Saturday, August 31, 2019

Luther Burbank

Luther Burbank 7 March 1849 – 11 April 1926 Mercedes Moshier 3rd Hour Luther Burbank a man said to be the Edison of the garden. Born on March 7, 1849 in the small town of Lancaster, Massachusetts. Burbank grew up on a farm, always treating the plants just like humans. The garden his mother built was a haven for Luther, spending all his time there Burbank had little friends and usually kept to himself, even though he was the 13th child of 15 brothers and sisters. Luther received only a elementary education before he dropped out at age 15.He also visited the vocational college Atlantic Union during the wintertime for four years. Almost all of his knowledge came from the science books at his local library that he hovered over for hours on end. The book The Variation of Animals and Plants under Domestication by Charles Darwin sparked his curiosity and pushed him to learn more about evolution and botany. At the ripe age of 21 his father died leaving him a little inheritance. With t his money Luther bought a 17 acre of land near Lunenburg, Massachusetts. In 1870 Burbank picked up the lifestyle of market gardening.Where people were very competitive so he had to learn the secrets of the garden. The use of cold frames, hotbeds, fertilizers and the professionalism lead Burbank to making his first ‘creation’ the Burbank Potato. Which is now called the Russet Burbank Potato because of its color, and is known and used world wide and highly popular. Scrabbling for money after his discovery, Burbank sold the rights the the Russet Burbank Potato for 150$ in 1872 to a man named Gregory J. Using his well earned money, Burbank moved to Santa Rosa, California, where three of his brother were living at the time.In Santa Rosa Burbank purchased a 4 acre plot of land, where he built a nursery, greenhouse and a experimental fields. With these fields he tested crossbreeding many types of plants and trees. He soon named this plot of land the Luther Burbank Home and Gar dens, which is now a National Historic Landmark as of 1964. Not only did he become famous for his Burbank Potato, but Burbank also came up with thousands of other crossbreeds and plants and discoveries! Some of his most famous would be the Shasta daisy which he cross breeded with four different daisies.The Oxeye daisy, English field daisy, Portuguese field daisy and the most important one was the Japanese field daisy. The result was a bright white petite flower instead of the wild tall dull white flower. Creating 117 new varieties of prunes and plums which most are used in juices we drink everyday. Also making 169 new types of nuts and berries , Luther Burbank earned himself the key to California. For he also increased quality and growing rate and wealth of crops, added defenses to environmental pressures to 46 trees and plants, which helped them withstand extreme temperatures, drought and other things.Luther also helped create plants and concoctions that were resistant to viruses, fungi and bacterias. His added defense also helped with insects that would normally destroy the plant, and the tolerance to herbicides helped with production and distributing for it was almost always perfect. With a garden filled with all the colors of the rainbow, all of which Burbank had discovered and/or cross pollinated himself, Luther needed more space. So with the grants he received from the Carnegie Institution, which was a grant for 10,000 a year for a span of ten years.In 1885 Luther bought an 18 acre plot of land in Sebastopol, CA, which he named Luther Burbank’s Gold Ridge Experimental Farms. Which was the main place that was promoted in Luther’s newly issued catalog â€Å"New Creations† which was released in 1893. Which newspapers said that this, at that time, was what made Luther Burbank famous. This catalog included many type of seeds, trees, flowers, fruits and vegetables that Luther was willing to sell and make profit from. A lot of the thing wer e highly expensive, but he claimed ‘Perfection and its riches was not cheap. Shortly after the catalog was released, Burbank was now making a recurring profit for all of hard work he has been doing. Claiming that he has just made the best of all Japan plums, the ‘Perfection Plum’ he named it. Burbank sold it for 2,500, and people wanted a bite of this perfect fruit. Although Burbank was highly known for his creation of the Shasta daisy, he also made many other flowers and seedlings. Also known for his blue Shirley poppy, Fire poppy, the fragrant Calla and the state flower of California.Since Luther lived in the vast land of California, there were many cattle there, and also droughts and bone-dry deserts. Plus there were so many types of cacti, most of them had edible juices, but the spikes were always a problem. And some farmers and cattle and cow raisers didn’t have the tools or wits to be able to cut into a spiky cactus without stabbing themselves. Luther , being the wizard he was claimed to be, came up with the spineless cactus. Making it billions of times easier for animals and people to eat and drink cactus without hurting themselves in the process.Some of his other achievements would have to be his involvement in many honorary clubs of leading scientific societies all over the world. Including one of the invitation only American Association for the Advancement of Science and of the Royal Horticultural Society. Which Burbank took great pride in, for many people took interest in his work and congratulated him. He also shared his work with other scientists and people of that nature. Such as Thomas Edison and Henry Ford. He also was the heroine of the song, ‘All Hail to Luther Burbank’ which is quoted in all of his schools, communities, businesses, and corporations.Luther Burbank’s name has been used for titles in 36 plants, schools, buildings, towns, streets, banks and corporations. Including the school he had at tended as a child in Lancaster, Mass. With all these dedications before and after his death, people started this ‘Fanclub’ called The Burbankens. California even got on the bandwagon of the Burbankens, and had parades dedicated and representing Luther Burbank. There are still Burbankens to this day that try to do what Luther did, learned and experimented for over 50 years.Two weeks after Luther’s 77th birthday, he suffered a severe heart attack from gastrointestinal complications and was immediately transmitted to a hospital. On April 10, 1926. Around 6:00 pm, Burbank slipped into a coma. 15 minutes after midnight, Luther’s heart stopped. Luther Burbank died on April 11, 1926. Cites: The Garden of Invention by Jane S. Smith ffrf. org/legacy/fttoday/back/burbank. php bookrags. com/biography/luther-burbank/ A Gardener Touched with Genius, the Life of Luther Burbank by Peter Dreyer people. famouswhy. com/luther-burbank/

The Best Cover Letter I Ever Received

The Best Cover Letter I Ever Received Harvard Business Review – David Silverman – 1:18 PM Monday June 15, 2009 In my last post I talked about how to make your resume more likely to catch the attention of a hiring manager. As a follow up, I'd like to discuss cover letters. Here's my basic philosophy on them: don't bother. That's because the cover letters I see usually fall into one of three categories: The recap: The resume in prose form. It's redundant, harder to read than the resume, and provides no additional insight. The form letter: This says, essentially, â€Å"Dear Sir or Madam: I saw your ad in the paper and thought you might like me. † And it's clearly a form letter where maybe they got my name and company right. If they're lucky, I will still take the time to read their resume after being insulted with a form letter. The â€Å"I'm crazy†: This one's rare, and it expands on the resume of experience with some personal insights. Examples range from the merely batty (â€Å"I find batik as an art form has taught me to become both a better person and project manager. ) to the truly terrifying (â€Å"I cast a pentagram hex and the central line pointed towards your job listing. I know you will find this as comforting as I do. â€Å") There are really only a few times to use a cover letter: 1. When you know the name of the person hiring 2. When you know something about the job requirement 3. When you've been personally referred (which might include 1 and 2) Under those conditions, y ou can help your cause by doing some of the resume analysis for your potential new boss. To illustrate, here's the best cover letter I ever received: Dear David: I am writing in response to the opening for xxxx, which I believe may report to you. I can offer you seven years of experience managing communications for top-tier xxxx firms, excellent project-management skills, and a great eye for detail, all of which should make me an ideal candidate for this opening. I have attached my resume for your review and would welcome the chance to speak with you sometime. Best regards, Xxxx Xxxx Here's what I like about this cover letter: It's short. It sums up the resume as it relates to the job. It asks for the job. The writer of this letter took the time to think through what would be relevant to me. Instead of scattering lots of facts in hopes that one was relevant, the candidate offered up an opinion as to which experiences I should focus on. And that means the writer isn't just showing me skills related to the job, he's showing me he'll be the kind of employee who offers up solutions — instead of just laying problems on my desk. What do you think? Have you ever secured a job thanks to a cover letter? What's your view on the value — or lack thereof — of cover letters?

Friday, August 30, 2019

My Experience at the Animal Shelters

These are my experiences while visiting both animal shelters; first I visited Orange County Animal Services. When I came in I realize there were people standing on line waiting to talk to the clerk to tell her their business in the shelter. While waiting on line I observed this two young girls in front of me very excited that they were adopting a dog, when they got to the clerk they told the clerk that they had choose a dog and were ready to take him home, the first question from the clerk was what’s the cage number, but they didn’t know the cage number So the clerk told the girls to go back and check the cage number, soonest they left it was my turn to tell the clerk my business at the shelter. I told her I was there from school and it seem like she has got a lot of those visits because before I could finish she told me the best way to get around the shelter, so I wouldn’t miss anything. She told me that after I was done to come back to her and she would have a brochure signed and ready for me to take. I started walking down the hall and the first thing I saw was a table with some pictures of what I suppose is people that work or volunteer there, with dogs and cats from the shelter; the table was decorated with some dog or cat toys. I kept walking and started hearing barking I was getting closer to where the dogs are. As the barks from the dogs were getting louder I looked around at the walls of the hallway they had pictures of dogs and cats with their happy owners that had adopted them from the shelter. Almost at the end of the hall there was a whole wall of pictures with dogs that were missing from their owners, they all looked so happy in the pictures I counted 18 pictures of dogs that were missing from their owners, after I had reviewed and counted the pictures of the missing dogs. I continued walking down the hall and got to the first door because there are two doors to get to the actual place where the dogs are kept. As soon as a walked in I saw the two young girls from earlier, they were getting the info that the clerk needed to continue with the adoption procedure; the dog they were taking was the first dog in the left. I wanted to ask them some questions but they seem to be so exited and in such a rush that I decided not to ask them anything, regardless I saw the dog they were adopting his name is Gizmo he is a five month old male pointer/bloodhound mix he is super happy and riendly I took a picture with my cell phone I kept walking by the cages looking at the dogs trying not to overdo it because I couldn’t stop feeling bad that they had no home and no master to wag their tail to, even though they all seem to wag their tail to very person that passed by and they tried to look as happy as they can under the circumstances, is like if they knew that th ey had to look their best because one of those person passing by could potentially by his or her new master There were about 60 dogs in house on that day, after walking by all the dogs. I went to where the cats are kept. Where the cats are kept is divide it in three parts, two small rooms were in the front to the left and right side. In the middle was the entrance to the bigger room where most of the cats were kept in small cages, that were all around the room, most of the cages had cats in them some of them had two cats in it. There were two women that were working as volunteers; I asked them a few questions. They told me there were about 60 cats in house at the moment they didn’t know the number of cats and dogs that get adopted but they told me it was high if not 100% In that particular animal shelter, they also explained to me what the two smaller rooms are for. The one in the right side was for letting that cats stretch out and do exercise. The other room on the left was for the people who wanted to adopt a cat, could get to know his or her new cat better. After I was done walking through the shelter I went back to the clerk in the front. she had a brochure sign and ready for me to take, I came out from the first shelter and went in to SPCA of central Florida, which was a little confusing to me because it looked like a store, I asked the clerk and she told me I was in the right place, that was the entrance she told me which was the best way to get around the shelter and told me when I was done walking around to come back to her so she can give me a signed brochure. I found that both shelter are the same but different this one had fewer dogs and they looked to me bigger than the once from the other shelter they had about 40 dogs in house at the moment. After I was done with the dogs, I went to the cat section and to my surprise it was a lot bigger than the other one and had different rooms for different thing, there was a section for sick cats, for healthy cats, for cats that are going home, for cats to know their new master, and for wild cats. I talked to Sherry a nice lady that works there and had the patience to walk and showed all the cat places I mentioned. I ask her about cats and dog adoptions and she told me it was a lot higher for dogs than cats at this shelter, I asked why and she said many different reasons, but mainly because they in house so many wild cats, that made me feel sad because I saw the wild cats and they are just as beautiful as the rest of them I took a picture of a wild cat that I saw at the shelter I will include in this report. After I was done walking the whole shelter I went back to the front desk clerk to collect my brochure and that’s the end of my walk in two Orange County Shelter, I hope you have enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy making it.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Video gam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Video gam - Essay Example This essay will explore these parameters and make a conclusion as to the effect that violent video games has on society. Markey and Markey (82) studied how aggressive tendencies might be mediated by personality. In other words, there are certain personality types which are more affected by video games than other types. For instance, individuals who score high on tests that measure psychotic or antisocial tendencies – lack of sympathy, aggressiveness, unfriendliness, untrustworthiness, lack of emotion, paranoia – are more likely to experience higher levels of hostility and aggressiveness after exposure to violent video games (VVG) than those who do not have these tendencies. This holds true with other forms of media as well, such as violent movies – the psychotic men, after seeing a violent film, is much more likely to state that violence is an acceptable way of resolving conflicts than men who do not score high on tests measuring psychotic or antisocial tendencie s. When these same men are exposed to pornography, they are much more likely than men who do not score high on psychotic or antisocial tendencies to report that they are more likely to rape a woman. ... ily upset, angry, emotional), not agreeable (indifferent and cold) and had low conscientiousness (not keeping promises, acting without thinking, etc.). The researchers concluded that, despite the fact that there is a prevalence of VVG, incidents of violence are relatively rare, therefore there has to be something more that compels these people to violence – much like the fact that, for the majority of the population, peanuts will not cause a reaction, but, for some, they are deadly, VVG are â€Å"deadly† for some, but, for most, have no effect (Markey and Markey, 86). Anderson & Bushman (353) conducted secondary research through PsycINFO, looking at the following terms – video and game and fight, aggression, violence, hostility, anger, arousal, and prosocial. They looked at different studies that looked at the above tendencies, and tied these tendencies to violent video games. They found that the results of these multiple studies showed that exposure to violent v ideo games posed a public health threat to children and youths, which includes college-aged individuals in this analysis. They found that exposure to violent video games decreased pro social behaviors and increased aggression in the participants. That said, they admitted that they needed to review more longitudinal studies, and that violent video games might actually be useful, if these games can teach the game players about nonviolent solutions to social conflicts. Another study conducted by Sacks et al. (1) also suggests that video games might do harm to children. They looked at the amicus curiae briefs that were filed in Brown v. Entertainment Merchant Association, 130 S.Ct. 2398 (2010). They looked at which of the briefs were more persuasive, looking at the quality of the experts who wrote the briefs –

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Demand and Supply Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Demand and Supply Paper - Essay Example This people interact in the market freely, or at the time there is intervention by the government or local authority (Welbourn 2007). The forces of demand supply come together and make up the market equilibrium. If the supply of a certain good or service is too high, this will push the price for that particular good or service downwards. If there is too much demand in the market surpassing the supply, the prices of the goods or service will go up (Welbourn 2007). This is because their will be too much money chasing too little goods. For the market to be in equilibrium the forces of demand, have to come together. This will help to determine the price of a particular good or service. To help take in this concept, I have decided to elaborate the concept of demand and supply using a good that most people cannot do without. Toothpaste. Most people tend to be extremely uncomfortable when they do not brush their teeth using toothpaste. The dentists also recommend people to brush their teeth with toothpaste at least twice in a day. This makes toothpaste a vital commodity in every household. QQuantity The above are the demand and supply curves for toothpaste. The demand curve is determined by plotting price on the y-axis and quantity on the x-axis. Since tooth paste is packed in different sachets containing different quantities. One can obtain this information in the local supermarkets. We take the different quantities of toothpaste and the amount they sold for. Through this method, one can easily come up with the demand curve for toothpaste. The same process is to be followed so as to determine the supply curve. The curve obtained by plotting the quantity on the x-axis and price on the y-axis (Welbourn 2007). Equilibrium is the point where the demand and supply curve intersect. In our case indicates no allocative inefficiency. The equilibrium price is P while the equilibrium price will be Q. This, however, is not static as the prices of toothpaste are constantly changi ng. These fluctuations have an effect on demand and supply curves. This will in turn affect the equilibrium price and equilibrium quantity (Klein 2011). In our case, however, the markets are not in perfect equilibrium. This is because there might be excess demand or supply of toothpaste in the market. Another reason might also be that the market does not entirely depend on demand or supply forces to determine the market price (Welbourn 2007. There will be government intervention through taxes, licenses and various other regulations put in place by the government. There are two economic theories that may be used to explain this phenomenon. The first one is the theory of demand, and the other one is the theory of supply (Adil 2006). The theory explains the relationship between the goods demanded by the consumer and the prices. The more a good supplied in excess, in the market then the price for the good or service will drop. This will also have an effect on the equilibrium price as it will also drop. The other theory is that of supply theory. This theory explains that when consumers are in need of a product. That is the supply does not meet the consumers demand than the prices of that commodity increases. In other words, whenever the supply of a commodity is too much the price of a product will decrease (Klein 2011). For the market to be in perfect equilibrium, the following has to happen. The cost of production for any good or service should be constant. This

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Reliability in Manufacturing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Reliability in Manufacturing - Research Paper Example Problems experienced in hardware that results to alterations in the data path or storage content issues to problems or disruptions in the way the software works. Nonetheless, software does not wear out, crack, deform or age. Additionally, software does not have colour, shape, and it is intangible and invisible. Notably, a significant quality characteristic of a computer system is the extent to which it can be relied upon to carry out its envisioned role. The prediction, evaluation and the enhancement of this characteristic have been a worry to users and designers of computers. Software is fundamentally a tool for converting a distinct set of outputs. Once the software functions correctly, it does not imply that that software will always run correctly. In the past, there has been numerous tragedies and turmoil caused by software. Notably, software can make resolutions but they can be sometimes unreliable, just as human beings. For example, the British destroyer Sheffield was destroyed because the radar recognized an incoming missile as "friendly." The defense system mistakenly made a decision that caused much damage and harm. Additionally, the defense system was modified to the extent that it can detect and mistakenly identify the rising moon as a missile. Software also has minimal imperceptible errors that can result to a tragedy. For example, in February 1991, a chopping error during the Gulf War that missed 0.000000095 second in accuracy in every 10th second made the patriot missile unsuccessful in intercepting a speeding missile that killed 28 people. However, fixing the glitches in the software does not make the software dependable. Quite the reverse, novel problems may emerge. For example, in 1991, the local Californian telephone systems stopped after altering three lines of code in a signaling program. On the other hand, it is notable to acknowledge that perfectly running software may break if the environment is altered. It is

Monday, August 26, 2019

Decline of Myspace Annotated Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Decline of Myspace - Annotated Bibliography Example The author explores the experience of the company as impacted by changing trends and tastes among target consumers which have contributed to its decline. Additionally, the effect of falling performance and impending failure has had on employees as well as how the loss of internet celebrities, such as Tila Tequila, has further depressed myspace’s outlook. Ultimately, while this article dissects the various factors contributing the companies decline in some limited detail and depth, more focus is dedicated within the article to discussing the possibility of an upcoming sale by news giant News Corp. or last ditch redesign of the site intended to revitalize the companies flailing popularity. Hudson, John. â€Å"The Decay of Myspace.† theatlanticwire.com. Jan. 12, 2011. The Atlantic Monthly Group. Web. Retrieved Nov 14 2011: http://www.theatlanticwire.com/technology/2011/01/the-decay-of-myspace/21532/ This article, initially written during the period in which facebook surpassed myspace in popularity and profits, traces the first stages of the companies decline and the efforts of News Corp. chairman Rupert Murdoch to dispel concerns over the future of the site. Revealing the facts beneath Murdoch’s optimistic pronouncements, the author explores early changes int eh marketplace and projects continued future decay of the company’s popularity following their re-organization and layoff of staff. It is made apparent in the course of the article that though even this event is characterized by spokespeople as a voluntary change, the company has begun to experience the strain of decreasing popularity. The author notes myspace’s lackadaisical performance in tech, ad and user rates, and the company’s inability to match the speed of technological evolution achieved by rival facebook. Overall, this article is a negative projection for the company’s future in light of their miscalculations in strategy

Sunday, August 25, 2019

William F. Baker Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

William F. Baker - Essay Example This is because both of his late grandfathers were also engineers though their fame did not equal that of Baker as a skyscraper designer. In his early schooling, Baker used to excel in Maths, Physics and History though before his graduation he had no idea of what he wanted to study while in University (Baker, 2010). Baker’s strong desire to pursue engineering as a career started after undergoing aptitude test confirmation where he proceeded to the University of Missouri and graduated in 1975 (Baker, 2010). Equipped with a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering, Baker worked for various oil companies in 1970s though he decided to quit within a very short time to pursue Masters Degre (Wallace, 2011). To his peers, Baker seemed to have made a wrong decision but in he knew better than they did (Wallace, 2011). This is by going back to school to study Masters in Structural Engineering at the University of Illinois (Wallace, 2011). Baker’s Masters Degree was extremely deman ding due to the course’s many subjects supposed to equip him with right knowledge concerning how to tackle varied tasks that characterized his field of specialization. After graduating, Baker joined Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, LLP (SOM) firm whose staff comprised of talented experts from his former school (Baker, 2010). Here he worked under the supervision of Fazlur Khan who also mentored him on how to design and evaluate tallest buildings besides other structures. Consequently, this was revelation to the young Baker who by then he hardly knew that experience acted as a preparation for great, complex and fascinating projects in future, for instance, Burj Dubai Tower (Baker, Pawlikowski & Young, 2009). Throughout his career, Baker has always collaborated with other numerous and different experts like architects while undertaking extremely involving design projects (Baker, Pawlikowski & Young, 2009). 2. Problem / Issue identification Baker was a structural engineer, but most of his works required architects’ intervention, especially when he was drawing certain figures that entailed refined details. The two fields’ core role encompasses producing effective structural designs that will support and ensure safety to all people. This is by ensuring the load of every designed structure can adequately withstand varied inevitable natural forces, for instance, wind and gravity (Baker, 2010). This study seeks to relay Baker’s experience, expertise and career achievements that have prompted him to the most renowned structural engineer in the world (Baker, Pawlikowski & Young, 2009). Literature Review Mainly, Baker’s major role in every designing project encompasses coming up with a strong and effective plan that will not only meet client’s aesthetic value, but also ensure evenly distribution of the entire structure’s weight. The designing of the entire structure that will be free from adverse effects resulting from gravity a nd wind is the task that cannot be complete without the intervention of architects. This is evident in the recent completed Burj Dubai Tower which, according to Baker and his team, comprises one of the current famed breakthroughs. According to Baker, for a skyscraper to meet client’s specifications, it ought to fulfill key inevitable engineering principles. These are insignificant for the client, but experts must employ them while erecting the required structure as per the stated specifications. For instance, Burj’s design had to be efficient, considerable wide base to support the expected load but narrow enough such that the building is economically viable (Baker, 2010). Therefore, the building despite designed to meet all the client’

Saturday, August 24, 2019

History of islamic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

History of islamic - Essay Example There are five fundamental practices of Islam required among the Muslims, the followers and believers of Islam. These are the profession of Islamic faith, prayer, charity or zakat, fasting and hajj or pilgrimage to Mecca (of which Muslims are encouraged to make one pilgrim to Mecca at least once in their lifetime). Muslims are known for their devotion to Allah for they commit to pray five times a day and they gather is Mosque to worship Allah. Origin of Islam The followers of Islam believe that Islam already existed since the time of Adam. it is believed however by non-Muslims to have originated in Mecca and Medina through Prophet Muhammad. Islam expanded to the world in the 7th century and transformed nomadic people in desert into major players of world civilization and Prophet Muhammad was at the helm of that transformation. Prior to advent of Islam in the 7th century, Arab people lived on the Arabian Plate on the south of Hedjaz as nomads which Prophet Muhammad belonged. Prophet M uhammad began receiving revelations about The Holy Quran in 610 beginning when he was forty years old. Thus, Muhammad’s death in 632 was a major blow to the then nascent Islamic community. The Muslims however responded to this challenge by establishing the institution of Caliphate that would ensure the perpetuity of historical Islam (Ahmed). After the death of Prophet Muhammad, his friend Abu Bakr who was the first adult who embraced Islam became the first caliph. He was succeeded by Umar after two years who became caliph for a decade. During Umar’s caliphate, Islam burst extensive from east to west conquering Persian empire, Syria and Egypt and importantly the capture of Jerusalem (Barkati.net). After Umar’s caliphate, Uthman succeeded him and assumed the caliphate for 12 years. Islam continued to expand during this time and was the one who was responsible for distributing the definitive text of the Holy Quran to reach all the realms of Islamic world. Ali then followed him who was known for his literary genius as well as his bravery in battle. Ali’s death marked the end of the rule of the â€Å"rightly guided† caliphs that started with Abu Bakr, then with Umar and finally with Ali. After the rule of the rightly guided caliphate, the Umayyad caliphate followed suit in 661 and was to rule the Islamic world for a century. During this time, the capital of Islam was moved from Medina to Damascus. Islamic conquest continued to expand during this time extending from western borders of China to western France. It also included North Africa, Spain Sind and Transoxiana in the East. During this time also, the foundation of the social and legal institutions of Islam were established (Barkati.net). The Umayads were succeeded by the Abbasids and again moved the capital of Islam to Baghdad. During this time, Islam was in its Renaissance as it became the center of learning and culture. It became as the center of the civilization of the worl d during that time as old texts of scholars such as Aristotle, Plato, Euclid and other thinkers were translated into Arabic to be studied extensively. The Abbasids caliphate lasted for more than 500 years until their power eventually faded and reduced to figurative heads because military power were then held by sultans and princes. When the Mongol ruler Hulagu captured Baghdad in 1258, the Abbasid caliphate finally ended as well as the great city of Baghdad together with

Friday, August 23, 2019

Pick one of the approaches of either realism, liberalism, Essay

Pick one of the approaches of either realism, liberalism, International Society or International Political Economy to show how c - Essay Example The veracity of Wendt’s positing will thus be analyzed in the ensuing discussion that is to materialize forthwith. For one, Wendt’s postulation can be seen to be true, given that it acknowledges the place of realism in international relations. Realism acknowledges the state as the most important actor in the field of diplomacy and international politics. Because of this, national governments are the most important players in international politics, in lieu of non-state actors such as international organizations (e.g., Amnesty International and the Red Cross) and eminent persons such as the Pope. Similarly, Wendt’s standpoint can also be vindicated by the credibility of constructivism in international relations. In international relations, constructivism advances the notion that important aspects of diplomacy and global politics are socially and historically contingent, rather than being inevitable consequences stemming from human nature and the dynamics of world politics. The truthfulness in Wendt’s postulation is predicated upon the fact that the state is a unitary and rational player in international relations. By being a unitary and rational player, it is meant that states speak with one voice. ... According to Jackson (2007), the standpoint immediately above validates Wendt’s postulation to the effect that the US and Soviet Union could unpredictably end the Cold War and their inimical relations because this is the very historical development that took shape. It is true that the US and the Soviet Union ended the Cold War, with the tearing down of the Berlin Wall on November 9th, 1989 and the Re-Unification of Germany on October 3rd, 1990 being done to this effect. Since then, relations between the US and members of the Soviet block have been active and relatively stable, though there have been instances of tension, as was seen in 2008 when Russia invaded Georgia, following Tbilisi’s attempts to re-exert authority and control over its breakaway regions, Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The immediately foregoing illustrates that states are the chief actors in international relations and that they are unitary and rational in their actions. The US, having its domestic acto rs such as the Congress (just as the Soviet Union) and local political games, is a matter that does not hinder it from identifying its chief national interest (Jervis & Art, 1985). The Soviet Union and the United States, having the prerogatives to end the Cold War if they had wished to, is a matter that is underscored by them being the very participants who stoked the Cold War tension against each other. This is well illustrated by the Cuban Missile Crisis, which took place between 16th and 28th of October 1962, as the most serious Cold War standoff between America and the Soviet Union. Having discovered the Soviet Union’s intention to position nuclear missiles in the Socialist Cuba, the US dispatched naval blockade to stop Soviet Union ships from varying missiles to Cuba. On

The prediction about the future impact on current low oil price Essay

The prediction about the future impact on current low oil price - Essay Example Oil prices have slumped almost by 50% ever since the last summer resulting from the longest running slump for twenty years. This is mainly because, the United States shale oil, and to a smaller degree the return of the Libyan oil to the market, has increased supply but a slowdown in the European Union and China economies has abridged demand (Richard Anderson Business reporter, 1). With the thriving United States shale industry indicating minimal signs of decelerating, there are good explanations to predict that the current fall in the price of oil will carry on for some time. This fall indicates that the debt bubble that has been holding the global economy for quite a very long time ever since the World War II is failing to increase significantly. If the debt bubble slumps, then we will be in a big problem (Tverberg).According to the author, OPEC, the cartel of chief global oil producers, has at many times being stepping in to stabilize the prices by cutting production. However, this time round OPEC said that it was not willing to do so even if the oil slumped to $20 a barrel. Without OPEC inventively backing up the oil price, and with possibly weaker demand owing to the slow economic progress, the oil prices are expected to stay at below $100 for ages to come. The future markets indicate the prices will recuperate slowly to reach about $70 by 2019, although numerous experts predict a range of $40-$80 for the subsequent few years and those at higher risks are the ones progressing hard to gain access.

Thursday, August 22, 2019

English-language films Essay Example for Free

English-language films Essay My favorite theme park is Hershey Park, with excitement your heart start racing as soon you make pass the gates wanting to see what is beyond that point. As I walked inside I saw the most spectacular rides that I have properly never seen. Just as you pass the gates you see corn popping, cutting candy being spun, and lemonade gently squeezed to perfection. Your eyes widen with excitement knowing that you finally made it to Hershey Park. just pass the gate the park covers a large area, In the distance you see rides, water parks, and much other activity just waiting for you to jump right in. excitement you run along to reach one of the ride, that you want to get on because of it Fahrenheit, along with the steepest roller coaster you have never seen before. You wait in line with hundreds of people excited and horrified to ride the steppes roller coaster under the blazing sun. Then the time comes when I moved up the line just a second of me getting in the ride, my heart started pounding as I walk inside the ride fated my seat belt waiting to be sent off. Then we were sent off the steep hill and on with the rest of the ride with twist and turns. When it was over I could feel the adrenalin run down my blood want me to go for another ride on the coaster. Then I moved to the next roller coast the storm runner but time the line way shorter it was not dreadful as the last roller coaster. I had to sit I front of many people waiting for the ride to take off, like bolt of lightning we took off as the countdown gets to zero. There are many roller coasters like the bear hanger, in this roller coaster that actually roars like a bear while its moves it has twist and turns that makes you feel like letting everything out you had for lunch. The is the kissing tower were you could spent time with your loved one, the tower goes up in the sky then turns around in the sky, and then back down. After an exciting day you had in the park it’s time to go home. Hershey was fun because I had to go on all the roller coasters, most all had their tasteful candy.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Michael Jackson As A Product Music Essay

Michael Jackson As A Product Music Essay Michael Jackson was born at Gray , Indiana in 1958 to an African-American couple, Joseph Walter Jackson and Katherine Esther Scruse. Though Michael had a very troubled relationship with his father at very early stages of his life, being born into a family with a musical background has contributed to the elevation of Michael into becoming the King of Pop. His career started as early as at the age of 5. In 1963, he was part of Jackson 5, a band that consisted of his four other brothers. Although at initial stages the band entertained their local surroundings, it captured a professional interest in 1968 when it signed a contract to Motown Records. By 1970, the group has gained enormous popularity and has topped music charts with hits such as Ill Be There, I want You Back, ABC and a few others. Michael has done four solo hits at this time. His solo Ben stood number one on the charts. After three glorious years, the sales started to decline forcing the Jacksons to leave Motown in 1975. Later that year, renaming the band as The Jacksons, they signed to Epic Records. Soon, Michaels outstanding performances and natural talent set him apart from the rest and made him central focus (Telegraph, 2009). Building on the relationship with producer Quincy Jones, formed at the time of acting in his musical movie The Wiz, Michael has released Off the Wall jointly produced by Jones. Off the Wall generated four US top ten hits, obtained number three on the billboard 200, sold over 20 million copies globally, and fetched various prestigious awards from American, Billboard and Grammy. This album has said to have brought 37% of wholesale album profits, the highest ever royalty rate in the music industry (USA Today, 2009). However, the best is yet to come. In 1982, the music business world has witnessed an unpredicted storm with the release of his Thriller. It has won him 8 of the 12 nominated Grammy awards, spent 122 weeks on the Billboard 200, sold over 50 million copies globally, and has since then remained the best selling album ever. However, the albums success cant be measured by sales alone, says Mitchell and Newman (2009), as Jackson moonwalked his way into history of music, Thriller set a new benchmark for blockbusters that changed how the music business promoted and marketed superstar releases. It also changed MTV, she continues, breaking down the cable networks racial barriers and raising the bar for video quality. Amidst the turmoil in music business at that time, he was described as a one man rescue team for the music business (Corliss, 2009). It exposed Michael as song writer, singer and dancer. Later that year, his fame reached further heights with the disclose of his signature Moonwalk live on Motowns 25:Yesterday, Today, Forever television show. The period between 1984 and 1992 has showcased Michaels business acumen. During this time he purchased Beatles back catalogue for $47 million, built Neverland ranch, founded Heal the World to aid children and environment, wrote a biography titled moonwalk, cause marketed to raise the funds for the poor in Africa and signed $1 billion 15 year contract with Sony. The Beatles purchase proved to be a great business move which guaranteed him millions of dollars of income forever (Strauss, 1996). In him was a wise investor, marketing genius but a shopping spree. However, at this time, the interest in business did not affect his music career as he released two albums, Bad and Dangerous. Although, the albums were not in race with Thriller, they kept him a float. But even as Jackson grew richer and more successful observes Leung (2005), his personal life took a strange turn: his face, his colour, his sex, his outfits, his marriage, and his lifestyle. And further, she opines, as the media zoomed in, he began to look more like a circus side show than a musical superstar.The much adored and worshiped innocent image of Michael has began to show up cracks in the early part of 1993, when a 13 year old accused him of child abuse at his Neverland. Although he denied the accusation, he reportedly settled it outside of court for $20 million causing suspicions (Independent, 2009). This was just a glimpse of numerous rumours and accusations to befall. Soon, Michaels image has begun to be questioned from every nook and corner and was surrounded by controversiesFrom physical transformation to song writing, from being married to becoming father of surrogate mother born child, from peter pan utopian ideas to adopting a chimp, from not exposing his children i n front of media to dangling his third child blanket out of balcony, from his new business contracts to his financial bankruptcy, from attending a Grammy ceremony on triple date to showing in court wearing pyjamas, and from label disputes to taking painkillers or drugs; every single move of him was under constant monitoring and was consistently linked to controversies. Acquisitions of physical transformation include plastic surgeries and bleaching. The suspected change of sex and colour has given a room from many moral and ethical allegations. The accused self-induced change from black to white has been reported as betrayal of black community (Topping, 2009). Although, Michael has responded with clarifications about the skin disease he posses and mental and physical turmoil he went through in his child hood (to argue his innocent love for children) in the famous interview of Opera Winfrey and by writing songs such as It does not matter if you are Black or White, they did not yield any results. In the surge of these allegations, his marriage to Lisa Marie Presley, the daughter of Elvis Presley was surprising to many. However, the marriage was short lived. He then married for the second time, a nurse named Debbie Rowe in 1996. The couple had two children- son, Prince Michael Jackson in 1997 and daughter, Paris Michael Jackson in 1998. The second marriage was also resulted in divorce in 1999. A year later, Michael had a third child, speculated to be born of a surrogate mother. Amidst this personal life turmoil, not so surprisingly the 1990s have been barren in terms of musical revenue. Though the release of the best selling remix album ever: Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix, the Dangerous world tour, a few charity events, a couple of shows celebrating his 30th anniversary and most acclaimed half time performance of Super Bowl XXVII have looked to rejuvenate his image, dangling his third child out of third floor balcony in 2002, the British journalist, Martin Bashirs documentary, Living with Michael Jackson, (in which the pop icon reportedly told that he shared bed with young children) in 2003, the second child abuse allegations, and following the pop stars arrest in 2004 based on these and many other relative allegations have further fueled the outrage (Rolling Stone, 2009). Ironically, in the following year Michael was acquitted of all these charges. In 2006, his Neverland ranch was closed due to labour disputes and he moved to Bahrain to star t a new. However, the controversies have never left him as he entered into dispute with King of Bahrain on several matters. As a late surge in the declining stage of his career, he and AEG, the music promoter, announced a surprise comeback to take place on 11th of July 2009. However, Michael goes into cardiac arrest and dies at the age of 50. Even in death the controversies did not desert him as there were many speculations on how he died. In the vocabulary of Product Life Cycle (PLC), beginning in 1963 up until 1978, Michael was in introduction stage, where he was a part of a group. He created awareness among music industry with his electric and outstanding performances. His stand alone performances from the group have served as trail before the actual solos at a later stage. Although being a part of group, he built a name for himself among music producers and customers. From 1978, with scarecrow role in the musical movie The Wiz has entered into Growth stage. Teaming up with Quincy Jones, the producer, he has extended his image to new markets. With albums like Thriller, performances like Moonwalk, endorsements contracts like Pepsi, and cause marketing and charity works like We are the World profits and sales have seen an unbelievable growth. All due to the improved quality, styling and added new value attributes to the music. And, thus, he was able to open up entirely anew distribution channels. The invention of music video genre, improved quality of the same, lip-syncing to pre-recorded voice in live performances and access to a whole new distribution channel in the form of MTV are a few of the many examples. The year 1986 has seen the start of Maturity stage. The sales and profits have reached to such a peak stage that, even the commercial success of Bad with over 30 million copy sales worldwide were considered lower. With the controversies regarding personal life beginning to creep into musical career the rate of sales growth slowed down. With the emergence of numerous controversies coupled with customers churn and competition, the early part of 1990s have seen the beginning of the end-the decline stage. The changes in his music videos with construction of sexual and violent natured images did not suit many customer preferences. The banning of In the closet in South Africa is a proof of the same. In the beginning of 2009, Michael calling it a final curtain call planned to perform 50 concerts (which saw a record breaking ticket sales and estimated to make close to $100m) but has met with his untimely death. So, Michael Jackson as a product (or marketing offering) has a similar life cycle to that of many others. However, what seems unique to him is the reincarnation or another cycle after its death-Product Death Cycle (PDC). Buried under huge financial debts for most part of his life, Michaels earnings have grown by millions after his death. Under various film, contract and merchandising deals, he has earned close to $200 million by the end of the year (Arango, 2009). Even beyond 2009, he is expected to earn close to 100 million per annum. For the man who left mark on over a 6 billion people, the Neverland and many other places on his name could be money generating machines for eternity from the tourists. The commercial renaissance after his death can be witnessed in almost everything-the physical and online retail outlets, the Billboard charts, radios, TV shows, internet and the like. As the digital music listeners fell back to CDs, over 422,000 copies of his albums were sold in the second week after his death, 40 times higher than the first one (Deprez, 2009). As per online, he notes, the shares of Apple, Amazon and eBay rose more than 2%, 1.3% and 0.64% respectively and expected to be long lasting. According to Silvio Pietroluongo , the Billboard director of charts, the level of dominance by Michael Jackson on the top pop catalogue albums chart is unlike anything one has ever seen on any Billboard chart, regardless if it occurred pre or post death (Smith, 2009). Michael Jackson topped the search list of all the major search engines for the year including Google, Yahoo and Bing (Michael Jackson, 2009). Britney Spears, whose name topped the yahoo search for past four years has been wiped out within an hour of his death as millions of users poured into it in no time (FD Wire, 2009). His music and videos became ubiquitous on the radios, iPods, MP3 players, televisions and internet (Sisario, 2009). As Barker (2009) puts it, his commemorative products and memorabilia are like the stimulus package 3 in the midst of global recession. In the contemporary capitalistic world, death of a few popular celebrities has always transformed into brilliant business opportunities (Porter, 2009). However, in the case of Michael Jackson, the opportunities in generating sale in death as in life are totally at par. Its not a day or a week affair; it is here to stay longer and thus might need another cycle.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Building Rapport By Listening English Language Essay

Building Rapport By Listening English Language Essay PR people need a few theories and models to help get to grips with the bigger picture and why communications matters. But for most of us we need to get on with it and be able to deliver material results. Here we look at some of the practical skills we need to master in order to do the job well. If we look at job descriptions for PR and communications professionals, the skills required can be sorted into three broad groups Briefing Skills Writing Skills Presentation Skills Finally being assertive is essential for any professional and PR practitioners particularly need this skill in their role as consultants so well look at this as a practical skill. Briefing Skills Building rapport by listening, questioning and observation of body language As communications specialists we are likely, through our careers, to work with a wide variety of people, particularly colleagues and clients. We may also need to conduct research with target audiences, by interviewing them on a one-to-one or small group basis. We may also need to work with and interview case history subjects in order to obtain material to write up afterwards. So skilful questioning and listening, along with competent note and minute taking, are all essential skills. We may take a brief in a relaxed and supportive environment on an aspect of business that requires a planned and proactive communications strategy. Or we may take a briefing when an issue has gone live or an incident has taken place where people are rushed, anxious and concerned, where we are expected to come up with a professional, immediate reactive response. Some briefings are excellent and all the information is there: a written version supplements a verbal briefing; there is complete openness; questions are answered thoroughly. Other briefings are partial, thin on detail, assumptions are made, the verbal briefing is poorly delivered, and sometimes the person taking the brief is and feels less senior and so potentially rather intimidated so the right penetrating questions may not be asked or assumptions go unchallenged. Mistakes get made this way hence the ability to handle a briefing competently is vital. Listening During a briefing we often need to get a lot of information out of people quickly and efficiently. And to do this we must be active listeners as well as skilled questioners. We must be able to concentrate on whats being said and to sometimes draw out what really matters. We need to hear what the client whether an internal or external client is anxious about, is excited about and what the core business issues really are. Listening is an active skill, not a passive exercise. Listening is more demanding than speaking, in terms of concentration. Because we lead busy lives, we can be distracted by other thoughts and this can get in the way of good listening. You have to get into the right frame of mind to listen. There are three levels of listening Peripheral Listening Done at subconscious level, formal and informal situations cocktail party syndrome eg at party, restaurant Apparent Listening We do it all the time look like we are listening but not really concentrating Active Listening Concentrating on the message being transmitted by trying to understand not only what is being said but how and why it is said Interpreting Understanding Evaluating Reacting Planning Responding Most people talk at c.125 words per minute but think at four times that speed. So listeners have spare mental capacity (which they could use to make useful notes) but which in practice means they can also go off on one, their minds can wander, they daydream and are distractedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦unless they concentrate and listen actively. People feel unimportant, insignificant and disrespected if they sense their ideas, concerns, feelings and not being paid close attention or being taken seriously. But not only can the working relationship suffer, the ineffective listener can simply get things wrong! If you ask a question and get the answer you were expecting, you make assumptions and so miss some enlightening, new or additional important information. If you are busy getting your next question together in your mind you wont be listening to the current answer. Listening well Prepare to listen. If you can, do some research/reading before you go into a briefing session. For example read last years PR programme, an annual report, the latest media coverage and so on. Get into the right frame of mind Win:Win is what you should be aiming for, even if previous meetings with those briefing you have been challenging. Observe participants body language and speed of speaking (to pick up clues about areas of concern, urgency and any anxiety). Dont make assumptions but observe and tune in to the people involved. Sit to see. A fundamental point but having clear visual contact will aid concentration. Dont forget that placing your back to the sun means that the person youre listening to may not be able to see your eyes or facial expressions clearly. Likewise you want to see them clearly too. We gain so much more information if we listen to body language too. Avoid distractions. Apart from worrying about how much you have to do, other distractions can interfere with concentration; open plan offices, external sound, glass walls, television screens and mobile devices that people cant get their eyes and attention away from. Be careful about these interfering with your concentration when you are listening. Show empathy and build rapport. At the opening stages of a briefing its useful to show empathy so that rapport is built with the other person. Empathy is an attempt to understand the other person, to understand how the person feels and thinks and sees the world. Its getting a sense of their perspective. The issue is not to agree, disagree, or make judgements but to make a genuine effort to understand how the person briefing you sees the opportunity or issue. Look at it from their point of view and then add your own perspective as a communications consultant. At the start of a meeting use similar or matching language and body language to assist in building rapport. Show you are interested in the subject so that the person briefing you feels more inclined to engage and communicate back. Practise. Take every opportunity to practise and improve your listening skills. A colleague of mine listens to Radio Four documentaries and then recalls key points afterwards and includes these in her blog posts. Practical active practical listening techniques Checking understanding One of the ways to check your understanding of what has been said is to use feedback. In your own words, repeat back to the speaker what you understood her/him to have said. This will: Check your understanding of whats being said. Help eliminate any unintended messages which the speaker didnt mean. Demonstrate your interest in whats being said. Demonstrate that you really understand. Let the speaker think about whats being said. Encourage a clearer explanation of complex points. For example, you may hear: Its a sensitive situation because of the potential financial impact on the business. You could check understanding by responding: So youre saying that there may be a knock-on effect on profitability? Re-statement reflects a genuine attempt to understand the other persons point of view and helps to identify any issues that arise. Summarising This is more than re-statement or reflection, it is drawing together the main themes and key points from what you have heard. This facility can often be essential when the briefer has given a rather rambling and incoherent brief. Summarising what you have heard will help to check back the facts and assumptions. Summarising can also: Indicate that you have understood what has been said. Move the conversation on. Make an effective break point or end to the meeting. Establish a starting point at a subsequent meeting. 10 rules for great listening: Stop talking. Try to put the briefer at ease, get them to feel that they have your attention and you will respect their thoughts. Show that you want to listen. Look and act interested. Remove distractions. Empathise with the briefer. Be patient as far as you can. Monitor and supress any impulse to judge or counsel too soon. Avoid argument and any implied criticism. Ask questions Stop talking! Questioning The ability to ask great questions is, in my opinion, one of the most crucial skills anyone working in communications should master. Great questioning helps you get the information you need: to prepare a sound PR proposal, to understand the opinions, thoughts and feelings of a stakeholder, to write a focused report, to assess a situation, to get to the heart of the matter. The right questions achieve clarity, promote reflection, enhance creativity and help work out solutions. As you get more senior and are responsible for coaching and mentoring others, great questions are a key way to help people reflect and learn. Whatever the context, great questions show you are listening and paying attention to your subject. Its not simply a question of the right questions either; its also the way you ask them so pay attention to your tone of voice and body language too. Using the Right Questioning Style Open questions help the other person define the opportunity or issue and to explore it. They provide factual information and the other persons thoughts and possibly their feelings behind it. Open questions can also generate thinking and reflection and ensure that focus is kept on the issue. Well timed open questions can change how someone looks at an issue too and can help identify actions to take. Open questions are always a good place to start a discussion or a briefing as they do exactly that open up the dialogue. Open questions most often start with What, How, When and Where or Tell me aboutà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ What can I/we do for you? What do you think the opportunity is? Whats your role in this issue? What have you tried so far? What worked? What didnt? Have you experienced anything like this before? (If so, what did you do?) What can you do for yourself? What are the business needs? How will that benefit the business? What is important about that? What is holding the business back? What if you do nothing? What is this costing? How much control do you have in this situation? What options do you have? What support do you need to assure success? What do you need us to do for you? What do you hope for? Whats preventing you from ? If you could change one thing, what would it be? How will you know you have been successful? What does success look like? Imagine a point in the future where your issue is resolvedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦how did you get there? What would you like to ask us? Journalists use these open questions frequently when interviewing subjects for features and news pieces: Did youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦? Are youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦? Whatsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦? How manyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦? Whereà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.? Depending on the situation, be careful when asking open questions that begin with why. A why question makes people feel defensive, accountable to justify their actions. You do need to ask why questions to clarify causation especially when working out what has happened if an incident has taken place just be careful of the phrasing so it doesnt look like any blame is being apportioned and that it doesnt sound like finger pointing. 2. Closed questions can be used to check facts, or as a summary. Use them sparingly as they tend to elicit simple yes or no answers. Have you toldà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦? What I think Im hearing isà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ is that right? 3 Clarifying questions help you and your subject understand the key point and get to the bottom line. They can uncover the root cause of issues. These are especially useful when conducting research interviews and doing in-depth profiles of case histories. Ask questions about the persons point of view, perspectives, beliefs, values and actions. Great provocative questions can prompt light bulb moments which can shift things positively and quickly. When you launched your brand what what did you imagine would be the impact on your life? When did you first consider you had achieved success? 4. Reflecting questions enable the questioner to clarify what has been said and to get the subject to talk freely and in depth. Reflecting questions call for the questioner to engage in active listening. Using their own words you encourage further information. Reflecting questions often begin: You said thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ You sound as if à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. I get the feeling that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. 5. Extending questions are used to invite further explanation and to prompt a further answer: How else couldà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦? Could you tell me more about..? 6. Comparative questions are useful where the questioner may need to compare a situation on a before and after basis: What has it been like sinceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦? What difference has à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. 7. Hypothetical questions may allow the subject to explore ideas and issues in a non-threatening theoretical environment: Imagine a future whereà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦how would you feel? If you were faced with the same situation again would you do anything differently? 8. Rephrasing or paraphrasing may be used when the questioner is not clear what the subject thinks, feels or means and allows you to play back what has been said: Are you saying thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦? Let me see if I understand the problem completelyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ 9. Linking questions are useful for picking up clues but depend on active listening. The question is formed by picking up an earlier response from the subject: You mentioned earlier thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ how would youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦? Leading questions (a sub-section of closed questions) should generally be avoided. A leading question is asked in order to lead another to a pre-determined answer or conclusion. This sort of question comes across as dishonest and manipulative. You can recognise leading questions because they are statements that can often can be answered yes or no. That said, journalists may use leading questions in interviews Youre a Conservative, arent you? How did you react? Were you furious? How much money went missing more than a million pounds? Assumptive questions (which can be annoying but, if phrased well, can get into interesting areas) are also used extensively by journalists. Were you educated in a private or state school? How many redundancies will there be? Are you married or single? (when the answer may be neitherà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) When did you last beat your wife? Direct, suggestive or loaded questions which are manipulative but are often used again by journalists to provoke a response and add tension into proceedings Scientists have proven that cigarette smoking cause cancer so why should manufacturers be allowed to continue to promote them at all? What sort of person would disagree with campaigns to control birth rates? Ghandi said non-violent protest was the only way dont you agree? Socratic Questioning Academics often use Socratic Questioning to facilitate investigation and dialogue. The US-based Foundation for Critical Thinking published a paper in 2006 by Richard Paul and Linda Elder that defined nine types of Socratic questions, useful for critical enquiry Questions of clarification What do you mean by X? What is your main point? How does this relate to X? Could you put that another way? Could you say more about that? Why do you say that? Let me check I understand do you mean X or Y? Can you explain that further? Can you give me an example? Would this be an example of X? How does this relate to the brief/issue? Is your basic point X or Y? What do you think David meant by that remark? What do you believe he actually meant? Questions That Probe Purpose What is the purpose of X? What was your purpose when you said X? How do the purposes of these two people vary? How do the purposes of these two groups vary? What is the purpose of addressing this question at this time? Questions That Probe Assumptions What are you assuming? What is Karen assuming? What could we assume instead? You seem to be assuming X . Do I understand you correctly? All your conclusions depend on the idea thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. Why have you based your reasoning on X rather than Y? You seem to be assuming X. How would you justify taking this for granted? Is it always the case? Why do you think the assumption holds here? Questions That Probe Information, Reasons, Evidence and Causes What would be an example? How do you know? What are your reasons for saying that? Why did you say that? What other information do we need to know before we can address this question? Why do you think that is true? Could you explain your reasons to us? What led you to that belief ? Is this good evidence for believing that? Do you have any evidence to support your assertion? Are those reasons adequate? How does that information apply to this case? Is there reason to doubt that evidence? What difference does that make? Who is in a position to know if that is the case? What would convince you otherwise? What would you say to someone who said ? What accounts for ? What do you think is the cause? How did this come about? By what reasoning did you come to that conclusion? How could we go about finding out whether that is true? Can someone else give evidence to support that response? Questions about Viewpoints or Perspectives You seem to be approaching this issue from perspective. Why have you chosen this perspective rather than that perspective? How would other groups or types of people respond? Why? What would influence them? How could you answer the objection that would make? Can/did anyone see this another way? What would someone who disagrees say? What is an alternative? How are Kens and Roxannes ideas alike? Different? Questions That Probe Implications and Consequences What are you implying by that? When you say , are you implying ? But if that happened, what else would also happen as a result? Why? What effect would that have? Would that necessarily happen or only probably happen? What is an alternative? If this and this are the case, then what else must be true? Questions about the Question How can we find out? Is this the same issue as ? How could someone settle this question? Can we break this question down at all? Is the question clear? Do we understand it? How would put the issue? Is this question easy or difficult to answer? Why? What does this question assume? Would put the question differently? Why is this question important? Does this question ask us to evaluate something? Do we need facts to answer this? Do we all agree that this is the question? To answer this question, what other questions would we have to answer first? Im not sure I understand how you are interpreting the main question at issue. Could you explain your interpretation? Questions That Probe Concepts What is the main idea we are dealing with? Why/how is this idea important? Do these two ideas conflict? If so, how? What was the main idea guiding the thinking of the character in this story? How is this idea guiding our thinking as we try to reason through this issue? Is this idea causing us problems? What main theories do we need to consider in figuring out ? Are you using this term in keeping with educated usage? Which main distinctions should we draw in reasoning through this problem? Which idea is this author using in her or his thinking? This there a problem with it? Questions That Probe Inferences and Interpretations Which conclusions are we coming to about ? On what information are we basing this conclusion? Is there a more logical inference we might make in this situation? How are you interpreting her behaviour? Is there another possible interpretation? What do you think of ? How did you reach that conclusion? Given all the facts, what is the best possible conclusion? How shall we interpret these data? Understanding body language Non-verbal communication is often the way we show the emotional side of our relationships with others. Effective body language works alongside our spoken words in order to convey meaning more clearly. Give positive signals by Arriving on time Show you are committed to the aims of the meeting Show interest in what is being said When you talk in the meeting give everyone some eye contact by moving your eyes around the room Try and control the tone of your voice so that it is calm and unflustered with variation in tone and pitch Dont yawn Pick up signals from other peoples body language You can watch other participants and try to assess their thoughts and feelings even if they are not saying anything. Some important signals to look for are; Eye contact people who are looking at you are likely to be listening. People who look away from you when you talk to them may be nervous Body direction usually in meetings everyone sits facing the chairperson. If someone turns their body away they may be unhappy with what is happening, changing direction completely or possibly pushing their chair back may show a great degree of dissatisfaction Posture this can be interpreted in many different ways. Sitting back may be a sign of disinterest or of being relaxed. At an informal meeting sitting on the edge of the seat may be an indication of fear or tension. Head movements the obvious ones are the nod or shake of agreement or disagreement. Most people will unconsciously nod or shake their heads and this provides you with a lot of information. Facial expressions again at a meeting facial expressions such as smiling frowning questioning are often unconscious and can reveal information about what the person is thinking. Body language clues that often reveal whats going on with the listener Smiling, open and positive gestures, standing or sitting close, lots of eye contact, nodding, tilting head = empathy and rapport Sitting with crossed leg towards you = defensiveness, distrust Sitting with crossed leg away from you = willingness to trust Rigid or tense body posture, staring eyes, clenched fists, clasped hands, tightly folded arms, foot tapping, finger pointing = anger, aggression, irritation, nervousness, Downcast eyes, hand over mouth, frequently touching face, shifting weight from one leg to another, fidgeting = nervousness Picking fluff from clothes, pulling at ears, stifled yawning, gazing around the room = boredom Non-verbal communication By developing awareness of the signs and signals of body language, you can more easily understand other people, and more effectively communicate with them. The difference between the words people speak and our understanding of what they are saying comes from non-verbal communication, otherwise known as body language. There are sometimes subtle and sometimes not so subtle movements, gestures, facial expressions and even shifts in our whole bodies that indicate something is going on. The way we talk, walk, sit and stand all say something about us, and whatever is happening on the inside can be reflected on the outside. By becoming more aware of this body language and understanding what it might mean, you can learn to read people more easily. This puts you in a better position to communicate effectively with them. Whats more, by increasing your understanding of others, you can also become more aware of the messages that you convey to them. This article will explain many of the ways in which we communicate non-verbally, so that you can use these signs and signals to communicate more effectively. How We Communicate A famous study by Albert Mehrabian found that non-verbal language makes up 55% of how we communicate in face-to-face interactions. He also concluded that we communicate as much as 38% of our message through our voice (tone, pitch, and so on), with as little as 7% through the words we actually say. Understanding and recognizing the signs and signals that make up this 55% can help you when you communicate with others. There are times when we send mixed messages we say one thing yet our body language reveals something different. This non-verbal language will affect how we act and react to others, and how they react to us. So, lets take a look at some scenarios, and see how body language influences your perception and reactions. First Impressions and Confidence Recall a time when you met someone new at work. Or think about the last time you watched a speaker deliver a presentation. What were your first impressions? Did you sense confidence or a lack of confidence in them? Did you want to associate with them or not? Were you convinced by them? Did they stride into the room, engage you and maintain eye contact or were they tentative, shuffling towards you with eyes averted, before sliding into a chair? What about their handshake firm and strong or weak and limp? Moving along in the conversation, did they maintain solid eye contact or were they frequently looking away? Did their face appear relaxed or was it tight and tense? What about their hand and arm movements? Were their gestures wide, flowing and open or were they tight, jerky and closed? As you observe others, you can identify some common signs and signals that give away whether they are feeling confident or not. Typical things to look for in confident people include: Posture standing tall with shoulders back. Eye contact solid with a smiling face. Gestures with hands and arms purposeful and deliberate. Speech slow and clear. Tone of voice moderate to low. As well as deciphering other peoples the body language, you can use this knowledge to convey feelings that youre not actually experiencing. For example, if you are about to enter into a situation where you are not as confident as youd like to be, such as giving a big presentation or attending an important meeting, you can adopt these confidence signs and signals to project confidence. Lets now look at another scenario. Difficult Meetings and Defensiveness Think of a time when you were in a difficult meeting perhaps a performance appraisal or one where you are negotiating deadlines, responsibilities or a contract. In an ideal world, both you and the other person would be open and receptive to hearing what each other has to say, in order to conclude the meeting successfully. However, often, the other person is defensive and doesnt really listen. If this happens during an appraisal meeting, and its important for you to convey to your colleague that he or she needs to change certain behaviors, you really want them open and receptive to you so they take on board what you are saying. So how can you tell whether your message is falling on deaf ears? Some of the common signs that the person you are speaking with may be feeling defensive include: Hand/arm gestures are small and close to his or her body. Facial expressions are minimal. Body is physically turned away from you. Arms are crossed in front of body. Eyes maintain little contact, or are downcast. By picking up these signs, you can change what you say or how you say it to help the other person become more at ease, and more receptive to what you are saying. Equally, if you are feeling somewhat defensive going into a negotiating situation, you can monitor your own body language to ensure that the messages you are conveying are ones that say that you are open and receptive to what is being discussed. Working with Groups and Disengagement Have you ever delivered a presentation, and had a sense that people werent really buying into what you had to say? What about working with a group to facilitate a consensus on responsibilities and deadlines? Was everyone on board with the ideas, or did some appear disengaged? Ideally, when you stand up to deliver a presentation or work with group, you want 100% engagement with all concerned. This often doesnt happen on its own, though. But you can actively engage the audience when you need to if youre alert to some of the typical signs and signals of people not being engaged. Some of these signs and signals include: Heads are down. Eyes are glazed, or gazing at something else. Hands may be picking at cloths, or fiddling with pens. People may be writing or doodling. They may be sitting slumped in their chairs. When you pick up that someone appears not to be engaged in what is going on, you can do something to re-engage him or her and bring their focus back to what you are saying, such as asking them a direct question. And while this is going on, make sure that your own body language is saying what you want it to. Lying Of all the non-verbal body language that we may observe, being able to tell whether a person is lying or not will stand you in good stead. Some of the typical signs and signals that a person is lying include: Eyes maintain little or no eye contact, or there may be rapid eye movements, with pupils constricted. Hand or fingers are in front of his or her mouth when speaking. His or her body is physically turned away from you, or there are unusual/un-natural body gestures. His or her breathing rate increases. Complexion changes such as in color; red in face or neck area. Perspiration increases.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Leadership in Remember the Titans Essay -- Movie Film Football

Remember the Titans In the movie ‘Remember the Titans’, there are many management concepts covered throughout the movie and he is the agent in the movie. The players on the Titans are the targets of the influence. ‘Remember the Titans’ is the perfect movie for Exam 3. It covers many topics that were on the exam, and this class has given me a different way of looking at the movie. I have seen the movie many times, but I never looked at it from a management perspective. It now makes sense to me to look at a football team, or any other type of sports team, from a management point of view. Coach Herman Boone, who is played by Denzel Washington, is a very influential person. He is a perfect leader. While it cannot be found out for sure, Coach Boone can be classified under the trait theory of management, that â€Å"Leaders are Born†. The type of leadership he displays cannot be taught, he is able to bring together two different types of groups to act as one, to respect each other and play together. He shows power in the movie, he has a large capacity to influence others. Using his power, he gets the players to conform and forget how others think they are supposed to act towards each other. The goal specificity is also clear in the movie. Coach Boone expects his team to be ‘perfect’, he expects them to win the Virginia State Championship. Former head coach and now assistant coach Bill Yoast, played by Will Patton, is also a very influential person and good leader. He is in charge...

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Essay --

Cifunsa Cifunsa pertenece al Grupo Industrial Saltillo uno de los grupos industriales mà ¡s grandes de Mà ©xico, fundado en 1928. Y como su pagina web lo dice, CIFUNSA es una de las fundiciones de hierro independientes mà ¡s grandes del mundo. Ofrecen alta calidad en la fabricacià ³n de productos con precios competitivos y servicio de clase mundial. Propà ³sito: "Contribuir al à ©xito de nuestros clientes proporcionando los mejores productos y soluciones de ingenierà ­a." Misià ³n: Fabricar piezas de hierro maquinadas y/o ensambladas para la industria en el mercado global, creando valor para nuestros accionistas, clientes, personal y comunidad donde participamos, en un ambiente de seguridad, trabajo en equipo, à ©tica, disciplina y mejora continua. Visià ³n: Ser reconocida como una empresa de clase mundial rentable y competitiva que ofrece productos de fundicià ³n de hierro maquinados. Con la persona que fui no me supo decir cuantas personas trabajan ahà ­, ni el estimado de ganancia anualmente, pero el Grupo Industrial Saltillo da empleo aproximadamente a mà ¡s de 9,000 personas y tiene ingresos anuales de mà ¡s de $860 millones de dà ³lares. Tienen varias plantas, las plantas 2, 3 y 4 està ¡n ubicadas en Saltillo Coahuila. La planta 5 està ¡ ubicada en Irapuato. En el centro del paà ­s desde donde facilita las entregas a las plantas automotrices de la regià ³n del Bajà ­o en Irapuato, Silao, Querà ©taro, Aguascalientes, Toluca y Guadalajara. Esto da a CIFUNSA una gran ventaja para la exportacià ³n de sus productos hacia los mercados automotrices en la regià ³n NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement, por sus siglas en inglà ©s) y Europa, manteniendo un portafolio de negocios balanceado exportando directa o indirectamente 85% de su produccià ³n. Polà ­tica ambiental: â€Å"En Cif... ... a 2011. Administracià ³n por procesos: Se sigue implementando la administracioÃŒ n de procesos a nivel taÃŒ ctico y operativo en todos los Negocios. Para ello, se trabaja en la consolidacioÃŒ n de los planes de venta y operacioÃŒ n, desarrollo de nuevos productos, innovacioÃŒ n y mantenimiento, entre otras acciones. Gestià ³n de riesgos: Para elaborar planes de mitigacioÃŒ n o eliminacioÃŒ n de riesgos, se debe contar con informacioÃŒ n que permita identificar las eventualidades que ponen en riesgo las operaciones y proyectos estrateÃŒ gicos. En 2012, los Negocios del Grupo alcanzaron el nivel 3 de competitividad, en una escala de 5. Este indicador denota que el balance entre las fortalezas y debilidades operativas permite lograr los objetivos comprometidos. Grupo GIS presenta una innovacià ³n tecnolà ³gica inigualable, la cual los hace ser là ­der del sector en las à ¡reas que se especializa.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Notes on Cry Essay

The dance’s intent is to portray the struggle & strength of the African American women who were in the slave trade; how women so enslaved & trapped can still manage to be so free. â€Å"I heard about lynching’s, Having that kind of experience as a child left a feeling of rage in me that I think pervades my work† Alvin Ailey. â€Å"She rises again to wear the cloth as a shawl, then steps on its ends as if bound by it to the ground†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"The final posture mirrors the opening posture of the dance, suggesting a cyclical inevitable progression of frustration and despair†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Ailey has abstracted this narrative to portray the woman’s despair. BEEN ON A TRAIN The use of the percussive piano accents in relation to movement. For example, the dynamic emphasis of the gestures Ailey uses. â€Å"The power of Cry emanates from its defiantly shifting images of identity in its first section, the bottomless abyss of sorrow approached in its second section and the transcendent quality of ecstatic faith engaged in the third section.† â€Å" Cry became emblematic as an act of simultaneous defiance and release. As a depiction of contemporary African American  identity, the dance liberated audience and dancer in its  modernistic layering of movement genres, especially its  conspicuous use of neoAfrican  body part isolations.† In this work there are three distinct sections and for each new section, there is a new song that is played. The songs used in this work are ‘Something About John Coltrane’ by Alice Coltrane, ‘Been On A Train’ by Laura Nyro and ‘Right On. Be Free.’ by The Voices Of East Harlem. In a couple of these songs the word ‘north’ is used quite a bit. My personal  interpretation is that these slaves perhaps saw freedom and/or refuge in North America, wished to be there but something stopped them.  She clearly demonstrated Ailey’s mother’s struggles as well as any other African American woman’s struggles at the time as a slave to their fight for freedom.

The concept of Bhakti entails

The aim of this paper is to examine main concepts of Bhagavad Gita and either agree or disagree with them. Concepts examined in this paper are Karma, Bhakti, Samsara, Moksha, Dharma, and the three Gunas. The concept of Karma means that a person should follow his or her duty without thinking of the rewards for his or her actions. Bhagavad Gita teaches the following: ‘Therefore, without being attached to the fruits of activities, one should act as a matter of duty, for by working without attachment one attains the Supreme’ (Verse 19, Chapter 3).I agree to this concept, since religious purity is only attainable through self-sacrifice in the name of the Divine. Earthy preoccupations, such as attaining benefits for yourself by acting in a certain way, contradict the nature of religion, which calls for obedience and commitment to one’s duty. Every individual should find the right path and stay loyal to it. It will eliminate hesitation prior to action and render more leg itimacy to one’s deeds. The concept of Karma isn’t unique to Hinduism, since it is present in every major religion, yet in a different form.Following one’s religion implies that earthy consequences of actions matter less then those anticipated in the afterlife or subsequent incarnation. The concept of Karma is closed to the Western notion of deontological ethics. Deontological ethics puts morality over the consequences of an action. In fact, Kant's Categorical Imperative is one of the most vivid examples of deontological thinking since it establishes a universal moral standard for all the human being in all situations.The concept of Bhakti entails that there is an ultimate religious expression, during which a person can experience the highest degree of devotion to God and find unity with God. The blurring of the earthy and divine suggests that a piece of God is present in every human, and people should discover God inside them through seeking Bhakti. Bhagavad Gi ta says the following: ‘Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear’ (Verse 66, Chapter 18).This concept suggests that religious can provide ultimate guidance through life, and people should entrust themselves to God. Samsara is a cycle of rebirth that is perceived as a natural fact of life. It means that soul is immortal, while human body fades away. Bhagavad Gita ssays the following: ‘For certain is death for the born, and certain is birth for the dead; therefore over the inevitable thou shouldst not grieve’ (Verse 27, Chapter 2). This concept suggests that humans should pay more attention to spiritual matters rather then momentary desires.Furthermore, it teaches a philosophical approach to death as something inevitable and followed by rebirth; thus it is helpful in eliminating fear of death, which results in a more liberated earthy life. Moksha means liberation from the cycle of rebirth through achieving a state of ultimate self-realization. There are four components of Moksha: Shanti, Videh, Kaivalya and Swarga. Shanti is the greatest degree of peace and transcendence, which frees a human being from all the sufferings of earthy life. Videh is the knowledge that comes together with Moksha; it is the realization of self and the essence of the universe.Kaivalya is enlightenment every human should strive for. Swarga is a notion that is close to the concept of paradise in other religions. I should agree with this concept, since ultimate understanding of one’s true self is the only path to enlightenment. Self-realization can further lead to self-actualization, and self-actualization is on the top of the needs pyramid. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs suggests there are several levels of human needs: physiological needs (need for air, warmth, food, sleep etc.), security needs (need for an absence of threat of various nature), social needs (needs for love and a sense of belonging), ego needs (needs for self-respect and respect from others), and self-actualization needs (the needs for purpose, personal growth and realization of one's potentials). Therefore, the concept of Moksha in the sense of a state of ultimate liberty and self-realization is close to Western psychological theories. Dharma is the concept of cosmic order existing in nature and human society.It can be interpreted as righteousness, which is a way to uphold harmony in the world. It is used to explain the complexity of the word and the connection between God and nature. By agreeing to this concept one acknowledges the importance of harmony as the underlying value, both in nature and in term of spiritual harmony. Following the universal laws of conduct results in the absence of conflict and more fulfilled life on Earth. As for the three Gunas, they are Saatva (centered), Rajas (dynamic) and Tamas (inertia). In fact, these three Gunas perfectly reflect the nature of all proces ses.Saatva, which can be interpreted as harmony and purity, is a state that is different from both motion and inertia and signifies true piece of mind. Rajas, or energy and passion, reflects the ever-changing nature of the world. Tamas, or darkness and ignorance, refers to a state of inertia and motionlessness, both in physical and spiritual sense. This triad explains the path one should take to achieve Saatva through unleashing one’s creative energy and avoiding spiritual inertia. References Easwaran, Eknath (trans. ) (2007). Bhagavad Gita, 2nd ed. Tomales, CA: Nilgiri Press.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Evolution of Health Care Information Systems Essay

Today we have the pleasure of discussing the Evolution of Health Care Information Systems. Specifically we will review a compare and contrast of a health care facilities operations today with the operations of it 20 years ago. We will define HCIS as well as look at different health information systems today and major events and technological advantages that have influenced current Health Care Information Systems (HCIS) practices. We will learn how health care information systems have shaped the delivery of health care today so that we may be a part of the solution. Health Care Information Systems To truly understand the benefit of Health Care Information Systems, it is critical that a clear understanding of its true definition is learned. We know that data consists of raw facts about people, places, events and other things that are of importance in any organization. When that data is processed into a more meaningful form, it is then called information and can be the basis for decision making. According to Wager, Lee & Glaser (2009), â€Å"a health care information system (HCIS) is an arrangement of information (data), processes, people, and information technology that interact to collect, process, store, and provide as output information needed to support the health care organization†. To further put things into perspective, there are two primary classes of health care information systems and they are administrative and clinical. Although they are both health care information systems, they perform totally different functions and contain different information. An administrative information system would contain information specific to financial data or administrative that would help to support management and general operations of the health care organization. These systems might support personnel management, supply management, equipment or human resources management. Clinical information systems are very different from administrative in that  they contain information that is clinical in nature or health-related that is used by health care providers when diagnosing, treating, and monitoring patients care. Wager, Lee & Glaser, (2009). Another interesting fact about clinical information systems is that these systems can be departmental such as radiology, pharmacy or laboratory systems. Wager, Lee, & Glaser, (2009). Skilled Nursing Facilities 20 years later Skilled Nursing Facilities have made leaps and bounds in significant changes over the past 20 years. Tanner Memorial Hospital, which is now Tanner Health System is nothing like it originated 20 years back and has now transformed into a health system with all its specialties and wide range of services currently offered. It did not offer inpatient behavioral care in the same capacity as today and in fact, when the new Willowbrooke at Tanner opened in Villa Rica, GA, it was the newest facility of its kind in the last 20 years and consisted of beds for adults, elder adults, children and adolescents. Tanner Health Systems, (2012). Information technology was slow to take off 20 years ago in the health care industry. Skilled nursing facilities were doing things manually which was hand written documentation or typewritten. This is quite different from today when information technology has exploded and continues to expand and develop at a rapid pace. According to Sheehan (2011), until recent years technology was not a subject that was often mentioned in the long term care environment. There was a perception that the â€Å"LTC industry is somewhat of a late adaptor of technological advancements†. Today all that is changing due to â€Å"provider demand, vendor interest and a growing number of tech-savvy seniors†. (Sheehan, 2011). Although 20 years ago skilled nursing facilities may have been falling behind in recognizing the vital importance of implementing information systems, today skilled nursing facilities relay heavily on technology like telemedine or tele-health. Many facilities that are in rural areas are really dependent on telemedicine and tele-health. Billing operation systems, clinical and administrative information systems are now a necessity for successful daily operations and skilled nursing relies heavily on information technology to process payroll, employee records, updating patient care and treatment plans, insurance and personal information. During the 1980’s, health care systems were for collecting data about patient demographics, insurance information and other information for billing purposes. Today, current health care information systems offer a more flexible and sophisticated framework. There is no longer the daunting tasks of writing things manually and other administrative duties that were time consuming. We now have sophisticated systems that are capable of handling clinical decision support systems, archiving communication systems, and digitization of diagnostic images. (Hebda, Czar, & Mascara, 2009). 20 years ago, physicians were a bit reluctant to share patient information with other physician practices, today physician practices are finding creative and innovative ways to exchange patient health information in a timely, efficient and secured manner which enhances coordination of patient care. The implementation of electronic medical record systems prevents the delays attributed to traditional mail or faxing paper medical records. These health care information systems help physician practices to effectively and efficiently share information that can reduce health care costs as well as improve patient care. Two Major Event and Technological Advantages A major event that influence health care information systems is the enactment of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). This law plays a pivotal role in â€Å"regulating, and increasing the confidentiality, and securing of health care data† (HIPAA, 2003). With the ability to pay and submit claims electronically, there was a definite need for protecting data and it was apparent. Before HIPAA came along, the rules and regulations were quite different from state to state and between health care organizations. There was no consistency and the need for regulation was visible from all stakeholders involved. Another major event was in 2004 when President Bush asked health care providers to implement Electronic Health Records (EHR) by 2014. The Joint Commission for the Accreditation of Health Care Organizations (JCAHO) joined the initiative and also asked health care providers to be compliant with the new legislation. Many community-based physician practices that were once reluctant to conform to the implementation of new technology are now realizing the many benefits of  the health care information systems like computerized physician order entry (CPOE), electronic medical records (EMR), tele-medicine and automated billing systems. The implementation of tele-health and telemedicine brought about many advances in healthcare and continue to prove to be a needed health resource. Conclusion The evolution of health care information systems will continue to have a positive effect and a huge significance to the health care industry. Tele-health and telemedicine are major events that have shaped todays delivery of health care and HIPAA laws will continue to protect the rights of patients and their personal information. In the Mid 1980’s and early 1990’s, physician practices would not have imagines that Health Care Information Systems would play such a vital role in shaping the delivery of health care and yet, here we are. References Czar, P., & Mascara, C. (2009). Handbook of informatics for nurses & health care professionals (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall HIPAA.org (February 12, 2003).HIPAA. Retrieved July 13, 2014 from http://www.hipaa.org/ Sheehan, P. (2011, July). Technology takes off in health care. Long-Term Living, Retrieved from http://www.ltlmagazine.com/article/technology-takes-long-term-care Hebda, T., Tanner.org (2012) Retrieved July 12, 2014 from http://www.tanner.org/Main/History.aspx Wager, K. A., Lee, F. W., & Glaser, J. P. (2009). Health care information systems: A practical approach for health care management. (2nd ed.). (pp. 87-90). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Wiley.