Analysis of Service Learning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Analysis of Service Learning - Essay Example Habitat for Humanity is a project provided by the non-profit store that creates additional funding to help people who need support in housing purposes. The project was conducted on April 28, 2015, from 1.00 PM to 6.00 pm at the Lynnwood branch and I was a member of the project’s staff. Hence, I helped to tag prices on the incoming items and cleaned the floor in the store. I worked with few people who were great supporters of the project and believed in its success and utility for the society in general and for Snohomish County in particular. I’ve got a lot of experiences concerning trading and teamwork. First of all, I’ve realized that teamwork is a complicated kind communication that requires a lot of patience and ability to conform to other people who one works with. Also, dealing with customers, sometimes I had to be nice and appreciate the position of each and every one of them, so basically I had to understand their needs and the conditions they lived in. Th ough I’ve managed to observe how various are people’s cultural backgrounds, lifestyles, customs, and traditions. It was a great experience that will encourage my further learning of different cultures presented in the United States. The experience I’ve got is definitely closely related to anthropology as I dealt with various kinds of interpersonal communication and integration into multiple forms of American culture. For instance, working with people of various lifestyles and cultural backgrounds made me realize the factors that affect the development of people’s personalities’ and such things as social adaptation, preferences, and even their styles of communication between each other. Hence, exploring different items, both donated and purchased, has made me take a look at people’s various lifestyles and cultures; I also learned how people’s home appliances are related to their social status or striving to get one.

Reflective Writing on Marketing Essay Example for Free

Reflective Writing on Marketing Essay During your time at university you will spend a lot of your time thinking – thinking about what people have said, your reading, your own thinking and how your thinking has changed. The thinking process involves two aspects: reflective thinking and critical thinking. Rather than being two separate processes they are closely connected. (Brookfield 1987) Reflective thinking Reflection is a form of personal response to experiences, situations, events or new information. It is a ‘processing’ phase where thinking and learning take place. There is neither a right nor wrong way of reflective thinking; there are just questions to explore. The reflective thinking process starts with you. Before you can begin to assess the words and ideas of others, you need to pause and identify and examine your own thoughts. This involves revisiting your prior experience and knowledge of the topic you are exploring. It also involves considering how and why you think the way you do. The examination of your beliefs, values, attitudes and assumptions forms the foundation of your understanding. Reflective thinking demands that you recognise that you bring valuable knowledge to every experience. It helps you therefore to recognise and clarify the important connections between what you already know and what you are learning. It is a way of helping you to become an active, aware and critical learner. What is Reflective writing? Reflective writing is: * Your response to experiences, opinions, events or new information * Your response to thoughts and feelings * A way of thinking to explore your learning * An opportunity to gain self-knowledge * A way to achieve clarity and better understanding of what you are learning * A chance to develop and reinforce writing skills * A way of making meaning out of what you study Reflective writing is not: * Just conveying information, instruction or argument * Pure description, though there may be descriptive elements * Straightforward decision or judgement (e.g. about whether something is right or wrong, good or bad) * Simple problem-solving * A summary of unit notes * A standard university essay Why you are asked to do this type of assignment * To make connections The idea behind reflective writing is that what you learn at university builds on your prior knowledge, whether it is formal (education) or informal (gained through experience). Reflective writing helps you develop and clarify the connections between what you already know and what you are learning, between theory and practice and between what you are doing and how and why you do it. * To examine your learning processes Reflective writing encourages you to consider and comment on your learning experiences – not only WHAT you’ve learned, but HOW you did so. * To clarify what you are learning Reflecting helps you to clarify what you have studied, integrate new knowledge with previous knowledge, and identify the questions you have and what you have yet to learn. * To reflect on mistakes and successes Reflecting on mistakes can help you avoid repeating them. At the same time, reflecting on your discoveries helps identify successful principles to use again. * To become an active and aware learner * To become a reflective practitioner once you graduate and begin your professional life How to write reflectively What to discuss * Your perceptions of the course and the content. * Experiences, ideas and observations you have had, and how they relate to the course or topic. * What you found confusing, inspiring, difficult, interesting and why. * Questions you have and conclusions you have drawn. * How you solved a problem, reached a conclusion, found an answer or reached a point of understanding. * Possibilities, speculations, hypotheses or solutions. * Alternative interpretations or different perspectives on what you have read or done in your course. * How new ideas challenge what you already know. * What you need to explore next in terms of thoughts and actions. * Comparisons and connections between what you are learning and: * Your prior knowledge and experience; * Your prior assumptions and preconceptions; * What you know from other courses, units or disciplines. Writing style As it concerns your thoughts, reflective writing is mostly subjective. Therefore, in addition to being reflective and logical, you can be personal, hypothetical, critical and creative. You can comment based on your experience, rather than limiting yourself to academic evidence. * Reflective writing is an activity that includes description (what, when, who) and analysis (how, why, what if). It is an explorative tool often resulting in more questions than answers. * Use full sentences and complete paragraphs. * You can usually use personal pronouns like ‘I’, ‘my’ or ‘we’. * Keep colloquial language to a minimum (e.g. stuff, guys) * A reflective task may allow you to use different modes of writing and language: * Descriptive (outlining how something is or how something was done) * Explanatory (explaining why or how it is like that) * Expressive (I think, I feel, I believe) Tips for your reflective writing process 1. Think of interaction, event or episode you experienced that can be connected to the topic. 2. Describe what happened. 3. What was your role? 4. What feelings and perceptions surround the experience? 5. How would you explain the situation to someone else? 6. What might this experience mean in the context of your course? 7. What other perspectives, theories or concepts could be applied to the situation? References Brookfield, S 1987, Developing critical thinkers: challenging adults to explore alternative ways of thinking and acting, Open University Press, Milton Keynes. Acknowledgement: The preceding material was adapted from The Learning Centre, The University of NSW. Used by permission. Additional notes: Steps for writing a reflective paper: 1.Start your self-reflection paper with an introductory paragraph. This introduction should help set the stage for the reader and should contain the main point of the paper. This would be a good paragraph in which to include information about how the subject and the material impacted your life, whether it reinforced your current views or caused you to change your way of thinking. 2.Write a paragraph or two about the impact the lecturer, classroom/tutorial discussions or the textbook material had on you during the course. Describe emotions you felt you felt or changes you experienced in your personal life due to the topic or the subject. If your opinions on different subjects changed due to these factors be sure to provide your previous opinion and explain why you changed your stance. If your opinions did not change, explain why. 3.Describe a moment during the class that was the most eye-opening for you. One example would be if during a lecture/tutorial the lecturer/tutor used a specific story or analogy to help explain the material that made the lesson really clear for you. Reflect on how you felt when you finally understood the lesson and how that lesson might have impacted the way you think. 4.Write a paragraph explaining how the information from the subject has impacted the way you will think, act and feel in the future long after the semester is over. You may want to include how this subject has changed how you approach other subjects in your degree or life in general. 5.Give feedback in your paper and share your opinions and ideas about how the subject can be improved. Share what you liked about the subject and what material helped you learn the most. Finish the paper by writing a conclusion that summarizes the main points of the paper. This is just one way of structuring reflective writing. Whichever approach to reflection you use try to bear in mind the following key points: * Reflection is an exploration and an explanation of events – not just a description of them. * Genuinely reflective writing often involves ‘revealing’ anxieties, errors and weaknesses, as well as strengths and successes. This is fine (in fact it’s often essential), as long as you show some understanding of possible causes, and explain how you plan to improve. * It is normally necessary to select just the most significant parts of the event or idea on which you are reflecting. If you try to tell ‘the whole story’ you will likely use up your words on description rather than interpretation. * It is often useful to ‘reflect forward’ to the future as well as ‘reflecting back’ on the past. Vocabulary aid (adapted from University of Portsmouth, Dept for Curriculum and Quality Enhancem ent) The following are just a few suggestions for words and phrases that might be useful in reflective writing. Obviously, using these words and phrases will not in itself make you a good reflective writer. 1.Description There is no suggestion of specific vocabulary for any descriptive elements of your reflective writing because the range of possible events, ideas or objects on which you may be reflecting on is so great. However, if you are describing an idea, for example a theory or model, it is usually best to use the present tense e.g. ‘Buyer behaviour theory recognises†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (not ‘recognised’). Events, of course, are nearly always described in the past tense. 2.Interpretation | | {aspect(s){elements(s){experience(s){issue(s)Idea(s)| Was (were)| For me, the [most]| {meaningful{significant{important{relevant{useful| | | | | learning| {arose from†¦{happened when†¦{resulted from†¦| Previously,}At the time,}At first}Initially,}Subsequently,}Later,}| I| {thought (did not think)†¦{felt (did not feel)†¦{knew (did not know)†¦{noticed (did not notice)†¦{questioned (did not question)†¦{realised (did not realise)†¦| | [Alternatively,][Equally,]| This| {might be{is perhaps{could be{is probably| {because of†¦{due to†¦{explained by†¦{related to†¦| | This| {is similar to†¦{is unlike†¦| because| | [Un]like†¦| this| {reveals†¦{demonstrates†¦| 3.Outcome Having| {read†¦{experienced†¦{applied†¦{discussed†¦{analysed†¦{learned†¦| I now| {feel†¦{think†¦{realise†¦{wonder†¦{question†¦{know†¦| | [Additionally,]}[Furthermore,]}[Most importantly,]}| I have learned that†¦| | I have significantly} slightly}However, I have not [sufficiently]}| {developed{improved| {my skills in†¦{my understanding of†¦{my knowledge of†¦{my ability to†¦| | | This means that†¦This makes me feel†¦| | | This knowledge {isThis understanding {could beThis skill {will be| {essential{important{useful| {to me as a learner [because†¦]{to me as a practitioner [because†¦]| | Because I| {did not†¦{have not yet†¦{am not yet certain about†¦{am not yet confident about†¦{do not yet know†¦{do not yet understand†¦| I will now need to†¦| | | As a next step, I need to†¦| | | More on Reflection What is reflection? A simple definition of reflection can be ‘consciously thinking about and analysing what you are doing and what you have done; thinking about what and how you have learnt. There is a lot of theory behind reflection that can be very complex. Most of the theory relates to seeing reflection as part of the cycle of learning (Figure 1). Initially students focus on knowledge, comprehension and application of subject matter. These three levels of learning are the easiest especially if the application is in a limited context e.g. worded problems from a text book. For higher levels of learning (application of knowledge in real world problems) you must be able to analyse, synthesise and evaluate as shown in Table 1. Reflection is a key part of moving into these higher levels of learning. Figure 1. Leaning cycle and examples of each phase Table 1 Six levels of learning Increasing Difficulty| Process| Explanation| | Knowledge| Recognition and recall of information and facts describing events| | Comprehension| Interprets, translates or summarises given information demonstrating understanding of events| | Application| Uses information in a situation different from original learning context -| | Analysis| Separates wholes into parts until relationships are clear – breaks down experiences| | Synthesis| Combines elements to form new entity from the original one draws on experience and other evidence to suggest new insights| | Evaluation| Involves acts of decision making, or judging based on criteria or rationale makes judgements about| Why reflect what are the benefits to the student? Learning is both an active and a reflective process. If you look at the learning cycle in Figure 1 you can see that reflection or thinking about what you have done and how and why you did it, form an integral part of learning. Because learning is often subconscious, we don’t realise that we have gained new knowledge or understanding until we stop to contemplate a particular activity. Reflection then, is a way for critical analysis, problem solving, synthesis of opposing ideas, evaluation, identifying patterns and creating meaning. Reflection will help you reach the higher levels of learning. Most students are focused on the lower levels of learning. â€Å"What do I have to know and demonstrate to pass the exam?† This is a very short-sighted approach to your time at university. You will not be able to remember all the facts and knowledge you have learnt in subjects unless you can fully understand, analyse and evaluate them. As you progress through your degree you will continually need information and knowledge from other subjects and this knowledge will build on previous knowledge. You must be able to attain the higher levels of learning in order to be successful in your degree and later in your professional life. Your learning and the need to learn will not stop with the end of your university degree. Most aspects of learning are common to all disciplines but sometimes there are different emphasises on certain learning skills. For example, generally speaking at university more emphasis is placed on the understanding of the methodology and the processes of problem solving. In this context, reflection will help you to detach yourself from the facts and put them into a larger context. Higher level courses at university as a business student bring a closer interaction between academic work and practical experience. Reflective practice here is critical in providing opportunities to identify areas for improvement and evaluation of the overall outcome including your decision making processes. Reflection can help bridge the gap between theory and practice and will enable you to understand your own thinking and learning. Another benefit is that it encourages you to look beyond your academic accomplishment and recognise the depth and range of other transferable skills. University is more than learning about facts and figures, it is a life experience. You will not learn everything that you need in your professional life at university. Your learning will be life long, so take some time to think about what skills you bring with you to university and what you learn along the way. How do I ‘reflect’? Reflection does not mean that you sit in the lotus position, humming meditative chants. Reflection can be active and need not take away from your ‘study time’. It is an important tool that can be used in all your university and professional work. Opportunities for reflection should occur before, during and after activities. That way you can take note of your learning starting point, assess your progress through the project and critically evaluate your learning at the end of the activity. Look critically at what you have done, what you’re team did and what the outcomes were. You need to ask yourself the why, how and what type of questions. Introducing Reflection Reflection is an important part of your learning whether you do it consciously or not. But what exactly is it? An excellent description of reflection can be found in the Harry Potter novel ‘ The Goblet of Fire’. In the paragraph below Dumbledore, the chief wizard and head teacher, is talking to Harry about having excess thoughts! ‘Harry stared at the stone basin. The contents had returned to their original, silvery white state, swirling and rippling beneath his gaze. â€Å"What is it?† Harry asked shakily. â€Å"This? It is called a Pensieve,† said Dumbledore. â€Å"I sometimes find, and I am sure you know the feeling, that I simply have too many thoughts and memories crammed into my mind.† â€Å"Err,† said Harry who couldn’t truthfully say that he had ever felt anything of the sort. â€Å"At these times† said Dumbledore, indicating the stone basin, â€Å"I use the Penseive. One simply siphons the excess thoughts from one’s mind, pours them into a basin, and examines them at one’s leisure. It becomes easier to spot patterns and links, you understand, when they are in this form.’ (Rowling 2000) During the semester and in your reflective writing we are asking you to think about the process you have been through, how these events affected your behaviour, to think about what you have learnt, and to evaluate your performance. By writing these things down it will give you the opportunity to clarify your thoughts and to spot the patterns and links. Reflective writing examples As an example, look at the following two critiques – one is a better example than the other! [King (2002) Development of Student Skills In Reflective Writing, p 16, http://www.csd.uwa.edu.au/iced2002/publication/Terry_King.pdf ] 1.I woke up late because my alarm didn’t ring. My own fault, but there you are. By the time I had finished my breakfast (my usual bowl of cornflakes, and a cup of black coffee with three sugars), I had missed my bus (that’s the number 9a, picked up at the bus stop outside Halfords), which had left on time (just for a change).So I got to University, and by the time I had found the right room, I was over 30 minutes late for the OOPR2 Exam. Unfortunately, the invigilator wouldn’t let me take the exam because it was â€Å"against University regulations†. Didn’t he realise how important it was for me to pass that exam? My overall grade depends on it, and now I stand to have a resit in September when I wanted to have my holiday in Ibiza.| 2.I was over 30 minutes late for my exam, which meant I was not allowed to sit it. This will have repercussions on my degree mark, and on my holiday plans. This is the first time I have actually missed an exam, but not t he first time I’ve actually been late to exams and important interviews. I have learned that:†¢ I need to improve my time-keeping for critical events†¢ The University has strict rules governing late arrivals at exams†¢ I need to be better preparedThe reasons that I arrived late were:†¢ My alarm clock didn’t ring because I forgot to reset its time after daylight saving on Saturday night (although I had reset all the other clocks in the house).†¢ I totally rely on the alarm clock ringing I have no back-up system†¢ I rely on my bus – a break down or it leaving early would also cause me to be late†¢ I did not know in which room the exam was; if I had, I would still have been a few minutes late, but at least I could have sat the exam.In order to improve the situation for next year, I plan to:†¢ Have a process to check all the clocks in the house when the clocks are due to change†¢ Make sure I have a back-up alarm system ( using my digital watch) for all days when it’s important to get up early†¢ On exam day, aim to catch the earlier bus †¦ its only 20 minutes earlier.†¢ Possibly consider missing breakfast, and buying a sandwich on the way from the bus to the exam room. I do believe that a good breakfast is important though!†¢ Make sure I know the correct room well in advance of the exam, by checking each room number when I first get the timetable.I suspect I need to reflect more on my priorities – this degree is really very important to me.|

Postmodernism :: Philosophy Papers

Postmodernism Traditional thinking has understood the world in its totality as including both chaos and harmony. Lovelock's hypothesis gives us a new resolution to this problem by expanding or even relocating creativity from the human intellect to the world. Postmodernism is the return to the mythological-aesthetic reflexion of the world concerning the idea of order and harmony. Facing the publicly known and proclamated appeals for further prosperity, scepticism is being survived so deeply that a homogenous human effort, activity of every individual has not been able to influence the course of history or even effect the great macroscopic processes. Our era is described as the era of common instability. The chaotic state is always considered to be a natural element of contemporary civilization and democracy. On the other hand we are fascinated with the history where the human effort within its highest degree of creativity can influence gradual processes and emancipate it from an indefinite situation, human existence interfering with the entirety of the process in the appropriate linearity to which our thinking is liable. More important than other fields of study, philosophy always touches upon the entirety of human knowledge. An effort to concern all of our inner strains to interprete the world and the processes in a certain comparison, the idea of total diso rder versus the idea of total order. For philosophers there is no need to emphasise that this idea is a part and even a necessary substance of philosophical consideration, not to mention the fact, that the early philosophical reflection has been its testimony. As to the effort to understand such an idea of totality the initial philosophical interpretation is primary. In addition, this initiative gives reason for a necessity of linear thinking by the most important philosophical interpreters. Simultaneously it confuses nontraditional philosophical ideas with aesthetic considerations a typical way of thinking called postmodernistic. The characteristic constancy of traditional thinking and traditional interpretation is that it was allowed to know and understand the whole world in its wholeness and without prejudice. From the known works in this area of thought it is possible to mention those that are most representative, for example the work of Plato, Aristotle, Thomas Aquinas, Descart es or Comte, and if need be, Hegel ´s system. Many other alternativistic philosophical drafts are , of course, not out of the question. These works were established as standard interpretations in a historical-philosophical reflection. Postmodernism :: Philosophy Papers Postmodernism Traditional thinking has understood the world in its totality as including both chaos and harmony. Lovelock's hypothesis gives us a new resolution to this problem by expanding or even relocating creativity from the human intellect to the world. Postmodernism is the return to the mythological-aesthetic reflexion of the world concerning the idea of order and harmony. Facing the publicly known and proclamated appeals for further prosperity, scepticism is being survived so deeply that a homogenous human effort, activity of every individual has not been able to influence the course of history or even effect the great macroscopic processes. Our era is described as the era of common instability. The chaotic state is always considered to be a natural element of contemporary civilization and democracy. On the other hand we are fascinated with the history where the human effort within its highest degree of creativity can influence gradual processes and emancipate it from an indefinite situation, human existence interfering with the entirety of the process in the appropriate linearity to which our thinking is liable. More important than other fields of study, philosophy always touches upon the entirety of human knowledge. An effort to concern all of our inner strains to interprete the world and the processes in a certain comparison, the idea of total diso rder versus the idea of total order. For philosophers there is no need to emphasise that this idea is a part and even a necessary substance of philosophical consideration, not to mention the fact, that the early philosophical reflection has been its testimony. As to the effort to understand such an idea of totality the initial philosophical interpretation is primary. In addition, this initiative gives reason for a necessity of linear thinking by the most important philosophical interpreters. Simultaneously it confuses nontraditional philosophical ideas with aesthetic considerations a typical way of thinking called postmodernistic. The characteristic constancy of traditional thinking and traditional interpretation is that it was allowed to know and understand the whole world in its wholeness and without prejudice. From the known works in this area of thought it is possible to mention those that are most representative, for example the work of Plato, Aristotle, Thomas Aquinas, Descart es or Comte, and if need be, Hegel ´s system. Many other alternativistic philosophical drafts are , of course, not out of the question. These works were established as standard interpretations in a historical-philosophical reflection.

Eyes Were Watching God Essay examples -- essays research papers

Their Eyes Were Watching God provides an enlightening look at the journey of a "complete, complex, undiminished human being", Janie Crawford. Her story, based on self-exploration, self-empowerment, and self-liberation, details her loss and attainment of her innocence and freedom as she constantly learns and grows from her experiences with gender issues, racism, and life. The story centers around an important theme; that personal discoveries and life experiences help a person find themselves. Nanny was determined that Janie would break the cycle of oppression of black women, who were "mules for the world". (Both of Janie's first two husbands owned mules and the way they treated their mules paralleled to the way they treated Janie. Logan Killicks worked his mule demandingly and Joe Starks bought Matt Bonner's mule and put it out to pasture as a status symbol.) After joyfully discovering an archetype for sensuality, love, and marriage under a pear tree at sixteen, Janie quickly comes to understand the reality of marriage in her first two marriages. Both Logan Killicks and Joe Starks attempt to coerce her into submission by treating her like a possession (Killicks worked her like a mule and Starks used her like a medal around his neck). Also Janie learned that passion and love are tied to violence, as Killicks threaten to kill her and Starks beat her to assert his dominance. She continually struggled to keep her inner self-intact and strong in spite ...

Customer Profile Essay

Customer Profile 1. What is the approximate age range for people in this demographic group? -Someone born in Generation X ranges from 37-47 years old. 2. What are typical characteristics of people in this age group? -Gen X is often characterized by high levels of skepticism, â€Å"what’s in it for me† attitudes and a reputation for some of the worst music to ever gain popularity. 3. What are the interests of this age group? -Those born in Generation X are very family-oriented people that strive to not make their families like that of their parents but are also the first real charity driven generation. 4. What is this group’s source of income? -The group’s source of income derives mostly from permanent full-time jobs. 5. What might be their greatest social and economic concerns? -People of this generation are the first to really question the rules of society. 6. What issues regarding products might be important to them? -People of Generation X generally go for cost-efficient solutions when searching for products. 7. Where would they do the majority of their shopping? -People of Generation shop at places such as Nike, Walmart, Target, Victoria’s Secret, Costco, and Men’s Warehouse. 8. What types of products are targeted specifically at this age group? -Vitamins, clothing, baby supplies, office supplies, and groceries are all targeted for people of this generation. 9. How does your selected product fit this customer profile? -My product is useful for people of Generation X because Spotify allows users to access millions of songs from any genre or time period. This is useful because Generation X spent the prime of their life in the 1980’2 and 1990’s where music was at its biggest. 10. Also plan where your ad will be placed-indicate a specific magazine in which your ad will be seen? -Our ads will be placed on family television stations as well as over the radio and in print format through various music and electronics stores. Our product will need to be shown in Rolling Stone Magazine due to its vast following nation-wide.

Definition and Examples of Codification in English

Definition and Examples of Codification in English The linguistic term codification refers to the methods by which a language is standardized. These methods include the creation and use of dictionaries, style and usage guides, traditional grammar textbooks, and the like. [S]tandardization aims to ensure fixed values for the counters in a system, wrote James and Lesley Milroy in Authority in Language: Investigating Standard English. In language, this means preventing variability in   spelling  and  pronunciation  by selecting fixed conventions uniquely regarded as correct, establishing correct meanings of words...uniquely acceptable word forms (he does  is acceptable, but  he  do  is not) and fixed conventions of  sentence structure. The term  codification  was popularized in the early 1970s by  linguist  Einar Haugen, who defined it as a process that leads to minimal variation in  form (Dialect, Language, Nation, 1972). The Evolution of English Codification is an ongoing process. The English language evolved over centuries from Old English to Middle English after the Norman Conquest in 1066 to Modern English in about the mid-15th century. For example, different word forms were dropped, such as having nouns with different genders or additional verb forms. The proper order for words in a sentence coalesced (subject-verb-object) and variations (such as verb-subject-object) pretty much disappeared. New words were added, such as 10,000 of them being incorporated from French after the conquest. Some of the duplicate words changed meanings, and some were lost altogether. These are all examples of how the language has codified. Spellings and meanings continue to change and be added to the dictionary today, of course, but the most important period of codification [in English] was probably the 18th century, which saw the publication of hundreds of dictionaries and grammars, including Samuel Johnsons monumental Dictionary of the English Language (1755) [in Great Britain] and Noah Websters The American Spelling Book (1783) in the United States (Routledge Dictionary of English Language Studies, 2007). During the languages evolution, Dennis Ager wrote, in the   Language Policy in Britain and France: The Processes of Policy, three influences were...paramount: the kings English, in the form of the administrative and legal language; literary English, in the form of the language accepted as that used by great literature- and for printing and publishing; and Oxford English, or the English of education and the Church- its main provider. At no point in this process was the State openly involved.He continued, Codification also affected the spoken form of the standard language. Received pronunciation was codified through the influence of education, particularly that of the 19th-century public schools, followed from the early 20th century by cinema, radio  and  television (BBC English).  Nonetheless  it is estimated that only 3-5  per cent  of the population of Britain  speak  received pronunciation today...and hence this particular form of the language is accepted by society only in the sense that it is widely understood. Even though English is a flexible language, continually borrowing words from other languages (an estimated 350 different languages, in fact), adding words, definitions, and spellings to the dictionary, the basic grammar and pronunciation ​have remained relatively stable and codified.

Free Essays on Afterlife

The concept of the afterlife can be seen in many different perspectives. My opinion of the afterlife depends on how someone would have lived in life. If a human’s occupation in life was a serial killer who was put to death because of your crimes that were commited and therefore would be sent to heal without your skin attached to your body in a pool of hot oil. Complete horror and suffering are the only facts that would be true to this type or person. The punishment for there horrible beings is because of the lives that were taken of perfectly nice humane beings. Those souls of the ones lives that were taken will be sent to paradise. For souls that committed acts of telemarketing during their lives are also dammed to hell. As just punishment a telephone is attached in several spots on there bodies where ear’s have been placed and for eternity they sit strapped to a chair hear telemarketing scams. Paradise or heaven is exactly that. It’s a place of perfection., and everything that is in your wildest dreams. In this place everything you want to happen always comes true. Anything and everything that you wish to happen, does. All the inhabitants of paradise float around on clouds drinking little drinks with those umbrellas in them. In order to make it to this place, the soul needs to be free of all evil doings. This means that time that money was stolen from cash register at Mc. Donald needs to be repent. Although if a human with a good soul leaves earth because of suicide. They are not sent to hell or to heaven. They are sent to a totally different place. Here those people are set out to figure why they left their lives because of suicide. These individuals are chained to a walrus and run into walls. This will take place until their life on earth was suppose to end. Then they are sent for judgment and more than likely directly to hell. On the other hand if someone with an evil soul commits suicide then a automatic ticket to he... Free Essays on Afterlife Free Essays on Afterlife The concept of the afterlife can be seen in many different perspectives. My opinion of the afterlife depends on how someone would have lived in life. If a human’s occupation in life was a serial killer who was put to death because of your crimes that were commited and therefore would be sent to heal without your skin attached to your body in a pool of hot oil. Complete horror and suffering are the only facts that would be true to this type or person. The punishment for there horrible beings is because of the lives that were taken of perfectly nice humane beings. Those souls of the ones lives that were taken will be sent to paradise. For souls that committed acts of telemarketing during their lives are also dammed to hell. As just punishment a telephone is attached in several spots on there bodies where ear’s have been placed and for eternity they sit strapped to a chair hear telemarketing scams. Paradise or heaven is exactly that. It’s a place of perfection., and everything that is in your wildest dreams. In this place everything you want to happen always comes true. Anything and everything that you wish to happen, does. All the inhabitants of paradise float around on clouds drinking little drinks with those umbrellas in them. In order to make it to this place, the soul needs to be free of all evil doings. This means that time that money was stolen from cash register at Mc. Donald needs to be repent. Although if a human with a good soul leaves earth because of suicide. They are not sent to hell or to heaven. They are sent to a totally different place. Here those people are set out to figure why they left their lives because of suicide. These individuals are chained to a walrus and run into walls. This will take place until their life on earth was suppose to end. Then they are sent for judgment and more than likely directly to hell. On the other hand if someone with an evil soul commits suicide then a automatic ticket to he...

Hitler Asked You To Electrocute A Stranger, Would Essays

Hitler Asked You To Electrocute A Stranger, Would Essays Hitler Asked You To Electrocute A Stranger, Would You? IF HITLER ASKED YOU TO ELECTROCUTE A STRANGER, WOULD YOU? Firstly, lets take a moment to look as Adolf Hitler. To some, he was a great leader, but to others he was a murdered. Hitler was the leader of the Nazi party, and was to dictator of Germany. He ordered to have millions of Jewish people to be murdered, or to be thrown in prisons. Hitler believed that Germans were superior to humanity and he wanted to keep Germany pure. Hitler believed that the Jewish and Czechoslovakians were the evils of the world. Moreover, Jewish people in Germany were declared to have lesser rights than any other citizen. Thousands of the Jewish people decided to leave their homes. The Jewish people who stayed were forced into concentration camps and needed official permission to accept work, move, or even travel. Getting back to the question at hand. If Hitler ordered me to electrocute a stranger, would I comply? I emphasized ordered because that was the way that he ran things. He would not have asked. I would not comply because he and I have many different points of view. I would not matter if it were a stranger, or my next door neighbor. If he were here in America during this day and age, he would be a total racist. He would in all essence be asking be to electrocute my people. I would rather die than participate in such a horrible act. In conclusion, Adolf Hitler was a man filled with intense anger, killed millions, of Jewish people. Through Hitlers eyes, these people were an inferior race. Hitler desired to create a pure, race, white skin, blonde hair, and blue eyes. I could not live with myself and participate in such an act. It is sad that he organized followers to destroy so many innocent lives to design what is not possible.

The Effect of RMB Revaluation in the Economy of China Dissertation

The Effect of RMB Revaluation in the Economy of China - Dissertation Example The Effect of RMB Revaluation in the Economy of China Table of Contents List of Tables 4 List of Figures 4 Chapter 1: Introduction 5 1.1Background of the research problem 5 1.2Statement of the research problem 5 1.3Research objectives 5 1.4Research questions 6 1.5Significance of the research problem 6 1.6Definition of terms 7 Chapter 2: Review of Related Literature 9 2.1 Chapter Overview 9 2.2 Currency revaluation and its effects 10 2.3 The fixed vs. ... The director also drew a plan of action if China did not withdraw the control of currency and permit the renminbi (RMB) to gain strength. The central bank of China known as the People’s Bank of China allowed for some relaxation. The bank announced that will abandon the two year old peg. The peg has kept the RMB with the dollar (Yu, 2010, p. 2). It allowed RMB to respond according to the forces of the market. China will now begin to move into the regime of floating exchange rate. The regime will be a tight one which was in practice in the period between 2005 and 2008. The value of RMB will be the base on a basket of currencies within a narrow range (Wharton University of Pennsylvania, 2010). China believed that the stable RMB policy is good for the country from the time of the financial crisis of Asia. The country turned away from the exporters who were reported for violating the standards of pollution. The strengthening of the RMB against the U.S. dollar has continued unabated since 2005. It will follow the stable rising path since the country is under intense inflationary pressure (Wang and Whalley, 2007, p. 3). 1.2 Statement of the research problem The problem this dissertation seeks to resolve is: What effects shall the revaluation of the renminbi have in China’s economy, as well as in the world economy? The principal goal of the dissertation is to identify the impacts of the revaluation of the RMB on the economy of China. 1.3 Research objectives In adopting the research problem specified above, the research undertakes to achieve the following objectives: (1) To examine the necessity of a currency revaluation in

Breast cancer metastases Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Breast cancer metastases - Essay Example The study shows that, breast cancer mostly recurs in the skeleton. However, the bone metastases were mainly discovered in the necropsies of the patients who had breast cancer in thoracic as well as the lumbosacral trunk. One hypothesis of Breast Cancer Metastases is that, the Breast Cancer Metastases is a significant factor that causes death in patients. In more often than not, cancer diseases can be controlled only if metastasis fails to happen. The study of Breast Cancer Metastases was conducted by the researcher to help them know the total number of women affected by the disease. In the article, the authors’ main message is that, breast cancer can be suspected in any patient with the advanced diseases as well as pain in the sterna bone (Uuart, 2005) From the case reports given in the article, the research reveals that, the most serious cancers affecting women are the metastatic cancers. This means that, the cancer has spread from the place where it started to other tissues that are distant from the tumor site. The research also reveals that, breast cancer normally metastasize in the lymph nodes. In 1980, the report of human immunodeficiency virus that causes AIDS is said to be as a result of blood transfusion leading to the general panic for both the public and institution for the United States blood banks. There has been a threat of the global shortages of blood and the fears of contamination have also hastened the attempts of finding a life-sustaining alternative. However in other countries such as France, the physicians make sure that the supply of blood is safe making the chances of contracting the HIV through transfusion to be lower. There are two main issues affecting the blood banks which include the supply of blood and contracting of HIV disease through blood transfusion. The Heart of the Matter There is a big challenge in finding the blood substitutes making the blood to be very complex. The blood substitutes are made up of the blood cells, t he salt as well as other substances constituting of proteins and the vitamins suspended in the plasma. The blood cells such as the white cells, the red cells and platelets have a volume of blood of about 45 percent. The hemoglobin found in the protein is said to be significant in the emergency situations, despite of it not containing the red blood cell membrane. The function of the hemoglobin is to pick up the gases, for example the research carried out recently shows that hemoglobin can transport the nitric oxide which maintains the blood pressure. Lifeblood The blood loss in people usually threatens a significant process. For instance, if someone loses about 40 percent of blood in his/her body, the body is able to compensate it by quickly releasing the red blood cells. This is done by moving the blood away from the nonessential organs to restore the blood volume. Safety in Substitutes Finding of the safety in substitutes has continued to be plagued by the lack of the success. It i s therefore advisable for all the researchers to address the safety concerns which fail to rise for the therapeutic administered in smaller amounts. In most cases, the blood substitutes are usually used for the purpose of blood volume restoring. Despite of all the challenges, the blood subs

Godrej Interio Furniture E-business Strategy Case Study

Godrej Interio Furniture E-business Strategy - Case Study Example The company Godrej Interio Furniture has been operating as a sole proprietorship for the past five years. The company established a need to go online for operation and make the business a click and mortar operation. The market that was currently being targeted by the company pertained to a niche target which wants customized and designer furniture made with class and high quality materials. The product is a luxury good provided to a niche of the market. In the past the company has been reporting significant loss but as other business and retail stores in the region are adopting the e-business strategy the company also wants to integrate communicative technology in its operations and start a click and mortar operation.However with the advancement of technology that is taking place and the incremental amount of business going online, the establishment is also interested in starting online operations as well. The company is interested in going online and making the business click and mo rtar business. With access to the internet the company will be exposed to larger target market. They would be able to sell their products to the target market outside the political and state boundaries of the local region. This will significantly impact the operations of the business which will expand and can then go global in the long run. However in order to be able to start a business or a retail option online the company will have to brand itself and its products to stand out form the competition.  ... The operation is for the company called Godrej Interio Furniture. The company Godrej Interio Furniture is currently a brick and mortar business which sells unique and trendy furniture and home decoration items. The niche targeted by the company is the upper and the middle upper class market for segment of the target market. The product that is provided by the company is generally customized in nature and only designer pieces are sold in the shop. The shop is an exclusive option for the high street and high end shoppers. This assignment will review the impact of the Web, knowledge management and information technology on promoting business online. Also, the assignment will cover basic elements of the new technological environment and the techniques of knowledge management, the way global marketing is conducted. 2. Introduction of the organization Company History The company Godrej Interio Furniture has been operating as a sole proprietorship for the past five years. The company established a need to go online for operation and make the business a click and mortar operation. The market that was currently being targeted by the company pertained to a niche target which wants customized and designer furniture made with class and high quality materials. The product is a luxury good provided to a niche of the market. In the past the company has been reporting significant loss but as other business and retail stores in the region are adopting the e-business strategy the company also wants to integrate communicative technology in its operations and start a click and mortar operation. However with the advancement of technology that is taking place and the incremental amount of business going online, the

Provide a balanced discussion of the factors that a medium to large Assignment

Provide a balanced discussion of the factors that a medium to large sized company should consider before adopting an ERP system - Assignment Example Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is a process by which a company or manufacturer manages and integrates an important part of his business. In today’s business world, ERP play’s an extensive role in the field of business and information technology. Global strategy leader, Arthur D. Little spoke about ERP and quotes: â€Å"it is conquering the world. Almost every important company is more or less in its hand.† (ERP) There are several kinds of ERP software, but SAP is the most famous and acknowledged one. The acronym of SAP is Systems, Applications and Products in Data Processing. It is used around the globe to access the needs of the customers and offer them with widespread range of services and facilities. Leading resource companies such as Comal co Ltd., Sasol Synfuels International (Pty) Ltd. and Sasol Mining (Pty) Ltd effectively use SAP to manage assets, improve productivity and attain better decision-making abilities. ERP has not only helped large global fi rms earn gigantic amounts of revenues but small and medium enterprises also avail this system for procuring profits. It is the invaluable technology tool for the companies to increase productivity, profitability, sales and service. The implementation of ERP system does not limit to the size of the organization but the fact that where the system is implemented. Both developing and developed countries are applying and implementing ERPs. ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES INHERIT IN AN ERP SYSTEM: ERP system has brought revolution to the entire framework of supervising industries. ERP system is not a stand-alone system and so, companies that fail to utilize this find themselves difficult to function with each other. It facilitates operational coordination across functional companies. It is important for medium and large scale companies to have complete knowledge of its competitor’s strategy and policies. Not only this, ERP system has a standard of collecting all business areas in one system which would makes it easier for companies to compete on the same benchmark. The foremost advantage of an ERP system is that it saves time and brings down the costs of large corporations. Large firms cannot risk wasting their time in procedural maneuvers and unwanted delays. It ensures quick processing of information and reduces the burden of paperwork. It is difficult to manage large firms without proper records, and so ERP system maintains work effectively with minimum chances of error. ERP system aims for perfection; it keeps track of its order. It serves the customers efficiently by way of prompt response and follow up. Whether it’s the case of queries of the customers or in the payment, ERP system provides them with ease in every procedure and administers them with detailed information. ERP system also excels in accounting applications. It can incorporate the cost, profit, revenue information of sales that are made by the company. It is responsible for altering the product, and upgrading it order to capture a wider audience. It can make amazing quality products by mere design engineering. Large firms are required to have greater security, for which ERP system are considered to be ideal as they are an indispensable tool in the area of security. It protects the company against some considerable crimes such as embezzlement or industrial espionage, thus safeguarding the company from massive losses every year. Large

Explaining Sustainable Agriculture Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Explaining Sustainable Agriculture - Term Paper Example (Feenstra 530) The term ''sustainable agriculture'' (U.S. Code Title 7, Section 3103) means an integrated system of plant and animal production practices having a site-specific application that will over the long-term: Satisfy human food and fiber needs. Enhance environmental quality and the natural resource base upon which the agriculture economy depends. Make the most efficient use of nonrenewable resources and on-farm resources and integrate, where appropriate, natural biological cycles and controls. Sustain the economic viability of farm operations. Enhance the quality of life for farmers and society as a whole.(Hedburg 1) Therefore Sustainable agriculture is a way of raising food healthy for consumers and animals, respects animals, does not harm the environment, is humane for workers, provides a fair wage to the farmer, and supports and enhances rural communities. ... Soil is protected by natural ways Soil is protected from erosion by cover crops and organic matter is continually used Conserve water and quality Water is polluted by dropping Aquifers also the agricultural chemicals degrade water supplies and threaten aquatic life Farming methods conserve water and soil moisture and protect surface and ground water from pollutants and sediment Managing Organic Wastes By using Industrial agriculture methodology large amounts of animal wastes are transferred from one place to another which increases the chances of spills and water pollution Animal wastes provide nutrients for growing crops without polluting the water Encourage biodiversity Monoculture is the norm: farms are plowed fence row to fence row, wild â€Å"unused† areas are put into production, only the most productive few crop varieties or livestock breeds are raised Diversity is the norm: of habitats, livestock, crops, wild plant and animal species, and of genetics within crop and li vestock species Select plants and animals adapted to the environment farmers raise non-adapted crops also Genetic engineering narrows genetic diversity Farmers raise such animals and plants adapted to the existing environment also genetic diversity is preserved Conserve non-renewable resources Use of fossil fuels isencouraged Food production is centralized in a few regions Conservation of fossil fuels is encouraged and Renewable energy resources are used Food production is decentralized to encourage local, biodiverse, environmentally-adapted food systems which save fossil fuels Increase profitability and reduce risk farmers are pressurized to increase the size of their operations Short term profit is in focus farmers are

Provide a balanced discussion of the factors that a medium to large Assignment

Provide a balanced discussion of the factors that a medium to large sized company should consider before adopting an ERP system - Assignment Example Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is a process by which a company or manufacturer manages and integrates an important part of his business. In today’s business world, ERP play’s an extensive role in the field of business and information technology. Global strategy leader, Arthur D. Little spoke about ERP and quotes: â€Å"it is conquering the world. Almost every important company is more or less in its hand.† (ERP) There are several kinds of ERP software, but SAP is the most famous and acknowledged one. The acronym of SAP is Systems, Applications and Products in Data Processing. It is used around the globe to access the needs of the customers and offer them with widespread range of services and facilities. Leading resource companies such as Comal co Ltd., Sasol Synfuels International (Pty) Ltd. and Sasol Mining (Pty) Ltd effectively use SAP to manage assets, improve productivity and attain better decision-making abilities. ERP has not only helped large global fi rms earn gigantic amounts of revenues but small and medium enterprises also avail this system for procuring profits. It is the invaluable technology tool for the companies to increase productivity, profitability, sales and service. The implementation of ERP system does not limit to the size of the organization but the fact that where the system is implemented. Both developing and developed countries are applying and implementing ERPs. ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES INHERIT IN AN ERP SYSTEM: ERP system has brought revolution to the entire framework of supervising industries. ERP system is not a stand-alone system and so, companies that fail to utilize this find themselves difficult to function with each other. It facilitates operational coordination across functional companies. It is important for medium and large scale companies to have complete knowledge of its competitor’s strategy and policies. Not only this, ERP system has a standard of collecting all business areas in one system which would makes it easier for companies to compete on the same benchmark. The foremost advantage of an ERP system is that it saves time and brings down the costs of large corporations. Large firms cannot risk wasting their time in procedural maneuvers and unwanted delays. It ensures quick processing of information and reduces the burden of paperwork. It is difficult to manage large firms without proper records, and so ERP system maintains work effectively with minimum chances of error. ERP system aims for perfection; it keeps track of its order. It serves the customers efficiently by way of prompt response and follow up. Whether it’s the case of queries of the customers or in the payment, ERP system provides them with ease in every procedure and administers them with detailed information. ERP system also excels in accounting applications. It can incorporate the cost, profit, revenue information of sales that are made by the company. It is responsible for altering the product, and upgrading it order to capture a wider audience. It can make amazing quality products by mere design engineering. Large firms are required to have greater security, for which ERP system are considered to be ideal as they are an indispensable tool in the area of security. It protects the company against some considerable crimes such as embezzlement or industrial espionage, thus safeguarding the company from massive losses every year. Large

Ancient Hero Motifs In Thor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ancient Hero Motifs In Thor - Essay Example Though Robocop is a science fiction, it contains several characteristics of ancient hero motifs enough to place it under the category of ancient movies. Robocop movie contain elements of adventure, hero and others, as well as ending that compares and contrasts it with ancient hero motifs. Lieutenant Murphy is the hero in this movie, and in his role, he acts in a similar manner as the hero in ancient hero motifs. The lieutenant’s obligation is to keep the city safe by getting rid of criminals thereby enhancing the welfare of community members. To accomplish this role he has an inbuilt armor, which consists of guns, flying powers, master key unlock, and computer analysis systems to take commands (Goodman 5). Moreover, children look up to him as their hero who solves crime across the city. They believe that he is real. In a similar way, the hero in ancient stories had one priority, to ensure safety of every member of the community. The hero would have powers, weapons, or techniques to accomplish this task. In ancient movies, everyone in the society looked upon this hero to solve their issues and deliver them from evil opponents. The second factor that shows similarity between Robocop and ancient hero motifs is the opposition from enemies. In ancient stories, there is always an enemy or group of enemies opposing the hero of the story and his activities. In most cases, the enemy would be someone with bad intentions to destroy the community or misuse people in the community (Kerenyi 59). As a result, the enemy will try with all his might to destroy the hero, and at worst attempt to kill him so that the hero does not interfere with his evil activities. In a similar way, lieutenant, who is the hero of the story has enemies. In fact, his enemies are the people who turned him into half him and half machine. Though this company emerged as an organization aiming at rescuing people who have lost hope in life because no medical operation can

Why energy drinks should be banned Essay Example for Free

Why energy drinks should be banned Essay The topic of energy drinks being allowed for kids is a huge debate. Energy drinks are said to help give you energy for you long days, but are very deadly at the same time. Energy drink companies say that it’s the kids faults for drinking the energy products but all in all it is there’s to begin with. They have hidden so much from us should they be allowed to hide it any more? One of the biggest dangers of energy drinks is death. There are twelve reported death reports saying that monster energy is the cause for the deaths. The companies were sued by the families of the teens who died from drinking the drinks. The companies stated that it was their kids faults for there deaths because the consumed the product in hand, but they didn’t know the ingredients in the energy drinks. Some of the publics schools in Washington sell energy drinks everyday at there schools. The energy drink companies are trying to get the advertisement out to the younger kids to wanting them to buy more and more of there products. If we pulled the energy drinks from schools and selling them there would be less teen and children deaths in the us alone then there has been over the year. Energy drink companies should label everything a lot better, because having them hide some of the ingredients isn’t something id like to let my kids use. Less people would drink them if they new what all was in the products. Most of there products have over 1,600mg of sugar in it , that’s equal to one in a half to two bags of sugar. Putting all this sugar into these drinks and having kids consume them causes the kids to become hyperactive whenever they consume the product. If these kids keep drinking these drinks they will cause them self to get diabetes, after drinking the energy drinks for a long period of time. Considering the challenge of being sued for there product the companies try and change the topics to the family. When the companies blame the family for there family members death. The energy drink companies should be responsible because they are changing up the story every time someone sues them into trouble of their product. Yes I think energy drinks help with getting energy during the day, but the drinks a re a health concern for everyone. The unknown knowledge to everyone is the only reason why they are hiding there ingredients so they wont get in trouble for there product causing peoples deaths. There product is dirty a man after drinking and energy drink found a dead rat in his can after finishing his drink, all I can say is ewe would you want that in your drinks. To close I believe every energy drink should be banned because of all the health hazard and dangers to our well being. The energy companies should be forced to not be allowed to hide anything from its buyers. Because if the didn’t hide anything not a lot of people will be putting there life’s at risk anymore with drinking them. Energy drinks are going to be a thing of the past on day I will write everyday till they are. POWERED BY TCPDF (WWW. TCPDF. ORG).

Different ways to define leadership and mentoring

Different ways to define leadership and mentoring In this report, it divided into three parts. Firstly, it discuss about leadership and mentoring. There have many different ways to defined leadership and mentoring where it done by many researchers before. Leadership is the skills that to lead other people to accomplish the mission and the goals. However, mentoring is the skills that guide, help and consult, as well as set the vision, mission and goals for mentee. Further, to be an effective leaders and mentors, they have to fulfil certain requirements such as the roles, models, values and ethics of leadership or mentoring on individual character. Secondly, it discuss about the characteristics of leaders and mentors. There have many characteristics to be an effective and good leader and mentor, however, in this report, it only discusses a part of the characteristics of leaders and mentors such as communication, good decision making and others. Leaders and mentors are playing significant roles in an organization. So, several factors to be an effective leader and mentor will be discuss on part two later. Lastly, researcher who prepared this report had choosing a platform which is scout society to discuss the potential to lead followers in order to achieve the mission. 2.0 Definition of Leadership and Mentoring Leadership is a skill that done by a leader to motivate a group of members to achieve the goals that has been set by the company. There are many definitions done by researches. Based on G.A. Cole (1994), leadership defined as a process of an individual influences to work voluntarily to achieve the goals of the tasks that has been given. Besides that, according to P.F. Drucker (1999), leadership can raise individual performance to a higher standard and help to build individual personality beyond the limitation. Means while it is a process of an individual leading others subordinates in an organization to accomplish the tasks, motivate subordinates to work hard in a good condition and perform in a higher standard. On the other hand, mentoring can be defined as an experienced person who having particular skills or knowledge to help others who lack of experiences. Referring to Russel and Adams (1997), researches defined it as the interpersonal exchange between experienced employee who known as mentor and a peer less on experienced who known as protà ©gà ©. In an organization, mentors can be a person who holding a higher position in that company such as a manger, so, mentors should help and guide as much as possible of protà ©gà © to accomplish vision and mission of the company. Based on E. White (2007) research, a high level manager should be mentors for others and help unlimited employees to complete the mission. 2.1 Roles of Leadership and Mentoring An effective leadership in an organization can be proven to maintain a good condition of a company. So, while leaders leading a group of people to complete the project tasks, leader need to have effective leadership skills. Due to that, the knowledge and skills on the personal leader are important to lead followers in a right direction to accomplish the goals of the organization. There are several important leadership roles requires on a leader. First of all, visioning and setting an example (Vadim Kotelnikov, 2001) is one of the significant factors for the leadership. Leader can build up a proper vision to establish subordinates and lead subordinates to reach the vision. Besides, leadership is a considering of the working result which will reflect to an organization performance. So, choosing a correct strategy to direct followers work efficiently on the project has to be very careful. As a leader, where should care on the organization performance, leader individual has to take the risks of manage change and develop a winning strategy to reach the vision point or the goal of an organization. According to Jeffery Gandz (2005), develop winning strategies to get a better result or performance is helpful for the company. Furthermore, lead by example to show up the confidence in front of followers and gain respect as well as trusty from followers can makes leader easier on completing the task in the whole team. Secondly, empowering and energizing (Vadim Kotelnikov, 2001) are another important leadership role. As a leader, build up a positive environment at the working place can tend to an efficiency of working process. For example, leader showing out a friendly personality to motivate and energize people to work willingly and efficiently to performance well in the project. It can help to increase the performance of an organization. Moreover, empower people by listen on the ideas from subordinates as in a fair condition to avoid unconvinced in the team. Communicate well with subordinates, giving out clear instructions to avoid misleading by followers. Leaders should also always understand the condition of followers and support and helps subordinates while doing the project. Last but not least, leading team (Vadim Kotelnikov, 2001) is a common role of leadership. Leader is to lead a group of people on performing a particular task. However, leader also considers as one of the team members in the group. Leader has to carry out the value of team work to ensure the whole team is in a well performing. So, leader should involve everyone include leader individual to performance the task. Further, allow to have a group discussion for followers to get a well performance and decision. The result that done by followers should be rely to and trust on the working scope, yet, leader has to provide an effective feedback for subordinates on the result. In contrast, mentors is to guide mentees to accomplish the mission that given. Based on the research of S.K. Hill and M.H. Bahnink (1998), effective mentoring can progress a better result such as performance levels, promotion rates, upward mobility, income and job satisfaction of mentors and mentees. It is almost the same as roles of leadership whereby roles of mentoring also have to contribute the skills and guideline, role modeling and the most important is effective mentoring relationships. Mentors have a specialist skills or knowledge to help mentees in order for mentees to gain confidence while doing the tasks. By using mentors updated knowledge to aid mentees and build up confidence as well as offering a new challenge tasks for mentees to improve mentees learning knowledge. In an organization, role modeling of mentors such as responsibilities on the job scope, confidence, trusty of others allow mentees to examine and being an example for them. Mentors can be consider as a representative of an organization, due to that, mentors have to always giving out a good impression to mentees in order to increase the presentation of mentees where may reflected performance of a company. Lastly, effective mentoring relationship such as well communication, pay out attention and concern on mentees, and others to build up a good relation with mentees is very important. It can reflect the learning process of a mentee, due to that, a proper mentoring relationship must always maintain in a good condition in order to gain respect from mentees and efficiency of learning and completing a task scope. 2.2 Models of leadership Different leaders have different leadership style and behaviour, where it is discuss in different types of leadership models by several researches. In this report, the leadership model is going to discuss is John Adairs action-centred leadership model. For an organization, John Adairs model is the simplest model to carry out leadership presentation. This model is suitable for leadership and management of any team, group or organization. In this mode, it included the term of task team individual. Achieving the Task Concern for the Individual Building and Developing the Team Figure 1.1: Action Centred Leadership model Source: Effective Leadership, John Adair (1983) An effective leader should fulfil three of the obligation that shown in the action centred leadership model. In an organization who holding the position as a leader should be responsibilities on achieving the task-team-individual model. It is helpful on maintain good condition of the company and the environment around subordinates. Responsibilities of a leader in order to achieve the task, leader has to defined the task, provide a clear vision, plan and allocating the resources such as set a deadline for the task as well as controlling and monitoring are in well progress. Secondly, as in a group, team building is very important. Leader should able to communicate well, setting standards and able to manage the conflict within the group. Finally, responsibilities as an individual, leader has to taking part on doing the task together, motivation as in able to gain more confidence, accept any feedback from subordinates and able to get respected. (Alan Chapman, 2001) 2.3 Values and Ethics of Leadership and Mentoring Values and ethics are important aspects in an individual personality. Referring to Lisa Murton Beets (2006), values and ethics showing by a leader will reflect an organizations culture, due to that, leaders should always increase awareness on individual presentation. Individual moral personality should have either for leader or mentor. Besides that, according to Toor and Ofori (2009), leader or mentor should always involve in the task to lead or guide and consult others, yet, it must be beneficial to other but not leader or mentor. Further, leader or mentor should avoid situation that may hurt others people such as scolding in front public where may cause lost of confidence to themselves. However, leader or mentor should always praise followers, subordinates or protà ©gà © in order to have a comfort working environment and maintain a good relationship between each others. 3.0 Characteristics of Effective Leader In a country, organization, society, or a group of people on doing a project, there must be a leader to lead those followers to achieve their goals. Leader is a person who influences other people to work using their capabilities to accomplish the goals that has been set. Therefore, it is important that a leader carry out their responsibility to ensure the effectiveness of their leadership skill to conduct a group of people in order to complete their task. To be an effective leader, there must be fulfilling several characteristics. First of all, a leader must be a good communicator (Self improvement mentor.com, 2009). Communication between leader and followers is important where it can avoid misunderstanding between each other, comfortable of subordinates while working and others. A good leader not only to conduct a group to complete their task, however, leader must able to communicate with followers in order to make them work comfortable on their position. Leaders must use an easy and clear instruction to giving out the significant information to avoid uncertainty barriers while completing the project. For example, the language that using to communicate, the ways of talking with others must be in a proper way and easy let followers receive and respond on it. So, both of leader and follower must able to understand each other conversation and giving feedback. Secondly, decision maker (Self improvement mentor.com, 2009) also is one of the characteristics for a leader to lead followers or subordinates in a correct path way. Decision making is very significant on doing and complete a task. If theres a wrong decision has been makes, therefore, a whole group of people could receiving a wrong information and unable to achieve the goals that set by company. For example, when a company facing a slightly loss in end of the month. As a leader of a company, a right decision making on carry out a proper strategy to solve the problem and lead the subordinate to work harder and bringing back the company to a correct direction. Thus, a leader must have the capability of making right decision in particular situation such as choosing a correct strategy to complete the task. A part from that, self-confidence (online youtube source) of a leader should be included in the characteristic of effective leader. A leader should always have a great idea, creativity, different type of thinking than other people for the project, in addition, leader must able to giving out opinion or feedback on those ideas came from subordinates as well. For example, a leader of a project has to show up confidence on the ideas, creativity and others to provide a clear feature to a group of people in order to accomplish the projects goals. Hence, it is important that leaders showing their confidence to followers, so, the words out from a leader could be more convincing to other people and makes the followers work willingly to complete the task. Another characteristic of effective leader is lead by example (Self improvement mentor.com, 2009). Normally subordinates would take leader as an example for themselves. That means, everything done by leader could reflected to followers. As an example, if a leader in an organization using the position power to take a small smoke break, it could reflect to subordinates and might be follow by them. Consequently, leader should have a good role model shows to followers, and therefore, subordinates would giving a respect and high expectation to leader. Moreover, leader who knows to correct and knows how to accept correct (online youtube source) also is one of the components of effective leader. Knows to correct means, leader should correct the mistake of the followers in a proper way. Leader could not lose temper or upset while correcting subordinates. For example, leaders have to aware non-verbal communication such like scolding followers when correcting the mistakes. Conversely, knows how to accept correct means, leader should be respect and accept the correction that makes by followers. Even leader should have to know apologize when making a mistake. Further, there might be some subordinates has more experience than a leader, so, leader has to accept the correction and learn from it. It would result to a respect from others people. 3.1 Characteristics of Effective Mentor On the other hand, mentor can be defined as an experience person who teach and guide another person who less experience on certain field such as, teachers and students, or experience employees and less experience peer. In an organization or society, mentors also playing a significant role to guide or help other people who lack of experience on doing their task or project. So, mentors must have few years more experiences than mentee which could help and provide them a correct information and instruction. A good and effective mentor must have enclosed several characteristics. Firstly, mentor must have particular knowledge and skills (W. Angie and K. Premkumar) and and which related to the field. In an organization, the mentors should be familiar with the structure and the culture of the company, so, these could easy to guide and help other people who lack of experience in the organization. Which means that, mentors of the company should be had experiences of few years and clearly knows about the field and the norms of the company. Besides, mentor should always update the technologies, knowledge, skills, and the current issue of company as well as outsider world. In addition, the willingness of mentor (W. Angie and K. Premkumar) also is one of the characteristics of effective mentor. The willingness of helping others and the willingness of time commitment are very important for a mentor. Spending time on someone as well as helping and guiding the person to achieve the goals are a responsibility of a mentor. Besides, providing feedback also must be done by a mentor where mentee able to obtain the result of the performance. Therefore, as an effective mentor, time management must be efficient where can due to sufficient time for mentee. Values of patience and tolerance (Susan M. Heathfield, 2010) also are a significant characteristic of effective mentor. Mentee is a person who lack of experience and might always make mistakes on performance. Different people have different learning level, so, mentor should have the value of patience while guiding mentee. Moreover, mentor should be tolerance while mentee making mistake and accept mentees weaknesses. It is because a mistake can be considered as a chance which allows mentee to learn from mistake. So, the moral values must always show up by mentor in order to help mentee complete the task. Furthermore, mentors should always give encouragement (Susan M. Heathfield, 2010) to mentees and always concern on mentees performance in order to build up a high confidence to mentees. If a person lack of confidence on performing the task, it could lead to fail of performing and fail of achieve the goals. So, mentors should provide a proper encouragement in a right time to allow mentees on building up a good self-esteem and self-confidence. Result, mentees might able to performance well for the project. As a conclusion, leaders and mentors also playing a significant role in an organization, society, or others form of group. Leaders are to lead followers to achieve the goals that have been set, however, mentors is to help, guide, and set the goals to let mentees to achieve it. So, in order to accomplish the goals, leaders and mentors should carry out the characteristic of being effective leaders or mentors to help and lead other people complete the tasks. Respecting each other, communication well, concern and tolerance, as well as others moral values are some of the important components that should have for a leader or a mentor. 4.0 Aspects of Researchers Potential to Lead Followers Based on researchers experienced when secondary school, researcher has been chosen to be a leader of scout. Scout is a society which involved in worldwide and with the main objective of supporting people on their physical, mental, and spiritual development. Scout is playing an important role on this society world, therefore, as a part of scout members have to always help others no matter on the different of races, religion, or ages of the person. There have many activities included in scout society such as camping, hiking, jungle tracking, woodcraft, and others. On researchers few years experienced on being a leader of scouting, researcher had gain many knowledge and skills to be an effective and good leader. Scout included many members inside where a leader have to be tolerant and patience while conduct a group of people. When a leader lost tempered and scolding in front other people, members could be scared and feel uncomfortable on joining this society. As the aim of scout is have to supporting young people, due to that, leading with a moral value character is the most important rules for a leader. Furthermore, scouts mostly include outdoor activities for members. Researcher had attended many kind of camping while being a leader. There will be met up of others schools scout members or even international scout members. So, able to socialize with other people is another major factors to be an effective leader. Proper social with other members showing out a friendly side of researcher individual and gain respect and heart from them would be smooth movement while joining those activities. Researcher, as a leader which represents a state has to communicate well, paying attention and concern with researchers followers. Beside, socialize with others leaders and members could help to increase the skills and knowledge to be a good leader. In the camping activities such as learning fist aid skills, woodcraft, tracking and others, researcher was a team leader. All of these have to carry out a team work value among each other in order to successful complete the activities. Besides, researcher has to involve personal in the activities and build up a good team work condition with other members. Even though it separate to a small group of people in those activities, since every person having different types of knowledge and skills, so, team work still important for them in order to exchange knowledge and skills among each others. Additionally, a leader would not be perfect in all the areas, researcher might has certain part could lack of knowledge or skills. So, involving individual to taking part on those activities enable researcher to learn and gain more knowledge. Also, researcher able to manage conflict among group could bring out a better learning environment for followers. Furthermore, researcher always gives out challenge for followers to train their discipline, confidence, and moral values of followers. Those aspects are significant and useful for followers from time to time. Being a good leader should train followers to be an excellent person where can helps society world in future. Challenge such as creating a marching formation, woodcraft and others where it needs creativity of an individual and skills that had learnt. Researcher has to explain clearly on the mission, rules that followers have to follow, deadline and others for followers. For example, researcher gives out a challenge of creating a marching formation using team creativity and performance it after. Followers must be done on time and perform well after. Even though it is a challenge for them, yet, researcher as a leader have needs to lead and guide them and support as well as provide feedback in a proper way which enable followers to get more confidence. Researcher, a leader of scout team always being an example for others, thus, researcher has to be the first who discipline own self, being confidence and motivated in front followers. Where the character and attitude of researcher might influence followers, due to that, an effective leader has to motivate own self always be the first line and as a good example in front others. In addition, based on the experienced that gain from there, researcher has always treating fairly to every individual person in the team. While a person did wrongly and should be penalty, or a person did well in particular performance, researcher should give fairly treated to them. Researcher could not didnt penalty due to the follower is close friend to researcher or didnt praise and reward person who doing well performance in that team. As a conclusion, followers are a significant asset for any society, organization, association or others to being success and achieve the mission. Due to that, researcher should have good moral value on own character, always concern on followers needs, be motivated and motivate followers on gaining confidence. Respect each other, treated fairly, being a good shadow to followers and providing feedback as well as accept any feedback from followers to have a stable and unchangeable good relationship with followers. All of these are the main aspects to being an effective and efficient leader. 5.0 Conclusion People who holding high level management position in an organization should have a good leadership skill in order to accomplish the mission and goals of the company, well leadership to followers have to widely use. Furthermore, problems always occur either on organization performance or co-worker in a company, thus, leaders have to enclose an efficient thinking, making a correct decision to solve the trouble of company and conflict among employees or followers. Additionally, mentors have to consult one or more person who lack of experienced using their mentoring skills. Helping and guiding mentees could gain back the confidence of mentees and providing feedback for them is a way for them to learn more from their mistake and performance. As a conclusion, leader and mentor have responsibilities to their followers or mentees to maintain good condition of a company. Providing a good working environment for subordinates is the main factor to building up good relationship among each others. Therefore, the willingness on helping and guiding them could be useful and comfortable on learning for subordinates.

the patriot Essay -- essays research papers

THE PATRIOT   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Patriot, directed by Roland Emmerich has to be one of the most patriotic films I have ever seen. This film focuses on merit, and how people of all backgrounds worked together for one cause: freedom.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The movie for the most part is accurate, even though most commentators have a different standpoint. Many of us are aware of the revolution and other important historical events. But, what we have to put into perspective is they the way all of these historical events have been perceived.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The movie's protagonist is Mel Gibson playing the role of Benjamin Martin. Benjamin Martin is a South Carolina planter who is still haunted by his notoriously brutal past as a soldier in the French and Indian War. When the American Revolution comes, he chooses not to fight for the Continental Army because he wants to protect his family. But when the British Colonel Tavington threatens their welfare and kills one of his sons, he chooses to enlist. Martin becomes the leader of a makeshift militia, which consists of peasants, slaves, a minister, and other irregulars. During the war Martin and his men discover that they will pay a steep personal price for their rebellion, but are still willing and will go in with it. Thanks to their courage and bravery since July of 1776 through the Declaration of Independence every American is granted rights that must be enforced.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  &nbs...

Blood As An Image In Macbeth Essay -- essays research papers

Shakespeare uses the symbol of blood in MacBeth to represent treason, guilt, murder and death. These ideas are constant throughout the book. There are many examples of blood representing these three ideas in the book. Blood is mentioned throughout the play and mainly in reference to murder or treason. The first reference to blood is in MacBeth's soliloquy in Act 2, Scene 1, Lines 33-61, when Macbeth sees the bloody dagger floating in the air before him. Also in this soliloquy on line 46 he sees "on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood", this means that there is blood on the handle and spots of blood on the handle. This is implying that the dagger was viciously and maliciously used on someone. Shakespeare most likely put this in as premonition of murder and death to come later in the story. The next reference, although indirect, in Act 2, Scene 2, Lines 5-11 is when Lady MacBeth talks about smearing the blood from the dagger on the faces and hands of the servants that she drugged. In Act 2, Scene 2, Lines 11-12, "I laid their daggers ready; He could not miss them". Notice how she said THEIR daggers. She is setting up the innocent servants of the king, making it look like they committed treason. Also in this scene is the first reference of blood pertaining to guilt. MacBeth says this in Act 2, Scene 3, Line 60, "Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?" This is an example of blood representing guilt, because MacBeth wi...

The Changing Role and Status of women in Britain since 1900 – source related study

1. Source A is useful as it shows how united the Suffragettes were in 1908. It says in the caption beneath the photograph, that there was said to have been 200000 people who attended. They look like they are determined to get what they want. Some of the women are holding banners, flowers and flags. There is a policeman in the corner of the picture. This shows that the police thought that the protest might become violent. The Suffragettes were known for heckling at meetings, deliberately trying to get arrested and get sent to prison, and in 1908 they began to attack properties. The Suffragettes believed that peaceful campaigns were getting them nowhere. In 1908, women had already achieved many improvements in their education, legal rights and job opportunities. However they still wanted to earn the right to be able to vote in General Elections. This may be what the protest was for. The Suffragettes had a lot of support, particularly in London. There were thirty-four branches of the WSPU in London alone and fifty-four branches in the rest of the country. Source A shows that the Suffragettes are like a big team and family. They all look determined to get what they want. The WSPU's motto was ‘Deeds not Words,' this meant that they believed that actions were stronger than words. Emmeline Pankhurst is leading the protest. In the Suffragettes first public demonstration in 1905 Emmeline said, â€Å"Then amid uproar and shouting, the women were seized and flung out of the hall.† In conclusion this source shows that the Suffragettes were a strong group of women who had strong opinions and views. This source shows that the Suffragette movement was a strong force to be reckoned with thus affecting people's attitudes. There would be those people in full support, with many women openly and many offering passive support. Men's attitudes would be very different. Up until now the women's place was in the home. The police's attitude was one of recognition of their considerable power and they feared the implications of this, thus the police presence in Source A suggests the need for containment and prevention of violence. 2. Source D and E are both extremely useful in showing us what peoples views about the Suffragettes were in 1910. Source D is taken from a British newspaper, and is obviously written by a man. It is reliable to show the some peoples opinions of what the Suffragettes were doing at the time. Source E is also useful as it is a postcard that was issued by the Suffragettes. It shows the suffragettes opinion. The postcard would be used to persuade people to become one of them. It shows what women could be a mayor or a nurse, and can't vote however men could be lunatics or drunkards and they can vote. This is biased as it has been created by the suffragettes, and is very one sided. However Source D is also biased as it doesn't show the views of the suffragettes, only the writers view about what went on. In Source D the writer uses phrases such as ‘shameful recklessness' and ‘desperate women' to show how the country should be ashamed of the way the suffragettes have acted. This newspaper article does not once say why the suffragettes were doing what they were doing. I'm sure many people agreed with what was written however I am also sure a lot of people were against what was written. In the headline it says ‘ DISGRACEFUL SCENES Reckless Women Charge Headlong into Cordon of Police.' The word ‘disgraceful' suggests that the country should be ashamed of the actions of the Suffragettes. Men expected women to be quiet and obedient so when women started to rebel against this stereotype, the campaign for women's votes was important news, especially with the papers. The Suffragettes began to create posters, which got them some sympathy from people in the public. In Source E it says ‘What a woman may be and yet not have the Vote.' Underneath, it has pictures of women being a mayor, a nurse, a doctor, teacher and a factory hand. It also says ‘what a man may have been and yet not lose the vote.' Underneath, it has pictures of men being a convict, a lunatic, an owner of white slaves, being unfit for service and a drunkard. Of course, women could also be all of the things the males are, and the males are able to have all of the livings the females have however in this postcard the women have only been shown as being good things, whereas the men have been shown as being bad. This would have got the suffragettes some more support. In conclusion I believe that both sources are equally reliable. They both are biased and they both show different opinions of different people at the time. 3. When the First World War began so many men had gone away to fight, that women were needed to do their jobs. This meant that the number of women working in industry increased massively. The war made it acceptable for women to work in shipyards, collieries and brickyards. Some of them worked as highly skilled engineers and carpenters. In some of these jobs, women were welcomed, however in others they were resented because they had little or no training for jobs, which had previously needed very skilled people. If there was an election during the war most soldiers wouldn't be able to vote. Women soon realised that this could be their chance to pressurize the government to let them vote. There were no demonstrations, however there were many meetings between women's leaders and politicians and telegrams and letters were sent to MPs. In 1918 Parliament passed a new law, which allowed women over the age of 30 to be able to vote. From my knowledge of what happened, I believe that the war was a big part of Parliament passing a law allowing women to vote. As there may not of been enough males in the country at the time of the war, to vote if there was an election, they needed females. I also think that because most men were away during the war, the women proved themselves to be useful, as they started doing work in factories and so on. Men had never seen females do this before so it may have been a shock to them to see that women could do things just as good as them. In Source J, Herbert Asquith says, â€Å"I will find it impossible to withhold from women the power and the right of making their voices heard.† This proves that women proved themselves by working while the men were away at war. They even convinced an ex prime minister that they were worthy of having a say about what goes on in there life. The war didn't help the French Suffragette women gain the vote. In conclusion I do agree with the statement: â€Å"Without the First World War British women would not have gained the right to vote in 1918.† I also believe that women would not have received as much respect from men as they do today if the war hadn't of happened. Women had a chance to prove to people that they were able to do things just as well as men in this period of time.

Fool Chapter 9

NINE TOIL AND TROUBLE So why is it that we are going to Great Birnam Wood to look for witches?† asked Kent as we made our way across the moor. There was only a slight breeze but it was bloody cold, what with the mist and the gloom and my despair over King Jeff. I pulled my woolen cape around me. â€Å"Bloody Scotland,† said I. â€Å"Albany is possibly the darkest, dampest, coldest bloody crevice in all of Blighty. Sodding Scots.† â€Å"Witches?† reminded Kent. â€Å"Because the bloody ghost told me I'd find my answers here.† â€Å"Ghost?† â€Å"The girl ghost at the White Tower, keep up, Kent. Rhymes and riddles and such.† I told him of the â€Å"grave offense to daughters three† and the â€Å"madman rising to lead the blind.† Kent nodded as if he understood. â€Å"And I'm along because†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Because it is dark and I am small.† â€Å"You might have asked Curan or one of the others. I'm reticent about witches.† â€Å"Nonsense. They're just like physicians, only without the bleeding. Nothing to fear.† â€Å"In the day, when Lear was still Christian, we did not do well by witches. I've had a cartload of curses cast on me.† â€Å"Not very effective, though, were they? You're child-frighteningly old and still strong as a bull.† â€Å"I am banished, penniless, and live under the threat of death upon discovery of my name.† â€Å"Oh, good point. Brave of you to come, then.† â€Å"Aye, thanks, lad, but I'm not feeling it. What's that light?† There was a fire ahead in the wood, and figures moving around it. â€Å"Stealthy, now, good Kent. Let us creep up silently and see what is to be seen before revealing ourselves. Now, creep, Kent, you crashing great ox, creep.† And with but two steps my strategy revealed its flaw. â€Å"You're jingling like a coin purse possessed of fits,† said Kent. â€Å"You couldn't creep up on the deaf nor dead. Silence your bloody bells, Pocket.† I placed my coxcomb on the ground. â€Å"I can leave my hat, but I'll not take off my shoes – we'll surrender all stealth if I'm screaming from trodding tender-footed across lizards, thorns, hedgehogs, and the lot.† â€Å"Here, then,† said Kent, pulling the remains of the pork shoulder from his satchel. â€Å"Dampen your bells with the fat.† I raised an eyebrow quizzically – an unappreciated and overly subtle gesture in the dark – then shrugged and began working the suet into the bells at my toes and ankles. â€Å"There!† I shook a leg to the satisfying sound of nothing at all. â€Å"Forward!† Creep we did, until we were just outside the halo of firelight. Three bent-backed hags were walking a slow circle around a large cauldron, dropping in twisted bits of this and that as they chanted. â€Å"Double, double, toil and trouble: Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.† â€Å"Witches,† whispered Kent, paying tribute to the god of all things bloody fucking obvious. â€Å"Aye,† said I, in lieu of clouting him. (Jones stayed behind to guard my hat.) â€Å"Eye of newt and toe of frog, Wool of bat and tongue of dog, Adder's fork and blind-worm's sting, Lizard's leg and owlet's wing, For a charm of powerful trouble, Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.† They double-bubbled the chorus and we were readying ourselves for another verse of the recipe when I felt something brush against my leg. It was all I could do not to cry out. I felt Kent's hand on my shoulder. â€Å"Steady, lad, it's just a cat.† Another brush, and a meow. Two of them now, licking my bells, and purring. (It sounds more pleasant than it was.) â€Å"It's the bloody pork fat,† I whispered. A third feline joined the gang. I stood on one foot, trying to hold the other above their heads, but while I am an accomplished acrobat, the art of levitation still eludes me; thus my ground-bound foot became my Achilles' heel, as it were. One of the fiends sank its fangs into my ankle. â€Å"Fuckstockings!† said I, somewhat emphatically. I hopped, I whirled, I made disparaging remarks toward all creatures of the feline aspect. Hissing and yowling ensued. When at last the cats retreated, I was sitting splayed-legged by the fire, Kent stood next to me with his sword drawn and ready, and the three hags stood in ranks across the cauldron from us. â€Å"Back, witches!† said Kent. â€Å"You may curse me into a toad, but they'll be the last words out of your mouths while your heads are attached.† â€Å"Witches?† said the first witch, who was greenest of the three. â€Å"What witches? We are but humble washerwomen, making our way in the wood.† â€Å"Rendering laundry service, humble and good,† said witch two, the tallest. â€Å"All it be, is as it should,† said witch three, who had a wicked wart over her right eye. â€Å"By Hecate's[27] night-tarred nipples, stop rhyming!† said I. â€Å"If you're not witches, what was that curse you were bubbling about?† â€Å"Stew,† said Warty. â€Å"Stew, stew most true,† said Tall. â€Å"Stew most blue,† said Green. â€Å"It's not blue,† said Kent, looking in the cauldron. â€Å"More of a brown.† â€Å"I know,† said Green, â€Å"but brown doesn't rhyme, does it, love?† â€Å"I'm looking for witches,† said I. â€Å"Really?† said Tall. â€Å"I was sent by a ghost.† The hags looked at one another, then back at me. â€Å"Ghost told you to bring your laundry here, did it?† said Warty. â€Å"You're not washerwomen! You're bloody witches! And that's not stew, and the bloody ghost of the bloody White Tower said to seek you here for answers, so can we get about it, ye gnarled knots of erect vomitus?† â€Å"Ah, we're toads for sure now,† sighed Kent. â€Å"Always a bloody ghost, innit?† said Tall. â€Å"What did she look like?† asked Green. â€Å"Who? The ghost? I didn't say it was a she – â€Å" â€Å"What did she look like, fool?† snarled Warty. â€Å"I suppose I shall pass my days eating bugs and hiding under leaves until some crone drops me in a cauldron,† mused Kent, leaning on his sword now, watching moths dart into the fire. â€Å"She was ghostly pale,† said I, â€Å"all in white – vaporous, with fair hair and – â€Å" â€Å"She was fit,[28] though?† asked Tall. â€Å"Lovely, you might even say?† â€Å"Bit more transparent than I care for in my wenches, but aye, she was fit.† â€Å"Aye,† said Warty, looking to the others, who huddled with her. When they came up, Green said, â€Å"State your business, then, fool. Why did the ghost send you here?† â€Å"She said you could help me. I am fool to the court of King Lear of Britain. He has sent away his youngest daughter, Cordelia, of whom I am somewhat fond; he's given my apprentice fool, Drool, to that blackguard bastard Edmund of Gloucester, and my friend Taster has been poisoned and is quite dead.† â€Å"And don't forget that they're going to hang you at dawn,† added Kent. â€Å"Don't concern yourselves with that, ladies,† said I. â€Å"About to be hanged is my status quo, not a condition that requires your repair.† The hags huddled again. There was much whispering and a bit of hissing. They broke their conference and Warty, who was the apparent coven leader, said, â€Å"That Lear's a nasty piece of work.† â€Å"Last time he went Christian a score of witches were drowned,† said Tall. Kent nodded, and looked at his shoes. â€Å"The Petite Inquisition – not a high point.† â€Å"Aye, we were a decade spelling them all back to life for the revenge,† said Warty. â€Å"Rosemary here still seeps pond-water from the ears on damp days,† said Tall. â€Å"Aye, and carps ate my small toes while I was pond-bottom,† said Green. â€Å"Her toes thus gefilted,[29] we had to seek an enchanted lynx and take two of his for replacement.† Rosemary (who was Green) nodded gravely. â€Å"Goes through shoes in a fortnight, but there's no better witch to chase a squirrel up a tree,† said Tall. â€Å"That's true,† said Rosemary. â€Å"Beats the burnings, though,† said Warty. â€Å"Aye, that's true,† said Tall. â€Å"No amount of cat toes'll fix you if you've all your bits burnt off. Lear had him some burnings as well.† â€Å"I'm not here on behalf of Lear,† said I. â€Å"I'm here to correct the madness he's done.† â€Å"Well, why didn't you say so?† said Rosemary. â€Å"We're always keen on sending a bit of the mayhem Lear's way,† said Warty. â€Å"Shall we curse him with leprosy?† â€Å"By your leave, ladies, I don't wish the old man's undoing, only the undoing of his deeds.† â€Å"A simple curse would be easier,† said Tall. â€Å"A bit o' bat spittle in the cauldron and we can have him walking on duck feet before breakfast. Make him quack, too, if you've a shilling or a freshly-strangled infant for the service.† â€Å"I just want my friends and my home back,† said I. â€Å"Well, if you can't be persuaded, let us have a consult,† said Rosemary. â€Å"Parsley, Sage, a moment?† She waved the other witches over to an old oak where they whispered. â€Å"Parsley, Sage, and Rosemary?† said Kent. â€Å"What, no Thyme?† Rosemary wheeled on him. â€Å"Oh, we've the time if you've the inclination, handsome.† â€Å"Jolly good show, hag!† said I. I liked these crones, they had a fine-edged wit. Rosemary rolled her good eye at the earl, lifted her skirts, aimed her withered bottom at Kent, and rubbed a palsied claw over it. â€Å"Round and firm, good knight. Round and firm.† Kent gagged a little and backed away a few steps. â€Å"Gods save us! Away you ghastly carbuncled tart!† I would have looked away, should have, but I had never seen a green one. A weaker man might have plucked out his own eyes, but being a philosopher, I knew the sight could never be unseen, so I persevered. â€Å"Hop on, Kent,† said I. â€Å"Beast-shagging is thy calling and thou surely have been called.† Kent backed into a tree and half cold-cocked himself. He slid down the trunk, dazed. Rosemary dropped her skirts. â€Å"Just having you on.† The crones cackled as they huddled again. â€Å"We've a proper toading for you once the fool's business is finished, though. A moment, please†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The witches whispered for a moment, then resumed their march around the cauldron. â€Å"Nose of Turk, and Tartar's lips, Griffin spunk and monkey hips, Mandrake rubbed with tiger nads, To divine undoing for the old king mad.† â€Å"Oh bollocks,† said Sage, â€Å"we're all out of monkey hips.† Parsley looked into the cauldron and gave it a stir. â€Å"We can make do without them. You can substitute a fool's finger.† â€Å"No,† said I. â€Å"Well, then, get a finger from that comely hunk of man-meat with the bootblack on his beard – he seems foolish enough.† â€Å"No,† said Kent, still a tad dazed. â€Å"And it's not bootblack, it's a clever disguise.† The witches looked to me. â€Å"There's no counting on accuracy without the monkey hips or fool's finger,† said Rosemary. I said: â€Å"Let us make do and gallantly bugger on, shall we, ladies?† â€Å"All right,† said Parsley, â€Å"but don't blame us if we bollocks-up your future.† There was more stirring and chanting in dead languages, and no little bit of wailing, and finally, when I was about to doze off, a great bubble rose in the cauldron and when it burst it released a cloud of steam that formed itself into a giant face, not unlike the tragedy mask used by traveling players. It glowed against the misty night. â€Å"‘Ello,† said the giant face, sounding Cockney and a little drunk. â€Å"Hello, large and steamy face,† said I. â€Å"Fool, Fool, you must save the Drool, Quick to Gloucester, or blood will pool.† â€Å"Oh, for fuck's sake, this one rhymes, too?† said I to the witches. â€Å"Can't a bloke find a straightforward prose apparition?† â€Å"Quiet, fool!† snapped Sage, who I was back to thinking of as Warty. To the face, she said, â€Å"Apparition of darkest power, we're clear on the where and the what, but the fool was hoping for some direction of the how variety.† â€Å"Aye. Sorry,† said large steamy face. â€Å"I'm not slow, you know, your recipe was short a monkey hip.† â€Å"We'll use two next time,† said Sage. â€Å"Well, all right, then†¦ â€Å"To reverse the will of a flighty king, Remove his train to clip his wings. To eldest daughters knights be dower, And soon a fool will yield the power.† The steamy face grinned. I looked at the witches. â€Å"So I'm to somehow get Goneril and Regan to take Lear's knights in addition to everything else they have?† â€Å"He never lies,† said Rosemary. â€Å"He's often wildly fucking inaccurate,† said Parsley, â€Å"but not a liar.† â€Å"Again,† said I to the apparition, â€Å"good to know what to do and all, but a method to the madness would be most welcome as well. A strategy, as it were.† â€Å"Cheeky little bastard, ent ‘e?† said Steamy to the witches. â€Å"Want us to put a curse on him?† asked Sage. â€Å"No, no, the lad's a rocky road ahead without adding a curse to slow him.† The apparition cleared his throat (or at least made the throat-clearing noise, as, strictly speaking, he had no throat). â€Å"A princess to your will shall bend, If seduction in a note, you send, And fates of kings and queens shall tell, When bound are passions with a spell.† With that, the apparition faded away. â€Å"That's it, then?† I asked. â€Å"A couple of rhymes and we're finished? I have no idea what I'm to do.† â€Å"Bit thick yourself, then, are you?† said Sage. â€Å"You're to go to Gloucester. You're to separate Lear from his knights and see that they're under the power of his daughters. Then you're to write letters of seduction to the princesses and bind their passions with a magic spell. Couldn't be any clearer if it was rhymed.† Kent was nodding and shrugging as if the bloody obviousness of it all had sluiced through the wood in an illuminating deluge, leaving me the only one dry. â€Å"Oh, do fuck off, you grey-bearded sot. Where would you get a magic spell to bind the bitches' passion?† â€Å"Them,† said Kent, pointing rudely at the hags. â€Å"Us,† said the hags in chorus. â€Å"Oh,† said I, letting the flood wash over me. â€Å"Of course.† Rosemary stepped forward and held forth three shriveled grey orbs, each about the size of a man's eye. I did not take them, fearing they might be something as disgusting as they appeared to be – desiccated elf scrotums or some such. â€Å"Puff balls, from a fungus that grows deep in the wood,† said Rosemary. â€Å"In lover's breath these spores release An enchanting charm you shall unleash Passion which can be never broken For him whose name next is spoken.† â€Å"So, to recap, simply and without rhyme?† â€Å"Squeeze one of these bulbs under your lady's nose, then say your name and she will find your charms irresistible and become overwhelmed with desire for you,† explained Sage. â€Å"Redundant then, really?† said I with a grin. The hags laughed themselves into a wheeze-around, then Rosemary dropped the puff balls into a small silk pouch and handed it to me. â€Å"There's the matter of payment,† said she, as I reached for the purse. â€Å"I'm a poor fool,† said I. â€Å"All we have between us is my scepter and a well-used shoulder of pork. I suppose I could wait while each of you takes Kent for a roll in the hay, if that will do.† â€Å"You will not!† said Kent. The hag held up a hand. â€Å"A price to be named later,† said she. â€Å"Whenever we ask.† â€Å"Fine, then,† said I, snatching the purse away from her. â€Å"Swear it,† she said. â€Å"I swear,† said I. â€Å"In blood.† â€Å"But – † As quick as a cat she scratched the back of my hand with her ragged talon. â€Å"Ouch!† Blood welled in the crease. â€Å"Let it drip in the cauldron and swear,† said the crone. I did as I was told. â€Å"Since I'm here, is there any chance I could get a monkey?† â€Å"No,† said Sage. â€Å"No,† said Parsely. â€Å"No,† said Rosemary. â€Å"We're all out of monkeys, but we'll put a glamour on your mate so his disguise isn't so bloody pathetic.† â€Å"Go to it, then,† said I. â€Å"We must be off.† ACT II How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have a thankless child. – King Lear, Act I, Scene 4