Breaking Into Advertising and Staying Essay

In the life of an individual, it is seen that building a great and stable career in a line of work that he/she personally likes and loves to do is one of the foremost undertakings that is considered to be a difficult task. Thus, this requires a bountiful amount of effort and courage for a person to achieve a stable career and to be situated in a position that he or she prefers to be in. Advertising Industry, on the other hand, as linked to the discussions about career, is considered to be one of the most stimulating and exciting line of businesses in which there are numerous number of aspirants who are hoping to penetrate the scene and be a part of it. Also, the advertising business is regarded as included in the most competitive and strongest industry that could ensure a bright future ahead for anyone who could make it to the top of the industry competition. However, as far as the aspect of employment is concern, establishing a career in advertising industry is seen to be one of the most difficult and tricky task to do. Thus, this is where the book entitled â€Å"Pick Me: Breaking into Advertising and Staying There† is primarily intended for, which is to serve as a guide and as an essential reading in helping people to land a job and survive under the pressure of the industry that is once regarded to be included in the list of the most competitive ones. The book is primarily written to provide a reading material to be able to guide the people, more especially those who aspire to establish a career in the advertising industry, to land in a job and handle the pressure which serves as the characteristic of the said business. The book is authored by two of the most reliable individuals in the field of advertising who have worked as creative directors and are closely creative partners namely Nancy Vonk and Janet Kestin. The primary objective of the two is to render people definite information as to how could they acquire a position in a business world such as advertising. As such, from the majority of the book, the information is essentially rendered to answer the questions of people or students with regard to having a stable job and establishing a career in the said industry. In addition to this, the book is also co-authored by a group of fourteen individuals, who are regarded as famous persons in the advertising industry, who have also provided and shared their own insights as well as personal experiences that have been instrumental for them to enter the careers they are in today and excel in it. Nonetheless, through the background and capabilities of the people behind the ideas, it is seen that the book is effective in achieving and functioning to what it principally intend. The book is seen to be precise with its aims and goals. Being aware that the establishment of career in the advertising industry is a tricky task, the writers have stated and rendered their information in the most positive way that the readers could have a grasp of the messages they intended for. Thus, the approach of the writers in rendering their thoughts is seen to be concise wherein the book incorporates the list of the typical questions and concerns by the person with regard to the topic and renders the appropriate answers accordingly. Likewise, a clear statement of the issue and topic which tells about the link between employment and the difficulties of establishing a career in advertising industry has been key factor that paves the way to definite results as well as conclusions for the book. According to the writers, it is important for a person, more especially for those who aspires for a job in the said industry, to know exactly and render accordingly his or her goals as well as the things that he or she wants to achieve to be able to employ a clear pathway and focus in the progress of his or her career. Also, the writers have clearly stated the point that a formal educational background is significant, although not the sole essentials, in establishing a career and making it to the top of entire advertising industry. Thus, talent, skills, passion and dedication are regarded as factors that are required to be able to establish a long-time career and succeed in the said industry. In addition to this, the thoughts of fear and self-antipathy should be conquered in order to establish a career, stay and succeed in the advertising business. Likewise, the fresh and new ideas are seen to be a vital ingredient of success in the advertising industry which could place a person in a stable and healthy ground for his or her career in the industry. This could also improve and determine the reliability of one’s capabilities in the industry to come up with a brilliant notion that could help the clients and publicize a product more towards greater results. From a personal point of view, it can be said that the points and statements written above, as per the writers’ standpoint, are all essential and significant in a way that it renders clear notions for the people that have the dreams of making it in the advertising industry. Thus, most of the points that have been depicted in the book are all supported and explained through the incorporation and a mixture of personal experiences industry as well as logical reasoning that is connected to the entire context of society. Likewise, knowing the fact where the writers are coming from employs more wisdom in the points that have been stated in the pages. Moreover, the idea of stating a clear focus and goal is indeed essential in establishing a career. This renders a definite way and serves as a focal point as to where the progress of career is heading. The presence of formal education, on the other hand, is also seen as significant wherein it should serve as roots for knowledge or notions that should be further enhanced by the personal capabilities and talent. Also, talents, capabilities and dedication in the job is definitely instrumental in order to establish and stay in a line of career for a long period of time. Nonetheless, saying that confidence is a must in landing to a job and staying in the advertising industry is absolutely significant. Thus, the existence of self-loathing should be conquered in order to employ a steady job environment and pave the way for continuous personal and career growth. Likewise, it can be said that the most important point in the book is the argument that focus and goal stipulated with passion and dedication are in fact an essential formula to establish a career and survived the challenges of being employed, more especially in the advertising industry. In the end, with the above written facts and information about the book, it could be stated the information and thoughts depicted in the book are all factual as well as helpful fundamentals towards having a decent job or position and staying in the advertising industry. Thus, it is certain that the book and the writers are successful in achieving their goals as well as in serving their purpose that is seen to render a tangible reading guide for the people who aspire to land in a job and establish a career in the advertising industry. Nonetheless, all the thoughts and information rendered in the book are useful and obliging for the readers as all of the points and statements are supported with relevant real world experiences and factual evidence that are tested to have produced positive results about the topic. Reference Vonk N. and Kestin J. (2005). Pick Me: Breaking Into Advertising and Staying There. United States: Wiley-IEEE.

A Leadership Journey

A LEADERSHIP JOURNEY. Created by SHARATH KUMAR Abstract The paper records the evolution of the author’s thinking on leadership through the course of his work involvement. Leadership is viewed as a dynamic process which consists formal and informal roles. The process is introduced as an individual recognizes opportunities and urged to answer back to evolving patterns and pledge action to enable positive change. The dynamics between formal and informal leadership structures and leadership as a state of mind are conferred.The following paper shows a reflection on my personal journey and growing understanding of leadership based on my work experience. As I look back in time, I identify that most of my current interest in leadership and complexity has evolved. This paper archives the development of my view about leadership. Stages in the Journey Over my career I have experienced various milestones that have shaped and inclined my perspectives on leadership. Vitally I have witnessed my role as a leader as one who pronounces and puts into action a vision that inspires others to join in to an extent at least.Along the way, the instability of resistance to that vision that has been the extreme influence on restricting my focus and ideology about leadership, as I’ve fought to overcome obstacles. Now I leadership as a dynamical distributed process among performers. I believe I have inculcated an informal methodology similar to grounded theory, as I take in information on the area concerned, formulate a theory and then test and modify that theory actively. There have been crowning events that have shaped my perspectives about leadership.I evoke the poignant enthusiasm of joining the company. I had been employed as Assistant Chief Information Officer multinational company. My position in the company in my opinion was a dream job – aiding in devising a long-term strategy for the growth of the business unit from a process and technology perspective. I ins tantly noted operational issues and developed suggestions to address them. Although, my dream was shattered as I soon I was made to realize my position and the inclination of the management team to clinch new ideas were not necessary. Organization as OrganismMy first day at work struck by the oppression of meetings absorbed so much time there was no time left to do work. Employees were exasperated because they had no access to their managers for direction. Projects were not being completed in a time due to the perspective experts needed on them were unavailable due to other bookings. Organizational beliefs about alliance needed key employees that were patrons to a project indulge in discussion and decision making. Still, decision making was a tremendously slow process as it lacked clarity as to who had the decision making authority.A group would discuss the issue because one key person was not present (being double booked in another meeting) hence, the decisions were not finalized. Line of meetings being unresolved was common. Although I was brought into a company as a change agent tasked to bring strategic change to the business unit, I realized that it was not truly the case. Interest in change was driven by the instantaneous short term demands of particular clients, executives. At this point I managed to gather a team responsible for coordinating technology linked projects.After extensive talks with my head, the team that reported to me was handed over to someone else, and I was to report to this new head as an independent contributor. This change was an extremely difficult period for me, yet important in shaping my views of leadership. This was a period where deep reflection on my sense of identity, my values, and sense of personal integrity was brought out. I interpreted this change as the system. I will speak more about what I learnt of the change in a later section. A new major acquisition had just been signed and the focus had shifted from long-term st rategy to short term integration.After six months in the position, I moved out of the business unit to work with a larger parent company. My favorite definition of leadership relics Sun Tzu in the Art of War: â€Å"The way [of leadership] means inducing the people to have the same aim as the leadership, so that they will share death and share life, without fear of danger† (Sun Tzu, 2005, p. 43). The definition recognizes the collaborative dynamic that leader and follower share– both share the benefits and risks in its pursuit. Moreover, Senge’s work presented me to systems thinking and understanding the unified wholeness of organizations.This view was reinforced by my study of Neurolinguistic Programming and Neuro-Semantics, understanding human communications and the way in which we learn to construct our mental maps of the area. I saw conscious decisions to be freeing and challenging at the same time. This commitment was a challenging as I began to explore the process of leadership outside the hierarchical power structure that could command action by positional authority. Now as an independent contributor I found myself able to lead freely in a variety of ways, highlighting the need of influence in the contexts that I was called for.I mentally stepped back from the situation and took a look at the business, it’s internal and external stakeholders. I would foresee the recede and flow of people as they enthused about their work, the processes of numerous departments that enabled this organism to be effective. I also realized that minor issues evolved into major problems. I witnessed that an aspect of leadership is to distinguish this ebb and drift of the organization and identify the systemic pain points – soon enough so that adequate time is available to resolve the pain points.Often key issues remain intact solely because the situations have not reached the pain point to seize adequate attention. Partly it appeared to be an issue of prioritization; partly a problem of prevailing beliefs within the culture that impacts what employees attend to. A fundamental belief I have about leadership is that the leader is one who recognizes a potential future and asserts in motion actions that move those involved. Disequilibrium Disequilibrium is a vital situation in the dynamics of an organization, point at which the possibility for self-excelling construction of novel approaches to specific challenges to occur.The pressures associated with disequilibrium is the point when pain thresholds reach a important point that gives an organization to be receptive to emerging possibilities. Although, there are differences in the role that leadership plays in such situations. I was one of the senior employees called to speak to the other employees after the declaration that the company was to be closed. After weeks of discussions of the positive doles of the merger, one hundred and fifty people were told of losing their jobs (a third of them, the very day! I bid everyone to come together, acknowledged that there had been a death in the family and we knew where we all stood. Also, I was able to distribute a booklet to each employee on tackling with consequences of a merger. I had prepared these booklets without awareness of what the outcome of the merger would be. After discussions with the employees post meeting, I got validation for the value of the confab in bringing about a collective sense of acceptance to the veracity we faced. They also agreed that the booklet carried a tangible sense of being cared for in the development.There is a paradoxical dynamic to disequilibrium states. A disequilibrium state can although have the inverse effect occasioning in a resistance to transformation. In my understanding, the test of leadership is the capacity to anticipate and influence change afore the state of disequilibrium becomes serious. My sense of obscurity assisted as a motivator to securing the â€Å"me rger transition† booklets prior to the settlement of the merger (It was intuited that the result may not be as favorable as had formerly been voiced by management).As organizations operate as complex adaptive systems, the dynamics leading to disequilibrium usually exist as symptoms which could be observed and responded before the problem becomes serious. In this context, the process of (proactive) leadership shows self-regulating effect in the organization by permitting the process of self-transcending structure. Leadership as a Process Concluded by my experiences I see leadership as an ongoing process that befalls in human organizations through the interplay of formal and informal relationships. Leadership as a process is personified by actors who respond to a situation.Therefore, the manager should be able to carry more complex thinking to issues that a subordinate may encounter, and bring value to understanding the work. Similarly, the subordinate is responsible for sharing visions about the work with his/her manager who can pass on the developments and insights further up the hierarchy. Whatever skills I may have in endorsing leadership may be totaled by ineffective structure in the system. In fact, I point the lack of an obligatory organizational structure as one if not the major inhibitions to organizational ineffectiveness within my work environment.Leadership as a State of Mind To finish, I have come to see leadership as a state of mind. This lures originally from the work of Robert Quinn (2004), which recommends that there are certain states that act as attractors for the performer to take action that can be viewed as leadership in a particular setting. The Fundamental State of Leadership (FSL) generates the internal context that motivates the performer to respond and is replicated in interrelated attitudes, which Quinn gaps with opposing attitudes reflecting the â€Å"normal state. The FSL serves two functions: mainly by creating an attractor that boosts active behavior that aids the greater betterment of the organization. Second it gives way for the performer to be more aware of his/her perceptions and arrays of behavior. In the year of my tenure with my employer, I was aware of the requirement for a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system to be able to serve the organization and needs of its customers efficiently. My suggestions met substantial confrontation with management as an earlier attempt to put in a CRM system had been unsuccessful.I was determined in expressing this requisite – to the point that my manager expressed that if I brought the matter up again I would be left out from management meetings. And then came the day when he wanted a current clients list and found out that our current systems could not yield an accurate list. All of a sudden putting in a new system became a primacy- months after the actual recommendation. In an akin manner, as I transitioned to a role in the parent company, I p iloted a research, which headed me to an awareness of the important of e-business and germaneness for the growth of the company.I became a fervent advocate of e-business and presented several proposals to senior executives. But, my recommendations were not incorporated, mainly because senior executives did not trust that it was a feasible tool within the industry. Atypically, a few months later there is renewed concern in expanding e-business for the company. These situations reinforced for me a primary norm that the process of leadership is introduced as an actor who recognizes a specific need and makes an effort to take action, even in times of obstacles.This shows an alignment with the core defiance described in the FSL. I end with a case study where I intentionally experienced the FSL in exercising leadership. I took part in a voluntary cross-functional team looking to enhance employee work experience. With gas prices on the hike, there was a strong curiosity in developing a str ategy for telecommuting. Numerous solutions were suggested and were instantly shot down by the representative from IT as either being too expensive, too time consuming for the IT staffs, or too risky from a company’s security.I do not terminate the importance and connotation of formal leadership structures, rather I am noting that leadership fundamentally functions as an internal response to attractors that allow self-transcending construction as an answer to a perceived reality. Inside the organizations, the interplay of actors captivating action to lead in formal or informal capabilities is dynamic and complex and outside the scope of this discussion. Note that this portrayal is not intended to reflect deleteriously on the behavior of the IT representative.As an entity caught in the webs of loftier meaning – synchronization of the myriad of service appeals from multiple functional departments with partial resources in staff and dollars can impart a mindset that by a specific technology that had not been discussed. Despite obvious resistance from IT to propose a solution, I decide on doing my own research and found that a technology that had been conversed seemed to offer a sensible compromise on low cost, minimal IT backing, and strong enterprise security. I went back to the board with a bid to pursue this option.This was not a job that was part of my normal work assignment, and also I could have drop the idea. Yet the internal states that fixated on serving the greater good, and sighting the opportunity that this solution could deliver served as an attractor to endure through the resistance and eventually lead to a successful outcome. Had I opted to stay within my comfort zone, the new process and organizational dynamics would not have been developed. I’ve gratified on a number of aspects of the leadership process, which I have garnered through my work experience.In summary, I have emanated to see leadership as a dynamic process that en sues in human organizations as actors identify emerging possibilities and elect to take action. The inclination to do so is sturdily related to the actor’s internal states, and engagement of the Fundamental State of Leadership. Lastly, the efficiency of the actor may be wedged by the actor’s sphere of influence and by the actors’ formal or informal eminence and authority to act, and organizational willingness to embrace the transformation. I aspire to further develop these understandings as I linger my graduate studies.REFERENCES Goldstein, J. A. (2007). A New Model of Emergence and its Leadership Implications. In Complex Systems Leadership Theory, Exploring Organizational Complexity (Vol. 1). Mansfield, MA: ISCE Publishing. Jaques, E. (1989). Requisite Organization: A Total System for Effective Managerial Organization and Managerial Leadership for the 21st Century : Amended (2nd ed. , p. 288). Baltimore: Cason Hall & Co Pub. McGhee, G. , Marland, G. R. , & Atki nson, J. (2007). Grounded theory research: literature reviewing and reflexivity. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 60(3), 334-342. doi: 10. 1111/j. 365- 2648. 2007. 04436. Senge, P. M. , Kleiner, A. , Roberts, C. , Ross, R. , & Smith, B. (1994). The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook (1st ed. , p. 608). New York: Doubleday Business. Senge, P. M. , Kleiner, A. , Roberts, C. , Roth, G. , Ross, R. , & Smith, B. (1999). The Dance of Change: The Challenges to Sustaining Momentum in Learning Organizations (1st ed. , p. 224). New York: Doubleday Business. Tzu, S. (2005). Trans. Cleary, T. The Art of War (p. 224). Boston: Shambhala. Quinn, R. E. (2004). Building the Bridge As You Walk On It: A Guide for Leading Change. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Audit planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Audit planning - Essay Example Audit Planning always required smooth and successful transition schedule and it must be carefully analysed.We will complete this audit in several simple stages; buy using these stages our aim will be to better monitor the audit process and provide recommendations for its improvement. Our key steps will be: 1. Establishing priority areas: Here we will identify the critical business processes that need to be audited, such as; bad debts, issue of pre paid expenses and payments owes by other businesses, and expenses that are occurred due to cancelling the balance of invoices not received in previous years. Here we will collect all the data required for audit and the costs involved doing this audit in such areas. Here our objective is to find how we can better control the costs and minimize the debts. 2. Monitoring and Continuous Audit Rules Here we will consider all the accounting and internal rules adapted by the company and how these rules applied to each area and are company following these rules and making sure none of them are being violated. Like which ISA is applied to the auditing area. 3. Configuring Audit Parameters Here auditor will consider several parameters like the cost benefits of error detection and these parameters can be audit and management follow-up activities, etc. Here auditors can perform stratification of audited data and divide them into sub-groups; this will allow them to monitor the activity far better. 4. Following Up Follow up is another parameter but its more focused it will allow us to look into errors and risks more deeply and will set the alarms and the data which is purely educational where no other source present than it will benefit the auditor to establish grounds and there is no source available for evaluation. 5. Communicating Results Now, it is time to discuss the results and outcomes with the concern persons or person. Make sure you present your data in easy to understand and friendly manner, support it with pictures and ch arts. Like in our scenario we will present the data to senior auditor and help them in the whole process. Requirement: Determine both areas of risk and areas of control (justify and explain. Identify weakness and potential risks) In modern world risks and weaknesses study is very essential for businesses and in almost every area of business. (Weiss, 2010) The one of the major weakness is that company has not owned any place they are working at a place which is taken from council and they are on lease. This can be a great threat as well if council asked them to release the place on short notice. Company’s expenses are very high and increased significantly as compare to last year. One other weakness is that company balance is very high and company work on credit and their bad debts are very high. Many receivables are cancelled too. The one of the major issues are that health department fines are also high. One of the major threats is that council can cancel the lease since high amounts of lease are not paid and due, health department fines are very high and mat be one reason council can cancel their permit. Requirement: Apply analytical procedures in order to compare accounts with most significant variations between periods (justify and explain why you consider having potential inherent risk) Analytical technique is always needed when auditor is measuring significant variations (Rittenberg, Johnstone and Gramling, 2009). In the year 2009 the balance for current assets were 6,819,248.36 where this were reduced to 6,135,435.45 almost the variance of -683,812.91 or almost decreased to -10.03. The assets decreased almost 10% which is very risky for the4 production and output of the company may affect, if it will continue in future too. In current assets similarly the raw material’s balance as compare to last year reduced and most affected area was receivables which is most risky because it will directly affect the liquidity and

Thought, Force and Selfishness in Ajax and Prometheus Bound Essay

Thought, Force and Selfishness in Ajax and Prometheus Bound - Essay Example Sophocle's Ajax is a mighty Greek warrior in the time of the Trojan war, second only to Achilles in "perfect prowess" (Sophocles, Ajax 1415). His wife is "spear-won", and his entire presence on stage is marked by Hector's bloody sword, a room-full of "sword-slain cattle", or his "self-dealt wound". After Achilles' death, a competition is set up between him and Odysseus over who will inherit Achilles' armor, symbolizing the inheritance of the latter's prized status. When the Atreidae decide that Odysseus should get the armor, instead of humbly accepting the judges' decision, Ajax's pride over his power and valor spurs him in revenge against Agamemnon and Menelaus, a wild act that is only thwarted by the duplicitous intervention of Athena, the patron goddess of Odysseus. She drives Ajax mad and instead of massacring the Atreidae, he slaughters cattle instead. The double humiliation and the rancor that he has stirred up in the Greek camp against him drive him to commit suicide. Ajax's actions-both the madness-inducing revenge, and his suicide-show not only a lack of wisdom but selfish pride in his lust for power. Despite his wife's pleas not to do anything rash and so cause her and his son to become slaves and to be mistreated by the Greeks, he only responds by insulting her - "Woman, silence graces women" (Ajax 292) - and deceiving her and his friends (Chorus) about his suicidal intentions: "I feel the keen edge of my temper softened by yon woman's words; and I feel the pity of leaving her a widow with my foes, and the boy and orphan" (652). His brother Teucer bemoans the taunts and the revilement that he will receive both at home and abroad because of Ajax's selfish act (1020-2), and the Chorus the future lack of protection that "bold Ajax" provided for him (1214). Ajax's pride in his might is such that he is unable to weigh the effect of his actions on others, and sees everyone else as less than himself (even king Odysseus). Furthermore, we see that it is selfish pride and arrogance that instigates Athena against him, as he spoke arrogantly against her, which is not befitting of his place as a mortal. The messenger reveals that "Ajax, even at his first going forth from home, was found foolish" (760), and when his father encouraged him with the wisdom of his years, "haughtily and foolishly he answered: 'I, even without [the gods'] aid, trust to bring glory within my grasp'" (770). More foolhardily, he spurned the help of the goddess Athena, thinking that he is mighty enough to win any battle as, "where Ajax stands, battle will never break our line" (776). The messenger rightly concludes that Ajax's "thoughts were too great for man" (788). Ajax's downfall or hubris then is that he is nothing more than an empty-headed muscle man, a dangerous comb ination of force and lack of intelligence. Throughout the play, Ajax's use of force is misplaced: against the "poor sheep", in his language to Tecmessa, and against himself. Regaining his right mind, he bemoans: "Seest thou the bold, the strong of heart, the dauntless in battles with the foe,-seest thou how I have shown my prowess on creatures that feared no harm" (364-6). While we can say that the first instance of misused force is as a result of Athena's intervention, his brutish manner to his wife and his suicide are done when he is in full

What are the two main theories of the origin of American Indians in Assignment

What are the two main theories of the origin of American Indians in North America - Assignment Example There is more support to the second theory which says they came from somewhere else. The resemblance of their culture, style of living and traditions connect them to two families from Asia i.e. Mongols and Malays. But, again here the problem is their failed connection with the linguistics of those Asian races. They are not in any way connected to those races in linguistics and hence their origin is still a big question mark. Although there still are questions about the Origin of Native Americans, all the historical evidence connects them to some races in Asia and some of the types (the whites) to a Welsh colony too which has been long lost in the forests of North America. Columbus, found these people first on the Bahamas islands and called them Indians. Till now nobody is sure about their origin though and a big number of people are in the favor of the second theory but, there is evidence against it

Two creation story Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Two creation story - Essay Example ristian creation stories proves that the former deals with the philosophical aspect of life and the latter deals with the practical aspect of life, and the both can help human beings to view life in today’s society from a different but positive angle of view. As pointed out, the creation stories related to Hinduism deals with the philosophical side of life. To be specific, the Hindu idea is interconnected with the belief that human beings belong to pure consciousness. This pure consciousness is beyond creation and is not destroyable. On the other side, the Christian creation story is based upon a single text, named as Holy Bible. To be specific, the creation narrative (say, the Genesis) is the fundamental principle of Christian creation theory. But the Hindu creation story is based on the belief that all living things share the same pure consciousness. Jim Ollhoff stated that, â€Å"In Indian mythology, some gods come to earth in the form of people, animals, or even other gods† (4). If an individual is not ready to go beyond the limits of the material world, that individual will be forced to undergo rebirth. So, individuals must try to break this cyclic process and they can attain the pure consciousness/eternal freedom or ‘M oksa’. In the Bible, the God’s direct role is pointed out as the base of creation of the world as a whole. For instance, the God took around six days to create everything. In the end, the God decided to create human beings as an experiment. David Adams Leeming stated that, â€Å"It contains the creation myth that forms the basis of the Judeo-Christian tradition† (126). This sort of creation myth-based upon six days-is seen among different religious groups. On the other side, the Hindu creation story does not decline the fact that the Earth was created before millions or billions of years ago. Besides, Hindu creation story is based upon the God’s role in creating human beings and other living things. Similarly, Hindu mythology is of

Arguments for and against the existence of god Essay

Arguments for and against the existence of god - Essay Example I would like to defend theistic point of view contrary to the line of reasoning presented through the argument from evil. Therefore, I am proving that God is omnipotent, God is all good and evil exists, all at the same time. God is omnipotent In this section, the definition of God’s omnipotent power based on theistic perspective is integrated and illustrated. God is all powerful that he is above everything, and above every name. This would also imply that God could control everything, so he could either allow things or interfere. For this reason, he created everything and because he is powerful, he could allow evil to exist to justify further his goodness and power. After all, he is powerful and there is no limit to what he can do. This would also imply that God could totally eliminate evil, but because he is omnipotent, and all knowing, we could not eliminate the possibility that he knows that it is only through the presence of evil that his goodness and power will prevail. W ithout evil, God will never exist among us, and the other way around works. For this reason, God chose not to eliminate evil. He chose to do this to justify his existence, and to be known as the one who is supreme, self-consistent, omnipotent, omniscient, righteous, benevolent being and who is distinct from and independent of, what he has created. God’s characteristics are very powerful that evil cannot subdue. These characteristics are what made God omnipotent. Outside of these characteristics are therefore implied evil. Let us illustrate further this point in order to demonstrate God is powerful over evil. Based on the definition, God is righteous and apart from this is evil. To kill is evil and so people entered into a social contract in order to protect their property and above all, life. Thus, when somebody murders, which is an evil act, the law could always be above of this malevolent act, subjecting the murderer to imprisonment and even to life sentence. So this proves that the law itself could represent the righteous act of God which is superior to murder as an act of evil. Since there is an existence of righteousness through the implementation of law for instance, then there exists God, as being righteous is his primary characteristic. However, since there could be murders or other related crimes which could be defined as unrighteousness, then evil exists, because from definition, outside God’s characteristics are evil. However, based on this illustration, God’s righteousness prevails over evil, as definitely the implementation of law is a primary manifestation that we want to ward off evil acts. We condemn murder, so in the same way we are living in the powerful principle of God. Now, at this point it is clear that we are seeing in the real world the very characteristic of God which is righteousness that could help us justify that he exists and together with evil. However, God’s supremacy over wickedness is clear as we too could not deny the fact are living under God’s principle or righteous acts, as we continue to condemn evil acts such as murder. We could therefore simply say that good should prevail over evil. By definition and understanding God’s characteristics, this would only imply God is omnipotent. God is all good Our definition of what is good or bad could become

Integrated Building Information Modelling (BIM) Essay

Integrated Building Information Modelling (BIM) - Essay Example According to RIB Software (2009, 1) globalization has brought new players to the table, to negotiate and find ways through which they have to maneuver through complex and increasing demands and projects that make it harder to communicate with partners, vendors and customers. As the financial environment become tougher, there is a need to focus on the right projects, control costs, and make accurate, feasible estimates in projects and manage the projects effectively and efficiently. In short BIM seeks to speed up the estimate time of projects and reuse the estimate information, facilitate the budge and cost control and manage cash and improve the firm’s financial position and make the best use of existing assets in any project. Below is an analysis of the different areas where BIM has bee extensively used and with the related benefits obtained though application of BIM in the construction industry. i. Surveyors Bennet (2009, 3) explains that in surveying, BIM is not just a 3D m odel that is used in design. BIM allows a better visualization of the entire project from different perspectives and employs data analysis in predicting the outcome of projects before such a project is put under construction. Surveyors have a role of demarcating the boundaries of a project in either building construction of construction of other infrastructures such as roads. Surveyors as Bennet (2009, 3) explains though the use of BIM can be able to change the details of the project as visualized though BIM to make it more feasible. It is through simulation of the projects that surveyors are able to best align the project to the best terrain or topography in the given site of construction. In the traditional methods of using 3D views, the simulation in most cases does not include the level of data analysis and simulation available under BIM. The work of surveyors under BIM has therefore been made more precise, easier and on more reliable data analysis compared to previous approache s in surveying. Iverson et al (2010, 5) explains that BMI is a digital representation of the physical and the functional characteristics of a facility. Therefore, it serves as a shared knowledge base for information concerning a facility that forms a reliable masterpiece for decision making in surveying, and the information is later passed on clearly and well documented to the rest of the project. ii. The architect Currently BIM can be integrated in all the project phases in information management system that covers the briefing stages, designing, specifying and the tendering phases of the project (Cornick 1996, 140). It stores all the information used and processed during this period and is handed over to the client once the project has been terminated. It is therefore a versatile tool that ensures effective management of projects in the construction industry. Panushev & Pollalis (2006, 2815) explains the importance of BIM as improving the owner communication, verifying constructio n drawings and consistency, checking the building constructability, visualizing complex concrete placement in workflow, avoid conflict between the structure and mechanical system and establishing a standard modeling knowledge base for use in future projects. Such information may include recipe that hold information on how the building has to be built, the methods which involve separate work activities that would be involved in the course of building, the necessary

Article analysis 2 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analysis 2 - Article Example The results of the study showed a different picture of what is usually assumed concerning marketing. This is shown below: Literature Review From the literature review of the article, we get to know that three factors namely price, product and promotions are used in ensuring that business operate efficiently and marketing campaigns are conducted effectively. The article makes an analysis of price and in fact talks of price being a major factor in terms of ensuring customer numbers are achieved. The article emphasis on the need for a good pricing model since price is responsible for generation of income (Etzel, 2004). Another important factor was promotion in that it determines the way people are informed of a certain brand, service of product. As a result, managers should make use of promotion methods that enhance brand perception such as messages which persuade, inform and linger in minds and hearts of consumers (Daniels, 2009). These factors influence the behaviour of consumers in d ifferent sections of the world and in relation to ChiangMai, the four P’s (Price, Product, Promotion and Place) are important in marketing tourism in the region. The place in this article looks into ChiangMai as a tourist destination with a lot of attractions to offer in terms of nature, culture and the hotel industry (Kandampully, 2007). Hotels in the region rely on the four P’s of marketing to enhance their product offering and thus some 19 hotels decided to conduct a research based on these factors. In this case, questionnaires were deployed for the purpose of conducting the study and these questionnaires were given to managers and hotel guests. Analysis The marketing study was done based on certain variables and the study measured the implementation of marketing practices of hotels and resorts against customer satisfaction levels based on product offering, pricing and promotions. In terms of ownership, the hotels in ChiangMai are either corporate or individually ow ned and this affects that way businesses are marketed. For instance, solely owned hotels have unlimited liability unlike corporations while age of the hotel is also a big factor since many of the hotels in ChiangMai have been operation for a long time. The products offered by these hotels were also surveyed and this included the rooms, types of services, size of rooms and it was found out that most of the hotels offer both sleep and food services (Swarbrooke, 2012). In the process of serving customers, the data analysis revealed that offering food in addition to lodging created better revenues. Apart from offering good products, the services that were offered by ChiangMai’s hotels were superior in the fact that the managers considered services such good hygiene, prompt and courteous service were highly considered in marketing. However, it is the level of implementation the marketing strategies and goals that was important in the process of undertaking this study. In terms of making use of price factor, most hotel managers made use fair pricing systems to attract customers (Sangkaworn, 2008). However, promotion was considered among the high priorities of managers in terms of marketing since hotels made use of friendly gestures and hospitality to attract and retain customers. When the two set of factors were correlated for the purposes of the study, it was found out

Personal Computers Essay Example for Free

Personal Computers Essay Background. The Personal Computers at their advent were simple machines with less number of parts and limited capabilities. Less power was required to operate the computers and computer heating was never a major problem. However with the development in microprocessor and solid state technologies there was a revolution in how people used computers. The computers today can be configured according to ones needs and many add on components like graphics cards, Modems, USB devices etc. can be fitted on computers . Motherboards today also come with an increased number of components. However with the increase in components a new problem of heating has surfaced in computers. Problems and Motivation Although these components have increased the functionality of computers tremendously it has raised a serious problem of heating. With the increase in number of components the demand for power supply has increased. The components consume more energy and generate large amount heat. Electronic devices perform inefficiently or even get damaged as a result of excessive heat. Hence new challenges to protect these components from getting damaged by proper cooling of heat has emerged. Though the components have increased in numbers the size of PCs has kept reducing. People today prefer smaller PCs for space constraints and aesthetics. In order to keep in line with the reducing sizes the Power supply and the cooling system should also go transformation in sizes. One needs to design cooling systems with greater performances yet at a reduced scale. As the power supply and cooling are the components of PC case there is a need to renovate these cases to protect computer components from getting overheated and damaged. At the same time the it should be scaled down and match the aesthetics of other parts such as monitors, keyboards etc which come in designer shapes today. Research Aims and Objectives With reference to the above discussed problem there is a need to develop PC cases which are responsible for computer cooling. The aim of the project is to create simulation in order to find a better solution over the existing PC Cases and prevent spreading of heat to other components. The project will achieve three main objectives The initial objective would be to understand the principle of fluid dynamics and apply it to the PC Case problem. Secondly we will design a model to convert humid air by applying Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) The final objective would be to provide recommendations for the PC Case. Literature Review The preliminary literature was done on the existing problems in PC Cases and the sources of heat in computer system . The current methodologies implemented for cooling were also studied. Basic literature on application of fluid dynamics and use of Computational Fluid Dynamics to solve problems was also reviewed Methodology The Research will be experimental in nature. simulation model of the existing PC Cases will be developed in CFD. The models will be simulated again with modification for the proposed air cooling. The comparison between the two simulation will help in developing the cooling system and designing of the PC Cases. The results obtained will be experimental in nature and the problem is achievable theoretically with the help of CFD. As the project intends to suggest changes over the existing models the use of Simulation is justified to obtain outcomes as the existing systems are already simulated for cooling by making use of CFD. Triangulation: Mathematical models for the fluid dynamics of air can be constructed and solved for various conditions and the outcomes of these can be cross examined with the that of computer simulations. An experimental set-up can be created to check the prototype of cooling system and the results can be compared. Reliability : The prototype and the simulated models can be tested over a number of systems/components from different manufacturers and checked for reliability. Ethics: The project will adhere to all the guidelines and protocols of electronic manufacturing devices in terms of manufacturing, quality and safety. Environment : The proposed PC cases will be environment friendly. It may be manufactured from environmental friendly recycled materials to reducing global warming. Noise reduction will be achieved considerably with the improved change in design. Analysis The outcomes of the project will help in analyzing the reduction achieved in heat generated and the prevention of components. It will also analyze the cost of implementation and its economic feasibility. Conclusion With correct implementation of fluid dynamics modification in the existing PC cases can be achieved to cool heat efficiently and prevent components from overheating. Although the project is experimental in nature and relies mainly on simulation there may be a variation in its actual implementations. Whether the PC Cases behave as recommended can only be judged only by their practical application the project can be a strong foundation to extend this future scope.

Impact of Supply Chain Strategies on Performance

Impact of Supply Chain Strategies on Performance Introduction The concept of Supply Chain Management (SCM), introduced to address the issue of integration of organizational functions ranging from the ordering and receipt of raw materials through the manufacturing processes to the distribution and delivery of products to customers with a view to enable organizations to achieve higher quality in products and customer service and to lower inventory cost, has attracted considerable managerial attention in recent times mainly because of its huge potential competitive impact (Stevens, 1989). Experience, however, demonstrates that managers adopt a variety of disparate approaches to SCM implementation. In this context, design of an effective supply chain network has become a crucial issue for any company to survive in a fiercely competitive market. The SCM concerns with issues and characteristic features of several interrelated factors and activities of an organization, such as demand forecasting, procurement, manufacturing, distribution, inventory, tr ansportation, and customer service, and the resulting integrated approach is extended to customers and suppliers (Christopher, 1992). Considering the implications of all these aspects, a number of issues in SCM have assumed importance in the context of prevailing industrial scenario in India in order to make SCM more effective. Numerous papers have been published in the literature advocating the principles and the benefits of SCM [Beesley (1997), Lurquin (1996), Mason-Jones and Towill (1998), and Towill (1996)]. Many case studies have also been published evidencing the benefits of SCM [Arntzen, et al., (1995), Calza and Passaro (1997), and Lee and Billington (1995)]. There are several studies on SCM practices in different countries reported in the literature [Gilmour et al. (1995), Handfield and Withers (1993), Cilliers and Nagel (1994), McMullan (1996), Cox (1999)], and it is felt that an effort on design and development of SCM practices including issues, such as IT application, performance measures used, and barriers of SCM implementation is very much needed in India. On reviewing the existing SCM literature, several major weaknesses in the conceptualization and modeling of SCM are found. In particular, the SCM construct is perceived as an extension of integrated purchasing and supply management, or integrated logistics and transportation management. It appears that a coherent view on SCM concept has yet to develop in the existing literature, and it makes a prerequisite to conduct a survey on the important issues of SCM before a comprehensive methodology for supply chain performance measurement and evaluation system for the Indian Tyre manufacturing industries is prescribed. This paper reports the details of a questionnaire-based survey to study the status and scope of SCM practices in Indian Tyre manufacturing companies and also provides a brief overview of the similar surveys on SCM already undertaken in different industries. Objectives of the Survey The primary objective of the survey is to explore and understand, in quantitative terms wherever possible, the issues in SCM practices and concerns of the Tyre manufacturing industries in India. In specific terms, the objectives are related to the following aspects: †¢ Present status and scope of SCM practices; †¢ Role of Information Technology (IT) in SCM; †¢ Performance measures used in SCM, †¢ Benefits of employing SCM practices; and †¢ Specific issues hindering SCM practices. It is assumed that addressing the above-mentioned issues, as all of them are related to SCM strategies and practical constraints, would lead to understanding the status and scope of SCM practices in Indian Tyre manufacturing industries. Presently, the majority of the Indian companies have a weak alignment of supply chain strategy with business strategy. This is primarily so because the companies are rigidly structured along functional lines with department-specific performance measures. Survey Methodology A survey instrument, in the form of a questionnaire, is used in order to fulfill the objectives as mentioned. The questionnaire designed for the survey, will be conducted during December, 2010, for nearly 18 companies covering Tyre manufacturing industry in various regions of the country. Various lists of manufacturing companies, Internet websites of the companies, and personal contacts were the main sources for obtaining information about the companies and creating a database. The companies were selected randomly from the database. Although the survey will be conducted for a specific time period, the issues considered remain highly relevant for understanding the operating principles, norms, problems, and implementation aspects of SCM practices in the Indian Tyre manufacturing companies. The questionnaire is designed to know about the responding companies, their main objectives of employing SCM, positions of companies in the supply chain for their primary products, and views of the respondents on the principles of effective SCM practices. The questionnaire was divided into two sections: Section A and Section B. Section A was designed for the companies which have already implemented the SCM concepts like information sharing with suppliers and customers, or have decided to implement SCM concepts in near future, contains questions pertaining to several important issues related to SCM practices, such as a companys role in servicing customers needs, its role as a customer to its suppliers, the role of IT in SCM, the performance measures used in supply chain performance evaluation, and the activities or actions hindering SCM practices. Section B presents the items related to several types of barriers and government policies commonly found in implementing SCM practices in t he Indian Tyre manufacturing industries. A combination of checks, yes/no, `Likert scale, and multiple choice questions are framed against the issues as mentioned. The following specific tests will be employed on the data obtained: †¢ Two-Tailed Significance Test-this provides a level of significance for differences between two groups to a question requiring a response using a Likert scale. †¢ Bivariate Correlation (Pearson) Coefficient-this tests the relationships between responses to two different questions. The test provides a `p value indicating the strength of the relationship. A value of p=0 represents no relationship, and p= ±1 a strong relationship, and shows the significance level of the relationships. †¢ Reliability Analysis-In order to assess the homogeneity and inter-correlations of the factors used in an item, Cronbach alpha (a) [Cronbach (1951)], a measure of internal consistency often used in cases where participants respond to questions on a Likert scale The values of a lies in the range (0, 1). For the purpose of analysis, the survey responses are divided into three categories: Category 1: Questions that need ranking of alternatives (Likert-scale questions) The importance of the alternatives under each issue is established based on the values of statistics obtained. Category 2: Questions requiring degree of agreement (multiple choice questions) For the questions requiring degree of agreement, Specific issues such as main objectives of SCM, principles of effective SCM practices, integration of divisional areas in the supply chains, information communication tools with suppliers and customers, area of IT applications, and barriers of SCM implementation are included in this category. The percent responses of all the alternatives under each issue are computed and the rankings of the alternatives are done based on the percent responses resulting in identifying the important alternatives. Category 3: Yes/No type questions For this category, two yes/no type close-ended questions have been framed against different issues. The percent responses of `Yes/No is computed against each issue, which provide the general views of the respondents on a particular issue. Company Details Apollo Tyres Ltd Shanmugham Road Cochin, KL 682031 Phone : +91-0484-2381902/2381903/ 2380720/ 2372767/ 2363760 Birla Tyres Syed Amir Ali Avenue Kolkata, WB 700019     Email :  [emailprotected]  Phone : +91-33-22814516 Ceat Tyres Ceat Tyres. D 6/5, SMB ENGINEERS, TTC INUSTRIAL AREA MIDC TURBHE NAVI MUMBAI, MH 400705 Phone : +91-22-27622079 Elgitread (India) Ltd Elgitread (India) Ltd 2000 Trichy Road Coimbatore, TN 641005 Email :  [emailprotected]  Phone : +91-422- 4321000 Falcon Tyres Ltd Falcon Tyres Ltd K. R. S. Road Metagalli Mysore, KK 570 016 Email :  [emailprotected]  Phone : +91-821-2582453/ 2582055/ 2582041 Govind Rubber Limited Govind Rubber Limited G -15,Creative Industrial Estate,Sitaram Mill Compound,72-N. M. Joshi Marg Lower Parel Mumbai, MH 400 011 Email :  [emailprotected]  Phone : +91-22-2309 5641/1784 / 309 21124 / 309 21126 JK Tyres JK Tyres 3 Bahadurshah Zafar Marg New Delhi, DH 110002 Phone : +91-11-23311112/7 Malhotra Rubbers Limited Malhotra Rubbers Limited D-4, Sector 11 Noida, UP 201301 Email :  [emailprotected],[emailprotected],[emailprotected]  Phone : +91-120-2543028/2543029/2553724 Metro Tyres Metro Tyres Metro House, 134/4, 135/5 Zamrudpur Kailash Colony New Delhi, DH 110 048 Email :  [emailprotected],[emailprotected]  Phone : +91-11-6219097/98 Modi Rubber Modi Tyres Company Pvt. Limited. NH-58, Meerut Roorkee Road Modipuram 250110 MEERUT (Uttar Pradesh) MRF Tyres MRF LIMITED KOTTAYAM MANUFACTURING UNITS  P.B.No.2, Vadavathoor P.O., Kottayam, Kerala 686 010 Tel: 0481-2570461 (12 Lines) DID: 2575196/97/98, Royal Tyres Royal Tyres C-11 Mugappair Industrial Estate(East) Chennai, TN 600037 Email :  [emailprotected]        Ã‚     Ã‚     Ã‚     Ã‚     Ã‚     Ã‚     Ã‚     Ã‚     Ã‚     Ã‚     Ã‚     Ã‚     Ã‚     Ã‚     Ã‚     Ã‚     Ã‚     Ã‚     Phone : +91-44-26565643/42690079/42690089 TVS Srichakra Ltd TVS Building 7-B West Veli Street Madurai, 625001 India +91-45-2420461 (Phone) Questionnaire for The Impact of Supply Chain Strategies on the Performance of Indian Tyre Manufacturing Companies Part 1 Company Profile 1. Name of Company 2. Address 3. Country 4. Tel 5. Fax 6. Website 7. Contact person: 9. E-mail: 8. Position in company: No of employees: [______] Turnover 2009 : [_________________] Part 2 Theme 1 How do you manage your supply chain? Tick all that apply 1 Close partnership with suppliers 2 Close partnership with customers 3 JIT supply 4 e-procurement 5 EDI 6 Outsourcing 7 Subcontracting 8 3PL 9 Plan strategically 10 Supply Chain Benchmarking 11 Vertical integration 12 Few suppliers 13 Many suppliers 14 Holding safety stock 15 Use of external consultants 16 Other, please specify How successful do you think is your company in managing its supply chain in general? Not successful at all Not successful Somewhat successful Successful Very successful 1 2 3 4 5 Which of the following you think that your company needs to do in order to manage its supply chain better? Tick all that apply. Improve Start Implementing Satisfied already Not appropriate Close partnership with suppliers Close partnership with customers JIT supply e-procurement EDI Outsourcing Subcontracting 3PL Plan strategically Supply Chain Benchmarking Vertical integration Few suppliers Many suppliers Holding safety stock Use of external consultants Other (specify) Does your company have a clear logistics strategic plan? YES NO Part 3 Theme 2 What types of systems are currently in use in your company to support Supply Chain Management? Custom-made Standard package Not in use Material Requirements Planning (MRP) Manufacturing Resources Planning (MRPII) Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Warehouse Management System (WMS) Supply Chain Management (SCM) Customer Relationships Management (CRM) Supplier Relationships Management (SRM) Advanced Planning System (APS) Just In Time (JIT) Other (specify) How much did you actually benefit from using these systems? Not at all Little Average Greatly A lot Dont know (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) Better quality of information Better quantity of information Flexibility Reduced lead-time in production Cost saving Forecasting Resource planning Better operational efficiency Reduced inventory level More accurate costing Increased coordination between departments Increased coordination with suppliers Increased coordination with customers Increased sales Better quality of information Better quantity of information Flexibility In what level your company is facing the problems below when using SCM systems? No problem at all Little problem Some problem Significant problem Serious problem Dont know (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) Resistance to change from employees Insufficient vendor support Hidden cost Integration with existing system Integration with suppliers system Integration with customers system Other (specify) What types of systems do you plan to implement in the near future (within the next 2 years)? Custom-made Standard package Not going to implement E-commerce E-business Decision support / expert system Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Bar coding Other (specify) Part 4 Theme 3 19 How satisfied are you with the current public policy regarding SCM and IT? Not at all Somewhat Satisfied Quite satisfied Very satisfied 1 2 3 4 5 How important are the following future measures for supporting your company effort in SCM and IT? Not at all somewhat important important quite important very important (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) More education, e.g. formal qualification More funding and financial support Better infrastructure e.g. telecommunications, road, etc Improved information provision Increased regional cooperation between institutions, e.g. chamber of commerce Closer cooperation between companies and governments Other (specify)

Princely Power Essay -- Essays Papers

Princely Power Niccolo Machiavelli's The Prince contains a very unique section entitled "Princely Virtues" in which Machiavelli takes on a how-to approach in regards to becoming a prince. The instructional qualities of the novel lead its reader to create in themselves an image of not the most virtuous, but in Machiavelli's eyes, the most effective prince. In the selections found in chapters 15-26, Machiavelli teaches his intended princely students the necessary political skills that a prince must possess in order to maintain his position on top. Machiavelli paints the illusionary portrait of the perfect prince. The prince must take great pains to keep up this virtuous front in order to maintain command as well as respect of his people. Even if the prince does not have a desired virtue, Machiavelli reasons that he must only appear to have certain virtues, and more importantly know when it is appropriate to display such virtues to benefit himself. The prince is obligated to put on the necessary front in order to disguise himself as the most effective prince in an effort to maintain control. Machiavelli may on the surface seem to argue that a ruler must focus on the positive end and employ whatever means necessary to achieve his desired result, maintaining power and control; however, he only argues this to a point, there are limitations on a prince’s power. Machiavelli begins his section on princely virtues by emphasizing why a prince must in actuality depart from being virtuous or good in order to avoid coming to ruin among other men who are evil; seeming to be good is more important than being so. To emphasize this point, he says: For there is such a difference between the way men live and the way they ought to live, th... ...tudes of men towards those in authority bring about an understanding of sorts, which leads to sympathizing with the deceitfulness of Machiavelli's prince. For a prince to lead men who are inherently evil he must think clearly about his actions, he will fail miserably, if he does not rise above his people's intelligence. Yet, a wise prince will not allow his greedy desires to rule his good judgment. Without a watchful eye, he may stand in the way of attaining his own goals. By Machiavellian logic, even if a prince obtains his goals through employment of what may seem like vices, he must always remember to keep up his good front. He cannot be justified in doing anything he pleases to maintain his power and control. Works Cited Machiavelli, Niccolo. "The Prince" in The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces (ed. Maynard Mack). New York: Norton, 2000. 1488-1497.

Fall of Communism From Different Perspectives Essay -- History Analysi

When a major event takes place in history it is not surprising that many interpretations of these events will arise. As humans we tend to have different feelings and therefore different interpretations, especially on events that impact our lives and society. The fact that our judgments are different does not entail that either of our interpretations are wrong. Rather, it means that our different judgments can be combined in order to gain a new form of knowledge that envelops various points of view. This is the case with the interpretations of the groundbreaking fall of Communism that took place in eastern European countries in the late 20th century. The book The Magic Lantern is Timothy Garton Ash’s interpretation of the Revolutions of 1989 that took place in Warsaw, Budapest, Berlin and Prague. Bonnie G. Smith offers a similar but distinct contemporary interpretation of the Revolutions of 1989 in her book Europe in the Contemporary World. Lastly, John K. Glenn’s †Å"Competing Challengers and Contested Outcomes to State Breakdown† offers his opinion about the events that led to a democratic Czechoslovakia. In Ash’s account of the fall of communism in Warsaw, Poland he focuses on the behind the scenes propositions and decisions that were pondered by organizations such as Poland’s Solidarity group. Ash had close relationships with the leaders of the Solidarity group. In describing their actions, he calls them his â€Å"friends† on numerous occasions and even describes instances when he spent times with individuals such as Jacek Kuron, who was the co-founder of the Worker’s Defense Committee. Ash reports that he â€Å"†¦had a drink with Jacek Kuron, who passed the time before his results came in by giving a hilarious account on his first trip t... ...at are not influenced by personal beliefs or feelings. Above all the combination of their work allows us to absorb information that envelops all their points of view which makes for a better understanding of the Revolutions of 1989. I dare say that ultimately that was the main goal of Timothy Garton Ash, Bonnie G. Smith and John K.Glenn. Works Cited †¢ Garton, Ash Timothy. The Magic Lantern: the Revolution of '89 Witnessed in Warsaw, Budapest, Berlin, and Prague. New York: Random House, 1990. Print. †¢ Smith, Bonnie G. Europe in the Contemporary World, 1900 to the Present: a Narrative History with Documents. Boston: Bedford / St. Martin's, 2007. Print. †¢ Glenn, John K. "Competing Challengers and Contested Outcomes to State Breakdown: The Velvet Revolution." Social Forces 78.1 (1999): 187-211. JSTOR. Web. 10 Dec. 2010. .

Global Warming is NOT a Concern :: Environment Climate Change

Global Warming, global concern? I think not. I personally believe that the theory of global warming caused by the infamous carbon dioxide is false. Please, let me explain. First of all, there are more potent, harmful, gases being emitted into the atmosphere. Secondly, the temperature change in the 20th and 21st centuries is extremely slight. Lastly, the earth is currently recovering from a period known as the Little Ice Age. First of all, there are more potent gases being emitted into the atmosphere such as the well known greenhouse gas, methane. Methane is mostly associated with cows. Yes, I said it, cows. When cows fart, they release the greenhouse gas methane. Also, methane heats up the atmosphere more than carbon dioxide. So the point here is that global warming isn't mainly caused by humans. Secondly, the temperature change in the 20th and 21st centuries is very slight. In fact it has stayed within a 3 degree Celsius range. In fact, if the change were to happen in a room, many people in the room would not notice. Right now, you probably aren't persuaded, but, in my next paragraph, I will definitely persuade you. Definitely. Finally, the moment you have all been waiting for, the third paragraph! This is where I will persuade you to believe my ideas. Well, here it goes. My final idea is that the globe is now recovering from a time know as the little ice age. This in turn will make the earth seem warmer. In science class, we conducted an experiment conducting this. We put one hand in warm water and another in cold water. Then we put both hands in room temperature water. The hand that was in warm water felt cold and visa vera for the other.

Lady Macbeth’s Diary Essay

What an utter disaster. What should have been a dignified occaion to mark my husband’s crowing, has ended up with confusion. His first great ceremonial state banquet has been ruined. The guests arrived and were asked to take their places. To begin with things seemed very organised. then all of a sudden he began talking to thin air. People will think he’s insane. My part in persuading him to kill the king had been crucial that is why I can’t understand why he didn’t tell of his plans to kill Fleance and Banquo. Afterall, if it wasn’t for me the murder of Duncan would have been an absolute disaster . I practically murdered him myself. I â€Å"drugged the possets† of the grooms sleeping in the outer chamber; I laid the daggers ready; all he had to do was the deed itself. Then I found him with two blood-stained daggers which should have been left with the grooms, the supposed murderers. He was terrifed and incapable of returning to the murder scene so I had to do so, smearing the grooms with blood. When I returned I found him transfixed with thoughts of blood and guilt and once again I took charge of the situation. I told him to go and wash the blood from his hands. Perhaps he genuinely wants me to be innocent of Banquo’s murder. Maybe it is his way of protecting me. It could be that he couldn’t handle me being in charge of Duncan’s murder. He might want to prove that he can still do things for himself. My ruthless determination to make him king has overcome all his doubts. What has happened to the man I married, who was a noble, brave and loyal subject of the rigtful king? I know he is a man of great bravery, even of savagery on the battlefield, however, he seems a different man. He’s a great warrior who’s used to making life-and-death decisions. He is a man of action but gets confused when he loses his sense of right and wrong. Yet his murders are â€Å"unmannly†. Maybe he is just a really evil man. Maybe he is so mixed up that he cannot sort out the difference between right and wrong. Perhaps he is under the power of the witches. Maybe he does not know what to do and is acting on the spurof the moment, without really thinking too much. Until now I was much more determined and strong. I now find myself on the edge. Unlike earlier I would have been able todo the most terrible deeds, I feel that now that I could not have even carried out the murder of Duncan myself because the sleeping Duncan reminds me of my father. I am not a monster, i’m simply a wife trying to protect encourage and support my husband. He says he is afflicted by terrible dreams. He seems almost to envy the dead King Duncan, who he says, â€Å"sleeps well†. Although Duncan is dead, Macbeth says that at least nothing can hurt him any more. His sleep is becoming tormented: â€Å"O full of scorpions is my mind†, Banquo seems to him like a poisonous snake and his life is diseased, a â€Å"fitful fever†. Macbeth is king and I am his Queen we have achieved everything we’ve ever wanted. We are supposed to feel happy, excited and at the peak of our lives. Instead we feel threatened and unsafe. Our happiness is â€Å"doubtful†. He no longer tells me anything and trusts no one. He feels so advanced on this murderous course of action that ( like wading across a river of blood ) it is as easy to go on as it is to go back.

Mystery and Fear in The Withered Arm

How does the social/ historical context ad to the fear and mystery created? In the Withered Arm, Hardy uses various literary techniques to create mystery and fear. Through crafting his characters' personalities, forming events and setting a tone for his story, Hardy treats the reader as If they were one of the characters. Through the story, Information Is drip fed to us as well as the characters which creates mystery, because we experience the consequences of the characters actions along with them.With the additional background knowledge of historical and social context, the reader is already in the loop, so they can gain a deeper understanding of the story. The modern reader knows that this information could often cause much more fear and mystery back then, due to the superstitious persona's of people living in the Victorian sass's. They would have been more easily influenced therefore, in a way, a better audience, as they would have interpreted Hardy's writing exactly the way he wa nted them to- with a feeling of fear and in an atmosphere of mystery. In the first pages of The Withered Arm Hardy sets the tone for his story.Hardy creates a dark tone In chapter one. The title ‘A Loran Milkmaid' means that the story will be sad about someone who lives an Isolated life and seems to blend Into the background. This Is because In the sass It would be very common for women of a somewhat lower class to be milkmaids. The first sentence also creates mystery ‘It was an 80 cow dairy†¦ Troop of the millers, regular†¦ Were all at work', this seems like a very casual setting, very normal and plain. This is the factor, which creates mystery, as the reader thinks that it is almost too normal.The word ‘regular' signifies no break from routine, s if these people have been working this way all their lives. Another quote is the title ‘The Withered Arm' that coincides with pain, or a wound of some kind. This creates fear, as the person affected could be either dead or alive and it could be any of the characters. Hardy thus Invites the reader to engage in his story. Although setting doesn't play a strong part In the story, It Is still Important. Take the description of Road's house for example; ‘a rafter showed Like a bone protruding through the skin'.The reference to the bone creates an ghostly feeling for the reader, as It Is described n quite a graphic manner. It will also cause fear, as the connotations of ‘bone' include other gory images, like blood. This description allows the reader to empathic with Road's situation. The description of her house then goes on to say the walls were made of mud, this shows the reader Just how working class Rhoda is and how life must be a struggle for her. We now know that Farmer Lodge, whom she fell pregnant with, was of a higher class, and when he abandoned Rhoda, he clearly left her with very little possessions.In the 19th Century, no husband or an illegitimate hill would immed iately lower a woman's social status, as would lack of expensive material objects. Hardy also uses various personalities In the Withered Arm, to add detail to the story. As each character arrives In the plot, some Information Is slowly revealed. He has designed them for the sole purpose of creating mystery and fear for the reader. Gertrude, as a female character would have been objectified in the Victorian times. Characters I. E. Farmer Lodge, causes us to consider what Gertrude purpose in Holystone is.What with the age difference between her and Lodge, they would have title to discuss and this leads us to think that Lodge only wants her for her looks. For example, ‘†¦ Married experience sank into proneness and worse', shows how through the decay of Gertrude limb along with her looks, Mr. and Mrs. Lodges' connections had slowly started to deteriorate. Mentions of Gertrude wishes to ‘regain some at least of her personal beauty give us an idea of the immense stress pu t on women in Victorian times to look good for their men. This again creates mystery as we wonder what Lodge's intentions with Gertrude are.The events, which follow the arrival of Gertrude Lodge in Holystone, create a sinister atmosphere. Although Rhoda had never met the new bride, she carried a strong grudge against her, apparently caused by her ever-growing Jealousy. One night Rhoda had a supernatural vision of the young Mrs. Lodge with ‘†¦ Features shockingly distorted†¦ ‘ and ‘†¦ Wrinkled as by age†¦ ‘ In addition, Gertrude flashes her new ring at Rhoda taunting her, the figure thrust forward its left hand mockingly. This shows the reader that Rhoda has not only taken an immediate dislike to Gertrude but also creates mystery because the reader yearns to find out why.In the vision, Rhoda grabs Ghost Gertrude by the arm, which connects with a deeper emotion of envy. Road's seeming obsession with Gertrude, and finding out everything about her has led to this. Subconsciously, Rhoda may be so Jealous of Gertrude hands, which are so opposite to her own, that she may want to ruin them in some way, to prevent Lodge from being attracted to her. This is why she grabbed Gertrude in her ‘dream'. To cause her hands to Wither' and at the same time lose their youthfulness. By introducing Rhoda Brooks ‘horrid fascination' with Gertrude limbs Hardy creates fear.At first, the reader may think that her interest has something to do with Road's insecurities, which could be triggered by the fact, that she has over-worked her own hands, as she is a milkmaid. However, when Rhoda begins to inquire deeper, through the quote: move never told me what sort of hands she has†, it suggests that she wants even more knowledge. By calling Gertrude ‘she', it's similar to fear or discomfort of using her name, as if it is taboo. As the quote is an implied question, we immediately want the answer.The word ‘sort' entails t hat there are many types of hands, which seems strange to the reader. Maybe Rhoda thinks that the ‘quality of hands signifies Gertrude class. There is also already reference to the title Withered Arm'. There is almost a sickening feeling of some kind of affection towards Gertrude, but Hardy also creates fear, by never fully explaining the two women's relationship. Thomas Hardy manages to create both mystery and fear, through the question asked in the aftermath of Road's late night encounter. â€Å"What was the noise in your chimer last night†¦ You fell off the bed surely? Hardy gives the question to Road's son, who is already an inquisitive character; this gives IM an innocent incentive, to enquire without suspicion. The mystery is created for the reader because supposedly, Road's encounter was a dream, however if Road's son heard it too, we begin to question the likeliness of what we've been told. Hardy has created doubt for the reader, and we are now suspicious of both Rhoda and Gertrude. Fear is created for Rhoda as she has already assumed that â€Å"it was not a dream†, but now her uncertainties have been confirmed. The question comes directly and used it effectively.As the reader, we are both surprised and fearful of this ‘incubus' which is apparently haunting Rhoda. As the truth hits both reader and character at the same time, Hardy makes it easier for us to empathic with her. When Farmer Lodge, lies to Gertrude about Rhoda and her son, secrecy is introduced into the Withered Arm. The quote â€Å"l think he lives with his mother, a mile of two off' creates mystery, in the sense that, a son would not really be something to keep secret from one's new wife. As the reader, we know that the boy is in fact Farmer Lodge's son, so when we catch him in the lie, we wonder how trustworthy he may be.In Victorian times, ‘a mile or two off would be a very long distance, and would usually mean, outside the village. Why would such a wealt hy man, worry about a 3rd class worker from his farm, who probably lives quite a Journey away. Is Lodge ashamed of his ex-family, or is he simply trying to hide their ongoing contact from Gertrude? The reader once again asks questions, as does Gertrude, but Farmer Lodge seems to keep his answers vague in order to avoid confrontation. It is as if he is trying to conceal his old life from his new life, so we get the idea that he is living in constant fear of his two worlds colliding.This mysterious factor not only make us question whether he loud be willing to sever his ties with his other family to prevent sabotaging his new ‘sugar-daddy profile but also whether he may be hiding other, more private secrets†¦ During the women's Journey to visit Trundle, Hardy uses pathetic fallacy to create fear. The quote thick clouds made the atmosphere dark, though it was yet only early afternoon' shows how the weather sets a dampener on the mood, consequently creating tension between Ge rtrude and Rhoda.It is common knowledge, that rain and dark clouds indicate bad weather, which can generate fear not only through setting the mood. To show that something strange is about to happen a connection between gloominess and the supernatural is established, as the quote goes on to say: ‘The wind howled'. This not only personifies the wind, by giving it a voice of its own but also, howling can be linked to werewolves which are supernatural animals often used in stories to portray the supernatural, therefore creating a mysterious and unnerving feeling for the reader.By slowly, introducing negative vocabulary in this section such as ‘dismally Hardy has captivated our attention, as he prepares us for the event, which will quickly change the course of the story. This yet again shows his consideration of structure and language to create mystery and fear. The curse in this tale is the reason why Gertrude develops a Withered Arm'; however, it is not confirmed who cursed Gertrude until she visits Conjurer Trundle. In the sass's medical science was not half as advanced as it is today therefore people would turn to look for answers in the thing they knew best; superstition.This is why Gertrude unfortunate incident is explained purely through magic; Conjurer Trundle would not have enough information in order to diagnose her with medical facts to back up his sections. Hardy's purpose for Trundle, as a character, is to incorporate fear in the story. From the very beginning, the reader has reason to be suspicious of the Conjurer. The quote â€Å"they say†¦ He had powers other folks had not† spoken by Gertrude, means that he would have a unique ability to perform rituals and spells of the mystical sort in order to aid the village people in their issues.The fact that Rhoda says they also adds mystery, as often the insecurity of the Victorian townspeople, would leave people with unanswered questions. It is indefinite where this information is co ming from. The hesitation in Road's voice would show that people would have a wary attitude toward Conjurer Trundle. His name in itself has a mysterious sound as to conjure' could mean to summon'. Would this mysterious figure ‘summon' some spirits to reveal Rhoda as Gertrude enemy?Hardy has written in such detail to ensure that both reader and character are wary of his personality. Another quote, its the work of an enemy causes distrust towards Trundle from the readers and the characters view, as they wonder how Trundle could have possibly made such a quick diagnosis and thus makes the reader evaluate how reliable Trundle is. In addition, how the verdict is delivered in such a short and spunky sentence shows the reader what a solemn character he is, almost replying nationalistically as if he was preoccupied elsewhere.The suddenness of it creates fear and the reader is almost frightened of reading on. When afterwards Gertrude attitude has changed so eerily in such a short amoun t of time the reader can be confident that the ‘enemy described is Rhoda herself. On of the scariest events is the death of Road's son, not a main character in the story but an event, which abruptly ends the story; thus making it more mysterious. When Gertrude visits the jail to fulfill her last spell in order to cure her arm, there is a shocking twist of fate.The quote ‘a second shriek rent the air of the enclosure' warns the reader that there have been consequences of the actions of a character. The word ‘shriek signifies pain, and as the same word is used to describe the feeling of relief coming from Gertrude to the horror-stricken Rhoda, more fear is created. How can these two women have anything more in common? The reader is afraid of what Rhoda will do next, as Hardy has already shown us her true colors so we know exactly what she is capable of. By changing the plot, Hardy creates even more mystery.As the reader, we were sure that a happy ending would ensue, we now once again fear for Gertrude, as her ‘enemy has returned. This broadens the possibilities of what could happen next and creates both mystery and fear. Hardy has yet again induced a feeling of uncertainty for the reader, by leaving the story at such an ambiguous point. Throughout ‘The Withered Arm' we have had to use our own Judgment and instincts to try to predict the story, which is what has created a fair part of the mystery for the reader. We also fear our own opinion, of making a false accusation and surprising ourselves.Hardy has pressured us into doing this and therefore induced fear from the very beginning, while withholding information, without us even reading too deep into the story. Through leaving certain questions unanswered, I empathetic with people from the Victorian era, who would also have been kept in the dark. I appreciate the way that Hardy has molded his story to create mystery and fear, through his individual writing style. He has kept the rea der attentive, thinking through every detail carefully while making his story engaging and entertaining. Yet another successfully created literary piece by Thomas Hardy.

Organisational Behaviour What Is Organisational Behaviour?

ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR What is organisational behaviour? The study of human behaviour, attitudes and performance within an organisational setting; drawing on theory, methods and principles from such disciplines as psychology, sociology and cultural anthropology to learn about individual, groups and processes. Three different OB perspectives Macro-perspective; the big picture Micro-perspective; the smaller units Meso-perspective; integration and movement between macro and micros Three levels of OB Individuals > groups > organisationsOB as a science Scientific discipline Theories and methods can be developed to better understand and explain behaviour Concerned with predictions and explanations Fredrick Windsor taylor – four principles of scientific management 1. Using scientific analysis, managers precisely specify every element of an employee’s work which replaces old rule-of-thumb methods (Job Design) 2. Managers select and then train, teach and develop employees, unl ike in the past when employees chose their own work and trained themselves (human Resource Management) 3.Managers are responsible for ensuring that all work is done according to their specification (Performance, Monitoring and rewards) 4. There is a division of labour based on expertise; managers manage because of their superior knowledge while employees do what they are best at (the development of management profession) Human relations school Elton mayo Believed that the â€Å"work problem† (dissent, disobedience, industrial unrest) was a result of psychological disturbances brought about by the alienating nature of work. Mayo thought that we can improve employee happiness bby making work more involving and by recognising its social nature.The hawthorn study Originally looked at the impact of working environment on productivity e. g. amount of light workers were exposed to during work By spending so much time around the workers, researchers began to notice a number of import ant social factors that had an impact on productivity Despite the isolating effects of standardisation and increasing technical division of labour, work remains a group activity. As a result of their need for recognition, security and sense of belonging, workers will gravitate towards informal groups whether formal work organisation reflects this or not.Informal group exercises a strong form of social control over the work habit and attitude of its members. Managers should recognise the impact of these informal groups in exerting an influence on productivity. Organisations should seek to ensure a good fit between formal and informal groups. Weber’s formal bureaucracy is characterised by: Specialised individual positions Formal hierarchy Rules and standard operating procedures Set boundaries for each dept Standardised training and career paths Changes from traditional to modern Intensifying competition meant that companies needed to become: More innovative in terms of customer serviceImplement continuous improvement in manufacturing More diverse in terms of products and services they offer New organisation model Networked; emphasis on teams, systems for sharing information, cross functional involvements Flat; reducing layers and empowering more employees Flexible; intensified completion, accounting for life cycles, unpredictability of external environment Divers; career trajectories, core and peripheral workforces Global; interactions across boarders Employment relationship Employment relationship is the set of arrangements and work practices that describe and govern the relationships between employees and employers.The relationship consists of economic, social and psychological contracts. The psychological contract refers to a shared cultural understanding of what is right, good and fair about the ongoing exchange. Key employment relationship changes Short term job security; life time employment to life time employability and being able to move from int ernal labour markets Advancement; changing notions of advancement Job titles; changing and multi-dimensional Compensation; pay for knowledge or skills, team-based pay Flexibility; telecommunicating work hours, contract and new forms of bargaining Chapter summary 1Define organisational behaviour and organisations, and discuss the importance of this field of inquiry Organisational behaviour is the study of what people think, feel and do in and around organisations. Organisations are groups of people who work interdependently towards some purpose. OB theories help people to: 1. Make sense of the workplace 2. Question and rebuild personal mental models 3. Get things done In organisations Compare and contrast the four perspectives of organisational effectiveness The open systems perspective views organisations as complex organisms that ‘live’ within an external environment.They depend on the external environment for resources then use organisational subsystems to transform t hose resources into outputs that are returned to the environment. Organisations receive feedback from external environment to maintain a good ‘fit’ with that environment. Fit occurs by adapting to the environment, managing the environment or moving to another environment. According to the organisational learning perspective, organisational effectiveness depends on the organisations capacity to acquire, share, use and store valuable knowledge. The ability to acquire and use knowledge depends on the firm’s absorptive capacity.Intellectual capacity consists of human capital, structural capital and relationship capital. Knowledge is retained in the organisational memory; companies also selectively unlearn. The high performance work practices (HPWP) perspective identifies a bundle of systems and structures to leverage workforce potential. The most widely identified HPWPs are employee involvement, job autonomy, developing employee competencies and performance/skill-bas ed rewards. HPWPs improve organisational effectiveness by building human capital, increasing adaptability and strengthen employee motivation and attitudes.The stakeholder perspectives state that leaders manage the interest of diverse stakeholders by replying on their personal and organisational values for guidance. Ethics and corporate responsibility are natural variations of values-based organisation because they rely on values to guide the most appropriate decisions involving stakeholders. Corporate social responsibility consists of organisational activities intended to benefit society and the environment beyond the company’s immediate financial interest or legal obligation.Debate the organisation opportunities and challenges of globalisation, workforce diversity and emerging employment relationships Globalisation, which refers to various forms of connectivity with people in other parts of the world has several economic and social benefits but it may also be responsible for work intensification, as well as reduced job security and work – life balance. Workforce diversity is apparent at both the surface level and deep level; there is some evidence of deep level diversity across generational cohorts. Diversity may give a competitive advantage by improving decision making and team performance on conflict.One emerging employment relationship trend is the call for more work-life balance. Another employment trend is virtual work, particular working from home. Working from home potentially increases employee productivity and reduces employee stress, but it may also lead to social isolation, reduced promotion opportunities and increased tension in family relations. Discuss the anchors on which organisational behaviour knowledge is based The systematic research anchor states that OB knowledge should be based on systematic research, which is consistent with evidence-based management.The multidisciplinary anchor states that the field should develop from k nowledge in other disciplines (psychology sociology, economics) not just from its own isolated research base. The contingency anchor states that OB theories generally need to consider that there will be different consequences in different situations. The multiple levels of analysis anchor states that OB topics may be viewed from the individual, team and organisations levels of analysis.

Religion Essay

He was the Lord of Hosts and the god of battle. B) He was believed to inspire battle ecstasy in some warriors; called Berserks who would fight welcomed into the Paradise of Valhalla those who died in battle. 9. Odin was often depicted as a Middle aged man with long curly hair and a beard. He was attended by two ravens, Hug in (though) and man in (memory). Which he sent out into the world every day to gather information for him. 10. Odin crucified himself on the world tree in a mysterious ritual of sacrificing himself to himself to advance his quest for sacred knowledge. For nine days and nights he hung, pierced by a spear, until magical ‘runes’ (mystical symbols) appeared before him. 11. Thor the god of thunder, lightning and storms, was Odin’s eldest brother, his mother was the earth. 12. This hammer was made for him by the Dwarves, and would magically he turn to his hand whenever he needed it. 13. Thor the of thunder, lighting and storms was Odin eldest brother and his mother was the earth. Thor was supernaturally strong and renowned for his huge appertite. He drove about the heavens in cart pulled by his two fierce billy gods. Tooth Cnasher and tooth Grinder. 14. Loki helped the giants trick the thunder god. * Loki the trickster god was notorious among the deities. * He was the foster- brother of Odin, and the one who gave the fishing net to the Nordic people. * He was actually a giant who had been adopted into the Aesir because of his lively wit. 15. Capable of both good and evil Loki was an ambiguous figure who later came to be linked with Christian images of the devil. 16. Bader, a son of Odin and Frigg was the god of light. Balder was the most beautiful and gracious of the Aesir in Asgard. His mother extracted oaths from all things in nature not a harm her son. Horde and aimed it for him at balder who was killed by it. The gods grieved inconsolably over his death. 17. Freyr ( twin brother of Freya, and originally once of the vanir) * Njord was the god of the sea and father of the twins Freyr and Freya. * Tyr (aka Tiwaz) was the sword god, the hideous Fenris wolf bit Try’s arm off as Fenris was bound for the third time. * Helmdall, the god of the rising down, stood guard at the Asgard end the Bifrost Bridge and carried Gjallar, the mighty war horn. 18. Female deities featured quite strongly in Nordic religion and were seen to be as sashed and powerful as the male gods. 19. Frijj, Odin’s wife and Queen of the deities, was goddess of lone and death. 20. Freya the most renowned of the god desses ‘was twin sister of Freyr, she lame to be worshipped in a variety of fields, from warfare to lone of fairs, beauty, soothsaying (prophecy or truth telling). Freya lived (ever greedy for knowledge); she taught him the shamanistic (spiritual) magic known as seider. In return, she received half of all the warriors slain in battle and brought to Asgard. 21. The Valkyries, foster- daughters of Odin, were supernatural women who lived in Valhalla where they were cupbearers to the shades (spirits) of dead warriors. Valkyries were copse goddesses, unromantically represented by the raven. Contrary to popular depiction they did not ride winged horses. Often in a troop of nine, they rode fierce wolves into battle and allocated victory and defeat to the combatants. 22. The rode fierce wolves into battle and allocated victory and defeat to the combat ants. Those who died in battle were taken by the Valkyries to Valhalla, the golden feasting hall of the gods in Asgard. 3. The Norns were the three Fates, three terrible sisters named. Urd (Fate), verdanda (Being), and skuld (Necessity) originally from the land of the giants the norns spun the threads of life that allocated each individual’s destiny. 24. They wore the threads that shaped the lives not only of numars but also of the gods themselves. For that reason, the norns were often regarde d as more powerful than the deities, some traditions say that the two eldest Norns (Urd, the Fate of the past, and verdanda, the Fate of the present). 25. The Norns also tended to Yggdrasil, the word tree, and kept it healthy. Every day they drew pure water from the spring of Fate, whitened it with clay and poured the mixture over the tree so that the water fell down to earth as fresh life giving dew. In this way, they preserved the always nibbling at Yggdrasil buds and new leaf shoots, the Norns kept the tree green and growing. 26. Hela was the Queen of the dead. She lived in the underworld of Niflheim, the northern land of ice and darkness, all who died from sickness or old age passed into Hela’s world. The giants were older than the gods, and know so much more about the past that the gods had to go to them for wisdom. The Norns of underlying implication that even the gods themselves would come to an end in time is a continual haunting theme throughout the stories of Nordic mythology. 28. Mimir (memory) a very old and very wise giant who was keeper of the spring of wisdom. * Vafthrudner was called the all wise among the giants in Jotunheim. * Hrimthurs, was the rock giant who but Asgard fortifications sart, was the southern land of prim evil fine which devoured all the world all the world at the end of time. 9. The Nordic mythology is threads that shaped the lives not only of numans but also of the gods themselves. The Norns after regarded as more powerful than the deities. The gods were not permitted to see their life threads, suggested that they were subject to a fate beyond their divine control. The Norn who fixed the length of the thread of life by some accounts, unravelled what he sister had made. The Norns also tended to Yggdrasil, the world tree, and kept it healthy.