Washingtons Farewell Address

Time was running fast and the period that George Washington was to be in office had come to an end. Being the first president and having seen what the country needed, Washington felt obliged to leave the country in a peaceful state.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Washington’s Farewell Address specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Citizens were in a state of confusion, unable to imagine a government without Washington. To help in restoring people’s confidence in the succeeding regime, he decided to sensitize the public that leaders cannot achieve anything on their own. Moreover, he touches on various issues that are critical for prosperity of America. Addressing the nation, Washington begins by insisting on the importance of unity to the American people. He warns the Americans that unity of all states is paramount in protection of their freedom (Washington, 2004). He continues by stating that the greates t enemy of America will be the person whose main agenda will be to divide Americans along any ideologies. In this regard, Washington wants all Americans irrespective of religion, gender, ethnicity or race to work towards enhancing the culture of togetherness. Citizens should first of all consider themselves as Americans before grouping themselves along other aspects. It should be noted that Americans are not exhorted to stick together in good times only, but also in hard times for example during credit crunch (Whitney, 2003). It is upon every citizen to avoid any person who seems to interfere with the unity of the American States. The west will need some products from the east same with the south and the north. Washington enumerates the benefits received so far through combined effort, and the many more that are expected. Additionally, he highlights the dangers of a divided nation. In addition, Washington points out the dangers that can occur if political parties are used wrongly. T he Federalist Party, which selectively promoted interests of some people, adds to the weight of Washington’s point that political parties can be manipulated. He argues that political parties are necessary in any human society, but warns that they should be accepted with a pinch of salt (Washington, 2004). Washington emphasizes that the tendency of political parties to take sides in foreign matters like War is harmful to the country. According to him, the country will be better off if it remained neutral regarding foreign matters.Advertising Looking for essay on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In his view, America should refrain from making permanent friends or enemies since this will lead to partiality which is not good for the nation. Washington warns that political parties are only beneficial in dictatorial governments. However, they must be placed under control in democratic governments since they have a tendency of diverging attention of governments from critical issues. Furthermore, Washington coaxes Americans to always protect and uphold the new constitution. He tells them that though the constitution might not address every issue that they would have wanted, it is a mile stone in steps towards controlling the nation. In this regard, Washington urges Americans to protect the constitution from power hungry politicians, who will seek to weaken it for their selfish interests in the name of developing the nation (Hargrove, 2000). Though he categorically states that he does not think he has been a good president, Washington warns that human beings get intoxicated by power. Consequently, he warns Americans to be careful with whom they choose to lead them. Stressing on the importance of the constitution and the negative impacts of political parties, Washington points out the benefits of decentralized method of governorship (Whitney, 2003). Americans are encouraged to ensure that too muc h power is not concentrated in one office, because this will lead to despotic and diabolic dictators whose main agenda will be serving personal interests. Moreover, he wants the succeeding governments to avoid public debts. While he accepts that debts are sometimes inevitable, he wants governments to pay back as soon as possible because debts enslave nations. However, Washington goes ahead to state that this does not imply that the nation should not offer financial assistance. Most importantly, Washington stresses on the importance of peace by outlining the effects of rebellions. Washington emphasizes on the role of religion in society. He says that religion is a fundamental ingredient in enhancing morality. He argues that it is difficult for a leader to brag of good leadership qualities without a religious background. Religiosity instills good behavior in people and thus will play an important role in ensuring that there is unity and harmony among citizens (Washington, 2004). On to p of that, Washington underscores the importance of education in development of a nation. He tells Americans that the nation will prosper only if the average level of education is increased.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Washington’s Farewell Address specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Having been a president, Washington knows what the country needs for prosperity. He points out what he thinks has made his time in office successful. Though he is leaving office, Washington wants Americans to know that they are moving in the good direction. Lastly, Washington is aware of the fact that his advice might not be taken serious at that point in time, but he hopes one day people will reflect on what he says for guidance. References Hargrove, J. (2000). Washington’s Farewell Address: History Speak. Dayton: Lorenz Educational Press. Washington, G. (2004). Washington’s Farewell Address to the People of t he United States. Washington: Government Printing Office. Whitney, G. (2003). American Presidents: Farewell Messages to the Nation, 1796-2001. Lanham: Lexington Books. This essay on Washington’s Farewell Address was written and submitted by user Leighton Hill to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Marketing and Its Importance for Modern Organizations

Marketing and Its Importance for Modern Organizations Modern companies make substantial investments in marketing; in fact, this set of activities is usually essential for their sustainability. This is why it is necessary to define marketing and explain its importance for modern organizations. In my opinion, this term can be understood as every activity that is aimed at creating an extra value for the customers and ensuring that the company’s products or services appeal to the buyers.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Marketing and Its Importance for Modern Organizations specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This is one of the possible explanations of this concept. But there are other definitions. For instance, Julian Gaspar says that marketing is â€Å"the determination of the needs and desires of markets so that products and services can be developed, prices, promoted, and distributed† (2005, p. 276). This interpretation focuses on specific activities that are i nvolved in marketing. Other scholars emphasize the role customers and their needs. For example, Alan Fyall and Brian Garrod argue that marketing consists in determining the needs of target markets or finding ways of satisfying these needs (2005, p. 7). Thus, one can say that this term can be discussed from different perspectives. Overall, these definitions show that marketing plays a vital role in many organizations. First of all, it is important for understanding what clients actually want or what they expect from products or services of companies. This is why a great number of businesses conduct customer surveys in order to determine what kind of things buyers value most of all. For instance, software developers usually encourage users to test their products long before they are released. In this way, they can better users’ needs and eliminate the defects of products. Thus, marketing is essential for increasing customers’ satisfaction. Additionally, marketing is impo rtant for increasing customers’ awareness about their products. Without it, companies can hardly hope for substantial revenues. This is why they develop strategies for spreading the information about their offerings. As a rule, they spend much time determining what kind of media is most suitable for them. For instance, they can choose television, radio, or internet. Their choice may depend on their product or the lifestyles of clients. These examples show that marketing strategies can be effective only if they take into account the behavior of clients.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Furthermore, marketing is important for retaining customers and differentiating the company among its competitors. This task is crucial for retaining strong positions in the market. Therefore, organizations develop different strategies for achieving this goal. For example, some of them attempt to win the clients’ loyalty by setting lower prices for their products or offering some bonuses. However, many organizations pay more attention to the quality of their products or services. For instance, some producers increase the guarantee period while others attempt to customize their products and services. For instance, car manufacturers can design vehicles according to customers’ requirements. This is how they try to appeal to the clients. These activities are aimed gaining the loyalty of clients, and they are closely related to marketing. People, who develop marketing strategies, have to find ways of differentiating their products or services among others. On the whole, these examples demonstrate that marketing is closely related to many activities of a company such as product development, advertisement, after-sales services, pricing and so forth. Moreover, marketing should be based on the in-depth knowledge of customers, products, competitors, an d the industry, in general; otherwise it can hardly achieve its goals. Reference List Fyall, A. Garrod, B. (2005). Tourism Marketing: A Collaborative Approach. New York: Channel View Publications. Gaspar, J. (2005). Introduction to Business. New York: Cengage Learning.

International Standardization and Information-Communication Industries Essay

International Standardization and Information-Communication Industries - Essay Example The reasons for this difference in the electronics companies in the United States and Japan can be traced to historical reasons. In Japan during the early 1960s, the Ministry of the Economy, Trade and Industry helped in the formulation of trade agreements wherein each Japanese developer of computer systems was paired with a counterpart in the United States, with the objective being that of ensuring Japan’s participation in the electronic revolution and to enable it to compete with IBM which was then the most important player in the market for computer systems.(Hagiu, 2005). The result of this policy was the development of incompatible systems, with operating systems for each being different depending upon which U.S. partner the Japanese company was working with; even IBM systems were sometimes incompatible with each other. Thus, in order to enhance profitability, the Japanese electronics companies found it more profitable to develop integrated systems, whereby one company manufactured highly customized systems offering free software and upgrades, as well as all the hardware component parts, sourcing distributors and suppliers and integrating them into the network of the company organization itself (Hagiu, 2005). This also resulted in a gradual elimination of the U.S. counterparts. The Japanese market is now characterized so much by specialized development of software and electronic products from vertically integrated companies that it is difficult for medium sized independent developers/companies to flourish because there is very little scope for the development of popular platforms which justifies mass scale production of software. In the United States on the other hand, the monopoly enjoyed by IBM in the 1960s and its vertically integrated structure was affected after an antitrust suit was filed against the Company (Hagiu, 2005). Due to this suit, there was a public hue and cry against monopolization

Perestroika and Glasnost Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Perestroika and Glasnost - Essay Example : The major factors of the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the collapse of the Eastern Bloc are interconnected because internal conflict and the reformatory policies (say, Perestroika and Glasnost) of the later leaders hindered the full-fledged development of communism. One can see that internal conflict (say, ideological) and economic burden accelerated the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Within this context, political policies adopted by Joseph Stalin were totally against the people. Besides, the war in Afghanistan proved to be an economic burden to Soviet Union. The communist policies like control over media and single party system resulted in the totalitarian control of communist party over the mainstream society. Moreover, the arms race during the Cold War era affected the economic backbone of Soviet Union. Industrialization helped the military in Soviet Union to be the most powerful tool of the state. The lack of productivity resulted in the economic collapse of Soviet Union in 1980s. The measures adopted by Mikhail Gorbachev, like Perestroika and Glasnost, did not help Soviet Union to save itself from its ultimate collapse. In short, internal conflicts originated from political and economic factors accelerated the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the origin of Russia. The most important factor behind the collapse of the Eastern Bloc was the collapse of Stalinism in Soviet Union. Earlier, the fall of German imperialism at the end of the WWII was exploited by the communist leaders in Soviet Union to spread communist ideology in Europe. Perry, Berg and Krukones (2009), state that â€Å"Meanwhile, the Soviet Union created international mechanisms to oversee and exploit the region’s economic production and military resources, so that the phrase â€Å" Eastern Bloc† became entirely fitting† (p.311). For instance, the European nations like Hungary, East Germany, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia etc were under the control of Soviet Union, especially Stalinism.

Dupont Case Study Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Dupont Case Study - Research Paper Example The prospect of a company-wide decline in revenues was made even more palpable with the lead decline in revenues in a business segment involved in the production and sale of titanium dioxide. That initial prudence paid off somewhat, as the case notes, with ready plans for laying off 6500 employees when the scenario of revenues tanking by 20 percent became reality, even as the need to further trim the workforce by 2,000 employees more also became clear. Moreover, it also became clear that staff needed to take time off without pay, in order to realize cost savings of one billion dollars. Meanwhile, as the new CEO, there was the seen need to preserve the R&D budget at 1.4 billion dollars (Reuters; Case Facts). The case also notes that the company has fared poorly compared to competition in terms of returns on stock investments over the past 25 years, ranking in the last third, and the overriding concern is to come up with an appropriate strategy to change this dismal state of affairs. T here are several options, one being either to continue with the current focus on chemistry and chemicals, another being diversifying focus from a few grand plans to many smaller bets and plans and then later on focusing on those plans and bets that â€Å"pop† so to speak. From an operational point of view, strategic options include putting emphasis on either people, the development of products, or the state of the company's finances and financial standing. Finally, as discussed above, the strategic direction dilemma involves either going on with focusing on one chief goal and one strategy for the whole firm, or diversifying the focus, so to speak, and substituting many different goals for different aspects of the organization in place of that one laser-focused goal, as is currently the case (Case Facts; Reuters; Google; Lewis; DuPont). II. Strategic Options As discussed above, the strategic options include retaining the company's focus on chemicals and on its current lines of businesses, or diversifying and splitting the bets so to speak, directionally and in terms of investments and focus, expanding the focus areas and being in a sense opportunistic and on the watch for new revenue streams and sources of revenue growth and profits. There is not much sense it seems in staying the course. First, compared to competition, the company has not fared well in terms of returns over the past 25 years. Moreover, the financial crisis has just made it clearer that staying where they are would not get them out of the steep revenue drop hole that they found themselves in. In other words, keeping the focus on chemicals and the current lines of business would mean jeopardizing the very existence of the firm. The crisis brought to the surface the need for change. Diversification into many other areas seemed a wiser course of action. On the other hand, this does not come without risks. There needed to be prioritization in terms of research and development focus. Moreover , the compromised revenue position of the firm meant that they could not possibly go

Role Of Transportation In Economic Development Of Pakistan Tourism Essay

Role Of Transportation In Economic Development Of Pakistan Tourism Essay It is defined in term of gross domestic product (GDP) and market production. It is increased the number of goods and services produced by an economy in defined time period. Introduction: Motorway network of any country is of vital importance of its economic development and effect positive on different fields of economy. An economy seems to developed and industrialized if widespread transport system. It is extremely difficult to put the economy on the high rapid path without an efficient transport system. An efficient communication system is essential for trade, national commerce and integration. Pakistans economic development depends upon improvements and modernization of its transport system. In 1947 depends on roads was only 8 %, now it is more than 96% of inland freight and 92% of passenger traffic. Now it is a backbone of Pakistanis economy. Motorway boost Pakistan economy Motorway increase positive effect on production, Supply and employment Fiscal impact of motorway Motorway and land use Motorway speedy access to labour, education, Health. Motorway transport and poverty Motorway and environment National Highway Authority (NHA) It is responsible for the development and maintenance of national highways and motorways. The total length of roads under the NHA is 12000 which accounts 4% of the entire road network and take 80% of Pakistans commercial traffic. Road density is an indicator of development. Current road density is 0.32 km/km2, which is much less even from regional standard. The government wants to bring double digit of 0.64 km/km2. Pakistans current road network is now more than 260000 km. Pakistans motorways are part of Pakistans National Trade Corridor Project, which aims to link Pakistans three Arabian Sea ports (Karachi Port, Port Bin Qasim and Gwadar Port) to the rest of the country and further with Afghanistan, Iran, India, Central Asia and China. M-1 Motorway Islamabad to Peshawar Pakistans motorway (M-1) 155 km 6-lane, linking Peshawar, Charsada, Noshera, Sawabi, Attock, Burhan, Hasanabadal to Islamabad capital of Pakistan, has been operational since 30 October 2007. It has become a vital link to Afghanistan and Central Asia and is expected to take much traffic off the highly used N5. It is safe way of NATO supply line to Afghanistan. It is the most beautiful motorway of Pakistan crossing river Sindh and river Kabil. M-2 Motorway Islamabad to Lahore Pakistans first motorway, the 367 km 6-lane M-2, connecting the Pakistan capital Islamabad and Lahore, was constructed by South Koreas Daewoo Corporation and was inaugurated in November 1997 in Nawaz Sharif Govt and was the first motorway to be built in South Asia. It is strategic road during war using as emergency run way. The M-2 is a motorway in the Punjab Province of Pakistan. It is 367 km long and connects Lahore with Islamabad. It passes through Kala Shah Kaku, Sheikhupura, Khanqah Dogran, Kot Sarwar, Pindi Bhattian, Sial Morr, Kot Momin, Salem, Lilla, Kallar Kahar, Balksar, and Chakri before ending just outside the twin cities Rawalpindi and Islamabad. It then continues on to eventually become the M1 motorway linking the twin cities with Peshawar. The M-2 crosses the junction of the M3 (to Faisalabad) at Pindi Bhattian. It has connected best places for tourists like Hiran Minar, Waris Shah Tomb, Khewara mine, salt range, Citric fields, Rice fields and Kalar Kahar Jheel. M-3 Motorway Pindi Bhatian to Faisalabad Pakistan motorway (M-3), the 54 km 4-lane linking the Pindi Bhattian Arch bridge Junction on the M-2 with Faisalabad. Initially, it was planned to have 6-lanes, however, due to the shortage of funds, it was decided to reduce the number of lanes to 4 with an option to upgrade it to 6-lanes in future. Construction of the M-3 began in May 2002 and it was completed ahead of schedule in September 2003 at a cost of Rs 5.3 billion. It was inaugurated and opened for traffic on 2 October 2003. Now industrial Area of Punjab Govt is being constructed on Sahinwala interchange. (M-4) Motorway Faisalabad to Multan It has length of 233 km 4-lane, began on 19 August 2009 with breaking ceremony performed by Pakistans Prime Minister, Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani. There is working on progress at two constructions Phase Faisalabad to Gojra and Khanewal to Multan. It will link Multan with the M-3 Motorway at Faisalabad. The M4 will begin Faisalabad interchange at the Sargodha Road of Faisalabad. It will continue on a southwest course connecting the cities of Faisalabad, Jhang, Gojra, Toba Tek Singh, Shorkot, Khanewal and Multan. Once at Khanewal, it will merge onto the N5 temporarily until the M5 is complete.. The M4 will be constructed in four stages (i) Faisalabad-Gojra (58  km), (ii) Gojra-Shorkot (61  km), (iii) Shorkot-Din Pur-Khanewal (65  km) and (iv) Khanewal-Multan (65  km), whereas two large bridges will be constructed on the River Ravi and Shadhnai Channel. Estimated cost is USD 601 million. M-5 Motorway Multan to Dera Khazi Khan It is a planned 4 lane motorway that will link Multan with Dera Ghazi Khan. It will be constructed after the completion of the Faisalabad Multan (M-4) Motorway. M-6 Motorway Dera Ghazi Khan to Ratodero It is a planned 4 lane motorway that will link Dera Ghazi Khan with Ratodero. It will be constructed after the completion of the Multan to Dera Khazi Khan( M-5) Motorway. M-8 Motorway Ratodero To Gawader The 892 km 4-lane M-8 is under-construction in Sindh and Balochistan provinces. Initially, it will have 2 lanes with a further 2 lanes planned. The 4 lane motorway will be upgradable to 6 lanes. Once completed it will directly link the port city of Gwadar with the rest of Pakistans motorway network at Ratodero where it will link up with the M-6 Dera Ghazi Khan-Ratodero Motorway. M-9 Motorway Haiderabad to Karachi Hyderabad-Karachi Super Highway is in the process of being upgraded into a 6-lane access-controlled motorway designated the M-9. Expression of Interest (EOI) was invited by the National Highway Authority (NHA) in May 2011. The NHA awarded the Rs. 24.93 billion contract to the Malaysian construction company on Built Operate Transfer (BOT) basis in January 2012. The proposed 136-km long motorway will be completed in three years. Patrolling and enforcement National Highways and Motorway Police (NHMP) is responsible for enforcement of traffic rules and safety measures, security and free flow of traffic on the Pakistan Motorway network. The NHMP use heavy jeeps, cars and heavy motorbikes for patrolling and help purposes and uses day and night vision speed cameras for enforcing speed limits. It is friendly and corruption free police in Pakistan. SIGNIFICANCE OF TRANSPORTATION AND ITS SENERIO: Road transport is the backbone of Pakistans transport system. The 9,574 km long National Highway and Motorway network, which is 3.65 percent of the total road network, carries 80 percent of Pakistans total traffic. Over the past ten years, road traffic, both passenger and freight, has grown significantly faster than the national economy. Currently, it is accounting for 91 percent of national passenger traffic and 96 percent of freight. Port traffic in Pakistan grows at 8 percent annually in recent years. Two major ports, Port Karachi and Port Qasim, handle 95 percent of all international trade. Port Gwadar, which was inaugurated in March 2007 and is being operated by Singapore Port Authority, is aiming to develop into a central energy port in the region. 14 dry ports cater to high value external trade. Pakistan Railways (PR) has a broad gauge system (with a small network of meter gauge in the South East). The network consists of the main North South corridor, connecting the Karachi ports to the primary production and population centers in Pakistan. The track is in good condition with an axle-load of 23 tons and maximum permitted speeds of 100/110 kph. There are 36 operational airports. Karachi is Pakistans main airport but significant levels of both domestic and international cargo are also handled at Islamabad and Lahore. Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), the major public sector airline, though facing the competition from a few private airlines, carries approximately 70 percent of domestic passengers and almost all domestic freight traffic. The transportation sector accounts for about 10.5 percent of the countrys GDP and 27.4 percent of Gross Fixed Capital Formation (GFCF) in FY06. It provides over 6 percent of employment in the country and receives 12 to 16 percent of the annual Federal Public Sector Development Program (PSDP). Government agencies dominate the sector. Although the sector is functional, its inefficiencies with long waiting and traveling times, high costs, and low reliability are dragging the countrys economic growth. These factors also reduce the competitiveness of the countrys exports, increase the cost of doing business in Pakistan, and constrain Pakistans ability to integrate into global supply chains which require just-in-time delivery. The poor performance of the sector is estimated to cost the economy 4-6 percent of GDP each year. Roads Over half the national highways network is in poor condition, and the road safety record is poor. The countrys truck fleet is mostly made up of obsolete, underpowered, and polluting vehicles, and trucks are often grossly overloaded. Truck operating speeds on the main corridors are only 40 50 kph for container traffic, half of the truck speeds in Europe. For trucks carrying bulk cargoes, the journeys take 3-4 times longer than in Europe. Bridge between South Asia and South West Asia; Iran and Afghanistan are energy abundant while India and China are lacking of. China finds way to Indian ocean and Arabian Sea through Korakaram. China with its fastest economic growth rate of 9%; is developing its southern provinces because its own port is 4500 km away from Sinkiang but Gawader is 2500km away. Pakistan offers to CARs the shortest route of 2600 km as compared to Iran (4500 km) or Turkey (5000 km). Land locked Afganistan now at the phase of Reconstruction, finds its ways through Pakistan. Gawader port with its deep waters attracts the trade ships of China, CARs and South East Asian Countries. Hypothesis of the study: The research study will examine the impact of motorways on Pakistan Economy. I will describe the relationship between motorway and economy. H1: There will be positive impact of motorway on Pakistan Economy which is assumption of proposal. H2: There will be negative impact of motorway on Pakistan economy which is against of H1. H3: There will be effective relationship of motorway with Pakistan economy. H4: There will be ineffective relationship of motorways with Pakistan economy. ASSUMPTION OF STUDY Limitations: Time constraints of the semester require less time than may be ideal for an ethnographic study. By being in the organization for only four hours a week for five weeks, there are bound to be aspects of leadership practice, organizational culture and team communication that will not be revealed during my observations. Being an outsider may also limit what is revealed to me. The team members may be guarded in their conversations around me, especially in my initial observations. [Describe conditions beyond your control that place restrictions on what you can do and the conclusions you may be able to draw] Delimitations: I am choosing not to observe multiple teams, even though such comparisons might be valuable, in order to allow more depth of understanding regarding the group on which I will focus. Additionally, I will not use structured interviews in order to minimize my obtrusiveness and my influence on the team members. [Describe the boundaries of the study that you determine] OBJECTIVE OF STUDY There will be following main objective of my research. Economic growth Private Sector Development Regional Cooperate Social growth Description The overall objective of the study will be to provide the Government with a detailed implementation plan for the motorway corridors, and to prepare the highest priority project ready for award and implementation using an appropriate public-private partnership model. (i) Pakistan road sector; (ii) the project preparation phase to prepare a project for the selected motorway link; and (iii) the procurement preparation phase to prepare necessary documents and prerequisites for procurement process. Linkage to Country/ Regional Strategy to reduce logistics cost and increase the countrys global competitiveness. The overall objective of the road network is to reduce logistics costs in Pakistan through the promotion of (i) more efficient logistics in the production sector, (ii) more efficiency in the transport sector, (iii) the development of private sector logistics businesses, (iv) better facilitation for international trade, and (v) better human resource development. Within the road subsector, the Government intends to pursue its overall goal of reducing logistics costs and maintaining or increasing the countrys regional competitiveness primarily within the framework of these five areas. A number of challenges and constraints must be overcome to achieve this goal within a reasonable period, including (i) developing a broadly based financing plan that reaches well beyond the dependence on normal yearly budget allocations; and (ii) making significant changes to Pakistans legal and contractual frameworks to provide the environment essential for the introduction of innovative public private partnerships. REVIEW OF LITERATURE Considerable progress has been made in the transport and communication sector during the current fiscal year. During July-March 1999-2000, the total length of roads in the country was 249,959 km, including 138,726 Km of high type and 111,233 km of low type. Total number of motor vehicles on roads stood at 4.085 million during the same period. The construction work on Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway which started in 1998, is expected to be completed with the cost of Rs.26 billion by December 200:1. Pakistan Railways network consists of 7,791 route km during July-March, 1999-2000. Its major assets include 582 locomotives, 2,029 passenger coaches and 22,247 freight wagons. During 1999-2000 (July-March) it carried 49.2 million passengers and 3.8 million tons freight and its gross earnings stood at Rs.7,208 million. The network of Pakistan International Airlines covers 37 international destinations and 35 domestic stations covering almost all parts of the country. Its fleet consists of 48 aircrafts of varied types. Presently, three .private airlines i.e. Shaheen Air International, Bhoja Air Line and Aero Asia are operating on local and international routes, while the fourth private sector airlineSafe Air International is operating on domestic routes only. The country has two major sea ports namely, Karachi Sea Port and Port Qasim. Beside, two Fish Harbour-Cum-Mini Ports are being developed at Gawadur and Keti Bunder. The Karachi Port has handled 18.0 million tons of cargo during July-March, 1999-2000, compared with 1.7.6 million tons of cargo during the corresponding period of last year. Pakistan is now connected with most of the countries of the world through international gateway exchanges. Value added services such as internet, E-mail, cellular mobile telephone, optical fiber system, card pay phone, paging services etc. are now available in the country which are providing innovative and modern services to the consumers. At present, about 21,000 customers are connected through internet, whereas the total number of internet users in Pakistan upto March, 2000 are 120,000. There are more than 3.8 million telephone lines, out of which about 3.03 million lines are connected to the customers, 2,663 telephone exchanges, 1,362 NWD exchanges, 10,256 VHF PCOs, 393 telegraph offices and 112 customer service centres are working in the country. The estimated number of TV and VCR sets in the country as on June 30, 1999 were 3.035 million and 0.136 million respectively. As on March 31, 2000, the TV and VCR sets are estimated to be 3.150 million and 0.136 million respectively. Pakistan is an emerging market for automobiles and automotive parts offers immense business and investment opportunities. The total contribution of Auto industry to GDP in 2007 is 2.8% which is likely to increase up to 5.6% in the next 5 years. Auto sector presently, contributes 16% to the manufacturing sector which also is expected to increase 25% in the next 7 years. Pakistan, with 155 million people, has a reasonably developed transport infrastructure. Road transport is the backbone of Pakistans transport system. The 9,574 km long National Highway and Motorway network, which is 3.65 percent of the total road network, carries 80 percent of Pakistans total traffic. Over the past ten years, road traffic, both passenger and freight, has grown significantly faster than the national economy. Currently, it is accounting for 91 percent of national passenger traffic and 96 percent of freight. Port traffic in Pakistan grows at 8 percent annually in recent years. Two major ports, Port Karachi and Port Qasim, handle 95 percent of all international trade. Port Gwadar, which was inaugurated in March 2007 and is being operated by Singapore Port Authority, is aiming to develop into a central energy port in the region. 14 dry ports cater to high value external trade. Pakistan Railways (PR) has a broad gauge system (with a small network of meter gauge in the South East). The network consists of the main North South corridor, connecting the Karachi ports to the primary production and population centers in Pakistan. The track is in good condition with an axle-load of 23 tons and maximum permitted speeds of 100/110 kph. There are 36 operational airports. Karachi is Pakistans main airport but significant levels of both domestic and international cargo are also handled at Islamabad and Lahore. Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), the major public sector airline, though facing the competition from a few private airlines, carries approximately 70 percent of domestic passengers and almost all domestic freight traffic. The transportation sector accounts for about 10.5 percent of the countrys GDP and 27.4 percent of Gross Fixed Capital Formation (GFCF) in FY06. It provides over 6 percent of employment in the country and receives 12 to 16 percent of the annual Federal Public Sector Development Program (PSDP). Government agencies dominate the sector. Although the sector is functional, its inefficiencies with long waiting and traveling times, high costs, and low reliability are dragging the countrys economic growth. These factors also reduce the competitiveness of the countrys exports, increase the cost of doing business in Pakistan, and constrain Pakistans ability to integrate into global supply chains which require just-in-time delivery. The poor performance of the sector is estimated to cost the economy 4-6 percent of GDP each year. Methodology This presents an overview of the methods to use in the research. It shows the research design, population, sample and sampling techniques, data collection and analysis. Research Design The study will involve the evaluating the role of motorways in the Pakistan economy. It will be effect at regional countries like China, Central Asia, Afghanistan and India. Consequently, the research will be designed to achieve the objectives set out by research. Population The transport sector of Pakistan is playing an important role in the economy. The ministry of communication is main controlling authority on motorways for planning and construction. The ministry of communication including their Departments like National Highways motorway police, National Highway authority and Transport research center essential for operational process. The targeted population for the study thus includes the following Ministry of communication (FEDRAL) National Highway authority (NHA) National Highways Motorways police (NHMP) National transport research center (NTRC) National trade corridor improvement program (NTCIP) Frontier works organization (FWO) The Main cities (Population) liked with motorways Sample The research belongs to impact of all motorways of Pakistan but in sample I will discuss only Lahore Islamabad Motorway (M-2) Only such department belonging to M-2 will be considered. The questionnaire and date will be collected only for M-2. Sampling and Sampling Technique It obvious from the population above that a census is not feasible in this study. Accordingly, I shall adopt the survey type of research in which a sample from the target population will be used for the study. In total, a sample of 150 elements will be selected from a targeted population of 300. Details of the sample are as follows: 20 officers and official from NHA 20 officers and staff from NHMP 30 transporters and 20 passengers 20 economy experts 20 officers planning department 40 citizens near motorway The research study will adopt a multistage stratified sampling method to select elements. First, the  population will be divided into officers and officials. Next, It will be grouped into Ministries, Departments and Agencies and into Metropolitan, Municipal and Districts. This will ensure a fair representation of each group of institutions since their  operations are significantly different. Data Collection The focus of study is on attitudes and perception and the importance of primary data cannot beover-emphasised. However, secondary data will also be collected to augment the studies. Before the actual data collect the researcher will collect introductory letter from the School of  Business of the University of Cape Coast to the sampled institutions. The initial visit to the selected institutions will therefore be to introduce himself, familiarize himself with those institutions as well as seek their consent for the study. Data collection instrument The researcher will collect data by administering a questionnaire. The questionnaire will unstructured questions, consisting of approximately 20 questions divided into three sections A, B, and C. Section A will consist of seven questions seeking to answer the first research question. Section B will consist of six questions covering the second research question where as Section C will consist of questions to test the hypothesis and also answer the third research question. Table 1: Section Research Question Investigative Questions A Sample Investigative Questions SectionResearch QuestionInvestigative Questions A à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ What account for the lowsupport for Internal Audit by  public sector managers? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Are you aware of the role of the Internal Auditor  in you organisation? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ How important do you think is the role of theInternal Auditor to your organisation? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ In your view, is the Head of Internal Audit placedappropriately on the organisational chart?B à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ What actions are necessary toget the support of  management of internalauditing in the public sector? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Generally, how will you rank the relevance of  Internal Audit in your organisation? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ What reasons account for your answer above? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ What do you consider the three most importantactions needed to promote Internal Auditing inthe public sector?C à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Is there a link between thequality of service the InternalAuditor provides for hisorganisation and the attitudeof managers towards theInternal Audit function? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ What do you consider to be the highest achieve of  your internal audit department? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Would agree to the statement that ones  perception of the Internal Auditor is influenced byhow they perceive his role in the company? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Will your attitude towards Internal Audit bedifferent if they help you achieve your objectives? Research proposal SB/MAC/08/0005 Page 10 Most of the structured questions will be the close-ended type and respondents willbe asked to mark the appropriate box matching the correct answer. Otherquestions, however, will require respondents to give opinions. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: After analytical study keeping in view their results, discussions will be suggested to solve the problem for this purpose also policy implications will be discussed. This study will be useful for the research on the topic and will provide guideline for planner and policy maker. REFRENCES www.worldbank.org.pk//PAKISTANEXTN/0,,content MDK: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorways_ of _Pakistan SACTRA. (1999), Transport and the economy. HMSO, London. Mewton, R. 1997, The costs and benefits of induced traffic on the Sydney Harbour Tunnel and Gore Hill Freeway. Masters Dissertation. University of New England, Armidale. The Institute of Internal Auditors (the IIA). (2007),The Professional Practices Framework. Florida, U.S.: The IIA Research Foundation. B., Cooper, D.R., and Schindler, P.S. (2005)  Business Research Methods,Maidenhead, McGraw-Hill

Biography of Aristotle Essays -- biography biographies

Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and scientist who lived from 384-322 B.C who was born in Stagira, Macedonia. His father played a major role in society as a physician in the royal court. Young Aristotle took a liking to Plato and decided to go to his academy at the age of seventeen. For the next twenty years, Aristotle remained there first as a student then as a teacher. After the death of Plato, Aristotle moved to Assos in the Asia Minor where he tutored his friend Hermias who was the ruler there and decided to marry his niece. After his death he then tutored Alexander the Great at the capital of Macedonia known as Pella. Later in his life, Aristotle decided to move back to Athens, Greece to open up his own school known as Lyceum. â€Å"Upon the death of Alexander in 323 B.C., strong anti-Macedonian feeling developed in Athens, and Aristotle retired to a family estate in Euboea (Évvoia). He died there the following year† (Brumbaugh, Robert S.). Before he had died, the A thenians charged Aristotle, like Socrates, with impiety that means a lack of reverence to the gods. He remembered the fate that Socrates once had where he was condemned to death. â€Å"He fled to the city of Chalcis so the Athenians would not, as he said, "sin twice against philosophy† (Soll, Ivan). Aristotle has written many works in his lifetime and has had many ideas. One of his many ideas was his idea of freedom. He had many opinions on the way one should live their life. â€Å"Aristotle argued that the goal of human beings is happiness and that we achieve happiness when we fulfill our function† (Soll, Ivan). What Aristotle means by this is that you have to figure out what makes you happy in life and do whatever it takes for one to reach that ultimate goal of happiness. In order to do this, we must figure out what our function is. â€Å"Thus, according to Aristotle, a happy life for human beings is a life governed by reason† (Soll, Ivan). A book that Aristotle wrote in 350 B.C. was called Nicomachean Ethics Book III that deals with his idea of freedom. The purpose of this book is to express his beliefs of the importance of human actions and how those actions could shape up their lives. What he also does is emphasis the difference between voluntary and involuntary actions. Involuntary actions are those that are presented in ignorance or under pressure. An act is under pressure only when i... ...s situation worse if the coach decided to punish the whole team by making them run extra and then his teammates would be disappointed with him. What people must do is realize that the choices they make in life will not only benefit themselves, but will affect those around him/her. One must be as responsible as they can possibly be in order to obtain total happiness, which is their ultimate goal in life according to Aristotle. I agree with Aristotle in his way of thinking because I feel one must make the right decision in life and be responsible with those decisions that they make. Aristotle learned a lot back in this time period when education was very hard to find and this is why he is considered one of the most famous and respected people in Greek history. Works Cited Aristotle. Nicomachean Ethics Book III. Editorial. Classics of Philosophy. Louis P. Pojman. 304. Oxford University Press, Inc. 1998. 198 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10016. Brumbaugh, Robert S. â€Å"Aristotle," Microsoft ® Encarta ® Online Encyclopedia 2003. http://encarta.msn.com  © 1997-2003 Microsoft Corporation. Soll, Ivan. "Aristotle," World Book Online Americas Edition,

The Stupidest Angel Chapter 18

Chapter 18 YOUR PUNY WORM GOD WEAPONS ARE USELESS AGAINST MY SUPERIOR CHRISTMAS KUNG FU Molly slipped out the back door of the cabin and around the outside wall until she could see the tall figure standing before her picture window. The fallen wires had stopped sparking out by the street and the stars and moon barely cut through the darkness at all. Strangely enough, she could clearly see the man by her front window because there was a faint glow shining around him. Radioactive, Molly thought. He wore the long black duster favored by sand pirates. Why, though, would a desert marauder be out in a rainstorm? She assumed the Hasso No Kamae stance, back straight, the sword held high and tilted back over her right shoulder, the sword guard at mouth level, her left foot forward. She was three steps from delivering a deathblow to the intruder. The sword balanced perfectly in her grip, so perfectly that it seemed to weigh nothing at all. She could feel the wet pine needles under her bare feet and wished that she'd put on shoes before dashing out into the night. The cold rain against her bare skin made her think that maybe a sweater would have been a good idea as well. The glowing man looked toward the opposite corner of the cabin and Molly made her move. Three soft steps and she stood behind him; the edge of her blade lay across the side of his neck. A quick pull and she would cut him to his vertebrae. â€Å"Move and die,† Molly said. â€Å"Nuh-uh,† said the glowing man. The tip of Molly's sword extended a foot beyond the stranger's face. He looked at the blade. â€Å"I like your sword. Want to see mine?† â€Å"You move, you die,† Molly said, thinking that it wasn't the sort of thing you should have to repeat. â€Å"Who are you?† â€Å"I'm Raziel,† said Raziel. â€Å"It's not the sword of the Lord, or anything. Not for destroying cities, just for fighting one or two enemies at a time, or slicing cold cuts. Do you like salami?† Molly didn't quite know how to proceed. This glowing sand pirate seemed perfectly unafraid, perfectly unconcerned, in fact, that she was holding a razor-sharp blade against his carotid artery. â€Å"Why are you looking in my window in the middle of the night?† â€Å"Because I can't see through the wooden part.† Molly snapped her wrists back and smacked Raziel in the side of the head with the flat of her blade. â€Å"Ouch.† â€Å"Who are you and why are you here?† Molly said. She snapped her blade back to threaten another smack, and in that instant Raziel stepped away from her, spun, and drew a sword from the middle of his back. Molly hesitated, just a second, then approached and snapped her blade down, this time in a real attack aimed at his shoulder. Raziel parried the blow and riposted. Molly swept his blade aside and came around with her blade for a cut to the left arm. Raziel got his sword around just in time to deflect her blade down his arm instead of across it. The razor-sharp tashi took a long swath of fabric from his coat, as well as a thin slice of flesh down his forearm. â€Å"Hey,† he said, looking at his now-flapping sleeve. There was no blood. Just a dark stripe where the flesh was gone. He started hacking, his sword describing an infinity pattern in the air before him as he drove Molly back through the pine forest toward the road. She quickstepped back, parrying some blows, dodging others, stepping around trees, kicking up wet pine straw as she moved. She could only see her glowing attacker, his sword shining now as well, the darkness around her so complete that she moved only by memory and feel. As she deflected one of the blows, her heel caught on a root and she lost her balance. She started to go over backward and spun as if to catch herself. Raziel's momentum carried him forward, his sword swinging for a target that a second before had been two feet higher, and he ran right onto Molly's blade. She was bent over forward; the blade extended back across her rib cage and through Raziel, extending another two feet out his back. They were frozen there for a moment – him bent over her back, stuck together with her sword – like two dogs who needed a bucket of water thrown on them. From a crouch, Molly yanked the blade out, then spun, ready to deliver a coup de grace that would cut her enemy from collarbone to hip. â€Å"Ouch,† said Raziel, looking at the hole in his solar plexus. He threw his sword on the ground and prodded the wound with his fingers. â€Å"Ouch,† he said again, looking up at Molly. â€Å"You don't thrust with that kind of sword. You're not supposed to thrust with that kind of sword. No fair.† â€Å"You're supposed to die now,† Molly said. â€Å"Nuh-uh,† said Raziel. â€Å"You can't say nuh-uh to death. That's sloppy debating.† â€Å"You poked me with your sword, and cut my coat.† He held up his damaged arm. â€Å"Well, you came creeping around here in the middle of the night looking in my windows, and you pulled a sword on me.† â€Å"I was just showing it to you. I don't even like it. I want to get web slingers for my next mission.† â€Å"Mission? What mission? Did Nigoth send you? He is no longer my higher power, by the way. This is not the kind of support I need.† â€Å"Fear not,† said Raziel, â€Å"for I am a messenger of the Lord, come to bring a miracle for the Nativity.† â€Å"You're what?† â€Å"Fear not!† â€Å"I'm not afraid, you nitwit, I just kicked your ass. Are you telling me you're an angel?† â€Å"Come to bring Christmas joy to the child.† â€Å"You're a Christmas angel?† â€Å"I bring tidings of great joy, which shall be to all men. Well, not really. This time it's just to one boy, but I memorized that speech, so I like to use it.† Molly let her guard down, the tip of her sword pointed at the ground now. â€Å"So the glowing stuff on you?† â€Å"Glory of the Lord,† said the angel. â€Å"Oh piss,† said Molly. She slapped herself in the forehead. â€Å"And I killed you.† â€Å"Nuh-uh.† â€Å"Don't start with the nuh-uh again. Should I call an ambulance or a priest or something?† â€Å"I'm healing.† He held up his forearm and Molly watched as the faintly glowing skin expanded to cover the wound. â€Å"Why in the hell are you here?† â€Å"I have a mission –  » â€Å"Not here on Earth, here at my house.† â€Å"We're attracted to lunatics.† Molly's first instinct was to take his head, but on second thought, she was standing in the middle of a pine forest, in freezing rain and gale-force winds, naked, holding a sword, and talking to an angel, so he wasn't exactly announcing the Advent. She was a lunatic. â€Å"You want to come inside?† she said. â€Å"Do you have hot chocolate?† â€Å"With minimarshmallows,† said the Warrior Babe. â€Å"Blessed are the minimarshmallows,† the angel said, swooning a little. â€Å"Come on, then,† Molly said as she walked away muttering, â€Å"I can't believe I killed a Christmas angel.† â€Å"Yep, you screwed the pooch on this one,† said the Narrator. â€Å"Nuh-uh,† said the angel. â€Å"Get that piano against the door!† Theo yelled. The bolts on the front door had completely splintered away, and the Masonite buffet table was flexing under the blows of whatever the undead were using for a battering ram. The entire chapel shook with each impact. Robert and Jenny Masterson, who owned Brine's Bait, Tackle, and Fine Wines, started rolling the upright piano from its spot by the Christmas tree. Both had been through some harrowing moments in Pine Cove's history, and they tended to keep their heads in an emergency. â€Å"Anyone know how to lock these casters?† Robert called. â€Å"We'll need to brace it just the same,† Theo said. He turned to Ben Miller and Nacho Nunez, who seemed to have teamed up for the battle. â€Å"You guys look for more heavy stuff to brace the door.† â€Å"Where did they get a battering ram?† Tucker Case asked. He was examining the big rubber coasters on the piano, trying to figure out how to lock them. â€Å"Half the forest has blown down tonight,† said Lena. â€Å"Monterey pines don't have a taproot. They probably just found one that they could lift.† â€Å"Turn it on its back,† Tuck said. â€Å"Brace it against the table.† The ram hit the doors and they popped open six inches. The table hooked under the heavy brass handles was bending and beginning to split. Three arms came through the opening, half a face, the eye drooling out of a rotted socket. â€Å"Push!† Tuck screamed. They ran the piano up against the braced table, slamming the doors on the protruding limbs. The battering ram hit again, popping the doors open, driving the men back, and rattling their teeth. The undead arms pulled back from the gap. Tuck and Robert shoved the piano against the door and it shut again. Jenny Masterson threw her back against the piano and looked back at the onlookers, twenty or so people who seemed too stunned or too scared to move. â€Å"Don't just stand there, you useless fucks! Help us brace this. If they get in, they're going to eat your brains, too.† Five men pointed flashlights at each other in a â€Å"Me? You? Us?† inspection, then shrugged and ran to help push the piano. â€Å"Nice pep talk,† said Tuck, his sneakers squeaking on the pine floor as he pushed. â€Å"Thanks, I'm good with the public,† Jenny said. â€Å"Waitress for twenty years.† â€Å"Oh yeah, you waited on us at H.P.'s. Lena, it's our waitress from the other night.† â€Å"Nice to see you again, Jenny,† said Lena, just as the battering ram hit the door again, knocking her to the floor. â€Å"I haven't seen you at yoga class†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Clear the way, clear the way, clear the way!† called Theo. He and Nacho Nuà ±ez were coming across the floor from the back room carrying an eight-foot-long oak pew. Behind them, Ben Miller was wrestling a pew across the floor by himself. Several of the men who were holding the barricade broke ranks to help him. â€Å"Cantilever these against the piano and nail them to the floor,† Theo said. The heavy benches went up on a diagonal against the back of the piano and Nacho Nuà ±ez toenailed them to the floor. The benches flexed a little with each blow of the battering ram, but they held fast. After a few seconds, the pounding stopped. Again, there was only the noise of the wind and the rain. Everyone played flashlights around the room, waiting for whatever would come next. Then they heard Dale Pearson's voice at the side of the chapel. â€Å"This way. Bring it this way.† â€Å"Back door,† someone shouted. â€Å"They're carrying it around to the back door.† â€Å"More pews,† Theo yelled. â€Å"Nail them up in the back. Hurry, that door's not as heavy as the front, it won't take two hits like that.† â€Å"Can't they just come through one of the walls?† asked Val Riordan, who was trying to join in the effort to hold the line, despite the handicap of her five-hundred-dollar shoes. â€Å"I'm hoping that won't occur to them,† Theo said. Supervising the undead was worse than dealing with a construction crew full of drunks and cokeheads. At least his living crews had all of their limbs and most of their physical coordination. This bunch was pretty floppy. Twenty of the undead were hefting a broken pine-tree trunk a foot thick and as long as a car. â€Å"Move the goddamn tree,† Dale growled. â€Å"What am I paying you for?† â€Å"Is he paying us?† asked Marty in the Morning, who was hefting at midtree, on a jagged, broken branch. â€Å"Are we getting paid?† â€Å"I can't believe you ate all the brains,† Warren Talbot, the dead painter, said. â€Å"That was supposed to be for everyone.† â€Å"Would you shut the fuck up and get the tree around to the back door,† Dale yelled, waving his snub-nose revolver. â€Å"The gunpowder gave them a nice peppery flavor,† Marty said. â€Å"Don't rub it in,† said Bess Leander. â€Å"I'm so hungry.† â€Å"There will be enough for everyone once we get inside,† said Arthur Tannbeau, the citrus farmer. Dale could tell this wasn't going to work. They were too feeble, they couldn't get enough strength behind the battering ram. The living would be barricading the back door even now. He pulled some of the more decayed undead off the tree and pushed in those who seemed to have much of their normal strength, but they were trying to run up a narrow set of stairs carrying a thousand-pound tree trunk. Even a crew of healthy, living people wouldn't be able to get purchase in this mud. The tree trunk hit the door with an anemic thud. The door flexed just enough to reveal that the living had reinforced it. â€Å"Forget it. Forget it,† said Dale. â€Å"There are other ways we can get to them. Fan out in the parking lot and start looking for keys in the ignition of people's cars.† â€Å"Drive-thru snackage?† said Marty in the Morning. â€Å"I like it.† â€Å"Something like that,† Dale said. â€Å"Kid, you with the wax face. You're a motorhead, can you hot-wire a car?† â€Å"Not with only one arm,† Jimmy Antalvo slurred. â€Å"That dog took my arm.† â€Å"It stopped,† Lena said. She was checking Tuck's wounds. Blood was seeping through the bandages on his ribs. Theo turned away from the pilot and looked around the room. The emergency lighting was starting to dim already and his flashlight was panning them like he was looking for suspects. â€Å"No one left their keys in their car, did they?† There were murmurs of denial and heads shaking. Val Riordan had a perfectly painted eyebrow raised at him. There was a question there, even if it was unspoken. â€Å"Because that's what I'd do,† Theo said. â€Å"I'd get a car up to speed and crash it right through the wall.† â€Å"That would be bad,† said Gabe. â€Å"That parking lot had two inches of water and mud the last time I saw it,† Tucker Case said. â€Å"Not every car is going to get up to speed in that.† â€Å"Look, we need to get some help,† Theo said. â€Å"Someone has to go for help.† â€Å"They won't get ten feet,† Tuck said. â€Å"As soon as you open a door or break a window, they'll be waiting.† â€Å"What about the roof?† said Josh Barker. â€Å"Shut up, kid,† Tuck said. â€Å"There's no way up to the roof.† â€Å"Are we going to cut off his head now?† said Josh. â€Å"You have to sever the spinal column or they just keep coming.† â€Å"Look,† Theo said, playing his flashlight across the center of the ceiling. There was a trapdoor up there, painted over and latched, but it was definitely there. â€Å"It leads to the old bell tower,† Gabe Fenton said. â€Å"No bell, but it does open onto the roof.† Theo nodded. â€Å"From the roof someone could tell where they all were before making his move.† â€Å"That hatch is thirty feet up. There's no way to get to it.† Suddenly the high chirp of a barking bat came from above them. A half-dozen flashlights swung around to spotlight Roberto, who was hanging upside down from the star atop the Christmas tree. â€Å"Molly's tree,† said Lena. â€Å"It looks sturdy enough,† said Gabe Fenton. â€Å"I'll go,† said Ben Miller. â€Å"I'm still in pretty good shape. If I have to make a run for it, I can.† â€Å"Right there, that proves it,† said Tuck, an aside to Lena. â€Å"No guy with tiny balls would volunteer for that. See how the dead lie.† â€Å"I'm driving an old Tercel,† Ben said. â€Å"I don't think you want me trying to make a run for help in that.† â€Å"What we need is a Hummer,† said Gabe. â€Å"Yeah, or even a friendly hand job,† said Tuck. â€Å"But that's later. For now, we need a four-wheel drive.† â€Å"You really want to try this?† Theo asked Ben. The athlete nodded. â€Å"I've got the best chance of getting out. Those I can't outrun I'll just go through.† â€Å"Okay, then,† said Theo. â€Å"Let's get that tree over to the middle of the room.† â€Å"Not so fast,† said Tuck, patting his bandages. â€Å"I don't care how fast Micro-nads is, Santa still has two bullets in his gun.†

Free Essays on The Best And Worst Of Human Nature

'The best and worst of human nature, as would be expounded by Thomas Hobbes and John Locke, are demonstrated in these new lands and cultures.' It is true that the best and worst of human nature are demonstrated in these new lands and cultures. In the views of Locke and Hobbes are two very different points of view. In Thomas Hobbes point of view, human beings are organisms in motion and need to be restrained by authority from pursuing selfish ends. In the case of the Natives, he would have said that Spain had the right to conquer the Bahamas because the people had no leader that seemed to be apparent. Hobbes would have said that the people who lived in the Bahamas were not able to think for themselves and needed an authority, a King, to rule over the people. Thomas Hobbes said that if a man had acquired delight, moderate power or an already good life, the man would want more and delve into his own selfish needs. Hobbes said that without men being afraid that someone would stop them being selfish, any society would fall apart. There would be no one to stop men from acquiring too much or being too selfish. John Locke would have said that individuals form a community for their mutual benefit. Locke also said that, ‘all men were, by nature, free, equal and independent’ and no one can subject to ‘the Political Power of another, without his own Consent.’ John Locke would have said that the Natives of the Bahamas were not respected. He might also have said that their rights were being compromised and that the Spanish should not have conquered them. The Natives as a people never asked to be conquered. The Natives were a community. John Locke had said that, ‘the act of the Majority passes for the act of the whole, and of course determines as having by the law of Nature and Reason the power of a whole.’ This would mean that the Natives were already their own government and that they would not delve into selfish needs because their... Free Essays on The Best And Worst Of Human Nature Free Essays on The Best And Worst Of Human Nature 'The best and worst of human nature, as would be expounded by Thomas Hobbes and John Locke, are demonstrated in these new lands and cultures.' It is true that the best and worst of human nature are demonstrated in these new lands and cultures. In the views of Locke and Hobbes are two very different points of view. In Thomas Hobbes point of view, human beings are organisms in motion and need to be restrained by authority from pursuing selfish ends. In the case of the Natives, he would have said that Spain had the right to conquer the Bahamas because the people had no leader that seemed to be apparent. Hobbes would have said that the people who lived in the Bahamas were not able to think for themselves and needed an authority, a King, to rule over the people. Thomas Hobbes said that if a man had acquired delight, moderate power or an already good life, the man would want more and delve into his own selfish needs. Hobbes said that without men being afraid that someone would stop them being selfish, any society would fall apart. There would be no one to stop men from acquiring too much or being too selfish. John Locke would have said that individuals form a community for their mutual benefit. Locke also said that, ‘all men were, by nature, free, equal and independent’ and no one can subject to ‘the Political Power of another, without his own Consent.’ John Locke would have said that the Natives of the Bahamas were not respected. He might also have said that their rights were being compromised and that the Spanish should not have conquered them. The Natives as a people never asked to be conquered. The Natives were a community. John Locke had said that, ‘the act of the Majority passes for the act of the whole, and of course determines as having by the law of Nature and Reason the power of a whole.’ This would mean that the Natives were already their own government and that they would not delve into selfish needs because their...

3 Tips for Producing Consistent Written Content

3 Tips for Producing Consistent Written Content 3 Tips for Producing Consistent Written Content 3 Tips for Producing Consistent Written Content By Mark Nichol There are many editorial strategies for making text easy to write, edit, and read. Here are a few guidelines for simplifying how your company, organization, or publication (even if it’s merely a personal blog) produces content. 1. Minimize House Style â€Å"House style† refers to treatment of specialized terminology and treatment of spelling, capitalization, numbers, or punctuation that differs from the norm. Before you decide to routinely spell a word in a variant or obsolete form (for example, writing archeology instead of archaeology), capitalize generic words (â€Å"The Company is dedicated to excellence†), use a numeral rather than spelling the number out (â€Å"We have 5 guiding principles†), or go against custom in formatting punctuation (for example, employing single quotation marks instead of double quotation marks), consider whether the divergence is worth the effort- and, if so, publicize and document the decision so that all content your organization produces is consistent. The more clear and thorough your house style is, the easier it is to maintain high-quality content. On the other hand, the less extensive and cumbersome your house style is, because there are fewer exceptions to attend to, the easier it is to maintain high-quality content. 2. Always Use the Serial Comma Many publications follow the Associated Press Style Book’s policy of omitting serial commas. (The serial comma is the last comma in a list such as â€Å"apples, oranges, and pears.†) Unfortunately, this modest effort to simplify by avoiding an optional punctuation mark actually complicates matters: When a list contains an element that includes a conjunction (â€Å"apples, oranges and tangerines and pears†), the sentence organization is compromised, so an exception must be made, which results in inconsistency. For the sake of uniformity and simplicity, always include a serial comma, the recommendation of The Chicago Manual of Style, the handbook of record for many book publishers and other content producers. On a related note, use semicolons for lists only when the presence of one or more commas within one or more list elements creates ambiguity, especially when one or more elements of the list is itself a list (â€Å"apples, oranges, and pears; milk and cheese; and bread†). The length of the list, and the presence of conjunctions within list elements, are not factors. 3. Capitalize Only When Necessary Capitalize proper names only, and capitalize job titles only before names. Generic abbreviations of entity names (â€Å"the company,† â€Å"the board,† â€Å"the department†) and references to concepts (â€Å"human resources†) are not proper names (though â€Å"Human Resources† is correct as the name of a specific department). Capitalization rules about art movements, medical and scientific terminology, geological and historical eras, and other scientific or cultural phenomena can seem (and sometimes are) arbitrary, so double-check reliable editorial resources. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Writing Basics category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:100 Idioms About Numbers16 Misquoted Quotations10 Functions of the Comma

Smith & Falmouth Online Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Smith & Falmouth Online - Essay Example This report describes the current culture at Smith & Falmouth as well as various controls for organizational performance. In addition, recommendations to better enhance the business are proposed. At Smith & Falmouth, it is a team-oriented organization which relies on various professional and technical expertise to accomplish sizeable projects mandated at the strategic level. As a team leader, the Chief Operational Officer acts as the project leader, dictating the activities of various colleagues (at similar levels in the management hierarchy) and subordinate peers. This team-oriented philosophy consists of a leader who directs the activities of the group, demanding compliance and routine reporting on project activities. However, the transformational leadership style, according to two specific organizational theorists, involves a leader who also uses actions which are â€Å"visionary, values-based, emotional, intellectually-stimulating, and charismatic† (Antonakis and Hooijberg, 2008: 2). Having a project team leader who can be both the authoritarian and the inspirational leader provides a clear job description for the project leader and demands that the individual in this leadership role maintains the correct balance of personality to accomplish group unity and performance. This is very much a top-down organizational hierarchy where managers of the same level or business status cooperate via means of special projects, typical of many companies today, requiring transformational leadership. Transformational leaders should be more well-versed in psychological theory, as they often have to assess the self-worth of various staff individuals to determine how to involve the individual in group activities and to commit to organizational goals (Avolio and Bass, 2002). The Chief Operations Officer is continuously praised for their dedication to the project and their ability to coordinate group activities

What is the relationship between personality traits and emplyee Essay

What is the relationship between personality traits and emplyee performanceHow do personality traits translate into individula's professional careers - Essay Example Moreover, the interrelationship between employee performance, personality traits and professional careers is further intertwined with various organisational theory models, which will be considered contextually. The learning organisation is an evolving notion which has become increasingly incorporated into the modern company and multinational philosophy. In its simplest form, Richard Karash propounds the ideology underlying the learning organisation: â€Å"A learning organisation is one which people at all levels, individuals and collectively are continually increasing their capacity to produce results they really care about† (Karash, R. 1995). The ideological underlying principle behind the learning organisation is that it produces a flexible workforce with a shared vision, which in turn ensures internal stability within an organisation. Mike Wills defines the learning organisation as a â€Å"group of people who work together† (Wills, M. 1998). He further defines it as a â€Å"company, corporation, firm, enterprise or institution, or part thereof, whether incorporated or not, public or private, that has its own functions and administration. For organisations with more than one operating unit, a single operating unity may be defined as an organisation† (1998). Pedler, Burgoyne and Boydell define the learning organisation as â€Å"an organisation that facilitates the learning of all its members and continuously transforms itself to achieve superior competitive performance† (1991). The concept traces its origins to the early writings on management trends in the 1930s and Schumpeter’s creative destruction theory (Pedler, Burgoyne & Boydell, 1991). This was further developed by neo-human writers such as Chris Argyris with his proposition of the â€Å"double-loop learning†, which reacted to the studies of corporate excellence undertaken by Peters and Waterman, identifying organisational behavioural