William the conqueror Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

William the conqueror - Essay Example This paper studies the reforms initiated by William the Conqueror and its impact on England. William was the son of the Duke of Normandy and appointed to take his father’s place during the latter’s journey to the holy land. His young life was marked by chastity and piety as his character became strong due to the circumstances of that time era. As Normandy descended into anarchy, he became an invincible and feared military defeat for his victories in the battlefield. During the 1040s, as France was threatened by civil war, he won important military victories at Alen and Domfront. He became the undisputed master of the French province of Maine. His fiefdom was the most powerful one in France which even managed to defy the French king. In 1066, he claimed the throne of England which was challenged by Harold Godwinson. William appeared with a huge army of Normans where the famous Battle of Hastings was fought in which he was victorious1. The conquest of England led to the domination of the land, people and government by the Normans. Permission was also given to build castles which would help protect the Norman nobility from attacks. William established his government with the qualities of a statesman. He also needed to enforce his laws with an iron fist to prevent the English from rebelling against Norman authority. One of his greatest achievements was the comprehensive manuscript which became known as the Doomsday Book. This book carried out a census of the people living within the territories of William the conqueror. This census was also carried to initiate a new system of taxation which would help to fund the government of William the conqueror. William also introduced heavy taxes which did not prevent people from looking at him with a negative light. The English people looked towards William as their protector from feudal oppression2. One of William’s most bitter legacies was the forest laws3. William

Foods Market Essay Example for Free

Foods Market Essay For months, Whole Foods Market and its legal team have waged a very public battle against the Federal Trade Commission’s charges that the high-end grocer’s 2007 merger with Wild Oats Markets violated antitrust laws. The court fight started in June 2007 when FTC lawyers first tried to prevent the merger by filing suit in the U. S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Then, last October, Whole Foods raised the stakes by unleashing lobbying and media campaigns against the FTC. After all of that, this morning’s announcement that Whole Foods has agreed to settle with the FTC raises an obvious question: Why? Decherd partner Paul Denis, who has represented Whole Foods since 2007 in defending the merger, says it came down to money, and Whole Foods also just wanted to move on. â€Å"This is a very expensive process,† he says, adding that Whole Foods â€Å"thought if made sense to try to eliminate that cash burden. † In December, Whole Foods said it had spent $16 million on attorney and expert fees since 2007. Asked whether allocating additional resources to the public fight against the FTC was worth it for his client, Denis says, â€Å"You do what you have to defend yourself. †¦You can never ask yourself is it worth it. †

History of the English Language Development

History of the English Language Development What differs us humans from animals is the fact that humans have abilities to manipulate things that happen in daily life. Humans are able to think whether a certain action can cause good or harm to themselves or people around them. Another essential difference that distinguishes humans and animals is the language used in communication. It is language, other than anything else that differs humankinds from fellow earthlings. It is a fact that other animals do communicate with each other, in many various ways, for example, warning for enemies or danger, calling for mating, or other various screams of cries to deliver their anger, fear or pleasure (Barber, 1993). However, these various calls of communication for their species differ from the uniqueness of the human language. Barber also states that a human language is a highly elaborated signalling system, a social tool, which uses vocal sounds. Languages are used verbally and in writings. From the history, language is learned spoken fi rst, while written language is secondary. According to Crystal (2016), a language dies when it is not spoken or used anymore. Holmes (1992) states that language dies when all of its speakers die. However, when the speakers of a language shifts to use another language, the phenomena is called language shifts. Every language changes, even though the levels of the changes vary from time to time, which is why it is somewhat hard to be read or understood the language that is from the early years. An example could be taken from Barbers The English Language: A Historical Introduction (1993), English people find it hard to comprehend an English document from the year 1300, where it is only possible for them to understand if they have some special training. Documents in 900 look like a foreign language text to them, as it looks like it has no connection to Standard English. There are three recognized periods in the development of the English language where the first period, dated from 450 to 1150 is known as Old English. According to Baugh and Cable (1993), this period is described as full inflections, where the endings of the noun, the adjective, and the verb are preserved more or less impaired. The next period starts from 1150 to 1500, is the Middle English period, or known as the period of levelled inflections, which started at the end of the Old English period, and the inflections during that period is said to be significantly levelled down. The last period, which is up until now is called as the Modern English period, which started since 1500. This period is also described as the period of loss inflections where the inflections in the language are completely vanished. The Middle English period, as stated by Baugh and Cable, is the period of a great change, where the language changes that happened during the period are more extensive and fundamental in comparison to the changes in the language that took place in Old English and Modern English period. Every language changes from time to time, it is the matter of the amount of changes that occur in the language. The major causes of the language changes were obviously because of the track of time, and contact, even though the changes and processes in the Middle English period that associates with the language contact are various (Penhallurick, 2010). The Norman invasion to England in 1066 is one of the main causes that brought changes in the language from Old English to Middle English as they brought French into the land. Their invasion to England naturally had a significant effect on Englands institutions and its languages. The language changes that were brought from the French during their arrival were already existed in the Old English. They were speaking in French but somehow influenced by the Germanic dialect. The dialect is called Norman French. According to (Virtual Medieval Church and Its Writings, 2003), this situation leads to the citizens speak the English language, whilst the Normans speak Norman French. In time, the two languages started to mix together which then brings the existence of the Middle English. Around ten thousand French words were brought into English by the thirteenth century. Most of these French loans still exist in the English language today. According to (Oxford English Dictionary, 2016), Middle English, based on the external history, is trapped at its beginning by the consequences of the settlements of the Norman Conquest in 1066, and its end by the arrival of the printing documents by William Caxton in 1476, in Britain and by the important social and cultural impacts of the English Reformation (from the 1530s onwards) and of the ideas of the continental Renaissance. The change from Old English to Middle English seemed to look a bit rapid by the rising of new spelling inventions by the Normans. The language used during that time, which is the West Saxon, was no longer used, due to the social and political disruption by the Norman Conquest. The changes that they brought include changes in the spelling where they used the spellings that matched more to the way they pronounce it in their spoken dialect. In addition, the scribes occasionally changed the spelling of the words they were copying to their own dialectal pronunci ation, when they see if any did not match theirs. The Normans disapprove the traditional English spelling, therefore they spelt the language as how they heard it, which is using the conventions of Norman French. Both Barber (1993) and Freeborn (1992) mentioned these facts in their books. Examples of the changes made by the Normans could be taken from (Virtual Medieval Church and Its Writings, 2003), such as qu for cw (queen for cwen).The scribes also introduced gh (instead of h) in such words as night and enough, and ch (instead of c) in such words as church. Another change introduced was ou for u (as in house). Yet one more change was the use of c before e (instead of s) in such words as cercle (circle) and cell. The loss of inflections in the Middle English period also include the reduced amount in nouns, pronouns and adjectives. The Peterborough Chronicle, a medieval text written at Peterborough Abbey during the Old English period, where the continuations of the chronicle then shows the Middle English characteristics in the script even though in some ways the characteristics of the Old English still continues.ÂÂ   Penhallurick (2010) mentions that the Normans are obviously the ones responsible for the mixings of French and Middle English, that they brought the scribes who are French-trained into England after their conquest. Three sources were affecting the changes in the Middle English and the changes can be seen from the Peterborough Chronicle where a significant number of new words are drawn upon the Norse, Latin and French. This shows that not only French caused the Middle English, but also the Norse and the Latins. The Norsemen brought in their words into Middle English which include grammar words oc but, um about, through, and til until, to. These are the effects of the contact between the English and the Norsemen during the 9th, 10th and 11th centuries, which is also a significant change of characteristic of Middle English. Borrowing or loanwords are the terms used for this situation where words which originated from a certain language is brought into another language and is used in the language. During the settlement of the Vikings in England, many Old Norse words were brought into Old English. Examples from Penhallurick (2010), nouns such as birth, husband, leg, skirt and sky, and verbs like to call, die, give, nag, take, and thrust. As stated by Baugh and Cable (2002), 900 loanwords from the Scandinavian that are still survived and in use in the modern standard English these days, but many other words also still survived but instead in the dialects of the former Danelaw, words like beck st eam, dag to drizzle, and laik to play. Sisam (1975) mentions that the Norse words must have come into English even before the Middle English period, because the settlements of the Vikings stopped after the Norman Conquest. Sisam also states that it is not always easy to differentiate the Norse and the Middle English as both of the languages have many similarities during the borrowing period, and also the Norse words are borrowed quite early to be affected by Middle English. The language influence from the Latins started during the early days of English. When the Germanic tribe started English, they had already been in contact with the Romans in the continental Europe, which was when the Germanic tribes very beginning of their settlements in the British Isles. Many Latin words were borrowed into the tribes language during their settlement in the British Isles, where they borrowed from Britishs Celtic speaking people, which they got from the Romans. Latin during that time was the language of the Christian church, which marked the Englands conversion to Christianity.ÂÂ   This correlates with Sisams (1975) statement where there were few direct borrowings from Latin and most of it are taken from the technical language of church. Penhallurick (2010) states that the practice of writing documents in Latin during that time was somewhat usual and was joined by many of the Norman scribes, which gave the borrowings from Latin a new motivation during the early Middle English period. Not only Old Norse and Latin words that were noted in the continuations of the Peterborough chronicle, but also new loan words from French, although there were only small number of it in the continuation. As an example, from Penhallurick (2010), duc duke, and pasches pasch, easter, including some loan words that were not only new additions to language but also eventually replaced present English words during that time, for example tresor treasure, and pais peace. This language development, the emerge of the French loans can be best described as started from very few words to over 10000 French words were borrowed during the end of the Middle English period. The total number of words borrowed is extraordinary considering that the total amount of Old English words were only 24000 approximately. From the Peterborough Chronicle examples, the French loans can be divided into two general types, which is either the new words are just new members of the English language which has new concepts or definitions, or new words that have the same definitions to an existing word in the native language. The effects of this duplication could lead to either the loss of one of the words between the languages (usually the English word), or there could be the development in differentiation in meaning between the words. Penhallurick (2010) gives an example, OE leod was pushed out altogether by French-derived people, whereas English might survives beside French-derived power, kingly beside royal, and wish beside desire. It is the royal family, never the kingly family and genies grant three wishes, rather than three desires. Sisam (1975) compares French with Norse, where he states that French language had little common with English, not like the Scandinavians, which brings to why the amount of French words used in the English texts is lesser in comparison to Old Norse and Latin, before the late thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. French continued to be the official language of England until the mid of fourteenth century, the years after, English became the language of instructions, and became the official language of legal records or events, where later at the end of fourteenth century, everyone spoke English. When the London dialect emerged, it became the standard spoken and written language. During the end of 1500, English language has reached the language that is similar to as what is used today, which shows that Modern English started being used around that time. The arrival of printing press set up, invented by William Caxton in 1476 marked the starting of the end of the Middle English (Freeborn, 1992). If the Norman Conquest marked the start of the changes in the Middle English, William Caxton did the same for the start of the Modern English. Caxton is recognized for the arrival of printing in England through his work and a standard for the English language. His contribution brings us to the early perio d of the Modern English (Weiner, 2013). References Barber, C., Beal, J. and Shaw, P. (2013). The English language. 1st ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Baugh, A. and Cable, T. (2013). A history of the English language. 1st ed. London: Routledge. Courseweb.stthomas.edu. (2003). The Making of Middle English. [online] Available at: http://courseweb.stthomas.edu/medieval/chaucer/middleenglish.htm [Accessed 12 Mar. 2017]. Crystal, D. (2016). English as a global language. 1st ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Freeborn, D. (1992). From Old English to standard English. 1st ed. York: Freeborn. Graddol, D., Leith, D. and Swann, J. (1996). English. 1st ed. Milton Keynes [England]: Open University. Holmes, J. (2013). An introduction to sociolinguistics. 1st ed. Harlow: Pearson. Oxford English Dictionary. (2016). Middle English-an overview Oxford English Dictionary. [online] Available at: http://public.oed.com/aspects-of-english/english-in-time/middle-english-an-overview/ [Accessed 12 Mar. 2017]. Penhallurick, R. (2010). Studying the English language. 1st ed. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Sisam, K. (1975). Fourteenth century verse and prose. Ed. by Kenneth Sisam. (Repr.). 1st ed. Oxford: Clarendon P XLVII.

Artificial Intelligence in Gibsons Idoru and Oshiis Ghost in the Shel

Artificial Intelligence in Gibson's Idoru and Oshii's Ghost in the Shell      Ã‚   Introduction If people knew what scientists are up to, they would not be sleeping as calmly as they do today. If only they knew, they would read more carefully what the cyberpunk authors have to say.    The purpose of this work is not only to compare the pictures of Artificial Intelligence (hereafter referred to simply as AI) included in two major works of cyberpunk genre, but also to show the connection between those images and the reality we all live in or its nearest future.    So what is the future of AI depicted in cyberpunk works like? And if, as Sterling suggests, science-fiction writers pass on a cautionary message to the contemporary society in a satirical disguise, are these pictures really parallel to our reality? And if they are, should we be afraid?    The subject matter is Artificial Intelligence. The environments that house the AIs described hereafter are the environments of cyberpunk literature. To understand the findings and conclusions of this work, it is necessary to know the meaning of both these notions.    Defining Basic Notions: Introduction to cyberpunk    Cyberpunk has been present on the literary scene for almost twenty years now, being the most trendy and mainstream sub-genre of science-fiction and, although announced dead by some critics, has not been replaced by any other science-fiction movement so far. But how should we define what cyberpunk is and distinguish it from what is merely cyberpunkish? Appignanesi points out that the major feature of the cyberpunk world is a "total intrusion of technology into human lives" (129) and this may be used as a sufficient... ...iography Works cited Primary: 1. Gibson, William. Idoru. London: Penguin Books. 1997. 2. Ghost in the Shell. Dir. Mamoru Oshii. Masamune Shirow/Kodansha/Bandai Visual/Manga Entertainment. 1995. Secondary: 1. Appignanesi, Richard. Postmodernism for Beginners. Cambridge: Icon Books Ltd. 1995. 2. Buller, Andrzej. Sztuczny mà ³zg. To ju nie fantazje (Artificial Brain. Not a Fantasy Any More). Translation mine. Warszawa: Prà ³szy ski i S-ka. 1998. 3. Marciszewski Witold. Sztuczna inteligencja (Artificial Intelligence). Translation mine. Krakà ³w: SIW Znak. 1998. 4. Cyran Janusz, ed. "Requiem dla ludzko ci?" ("Requiem for Humanity?"). Translation mine. Nowa Fantastyka Oct. 1999: 74 76. 5. Anonymous collective work. The Cyberpunk Project. Authors' Definition. http://www.cyberpunkproject.org/idb/authors_definition.html. 1999.

Corporate Strategy †Zara Essay

The core concept of Zara’s business model is they sell â€Å"medium quality fashion clothing at affordable prices†, and vertical integration and quick-response is key to Zara’s business model. Through the entire process of Zara’s business system: designing, sourcing and manufacturing, distribution and retailing, they presented four fundamental success factors: short cycle time, small batches per product, extensive variety of product every season and heavy investment in information and communication technology. These four elements are involved in every aspect of the business. Zara’s Business Model Zara’s business model can be broken down into three basic components: concept, capabilities, and value drivers. Zara’s fundamental concept is to maintain design, production, and distribution processes that will enable Zara to respond quickly to shifts in consumer demands. Jose Maria Castellano, CEO of Inditex stated that â€Å"the fashion world is in constant flux and is driven not by supply but by customer demand. We need to give consumers what they want, and if I go to South America or Asia to make clothes, I simply can’t move fast enough. This highlights the importance of this quick response time to Zara’s operations. Capabilities of Zara, or the required resources needed to exploit the opportunities and execute this conceptual strategy, are numerous for Zara. Zara maintains tight control over their production processes keeping design and manufacturing in-house or with some strategic partnerships located nearby Headquarters. Currently, Zara maintains 80% of its production processes in Europe, 50% in Spain which is very close to La Coruna headquarters. They have strategic agreements with local manufacturers that ensure timely delivery and service. Through these strategic partnerships and the benefits brought by this proximity of manufacturing and operational processes, Zara maintains the flexibility necessary to design and produce over 12000 new items annually. This capability allows Zara to achieve their strategy of expedited response to consumer demand. Competitive Advantage Fundamental to Zara’s success is their commitment to rapid response in customer trends in fashion, producing clothing often and with short life spans (10 wears). Their commitment to this goal and the capabilities that they have developed to achieve it, have provided significant competitive advantage to Zara especially in the areas of product development, strategic partnerships and cost of production, advertising and marketing, and information technology infrastructure. The efficiencies and processes developed in these four functions differ significantly from their competitors and stand out in providing additional value and profitability to Zara. Product Development Zara’s unique approach to product development is instrumental to their success. Zara gives store managers significant autonomy in both determining the products to display in their stores and which to place on sale, and relaying market research and store trends back to their headquarters in La Coruna. At headquarters there are teams of commercials who take this information into account to design and effectively plan and produce all of Zara’s products. Zara maintains a design team of 200 people, all of which produce approximately 12,000 new styles per year for Zara. The process of obtaining market information and relaying it to design and production teams expedites product development by shortening the throughput time of a product to 3-4 weeks from design to distribution. This process is very different from its competitors. Many competitors rely on a small elite design team that plans both design and production needs well in advance. Stores have little autonomy in deciding which products to display or put on sale because Headquarters plans accordingly and ships quantities as forecasted. Zara’s speed to market in product development exceeds the capabilities of its competitors. This in itself provides additional value to stakeholders, customers, and stores in producing quality clothing at affordable prices . Zara’s product development capabilities are essential to Zara’s business strategy and future success. Strategic Partnerships and Cost of Production In comparison to competitors, Zara’s business strategy, in regards to strategic partnerships and cost of production, provide for a strategic competitive advantage. Zara, unlike its competitors such as Gap, Benetton, and H&M, does not use Asian outsourcing. Eighty percent of Zara’s materials are manufactured in Europe, with 50% made in Zara controlled facilities in the Galicia region of Spain near headquarters. Most of Zara’s competitors have 100% outsourcing to cheap Asian countries. Though the cost of production in Spain is 17-20% more expensive than Asia, Zara does have a competitive advantage over its competitors in regards to operations. The local strategic partnerships that Zara maintains with manufacturers in Europe allow for a product throughput time of 3-4 weeks from conception to distribution. To make this happen, the company designs and cuts its fabric in-house and it acquires fabrics in only four colours to keep costs low. The proximity of these suppliers gives Zara great flexibility in adapting their product lines based on up to date market trends and consumer behaviour. It also decreases costs of holding inventory. Zara’s competitors, through outsourcing to Asian countries such as China, sacrifice the benefits of proximity for low labour and production costs. Though there is a cost advantage in their approach in regards to labour, the lack of flexibility in changing orders based on current trends hinders their operational efficiencies. Inventory costs are higher for competitors because orders are placed for a whole season well in advance and then held in distribution facilities until periodic shipment to stores. This proximity effect and the flexibility that it gives Zara is fundamental to their basic concept to respond quickly to shifts in consumer demand and has provided them with a competitive edge in comparison to their peers. The striking thing is that Zara has found differences that matter to customers and differentiated itself from its competitors by performing key activities [in its supply chain] differently. It is this that sets challenges for competitors because they will not find it easy to imitate or equal Zara’s positioning and it is this achievement that has given Zara sustainable competitive differentiation and positioning. Through a clear focus and vision, Zara has tapped into the power of fashion. It has shortened conventional supply chain response from 5-7 month down to 2-2? onths and their customers are eagerly awaiting next week’s—take note, not next season’s new fashion! Zara maintains a strong relationship with their contractors and suppliers—viewing them as part of the company. Small and frequent shipments keep product inventories fresh and scarce—compelling customers to frequent the store in search of what’s new and to buy now because it will be gone tomorrow. To successfully react to consumers demands, design decisions are delayed as long as possible. In today’s competitive environment, Zara has shown that fine tuning the supply chain is no longer a strategic tool, but a necessity. It has shown that supply chain management can be managed provide sustainable competitive differentiation and positioning on the one hand and increase throughput, reduce inventories and operating expenses on the other. Decision-making is encouraged and bad decisions are not severely punished. Designers are trained to limit the number of reviews and changes, speeding up the development process and minimizing the number of samples made.

HR, Culture, and Business results

HR, Culture, and Business results Surveys show that Human Resources (HR) can add value and affect firms’ performances in other organizations than in others. HR may help a firm in several ways depending on changes in economic activities, employees’ challenges, employees, and other factors.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on HR, Culture, and Business results specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More According to Evans, and Pucik, HR has three faces in enhancing an organization culture and performance (Evans and Pucik, 2002). HR has the face of a builder. HR has to get the basics of managing human resources right and at the same time, ensure internal coherence. HR also serves the function of realignment. This ensures that the firm meets the demands of dynamic external environment. Changes in market activities, competition, or technological innovation require strategic realignment in an organization. In this regard, attention shifts to HR so as to adjust to the new techniques and strategies. This requires partnership with various departments. HRs third role is navigation or steering an organization. HR must focus on developing the capabilities of the firm and its workforce in order to excel in a dynamic business environment. This is a crucial and delicate role. HR must manage competitive forces of an organization in relation to long-term and short-term results, global realignment, and local changes. Mathis and Jackson note that HR must be at the center of enhancing a firm’s culture (Mathis and Jackson, 2011). Firms have the ability to use their employees as their core competency depending on the organizational culture. Employees must share values and beliefs that enhance meaning and behavior so as to promote the organizational culture. We can notice a firm’s culture in its values, behavior, ideologies, and symbols. Culture of an organization takes time to evolve and stabilize.Advertising Looking for cas e study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More There are HR values and cultures of an organization that are present in ways an organization treats it members both inside and outside the firm. These values and culture must exist among the senior executives of an organization. The firm may use its values to define business strategies, opportunities and focus on operational issues. Organizational culture becomes stable over time. Employees learn these cultures from senior management. We must note that values and cultures of an organization may or may not promote business results, and at the same time, may affect employees’ morale and performance, particularly in resolving conflicts. Organizational culture must enhance competitive advantage of the organization. Employees, executive and firm’s external customers must experience the culture of an organization. Organizational culture affects its servi ces, quality, productivity and business results (financial). Employees view culture of an organization as a factor that may influence attraction and retention of employees. In this regard, HR must align the organizational culture and its performance in the selection and retention of competent workers. Most organizations thrive on a culture of creativity and innovation as indicated by Google, UPS and Scripps Networks. Innovation and creativity can enhance an organizational culture. Organization should develop new products, acquire new businesses and strive to achieve globe presence with its competitive advantage. Google, Scripps Networks and UPS all have cultures of productivity. HR plays the essential roles in creating a culture that focuses on productivity and effectiveness. Organizations must reduce the cost of producing it services and products through effective processes. This way, productivity becomes a competitive advantage by enhancing business revenue growth. HR must recogni ze that productivity does not depend on a reduced number of employees. However, HR must look at productivity in terms of unit labor cost i.e. â€Å"dividing the average cost of workers by their average levels of output† (Mathis and Jackson, 2011).Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on HR, Culture, and Business results specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This helps the HR notice that relatively high wages still can make a firm economically competitive provided that the firm maintains high productivity levels. In order to create competitive advantage and business growth through productivity, HR should focus on a strategy of low unit labor cost. Firms with the regional and global presence like Google, UPS, and Scripps must evaluate their productivity and unit labor costs in all levels i.e. individual, departmental, organizational, country and global levels using HR metrics or key performance indicators. Google Lazio Bock, Google HR insists on enhancing business objectives through its works and creativity. Google HR focuses on the company’s organizational culture and business objectives. Google enables its employees to focus on productivity by being flexible to allow them work on various jobs. The company considers every employee a contributor. Google HR has innovative strategies that enhance the performance of the HR department by eliminating errors, and encouraging communication. Google encourages open innovation by encouraging every employee to be open and share ideas and opinions. Open innovation comes from the company culture of encouraging open communication. HR at Google encourages ability over experience in the selection and recruiting employees. The global presence also forces the company to focus on selecting a team that reflects global customers of the company. HR insists on selecting a team that aims at creating perfection. Google also encourages leisure activities when emplo yees are not at work. Google HR communicates organizational strategies, business results, and information of benefits to the employees regularly. Most of the company’s employees are also shareholders.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Therefore, they continuously want to know the company’s business results. Google’s HR shows how aligning the company’s objectives and strategies with the organizational culture can enhance performance and business growth. Scripps Networks This firm has a strong HR culture. The HR is responsible for creating the firm’s strategic goals and business efforts. HR of Scripps Network, Christopher Powell says that the company culture is â€Å"very inclusive, collaborative work place, with core values that include diversity, openness and shared responsibility†. In addition, Powell adds that â€Å"we pride ourselves on fostering an entrepreneurial environment. We work closely with leaders across the company to create opportunities for new approaches and new ideas to surface, including providing financial rewards to employees who offer creative solutions to problems or initiate new ideas that pay off†. The company also insists on enhancing leadership a t all levels. At the same time, the company strives to inculcate work-life balance by using technology and flexible schedules. UPS UPS focuses on customer service and attention to details. Mathis and Jackson notes that the company has corporate integrity, culture combined with the HR and employees. UPS strives to link its business objectives with the HR. the company has enhanced its communication by intranet to keep employees informed art all time. The company has a trend of creating a well-rounded management team, maintain its culture, and its customer service. The HR culture ensures that the employees review code of conduct relating to ethical difficulties and how they may respond in such circumstances. The three firms have different approaches in of using HR effectively to enhance business productivity. However, they also share aspects of innovation and creativity in enhancing productivity and business results. These firms also demonstrate how HR department is increasingly becomi ng vital for a success of an organization. References Evans, P. and Pucik, V. (2002). The Global Challenge: Frameworks for International Human Resource Management. New York: McGraw-Hill. Mathis, L. R. and Jackson, H. J. (2011). Human Resource Management, 13th ed. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning.

Raves and Drugs essays

Raves and Drugs essays Generally people associate raves(Underground Techno parties) with designer drugs like Ecstasy(MDMA), Speed(amphetamine) and other acids like LSD. These drugs are called the Techno Drugs for that reason and most of the time have uplifting and sensatory effects. To understand more clearly the relationship between the raves and these drugs, we first have to understand the philosophy behind the Techno era, and a little about the music. Techno, can lift the spirit and become a new world of freedom and peace"(D'Vox Magazine The first electronic music Magazine). Most raves are covered with propaganda about freedom, peace, spirituality and the like. It is no surprise why teens use these specific drugs at raves. "The effects of E, are like a journey to another world, a world of happiness, love and euphoria" (Ecstasy and Mental Health: Nerves or neurosis by Dr. Karl Jansen) These ravers, have many reasons to take E, for example " The music lends itself to the intake of drugs, drugs are co mmon in youth culture, teens need energy to dance all night, the rave scene is bombarded with all kinds of E" (Drug Information Database, www.pharmlink.org/designer/index.html/). "The media has given E and the rave scene a bad reputation, since 30 years ago music has been greatly united with drugs. For example Weed and Rock in the 60's and acid in the 70's." (E for Ecstasy by Nicolas Saunders, ch.1) Ecstasy is just a hard and dangerous as weed, "a drug that 1 out of every 3 highschool students in the American population have had experiences with." (Drug Information Database, www.pharmlink.org/stats/index/main.html/) "Why is E judged so harshly when the ecstasy related deaths can not compare with those related with legal drugs just like tabacco and alcohol." (E for Ecstasy by Nicolas Saunders, ch.2) Of course the media has a lot to do with it, the media takes all the negative effects and doesn't include the positive ones. " 29 volunteers w...

The Year 1000 essays

The Year 1000 essays In the year 2000, advanced scientific knowledge and advanced technological change has had a significant effect on the way we live compared to our ancestors who lived in the year 1000. Today we live in an industrial and technological society versus the primarily agricultural society of the year 1000. We enjoy mass produced consumer products and a standard of living undreamed of in the year 1000. But perhaps most significant, in the year 2000 we live in an information age. With our many forms of communication such as telephones, pagers, cell phones, the internet, radio, television and satellites it is possible for a nomad in the Arabian Desert to be as informed as an investment banker on Wall Street. We live in a wired world or to use a phrase coined by Marshall Mcluhan, we live in a Global Village. In contrast, most people in the year 1000 lived in small villages, or Burhs, usually consisting of a couple of dozen homes surrounding the village green. For these people, their little vill age, or hamlet, was their whole world. Undoubtedly, there are many aspects of life from the year 1000 that we would find familiar. Amongst other things, the family unit has remained a staple of modern living. Although the daily lifestyle of each family member has evolved to fit modern society, families still live together with their biological mother and father subject to divorce or adoption. Traditionally passed on through the family units from generation to generation is religion. Religion is a major part of daily life in almost every culture, as it was in the year 1000. However, scientific advancement has replaced much of the unknown that used to be accredited to Gods work. Similar to modern economy, free enterprises triumphed and businesses expanded accordingly(p. 88). Similar to todays stock market, entrepreneurs of the year 1000 were investing their money in other businesses with excess capital: ...

Baby-Boomer Retirement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Baby-Boomer Retirement - Essay Example Therefore the longer the working duration and the larger the number of earnings made, the higher the benefits received. Social security is, therefore, a vital part of a workers retirement plan. Â  After World War II, birth rates in the world tremendously increased. Statistics show that about 64million American children were born in the US during this period. The kids that were born between the years 1946 and 1964 were referred to as baby boomers. The large economic growth in the 90s is attributed to the boomers. In 2004, U.K boomers controlled 80% of U.K’s wealth. The majority of the workforce today is represented by this group (Walker, 2004). Â  Social security fund is designed in such a way that the benefits retirees of today get are paid from the contributions received from today’s working population. Over the years, the beneficiary to working population has been sustained because fewer people were retiring as compared to the number of people entering the workforce; thus the system was able to accumulate more revenues. Increase in life expectancy and the decrease in birth rates has posed a threat to the beneficiary-worker ratio; few people are now joining the workforce as compared to the many who are almost retiring. Â  In 1935, the year when social security funding was formulated, the life expectancy of a 65-year-old was 12.5years; in 2012 it had risen to 17.9 years and is projected to rise to 19.5 by the year 2030.The National Academy for Social Insurance projects that the beneficiary to worker ratio will rise to 46 percent by 2030. Â  There are fears that the massive onset of the boomer's retirement may bankrupt the system. This is because the surplus contributions made over the years will be used in paying out their benefits.

The Issue of Discrimination Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Issue of Discrimination - Essay Example The country has literally shed blood of innocent civilians to fight for few basic rights that are God-given. Racism and prejudice are clearly present through Terkel’s narration of Ellis as he projects his emotional level of prejudice, his self-justification, and his displaced aggression. One of the main concepts of prejudice and racism that is outlined in Ellis’s narration is his level of prejudice that is prevalent throughout his life. Vincent Parillo, author of Causes of Prejudices questions the whole essence of social categories of racism, which is then depicted in Terkel’s work. When people are nurtured in an environment where they are biased culturally against a group of individuals; they naturally assume that those views are correct. This can be no doubt detrimental as these perspectives are embraced and become the foundation for hatred. Prejudicial attitudes are prevalent amongst many groups and are a key catalyst towards conducing hatred. In this particul ar scenario, the narrator shows his hostility towards African Americans as he terrifies the young African American kid with a gun. The whole narration is brilliantly captured in this scenario below: Clearly, here his emotions got the best of him as he traumatized the African American kid without any remorse. Undoubtedly, his anger got the best of him as he held a hostile attitude for no logical reasoning. Clearly one cannot conduct an analysis of the root causes of prejudices without understanding the true cognitive roots of the psychology that individuals possess regarding this issue. The psychological approach to this issue tends to mainly focus on the levels of prejudice, self-justification, personality and frustrations that become key components of this issue.  Again, Ellis is the remarkable example of that as he joins the KKK to self-justify his actions. The human nature undoubtedly in many matters is to self-justify their actions from their own reasoning. Self-justifying hat red and racism is derived to logical thinking that humans are blessed with. However, philosophers argue that humans although have the great capacity of justifying the wrong reasoning for our actions. A brilliant example of this is prevalent throughout history. The genocide of Jews that occurred during World War II serves as a dark reminder of how an extremist group can rally for support and modify the perspective of a huge society. Another classical example can be seen throughout the reign of the Crusaders in which the Muslims and the Jews suddenly were public enemies for the name of Christ. Sociologists tend to emphasize the fact that self-justification can work the other way too.   A great example of a self-justifying group can be clearly seen through the rise and the terror caused by the KKK. The re-enlightenment of the second era had many different views than its predecessors. Post 1920, the Klan grew a strong membership of 4 to 5 million. Unlike the first Klan movement in the reconstruction era, it extended beyond the traditional motives. The second wave of the Klan continued to focus national agendas at hand that went beyond the agrarian economy. Since the Klan compromised majority of white and Protestant, it was vital that they

What should Paul do to determine how Plastec compares with other area Essay

What should Paul do to determine how Plastec compares with other area employers in terms of wages and benefits - Essay Example Compensation administration is a section of   human resources focusing on planning, organizing, and controlling the payments that staff gets for the work they carry out. Compensation includes direct forms such as merit, incentive and base pay and indirect forms such as holiday pay, health insurance and deferred imbursement. The final objectives of compensation supervision are: proficient maintenance of a productive  labor force,  just pay, and agreement with state, federal and local regulations based on what companies can meet the expense of. It is a major concern and drawback for Plastec that their turnover has increased. This could further affect their production and the development of the company. Plastec needs to critically analyze their employees working conditions and point out where they lack. One of the reasons for the workers resignation is better packages that are being offered by other companies. Having a sound knowledge of the environment is very crucial for the com pany. Plastec offers less money and health insurance than other companies do. The job is also stagnant as some workers pointed, â€Å"there was no place to go†.   How could Plastec use variable pay to motivate its machine operators to stay? To increase their productivity?     Variable pay, also famous as "pay for performance", is given for particular performance results rather than for routine time worked. While incentives are  not  the answer to all personnel challenges, they can contribute much to motivate the employee. Plastec could use it effectively to enhance the performance of its workers. It is natural instinct of humans to strive for reward, thus variable pays would be a good source of motivation. They could give a month’s free health services, extra pay for over time, or form and evaluate different work groups and rewards on who performs the best. Such positive competition would make them work harder and increase their productivity (Variable Pay: Ho w to manage it effectively, 2011). The majority of the machine operators are in their mid to late forties, some with families, and some without. What types of benefits would you suggest offering?   To make an employee work effectively and efficiently, a company needs to offer him some benefits. One way of keeping a worker content is by offering him bonuses with competitive salaries. Though salary is one of the important incentives that keeps employee satisfied with his job, but it can be the least effective. People eventually get used to their paychecks and increased salary fails to keep the morale of the workers high. Giving out a bonus when employee’s performance is outstanding encourages him to work better (Marr, n.d.). As, majority of the machine operators are in their late or mid forties, there is a very thin chance of them switching jobs. They must be offered retirement benefits. Middle-aged workers usually place a high value on good retirement plans. Employees must b e given reasonable healthcare, vacation days and sick and annual leave. When going out of station for meetings or conferences, the married employees must be allowed to take their spouses with them if feasible. Which employment laws or regulations should Paul pay the most attention to and why? When Paul joined the business firm, the owners gave him two instructions, â€Å"use HR to keep us staffed up so we can grow† and â€Å"keep us out of court†. Hence, it is very essential for Paul to see that the organization is carefully following all the rules and regulations and is free from employee discrimination and harassment. Ensuring the prevention of discrimination and harassment is not just the right thing to do, it is a good business decision. Organizations can avoid costly lawsuits, fines, and settlements by fostering a workplace that is free from harassment and discrimination. The first step is to hire the right people for a specific job to be performed. The workforce hired should be diverse and

Strategic Management Unit 4DB Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Strategic Management Unit 4DB - Essay Example the company is committed to contribute to waste reduction, resource preservation, efficient use of energy and making fuel-efficient vehicles (General Motors, 2014; Crumm, 2010). In order to remain on track with its environmental policies, General Motors establishes relations with the communities that host its operations in setting up ways of increasing efficiency in energy use. For example, in Michigan, it collaborates with DTE Energy both inside and outside its plants. The company shares tips on how to manage, in a better way, negative environmental impacts through its official website. General Motors has designed a blueprint for adopting landfill-free way of life. To promote safety, General Motors China conducted a Safe Road Project that sensitized people to wear safety belts and drive safely. General Motors recycles waste in an endeavour to remain committed to the zero-waste campaign. The company uses 37 MW of solar energy in a number of its facilities in order to promote efficient energy use (General Motors, 2014; Crumm, 2010). General Motors’ commitments to the environment are universal. It channels many of its resources to the making of vehicles that have reduced environmental pollution impact. Auto companies have been using solar energy in promoting efficient energy use. Waste recycle is one of the most common ways of reducing environmental pollution used by people even beyond auto making business (General Motors, 2014; Crumm,

Review Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Review - Research Paper Example d the design, the InAlAs-InGaAs-lnP lattice matched epitaxial layers were developed by the organo metallic vapor phae epitaxy on the lnP:Fe substrate. The layer structure consisted of 25nm lnP:Fe buffer layer, a 50nm ln(Ga,AL) graded layer, 300-nm n+ -InP:Si (6 10 cm ohmic contact layer and a 50-nm InAlAs Schottky-barrier enhancement layer. The graded layer was incorporated into the structure to remove conduction and valence band discontinuities that tend to degrade the high frequency performance citric acid:H202 was used to achieve an anisotropic mesa etch (Wohlmuth, Seo, Fay, Caneau, &. Adesida, 2). The etch profile enabled a Ti: Au interconnection between the top ITO Schotty contact and the microwave probe pads. RF magnetron was used to deposit the ITO film (thickness 320nm, refractive index of 2.05) sputtering in the argon environment. The experimental results showed that the device had a low knee voltage of about 0.39v, which is in accordance to the background doping concentration of 4x1014 cm-3 (Wohlmuth et al, 2). The responsive of the devices was between 0.55-0.60 A/W at wavelength of 1.31 mm and 0.563-0.583 for 1.55 mm at a bias of 5V. The dark current density of the Schottky contact increased as the diameter of the devices was reduced. This implied that the dark current of the devices is due to the surface-state conduction on the edges of the mesa rather than across the barrier contact (Wohlmuth, Seo, Fay, Caneau, &. Adesida, 3). At 100 mm, the lowest dark current was exhibited at 8.87x10-5 A/cm-2 at a bias of 5V. The frequency of the device was determined using the HP83420A light wave test set of wavelength 1.55 mm, 50ohm characteristic impedance. The 3-dB cutoff frequency at 10V for 11, 50, 25, 20, 15 diameter devices was found to be 2.5, 10.3, 21.2, 23.7, 25GHZ respectively. The high responsiveness was up to 0.60A/W for 1.31 light and 0.583 A/W for 1.55 mm (Wohlmuth, Seo, Fay, Caneau, &. Adesida, 4). The paper aimed at investigating the

Refraction of Light Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Refraction of Light - Research Paper Example Refraction refers to the property by which light bends when it travels from rarer to a denser or from a denser to a rarer medium. If a ray of light is travelling from a denser to a rarer medium, say from glass to air it bends away from the normal. If the ray of light travels from a rarer to a denser medium, it bends towards the normal. The phenomenon of refraction of light is governed by laws known as Laws of Refraction. When a ray of light traverses from one medium to another, the direction and the angle by which it bends is determined by these laws. The first law of refraction states that the incident ray, the refracted ray and the normal all lie in the same plane (Walker et al, 2010) The second law is prime factor for determining the direction of the refracted ray. This law is popularly known as Snell’s law. According the this law the direction of the refracted ray depends on the ratio of speed of light in the two mediums. Light travels with different speeds in different mediums. Most materials have refractive indices of their own which primarily depends on the wavelength of light. The refractive index of any material is given by the ratio of the speed of light travelling of light in that medium by the speed of light travelling in vacuum. Optically dense medium are those that have a high refractive index while those materials whose refractive indices are almost near to 1 are known as optically rare media (Haynes, 2014) When light travels from a medium of higher refractive index to a medium of lower refractive index, the path taken by the light rays is dependent on the angle of incidence. If the angle of incidence exceeds beyond a certain value the refracted ray does not travel to another medium but in fact returns back into the same medium. This phenomenon is known as total internal reflection and the angle of incidence is known as the critical angle. Critical angle is also known as the limit angle and is defined as the angle

Strategic Management Unit 4DB Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Strategic Management Unit 4DB - Essay Example the company is committed to contribute to waste reduction, resource preservation, efficient use of energy and making fuel-efficient vehicles (General Motors, 2014; Crumm, 2010). In order to remain on track with its environmental policies, General Motors establishes relations with the communities that host its operations in setting up ways of increasing efficiency in energy use. For example, in Michigan, it collaborates with DTE Energy both inside and outside its plants. The company shares tips on how to manage, in a better way, negative environmental impacts through its official website. General Motors has designed a blueprint for adopting landfill-free way of life. To promote safety, General Motors China conducted a Safe Road Project that sensitized people to wear safety belts and drive safely. General Motors recycles waste in an endeavour to remain committed to the zero-waste campaign. The company uses 37 MW of solar energy in a number of its facilities in order to promote efficient energy use (General Motors, 2014; Crumm, 2010). General Motors’ commitments to the environment are universal. It channels many of its resources to the making of vehicles that have reduced environmental pollution impact. Auto companies have been using solar energy in promoting efficient energy use. Waste recycle is one of the most common ways of reducing environmental pollution used by people even beyond auto making business (General Motors, 2014; Crumm,

Refraction of Light Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Refraction of Light - Research Paper Example Refraction refers to the property by which light bends when it travels from rarer to a denser or from a denser to a rarer medium. If a ray of light is travelling from a denser to a rarer medium, say from glass to air it bends away from the normal. If the ray of light travels from a rarer to a denser medium, it bends towards the normal. The phenomenon of refraction of light is governed by laws known as Laws of Refraction. When a ray of light traverses from one medium to another, the direction and the angle by which it bends is determined by these laws. The first law of refraction states that the incident ray, the refracted ray and the normal all lie in the same plane (Walker et al, 2010) The second law is prime factor for determining the direction of the refracted ray. This law is popularly known as Snell’s law. According the this law the direction of the refracted ray depends on the ratio of speed of light in the two mediums. Light travels with different speeds in different mediums. Most materials have refractive indices of their own which primarily depends on the wavelength of light. The refractive index of any material is given by the ratio of the speed of light travelling of light in that medium by the speed of light travelling in vacuum. Optically dense medium are those that have a high refractive index while those materials whose refractive indices are almost near to 1 are known as optically rare media (Haynes, 2014) When light travels from a medium of higher refractive index to a medium of lower refractive index, the path taken by the light rays is dependent on the angle of incidence. If the angle of incidence exceeds beyond a certain value the refracted ray does not travel to another medium but in fact returns back into the same medium. This phenomenon is known as total internal reflection and the angle of incidence is known as the critical angle. Critical angle is also known as the limit angle and is defined as the angle

Jeep and Social Media Essay Example for Free

Jeep and Social Media Essay In recent years, social media has become an incredibly important tool with which people communicate. Young and old people alike use Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and blogs to relay messages and connect with one another. However, these platforms are no longer used by individuals solely. More and more companies have begun to use social media to reach out to current and future customers and to advertise themselves. It is not uncommon for company Facebook pages and Twitter feeds to have a large number of subscribers or followers nowadays. One company that uses social media quite effectively is Jeep. The company uses outlets like Facebook, MySpace, and YouTube to reach out to their customers and try to capture new ones. Jeep uses social media to target a different type of audience than most companies. Whereas many firms would be trying to capture new customers, Jeep is more devoted to engaging existing customers and connecting Jeep owners. In doing this, Jeep’s target audience consists mainly men and women who are of driving age. There are a few other qualifications though. One of the attractions of a Jeep is the ruggedness and outdoorsy image that it embodies. Therefore, the target audience that Jeep tries to reach through it’s social media usage would most likely include those that are interested in a number of outdoor activities. In addition, though the Jeeps are sold to customers of any age, it seems that most users of social media are in the younger generations. While this is currently beginning to change, it is reasonable to believe that Jeep’s social media is targeted more towards younger Jeep owners – most likely those customers whose age lies in the range of the early teens to the late thirties. As already mentioned, Jeep’s focus is not really to attract new customers but to provide existing owners with a number of different ways to connect with eachother and with the company itself. Establishing these connections is where the interactivity of Jeep’s social media platforms comes into play. The main parts of Jeep’s social media are the Jeep Facebook page, the Jeep MySpace page, the Jeep Twitter feed, the official Flickr group, the Jeep YouTube account, and an online community titled â€Å"Come Together†. All of these places are used as exchanges where Jeep owners and enthusiasts can interact with one another. These interactions consist of uploading and viewing photos and videos to the Flickr and YouTube accounts, commenting on interesting segments on the â€Å"Come Together† community site, or talking to each other on the Facebook and MySpace pages. While there are not many contests or downloads that Jeep tries to push on visitors to their sites, visitors are strongly encouraged to post photos and comments relating to their personal experiences with the company. I have personally worked in a company that makes and sells aftermarket Jeep accessories and have seen firsthand how proud and involved Jeep owners can be over their Jeeps. Therefore, it is not surprising that these sites and social media platforms are often very successful in getting viewers to post photos, videos, and comments about their Jeeps and any others they see on the sites. There is no real advertising for products taking place on these social media sites. Instead, the sites act merely as an exchange of ideas and opinions between customers and the company. However, this is an example of a very good product marketing strategy. When site visitors view pictures of other Jeep owners’ vehicles, they may often see products on the other vehicles that they like and become interested in purchasing. This will often lead to sales of Jeep accessories without any real advertising expenses incurred by the company. Reviews, photos, and videos from actual customers serve to enhance the products in other people’s minds and indirectly lead to visitors purchasing goods. Traditional advertising is also integrated in all of these social media sites. All of Jeep’s current regular television commercials are posted on both the YouTube and MySpace pages. Print ads can also be found on the MySpace page. However, while traditional advertising can be found in many places on Jeep’s social media sites, it is not the focus. Jeep uses these sites more to promote connectivity between the customers. It seems as though they want visitors to forget that all these sites are part of a corporate marketing strategy; instead they want to promote the idea that the sites are merely a way for owners to exchange photos and stories about their experiences with the Jeeps they have bought. The company is not trying to push new products down the customers’ throats but rather is interested in hearing about the likes and dislikes that the customers have. I believe that this dedication to engaging the customer is part of what makes Jeep owners so devoted to the company. Therefore, Jeep’s social media platform is very effective at doing what the company sets out to do.

Studying Industrial Engineering and Management | Reflection

Studying Industrial Engineering and Management | Reflection During the past four years, I studied industrial engineering with specialization in electronics at Ostend. The emphasis of my studies was understanding the fundamental electronic principles that govern modern day electronics. But I also learned about other diverse topics such as safety, economics, and industrial management. I found the last topic, industrial management, to be very interesting and exciting, because one of my career aspirations is to participate in the senior management of an industrial company. To further my career aspiriations of becoming part of a senior management team, I want to obtain a Masters Degree in Industrial Management. Having this knowledge will allow me to better understand management principles. With all the uncertainty and changes in with world, political, economic, and technological, I believe that management must have a solid understanding, supported by a strong academic foundation, of how to guide companies through these challenging times. No education is complete without experience. Armed with a solid understanding of academic principles, I can begin my career where I will add to my experience. Because I will be well versed in the theory, I will be able to adapt and modify the theoretical constructs as required in order to meet my companys needs. I fully recognize that our political, economic, and technological environments are constantly changing, and thus management needs to be able to adapt quickly and accurately to the new conditions if the company is to survive, let alone prosper. I believe obtaining a Masters Degree will provide the necessary background for me to be to anticipate and react to ever-changing environments. I have completed my four year Bachelor of Technology program at the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay. I graduated in July 1998 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Many of my courses and research activities in the final year were in the field of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research with a strong focus on production and operations management. I am presently working in Tata Technologies India Ltd., an information technology firm that is involved in the areas of enterprise integration and CAD/CAM. I am applying for admission and financial aid to the Ph.D. program in Operations Management at the Krannert Graduate School of Management, Purdue University. Detailed information about my academic record and my research and other experience is attached to this statement. I was introduced to mathematics and the physical sciences while at school and it was in high school that I considered a career in this area. The desire to study the applied physical sciences and mathematics prompted me to take the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) for admission to the Indian Institutes of Technology. I was ranked in the top 0.25 % of the nearly 1,00,000 students who took the examination. My undergraduate education at IIT Bombay has not only given me a certain set of skills but has also helped me understand my fields of interest and my academic strengths and weaknesses. This understanding has made me realize that though the applied physical sciences appeal to me, my strengths lie in applied mathematics and in abstractions of reality. In particular, I am interested in the managerial aspects of industrial and technological systems. This interest developed during my junior year seminar titled Productivity Management in which I explored the relationship between manufacturing strategy and productivity improvement. I continued further research in this area through my senior year project titled Decision Support System for Quality Control which sought to investigate various decision making mechanisms in the quality function and provide corresponding computer support. The project also enabled me to appreciate the interaction between manufacturing and the other functions of the firm especially information systems. The reading of certain outstanding books during the course of my research such as Skinners Manufacturing in the Corporate Strategy, Demings Out of the Crisis and Goldratts The Goal finally convinced me to pursue a Ph.D. in operations management and an academic career thereafter. My past work in the area of industrial engineering and operations research was characterised by a dichotomy of approaches. The courses that I took in this area dealt with various operational and tactical issues. The basic aim was to understand a specific problem, model the problem appropriately and find an optimal or reasonably optimal solution using the techniques of operations research. This has given me a good background in issues related to methodology, modelling, and heuristic solutions. On the other hand, my research has been oriented towards strategic issues. The basic thrust of my junior year seminar and senior year project has been integrative. Through my future research efforts I would like to understand this dichotomy better. Initially, I want to study rigorous model-based methods and do research on operational and tactical topics. After gaining a thorough grounding in these topics, I am interested in applying the same methodologies and techniques to strategic topics in op erations management. I believe that I have the qualities to be a good researcher and teacher. I am a creative person and often think in a contemplative way about various issues of practical importance. Being able to identify patterns and relationships that are not obvious to others is perhaps my greatest strength. This will prove very valuable because an integral part of being a researcher and teacher is to perceive the balance between theory and practice, analytical rigor and intuition. My communication skills are good and I like expressing ideas and concepts both in oral and written form an ideal platform for the dissemination of knowledge in my chosen field of specialization. The Krannert Graduate School of Management is one of the best schools of management in the world with a strong orientation towards research. The diversity of research interests in the operations management group is of particular interest to me. The eminent faculty and the individualized nature of the doctoral program will definitely bring out the best in me. I would like to reiterate that I possess the background, the ability and the motivation to make a significant contribution to Operations Management. I hope you will take a favorable decision regarding my admission to the Ph.D. program and I look forward to joining the Krannert Graduate School of Management and Purdue University. ============== Like most young kids in computer science, my first interest was in computer graphics. I remember my interest in graphics led me to build a single player Tic-Tac-Toe game with some nice graphics and show it off to my friends. However, I soon realized that my Tic-Tac-Toe is actually quite stupid and almost always lost to my friends. I started working on it and made it more intelligent so that it never loses to anyone, and wins most of the times. I didnt realize that I was working on Artificial Intelligence at that time, but thats how my interest in AI started growing. Since then my exposures, associations with clubs, readings, and undergraduate work all have served to push me into deciding to study, research, teach and discover different aspects of AI, particularly those that connect computer science with robotics, and logic-based planning under incomplete knowledge. I am now completely taken in by the challenge of solving complex problems, and making generalizations and relationships that concern writing programs which will make machines think, analyze and learn. AI excites me also because its becoming a potpourri of all kinds of knowledges. Apart from AI I have also developed a keen interest on Bioinformatics through my undergraduate research work during the last few months. Bioinformatics is an area I didnt know much about. However, since I started my research on sequence analysis, I have got more and more interested on this area, particularly on processes by which a genes information can be converted into the functions of a cell. Life outside classes has been quite exciting for me and I am really enjoying my research work under Dr. Gurpur M. Prabhu. I am currently working on a project on sequence analysis of DNA and then predict functions of the resulting protein. The idea we are working on is to use Conways Look and Say Sequence and incorporate some of its properties in the DNA sequence. The first obvious difference between the two is that Conways sequence contains primarily three characters (1, 2, 3), whereas there are four characters (A, T, C, G) to deal with in the DNA sequence. I first tried to see whether its possible to generate characters other than those three, for example 0 or 4. I proved that its not possible for any other character to appear in the successors of the original string, unless it was present in the original string itself. Another interesting property of the Conways Sequence is its 92 audioactive elements, just like elements in the normal periodic table and the concept of compound that can be formed using these elements. I am currently working on a program which tests and verifies the similarity of the properties of these elements with the real world elements. Recently I found that though the compound MgCl cannot exist in the real world (only MgCl2 exists), this compound can be formed using Conways elements. I am currently also working on a semester long research project for an AI course on developing artificial intelligence for the game Othello, also known as Reversi. I am particularly focusing on the evaluation function and the search techniques. I also discovered that the mobility of the opponent is crucial to the strategy. The idea is to make a move that will restrict the possible moves of the opponent. I am using alpha beta search for this problem. I discovered that finding the better move towards the beginning cuts off many moves and thus makes it faster. Currently I am working on this algorithm to order the moves so that the better moves come first. I also plan to make it learn inductively in the next step. Another project I recently started under Dr. Prabhu is on a concept called negative-language. At times it is easier to define something by saying what its not than what it is. One such example is justice; its easier to say what justice isnt than what it is. I am using Disjunctive logic programming to work on this problem using DLVk Java Wrapper. Often its easier to decide whether a particular solution is optimal or not, than to find the optimal solution. Our goal is to solve this kind of problems effectively. Now I am also closing in on a yet another watershed decision in my life of studying higher and deeper into the area of computer science and get into research in fields like AI, or Bioinformatics. Under the Ph.D. program I will get enough scope to translate my thinking and ideas to reality by application to the real problem. This will build up my self-confidence if I am successful. Otherwise, if I fail in a particular application I will get scope to find the reasons and modify it in the next step. Actually, Im looking forward to an in-depth and challenging hands-on experience in my Ph.D. career. Being on a Ph.D. program will also provide me the opportunity to attend conferences and symposium on my chosen area and I will be able to listen to the experts in the area as well as have interactions with them. This will certainly enable me to enrich my knowledge and keep myself updated on the recent developments. Moreover, I believe that the Ph.D. program will help me to enhance my independ ent thinking and analysis of a problem. This will be of much importance to me in the next career step, when I aspire to take up my own problem and build up own group. I believe, doing my Ph.D. in University of California, Santa Barbara will expose me to a deeper area of my chosen topic and will provide me a much optimized environment to expand my knowledge on the subject through associations and interactions with my supervisor and other faculty experts in the department. My reasons of choosing University of California, Santa Barbara are three. First, this university offers a wonderful Ph.D. program in Bioinformatics and Artificial Intelligence; two, it has an acclaimed network of closely working labs that engage in lots of sponsored research Bioinformatics and Artificial Intelligence. On my own, I am interested in doing something in areas like Active Logic, Metacognitive Computation, Simple Hierarchical Ordered Planning, and Sequence Analysis of DNA and all of these are very much there in University of California, Santa Barbara in some variant or other. And third, most importantly, presence of professors like Dr. Ambuj Singh, Dr. Tobias Hollerer, Dr. Terrence Smith, and Dr. Matthew Turk who have been passionately working in the field of Bioinformatics and Artificial Intelligence also influenced me a lot. The presence of these factors led to University of California, Santa Barbara being my preferred choice. If I do my Ph.D. from University of California, Santa Barbara, I will have the opportunity of interacting with them, and who knows, of even working with them on a path breaking idea. ========== When introduced to economics in high school I realized that it interestingly qualified as a subject of both Arts and Science. It was an area defined by precise rules, principles and axioms and yet there was tremendous scope for self-expression in the form of interpretation and analysis. This facet of economics intrigued me very much and I decided to pursue further studies in Economics. During my Masters program I equipped myself as best as I could, with various tools used in economic analysis. I obtained rigorous training in mathematics, econometrics and game theory. After completing the Masters program, I joined National Institute of Public Finance and Policy, as I was very eager to see how one might use economics to tackle real life problems, where simplified models, and assuming away of problems may offer no respite. I did some very interesting work here, which is described in my resume. I want to delve deeper into the subject to be able to carry out independent research and analysis, hence my decision to join the Ph.D. program at UCLA. International Economics is an area I would really like to explore. I am fascinated by game theoretic modeling of issues pertaining to International Economics. I believe that game theoretic models can be effectively used in international economics as many policy issues such as negotiations over mutual reductions in tariffs, formation and preservation of customs unions, establishment of cartels in the case of internationally traded goods, all have some game theoretic character. The current Regionalism versus Multilateralism debate holds its own attraction. It should be interesting to analyze the trade diversion effects of Preferential Trading Agreements and also their impact on multilateral institutions like GATT. The strategic trading that takes place in foreign exchange markets and the variety of auction like mechanisms that have been used for foreign exchange trade, especially in developing countries, are intriguing. During my graduate studies I aim to equip myself with some advanced tools and develop my analytical and research capabilities. I want to get an excellent command over econometrics to be able to confront stochastic statistical data with exact models of economic theories and also for empirical verification of other models, which might otherwise be set in a partial equilibrium framework. I expect to emerge as an economic engineer and an expert in model building.Econometrics per se, also interests me as a subject of economics and I might like to research in econometric methodology. I want to be an academic economist. I have cleared the National Eligibility test conducted by the University Grants Commission of India, which makes me eligible to teach an undergraduate course in economics in any Indian university. I want to study at UCLA, as it emphasizes on the rigor and analytical tools that are necessary for academic research. I have well-developed analytical and mathematical skills and I want to exploit these skills to the greatest extent. I feel the help and guidance that can be provided to me by the distinguished faculty of your university will be invaluable. I am sure if I am given the opportunity to study at your university that attracts some of the best students from all over the world, it will provide an environment competitive enough to bring out the best in me. =============== wish to become an accomplished academic researcher in the field of strategic management and I am convinced that the XXXX School of  Business is the best context for me to pursue studies at the doctoral level. My professors have all encouraged me to continue my studies of  management and I am confident that I will be successful in this quest. Several of my professors as well as colleagues have suggested that  XXXX might be a great location for me to pursue my doctoral work. My business experience is a prominent factor in my qualifications  since I have worked as a consultant at one of Koreas leading strategy-consulting firms. I am most pleased with the way that I have been  able to help my clients organizations perform better. And I have also been engaged in research for several years Throughout my Masters program at XXXX University, I struggled to refine my analytical skills and research capabilities concerning  strategic management, organization, and international business, resting on a solid foundation of statistics and methodology. My most relevant  academic experience in research has been assisting Professor XXXX in writing a report on XXXXs core competence. This experience has  helped me to better understand that research is what means most to me in my professional life. Writing my masters thesis was also a most  important learning experience preparing me for doctoral study. The thesis investigated factors influencing founder-CEO replacements in  venture companies and in Korean entrepreneurial firms. Drawing on three different perspectives, namely the organizational life cycle,  founder-CEO characteristics, and founder-CEOs power, I developed a conceptual framework and collected data from DART, the  electronic disclosure system of the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS); the Company Data XXXX, and KINDS, the database of the Korea  Press Foundation. This was the first study of this kind to be conducted in Korea, since it dealt with event-history analysis performed using  STATA. This study is now under second review at the Korean Management Review and I am presenting an updated English version at the  5th Asia Academy of Management (AAoM) this December. I profoundly enjoyed all phases of the research process, especially developing  hypothesis, the collection of data, and running statistical analyses-as well as drawing conclusions. I am especially enamored with the  discussion of critical issues in management with professors and colleagues. My thesis resulted in a study now under second review at the  Korean Management Review, indisputably the top management journal in Korea, and I am presenting an updated English version at the 5th  Asia Academy of Management (AAoM) meeting this December. I am very pleased tha t my academic research has been appreciated by  renowned researchers in the field. I look forward to learning a great deal more about corporate governance in the Ph.D. program at the XXXX School of Business, especially  topics related to CEOs and top management teams. Building on my previous research, I want to continue to study the consequences of  founder-CEO replacement, and how entrenched CEOs influence a firms performance. I am interested in the management of innovation and  technology and would like to investigate how different technology acquisition strategies, including networks, lead to innovation and, in turn,  to competitive advantage in the high-tech industry. I am also fascinated by the knowledge management strategy of multinational  corporations, the field of expertise of my thesis advisor Professor XXXX. The first academic research I engaged in was a project commissioned by the XXXX Bank. As a Senior at XXXX University, Professor XXXX asked me to assist him with his investigation of the reasons behind a recent surge of Korean patents in the US. My responsibility  was to write a case study on the Korean semiconductor industry, which played a central role in increased patents. I wrote a qualitative case  in English along with four other graduate students and learned invaluable teamwork skills. This study was published in 2003 as a research  report What is Behind the Surge in Korean Patenting? by the XXXX Bank. I also assisted Professor XXXX with his study of XXXXs  core competence from multiple perspectives. Through collaboration with the XXXX Economic Research Institute (XERI), I was  responsible for conducting literature reviews on various topics including but not limited to core competence, synergy, corporate  governance, diversification, and organizational learning and I presented my findings at weekly meetings. The result of this research XXXX  Way: The Great Transformation of XXXX since the 1990s was published as a research report in 2004. I am presently working as a research assistant at the Graduate School of Business Administration at XXXX University. I am assisting  Professor XXXX with his research on the knowledge management strategy of multinational corporations, which is a collaborative work  with Professor XXXX of XXXX. This research examines the internationalization process of RD activities of US, European, and Asian  companies from an evolutionary perspective. My main responsibility is to conduct research on each companys internationalization process  according to functional areas and collect quantitative data ready for analysis. During this process, I am learning how to manage a joint  research project and gaining familiarity with Japanese databases such as XXXX, XXXX, and XXXX. I feel strongly that my studies, coupled with my research experience, have provided me with a diverse set of knowledge and skills that  make me an excellent candidate for doctoral study in this field. My enthusiasm and good cheer, coupled with sound fundamentals in  management theory will provide me with the driving force that I will need to be a successful life-long researcher. I am fascinated by the management of innovation and technology. On the one hand, I am interested in how different technology acquisition  strategies, such as alliances, acquisitions, and networks, lead to innovation and, in turn, to competitive advantage. And I am deeply intrigued  by the characteristics and influence of network effects of internet-based industries, especially online game companies and the social  network service (SNS) providers. I also wish to become more in tune with the knowledge management strategy of multinational companies  I have discovered that my academic interests fit especially well with the research interests of outstanding faculty members in the area of  management and organization at the XXXX School of Business. I especially value XXXXs emphasis of the importance of and support for  teaching excellence. As someone who very much wants to become a professor, I think that being an effective educator is as important as  being an important rese archer. I am attracted by the fact that XXXXs undergraduate program provides an opportunity for many graduate  students to gain invaluable teaching experience. I also admire XXXXs supportive environment for research. At XXXX, I am confident that  I will develop invaluable research and teaching skills while having the privilege to interact with attentive professors and intellectually-gifted  colleagues. I hope to teach at a school of business in the United States, where I plan to struggle to add my name to the long list of distinguished  scholars that have come from your program. I sincerely believe that the Ph.D. program at the XXXX School of Business is the best match  for my strong motivation. I have no doubt that I have made the right choice to spend five years at XXXX as a Ph.D. student. I have found  that my academic interests fit well with the research areas of the outstanding faculty and resources of XXXX, including the Center for  Global Business and the Center for Human Capital, Technology, and Innovation. I value XXXXs support for interdisciplinary learning. I  would like to use this opportunity to advance my understandings in a variety of specific areas in the field of management, and gain expertise  knowledge in economics which I believe will be of foundational importance for my future study. Finally, and of primary importance, I  admire XXXXs dynamic supp ort for research. I strongly believe that one of the most important elements in pursuing a successful  academic career is to have a good mentor who can closely guide you academically, and in person, as well. I am confident that I will develop invaluable research and teaching skills while interacting with attentive professors and intellectually-gifted  colleagues. After graduation, I will seek an academic career at a leading American business school. I would like to see myself publishing at  top journals and winning teaching awards for teaching excellence and, in the long run, I hope to positively add to the reputation of XXXX  by adding my name to its long list of prominent scholars. I want to thank you for consideration of this application. ============= Ever since I was a child I have been concerned with poverty, not my own poverty, but that of others, especially in Third World or  developing countries. This concern led me to develop a profound fascination with the study of economics, the inequality between  developed and developing countries, in particular, and a search for creative directions in which to foster economic development on an  international level. Now, I very much want to push ahead with this interest, studying towards a graduate degree in economics. I have  chosen to apply to XXXX University for several reasons, especially the renown of the faculty for exploring questions of economic  development in creative ways. I am also especially attracted to the highly international character of this university, along with its  cosmopolitan location near the heart of Los Angeles. I have long been interested in international economics and international relations because my life has been always affected by them. While in  junior high school, I had a chance to visit North Korea for three months for a music/performing arts exchange. Although I stayed in Pyong  Yang, the capital of North Korea, I witnessed great poverty-many local people wearing ragged clothes, and very thin malnourished  children searching for food in the streets. All information was totally controlled by the government and people do not have economic and  political freedom. I was so shocked by the disparity in North Korea and by the large gap between the living conditions in Japan. During my freshman year in university in Japan, I participated in a two-week summer school program at XXXX University in Thailand. Although the political and economic structure of Thailand is more open to the rest of the world than North Korea, economy has not  developed as other Asian countries such as Japan, China and South Korea. While visiting a HOYA factory, which is one of the major  firms for the lenses, I learned that such factories had recently greatly expanded by developed countries through the exploitation of third  world countries. It is time for us to reconsider our economic system and renovate the alternative methods of economic development. While in undergraduate, I had a great opportunity to present my research on sex trafficking at the annual spring symposium. A great  number of women in the third world countries are engaged in human trafficking (human trading) and sex industry as their ultimate means  to survive and protect their families. Due to the ineffective national economic policy and international economic regulations established on behalf of the developed countries, poverty issue has not been alleviated. As economic discrepancy gets larger among the nations, it   aggravates the international tensions and it would finally trigger international conflicts. The more I recognize the severity of problems  confronted by our global society, the more strongly I believe the way to avoid conflict and improve economic conditions is to act from a  professional point of view After obtaining a masters degree in Economics, I strongly hope to work in the sphere of economic affairs concerning international  economic development. For such a future career, my working experiences play an important role in understanding professionalism. In  2003, I was volunteering for the non-profit organization called People for the Advanced Cambodian Education (PACE) and since  September 2005, I worked as a computer lab assistant at XXXX University. After graduating from XXXX University, I started to work  for the XXXX Company as a full-time sales associate. The company is one of the imported oriental food and supplies distributors in the  United States. Through this job, I truly realized that local business significantly affects the international business and such economic  interaction has fundamental influence to the international economy. Moreover, through all my professional experiences, I learned how to  cope with problems efficiently with professional mann ers and how to establish relationships with co-workers as a team. I also acquired  leadership skills that I would be required in a real society. Though career opportunities may place me in a variety of professional positions,  my final goal is to work at the United Nations. What I expect to learn from graduate school is to obtain academic foundation required for  such a career and find a way to apply methods to the real world. This is the incentives that stimulate me to pursue further studying and the  motives for my choice of University of XXXX. Economic Developmental Programming at XXXX is a very rare MA degree on the west  coast and it suits my needs and professional goals. Since I have taken only a few lectures relevant to the quantitative economics, it is  significantly important for me to take mathematical methods in economics as well as economic development in order to apply them to the  practical problems of developing countries. I truly believe that a graduate degree in International Relations from XXXX, combined with my  own interests and experiences, will provide ample chances for accomplishing my professional goals

A Christmas Memory Essay examples -- essays research papers

It is curious that as children, humans have the ability to observe and remember details of specific situations and instances yet lack the ability to describe them. Truman Capote, as a grown man, took advantage of his vivid memories and composed the short work, "A Christmas Memory." The story begins in late November, a month symbolic of all the years gone by that Capote could remember beginning preparations for Christmas fruitcakes. The year he has chosen, though, is that of the last Christmas three friends spend together. A boy of seven, Capote has but two friends: his "sixty-something" year old distant cousin and a loyal, happy pooch named Buddy. Although the age difference between the cousins is great, it is clear that the two are almost on the same level of intelligence. His old cousin is not ignorant or innocent by choice, rather, because of her frail condition she has been brushed off by adults and has never outgrown her childish ways. As the narrator, Capote recounts memories of good times; the times before his family members decided that home was not where he belonged. Overall, the story is bittersweet because there is joy to be found in the simplicity of the three friends’ happiness. However, after this specific Christmas, Capote is forced to move out of his house and to leave his innocence behind. The story is not purely self-serving because Capote uses this piece not only to revisit his memories of happier times, but to also evoke the memories of the read...

World War II: Pearl Harbor & The Pacific War Essay -- history, world w

Chaos and continual disorder encompassed the people across the globe in the years prior to the declaration of war between the Axis and Allied powers in 1939. The Great Depression that had struck soon after the First World War left much of the world unemployed and desperate for relief. Nationalism swept through Germany in response to the terms of the Versailles Treaty that ended World War I. China and Japan had been at war since Japanese troops invaded Manchuria in 1931. Germany, Italy, and Japan began multiple invasions and occupations of nearby countries. When they received no meaningful consequences for their aggressive actions, they felt emboldened and World War II began. In the midst of war and the growing totalitarian aggression, the United States passed several Neutrality Acts in an attempt to avoid involvement in another global war. Efforts to stay isolated from global conflict would lead to growing tensions between the main powers resulting in a rather inclusive war. After a vicious attack on their own home front staged by the Japanese, the United States catapulted into World War II. Over the course of the next six years the United States engage in continuous battles with Germany, Japan, and Italy on various fronts in Europe and the Pacific which necessitated a larger fighting force. Men like Raymond Barron Chavez courageously served as a naval serviceman during the war. Through his accounts on the Pearl Harbor attack and battles in the Pacific, we learn the first hand details of World War II. World War II reveals that leaving particular issues unresolved in terms of war will most likely lead to another one. The seeds of World War II in Europe began to sprout due to the Treaty of Versailles that ended World War I. A... ...ieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxylocal.library.nova.edu/docview/110309756?accountid=6579 Bay, M. (Director). (2001). Pearl Harbor [Motion picture]. United States: Touchstone Home Video ;. Balsam, M. (Director). (20061970). Tora! Tora! Tora! [Motion picture]. United States: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. Calvocoressi, P., & Wint, G. (1999). The Penguin history of the Second World War. London: Penguin. Griffith, S. B. (1963). The battle for Guadalcanal ([1st ed.). Philadelphia: Lippincott. Leckie, R. (1995). Okinawa: the last battle of World War II. New York: Viking. Prange, G. W., Goldstein, D. M., & Dillon, K. V. (1988). December 7, 1941: the day the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. New York: McGraw-Hill. Smith, R. A., & Meehl, G. A. (2002). Pacific legacy: image and memory from World War II in the Pacific. New York: Abbeville Press.

The perks of living in the 21st century

Society’s deranged. There is no way to put it lightly, because it is. Between the mind numbing reality shows about partying, to the 80-pound model on every magazine we pick up. These crazy things have distorted our minds and have become our society’s norm. 90% of women are unhappy with their bodies, and 95% of teen girls think they’re fat. Is there not something wrong with that? For years and years our lives have been run by unrealistic role models and distorted images of beauty, all resulting in mental health issues. When did thin become so in?And why is â€Å"perfect† the only beauty we see now? Musicians, Actors, Models, the celebrities, the people that us as individuals see everywhere, the people that are idolized similar to the way Christians worship God and Jesus Christ. We hail them, we praise them, and we envy them. Now what do most of them all have in common? Drop dead, gorgeous looks. They have it all, the money, fame, looks, love; the list is en dless. What do we have? Hope. The hopes of one day becoming just like them. Have you ever seen an ugly singer or actor? No. There isn’t any.Think of all the talented people out there that couldn’t make it big just because of one superficial fragment. â€Å"In Hollywood I’m obese. I’m considered a fat actress. †(-Jennifer Lawrence) This quote displays how Hollywood is at the core of this disturbing phenomenon. How having a curvy body results in being called obese. â€Å"Models should be thin, clothes just look better on people who are thin, certainly photograph better. † (-Calvin Klein) This quote is a representation of something that the fashion industry has harnessed for years, if you not thin, it’s simple; you’re not in.What is true beauty? Because growing up in my generation I only have one idea of it. The girls that are splashed across the magazines and the slender actresses in all the box office hits, growing up I was taug ht that that’s what you had to look like to be beautiful. Being skinny and having perfect face structure is all you need; it will bring you love, attention, and most of all, happiness. Growing up in a narcissistic generation has fueled minds to hurt and feel pain when they don’t meet the qualification and standards of today’s version of beauty.â€Å"Nothing tastes how skinny feels† (-Kate Moss) this quote is just overall sad, it represents how our society thinks, and overall how people today run their lives. Teen girls worship The Victoria Secret models; the exotic, tall, shockingly stunning women prance around in little to nothing every year for the annual Victoria Secret fashion show. Along with it comes the wave of Tweets of young girls pouring out there insecurities. â€Å"Why cant I look like the Victoria Secret models. † â€Å"This fashion show is literally making me want to kill myself.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Can’t look at myself in the mirror ever again. † (-Tweets) This forces girls to cave into the pressure that society hands out on a golden platter. â€Å"As every girl with weight issues knows, the foolproof method of self-protection is to beat the crap out of yourself before someone else has the chance. † –(Los Angeles Times) Millions of people out there have issues with their appearance, young girls, young boys, grown men, grown women, the whole lot. The standards of beauty in our society are just too high for the majority of the population to reach.In result we beat the shit of out our self in sheer anger and shame. Each year the number of mental health illnesses increase. From eating disorders, depression, anxiety, etc. Eating disorders have increased by 400% since 1970. â€Å"Women today feel much worse about their body images than women several decades ago. †(-Los Angeles times) This quote is proof that this is a generational issue. We have distorted the true image of beauty and shove d in an unrealistic standard that no one can live up too.This â€Å"image† that society has created is destroying us, bit by bit. People are dying everyday from illnesses that chemically irrupt in the brain, and the overwhelming and horrific pressure put on by the media and society causes it. 35,000 girls suffer from anorexia each day, 1 in 10 Americans are clinically depressed, and Teenagers are committing suicide almost on a daily basis. These numbers are shocking and continue to grow as the generation and world moves forward.Each week the average person watches 31 hours of television, spends 10 hours online, and 4 hours looking through a magazine. This is the place where the media hits us hard. Where we are bombarded by the never-ending pursuits of perfection. Where beauty is taken to a whole new level and standard. â€Å"That’s sad. How plastic and artificial life has become. It’s getting harder and harder to find something real. Real love, real friends, re al body parts†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (-Jess C. Scott) We’re the narcissistic generation, the generation that paints on beauty instead of finding in within.