Examine and reflect how the practice of entrepreneurship today, in an Assignment

Examine and reflect how the practice of entrepreneurship today, in an ultra competitive environment, - Assignment Example An entrepreneur is not a surveyor having the apt maps and data at one’s disposal, but rather an explorer that has a hunch that something marvelous exists, at the very next turn. It is about the ability to take risk, about trying new permutations and combinations, about exploiting the till now ignored resources and above all, a willingness to face and manage any possible resistance and opposition (Welsch 32). May sound conservative, but, in a way, all entrepreneurs could be deemed to be destructive. However, it is a destructive attitude with an innovative and creative bent of mind. Certainly, entrepreneurship gives way to innovation, which alters, recombines and realigns the already existing values and way of doing things. All entrepreneurs have a discontented heart. They know that going by the scarce resources at their disposal; it is only creativity and ingenuity that will help them to be a success. So, most of the entrepreneurs shatter the available stereotypes and models of doing business, and replace them with something new and untried (Assudani 197). Therefore, entrepreneurship and a creative rebellion go hand in hand. Truly speaking, an entrepreneur is to be considered an entrepreneur only so long as one is committed to innovation and change (Assudani 197). It is all about recombining and reformatting the available information and resources in ways that escaped the attention, or p ut to question the gumption of earlier generations. Hence, by their very nature, most of the entrepreneurial initiatives are bound to come across resistance and opposition. In the contemporary times, good business is about creating the right balance between innovation and tradition. While entrepreneurship helps a business break into new and untried grounds, tradition helps keep it on a sound and stable footing. Inability to manage and reconcile innovation and

Jaguar Business Analysis

Jaguar Business Analysis This report will evaluate the strategic position of Jaguar Cars Limited and how emerging technologies might impact on this position. To achieve this, the report will look at both the internal and external environment as well as other techniques such as SWOT analysis. The internal environment will be evaluated through the use of Jaguars culture web and value chain. The external environment will be evaluated through techniques such as the PESTL diagram and the five forces diagram. A SWOT analysis of Jaguar will also be carried out; this will outline the companys strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Finally the report will look at emerging technologies in the motor industry and their impact on Jaguar and its strategic position outlining whether they could potentially strengthen or weaken this position. 2 Background Jaguar Cars Limited was founded by Sir William Lyons and William Walmsley in September 1922 in Blackpool and was originally known as Swallow Sidecar Company. It began life as a manufacturer of motorcycle sidecars before moving onto cars. It was not until 1945 that the name Jaguar was first used, this was due to the companys desire to avoid connotations with the German SS. [1] Jaguar went on to design and manufacture a range of sports cars, such as the XK120, in the late 1940s to early 1950s. This opened the door into motorsport for Jaguar where they went on to have a lot of success throughout the 1950s particularly in the Le Mans 24 Hour races where they won in 1951, 1953, 1955, 1956 and 1957. [2] In 1968 Jaguar merged with the British Motor Corporation which later became British Leyland, however this was not to last as Jaguar became independent once more in 1984 before being acquired by Ford in 1989. Under Fords control, Jaguar and Land Rover were brought together to form a parent company known as Jaguar Land Rover. It was during this time that Jaguar produced the XJ220 which, at the time, was the worlds fastest production car ever built. [3] From 2000-2004 Jaguar also had a racing team which competed in Formula 1, however this did not prove to be successful and the team was sold to Red Bull at the end of 2004 which later went on to become Red Bull Racing. [4] In 2008 Ford sold Jaguar Land Rover to Tata Motors. Today Jaguar and Land Rover are still closely linked together and are both headquartered in the same plant in Whitley, Coventry. Jaguar Land Rover employs around 24,000 workers across six different facilities, 10,000 of which are involved solely in Jaguar. 3 Environment 3.1 Internal The internal environment is focused solely around factors inside the company. These factors can relate to elements such as company culture, employees and management style and directly affect how the company may operate. 3.1.1 Mission Statement Vision A mission statement is a brief, to the point statement that accurately sums up what a company stands for and their reason for existing in the first place. The mission statement of Jaguar is as follows: To create and build beautiful fast cars that bring the enjoyment and exhilaration of driving to life. This mission statement leaves no doubt in the readers mind what Jaguar stands for and what their overall aim as a company is. Jaguars vision or aims stem from its history for making top of the range cars: The Jaguar Brand is founded on a long history of distinctive cars offering a unique blend of style, performance, refinement, prestige and affordability. Our aim is to build on this tradition by reinterpreting the values that made the Jaguar legend. We will be a relevant premium competitor, desired by customers for stimulating performance and captivating style. This vision outlines Jaguars overall aims and where they see themselves in the car industry. They outline that they have a history for making quality cars and that they will continue to do this. They aim to be seen as relevant and desirable by customers by offering cars that are both stylish and enjoyable to drive. 3.1.2 Culture Web The culture web is a paradigm of six elements within a companys internal environment that helps to outline the culture within the company. These six elements are stories, symbols, power structures, organisational structures, control systems and rituals and routines. The six elements of the culture web as applied to Jaguar are outlined below in figure 3.1. Stories Celebrating historic cars Jaguar often celebrate historic cars anniversaries. Job Creation Recent news of thousands of new jobs being made. Employee outings Employee team building or nights out. Symbols Jaguar logo Instantly recognisable to the general public. Quality Jaguar cars are synonymous with good quality. Cars Instantly Recognisable car design. Power structures Directors 5 directors are in charge of Jaguar. Customers Customer demand influences Jaguar. Government Jaguar must adhere to relevant legislation. Organisational Structures Directors The five directors are at the top of the chain. Hierarchical Jaguar operates under a hierarchical system with 8 levels. Chain of Command Jaguar operates under a chain of command where engineers will report to a manager who will then report to their manager etc. Control Systems Unions Unions are in place to protect employees. Quality control Jaguar has strict quality measures in place to ensure products reach customers high expectations. Responsibility Employees are responsible for their own work. Rituals Routines Shift patterns Employees work shifts eg, 9-5 every weekday. Annual reports Annual reports are produced and made available to all staff. Quality Strict quality control routines are in place. Figure 3.1 Table of Jaguars Culture. The paradigm of the culture web is the main common ground of the organisation and is at the heart of everything they do, it is often taken for granted. In Jaguars case this could be thought of as quality and professionalism as the company is highly regarded for the high quality of their cars and is a main driving factor behind their success as well as the professionalism of the staff to deliver this continuously. 3.1.3 Value Chain The value chain is a concept that describes the chain of activities within a company and helps to identify the competitive strength of the business through these activities. The chain suggests that each section is connected and thus one section performing poorly could have a detrimental effect on other sections. The value chain can be thought of as two main sections: Primary Activities These activities directly relate to producing the product, in the case of Jaguar, a car. This would involve for example gathering materials, assembly distribution of the finished product. Support Activities These activities do not directly relate to the production but nonetheless are key to success. For example human resources are responsible for staff and a failure to hire effective staff would cause production to suffer. 3.1.4 Core Competencies The core competencies within a company can be seen as areas in which the company are exceptionally good at and thus set them apart from the competition. One of Jaguars key strengths is the highly skilled and motivated workforce that they employ. This excellent workforce has a positive knock on effect for the rest of production, for example tasks such as assembly and maintenance are well done providing well built and reliable vehicles, which Jaguar is renowned for. This can be related back to Jaguars vision to produce desirable cars and it could be said that they are aiming to achieve this through the excellent staff throughout the company. 3.2 External The external environment is based on influences outwith the company. These influences could be for example competitors, buyers or suppliers. 3.2.1 PESTL Analysis A PESTL analysis looks into five key external factors that could potentially influence a company. These are Political, Economic, Social, Technological and Legal. Figure 3.4 demonstrates PESTL applied to Jaguar. (P)olitical Continuing interest in reducing carbon emissions both from vehicles and factories. Increased research into alternative fuel sources may be required. (E)conomic The current climate causing less spending. Retirement age changes. People will be less inclined to pay for higher priced cars which would cause problems due to Jaguars lack of budget cars. (S)ocial Sports cars becoming less relevant or desirable due to not being environmentally friendly. Research into making cars that are more efficient or green may be required. (T)echnological Hybrid/electric cars becoming much more commonplace. Again, Jaguar will need to develop hybrid or electric cars or risk being left behind by their competitors. (L)egal Changes in health and safety laws and regulations. Jaguar would need to adapt the way the company works to accommodate new regulations or laws. Figure 3.4: PESTL Analysis of Jaguar. 3.2.2 The Five Forces The five forces model represents the competition within the sector that Jaguar is in. The five forces include buyers, suppliers, existing competition, new competition and substitutes. Buyers The buyers are people who are willing to purchase the products and services of Jaguar. This could be through dealerships and distributors as well as other car manufacturers who may wish to use Jaguars engines in their cars. Suppliers The suppliers are people who provide Jaguar with parts or machinery to enable them to manufacture their cars. A strong established relationship between Jaguar and their suppliers is key to the companys success as it ensures raw materials or machinery can be delivered as and when Jaguar need it. Existing competition This is quite simply other car companies who operate in the luxury/sports car industry, for example Aston Martin, Mercedes Benz, Porsche, Bentley and BMW to name a few. These companies all produce cars that could be seen as an alternative to a Jaguar product and thus take away buyers from Jaguar. New competition New competition could be from existing car companies who might delve into the luxury car market, this competition could come from companies such as Ford, Volkswagen or Peugeot for example. It could also come from completely brand new companies; however this is less likely due to the current climate and the need for large amounts of capital to start a business in the luxury car industry. Companies from other markets could also move into the car industry, SAAB being an example of this as they were originally a manufacturer of fighter planes before cars. [5] Substitutes These are alternatives to cars. Potential substitutes could be public transport, however due to the nature of luxury cars it could be said that this would pose a very minimal risk. Potential customers who may be looking for a high performance vehicle could be swayed by motorcycles as an alternative. 4 Strategic Position The strategic position of a company gives an indication of where it lies in its target market. This can highlight how it compares with its competitors or how its customers may view the company. 4.1 SWOT Analysis A SWOT analysis can be utilised to identify the strategic position of a company and highlights four key areas that are either helpful or harmful to the companys objectives. The four key areas are strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Strengths Jaguars strengths lie in the companys well renowned reputation for producing top of the range cars as well as its excellent staff. Jaguar also have strengths in research and development, allowing them to continually have a competitive edge over the competition. Weaknesses Jaguar are not seen as a particularly eco friendly company and this could have an increasingly negative impact on the company. As Jaguar sell high end cars, they are selling to a smaller niche market and thus missing out on tapping into the market for cheaper alternatives. Opportunities Jaguar must continue to improve upon their excellent reputation for quality if they are to maintain their competitive edge in the market. Continued research and development is a must as Jaguar have an excellent RD department and should utilise this to improve their eco-friendly image as this is becoming increasingly important in the car industry. Jaguar will look to exploit the growing Chinese market. Threats The global economic climate will continue to threaten Jaguars strategic position due to increasing fuel prices, less disposable income and changing interest rates to name but a few. Governmental regulations will also threaten Jaguar, for example, stricter emission regulations will cause Jaguar to incur additional expenditure to upgrade and improve existing products and facilities. Strengths Reputation Staff RD Weaknesses Poor eco image Niche market Opportunities Improve upon reputation for quality Development of eco-friendly cars Growing Chinese market Threats Global climate Governmental Regulations Figure 4.1 SWOT Analysis of Jaguar. 4.2 Strategic Position of Jaguar Jaguars strategy, as highlighted in their 2010-2011 annual report is as follows: The company has a multifaceted strategy to position itself as a leading manufacturer of premium vehicles offering high-quality products tailored to specific markets. The companys success is tied to its investment in product development, and is reflected in the strategic focus on capital expenditure, RD and product design. [6] The strategic position of Jaguar as can be seen through the previous analyses is strong within their target market. It can be seen that Jaguars aims to maintain this position through research and development are indeed, how they are maintaining this position in reality. If Jaguar wish to strengthen this position, however, they must improve their image as being eco-friendly. This could be achieved through their already well established research and development department. 5 Emerging Technology 5.1 Technology The technologies that are affecting not just Jaguar but the automotive industry as a whole are the variety of methods aimed at reducing carbon dioxide emissions and improving eco-friendliness. One such technology which is arguably the most popular and well known is the Hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) technology. This technology utilises the standard gasoline engine that works in conjunction with a separate electric engine. This technology is advantageous as the average consumer does not have to change their driving and refuelling routines as, on the surface, the HEV operates exactly the same as a traditional vehicle but with greatly reduced carbon emissions and greater fuel economy. There are, however, concerns over the batteries, mainly due to performance and reliability as well as concerns over toxicity. [7] Electric cars are also growing in popularity in recent years. As the name suggests these cars run entirely from electricity and, assuming the electricity is gathered from a renewable source, they are completely carbon free. Range and lack of charging stations are proving to be the technologys main stumbling block as well as overall performance of the car. [8] Another technology is the hydrogen fuel cell. Hydrogen is advantageous over typical petrol and diesel fuel sources as it does not produce any carbon dioxide emissions and, unlike electric cars, it does not greatly hinder the cars performance and range. Unfortunately, at this time, hydrogen is proving difficult to exploit in large useable quantities and there are currently no effective means of storing it. [9] Biofuels such as biodiesel are another alternative that researchers are looking into. Another replacement for standard gasolines, biofuels are often made from vegetable oils or animal fats. Many companies are already using biofuels effectively. In East Ayrshire, Stagecoach operate a fleet of Bio-Buses that run on the fuel. It has been noted that due to this Stagecoach have reduced their carbon emissions by around 2450 tonnes. A key advantage to this is that used vegetable oils can be exploited and this can be seen as a form of recycling. Although biofuels will help to reduce carbon emissions, they are not as clean as hydrogen or purely electric cars and as such, are not placed in high regard by many. [10] 5.2 Impact on Jaguar The impact these eco-friendly technologies have on Jaguar is huge. If Jaguar were to continue to produce cars in the current way they would simply lose their strategic position and be left well behind their competitors. Not only that but there could be the potential for new government regulations that could completely force them out of business, for example if the company were required by law to produce cars that did not produce above a threshold amount of carbon dioxide. Jaguar have, of course, outlined these concerns and have begun research into a variety of methods to ensure their carbon footprint is reduced as can be seen from this excerpt from their annual report 2010-2011: To comply with current and future environmental norms, the company may have to incur additional capital expenditure and RD expenditure to upgrade products and manufacturing facilities, which would have an impact on the companys cost of production and the results of operations and may be difficult to pass through to the companys customers. If the company is unable to develop commercially viable technologies within the time frames set by the new standards, the company could face significant civil penalties or be forced to restrict product offerings drastically to remain in compliance. [11] One such method is an innovative new aluminium body as opposed to the traditional steel body of most cars. Jaguar claim that using aluminium results in significant reduction in weight and thus reduced carbon emissions. Of course, being that Jaguar are renowned for producing cars that are of high performance, simply changing materials with the sole focus on reducing emissions could also be detrimental to their position. Jaguar claim that in conjunction with reduced emissions, the new material offers a stiffer body and thus better performance and handling. It can be seen that Jaguar have implemented necessary changes to reduce their carbon footprint without affecting their strategic position. It could also be argued that this has even strengthened their position by improving the performance of their vehicles. Intent on ensuring they continue to be a leader in their market, Jaguar have also began production of hybrid vehicles. Two of the first hybrid vehicles produced by Jaguar were concept cars known as the C-X75 supercar, which was unveiled at the 2010 Paris Motor Show, and the more conventional C-X16 sports car, which was unveiled at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show. The C-X75 was built with the intent of inspiring and influencing ideas for future hybrid cars and due to its success, Jaguar have announced plans to develop a road legal variant in conjunction with the Williams F1 team in 2013. 250 cars will be built at a price of  £700,000 each and Jaguar claim that the car will boast emissions of just 99g/km. The C-X16 will also be made into a road variant at a much cheaper cost of under  £100,000. The C-X16 will boast an acceleration time of 4.4 seconds from 0-60mph and a top speed of almost 190mph. [12] It can thus be seen that Jaguar look set to overcome this major obstacle whilst still maintaining their strong position as a top quality car manufacturer. This has been achievable through their strengths in research and development. 6 Conclusion This report has successfully evaluated Jaguars strategic position and identified emerging technologies and their impact on this position. The internal environment was evaluated and showed through the culture web, value chain and core competencies that Jaguar operates very strongly and how they successfully achieve this. The mission statement and vision also showed a clear understanding of what they stood for and where they see themselves. The external environment was also evaluated and showed Jaguars position in its relevant market area. PESTL and five forces analyses were carried out to demonstrate just how strong Jaguars position in their market was. The overall strategic position was then outlined and a SWOT diagram showed Jaguars strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats. Overall, Jaguar sit very comfortably as a leader in their market. Finally, emerging technologies affecting Jaguar were shown to be related to global warming and eco-friendliness. It was shown that Jaguar had taken necessary steps to combat this and maintain their strong strategic position.

The Salem Witchcraft Trials of 1692 Essay examples -- The Crucible Art

The Salem Witchcraft Trials of 1692 The Salem witchcraft trials of 1692, which resulted in 19 executions, and 150 accusations of witchcraft, are one of the historical events almost everyone has heard of. They began when three young girls, Betty Parris, Abigail Williams and Ann Putnam began to have hysterical fits, after being discovered engaging in forbidden fortune-telling (not dancing naked in the woods) to learn what sorts of men they would marry. Betty's father, the Reverend Samuel Parris, called in more senior authorities to determine if the girls' affliction was caused by witchcraft. Although Betty was sent away fairly soon, and did not participate in the trials, the other girls were joined by other young and mature women in staging public demonstrations of their affliction when in the presence of accused "witches." The events in Salem have been used as a theme in many literary works, including the play by Arthur Miller which we are going to read during this unit. They are interesting to anthropologists because they display some of the characteristics of "village" witchcraft and some of the features of the European witch craze. Many commentators have seen the Salem witch craze as the last outbreak of the European witch craze, transported to North America. As in African and New Guinea villages, the original accusations in Salem were made against people who, in one way or another, the accusers had reason to fear or resent. Moreover, the first few of the accused fit the definition of "marginal" persons, likely to arouse suspicion. However, as in Europe, the accusations spread, and came to encompass people not involved in any of Salem's local grudges. As in Europe there was a belief that the accused were in league with the Devil and "experts" employed "scientific" ways of diagnosing witchcraft. Interestingly, during the colonial period in Africa, shortly after World War II, there were a number of witch finding movements in Africa, which resembled the Salem episode in some ways, and had a similar status "in between" the sort of witch hunt found in Europe and the typical African pattern. Typically, in these movements, "witch finders" would come in from outside a village and claim to be able to rid the village of witchcraft. At this period there was great dislocation, with people moving around because of government employment, a... ...er trusted them. This was likely to be a more acute problem in the U.S., since the people who were named by those who cooperated with the Committee weren't hanged and put out of the way, just fired and left to try to lead the resistance to McCarthyism. Namers of names sometimes found themselves with no friends at all, since anti-Communists often still failed to trust them. The issue of resisting collaboration with the witch hunters was important enough to Miller that he altered history, and portrayed the trials as stopping when more people refused to confess when, in fact, a significant increase in confessions probably served to cast some doubt on the validity of individual confessions. Taking liberties with the text is one of the characteristics of the interaction between humans and their myths. And a charter myth is certainly what the witch hunts in Europe and Salem have become, though they have more basis in fact than most myths. The stories of the witch hunts are charter myths for our time, to be told by feminists, left-wing intellectuals, and lawyers for President Clinton, each taking what he or she needs from the story, adding or subtracting as seems fit.

The Opener of Holy Quran

Introduction of Surah Al-Fatiha:Al-Fatiha means â€Å"The Opener†. Because it opens the Holy Quran and also by its recitation we start our prayers. It is also called the â€Å"Mother of the Holy Quran†. That's because the meaning of the whole Quran is summarized into surah Al-Fatiha. It is the Mecci Surah of the Holy Quran and contains 7 verses.But it still explains the admiration of Allah Almighty in a very comprehensive way. The theme of the Surah Al-Fatiha:Allah has taught in this Surah to mankind to thank Allah (SWT) for everything and to offer prayer to Him, who is the Lord of this universe. Islam obliges a man to initiate everything with the name of Allah. By having a solid belief, we will keep ourselves away from evil and wrong deeds. Then there is the prayer of Allah Who is Master, Owner, Sustainer, Provider, Guardian, Sovereign, Ruler, Administrator, and Organizer. Then it is added that He is the Master of the Day of Judgment, thus, everyone is accountable for his deeds. Mankind is the only worshiper of the Lord and for this reason, mankind is requesting for guidance in every aspect of life. The guidance which makes mankind favorable is required. The one who will be astray will suffer the wrath of Allah (SWT).Virtues of Surah Al-Fatiha:There are many virtues associated with this Surah. Two of them are described below,1. Pillar of the Salah: This surah has a great importance in prayer. If we don't read it in our Salah, our prayer will not be valid or void. Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said, Surah al-Fatiha is â€Å"The Mother of the Quran, the Mother of the Book, the Seven Oft-Repeated Verses and the Great recitation.† (Tirmidhi)2. The cure for the disease: Hazrat Abu Saeed al-Khudri narrates: â€Å"While on a journey we halted at a place. A girl came to us and said: â€Å"The chief of this tribe has been stung by a scorpion and our men are not present, is there anybody amongst you who can recite something upon him to treat him?† Then, one of our men went along with her although we did not think that he knew any such treatment. However, our friend went to the chief and recited something upon him and the chief was cured. Thereupon, the chief gave him thirty sheep and gave us all milk to drink. When he returned, we asked our friend: â€Å"Did you know anything to recite upon him to cure him?† He said: â€Å"No, I only recited Umm al-Kitab (i.e. Surah al-Fatiha) upon him. † We said that do not do anything until we reach Madinah and ask the Prophet regarding this (practice and reward-whether the sheep were lawful or not for us). Upon reaching Madinah, we narrated this to the Prophet (PBUH), whereupon he remarked: â€Å"How did he come to know that Al-Fatiha can be used as a cure? (PBUH) Distribute your reward amongst yourselves and a lot a share for me as well†.† (Sahih Bukhari)Tafseer of verses of Surah Al-FatihaVerse # 01, In the name of Allah: It is the first verse of the Surah Al-Fatiha. It means, â€Å"In the name of Allah, the beneficial and most merciful. It is very good to recite it before doing any work. â€Å"In The Name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful.†The beginning of the Holy Quran is with the name of Allah Almighty, who is the most Beneficient, the most Merciful. This phrase is known as Bismillah and is essential to recite doing anything. It seeks mercy and blessing of Allah and is better to recite before starting any work. Verse no 2 The second verse of the Surah-Al-Fatihah is:†(All) praise is (only) Allah's, the Lord of the worlds.† (Al-Fatihah: 2)After reciting the phrase Bism-il-lah-is-Rahim, our first objective is to bring our mind toward the Great Creator and Cherisher of the world, and His infinite rewards which have fenced us thoroughly. â€Å"Al-Hamd† means â€Å"thanks† same is the meaning of â€Å"secular†, but there is a difference between these two words. Hamd is done with the love of Allah Almighty, but on the other hand, shukar is the response of endless bounties which were awarded by Allah Almighty. Then we come to â€Å"Rabb-UL-Aalameen† the meaning of â€Å"Rabb† is generally taken as God, but it is a lot, then that is generally translated Allah Almighty has 99 names, and all of them a possess different meanings, but the core meaning of them is that He is the one who is the creator of everything, Who has supremacy over everything, He is the one who is the Cherisher and many more. â€Å"Aalameen† means the one who is â€Å"Qadir â€Å"(supreme) on everything, who ruled everything, who is the creator of mankind and the jinn. The virtue of the VerseSo, collectively this verse means that all of the thanks and gratitude are towards Allah Almighty, who is the creator of everything in this universe though he is a jinn or anyone from mankind.Verse no 3The third verse of the Surah-Al-Fatihah is:†The Beneficent, The Merciful.†(Al-Fatihah 3) The meaning of â€Å"ar-Rehman† is the Beneficent and â€Å"ar-Rahim† is the Merciful jointly with the deep sense of meaning and the difference between them, was explained with a massive length.As explained above the meaning of these two words, but whenever a word is repeated in the Holy Quran it emphasizes its meaning. â€Å"ar-Rehman and ar-Rahim† are the most significant attributes of Allah Almighty, are repeated 30 times a day in our prayers. It also refers us to beg to Allah Almighty for mercy on us, Allah wants that His people to ask Him for mercy.Verse no 4The fourth verse of Surah-Al-Fatihah is:†Master of the Day of judgment.†(Al-Fatihah 4)In this ayah, our attention is brought toward the second vital principle of Islam, which is the Resurrection and the Hereafter, when it says â€Å"Master of the Day of judgment†. It is a basic base of all moral and social developments in Man, reaches the peak of perfection when its attention is brought toward the end of his life and his attention is brought to where he is going after this life.The word â€Å"Maalik†Ã‚   is referred to someone who possesses something completely and â€Å"the Day of judgment† is the day of final judgment on which everyone is brought to a platform at which justice is done according to the law of Almighty. Allah Almighty is the Lord of everything from the day when the universe was created to the day when it is again being destroyed.The virtue of the verse This verse of the Holy Quran has a clear message for the mankind that only Allah Almighty is the one Who is â€Å"Maalik† of the day of judgment. So, we should get prepared for the day when we will have to come in front of the creator and answer about all of the sins and good deeds we had done in the present world. Verse no 5 The fifth verse of Surah-Al-Fatihah is:†Thee (alone) do we worship and of Thee (only) do we seek help. â€Å"(Al-Fatihah 5)†Thee (alone) do we worship† means Allah is the only Essence to be relied on and worshipped. By admitting that we worship Allah Almighty, we are humble before Allah Almighty and to confess our servitude to Allah and to His Pure Essence help to make us successful in this great challenge. â€Å"Thee (only) do we seek help† is clearly referring towards the Cherished blessings of Allah Almighty, and bringing our attention toward the point that he is the only one who can help us at all. No one else in the universe can help us in any matter. â€Å"Iyyaaka nasta'een†It is in our fitrah too that whenever we indulge in any kind of problem we ask Almighty for help unintentionally no matter whatever our resources are? The virtue of the verseThis verse possesses a very charming message for the believers of Allah Almighty that we only worship Allah Almighty by all aspects of life, no matter what the condition is, also it is the only source of becoming successful in the final exam. And it is only Allah Almighty from which we can seek help as he is the most Beneficial and Merciful.Verse no 6The sixth verse of Surah-Al-Fatihah is:†Guide us (o' Lord) on the straight path. â€Å"In this verse, we are asking Allah Almighty for help in the form of dua. By saying â€Å"guide us (o'Lord)† we ask Allah Almighty to show us the right path and guide us on it, in the result, we will get guidance which eventually brings us closer and nearer to Allah Almighty which will result in success. The meaning of†Straight Path† is â€Å"Sirat-e-Mustqeem†. Moreover, this straight path is the very Divine faith, has some phases. Whatever phase a person gains, there is still some higher stage above them that a person may ask Allah to guide him to reach. â€Å"Mustqeem† can be defined as istaqaama which means upright. In the beginning, we asked for a straight path so, why we are requesting for it again, it is only on to emphasize the objective to get the straight path. In another meaning, mustqeem refers to remain firm or to stand firm without tilting.The virtue of this verse In the whole ayah, we are asking Allah Almighty to guide us to follow the right path or the straight path and help us to remain us on the right and straight path because it is the only way that we can get to the Paradise. If we tilted a little or toasted minorly this can be a fatal matter for our success as Allah Almighty is the justest.Verse no 7The seventh verse of Surah-Al-Fatihah is:†The path of those upon whom Thou hast bestowed Thy bounties, not (the path) of those inflicted with Thy wrath, nor (of those) gone astray†This verse is, indeed, a clear illustration of the straight path which was dealt with in the previous verse. By this verse, we can clearly understand that the follower asks Allah Almighty to guide him on those with whom He has blessed with many kinds of blessings. In this verse, we ask Allah Almighty that guides us with the path of those which you had blessed and gave your endless bounties, not with those who were strayed from their path and are in great loss. The virtue of the verseWe bow before Allah Almighty to guide us on the path of those which were awarded by Almighty's fruitful awards, not to those who were strayed and are in great loss.Impact of Surah Al-Fatiha on the life of a Muslim as a servant of AllahSurah Al-Fatiha is the said to be the mother of the Holy Quran and it has a core message of the Holy Quran. As a Muslim Surah Al-Fatiha has shall have a positive and significant impact on us. As it has very clearly been mentioned in the â€Å"verse 3† that Allah Almighty is the Lord of the day of the judgment and all of us has to stand on the platform of justice and there, justice will be done on pure merit. So, as a servant of Allah, we should ask him for â€Å"mercy†.We should ask the Almighty for guidance and siraat-e-mustqeem, so we can remain on the right path. Servant of Allah will surely seek the path of one who is succeeded in his final run, and he will avoid the path of those who strayed from the divine path and bound to hell. Holy Quran is not only our holy book, but a source of great knowledge, and we cannot deny the practical significance of this fact even disbeliever of the holy prophet admit it.So, Quran is the source of knowledge to get success in the final run. And Surah Fatiha has all the aspects which are explained in the Holy book so. So, it implies significant impact on the life of a Muslim.

Pursuing Happiness Essay

Human beings can give up many things to achieve happiness, sometimes they could be only be beneficial to themselves and be harmful for others. In the book, Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, Macbeth shows how he can do wrongful deeds such as committing murder to achieve his own happiness. Only after killing Duncan does he realize that he might have done something wrong and unjustful for the people around him, but later he murders yet another friend to keep his own happiness while disturbing others. William Shakespeare makes a great example of how people can become darker to fulfil their happiness and desires. Throughout the story Macbeth faces on Prophecies and encounters guilt but instead of embracing it he ignores it and becomes a darker person. By killing Duncan Macbeth is named king of Scotland and achieve what he always wanted, later on he becomes suspicious of his best friend Banquo and murders him as well. Macbeth keeps on becoming darker and darker and would do anything to keep his happiness and people from interfering with him. After killing Duncan Macbeth feels guilt for his actions and that â€Å"no ocean could ever watch off his bloody hands†. Only later on he kills his best friend Banquo because he thinks he know the truth behind King Duncan’s death. The author empires how Macbeth would go really far to keep the way things are including murdering everyone that interferes in his path. At this state Macbeth finally puts his guilt and enters his dark stage and starts to kill anyone of suspicion, as a result, Macduff’s family. Unfortunately Macbeth at this point has given up and thinks he’s lived a good enough life and wouldn’t mind to be laid to rest. William Shakespeare shows how Macbeth who was once honored to beside King Duncan has now committed great sins for his own selfishness. At the end Macbeth finally realises that he was wrong doing and only taking advantage of other people. One of the main reasons Macbeth felt it was necessary to kill King Duncan was because of Lady Macbeth. He loved her and felt she also needed to be happy and the only way was to kill Duncan. Although skeptical, Macbeth did the deed and felt terrible about it, Lady Macbeth taking advantage of Macbeth convinces Macbeth that it wasn’t actually a big deal. William Shakespeare shows how Macbeth can misguided and persuaded easily for his wife, and willing to go far enough to murder to give happiness and selfish desires for his loved one, Lady Macbeth. When Macbeth had ordered the murderers to kill Banquo, he wanted to stay happy with his wife but didn’t want her to get involved. This showed how Macbeth was willing to take the blame for his wife if he were to get caught. Although he was murdering Banquo for his sake of not getting caught he was also doing it for Lady Macbeth not getting anymore involved. Macbeth became a darker person so that Lady Macbeth could stay happy with him as King and Queen of Scotland. Through the end of the novel, Macbeth starts to realize who he has become because of his own selfishness, he realizes the how many people he has murdered to keep himself happy for his own sake and Lady Macbeth’s. Until the point where Macbeth just gives up on himself, â€Å"I have lived long enough.  My way of life Is fall’n into the sere, the yellow leaf, And that which should accompany old age. † Macbeth states that he has living long enough and wouldn’t mind dying because he has nothing more to live for. Shakespeare shows how Macbeth who was willing to do anything for happiness and has now become ill of it and had enough of the pointless slaughter. Once you have done everything to get happiness it isn’t happiness anymore because if you have all the sacrifices Macbeth had made. We all strive to achieve happiness doing either good or bad things to receive it. Macbeth had no ill intentions in killing King Duncan but for the sake of his wife he committed the crime. Until the end Macbeth only wanted happiness for himself and to achieve it he took a different path which lead to his downfall. Once we achieve happiness we frown upon it and think of it as always there but eventually you will lose it, nothing will be here forever. After Macbeth found out his wife had died, he didn’t care anymore because his time of happiness was gone, there was nothing left for him, he had lived a good enough life and if he was ready to die if he had to.

Organizational Structure in Nursing Essays

Organizational Structure in Nursing Essays Organizational Structure in Nursing Essay Organizational Structure in Nursing Essay Organizational Structure in Nursing NUR: Due Date: Teacher Name: Organizational Structure in Nursing The Organizational Structure in Cleveland Clinic is the parent structure that holds the health system together in the entire organization. The Organizational Structure maintains controls the system that consists of community hospitals, academic medical centers, family health centers, and various physician, and physician researchers (American Nurses Association, 2010). The medical fraternity designed the organizational structure in Cleveland Clinic to provide the necessary opportunities for delivering the best health care to patients, to facilitate the implementation of quality standards in the system as well as the promotion of effective use of resources in the hospital. An example of the success manifested by the institute’s organizational structure includes the measure to improve the quality of care in the organization continuously. In this regard, the clinic’s management at the facility implements teams of nurses, doctors, and other relevant quality measures. The guiding principle of the institute’s organizational structure revolves around the premise of â€Å"patient first† and shifts its focus to the wellbeing of the patient. However, it is prudent to note that the organizational structure in Cleveland Clinic is lacking largely in details because of the wide scope of care it places on various departments of the organizations. Support of Client-Centered Care An organizational will form its organizational structure with regard. Cleveland Clinic implements the department organizational structure. This organizational structure affects Cleveland Clinic in two major ways. These include providing the foundation on influencing the standard of operational procedures as well as routine tests. The other way includes how it determines how the organization selects the individuals who participate in certain decision-making processes. Therefore, this organizational structure determines the extent of what views shape the actions of the organizations (American Nurses Association, 2010). The successful implementation of this organizational structure largely requires the applications of clinical disciplines across technologies and practices. The challenges of achieving this organizational structure in Cleveland Clinic involve providing a firm direction on delivering the clinical disciplines and the quick implementation of required technologies and practices. The successful implementation of this organizational structure called for the full application of what Cleveland Clinic refers to as the concept of â€Å"hearts and minds† of nurses. With a view of achieving this objective, the management of the organization endeavored to initiate a practicing model for system-wide nursing (Sullivan Sullivan, 2009). This ensures that the management directs care at the clinic for the well-being of patients. Patient experience in Cleveland Clinic is the driving force of the organizational structure. The structure creates an environment of supporting client-centered care in a number of ways. Care at Cleveland Clinic strives to attend to patients. Since the inception of the institution in 1921, the founders focused their vision on fostering a patient-oriented environment that aims at delivering care to patients in the institution. The organizational structure of Cleveland Clinic is patient-centered, efficient, timely, equitable, and efficient. Though the health system in Cleveland Clinic meets the core objectives of the organization, it suffers the same defects that affect other institutions that implement a similar organizational structure. Similar to other organizations, Cleveland Clinic possesses complicated combination of institutes, medical hospitals, and services in its organizational structure. Communication Methods and Information Systems The organization structure of Cleveland also provides for communication methods, information systems as well as the decision-making ability of different cultures in the organization. Nurses play a key role in determining the use of communication methods and information systems in Cleveland Clinic. Patient ratings with regard to nursing play a significant role in influencing the organization’s use of communication methods and information systems (Huber, 2006). Studies from previous nursing experiences concluded that patient ratings led to the most influential on information systems and especially communication systems. The communication systems in this regard largely determine the process of admission, physician care, and staff care. In this regard, the premise that poor nursing experience leads to negative outcomes on quality perceptions. Furthermore, regarding information systems, the organizational structure in Cleveland Clinic recommends that the management should endeavor to eliminate poor nursing practices (Sullivan Sullivan, 2009). However, the information system in Cleveland Clinic is driven by the management’s desire of creating better family and patient-centered care as well as identifying what view that each decentralized location will have on the patients. With an estimated 11,000 registered nurses, 2000 doctors, 900 APN’s (advanced practice nurses) and 20,000 other employees, the organization structure, offers a restrictive provision on family and patient-centered care for the whole clinic. Hence, the organization has established an organizational structure that prioritizes patients and uses this as a guiding principle in communicating patient needs. Organization Chart Analysis Regarding the organizational structure implemented by Cleveland Clinic, it was possible to identify communication compliance programs that involve two-way communication. This includes flow of information from the management directed toward junior staff, such as compliance staff and information flow from the committee to employees. This is mainly formal communication because it involves the training and education functions. The other line of communication and reporting involves flow of information from junior to senior staff. Normally, this involves nurses communicating doctors and thereafter relayed to the medical officers. The issue of power and control is determined by the professional level attained by the respective staff member (Huber, 2006). For example, a doctor who has attained higher education and experience holds more authority and control over APN’s (advanced practice nurses). Social and Cultural Community Influences Considering social and cultural aspects, the organizational structure of Cleveland Clinic has indeed attempted to incorporated community social and cultural influences into the delivery of care. The management extends the concept of family and patient care through organizational structure to include the environment’s social and cultural aspects. As the medical department becomes more ethnically and racially diverse field, the health care system in Cleveland Clinic moves to respond to varied patient behaviors, values, and perspectives. Lack of understanding and managing cultural and social differences in the medical field poses significant consequences of the health, especially to minority groups. The Cleveland Clinic organizational structure endeavors to implement cultural competence as well as identifying its benefits on the organization’s health care system. Generational Differences and Organizational Culture Though most organizations devote most of their resources and time into encouraging and achieving diversity, most limit their organizational structure to ethnicity and gender. The Cleveland Clinic organizational structures however goes a step further to consider generational diversity, something that often goes unaddressed and overlooked. The structure balances the different working styles and needs of different cultures and generations in the organization. Rather than leave workplace teams and employees to function on their own, the Cleveland Clinic organization provides for them guidance and support (Papa, 2008). Though these generational conflicts act as sources of conflicts in the organization, it is prudent to understand that they play a fundamental role in identifying proper means of handling conflict that hinders productivity. Conclusion The medical fraternity in Cleveland Clinic designed the organizational structure in Cleveland Clinic to provide the necessary opportunities for delivering the best health care to patients. The Organizational Structure in Cleveland Clinic is the parent structure that holds the health system together in the entire organization. Cleveland Clinic implements the department organizational structure providing the foundation on influencing the standard of operational procedures as well as routine tests and determines how the organization selects the individuals who participate in certain decision-making processes. The Cleveland Clinic organizational structure endeavors to implement cultural competence as well as identifying its benefits on the organization’s health care system. The challenges of achieving this organizational structure in Cleveland Clinic involve providing a firm direction on delivering the clinical disciplines and the quick implementation of required technologies and practices. The issue of power and control is determined by the professional level attained by the respective staff member. Rather than leave workplace teams and employees to function on their own, the Cleveland Clinic organization provides for them guidance and support References American Nurses Association. (2010). Nursing: Scope and standards of practice. Silver Spring, Md: American Nurses Association. Huber, D. (2006). Organizational Structure and nursing care management. Philadelphia: Saunders Elsevier. Papa, M. J., Daniels, T. D., Spiker, B. K., Daniels, T. D. (2008). Organizational communication: Perspectives and trends. Los Angeles: Sage Publications. Sullivan, E. J., Sullivan, E. J. (2009). Initiating and Implementing Change. In Effective leadership management. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.

Ten Tips for Reporters Who Are Covering Accidents and Natural Disasters

Ten Tips for Reporters Who Are Covering Accidents and Natural Disasters Accidents and disasters – everything from plane and train crashes to earthquakes, tornadoes and tsunamis – are some of the hardest stories to cover. Reporters at the scene must gather information under very difficult circumstances, and produce stories on very tight deadlines. Covering such an event requires all of a reporter’s training and experience. But if you keep in mind the lessons youve learned and the skills youve acquired, covering an accident or a disaster can be a chance to really test yourself as a reporter, and to do some of your best work. So here are 10 tips to keep in mind. 1. Keep Your Cool Disasters are stressful situations. After all, a disaster means something horrible has happened on a very large scale. Many of the people at the scene, especially victims, will be distraught. It’s the reporter’s job in such a situation to keep a cool, clear head. 2. Learn Fast Reporters covering disasters often have to take in a lot of new information very quickly. For instance, you may not know much about planes, but if you’re suddenly called upon to help cover a plane crash, you’re going to have to learn as much as you can – fast. 3. Take Detailed Notes Take detailed notes about everything you learn, including things that seem insignificant. You never know when small details might become critical to your story. 4. Get Plenty of Description Readers will want to know what the scene of the disaster looked like, sounded like, smelled like. Get the sights, sounds and smells in your notes. Think of yourself as a camera, recording every visual detail you can. 5. Find The Officials in Charge In the aftermath of a disaster there will usually be dozens of emergency responders on the scene – firefighters, police, EMTs, and so on. Find the person who’s in charge of the emergency response. That official will have the big-picture overview of what’s happening and will be a valuable source. 6. Get Eyewitness Accounts Information from emergency authorities is great, but you need to also get quotes from people who saw what happened. Eyewitness accounts are invaluable for a disaster story. 7. Interview Survivors – If Possible It’s not always possible to interview survivors of a disaster immediately after the event. Often they’re being treated by EMTs or being debriefed by investigators. But if survivors are available, try your best to interview them. But remember, disaster survivors have just survived a traumatic event. Be tactful and sensitive with your questions and general approach. And if they say they don’t want to talk, respect their wishes. 8. Find The Heroes In nearly every disaster there are heroes who emerge - people who bravely and selflessly jeopardize their own safety in order to help others. Interview them. 9. Get The Numbers Disaster stories are often about numbers - how many people were killed or injured, how much property was destroyed, how fast the plane was traveling, etc. Remember to gather these for your story, but only from reliable sources - the officials in charge at the scene. 10. Remember The Five W’s and the H As you do your reporting, remember what’s critical to any news story – the who, what, where, when, why and how. Keeping those elements in mind will help to ensure that you gather all the information you need for your story. Read about writing disaster stories here. Return to Covering Different Kinds of Live Events

Marie Antoinette, Queen Executed in French Revolution

Marie Antoinette, Queen Executed in French Revolution Marie Antoinette (born Maria Antonia Josepha Joanna von Ãâ€"sterreich-Lothringen; November 2,  1755–October 16,  1793) was the queen of France, executed by guillotine during the French Revolution. She is most known for supposedly saying Let them eat cake, although the French quote translates more precisely as, Let them eat brioche, and there is no proof that she said this. She was reviled by the French public for her lavish spending. Until her death, she  supported the monarchy against reforms and against the French Revolution. Fast Facts: Marie Antoinette Known For:  As the queen of Louis XVI, she was executed during the French Revolution. She is often quoted as saying, Let them eat cake (there is no proof of this statement).Also Known As:  Maria Antonia Josepha Joanna von Ãâ€"sterreich-LothringenBorn:  November 2, 1755  in Vienna (now in Austria)Parents: Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor, and Austrian Empress Maria TheresaDied:  October 16, 1793 in Paris, FranceEducation: Private palace tutors  Spouse: King Louis XVI of FranceChildren: Marie-Thà ©rà ¨se-Charlotte, Louis Joseph Xavier Franà §ois, Louis Charles, Sophie Hà ©là ¨ne Bà ©atrice de FranceNotable Quote: I am calm, as people are whose consciences are clear. Early Life and Marriage to Louis XVI Marie Antoinette was born in Austria, the 15th of 16 children born to Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor, and Austrian Empress Maria Theresa. She was born on the same day as the famous earthquake of Lisbon. From birth, she lived the life of wealthy royalty, educated by private tutors in music and languages. As with most royal daughters, Marie Antoinette was promised in marriage in order to build a diplomatic alliance between her birth family and the family of her husband. Her sister Maria Carolina was married to Ferdinand IV, King of Naples, for similar reasons. In 1770 at age 14, Marie Antoinette married the French dauphin Louis, grandson of Louis XV of France. He ascended the throne in 1774 as Louis XVI. Life as Queen Marie Antoinette was welcomed in France at first. Her charisma and lightness contrasted with the withdrawn and uninspiring personality of her husband. After her mother died in 1780, she became more extravagant, which led to growing resentment. The French were also suspicious of her ties to Austria and her influence on King Louis XVI in attempting to foster policies friendly to Austria. Marie Antoinette, formerly welcomed, became vilified for her spending habits and her opposition to reforms. The 1785–1786 Affair of the Diamond Necklace further discredited her and reflected poorly on the monarchy. In this scandal, she was accused of having an affair with a cardinal in order to obtain a costly diamond necklace. After an initial slow start at the expected role of child-bearer- her husband apparently had to be coached in his role in this- Marie Antoinette gave birth to her first child, a daughter, in 1778, and sons in 1781 and 1785. By most accounts, she was a devoted mother.  Paintings of the family stressed her domestic role. Marie Antoinette and the French Revolution After the Bastille was stormed on July 14, 1789, the queen urged the king to resist the Assemblys reforms, making her even more unpopular and leading to the unproven attribution to her of the remark, Quils mangent de la brioche!- often translated as Let them eat cake! The phrase was actually first seen in print in Jean-Jacques Rousseaus The Confessions, written before Marie Antoinette was queen. In October 1789, the royal couple was forced to move from Versailles to Paris. Two years later, the attempted escape of the royal couple from Paris was stopped at Varennes on October 21, 1791. This failed escape was reportedly planned by Marie Antoinette. Imprisoned with the king, Marie Antoinette continued to plot. She hoped for foreign intervention to end the revolution and free the royal family. She urged her brother, the Holy Roman Emperor Leopold II, to intervene, and she supported a French declaration of war against Austria in April 1792, which she hoped would result in the defeat of France. Her unpopularity helped lead to the overthrow of the monarchy when Parisians stormed the Tuileries Palace on August 10, 1792, followed by the establishment of the First French Republic in September. The family was imprisoned in the Temple on August 13, 1792, and moved to the Conciergerie on August 1, 1793. The family made several attempts to escape, but all failed. Death Louis XVI was executed in January 1793, and Marie Antoinette was executed by the guillotine on October 16 of that year. She was charged with aiding the enemy and inciting civil war. Legacy The role Marie Antoinette played in French governmental affairs, both domestic and foreign, was likely greatly exaggerated. She was particularly disappointing to her brother, the Holy Roman Emperor, for her inability to further Austrian interests in France. Her lavish spending, furthermore, did not significantly contribute to Frances economic troubles before the revolution. Marie Antoinette, however, remains an enduring symbol, around the world and across history, of the extravagance of monarchy and aristocracy- against which revolutionaries define their ideals. Sources Castelot, Andrà ©. Queen of France: A Biography of Marie Antoinette. Harper Collins, 1957.Fraser, Antonia.  Marie Antoinette: The Journey. Anchor Books, 2001.Thomas, Chantal The Wicked Queen: The Origins of the Myth of Marie-Antoinette. Zone Books, 1999.

International security in the 21st century Essay

International security in the 21st century - Essay Example Still there are some key objectives which determine the foreign policy of Beijing. Among them we can see the aim to promote Chinese economy to maintain its double annual growth; an effort to separate Taiwan; the wish to increase the international prestige of China and efficiently compete with the supremacy of the USA. To achieve these objectives in recent years China has concluded a number of bilateral partnerships and agreements, joined or increased its activity in numerous international organizations and established a few organizations, which are not participated by the USA. In some points China’s approach in policy has several advantages compared with that of the USA. Beijing provides â€Å"unrestricted† nature for overseas investments and loans, which is very attractive for foreign governments. Large state-owned Chinese companies are so strongly supported by their government that they can even afford small short-term losses in favor of prospective long-term profits (Boxell, 2004). However, there are weak points in China’s approach in comparison with the USA. Due to China’s â€Å"win-win† method dealing first with easy problems and putting off the more complicated ones, its foreign development policy has a much narrower base. China actively gets and develops the international presence, while this brings a lot of unexpected issues, for example, â€Å"it provides many opportunities for international misunderstanding and cultural conflicts† (Ellis, 2004). And lastly, in contrast to the USA, China does not benefit from well-developed private sector. However, it is clear that China’s growing international cooperation not only with undemocratic governments but also with key U.S. allies gives reasons to focus the attention on its foreign policy objectives. The convincing argument for this is the fact that since its foundation in 1949 the PRC has greatly changed its foreign policy having shifted from the Mao Zedongâ⠂¬â„¢s policy of â€Å"self-reliance† to deep and wide multinational relations. Already in 1978, two years after Mao’s death China actively started looking for foreign presence, investments and technologies. Since 2000 China’s diplomacy became particularly sophisticated and active (Ellis, 2004). China’s â€Å"New Security Concept† This report would not be complete without mentioning some important changes in security policy of China. China’s politicians stress that in post-Cold War world the PRC’s security policy is based on â€Å"mutual trust, mutual equality, and cooperation†. Accordingly, today China does its best to assure the world that its economy, international development and military potential do not threaten to other countries and serve to balance the power of the USA (Goldstein, 2005). It is difficult to define the PRC’s security policy precisely; it neither spreads its ideology, nor aggressively demands for n ew territories. However, it is undoubtedly that it represents a challenge to policymakers of the USA and raises many unanswered questions: does China’s global activity have a pragmatic strategy or it is just aimed to achieve economic advantages? Does China intend to replace the USA as a global power or it just focuses on internal development? Does China feel confident and strong or uncertain and weak? The â€Å"Soft Power† Concept First the term of â€Å"soft power† was used by Harvard professor Joseph S. Nye, Jr. as opposite to â€Å"

Information sensitivity and protection of data Essay

Information sensitivity and protection of data - Essay Example It is important because organizations’ policies in some ways reflect the underlying culture and values. Modern organizations instill performance and cultural values such as mutual trust and confidence as an integrative mechanism (Fairholm & Fairholm, 2008: pp.103-104) rather than exercising sheer authority and control (Masters, 2005: p. 271). Mayo Foundation (referred to as Mayo in rest of paper) outlines a guidance oriented policy. In contrast to Mayo, Beth Israel Deaconess (referred to as Beth Israel in rest of paper) has a strongly authoritative tone in outlining its policy with strong worded phrases such as â€Å"Users have no expectation of personal privacy of any kind related to their use† compared with â€Å"contents will not be monitored, observed, viewed, displayed or reproduced in any form by anyone other than the sender or recipient unless specifically authorized by an officer† in Mayo for the same purpose. Georgetown University (referred to as Georget own in rest of paper), on the other hand, presents a matter-of-factly and exhaustive policy covering several aspects of security separately. Amongst the three policies, Mayo was found to be the most well structured and easier to follow with cross referencing links leading to further details, such as local implementations or human resource policies, for specific areas where needed. Some of the common themes followed in each policy are confidentiality, integrity and availability of information. These themes are also recognized by NIST as foundations for an information security policy (Ross et al, 2007: p. 4). At a specific level, prudent use of resources, data access control and physical security are found common in all three policies. While these themes are covered in each document, the way they are implemented and enforced is different. For example, in terms of confidentiality, Mayo clearly and concisely describes how information is to be accessible to authorized personnel at authorized

Information sensitivity and protection of data Essay

Information sensitivity and protection of data - Essay Example It is important because organizations’ policies in some ways reflect the underlying culture and values. Modern organizations instill performance and cultural values such as mutual trust and confidence as an integrative mechanism (Fairholm & Fairholm, 2008: pp.103-104) rather than exercising sheer authority and control (Masters, 2005: p. 271). Mayo Foundation (referred to as Mayo in rest of paper) outlines a guidance oriented policy. In contrast to Mayo, Beth Israel Deaconess (referred to as Beth Israel in rest of paper) has a strongly authoritative tone in outlining its policy with strong worded phrases such as â€Å"Users have no expectation of personal privacy of any kind related to their use† compared with â€Å"contents will not be monitored, observed, viewed, displayed or reproduced in any form by anyone other than the sender or recipient unless specifically authorized by an officer† in Mayo for the same purpose. Georgetown University (referred to as Georget own in rest of paper), on the other hand, presents a matter-of-factly and exhaustive policy covering several aspects of security separately. Amongst the three policies, Mayo was found to be the most well structured and easier to follow with cross referencing links leading to further details, such as local implementations or human resource policies, for specific areas where needed. Some of the common themes followed in each policy are confidentiality, integrity and availability of information. These themes are also recognized by NIST as foundations for an information security policy (Ross et al, 2007: p. 4). At a specific level, prudent use of resources, data access control and physical security are found common in all three policies. While these themes are covered in each document, the way they are implemented and enforced is different. For example, in terms of confidentiality, Mayo clearly and concisely describes how information is to be accessible to authorized personnel at authorized

Total Quality Management in International Business Essay

Total Quality Management in International Business - Essay Example Gerber views quality from the definitional perspective in that quality is the top priority of the company and serves a generic marketing strategy for promotional purposes. The company uses quality to solidify the firm’s brand value. The company wants the logo Gerber baby to be associated with the highest quality standards. Based on Gerber’s trajectory during the 20th-century quality has been a critical success factor that has helped the company become the industry leader in infant care products. When quality is used to define the product line of a company and the product’s the firm offers are in reality superior to the competition an enterprise has a great formula for success. Quality at Gerber has become so important that the company seeks feedback from a variety of stakeholders including the customers, suppliers, and employees.2. Gerber Corporation realized since its inception that quality could provide the company with a competitive advantage due to the importance parents place in the care of their creatures. The business integrated quality into the manufacturing processes in order to create greater consistency and reliability in the quality of the firm’s products. Gerber has benefited from using teamwork in the quality assurance process. The use of teamwork allowed the company to spread quality functions from departments to being used throughout the plant. The human resources practices that encouraged teamwork help the firm achieved synergy. Synergy in the workplace occurs when the whole is greater than the sum of its parts (Schermerhorn & Hunt & Osborn, 2003, p.174). Another technique that has helped Gerber achieve quality improvements is getting frontline employees involved. The floor workers are the individuals that at times have the greatest insight into quality control problems because they are the ones that see the production lines with their own eyes day.A strategic move that improves quality in the company was the implementation of managerial incentives for quality performance.

Health Policy Advocate Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Health Policy Advocate - Essay Example ices that are most effective and efficient, restoring more volunteerism to the health care sector, empowering community rating and no-fault health care insurance with tiered premium systems insured facing continuing high-risk behavior, practice labor substitution for those process steps that can be made routine, increasing the supply of health care provider to levels available to everyone in the society, empowering primary care providers to control utilization and self-referral and increasing use of information technology to avoid waste and medical error (McLaughlin, 375-388). When advocate follow above levers and apply them to improve health care, there is a possibility of a positive direction towards achieving a universal health coverage that is efficient and effective. Having affordable health care services as the fulcrum of an advocate goal to improve health policy, health insurance acts as the most appropriate measure because it insurers health care consumers from any economic consequences. High cost of health care has been the main hindrance to patients accessing effective medication since many people in the society are low-income earners. It will provide solution to the opaque of information on quality and price by providing relevant information for effective heath care to the hands of the consuming public. As advocate, at some point we will have achieved a health system policy that improves patient-physician relationship that reaches an appropriate balance between industrialization and professionalism (McLaughlin,

Scheduling and Implementation Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Scheduling and Implementation - Assignment Example 2. A schedule, on the other hand, is a set of transactions and operations that are outlined by a system and are needed to be executed in a system for the completion of the task. It is the orderly steps that are outlined for the execution of the command (Harold, 2009). In the language of project management, a schedule is a list of objects that are called the terminal elements of the project, with their starting and finishing dates. These items are usually linked under the time frame and durations, the resources that are required, and their dependency on each other. To make an efficient schedule it is required by a project manager to develop a work breakdown structure that would outline the time and the amount and kind of resources required to complete the plan. Then the findings of this structure can help the project manager to develop a sound schedule that would be constantly updated keeping in mind the changes that are taking place over time (Dennis, 2007). 3. Network analysis has immense importance in resource scheduling. Network analysis helps in identifying time and costs factors involved while scheduling. By the help of basic networking techniques, network analysis can help in planning and controlling the use of resources. As a project proceeds, the demands and supply of the resources that are present in the system change. Shortage of any can lead to the delaying of the project. Hence network analysis provides the control of these resources (Dennis, 2007). 4. There are different kinds of floats present in project management. Total float is the amount of time that a project manager has before the start of the project. It also includes the number of delays that can occur without delaying the project completion date. Gauging the total float is usually done by the critical path method. Free float, on the other hand is the time that is

Factors in High-Impact Innovation Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Factors in High-Impact Innovation - Term Paper Example Jewkes contextualized his research by noting the underlying mythology about high-impact innovation, which is basically that it requires a lot of manpower, a lot of resources, a lot of money and fancy equipment, and complex bureaucratic support (Jewkes). While not proving the inverse of this notion, his findings indicated more variability than popular assumptions support. In examining an impressive range of high-impact innovations, more than half were done by individuals, working independently and with few resources, either in isolation or within an organization in which they had freedom to experiment and analyze on their own initiative without having to cooperate in a team (Jewkes). Inventing can be a group process, of course, but the kind of individuals who contributed some of the most important discoveries and basic products of the 19th and 20th centuries were not even assigned to a project to do so and, in various intriguing cases, were not even formally qualified in the area they explored, discovered or invented within. Sometimes it was an accident and other times individuals were pursuing interests rather than careers. (Jewkes) Furthermore, it seems that many such individuals are not people who negotiate a career field and social skills that would endear them to a team or get them appointed to a formal position in the area to which they greatly contributed. They are often people who question every assumption, however consensual (Jewkes). They are eccentric and want to be left alone to explore their own curiosity. Many such individuals can be characterized as loners. The work of inventing has private elements to it. Thinking and creative â€Å"messing around† with ideas and materials needs a climate of unconstrained thinking, uninterrupte3d reflection and working autonomy. It can call forth heroic effort. The group dynamics of a team can constrain thinking and redirect creative ideas, or even humiliate them. Cooperation may overly-structure the proce ss and conflict may weaken it. Jewkes notes that the human mind, working alone, can organize and synthesize ideas far more efficiently than a team. There is a loss of creative power when the individual has to adjust to team members. Perhaps these are clues to why so many initial innovations came from lone individuals (Jewkes). Jewkes distinguishes between initial pioneering discoveries and inventions and the development of those discoveries and inventions (Jewkes). Development will generally benefit from the resources and monetary investment, as well as additional input and expertise that can be found in a university setting or in a larger organization. While inspiration and exploration is often initially a private matter, development and exploitation is often a more cooperative and planned one. Some stunning chemical innovations were accomplished by General Motors (Freon refrigerant and tetraethyl lead), but their pattern was more typical of the lone hero, since they are not a chem ical company, but a motor engineering company, and since their innovation involved an element of chance (Jewkes). Large companies have contributed significant innovations out of strong research programs, maybe because research itself has a private, lone hero aspect which can be done with a certain amount of autonomy by an individual or a small team, and merely funded and later expanded by the larger organizati

Scheduling and Implementation Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Scheduling and Implementation - Assignment Example 2. A schedule, on the other hand, is a set of transactions and operations that are outlined by a system and are needed to be executed in a system for the completion of the task. It is the orderly steps that are outlined for the execution of the command (Harold, 2009). In the language of project management, a schedule is a list of objects that are called the terminal elements of the project, with their starting and finishing dates. These items are usually linked under the time frame and durations, the resources that are required, and their dependency on each other. To make an efficient schedule it is required by a project manager to develop a work breakdown structure that would outline the time and the amount and kind of resources required to complete the plan. Then the findings of this structure can help the project manager to develop a sound schedule that would be constantly updated keeping in mind the changes that are taking place over time (Dennis, 2007). 3. Network analysis has immense importance in resource scheduling. Network analysis helps in identifying time and costs factors involved while scheduling. By the help of basic networking techniques, network analysis can help in planning and controlling the use of resources. As a project proceeds, the demands and supply of the resources that are present in the system change. Shortage of any can lead to the delaying of the project. Hence network analysis provides the control of these resources (Dennis, 2007). 4. There are different kinds of floats present in project management. Total float is the amount of time that a project manager has before the start of the project. It also includes the number of delays that can occur without delaying the project completion date. Gauging the total float is usually done by the critical path method. Free float, on the other hand is the time that is

Public health Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Public health - Essay Example As such, they must also be addressed on a regional level and it appropriately becomes the function of the government to take adequate measures to control the outbreak of infectious diseases. The utility of such integrated approached have been demonstrated many time before. The reduction of typhoid incidences in nineteenth century France have been attributed to improved sanitation facilities (Woods, 2003), and the prolonged vector breeding and parasite transmission reduction programs have been responsible for the remarkable reduction of malaria in South America, Central America and many Asian countries. Johansson and Mosk (1997) have detailed the impact of public health interventions on adult mortality rates in Japan. The choice of India for the evaluation of it’s communicate disease and emergency control facilities is justified both by the size of her population as well as the emerging role that she is destined to play in the socio political activities of the future. India is endowed with immense resources – mineral, natural, cultural as well as in terms of trained and untrained manpower. The administrative capacity of Indian Government is considerable. Within a span of fifty years from her Independence, the nation has exponentiated its agricultural production, dampened surging growth rates and successfully withstood massive famines. The reach of the bureaucracy spans the entire subcontinent from where it effectively collects revenues, conducts the largest democratic elections in the world and through periodic census creates an immense pool of statistical data. Indian pharmacology, medicine and information processing skills have already attracted the attention of the world. . Its b asic public health infrastructure (laboratories, clinics etc) has been successful at carrying out complicated development programs requiring a high level of coordination and outreach-such as increasing agricultural production

Educational Philosophy Essay Example for Free

Educational Philosophy Essay Human nature is the product of ones environment. Change the environment to change the behavior. Reinforce good behavior, punish bad behavior Conservation of cultural heritage preserves the wisdom of the achievements of humankind. Behavior evolves within the conditioning influence of the institutional system, tradition is the repository of a collective social intelligence. Constructivism is an educational methodology which asserts that learners should be taught in a way that allows them to construct their own understandings about a subject. The purpose of the teacher is not to cover material but to help the child uncover the facts and ideas in a subject area. Essentialists believe that children should learn traditional basic subjects. (Reading, Writing, Literature, Foreign Languages, History, Math, Science, Art, and Music. ) Generally teaches children progressively, from less complex skills to more complex. Schools should transmit the traditional moral values and intellectual knowledge that students need to become model citizens. Focus is on basic skills. Existentialism rejects the existence of any source of objective, authoritative truth about metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics. Do not accept any predetermined creed or philosophical system and from that try to define who we are. Aim for the progressing of humanity. Use independent thinking. It engages the student in central questions of defiming life and who we are. Answers imposed from the outside may not be real answers. The only real answers are the ones that come from inside each person, that are authentically his or her own. For the existentialist, there exists no universal form of human nature; each of us has the free will to develop as we see fit. â€Å"Stimulate learners to achieve a more vital and fuller identification with the Absolute Mind or the Macrocosm Students come into a gradually expanding mental awareness that leads to self-definition based on a comprehensive understanding or perspective of the universe. † (Gutek, p21) Liberalism focuses on the individual. Ideas come from experience. Sensation and reflection create learning. Behavior Modification Conserve/preserve heritage. Constructivism Essentialism Willaim C. Bagley Arthur Bestor Existentialism Idealism Plato Liberalism John Locke Marxism Karl Marx Marxism promotes socialism, as opposed to capitalism where one class oppresses another. Education is use d to change society. Naturalism Rousseau The child should develop in the natural way s/he is designed, guiding the process Perennialism Perennialism Robert M. Hutchins Perennialists believe that one should teach the things of everlasting importance to all people everywhere. They believe that the most important topics develop a person. Philosophy is improtant to study. Studens should learn principles, not facts, teach scientific reasoning, not facts. Teach first about humans, not machines or techniques.. Perennialism focuses first on personal development. Prepared for ED828 Educational Philosophies and Change Jean Marrapodi †¢ Capella University †¢ September 2003 Construct new ideas Back to the Basics What is real? Striving for the ideal Blank slate of individual experience All for all Natural development of the child Like perennial flowers, great principles repeat Educational Philosophies. Philosophy Pragmatism Philosophers Beliefs Key Thought John Dewey Scientific problem solving, experiential learning Progressivism William Kilpatrick Realism Aristotle â€Å"Ideas were to be judged by their consequences when acted on; truth was a warranted assertion, a tentative statement based on the application of hypotheses to solving problems; logic, following the scientific method was experimental; values were experienced within the context of ethical and aesthetic problems and issues charged by the unique features of particular situations. † Gutek, p 77. Progressivists believe that education must be based on the fact that humans are social animals who learn best in real-life activities with other people. Teachers provide not just reading and drill, but also real-world experiences and activities that center around the real life of the students. Discovery follows the scientific method: 1. Become aware of the problem. 2. Define the problem. 3. Propose hypotheses to solve it. 4. Test the consequences of the hypotheses from ones past experience. 5. Test the most likely solution. â€Å"Cultivate human rationality, the human’s highest power, through the study of organized bodies of knowledge†¦encourage human beings to define themselves by framing their choices rationally, to realize themselves by exercising their potentiality for excellence to the fullest, and to integrate themselves by ordering the various roles and claims of life according to a rational an hierarchical order. † Gutek, p 41 Education should examine, define the problems and change the social structure of society. Rebuilding Society George S. Counts Social Reconstructionism. Learn by Doing! Rationally real Theistic Realism Thomas Aquinas Similar to realism, but God is central God in the core Totalitarianism Adolph Hitler Totalitarianism is a political system in which a citizen is totally subject to state authority in all aspects of day-to-day life. Government controls education. Total dependence on government Utopianism Robert Owen A perfect society can be achieved through the education of the young. Perfect society through education Prepared for ED828 Educational Philosophies and Change Jean Marrapodi †¢ Capella University †¢ September 2003.

Gothic Novels Essay -- Literary Analysis, The Castle of Otranto

Gothic is described as something that is destructive and barbaric which attracts and disrupts what is considered civilised. Therefore to a certain extent Jackson is right. however the â€Å"very act of speaking about these socially unspeakable is an ambiguous gesture (Punter p.417).† This is where the element of superstition and the paranormal come in. In Horace Walpole’s The Castle Otranto and Matthew Lewis’ The Monk this element of paranormal and superstition gives way or embodies the contradiction of society which Jackson speaks of, or at least some of them. Its is important to recognise however, that though the message or the plot of these stories are sometimes sarcastic or even impractical they do manage to interrogate society and its social norms. But still, while some things are addressed others are repeated and left unsolved and this is what I will try to explore. What does The Monk and The Castle of Otranto have to say about their society as well as how plot and character might impact on the message the reader ends up receiving. The Castle of Otranto brings to light many aspect concerning society but in a way the reader is not sure whether or not to take it seriously; firstly, from Conrad being struck down by an helmet to Matilda being killed. As Markman Ellis (p.32) argues, â€Å"the handling of these elements is somewhat unusual.† The whole plot of the story is build around an enigma, for example the prophecy that states, â€Å"the castle and lordship of Otranto should pass from the present family, whenever the real owner should be grown too large to inhabit it (p.109)† The handling of these supernatural elements though form the base of the main plot, distracts the readers from the seriousness of the reality. Manfred driven by the... ...ntonia and immediately falls for her not realising that what he feels is the bond of siblings recognising each other. Both novels seem to take a stand against evoking morals by repressing education. In The Monk both the church and Elvira play a role in their children's down fall. Antonio is not permitted to read certain parts of the Bible for fear that she will be curupted. The Castle of Otranto and The Monk seems to be about evil and the problem of externalising it. An example of this is the mob's behaviour in The Monk "which provides some kind of justification for violence and at the same time emphasizes the ease with which revenge can be incontrollably excessive( James Watt, 1999, p.92)." This is true for both novel as well as other (Frankenstein and Zofloya). In The Castle of Otranto Manfred kills Matilda, mistakenly, by trying to kill Isabella.

Graduation Speech: God has Blessed Us Richly :: Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

As springtime fades to summer and my years in high school draw to a final end, I have often felt within me a gentle beckoning to moments of quiet and thoughtful repose. Here memories of times long past, of friends new and old, of dreams born and forgotten, of affections kindled and discarded so deluge my mind that I am thoroughly overwhelmed by their sweetness so curiously mingled with their sorrow. Then often I turn to gaze pensively at the future, clouded and unsure, yet gloriously bright with hope and expectation. And in these blessed times of sweet recollection and ready anticipation, I have found one enduring joy, one unshakable rock, one sure haven in the unending faithfulness and love of my Lord and my God. Truly, His mercies have been new every morning. He has upheld me with His righteous right arm. "He [has led] me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake." He has broken me that I may delight in Him alone. And when I have fallen, He has clothed me in the garb of His clemency; washed me in the sea of His grace. I know He will keep me in the years to come. Oftentimes in these last months, when I wonder about the future -- where I will go, what I will do, who I will become -- I find a solace in the words of Paul: "Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, ... to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen." I cannot fathom the depth of such a statement -- that He can carry me exceeding abundantly beyond all my greatest dreams, all my highest aspirations, all my wishes and desires and hopes. He can give my life meaning beyond what I could ever imagine. What a glorious hope, what a bright future there is for those in Christ! Yet so many have not found this future. Tonight I feel a tinge of fear, a chill of imminent peril for myself and for you, my dear class. I have no doubt that your discipline will earn great success, for God has blessed you richly with many gifts and talents. Nor do I fear that you will fail in this life or slip into any great evil. I do not even doubt that most of you will remain in the blessed ways of our Lord, learning to love and cherish Him more and more.

Michelangelo Buonarroti, the greatest of the Italian Renaissance artists

Michelangelo Buonarroti, the greatest of the Italian Renaissance artists, was born on March 6, 1475, in the small village of Caprese (Today, Caprese is known as Caprese Michelangelo or Tuscany, Italy). Michelangelo grew up in Florence, Italy. His Father was a government administrator and his Mother died when he was only six years old. After the death of his mother Michelangelo lived with a stone cutter and his family in the town of Settignano, where his father owned a marble quarry and small farm. Along with living with a stone cutter (where he learned to handle marble), Michelangelo's influences included da Vinci and Dominico Ghirlandaio. Michelangelo showed no interest in school, he preferred to copy paintings from churches and seek the company of painters. His artistic talents were noticed at a very early age. At the age of thirteen, Michelangelo was apprenticed to the painter Domenico Ghirlandaio. At age fourteen Michelangelo’s father persuaded Ghirlandaio to pay Michelangelo as an artist, which was unusual at the time. Demonstrating obvious talent, he was taken under the wing of Lorenzo de' Medici, the ruler of the Florentine republic and a great patron of the arts. For two years beginning in 1490, he lived in the Medici palace and attended the Humanist academy, where he was a student of the sculptor Bertoldo di Giovanni and studied the Medici art collection, which included ancient Roman statuary. At the academy, both Michelangelo’s outlook and his art was influenced by many of the most prominent philosophers and writers of the day. At this time Michelangelo sculpted the Madonna of the Steps (1490-1492) and Battle of the Centaurs (1491-1492). Lorenzo de Medici, the man who gave Michelangelo the tools and schooling to perfect his artistry, passed away in 1492. Michelangelo decided that it was time to return home to his family, but he continued studying on his own. Although the practice was forbidden at the time by the church, Michelangelo got special permission to study anatomy of the dead at a hospital in the church of Santo Spirito. He used his new knowledge of the human body to create some of his most famous works, including the famous statue of David (1501-1504), the sculptures in the Church of San Pietro, and the Creation of Adam on the Sistine Chapel’s ceiling, which there is a hypotheses that part of it is shaped like the human brain. Michelangelo’s love for sculpture continued to grow, and so did the attention of the world to his work. His demand as an artist grew, and he began creating some of the most famous works of his career. And then there is his architecture, where Michelangelo reordered ancient forms in an entirely new and dramatic ways. Michelangelo was principally a sculptor and always claimed that architecture was not his profession, but, with a sculptor's vision, he saw buildings as dynamic organisms – metaphors of the human body and he designed some of the most impressive architecture in all history. Among his best-known buildings are the Medici Chapel and the Laurentian Library in Florence and he finished the architectural work on St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Michelangelo renewed architectures potential for the next generation of architects, freeing them from the need to slavishly imitate models from the past and allowing them to arrive at their own forms of expression. Michelangelo, though best known for his sculpture, was also a poet. He composed over 300 pieces of poetry during his life time including the poem about the hardships of painting the Sistine Chapel ceiling. In his poems he discusses categories pertaining to love, death, evil and good, and beauty. His writing is similar to his art in that every word is carved into the realities of life. Michelangelo's art is his love of male beauty, which attracted him both by the nature of natural beauty and emotionally. Such feelings caused him great anguish, and he expressed the struggle between reality and desire for the male body in his sculpture and his poetry. The sculptor loved many youths, many of whom posed for him. His greatest love was Tommaso dei Cavalieri, who was 16 years old when Michelangelo met him in 1532, at the age of 57. Cavalieri was open to the older man's affection and Michelangelo dedicated many poems to him. Some say Michelangelo’s relationship with Cavalieri was only a deep friendship and not sexual. Even if Michelangelo had homo-erotic impulses, there is no evidence he acted on them. Cavalieri was not the only inspiration for Michelangelo’s poetry. Later in life he fell in love with Vittoria Colonna. She was a widow and friend to Michelangelo in his later maturity. Between Michelangelo and Vittoria Colonna a deep friendship developed, one might almost say an absolutely pure love, inspired by poetry and faith, out of which were to emerge some of Michelangelo's finest lyric poems, overflowing with admiration and devotion. She died at the age of 56 and Michelangelo was deeply affected by her death writing many commemorative pieces in her honor. Michelangelo worked until his death in 1564 at the age of 88. He caught a fever and a few days later he passed away. Michelangelo's revolutionizing artistic techniques altered the artist's method for centuries, and still effect how art is made today. His view on the world and its leaders changed the way artists portray their subjects and how bold they allowed their artwork to be. Michelangelo will always be known as one of the most influential artists the world has ever known. ttp://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Michelangelo www. sparknotes. com Several hypotheses have been put forward about the meaning of The Creation of Adam's highly original composition, many of them taking Michelangelo's well-documented expertise in human anatomy as their starting point. In 1990, an Anderson, Indiana physician named Frank Lynn Meshberger, M. D. noted in the medical publication the Journal of the American Medical Association that the background figures and shapes portrayed behind the figure of God appeared to be an anatomically accurate picture of the human brain. 5] Dr. Meshberger's interpretation has been discussed by Dr. Mark Lee Appler. [6] On close examination, borders in the painting correlate with major sulci of the cerebrum in the inner and outer surface of the brain, the brain stem, the frontal lobe, the basilar artery, the pituitary gland and the optic chiasm. [5] Alternatively, it has been observed that the red cloth around God has the shape of a human uterus (one art historian has called it a â€Å"uterine mantle†[7]), and that the scarf hanging out, colored green, could be a newly cut umbilical cord. 8] â€Å"This is an interesting hypothesis that presents the Creation scene as an idealized representation of the physical birth of man. It explains the navel that appears on Adam, which is at first perplexing because he was created, not born of a woman. â€Å"[9] Michelangelo was both highly literate and plain-spoken. He felt passionate toward individuals, both female and male (Vitoria Colonna and Tommasco Cavalieri in particular. Platonic love suited Michelangelo because the demands of his profession came first. Vittoria, who was independent and highly intelligent, was inaccessible. She was the woman who came closest to being his intellectual equal, and a person characterized by loftiness, nobility and virtue–all of which appealed to the poet. He turned to her for guidance and idealized her through the ecstasy of his religious mindset; Michelangelo was a deeply religious person who believed in prayer and all the accompanying Renaissance religious imagery characteristic of his era. She was a widow and friend to Michelangelo in his later maturity. She died at the age of 56 and Michelangelo was deeply affected by her death writing many commemorative pieces in her honor.