The Functions Management

Dead Language essays

Dead Language essays Dead Language After graduating from high school in Dnepropetrovsk , Ukraine with straight As, a little girl went to college in order to fulfill her dream of becoming a medical doctor. In Ukraine, doctors do not make a lot of money, drive fancy cars or live in huge houses. Unlike American doctors, Ukrainian doctors are underpaid and overworked. Despite the horrendous working conditions and lack of money, Ukrainian doctors receive enormous respect for what they do. My mother was that little girl who tried to acquire this noble profession in an attempt to help people. My mother did not care about long hours, or poor salaries. She would work without any compensation for month at a time. Yet these conditions did not stop her from performing her job to the best of her ability. She always thought that with the knowledge given to her, she had a to the people, who needed her help. Despite my mothers hard work and dedication, one thing always stood in the way of her dreams; she was Jewish. Being a Jew in Ukraine was a hardship in itself. The Jewish community in Ukraine were hated and prosecuted for no cause or reason. My parents were faced with the dilemma of having to live their lives in a country where their children would be prosecuted, on daily basis. The only logical solution for my family was to leave the country of birth and to move our lives to a place where the freedom of religion was engraved in the constitution. Leaving everything and everyone behind, we got on the airplane and flew to America. The image of friends and family in tears, waving goodbye remains engraved in my mind and heart forever. By allowing the endless prosecution of Jewish people, Ukraine has exiled a person with superior education and ability to cure. Although, everyone spoke the same language and played together as children. Now, As adults they could not look beyond my mothers relig...

Media Control Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Media Control - Research Paper Example The definition clearly states that media is a communication aimed at reaching a mass audience and when an attempt to control it is; the outcome is not beneficial to the mass audience. The media are the public watchdog informing the masses of the happenings in the country. Many a time’s hostile regimes to free media, use the government machinery at their disposal to oppress their freedom. Some countries use the legislature to introduce laws that are oppressive and ensure that the media is silent. Their best weapon of choice is punitive fines and indefinite closure of the broadcasting stations. Journalists are the most affected by this barbaric behavior. They experience punishments that equate abuse of human rights and constant threats on their lives or their immediate family. Some have even paid with their dear life or forced to go into exile. This research paper aims at bring to light the impact of media control to a country and the lives of journalists who are directly linked with media houses. The main intention of discussing this topic is to highlight the impact of media control and, to provide possible solutions to the menace. The technicality used to discuss the points is literature review on related works by renowned scholars and an interview with a journalist. Types of media control In order to understand the impact of media control it is important to know the forms of media control and the people responsible for controlling the media. Most scholars argue that the government is responsible of controlling the media industry (Sonin 3). When the media in such states try to expose their evils, these governments move with their state machinery to silence the media. The state may decide to control the media directly or indirectly. When the state controls the media directly it entails controlling the type of news media is able to air. The state determines what coverage the media gives to particular incidents and whom to focus on. Most of the time, the me dia are forced to focus on the president of the state and the ruling party politics. This direct control is common in countries as china and Uganda in Africa. In Uganda, a newspaper owned by the Nation Media group The Daily Monitor shutdown indefinitely for exposing the evils done by the government. The police later moved into a Television station affiliated to the newspaper Ntv Uganda offices and vandalized the broadcasting equipment arresting journalists at the same time. This is a form of direct control. Indirect control occurs when the government sweet talks privately owned media station into airing the government-preferred content. Such a case occurred in Mexico when the government offered tax incentives to privately owned media station to only air ruling party agenda and sideline the politicians (Lawson 320). The station had the freedom to air the type of advertisement they wanted and programs in return they pushed for the government agenda to the people. Many countries make d ecisions on the media model they want the country to operate. The different models brought out evidently by various media control scholars include libertarian and authoritarian models. By determining their print, audio and video content as they see fit in the advancement of their business through ads, libertarian model takes center stage. Contrary to freedom of choice of content is the authoritative model where the political big wigs call the shots. They determine

The Illusion of Taking Charge Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Illusion of Taking Charge - Term Paper Example The Fifth Discipline withstands this acid test. It has turned theoreticians into practical individuals. Spiritual bent in Senge’s writings is clearly seen. He gives lots of importance to the inner world of the individual, while explaining the limitations of materialists in chasing the secular goals. Learning organization means a progressive organization, a rebel against the traditional methods and willing to learn and move forward. It visualizes the threats well in time and makes use of the new opportunities. It knows value of the empowering approach. â€Å"In his prominent book, The Fifth Discipline, Senge identified some learning disabilities associated with the failure to think systemically. He classified them under the following headings: I am my position" "The enemy is out there" "The illusion of taking charge" "The fixation on events" "The parable of the boiled frog" "The delusion of learning from experience" (1990, pp. 17 - 26) I have been affected by the disability re lated to the illusion of taking charge: How I have been personally impacted by this disability. They say, tomorrow never comes, today it may be too late, do it just now. I am working for an export organization and the issue was about getting my passport ready, as instructed by my Export Manager. The Company has short-listed the names of certain employees and he told me that I was one from the Export Division of the company being considered for a study-tour of some Import Establishments in America. He told me to keep my passport and other papers ready. I presumed that the chance may not be forthcoming soon, and went on postponing my planned visit to the Passport Office. In fact, I had requested one of my friends staying near the Passport Office (the office is about 30 kilometers from our Organization) but did not pursue it effectively. My friend must have forgotten about my request. When, after a fortnight, my Export Manager, enquired about the passport for officially routing though the visa application, with a sorry face I had to tell him that I did not do anything about it. The issue was immediate and my two colleagues left for the foreign tour of three months. With the self-imposed denial of this opportunity, my chances of future promotion in the office were also affected. How the organization that I work for has has been impacted by this disability I believe my failure in this passport episode is my inability to think systematically. I should have acted, the very moment, that I got the information from my Export Manager, for getting the Passport ready. Though my Organization was not affected badly, to some extent its impact was there. I was specializing in export-related issues of the company and my two friends-colleagues who went to USA were not experts in that area, but the Management had to send some representatives. My negligence to carry out the instructions well in time came to the notice of the top management, and naturally they were not happy about it. Senge writes, â€Å"The illusion of taking charge being â€Å"proactive† is in vogue. Managers frequently proclaim the need for taking charge in facing difficult problems.†(p.20)Through this incident, I have experienced the truth of this statement. How was the disability overcome Senge writes, "Generative Learning cannot be sustained in an organization if people's thinking is dominated by short-term events. If we focus on events, the best we can ever do is predict an event before it happens so that we can react optimally. But we

Women and Politics. Today's Women Role in Politics Compare to Essay

Women and Politics. Today's Women Role in Politics Compare to Aristotle View - Essay Example The male counterparts are agreeing to the voice of women and presence in politics. This is due to globalization that currently is eroding former and ancient barbaric cultures that restrained women to the homestead confinements. Generally, the perception of politics and women by Aristotle is remarkably diverse from the current elites who are encouraging women emancipation from male and obsolete cultures (Gurirab). This encompasses women attaining allowance to contend for various posts in politics, which is contrary to Aristotle’s view. Aristotle maintained that the only befitting place for a woman was in the homestead confinements and not in public where men exercised their superiority granted by nature. According to Aristotle’s perception, women lack a place in public and especially in politics, since they are supposed to be at home  caring the household and what the husband possess’. Currently, women have surpassed men in politics by emerging as excellent thro ugh their leadership skills and organization (Adams 342). May be this is out of their natures ability to multitask which was not recognized before by society, which held them in low esteem. The today’s public is acknowledging the presence of women in politics and preferring them especially in the developed states (Dufour & Isabelle 1167). This emanates from the civic education, which encourages females to venture in politics plus the rights that elevate the woman. For instance, Pratibha Devisingh Patil, India’s 12Th leader and first lady to lead government after Abdul Kalam,four years currently. Women have contributed immensely in political and economical advancement, which has paved more emergency of women in high offices (Mandakini et al 20). China’s 200 women hold senior positions in both research and politics, where in 2001 endorsed women state leaders. This exemplifies how women in today’s politics have performed a key role to the extent of winning t heir counterparts trust while in top seats. Aristotle’s argument regarding woman in politics and her role are quite diverse from what the current woman is doing. He states that woman â€Å"lacks authority†, though in his debate does no expound he implied (Clayton). However, from the former perception and placement he held towards women, this implied that women were inferior to men. Hence, woman lacks the necessary assertiveness to incline men undertake certain responsibilities. His conclusion to low esteem of females might have emanated from the Greeks perception held against women; where at 13 years girls were already wives (Newman 46). This deprived women chance in education and made them not having adequate knowledge that will catapult them in the political arena. The lack of adequate education and knowledge made woman still belief that she was inferior and cannot do anything without the husband's consent. Aristotle defines the liaison amid the husband and the wife closely as that of master and slave (Ford 9). Here, the woman has to incline at husband’s command together with the small girls in his house. Mainly, the woman’s role was home-based in ensuring the man was happy together with the children. Aristotle’s argument finds support from the Greek barbarians who still held similar outlook (Aristotle 17). However, the barbarians blame Aristotle for not distinguishing clearly amid slave and the woman. Since, he sometimes contradicts himself when he states that; â€Å"for any state to experience happiness, the woman must be happy.† This brings confusion regarding what is the exact relationship amid the couples and what level of education Aristotle proposed for women (Aristotle 17 -25). Since, this issue tends to shun what women leaders currently are

SWOT Analysis and Literature Review of HSBC Bank

SWOT Analysis and Literature Review of HSBC Bank SWOT Analysis A scan of the internal and external environment is an important part of the strategic planning process. Environmental factors internal to the firm usually can be classified as strengths (S) or weaknesses (W), and those external to the firm can be classified as opportunities (O) or threats (T). Such an analysis of the strategic environment is referred to as a SWOT analysis. The SWOT analysis provides information that is helpful in matching the firms resources and capabilities to the competitive environment in which it operates. As such, it is instrumental in strategy formulation and selection. The following diagram shows how a SWOT analysis fits into an environmental scan: SWOT Analysis Framework Environmental Scan   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  / Internal Analysis  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  External Analysis /   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  / Strengths  Ã‚  Ã‚  Weaknesses  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Opportunities  Ã‚  Ã‚  Threats | SWOT Matrix Strengths A firms strengths are its resources and capabilities that can be used as a basis for developing a competitive advantage. Examples of such strengths include: patents strong brand names good reputation among customers cost advantages from proprietary know-how exclusive access to high grade natural resources favorable access to distribution networks Weaknesses The absence of certain strengths may be viewed as a weakness. For example, each of the following may be considered weaknesses: lack of patent protection a weak brand name poor reputation among customers high cost structure lack of access to the best natural resources lack of access to key distribution channels In some cases, a weakness may be the flip side of a strength. Take the case in which a firm has a large amount of manufacturing capacity. While this capacity may be considered a strength that competitors do not share, it also may be a considered a weakness if the large investment in manufacturing capacity prevents the firm from reacting quickly to changes in the strategic environment. Opportunities The external environmental analysis may reveal certain new opportunities for profit and growth. Some examples of such opportunities include: an unfulfilled customer need arrival of new technologies loosening of regulations removal of international trade barriers Threats Changes in the external environmental also may present threats to the firm. Some examples of such threats include: shifts in consumer tastes away from the firms products emergence of substitute products new regulations increased trade barriers The SWOT Matrix A firm should not necessarily pursue the more lucrative opportunities. Rather, it may have a better chance at developing a competitive advantage by identifying a fit between the firms strengths and upcoming opportunities. In some cases, the firm can overcome a weakness in order to prepare itself to pursue a compelling opportunity. To develop strategies that take into account the SWOT profile, a matrix of these factors can be constructed. The SWOT matrix (also known as a TOWS Matrix) is shown below: SWOT / TOWS Matrix Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities S-O strategies W-O strategies Threats S-T strategies W-T strategies S-O strategies pursue opportunities that are a good fit to the companys strengths. W-O strategies overcome weaknesses to pursue opportunities. S-T strategies identify ways that the firm can use its strengths to reduce its vulnerability to external threats. W-T strategies establish a defensive plan to prevent the firms weaknesses from making it highly susceptible to external threats. HSBC HSBC is a global financial services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. As of 2010, it is the worlds 6th largest banking and financial services group and the worlds 8th largest company according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine. It has around 8,000 offices in 87 countries and territories across Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and South America and around 100 million customers. As of 30 June 2010 it had total assets of $2.418 trillion, of which roughly half were in Europe, a quarter in the Americas and a quarter in Asia. HSBC Holdings plc was founded in London in 1991 by The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation to act as a new group holding company and to enable the acquisition of UK-based Midland Bank. The origins of the bank lie in Hong Kong and Shanghai, where branches were first opened in 1865. Today HSBC remains the largest bank in Hong Kong, where the Group Chief Executive is currently based, and recent expansion in mainland China, where it is now the largest international bank, has returned it to that part of its roots. Its primary listing is on the London Stock Exchange and it is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. It has secondary listings on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (where it is a constituent of the Hang Seng Index), New York Stock Exchange, Euronext Paris and Bermuda Stock Exchange. As of August 2010, it was the largest company listed on the London Stock Exchange, with a market capitalisation of  £115.8 billion. History HSBC (acronym origin: the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation) was founded in the former British colony Hong Kong (in March 1865) and Shanghai (one month later) by Scotsman Sir Thomas Sutherland (1834-1922). HSBC Holdings plc established in 1990 became the parent company to The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation in preparation for its purchase of Midland Bank in the United Kingdom and restructuring of ownership domicile for the impending transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong to China. HSBC Holdings acquisition of Midland Bank gave HSBC Group a substantial market presence in the United Kingdom which was completed in 1992. As part of the takeover conditions for the purchase of Midland Bank, HSBC Holdings plc was required to relocate its world headquarters from Hong Kong to London in 1993. Major acquisitions in South America started with the purchase of Banco Bamerindus of Brazil for $1bn in March 1997 and the acquisition of Roberts SA de Inversiones of Argentina for $600m in May 1997. In May 1999 HSBC embarked on a major acquisition in the United States with the purchase of Republic National Bank of New York for $10.3bn. Expansion into Continental Europe took place in April 2000 with the acquisition of Credit Commercial de France, a large French bank for  £6.6bn. In July 2001 HSBC bought Demirbank, an insolvent Turkish bank. Then in August 2002 HSBC acquired Grupo Financiero Bital, SA de CV, Mexicos third largest retail bank for $1.1bn. The new headquarters of HSBC Holdings at 8 Canada Square, London officially opened in April 2003. Then in September 2003 HSBC bought Polski Kredyt Bank SA of Poland for $7.8m. In June 2004 HSBC expanded into China buying 19.9% of the Bank of Communications of Shanghai. In the United Kingdom HSBC acquired Marks Spencer Retail Financial Services Holdings Ltd for  £763m in December 2004. Acquisitions in 2005 included Metris Inc, a US credit card issuer for $1.6bn in August and 70.1% of Dar Es Salaam Investment Bank of Iraq in October. In April 2006 HSBC bought the 90 branches in Argentina of Banca Nazionale del Lavoro for $155m. In December 2007 HSBC acquired The Chinese Bank in Taiwan. In May 2008 HSBC acquired ILFS Investment, an Indian retail broking firm. SWOT Analysis of HSBC Strengths The bank is well capitalised and this has enabled it to perform relatively well against other banks in recent economic events. The level of capitalisation means that, going forward, the bank is unlikely to need to borrow from the UK government: this will enable it to retain more autonomy. The bank has a strong presence in emerging markets, putting it in a good position to take advantage of future growth in those economies. The banks global presence in Europe, Asia and South America helps to spread risk and offers significant economies of scale. Despite rebranding relatively recently (1999), the HSBC brand has become well-established and is considered particularly valuable within the industry. Weaknesses HSBC associates itself strongly with investment in the small business sector, but the current economic situation has led to increased risks, potentially compromising the activity levels in this area of the operation. The bank was involved with sub-prime markets in the US and has had to write off large figures lent to high-risk borrowers. Despite falls in the UK interest rate, HSBC has increased its mortgage rates. This may be perceived negatively by borrowers and potential borrowers, adds pressure to an already depressed housing market and could ultimately lead to more defaulting as borrowers struggle with higher repayments. A redundancy programme announced recently may affect morale among staff, leading to decreased production and loyalty. HSBCs branding emphasises its global presence, and this may be seen negatively by some customers in its implication of homogenisation and lack of personalisation. Opportunities HSBCs high level of capitalisation places it in a strong position to acquire assets Banks finding trading conditions particularly difficult at present may be available at low cost HSBC also has adequate capital to purchase stronger banks such as Bank Ekonomi in Indonesia, in which it has purchased a stake to continue its Asian expansion despite challenging economic times. HSBCs generally strong position presents the opportunity to outperform competitors during the economic downturn and to build a reputation for being one of the safer banks for depositors, helping to increase resources for lending. Negative press coverage of competitors such as HBOS may encourage customers to choose HSBC instead. Threats Trust in banks has decreased due to financial losses suffered by investors, who may be more inclined to invest elsewhere. Financial losses affecting banks and investors on a global scale have resulted in less credit being available to customers. In the UK this is coupled with increases in living costs resulting in less money being saved. The falling property market has created a rise in numbers of homeowners with negative equity. If a property is worth less than was borrowed to finance its purchase, there is little likelihood that the bank will recoup all its losses if owners default. Claims have been made that HSBC has understated losses resulting from US sub-prime markets, and this could undermine confidence in the bank. Literature Review Article 1: HSBC moves private bank boss Chris Meares to Asia The head of HSBCs private banking business has become the latest of the banks senior managers to move from London to Hong Kong. By Harry Wilson Published: 6:00AM BST 22 Oct 2010 Chris Meares, chief executive of global private banking at HSBC, will move out to Hong Kong as part of a reshuffle of the divisions management, though the businesss will remain headquartered in London. Mr Meares move to Hong Kong follows that of HSBC chief executive Michael Geoghegan at the start of the year. Since then several senior HSBC managers have moved out to Hong Kong, while Stuart Gulliver, who will takeover as chief executive from Mr Geoghegan in January will also move from London to Hong Kong. Mr Gulliver, who currently runs HSBCs global investment banking business as well as its European operations, has spent much of his career in Asia. Speaking recently, he refused to confirm whether HSBCs headquarters would remain in London, with speculation growing that the bank could return to its historic home. In September, Mr Gulliver said he was genuinely concerned that the Government-appointed Independent Banking Commission could recommend the separation of retail and investment banking businesses. Hong Kong is keen to promote itself as an alternative to London and the senior officials from the city have been visiting the UK to promote the advantages of moving business there. Standard Chartered, which has large Asian operations, is also seen as another bank that could move its headquarters out of London and its chief executive, Peter Sands, has made clear his concerns over the increasing amount of regulation in Europe and the UK. HSBCs decision to move of its private banking head to Asia in large part reflects the opportunities the bank sees in capturing a larger slice of Asias growing wealth. In a statement yesterday, HSBC said Mr Meares, along with the other management changes in its private bank was part of a strategy to take advantage of the entrepreneurial wealth creation taking place in emerging markets. Analysis Of Article This article is regarding transfer of chief executive of global private banking,Mr Chris Meares, who is being replaced by Michael Geoghegan at the start of this year. Since the transfer of Mr Meares several more managers of HSBC have moved out of Hong Kong. Mr Stuart Gulliver who is taking over Mr Geoghegan is also moving out of Hong Kong Mr Gulliver, currently running HSBC Investment Banking and European Operation, has spent much time in Asia. He recently, while talking to media, refused to confirm that if the business is moving its headquarters to its native home that is Hong Kong. In September Mr. Gulliver expressed genuine concern over Independent Banking Commission appointed by government to recommend separate banking for Retail banking and Investment Banking. Hong Kong section of HSBC is much interested in promotion itself as an alternate to London. Official of Hong Kong are visiting UK to convey advantages of moving to Hong Kong. Standard Chartered, having large Asian operation is also seeking to move its headquarters out of London and their chief executive too. HSBCs idea of moving its private banking head to Asia reflects the opportunities that the bank is seeing to capture Asias growing wealth. Conclusion Positive Point:- It will help to increase profits for the company. Will help to gain wealth of Asia. Will provide employment Will help to further improvement of the company. Efficient and Effective working of management. Negative Points:- Very risk Can lead to losses Can also lead to demoralisation of other managers. Article 2 : HSBC, Deutsche Bank Complete 1st Yuan-Denominated IRS In HK OCTOBER 22, 2010, 6:01 A.M. ET HONG KONG (Dow Jones)HSBC Holdings PLC (HBC) and Deutsche Bank AG (DB) completed the first yuan-denominated interest rate swap deal in Hong Kong, the U.K. lender said Friday, in another sign of growing activity in the offshore yuan market. The IRS deal, which was completed Thursday, will be delivered in two years and is based on the three-month Shanghai Interbank Offered Rate of 3.37%, HSBC said. HSBC declined to disclose the size of the deal, though a local broker said the deal was valued around CNY5 million. The new deal came amid Chinas efforts to boost yuan circulation in Hong Kong and to internationalize the currency. The market for yuan-denominated instruments outside mainland China has begun taking off as China experiments with loosening its controls on the currency, which isnt freely convertible. Yuan IRS products in Hong Kong had earlier been denominated in the U.S. dollar and were non-deliverable. Analysis HSBC and Deutsche Bank AG completed first Yuan-denominated interest swap rate deal (IRS) which is another sign of growing activity in the offshore yuan market. This deal was completed on Thursday and will be delivering in two years and based on three month shanghai Interbank offered rate of 3.37%. HSBC denied to disclose size of the deal but a local broker estimated this deal for about CNY5 Millions. This deal came after chinas efforts to boost yuan circulation in Hong Kong ant to internationalize the currency. The market for yuan denominated instruments outside china has started to take off as China is experimenting with loosening its control on the currency, which isnt freely convertible. Yuan IRS products in Hong Kong had earlier been denominated in the U.S. dollar and were non-deliverable Conclusion Positive Point:- Growing activity in offshore of Yuan market. Boost yuan denominated instruments outside china. China loosening its control on the currency of yuan. Internationalize the currency. Promote IRS products. Negative Points:- Delivering in two years. Big market of US to compete with,which can result in losses BIBLOGRAPHY http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/banksandfinance/8079081/HSBC-moves-private-bank-boss-Chris-Meares-to-Asia.html http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20101022-704524.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HSBC http://www.microfinancefocus.com/news/tag/hsbc .

The Flight Path of Airplanes Over Neighborhoods Essay -- Solutions Pap

The Flight Path of Airplanes Over Neighborhoods The houses can’t be unbuilt, and the airports can’t be torn down.   But maybe the fences can be mended.   –Robbie Sherwood    In the past 10 years, many cities across the country have outgrown the planner’s expectations.   Unfortunately the airports that were built 20 or more years ago, have not grown with the cities.   Phoenix has tripled in size in the past 10 years.   The tripling of air traffic has not had anywhere to go.   The same two runways that have been serving the city since 1935 when the airport was built have been extremely over loaded.   It is not just happening in Phoenix, a few years ago Denver received a new airport to relieve the overflow of traffic from the older Stapelton Airport.  Ã‚   In Irvine California, El Toro Marine Air Base is scheduled to be closed next year, and running into opposition to be converted to civilian use.   The changes in the National Airspac e System (NAS) are always happening, either in the routing of traffic or the airports on the ground. The problem arises when the traffic routes change faster than the airport system does.   As said above, there are some changes that are going on in the system right now.   Ã¢â‚¬Å" To accommodate the growing number of flights operating at Sky Harbor construction of a new third runway is underway.   The 7,800-foot parallel runway is scheduled for completion in spring 1999†(Sky harbor International Airport 4). In Denver the traffic load that was being handled by Stapelton Airport was too high.   When Denver International (DIA) opened in February 1995 it could immediately take three times of the traffic that Stapelton could the week before.          I believe that the airports around the country and specifically in Phoe... ...Harbor International Airport. http://www.ci.phoenix.az.us/AVIATION/airports.html   (2 Dec. 1998). â€Å"Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.†Ã‚   List of Airport Tables. http://www.nrdc.org/nrdc/nrdcpro/nrdcpro/foc/phazps.html (2 Dec. 1998). â€Å"Record of Approval: Scottsdale Airport Noise Compatibility Program.† Federal Aviation Administration. http://www.faa.gov/arp/app600/14cfr150/roasdl.html (28   Oct. 1998). â€Å"Scottsdale Airport General Information.†Ã‚   City of Scottsdale Transportation.   http://www.ci.scottsdale.az.us/airport/general_info.asp  Ã‚   (28 Oct. 1998). Sherwood. Robbie. â€Å"Airports Runway to future Bumpy:   Olive Branches offered to  Ã‚   Williams Neighbors.†Ã‚   Arizona Republic.   25 Oct. 1998,   community ed.; EV1+. Sullivan, George.   Personal Interview. 27   Oct. 1998. â€Å"What’s New.† Williams Gateway Airport. http://www.flywga.org/whatsnew.htm (2 Dec. 1998)   

The Lost Symbol Chapter 37-39

CHAPTER 37 Mal'akh had seen some eerie spaces in his life, but few rivaled the unearthly world of Pod 3. Wet Pod. The massive room looked as if a mad scientist had taken over a Walmart and packed every aisle and shelf with specimen jars of all shapes and sizes. Lit like a photographic darkroom, the space was bathed in a reddish haze of â€Å"safelight† that emanated from beneath the shelves, filtering upward and illuminating the ethanol-filled containers. The clinical smell of preservative chemicals was nauseating. â€Å"This pod houses over twenty thousand species,† the chubby girl was saying. â€Å"Fish, rodents, mammals, reptiles.† â€Å"All dead, I hope?† Mal'akh asked, making a show of sounding nervous. The girl laughed. â€Å"Yes, yes. All very much dead. I'll admit, I didn't dare come in for at least six months after I started work.† Mal'akh could understand why. Everywhere he looked there were specimen jars of dead life- forms–salamanders, jellyfish, rats, bugs, birds, and other things he could not begin to identify. As if this collection were not unsettling enough on its own, the hazy red safelights that protected these photosensitive specimens from long-term light exposure gave the visitor the feeling he was standing inside a giant aquarium, where lifeless creatures were somehow congregating to watch from the shadows. â€Å"That's a coelacanth,† the girl said, pointing to a big Plexiglas container that held the ugliest fish Mal'akh had ever seen. â€Å"They were thought to be extinct with the dinosaurs, but this was caught off Africa a few years back and donated to the Smithsonian.† Lucky you, Mal'akh thought, barely listening. He was busy scanning the walls for security cameras. He saw only one–trained on the entry door–not surprising, considering that entrance was probably the only way in. â€Å"And here is what you wanted to see . . .† she said, leading him to the giant tank he had seen from the window. â€Å"Our longest specimen.† She swept her arm out over the vile creature like a game-show host displaying a new car. â€Å"Architeuthis.† The squid tank looked like a series of glass phone booths had been laid on their sides and fused end to end. Within the long, clear Plexiglas coffin hovered a sickeningly pale and amorphous shape. Mal'akh gazed down at the bulbous, saclike head and its basketball-size eyes. â€Å"Almost makes your coelacanth look handsome,† he said. â€Å"Wait till you see her lit.† Trish flipped back the long lid of the tank. Ethanol fumes wafted out as she reached down into the tank and flipped a switch just above the liquid line. A string of fluorescent lights flickered to life along the entire base of the tank. Architeuthis was now shining in all her glory–a colossal head attached to a slithery mass of decaying tentacles and razor-sharp suckers. She began talking about how Architeuthis could beat a sperm whale in a fight. Mal'akh heard only empty prattling. The time had come. Trish Dunne always felt a bit uneasy in Pod 3, but the chill that had just run through her felt different. Visceral. Primal. She tried to ignore it, but it grew quickly now, clawing deeply at her. Although Trish could not seem to place the source of her anxiety, her gut was clearly telling her it was time to leave. â€Å"Anyhow, that's the squid,† she said, reaching into the tank and turning off the display light. â€Å"We should probably get back to Katherine's–â€Å" A broad palm clamped hard over her mouth, yanking her head back. Instantly, a powerful arm was wrapped around her torso, pinning her against a rock-hard chest. For a split second, Trish went numb with shock. Then came the terror. The man groped across her chest, grabbing her key card and yanking down hard. The cord burned the back of her neck before snapping. The key card fell on the floor at their feet. She fought, trying to twist away, but she was no match for the man's size and strength. She tried to scream, but his hand remained tightly across her mouth. He leaned down and placed his mouth next to her ear, whispering, â€Å"When I take my hand off your mouth, you will not scream, is that clear?† She nodded vigorously, her lungs burning for air. I can't breathe! The man removed his hand from her mouth, and Trish gasped, inhaling deeply. â€Å"Let me go!† she demanded, breathless. â€Å"What the hell are you doing?† â€Å"Tell me your PIN number,† the man said. Trish felt totally at a loss. Katherine! Help! Who is this man?! â€Å"Security can see you!† she said, knowing full well they were out of range of the cameras. And nobody is watching anyway. â€Å"Your PIN number,† the man repeated. â€Å"The one that matches your key card.† An icy fear churned in her gut, and Trish spun violently, wriggling an arm free and twisting around, clawing at the man's eyes. Her fingers hit flesh and raked down one cheek. Four dark gashes opened on his flesh where she scratched him. Then she realized the dark stripes on his flesh were not blood. The man was wearing makeup, which she had just scratched off, revealing dark tattoos hidden underneath. Who is this monster?! With seemingly superhuman strength, the man spun her around and hoisted her up, pushing her out over the open squid tank, her face now over the ethanol. The fumes burned her nostrils. â€Å"What is your PIN number?† he repeated. Her eyes burned, and she could see the pale flesh of the squid submerged beneath her face. â€Å"Tell me,† he said, pushing her face closer to the surface. â€Å"What is it?† Her throat was burning now. â€Å"Zero-eight-zero-four!† she blurted, barely able to breathe. â€Å"Let me go! Zero-eight-zero-four!† â€Å"If you're lying,† he said, pushing down farther, her hair in the ethanol now. â€Å"I'm not lying!† she said, coughing. â€Å"August 4! It's my birthday!† â€Å"Thank you, Trish.† His powerful hands clasped her head tighter, and a crushing force rammed her downward, plunging her face into the tank. Searing pain burned her eyes. The man pressed down harder, driving her whole head under the ethanol. Trish felt her face pressing into the fleshy head of the squid. Summoning all of her strength, she bucked violently, arching backward, trying to pull her head out of the tank. But the powerful hands did not budge. I have to breathe! She remained submerged, straining not to open her eyes or mouth. Her lungs burned as she fought the powerful urge to breathe in. No! Don't! But Trish's inhalation reflex finally took over. Her mouth flew open, and her lungs expanded violently, attempting to suck in the oxygen that her body craved. In a searing rush, a wave of ethanol poured into her mouth. As the chemicals gushed down her throat into her lungs, Trish felt a pain like nothing she had ever imagined possible. Mercifully, it lasted only a few seconds before her world went black. Mal'akh stood beside the tank, catching his breath and surveying the damage. The lifeless woman lay slumped over the rim of the tank, her face still submerged in ethanol. Seeing her there, Mal'akh flashed on the only other woman he had ever killed. Isabel Solomon. Long ago. Another life. Mal'akh gazed down now at the woman's flaccid corpse. He grabbed her ample hips and lifted with his legs, hoisting her up, pushing forward, until she began to slide over the rim of the squid tank. Trish Dunne slithered headfirst down into the ethanol. The rest of her body followed, sloshing down. Gradually, the ripples subsided, leaving the woman hovering limp over the huge sea creature. As her clothing got heavier, she began to sink, slipping into the darkness. Bit by bit, Trish Dunne's body settled on top of the great beast. Mal'akh wiped his hands and replaced the Plexiglas lid, sealing the tank. Wet Pod has a new specimen. He retrieved Trish's key card from the floor and slipped it in his pocket: 0804. When Mal'akh had first seen Trish in the lobby, he'd seen a liability. Then he'd realized her key card and password were his insurance. If Katherine's data-storage room was as secure as Peter had implied, then Mal'akh was anticipating some challenges persuading Katherine to unlock it for him. I now have my own set of keys. He was pleased to know he would no longer have to waste time bending Katherine to his will. As Mal'akh stood up straight, he saw his own reflection in the window and could tell his makeup was badly mangled. It didn't matter anymore. By the time Katherine put it all together, it would be too late. CHAPTER 38 â€Å"This room is Masonic?† Sato demanded, turning from the skull and staring at Langdon in the darkness. Langdon nodded calmly. â€Å"It's called a Chamber of Reflection. These rooms are designed as cold, austere places in which a Mason can reflect on his own mortality. By meditating on the inevitability of death, a Mason gains a valuable perspective on the fleeting nature of life.† Sato looked around the eerie space, apparently not convinced. â€Å"This is some kind of meditation room?† â€Å"Essentially, yes. These chambers always incorporate the same symbols–skull and crossed bones, scythe, hourglass, sulfur, salt, blank paper, a candle, et cetera. The symbols of death inspire Masons to ponder how better to lead their lives while on this earth.† â€Å"It looks like a death shrine,† Anderson said. That's kind of the point. â€Å"Most of my symbology students have the same reaction at first.† Langdon often assigned them Symbols of Freemasonry by Beresniak, which contained beautiful photos of Chambers of Reflection. â€Å"And your students,† Sato demanded, â€Å"don't find it unnerving that Masons meditate with skulls and scythes?† â€Å"No more unnerving than Christians praying at the feet of a man nailed to a cross, or Hindus chanting in front of a four-armed elephant named Ganesh. Misunderstanding a culture's symbols is a common root of prejudice.† Sato turned away, apparently in no mood for a lecture. She moved toward the table of artifacts. Anderson tried to light her way with the flashlight, but the beam was beginning to dim. He tapped the heel of the light and coaxed it to burn a little brighter. As the threesome moved deeper into the narrow space, the pungent tang of sulfur filled Langdon's nostrils. The subbasement was damp, and the humidity in the air was activating the sulfur in the bowl. Sato arrived at the table and stared down at the skull and accompanying objects. Anderson joined her, doing his best to light the desk with the weakening beam of his flashlight. Sato examined everything on the table and then placed her hands on her hips, sighing. â€Å"What is all this junk?† The artifacts in this room, Langdon knew, were carefully selected and arranged. â€Å"Symbols of transformation,† he told her, feeling confined as he inched forward and joined them at the table. â€Å"The skull, or caput mortuum, represents man's final transformation through decay; it's a reminder that we all shed our mortal flesh one day. The sulfur and salt are alchemical catalysts that facilitate transformation. The hourglass represents the transformational power of time.† He motioned to the unlit candle. â€Å"And this candle represents the formative primordial fire and the awakening of man from his ignorant slumber–transformation through illumination.† â€Å"And . . . that?† Sato asked, pointing into the corner. Anderson swung his dimming flashlight beam to the giant scythe that leaned against the back wall. â€Å"Not a death symbol, as most assume,† Langdon said. â€Å"The scythe is actually a symbol of the transformative nourishment of nature–the reaping of nature's gifts.† Sato and Anderson fell silent, apparently trying to process their bizarre surroundings. Langdon wanted nothing more than to get out of the place. â€Å"I realize this room may seem unusual,† he told them, â€Å"but there's nothing to see here; it's really quite normal. A lot of Masonic lodges have chambers exactly like this one.† â€Å"But this is not a Masonic lodge!†Anderson declared. â€Å"It's the U.S. Capitol, and I'd like to know what the hell this room is doing in my building.† â€Å"Sometimes Masons set aside rooms like this in their offices or private homes as meditation spaces. It is not uncommon.† Langdon knew a heart surgeon in Boston who had converted a closet in his office into a Masonic Chamber of Reflection so he could ponder mortality before going into surgery. Sato looked troubled. â€Å"You're saying Peter Solomon comes down here to reflect on death?† â€Å"I really don't know,† Langdon said sincerely. â€Å"Maybe he created it as a sanctuary for his Masonic brothers who work in the building, giving them a spiritual sanctuary away from the chaos of the material world . . . a place for a powerful lawmaker to reflect before making decisions that affect his fellow man.† â€Å"Lovely sentiment,† Sato said, her tone sarcastic, â€Å"but I have a feeling Americans might have a problem with their leaders praying in closets with scythes and skulls.† Well, they shouldn't, Langdon thought, imagining how different a world it might be if more leaders took time to ponder the finality of death before racing off to war. Sato pursed her lips and carefully surveyed all four corners of the candle lit chamber. â€Å"There must be something in here besides human bones and bowls of chemicals, Professor. Someone transported you all the way from your home in Cambridge to be in this precise room.† Langdon clutched his daybag to his side, still unable to imagine how the package he carried might relate to this chamber. â€Å"Ma'am, I'm sorry, but I don't see anything out of the ordinary here.† Langdon hoped that now at last they could get to the business of trying to find Peter. Anderson's light flickered again, and Sato spun on him, her temper starting to show. â€Å"For Christ's sake, is it too much to ask?† She plunged her hand into her pocket and yanked out a cigarette lighter. Striking her thumb on the flint, she held out the flame and lit the desk's lone candle. The wick sputtered and then caught, spreading a ghostly luminescence throughout the constricted space. Long shadows raked the stone walls. As the flame grew brighter, an unexpected sight materialized before them. â€Å"Look!† Anderson said, pointing. In the candlelight, they could now see a faded patch of graffiti–seven capital letters scrawled across the rear wall. VITRIOL â€Å"An odd choice of word,† Sato said as the candlelight cast a frightening skull-shaped silhouette across the letters. â€Å"Actually, it's an acronym,† Langdon said. â€Å"It's written on the rear wall of most chambers like this as a shorthand for the Masonic meditative mantra: Visita interiora terrae, rectificando invenies occultum lapidem.† Sato eyed him, looking almost impressed. â€Å"Meaning?† â€Å"Visit the interior of the earth, and by rectifying, you will find the hidden stone.† Sato's gaze sharpened. â€Å"Does the hidden stone have any connection to a hidden pyramid?† Langdon shrugged, not wanting to encourage the comparison. â€Å"Those who enjoy fantasizing about hidden pyramids in Washington would tell you that occultum lapidem refers to the stone pyramid, yes. Others will tell you it's a reference to the Philosopher's Stone–a substance alchemists believed could bring them everlasting life or turn lead into gold. Others claim it's a reference to the Holy of Holies, a hidden stone chamber at the core of the Great Temple. Some say it's a Christian reference to the hidden teachings of Saint Peter–the Rock. Every esoteric tradition interprets `the stone' in its own way, but invariably the occultum lapidem is a source of power and enlightenment.† Anderson cleared his throat. â€Å"Is it possible Solomon lied to this guy? Maybe he told him there was something down here . . . and there really isn't.† Langdon was having similar thoughts. Without warning, the candle flame flickered, as if caught by a draft. It dimmed for a moment and then recovered, burning brightly again. â€Å"That's odd,† Anderson said. â€Å"I hope no one closed the door upstairs.† He strode out of the chamber into the darkness of the hallway. â€Å"Hello?† Langdon barely noticed him leave. His gaze had been drawn suddenly to the rear wall. What just happened? â€Å"Did you see that?† Sato asked, also staring with alarm at the wall. Langdon nodded, his pulse quickening. What did I just see? A moment earlier, the rear wall seemed to have shimmered, as if a ripple of energy had passed through it. Anderson now strode back into the room. â€Å"No one's out there.† As he entered, the wall shimmered again. â€Å"Holy shit!† he exclaimed, jumping back. All three stood mute for a long moment, staring in unison at the back wall. Langdon felt another chill run through him as he realized what they were seeing. He reached out tentatively, until his fingertips touched the rear surface of the chamber. â€Å"It's not a wall,† he said. Anderson and Sato stepped closer, peering intently. â€Å"It's a canvas,† Langdon said. â€Å"But it billowed,† Sato said quickly. Yes, in a very strange way. Langdon examined the surface more closely. The sheen on the canvas had refracted the candlelight in a startling manner because the canvas had just billowed away from the room . . . fluttering backward through the plane of the rear wall. Langdon extended his outstretched fingers very gently, pressing the canvas backward. Startled, he yanked his hand back. There's an opening! â€Å"Pull it aside,† Sato ordered. Langdon's heart pounded wildly now. He reached up and clutched the edge of the canvas banner, slowly pulling the fabric to one side. He stared in disbelief at what lay hidden behind it. My God. Sato and Anderson stood in stunned silence as they looked through the opening in the rear wall. Finally, Sato spoke. â€Å"It appears we've just found our pyramid.† CHAPTER 39 Robert Langdon stared at the opening in the rear wall of the chamber. Hidden behind the canvas banner, a perfectly square hole had been hollowed out of the wall. The opening, about three feet across, appeared to have been created by removing a series of bricks. For a moment, in the darkness, Langdon thought the hole was a window to a room beyond. Now he saw it was not. The opening extended only a few feet into the wall before terminating. Like a rough-hewn cubbyhole, the recessed niche reminded Langdon of a museum alcove designed to hold a statuette. Fittingly, this niche displayed one small object. About nine inches tall, it was a piece of carved, solid granite. The surface was elegant and smooth with four polished sides that shone in the candlelight. Langdon could not fathom what it was doing here. A stone pyramid? â€Å"From your look of surprise,† Sato said, sounding self-satisfied, â€Å"I take it this object is not typical within a Chamber of Reflection?† Langdon shook his head. â€Å"Then perhaps you would like to reassess your previous claims regarding the legend of a Masonic Pyramid hidden in Washington?† Her tone now was almost smug. â€Å"Director,† Langdon replied instantly, â€Å"this little pyramid is not the Masonic Pyramid.† â€Å"So it is merely coincidence that we found a pyramid hidden at the heart of the U.S. Capitol in a secret chamber belonging to a Masonic leader?† Langdon rubbed his eyes and tried to think clearly. â€Å"Ma'am, this pyramid doesn't resemble the myth in any way. The Masonic Pyramid is described as enormous, with a tip forged of solid gold.† Moreover, Langdon knew, this little pyramid–with its flat top–was not even a true pyramid. Without its tip, this was another symbol entirely. Known as an Unfinished Pyramid, it was a symbolic reminder that man's ascent to his full human potential was always a work in progress. Though few realized it, this symbol was the most widely published symbol on earth. Over twenty billion in print. Adorning every one-dollar bill in circulation, the Unfinished Pyramid waited patiently for its shining capstone, which hovered above it as a reminder of America's yet- unfulfilled destiny and the work yet to be done, both as a country and as individuals. â€Å"Lift it down,† Sato said to Anderson, motioning to the pyramid. â€Å"I want a closer look.† She began making room on the desk by shoving the skull and crossed bones to one side with no reverence whatsoever. Langdon was starting to feel like they were common grave robbers, desecrating a personal shrine. Anderson maneuvered past Langdon, reached into the niche, and clamped his large palms on either side of the pyramid. Then, barely able to lift at this awkward angle, he slid the pyramid toward him and lowered it with a hard thud onto the wooden desk. He stepped back to give Sato room. The director repositioned the candle close to the pyramid and studied its polished surface. Slowly, she ran her tiny fingers over it, examining every inch of the flat top, and then the sides. She wrapped her hands around to feel the back, then frowned in apparent disappointment. â€Å"Professor, earlier you said the Masonic Pyramid was constructed to protect secret information.† â€Å"That's the legend, yes.† â€Å"So, hypothetically speaking, if Peter's captor believed this was the Masonic Pyramid, he would believe it contained powerful information.† Langdon nodded, exasperated. â€Å"Yes, although even if he found this information, he probably would not be able to read it. According to legend, the contents of the pyramid are encoded, making them indecipherable . . . except to the most worthy.† â€Å"I beg your pardon?† Despite Langdon's growing impatience, he replied with an even tone. â€Å"Mythological treasures are always protected by tests of worthiness. As you may recall, in the legend of the Sword in the Stone, the stone refuses to give up the sword except to Arthur, who was spiritually prepared to wield the sword's awesome power. The Masonic Pyramid is based on the same idea. In this case, the information is the treasure, and it is said to be written in an encoded language–a mystical tongue of lost words–legible only to the worthy.† A faint smile crossed Sato's lips. â€Å"That may explain why you were summoned here tonight.† â€Å"I'm sorry?† Calmly, Sato rotated the pyramid in place, turning it a full 180 degrees. The pyramid's fourth side now shone in the candlelight. Robert Langdon stared at it with surprise. â€Å"It appears,† Sato said, â€Å"that someone believes you're worthy.†

Becket

Becket Becket Essay Have you ever heard the phrase opposites attract? Have you ever experienced it for yourself? In the case of Thomas Becket and King Henry II, this phrase was a very accurate reality. King Henry was very spontaneous and irrational in his decisions for the well being of England. He relied significantly upon Thomas Becket for knowledge and guidance in situations of both importance and irrelevancy for the welfare of his country. Becket, on the other hand, did not give the impression of reliance upon Henry at all. Since their first encounter, Henry had been mystified by Becket's outlook on life and his passiveness and assurance. Although their characters give the impression to be in no way similar, their reliance upon one another is very powerful and yet extremely surprising. Becket becomes resilient to Henry's irrationalities and eccentric attitude in situations and looks past his weaknesses to show him his strengths and possibilities of being useful in life.Altar marking the spot of Thomas Becket's martyrdo...King Henry II is a very influential and imposing man. He has an extremely short temper and has absolutely no patience when it comes to ignorance. He exemplifies this with his actions toward his wife and mother after Becket has left. He becomes irate and will not listen to anyone. From when they first met, Henry was incredibly reliant upon Becket and his knowledgeable solutions to his problems and frustrations. Henry easily becomes bored with life and all the people things around him. He is not emotionally content, and Becket helps him to find satisfaction out of his life and role and duty as King England. Becket gives Henry a sense of worth and confidence, and Henry relishes the feeling. Most of Henry's decisions are to make himself feel better and Becket tries to make him realize that he can...

Free Essays on The Person I Am Today

, to create a more meaningful life. I’ve slowly started to realize what I want in life and who I am now in contrast to the person I was before. It’s incredible to realize how much people (in this case, me) could change over a short period of time. The author of the book Creativity, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, went over many important points about creating a meaningful life that I will be covering in the next passages. The author talked about the flow of creativity, multiple intelligence, the macro and microenvironments, the systems model, and the 10 paradoxical traits; all are very important in the creative process, according to the Csikszentmihalyi. Today, I am a whole new person with a brand new mind. I have got goals and a sense of directions. I know what I want and I am doing what I can to get there. I tend to be more practical now than I was before about life. For example this was what I did most of the time: daydream about becoming a doctor to get status from my friends and family members even though I know for sure that I wouldn’t like the job. Now that brings us to what Csikszentmihalyi says about creativity as autotelic experience, which means to do something with enjoyment rather than for status or for money wise. In order to have enjoyment, there must be a sense of flow in the creative process. Csikszentmihalyi talked about the nine process of flow: it is simply base on how to put everything else aside to just focus on the project itself that one could easily lose track of time. I remember one time I was totally into rearranging my room that I lost track of time, not knowing that I’ve spent over hours to make my... Free Essays on The Person I Am Today Free Essays on The Person I Am Today The Person I am Today The reason why I chose to be in this class is simply because I want to enhance my life by making it more meaningful. So far in this class, I’ve learned to value many aspects of life and beliefs. This class truly intrigues me to think about life and ways to enrich it; in other words, to create a more meaningful life. I’ve slowly started to realize what I want in life and who I am now in contrast to the person I was before. It’s incredible to realize how much people (in this case, me) could change over a short period of time. The author of the book Creativity, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, went over many important points about creating a meaningful life that I will be covering in the next passages. The author talked about the flow of creativity, multiple intelligence, the macro and microenvironments, the systems model, and the 10 paradoxical traits; all are very important in the creative process, according to the Csikszentmihalyi. Today, I am a whole new person with a brand new mind. I have got goals and a sense of directions. I know what I want and I am doing what I can to get there. I tend to be more practical now than I was before about life. For example this was what I did most of the time: daydream about becoming a doctor to get status from my friends and family members even though I know for sure that I wouldn’t like the job. Now that brings us to what Csikszentmihalyi says about creativity as autotelic experience, which means to do something with enjoyment rather than for status or for money wise. In order to have enjoyment, there must be a sense of flow in the creative process. Csikszentmihalyi talked about the nine process of flow: it is simply base on how to put everything else aside to just focus on the project itself that one could easily lose track of time. I remember one time I was totally into rearranging my room that I lost track of time, not knowing that I’ve spent over hours to make my...

Self leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Self leadership - Essay Example The intention of this study is self-leadership as a process in the course of which people influence themselves to attain the self-direction and self-motivation required to perform. Self-leadership engrosses behavioral as well as cognitive strategies that are imagined to positively manipulate consequences. Self-assessment can direct to the recognition of behaviors that ought to be changed, enhanced, or eliminated. This foundation of self-assessment empowers the individual to become more effective in outlining personal goals that may show the way to improved performance. Self-rewards, however, can be used to strengthen desirable behaviors and goal accomplishment. Desired behaviors can be shaped by self-rewards and self-punishment predominantly when used cautiously and reserved for critically negative behaviors. Finally, the continuous practice of desired behaviors prior to actual performance can permit the correction of problems and the prevention of pricey miscues. In short, self lead ership allows encouraging constructive, desirable behaviors that lead to winning outcomes, while holding back negative, unwanted behaviors that go ahead to unsuccessful results. A lot of individual performance tribulations result from dysfunctional thinking. Such vague and distorted thoughts usually result from underlying dysfunctional assumptions and beliefs that are repeatedly prompted by stressful or traumatic situations. Thought self-leadership implies that a self-analysis procedure one can not only identify dysfunctional beliefs and assumptions but can also confront and replaced them with more rational ones (Burns, 1992). What we stealthily tell ourselves can be defined as Self-talk or self-dialogue (Manz, 1992). Since individuals assess, tutor, and react to themselves mentally therefore this self-talk more often than not takes place at unnoticeable stages (Manz, 1992). In the course of the effectual employment of self-talk strategies, individual can find out to suppress and de ject pessimistic and negative self-talk while encouraging optimistic self-dialogues (Seligman, 1991). Replacing dysfunctional and negative self-talk patterns with constructive inner dialogues can enhance the performance (Manz & Neck, 1999). Optimism has a positive relation with physical and mental health, and at the same time it grants one the ability to muddle through stressful situations (Fahey, 1998). According to Scheier and Carver (1992) an optimistic point of view bequeath benefits on what people accomplish and what people are competent to pull off in times of adversity. In short, self-leadership suggests that an individual’s performance levels can be improved if he possesses optimistic, opportunity-focused and constructive though patters rather than pessimistic, obstacle focused and dysfunctional thought patterns. To sum up self-leadership theory asserts that behavioral and cognitive strategies tend to have a

Slumdog Millionaire Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Slumdog Millionaire - Movie Review Example The plight was similar in both situations – the poor remained desperately poor – but how they actually eked out a living changed considerably. The three characters in this movie were Jamal, his brother Salim, and Latika. Jamal and Salim are orphans – their mother was killed during a raid on Muslim people, and Latika was a waif who happened upon the boys’ camp, and they took her in. During the first part of the movie, they were shown making a living by dealing with trash, trying to find things to sell. A man named Maman finds the boys and tricks them into working for him. Maman’s plan was to recruit young boys to learn how to sing, then he blinds them, as blind singers earn more money begging than non-blind singers do. They escape from Maman, and they eke out a living by pretending to be tour guides for the Taj Mahal and picking pockets. This was how the first part of the movie was portrayed – the boys lived on the streets and stayed fed and clothed by acting like one would imagine a street urchin would act. One of the boys who was blinded by Maman was later seen singing in a subway tunnel. Salim and Jamal earned a living by selling things that they found in the trash or by conning people. However, this was when Mumbai was still Bombay. Bombay turned into Mumbai, and the difference in the overall landscape was striking. This was made clear in a scene where Salim and Jamal are atop a skyscraper that was in the process of being built. Salim said to Jamal that all that they were seeing – the modernity of the great city, with gleaming skyscrapers and a thriving business district – was on the site where they once grew up in the slums. This was meant to denote that the city had changed considerably since Jamal and Salim were boys. And, with the change from Bombay into Mumbai, came a change in how the boys earned their money. Jamal, for his part, was able to make money legitimately by being a part of a call center that answered