Behaviorists Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Behaviorists - Essay Example According to Guthrie such change could be achieved if a person is determined to replace the old behavior with something new instead. This could be achieved employing his suggested methods to include the threshold means, exhaustion, and incompatible response approach. Guthrie’s idea of threshold adjustment states that behavior of a person can change if the stimulus is weak or could be tolerated. For instance, people who smoke may not be elicited to puff a cigarette if he can indulge reducing the number of sticks a day until eventually he would endure not to smoke. The threshold method is further reinforced through sidetracking. This is avoiding the cues that may compel undesirable behavior (Olson & Hergenhahn, 2009) such as avoiding friends who smoke. Another helpful strategy is adopting the exhaustion mechanism which suggests repetition of the habit until the person feels the anguish of fatigue. An example would be to let the person smoke until he coughs or get sick. Such reac tion to smoking habit enables him to ultimately give up the habit. Equally important strategy is the use of incompatible response. Allowing the person to chew gum helps forge the link between the habit to smoke and the relief from smoking. Despite the proposed methods above, habits are hard to break. This is attributed to the familiar neural pathways involved.

Global car paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Global car paper - Essay Example imum to reduce costs, and thus, they resort to outsourcing of manufacturing of different components of the car to countries where they can find comparatively cheaper labor as opposed to domestic labor. This paper deals with the American Dodge Ram Pickup Truck and tries to find out where different components of the car are actually manufactured. The paper also discusses whether the car’s manufacturer follows a standardized approach or a customized one when producing the car. The Dodge Ram Pickup Trucks provide a basic truck loved by most Americans, and these trucks are built keeping in mind the capability and durability factors that Americans value and honor. The pickup truck primarily falls under the Ram division of one of the internationally well-known car manufacturing companies, the Chrysler. The finesse the car represents along with its practicality and usability facilitates enough influence needed for customers to buy it. However, although most American cars cannot boast an ‘all-American-built’ label with their cars, the Dodge Ram Pickup can afford this tag, as â€Å"70%† of the car is built in North America itself (‘Global Car,’ 2010). A close inspection into the company and its manufacturing processes reveals how different parts of the car are actually manufactured in different parts of the world. Therefore, it is rightfully asserted in the video that the Dodge Ram Pickup Truck is actually a â€Å"symbol of world economy,† as it shows how America is not independent of its manufacturing of the car and how different countries come together and forge a world economy whose ultimate product the car is (‘Global Car,’ 2010). This car, like every other car, basically has â€Å"750-900 parts,† most of which is built in America, but the rest is outsourced to Europe, and far east countries such as India and China etc (2010). The supply chain process involved in the manufacture of the pickup truck involves companies such as â€Å"Tyson Krupp, Berck† in

Use of ICT in Primary School Classrooms

Use of ICT in Primary School Classrooms Introduction: This chapter outlines the foundation for the researchers topic area. This will be a summary of multiple pieces of literature the author has analysed to answer the question set out. The chosen area is the use of ICT-Information Communication Technology in infant classes in primary schools. This section will begin by looking at what is Information Communication Technology (ICT). The author will give a brief explanation into what ICT is. Following defining ICT the author will examine the ICT software used at infant classes in primary level. She will then investigate the benefits of using ICT at infant level in the primary school. From investigating the benefits the author will explore the limitations of using ICT at infant level in the primary school. Finally, she will research how infant childrens learning and development is supported by the use of ICT in the classroom. What is Information Communication Technology (ICT) Information Communication Technology (ICT) is defined by Barnardos (2006, P2) as The term ICT (information and communications technology) is used to describe a range of technological media. It is defined not just as computers but programmable toys, telephones, talking books, cameras, printers, scanners and much more. Information Communication Technology (ICT) has become increasingly used in many lives. Recently the use of ICT has influenced significant changes in our culture, as a result technology has become very much used today. As the world of technology develops, children in our schools today will live in a world where ICT will be encouraged in their daily lives. ICT is described by Crawford (2013, P1) as a powerful tool as it significantly extends peoples abilities, as a learning tool, it is particularly effective. The term ICT covers a range of tools and equipment. Aistear (2009) refers to ICT as equipment that communicates and influence information. This includes mobile phones, computers, scanners and digital cameras. ICT includes hardware and software devices and programmes. ICT in education has the ability to increase the elements of people’s lives by enhancing teaching and learning. (NCCA, 2004) The word Communication was added to Information and Technology (IT) in the late 1990s as we now use various devices such as mobiles to send messages and to gain information it is unfair to limit ICT to computing or technology. ICT covers equipment everywhere at home and in the setting such as remote controls used for the television, game machines, computers, supermarket bar-code readers, washing machines, timers, heating controls, cameras, alarm systems, phones and electric displays. (Cockburn and Handscomb, 2006) Teachers should concur that young children need to be knowledgeable and familiar with basic technology as it is part of living in the 21st century. (French, 2008) ICT Software Used in Infant Classes at Primary Level There is a range of educational ICT software being used in primary schools today. This software is being developed daily, to enhance childrens learning and development. The NCCA (2004) recognises that different software products may be more appropriate for children in different classrooms. The use of ICT software can improve and support the teaching and learning development across curricular areas, whether used in a specific lesson or for a short or long period of time. (NCCA, 2004) A wide variety of software appropriate for different ages and stages, interests and level of ability will be needed in the curriculum. French (2008) talks about how great care must be taken when choosing particular ICT software for children. The software must mirror the childrens interests and should be stage appropriate. The suitability of the software will rely on the learning objectives and the age range and level of ability of the children. The effectiveness of any software program is established by the quality of the software and by how it is used. (NCCA, 2004) Using paint programmes allows children to experiment with colour, animations, experiment with the mouse and it is a way to introduce children to the basic icons and buttons on the computer. Hayes and Whitebread (2006, P25) states Introducing a paint program enables children to understand that the computer is not just a tool for accessing information, but that it is also a tool for creativity. Teachers are familiar with reading stories out loud to children but a lot of stories come in CD or app form now. There are different case studies, motivating activities and games that come in CD or app form. The tasks are well designed in that the children must understand them to complete them, and they do not provide themselves exclusively to trial and error answers. (Hayes and Whitebread, 2006) Interactive whiteboards are a new and common form of ICT software used in primary schools today. Elston (2007, p9) describes interactive whiteboards as an erasable writing surface that interacts with a computer to capture writing electronically and enable interaction with a projected computer image. The interactive whiteboard works wither by touching the board or using a special pen. The interactive whiteboard comes with software that allows it to be used as a copy board. Children and teachers can draw or write on the whiteboard using their fingers or the pen and they can save their drawings to the computer. The interactive whiteboard comes with built in software called OCR which means the computer will identify the childrens handwriting on the whiteboard and turn it into computer text. (Elston, 2007) The OECD (2002) conducted intensive case studies which examined the use of ICT in twenty one different schools. They found the most popular forms of ICT was word processor, but spreadsheets, graphing and drawing programmes, search engines, and presentation programs such as Powerpoint were also high. Many schools used the internet as a source of teaching or research. In these case studies, ICT was often based on a practice system. (OECD, (2002) Morgan and Blatchford (2009) states there is software developed for the use of young children to allow them to make and create images, add sound effects in media products and add sounds and listen to stories. The NCTE (2013) recommends that each classroom should be appointed with a teaching computer, a short throw digital projector, a wireless keyboard, a mouse and five classroom computers or laptops. A visualiser should also be in place in each classroom. Primary schools should be supplied with a multi-media workstation to assist with the integration of audio/visual projects. Primary schools share some equipment such as cameras, wireless tablets, printers and scanners. Using a digital camera can the teacher can take pictures of the childrens learning and create a portfolio of them to show their parents, they can also be transferred to the computer for viewing, for a slide show, for printing or for film making. A wireless tablet can be used for teachers and children to draw, write, colour, listen to stories, do different kinds of subjects such as maths and music. (NCTE, 2013) Teachers should positively model how they use the software. Children should be balanced with lots of other activit ies to assist real life experiences. (Blatchford and Whitebread, 2003) The software used in infant classes must be suitable. Morgan and Blatchford (2009) agrees with French (2008) saying often the software can be unsuitable in terms that young children are especially vulnerable, in terms the content can be violent, frightening or highly emotional.  ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­ (Hayes and Whitebread 2006) talks about for children to benefit from ICT children need to be thought about the differences between the different software programmes. The Benefits of Using ICT at Infant Level in the Primary School ICT has an effect on those who use them and their environment. These technologies can offer new opportunities to strengthen many aspects of childrens development. There is support and interest across the educator sector for the development and integration of ICT. As Epstein (2007) says computers can play an important role if they are used correctly. Children can sometimes work with objects on a screen more easily than with real objects. This however doesnt indicate that computers should replace real objects. A considerable amount of research shows that when ICT is used correctly it can enhance childrens learning and development, it can encourage exploratory play, collaboration, co-operation, discussion, creativity, problem solving, risk taking and thinking. (Barnardos, 2006) The ICT software can be used with different age groups and it can be used with children in a one to one context or it can be used with children in a group. The ICT software can be used to support a child or children in a specific area of learning. NCCA (2004) acknowledges there are potential benefits for using ICT in classrooms also. According to the NCCA (2004) children gain motivation, problem solving skills, higher achievement and improvements in elevated thinking. Childrens imagination and sense of wonder can be supported through the use of context free software. The use of ICT can provide immense opportunities for creative development in children. Children become more independent while developing their creative skills. (Potter 2000 cited in Meadows and Leaks, 2000) The children can enhance their creative skills through ICT in different areas of learning such as; Arts and crafts, music and dance, imaginative play and role play. (Barnardos, 2006) ICT can encourage childrens physical skills. By children using the keyboard, the mouse, the buttons, touching the interactive whiteboard or tablet and knobs on a piece of equipment such as a digital camera is an excellent way of developing finer motor skills. Occasionally children might find it easier to manipulate objects on a screen more easily than real objects. (French, 2008) Children encounter many different achievements and trips throughout the years. Digital cameras are a great way of recording their accomplishments and sharing them with each other and their families. (NCCA, 2004) Computer play can encourage communication, speech and expression. Children are inclined to narrate what they are doing as they draw pictures or move items and characters around the interactive board. Children interacting at computers retain high stages of communication and co-operation skills. Using computers in the primary school can help childrens literacy development. One of the more current research shows that ICT supports children with special educational needs. Research shows that ICT can help children with communication problems and ICT helps children with SEN to access the curriculum more easily by using communication aids, software and appropriate assistive technology. (NCCA, 2004) Software programmes create a virtual environment which encourage children to read the screens and ask their friends questions about the situations. (Barnards, 2006) The Department and Education and Science (2008) agrees with Barnardos stating that ICT improves literacy, reading and writing skills especially for children in junior infant classes. The use of stories and rhymes on CD, on the internet or on an app enriches the childrens experiences of the written word. It allows them to repeat the words over and over again, forming and learning patterns of language and looking at the pictures gives them great enjoyment as the characters come to life. Children develop writing skills from using ICT. Children in infant classes are getting used to holding a pencil the correct way and are tracing letters. Children can practice other ways of writing as they use keyboards and different ICT software. (Selwyn et al, 2010) ICT can develop childrens social skills. Children will be more enthusiastic to learn about sharing, turn taking, co-operating and collaborating when they are joining in a group activity. (Zahariev etal, 2009) French (2008) also acknowledges that ICT can help childrens social skills. French (2008) believes children can sometimes find it easier to work with a friends on a computer than work alone. ICT can develop their social skills by creating rules for co-operation, children talking about what they are doing and children helping each other Choosing appropriate ICT software can teach children about different cultures, languages and ethnic backgrounds. ICT offers children to learn outside the classroom. The teacher can use different methods of technology to teach the children about different ethnic backgrounds, diverse families, people with special needs and abilities. With access to the internet or electronic resources the teacher has access to different learning materials on any part icular topic at any time which benefits the children. (Zahariev et al, 2009) As technology is becoming the future, by the teachers informing the children about the different forms of ICT, what ICT means, ICT tools and software it is preparing them for the future. Schools and the work environment will be technology related and by the children learning about technology it is giving them the confidence and skills to use such technologies in their later life. Although there is mixed results for using ICT in schools with young children DES (2008) says one of the major benefits of ICT is it can introduce a visual and interactive aspect into learning. ICT can help promote active learning by allowing the child to find, use and receive information. Research in UK found that ICT helps teachers facilitate the types of learners in the primary school curriculum. This research shows that teachers who use ICT in the classroom have described that ICT is more suited to support collaborative learning and active learning. (NCCA, 2004) Children can use ICT at different levels depending on their age and stage of development. In infant classes children will use the software to develop and expand their language and in senior classes they can use the software to broaden their language. (Eleven et al, 2012) ICT has an important part to play in developing children’s mathematical concepts. It is extremely exciting and can help make learning fun and enjoyable ICT can support children as it provides challenges to develop concepts and skills installed in game-like situations. (NCCA, 2004) The internet can have many different resources, activities and sources for teachers to use to benefit children. If the internet is used appropriately it can support the development of children’s abilities to question, to analyse, to investigate and to think critically. (NCCA, 2004) The Limitations of Using ICT at Infant Level in the Primary School. As stated above technology has many different benefits but some people have a fear that technology is replacing real objects. From a survey done by Early Childhood Ireland in 2013 it found out most members were worried about: The amount of screen time children observed The impact ICT has on childrens reading abilities The relationship between technology and obesity The connection between technology and play ICT cannot be used if the broadband speed is not consistent and reliable. A teacher in a school in County Waterford tries to find many different ways of bringing ICT into the school curriculum but when it comes to the schools internet access she cannot apply those skills to teach her students and it regularly leads to children being disappointed. (Murray, 2014) Teachers are not able to use all the technology available for learning.

Multiculturalism In Canada :: Immigration, Ethnic Diversity

Multiculturalism In Canada Canada has long been called "The Mosaic", due to the fact that it is made up of a varied mix of races, cultures and ethnicities. As more and more immigrants come to Canada searching for a better life, the population naturally becomes more diverse. This has, in turn, spun a great debate over multiculturalism. Some of the issues under fire are the political state's policies concerning multiculturalism, the attitudes of Canadians around these policies, immigration, the global market, and a central point is the education and how to present the material in a way so as to offend the least amount of people. There are many variations on these themes as will be discussed in this paper. In the 1930's several educators called for programs of cultural diversity that encouraged ethnic and minority students to study their respective heritages. This is not a simple feat due to the fact that there is much diversity within individual cultures. A look at the 1991 Canadian census shows that the population has changed more noticeable in the last ten years than in any other time in the twentieth century, with one out of four Canadians identifying themselves as black, Hispanic, Asian, Pacific Islander, Metis or Native. (Gould 1995: 198)Most people, from educators to philosophers, agree that an important first step in successfully joining multiple cultures is to develop an understanding of each others background. However, the similarities stip there. One problem is defining the tem "multiculturalism". When it is looked at simply as meaning the existence of a culturally integrated society, many people have no problems. However, when you go beyond that and try to suggest a different way of arriving at theat culturally integrated society, everyone seems to have a different opinion on what will work. Since education is at the root of the problem, it might be appropriate to use an example in that context. In 1980, the American school, Stanford University came up with a program - later known as the "Stanford-style multicultural curriculum" which aimed to familiarize students with traditions, philosophy, literature and history of the West. The program consisted of fifteen required books by writers such as Plato, Aristotle, Homer, Aquinas, Marx and Freud. By 1987, a group called the Rainbow Coalition argued the fact that the books were all written by DWEM's or Dead White European Males. They felt that this type of teaching denied student s the knowledge of contributions by people of colour, women, and other oppressed groups.

Rebecca and the Short Story the Tell-Tale Heart Convey Gothic Themes Essay

The Gothic genre is a style of film and literature that expresses themes of madness, death, darkness, romance and obsession. Although Rebecca and The Tell- Tale Heart are fitted to the Gothic genre, the composers have conveyed similar themes in different ways. Obsession in Rebecca is that of Mrs Danvers, who is obsessed to the point it drives her mad. She would do anything to bring Rebecca back. Whereas in Poe’s short story the narrator is so obsessed with the eye of an old man he would do anything, including commit murder to get rid of it. Alfred Hitchcock’s film, Rebecca is a psychological thriller that uses cinematic techniques such as pathetic fallacy, characterization, motifs and lighting to convey gothic themes of madness and obsession. In contrast, Edgar Allen Poe’s short story The Tell- Tale Heart uses literary techniques such as narration and figurative language to successfully convey these same themes. While both composers convey Gothic themes of madness and obsession they communicate each with different techniques. Also the characters that they have created are portrayed as dealing with madness and obsession very differently. In the film Rebecca, the different characters Max and Mrs Danvers are used to explore the Gothic theme of madness. Hitchcock manipulates the frame in key scenes, by making Max’s body language suggest his nervousness, worry, anger and the need to ease himself. Max goes on to acknowledge, â€Å"Perhaps I am mad†. This declaration sums up the theory that something bothers Max, and that it is obviously taking a toll on him. Hitchcock depicts the sincere and loyal personality of Max as hiding something which changes his personality and domineering status. This is used to explore the gothic theme of madness and the effects that it has on Max. However, Mrs Danvers’ obsession leads her to commit acts of madness. Towards the end of the film Mrs Danvers burns down the mansion while she is still inside, inevitably killing herself in an attempt to bring justice to the long dead Rebecca. The final scene of the burning mansion and the screaming Mrs Danvers is symbolic of her madness, which was dangerous and not dissimilar from satanic worship. Poe’s The Tell- Tale Heart, also explores the gothic theme of madness. By writing in first person, Poe makes the story very narrow, as it fits only the narrator’s thoughts and reasoning. The narrator repeatedly claims he is not mad and that it is not madness that drives him, but instead it is the right thing to do. But he continues to question, â€Å"How then, am I mad? † Although there is only one point of view throughout the story, the narrator seems to talk to readers. He tries to persuade readers who are essentially his conscience that he is sane. Rather than convincing readers that he is sane, he verifies that he is indeed mad. By writing in first person, it is easy to understand what is going through the narrator’s mind. He emphasizes his madness and denial. Towards the end of the story the narrator behaves as if he is haunted and guilty, â€Å"I could bear those hypocritical smiles no longer†. He begins to imagine things that aren’t really there and reaches the point at which he can no longer hide his secret. Hence he is essentially confessing in the hope of freeing his conscience. Poe’s character is one who denies madness, whereas Hitchcock’s character embraces the idea. In addition, both Hitchcock and Poe successfully convey the Gothic theme of obsession. Hitchcock develops the menacing and lingering Mrs Danvers as a conniving character with an unnatural adoration for Rebecca. This is made apparent when Mrs De Winter catches Mrs Danvers in the room of Rebecca. The room has been kept to the precise orders of the late Rebecca. Mrs Danvers admiringly recounts all Rebecca had requested, â€Å"I kept her furs in here†¦ Put it against your face. It’s soft isn’t it? You can feel it can’t you? The scent is still fresh isn’t it? † The relationship between Mrs Danvers and the late Rebecca quickly escalates to become one that transgresses the normal. Mrs Danvers continues to hold onto the obsessive relationship and twisted love she shared with Rebecca. Mrs Danvers still longs for Rebecca who is no longer alive. The tone and language that Mrs Danvers uses when speaking to Mrs De Winter is short and proper. She seems to deliberately want to make Mrs De Winter feel uneasy with herself and incomparable to Rebecca. Even though Rebecca is dead, she is an increasingly large figure throughout the film. Her power is not drawn physically, but from the relationship she had with Mrs Danvers and the loyalty Mrs Danvers has for her. With the presence of Mrs Danvers, and the motif of her ‘R’ embroidery, there is a heavy feeling of Rebecca still being alive and never going away. The obsession that Mrs Danvers has for Rebecca may not be one of violence and hate, but it is still menacing, off-putting and frightening, right up to the end. The obsession in Poe’s short story and Hitchcock’s film both end similarly. The main character from The Tell- Tale Heart has an unhealthy obsession just like Mrs Danvers, â€Å"It haunted me day and night†¦ I think it was the eye! Yes it was this! † After ridding himself of the eye, a motif on the narrator’s obsession which is similar to the motif of Rebecca, his obsession has only shifted to concealing the crime he has committed. The narrator focuses all his power and attention to an eye, which causes him much annoyance, and an unbearable need to destroy it. His obsession with the eye and how it makes him feel, leads him to agree with himself in that it must be stopped. It is as if his obsession clouds his judgment of what is right and wrong. Even though Poe conveys the old man as how the narrator sees him, a reader can interpret the true nemesis as being the narrator. Poe conveys the narrator’s obsession by emphasizing every thought that has crossed his mind and how he spends much time and energy, taking care to deal with his obsession and fear. Eventually Poe’s character like Max also tries to conceal his crime but ends with a guilty confession. In conclusion, the key characters of Rebecca and The Tell- Tale Heart all portray the Gothic themes of madness and obsession. Each character plays a different role; Mrs Danvers is drawn up as a conniving madwoman who meets her deserved death. In contrast, Poe’s character is mad from the beginning as a result of an unhealthy obsession. He meets his own end voluntarily as he confesses his guilt.

Vampire Academy Chapter 14

FOURTEEN I CONTINUED SPYING ON LISSA over the next couple of days, feeling mildly guilty each time. She'd always hated it when I did by accident, and now I did it on purpose. Steadily, I watched as she reintegrated herself into the royal power players one by one. She couldn't do group compulsion, but catching one person alone was just as effective, if slower. And really, a lot didn't need to be compelled to start hanging out with her again. Many weren't as shallow as they seemed; they remembered Lissa and liked her for who she was. They flocked to her, and now, a month and a half after our return to the Academy, it was like she'd never left at all. And during this rise to fame, she advocated for me and rallied against Mia and Jesse. One morning, I tuned into her while she was getting ready for breakfast. She'd spent the last twenty minutes blow-drying and straightening her hair, something she hadn't done in a while. Natalie, sitting on the bed in their room, watched the process with curiosity. When Lissa moved on to makeup, Natalie finally spoke. â€Å"Hey, we're going to watch a movie in Erin's room after school. You going to come?† I'd always made jokes about Natalie being boring, but her friend Erin had the personality of dry wall. â€Å"Can't. I'm going to help Camille bleach Carly's hair.† â€Å"You sure spend a lot of time with them now.† â€Å"Yeah, I guess.† Lissa dabbed mascara across her lashes, instantly making her eyes look bigger. â€Å"I thought you didn't like them anymore.† â€Å"I changed my mind.† â€Å"They sure seem to like you a lot now. I mean, not that anyone wouldn't like you, but once you came back and didn't talk to them, they seemed okay ignoring you too. I heard them talking about you a lot. I guess that's not surprising, because they're Mia's friends too, but isn't it weird how much they like you now? Like, I hear them always waiting to see what you want to do before they make plans and stuff. And a bunch of them are defending Rose now, which is really crazy. Not that I believe any of that stuff about her, but I never would have thought it was possible – â€Å" Underneath Natalie's rambling was the seed of suspicion, and Lissa picked up on it. Natalie probably never would have dreamed of compulsion, but Lissa couldn't risk innocent questions turning into something more. â€Å"You know what?† she interrupted. â€Å"Maybe I will swing by Erin's after all. I bet Carly's hair won't take that long.† The offer derailed Natalie's train of thought. â€Å"Really? Oh wow, that would be great. She was telling me how sad she was that you're not around as much anymore, and I told her†¦Ã¢â‚¬  On it went. Lissa continued her compulsion and return to popularity. I watched it all quietly, always worrying, even though her efforts were starting to reduce the stares and gossip about me. â€Å"This is going to backfire,† I whispered to her in church one day. â€Å"Someone's going to start wondering and asking questions.† â€Å"Stop being so melodramatic. Power shifts all the time around here.† â€Å"Not like this.† â€Å"You don't think my winning personality could do this on its own?† â€Å"Of course I do, but if Christian spotted it right away, then someone else will – â€Å" My words were interrupted when two guys farther down the pew suddenly exploded into snickers. Glancing up, I saw them looking right at me, not even bothering to hide their smirks. Looking away, I tried to ignore them, suddenly hoping the priest would start up soon. But Lissa returned their looks, and a sudden fierceness flashed across her face. She didn't say a word, but their smiles grew smaller under her heavy gaze. â€Å"Tell her you're sorry,† she told them. â€Å"And make sure she believes it.† A moment later, they practically fell all over themselves apologizing to me and begging for forgiveness. I couldn't believe it. She'd used compulsion in public – in church, of all places. And on two people at the same time. They finally exhausted their supply of apologies, but Lissa wasn't finished. â€Å"That's the best you can do?† she snapped. Their eyes widened in alarm, both terrified that they'd angered her. â€Å"Liss,† I said quickly, touching her arm. â€Å"It's okay I, uh, accept their apologies.† Her face still radiated disapproval, but she finally nodded. The guys slumped in relief. Yikes. I'd never felt so relieved to have a service start. Through the bond, I felt a sort of dark satisfaction coming from Lissa. It was uncharacteristic for her, and I didn't like it. Needing to distract myself from her troubling behavior, I studied other people as I so often did. Nearby, Christian openly watched Lissa, a troubled look on his face. When he saw me, he scowled and turned away. Dimitri sat in the back as usual, for once not scanning every corner for danger. His attention was turned inward, his expression almost pained. I still didn't know why he came to church. He always seemed to be wrestling with something. In the front, the priest was talking about St. Vladimir again. â€Å"His spirit was strong, and he was truly gifted by God. When he touched them, the crippled walked, and the blind could see. Where he walked, flowers bloomed.† Man, the Moroi needed to get more saints – Healing cripples and blind people? I'd forgotten all about St. Vladimir. Mason had mentioned Vladimir bringing people back from the dead, and it had reminded me of Lissa at the time. Then other things had distracted me. I hadn't thought about the saint or his â€Å"shadow-kissed† guardian – and their bond – in a while. How could I have overlooked this? Ms. Karp, I realized, wasn't the only other Moroi who could heal like Lissa. Vladimir could too. â€Å"And all the while, the masses gathered to him, loving him, eager to follow his teachings and hear him preach the word of God†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Turning, I stared at Lissa. She gave me a puzzled look. â€Å"What?† I didn't get a chance to elaborate – I don't even know if I could have formed the words – because I was whisked back to my prison almost as soon as I stood up at the end of the service. Back in my room, I went online to research St. Vladimir but turned up nothing useful. Damn it. Mason had skimmed the books in the library and said there was little there. What did that leave me with? I had no way of learning more about that dusty old saint. Or did I? What had Christian said that first day with Lissa? Over there, we have an old box full of the writings of the blessed and crazy St. Vladimir. The storage room above the chapel. It had the writings. Christian had pointed them out. I needed to look at them, but how? I couldn't ask the priest. How would he react if he found out students were going up there? It'd put an end to Christian's lair. But maybe†¦maybe Christian himself could help. It was Sunday, though, and I wouldn't see him until tomorrow afternoon. Even then, I didn't know if I'd get a chance to talk to him alone. While heading out to practice later, I stopped in the dorm's kitchen to grab a granola bar. As I did, I passed a couple of novice guys, Miles and Anthony. Miles whistled when he saw me. â€Å"How's it been going, Rose? You getting lonely? Want some company?† Anthony laughed. â€Å"I can't bite you, but I can give you something else you want.† I had to pass through the doorway they stood in to get outside. Glaring, I pushed past, but Miles caught me around the waist, his hand sliding down to my butt. â€Å"Get your hands off my ass before I break your face,† I told him, jerking away. In doing so, I only bumped into Anthony. â€Å"Come on,† Anthony said, â€Å"I thought you didn't have a problem taking on two guys at the same time.† A new voice spoke up. â€Å"If you guys don't walk away right now, I'll take both of you on.† Mason. My hero. â€Å"You're so full of it, Ashford,† said Miles. He was the bigger of the two and left me to go square off with Mason. Anthony backed off from me, more interested in whether or not there'd be a fight. There was so much testosterone in the air, I felt like I needed a gas mask. â€Å"Are you doing her too?† Miles asked Mason. â€Å"You don't want to share?† â€Å"Say one more word about her, and I'll rip your head off.† â€Å"Why? She's just a cheap blood – â€Å" Mason punched him. It didn't rip Miles' head off or even cause anything to break or bleed, but it looked like it hurt. His eyes widened, and he lunged toward Mason. The sound of doors opening in the hall caused everyone to freeze. Novices got in a lot of trouble for fighting. â€Å"Probably some guardians coming.† Mason grinned. â€Å"You want them to know you were beating up on a girl?† Miles and Anthony exchanged glances. â€Å"Come on,† Anthony said. â€Å"Let's go. We don't have time for this.† Miles reluctantly followed. â€Å"I'll find you later, Ashford.† When they were gone, I turned on Mason. † ? ®Beat up on a girl'?† â€Å"You're welcome,† he said drily. â€Å"I didn't need your help.† â€Å"Sure. You were doing just fine on your own.† â€Å"They caught me off guard, that's all. I could have dealt with them eventually.† â€Å"Look, don't take being pissed off at them out on me.† â€Å"I just don't like being treated like†¦a girl.† â€Å"You are a girl. And I was just trying to help.† I looked at him and saw the earnestness on his face. He meant well. No point in being a bitch to him when I had so many other people to hate lately. â€Å"Well†¦thanks. Sorry I snapped at you.† We talked a little bit, and I managed to get him to spill some more school gossip. He had noticed Lissa's rise in status but didn't seem to find it strange. As I talked to him, I noticed the adoring look he always got around me spread across his face. It made me sad to have him feel that way about me. Guilty, even. How hard would it be, I wondered, to go out with him? He was nice, funny, and reasonably good-looking. We got along. Why did I get caught up in so many messes with other guys when I had a perfectly sweet one here who wanted me? Why couldn't I just return his feelings? The answer came to me before I'd even finished asking myself the question. I couldn't be Mason's girlfriend because when I imagined someone holding me and whispering dirty things in my ear, he had a Russian accent. Mason continued watching me admiringly, oblivious to what was going on in my head. And seeing that adoration, I suddenly realized how I could use it to my advantage. Feeling a little guilty, I shifted my conversation to a more flirty style and watched Mason's glow increase. I leaned beside him on the wall so our arms just touched and gave him a lazy smile. â€Å"You know, I still don't approve of your whole hero thing, but you did scare them. That was almost worth it.† â€Å"But you don't approve?† I trailed fingers up his arm. â€Å"No. I mean, it's hot in principle but not in practice.† He laughed. â€Å"The hell it isn't.† He caught hold of my hand and gave me a knowing look. â€Å"Sometimes you need to be saved. I think you like being saved sometimes and just can't admit it.† â€Å"And I think you get off on saving people and just can't admit it.† â€Å"I don't think you know what gets me off. Saving damsels like you is just the honorable thing to do,† he declared loftily. I repressed the urge to smack him over the use of damsels. â€Å"Then prove it. Do me a favor just because it's ? ®the right thing to do.' â€Å" â€Å"Sure,† he said immediately. â€Å"Name it.† â€Å"I need you to get a message to Christian Ozera.† His eagerness faltered. â€Å"What the – ? You aren't serious.† â€Å"Yes. Completely.† â€Å"Rose†¦I can't talk to him. You know that.† â€Å"I thought you said you'd help. I thought you said helping ? ®damsels' is the honorable thing to do.† â€Å"I don't really see how honor's involved here.† I gave him the most smoldering look I could manage. He caved. â€Å"What do you want me to tell him?† â€Å"Tell him I need St. Vladimir's books. The ones in storage. He needs to sneak them to me soon. Tell him it's for Lissa. And tell him†¦tell him I lied the night of the reception.† I hesitated. â€Å"Tell him I'm sorry.† â€Å"That doesn't make any sense.† â€Å"It doesn't have to. Just do it. Please?† I turned on the beauty queen smile again. With hasty assurances that he'd see what he could do, he left for lunch, and I went off to practice.

Make Spanish Your Browser Preference

Make Spanish Your Browser Preference Are there are some websites that are made in more than one language. Is there a way you can make them automatically appear in Spanish rather than English when you go to them? How to Set up Your Browser to a Spanish Default It is usually fairly easy, especially if your system is less than three or four years old. Here are the methods you can use with the most popular browsers. All of these have been tested with Microsoft Windows 7 and/or the Maverick Meerkat (10.10) Ubuntu distribution of Linux. Approaches here are likely to be similar with earlier versions of the software or with other operating systems: Microsoft Internet Explorer: Select the Tools menu on the upper-right of the page. Under the General tab, click on the Languages button near the bottom. Add Spanish, and move it to the top of the list. Mozilla Firefox: Click on Edit near the top of the screen and select Preferences. Select Content from the menu, then pick Choose next to Languages. Add Spanish and move it to the top of the list. Google Chrome: Click on the tools icon (a wrench) on the upper-right of the page, then select Preferences. Select the Under the Hood tab, then Change font and language settings under Web Content. Select the Languages tab, then add Spanish to the list and move it to the top. Apple Safari: Safari is designed to use the language that the operating system has as its preference, so to change the browsers preferred language you end up changing the language of your computer menus and possibly the menus of other applications as well. An explanation of this is beyond the scope of this article; various hacks of Safari also are possible. Opera: Click on the Tools menu and then Preferences. Then go to Select your preferred language at the bottom of the General tab. Add Spanish to the list and move it to the top. Other browsers: If youre using a browser not listed above on a desktop system, you generally can find a language setting by selecting Preferences and/or Tools. Mobile browsers, however, generally rely on the system settings, and you may not be able to change the preferred language of the browser without also changing the preferred language of your entire system. Try Your Preferences To see if your change in language preferences has worked, simply go to a site that offers content in multiple languages based on browser settings. Popular ones include the Google and Bing search engines. If your changes worked, the home page (and search results if youre testing on a search engine) should appear in Spanish. Note that this change works only with sites that recognize your browser configuration and act accordingly. For other multilanguage sites, which usually display in English or the main language of the home country by default, youll have to pick the Spanish-language version from the menus on the site.

No Two People are Exactly Alike (Lost Horizon)

No Two People are Exactly Alike (Lost Horizon) Everybody has their own "style." In James Hilton's Lost Horizon, the four travelers are their own person in every way. None of the four act in the same manner as another. Their different traits are displayed throughout the novel.The most "leader type" of them all is Conway, who is the one that everyone respects the most. Everyone comes to him with their problems or questions. During the time that they are all on the plane, he gives his answers to their questions with "the detached fluency of a university professor" (38). Conway is also very calm and easy-going. When all of the travelers are climbing the mountain, Mallinson complains. He wants to know what they are going to do. Conway replied smoothly "'there are times in life when the most comfortable thing is to do nothing at all'" (64). Also, when the voyagers resided in Shangri-La for a while, Conway is also very respectful to people.photo of Brinklow Castle, near Brinklow, Warwicksh...When Conway speaks to the "High-Lama," he spe aks with the utmost respect and admiration to him, like when he says to him "I felt it a signal honor to be received by you" (132). Conway is also the most trustful, his lips sealed with secrets. When Mallinson has his theory about Barnard, he trusts Conway with his thoughts. He also respects his answer.Mallinson is a little different than Conway. He is the rowdy one who cannot sit still. He always wants to get something done about a situation. When they are all on the plane, he tries to fix their situation by playing the "big-dog" role by saying he is going to "tackle him (the pilot) right away" (46) to try and save them all. He's also the young one of the bunch, within his mid-twenties. Charles Mallinson is also...

Would You Write Daily If You Got Paid For It

Would You Write Daily If You Got Paid For It A new UK company has launched offering aspiring novelists an alternative to publication: a salary from  £2,000 per month to write novels. De Montfort Literature (DML) will pay writers a salary to write novels which DML will then design, print, publish and promote. After salary, production and marketing costs, authors will receive a 50 percent share of the book sale profits. https://www.thebookseller.com/news/start-publishing-venture-offer-aspiring-novelists-salary-793601 Imagine having to report to work every day, sit at your desk, and produce a certain amount of work. To earn a full-time writing income, you have to write full-time. A lot of people dont like that. They think the rigorous schedule takes the fun out of writing. Well, guess what? When a hob Write every day. You get better. You get stronger. You get faster. You build confidence. You become dependable. You get to the point that whenever your butt hits the chair, your brain kicks into gear and your fingers itch to write. Its called habit. Its teaching your body what to instinctively do. And it makes a mockery out of writers block. Most authors are afraid to write daily. Those who arent, are the ones making more money. Doesnt that just make perfect sense?

International business and communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

International business and communication - Essay Example This paper is a study of national cultures with particular reference to the work habits and practices that exist in Germany and Spain. It will specifically look at the Martinez Construction & Konstruction Drezehn case study in the process and analyze how differences in national culture had resulted in the particular situation that came about there. The term national culture denotes the shared values, beliefs and practices that are common to the people belonging to a particular country or region. Often a subject in anthropological and social studies, many definitions and view points about culture and national culture have evolved through the ages. â€Å"The term culture has various meanings, all derived from Latin meaning â€Å"which is cultivation of the soil.† (Jais, 27). Due to increasing diversity in the workplace, the concept of national culture has now become a part of business studies as well. A review of literature on the subject leads almost universally to the studies done by Professor Geert Hofstede on his studies on national identity in the workplace. Before going into detail on the cultural dimensions as conceived by Hofstede and other theorists, it would be pertinent to look at the factors responsible for the evolving of a work culture. â€Å"Culture is a metaphor which can be used to explore the identity of a business. It is about how others see the business, but also how the individuals who work there understand it. Culture offers us a powerful insight into the business and what it is like to work within it.† (An Introduction to Business Cultures). It should be noted that these factors are apart from those that have influenced individual culture through family and social interactions. The influence of leadership and vision that exists within a particular organization will be a dominant factor that helps a particular culture to evolve. The company tradition (depends on how long the

Fashion designs by Gabrielle Coco Chanel Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Fashion designs by Gabrielle Coco Chanel - Essay Example The essay "Fashion designs by Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel" analyzes the role of Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel's fashion design in the fashion history. She did not stop there as she proceeded and built a large fashion house with branches across Europe, for example, in Paris and London. Her earlier career in cloth fashion was her boutique, where she could sell casual clothes used during leisure time or designed for sporting activities. She also sold sweaters and jackets, which became very popular around the world due to the innovative stylish features she came up with. During the twentieth century, social, cultural and historical events and practices had a lot of impact on fashion and design. The designers could easily access the styles, desired designs, and the required materials. The good thing was that during the time, communication and travel across continents had been eased and one could travel across the continents. Fashions across many regions were designed in ac cordance to the tradition and believes, for example in America during the early years of republic. People preferred to reveal themselves through clothing. These people embraced liberty and democracy; their mode of expression was through fashions. As time progressed, women desired clothing that was less restrictive, offered a lot of comfort, and were reasonable. It was during these moments of fashion design revolution that Gabrielle Chanel Coco emerged; her life is funny in the way she could live in an image of herself. She changed her life story. spent most of her life perpetually changing her life story. She at times denied that she did not have brothers and sisters. She lied about her father and sometimes pretended not to remember anything about her clients. Her life was generally an interesting one. Her mind was full of fabrication (Madsen 1990). Chanel’s designs represented the desires of women and reflected the changing lives. Her work was modern and her designs contradi cted those of former designers, who often sought themes of fantasies. Hers were intended for excitement. Before Chanel’s entrance into the fashion design industry, there were others like Paul Poiret, whose designs had manifested changes in the new century; his designs did not embrace the modern life, unlike those of Chanel, who optimized hers to fit a youthful life. Her designs valued comfort and simplicity. The designs made for females could appropriately accommodate their form, since they were somewhere between being tight and loose (Koda 2005). Chanel’s wares were similar to her dressing mode; she could wear what made her look smart and clothing that brought revolution to women wear. To describe, she could wear a skirt; a trim one and a matching jacket that could stretch to the hip, had a notched collar, and squeezed slightly at her waist. It is highly notable that her costumes were recognizable just as her identity was. Her presence in a production was anonymous as she could boost ticket sales. She knew well how to make her clothing with jewelries and scuffs, something that became admirable to the young generation. She was on her style, unique from the previous fashion designers. Chanel Coco was described to be a realistic designer. In her early design life, she had decided to be wearing jersey because it was cheap. The steps Chanel had taken were amazing; from a hat designer to apparel designer. She used to borrow her design style from the men’s wear. Her approach was simple; to design clothes out of

Case 3.3 Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

3.3 - Case Study Example When taking history, it is important to record the accurate date of admission in the patient’s medical record. The admission date will help the nurse to calculate to calculate the patient length of stay at discharge or during the death of the patient. Calculating accurate length of stay for the patient will enable the accounting department to calculate the exact cost for patient stay in the hospital. Length of stay (LOS) is a period that covers the duration of a single episode of patient hospitalization. It is measured in days but not hours. It provides the hospital management with information on how quickly patients are being treated and discharged. This can give information on whether patients are being managed properly. To calculate LOS, the patient date of admission and discharge need to be tabulated. LOS is after that computed by subtracting the date of admission from the date of discharge or death. However, patients entering and leaving the hospital on the same day are given an LOS of one day. Proper keeping of records needs to be instituted in the hospital set up as it provides vital information on the patient’s progress. LOS of patient can help the hospital management to know how quickly the patients are being treated and discharged. This will further help to tell if patients are receiving a proper management for their

Mergers & Acquisitions. Sprint-T-Mobile Term Paper

Mergers & Acquisitions. Sprint-T-Mobile - Term Paper Example The prospective merger between T-Mobile and Sprint has evoked mixed opinions among the shareholders of both the companies. T-Mobile USA is a subsidiary of German based Deutsche Telekom AG (DTE). The intention of DTE is to sell off the entity to Sprint and own a major stake in the combined entity. (Saitto et.al., 2011) The merger will be positive for both the companies in terms of the market presence. As of now both the companies are the third and the fourth largest operators. This deal would be beneficial for the shareholders of T-Mobile. The shareholders of T-Mobile are already worried with the recent drop in its share price due to drop in quarter-on-quarter profits. Therefore, any possible merger is an opportunity for the shareholders to sell the shares on a price better that a market price. Moreover, for those shareholders who are not selling off the shares, it is an opportunity for them to get more shares allotted in the new entity. The situation is slightly different in terms of the shareholders of Sprint. Sprint has a strong technology back up to compete with all the competitors in the market. â€Å"Sprint Nextel has partnered with Clearwire to build a 4G wireless network using a technology called WiMax, which is now available in 43 markets.† (ABMN, 2010) Sprint is already committed to pay Clearwire Corporation for building 4G wireless technology. Sprint is bound to pay Clearwire a minimum amount of $850 million in two years. This can even go up based on the growth in data usage. This deal though was spread over for 2 to 3 years will raise the debt level of the company. A potential merger with T-Mobile will further raise the debt level of Sprint. This will be threatening for the financial position of the company. Eventually this can lead to loss for the shareholders. At this point, it is important to look at the financial position of both the companies. T-Mobile has been facing serious decline in its cu stomer base and profitability for some quarters now. All other players in the market are well equipped with sufficient technologies to capitalize the future market. It is difficult for T-Mobile to capture additional customers as they lack the technology strength to do so. Therefore, the customer and profit erosion for T-Mobile will be much faster in the coming years. â€Å"During the first quarter of 2011, T-Mobile saw its revenue hit $4.63 billion, putting it in line with the first quarter of 2010. However, the company’s profit fell over $200 million year over year from $362 million last year to $135 million in the first quarter of 2011.† (Reisinger, 2011) The total customer loss in 2010 alone was 56,000. The second quarter results of the company have shown a decrease in the total assets to $46,291 million from that of $46,299 million. Cash and equivalents have decreased to $109 million from that of $344 million. There is an increase in the total liabilities of the co mpany. Sprint Nextel is better positioned than T-mobile in terms of the financial position. Unlike T-Mobile, Sprint reported first quarterly revenue after 3 years. Sprint was also undergoing a loss of revenue since 2007. (Bloomberg, 2011) The net incomes were on the negative side year on year. The first quarterly revenue was in fact a positive sign that the financial position of the company will pick up. But then the second quarter results were again on the negative side for the company. (Sprint, 2011) These negative revenues have taken a tall on the cash flow of the company. Especially at this stage when the Sprint is

International business class (Discussion Board) Assignment - 1

International business class (Discussion Board) - Assignment Example Demand conditions simply meant the domestic demand for a product. Demand encourages production because of the incentive of profit. The more the company creates a particular product, the more they become good at it. Related supporting industries are complementary firms that make an industry benefit through it and enhances its competitiveness. Firms strategy, structure and rivalry simply meant the regulatory conditions in a certain country that could encourage innovation and rivalry that would ultimately make firms competitive. If Porter’s theory is to be taken as an absolute truth especially with his factor conditions that the availability of resources would make a country competitive, then Africa would have been one of the richest countries in the world because almost all raw materials in production can be found there. But as we already know, Africa is one of the poorest continent in the world and this posits that natural resources alone is not enough to make a country competitive debunking Porter’s first notion of factor condition as a prelude to national

Strategic grouping, competition, and consumer behavior Essay

Strategic grouping, competition, and consumer behavior - Essay Example The paper will analyze five sectors that are denoted as follows (with their corresponding NAICS codes): 44812 (women’s clothing), 448310 (jewelry stores), 45391 (pet stores and supplies), 722330 (mobile food services), and 72111 (hotels and motels). Furthermore, the discussion between these five industries will analyze class, category, forms, and brands that exist within each; helping the reader to gain a further level of interpretive understanding that relates to the way in which these entities compete and exist within the current environment. Through an analysis of these metrics, the author will be able to provide the reader with a more in-depth analysis of the way in which the following markets work and the levels of consumer choice, substitutability, and competition that exists within each one of these.   Though it might be understood that competition is guaranteed, the reality of the fact is that differing levels of competition create unique opportunities and help to de fine markets that would otherwise be incorrectly categorized.   The first industry that will be analyzed is that of the NAICs code of 44812, or women’s clothing – listed under the retail trade 44- NAICs category.   Naturally, the class and category of this particular industry are that of consumer goods relating to fashion.   Yet, extreme diversification exists with respect to the forms and brands of actual industries that compete within this sector.   For instance, Forever21 competes alongside the likes of Versace and Prada.

International business class (Discussion Board) Assignment - 1

International business class (Discussion Board) - Assignment Example Demand conditions simply meant the domestic demand for a product. Demand encourages production because of the incentive of profit. The more the company creates a particular product, the more they become good at it. Related supporting industries are complementary firms that make an industry benefit through it and enhances its competitiveness. Firms strategy, structure and rivalry simply meant the regulatory conditions in a certain country that could encourage innovation and rivalry that would ultimately make firms competitive. If Porter’s theory is to be taken as an absolute truth especially with his factor conditions that the availability of resources would make a country competitive, then Africa would have been one of the richest countries in the world because almost all raw materials in production can be found there. But as we already know, Africa is one of the poorest continent in the world and this posits that natural resources alone is not enough to make a country competitive debunking Porter’s first notion of factor condition as a prelude to national

Islam Is the Way of Life Essay Example for Free

Islam Is the Way of Life Essay Thank yuo Mrs. Chairman. Well, good morning everyone. I would like to utter my very first salam to the honourable judges, respected teachers and fellow friends. My name is Noor Husna Bt. Ahmad Toha and Im from the red team. The reason why am I standing here today is to give a speech entitled Islam is the Way of Life. First and foremost, I believed that each one of us had already heard the phrase Islam is the Way of Life quite often but what does it really means? So today, lets make ourselves clear with it. Teachers and students, Islam guides from the cradle to the grave. It guides us in all aspects of life rather than just prayer and worship. The way of life of Prophet Muhammad P.B.U.H is the way of life of Islam. His 24 hours of life is the perfect model for the people to follow until the Dooms Day. His way of speech, dresiing, his dealing with the wives, children and people in general, his sitiing, walking, sleeping, eating and even his way in the lavatory are model to us. His dealing as the ruler of the Islamic nation, as the judge, as the commander in chief of army, as the head of the family are examples to follow. Prophet Muhammad had once said, I have left two things with you which if you hold onto, you shall not misguided; The Book of God and my example. Humans are made to obey The Creator. Following the Sunnah are one of the many ways to show our devotion to Allah, and the most important is surely to be gracious and respectful to Allahs Messenger as stated in the Holy Quran in the first sentence of Surat Al-Hujurat which means, O you who believe, do not put yourselves forward before Allah and His Messenger, but fear Allah: for Allahis He Who hears and knows all things. We can see a lot of scams in the business nowadays which is very contrary to what has been taught to us by the Prophet. It is a compulsary to us to be fair and honest in trading. Deceiving is completely forbidden. Cheating in business does not benefits anything but it is more likely to gives bad effect to our own life.

Organisational development and organisatins effectiveness and viabi

Organisational development and organisatins effectiveness and viabi The most bizarre thing about Organisational development is that there is not a single definition capable of explaining it properly; in simple terms Organisational development can be regarded as planned change concept, organisation wide effort to increase an organisations effectiveness and viability. Organization development is interdisciplinary in nature and draws on sociology, personality, psychology, and theories of motivation. It is considered both applied behavioural science focused on understanding and managing organizational change as well as a field of scientific study and enquiry (en.wikipedia.orgwiki/organization_development). Kurt Lewin (1898-1947) is credited with the origin and development as it is his work on Group dynamics and Action-Research which corroborates the basic OD process. Going through the history it would be worth saying that 1960s were the Influential period of T-group which saw the inculcation of Lewins Force Field analysis and organisational theory (Lawre nce and Lorsch, 1967; Argyris, 1962; Harisson, 1963, 66). Planned change approach coined by Kurt Lewin is corroborated by the humanistic and democratic values and had its focus upon resolving group issues and improvement through the involvement of managers, employees and a change consultant (Bernard Burnes, 2004). Till 1980s planned Change was the dominant approach to manage organisational change, however by 1980s it faced harsh criticism regarding the ability to stand for the organisations operating in dynamic and unpredictable environments. This essay will discuss the origin and objectives of Organisational development. Going further insights will be developed regarding the evolution of organisational development and its present scenario. Critical evaluation and comparison will be done in order to determine the difference between the present one and the original developed and to understand whether Organisational development still hold its purpose and coherence. ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMENT It will be worth saying that it is an uphill task to put Organisational development under a single definition. In an organisation team building with top corporate management, Job enrichment in manufacturing are all examples of Organisational development (Cummings and Worley). Some definitions of Organisational development are described as under Organisational development is a Planned process of change in an organisations culture through the utilization of behavioural science technology, research and theory. (Warner Burke) Organisational development is An effort (1) planned, (2) organisation-wide, and (3) managed from the top, to (4) increase organisational effectiveness and health through (5) planned interventions in the organisations processes using behavioural science knowledge. (Richard Beckhard) Organisation development refers to a Long-range effort to improve an organisations problem-solving capabilities and its ability to cope with changes in its external environment with the help of external or internal behavioural-scientist consultants, or change agents, as they are sometimes called. (Wendell French) Organisational development is Long term, planned changes in the culture, technology and management of a total organisation or at least significant part of the total organisation. (Jamieson, Bach Kallick and Kur, 1984) From the above explained definitions it is quite obvious that all of them differ on several important dimensions such as some focus on culture, some on the importance of top management support while other on the importance of technology, there is no doubt that do exhibit some common features Organisational development is concerned with managing planned change targeting organisation-wide issues, problems and challenges. Organisational development is basically a data-driven process, collected through process of action research by ways such as observations, assessments and surveys. Intent of organisational development to improve organisational effectiveness and it serves the purpose of both the creation as well as the subsequent reinforcement of change. Organisational development is concerned with the change in strategy, structure and/or process of an entire system. Organisational development is based upon the application and transfer of behavioural knowledge and practice such as leadership, group dynamics, and organization design. (Cummings and Worley, 2005) An attempt have been made by Cummings and Worley to incorporate most of the views expressed in various definitions through the very definition explained below Organisation development is a system wide application and transfer of behavioural science knowledge to the planned development, improvement, and reinforcement of the strategies, structures and processes that lead to organisation effectiveness. Organisational development had its origin in the 1960s when the need of Organisational health preponderant. Organisational development tends to works by acknowledging the dysfunctions and correcting them in order to retain equilibrium. Initial approaches to Organisational development was developed on the theories of Kurt Lewin who described it as a planned change and is based on Field theory, Group dynamics, Action Research and Three step model. Apart from significant work carried out by Kurt Lewin there are other prominent researchers in this field such as Bullock and Batten(1985) who proposed a four phase model of planned change Exploration phase, Planning phase, Action phase and Integration phase. It will be worth mentioning that in spite of the extensive work carried the focus was on change at Individual and Group level ignoring the organisations in their entirety. The main objectives of Organisation development are to address and smoothen the process of change that will in turn help the organisation to achieve greater effectiveness. Evolution of Organisational Development Organisational development have emerged from five basic backgrounds or stems as described below (Cummings and Worley) Growth of National Training Laboratories (NTL) and development of training groups known as T-groups. This very stem of Organisational development pioneered the T-Group a small, unstructured group in which the participants are expected to gain from their own interactions and developing dynamics such as interpersonal relations, leadership, and group dynamics. With the passage of time T- Groups have declined on their importance as OD intervention and is often associated with the reputation of Organisational development as touchy-feely process. The practical aspects of T-Group organisations are better known as team building and worth saying that it is one of the institutionalized forms of Organisational development today. Inculcation of action research as a way of applying research to managing change. An important feature of action research was survey feedback. It was well-understood that in order to manage change research needs to be in close ties with action. Action research was seen as two-pronged process and it focuses on the fact that change requires action that can be achieved by carefully analysing the situation properly, looking out for all the possible alternatives and going for the most apt. to situation at hand (Bennet, 1983). Action research stresses that change can only be effective if it is taken at the group level by involving concerned ones and it must be a participative and collaborative process. (French and Bell, 1984; Lewin, 1947b). One of the key components of action research studies was the systematic collection of survey data that was fed back. The third one is associated with a normative view i.e. One best way to manage organisations. The third stem that popped out was the normative view which closely held the view that Human relations approach represents a One best way to manage organisations. Furthermore, this normative belief was illustrated by through Likerts Participative Management style i.e. Participative Group systems and Blake and Moutons Grid OD program with organisational effectiveness. (R. Likert, 1967; R. Blake and J. Mouton, 1964) The fourth stem can very well be described as the approach focusing on quality of work life and productivity. This very stem or we can say the background to OD can be described under two phases that initially took off by the projects developed and their emergence in 1950s, 60s and lasted until mid 1970s. This phase of QWL programs were concerned with providing employees high levels of discretion, task variety and feedback about results. One of the main characteristic of QWL was Self-managing groups as a form of work design. It lost its importance during 1970s due to other important and emerging issues such as inflation and energy costs. Second phase of QWL extended its scope and inculcated other features such as work flows, reward systems, management styles that effect employee productivity and satisfaction and is known by the term Employee Involvement. (Cummings and Worley, 05) The fifth and last stem of organisational development involves strategic change and organisation transformation. The latest of Strategic change background have an overarching influence on Organisational Developments evolution. In current scenario the environments known as technological, socio-political environments are more complex and uncertain than ever before which in turns calls for planned change process and strategic perspective from Organisational development (D. Naddler, 1988). Strategic change intervention helps to improve both the organisational effectiveness and its relationship to its environment. Moreover, Strategic changes to organisational development have made its presence felt in mergers and acquisitions, alliance formation. (M. Marks and P.Mirvis, 1998). All the above explained five stems have great influence on the current practice of organisational development as well as by the trends that are responsible of shaping change in the organisations. The commonality between all the backgrounds is that all wholeheartedly support the transfer of knowledge and skill to the client system and making them capable of managing better change. This field of organisational development is on a growth spree as it can be witnessed through the new researchers, theorists, practitioners who are building their work on the work of early pioneers and making it perfect for the contemporary situations. Findings Organisational change as a planned discipline is concerned with the application of behavioural knowledge and practice in order to help organisation to achieve greater effectiveness but growing with the evolution phase, Current phase of organisational development goes far beyond its humanistic origins and it will be worth saying that as now a days practitioners of Organisational development took a more prescriptive approach as compared to early pioneers of Organisation development who took analytical approach. Lawrence and Lorsch (1969) draw organisational development in terms of activities at three interfaces Organisation to environment, Group to group, and Individual to organisation. Till 1980s planned change approach as coined by Kurt Lewin with its set of tools, techniques and practitioners was the dominant approach in managing organisational change unless it faced criticism from certain quarters regarding its inability to cope up with emerging and coercive situations such as dyn amic and unpredictable environments. Even in todays scenario there is a continuing argument over the proper definition, its state of art and the skills required for practising it. Despite certain limitations cited who have opposed it by saying that Planned change is more flexible and holistic approach than it is being considered and is en route on a transition phase from being a miscellany of certain devices to becoming a mature, usable set of principles and procedures for organisational change (Cummings and Worley, 2001; French and Bell, 1995; Robert L.Kahn, 2002). The problems cited with Planned change to change are that it was developed for the organisations operating in Top-down, autocratic environment (Wooten and White, 1999:8). It also have been criticized on the other note that it is more emphasized on Incremental and isolated change rather than its ability to cope up with more radical and transformational change (Dawson,1994 ; Schein,1985). Planned change is more suitable fo r the group and individual context but lacks strength for system-wide change. One of the problems of organisational development is the inclusion of conversational and commercial terms as independent variables such as T-Group training as a number of activities lies with the preference of trainer itself (Back, 1972). Other problem that can be cited is that Organisational development relies too much on the expertise and experience of trainees and change agent. Though often the process of planned change in terms of three successive phases Unfreezing, Moving and Freezing is often quoted without proper understanding of it as well as the Lewinian quasi-stationary equilibrium is often seen but without undergoing any proper system conceptualization calls for more serious attention so that a more holistic approach can be developed in managing Organisational change. In a nutshell, it can be said that it is not fruitful to look solely at group and individual level, the need is to look for the organisations in their entirety as seen from the concepts developed by Kurt Lewin. Organisational development practitioners have understood the importance of understanding organisational culture and organisational learning. The concepts coined by Kurt Lewin and others pioneers in this field are still relevant and needs a more in-depth understanding. The need of the hour is the conjugation of the emergent approaches such as punctuated-equilibrium, continuous transformation models with the existing approaches so that more benefits can be realized in terms of organization effectiveness by achieving planned organisational change. In the end it is worth mentioning that organisational development is not that Strategic and this is the prime reason why Organisational development have lost its purpose and coherence. Though there has not been a single approach for Org anisational Development but the combination of all the approaches make it a very coherent approach and it needs to be developed with the ever changing scenario so that nothing affects its suitability. References en.wikipedia.orgwiki/organization_development. Lawrence and Lorsch, 1967; Argyris, 1962; Harisson, 1963, 66 Bernard Burnes, 2004 ; Managing Change W.Burke, Organisation Development: Principles and Practice (Boston: Little,Brown, 1982); Cummings and Worley (Organisation development and change, 2005) W. French, Organization development: objectives, Assumptions, and Strategies, California Management Review 12,2 (1969):23-24; Cummings and Worley (Organisation development and change, 2005) R. Beckhard, Organisational Development :Strategies and models (Reading,Mass: Addison-Wesley, 1969) ; Cummings and Worley (Organisation development and change, 2005) (Jamieson, Bach Kallick and Kur, 1984); Introduction and overview of Organisational Development as a data driven approach for Organisational change ( Janine Waclawski, Allan H.Church) Cummings and Worley (Organisation development and change, 2005) Bullock and Batten, 1985; Bernard Burnes, 2004 (Managing Change) French and Bell, 1984; Lewin, 1947b; Cummings and Worley (Organisation development and change, 2005) R. Likert, 1967; R. Blake and J. Mouton, 1964; Cummings and Worley (Organisation development and change, 2005) D. Naddler, 1988; M. Marks and P.Mirvis, 1998; Cummings and Worley (Organisation development and change, 2005) Cummings and Worley, 2001; French and Bell, 1995; Robert L.Kahn, 2002; Wooten and White, 1999:8; Organisational development : Some problems and proposals, (Robert L. Kahn,2002) Dawson,1994 ; Schein,1985; Organisational development : Some problems and proposals, (Robert L. Kahn,2002) Back, 1972; Organisational development : Some problems and proposals, (Robert L. Kahn,2002)

Themes Of Betrayal In James Jo Essay -- essays research papers fc

Origins of the Theme of Betrayal in James Joyce's Dubliners Throughout his early years, certain people and events heightened Joyce's awareness of the hopelessly corrupt environment of Ireland that had betrayed so many of its own. The more profound of these enlightening inspirations were the betrayal and downfall of Charles Stewart Parnell, the indifference of Henrik Ibsen towards literary protests, the neglected native artistry of James Clarence Mangan, and Joyce's own role as Prefect. These occurrences provoked Joyce's bitter resentment towards Ireland, initiating the gradual alienation towards his church and homeland. The issue of betrayal is prevalent throughout Dubliners, for Joyce imagined it, hated it, and feared it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  James Joyce was born into a country dominated by England, and the cause of Irish freedom captured his imagination at an early age. The spokesman for this cause was Charles Stewart Parnell, who became a heroic figure to Joyce. It was the early period of Joyce's life that saw Parnell greatest influence and tragic betrayal.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  By 1889 the attempt to implicate Parnell in the Phoenix Park murders of 1882 had failed, but in the same year he was accused of adultery in the divorce suit of captain O' Shea. At first it appeared that Parnell might weather this scandal, but a coalition of political enemies and devout Catholics ousted him from leadership of the Irish Parliamentary Party, and the rural population of Ireland turned against their leader with savage hatred. Even Parnell's Lieutenant Tim Healy, who had vowed never to betray his leader, finally turned against Parnell. After a year of campaigning against his enemies, Parnell died on October 6th, 1891—this day marks the beginning of James Joyce's resentful feelings towards Ireland, which were eventually revealed in Dubliners.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Parnell's body was brought to Dublin for burial, thousands were waiting for a glimpse of the coffin. Among the spectators was St. John Irvine, who mournfully recalled: It was taken from a deal case—'which was thrown aside, but, as it fell, crowds seized it and tore it into fragments that they might have even that as a relic of him'—and carried to City Hall. It lay there under O'Connell's statue through a wet and stormy morning and noon, while t... ...s Clarence Mangan evoked in Joyce the fear of restriction and limitation, leading to his departure from Ireland. From Henrik Ibsen, Joyce learned to ignore protest and controversy, heightening his bitter resentment towards Ireland after nine years of frustration in finding a publisher for Dubliners. And it was Joyce's failed role as Prefect of the Sodality that led to his abandonment of Irish Catholicism. His early life proved to Joyce that Ireland was corrupt, both morally and spiritually. Therefore, Joyce's alienation from, and resentment toward, Ireland were inevitable, as was the theme of betrayal in Dubliners. Works Cited 1) Goldberg, S.L. James Joyce. New York: Grove Press, 1962. 2) Kershner. R.B. Joyce, Bakhtin, and Popular Literature: Chronicles of Disorder. North Carolina: North Carolina U.P., 1989 3) Mangalaner, Marvin, and Richard Kain. Joyce: The Man, the Work, the Reputation. New York: New York U.P., 1956. 4) Sullivan, Kevin. Joyce among the Jesuits. New York: Columbia U.P., 1958. 5) Ellman, Richard. The Conscience of Joyce. Toronto and New York: Oxford U.P., 1977. 6) Garrett, Peter K. Twentieth Century Interpretations of Dubliners. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1968.

Status Confessionis and Social Commentary from the Current Church Ess

Status Confessionis and Social Commentary from the Current Church Throughout my ongoing investigation of the interactions between religious values and social behavior, I have become thoroughly intrigued with the role of the institutional church in the realm of social commentary and criticism, as well as political activism. That there is a long standing concept within the church tradition relating to my curiosity is not terribly surprising after just an overview of the language that sociology theory has applied to religious bodies. The role of the church in relation to society is divided into two basic categories of action- that of the â€Å"priest,† and that of the â€Å"prophet.† (Download a PDF file of a pamphlet eslpaining the terminolgoy of "Priest & Prophet.") The former describes the conserving, nurturing actions of the church towards broader social structures, the latter, criticism and the call to move away from corruption towards righteousness. When acting as prophet in the most extreme sense, the church is considered to be in a time of, what is called, status confessionis - acknowledging a state of social injustice so abhorrent that the church must actively interject its influence into even the secular sphere and demand repentance and reform. Nazism and apartheid in South Africa are the two most often cited examples of church bodies acting in status confessionis (Schuurman 100). What intrigues me about this idea is the reserve with which it is invoked, judging by the tone of the passage where the concept is addressed in the book Vocation by Douglas Shuurman. Considering the broader historical-theological context of the issue, including Brunner's injunction against â€Å"‘the disastrous dogma that various ‘orders' are not subj... ...r place in the kingdom of God. On the other hand, as long as the hungry are being fed and the despised loved, God's hand is moving in the world. So I come full circle to find that we must faithfully remain amidst the brokenness and corruption, fix what we can, and be prepared to let God act as God will, as I, and each of us, pursue our own vocations and encourage others to do the same. As theologian Walter Brueggeman has written, â€Å"What God does first and best and most is to trust his people with their moment in history. He trusts them to do what must be done for the sake of the whole community.† So be it. Amen. Works Cited Buechler, Steven M., & F. Kurt Cylke, Jr. Social Movements: Perspectives and Issues . Toronto: Mayfield Publishing Company, 1997. Schuurman, Douglas J. Vocation . Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2004.

Point of View Essay

The speaker of the story, who speaks as a first-person narrator, is not named. We may conclude that he has had a good deal of experience with small boats, and with the language of sailors. His concentration shifts in the course of the story. At first, he seems to be aware of all four men on the boat, collectively, and he makes observations that permit us to understand the ideas and responses of the men, who are linked in a virtual â€Å"brotherhood† because of their having been stranded on a tiny boat amid the high waves that are menacing their existence (paragraph 9). At about paragraph 49, however, the speaker shifts his concentration primarily to the correspondent, while he describes the other men more dramatically. Might we assume that at this point, Crane is merging the speaker of the story with his own voice, as nearly as we can determine it? Throughout, the speaker introduces some of his own ideas, and also, at times, speaks ironically. This accounts for some of the more humorous expressions in the story. Thus, the speaker comments wryly that the men, while rushing from the sinking ship to save themselves, â€Å"had forgotten to eat heartily† and therefore were now being weakened with hunger (paragraph 49). The speaker is in control of the tone of his descriptions, as when he points out that the human back, to a rower, is subject to innumerable and painful kinks and knots (paragraph 82). The speaker is also observant and philosophical, as when he comments that the four men at sea need to turn their heads to contemplate the â€Å"lonely and indifferent shore† (paragraph 206). The story’s final sentence, about the fact that the three surviving men can be â€Å"interpreters,† is suggestive of a good deal of thought and observation that could lead beyond the content of the story. Though the point of view is third-person limited-omniscient, Crane’s merging of his thoughts with the narrator’s would not be as effective, not as dramatic, or objective, for it is this third-person distance that Crane feels would be most suitable for his idea that men are insignificant compared to the forces of nature, or nature itself. The point is driven home well with his particular point of view: another or different point of view would cloud his message and obscure his central theme: a different point of view would be too emotional, too fraught with survivability. The white heron is told from a third-person omniscient point-of-view, one that is aware of both Sylvia’s hopes and aspirations, and the hardships that she will encounter as she strives to achieve them. The constancy of the tree is noted from the very beginning with Sylvia’s recognition that â€Å"[in the] dark boughs [of the tree]†¦ he wind always, stirred, no matter how hot and still the air might be below†¦ † It is from this stillness that Sylvia begins her journey â€Å"with tingling eager blood† and apprehension of the point at which she must make â€Å"the dangerous pass from one tree to the other, [when] the great enterprise would really begin. † This image of making the transition from a smaller tree to a larger more dangerous one is a symbol of Sylvia leaving the realm of her early childhood to begin facing the challenges of becoming an adult. At first, â€Å"Sylvia felt her way uneasily,† but as she crosses trees and feels the support of the old pine, she becomes â€Å"his new dependent. † The pine is likened to â€Å"a great main mast to voyaging earth,† a simile which is followed by the author’s personification of the way in which it â€Å"h [olds] away the winds† to protect the â€Å"solitary gray-eyed child† just as a father would do. The narrative pace of the passage varies from being restrained and held back as Sylvia prepares for her adventure, to increasing in speed slightly once she changes trees, to finally reaching a climax once she reaches the top. It is this fast progression from her climbing and feelings of support from the tree to this climactic awakening that aids in communicating the true extent of Sylvia’s growth. The â€Å"spark of human spirit† that the tree’s â€Å"ponderous frame† helps to lift to the top quickly easily becomes â€Å"a pale star,† trembling and tired, but wholly triumphant. † Bierce tells â€Å"An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge† in three parts. Part I is in objective third-person point of view except for the last three paragraphs. In objective third-person narration, the storyteller observes events but cannot enter the mind of any character and disclose his or her thoughts. In the last three paragraphs of the Part I, the narration shifts to omniscient (all-knowing) third-person point of view in relation to Peyton Farquhar. This shift enables Bierce to take the reader inside Farquhar’s mind to demonstrate how emotional upheaval alters not only the way the mind interprets reality but also the way it perceives the passage of time. First, Farquhar mistakes the ticking of his watch for the tolling of a bell or the ring of an anvil struck by a hammer. Then, after Farquhar drops from the bridge at the moment of execution, he perceives a single second as lasting hours.

Cofer – the Myth of the Latin Woman: I Just Met a Girl Named Maria

As Judith Ortiz Cofer says in her essay â€Å"mixed cultural signals have perpetuated certain stereotypes† (49). Since something can be natural in a determined culture and offensive in another, it is easy to find a variety of behaves that are misunderstood. This misunderstood is what promotes the existence of prejudice. The stereotypes should be ignored and forgotten by people. Each individual should be judge by its work and personality, and not by its clothes, physical appearance or place of origin. People should know better about distinct culture before believe in stereotypes. As a Brazilian woman (and therefore Latina). I can talk about the stereotype created about women from my country. Brazil is known for its soccer team, carnival, and beautiful women. It seems nice characteristic to be identified with. Although, those characteristics make people believe that in Brazil the women are always or at least most of the time naked. Brazilian girls are believed to be easy ones, because they kiss in the mouth on the first date. In some countries (as the ones in Europe) people also believe the Brazilian women that move to there are all prostitutes. Those and much more related kind of stereotypes make the Brazilian women to endure a lot prejudice not only as a Latin but also as a Brazilian. It is very sad to know that people are so influenceable but that is how it is. And it is very difficult to change such an old idea that is attached to the people’s mind. But we should not give up of the transformation. Cofer emphasizes that â€Å"we cannot change this (the myth of Latina as whore, domestic or criminal) by legislating the way people look at us. The transformation, as I see it, has to occur at a much more individual level† (56). I fully endorse her idea about the change be made in an individual level. I believe that each Latin woman should try show with her own example of life and behave that the stereotypically idea that people have about Latinas is wrong. We must show them that we are misinterpreted because of the unlikeness between our cultures. Something that is natural to me can be vulgar to someone else. That is why we should try to clarify our culture. We should make people understand it better and stop make judgment based on stereotypes. I assume that prejudice comes from the unknown. If a person knows more about the differences, he/she would be able to understand it better. And maybe the pattern created by the media and folklore about the Latinas would not be so easy accepted as a true.

Html Studyguide

The general syntax of a CSS style rule is selector { property1: value1; property2: value2; property3: value3; } Order in which style sheets are interpreted. The more specific style is applied instead of the more general. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Browser’s internal style sheet User-defined style sheet Author’s external style sheet Author’s embedded style sheet Author’s inline style sheet User-Defined Styles Almost all browsers allow users to modify the default settings of the internal style sheet. External Style SheetsTo link to an external style sheet use the following text directly above the closing head text tag: Embedded Style Sheets Styles are inserted directly within the head element of an HTML document using the style element: styles Or h1 {Color: red; Text-align: center;} The order in which external and embedded style sheets are processed depends on the order in which they are listed within the HTML file. In the below example the loads the external style sheet first and then the embedded SS. If the order were switched the imported SS gets processed after the embedded one. h1 {Color: red; Text-align: center;} Inline Styles Applied directly to specific elements using the style attribute: †¦ Importing Style Sheets To import a style sheet to a master style sheet use the @import statement BEFORE any other style rules: @import url(url); or for example @import url(sa_styles. css); Exploring the Style Cascade As a general rule of thumb, all other things being equal, the more specific style is applied instead of the more general . An additional factor in applying a style sheet is that properties are passed from a parent element to its children in a process known as style inheritance. body {color: blue;} h1 {text-align: center;} If you need browsers to enforce a style, you can append the ! important keyword to the style property, using the syntax: property: value ! mportant; Defining Color in CSS A color value is a numerical expression that describes the properties of a color CSS represents these intensities mathematically as a set of numbers called an RGB triplet, which has the format color: rgb(red, green, blue); color:#redgreenblue ; background-color: color; color: color; or or or or color: rgb(255,255,0); color:#FFFF00; background-color: rgb(255,255,0); or color:#FFFF00; or color:white; CSS also allows RGB values to be entered as hexadecimal numbers To set th e background color of an element, use the below property where color is a color name or a color value. To set the foreground or text color of an element, use the following property: color: rgb(255,255,0); or or CSS3 also supports the Hue Saturation Lightness (HSL) model that describes colors based on hue, saturation, and lightness hsl(hue, saturation, lightness) rgba(red, green, blue, opacity) hsl(360, 100%, 100%) rgba(255, 255, 255, 0. 8) hsla(360, 100%, 100%, 0. 2) CSS3 also allows page designers to augment RGB and HSL color with opacity where 0 = completely transparent and 1 = completely opaque. hsla(hue, saturation, lightness, opacity) or Selectors and Text Styles Web pages are structured documents in which elements are nested within other elements, forming a hierarchy of elements. To create styles that take advantage of this tree structure, CSS allows you to create contextual selectors whose values represent the locations of elements within the hierarchy: 1) 2) 3) 4) Parent elements Child elements Sibling elements Descendant elements Contextual Selectors Attribute Selectors Selectors also can be defined based on attributes and attribute values associated with elements. Two attributes, id and class, are often key in targeting styles to a specific element or group of elements. Styling Web Page Text The default font used by most browsers is Times New Roman, but you can specify a different font for any page element using the property: font-family: fonts; or font-family: ‘Arial Black’, gadget, sans-serif; Setting Font Face and Sizes: Sizes can be relative or absolute. To define a font face, use the style property: font-family: fonts; font-size: size; letter-spacing: size; word-spacing: size; To specify the font style, use the below style where type is normal, italic, or oblique. ont-style: type; To specify the font weight, use the below format where type is normal, bold, bolder, light, lighter, or a font weight value. font-weight: type; To specify a text decoration, use the below format where type is none, underline, overline, or line-through. text-decoration: type; To transform text, use the below code where type is capitalize, uppercase, lowercase, or none. text-transform: type; To display a font variant of text, use the below format where type is normal or small-caps. ont-variant: type; You can combine most of the text and font styles into a single property using the shortcut font property font: font-style font-variant font-weight font-size/line-height font-family; Combining Text Format in a single style or or or font-family: ‘Arial Black’, gadget, sans-serif; font-size: 0. 5in; or font-size: 36pt; font-size: 0. 5in; or font-size: 3pc; or font-size: 1. 7em; To set a font size, use the below style property where size is a CSS unit of length in either relative or absolute units. To set kerning (the space between letters), use the following style property: To set tracking (the space between words), use the following style property: Designing a List To define the appearance of the list marker, use the style below where type is disc, circle, square, decimal, decimal-leading-zero, lower-roman, upper-roman, lower-alpha, upper-alpha, lower-greek, upper-greek, or none. list-style-type: type; To insert a graphic image as a list marker, use the style below where url is the URL of the graphic image file. ist-style-image: url(url); To set the position of list markers, use the style below where position is inside or outside. list-style-position: position; To define all of the list style properties in a single style, use the following style: list-style: type url(url) position; To set the indentation of a list, apply the style below where size is the length that the list should be indented. padding-left: size; Using Pseudo-Classes and Pseudo-Elements A pseudo-class is a c lassification of an element based on its current status, position, or use in the document selector:pseudo-class {styles;} Structural Psuedo Classes