at a few business cases that demonstrate a failure to meet standards of responsibility. Corporate social responsibility is the voluntary stance or set of actions from a corporation that demonstrate a contribution to a better society and a cleaner environment. Corporations are already required to operate within the law, but laws do not always protect all people or individuals who will be affected by the corporation’s actions. In addition to this, it is very common for special interests to play a part in legal decisions through lobbying efforts, so it is assumed to be an additional effort for a corporation to be socially responsible. Being socially responsible essentially comes down to being considerate and calculated in the decision making process, paying attention to the consequence of every action. In the ethical decision making model, there are two particular steps that I believe to be of greater importance than the others. The first would be that ofShow MoreRelatedRethinking the Social Responsibility of Business Essay773 Words   |  4 PagesJohn Ferguson BMGT 2216 Rethinking the Social Responsibility of Business The ethical issues presented in this case are the different views that each individual has on how the idea of corporate social responsibility (CSR). This dispute is between Mr. Milton Friedman, John Mackey, and T.J. Rodgers; all of which has a different outlook on CSR. 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Lord of the flies theme analys Essay Example For Students

Lord of the flies theme analys Essay Theme Analysis on the book, Lord of the FliesThe theme of Lord of the Flies has been questioned and speculated about for decades. Golding, the author, said that the theme was to trace the problems of society back to the sinful nature of man. He wrote the book to show how political systems cannot govern society effectively without first taking into consideration the defects of human nature. The defects of human nature are exemplified in Golding’s novel through the characters of Jack and his hunters. Here, Golding shows that men are inherently evil; if left alone to fend for themselves, they will revert back to the savage roots of their ancestors. This is seen in the novel near the end, when the tribe is hunting Ralph. Matters had become quite out of hand by this time. Even the naval officer who saves the boys knows their society has become savage. Yet Golding’s last comment in his press release criticizes not only the boys on the island but also the society of adults in which the officer lives. Golding asks— while the ship saves the boys from killing each other, who will save the ship from killing other ships or being killed? In this way the society of the outside world mirrors the island society on a larger level. Remember that the novel takes place during World War II. Golding got the idea for the book because of his experiences in the war, where he served in the Navy and learned the inherent sinfulness of man. It’s interesting that the war is mentioned indirectly at the beginning and end of the novel but nowhere in between. This is a remarkable literary device of Golding. After reading any significant portion of this site, it will become obvious that Piggy and Jack symbolize two opposite extremes of human behavior while Ralph is pulled between these philosophies. Piggy demands adherence to the rules of his auntie while Jack subscribes to the philosophy, If it’s fun, do it. Ralph empathizes with parts of both sides; that is why he walks the tight rope. Eventually he seems to side with Piggy, but actually Ralph never changes his philosophy— it is Jack and the rest of the boys who become more extreme in theirs (hunting humans, forming their own tribe, etc.). In this way Ralph portrays the role of government in any modern society. While he wants to satisfy the wishes of the public, he must also realize that certain rules of behavior must be followed in order to prevent anarchy. Unfortunately anarchy defeats order. This is the outcome because Golding believed that government is an ineffective way to keep people together. No matter how logical or reasonable, government will eventually have to give in to the anarchical demands of the public.

Sustainability A Win-Win Equation Essay Example

Sustainability: A Win-Win Equation Essay All business organisations whether big or small, private or publicly-owned, make significant contributions to the growth and development of our economy.   Effects of globalisation and industrialisation, especially in the developed countries, have had a great impact of the economic growth of most business organisations, either directly or indirectly.   This has in turn affected both national and global economies in a positive way but unfortunately, this increased rate of industrial growth has not been without hitches.   Many business organisations have been accused of engaging in practices which are environmentally unfriendly, hence leading to the severe global problems (such global warming, climate changes and poverty) being experienced in the world today. The increased concerns for environmental conservation triggered by cases of global warming and climate changes have compelled many companies to adopt strategies aimed at achieving a more sustainable development in our economy.   Sustainable development refers to the act of maximising the utilisation of available resources to meet the needs of the current generation, without compromising the ability for future generations to meet their needs.  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Efforts for sustainable development are not just for large business corporations (Lantos 2001: 12-23).   Small and medium companies have been found to contribute a great deal to environmental conservation and in fact, contemporary research findings have shown that, such companies are usually at a greater advantage than the larger organisations due to less constrictions by bureaucracy which provides room for faster decision making and implementation processes.   In this case, the adoption of environmentally friendly business practices is more flexible, consistent and effective in small companies than in large companies. We will write a custom essay sample on Sustainability: A Win-Win Equation specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Sustainability: A Win-Win Equation specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Sustainability: A Win-Win Equation specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer This paper seeks to address the issue of how sustainability can be embedded at Carillion plc a construction company based in UK, why it is important, potential difficulties of implementing sustainability in this kind of an organisation and finally, a design criteria on how sustainable concerns can be integrated in the organisation to provide new business opportunities. Background information. Carillion plc is a leading provider of construction services in UK with operations all over Britain, Canada, Caribbean island, Middle East and other parts of Europe (Sustainability at Work 2004: 1-6).   This company was established in 1999 after a de-merger from Tarmac Construction Services company established back in 1903.   Sustainability efforts at Tarmac Construction began in the early 1990s.   These efforts were primarily prompted by the growing environmental concerns and public awareness on the need to conserve the environment.   The companys first environmental policy was passed in 1994 to integrate environmental matters on the companys corporate governance (CIRIA Guide C571: 2001). In 1999, when the UK government developed a sustainable development policy, the company expanded its environmental sustainability efforts to include the social impacts of its construction operations in a bid to address the impact of its operations to the local communities, compliance to labour standards, among other issues relevant to the society.   At this point, the company developed new strategies to link its environmental concerns to the social issues raised by its construction projects.   The company has since been frequently evaluating its business strategies to make sure it conforms to the environmental and social issues through its sun diagram and business strategy model. Since its launch in 1999 as a construction services company, Carillion has experienced massive growth in providing services to various sectors in the UK and oversees (Sustainability at Work 2004: 1-6).  Ã‚   This rapid growth has been attributed to its sustainability business approach which has enhanced its competitiveness, earned it many new clients as well as global recognition as an environmentally sensitive company. Why I chose this company. Construction and maintenance of roads, buildings and other infrastructure affects the quality of human life in numerous ways.   Construction processes alter the physical outlook or appearance of human surroundings through the process of building, repair, demolition and waste generation.   Over the past one decade or so, the construction industry has experienced major improvements due to new innovations in the areas of technology, IT and project management.   This has enabled most construction companies to cater for the growing demand from the clients to deliver quality services. In the recent past, the clients demands in the construction industry have shifted towards a preference for sustainable products to complement their strategic plans.   As a result, construction companies like Carillion plc have been forced to adopt sustainable construction processes in order to meet this new client demands.   Though its origins are rooted in the tarmac construction services, Carillion plc also deals with construction in the health industry, commercial properties, road and rail construction among others.   As a construction company, Carillion has intensified its efforts to embed sustainable concerns in all areas of its business operations. Possible sustainable project for Carillion. A sustainable construction project is a process, an activity and an outcome.   For this reason, a sustainability approach must be integrated into all stages of construction which span from the stage of land and buildings selection all the way to end of life stage when the project is completed.   The key elements of a sustainable construction project for Carillion in form of a value chain would include: This value chain indicates all the possible stages of a sustainable construction project.   To embed sustainability issues in the construction operations at Carillion plc, the design of all this stages need to be taken into account before the commencement of the construction process. Lands and buildings selection;- At this stage, a sustainability approach should be employed to analyse and evaluate the environmental impacts of the project. Design;- A sustainable design should be integrated into the construction process as early as possible to ensure best results.   This involves understanding the whole construction process together with its environmental and social impacts. Planning;- This stage provides a critical juncture for the integration between the companys decision making processes and issues concerning sustainable development. Contracting;- This involves the tendering of contractors, engineers and suppliers in readiness for the actual construction process.   At this point, it is important for the company to ensure that all the supplied materials are environmental friendly and that both the contractors and suppliers are professional and environmentally sensitive.   For instance, Carillion plc can make use of sustainable flooring materials in most of its hospital developments, instead of using floor materials made from vinyl polymers. Construction;- This is the actual physical construction process and at this point, the company should consider optimum usage of the available resources with minimum environmental impacts.   This involves things like waste management and recycling, less environmental pollution in terms of noise and waste disposal, optimum energy utilisation, and so forth. Refurbishment;- This is also known as the rebuild stage.   Since refurbishment of buildings often yields large volumes of wastes, a thorough design is needed to minimise the effects on the surrounding environment.   This involves coming up with recycling and reclamation plans of the materials linked to the construction design. End of life;- Sustainability issues at this stage are closely linked to the other stages in the value chain.   This is also known as the demolition stage or de-construction stage, and it involves the complete dismantling of the building materials which are later re-used or disposed of, depending on the clients preference.   This stage normally confers significant impacts on the environment in terms of waste production and for this reason, a sustainability approach is vital at this point of the construction project. Steps for development of sustainable construction. The process of integrating sustainability in designing, developing, constructing and maintaining sustainable buildings and infrastructure by Carillion plc would involve six major steps.   This steps are mainly aimed at embedding sustainability issues into the design and implementation of construction projects.   These steps involve; Active organisational leadership which is focused on sustainable development. A defined business strategy which places value on sustainability. Integration of sustainability concerns into the companys decision making processes. Development of a vision statement which sets targets and benchmarks the performance of the construction project. Engaging the client or the end user in the project. Monitor the performance of projects carried out over time to measure the sustainable development value of the project. Challenges of sustainability. One of the greatest challenges of sustainability in the UK construction sector has to do with compliance versus leadership.   A majority (95 percent) of UK companies involved in the construction industry are SMEs and though most leaders are keen on the issue of sustainability, the issue of compliance to sustainable development is still a major problem for many companies (Alan Lesley 2006: 4-7).   Another issue of concern involves the increased costs of producing sustainable products which most clients are often unwilling to meet.   Moreover, the process of integrating sustainability issues into the business context requires major decisions and policies by the company.   Despite this, the benefits which come with a sustainable construction process far outdo the challenges of sustainability. Benefits of sustainability. One of the most important benefits incurred by Carillion from its sustainability efforts is enhanced competitiveness in both the local and international markets.   This has earned the company many new clients both in UK and other countries abroad as well as much recognition for its sustainable products.   According to company reports based on clients feedbacks, most customers cite the sustainability aspect of Carillions project proposals as the main reason they chose they chose to hire the company construction services (Ding Langston 2001: 21).   This shows that, Carillions sustainability business approach has put it at a higher competitive advantage over other players in the construction industry when all other factors such as price are held constant. Another benefit of sustainability approach for Carillion is that, it has reduced the companys risks in the bottom-line revenue hence increasing its profits and more so, the improved reputation among the companys stake-holders and clients acts a s security for the its future productivity (Anderson Bateman 2000: 548-570).   In addition, the sustainability business approach has earned Carillion a lot of recognition both locally and internationally.   For instance, Carillion recently received a top award for having environmentally and socially responsible business practices and it was also voted as the UK Company of Year in 2004. A win-win equation. For Carillion, adopting a sustainability approach in its construction operations is a win-win situation.   This is evident in most of its operations and the numerous business benefits garnered from this business approach.   For instance, to improve its waste management processes and reduce the amount of wastes released to the environment during the recent construction of a new government communication centre located in Cheltenham, Carillion initiated a series of action plans in all the construction processes.   This action plans were aimed at optimising the level water and energy utilisation, maximising the opportunities provided by the project to the local communities while minimising the negative social impacts of the project.   All these efforts were found to save more than 200,000 miles which could have been covered by the lorries during transportation of materials hence reducing the amount of carbon emissions which could have been contributed to the environment. In addition, its waste management processes were found to achieve a recycling of about 48 percent of total waste produced.   This was highly profitable for the company in that there were less construction costs incurred which translated into higher revenue.   On the other hand, the reduced amount of carbon emissions emitted during the transportation process and the high level of waste management had a very positive impact on the surrounding environment and the local communities as well.   This is a good example of a win-win situation brought about by sustainability whereby, the company gains economic advantage and the environment is protected at the same time. Conclusion. The process on embedding sustainability in business organisation either in the private or the public sector is a complex issue which needs companies to cross-cut between matters concerning their long terms business strategies and those involving environmental protection.   The increased environmental concerns in the past few years have led to a shift in the demands placed on the construction industry hence compelling construction companies to adopt new ways of ensuring sustainable construction. Many approaches have come up seeking to integrate economic, social and environmental aspects of business into their business in a bid to enhance sustainable development.   To embed sustainability issues into the business context of Carillion plc construction company, core sustainability strategies are vital to integrate the sustainable projects within the companys long term business strategy. It can thus be concluded that, though faced by many implementation challenges, most sustainability efforts present a win-win situation whereby the company garners an economic advantage and on the other hand, the environment is protected hence ;leading to sustainable development.  Ã‚   An effective framework of sustainability improves the business competitiveness by improving its overall image and promoting better processes for decision making. References. Alan, S., Lesley, H. (2006). Sustainable Development Policy Directory. London:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Blackwell Publishing. Andersson, L., Bateman, T. (2000). Individual environmental initiative: championing   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   natural environmental issues in business organizations. Academy of Management   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Journal, 43(4), 548-570. CIRIA Guide C571. (2001). Sustainable Construction Procurement. A Guide to Delivering   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Environmentally Responsible Projects. London: CIRIA. Ding, G., Langston, C. (2001). Sustainable Practices in the Built Environment. Oxford:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Butterworth-Heinemann. Lantos, G. (2001). The boundaries of corporate social responsibility. Journal of Consumer   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Marketing, 18(7), 595-630. Sustainability at Work. (2004). Carillion – Embedding Sustainability with the Organisation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Retrieved on 18 November, 2008, from http://www.sustainabilityatwork.org.uk/

Everything You Need to Know About Sandstone

Everything You Need to Know About Sandstone Sandstone, simply put, is sand cemented together into rock - this is easy to tell just by looking closely at a specimen. But beyond that simple definition lies an interesting makeup of sediment, matrix,  and cement that can (with investigation) reveal a great deal of valuable geologic information. Sandstone Basics Sandstone is a type of rock made from sediment - a sedimentary rock. The sediment particles are clasts, or pieces, of minerals and fragments of rock, thus sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock. It is composed mostly of sand  particles, which are of medium size; therefore, sandstone is a medium-grained clastic sedimentary rock. More precisely, sand is between 1/16 millimeter and 2 mm in size (silt is finer and gravel is coarser). The sand grains that makeup sandstone are aptly referred to as framework grains. Sandstone may include finer and coarser material and still be called sandstone, but if it includes more than 30 percent grains of gravel, cobble or boulder size its classified instead as conglomerate or breccia (together these are called rudites). Sandstone has two different kinds of material in it besides the sediment particles: matrix and cement. Matrix is the fine-grained stuff (silt and clay size) that was in the sediment along with the sand whereas cement is the mineral matter, introduced later, that binds the sediment into rock. Sandstone with a lot of matrix is called poorly sorted. If matrix amounts to more than 10 percent of the rock, it is called a wacke (wacky). A well-sorted sandstone (little matrix) with little cement is called an arenite. Another way to look at it is that wacke is dirty and arenite is clean. You may notice that none of this discussion mentions any particular minerals, just a certain particle size. But in fact, minerals make up an important part of sandstones geologic story. Minerals of Sandstone Sandstone is formally defined strictly by particle size, but rocks made of carbonate minerals dont qualify as sandstone. Carbonate rocks are called limestone and given a whole separate classification, so sandstone really signifies a silicate-rich rock. (A medium-grained clastic carbonate rock, or limestone sandstone, is called calcarenite.) This division makes sense because limestone is made in clean ocean water, whereas silicate rocks are made from sediment eroded off the continents. Mature continental sediment consists of a handful of surface minerals, and sandstone, therefore, is usually almost all quartz. Other minerals- clays, hematite, ilmenite, feldspar, amphibole, and mica- and small rock fragments (lithics) as well as organic carbon (bitumen) add color and character to the clastic fraction or the matrix. A sandstone with at least 25 percent feldspar is called arkose. A sandstone made of volcanic particles is called tuff.​ The cement in sandstone is usually one of three materials: silica (chemically the same as quartz), calcium carbonate or iron oxide. These may infiltrate the matrix and bind it together, or they may fill the spaces where there is no matrix. Depending on the mix of matrix and cement, sandstone may have a wide range of color from nearly white to nearly black, with gray, brown, red, pink and buff in between. How Sandstone Forms Sandstone forms where sand is laid down and buried. Usually, this happens offshore from river deltas, but desert dunes and beaches can leave sandstone beds in the geologic record too. The famous red rocks of the Grand Canyon, for instance, formed in a desert setting. Fossils can be found in sandstone, although the energetic environments where sand beds form dont always favor preservation. Grand Canyon National Park. Dean Fikar / Getty Images   When sand is deeply buried, the pressure of burial and slightly higher temperatures allow minerals to dissolve or deform and become mobile. The grains become more tightly knit together, and the sediments are squeezed into a smaller volume. This is the time when cementing material moves into the sediment, carried there by fluids charged with dissolved minerals. Oxidizing conditions lead to red colors from iron oxides while reducing conditions lead to darker and grayer colors. What Sandstone Says The sand grains in sandstone give information about the past: The presence of feldspar and lithic grains means that the sediment is close to the mountains where it arose.Detailed studies of sandstone give insight into its provenance- the kind of countryside that produced the sand.The degree to which the grains are rounded is a sign of how far they were transported.A frosted surface is generally a sign that sand was transported by wind- that, in turn, means a sandy desert setting. Various features in sandstone are signs of the past environment: Ripples can indicate the local water currents or wind directions.Load structures, sole marks, rip-up clasts, and similar features are fossil footprints of ancient currents.Liesegang bands are signs of chemical action after burial of the sand. The layers, or bedding, in sandstone are also signs of the past environment: Turbidite sequences point to a marine setting.Crossbedding (truncated, tilted sandstone layering) is a rich source of information on currents.Interbeds of shale or conglomerate may indicate episodes of different climate. More About Sandstone Noppawat Tom Charoensinphon / Getty Images As a landscaping and building stone, sandstone is full of character, with warm colors. It can also be quite durable. The majority of sandstone quarried today is used as flagstones. Unlike commercial granite, commercial sandstone is the same as what the geologists say it is. Sandstone is the official state rock of Nevada. Magnificent sandstone outcrops in the state can be seen at Valley of Fire State Park.   With a great deal of heat and pressure, sandstones turn to the metamorphic rocks quartzite or gneiss, tough rocks with tightly packed mineral grains.

10 Rewards and Risks of Self-Publishing

10 Rewards and Risks of Self-Publishing 10 Rewards and Risks of Self-Publishing 10 Rewards and Risks of Self-Publishing By Mark Nichol Some time ago, I wrote a highly skeptical post about self-publishing. I stand by my concerns, but I realize my initial assessment could have been more open-minded. Here’s a more neutral evaluation of the pros and cons. Rewards 1. Autonomy In self-publishing, writers control the publishing process. In traditional publishing, the final edit, the cover design and cover copy, and the manner in which marketing and rights are handled are the publisher’s prerogative. 2. Marketing Traditional publishers focus most of their marketing efforts (and other attention) on established authors, attending little to most of the writers whose works they publish. However, writers with an established audience bloggers, speakers, and experts can inexpensively market their self-published books themselves. 3. Timeliness Self-published books can be completed and distributed in a matter of weeks or, at most, months. A traditionally published book usually comes out more than a year after it is accepted for publication. 4. Compensation On average, self-published writers collect roughly half of the sale price, as opposed to ten percent or less for authors of traditionally published books. In addition, self-publishers can deduct many of their expenses when figuring their taxes (but so can other writers). 5. Dress Rehearsal Writers can self-publish to help them determine whether they can succeed through traditional publishing. Armed with one or more successful self-published books, they might have a better chance at getting noticed by a literary agent or a publisher. Risks 1. Isolation The good news is that self-publishers have control over all aspects of publishing, carrying out or outsourcing, as they see fit, the many tasks involved in producing a book. The bad news is, they have to acquire the skills and knowledge to complete the tasks, or find others to do them. 2. Selling Among these tasks is selling the book. It takes time and effort to identify and target your audience, to produce publicity materials, to schedule events and appearances, and so on not to mention actually getting people to actually buy books. 3. Workload Whether you carry out all the steps involved in producing, marketing, and selling your book or delegate some or all responsibilities, doing so will take time and effort. 4. Expenses Self-publishers have to invest in their books up-front, whereas traditional publishers bear the risk of producing a book. (They also often provide an advance and pay out royalties.) One hidden cost is finding a distributor not always essential, but often advised because booksellers seldom buy books directly from an author. 5. Prejudice Despite some major and minor self-publishing successes, the do-it-yourself approach is still stigmatized and rightly so. Most self-published books are poorly written and/or designed, and many readers (and agents) assume again, with some justification that if traditional publishers have rejected your manuscript, there’s a good reason for that decision. (Furthermore, traditional publishers may not consider a self-publishing success a valid reason for considering producing a new edition of that book or accepting another by the same author.) As I mentioned in my previous post, I’m not hostile to self-publishing. (I encourage readers of this post to also check out not only that article but also the comments written in response to it.) But I strongly urge prospective self-publishers to carefully examine their motives and their goals before investing in the endeavor. And though reading about others’ successes is encouraging, it can also be misleading; don’t overvalue anecdotal accounts of lucrative self-publishing at the expense of overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Fiction Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:4 Types of Gerunds and Gerund Phrases8 Proofreading Tips And TechniquesPunctuation Is Powerful

Individuals with disabilities education act Assignment

Individuals with disabilities education act - Assignment Example Inclusion does not merely mean to make children with disabilities participate in the general education setting; instead, it means that all students are being treated as active members of the learning environment where they can make decisions about the utilization of appropriate institutional setting with fair access and self-respect. Natalie must also be included in the fair and respectful inclusive educational practices so that she may feel that she is not being disadvantaged by any means. Providing her with a sense of self-respect will boost her individual competencies, and she will better be able to meet her individual needs as mentioned in her IEP. This can only be achieved if she will be provided with all sorts of environmental modifications in her neighboring school where her sisters are also studying. She will feel secure in this setting, and will better be able to respond to the learning process. It is a main suggestion in IDEA that children with disabilities should be provid ed with appropriate environmental modifications in their neighboring schools. These modifications include considering general physical education class as first placement option, relevant modification of equipment, and involvement of the support personnel in implementing the equipment in the most beneficial way possible. Natalie’s IEP document must be reviewed regularly so as to ensure her inclusion in the general physical education program. Natalie’s individual needs must also be assessed so that she may be able to achieve the aims and objectives mentioned in her IEP.

Role Of Vision In Managing Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Role Of Vision In Managing Change - Essay Example A vision is a realistic, credible and attractive plan for the future of an organization. A vi sion describes a set of ideals and priorities depicting a picture of the future that makes the company special and unique. A vision defines a core set of principles by which the company abides in order to achieve success. A clear vision today is indispensable for organizational success.† How could any group or individual strive toward greatness and mastery without a vision? That's exactly the point. They can't. They can maintain they can survive; but they can't expect to achieve greatness†. (Mapes 1991) . A clear vision attracts commitment and energizes people; the motivational effect of vision. Vision generates enthusiasm about the course the organization intends to follow and the change it is implementing and increases the commitment to work toward adapting to the change effectively. It gives a meaning to the change. A vision allows people to accept the challenge and move on an d get better. It establishes a higher standard of excellence. Considering the example of a bank where the old hand written trend of file making and documenting is replaced by modern technology and computers, a vision serves a very important function in establishing a standard for mastering the change. A clear vision bridges the present and the future. The right vision takes the organization out of the present, and focuses it on the future. A good vision orients the workers on the future, and provides positive direction to the change. .Without a vision, the organization will have difficulty understanding and cooperating with the new plans and procedures. A vision is a road map on which, it has to be identified where the organization is currently and where it wants to be, in the future. A clear vision is critical for any project. It addresses the overarching goals of the initiative and is relevant and meaningful to all people being affected by the change. A clear vision enables to ach ieve a consistency of beliefs and actions among those responsible for implementing the change.

Civil Rights vs Public Order Essay Example for Free

Civil Rights vs Public Order Essay Civil Rights means that people have the right to be treated no better or no worse than any other of their fellow citizens. It is the rights to personally liberty for everyone. Most importantly, it’s their freedom. Here in recent years, we have been giving up many of our civil rights in the name of public order. I’m going to present evidence to back up my opinion. Whereas I must first define what public order is. Public order is the idea that everyone in the public behaves themselves. It’s the lack of crimes being committed and everybody obeying the laws and rules. Public order itself means everything is safe and secure. This in itself is a great thing, but at what cost? My example would have to be 9/11 and the after effects of terrorist threats. Our nation was attacked by terrorists that had hijacked airplanes. Flights are grounded for a while after this event. Flights once again resume. Every so often, there is a threat of terrorism involving an airplane. To maintain public order in the airports and on the planes themselves, new rule about flying had to be implemented. Airport security now has the power to see inside of our clothing, they get can conduct the most invasive of searches, and can even pull you out at random for additional screening. In the wake of these events, many people have been outraged about all of the invasive procedures they need to undergo just to make a flight to see someone. This has also affected the sale of airline tickets, as a lot of people are no longer willing to put up with it in order to fly. Many civil rights taken away right there in the name of safety. My opinion on this matter is actually quite simple. I honestly believe things were better in a pre 9/11 world. Flying used to be such a great experience. Not only has security changed, but what you can and can’t take on board an airplane has as well. They want to pull out things as harmless as video games, cigarettes, and a bottle of water. Our society functions a lot better when it didn’t have to be constantly watched.

Letter from Sidney to Shakespeare: A Comparison of Two Sonnets :: 81 Play Essays

Letter from Sidney to Shakespeare: A Comparison of Two Sonnets My Dearest William, I have just returned from seeing your marvelous new tragedy Romeo and Juliet, and I wish to offer my sincere congratulations on another stupendous success! One particular passage from the play has stuck in my mind. In the first act, scene five, Romeo and Juliet exchange a dialogue about a kiss which is in the form of a sonnet. This reminded me of one of my own sonnets: Sonnet #81 of Astrophil and Stella. Your views on the subject of kissing are very interesting, and in many ways parallel my own. For instance, you compare kissing to a holy and prayer-like act, where as I compare it to a union of souls. There was one aspect of your sonnet that reminded me very much of my own. Your Juliet is very clever and quick-witted in speaking to the lovesick Romeo in the same way that my Stella is in her response to Astrophil. In your poem, Romeo believes he is being very clever, but Juliet consistently turns his quick-witted statements around on him. Romeo tries to flatter Juliet by calling her hand a â€Å"holy shrine† which he hesitates to â€Å"profane with [his] unworthiest hand† (Shakespeare, I.v.95-6). Juliet later insisted that he does not give himself enough credit: â€Å"you do wrong your hand too much† (I.v.99). Romeo compares his lips to â€Å"two blushing pilgrims† with which he offers to remedy his rough touch by giving her a kiss. This begins an extended metaphor of the relationship between saints, their supplicants, and in a roundabout way, God. As Juliet explains, pilgrims show their devotion when they appeal to saints in prayer. A â€Å"holy palmer’s kiss,† is a prayer, â€Å"palm to palm,† to the saint (I.v.102). In much the same way, Romeo places his hand together with Juliet’s hand in a sort of prayer. Romeo tries to use this analogy to his advantage by asking, â€Å"Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?† (I.v.103). However Juliet replies to his apparent cleverness by explaining that both saints and pilgrims use their lips in prayer, not in simple kissing as Romeo is suggesting. Romeo then makes a last effort to obtain the kiss he desires. He calls her a saint, implying that he intends to be her pilgrim.

Thirteen Ways of Self-Questioning

Thirteen Ways of Self-Questioning The poem â€Å"Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird† is written by Wallace Stevens. It contains thirteen sections; each section provides us a picture that is centered by the element of blackbird. Blackbird in the poem signifies people’s consciousness. So this poem wants to tell us that every person has a perspective to look at the world. It questions our process of thought to understand the world, and reminds us realize the problem of it. In â€Å"The Language of Paradox† by Cleanth Brooks, he introduces the notion of paradox and its application in poetry.In Stevens’ poem we can also find how he uses the device of paradox to raise the question for many times, and also the use of paradox leads us to reconsider our thought. Stevens displays several common understanding in human being. According to Brooks’ viewpoint, â€Å"Our prejudices force us to regard paradox as intellectual rather than emotional, clever rathe r than profound, rational rather than divinely irrational† (Brooks 58). The first section is an introduction of the whole poem: â€Å"Among twenty snowy mountains, / The only moving thing / Was the eye of the blackbird† (I).This is to tell us the nature is huge, but with it the only existence that is conscious about it is human consciousness. Twenty snowy mountains stand for the broad natural environment, but they are still and seem lifeless. Then he transferred the focus to the eye of the blackbird which is the only moving thing. Stevens uses â€Å"the† instead of â€Å"a† when he refers to blackbird because he wants to make it very clear that he refers it particular to human’s consciousness.In section twelve, he says â€Å"The river is moving. / The blackbird must be flying† (XII). This section responds to section one, because he uses the modifiers â€Å"moving† and â€Å"flying† in two sections respectively to express the sam e notion that our consciousness is changing over time. Cleanth Brooks describes paradox this way: â€Å"Paradox is the language of sophistry, hard bright, witty† (Brooks 58). In Stevens’ poem, in order to make readers realize the problem in the process of our thought.He narrates: â€Å"It was evening all afternoon. / It was snowing / And it was going to snow / The blackbird sat / In the cedar-limbs† (XIII). Afternoon is before evening, but he says â€Å"it was evening all afternoon†. This should signify a passive attitude to life. Evening is the time that near to death in people’s lives, and he tells us even during the afternoon which is their declining period someone already live in the status of evening. It’s a typical instance of paradox in the last section of the poem.The language seems contradictory and not logical, but actually it is to draw our attention to the awareness of our thought. â€Å"It was snowing / And it was going to snow † shows us people’s foresight through their experience and observation of nature. So Stevens put the result before the foresight. After that he refers to the blackbird sat still in the cedar-limbs to indicate that in people’s old age the consciousness is not as active as its youth time. However, the experience we get in the whole life becomes precious possession and provides us the insight.The last section has a relation with section two: â€Å"I was of three minds, / Like a tree / In which there are three blackbirds† (II). The blackbirds in the tree always refer to our minds. So I am a tree, and I have three minds which are represented by three birds. In this section, Stevens probably suggest the three levels of people’s mind according to Freud’s â€Å"Id, ego and super-ego† theory. In section four, Stevens says: â€Å"A man and a woman / Are one. / A man and a woman and a blackbird / Are one† (IV). This is another application of paradox.In â€Å"The Language of Paradox†, when Brooks analysis Wordsworth’s poem he says â€Å"It is not my intention to exaggerate Wordsworth's own consciousness of the paradox involved† (Brooks 60). Here we really can dig out how the narrator maybe unconsciously applies the paradox. When we say two or more than two distinct existents are one, it obviously sounds not acceptable and will bring a consideration of this idea especially when we partly repeat the narrative but add another subject at the second time. Section four might try to discuss some religious thought in this world.He suggests every human being, no matter man or woman, is from one source. As objective existence, we and our consciousness are all developed from one. In this poem, Stevens applies paradox through both audible and visible experiences. Brooks suggests: â€Å"But I am not here interested in enumerating the possible variations; I am interested rather in our seeing that the paradoxes spring from the very nature of the poet's language: it is a language in which the connotations play as great a part as the denotations† (Brooks 61).From a broader vision, we may find the mastery of paradox language by Stevens via analysis of his work. In section five, he narrates: â€Å"I do not know which to prefer, / The beauty of inflections / Or the beauty of innuendoes, / The blackbird whistling / Or just after† (V). When the blackbird is whistling, there is a beauty of inflections along with it, but just after that we will see the beauty of innuendoes. Here the blackbird signifies the poem.While we are reading or reciting the poem, the pronunciation is similar to inflections of bird because of the rhythms and structure. Nevertheless, after reading it we can realize the innuendoes implied from it. A good poem is not only to let readers enjoy its inflections, but also cause us to rethink in our mind. Moreover, this section has a interesting connection with section eight. Similarly, the narrator refers to accents and rhythms to suggest the composition and recitation of the poem which creates the audible enjoyment for readers.Then he tells us his thought is also inescapable involved into the poem. Those two sections provide us how Stevens applies paradox with our sensory from hearing. Moreover, he creates the metaphor from visual aspect. Brooks states that â€Å"I have said that even the apparently simple and straightforward poet is forced into paradoxes by the nature of his instrument† (Brooks 62). We can see this situation in section eleven where the narrator describes a picture which jumps into our imagination: â€Å"He rode over Connecticut / In a glass coach. Once, a fear pierced him, / In that he mistook / The shadow of his equipage / For blackbirds† (XI). The phrase â€Å"In a glass coach† tells us he is in a fragile status, and more than that glass is transparent. An illusion of blackbirds reflects his fearful emoti on. Section three is another example of usage in this sensory respect. The narrator says â€Å"The blackbird whirled in the autumn winds. / It was a small part of the pantomime† (III). It begins with the only image of the blackbird that is overwhelmed by autumn winds.He sketches a close-up of the blackbird, and then tells us it is a small part of the pantomime. This enlarges our vision from close-up to the panorama, and indicates us that the blackbird is just a symbol of our life which is always out of control and encounters uncertainty. Brooks suggests that â€Å"there is a sense in which paradox is the language appropriate and inevitable to poetry. It is the scientist whose truth requires a language purged of every trace of paradox; apparently the truth which the poet utters can be approached only in terms of paradox† (Brooks 58).In Wallace Stevens’ â€Å"Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird†, he actually displays thirteen types of interpretation fro m which people develop their understanding of consciousness. The application of paradox provides the poem a further explanation of the theme. Through the usage of the symbolic technique and various aspects of sensory, the narrator discusses different levels of social and cultural thought. The most important function of paradox in this poem is to arouse people’s awareness of our consciousness and the ability to question our inherent understanding of our thought.

Globalisation on Service Economies in the Uk Essay

MacKinnon & Cumbers (2011) defined globalisation as â€Å"†¦ the increased connections †¦ in flows of goods, services, money, information and people across national and continental borders. â€Å". The globalisation process may be decomposed into constituent processes in order to explain the impacts it has had, which will be discussed more later. In turn, a service economy is one, or part of one, that is based on trade in services. A service is characterised by its intangibility, inseparability (the simultaneous production and consumption of services), heterogeneity and perishability over time and space (Regan 1963; Rathmell 1966; Shostack 1977; Zeithaml et al 1985, cited in Wolak 1998). Alternatively, services are economic activities which have no direct involvement with agriculture, mining, or manufacturing (OECD 2000). Both macro and meso-scale impacts will be examined, starting with the macro; how the service sector as a whole has changed and how globalisation may have fundamentally changed the concept of what a service might be. Inequality as a result of globalisation will then be discussed with particular reference to the North-South divide, before examining market structure changes in terms of levels of competition in the service sector. Finally, meso-scale impacts will be considered, emphasising wage differences in the UK’s service sector. Figure [ 1 ]: Percentage share of employment in the UK by sector, 1980-2008 Source: ONS 2009, cited in Faulconbridge 2010 The most profound impact has been the expansion of the service sector since the onset of globalisation in the mid-20th century. Figure 1 shows the increase in service employment from 1980 – 2008. Further to this, the %GDP generated by the service sector in this same period rose by approximately 20% (OECD 1996, cited in Julius ;amp; Butler 1998), closely mirroring the data in figure 1. Explanation for this can be found in the international division of labour (IDL) that has occurred, in which agriculture and manufacturing have moved abroad to areas that have a comparative advantage over the UK in these sectors. Bryson (2008) referred to this process as the first global shift. The result is, as Figure 1 shows, that as agriculture and manufacturing decline in the UK, services ‘fill the gap’ that they have left behind. But what led to the first global shift? Offshoring, the act of transferring (predominantly lower-skilled) operations to least-cost locations abroad, is a relatively new concept which has occurred with globalisation (Coe et al 2007). In particular, the rise of Transnational Corporations (TNCs) that are involved with multiple economic sectors, has created a pronounced IDL with East Asia as a dominant choice of location for outsourcing and offshoring. An example of this is Primark Ltd, a subsidiary of Associated British Foods plc. Primark’s retail stores -the service part of its operations- are predominantly in the UK, but it sources its products (manufacturing that would otherwise be done in the UK) from East Asia (Primark 2011). This split encapsulates one way in which services in the UK have grown; at the expense of other sectors. Another explanation for the expansion is the liberalisation of the UK economy. As globalisation took hold, the view that free trade was the most efficient way to trade became dominant, a philosophy termed neoliberalism (Peet et al 2011). The result was the formation of trade blocs and international organisations, for example the development of the European Union into what it is today. Flows of capital, labour and goods between constituents of the EU are uninhibited by tariffs and quotas, leading to a disproportionate increase of trade in services between the UK and Europe as the costs of trade fell. Evidence for how liberalism has worked is found in the ‘Big Bang’ in London. In 1986 the UK government attempted â€Å"the most rapid, and most comprehensive regulatory relaxation ever attempted by an exchange† (Clemons & Weber 1990: 233). By abolishing trade restrictions such as the minimum scale for commissions and opening the exchange to outsiders, deregulation made the City more attractive as a marketplace, thus regaining its competitive advantage which it had lost to other cities such as New York (Clemons & Weber 1990). But as London’s capital-intensive sector grew in size and scale, so did the whole service sector. Wages were pushed upwards and created a mood of optimism (The Economist 2011), increasing the demand for lower-paid services such as cleaning, which are vital for a city to function (Sokol 2011). As well as this, knowledge-based services such as accountancy or stock broking also flourished due to the increased volume of trade. Globalisation, more specifically the spread of technology, has also changed the fundamentals of a ‘service’. The earlier definition of service comes from literature from the mid-to-late 20th century, but more recently services have begun to transcend the characteristics of being inseparable and perishable, allowed by technological advancements (OECD, 2000). An example of this can be found by examining the relatively new concept of internet search engines; it is a service produced at one point in time, yet it is available for use at almost any point in time and space, and by virtually unlimited amounts of people. Through technology, a whole host of different types of services have arisen, contributing to the expansion of the service sector. One particular new type of service is a business service (BS). Shown in figure 1, the increase in employment in BS’s since 1980 is due to firms externalising and outsourcing work (Faulconbridge 2010), for example employing an accountant from a specialist accountancy firm rather than one in-house. Externalisation can be explained by the concept of the spatial division of expertise (Bryson & Rusten 2006, cited in Daniels et al 2008), which exploits the theory of comparative advantage for knowledge and expertise, at a meso-scale. As such, the demand for BS’s has increased, pushing forward BS’s prominence in the UK economy. Another impact is the widening of the North-South divide in England, observed at least as early as 1988 (Green 1988), during the Thatcher government’s implementation of neoliberalistic policies. Evidence for this is found in much literature (Martin, 2010; French et al 2010; Mackinnon ;amp; Cumbers, 2011; Bryson, 2008), arguing that the spatial shift to services in the UK has been uneven; growth in knowledge and capital intensive services have been concentrated in the South-East and London, whilst labour-intensive (and therefore likely to be lower-paid) services developed in the rest of the UK, in particular the North. This spatial inequality of the UK service economy can be attributed to a number of globalisation factors, but one of importance was the already-established spatial division of expertise between London and the rest of the UK. London had been the capital of the ‘workshop of the world’, thus established as a centre of knowledge, so as global markets became more integrated, and with events such as the Big Bang, the size and scale at which London’s knowledge economy operated increased disproportionately relative to the rest of the UK’s. Further to this, the divide is exacerbated by exposure to world market forces that results from liberalisation. The financial crisis of 2007 which started in the USA caused the collapse of Northern Rock, RBS, and HBOS, major banks whose headquarters were based in Newcastle and Edinburgh. French et al (2010) argued that their fates signalled the end of Edinburgh and Newcastle as regional financial centres, thus further eroding the spatial equality of types of services in the UK. Indeed, Newcastle is increasingly being known as being a location of choice for outsourcing call centres (Richardson et al 2000). Exposure to world markets was mentioned when discussing spatial inequality caused by globalisation. But exposure has also meant an increased level of competition in the service sector as TNCs expand their operations. An example of this has been the inward foreign investment in the supermarket industry by firms such as Aldi since 1989, creating competition and adversely changing the market structure from the view of domestic firms. Aldi hoped to create 1500 new jobs from 2008-2013 (Wallop 2008), implying that inward foreign investment has brought positive impacts for service sector employment. On the other hand there are some service industries for which increased competition has had very few positive impacts, notably the coastal tourism industry. Blackpool’s local economy is based heavily upon services related to tourism, but with the advancement of travel technology exposing this market to international competition, the tourism sector has declined considerably in recent years (Singleton 2009) along with its related industries. Figure [ 2 ]: Index of rise in Gross Weekly Real Earnings for full-time males 1978 – 2008 Source: Lansley (2009) Inequality can also be found at a meso-scale, in particular, the increase in the difference between the highest paid and lowest paid workers. Figure 2 shows that the rate of increase at the 90th percentile in the male wage distribution has been far higher than that at the 10th percentile. Although figure 2 does not isolate service wages from other wages, this rising inequality is still significant as services made up almost 90% of the UK economy in 2008 (figure 1). Van Reenen & Bell (2010) showed that the increase in the top end of the wage distribution has been mostly in financial services. Much recent media coverage has indeed focussed on high bankers’ bonuses. The causes of this may be partially explained with by theories which do not fit in the context of globalisation, for example the decline of trade unions being responsible for lowering wages at the bottom of the wage distribution (Van Reenen ;amp; Bell 2010). However, in a globalisation context, offshoring plays a major role. Offshoring, as explained before, moves lower-skilled jobs to least-cost locations. This means that domestic labour supply is now competing with labour supply abroad. If labour can be supplied abroad for cheaper, the domestic price of labour (i. . UK wages) is depressed, thus explaining the low rate at which low-skilled wages are rising in the context of higher-skilled wages. Alternatively, domestic demand for unskilled labour has fallen, resulting in the lowering of unskilled wages (Slaughter ;amp; Swagel 1997) Furthermore, influxes of migrants, particularly from the EU, have contribu ted to the impacts on the labour market. Whilst skilled migrants help to tackle the UK skills shortage, unskilled migrants provide excess labour market supply; lowering unskilled wages and raising unemployment figures. An alternative explanation is the migrant division of labour (Wills et al 2010), where foreign-born workers are more likely to take lower-paid jobs in the UK because the wage is still higher than what they might get paid in their home country, so driving down wages of lower-paid jobs in general. At the other end of the scale, the highest-skilled wages are being pushed upwards disproportionately because as global markets become more integrated, the rate of increase in global demand for skilled labour outstrips that of the global supply of skilled labour. Evidence for the concept of demand outstripping supply comes from Richardson (2009, p. 326): â€Å"†¦ even in times of relatively high unemployment, employers frequently cite skills shortages as one of the business difficulties that they face†. In conclusion, explanations of impacts of globalisation on UK services tend to be constituent processes of globalisation which are inextricably linked: the exposure to world markets due to trade liberalisation, offshoring, technology, and migration, but the impacts they cause vary greatly. Explanations may also rely on economic theory, for example, the impacts on the labour market. Exposure to world market forces, such as the current Eurozone crisis, may mean London’s position within the UK is compromised like Newcastle’s and Edinburgh’s was. Additionally, as shown by the contrast between supermarkets and tourism in the UK, impacts and their explanations are industry-specific. However, it must be realised that globalisation offers only partial explanation of the impacts discussed.  Politics, economics, sociology as well as wider geography play a fundamental role – in particular, UK governments have played a vastly important role in shaping outcomes of globalisation.

Character Sketch in Composition

Character Sketch in Composition In composition, a character sketch is a brief description in prose of a particular person or type of person. In writing one, you go into the characters manner, distinct characteristics, nature, and the way that person behaves him or herself. Its also called a profile or character analysis and doesnt necessarily have to be about a fictional character. How to Approach a Character Sketch Even though its an informative type of essay, a character sketch doesnt have to be dry and only descriptive. It can also impress or entertain the reader or praise the subject, notes author R.E. Myers. The facts, traits, idiosyncrasies, and accomplishments of the subject provide the fabric of the character sketch. Anecdotes and quotes are also helpful in portraying the subject. You can stress the subjects personality, appearance, character or accomplishments.  (Figures of Speech: A Study and Practice Guide. Teaching Learning Company, 2008) If analyzing a fictional character, you can also go into the persons conflicts, how the person changes, his or her attitude toward others, and role in the story. You can list the persons likes and dislikes and how you feel about the character. If the character is the narrator, you can discuss whether the person is an unreliable narrator. A character sketch can also be satiric, as in work by authors such as Evelyn Waugh (1903–1966) and Thomas Pynchon (1933–) or modern-day television sit-coms. As a composition, a satiric sketch would likely need to be written in the characters voice and point of view to work. Use of a Character Sketch Besides being an essay type that students write in composition classes, fiction authors can use character sketches in their prewriting or drafting stages of short stories or novels as a means to develop the people wholl inhabit the world theyre creating. Writers who plan series (or even those who just end up writing a sequel to a successful story) can find character sketches useful as a reference  for maintaining consistency of detail or voice, if the character ends up being a narrator in the subsequent work or has a particular vocal tic, slang vocabulary, jargon use, or accent. Often the act of taking on the characters voice in a sketch will assist the author in discovering aspects of the character and fleshing him or her out to be more realistic. Character sketches can also be a task to work on when stuck for a plot point, characters motivation to move the plot forward, or attitude/reaction toward a conflict or event. In nonfiction writing, character sketches can be useful for biographers or feature article writers as a prewriting tool and as descriptive material to mine for the finished work. Examples Annie Dillards Sketch of Her Childhood Friend Judy Schoyer My friend Judy Schoyer was a thin, messy, shy girl whose thick blond curls lapped over her glasses. Her cheeks, chin, nose, and blue eyes were round; the lenses and frames of her glasses were round, and so were her heavy curls. Her long spine was supple; her legs were long and thin so her knee socks fell down. She did not care if her knee socks fell down. When I first knew her, as my classmate at the Ellis School, she sometimes forgot to comb her hair. She was so shy she tended not to move her head, but only let her eyes rove about. If my mother addressed her, or a teacher, she held her long-legged posture lightly, alert, like a fawn ready to bolt but hoping its camouflage will work a little longer. (An American Childhood. Harper Row, 1987.) Bill Barichs Sketch of a Publican The publican, Peter Keith Page, lives with his family in a flat on the second floor. Page is a fiftyish man, slender and well-tailored, whose manner might be described as studiously charming. His mustache and hair are tinged with auburn, and this, along with a sharp nose and chin, makes him look a bit like a fox. He enjoys jokes, subtle conversations,  double entendres. When he takes one of his turns behind the bar, he works at a measured pace, often pausing to ask after his patrons health and well-being. (At the Fountain. In Traveling Light. Viking, 1984.) Sources David F. Venturo, The Satiric Character Sketch. In A Companion to Satire: Ancient and Modern, ed. by Ruben Quintero. Blackwell, 2007.

How to Make Invisible Ink With Baking Soda

How to Make Invisible Ink With Baking Soda Follow these easy instructions to make non-toxic invisible ink, in just a few minutes, using baking soda (sodium bicarbonate). The advantages of using baking soda are that its safe (even for kids), simple to use, and readily available. Invisible Ink Ingredients Baking sodaPaperWaterLight bulb (heat source)Paintbrush or swabMeasuring cupPurple grape juice (optional) Make and Use the Ink Mix equal parts water and baking soda.Use a cotton swab, toothpick, or paintbrush to write a message onto white paper, using the baking soda solution as ink.Allow the ink to dry.One way to read the message is to hold the paper up to a heat source, such as a light bulb. You can also heat the paper by ironing it. The baking soda will cause the writing in the paper to turn brown.Another method to read the message is to paint over the paper with purple grape juice. The message will appear in a different color. The grape juice acts as a pH indicator that changes color when it reacts with the sodium bicarbonate of baking soda, which is a base. Tips for Success If you are using the heating method, avoid igniting the paper; dont use a halogen bulb.Baking soda and grape juice react with each other in an acid-base reaction, producing a color change in the paper.The baking soda mixture can also be used more diluted, with one part baking soda to two parts water.Grape juice concentrate results in a more visible color change than regular grape juice. How It Works Writing a secret message in baking soda solution slightly disrupts the cellulose fibers in paper, damaging the surface. When heat is applied, the shorter, exposed ends of the fibers darken and burn before the undamaged sections of paper. If you apply too much heat, theres a risk of igniting the paper. For this reason, its best to use either the grape juice chemical reaction or else apply a gentle, controllable heat source.

Shows that Your Kids Watch Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Shows that Your Kids Watch - Personal Statement Example When Alyssa pushed the bowl and threw away her spoon, April got exasperated, scolded the little girl with her voice raised a notch, and gave her little hand a slight spanking. "That's not good, Alyssa!" she said as she cleaned up the mess that her little girl made. Then, in between sniffs, she heard Alyssa say "I hate you!" very clearly. She was shocked at what her little girl had said. She softened up a bit and asked Alyssa, "Why did you say that baby Where did you learn that" And with her round and innocent eyes looking straight into hers, the little kid answered "From TV." April was alarmed at her daughter's answer, and so was I when she told me this story. "It's impossible for her to pick up such a line from Sesame Street or Playhouse Disney," I told her. "It could be the soap operas that her nanny watches," April concluded, and we proceeded to discuss what kind of behaviors were often shown in soap operas and how the highly receptive minds of three-year-old children retain the information that they get from watching these shows. It is clearly very important that we have to choose the kind of shows that our children watch. Little children mimic what they see around them, such as the behaviors that adults around them display and expressions that they often hear.

The freedom I value most. is the freedom of speech Essay

The freedom I value most. is the freedom of speech - Essay Example It is through the freedom of speech that tyrannical leaders who defy and maltreat their subjects are brought to account. In addition, freedom of speech is such an important human right in that it provides an avenue for business transactions. Freedom of speech has also enabled individuals negotiate and seek for peace in cases of misunderstanding among parties. Moreover, freedom of speech provides a favorable channel through which citizens of particular countries participate in decision making and ensure continued existence of democracy within their societies (Allport 14). Freedom of speech has been integral in shaping global politics as journalists use it as a tool to unravel hidden or corrupt activities of politicians (Kenneth 5). Freedom of speech has also assisted in the efforts to reduce corruption and discrimination within various societies. Additionally, freedom of speech has led to the development of equality across all genders as the interested parties are free to air their views and follow up to the achievement of the missions. In conclusion, the freedom of speech is the mother and foundation of all rights enjoyed by human beings. It is the foundation of every development in various spheres of life from political, social and cultural spectrums. Freedom of speech is the main liberator of human kind. It is also the factor of evolution and revolutions currently witnessed in parts of the world where human free will is

Pampered pooches travel in style Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Pampered pooches travel in style - Case Study Example The trend nowadays is to focus on the customization of pet products and services so that they resemble those of human beings. The bottom-line in the attempt to treat pets as people are treated is the fact that the 75 million dogs and 88 million cats are trainable. One pet enthusiast and the CEO of PetSmart.Inc Phillip L. Francis concedes that the care of pets is because unlike snakes and fish, the can be trained to accompany man. The company is one of the leading retailers in pet foods and has even gone a step further by attempting to teach people to become better pet parents. The line between the way that these four-legged mammals are treated and the way that the two-legged mammals are treated has thinned. This paper will attempt to answer a couple of questions mostly on how hotels and other retailers of pet products and services can take the rise in pet enthusiasm to their advantage. The fact that only the consumer electronic market is faster growing that the pet market shows that opportunities are many and the market can be easily tapped by customizing products so that they better satisfy these consumers. For an upscale hotel to be in a position to capitalize on the growing pet market, a number of things have to be done. First, the hotel should ensure that it has the best facilities than its competitors. This means that a market research is of utmost importance. Pet owners should be interviewed so that their input is used to better the facilities that may be available for the pets. Most hotels offer private suites for pets that are characterized by raised platform beds. This is a shift from the traditional low lying beds that were next to the pet owners beds. However, it is now almost a rule that pets have their own beds that resemble those of their owners. Additionally, there are television sets in those suites that are tuned into the animal channels.

Definition Of Industry And Porter Economics Essay

Definition Of Industry And Porter Economics Essay This chapter presents a basic explanation of how the pharmaceutical industry will be defined and which models will be used to analyse it. 2.1 Definition of Industry The most important definition of industry was given by Michael Porter in 1979: a group of competitors producing substitutes that are close enough that the behavior of any firm affects each of the others either directly or indirectly.  [1]  Later, Porter defined the term more precisely as a group of companies offering products or services that are close substitutes for each other, that is, products or services that satisfy the same basic customers needs.  [2]  This new definition emphasizes the importance of industry borders and industrys role as a market supplier or producer of goods and services, as distinguished from a market, defined as a consumer of goods and services. Furthermore, inside every industry there are groups of companies that follow similar strategies, defined by Michael S. Hunt in his unpublished 1972 Ph.D. dissertation as strategic groups.  [3]  Between these groups there are differences in entry barriers, bargaining power with buyers and suppliers and skills and resources  [4]  . Strategic groups compete against each other within the industry as a result of these differences. 2.2 Models to Analyze the Industry and Its Environment The literature agrees that comprehension of the industry structure is essential to developing a firms strategy and has a greater effect on the firms performance than whether it is business-specific or corporate-parent.  [5]  The comprehension of the structure requires analyses of the industrys life cycle. It also requires step-by-step political, legal, technological, social and economic analyses as well as the five driving forces of business, provided by Michael Porter. By utilizing these analysis techniques, it is also possible to anticipate changes in industry competition and profitability over time. 2.2.1 Industry Life Cycle Analysis During its development an industry passes through different phases, each characterized by a different environment that obliges competition to assume different forms. Through studying the life cycle, the industry realizes its stake in the market and its influence on consumers. The industry life cycle model includes four different phases: introduction, growth, maturity and decline.  [6]   The introductory phase is characterized by low demand, resulting in higher prices as a consequence of the firms inability to realize economies of scale. This situation gives rise to low profit margins and losses are expected due to substantial investments in new categories. Market penetration may be obstructed by a lack of technologies and competencies. Strategy is focused mainly on RD and production, with the goal of enhancing novelty and quality. Competitors, attracted by the rising demand, attempt to replicate the new product.  [7]   In the second phase, growth, the use of the product is extended, demand grows, prices decline due to economies of scale, barriers to entry are lower and the threat of new entry is high. At this phase the technology is usually not exclusive property of one or more firms, and the primary reaction to competition is marketing expenditure and initiatives; profits are not very high because prices decline as competitors enter the market. There is a transition period, or shakeout, between the second and the third phases. The shakeout involves finding and using all investment opportunities, because the market is near saturation and demand grows more slowly.  [8]   In the third phase, maturity, market growth is low or nonexistent, and the focus shifts to gaining market share; demand is represented only by the substitution of products, investment in RD decreases and there is little innovation. In this phase firms seek cost reductions, and competition is based primarily on advertising and quality because of the low differentiation between products. Big firms acquire smaller players, while others are forced to exit. As a conseguence of high barrier to entry, the threat of new entrants are low.  [9]   The last phase is decline, so called because of the continued decline in demand. Industries arrive at this stage for a variety of reasons. These include a change in social behaviors, demographic changes, international competition, technological innovations and increased customer knowledge. The buying process is based primarily on price rather than innovation. As a result, profit and revenues decline, and the industry as a whole may be supplanted.  [10]   2.2.2 PEST Analysis The term PEST is an acronym of several factors Political, Economic, Social and Technological that influence business activities at any given moment. Due to the fact that each aspect may have an independent impact on the industry, it is essential that each be individually identified and analyzed through the PEST Analysis.  [11]   The political aspect of analysis encompasses various factors that influence business activities in a given country at several levels: national, subnational and supranational levels.  [12]  These include trade policies control imports, exports and international business partners, government ownership of industry, attitude toward monopolies and competition and trade policies. Hence, failure to consider these policies may result in loss of revenue due to taxes or penalty fees. Government stability is also very important, because it eradicates the risks associated with wars and conflicts. For an industry to thrive, political stability must be uncompromised; otherwise, sales and business activities will be uncertain, and investors will lose interest. The internal political issues in any country influence the running of industries. Politics based on race or religion may define the course for certain industries, especially if an industry falls short of political expectations. Elections and changes in leadership also influence an industrys strengths and opportunities and thus should be considered during the analysis. In addition to internal issues, international pressures and influences may affect some industries, such as environmental degradation or product safety. Another factor is terrorism. Though uncommon in many countries, poor or unstable governance may attract terrorist activities, vengeful or otherwise, which can have adverse effects on the industries operating in that country. All these issues may stunt industrial growth and discourage stakeholders from making significant investments.  [13]   The economic aspect of analysis includes many factors. The first factor to consider is the current economic situation and trends in the country in which the industry is based. Companies should note inflation and economic decline so that when it comes to investing, they can avoid being financially affected. Failure to do this results in an economically blind platform that may cause the industrys sudden collapse. Another factor to consider in analysis is taxation rates. When there are high taxation rates in a given country, price-based competition may affect a given industry in the international market. International economic trends are also very important, because they define currency exchange rates, imports and exports. Other factors to consider are consumer expenditure and disposable income and, finally, legal issues, including all trade legislation in a given country and other legal regulations that inhibit or encourage expansion of business activities. Also to be considered are co nsumer protection laws, employment laws, environmental protection laws and quality standardization regulations. Law regulating industrial competition, market policies and guidelines also have a significant impact on the stability of industry and future expansion opportunity.  [14]   When considering the social aspect, factors including demographic changes, shifts in values and culture and changes in lifestyle are important to note so as to strategize on expansion and growth  [15]  . Certain factors, such as media and communities, influence an industrys growth and returns. Brand name and corporate image are also very important in influencing growth and returns since they shape customer loyalty and shareholder investment. The medias views on certain industrial products should be incorporated into the analysis, as should consumer attitudes and sensibility to green issues, that is, issues that affect the environment, energy consumption and waste and its disposal. A companys information systems and internal and external communications should also be analyzed to ensure that it keeps pace with its competitors. Other factors are the policies regulating education, health and distribution of income, all of which, in the long run, influence consumer use of products   [16]  . The technological aspect of analysis encompasses a variety of factors. In addition to developing technologies, all associated technologies, along with their innovation potentials, speed of change and adoption of new technology, should be analyzed for a proper evaluation of the industry. Other technological factors are transportation, waste management and online business. The level of expenditure on RD should also be considered in order to secure the industrys competitive position to prevent losses and collapse  [17]  . 2.2.3 Porters Five Competitive Forces Analysis Porters model, as described by Kay, is an evolution of the Structure-Conduct-Performance paradigm conceived by Edward Mason at Harvard University in the 1930s and detailed by Scherer in the 1980s.  [18]  ,  [19]  The model aims to determine the intensity of industry competition, major issues in determining strategy and whether an industry is attractive or not.  [20]  Porter identified five competitive forces that act on an industry and its environment: threat of entry, intensity of rivalry among existing competitors, threat of substitutes, bargaining power of buyers and bargaining power of suppliers.  [21]   The first competitive force, threat of entry, refers to the threat of new entrants in an established industry or acquisition to gain market share. Reactions of participants and barriers to entry are the main factors used to establish whether the threat is high or low. Six major entry barriers have been identified: capital required to compete in the industry (especially in risky industry, such as advertising or RD) switching costs access to distribution channels economies of scale cost disadvantages independent of scale, such as patents, access to know-how, access to limited resources, favorable locations, government subsidies or policies and learning or experience curves product differentiation expected retaliation from existing firms against the new entrants Strong barriers to the entry of new firms enable a few firms to dominate the market and thereby influence prices. The second force is intensity of rivalry among existing competitors. Rivalry takes place when one or more firms inside an industry try to improve their position using tactics such as price competition, new product introduction or new services. Rivalry depends on several factors: number and size of competitors, industry growth, product characteristics (which determine whether the rivalry is based on price or differentiation), cost structure, exit barriers, diverse competitors, operative capacity and high strategic stakes. If an industry is inhibited, then firms will experience difficulties when trying to expand. The growth of foreign competition and the corporate stakes should also be included in the analysis. Threat of substitutes is the third forces. Substitutes are those products manufactured by other industries but serving the same purposes as the initial product. These substitute products cause the demand to decline. The implications are reduced profits and reduced market command by the original capital investor. This is of particular importance when the buyer has no switching costs and can easily compare products in terms of price and efficiency. Bargaining power of buyers is the fourth force. High bargaining power positions weak firms inside the industry, forcing price down, enhancing competition between industry players and resulting in bargaining for higher quality or services. This power is particularly high under certain conditions, such as few and specific buyers, undifferentiated products, low switching costs, the possibility of backward integration and information about demand and the availability of market price to the buyers. Furthermore, bargaining power is high if product quality is not a crucial factor of decision-making and if what the buyer is acquiring is a modest fraction of his total costs. Bargaining power is even higher when the buyer is a retailer or a wholesaler able to influence the consumers purchasing decision. The fifth and last force is the bargaining power of suppliers. This can act on the industry in several ways: raising prices, lowering quality or privileging some buyers. Supplier power can be divided into several elements. One of these elements is supplier concentration. Suppliers are in a stronger position when there are few suppliers, switching costs are high, the industry they are serving account for a small fraction of their business or their products are an important part of the buyers business. The bargaining power of suppliers is low or nonexistent when there are substitute products. Lastly, purchase volume and the suppliers influence on cost are very important.

Weinbergs A Designer Universe Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Creat

Weinberg's A Designer Universe   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The phenomenon of the creation of the universe has baffled many for some time. The question of whether or not a designer/God put together this most intricate world in a personal quest or project leaves many in great debate. Was life brought about by some evolutionary feat? Or, in opposition, did an intelligent being create life with perfection in mind? Both questions can be answered in many different ways. Steven Weinberg, writer of A Designer Universe, offers his thoughts, through abduction, regarding the likelihood of a designer creating the universe. Such an abduction, in which Weinberg expresses his opinion, relies on premises or declarative statements that the conclusion proves most unsurprising, or to the best explanation. An example of such an argument would be: (premises) A trunk provides support, Branches and leaves make up it’s body, leaves change color with the seasons†¦(conclusion) â€Å"It† must be a tree. The conclusion makes the premises most unsurprising. One would guess that if â€Å"It† must be a tree, all of the premises would exist.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Weinberg offers two excellent arguments against the Design Theory. This theory suggests that if a â€Å"designer† created the universe it would thus be perfect. For example, if a watch were found on the beach, one would know that a designer created it because it is a finely tuned machine in which all parts work perfectly together. However, if a rock was found, one could guess that a designe...

Alcohol Advertising

The world of advertising is exciting and diverse. It has the ability to influence society to follow certain trends or ideas. Every where you look there is some form of advertising. From television to radio, magazines to billboards, product advertising is a large factor in what we do. Alcohol advertising is one of the largest branches of advertising. Millions of dollars each year is spent to advertise alcohol. The ads use tactics to incite people to use their product. Many times people are shown smiling and having a good time. Other ads have shown beautiful women talking to plain guys because the guy was drinking a certain type of beer. Focusing on one ad in particular is the Absolut Vodka advertising. The ad uses popular trends combined with the vodka product to produce a pun on that certain trend. The ads tend to be very funny and sometimes make a bold statement. The Absolut Vodka ads are so popular that there was a book published with a collection of all the ads. The Absolut ads tend to appeal to younger demographics. The ads are cutting edge and exciting. They are often funny or make fun of serious issues. Young people are incited by these ads because they are different and bold. The ad also promotes the ideal that if you drink Absolut Vodka you too will be bold and exciting. In this advertisement for Absolut Vodka the bottle is an image of bags with a train background. The meaning of most Absolut Vodka ads is political. The meaning of this advertisement has to do with Sweden years ago. The ad also gives the viewer the idea if you drink Absolut Vodka you will move up in the world. It also presents the ideas of going places and of a high status. Personally this ad does not make myself want to go out and drink. I think this particular ad might be focused at an older audience. The cool looking design of the bottle in all of the Absolut Vodka advertisements does appeal to the eye and many young viewers. Alcohol advertising plays a major role in underage drinking. The fun and exciting ad? s appeal to young people inciting them to drink. Alcohol advertising should be banned from the younger adult set magazines and not also should not be aired on television channels directed at the younger set. I think that this would greatly help reduce the statistics of underage drinking. Alcohol advertising is not just selling alcohol its selling trouble.

The Compare and Contrast Microsoft DOS with UNIX

As is suggestive of its name, an operating system (OS) is a collection of programs that operate the personal computer (PC). Its primary purpose is to support programs that actually do the work one is interested in, and to allow competing programs to share the resources of the computer. However, the OS also controls the inner workings of the computer, acting as a traffic manager which controls the flow of data through the system and initiates the starting and stopping processes, and as a means through which software can access the hardware and system software. In addition, it provides routines for device control, provides for the management, scheduling and interaction of tasks, and maintains system integrity. It also provides a facility called the user interface which issues commands to the system software. Utilities are provided for managing files and documents created by users, development of programs and software, communicating between users with other computer systems and managing user requirements for programs, storage space and priority. There are a number of different types of operating systems with varying degrees of complexity. A system such as DOS can be relatively simple and minimalistic, while others, like UNIX, can be somewhat more complicated. Some systems run only a single process at a time (DOS), while other systems run multiple processes at once (UNIX). In reality, it is not possible for a single processor to run multiple processes simultaneously. The processor of the computer runs one process for a short period of time, then is switched to the next process and so on. As the processor executes millions of instructions per second, this gives the appearance of many processes running at once. User programs are usually stored on a hard disk and need to be loaded into memory before being executed. This presents the need for memory management, as the memory of the computer would need to be searched for a free area in which to load a users program. When the user was finished running the program, the memory consumed by it would need to be freed up and made available for another user when required (CIT). Process scheduling and management is also necessary, so that all programs can be executed and run without conflict. Some programs might need to be executed more frequently than others, for example, printing. Conversely, some programs may need to be temporarily halted, then restarted again, so this introduces the need for inter-program communication. In modern operating systems, we speak more of a process (a portion of a program in some stage of execution (CIT, 3)) than a program. This is because only a portion of the program is loaded at any one time. The rest of the program sits waiting on the disk until it is needed, thereby saving memory space. UNIX users speak of the operating system as having three main parts: the kernel, the shell and the file system. While DOS users tend not to use the term kernel and only sometimes use the term shell, the terms remain relevant. The kernel, also known as the â€Å"Real Time Executive†, is the low-level core of the OS and is loaded into memory right after the loading of the BIOS whenever the system is started. The kernel handles the transfer of data among the various parts of the system, such as from hard disk to RAM to CPU. It also assigns memory to the various system-level processes that occur whenever the computer does anything. The kernel is also responsible for scheduling the CPU†s operations and for letting the shell access the CPU (PC Mag, 1). The shell is the visible user interface to the OS and is a program that loads on top of the operating system and offers users commands that lets them access the OS. Strictly speaking, the shell is an input utility that offers access to the operating system. Technically speaking, the shell, being a separate program, is not a part of the OS at all. In the UNIX world a number of shells are available, among them the Korn shell, the C-shell, the Bourne shell and the Bourne Again shell (yes, really). In DOS, the standard shell is COMMAND. COM, again nothing more than a program. As different versions of command. com came with different versions of DOS, each added new commands and new things that could be done by the user. For example, DOS 4†³s COMMAND. COM added theP switch to DEL to verify each deletion, and DOS 5†³s COMMAND. COM provided the ability to sort the output of the DIR command. An acronym for disk operating system, the term DOS can refer to any operating system, but is most often used as shorthand for MS-DOS. Originally developed by Microsoft for IBM, MS-DOS was the standard operating system for IBM-compatible computers. The initial version of DOS was somewhat uncomplicated and resembled another operating system called CP/M. Subsequent versions have become increasingly sophisticated, however DOS remains a 16-bit operating system without support for multiple users or multitasking. The earliest forms of DOS were crude and utilized only a few commands, but as computers became more advanced, so did DOS. By keeping up with technology, DOS was implemented into more â€Å"user friendly† operating systems. However, as more sophisticated operating systems were released, DOS became less important. Today, cyberpunks involved with the latest OS trends joke that DOS stands for ‘Dad†s Operating System†Ã¢â‚¬  (Comerford, 23). In 1980, IBM asked the Microsoft Corporation to produce the operating system for its first personal computer, the IBM PC. Prior to this, a company called Seattle Computer Products had sold an operating system called 86-DOS to Microsoft. Microsoft hired the author of 86-DOS, Tim Paterson, in April of 1981 to modify the system, and renaming it MS-DOS (Microsoft Disk Operating System), it was released with the IBM PC. Thereafter, most manufacturers of personal computers licensed MS-DOS as their operating system (Brittanica, 1). Limitations of the early PC†s hardware were a big influence on MS-DOS. Although the 8088 model computer had a 1Mb address space, IBM decided to allocate the first 640K of this to RAM, and the rest to ROMs, video boards and other things. Consequently, MS-DOS was set up to support programs whose maximum size was 640K. Version 1. 0 of DOS was released along with the IBM PC in August 1981. It occupied 12K of the systems 640K of memory, was somewhat compatible with CP/M and, much like CP/M, supported only a single directory. By contrast, even the first version of UNIX had a full hierarchical file system. In addition, Version 1. 0 supported only a 160K single sided 51/4-inch floppy diskette. Version 1. 1 was released by Microsoft in October 1982 and supported double sided 320K diskettes. Aside from fixing some bugs, this release was similar to Version 1. 0. Releases such as 1. 1, in which the number to the left of the decimal point is the same as the previous version depict relatively minor changes from the previous release. By contrast, Version 2. 0 was largely a new system. In March 1983, IBM introduced the PC/XT, its first personal computer with a hard disk. It came with a new variant of MS-DOS, Version 2. 0. In this version, Microsoft incorporated many ideas from the UNIX system for which it was also a vendor. For example, incorporating minor changes, the MS-DOS file system was taken largely from UNIX. In addition, the shell was improved, and Version 2. 0 supported a new floppy diskette format, the 360K as well as user installable device drivers, print spooling, system configuration and memory management. At this point, MS-DOS was established as the dominant operating system in PC market. In August 1984, IBM released its first 286 chip based PC, the PC/AT. The PC/AT supported memory up to 16 Mb and had the ability to run multiple programs at once. However, the version of MS-DOS that shipped with the PC/AT was 3. 0, which supported neither of these. Rather, it ran the PC/AT in a mode that simulated the 8088, only faster. Since the PC/AT came with a 1. 2Mb disk drive, battery backup clock, and configuration information in the CMOS, support for these devices was added. What's more, hard disks larger that 10Mb were now supported. In addition, the command processor (shell) was removed from the operating system and made into a separate program. In November 1984, 3. 0 was replace by 3. 1 which provided the first support for networking. In 1987, IBM came out with the PS/2 line of PC which shipped with MS-DOS 3. 3, providing support for both 720K and 1. 44Mb 31/3 floppy disk drives. With Version 4. 0, Microsoft added the DOS shell, a menu driven shell rather than the previous keyboard driven ones. In addition, it now provided support for hard drives larger than 32 Mb. A major new release, MS-DOS Version 5. 0 was shipped in April 1991. Although this was the first version that made any serious use of the extended memory, it still had the restrictions that programs could not exceed 640K. However, it had the ability to locate most of MS-DOS itself in extended memory, so about 600K of the lower 640K was now available for user programs. Version 5. 0 also came with a useful HELP utility, to aid new users. For the first time, MS-DOS was sold in stores to the public (previous versions were only sold to computer vendors who delivered them with their machines) (CIT, 1-3). The MS-DOS 6 family provided more memory management for applications such as Microsoft Windows. In addition, newer utilities were provided for disk-defragmentation, file compression, file backups and anti-virus checking. Other variations of MS-DOS exist, such as PC-DOS by IBM, DOS-V, Dr. DOS and others. There is even a FREE DOS available on the Internet as an MS-DOS clone. Although it can still be found on many computers, MS-DOS is technically an obsolete operating system, being replaced by Microsoft Windows. For personal computers, MS-DOS is a single user, single tasking operating system. Single user means only one person uses the computer at a time. Single tasking means that it essentially runs one application program at a time, and has no inherent support for running more than one application program simultaneously (CIT, 2). If we want to look at the basic DOS operating system itself, there is no need to look further than three system files, command. com, Io. sys and (in DOS6. x and earlier) Msdos. sys. These files are crucial in DOS versions up to 6. 22. Io. sys represents the lowest level of the interface and contains the routines necessary for interfacing the OS with the system†s BIOS. It implements MS-DOS as seen by the hardware and has default drivers for console display and keyboard, printer, serial communications, clock, and a boot disk drive. Msdos. sys handles the higher-level routines such as converting commands from applications into instructions for Io. sys. It implements MS-DOS as seen by application programs. It supports file and record management, memory management, character device input and output, execution of other programs, and access to a real-time clock (CIT, 3). Both of these files are in the root directory, and both are hidden from view by default. The idea is that you are not suppose to see them, so that you don†t do anything destructive to them (such as deleting them). They are also read-only so that they can†t be deleted accidentally. Command. com is the shell program which interprets user commands, presents the shell prompt, and contains a set of internal commands. The rest of MS-DOS consists of a number of utility programs. Although DOS had cornered the PC market, UNIX was still dominant on the larger workstations. The birth of UNIX in 1969 provided the world with its first modern operating system. An interactive multi-user operating system, UNIX was initially developed by programmers for their own use. Working for Bell Laboratories, Ken Thompson and Dennis Ritchie created UNIX as an operating system for the PDP-7 computer. Designed as a simplification of an operating system named Multics, UNIX was developed in Assembly language, a primitive computer language specific to one type of machine (Osiris, 1). However, Thompson developed a new programming language â€Å"B† which Ritchie enhanced to â€Å"C†, and in 1973 this was used to rewrite UNIX which lended the OS portability (Linux Intl. , 1). The original design philosophy for UNIX was to distribute functionality into small parts, the programs (Theochem, 1). In this way, functionality could be achieved by combining the small parts (programs) in new ways. Moreover, if a new program were to appear, it could be integrated into the system. UNIX was slow to catch on outside of academic institutions but soon was popular with businesses as well. The first five versions were part of an internal research effort of Bell Labs, and it was not until the sixth version, called UNIX Timesharing Sixth Edition V, that UNIX was widely distributed (Osiris, 1). Relatively recent developments are graphical interfaces (GUI) such as MOTIF, X Windows and Open View. UNIX has two major versions. One, jointly developed by UNIX Systems Laboratories (USL) and by AT&T researchers together with Bell Labs, generically known as System V, is the commercial version and is the most widely distributed by major manufacturers. The second, developed by the University of Berkley and Berkley Software Distribution (BSD), is the educational version and is completely focused on research. The USL version is now on its fourth release, or SVR4, while BSD†s latest version is 4. However, there are many different versions of UNIX besides these two. The operating system has been licensed to several manufacturers who in turn developed their own versions of UNIX, based on System V or BSD, but adding new characteristics. Most versions of UNIX developed by software companies are derived from one of the two groupings and, recent versions of UNIX actually incorporate features from both of them. However, UNIX has had an unregulated history with over 200 versions (Berson, 16) existing today. The UNIX system is made up of three primary components, the kernel, the shell, and the utilities (which includes the file system). The central part of the OS, the kernel is the first program to start when the system is turned on and the last program to do anything when the system is halted. In addition to scheduling tasks, it manages data/file access and storage, enforces security mechanisms and performs all hardware access. The name â€Å"KERNEL† represents the fact that it is a program designed as a central nucleus, around which other functions of the system were added. The heart of the operating system, it not only interacts directly with the system†s hardware, but presents each user with a prompt, interprets commands typed by a user, executes user commands and supports a custom environment for each user. The two most common shells are the Bourne shell, default for the System V, and the C-shell used mainly with the BSD version (Osiris, 1). The utilities consist of file management (rm, cat, ls, rmdir, mkdir), user management (passwd, chmod, chgrp), process management (kill, ps) and printing (lp, troff, pr).