All the light we cannot see Anthony Doerr - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 3 Words: 781 Downloads: 9 Date added: 2019/08/15 Category Literature Essay Level High school Tags: All The Light We Cannot See Essay Did you like this example? Marie-Laure Leblanc lives in Paris with her dad. Marie has went blind at the age of 7 because of a disease in her eyes called cataracts. Her father works as a locksmith for all types of precious items for the museum of natural history. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "All the light we cannot see Anthony Doerr" essay for you Create order Shes having a rough time dealing with her blindness so her father goes out and buys her some adventure novels for her birthday. These books are special because they are meant for the blind because they are written in Braille. The novels are called Jules Verne. Every day after work while Marie reads her father gets to work on making a wooden model of the part of town she lives in so she can navigate through the streets alone if needed to. He also made special puzzles for her on her birthday to solve and it has a prize in it. As rumors of Germans spread that they will overtake paris, the museum gives Maries father a 22k diamond named the Sea of Flames, A diamond told to have a curse that is said to give anyone who holds it a never ending life but terrible things will happen around them. This jewel was said to be given to the God of the Sea from the God of Earth as a love offering. He and Marie-Laure leave their home in Paris to give the stone to an affiliate of the museum. But the man has fled to london so now her father cant give him the Sea Of Flames, They both had to escape to her great uncles house in Saint Malo, his Name is Etienne. When they got there they were greeted by Madame Manec, the house keeper of Etiennes house. She spoils them with food and tells Marie that Etienne has some problems with hallucinations of war so he is mostly locked up in his room not eating, moving, or making noise, so she doesnt get to see him right away. Once they get settled in her father builds her another model of a town but this time is of Saint-Malo. He makes the interior of the model house hollow so he can fit the diamond so it would be difficult to find. Maries Great-uncle finally sees her and shows her a hidden radio in his attic behind a secret door. The next day germans s end out papers to collect all the radios in Saint-Malo for an unknown reason, but Maries Great-uncle keeps the one in the attic a secret since no one else knows but them. Maries father is told to come back to the museum, but while on his way back hes arrested and is sent to a prison in Germany where he is questioned. After Maries father is sent to the prison Madame Manec is arranging a group of women to try and resist the germans coming and liberating them, they called themselves the French Resistance. Madame dies of pneumonia. Right before she died Madame Manec attempted to make Maries uncle a part of the group so they could have access to his radio to send information to their allies but he declined because of the danger of being heard and tracked and putting their lives at risk. After grieving Marie and her uncle choose to carry on her efforts in her memory. Marie gets the information from a friend and a group member, Madame Ruelle who hides small slips of paper into dough of bread then bakes it, which contain information for their allies,then is transmitted via their radio system which is hidden in their attic. They find out their allies will be coming on d-day so Maries uncle tries to broadcast the location of the Nazis artillery and broadcast it to their allies The day has come. D-Day arrives and Marie has been commanded to wait down inside the cellar until she hears the bombs stop dropping. While Shes down there she finds two cans of food. Marie is thirsty and needs to use the bathroom, she gets tired of waiting so long so she leaves the cellar and heads upstairs to where to bathroom is located. She drinks from the faucet and when she is up there she hears a German outside of the house. That German is an Office named von Rumpel. As soon as she hears him she runs and hides in the attic. Von Rumpel wants the Sea of Flames (because he i s an avid collector of precious gems and stones). He then enters the house looking for the diamond searching everywhere. He searched frantically tossing everything around the house searching for secret compartments, but he came up short and returned everyday to keep on looking.

King Lears Journey of Finding Self-Knowledge - 851 Words

Lear s journey of finding self-knowledge In the play, we see King Lear going through a journey of self-knowledge. The play starts with King Lear who seems to be obsessed with honour. He divides his country, giving the one who honours him the most the biggest part. But the treachery of his daughters, Goneril and Regan, and the loss of the daughter who truly loved him, Cordelia, will make him see clear again. This will make Lear see himself and the world as they truly are. First I ll show how Lear lacks self-knowledge at the start of the play. Then I ll shortly discuss what political effects the lack of self-knowledge has on the country. Third I ll show what causes Lear to regain his self-knowledge. In the beginning of the play,†¦show more content†¦So the country is now divided and ruled by the evil daughters, Goneril and Regan. And Lear, even after he divided his country, wants to remain powerful and keeps a hundred knights. Goneril and Regan are unhappy with the way Lear is acting so they turn against him. This leaves the country divided and vulnerable, because Lear still owns a hundred knights. I guess that is why the French invaded, also the fact that Cordelia was banished and married France may have had something to do with it. So the decision of Lear to give Goneril and Regan his country and banish Cordelia seems to have caused a war. The great turning point for Lear is when he left Gloucester s castle and ends up in a fierce storm. Through Lear s anger over his last conversation with Goneril and Regan, and the power of the storm starts the process of the change within Lear. Lear starts to see the treachery of Goneril and Regan. Also from this moment, Lear no longer sees himself as a mighty king but as a poor, infirm weak and despised old man. All though Lear still doesn t blame himself for all this: I am a man more sinned against than sinning. After this Lear goes through another change, it seems Lear starts caring for those around him and not just of himself. He thinks about the poor and how hard their live is, he says: Poor naked wretches wheresoe er you are, that bide the pelting of this pitiless storm, howShow MoreRelatedA Comparison Between King Lear and Oedipus1649 Words   |  4 PagesKing Lear Comparison A tragedy is not only an imitation of life in general but an imitation of an action, as Aristotle defined his ideas in the Poetics, which presents Oedipus as an ultimate tragic hero. There is a obvious link between the two characters in that blindness – both literal and metaphorical – is a strong theme in the stories. Issues of self-recognition and self-knowledge are significant for Oedipus as well as King Lear. For Aristotle, Reversal, Recognition and Suffering are keyRead MoreChildrens Literature13219 Words   |  53 Pagesprecious (Bingham and Scholt 1980). Amusing books written specifically for children would have been economically and psychologically impossible (Townsend 1996). Children would probably have listened to adult works such as Beowulf, Song of Roland, El Cid, King Arthur, and Robin Hood. Children and adults also enjoyed folk tales and literature rich with fantasy and imagination, as myth was the way they made sense of their world. While there were no manuscripts devoted specifically to â€Å"children’s literature

Project Management for Construction

Question: Discuss about the Project Management for Construction. Answer: Introduction: In this report, the consolidated property services organization will discuss that is a cleaning company. The consolidated property Services Company established in 1977 is a family business run by John Grant and Merry Grant. Both of them have experience in providing the quality cleaning services to the diverse types of industries either private or public in Sydney, Victoria, and Adelaide. Their services include educational facilities, retail cleaning and industrial cleaning. The consolidated property services have experience of 40 years and are far ahead to expand their business in the cleaning services (Hung et al., 2009) This report will examine the current issue of the company that is related to their employee engagement and the problem HR department face when the company takes a new contract for the business services. The reason for the HR department problem, when a new business contract takes is that there is not a specific training procedure for the employees of the company. To improve the training procedure for the employee development, first, the current situation of the company will be analysed and then, the improvement in the process can be done. The improvement can be done by using the concept and tools of designing and analysing the process. Concept and tools of the designing and analysing the process The objective of the designing and analysing the process is to have the knowledge about the function of the process and its interaction. The aim of the analysing phase of the designing process is to improve the process in a way to achieve the performance objectives of the process. The purpose of the process analysis is to understand the culture of the organization and its mission and relation of business with these processes that is analysed Identification and analysis of the current business processes and activities that are operating in the organization and how far these are able to achieve the goals and objectives of the organization (Wiki.opengrads.org, 2016) Same as the designing process of the Apple Company is analysed and sort out how much it helps in achieving the goals and objectives of the company. The result of the analysis phase is fed into the designing of the process whose objective is to Investigation of the options for achievement of the improvement by the redesigning of the process Identification and prioritization of the areas of the improvement Implementation of the designing process in accordance with the scheduled process In the Consolidated property services Company, the training process for the employee development is unable to fulfil the objectives of the performance that are cost, speed, dependability, flexibility, and quality. So, the company has to sort out the options for the improvement that focus on these performance objectives One decision should make in the prioritization of the analysis that what kind of the analysis is required strategic that is top down or the tactical that is bottom up. The strategic perspective is at the higher level that seeks to have knowledge of the processes that make the business and helps in delivering its value. The tactical perspective is at the lower level that seeks to have the knowledge of the activities that supports the designing of the process. In some of the projects, the workshop team spends most of their time in analysing the area of the improvement and in some projects; the workshop team spends time in designing the improved processes (Karpuschewski et. al., 2014). According to the nature and perspective of the process design project, they are divided into two types Design-led process design projects: For these types of the projects, the Clean slate approach is used. In this approach, the workshop teams design the new processes by considering the current situation of the organization. However, an analysis phase is the part of the designing process that is essential for having the knowledge of the drawbacks of the current process and what types of the improvements are required on the priority basis for the achievement of the goal of the organization (www.cibis.com.au, 2016). Therefore, the design-led projects are based on the redesigning of the current process, but they also have the analysis as the essential part of their project. Analysis-led process design project: In many of the projects that are IT driven, the aim and objective of the analysis phase are to have the knowledge of the processes that can be automated. This analysis phase ensures the best fit between the selected technologies and processes and gives an indication that how the technology will be configured (Pinnington et al., 2008). In this type of the situation, there is no time or little time be allocated for the improvement of the existing processes. However, some of the designing work is always required for the assurance of the best use of the technology. In any type of the project or any type of the perspective, it is necessary to spend the time to understand the current processes of the organization. This will help to clarify the language used by the business to describe their processes and provide the basis for the improvement in the designing the business process. The Consolidated property services Company has to spend the time to analyse the current process and what are its drawback and then sort out the areas that should be improved on a priority basis to achieve the goals and objective of the company. The Consolidated Property Services Company has to redesign its training process for the employee development so that it can achieve all the five objectives of the performance (Consolidated Property Services, 2016). They can use any one of the projects that are a design-led and analysis-led project to improve the designing process. In the consolidated property service company, there is very little or no employee development. The reason behind this is the least effective training program of the company that not facilitates the engagement of the employee in the organization. The consolidated property services company has to improve its training program that provides the career development opportunity to the organization. The effective training program in addition to the career development helps in motivation and retention of the employees. Hence the training program of the company can be improved by doing the analysis of the current situation of the company and its training programs. The company has to analyse the drawbacks and limitations of the current training programs and improvement that should be done on the priority basis to improve the training system of the company (Pmbook.ce.cmu.edu, 2016). For all this, the company should analyse the current training services provided to the employees by the HR departm ent and how these training services help in the achievement of the five performance objectives that are cost, speed, quality, flexibility, and dependability. Employee development in the consolidated property services For the employee development, training is necessary at all levels. It provides the main sources of the welfare and maintains a balance between the knowledge of the company and the skill of the individual. Training assists the employee for their current jobs. The HRM training service in the Consolidated Property Services In their current HRM policies and practices, the Consolidated Property Services provide appropriate training, learning material, knowledge, skills and toolbox meeting to all the staff from the causal cleaning staff to the operations manager for performing their better current job. The training practice involves showing a machinist that how the machine operates, a salesperson coaching that how the sale of the product can be done, the training of the supervisor that how to interview and appraise the employees. However, the company required a high-quality training program for the employee development as the company is expanding in the market as the professional cleaning and by considering the demands of customers and clients and also for the retention of the valuable and talented staff members to avoid the external recruitment (Runhaar, 2016). This is known as direct promotion and selection by the management. The advantage of this system is that it provide opportunity and motivation of the own employee's addition to its fast decision that allows the management to review its reward system. Current situation of the employee development The Human Resource Management team of the consolidated property services has strong for the development of their employees. Nevertheless, they do not follow the right path for the achievement of this goal. One year ago, they started the new project that is known as talent mapping, but it has been small in terms of progress. The project follows the current senior management has to put together a nomination form that has the name of the employees that have skill, knowledge and qualification and experience for the new contract and these employees can access the leadership skills and competencies as such Ensures accountability: they hold self and other accountable for the commitments Stakeholders relationship: they build and work collaboratively with the other employees to achieve the common objectives Communicate effectively: they can develop and deliver multi-code communication that provides the clear understanding needs for the different audience. Customer-focus: can build strong customer relationship and provide customer-centring solution Financial acumen: for the better business decision, interpretation and application of understanding of key financial indicators Leadership: they can provide direction, delegation and able to remove obstacles for the completion of the task Drives result: should be consistently achieved result also under the tough circumstances Self-awareness demonstration: should use feedback and reflection in combination to gain the productive insight into strength and weakness of the person Decision quality: can make good and on time decision that helps the organization to move forward Plans and alignment: should plan and prioritize the work to meet commitment by aligning with the objectives of the organization. After one year of the establishment of the above criteria, nothing is done or said within the HR department of the Consolidated Property Services. The development program seems to be on hold for the reason that may not be known, this leads to the need for the external recruitment for the new contracts, although the list of the suitable candidates is present in the organization (Baker et al., 2000) Regardless, of the all internal research and information are given by the senior management to the HR team, the HR team after collection, recollection of the information and few meeting to discuss the development program, no one from the HR department meet to the selected employees for the establishment of a mentoring relationship. In the last, the selected candidates change their carrier and leave the company. In the above development program, there are many drawbacks and limitations. But, the main drawback is the improper functioning of the HR department and improper implementation of the training program. Improved practice to develop a career training program in the Corporate Property services For the improvement of the training program the consolidated property services company that is required for the positive employee development, the company has to follow a systematic process. Training process initiatives that stand alone mostly fails to fulfill the goals and objectives of the organization and the expectation of the participants. Therefore, the consolidated property services company should follow the five steps to develop an effective training program. Assessment of the needs of the training: the first step of the effective training program is the identification and assessment of the training needs. These training needs may be assessed in the strategic plan of the organization, in the developmental plan of the human resource or the individual. Set the objectives of the training program: the assessment of the training program will define the gaps of the current training and the sets of the employees. These gaps will analyze and prioritize in the training process and assume as the training objectives. The main goal of the training process is to fill the gap between the current training process and performance desired from the training process. At the level of the employee, the training process should match the improvement areas that are evaluated from 3600 evaluation. Development of the training action plan: the third step is the development of action plan that includes instructional design, learning theories, contents and other training elements of the training process. The methods and resources of the training delivery should be detailed in the training process. In the development of the training program, the learning style of the participants, training level, need to take into consideration. Most of the companies pilot the initiatives and collect feedback for the adjustment before the launch of the training program. Implementation of the training program: the implementation step is the step in which the new training process starts working. At this step, the organization has to decide whether the training program is delivered in house or coordinated externally. The implementation of the training process is the making schedule for the training program and organization for the related resources. Then the new training program is applied, conducted and promoted. To know the effectiveness of the training program, the progress of the participants is monitored. Evaluation and revision of the training: the training program should be monitored continuously. It should evaluate that the training is successful in filling the gaps of the previous training program and performance desired from the training process. Feedback should collect from all the stakeholders to determine the effectiveness of the new training program. Conclusion The consolidated property services company is a cleaning company that started in 1977. It is a family business run by John Grant and Merry Grant (Businessballs.com, 2016). The company faces the problem of the employee engagement and development and HR department has to recruit new external staff when the company takes a new contract. This whole problem caused due to the improper training program of the company. The development program of the company that supports the development of the employees and employees change their career path and leave the organization. The company has created the development program for the employee in which the senior management makes a list of the employees that take the responsibility of the leadership when a new assignment will take by the organization. This list will create through the internal analysis and by collecting the information about the skills, knowledge, experience and qualification of the employee. The senior management made the list and sen d it to the HR department, but the HR department did not make any mentor relation with the employees. In the last, the employees change their career path and leave the organization. Hence, the development program did not support the development and engagement of the employees. So, there is a need for the company to improve its training program for the employee development (Soto and Litan, 2001). The company has to develop the training program by analysing the internal environment, goal, and objectives of the company and key skills and attitude that are required by the employee for the success of the goal of the company. Then, the company has to make a development-training program by following the five steps of the effective training program that are assessment of the training needs and objectives of the company, set the objectives of the training process, development of the action plan, implementation of the training process and evaluation and revision of the training process. This effective five steps training program will improve the employee development, engagement and retention. References Baker, D., Walsh, M. and Marjerison, L. (2000). High-Performance Leadership at the Process Level.Advances in Developing Human Resources, 2(2), pp.47-72. Business.govt.nz. (2016).Training and development | Business.govt.nz. [online] Available at: https://www.business.govt.nz/staff-and-hr/employee-and-team-performance/training-and-development [Accessed 13 Aug. 2016]. Businessballs.com. (2016).training and development. [online] Available at: https://www.businessballs.com/traindev.htm [Accessed 13 Aug. 2016]. Consolidated Property Services. (2016).Consolidated Property Services | Cleaning Company. [online] Available at: https://www.consolidated.com.au/ [Accessed 13 Aug. 2016]. Hung, R., Lien, B. and McLean, G. (2009). Knowledge Management Initiatives, Organizational Process Alignment, Social Capital, and Dynamic Capabilities.Advances in Developing Human Resources, 11(3), pp.320-333. Karpuschewski, B., Goldau, H. and Stolze, R. (2014). Process force and technology model for designing and controlling finishing operations with rotating grinding tools.CIRP Annals - Manufacturing Technology, 63(1), pp.337-340. Pinnington, A., Kamoche, K. and Suseno, Y. (2008). Property in knowledge work: an appropriationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ learning perspective.Employee Relations, 31(1), pp.57-80. Pmbook.ce.cmu.edu. (2016).Project Management for Construction: Organizing for Project Management. [online] Available at: https://pmbook.ce.cmu.edu/02_Organizing_For_Project_Management.html [Accessed 13 Aug. 2016]. Runhaar, P. (2016). How can schools and teachers benefit from human resources management? Conceptualising HRM from content and process perspectives.Educational Management Administration Leadership. Soto, H. and Litan, R. (2001). Effective Property Rights and Economic Development: Next Steps.Brookings-Wharton Papers on Financial Services, 2001(1), pp.251-271. van Rooij, S. and Merkebu, J. (2015). Measuring the Business Impact of Employee Learning: A View From the Professional Services Sector.Human Resource Development Quarterly, 26(3), pp.275-297. Wiki.opengrads.org. (2016).Consolidated Property Services Consolidated Property Services - OpenGrADS. [online] Available at: https://wiki.opengrads.org/index.php?title=Consolidated_Property_Services_Consolidated_Property_Services [Accessed 13 Aug. 2016]. www.cibis.com.au, C. (2016).Step 5: Improving practice | Construction and Property Services Industry Skills Council Ltd. [online] Cpsisc.com.au. Available at: https://www.cpsisc.com.au/resource-centre/rtos/TA-Resources/RTOGoodPractice/GdpracBD/Step5ImprovingBD [Accessed 13 Aug. 2016].

StarBucks SWOT, Macro and mission analysis free essay sample

Starbucks is one of the most recognized brands in the world. It is respected for many reasons, and one of them is providing customers with the best coffee experience. It is also a company that values its employees and acknowledges that it could not have achieved the competitive advantage that it currently enjoys without them. †¢Starbucks company macro forces: First, Starbucks Company faced socio-cultural forces when Chicago people didn’t like dark-roasted coffee as fast as Schultz had. In addition, Star bucks menu is adapted to local cultures for example, the menu in North America include selection of muffins, but stores in France have French pastries and no muffins. Secondly, economically Starbucks had a decline in its profit because of the economic down term in 2008 – 2009. Also, Starbucks adapted some of the political legal in some countries. For instance, in Saudi Arabia there is a legislation says that stores have to close in the prayer times, and Starbucks could adapt this legislation and get along with it. We will write a custom essay sample on StarBucks SWOT, Macro and mission analysis or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Technologically, Starbucks introduced star bucks VIA Ready Brew- Packets of roasted coffee in an instant form, in the fall of 2009. Starbucks supply themselves; Howard Schultz –CEO of Starbucks- has said: â€Å"people sometimes fail to realize that almost unlike any restaurant, we are completely vertically integrated. We source coffee from 30 countries we have a proprietary roasting process. We distribute to company owned stores, and finally serve the coffee. Others are resellers of commodity-based coffee†. The Starbucks buyers are regular costumers, hotels, hospitals, and airlines. Starbucks has 10% market share in the United State and 1% in the world. Starbucks’ competitors are Coffee Bean, Dunkin Donuts, and other small shops. There are some substitute products such as soft drinks, power drinks, and fresh juice. Costumers’ loyalty to their coffee brand is the biggest threats of new firms entering the industry. †¢SWOT analysis: First of all, Starbucks company has a lot of strengths such as: the company centralized buying, developed standard contract and fix fees for certain  items, and consolidated work under those contractors who displayed good cost control practices to better control average store opening cost. Also, Starbucks Company has made relationships with big companies like Pepsi and craft food. Second of all, one of the biggest weaknesses that Starbucks Company has is they don’t focus in the market share globally as much as in the United State. In addition, Starbucks Company has many opportunities. For example, opening new stores in Asia clearly represent the most significant growth opportunity and since they are a vertically integrated then the products cost is very low, so they have an opportunity of decreasing the price and we can count it as a competitive advantage as well. Finally, Starbucks Company is exposed to rises in the cost of dairy products. †¢Starbucks Mission and vision: Starbucks mission statement is ‘Establish Starbucks as the premier purveyor of the finest coffee in the world while maintaining our uncompromising principles while we grow’, and it vision statement is ‘Star bucks vision to become a national company with values and guiding principles that employees could be proud of’.

The History and Qualities of Knights essays

The History and Qualities of Knights essays A knight is first and foremost a mounted warrior and that was his primary role in society. Just about anyone who fought on horseback could be considered a knight, even a lowly commoner. This was how it was in the very beginning, but later knights became specialized warriors. They wore armor and wielded a lance along with a sword or mace. Knights possessed many attributes including, Knights had to be able to fight well. Which means they had to have the ability to perform physical tasks and have a vast knowledge of weapons and armor. They had to possess great physical strength. There were no weight training programs only repeated use of arms. Above all they most have tremendous personal bravery. A knight would not fear death. A knight's honor was a measure of his standing amongst his peers. A knight's honor was as real the castle he protected. A knight would not think twice to defend his honor to his last drop of blood. Knightly society was a gift-giving society. A lord was expected to give gifts to his followers. These were not only gifts in the sense we know, but gifts in the form of privileges, shared wartime plunder, and honors shown. Gifts were exchanged to seal alliances, show friendship, and sent to accompany embassies and messengers. Most knights had no need for living within his means. This would indicate a preoccupation with accounting, which was tho ught to be below them. Glory and plunder were the prizes of battle, which every knight sought. Glory is the same as a notation of fame and meant prestige for him and his family. Glory was a public testimony of one's prowess and could be won in tournaments as well as in battle. Knights gained their fame through story and song and written word was becoming the source of lasting glory. Fidelity was paramount and oath-breaking the worst form of behavior. A true knight stayed true to his lord, his church, and his word. Loyalty to one's lord came before everything and everything i...

Chemical Change Examples in Chemistry

Chemical Change Examples in Chemistry Chemical changes involve chemical reactions and the creation of new products. Typically, a chemical change is irreversible. In contrast, physical changes do not form new products and are reversible. Some Common Chemical Changes The rusting of ironCombustion (burning) of woodThe metabolism of food in the bodyMixing an acid and a base, such as hydrochloric acid (HCl) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH)Cooking an eggDigesting sugar with the amylase in salivaMixing baking soda and vinegar to produce carbon dioxide gasBaking a cakeElectroplating a metalUsing a chemical batteryThe explosion of fireworksRotting bananasGrilling a hamburgerMilk going sour Less-familiar chemical reactions are also examples of chemical changes. While its not always easy to tell a chemical change has occurred (as opposed to a physical change), there are some telltale signs. Chemical changes may cause a substance to change color, change temperature, produce bubbles, or (in liquids) produce a precipitate. Chemical changes can also be considered to be any phenomenon that allows a scientist to measure  chemical properties.

Changes in Gulf banking industry after global financial crisis Research Paper

Changes in Gulf banking industry after global financial crisis - Research Paper Example These economies experience some degree of vulnerability in the international market. The third segment of countries in the gulf region consists of the countries that have high demographic pressure, low functioning social safety nets and low levels of economic growth (Sharif, 2006). Social and economic crises within these countries have hindered their economic growth and they have been exposed to the rages of financial crisis. There are fewer countries in the third group than in the first and groups, but these countries are worse affected during the financial crisis. The countries in the third group include Sudan, Mauritania, Yemen, Djibouti, Comoros and Somalia. These countries received very little international support during and even after the crisis ended. Hence, the governments of these countries have been serious measures to improve the banking and financial systems in their own countries. Islamic banking in the contemporary finance world The banking industry in the gulf region has passed through a period of major improvements over the period of last five years. Over the years, Islamic banking industry has matured and has become a viable competitor of the conventional commercial banks operating in the Middle East as well as in the South East Asian countries (Koldertsova, 2010). At the global level, the banking system of the gulf region has increased in importance. The Middle East acts as the core launch pad for the promotion of the system of Islamic banking in the Western financial markets and business culture. The following section has been devoted to the study of the changes that have taken place in the banking industry in the gulf region after the global financial crisis. Changes in Gulf banking industry after global financial crisis Technological... Conclusion The effects of the financial crisis have to be considered by the policy makers while making plans for the future and improving the management systems internal to the organizations. It is important that banking and financial sector of the gulf economies have to be transformed and integrated in to the main stream financial system of the globe. It is, therefore important that the challenges in these economies are identified and the future prospects are determined with reference to the resources available to the economies for dealing with the challenges. In this regard, past experiences regarding failure of the banking industry have to be truly accounted for. The system of Islamic banking has spread from the gulf region and entered the practice of banking of the other developed countries in the world, such as Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Canada (Venardos, 2006). After the financial crisis, this system has become more concerned about the ethical values o f financial transactions and has simultaneously increased its flexibility; so as to compete with the conventional interest based financial system. As a whole, the banking and finance industry in the gulf region has undergone certain developments and has become an exemplary finance practice in the global market (Khan and Bhatti, 2008).

A relationship between being a victim of cyber-bullying and adolescent Essay

A relationship between being a victim of cyber-bullying and adolescent emotional well-being - Essay Example Cyberbullying is an exceptional bullying that has increased a significant amount of attention in the recent past. There is much literature concerning online harassment and cyberbullying; most of these studies have concentrated on the prevalence cyberbullying behaviors among school students. Few of them have established a relationship between self-esteem and cyberbullying. Which seems to be a key contributor of criminal behavior and academic performance and other behaviors associated with the adolescent development (Hinduja & Patchini, 2010a). Hinduja & Patchini defines self-esteem as â€Å"a favorable or unfavorable attitude toward the self.†( Hinduja & Patchini, pg. 1. It can also be said to â€Å"an internal representation of social acceptance and rejection, and a psychological gauge monitoring the degree to which a person is included vs. excluded by others.† (Hinduja & Patchini 2010, pg.1). From these two views self-esteem is a perception about ones belief, and it is affected by an individual participation in the social world. In practice, cyberbullying behaviors are often the same as relational, psychological and indirect forms of traditional bullying. For example, harassment, rumor spreading, exclusion and threatening. However, there are a number of characteristics that distinguish the two forms. First, cyberbullies always remain anonymous, but research has shown that most victims always know who is bullying them within the social cycle. Second, the absence of regulatory institutions that manage cyberspace interactions makes it hard for the bullies to be found. According to Tokunaga (2010), more than 97% of the youth are able to reach one another through internet. Computer and other electronic technology have been at the center of evolution of human behavior. As oppose to the benefits that come along with technology, the youth has taken the advantage of it and are now

English-Cultural Studies- Generation X Essay Example for Free

English-Cultural Studies- Generation X Essay Throughout the years, rock and roll stars have greatly emerged in the consciousness of every American youth. In a world that appears to be uncontrollably spinning, the pied pipers of rock have acted as jesters, pillows, and poets for every incoming generation. The forerunners like Sex Pistols, the Who, the Doors, the Stones, the Beatles, and other rock and roll Hall of Famers, many of whom have become millionaire icons, rebelling against the society and pulling out the rich and seemingly boundless vein of alienation and angst among teenagers of the Generation X. During the 1990s, the rise of grunge music characterizes an imperative element of what has been the alternative rock trend in that decade. Nirvanas Kurt Cobain made it to the pinnacle higher than any other rock and roll stars. Like several other rockers, Kurt Cobain became a sensation through the standards of his times. Generation X considered Kurt Cobain as their poet emeritus, he was the Richard Cory of his generation, joining the ranks of Elvis, Keith Moon, Jim Morrison, and Brian Jones as the white icon who apparently had everything, but threw it away. Generation X or Gen-X came into its own throughout the later part of 1980s and early 1990s. An inclination for grunge music epitomized by the band Nirvana expressed the disenchantments of a generation ceaselessly destined to exist in the gloominess of its elders. As it is ordinary in generational shifts, Gen-X philosophy has considerable inferences of disbelief against things held dear to the earlier generation. Accordingly, grunge music became the defining character of Generation X, who came of age throughout this period. Generation X Generation X consists of individuals who finished high school between the periods 1989 and 1996 (Bozenda 2). However, laggards have also been identified beyond those years, but were already considered the minority of their graduating class. In its glory days, Generation X, through its music, boasted tremendous recognition. For Generation X-ers, MTV was their sanctuary, and has been pronounced, the only TV channel that did not care just as much as them (Bozenda 2). Grunge saturated in this stretch of time and, without a doubt, it fit the bill. There were different classes of Generation X-ers: the light X-ers were typically just into the music and could not be easily identified; the medium X-ers were way into the music, and do really look the part; the heavy X-ers took the way of life to its limits, and were concerned with nothing but the music; and the major X-ers who are identifiable even these days, as they tend to talk slowly, typically wear clothes that are older than they are or, clothes that they did not buy, and feel more comfortable in a gloomy room (Bozenda 2). I. Origins of Generation X Although the precise dates of birth defining Generation X are highly disputed, on the whole, this age demographic consists of people born in the 1960s and 1970s. As an expression, without existing meaning, the term was made the title of a 1964 pulp novel, and was chosen as the name of young Billy Idol’s punk rock band (â€Å"Generation X†). Moreover, Douglas Coupland took it from a sociological text of Paul Fussell, which he later popularized in his book Generation X: Tales For An Accelerated Culture (â€Å"Generation X†). It was only after the publication of Couplands book that the media started to prevalently exploit the term as a name for the generation, by introducing Generation X as a group of undereducated, alienated, flannel-wearing lazybones with body piercing who had worked at McJobs and drank Starbucks coffee. Generation X has a great deal to be confused about: Prozac-happy therapy, the lingering presence of AIDS where love can turn into death; drive-by shootings, declining prospects, few good jobs, unparalleled levels of teen suicide and violence; and absentee parents striving to succeed in the two-income economy, Beavis and Butthead mean-spiritedness sufficing as social interpretation, and an increasing prejudice in particular sectors toward the homeless and poor (Hill). Generation X has undergone most of the 14 years of Reagan-Bush-Clinton economics, particularly the governmental policies of free trade (Hill). As a result, Kurt Cobain slammed, thumped and wailed his guitar against the converging walls of the putrefying society around him, and the existing generation followed into his direction feeling that they as well are experiencing the societal strap to be getting tighter. Unfortunately, in due course Cobain could not break out; therefore, taking the easy way out or perhaps the difficult one, by taking his own life. Generation X-ers Music As categorized through music: light X includes Pearl Jam, Nirvana, and other foremost radio bands; mid-X includes all of the above, and bands like Kyuss, Monster Magnet, as well as other bands that started small but eventually got big; heavy X also includes all of the above, Soul Coughing, Fu Manchu, as well as other bands that remained small but got major underground progress; and major X, which also includes all of the above, along with Desert Sessions, The Atomic Bitchwax, and bands that remained indie or stayed underground (Bozenda 2). Generation X music commenced in 1989, peaked in 1994, fell inconsistent in 1997, and eventually disappeared in 2000 (Bozenda 2). The year of 1996 proved to be the final year wherein grunge musicians were very much dynamic, seeing that many lasts had taken place during this year. The Screaming Trees and Soundgarden released their respective last studio albums entitled Dust and Down on the Upside; Alice in Chains gave their concluding shows with their estranged, ailing front-man Layne Staley; Pearl Jam released their last chart topping album entitled No Code; and Nirvana released their only album following the greatest hits album Nirvana in 2002, which is the live album entitled From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah. Over the few ensuing years, grunges usual attractiveness promptly died away. Several grunge bands have continued touring and recording but with more limited success, most notably, Pearl Jam. I. The Grunge Music The term grunge was coined in the late 1980s by a British journalist to depict the style of music a group of bands played during the period in the Seattle area (Schmitz). During the period, the most recognized grunge band was a group called Green River, whose fame was confined within the Seattle area. Accordingly, once in a while, grunge music is referred to as the Seattle Sound in view of the fact that it was created as a subgenre of alternative rock played by bands from the state of Washington, mostly in the Seattle area, during the mid-1980s. Grunge is generally categorized through its sludgy guitar sound that makes use of a high level of feedback, fuzz and distortion effects. Grunge combines elements of heavy metal and hardcore punk, and is also normally characterized by heavy drumming, dirty guitar, and angst or apathetic-filled lyrics, although various bands performed with more credence on one or the other. Grunge music shares a similar lyrical concern and raw sound with punk genre. However, grunge involves more complex instrumentation, dissonant harmonies, and slower tempos, which is indicative of heavy metal. Some individuals linked with the growth of grunge, including the Melvins and Sub Pop producer Jack Endino, described grunges fusion of heavy rock authorities such as Kiss as musical provocation (Grunge 1). Grunge artists regarded heavy rock bands as cheesy but even so took pleasure in listening them. Buzz Osborne of the Melvins illustrated it as an endeavor to see what extreme things bands could carry out and yet pull off. In the early 1990s, Nirvanas signature stop-start song arrangement became a genre standard of the time. II. Grunge Music Scene Notwithstanding the fact of being looked down upon by most critics, glam metal bands, such as Warrant, Poison, and Motley Crue had been taking over the charts, particularly in the United States, during the 1980s. Glam metal bands was famous for their macho, gaudy clothing style, obsequious riffs, misogynist lyrics, and an apparent lack of social responsiveness, all done for the mere purpose of entertaining and staying ahead of the race of drawing mainstream audiences. These characteristics were well-liked throughout the 1980s, but they began to have the differing effect on audiences towards the last part of the decade. Most music critics and grunge fans believe that grunge progressed as a well-liked genre and as a result accepted by mainstream audiences as a response to the dwindling attractiveness of glam metal. Accordingly, the popularity of grunge music abruptly contrasted to glam metal. When the public realized the viable alternative to heavy metal music, the attractiveness of glam metal began to disappear as the recognition of grunge began to soar. Inspired by indie rock, heavy metal and hardcore punk, the early grunge movement came together around Sub Pop, which is a Seattle independent record label. Grunge bands were renowned for their indie approaches and their negative response to mainstream and theatricals success. Grunge became commercially flourishing in the first half of the 1990s, largely as a result of the release of Pearl Jams Ten album and Nirvanas Nevermind album. The accomplishment of these bands heightened the recognition of alternative rock and made grunge the most popular genre of hard rock music of the decade. However, a number of grunge bands were not comfortable with this popularity, as the genre became intimately linked with Generation X in the United States, given that the understanding of each rose at the same time. Although by the late 1990s the majority of grunge bands had faded or disbanded from public view, their previous impact persists to influence the most modern rock music today.

Definitions of Knowledge Essay -- Philosophy Papers

As Walker Percy explores the "dogfish" of perception and knowledge in his essay, "The Loss of the Creature," I wonder if he realizes how slippery and feisty the topic squirming on his desk is. Although anyone who has taken a guided tour will surely agree that the traditional tourist experience is necessarily divorced from that of a discoverer, the broad epistemological claims that Percy extracts from this scenario seem more complicated than Percy gives them credit, or space, for. When Percy suggests that an individual should aim to "extract the thing from the package," he insists that the individual seek out some solid bedrock beneath the surface of perception (519). In this statement, he implicitly calls the reader to believe that such bedrock exists and is accessible to humans, a controversial position in the postmodern world. By arguing that excavation towards a static and fixed "creature" is possible, Percy echoes the voice of Plato, who argues that humans should strive to know the essential "forms" lying beneath ephemeral existence. Plato and his mentor, Socrates, devised their theory of forms in large part to reconcile a constantly changing physical universe with the criterion of permanence inherent in the Greek definition of knowledge, an important problem for philosophers of the time, and still today. In other words, the Greeks, believing that only permanent and unchanging entities could truly be "known," needed a way to attain knowledge in light of a constantly changing natural world. With the forms, Plato provided a solution to this problem, saying that "beneath" the physical world a human perceives there exists a dimension of forms, or essences, which persist throughout time, independent of human perception but ... ...ans or dogfish. Like the physicist, they can benefit from recognizing elements of uncertainty inherent in the "creature." In a way, the postmodern knower is much like the man in Percy's essay, who takes the Grand Canyon bus tour as "an exercise in familiarity" (513). He intakes the same interpreted information as those who are on the level below him, yet he recognizes its limitations and understands what he sees all the more because of this awareness. Works Cited Heisenberg, Werner. Physics and Philosophy: The Revolution in Modern Science. New York: Harper & Row, 1958. Bartholomae, David and Anthony Petrosky, eds. Ways of Reading. 3rd Ed. New York: Bedford, 1995. Percy, Walker. "The Loss of the Creature." Bartholomae and Petrosky. 423-436. Tompkins, Jane. "'Indians:' Textualism, Morality and the Problem of History." Bartholomae and Petrosky. 584-601.

Little Women: a Look Into Gender Roles in 1941 Essay

A look into gender roles in 1941 The photograph â€Å"Little Girls with Their Dolls and Buggies† (1941), taken by Russell Lee, is of two young girls pushing baby dolls in carriages along a sidewalk in Caldwell, Idaho. It’s a bright, sunny day and the girls are walking alone, with no other people visible in the photograph. Both girls are smiling, and the girl pictured to the right is looking intently at the girl to the left. Behind the girls to the left we see a respectably sized house, and well maintained lawn. Behind them, the sidewalk endlessly continues to trees in the background. To the right of the picture there is a road which contains no cars. It appears to be in a middle to upper class, suburban neighborhood. They appear to be approximately the same age and are similarly dressed. It is an intriguing image that demonstrates traditionally accepted feminine gender roles during the mid 20th century. Gender roles can typically be defined as the behaviors and attitudes expected of male and female members of a society by that society. In 1941, women were typically expected to stay home and raise a family. They were also supposed to be social and they were Judged quite often on their appearance. These expectations of women were pushed upon them at a young age, as shown through the photograph. The girls appear to be about seven years old and they are already pushing around baby dolls and exploring their maternal roles. How identical the girls look is also a very revealing. The girls don’t look to be related, but yet they appear as mirror images of one another. They both have short, groomed hair, pulled away from their face. They are both wearing dresses, and are pushing ractically identical carriages. They are shaped to look â€Å"how a woman should† and follow the same expected role of women during that time period. I think it’s also important to note the variety of social influences of gender roles. Influence and reinforcement of gender roles often comes from the toys children play with. Dolls are traditionally a toy for girls. Dolls tend to represent feminine traits and help to prepare young girls for the task of motherhood. Children tend to get most of their toys from a parent or family member, who often has the strongest influences on a erson’s gender role. The young girls clothing also comes from their parents. This is yet another example of how their parents reinforce their perceived gender roles. Peers also play a role in shaping one’s anticipated gender role. During this time especially, peers responded more and got along better with children who fit traditional gender roles. This again leads back to how similarly the girls are dressed in the photograph and the similar toys theyre playing with. The girls are being conditioned to follow society and their peers assumed ideas of the roles they are expected to play. The girls are also walking alone; their parents are not in visible in the photograph. It’s like their parents are trying to let them be â€Å"little adults†. They’re preparing their children for their expected future of raising a family. Imposed gender roles are often hard to escape. Especially during the 1940’s, women had very specific assumed roles. While looking at Russell’s photo, you may see two young girls, message about traditional gender roles. It’s a shame that these girls, at such a young age, were being shaped to a very limited role that society has deemed to be their future.

Path of Accounting

The career field I chose is finance. In a career of finance there are a number of different tasks I would potentially have to do. Accountants and other jobs in the field of finance have to keep track of money and records of companies. In finance you mainly provide financial services to businesses. It may require one to give advice to executives of businesses on better ways to operate their business. To have a Career in finance it is a must to be good at math and great at dealing with/analyzing numbers and data. If you are not good at math or with numbers then being is good in this career will be nearly impossible because you won’t be able to analyze the data you are presented with, which will probably make everything seem foreign because you lack understanding.Most importantly, a career in finance requires honesty. Having access to other people’s and other businesses’ money is a serious task to be placed with. That responsibility is not one to be lightly or one t hat allows the chance for mistakes. My career goal is to be a financial accountant. I have wanted to be an accountant as long as I can remember. I’ve always wanted to be an accountant because I am good at math. To be an accountant my career field would have to be finance and I could choose business and management, but I would definitely have to do finance. Finance and accounting is offered at every university, so I wouldn’t really have finding a school. The job requirement of an accountant is all dealing with finance.As an accountant, it is your job to provide financial information to the management you work for. To do this, an accountant researches and analyzes data and has to prepare reports for the company. Keeping track of the financial records on the company is also a part of being an accountant. Another point of emphasize is the importance of interning at a bank or business to gain experience in the field of accounting.I would most likely be an accountant in the states of New York, Ohio, or Wisconsin. I would like to work not too close to Chicago, but not too far away either. According to US News.com the monthly salaries in the states of Wisconsin and Ohio are $4, 052 and $3,812 respectively. In New York the monthly salary is $7,476. The highest salary  for an accountant is in New York at $89,720 followed by New Jersey and San Francisco at $87,120 and $86,230 respectively.Other forms of accountants I am interested in is being a forensic accountant and management accountant. As a forensics accountant it is ones job to analyze and access data to help solve crimes. It also requires you to detect any signs or forms of fraud that could lead to anything. Watching show many crime shows have shed lights on forensic accounting for me, which is why I have become so interested in it. Being a management accountant is much like a financial accountant. I would just work with the managers of businesses or corporations more often and provide them with in formation to help them make the right decision to benefit their company.I would just come up with all the strategies to help improve the company than work with the manager to get the right decision made, so my work space would be different. Instead of being at a desk on a computer I would have to make representation of data in charts on boards, computer, poster, and etc. This would also result in me spending time in the meeting rooms with executives and managers than other accountants would. The semester credits I am requires to earn depends on what the college itself requires, although most colleges will require me to have 150 semester credits from a university according to Accounting Coach â€Å"CPA requirements†.After I gain enough credit myself and anyone else striving to become an accountant is required to take the CPA exam and cannot begin working as an accountant until they pass it. The CPA exam is followed by an Ethic Exam and they both really test on if one’s readiness for a career in accounting. After passing these two test which are both advised to take as soon as one can while all the info is still fresh, you can start your career in accounting. An accountant usually work twelve hour shifts in their place of business at an computer analyzing data, consulting with managers, or studying data that is given to them, which can be boring if you don’t enjoy math.One of the colleges I am interested in attending to become an accountant is The Ohio State University located in Columbus, Ohio. According to Forbes Top Collges.com the GPA requirement for is a 3.6 and the ACT requirement is about a 26 with that being the average. Another of their requirements is for incoming students have to at least have taken two years of a foreign language class, preferably the same language, so that they be fluent in one language instead of mediocre in many.The cost of tuition and  fees at The Ohio State University is $26,726 and when you include books, room and things it all adds up to $44,215. Being such a big school Ohio State accepts 64% of its applicants and 93% of freshman return for their second year. The four year graduation rate is 51% and the six year graduation rate is 80%. Graduation rate for African American students is 73%. My second school is Stanford University which is located in Stanford, California.In Stanford University pamphlet the average GPA and ACT scores for people accepted into Stanford is a 3.6 and a 31. Tuition is $43,245 and student population is large at 17, 833 with 52% being males and 10% being African Americans. The big fact is Stanford on accepts about 8% of its applicants and of those they accept 98% return after their first year. The four year graduation rate is 80% and the six year graduation rate is 93% which I didn’t know was higher than Ohio State’s because of how tough a school it is. The graduation rate for males is 94% and 92% for African Americans.The last school I selected is the University of Wisconsin-Madison which is located, exactly where the name of the school says, Madison, Wisconsin. The University of Wisconsin and Ohio State is like I said about the job, I would like to attend school not too far from Chicago, but not too close either. Forbes Top Schools.com shows that the total population is 41,946 with 46% of that being males and 3% being African Americans. The cost for tuition is $40,012. The average GPA is a 3.4 and for my desired major it is 3.5 while the average ACT is a 26. 94 of its students come back for their second year, while the transfer rate is 12%. The four year graduation rate is 52% and the six year graduation rate is 80%. The graduation rate for males at the University of Wisconsin is 82% and the graduation rate for African American students is 78%.My end goal is to become a financial accountant after college. I know attending The Ohio State University will definitely help me achieve this goal because they have one of the bet ter accounting programs in the country. I’ve gotten to visit the school and sit in on an accounting class, so I have first-hand experience of what it’s like. Out of the information and things I learned about all three schools I picked, The Ohio State University is the most appealing to me. Having over 90% graduation rates for males and African Americans is the numbers that really jump out at me, but that doesn’t mean if I go to The Ohio State University that the journey will be easy.It may  be the best fit or my top choice, but there are still obstacles like the size of Ohio State. A school with over 55,000 students will be a big adjustments from anywhere, but I have just have to keep looking ahead to my end goal. The next step I need to take in order to reach my goal is continue to develop my skills not only in math, but also work to improve my ACT score so I can get what I need to be accepted into Ohio State. I already have a lot of skills that I need to pur suit my career like being superb in math, great at analyzing data, and dealing with charts and graphs.I feel I have great self-discipline which I believe everyone must have before they even think of going to college, but I still need to greatly improve in lots of things. I must continue to work on my social skills because being at college with thousands of college can be even more difficult than it already will and I will work to be better at not procrastinating because at times I may wait for the last moment to do things because it seems easy or I get too confident with my ability to do work quick, so I put it off until the last minute. I need to continue to stay focused and take advantage of the many opportunities  I have presented to me. This includes ACT prep, college visits, extra-curricular activities, and any other program offered to me.Though, my most important thing to do to help me achieve my goal right now it to just simply focus on what I need to do right now in high s chool because that is what’s most important right now. I can face my care path and continue to work closer to my end goal when I get to that point, but I still have to get to that step and I must finish high school to do it. While researching for this project I realized all the information I’ve had to research is nothing, but beneficial to me and achieving my goals. I’ve learned things about these colleges I didn’t know and learned of what is required of me to get accepted into the colleges of my choosing and what is required of me to strive in the career of my choosing.The process of doing this paper has helped me to learn of all the things I still need to work on and what I still need to achieve. Before this paper I thought I knew everything of what was required to be an accountant an attend the colleges of my choice, but doing this project has shed light on things I didn’t know and informed me that there are still things I still need to learn mo re about and continue to work on because I’m not where I need to be yet. There are many obstacles in place that I still  must face and overcome before I can reach my end goal of becoming a financial accountant, but doing this project has made the long journey to achieving my goal that I have ahead a lot easier than it would’ve been.

Free Essays on Analysis Of “The Darkling Thrush”, By Thomas Hardy

As the title has already mentioned, this assignment will be an analysis on a poem by Thomas Hardy. The poem is called â€Å"The Darkling Thrush†, also known by another title, â€Å"By the Century’s deathbed†. My analysis will include elements such as the poems’ setting, structure, imagery, diction, rhyme scheme and theme. I will go into one element at the time, and them give examples from one stanza only in that element. I will not come back to the same elements in the other stanzas, even though they are there. Therefore, this will not be a complete analysis of every element in each of the stanzas. I’d rather prefer to give a thorough description of what the different elements are and then give a few examples of each of them. In then end I will try to come up with a conclusion. Setting: The poem takes place on New Years Eve, the last day of the 19th century. It’s also the end of the Victorian Age. Winter is bringing death and desolation with it. A tired old man leans over a coppice gate in a desolate area, seeing ghosts of the past and little hope in the future. Structure: This poem has 4 stanzas, each with 8 lines. This is what we call an octave. The lines changes between having 4 and 3 stressed syllables in them, which is called tetrameter (4) and trimeter (3). Since the lines also follow a form of having one unstressed syllable followed by one stressed syllable etc, we also call it iambic. As an example I use the poems 1st stanza. Line number 1, 3, 5 and 7 each have 4 stressed syllables, therefore called iambic tetrameter ( / - / - / - / - ). Line number 2, 4, 6, and 8 each have 3 stressed syllables, therefore called iambic trimeter ( / - / - / - ) I leant upon a coppice gate 1 Where Frost was spectre-gray, 2 And Winter’s dregs made desolate 3 The weakening eye of day. 4 The tangled bine-stems scored the sky 5 Like strings of broken lyres, 6 And all mankind that haunted nigh 7 Had sought their household fires. 8 Imagery: Thro... Free Essays on Analysis Of â€Å"The Darkling Thrush†, By Thomas Hardy Free Essays on Analysis Of â€Å"The Darkling Thrush†, By Thomas Hardy As the title has already mentioned, this assignment will be an analysis on a poem by Thomas Hardy. The poem is called â€Å"The Darkling Thrush†, also known by another title, â€Å"By the Century’s deathbed†. My analysis will include elements such as the poems’ setting, structure, imagery, diction, rhyme scheme and theme. I will go into one element at the time, and them give examples from one stanza only in that element. I will not come back to the same elements in the other stanzas, even though they are there. Therefore, this will not be a complete analysis of every element in each of the stanzas. I’d rather prefer to give a thorough description of what the different elements are and then give a few examples of each of them. In then end I will try to come up with a conclusion. Setting: The poem takes place on New Years Eve, the last day of the 19th century. It’s also the end of the Victorian Age. Winter is bringing death and desolation with it. A tired old man leans over a coppice gate in a desolate area, seeing ghosts of the past and little hope in the future. Structure: This poem has 4 stanzas, each with 8 lines. This is what we call an octave. The lines changes between having 4 and 3 stressed syllables in them, which is called tetrameter (4) and trimeter (3). Since the lines also follow a form of having one unstressed syllable followed by one stressed syllable etc, we also call it iambic. As an example I use the poems 1st stanza. Line number 1, 3, 5 and 7 each have 4 stressed syllables, therefore called iambic tetrameter ( / - / - / - / - ). Line number 2, 4, 6, and 8 each have 3 stressed syllables, therefore called iambic trimeter ( / - / - / - ) I leant upon a coppice gate 1 Where Frost was spectre-gray, 2 And Winter’s dregs made desolate 3 The weakening eye of day. 4 The tangled bine-stems scored the sky 5 Like strings of broken lyres, 6 And all mankind that haunted nigh 7 Had sought their household fires. 8 Imagery: Thro...

Lon or On Euphony in French Pronunciation

Lon or On Euphony in French Pronunciation On  is the French impersonal subject pronoun, and normally shouldnt be preceded by l neither the direct object definite article In Old French,  on  was the subject case for the noun   homme, so  lon  at this time meant  les hommes. When the subject case disappeared in French,  on  stuck around as a pronoun, and retained the ability to take the definite article.  Lon  is much more common in written French than in spoken, because it is a formal, elegant construction, and writing tends to be more formal than speech. Today, this l is simply considered a  euphonic  consonant and is used in the following situations: 1.  After certain monosyllabic words that end in a vowel sound, like  et,  ou,  oà ¹,  qui,quoi, and  si, to avoid a  hiatus. Sais-tu si lon a demandà ©Ã‚  ?   (avoid  si on)   Do you know if someone asked?...et lon a dit la verità ©.               (avoid et on)   ...and they told the truth. 2.  After que, lorsque, and puisque, to avoid the contraction  quon  (sounds like con), especially if the next word begins with the sound con. Lorsque lon est arrivà ©... (avoid  lorsquon)   When we arrived...Il faut que lon comprenne. (avoid  quoncomprenne)   Its necessary for everyone to understand. 3.  At the beginning of a sentence or clause. This usage of  lon  is not a question of euphony, but rather a holdover from  là ©poque classique  and is thus very formal. Lon ne sait jamais.   One never knows.   Ã‚  Lorsque je suis arrivà ©, lon ma dit bonjour.   When I arrived, everyone said hello. Note: For the purposes of euphony,  on  is used instead of  lon After  dont  (le livre dont on a parlà ©)In front of words that begin with  l  (je sais oà ¹ on lit)

Organizational change part 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Organizational change part 2 - Essay Example The change strategy should also consider future growth and development of the organization. A change strategy for organizations includes various elements that have to be carefully analyzed before the change process is implemented. These elements include situational awareness, the structures supporting the change, and strategy analysis (Weiner et al, 2009). Situational awareness involves understanding the implications of change on the organizations, knowing who will be affected by the impending change and gathering as much resources and knowledge about the change to be implemented. Supporting structures for organizational change include the team facilitating the change process and the sponsors of the change process. Strategy analysis involves identification of the risks involved in the change process, any resistance to the change and tactics for implementing the strategy. A good organizational change strategy must focus on all these three elements (Weiner et al, 2009). Internal change s in an organization encounter resistance from certain employees or senior managers who may not be so open to change. This may destabilize the whole change process if not managed properly. The team charged with the responsibility of managing the change need to stay vigilant throughout the whole process for any signs of disapproval for the change and address them as soon as they are discovered (Weiner et al, 2009). The change implementation team ought to be very responsive and responsible throughout the change process. This will enable them to intercede and deal with any threat to the change process before it paralyzes the whole process. In order to deal with resistance effectively, a change strategy needs to address several issues such as commitment, responsibility, advocacy, acknowledgement, flexibility and must have a clear outline. A clear outline in the change strategy addresses change policies and guidelines and the structure of the impending change. These have to be communicat ed to every employee in advance before the change is implemented (Weiner et al, 2009). Everyone affected by the change has to be committed to the process and they should be given time to speak out their opinions about the intended change so as to foster advocacy for the change. Every ones role in the change process also needs to be clarified in the change strategy so as to ensure every individual in the change team is responsible for their actions. Every successful step of the change process needs to be appreciated and acknowledged just to let everybody know that the organization is moving in the right direction with the change. The organization’s leaders need to use a more flexible approach in the change process so as to ensure any unforeseen contingencies are dealt with appropriately during the process. Methods that will be used to monitor implementation of the proposed change The change initiative to be implemented involves about of organizational restructuring hence need to be approached with care. This will require a new organizational structure, improvement and changes in the organizational culture and behavior. The process of hiring new nurses wiling the new nurses will require significant contribution from every staff member in the organization. The top management will be required to approve and implement the change while the other

Image representation of Women in Magazines (which are targeted to Dissertation

Image representation of Women in Magazines (which are targeted to University Students) - Dissertation Example 1 Afghan Girl 4.3 Fig. 2 She looks spoiled 4.4 Fig. 3 â€Å"Quite a Pear† 4.5 Fig. 4 Wad 4.6 Fig. 5 Keep on Dreaming of a Better World 4.7. Fig. 6 It’s nice to have a girl around the house 4.8 Fig. 7 Dove Advertising 4.9 Fig. 8 Twiggy 4.10 Fig. 9 Do Men Hate Fat Women? 4.11 Fig. 10. Dolce and Gabbana Advertisement 4.12 Summary 5.0 Chapter Five: Discussion List of Figures References Appendices Abstract The research that was conducted for this study concerns the images in the media and their influence over women of university level age. Images in the media have been shown to have a powerful influence over the body image of young women, affecting their self esteem and their development of identity (Cash, Cash, and Butters 1983: Catterall, Maclaran, and Stevens 2000). In a study that discussed the responses to ten different images in a group setting with twelve women, the phenomenon of the way in which women experience influences by media images gave a new dimension through responses, both expected and unexpected. Broken into five chapters, this qualitative study examines the nature of media images and the impact that they have on society. Chapter One Introduction The effect of the representation of women in media through both photojournalism and fashion photography acts as a catalyst to emotional responses which have helped to frame the way in which women see themselves as members of Western culture. The issues of body image, self, and identity are often manipulated by the media as women grow from childhood through adolescence. The influences that media imposes upon women can often lead to issues such as anorexia, bulimia, BED (binge eating disorder), and other medically dangerous conditions. Objectification of women has now begun to shift to subjectification, leading women into a world where they must now be the aggressive sexual being, rather than the passive object. Through research conducted using images and the discussion of twelve women who wer e put into a focus group the concepts of image and self is explored through the information gathered within the interview process. In a qualitative study of the emotional responses to women when a ‘story’ or suggested interpretation of images was interjected, the concept of trend is also explored as it relates to the interpretation of the responses to the images. This type of research helps in understanding the way in which images influence the direction of how women perceive beauty and how they are positioned within the discourse of attractiveness. The power of photo imagery in contemporary discourse has influenced culture, making changes in the concept of beauty and ’normalcy’. 1.1Background The objectification of women is not a new concept. However, the ways in which images of women have been formulated to specifically associate women as objects as an everyday occurrence is a part of the information age. As advertising has become a cycling of images thr ough television, the internet, and print media such as magazines, the concept of female is habitually stripped of its identity and reformulated into creatures of ’otherness’, usable objects of the imagination. An example of this can be seen in Fig. 3, women are morphed with objects, redefined as something consumable as indicated in Fig. 4, and objects of manipulation as seen in Fig. 4. The nature

Article review and summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Article review and summary - Essay Example Their population is also closely regulated by the presence of predators that are feeding on these bacteria like protozoa and nematodes. But also the opposite is true where the presence and activity of the rhizosphere bacteria determines the root growth patterns and concentrations of plant roots (Bowen 1999) (Gryndler 2000). This is because the plants and the rhizosphere flora are interconnected and they are dependent on the bacteria in the rhizosphere. There are bacteria from different species (Bradyrhizobium, Sinorhizobium, Rhizobium and others) for example that posses the nitrogenase enzyme and are able to reduce the atmospheric nitrogen into soluble ammonia that can be used by root plants. These bacteria also secrete root factors that promote the growth of root nodules that are N2 fixating symbiotic organs of the plants. Other way of interaction between thee roots and the rhizosphere bacteria is the antagonistic effect that some bacteria have on other bacteria that are pathogenic and harmful for the plant (Pythium, Rhizoctonia, Phytophthora etc.). The ability of the bacteria to antagonize the growth of organisms that are pathogenic to plants is researched on many prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms (Bacillus species, Pseudomonas species, Agrobacterium species etc) (Whipps 1997). Pseudomonas fluores cence one of the most effective bacteria that colonizes the roots and has important function in antagonizing the flourishing of pathogenic bacteria that can have significantly negative effect on the rot health and agricultural impact. This is why there is a substantial interest about the effect of different fertilizers and additives that are used in the agriculture today and the impact of these materials on the rhizosphere (Kennedy 1998). The normal population of Pseudomonas spp. has important role in the normal functioning of the plant roots and this is why it is a subject of a number of studies that are trying to explain the mechanisms of growth for this

Strategic Management of ExxonMobil

Strategic Management of ExxonMobil Strategic Management Abstract Proper business modelling requires in depth analysis of the business conditions that affect the performance of the business enterprise. This analysis must be objective and very informing in terms of highlighting the prospects of business growth and forecasting the position of the business by using the current growth opportunities and strengths too. A growth oriented business franchise must take into account the four facets involved in the SWOT criteria, critically analyse them and establish a framework for propagating growth through the inferences of SWOT criterion. ExxonMobil, being a multinational oil company with immense business interests has plenty of business variables that directly stand on its way to greater growth. Conversely, the business has humongous opportunities and cardinal pillars on which it stands to inspire its growth in the industry. This report is tasked with the examination of these key factors and opportunities of growth and offer the recommendations to capitalize on these factors in order of importance. In contrast, the report shall examine the threats and weaknesses of these variables with a view of turning them into opportunities for the business. Introduction The growth of a Company depends on its successfule formulation and implemtation of strategy. Formulation of strategy cmusttake heed of the envinromental forces impacting on he organisation. This paper analyses ExxonMobil Oil Company position in its operatig markets and through a careful analysis of Strenght, Weaknesses pportunities and threats. The comapnuy operates in the oil sector and as such the company’s strategy has a long term focus, heavy fixed costs, low margins and huge economies of scale. The company has experienced consistent grwth in sales and profitability. The present strategy is based on cutting edge research and development to develop upstream units coupled with an efficient system of distribution structured to reduce costs. The companyalso emphasises on superior customer service to maintain customer loyalty. Competition in the oil sector is ntense and as such firms rely on customer loyaty to bind customers to their products. Griven that the company operates in an iduusry where several players sell perfectly substitutable products, each of the players invests in quality and customer service to driv profitability (Andersen 2009). The industry is characterised by huge fixed costs and thin operating margins. Thus, firms have to sel excessive quantities of poduce to break even. Profitabiliy therefore relies on economies of scale. Besides, environmental concersn have a huge impact on the firm’s profitability. Mistakes in production can result in huge oil spills and resultant fins bythe authorities. Extreme violations of the operationsl codes can result in denial of operating licence. ExxonMobil Company operational analysis ExxonMobil has two main operating segments namely upstream and downstream. Upstream operation include all activities involved in exploration, driigng and pumpting fossil fuels from beneath to the surface for onward processing. Downsteam operatios involve the processing distribution and marketing of hydrcarbons. The company was formed in 1999 and hasrealised consistent growth in sales and profitability to become on e of the largest producers in the word. The compsny now handleds 3% of global energy output. The company is aslo the second largest (by market capitalisation) listed firm in in the US (Vassilou,2009). The company has capacity to produce 6.5 million barrels of crude daily, a relativey huge amount relative to the other players in the industry. The ccompany has operations in more than 100 countries under its various brands and has 37 refineries (Exxon, 2007). The firm’s annual growth in capacity stands at 17% and has enough resources to invest in efficient production (E xxon, 2009). Organization structure of the company ExxonMobil has a strict staffing policy throughout its operational divisions. The firm has a favoured brand name that allows it to attract talented employees. This offers the comaony an edge against the competition (Exxon Company 2007). The firm’s is to hire highly motivated and skilledstaff to drive its strategy (Exxon Company 2009). Berberoglu (2008) explains that ExxonMobil has an organisation structure s that is fashioned along the concept of autonomous gobal operaitons. The company has eleven (11) separate divisions each operating globally. These divisions are organied in a manner that they offer the much needed synergy in the business. The global merger of the former 2 energy giants Exxon and Mobil offers the company expanded reach in markets, global playing field in terms of resources and a harmonised pool of human resources with differtnt abilities and orientation to drive the mered entity’s strategy. Following the merger, the firms combined upstream companies were moved to Houston where a significant amount of the company’s upstream businesses are located. These includes functions such as esearch and development, exploration drilling and production. Downstream operations weremoved to Virginia including such functions as marketing, engineering research, production of lubricants etc (McLeish 2008). Methodology This paper builds a case of trategic orientation of the company based on the findings of the SWOT matrix. The paper utilises interpretative analysis to determine the firm’s competitive strengths and weaknesses as well as its weakmesses and strengths. The following is the firm’s Swot matrix. SWOT Analysis Strengths Private ownership Being a private company, ExxonMobil the government has minimal governeent control. It is therefore driven by the key aims of profits as opposed to state’s social interests. It therefore suffers form minimal state interference experienced by the National Oil Companies. NOCs suffer from extreme redtape and subversion of profitable causes in the interests of state (Omeje 2008). Leadership in environmental conservation The company has minimal violations of environemental code of condust as laid down by the varous environmental agencies in its various operating markets. However, concerns over global warming have resulted in the increased scrutiny of its producton oerations especially deep sea drilling and emissions. This presents the company with no immediate operatonal problems. Strong research and development team The company has a strong asset base. This is crcuail in the industry owing to the high fixed operational costs experienced in the sector. The company reinvest an average of 16% of its revenue in its opreations to boost capacity its capacity for research and development and output. Thefirm has the capacity to acquire promising business operational units to grow its business. Competitive labor force Human resource offers firms the most potent form of competitive advantage. The company attracts huge talent of labour force due to its sting brand and reputation as a good employer. This offers the company ability to execute its strategy. Weaknesses Litigation The company’s 1989 Alaska oil spill and its sponsorship of research pubications hurt the firm’s image and resulted in numerous law suits and other contingent liabilities that could cost the firm billions in claims. The company’s sales experienced a dip following concerns of irresponsibility. The oil spill also pushed the firms operational costsup by 11%. This led to the company’s adoption of new, more expensive technologies to gaud against such violations (Porter 2008). These measures continue to ngatively impact the firms profitability. Rising production costs Following the firm has aging oil wells and its new oil finds are deeper and moer expensive to drill (ExxonMobil, 2009). This means that the per unit production costcontinues to rise over even as other costs such asmarketing and distribution rise (Vassiliou 2009). While rising nergy prices have largely compensated for the rising production costs,increased regulatory costs and taxes have offset such gains. High fixed costs The iniial cost of production is very high. Exploration, drilling and maintenance of oil wells makes firm’s incur excessive costs. The company has to recoup the high costs by operating in large scale. The firm cannot sell at high prices due to competition and thherfore it has to rely on economies of scale to driv its profitability. High fixed costs mean that the company experincesa disproportionate fall in profits if sales decline (Porter 2011). Limited human resource pool Despite the firm’s prefeed position as an employer, there is a shortage ofquaified talent in selected areas that are critical to firm’s productivity. Most of the firm’s new hires require excessive training to orient the to the training environement (Mondy, Noe Gowan 2005). Opportunities Tax breaks Energy companies earn tax breaks from the government. Being a private listed company, ExxonMobil qualifies for annual tax breaks and subsideies by the federal government (Pennell et al. 2008). Strategic organizational growth through mergers and acquisition The company has a comprehensive strategy of buying promising business ventures. These venetures not only have the potential to add value but also enable it capture key markets and customer groups. The company has a high capital base and other resources that enable can enable it undertake mergers and acquisitions without having to extert unnecessary pressure on existing business. Improvements in drilling technology to lower costs and conserve environment The company has the capability to ensure environmental safety through safer, more technologically advanced operations. The company has necessary technology to find oil in previously impossible conditions and bring it to the surface at significantly lower cost. Newer innovations like shale gas drilling Shale Gas drilling (called fracking) promises to transform the fortunes of the company. Shaleis cheaper and easier to explore than conventional fossil fuels. Access to talent pool The company enjoys goodwill among proffessionals due to its preferred emplotyer status. Besides, the company has operations spanning various markets makimg the company access variously talented and diverse talent groups. Threats Difficult regulatory frameworks The firm’s main operating units face different and challenging legal, political and regulatory frameworks in their various operating units. Changes in business regualtions can severely disrupt the form’s output. Concerns of global warming Global concerns of a warming planet put the continued reliance on fossil fuels in doubt in the long term. The company’s investment in other renewable energy sources that pose no threat to the envieoentmen are yet to bear fruits. Restrictive labour laws in key markets and assertive labour unions Labor laws in is key perating markets are extremely restrictive. Besides, employees have protective labor unions that make it hard to implement policies. Ucertain political climate Changes in political leadership can have maret impact on the firm’s operations. For instance, a change of fgovernement in the US can result in denial of licences to drill in offshore areas where the company pderives significant oil deposits. (Reinecke Strobenreuther 2008; Mondi Gowan, 2005; Powel, 2013). Increased costs of Global warming The firm’s costs of operation are likely to rise as the effect of global warming take their toll. This will be more pronounced especially in the low-lying areas where the firms drilling operations are more exposed to extreme weather (Environment, 2012; Coll 2012; Vernon, 2012; Prahalad Hamel 2010; Smith 2012). Technological know how The energy industry depends heavily on technological advancements to drive production and efficiency (Powel, 2013). There is a real possibility that competing firms can strike low cost deposits and sell at a lower price effectively driving the firm from its market leadership position. See the statistical comparison below (Detsche Bank and Wood Mackenzie) Justification for SWOT analysis SWOT analysis helps indicate the firm’s state of operation. Once a firm identifies tee variables under SWOT, the next step is to take advantage of its strengths to overcome its weaknesses and to take advantage of opportunities. This positions the firm at a point of competitive advantage. Shortfalls of the SWOT analysis SWOT analysis does not prioritize the competing opportunities making it hard to pick the most appropriate (Ringland, 2014). This makes it ineffective for analysis. In addition to lack of prioritization, SWOT does not offer solutions or alternatives to the firm’s weaknesses and threats. The general rule of thumb is to use the company’s strength to counter threats and exploit opportunities. However, without prioritization, it is difficult to know the threats to tackle or opportunities to exploit first. Recommendations Establish operations in emerging markets to drive growth and profitability as well as spreading risks (McDonald Meldrum 2013). Invest in green energy to guard against losses from environmental (Vernon, 2012).disasters (Madrigal, 2011). Invest in staff training to boost performance Invest in research and development to drive down operation costs and raise efficiency Conclusion The company should use its strengths identified in the SWOT analysis to overcome its weaknesses and take advantage of its opportunities. It should spread its risks by establishing more operations in emerging markets. Besides, the company should invest in green energy to guard against losses from environmental disasters. Lastly, the company should invest in staff training to boost performance as well as in research and development to drive down operation costs and raise efficiency (Everard Burrow, 2010). References Andersen, B 2009, Business process improvement toolbox, ASQ Quality Press, Milwaukee. Berberoglu, B 2008, Turmoil in the Middle East imperialism, war, and political instability, State University of New York Press, Albany, NY. Coll, S 2012, Private Empire: ExxonMobil and American Power, Penguin group US, New York. Environment 2011, United Nations, New York. Everard, K Burrow, J 2010, Business principles management, South-Western Pub, Cincinnati. Exxon Company 2007, U.S.A.s Energy outlook, 1977-1990, Exxon Corp, Houston. Exxon Company 2009, U.S.A.s energy outlook, 1980-2000, Exxon Corp, Houston. Madrigal, A 2011, Powering the dream: the history and promise of green technology, DA Capo Press, Cambridge, MA. McDonald, M Meldrum, M 2013, The complete marketer 60 essential concepts for marketing excellence, Kogan Page, London. McLeish, E 2008, Energy crisis, Stargazer Books, Mankato, Minn. Mondy, R, Noe, M Gowan, M 2005, Human resource management, Pearson Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. Omeje, K 2008, High Stakes and Stakeholders: Oil Conflict and security in the World, Ashgate Publishing, Burlington. Pennell, N, Lavery, G Fowler, R 2010, The Low-Carbon World Is Already Here Five Imperatives for Succeeding in an Era of Carbon Constraints. Booz and Company, New York. Porter, M 2011, ‘From competitive advantage to corporate strategy’ Harvard Business Review, vol. 65, no. 3, pp. 43–59. Porter, M 2008,‘The Five Competitive Forces That Shape Strategy’,Harvard business Review, Vol.5, no.2, pp. 23- 37. Powell, T 2013, ‘How much does industry matter?An alternative empirical test’, Strategic Management Journal, Vol. 17, no. 4, pp. 323–334. Prahalad, C Hamel, G 2010, ‘The core competence of the corporation’, Harvard Business Review, Vol. 68, no. 3, pp. 79–91. Reinecke, N, Sohn, M Strobenreuther, H 2008, Sustainability: The carbon imperative, Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply, New York. Ringland, G 2014, Scenario Planning: Managing for the Future. John Wiley Sons, Hoboken, NJ. Sampson, A 2009, The seven sisters: the great oil companies and the world they shaped, Viking Press, New York. Smith, T 2012, Renewable energy resources, Weigl Publishers, Mankato, MN. Vassiliou, M 2009, Historical Dictionary of the Petroleum Industry, Scarecrow Press, Lanham, MD. Vernon, R 2012, The Oil crisis, Norton, New York.

Hawaii Essay -- Personal Narrative Traveling Vacation Essays

Hawaii I stepped out of the flight gate at the Honolulu airport, and into another world. This world was strange, yet somehow familiar. There was the Starbucks, and the frazzled travelers, but to my left were huge open-air panorama windows. These did not look out onto grey pavement, and unruly Colorado skies, but into a lush forest of palm trees and tropical scents. The moisture of the air clung to my cheeks, and made my already thick hair seem much thicker. But the awe slipped away, as I struggled to find the baggage claim. My beloved boyfriend was still looking about him with admiration and the joy of a child, but I felt hot and was scurrying away to find my luggage. Down the escalator we went, and into the more familiar world of spinning luggage and unpleasant sounds of machinery. I frowned wondering where our famous lei greeting was. After all, we had requested it, they should have been at the gate. My head was full of visions of grass-skirted Polynesian women smiling and hanging fragrant necklaces around our shoulders. We waited patiently on a bench, thinking perhaps they would come find us there. Finally, David went in search of the traveling agency, and I soon followed. After a few minutes of waiting, a tanned teenage boy came out of the back and examined us with bored annoyance. After explaining that we had not received our leis, he yawned and tossed two of the flower garlands at us. Here ya go, he said, and disappeared into the door from which he came. David and I exchanged glances, and wondered if this was an omen. I decided firmly not to let this minor setback get in the way of my enjoyment of this trip. We now had to find the rental car, which involved more waiting, this time in the hot sun with other disg... ...re soon full of jade and coral, fans and sarongs. David was in search of a black and white hibiscus shirt, which turned out to be quite hard to find. We finally found one, after looking through about twenty clothing shops. Contented, we returned to the room, and floated away on the soft cries of merchants and drums. Our final day, we simply went to see a movie. Here we finally saw true locals, dressed in shabby t-shirts and shorts, complaining cheerfully about the heat. I wondered what it would be like to live here, in this peaceful place, where even the grocery workers are laid back, and calm. I imagined myself living in a beach front house, being able to simply walk to that azure water. When our plane took off that night, I pressed my nose to the glass, and sighed. Despite my poor bum, and the vertical driveway, I knew I'd left part of my heart there in Hawaii.