Organizational Development Consulting Skills Assignment

Organizational Development Consulting Skills - Assignment Example On the contrary, change management is responding to changes that take place suddenly and they need to be incorporated into organization’s business. OD professionals are commonly referred to as consultants as they are the change managers who are either hired externally or internally to help an organization which is their client in achieving its goals. In most of the cases, OD practitioners act as a catalyst to bridge the gap that exists between what the organizations are presently doing and what it wants to achieve in the long-run. OD practitioners have to work in collaboration with organization’s management team so that they can successfully implement the plan designed for bringing changes in the organization (McLean, 2009; Schein, 2009). OD practitioners have to develop their consulting skills so that they can direct team members in achieving desired goals; they have to work in collaboration because their main aim is to help their clients in bringing effective changes in the organizations. OD consultants need to provide guidance to their clients by designing consultation process and ensure that they own complete process so that they can manage it independently and monitor the outcomes desired; they work at all levels in the organizational hierarchy (Scott, 2008). OD consultants working approach is entirely dependent on Action Research Model (ARM) that has been developed to guide practitioners in providing their clients best solutions for improving organization’s effectiveness. A brief representation of the model is shown in the following figure to give a snapshot of its important steps: From the figure, it is evident that the complete team that is involved in OD implementation should be taken on board.

Louise Bourgeois Essay Example for Free

Louise Bourgeois Essay Much can be learned from the environment within which we live. What we see tells a lot about the society in which we live: belief system; politics; economic undertakings; kinship and material culture among others. Through material culture, we can get insight into the world that existed long before us. Culture can be defined as the way of life of people depicting their shared experiences, political and religious beliefs, technology, insights, attitudes, and material objects. (Li Karakowsky) The sublime can be defined as the priced greatness or vast intensity in terms of biological, moral, mental, metaphysical, beauty, art or religion. Sublime is experienced over and over. It is embedded in our history, being, values, thoughts, concepts, world views, beliefs, and is responsible for our personalities (Bernadac 2007 p20) Main Body One of America’s renowned artist and sculptor, Louise Bourgeois, managed to capture the American Sublime through her artistic undertaking. She was born in Paris, France in December 25, 1911 but traveled to America in 1938 to perfect her artistic endeavor. She studied mathematics at the Sorbonne, and painting and sculpture in Ecole du Louvre, Ecole des Beaux-Arts, and Art Students League of New York. She worked as an assistant to Fernand Henri Leger- a French sculptor, painter, and film maker. She is popular for her work that depicts spiders, sculptures, drawings and literary work (National Gallery of Canada 2005 p16). As a way of depicting the society in which she was living, Bourgeois work is full of inanimate images of horrifying fear, ghosts, darkness, tortured people, and disabling mental illness to attempt to get at the source of these emotions and to uphold normality even in times of chaos. Her works helped depict the intellectual climate, social and historical conditions that existed then. (Gorovoy et al 2006 pp 27 -28) She captured the effects of the First World War through carving limbless sculptures and detached limbs and had most of his paintings and sculptures painted black to depict death and mourning, (Gorovoy et al 2006 p 24) e. g. the two headless fabric bodies attempting to make love shown below. She depicts the revolution of the western politics, largely constructivism, through posters that expressed sympathy towards the Russian regime which she displayed in Moscow. The Tate Modern exhibition catalogue indicates her inclination towards Communism. Bourgeois made abstract art pieces that reflected on her childhood experiences showing how relationships within the family were entwined together thus bringing in the aspect of kinship, socialization and acculturation. This depicts how her art gives us insight to how children were brought up back then. (Lippard 2003 pp 9-10) Her Femme Maison and Fallen woman series introduced the aspect of liberation of women. They depicted a female struggling to outgrow some house like structures within which she is trapped – that is attempting to outgrow the masculinity into which the women were entrapped. She depicts a rebellion against the negative masculinity through her work, The Destruction of a Father, in which rock figures surround a sacrificial slab full of butchered body parts. Thus: It has been suggested that her sculpture, The Blind Leading the Blind, has a religious connotation. According to Desmond Michael and Lloyd Michael (1870-1970) Bourgeois, inspired by the Cold War, made this sculpture and that the title was picked from the New Testament verse (Matthew 15:14) that describes how a blind man leading another blind man would end up in a ditch. The structure is shown below (Bernadac 2007) Bourgeois contribution to the American Sublime is best captured in New Yorks Guggenheim Museum, the Centre Pompidou in Paris and Londons Tate Modern with their massive collection of her art work. In conclusion, the American Sublime has been captured through art in poetry, carvings, paintings, songs, books, and which take us back to the origins of the cultures of past American societies. Just like the origins of the American sublime can be traced through studying works of art, similarly, so can we understand much about its revolution from the contemporary art works. Louise Bourgeois has managed to get this through her sculptures, drawings and works of art – reflecting abstract as well as tangible aspects of living that relate to feelings, political standing, material culture, religious inclination, beliefs and kinship. References Bernadac, M (2007) â€Å"Louise Bourgeois† Rizzoli International North America pp 18 24 Gorovoy, J. , Carver R. Read C. (2006) â€Å"Louise Bourgeois† Bellport Press University of Michigan pp 21-35 Lippard R (2003) â€Å"Overlay: contemporary art and the art of prehistory† Pantheon Books NY pp 7-16 National Gallery of Canada (2005) â€Å"Louise Bourgeois Maman† National Gallery Canada press pp 14-17

Bilbo Baggins, a True Hero Essay -- Literary Analysis, J.R.R Tolkien

Bilbo Baggins, a True Hero â€Å"I wish I could be a hero!† Many adults in today’s society hear small children wishing they could become heroes. Children wish to be more like heroes for the reason that heroes are the type of people who risk their lives to help others. Throughout history, children have had a positive connotation with the word â€Å"hero.† The heroes many small children talk about are the fictional ones who protect cities from villains: Superman, Batman, Spiderman, and others. However, these are not the only types of heroes in today’s world. Firefighters and policemen are also considered heroes because they save the lives of those in danger. Many adults consider their inspirations to be heroes, such as Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., and Michelle Obama. Heroes do not always have to be real; for instance, they can also be literary characters such as Atticus Finch, Jonas, and Odysseus. Heroes, fictional or not, only have one purpose, to help people in need. These motivating people are in the rare category of people who willingly spend their whole lives helping people achieve their dreams. Heroes are the people who unselfishly help people live their lives in a peaceful manner. Many children wish they could become heroes, such as Bilbo Baggins. In The Hobbit, J.R.R Tolkien explores how Bilbo Baggins matures and ultimately becomes a hero. A hero, as stated before, selflessly thinks about others’ well beings before his or her own. Bilbo Baggins, the hobbit who was enlisted to help the dwarves retrieve Thorin’s family treasure, does the same thing when he decides to take matters into his own hands, and end the fight between Thorin, the lake men, and the woodelves. Bilbo decides to give the Arkenstone, a p... ...s. Bilbo is the one that gives the precious Arkenstone to Bard to help stop a war from starting. If it was not for Bilbo’s courage, Thorin would still be fighting for the Arkenstone and might have also been hurt. Bilbo also helps the dwarves by being a good leader and helping them find a way out of Smaug’s lair. Without Bilbo, the dwarves would not have the audacity to try finding a way out of Smaug’s cave. Bilbo, like a real hero, always makes sure that he finishes the task he sets out to do. Without Bilbo, the dwarves would not be able to finish all the tasks that they want to finish. Bilbo is also the reason why the dwarves are still alive. Bilbo saves the dwarves from many different disasters. The disasters range from the spiders to Smaug. Through good or bad, Bilbo has been able to show the characteristics that a real hero should be able to show.

National Home Builders Quality Award

It is recognized as an established source for reliable, objective information and research on housing construction and development issues, while it continues to promote innovation in housing technology to improve the quality, durability, affordability, and environmental performance of omes and home building products. Through its various testing and certification programs, the Research Center seal is recognized internationally as a mark of product quality and an assurance of product performance (nahbrc. com).In an effort to cultivate quality within the home building industry and promote the industrys best practices the National Housing Quality Award (NHQA) was established in 1992. This award represents the housing industrys highest recognition for achievements in the area of quality management and operational excellence in the residential construction industry (nahbrc. com). The NHQ Award is modeled after the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, which was established in 1987, by C ongress to raise awareness of quality management and recognize U.S. companies that have implemented successful quality-management systems (Baldrige. com). The Award promotes awareness of performance excellence as an increasingly important element in competitiveness and information sharing of successful performance strategies and the benefits derived from using these strategies (Wikipedia). Recipients are selected based on achievement and improvement in seven areas, known as the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence, which the NHQA hasPerformance Excellence which has eight categories upon which entrants are Judged. The National Housing Quality Award (NHQA) is open to all US homebuilders, remodelers and trade contractors and is administered by the NAHBRC in conjunction with Reed Business Information, publishers of Professional Builder Magazine. NHQ Award applications are reviewed by a panel of Judges who are experts in both the housing industry and quality management, many of t hem being past NHQ awards winners.These Judges then evaluate the importance of quality in the companys construction, strategic planning, leadership and performance management, trade elationships, customer satisfaction, human resources and business results, which are the NHQA Criteria for Performance Excellence (nahbrc . com). The NHQ Award is presented annually at the Professional Builders Benchmark Conference. Award winners go on to be featured in Professional Builder Magazine articles that highlight the quality management practices as models for the housing industry. The award title is held for one year.AWARD CRITERIA Patterned after the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the NHQ Award was designed to recognize residential construction companies for excellence in quality chievement and promote awareness of customer focused quality as an increasingly vital element of competitiveness and productivity for building professionals. The NHQA has two divisions with one open to all U S companies that build or remodel residential homes using light construction methods. The other is open to all independent trade contractors that provide construction services to builders or remodeling companies.The NHQA consists of a set of eight criteria as outlined in their Criteria for Performance Excellence: Category I Description I Points I Leadership I How does the company's senior leaders, guide the organization towards common purposed based on shared values and priorities? | 10 | Strategic Quality Planning I How does the organization create and implement a strategic plan to achieve a vision for the future, enhance their competitive position and improve overall performance? | 10 | Performance Management I How are the companys business processes developed, managed, measured and improved to achieve performance excellence? 10 | Customer Satisfaction I How does the company manage the design and delivery of products and services that promise a high level of customer satisfaction? | 10 | Human Resources I How does the organizations mployee selection and development practices, as well as staff performance management, well being, motivation, satisfaction and compensation contribute to the growth of the organization? | 10 | Construction Quality I What methods does the company use to drive quality in the home construction process and ensure high performing, trouble free products and services? 10 | Supplier Partnerships Examines how the organization designs, manages and improves processes for implementation to deliver customer value and reach organizational success | 10 Business Results I What are the tangible measurements of the business benefits esulting from the organizations high performance practices in the financial, operational, customer satisfaction and product and service quality areas? | 30 | Despite the fact that the NHQA award is modeled after the MBNQA award there are focuses on quality assurance approaches that ensure high performing, trouble free p roducts and services.In addition the Malcolm Baldrige Quality Award is awarded to a sole winner whereas the National Housing Quality Award has several award categories. The NHQA has three recognition levels: honorable mention, silver and gold. Gold is awarded to those that have attained a national benchmark level within ach area of evaluation; they have mature, fully integrated quality management principles and consistently demonstrate high level sustained results. Silver is awarded to those that are industry leaders in most evaluation areas; they have many refined business practices, key measures for continual improvement and good business results.Honorable mention is awarded in special circumstances for those that demonstrate an understanding of quality principles and show a sound, fact based improvement process. Key measures are in place and good business results are achieved in most areas (Denis 2009). To be considered for the NHQ Award applicants must complete a rigorous applic ation process which includes a 15 page application which is considered an important step in every applicant's road to quality.This is so as participants benefit from the insightful process of preparing the application, which is a long and grueling process, which takes hundreds of man- hours to complete. Judges evaluate each applicant to determine to what extent the entrant embraced a customer focus and systematically embraced it within their business practices. Those that passed the initial selection were scheduled for a site isit. On the site visit, each finalist spent at a minimum a day with a team of Judges. At the end of the visit, the Judges had a clear understanding of the company culture, management practices and the quality results.The final award is given to the organization that is deemed befitting on the overall Judge's findings. BENEFITS OF THE AWARD The NHQ Award is more than recognition of quality achievement. It sets a benchmark to strive for and a model for improveme nt. By preparing an NHQA application organizations get an opportunity to assess their business from a Total Quality perspective. This rigorous process allows organizations to really take a look at their processes and make significant improvements in order to be competitive.The organizations that submit an NHQA application receive detailed feedback on strengths and opportunities for improvement from the expert Judging panel. According to Tom Gillespie, President Kennedy Community Development, a multi-year applicant and 1997 NHQ Award winner, â€Å"no other programs has provided our company with more rewards, both financial and operational, than the NHQ application process provides† (Toolbase. org). This shows the depth of the application rocess and the benefits that can be yielded from its undertaking. Tom Gillespie is not the only one that praises the benefit of the NHQ way.David Simon, president of operations at Veridian Homes, a 2005 Silver award winner, says that, â€Å"t he in-depth review of our application and the detailed site visits provide valuable feedback not only for our strategic planning but also for driving quality improvement throughout the organizations† (Builderonline, 2005). The benefits of the NHQ award are far reaching, applicants benefit Just by undertaking the award application process and y implementing changes based on the feedback that they are provided by the gross profit margins which can be significant.Mercedes Homes, a 1996 NHQ Award winner used the NHQ criteria as a model to â€Å"tune-up† their management practices. As a result of this improvement process they had higher profits in 1996 than the previous five years combined! Scott Buescher, V. P Operations, COO, attributes reports that using the NHQ model was a major factor in their success (Toobase. org, NHQ Agenda). The bottom line is that there are really no losers with the NHQ award as the enefits far outweigh the time and effort that are invested into th e application process.According to Paul Deffenbaugh, editorial director of Professional Builder, as a result of going through the process, NHQ Award winners, â€Å"significantly improve the performance of their companies, making them more consistent and more reliable. Home buyers have found these companies execute the best quality homes and deliver the highest quality satisfaction† (National Building News, 2007). PAST WINNERS Since the inception of the NHQA in 1993 through 2009, 67 builders have received recognition, of which eight builders have earned multiple awards.These organizations range in size from small family owned to large national builders, building a variety of homes in a wide price range. In addition six remodelers and five trade partners have been awarded recognition (Leonard, 2009). NHQ Award winners represent the best of the best in the home building industry. In 1993 Town and Country Homes was named the first National Housing Quality Award winner. This win w as attributed to customer satisfaction and sales as the leading Chicago area home builder (Hauser, 1993). Since then many other organizations have gone on to win what is considered the hardest award to win in home building.In 2009, Tempe, Arizona based builder, T. W Lewis become the sole recipient of the 2009 NHQ Gold Award, having won in 1998 the NHQ Silver Award. â€Å"This award is a significant accomplishment in the homebuilding industry and one that our company and associates are very honored to received,† said T. W Lewis president and COO Kevin Egan. â€Å"The NHQ Award reaffirms the path we have chosen as a company-a path that is focused on productive quality, customer satisfaction and operational excellence† (East Valley Living, 2009).In 2002 only one U. S builder was recognized as a Gold Award winner and that was History Maker Homes of Forth Worth, Texas. History maker attributed their success to the relationships that they have been able to foster. Nelson Mit chell, president of history maker a family owned company said, â€Å"we strive for valued relationships with our customers and with each of our team members, as well. Our company works diligently to maintain the family culture we have enjoyed for many decades† (History Maker Homes, 2002). 002 was a historic year for the NHQ Awards as it was the first year since its inception in 1993 that Silver Awards were gained by two trade contractors as the award was expanded to include ot only builders, but remodelers and trade contractors as well. The inaugural winners in the contractor category were All-tech, Inc. of Monroe, N. J and Tappe Construction of Eagan, Minn. When the NHQ Awards were introduced almost two decades ago, many builders had a hard time figuring out how quality management could help their companies.The longevity of the Awards and the achievements of the winning builders have set this award as the most prestigious award in the industry. Housing Quality Award examines the builder's business and quality management practices. We are concerned with the builder's ability to deliver a quality product onsistently, have satisfied home buyers, and achieve high productivity,† says Liza Bowles, President of the NAHB Research Center, (Professional Builder, 1997). Following is a list of other past winners of The NHQ Awards.For the home building industry the epitome of quality is seen in the National Housing Quality Award, an award modeled after the infamous Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and represents the highest recognition to be gained in the housing industry. The NHQA Criteria for Performance Excellence has been an important tool for hundreds of home builders and trade contractors to assess and improve performance on critical business success factors which has enabled them to grow as n organization.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GigE_Visionhttp://www.builderonline.com/design/awards/the-winning-homes-from-the-2016-gold-nugget-awards_oHome http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/23/technology/internet/23worm.htmlhttp://www.historymaker.com/dfw/aubrey/arrowbrooke-50s/http://www.nbnnews.com.au/tag/t4/https://www.nahb.org/en/research/safety/~/media/EC307DD0CB534384A60E0E089E7C5831.ashxhttps://uxplanet.org/best-practices-for-microinteractions-9456211aeed0https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:HighBeamhttps://www.tceq.texas.gov/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NAHBGreenhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malcolm_Baldrige_National_Quality_Award

Criminal Justice Trends Paper Essay

In this paper I will be evaluating past, present, and future trends pertaining to the corrections system. There are many different trends that correctional facilities have used in the past and these trends have continued on to modern day and maybe will continue on into the future. As part of my evaluation I will identify and analyze past, current and future issues facing the corrections system today and also I will discuss the budgetary and managerial impact that future trends will likely have not only on the corrections system, but also on the other components of the criminal justice system like law enforcement and the court system. Trends of Corrections In the past before there were prisons and jails the punishment of crimes were cruel and dangerous. Some of the punishments in the past included flogging, mutilation, branding, public humiliation, or exile. Today our correctional facilities focus on rehabilitating criminals so that they can be functional in society; one of the ways that is pursued is through community based corrections to save costs instead of housing an inmate. Community based corrections is used as an alternative to being locked up, this is also cost effective rather than housing them in prison or jail because they foot the bill. Community based corrections is known as parole, probation, house arrest, or electronic monitoring. Community based corrections is a privilege and there are many rules that need to be followed, and if they disobey any of the rules the get sent back to prison or jail. Currently we have a bill that passed in California called AB 109 and it was passed to release many inmates to lower the overpopulation of inmates and the end rising costs to house an inmate. â€Å"The state expects to reduce the prison inmate population by about 14,000 in 2011-2012 and approximately 40,000 upon full implementation in 2014-2015. The state estimates that these reductions will result in a state savings of about $453 million in 2011-2012 and up to $1.5 billion upon full implementation.† (Taylor, 2011). This assembly bill will just create a future problem though, when all these inmates get released out into the communities most of them will end up back in prison. According to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation the recidivism rate of inmates that were returned back into a correctional facility within three years was 63.7% and the other 36.3% were successful three years out of prison. AB 109 will not decrease the inmate population that largely in the long run according to those statistics. The bill will also increase the caseloads on probation officers, making it harder to keep a good eye on all inmates roaming in the communities, allowing them to reoffend put the problem back in the hands of law enforcement. Issues Facing the Criminal Justice System The current issues facing prisons are they are being over crowded, and they are too expensive to manage. Assembly Bill AB 109 tries to alleviate the problems of over crowding but I believe that it is a short-term solution because of the recidivism rate. Alternate correction systems would reduce costs to the state, and maybe even be more affective than jail or prison time. There are alternatives to jail and prison like we discussed earlier, but those are all state funded. In the future maybe there will be programs funded by organizations that want to help rehabilitate criminals or they make the criminal pay for their services. Some examples might be intensive supervised probation, house arrest, electronic monitoring, community residential centers, or shock incarceration. I think we need to have a self-sufficient prison that keeps inmates busy working for what they have, to cut down costs of prisons. One way to cut down costs is to actually use our death penalty, what is the severity of having a death penalty if you know you are going to sit in a cell until you die of natural causes. We are not posing enough threat to these criminals. Watching Lock Up on MSNBC, most of the inmates will never be functioning citizens, some of them admit they need to be behind a cell. Why pay so much money for someone to rot in jail, they are no use to the country and think they need to be put down, just like a viscous dog at the pound. If the vet determines the animal is too aggressive they euthanize the animal because they can never be adopted out, I think we can use the same concept in our correctional system. With an overpopulated correctional system, and the realignment bill 109 there will be many criminals back on the streets, which only adds to the problem for every other component of the criminal justice system. The police are having a bigger population of criminals back on the streets and the departments have tight budgets and do not have enough funds to hire more help to control the streets. The sheriff and police departments then will have to stretch themselves thin to try to put the recommitting offenders back in the correction system. Which then puts the criminal back into the already overcrowded court system, which creates more of a problem because now there are even more cases which will create bigger case loads and slow down the already slow system. Conclusion In this paper I discussed the past, current, and future trends in corrections. In the past the punishments were cruel, and now we are focused more on rehabilitation and California facilities are being over crowded. I also analyzed current and future issues facing the overpopulated prisons. The budget deficit is only going to get worse and these problems within the criminal justice system is only going to get bigger and bigger. Bill AB 109 was put into affect to help relieve the budget issue but as I discussed I think that it is a short-term solution because of the recidivism rates. The criminal justice system is always growing and changing to satisfy the needs of the communities they protect.

The event tourism and the event management Essays

The event tourism and the event management Essays The event tourism and the event management Essay The event tourism and the event management Essay The report is about event tourism and it will be discussing the definition of both the event tourism and the event management. The report will also be focusing on the different typologies of event tourism, the links between the event and tourism, the impacts of event tourism moreover will also be giving the comparison of the impact of events Definition of Event management Event management includes areas of applied knowledge and specialized training focused on planning, construction and administration of events that are organised, surrounded by celebrations and other events, especially those in the field of firm and companies comprising of conferences, exhibitions as well as in field of private events comprising of weddings, celebrations and social gatherings of certain groups.(Getz 2008) Definition of event tourism An organised occasion such as a meeting, conversation, exhibition, special event, gala dinner, etc. An event is often composed of several different yet related functions. (Getz 2005, p. 16, as citied in Bowdin et al 2011) the principle that applies to the events are provisional plus that: Every such event is unique, stemming from the blend of management, program, setting, and people Links between tourism and event The New Zealand Tourist and Publicity Department (1987, as citied in Getz 2008) says that Event tourism is an important and rapidly growing segment of international tourism. According to Getz (2008), both the demand and supply aspects must be considered when combining events and tourism together. A certain determination of the type of tourists travelling as well as visiting the events is required for a clear understanding of whether event tourism is worth it or not. However, on the other hand Getz (2008) has mentioned that local and regional events could present as a problem from a tourism point of view. If tourism is linked with these local events where investment is required to develop and promote them, it might cause some discomfort to students to the local residents. Typologies of the event (Getz 2005 as citied in Getz 2008) According to Getz (2005) the typology of planned event makes an effort to categorise major categories, differentiating among those in the public area and those of primary interest to individuals and minor, private groups. Depending on the purpose and circumstances, events can fall into more than one category. (Getz 2005:19) Getz (2008) highlighted that the important classes of the organised occasions are arranged on the basis of their structure which includes variations in their aim and functioning. Some variations are for public events whereas some other programmes are organised for contest, fun, entertainment and socializing reasons. A lot of times there is a need of specialized services which allows the managers of the services to contact particular types of events. The events can also be linked with highly qualified associations and occupational routes. What makes event special Getz (2005) suggests that some of the things that makes event Special are its uniqueness as all event offers an irreplaceable experience by the combination of management, setting of the event, and the visitors that attend the event. Many events depend on the must see or once-in-a-lifetime scenarios to increase its visitor numbers. Other things like the quality of the event, use of the tradition within the event, meeting the customer needs, affordability of the event things like these can also make an event special.

USS Wasp CV-18 World War II Aircraft Carrier US Navy

USS Wasp CV-18 World War II Aircraft Carrier US Navy USS Wasp (CV-18) was an Essex-class aircraft carrier built for the US Navy. It saw extensive service in the Pacific during World War II and continued to be of service after the war until it was decommissioned in 1972. Design Construction Designed in the 1920s and early 1930s, the US Navys Lexington- and Yorktown-class aircraft carriers were intended to conform to the limitations set forth by the Washington Naval Treaty. This agreement placed restrictions on the tonnage of various types of warships as well as capped each signatorys total tonnage. These types of limitations were reaffirmed in the 1930 London Naval Treaty. As worldwide tensions increased, Japan and Italy left the treaty structure in 1936. With the collapse of the agreement, the US Navy commenced designing a new, larger type of aircraft carrier and one which drew from the lessons learned from the Yorktown-class. The resulting class was longer and wider as well as included a deck-edge elevator. This had been used earlier on USS  Wasp (CV-7). In addition to carrying a larger number of aircraft, the new design mounted a greatly enhanced anti-aircraft armament. Dubbed the Essex-class, the lead ship, USS  Essex (CV-9), was laid down in April 1941. This was followed by USS Oriskany (CV-18) which was laid down on March 18, 1942, at Bethlehem Steels Fore River Ship Yard in Quincy, MA. Over the next year and a half, the carriers hull rose on the ways. In the fall of 1942, Oriskanys name was changed to Wasp to recognize the carrier of the same name which had been torpedoed by I-19 in the Southwest Pacific. Launched on August 17, 1943, Wasp entered the water with Julia M. Walsh, daughter of Massachusetts Senator David I. Walsh, serving as sponsor. With World War II raging, workers pushed to finish the carrier and it entered commission on November 24, 1943, with Captain Clifton A. F. Sprague in command. USS Wasp (CV-18) Overview Nation: United StatesType: Aircraft CarrierShipyard: Bethlehem Steel - Fore River ShipyardLaid Down: March 18, 1942Launched: August 17, 1943Commissioned: November 24, 1943Fate: Scrapped 1973 Specifications Displacement: 27,100 tonsLength: 872 ft.Beam: 93 ft.Draft: 34 ft., 2 in.Propulsion: 8 Ãâ€" boilers, 4 Ãâ€" Westinghouse geared steam turbines, 4 Ãâ€" shaftsSpeed: 33 knotsComplement: 2,600 men Armament 4 Ãâ€" twin 5 inch 38 caliber guns4 Ãâ€" single 5 inch 38 caliber guns8 Ãâ€" quadruple 40 mm 56 caliber guns46 Ãâ€" single 20 mm 78 caliber guns90-100 aircraft Entering Combat Following a shakedown cruise and alterations in the yard, Wasp conducted training in the Caribbean before departing for the Pacific in March 1944. Arriving at Pearl Harbor in early April, the carrier continued training then sailed for Majuro where it joined Vice Admiral Marc Mitschers Fast Carrier Task Force. Mounting raids against Marcus and Wake Islands to test tactics in late May, Wasp commenced operations against the Marianas the following month as its planes struck Tinian and Saipan. On June 15, aircraft from the carrier supported Allied forces as they landed in the opening actions of the Battle of Saipan. Four days later, Wasp saw action during the stunning American victory at the Battle of the Philippine Sea. On June 21, the carrier and USS Bunker Hill (CV-17) were detached to mop up fleeing Japanese forces. Though searching, they were not able to locate the departing enemy. War in the Pacific Moving north in July, Wasp attacked Iwo Jima and Chichi Jima before returning to the Marianas to launch strikes against Guam and Rota. That September, the carrier began operations against the Philippines before shifting to support the Allied landings on Peleliu. Replenishing at Manus after this campaign, Wasp and Mitschers carriers swept through the Ryukyus before raiding Formosa in early October. This done, the carriers began raids against Luzon to prepare for General Douglas MacArthurs landings on Leyte. On October 22, two days after the landings commenced, Wasp departed the area to replenish at Ulithi. Three days later, with the Battle of Leyte Gulf raging, Admiral William Bull Halsey directed the carrier to return to the area to provide assistance. Racing west, Wasp took part in the later actions of the battle before again departing for Ulithi on October 28. The remainder of the fall was spent operating against the Philippines and in mid-December, the carrier weathered a severe t yphoon. Resuming operations, Wasp supported landings at Lingayen Gulf, Luzon in January 1945, before taking part in a raid through the South China Sea. Steaming north in February, the carrier attacked Tokyo before turning to cover the invasion of Iwo Jima. Remaining in the area for several days, Wasps pilot provided ground support for the Marines ashore. After replenishing, the carrier returned to Japanese waters in mid-March and began raids against the home islands. Coming under frequent air attack, Wasp sustained a severe bomb hit on March 19. Conducting temporary repairs, the crew kept the ship operational for several days before it was withdrawn. Arriving at Puget Sound Navy Yard on April 13, Wasp remained inactive until mid-July. Fully repaired, Wasp steamed west July 12 and attacked Wake Island. Rejoining the Fast Carrier Task Force, it again began raids against Japan. These continued until the suspension of hostilities on August 15. Ten days later, Wasp endured a second typhoon though it sustained damage to its bow. With the end of the war, the carrier sailed for Boston where it was fitted with extra accommodations for 5,900 men. Placed in service as part of Operation Magic Carpet, Wasp sailed for Europe to aid in returning American soldiers home. With the end of this duty, it entered the Atlantic Reserve Fleet in February 1947. This inactivity proved brief as it moved to the New York Navy Yard the following year for an SCB-27 conversion to allow it to handle the US Navys new jet aircraft. Postwar Years Joining the Atlantic Fleet in November 1951, Wasp collided with USS Hobson five months later and sustained severe damage to its bow. Quickly repaired, the carrier spent the year in the Mediterranean and conducting training exercises in the Atlantic. Moved to the Pacific in late 1953, Wasp operated in the Far East for much of the next two years. In early 1955, it covered the evacuation of the Tachen Islands by Nationalist Chinese forces before departing for San Francisco. Entering the yard, Wasp underwent an SCB-125 conversion which saw the addition of an angled flight deck and a hurricane bow. This work was finished late that fall and the carrier resumed operations in December. Returning to the Far East in 1956, Wasp was redesignated as an antisubmarine warfare carrier on November 1. Transferring to the Atlantic, Wasp spent the rest of the decade conducting routine operations and exercises. These included forays into the Mediterranean and working with other NATO forces. After aiding a United Nations airlift in Congo during 1960, the carrier returned to normal duties. In the fall of 1963, Wasp entered the Boston Naval Shipyard for a Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization overhaul. Completed in early 1964, it conducted a European cruise later that year. Returning to the East Coast it recovered Gemini IV on June 7, 1965, at the completion of its spaceflight. Reprising this role, it recovered Geminis VI and VII that December. After delivering the spacecraft to port, Wasp departed Boston in January 1966 for exercises off Puerto Rico. Encountering severe seas, the carrier suffered structural damage and following an examination at its destination soon returned north for repairs. After these were completed, Wasp resumed normal activities before recovering Gemini IX in June 1966. In November, the carrier again fulfilled a role for NASA when it brought on board Gemini XII. Overhauled in 1967, Wasp remained in the yard until early 1968. Over the next two years, the carrier operated in the Atlantic while making some voyages to Europe and participating in NATO exercises. These types of activities continued into the early 1970s when it was decided to remove the Wasp from service. In port at Quonset Point, RI for the final months of 1971, the carrier was formally decommissioned on July 1, 1972. Stricken from the Naval Vessel Register, Wasp was sold for scrap on May 21, 1973. Sources DANFS: USS Wasp (CV-18)NavSource: USS Wasp (CV-18)USS Wasp Association

Four successful careers for the hopeless romantic

Four successful careers for the hopeless romantic This is the time of year when people tend to have romance on the brain. Flowers! Jewelry commercials! Ads for upscale restaurants! If you’re a hopeless romantic, it’s kind of like the Super Bowl. But what if you want to turn those lovey-dovey feelings into a career, something you can build professionally? Believe it or not, there are options out there for you. 4 careers for people who love romance1. Wedding/special event photographerIf you have a knack with a camera, being a wedding photographer gives you a front-row seat to some of the happiest days of people’s lives. Everyone’s dressed up, people are (usually) on their best behavior, and your goal is to capture the romance for posterity. Plus, being a photographer has the advantage of being a flexible career, or side business, with many weddings and special events happening outside of standard business hours.What you’ll need: High-quality cameras and related equipment, plus training on how to use it. Courses on professional photography are highly recommended.What it pays: The median salary is $32,490 per year, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.2. FloristFlorists and floral designers are usually the go-to retailers for romantic life events, with busy seasons around holidays like Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, etc. Floral designers are there for the good, the bad, and the celebratory, providing flowers and delivery to a range of customers.What you’ll need: Workers in a retail floral shop will need the basics (a high school degree and   customer service skills). If you’re looking to become a floral designer, you’ll likely need vocational courses and on-the-job training. Creativity and artistic flair are very helpful, as are good customer service skills to help your customers find the right way to say it with flowers.What it pays: The median salary for floral designers is $26,350 per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.3. Chocolatier/CandymakerIf you’re more interested in food service than flower service, you may want to consider becoming a chocolatier. This is not the most common path in food service, but what’s more romantic than high-quality chocolates to go with those flowers and gifts? Chocolatiers are artisans who create edible masterpieces, playing with flavors and structures to create the perfect bite.What you’ll need: To become a chocolatier, you’ll need a solid base in the culinary world, and may need to complete a pasty chef course. You’ll also need to meet your state’s licensing and food handling regulations, so be sure to check what your state requires.What it pays: The median salary for chocolatiers is $21,000 per year, but experienced pastry chefs can make more.4. Marriage counselorSometimes love needs a little help, and marriage counselors are licensed health care professionals who can help couples work on their relationships. This is not a job for the starry-eyed romantic who thinks all relationships are a romcom-ending away from happiness, but rather a practical career for someone who believes that therapy and hard work together can overcome challenges in love and life. Plus, health care careers are a very stable, practical bet for long-term career longevity.Marriage and family therapy in particular is a field that’s growing- the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the number of jobs in this area will grow more than 23% by 2026.What you’ll need: Marriage and family therapists typically have a master’s degree or higher, plus complete an internship or residency. Licensing requirements may vary by state, so be sure to check your own state’s requirements.What it pays: The median salary for marriage and family therapists is $48,790, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.If you love the very idea of love, there are ways to live that out in your professional life as well. Choosing a career that helps make other people happy can be a key to long-term career satisfaction. If you have the skills and the inclination to work in one of these service fields, you may find yourself with even more love to go around.

Identify on a local or national level how terrorism is financed Research Paper

Identify on a local or national level how terrorism is financed - Research Paper Example Since contemporary age has witnessed large scale terrorism particularly in the wake of cold war between the USA and the former USSR and the advent of purported New World Order, which has divided the globe into different groups on the basis of religion, economic condition and geographical location. The 9/11 catastrophe has determined new dimensions of international relations, where different nations and societies declared their opponents as terrorists in the light of the attacks on WTC, New York. Though the intellectuals view the catastrophe as a nefarious act designed by the US intelligentsia to capture the resources existing in the Islamic world, the western world found the hand of Osama Ben Laden and his companions in the entire catastrophe, which looked for taking revenge of the American and Israeli atrocities on the Muslim population of various countries. Tarpley (2004) observes that 9/11 was an example of state-sponsored, false-flag, synthetic terrorism, and hereinafter called s ynthetic terrorism. Consequently, the Gulf based Al Qaeda was unanimously declared as the most notorious terrorist organization busy in challenging the very peace of the world. ... Somehow, it is also is a reality beyond suspicion that no corporate firm or organization intentionally provides any terrorist group with the financial support; rather, the planning cell of terrorist organizations manages to receive the same in the sacred name of religious institutions, humanity, health, education and other humanistic purposes; the same is applied on the anti US reactionary militant group Al Qaeda. Financial Action Task Force (2008) is of the view that terrorist financing requirements fall into two general areas: (1) funding specific terrorist operations, such as direct costs associated with specific operations and (2) broader organizational costs to develop and maintain an infrastructure of organizational support and to promote the ideology of a terrorist organization. Like all other militant groups, the organization under investigation also requires financing to run its administrative or structural as well as operational activities. The administrative activities inc lude the expenditures spent on the establishment of offices, staff recruitment, co-ordination with media, communication and propaganda activities and payments and salaries of staff members. They also include the payments of utility bills, sharing and exchanging of information and recruitment and hiring of the militants. Moreover, arrangement of residence, health and medical facilities related to the top leadership is also the part of administrative expenditures. While discussing the operational activities, allocation, appointment and placement of the militants is one of the most significant operational activities of the terrorist organization. Since Al Qaeda has to

Summary of a chapter of book Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Summary of a chapter of book - Essay Example It has been found out that adolescents learn better about the world around them, including those they have not physically visited, through the internet. Active participation in discussions makes them more informed, contrasting the idea that learning is most effective within the four walls of the classroom. In fact, adolescents with writing skills are not just able to express their thoughts and publish them online. They also develop as they are given feedbacks and pieces of advice on how to make their works better. Animation is another skill that is shared and developed through internet interactions. Asians like the Japanese who are highly skilled in the art grow as they share their works, receive critiques and develop their English communication skills as well while they communicate with people around the globe. Moreover, internet games are not limited to entertainments but also include learning. Online games incorporate stories that inform the players and encourage them to be intera ctive in the development of the games or for some; they are influenced to write their own stories and experiences of the games they played. This shows that literacy is not achieved only within the classroom but also in a bigger world, the virtual

What types of franchises do people create and why Essay

What types of franchises do people create and why - Essay Example the international literature of business, modes of entry have long been considered as in close association with varying degrees of risk exposures, control, resource commitment, and profit return. Past studies indicate that the choice of modes of entry depends on distinct factor types, such as industry-specific, country-specific and firm-specific factors (Caves 2001). The major types of entry modes include equity-based and non-equity-based. Equity mode of entry is further divided into wholly owned operations and equity joint ventures. Non-equity entry mode is split into export and contractual agreements. The wholly owned subsidiary involves mainly Greenfield and acquisition. Equity joint ventures involve minority equity joint ventures, 50 % equity joint ventures and majority equity joint ventures. Contractual agreements involve licensing, risk and reward contracts, alliances and direct investment. Export involves direct export and indirect export (Erramili 2002). Some of the limits of the equity-based types of entry modes are: they call for a vital resource commitment in location across the country’s borders. It requires enough or large investment to start an independent operation. The equity-based type requires a continuing direct management of the establishment. It also needs one to interact constantly with different local parties. The advantages of the non-equity-based include: it does not need one to establish an independent organization, the connection between parties can specified and fixed during the contract (Michael 2002). The entry mode choice refers to the control level or degree desirable to a firm when it ventures into a foreign market. The choice of enterprises can be done through asset specificity and foreign market entry mode. Asset specificity is used for description of investments which are specific to a transaction, and which are reduced in alternative. The personal nature of the investments makes them susceptible to opportunism making

Education is not Ingesting Encapsulated Information Essay

Education is not Ingesting Encapsulated Information - Essay Example In this context, the article, â€Å"Why America’s Universities are Better Than its Schools,† by E D Hirsh Jr. becomes significant to the US education system in the present day. The author contends that the K-12 system suffers due to the reason that â€Å"intellectual orthodoxy† controls it whereas public colleges and universities, which are free from the control of â€Å"educationist point of view† are functioning better, which is a fact that â€Å"international community† acknowledges (Hirsch 144). My own experience as a student makes me see what the author means. I have encountered several situations when my sense of curiosity has often been dampened by a cold stare from my tutor who wants me just to study what is being â€Å"taught† in the class. The author chooses a topic which gains high significance in the present day society. Our country boasts of development in all facets of life but, unfortunately, we ignore some of the crucial facto rs, which can jeopardize the future of upcoming generations. Education is a key element in a person’s life and to groom our children into responsible citizens, we must provide them with appropriate learning facilities and environment. Hirsch, through this article, strikes home this point with clarity, precision and impact. Relevance of the topic aside, more important is the manner in which he accomplishes this mission. He wastes no time or effort in foreshadowing the subject matter and takes a straightforward plunge into the core of it. The simplicity, directness and panache with which he does this draw the reader immediately into the heart of the problem. The author deploys with deftness, the device of rhetoric in the article, for the purpose of persuading his audience and conveys the message strongly to convince them. In the outset, Hirsch states the problem with the K-12 system due to its being controlled by orthodox philosophy and contrasts it with the university educatio n system which eschews the educationalist approach and has received international acclaim. The author, then, explains that it is easier to â€Å"create a good K-12 system than a good university system† as can be evidenced from the fact that even under developed countries have good public schools (Hirsch 144 Para 2). Referring to the American tradition of â€Å"free speech and consequent toleration,† the author emphasizes on the significance of â€Å"open discussion and iconoclasm† in providing an environment where â€Å"intellectual excellence can flourish,† which the school systems seem to miss (Hirsch 144 Para 3). Besides, according to him, the elements of â€Å"openness and competitiveness distinguish colleges and universities,† and they place â€Å"great value on depth, breadth and accuracy of knowledge and independence of thought,† which are the key ingredients of objective learning that schools lack (Hirsch 144 Para 4). Moreover, Hirsc h believes that schools rely on â€Å"banking theory of schooling† based on â€Å"rote learning,† which deprives them of quality. The author draws attention to the steep decline by 75% in the number of students in college entrance tests who score above 650 in verbal and math. This figure acts as the pointer to the deterioration in the quality of school education. He makes another allusion to the high percentage of foreign students coming to US and quotes the

Sensory Perceptions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 15

Sensory Perceptions - Essay Example Placing ones hand on fire, the sense of feel will detect the temperature and pass the information to the brain, which perceives it as hot. This causes immediate withdrawal of the hand, preventing injury. Likewise, after placing food in the mouth, the tongue’s sense of taste will detect and send a message of the food’s taste to the brain, which will perceive it as either pleasant tasting and palatable or not. One can then proceed to eat or not. Taking an example of how to cross the road, the sense of sight helps in judging distance or depth. Through the eyes, the sense of sight of an oncoming vehicle is sent to the brain, which then determines whether it is far enough for safe crossing or too close to let it pass, keeping one out of risk of being hit.   Factors that contribute to the accuracy of sensory information include repeatability and memory (Turnbull et al, 1995). In the example of placing ones hand on fire, the sense of simply seeing does not perceive it as hot. However, continuously placing the hand on fire and finding it to be hot conditions the brain to memorize that fire is always hot, and touching eventually becomes unnecessary for the brain to perceive the fire as hot. There is also the use of tried and accepted methodologies that comply with the principles of the scientific community (Turnbull et al, 1995). With regards to sensory perceptions, nature may be viewed as a person’s natural instincts and genetic structure (Tierney et al, 1995). Nurture can be termed as the environmental factors that influence and shape a person’s behavior. They include teaching and parenting styles and one’s social, cultural and economic background. Both nature and nurture have an impact on an individual’s sensory perception. Studies have shown that, in a nurturing environment, children gain knowledge of objects through their experiences with their mothers (Tierney et

Education is not Ingesting Encapsulated Information Essay

Education is not Ingesting Encapsulated Information - Essay Example In this context, the article, â€Å"Why America’s Universities are Better Than its Schools,† by E D Hirsh Jr. becomes significant to the US education system in the present day. The author contends that the K-12 system suffers due to the reason that â€Å"intellectual orthodoxy† controls it whereas public colleges and universities, which are free from the control of â€Å"educationist point of view† are functioning better, which is a fact that â€Å"international community† acknowledges (Hirsch 144). My own experience as a student makes me see what the author means. I have encountered several situations when my sense of curiosity has often been dampened by a cold stare from my tutor who wants me just to study what is being â€Å"taught† in the class. The author chooses a topic which gains high significance in the present day society. Our country boasts of development in all facets of life but, unfortunately, we ignore some of the crucial facto rs, which can jeopardize the future of upcoming generations. Education is a key element in a person’s life and to groom our children into responsible citizens, we must provide them with appropriate learning facilities and environment. Hirsch, through this article, strikes home this point with clarity, precision and impact. Relevance of the topic aside, more important is the manner in which he accomplishes this mission. He wastes no time or effort in foreshadowing the subject matter and takes a straightforward plunge into the core of it. The simplicity, directness and panache with which he does this draw the reader immediately into the heart of the problem. The author deploys with deftness, the device of rhetoric in the article, for the purpose of persuading his audience and conveys the message strongly to convince them. In the outset, Hirsch states the problem with the K-12 system due to its being controlled by orthodox philosophy and contrasts it with the university educatio n system which eschews the educationalist approach and has received international acclaim. The author, then, explains that it is easier to â€Å"create a good K-12 system than a good university system† as can be evidenced from the fact that even under developed countries have good public schools (Hirsch 144 Para 2). Referring to the American tradition of â€Å"free speech and consequent toleration,† the author emphasizes on the significance of â€Å"open discussion and iconoclasm† in providing an environment where â€Å"intellectual excellence can flourish,† which the school systems seem to miss (Hirsch 144 Para 3). Besides, according to him, the elements of â€Å"openness and competitiveness distinguish colleges and universities,† and they place â€Å"great value on depth, breadth and accuracy of knowledge and independence of thought,† which are the key ingredients of objective learning that schools lack (Hirsch 144 Para 4). Moreover, Hirsc h believes that schools rely on â€Å"banking theory of schooling† based on â€Å"rote learning,† which deprives them of quality. The author draws attention to the steep decline by 75% in the number of students in college entrance tests who score above 650 in verbal and math. This figure acts as the pointer to the deterioration in the quality of school education. He makes another allusion to the high percentage of foreign students coming to US and quotes the

Short article prom promises by amy L. best Essay - 1

Short article prom promises by amy L. best - Essay Example The article very well establishes that â€Å"the relative local success of the Prom Promise often depends on the support of individual communities and schools, and of course, the students.† (p 78, â€Å"Prom Promises - Rules and Ruling: Proms as Sites of Social Control† by Amy L Best) It maintains that the success depends on the students’ consent to their own regulations. The article is very effective, with personally observed examples and conversations with the students, in expressing the actual reasons of the failure of many prom promises. For example, it states and illustrates that â€Å"students sign this contract with every intention of violating it. Consider a conversation I had with Scott, a White student from Woodrow, about the Promise, which his school had once tried to implement, successfully...† (Bests). The article goes on to analyze the various levels of the imposed rules in a prom promise and expatiate the view that the forced strategies of the school authorities to check the uncontrolled behavior of students are ineffective to draw any good results. The author is successful in expressing how the students respond to the rules that aim at the modification of their behavior supplementing it with the real life examples of the students of Rudolph and the like. Trickery of the different schools that aim at the effective implementation of prom promise is analyzed objectively and criticized firmly. The strategies of Stylone with table cards, of Woodrow and Hudson with signing of the names in a guest book and the formalized strategy of Rudolph â€Å"checking kids in† are found, for example, ineffective. The article is also very successful in pointing out the exact reasons for the failure of the program. â€Å"That the teacher received the kids contributed to the sense that the pr om belonged to the teachers and not to the kids. It seemed emblematic that of the direct control the school itself exercised

Eating - Custard Essay Example for Free

Eating Custard Essay Melt in Your Mouth â€Å"Perhaps like falling in love, eating is passion wearing a semblance of decorousness, when delicacy is out of reach because the palate had just been ambushed into helplessness. † mentioned by Merlinda Bobis in her novel Banana Heart Summer. I heard this quote from my brother John, and ever since then I fell in love with it. My brother and I share the same passion when it comes to food. We can never get enough of it. Food for the two of us brings us joy that takes us in a journey together and it strengthens our bond as brother and sister. Just like food, love is one of the main ingredients in every human being to be able to live life melodiously. Food and love go hand in hand with one another; it produces pleasure and satisfaction for everyone. My brother and I are always in the hunt for the best dessert place in town. When I found out that he discovered this specific dessert place in Downtown, San Diego, I got very excited to go and try it out. That same day my brother took me out to this restaurant called Extraordinary Desserts. When we got there, there was a long line of people standing outside waiting to order to-go and or to be seated at a table. The hostess told us the wait is going to be an hour, so we waited, since we both wholeheartedly enjoy eating desserts. The hostess finally called my name and the wait was totally worth it. Then we set foot in the restaurant, I felt stunned since the decoration was striking, lavish and was the proper place to celebrate desserts. I walked in the restaurant and I felt like a kid in a candy store. There were so many varieties from cakes to ice cream. Now, I know why this place is so busy and packed with people waiting just to satisfy their cravings. There were so many choices to choose from that I became indecisive on what I wanted to order; however, one dessert rose up to the occasion. I felt like heaven sent me a sign to pick the perfect one just for me. The waiter approached us and asked what we would like to order. I ordered the creme brulee; my brother ordered it as well. He was very pleased that we ordered this specific dessert. It was evident that all the people around the town enjoyed this dessert. The waiter did not take that long to bring us our order. They were decorated with a nest of caramelized brown sugar on top. Inside contained a rich cream and flan like filling. Flan is usually a sweet or savory filling. It is similar to a custard tart. Creme brulee is also known as burnt cream. The dessert was so inextricably linked to French dessert, that I could smell and taste every ingredient and it was so gratifying. Taking a spoonful of the creme brulee in my mouth was the most pleasing cream I ever had. I had eaten so much that literally I could not take another bite. It was like a burst of rainbow after the rain. It completely takes away all the stress and sorrow that I might be feeling at that moment; and, turned it into a smile and contentment. Now, when I am asked about what is my favorite dessert ever, it is very enjoyable to recall. It is the creme brulee especially made from Extraordinary Desserts. This is a memorable dessert that I have ever eaten, but also one of the most pleasant memories of my life is experiencing it with my brother who shares the same love on exploring and trying new food. We always enjoy each others company where ever we go. We like to reminisce about our childhood and our trouble-maker years while enjoying the mouth-watering creme brulee. I can say that I am one of those people who love to eat and are in a state that is simply breathtaking being in love. Both food and love is the core of my heart right now. They both inspire me to be a better me. Food fulfills my physical body while Love replenishes my spirit. Love to me is like eating. Eating has different tastes, and so as love. We cannot live without food and love in life.

Investigating Interference in Response Time

Investigating Interference in Response Time Saran Singh Sound An experiment to investigate Interference in response time Abstract In my investigation I have replicated the Stroop Effect, which is a test for checking interference in response time and processing. This effect has been useful as it helps us understand that brain’s reaction time slows down when there is conflicting stimuli. In my investigation i wanted to check for the difference in the response time participants take when a colored block stimulus is compared to a conflicting stimulus. For the collection of data for this experiment participants were conveniently chosen i.e. the students were sent into the classroom as an when they were free. In the experiment I recorded the response time of each participant until they finished the whole task. For the purpose of this investigation, standard deviation was used as a statistic measure. It was hypothesized that participants would have increased response time in the conflicting stimuli as it had interference. Our replicated study seems to match the same. Word Count: 152 Introduction Automatic processing can be defined as processes that do not require attention; they can often be performed along with other tasks without interference.[1] The Stroop Effect tested how automatic processing works. J. Ridley Stroop (1935) aimed to demonstrate the effect of interference in the reaction time. Stroop used only five colors (red, blue, green, brown, and purple) for his stimuli and conducted three separate experiments. He tested different number of participants for each of his experiments. In his first experiment he made his seventy undergraduate college participants (14 male and 56 female) read two stimuli and call out the color name in both cases. Stimulus-one was a list of color names printed in black ink and stimulus-two was a list of colors written in conflicting/contradictory ink, i.e., blue written in red ink. For the second experiment, Stroop used 100 participants (88 college undergraduates, 29 males and 59 females, and 12 graduate students, all females) who were als o made to read two stimuli. Stimulus-one was a list of colored square boxes and stimulus-two was a list of color names printed in conflicting/contradictory ink. The participants were made to call out the color the words and blocks are printed in. In his last experiment, Stroop replicated experiment two in the same manner except for two things. One he used thirty two undergraduates’ participants from the University of Arizona and second he replaced the colored blocks with colored swastikas. The results of Stroops’ experiment were: Naming of the ink color in the neutral stimuli was faster than in the conflicting stimulus which is semantic interference. When participants were asked to name the word instead of the ink color semantic interference disappeared. In this study we have replicated the Stroop Effect and our aim and hypothesis is that there would be an increase in the response time for the conflicting stimuli Method Design Repeated measures were used for this experiment. Using repeated measures helped us control any effects that might be attributed to personal characteristics of the participants, such as age and gender and if random measures were used we wouldn’t have truly known the effect of interference on response time. The independent variable for my experiment was the two-stimulus and the dependent variable was the response time taken in seconds to identify the color of the ink in both the stimuli; colored block stimuli and contradictory ink stimuli. The instructions and procedure was kept constant for each participant. During the experiment, ethical considerations were made. Participants data was kept anonymous, were given right to withdraw and were debriefed[2] after the experiment. They were also made to sign an informed consent form[3] at their own wish and will before the experiment was conducted. Participants The participants in this experiment were conveniently chosen Jamnabai Narsee School IB Seniors population non psychology students. Convenience sampling was used because at the time of conducting this experiment regular classes were functioning in the School and only the students who were free at that time were chosen to participate. A total of ten participants out of 98 students in the seniors’ population were used for this experiment; 7 male and 3 female. The participants’ age ranged from sixteen to seventeen. All of the participants were fluent with English and were from the same educational and cultural background. Materials Standardized Instructions[4] Informed Consent[5] Matrix of colored blocks printed on blank sheet of paper- Colored block stimulus[6] Matrix of color names printed in contradictory ink on blank sheet of paper-Conflicting stimulus[7] Post task questions[8] Debriefing[9] Digital stopwatch  ±0.01s Pens Procedure The materials for this experiment were prepared using word processing and photo editing software. The steps for carrying out the experiment were as follows: Participants were tested individually in a classroom in Jamnabai Narsee School. The researcher read out the standardized instructions[10] out loud. Then the informed consent[11] was handed out to be signed. Instructions on performing the task first condition (Colored block stimulus)[12]-were read aloud to the participants The participants were then informed to begin the task on the count of 3. After the participant finished speaking out all the color names the stopwatch was stopped and the time was noted. The participants were then instructed on the second condition (Word stimulus)[13]. They were told to begin the new task at the count of 3. The stopwatch was stopped immediately after they finished the task and the time was noted. The post task questions[14] were handed over to the participants after they had finished their tasks. Lastly, the researcher debriefed[15] the participants on the nature of the experiment. Before the participants left they were thanked and instructed not to reveal their participation in this experiment in order to avoid revealing of the aim of this experiment. Results From the mean measure on Table 1, it can be deduced that the conflicting word stimulus had higher response times than the colored block stimulus. The colored block stimulus had response times close to the mean because it has a low standard deviation. The mean was calculated for this experiment as it measures the central tendency for the response time and furthermore, mean encompasses all the data. The standard deviation shows us how far the values tend to be from the mean. Calculations[16] Table 1: Mean response time and standard deviation of Colored Block Stimulus and Conflicting Word Stimulus Figure 1: Comparison of the mean response time for Colored Block Stimulus and Conflicting Word Stimulus. Discussion Colored Block Stimulus and Conflicting Word Stimulus have a mean of 17.0 and 24.8 seconds respectively. The difference in the time for both the stimulus suggests that response time was indeed greater for the conflicting word stimulus than that of the colored block stimulus which supports my hypothesis. This was because of the conflicting factors that caused interference and slowed processing speeds. This study matches the results found from the original Stroop Effect experiment[17]. The standard deviation value indicates that at some point of time there were errors in the experiment. While the execution of the experiment was simple, there were a few improvements which could have been made to ensure better results. The font size of the text was really small which increased the difficulty in reading it. The use of a slightly bigger font size would be beneficial. There were a few noises in the classroom which may have affected the participant’s concentration. Reassuring that there are no disturbances in the classroom during the experiment would be advantageous. There could also be an error in time from the researcher as there is a delay in the time at which the participant finishes the task and the time at which the researcher stops the stopwatch. The gender distribution for the experiment weren’t equal i.e. 7 male and 3 female participants. Some of the factors mentioned above could be the reason for the high standard deviation value. Therefore, after analyzing the data we can conclude that the hypothesis of my experiment was met even though there were some flaws in the experiment. References Stroop R, J. (n.d.), Stroop Effect, STUDIES OF INTERFERENCE IN SERIAL VERBAL REACTIONS. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 18, 643-662. Retrieved August 16, 2014 from http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/Stroop/ Gerrig, R., Zimbardo, P. (2002, January 1). Glossary of Psychological Terms. Retrieved October 30, 2014, from http://www.apa.org/research/action/glossary.aspx Resnik, D. (2011, May 1). National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Retrieved October 30, 2014, from http://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/resources/bioethics/whatis Appendices Appendix 1 Standardized Instructions: Appendix 2 Informed Consent: Appendix 3 Stimulus 1: Appendix 4 Stimulus 2 Appendix 5 Post Task Questions: Appendix 6 Debriefing: Appendix 7 Raw Data: Sample Standard Deviation calculation = = 1.7s [1] Gerrig, R., Zimbardo, P. (2002, January 1). Glossary of Psychological Terms. Retrieved October 30, 2014, from http://www.apa.org/research/action/glossary.aspx [2] Appendix 6 [3] Appendix 2 [4] Appendix 1 [5] Appendix 2 [6] Appendix 3 [7] Appendix 4 [8] Appendix 5 [9] Appendix 6 [10] Appendix 1 [11] Appendix 2 [12] Appendix 3 [13] Appendix 4 [14] Appendix 5 [15] Appendix 6 [16] Appendix 7 [17] Stroop R, J. (n.d.), Stroop Effect, STUDIES OF INTERFERENCE IN SERIAL VERBAL REACTIONS. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 18, 643-662. Retrieved August 16, 2014 from http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/Stroop/

Its because they are human beings Essay -- Racial Relations, African-

Sitting down at Barnes and Noble, or Starbucks, with a coffee and a tasty blueberry muffin, doesn’t seem so complicated. A problem that might arise, is there an electrical plug nearby to plug in the lab top just in case the battery gets low on power? Simple enough, the coffee is just right and the internet is up and running. What better morning could there be? Such simple freedoms everyone takes for granted, never a second thought to whether this is allowed? Who can purchase food and drink here? Is the color of my skin the right color? Stopping to consider what are my civil rights? How did we get here, a point in time where an individual has civil rights? Looking back do we realize the hard work of those who stood up to injustice was for a reason? So, the future generations could enjoy their lives, families and their right to be treated as human beings. Now try to fit into the mindset of the 50’s and 60’s. Up to this time the African-American’s personal rights were different that the white people around them. They were expected to do everything separately from white people, including dining out, going to the restroom and sitting at the back of the bus. Up until this time, the majority of the black Americans’ kept in their place, not liking it, and not knowing how to change the status quo. In the beginning it took personal courage for the individuals who started the movement to civil rights. This courage was shown on February 1, 1960 when four students from a local college in Greensboro, Alabama went into the Woolworth and sat at the lunch counter and waited to be served. They were refused service, which began the sit-ins, sparking the beginning movement to their human rights. Historically, the African-Americans ... ... helped King produce the â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail†, which was the African-American’s answer to the â€Å"Statement by Alabama Clergymen†. King spoke for all who sought equal rights, he spoke for the young, the elderly, the men and women of African blood who now were citizens of the United States, but were still considered non-human. King was the right man, at the right time, which made all the difference. In the present, where are we at now? Although civil rights exists, the United States still has issues of equal rights. We now have not only the black Americans, but the Asian Americans, the Mexican Americans, and of course the Native Americans. As the minority slow becomes the majority, the white contingency now expresses their issues of equal rights or the lack there of. Can there be a definitive answer that solves the equal rights issue? No, there is not.

Effects of overpopulation Essay

Even thought the world is witnessing a sustainable improvement in all fields such as science and technology, it is still facing several problems that keep blocking it from improvement. One such problem is overpopulation that affects our life in many ways. Overpopulation generates three major effects: economy decline, environment downfall, and educational system decline. The first major effect of overpopulation is economy decline. When a country is overpopulated, it barely can support and provide people with necessary food to survive, so it will have no surplus to export. Not only this, but the worst thing is when a country is not able to feed its own people, then the only solution is to take debts from other countries. This puts the country in a critical situation from the economic perspective. Moreover, when the country is overpopulated, there is a high rate of unemployment because the government cannot afford job opportunities for the whole population, and also there will be no for eign investment because wherever there is overpopulation, there is an economic decline. One way or another, this situation will lead to crimes and other kind of problems. Environment downfall is the second main effect of overpopulation. First, when there is overpopulation, people need more space where to live, and that means less of green space, less of forests, and less of farmlands. things that are necessary for surviving. Second, how says overpopulation says pollution with all its different types; as a result, the air, the water, and all the earth’s resources start being torn down. Finally, a high rate of population implies an abusive usage of natural resources; consequently, within a short period of time, we will end up being in a world empty of natural resources, especially the non-renewable ones. The third and the last main effect of overpopulation is educational system decline. The higher the population of a country, the more teachers are needed in schools, and this leads directly to overcrowded schools since the government cannot afford the cost of paying additional teachers, and building new schools with larger capacity. This will affect in a very negative way student’s way of learning and attitude; for instance, when they see that the conditions are discouraging and not motivating for studying, either they drop out of school or they get involved in some morale deviation like drug  usage. Above are the three main effects of overpopulation and their characteristics. It is an issue that concerns everybody, so people should start to think about it seriously and take the necessary measures to reduce or at least stop this phenomenon that is making our life harder from increasing.

Rhetorical Analysis: Too Much of a Good Thing

Rhetorical Analysis: Too Much of a Good Thing â€Å"At least 25% of all Americans under age nineteen are overweight or obese, a figure that has doubled over the last 30 years. † says Greg Crister in his article titled â€Å"Too Much of a Good Thing† which appeared on July 22, 2001 in the Los Angeles Times. In his article, Crister uses three common rhetorical strategies, ethos, pathos, and logos, in an attempt to persuade his audience, anyone raising children or interested in children's health issues, of how prevalent this epidemic has become and provide them with some solutions as to how they can help prevent childhood obesity.Overall, Crister's argument succeeds and his audience walks away convinced that childhood obesity is, in fact, an epidemic that plagues children in their own country and that they must act immediately themselves to help fight the fight and insure that it does not become a problem with their own children. One common rhetorical strategy is ethos, wh ich is the use of credible sources to support a claim.Since Crister is a writer and not an expert on childhood obesity himself, it is important that he uses creditable sources to persuade the audience of the epidemic that childhood obesity is becoming. Crister uses ethos very well in his argument by providing current findings from reliable sources that are relevant to the immediate problem of childhood obesity. At the beginning of his article, Crister says, â€Å"Obesity,' the U. N. roclaim[s], ‘is the dominant unmet global health issue, with Westernized countries topping the list. † It is a common belief that the United Nations predominately only deals with epidemics that plague children in third world countries so by bringing to the audience's attention that the U. N. is now focusing on the United States, Crister encourages them to look closer to home to see what an immediate crisis that childhood obesity has become.By making the audience aware that childhood obesity is being treated as an epidemic by a trustworthy and knowledgeable organization such as the United Nations, Crister succeeds in persuading his audience that this is a serious issue in their own country and they are more likely to want to do whatever they can to prevent childhood obesity since it could affect their own children rather than children on the other side of the world. The rhetorical strategy pathos means to appeal to the audience's emotions when making an argument and one way in which Crister uses pathos effectively is by his word choice.In his article, Crister says, â€Å"Closer to home, at least 25% of all Americans under age nineteen are overweight or obese, a figure that has doubled over the last 30 years and a figure that moved the surgeon general to declare childhood obesity an epidemic. † Knowing that, generally, parents only want the best for their children, Crister use of descriptive words, such as calling childhood obesity an epidemic, invokes a negative reaction in his audience and causes their protective, parental instincts to immediately kick in.Most parents could never fathom their own child might be part of an epidemic of any kind so by referring to the fact that childhood obesity is becoming an epidemic itself, Crister creates a sense of urgency in his audience that in turn makes them want to act on their protective instincts by helping to prevent the spread of this epidemic. In keeping with his strong use of word choice, Crister also uses the word gluttony twice in his article and even elaborates by pointing out that gluttony is â€Å"vilified as one of the seven deadly sins. Again, the use of such strong language causes the audience take notice of the severity of childhood obesity and makes them want to do whatever they can to prevent it so that their own children are not considered gluttons or part of an epidemic. Another rhetorical strategy is logos, which means using logic, common sense, and reason to appeal to an audien ce. In his article, Crister uses logic to provide some solutions to help prevent childhood obesity as well as discredited some long-standing myths on how these solutions might not work.One solution that Crister offers is when he points out the importance of teaching good eating habits early on so that overeating, one of the main causes of obesity, can be avoided. To help persuade the audience that this is an important step to take, Crister discredits the common misconception among parents that children will stop eating once they are full. Crister mentions a study led by Barbara Rolls, a nutritional scholar at Pennsylvania State University, in which she observed the eating habits of two groups of children.Rolls found that the three year old group would stop eating once they were full, regardless of how much food they were given, but the five year old group would continue to eat, long after they were full, until everything on their plate was gone. This study helps persuade the audienc e that what they believed to be true about the eating habits of children might not be true after all and that it is their job to help their children learn how to develop good eating habits at an early age.Crister goes on to point out that parents are led to believe that restricting a child's diet will cause them to, in turn, overeat. In an effort to explain this to his audience Crister says, â€Å"The operative notion is that a child restrained from overeating will either rebel by secretly gorging when away from the table or, worse, will suffer such a loss of self-esteem that a lifetime of disastrous eating behavior will follow. † Another solution that Crister offers is to stigmatize overeating. He says, â€Å"Of course, no one should be stigmatized for being overweight.But stigmatizing the unhealthful behaviors that cause obesity would conform with what we know about effective health messages. † This helps his audience see that stigmatizing overweight people might be detrimental but stigmatizing overeating itself might be one of the most logical solutions in preventing childhood obesity. Crister also notes that in the early 20th century France, when first faced with the excessive weight gain among children, they adopted the belief that meals should always be supervised by adults, food should be served in moderate proportions, and second helpings should be rare.The French are often stereotyped for being some of the most confident people in the world so Crister ends his article with the logical, yet tongue-in-cheek statement that, †[The French] were taught in childhood not to overeat. And it didn't seem to do much harm to their self-esteem. † This quote combined with his use of logos works well for Crister's argument because they make his audience realize that what they have been led to believe in the past about restricting a child's eating habits and how children approach eating in general might not, in fact, be true.By discrediting a ll of these myths, Crister's persuades his audience that they must take responsibility in teaching their children good eating habits early on in their lives and they become more comfortable with the idea that stigmatizing overeating as well as restricting their own child's eating are other ways in which they can do their part in preventing childhood obesity.Overall, Crister's uses of ethos, pathos, and logos succeed in persuading his audience what an epidemic that childhood obesity has become and they walk with a couple of solutions to help them act immediately in helping to prevent this epidemic in their own children or children in this country. Works Cited Crister, Greg. â€Å"Too Much of a Good Thing. † Los Angeles Times 22 July 2001. 16 November 2012 .

The Time I Went to Cabo San Lucas Mexico

The time I went to cabo San Lucas Mexico There once was a time that I went to cabo San Lucas Mexico with my family. The reason that this trip was so special too was because I got to spend a whole week with my grandparents, aunts and uncles and most importantly my parents. When we first got we went to are rooms and put are thing down then went right down to the pool. I can still remember the way the pool look and felt because I got cut on one of the tiles in the pool. One there reasons I liked the pool so much is you could just sit there and watch the sun set.Then the next day I went fishing on the beach that was so cool casting out a fishing line and sitting there waiting with family there beaches are so beautiful and nice like the ones you see in TV commercials. I haven’t even got to the best part they have a little cruise called sunset cruise. You rode on a pirate ship and watch people fight and watch the sun go down. I was a lot like the movie call peter pan. This little cr uise was so special because in a hurry and I got locked out of my room I forgot to wear shoes so I was without shoes that whole night.There is one restraints that you have to go to when you are there I mean they have unreal food. They have huge tacos filled with anything you want with beans, rice and a side salad. I can taste it now. I also remember the time I went with my grandparents to the beach after the sun went down with one of my uncles. You have experienced nothing until that happened I mean the sand nice and cold between your toes swimming in the ocean you feel so free and wild. That is why cabo San Lucas Mexico is so special to me. I have a lot of good memories there with my family.

Norman Rockwells Painting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Norman Rockwells Painting - Essay Example This article states that the painting was inspired by Rockwell’s when he visited the Soviet Union. The painting offers a learning experience for teachers, students, and adult learners. The artist had an insightful observation of Russian classroom experience of schoolchildren in the 1960s. The artist was reflecting what he observed during his visit and was amused with what he saw. This made him to reflect but and inspire other students in both upper and lower primary. It was also an inspiration to parents and teachers on the extent to which children can stay focused on their own. The author believes that the problem we all live with has been embraced and become an important symbol of civil rights. It acts as a remembrance of the day when the United States Supreme Court declared the racial segregation unconstitutional. The painting bears a black girl who is determined to go to school and she is under escort. Additionally, the author asserts that the painting is a symbol of victo ry on the black race following the court verdict that state law establishing separate public schools for whites and blacks were unconstitutional. The artist was quick to take note because he was a supporter of tolerance and equality. The author outlines that the federal Supreme Court declared segregation illegal in public schools. Norman Rockwell drew the picture to show a young black girl in a uniform walking to school in little rock. The child is protected by US federal marshals, something which has never been realised.

CBI cost method Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

CBI cost method - Research Paper Example On the other hand, activity-based costing apportions the costs incurred during manufacturing of a particular product or service based on the activities required during their production. It is crucial for managers to comprehend the merits and demerits of the two systems to satisfy the needs of their business operations. The budget presented entails schedules that raise various concerns leading to the recommendation that the company should switch to the activity-based costing system of accounting. The first concern is the quarterly budget that in my opinion requires further subdivision to generate quarters. Mainly, cycling takes place in temperate weather conditions. Buying materials for bicycle production for the start of sales hikes demand therefore, requires the producer to incur a quarter before the demand. Another concern regards accounts that remain uncollectable. The master budget for the company is not specific it its cash budget line. It closely refers to the uncollectable receivables. Variable factors in this context emanate from economic features among them limited sponsorship and carry the capacity to result in wrong accounts. From the budget, the company is setting aside a budget for 140 bikes inclusive of labour costs. It is appropriate to cut down on the level of production of extra p arts in the inventory. The method of distributing manufacturing overhead by activity-based costing (ABC) to products is efficient compared to the traditional method of costing. Precisely, activity-based costing assigns the right percentage of resources to particular products. While monitoring and allocating organizational costs to products and objects, activity-based costing remains a more sophisticated and logical method as opposed to the traditional costing system. It is possible to distribute overhead costs based on machine-hours as the only criteria in the traditional system of