History of Management

Without any doubt, the question of work, roles and skills of a manager gets a mixed response. Some believe that these features are the shared by managers all over the world, while others maintain that there are significant differences in management of different countries that have given rise to such a notion and a process as the intercultural management. Which one of the above-stated arguments has an element of truth and could they be both regarded as authentic?First of all it cannot be denied that the science of management has a long history and perhaps all modern mangers employ principles and theories that have been introduced earlier. To start with, it was the Industrial Revolution that established big business and created the need for professional leaders. Furthermore, years of military and church rule added management models and terminology that are widely used today. Let us only recall Max Weber’s bureaucratic theory or that of Frederic Taylor who is commonly regarded th e Father of Scientific Management and proposed some ways of increasing workers’ productivity.On the basis of his research at Bethlehem Steel Company (Pittsburgh) he drew conclusions that the job can be split into minute parts and its performance can be improved by timing performance of each part separately. Furthermore, he suggested rest periods of special interval and duration and a differential pay scale that can be found in the practice of today’s managers (1). The famous method of overlapping tasks during the period of working day in order to avoid workers becoming tired easily was offered by Henry Gantt and displayed in the form of his ‘the Gantt chart’.Though not all of the managers may know the name of inventor of this tenet, but, for sure, most of them are acquainted with its expression and benefits it can provide. Moreover, it was Gantt who stressed the significance of the leadership and management qualities and skills for creating successful indu strial organizations. The man who is dubbed as the Father of Modern Management is Henri Fayol, a French industrialist who developed a framework for studying management and wrote General and Industrial Management (1).He distinguished five functions of managers, such as: planning, organizing, commanding, coordinating, and controlling. As we see, all theorists and pioneers of management theory originated from various countries (England, France, United States, etc. ); however this did not impede the principles they have set out from becoming universal. Times are changing and so are doing the people but some essential things and useful hints are immortal and not subject to ageing. Let us take a closer look into the work of a manager disregard of the geographical location of his working place and language he speaks.Nobody would argue that the better we understand the management role; the better it will be performed and more qualitative services will be provided. Some people wrongly consid er managers to be emotionless and cold fish and claim something like: â€Å"managers see work as something that must be done or tolerated,† â€Å"management focuses attention on procedure,† and â€Å"management sees the world as relatively black and white† (2, 2005:25). Yet, from our point of view, such standpoint is biased and far from being impartial.One should keep in mind that managers are also humans but the best among them have that gift for organizing and feel themselves capable of being at the head of other people and controlling not only their work but their lives in a way. Nevertheless, the manager’s work is not restricted to the above-mentioned issues only. Putting it by words of Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD, leadership is just one of the numerous facets of management, â€Å"just one of the many assets a successful manager must possess† (3).Therefore, it would be easier to determine the aim of a manager, which can be expressed as maximizing the output of his company with the help of effective administrative measures. This brings us to the definition of management itself that for short can be rendered as â€Å"the process of attaining organizational goals in an effective and efficient manner through planning, organizing, controlling, and directing organizational resources† (2). Therefore, any manager must undertake the already mentioned above functions:? organizing ? planning ? commanding ? coordinating ? controlling Note, that leadership is covered by the single function of controlling. Planning comprises development of company strategies and goals. To put it differently, on this stage a manager has to define the direction of his business and some milestones to be taken into account. Moreover, planning involves also defining budget and plans of operation, i. e. methods of achieving previously fixed goals.In brief, on the phase of planning a manager proves to be a good forecaster capable of determining the far-r eaching objectives. The following function and stage is organizing, which means right people on the right working places. In other words, this function presupposes that a manager must objectively consider knowledge and skills of his employees and offer them jobs that are most appropriate. Remarkably that some theorists of management call this function as â€Å"staffing† but to our mind, this notion is an element of organizing.Admittedly that â€Å"given the high levels of discretion enjoyed by knowledge workers, managers' decisions over work distribution, content and resources become more critical for commitment and knowledge creation† (4, 2005:383-424). To sum up, organizing function covers establishing superior/subordinate relationships, as well as determining the scope of staff’s obligations and responsibilities. The ‘controlling’ function means checking that work is carried out in a proper way and funds are spent with regard to their purpose. Th e coordinating function covers training, team building, etc.and refers mainly to work with human resources, but not the production process. It should be added that effective managers should be good communicators and analysts. They should â€Å"have guts† to resist constant stress and be able to operate under unfavorable conditions. Furthermore, managers are responsible for friendly environment within a company, which engages problem-combating, settling conflicts, searching for best solutions, etc. What is more they should be assertive enough to bring forward their ideas and convince the opponents to give preference to their views.Still, that does not mean that all managers should be inborn leaders, whatever. Even more, as J. P. Kotter wrote in his 1991 â€Å"The Best of the Harvard Business Review† article, What Leaders Really Do: â€Å"Leadership is different from management, but not for the reason most people think. Leadership isn't mystical and mysterious. It has n othing to do with having charisma or other exotic personality traits. It's not the province of a chosen few. Nor is leadership necessarily better than management or a replacement for it.Rather, leadership and management are two distinctive and complementary activities. Both are necessary for success in an increasingly complex and volatile business environment† (5, 1991:26). However, in spite of the fact that there are some common features of manager work found in different countries and irrespective of borders, such as the key principles of management in a whole and functions of managers, it has been stated above that managers are the same people. Consequently, their cultural and personal peculiarities are reflected on their work.The former has even given rise to the completely new theory – intercultural management. The most significant factors that have enabled the emergence of this theory are the following: continuous globalization of economy and merge of businesses, establishment of joint ventures, foreign representative offices, etc. As a result, people started to pay more attention to the intercultural diversity of managing styles and traditions along with all-nation values and convictions. Should to go, when in Rome, do as the Romans do, but in order to comply with this rule one should know it.Notably, that in her article in the Financial Times by Elisabeth Marx titled ‘Shock of the alien can sink a merger', for example, it was mentioned that â€Å"Research on cross-border acquisitions has shown that differences in management style (particularly in attitudes towards risk) have a negative effect on company performance. Sadly, very few companies consider the softer, cultural factors of mergers, which may be a significant contributor to their subsequent failures. Far too few companies even begin to consider the effects on staff or the human implication of a merger†.Furthermore, the article goes on to manifest that â€Å"it is easy to end up in a situation where the whole is worth less than the sum of its two parts†. Hence, the reasonable solution here may consist in following the statement and credo: â€Å"Managers' first task is to conduct more extensive business analysis before taking the decision to merge. In addition to carrying out traditional financial and commercial due diligence, they should complete a thorough examination of the cultural compatibility of the parties involved† (6, 2005:2).The same can be applied to all spheres where business is conducted and companies in any country. Yert, the most frequent use of intercultural management tenet is observed within such association as, for instance, international markets, by merging with foreign companies, projects involving multi-cultural teams, international negotiations and so on, and so forth. Other supporting the intercultural management view theories are three well-known analyses of intercultural management by Edward Hall, Geert Hofs tede and Philippe d'Iribarne that illustrate the differences between American and French management styles (7).Citing Edward T. Hall, intercultural differences in communication are based on the context, on time and on space: â€Å"Understanding between people results from the combination of information and its context. Some cultures have a rich context (close links between people, high level of the unspoken/unsaid): these cultures are highly † implicit†; other cultures valuing communication only when it is very clear in itself are said to be † explicit † (7).This can be exemplified by the French dislike of clearing procedures or by their creativity and flexibility, American productivity and utilitarianism etc (8, 2003:1333-1349). To sum up, there are common features that can be found among managers all over the world. Managers employ experience of earlier generations as well as coin modern ones. Today, theorists of management clearly define functions and goa ls of managing work and scope of their responsibilities and obligations. However, on the other hand, it remains disputable wither work of a manager is the same in different countries.Quite to the contrary, the intercultural management theory declares that every nation has its own management style that should be taken into account when conducting international negotiations and making business with foreign countries. The majority of businessmen can no longer escape the necessity to purchase, sell or communicate and work with people from different cultures and thus with different traditions and convictions. And we are strongly sure that our future is multinational one! Bibliography 1. History of Management. Retrieved on December 21, 2005 from: http://ollie. dcccd.edu/mgmt1374/book_contents/1overview/management_history/mgmt_history. htm 2. MANAGERS; PERSONALITY; ENTERPRISES |AU| Welbourne, TM. ; Cavanaugh, M. A. ; Judge, T. A. |AD| U. S. A. ; Cornell University. Centre for Advanced Huma n Resource Studies, IRL School. Ithaca, NY 14653-3901 3. Leader or Manager? Which Are You? Which Should You Be? The Case for Being Well-Rounded by Dick Mooney. Bradford University Journal. Retrieved on December 21, 2005 from: http://www. amputee-coalition. org/communicator/vol3no2pg2. html 4. The difference a manager can make: organizational justice and knowledge worker commitment by Marc Thompson.International Journal of Human Resource Management, Volume 16, Number 3, March, 2005, pp. 383-404 5. The Best of the Harvard Business Review by J. P. Kotter, 1991. 6. Shock of the alien can sink a merger by Elisabeth Marx. Financial Times, 5 April 2001 7. French management style. Retrieved on December 21, 2005 from: http://www. understandfrance. org/France/Intercultural3. html 8. Comparing business ethics in Russia and the US by Rafik I. Beekun, Yvonne Stedham, Jeanne H. Yamamura, Jamal A. Barghouti. International Journal of Human Resource Management. Volume 14, Number 8 / December 2003

Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story Chapter 30~31

Chapter 30 Cops and Corpses â€Å"This guy is pissing me off,† Cavuto said, expelling a blue cloud of cigar smoke against the file drawers of the dead. â€Å"I hate this fucking guy.† He was standing over the body of Gilbert Bendetti, who had a thermometer sticking out of the side of his abdomen. â€Å"Inspector, there's no smoking allowed in here,† said a uniformed officer who had been called to the scene. Cavuto waved to the drawers. â€Å"Do you think they mind?† The officer shook his head. â€Å"No, sir.† Cavuto blew a stream of smoke at Gilbert. â€Å"And him, do you think he minds?† â€Å"No, sir.† â€Å"And you, Patrolman Jeeter, you don't mind, do you?† Jeeter cleared his throat. â€Å"Uh†¦ no, sir.† â€Å"Well, good,† Cavuto said. â€Å"Look on the side of the car, Jeeter. It says ‘Protect and Serve, not ‘Piss and Moan.  » â€Å"Yes, sir.† Rivera came through the double doors, followed by a tall, sixtyish man in a lab coat and silver wire-frame glasses. Cavuto looked up. â€Å"Doc, this guy done, or what?† The doctor pulled a surgical mask over his face as he approached the body. He bent over Gilbert and checked the thermometer. â€Å"He's been dead about four hours. I'd put the time of death between one and one-thirty. I won't be able to tell for sure until I finish the postmortem, but offhand I'd say myocardial infarction.† â€Å"I hate this guy,† Cavuto repeated. He looked down at Jody's toe tag, which was lying on the linoleum with a chalk circle drawn around it. â€Å"Any chance this guy misplaced the redhead?† The coroner looked up. â€Å"None at all. Someone removed the body.† Rivera had his notebook out and was scribbling as the doctor talked. â€Å"Any news on the one that just came in, the cowboy? Any blood loss?† â€Å"Again, I can't say for sure, but it looks like a broken neck is the cause of death. There may have been some blood loss, but not as much as we've seen with the others. Since he was sitting up, it could just be settling.† â€Å"What about the wound on the throat?† Rivera asked. â€Å"What wound?† the coroner said. â€Å"There was no wound on the throat; I checked the body myself.† Rivera's arms fell to his sides, his pen clattered on the linoleum. â€Å"Doctor, could you check again? Nick and I both saw distinct puncture wounds on the right side of the neck.† The doctor stood up and walked to the rack of drawers and pulled one out. â€Å"Check for yourself.† Cavuto and Rivera moved to either side of the drawer. Rivera turned Simon's head to the side while inspecting his neck. He looked up at Cavuto, who shook his head and walked away. â€Å"Nick, you saw it, right?† Cavuto nodded. Rivera turned to the doctor. â€Å"I saw the wounds, Doc, I swear. I've been doing this too long to get something like that wrong.† The coroner shrugged. â€Å"When was the last time you two slept?† â€Å"Together, you mean?† said Cavuto. The coroner frowned. Rivera said, â€Å"Thanks, Doc, we've got some more work at the other crime scene. We'll be back. Let's go, Nick.† Cavuto was standing over Gilbert again. â€Å"I hate this guy, and I hate that cowboy in the drawer. Did I mention that?† Rivera tuned on his heel and started toward the doors, then stopped and looked down. There was a distinct footprint on the linoleum in brown gravy. Made by a small foot, a woman's bare foot. Rivera turned to the coroner. â€Å"Doc, you got any women working here?† â€Å"Not down here. Only in the office.† â€Å"Fuck! Nick, come on, we need to talk.† Rivera stormed through the double doors, leaving them swinging. Cavuto ambled after him. He paused at the doors and turned back to the coroner. â€Å"He's moody, Doc.† The coroner nodded. â€Å"Nothing to the press about the blood loss, if there was any. And nothing about the missing body.† â€Å"Of course not. I have no desire to advertise that my office is losing bodies,† the coroner said. Rivera was waiting in the hallway when Cavuto came through the doors. â€Å"We've got to cut the kid loose, you know that.† â€Å"We can hold him another twenty-four hours.† â€Å"He didn't do it.† â€Å"Yeah, but he knows something.† â€Å"Maybe we should let him go and follow him.† â€Å"Give me one more shot at him. Alone.† â€Å"Whatever. We've got something else to consider too. You saw those puncture marks on the cowboy's throat the same as I did, right?† Cavuto chewed his cigar and looked at the ceiling. â€Å"Well?† Cavuto nodded. â€Å"Then maybe the others had wounds too. Maybe they had wounds that went away. And did you see the footprint?† â€Å"I saw it.† â€Å"Nick, do you believe in vampires?† Cavuto turned and walked down the hall. â€Å"I need a stiff one.† â€Å"You mean a drink?† Cavuto glared over his shoulder and growled. Rivera grinned. â€Å"I owed you that one.† Tommy guessed the temperature in the cell to be about sixty-five, but even so, his cellmate, the six-foot-five, two-hundred-fifty-pound, unshaven, unbathed, one-eyed psychopath with the Disney-character tattoos, was dripping with sweat. Maybe, Tommy thought, as he cowered in the corner behind the toilet, it's warmer up there on the bunk. Or maybe it's hard work trying to stare at someone menacingly, without blinking, for six hours when you only have one eye. â€Å"I hate you,† said One-Eye. â€Å"Sorry,† said Tommy. One-Eye stood up and flexed his biceps; Micky and Goofy bulged angrily. â€Å"Are you making fun of me?† Tommy didn't want to say anything, so he shook his head violently, trying to make sure that nothing remotely resembling a smile crossed his face. One-Eye sat down on the bunk and resumed menacing. â€Å"What are you in for?† â€Å"Nothing,† Tommy said. â€Å"I didn't do anything.† â€Å"Don't fuck with me, ass-wipe. What were you arrested for?† Tommy fidgeted, trying to work his way into the cinder-block wall. â€Å"Well, I put my girlfriend in the freezer, but I don't think that's a crime.† One-Eye, for the first time since he'd been put in the cell, smiled. â€Å"Me either. You didn't use an assault weapon, did you?† â€Å"Nope, a Sears frost-free.† â€Å"Oh, good; they're really tough on crimes with assault weapons.† â€Å"So,† Tommy said, venturing an inch out of the corner, â€Å"what are you in for?† Thinking baby-stomping, thinking cannibalism, thinking fast-food massacre. One-Eye hung his head. â€Å"Copyright infringement.† â€Å"You're kidding?† One-Eye frowned. Tommy slid back into his corner, adding, â€Å"Really? That's bad.† One-Eye pulled off his ratty T-shirt. The Seven Dwarfs danced across his massive chest between knife and bullet scars. On his stomach, Snow White and Cinderella were locked in a frothy embrace of mutual muffin munching. â€Å"Yeah, I made the mistake of walking around without a shirt. A Disney executive who was up here on vacation saw me down by the wharf. He called their legal pit bulls.† Tommy shook his head in sympathy. â€Å"I didn't know they put you in jail for copyright infringement.† â€Å"Well, they don't, really. It was when I ripped the guy's shoulders out of their sockets that the police got involved.† â€Å"That's not a crime either, is it?† One-Eye rubbed his temples as if it was excruciating to remember. â€Å"It was in front of his kids.† â€Å"Oh,† Tommy said. â€Å"Flood, on your feet,† a guard said from the cell door. Inspector Nick Cavuto stood behind him. â€Å"C'mon, cutie,† Cavuto said. â€Å"We're going for a last walk.† The blood-high wasn't racing through her with flush and fever as it always had before. No, it was more like the satisfying fullness of a lasagna dinner chased with double espressos. Still, the strength sang in her limbs; she ripped the loft-door dead bolts through the metal doorjamb as easily as she had torn the plastic crime-scene tape the police had put across the door. Strange, she thought, there is a difference in drinking from a living body. Her remorse over killing Simon had passed in seconds and the predator mind had taken over. A new aspect of the predator had reared up this time, not just the instinct to hide and hunt, but to protect. If Tommy was in jail for putting her in the freezer, it meant that the police had also found Peary, and they would try to connect Tommy to the other murders. But if they found another victim while Tommy was behind bars, they would have to set him free. And she needed him to be free, first so that she could find out why he had frozen her, but more important, because it was time to turn the tables on the other vampire, and the only safe way to hunt him was to do it during daylight. She had bit Simon's neck and used the heel of her hand to pump his heart as she drank. There was no guilt or self-consciousness in the act; the predator mind had taken over. She found herself thinking about the burly fireman who had come to Transamerica to teach the employees earthquake preparedness, which had included a course in CPR. What would he think of one of his students' using his technique to pump lifeblood from the murdered? â€Å"I'm sorry, Fireman Frank, I sucked like an Electrolux, but it just wasn't enough. If it's any consolation, I didn't enjoy it.† What little strength she had gained from Simon's blood seemed to evaporate as she walked into the loft. It was in worse shape than the day the Animals had come for breakfast. The futon was bundled against the wall; the books had been taken out of their shelves and spread out on the floor; the cabinets hung open, their contents tumbled across the counters; and a fine patina of fingerprint powder covered every surface. She wanted to cry. It reminded her of the time she had lived with a heavy-metal bass player for two months, who had torn their apartment apart looking for money for drugs. Money? She ran to the bedroom and to the dresser where she had stashed the remaining cash the old vampire had given her. It was gone. She threw open the drawer where she kept her lingerie. She'd kept a couple thousand rolled up in a bra, a holdover habit from the days of hiding cash from the bass player. It was there. She had enough for a month's rent, but then what? It wouldn't matter if Tommy didn't stop the other vampire. He was going to kill them both, she was sure of it, and he was going to do it soon. As she weighed the rolls of bills in her hand, she heard someone open the stairwell door, then footfalls on the steps. She went to the kitchen and waited, crouched behind the counter. Someone was in the loft. A man. She could hear his heart – smell sweat and stale deodorant coming off him. Tommy's deodorant. She stood up. â€Å"Hi,† Tommy said. â€Å"Boy, am I glad to see you.† Chapter 31 He Was an Ex-Con, She Was Defrosted†¦ She started to lean over the counter to give him a hug, then stopped herself. â€Å"You look awful,† she said. He was unshaven, his hair stuck out in greasy tufts, and his clothes looked as if he'd slept in them. He hadn't. He hadn't slept at all. â€Å"Thanks,† he said. â€Å"You look a little tattered yourself.† She raised her hand to her hair, felt a tangle, and let it drop. â€Å"And I thought my red hair went so well with freezer burn.† â€Å"I can explain that.† She came around the counter and stood before him, not knowing whether to hold him or hit him. â€Å"That's a great dress. Is it new?† â€Å"It was a great dress before the gravy and cobbler melted all over it. What happened, Tommy? Why was I frozen?† He reached out to touch her face. â€Å"How are you? I mean, are you okay?† â€Å"Good time to ask.† She glared at him. He looked in her eyes, then away. â€Å"You're very beautiful, you know that?† He crumpled to the floor and sat with his back against the counter. â€Å"I'm so sorry, Jody. I didn't want to hurt you. I was just†¦ sort of lonely.† She felt tears welling in her eyes and wiped them away. He was genuinely sorry, she could tell. And she had always been a sucker for pathetic apologies, going back as far as the time the bass player she was seeing hocked her stereo. Or had that been the construction worker? â€Å"What happened?† she pressed. He stared at the floor and shook his head. â€Å"I don't know. I wanted someone to talk about books with. Someone who thought I was special. I met a girl at work. I was just going to meet her for coffee, nothing else. But I didn't think you'd understand. So I†¦ well, you know.† Jody sat down on the floor in front of him. â€Å"Tommy, you could have killed me.† â€Å"I'm sorry!† he screamed. â€Å"I'm afraid of you. You scare the hell out of me sometimes. I didn't think it would hurt you or I wouldn't have done it. I just wanted to feel special, but you're the special one. I just wanted to talk to someone who sees things the way I do, who can understand how I feel about things. I want to take you out and show you off, even during the day. I've never really had a girlfriend before. I love you. I want to share things with you.† He looked down, would not meet her gaze. Jody took his hand and squeezed it. â€Å"I know how you feel. You don't know how well I know. And I love you too.† Finally he looked at her, then pulled her into his arms. They held each other for a long time, rocking each other like crying children. A half hour passed, ticked off with tear-salty kisses, before she said, â€Å"Do you want to share a shower? I don't want to let go of you, and it'll be dawn soon.† Warmed and cleaned by the shower, they danced, still wet, though the dark bedroom, to fall together on the bare mattress. For Tommy, being with her, in her, was like coming to a place where he was safe and loved, and those dark and hostile things that walked the world outside were washed away in the smell of her damp hair, a soft kiss on the eyelid, and mingled whispers of love and reassurance. It had never been like this for Jody. It was escape from worry and suspicion and from the predator mind that had been rising for days like a shark to blood. There was no urge to feed, but a different hunger drove her to hold him deep and long and still, to envelop and keep him there forever. Her vampire senses rose to the touch of his hands, his mouth – as if finally her sense of touch had grown to feel life itself as pleasure. Love. When they finished she held his face against her breast and listened to his breathing becoming slow as he fell asleep. Tears crept from the corners of her eyes as dawn broke, releasing her from the night's last thought: I'm loved at last, and I have to give it up. Tommy was still sleeping at sundown. She kissed him gently on the forehead, then nipped his ear to wake him. He opened his eyes and smiled. She could see it in the dark; it was a genuine smile. â€Å"Hey,† he said. She snuggled against him. â€Å"We've got to get up. There's things to do.† â€Å"You're cold. Are you cold?† â€Å"I'm never cold.† She rolled out of bed and went to the light switch. â€Å"Eyes,† she warned as she flipped on the light. Tommy shielded his eyes. â€Å"For the love of God, Montressor!† â€Å"Poe?† she said. â€Å"Right?† â€Å"Yep.† â€Å"See? I can talk books.† Tommy sat up. â€Å"I'm sorry. I didn't give you a chance. I guess we were always talking about – about your condition.† She smiled and snatched a pair of jeans and a flannel shirt from the pile of clothes on the floor. â€Å"I talked to the other vampire the other night. That's why I left the note.† Tommy was wide awake now. â€Å"You talked to him? Where?† â€Å"In a club. I was mad at you. I wanted to go out. Show off.† â€Å"What did he say?† â€Å"He said it's almost over. Tommy, I think he's going to try and kill you, maybe both of us.† â€Å"Well, that sucks.† â€Å"And you've got to stop him.† â€Å"Me? Why me? You're the one with X-ray vision and stuff.† â€Å"He's too strong. I get the feeling he's really old. He's clever. I think that the longer that you're a vampire, the more you can do. I'm starting to feel†¦ well, sharper as time goes on.† â€Å"He's too strong for you, but you want me stop him? How?† â€Å"You'll have to get to him while he's sleeping.† â€Å"Kill him? Just like that? Even if I could find him, how would I kill him? Nothing hurts you guys – unless you have some kryptonite.† â€Å"You could drag him into the sunlight. Or cut his head off – I'm sure that would do it. Or you could totally dismember him and scatter the pieces.† Jody had to look away from him when she said this. It was as if someone else was talking. â€Å"Right,† Tommy said, â€Å"just shovel him into a garbage bag and get on the forty-two bus. Leave a piece at every stop. Are you nuts? I can't kill anyone, Jody. I'm not built that way.† â€Å"Well, I can't do it.† â€Å"Why don't we just go to Indiana? You'll like it there. I can get a union job and make my mom happy. You can learn to bowl. It'll be great – no dead guys in the freezer, no vampires†¦ â€Å"By the way, how'd you†¦ I mean, where did you thaw out?† â€Å"In the morgue. With a pervert all ready to live out his wet dreams on me.† â€Å"I'll kill him!† â€Å"Not necessary.† â€Å"You killed him? Jody, you can't keep – â€Å" â€Å"I didn't kill him. He just sort of died. But there's something else.† â€Å"I can't wait.† â€Å"The vampire killed Simon.† Tommy was shaken. â€Å"How? Where?† â€Å"The same way as the others. That's why the cops let you go.† Tommy took a minute to digest this, sat for a moment looking at his hands. He looked up and said, â€Å"How did you know I was in jail?† â€Å"You told me.† â€Å"I did?† â€Å"Of course. You were so tired last night. I'm not surprised you don't remember.† She buttoned up the flannel shirt. â€Å"Tommy, you've got to find the vampire and kill him. I think Simon was his last warning before he takes us.† Tommy shook his head. â€Å"I can't believe he got Simon. Why Simon?† â€Å"Because he was close to you. Come on, I'll make you coffee.† She started into the kitchen and tripped over the brass turtle. â€Å"What's this?† â€Å"Long story,† Tommy said. Jody looked around, listened for the sound of turtle claws. â€Å"Where's Scott and Zelda?† â€Å"I set them free. Go make coffee.† Rivera and Cavuto sat in an unmarked cruiser in the alley across the street from the loft, taking turns dozing and watching. It was Rivera's turn to watch while Cavuto snored in the driver's seat. Rivera didn't like the way things were going. Weird shit just seemed to follow him. His job was to find evidence and catch bad guys, but too often, especially in this case, the evidence pointed to a bad guy who wasn't a guy at all: wasn't human. He didn't want to believe that there was a vampire loose in the City, but he did. And he knew he'd never convince Cavuto, or anybody, for that matter. Still, he'd dug out his mother's silver crucifix before he left the house. It was in his jacket pocket next to his badge wallet. He had been tempted to take it out and say a rosary, but Cavuto, despite his growling snore, was a light sleeper, and Rivera didn't want to endure the ridicule should the big cop wake up in the middle of a Hail Mary. Rivera was getting ready to wake Cavuto and catch a nap when the lights went on in the loft. â€Å"Nick,† he said. â€Å"Lights are on.† Cavuto woke, instantly alert. â€Å"What?† â€Å"Lights are on. The kid's up.† Cavuto lit his cigar. â€Å"And?† â€Å"I just thought you'd want to know.† â€Å"Look, Rivera, the lights coming on is not something happening. I know that after ten or twelve hours it seems like something, but it's not. You're losing your edge. The kid leaving, the kid strangling someone, that's something happening.† Rivera was insulted by the admonition. He'd been a cop as long as Cavuto and he didn't have to take crap like that. â€Å"Eat shit, Nick. It's my turn to sleep anyway.† Cavuto checked his watch. â€Å"Right.† They watched the windows for a while, saying nothing. Shadows moved inside the loft. Too many shadows. â€Å"There's someone else up there,† Rivera said. Cavuto squinted at the shadows and grabbed a pair of binoculars from the seat. â€Å"Looks like a girl.† Someone passed by the window. â€Å"A redhead with a lot of hair.† Tommy took a sip of his coffee and sighed. â€Å"I don't even know where to start. This is a big city and I don't know my way around that well.† â€Å"Well, we could just wait here for him to come get us.† Jody looked at his cup, watched the heat waves coming off the coffee. â€Å"God, I miss coffee.† â€Å"Can't you just wander around until you feel something? Lestat can†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Don't start with that!† â€Å"Sorry.† He took another sip. â€Å"The Animals might help. They'll want revenge for Simon. Can I tell them?† â€Å"You might as well. Those guys do just enough drugs that they might believe you. Besides, I'm sure the story was in the paper this morning.† â€Å"Yeah, I'm sure it was.† He put his cup down and looked at her. â€Å"How did you know about Simon?† Jody looked away. â€Å"I was in the morgue when they brought him in.† â€Å"You saw him?† â€Å"I heard the cops talking. I slipped out during the excitement when they found the dead pervert.† â€Å"Oh,† Tommy said, not quite sure of himself. She reached out and took his hand. â€Å"You'd better go. I'll call a cab.† â€Å"They took all the money,† Tommy said. â€Å"I have a little left.† She handed him two hundred-dollar bills. He raised his eyebrows. â€Å"A little?† Jody grinned. â€Å"Be careful. Stay around people until it gets light. Don't get out of the cab unless there are a lot of people around. I'm sure he doesn't want any witnesses.† â€Å"Okay.† â€Å"And call me if anything happens. Try to be back here by sundown tomorrow, but if you can't, call and leave me a message where you are.† â€Å"So you can protect me?† â€Å"So I can try to protect you.† â€Å"Why don't you come with me?† â€Å"Because there's two cops in the alley across the street watching the loft. I saw them from the window. I don't think we want them to see me.† â€Å"But it's dark in the alley.† â€Å"Exactly.† Tommy took her in his arms. â€Å"That is so cool. When I get back, will you read to me naked, hanging from the ceiling beam in the dark?† â€Å"Sure.† â€Å"Dirty limericks?† â€Å"Anything.† â€Å"That's so cool.† Five minutes later Tommy stood at the bottom of the stairs with the fire door cracked just enough to see when his cab arrived. When the blue-and-white DeSoto cab pulled up, he opened the fire door and a furry black-and-white comet shot past him. â€Å"Bummer! Stop!† the Emperor shouted. The little dog skipped up the steps with a yap and a rattle every step of the way; his pie-pan helmet was hanging upside down by the chin strap, hitting the edge of each step. He stopped at the top of the stairs and commenced a leaping, barking, scratching attack on the door. Tommy leaned against the wall holding his chest. He thought, Good, a heart attack will sure mess up the vampire's murder plans. â€Å"Forgive him,† the Emperor said. â€Å"He always seems to do this when we pass your domicile.† Then, to Lazarus, â€Å"Would you be so kind as to retrieve our comrade-in-arms?† The golden retriever bounded up the stairs and snatched Bummer out of the air in mid-leap, then carried him down by the scruff of the neck as the rat dog struggled and snarled. The Emperor relieved Lazarus of his squirming charge and shoved the smaller soldier into the oversized pocket of his coat. He buttoned the flap and smiled at Tommy. â€Å"Dogged enthusiasm in a handy reclosable package.† Tommy laughed, more nervous than amused. â€Å"Your Highness, what are you doing here?† â€Å"Why, I am looking for you, my son. The authorities have been asking after you in regard to the monster. The time to act is at hand.† The Emperor waved his sword wildly as he spoke. Tommy stepped back. â€Å"You're going to put someone's eye out with that thing.† The Emperor held his sword at port arms. â€Å"Oh, quite right. Safety first.† Tommy signaled to the cabdriver over the Emperor's shoulder. â€Å"Your Highness, I agree, it's time to do something. I'm on my way to get some help.† â€Å"Recruits!† the Emperor exclaimed. â€Å"Shall we join forces against evil? Call the City to arms? Drive evil back to the dark crevice from whence it came? Can the men and I share your cab?† He patted his still squirming pocket. Tommy eyed the cabdriver. â€Å"Well, I don't know.† He pulled open the rear door and leaned in. â€Å"Dogs and royalty okay?† he asked the cabbie. The driver said something in Farsi that Tommy took for a yes. â€Å"Let's go.† Tommy stepped back and motioned for the Emperor to get in. Lazarus jumped into the back seat with a rattle of armor, followed by the Emperor and Tommy. As soon as the cab had gone a block, Bummer settled down and the Emperor let him out of his pocket. â€Å"Something about your building vexes him. I don't understand it.† Tommy shrugged, thinking about how he was going to tell the Animals about Simon's death. The Emperor rolled down the window and he and his men rode through the City with their heads out the window, squinting into the wind like mobile gargoyles. Cavuto slapped Rivera on the shoulder, startling him out of sleep. â€Å"Wake up. Something's going down. A cab just pulled up and that old wacko just came around the corner with his dogs.† Rivera wiped his eyes and sat up. â€Å"What's the Emperor doing here?† â€Å"There's the kid. How in the hell did he get hold of the old wacko?† They watched as Tommy and the Emperor talked, Tommy glancing from time to time at the cabdriver. A few minutes passed and they loaded into the cab. â€Å"Here we go,† Cavuto said as he started the car. â€Å"Wait, let me out.† â€Å"What?† â€Å"I want to see where the girl goes. Who she is.† â€Å"Just go ask her.† â€Å"I'm out of here.† Rivera picked up the portable radio from the seat. â€Å"Stay in touch. I'll send for another car.† Cavuto was rocking in the driver's seat, waiting to go. â€Å"Call me on the cell phone if you see the girl. Keep it off the radio.† Rivera stopped halfway out of the car. â€Å"You think it's the girl from the morgue, don't you?† â€Å"Get out,† Cavuto said. â€Å"He's leaving.† The cab pulled away. Cavuto let them get a block away, then pulled out after them, leaving Rivera standing in the dark alley fingering the crucifix in his pocket. Four stories above him, on the roof of a light industrial building, Elijah Ben Sapir, the vampire, looked down on Rivera, noting how much heat the policeman was losing though the thinning spot in his hair. â€Å"Jump or dive?† he said to himself.

Issues in Financial Reporting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Issues in Financial Reporting - Essay Example According to the article, the off–balance sheet financing and pension fund accounting disclose only net liability and asset which lean to misrepresent the balance sheet and create confusion for the investor. Finally there is an issue of electronic accounting. The article states that traditional financial reporting system must move to electronic database format for making analysis easy and correct. Stage 2: Substantive Issues Credit Crisis In the year 2008, the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) took a series of steps towards resolving the problem of credit crisis. IASB has identified the need to concentrate on new market development to simplify the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). IASB mainly targeted the proposal of Financial Stability Forum (FSF). IASB directly observed the development of US accounting standards to avoid pointless contradiction in accounting in IFRS and GAAP (IASB, 2008). IASB has assigned the following steps: 1. Fair Value Me asurement: IASB has drafted guidelines on fair value measurement of financial instrument in market that are not active anymore. In the process of fair cost measurement IASB has formed a panel which includes expert advisors who will examine the fair cost measurement application. The expert advisors are selected according to practical experience of current market environment. The panel formed by IASB helps to review the valuation process. IASB requested the panel to judge the probable development to the regulation on ‘valuation and disclosure of financial instruments’ but in the mean time not to disclose the aptness of fair value as an approach to evaluate a particular type of financial instruments (IFRS Foundation, 2008). 2. Disclosure of Financial Instrument: IASB worked directly with FASB (Financial Accounting Standards Board) to formulate a common approach which was related to the issue of valuation of financial asset and liability. IAS 32 provides guidelines of the d isclosure about financial instrument, including information of fair cost are shown below: I. The financial asset should be disclosed at fair cost through profit or loss and must be shown separately (Ellis, 2007). II. The financial liability should be considered at amortized cost. In case of loan, the liability must disclose the maximum exposure to credit risk of any loan taken, or similar exposure to credit risk. Liability should disclose the amount of change in fair value of any associated credit or related instrument that has happened during the period when the loan was designated (Ellis, 2007). III. Financial instrument also disclose held–to–maturity investments, available– for – sale financial assets and receivables (Ellis, 2007). 3. Reclassify Financial Instrument: IASB has identified the need to scrutinise the accounting principles of IFRS for financial instruments. IASB has published a report which reflects on the possible alteration of IAS 39 stan dards (IASB, 2008). In the year 2008, IASB published a discussion paper which reflexes public statements about reducing complexity in

Evaluation of SunTrust Bank Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Evaluation of SunTrust Bank - Case Study Example This may be attributed to negative financial drivers in the market such as adverse economic cycles leading to lower Returns on equity. However, it can be scrutinized that Returns on Equity were higher in 2011 as compared to 2010. This is a positive indication that the management was performing considerably well. The positive drivers for higher returns on equity could be attributed to the ability of the company to employ investor’s capital to make more returns. The risk analysis section indicates that the ability of the company to set off short term debt was compromised in 2011 by higher loans commitments and subsequent losses. However, the total real estate loans to equity ratio were substantially lower in 2011 than all the previous years. This indicates that the company strength to offset long-term debts has been increasing progressively. Additionally, the liquidity ratio for the year 2011 was 8.11%, while in 2010 the ratio stands at 2.61%. This means that the position Unit T rusty Company to offset shorter debts was substantially higher in 2011 than in 2010. Connectively, the total risk based on capital was substantially higher in 2011 as compared to the rest of the periods. ... he financial statements of Sun Trust Bank reported a total asset of one hundred and seventy three million dollars as at 31st December 2012(SunTrust Para-1). Additionally, the company was reported to be one of the leading holding companies with numerous subsidiaries in different parts of the world (SunTrust Para-2). In above connection, the company had one thousand, six hundred retail subsidiaries located in Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia to name just but a few (SunTrust Para-4). The company provides variety of services to its clients, some of the services provided include: brokerage, investiment management, insurance and banking such online are banking (SunTrust Para-4). Therefore, this report aims to provide comprehensive analysis of Sun Trust Bank financial ratios in order to determine its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. The report will take into consideration the most current ratios for 2011 and compares them with those of the previous year’s ie2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010. An Evaluation of the bank’s Profitability Below is a small table indicating profitability ratios for the five periods Years December 2006 December 2008 December 2009 December 2010 December 2011 Profitability Ratios(ROE) 11.30% 4.98% -8.41% -0.18% 3.30% Profitability Ratios(ROA) 1.19% 0.57% -0.93% 0.02% 0.85% Net Interest Margin 3.03% 3.21% 3.03% 3.39% 3.54% Efficiency Ratios 55.81% 65.64% 80.29% 69% 69.15% Source: Author Profitability ratio Analysis Based on the figures above be scrutinized that the returns on equity ratio for 2006 and 2008 were 11.30% and 4.98% higher than in 2011 which stand at 3.30%. This indicates that in 2006 and 2008, equity stock holders of Unit Trust Company were able to obtain higher returns on the investment than in

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 22

Marketing - Essay Example Without a doubt, the theme matches the environment. The audience in this advertisement is athletes, young students, and the adult population who take place in leisure activities. In addition, it also appealed to the â€Å"Sunday warriors,† who are engrossed in sports discussions and love to watch motivational TV advertisements to propagate about their sports. Nike does an excellent job of associating the personality with the product. Nike portrays this value of leadership, hard work, dedication, confidence, will power, and strength. In essence, Nike products are known for their quality and providing the best customer satisfaction. The â€Å"personality† of product is dynamic and possesses a very unique personality. As an athlete, the advertisement at once appeals and catches the sensory images of the audience. The advertisement starts out with an â€Å"image† of a fetus, which at once catches the attention. Then, it slowly transitions to a life cycle of both athletes. The advertisement focused more on the training part of both athletes. One of the best clip is when Troy Polamalu is running through the bleachers in snow. In essence, that portrays his determination to train even in the harshest conditions. Yes, as a matter of fact I tend to use Nike products for various reasons. First, Nike itself is a brand name that is unique in its own aspects. I wear the Nike Underarmour shirts during my workout sessions since they are fitted and give me this illusion of being bigger than I am. Moreover, Nike products are high quality and tend to absorb sweat in such a manner that the odor is not too prevalent. Nike products in my opinion are a top brand and allow individuals to express their personality and style with the variety of selection of products. Undoubtedly, Nike advertisements portray the culture and attitude that Nike embraces and displays to its customer

Anti Discrimination Law Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Anti Discrimination Law - Case Study Example Discrimination is strictly condemned and discouraged everywhere in Europe, though there are slight differences between the European law and the English law in the determination of rights and obligations delegated by the constitution to the public at large. It is, therefore, the courts and tribunals adjudicating the cases, both civil and criminal in nature, take into serious consideration the facts regarding whether there is any sign of prejudiced behavior made by any member or organization of society while dealing with the complainant or treating as well as interacting with him under the biased attitude. In addition, the law forbids bestowing of more favors to anyone because of his personality traits and features. The provisions of law aim to set up a society where equality, justice, and fair play can be observed in all walks of life. Hence several acts have been issued and bills have been passed in order to combat the discrimination dilemma with an iron hand. Though law always recom mends equality and justice to all and sundry, it is not actually the case in reality. On the contrary, exploitation of minority groups and biased behavior towards the weaker stratum of society is actually in vogue in almost all societies of the world. Before embarking upon the topic under study, it would be advisable to define anti-discrimination law. Anti-discrimination law refers to the statute of law that prohibits any special rights or privileges to the individuals belonging to some particular race, gender, ethnicity, age group or towards the persons obtaining any physical as well as mental abilities or disabilities. The law also prohibits violation and condemnation of human rights of the individuals on the basis of their innate characteristics.

Field Report on Hopwood Motorway Service Area . Sustainability Coursework - 1

Field Report on Hopwood Motorway Service Area . Sustainability - Coursework Example I noted that the peak flow and the concentration of pollutants in both water and sediments collected from the management train at Hopwood have recorded a downward trend (Motorway Services Online, 2013: 1). The sediments were received into the watercourse (Booth, et al., 2012: 244). Booth et al. (2012: 244) say that the Hopwood motorway service contains SUDS trains that administer vehicle parking, amenity and petroleum supply areas, as well as access road network, ponds and filter strips. During the fieldwork, I noticed that the motorway service also has swales, porous paving and swamplands (Booth, et al., 2012: 244). Conclusively, having conducted the field survey, the Service area must always be monitored to control the chemicals emitted from the pond. In an event that the wetlands are not well monitored, the wildlife may have access to contaminated water from the service

The Ultimate Fall Out of the Subprime Crisis Essay

The Ultimate Fall Out of the Subprime Crisis - Essay Example This may include the loans that are advanced on some types of investment properties and to some self employee individuals. (Karen, 2007, p. 6) As such Subprime lending can be taken as one of risky activities not only for the borrowers but also for the lenders. This is due to high interest rates, frequent poor credit histories of the borrowers, potential adverse financial situation which may be encountered by the borrowers and others. This study will look at the Subprime problem that has rocked the US market and other markets in the world as well. There has been increased rate of home foreclosure and millions of the US homeowners have lost their homes. There is a general panic that has rocked the industry with so much uncertainty about its future. The paper looked at the Subprime crisis but leaned on the potential fall out of the crisis. This study is important since other studies which have been carried out on the subject have concentrated on the overall cause and trend of the crisis but few have looked at the potential fall out of the crisis and its consequences. The objective of the study was to understand the trend in t he crisis and therefore predict the potential fall out. The study was carried out by collective, reviewing and analyzing secondary data in order to put facts together to understand the potential fall out of the mortgage. ... From the study the authors has understood the trend in the current mortgage crisis, its causes and the potential interacting factor that have made it difficult to resolve it. The author has also understood the potential fall out of the crisis and from this it has been easily to come up with the possible strategies that could be used in the future in order to avoid the repeat of such a crisis. Therefore the study has helped the author to understand the effects that Subprime crisis is likely to have on the lenders and borrowers as well. Aims and objectives of the study The main aim of the study was to look into the Subprime crisis that has currently rocked the US home industry which has also been felt in other countries as well. In order to understand the topic well, the research was also aimed at looking into the developments in the Subprime crisis so as to come up with an understanding of the crisis and potential fall out and its effects on the homeowners. Therefore the main aim of the study was to study the ultimate fall out of the Subprime crisis. To achieve the aim of the study, there were specific objectives which had to be fulfilled first. This was important in order to understand the trend in the crisis and the potential consequences. The following were the objectives of the study; To assess the main factors which have contributed to the Subprime crisis To asses the trend in the Subprime crisis To evaluate the extent of damage that has been caused by the crisis To evaluate the potential effects of the crisis Through the achievement of the objectives the study was able to understand the subject of study well and to draw upon conclusion on the potential effects of the crisis. Therefore they were

Constrained Women Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Constrained Women - Essay Example Short stories can often focus a reader’s attention on various elements of our lives that frequently pass by under our radar because they are now so deeply ingrained in our society’s norms. Such concepts in our life would include the inherent male-dominant beliefs of old in which the woman’s space is considered to be only within the home. On a social level, the woman’s place remains below men even in modern times and is usually placed only slightly above children in matters of importance. While these are ideologies that have, in the past 100 years, been increasingly challenged, particularly by women who have continued to demonstrate their ability to keep up with men, it remains the case that women continue to struggle, not simply on the social level, but on the personal level as well. This personal battle in the example of female subservience requires women to begin questioning the values learned in their youth to consider something both thrilling and frigh tening – the idea that they may be capable of making their own decisions in life without the leadership or approval of men. For many women, the concept alone would be the most they would achieve, especially in earlier time periods. The female characters found in William Faulkner’s short story â€Å"A Rose for Emily† and Shirley Jackson’s short story â€Å"The Lottery† live within this oppressive ideology of the subservient woman both socially and internally, but also exhibit a yearning to escape the ties that bind them.

Initial response to Malcolm X and Black Rage Essay Example for Free

Initial response to Malcolm X and Black Rage Essay In the essay, Cornel West tries to explain how Malcolm X’s â€Å"Black Rage† articulation wasnt directed at white americans only, but also to black americans who view their lives and minds through what West describes as â€Å"White lenses†. West also claims that Malcolm X’s idea of â€Å"psychic conversation† would promote blacks to turn that rage to love and appreciation of their own culture and self worth. Another claim West mentions is that the idea of psychic conversation struck fear into black professionals, due to their constant surrounding of white social circles, but at the same time understand the idea precisely for the exact same reason. West compares these kind of individuals to Du Bois’s idea of â€Å"double consciousness†. Blacks living between their own live and whites, never settle in either, yet crave acceptance mainly from whites. ! West also believed that Malcolm X viewed black equality as a farfetched possibility due to the majority of white racists, and black victims of democracy. What interests me the most is that Malcolm X feared cultural hybridity even though he, himself, comes from a hybrid culture. But eventually Malcolm X began to slowly remove that fear after looking into the acceptance of humanity regardless of race, class, or gender in the Islamic regimes of Muslims in the Middle East. In the end of the essay, West thinks that future generations should take Malcolm X’s â€Å"black rage† and â€Å"psychic conversation† as an example of rejection to any sorts of inequality. I strongly agree with West’s idea to follow such examples in order to achieve change in human equality and acceptance.

Advantages And Disadvantages Of RFID

Advantages And Disadvantages Of RFID The significant advantage of all types of RFID systems is the noncontact, non-line-of-sight nature of the technology. Unlike a bar code, a large number of RFID tags can be read almost instantaneously through other materials (though some materials may cause problems) and they can be read through plastic, cardboard, wood and etc. Theoretically, this means that you could take a pallet of mixed products, all of which contain individual RFID tags, and have an RFID reader read all the tags within the palletized load without having to physically move any of the materials or open any cases. Thus, inventory can be performed in a highly efficient method. The RFID tags can store data and can also be read in challenging circumstances at remarkable speeds, in most cases responding in less than 100 milliseconds. In interactive applications such as work-in-process or maintenance tracking, the read/write capability of an active RFID system is also a significant advantage. RFID equipment damage occurs much less frequently than is the case with magnetic strips or barcodes. RFID tags are less susceptible to damage and can be read through a variety of substances such as ice, snow, paint, fog, crusted grime, and other visually and environmentally challenging conditions, where barcodes or other optically read technologies would be useless. RFID tags can be sealed within a plastic enclosure eliminating many of the problems that plague bar codes in harsh environments where they are exposed to chemicals, high temperature or moisture, abrasion, dirt and grease buildup, etc. If the implementation provides a significant method to improve business processes, the total cost of ownership should go down over the years and provide a good Return on investment (ROI). Supply chain management forms the major part of retail business and RFID systems play a key role by managing updates of stocks, transportation and logistics of the product. The aim is to reduce administrati ve error, labor costs associated with scanning bar codes, internal theft, errors in shipping goods and overall inventory levels. The combination of all above mentioned advantages will provide quick access to a wealth of information, eliminate human errors, and reduce labour which lead to reduce project activity times and to save project costs. 5.2: Disadvantage of RFID technology Lack of standardization, high costs of implementation, technology deployment risks, and the elimination of unskilled labour are all contributors currently preventing the adoption of new RFID technologies in the construction industry. Cost is the biggest hurdle to RFID tags replacing bar codes for item-level tracking of low-cost products. RFID systems are typically more expensive than alternatives such as barcode systems. In addition, software and support personnel needed to install and operate the RFID reading systems (in a warehouse for example) may be more costly to employ. Liquid and metal surfaces tend to reflect the radio waves, which makes the tags unreadable so, RFID tags cannot be read well when placed on metal or liquid objects or when these objects are between the reader and the tag. The tags have to be placed in various alignments and angles for taking proper reading. This is a tedious task when the work involves big firms. Tag and reader collision are common problems with RFID. Tag collision occurs when numerous tags are present in a confined area. The RFID tag reader energizes multiple tags simultaneously, all of which reflect their signals back to the reader. This result in tag collision, and the RFID reader fails to differentiate between incoming data. RFID reader collision results when the coverage area managed by one RFID reader overlaps with the coverage area of another reader. This causes signal interference and multiple reads of the same tag. RFID standards are still being developed. You dont want to invest in an RFID system that is based on soon-to-be obsolete specs. RFID technology ultimately involves software that allows each user to be identified by a central database. This infrastructure will certainly be under attack by hackers. Water, static discharge or high-powered magnetic surges (such as lightning strike) may damage the tags. With more research, the flaws and limitations of this technology can be removed. This will make RFID technology very useful for diverse sectors like retail, and transport. Developments in RFID technology continue to yield larger memory capacities, wider reading ranges, and faster processing. RFID will continue to grow in its established niches where barcode or other optical technologies are not effective. If some standards commonality is achieved whereby RFID equipment from different manufacturers can be used interchangeably the market will very likely grow exponentially. 6: RFID APPLICATIONS There are various applications of RFID technology in different industries for both logistical traceability for tracking the location and progress of an object, and qualitative traceability for associating any additional information to products (Karkkainen, 2005). Retail, food, defence, pharmaceutical, healthcare, manufacturing and transport are just some of the sectors where RFID has already been extensively applied (Wilding and Delgado 2004, ERABUILD Report 2006, and Smith and Konsynski 2007). Tagging provides asset visibility, identification and positioning, and enables total inventory management. Different sectors require different approaches but a common factor to all is adequately determining a basic unit or unit set for tagging (e.g. pallets, packages, single items, containers, etc.)(Radosavljevic and Dan-Asabe, 2007). Increasingly, retail/CPG and Pharmaceutical companies are looking to use RFID to track goods within their supply chain, to work in process and for other applications. Today, CPG and retail companies are using RFID to track promotional displays, reduce out-of-stocks and improve shipping and receiving accuracy. Manufactures are using RFID to track work-in-process, perfect just-in-time manufacturing, improve shipping accuracy, and manage inventory and warrantee information (RFIDJournal, 2010). Auto manufacturers are among the leading users of RFID technology today. Most cars have an RFID reader in the steering column and a transponder in the key. If the ID in the key doesnt match the number the reader is looking for, the car wont stop. This system has greatly reduced auto theft. Auto companies also use RFID to track work-in-process, perfect just-in-time manufacturing, improve shipping accuracy, and manage inventory and warrantee information (RFIDJournal, 2010). Hospitals and health-care providers are using RFID technology to track patients and high-value assets, as well as ensure patient safety. One company offers a system to track surgical sponges to ensure they are not inadvertently left behind in patients. And many hospitals are now tracking patients to ensure the right patient is given the proper care. These systems tend to reduce the data-entry workload of nurses, and also let them spend more time caring for patients and automate the process of billing. Additionally, hospitals are tracking high-value assets, including gurneys, wheel chairs, oxygen pumps and defibrillators. These systems reduce the time employees spend looking for assets, improve asset utilization and enhance the hospitals ability to performed scheduled maintenance (RFIDJournal, 2010). Pharmaceutical companies are exploring RFIDs potential in many areas, including improving supply-chain efficiencies, complying with government information-collection requirements, reducing counterfeiting; creating electronic pedigrees and ensuring public safety by making sure only legitimate drugs enter the supply chain (RFIDJournal, 2010). Thousands of companies around the world use RFID today to improve internal efficiencies. Club Car, a maker of golf carts uses RFID to improve efficiency on its production line (Jonathan Collins, 2004). Paramount Farms one of the worlds largest suppliers of pistachios uses RFID to manage its harvest more efficiently (Bob Violino, 2004). NYK Logistics uses RFID to improve the throughput of containers at its busy Long Beach, Calif., distribution center (Jennifer Maselli, 2003). http://www.rfidjournal.com/article/purchase/839 http://www.rfidjournal.com/article/purchase/810 http://www.rfidjournal.com/article/purchase/617 http://www.rfidjournal.com Wilding, R. and Delgado, T. (2004). RFID Applications within the Supply Chain. Supply Chain 6(2), 36-49. Smith, H. and Konsynsky, B. (2003). Developments in Practice X: Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)-An Internet for Physical Objects. Communication Association for Information System, 12, 301-311. Karkkainen, M. (2005). Forwarder Independent Tracking System-Problem Description and Solution Design Proposal. Ph.D. Diss., Dept. of Ind. Eng., Helsinki University of Technology, Espoo.

Emily Bronte Essay -- essays papers

Emily Bronte Emily Bronte was one of three sisters who became famous novelists. Emily's only novel is Wuthering Heights, which was published in December of 1847. Emily was from the Yorkshire village of Haworth. Emily was born on July 30, 1818 to Reverend Patrick Bront? and Marie Branwell Bront?. She was the fifth child of six. The village of Haworth was very isolated. Two years after they moved to Haworth, Mrs. Bront? died of cancer. In 1824 the four eldest girls were sent to Cowan Bridge School, a school for the daughters of improvised clergymen. The conditions there were very unhealthy, and as a result Emily's eldest sisters, Maria and Elizabeth died and Charlotte became very ill. Mr. Bront? had Charlotte and Emily brought home. As children Charlotte, Emily, Branwell, and Anne w...

Traditional Schools versus Charter Schools Essay -- Education

Education is a very important aspect in society and is valued by parents, politicians, educators, and others in the community. The education of children is a vital role in any organized system because the future depends on those who are young to take over in the cycle of society. The institutions that provide children with an education can be divided into two categories known as traditional public schools and nontraditional schools. Nontraditional schools provide students with different learning environments compared to traditional schools and some specific examples of these schools are magnet schools, charter schools, and virtual schools (Newberry). All of these schools are relatively new and have controversial views across the country. A charter school is a public elementary or secondary school that is independent from the local school district and is able to operate due to a state charter that is issued when the institution opens. This type of school lacks various rules and regul ations that are set by the district in traditional schools and allows flexibility and new teaching methods to be used. Each type of school has different benefits that enable the school to function, but there are many arguments that analyze which type of school is more suitable for the education of children across the country. Charter schools have a lot of potential benefits that provide the students with an exceptional education and create satisfaction with the parents in the community. A charter school uses a very unique system to create the foundation of the institution. A charter is issued from the state and is put together by politicians, teachers, and parents in the community. As a result, every charter school is able to invent their own guidel... ...th, Mary. "Public Schools vs. Charter Schools." Education Bug. N.p., 2012. Web. 27 Mar. 2012. public-schools-vs--charter-schools.html>. - - -. "Public Schools Vs. Charter Schools." Education Bug. N.p., 2012. Web. 27 Mar. 2012. public-schools-vs--charter-schools.html>. Newberry, Jennifer. "Understanding Nontraditional Schools: K-State Education Expert Looks at Some Alternatives to Public Schools." K-State Perspective. N.p., Summer 2005. Web. 27 Mar. 2012. webzine/backtoschool/nontraditional.html>. Shilling, Ali. "The New York City Debate." Department of Psychology. Univesity of Michigan, n.d. Web. 27 Mar. 2012. finalshilling.356/the_debate__charter_vs._public_schools_in_nyc>.

Demise of the Permian- Triassic Period Essay examples -- Exploratory E

Demise of the Permian- Triassic Period It is well known that there was a mass extinction killing the dinosaurs. However 185 million years before their demise, almost all life on earth was destroyed.1[1] There has long been theories that meteorites are the cause the of the mass extinctions and professor Asish Basu believes he may have found clues that point to space as the cause of the extinction in the Permian- Triassic period.2[2] The Triassic period is during a time when the earth was divided in a giant land mass: pangea, and water. Here there was no separation of continents. The Triassic is when the dinosaurs first started to appear, but long before the notorious Tyrannosaurus Rex dominated the terrain. At this time the dinosaurs were just a small part of the many animals that wandered the earth and were by no means, the large dominant, creatures that come to ones mind today. However the marker of this period is an extinction of the animals in the Permian period. The Permian period is known for the abundance of flora and the major changes in landscape including the formation of the Appalachian Mountains.3[3] Most notably is the giant fern: glossopteris. However at the end of the period, during the time of the extinction, it too disappeared.4[4] Professor Basu and his colleagues found fragments of chondritic minerals with mineral compositions that do not occur on earth, in Antarictica. These minerals have very similar chemical composition to minerals found in Meishan China. Because such similar extra-terrestrial minerals have been discovered in two geographically distant places, there is evidence that a meteor struck the earth and the dust that covered the land was significant enough to co... ... If it was a meteor it could give new insight to what kind of meteor it was and how it killed almost an entire planet’s living organisms. Either way, this evidence should not be taken lightly and is a crucial to the world of science. Notes: 1[1] Basu, Asish; Petaev, Michail I.; Poreda, Robert J.; Jacobsen, Stein B.; Becker, Luann, Science: â€Å"Chondritic Meteorite Fragments Associated with the Permian-Triassic Boundary in Antarctica†, Vol 302, Issue 5649, 1388-1392 , 21 November 2003 2[2] Basu 3[3] Encyclopedia. http://www.encyclopedia.com/html/section/Permianp_HistoricalGeologyofthePeriod.asp 4[4] Associate Press. CNN: â€Å"Ancient Meteorite Wiped Out Life† Washington, Nov. 20, 2003 5[5] Basu, 6[6] Associated Press 7[7] Basu, 8[8] Britt, Robert Roy, Science: â€Å"Controversial New Claim in Death-by-Meteor Case†, 20 November 2003 9[9] Britt 10[10] Britt

Metafiction and Happy Endings (Margaret Atwood) Essay

Metafiction A. Definition: The narrator of a metafictional work will call attention to the writing process itself. The reader is never to forget that what she is reading is constructed–not natural, not â€Å"real.† She is never to get â€Å"lost† in the story. B. Possible Contents: intruding to comment on writing involving his or herself with fictional characters directly addressing the reader openly questioning how narrative assumptions and conventions transform and filter reality, trying to ultimately prove that no singular truths or meanings exist C. General Characteristics Metafiction often employs intertextual references and allusions by: examining fictional systems; incorporating aspects of both theory and criticism; creating biographies of imaginary writers; presenting and discussing fictional works of an imaginary character. Authors of metafiction often violate narrative levels by: intruding to comment on writing; involving his or herself with fictional characters; directly addressing the reader; openly questioning how narrative assumptions and conventions transform and filter reality, trying to ultimately prove that no singular truths or meanings exist Metafiction also uses unconventional and experimental techniques by: rejecting conventional plot; refusing to attempt to become â€Å"real life†; subverting conventions to transform reality into a highly suspect concept; flaunting and exaggerating foundations of their instability; displaying reflexivity (the dimension present in all literary texts and also central to all literary analysis, a function which enables the reader to understand the processes by which he or she reads the world as a text). It also poses questions about the relationship between fiction and reality by drawing  attention to its characteristic as an artifact by itself. No sense of reality in its entire spectrum as a genre even though the extremes of each end are minute acceptance and merely exploration of fictionality to the other end being utter denial of reality itself. D. Examples: Adams, Douglas. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. 1979. Mitchell, David. Cloud Atlas. 2004. HAPPY ENDINGS A. Characters: The author uses common names for the characters which allows him the versatility of putting them into different situations. Doing so supports the way the author puts much importance on what happens during the story instead of how it ends. John one of the most common boy names, has ranged from musicians (John Lennon), to leaders (John F Kennedy), to philosophers (John Locke) etc. This can emphasize the author’s use of putting the character into different contexts, changing the plot and how he plays different roles, yet emphasizes that it all ends the same (death). -Idea that the ending of a story is always the same, but only the middle matters In the story he is a loving husband, adulterous partner, womanizer Mary meaning of the name Mary is: Wished-for child; rebellion; bitter. Famous Bearers: the Virgin Mary; Mary Magdalene; Mary, Queen of Scots. Also shows how the author putes his characters in different situations. James -minor character Fred – minor character Madge – minor character B. Setting: The author employs the use of place as setting in the story. Various examples of setting seen in the story are an apartment, as seen in story B, and a â€Å"charming house,† as seen in story A, C and As seen in the line, â€Å"Remember, this is Canada. You’ll still end up with A, though in between you may get a lustful brawling saga of passionate involvement, a chronicle of our times, sort of,† the setting of the story and each of its segments is a medium for what each character does before he reaches the end. The setting of the story could have an influence on what one could do before he dies, the end which everyone eventually reaches. This is seen in the story wherein each segment (letters) had different bodies of story, yet everything â€Å"continues as in A† in which the characters live on with their lives then die. D. Concepts: Ex: How do elements in the story help to create meaning? Like: setting, tone, imagery, symbol, irony, etc Metafiction in Happy Endings  The author tackles the â€Å"What?† question in the writing process through his story Happy Endings. He goes through many scenarios but shows us that the conclusion to each scenario is the same. The question â€Å"What?† only leads to the ending of the story which we already know will be the same. The important things to ask rather are â€Å"How?† and â€Å"Why?†. These questions make up the middle of the story, the events that happen, the part that counts. Textual Irony Title is Happy Endings but the real endings are al the same and result in death Conflict Is always changing depending on the situation given. Always has something to with the subject of love. SYMBOLS E. Title â€Å"Happy Endings† Most people usually focus on the ending of a story Everyone wants a happy ending, but in reality we all meet an equal end which is that we eventually die There is no such thing as a happy ending. All are the same in which we all eventually pass away. What matters is what is done as we reach the end. F. Theme What matters the most in the story is not the ending, but what what we do on the way there, because we can change our situations by choosing to act in the present, but not matter what you do you can’t change your inevitable end. —————————————————————————————————————————- RANDOM NOTES Margaret Atwood’s Happy Endings is an illustration of the idea that the ending of a story is always the same, but only the middle matters. And Love plays an important factor in all scenarios. SYNOPSIS: It includes six stories in one, each ending with death. The author believes that this is the only sure ending to anything. The stories are all inter-related, containing the same characters and similar actions. Behind the obvious meaning of these seemingly pointless stories lies a deeper and more profound meaning†¦. What is the common denominator between all these scenarios? In case you missed it, Atwood sums it up in her concluding remarks. ‘John and Mary die. John and Mary die. John and Mary die.’ ‘Happy Endings’ forces us to question the point of life. Every story, carried to its ultimate logical conclusion, has the same ending, because all lives have the same ending. We may die in the heat of battle; we may die in our sleep. We may die in infancy, in a gang war, in a nursing home. But we’re going to die. The story isn’t in the ending — it’s in what we do on the way there. RESOURCES USED http://ronosaurusrex.com/metablog/list-of-metafictional-works/ http://www.geneseo.edu/~johannes/Metafiction.html http://postcolonialstudies.emory.edu/metafiction/#ixzz2e1Z087Wr http://www.storybites.com/book-reviews/happy-endings-by-margaret-atwood.php characters http://www.bookrags.com/studyguide-happyendings/char.html themes http://www.bookrags.com/studyguide-happyendings/themes.html (online copy: http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~rebeccal/lit/238f11/pdfs/HappyEndings_Atwood.pdf )

Develop and promote positive relationships Essay

The importance of good working relationships in the setting. It’s very important to have a good working relationship within a setting because it reflects and promotes a positive environment, that is not only inviting for children but for the parents also. Staffs are also approachable and children will be relaxed and confident and will feel that they are able to trust you. Parents would also find it easier to form professional relationships with staff members, this helps to make separation and transitions easier for the child and parent. It also makes discussing important information about the Childs individual needs or concerns easier. Forming good relationships with other colleagues makes the setting run smoothly, information is easily passed on. The working environment is relaxed and more enjoyable. K2 Relevant legal requirements covering the way you relate to and interact with children and young people The relevant requirements covering the way we relate to and interact with children are The United Nations Convention On The Rights Of Children 1989, this legislation ensures that children are listened to, shown respect and have the right to make choices (within reason). They must be protected from discrimination and have the right to freedom of expression. The Children’s Act 1989 brings together various pieces of legislation; it covers child protection and the responsibilities a parent must adhere to, as well as ensuring that children’s welfare is of a paramount importance. K3 Relevant legal requirements and procedures covering confidentiality and the disclosure of information. The Data Protection Act 1998 requires anyone who handles personal information to comply with a number of important principles. It also gives individuals rights over their personal information. This act covers all information held on paper or computer systems and all organizations that store personal data must register with the Data Protection Commission. The eight enforceable principles that must comply with are: †¢Fairly and lawfully processed. †¢Processed for limited purposes. †¢Adequate, relevant and not excessive. †¢Accurate. †¢Not kept longer than necessary. †¢Processed in accordance with the data subject’s rights. †¢Secure. †¢Not transferred to other countries without adequate protection. To comply with these principles every school processing personal data must notify under the Act. Data Protection within the school is also checked with auditors and ofsted. Any passing on of a child’s personal information to other professionals must have written consent from the parents or main carer, or the school would be in breach of the Data Protection Act. All admission details of children leaving the school are passed on to their new schools, but historical data is kept on the school’s IT Management system. This information is stored under a secure password protected application. The different types of personal data which is held in the school are: Name and address of the child. Gender. Contact details of parents/carer including emergency telephone numbers. Development records/profiles of each child. Observations including photographic evidence on each child. Medical information. Absence/attendance records. Unique pupil number. Within the school any general information such as doctor /dentist or other professional appointments should be shared between colleagues only. We also have a medical room within the main school which contains medical records and photographs of those children who have food allergies and other serious conditions such as diabetes. Again this confidential information is only accessible by members of staff. It is also essential and important when working with children not to discuss them or their family outside your setting. No information should be passed on without parental consent, unless requested by the police or social services. The only time that you are allowed to breach confidentiality is when you are safe guarding a child or in an emergency. K4 Relevant legal requirements covering the needs of disabled children and young people and those with special educational needs. Legislation and the special needs code of practice: SEN and Disability Act 2001: Providers should make reasonable adjustments to include children with SEN e. g. provide / attend training. A written SEN policy is needed. A SENCO should be identified. Education Act 1944: Children with special needs should be educated alongside their peers. The views of parents should be recognized. Children’s handicap should be diagnosed. Disability Discrimination Act 1995. Those who provide goods and services to the public must make sure that they do not discriminate against those who have a disability, including children who may have learning or physical difficulties or long term illness. Code of Practice 1994. A five stage process to assess a child’s special needs is identified. If needed a statement is written to say how those needs will be met. Code of Practice 2001. A staged system of assessment consisting of Action and Action plus is introduced to support children whose needs may not require a statement or to contribute to the process of statementing. Education Act 1989. Children with disabilities should be educated in mainstream schools wherever possible. Health, education and social services should work together to asses a child’s needs. Children’s Act 1989. Every local authority should provide services for children with special educational needs in their local area. Early identification of special needs is important. K5 The types of information that should be treated confidentially: who you can and cannot share this information with. Who should have access to any records? Head teacher, teacher, parents/carers, Ofsted, SENCO, Social services and other professionals. 2. Where should records be stored? Records are stored in secure cabinets. In a software package. These records are on the individual teacher’s laptops which are password protected and stored in a central storage room overnight. All back up discs are also stored in secure cabinets. 3. How can records be checked for accuracy? External moderators from the Local Educational Authority check the software for accuracy and EYFS profiling. Regular meetings with current examples of tracking and profiles take place between the school and the moderators. 4. Who should be allowed to carry out observations and assessments? Teacher, Key person, SENCO and assessors. 5. Who can give permission for observations and assessments to take place? Written permission forms are signed by parents/carers at the start of the academic year for all new children attending the school, this also covers photographic observations/evidence. K6 The meaning of anti-discriminatory practice and how to integrate this into your relationships with children and other adults. It is paramount that all children and families feel that the setting is welcoming, non-threatening and that they are respected and valued. These means that all practitioners should have excellent communication skills and have the ability to listen carefully, question, understand and respond in a positive manner. Developing and building a trusted two way relationship means that you will be able to support both the family and child throughout their time in your care. The school also promotes that all individual children are given equal access to the school’s curriculum, care, moral and spiritual input, sports, arts and play opportunities. This support also includes the children being healthy, safe, enjoying and achieving and; making positive contributions to the community and society. A SEN register is held in school of all children who have been identified as having special needs. Other registers record different circumstances which may affect children’s access to the curriculum such as English as an additional language, medical needs, gifted and talented. K7 How you adapt your behaviour and communication with children to meet the needs of children in your care of different ages, genders, ethnicities, needs and abilities. It is still essential with this age group of children and young people to build on good relationships; they will be experiencing many physical changes and may feel anxious about puberty. Adults need to able to listen and be sensitive to the changes they are going through. It is vital that they have positive adult relationships, with an adult who can listen carefully, are sensitive, non-judgmental and have empathy to their individual needs. Within this age group they face far more peer pressure, wanting to fit in with their peers, feeling concerned about their outward appearances, even facing issues such as sex and experimentation with alcohol and drugs. Having a good relationship away from a family member where the children or young people can feel that they can express their own views and opinions and be respected and spoken to as an equal over important issues in their lives is paramount. Therefore they still require an adult who can give them advice, reassurance, praise and encouragement and understand their needs. K8 Strategies you can adopt to help children to feel welcome and valued in the setting. I ensure that all children in my setting are given the opportunities to play with an activity of their choice and that their views and beliefs are listened to. All children must be praised and encouraged, valued and listened to. I make them feel welcome and valued by being a positive role model and by taking an interest in what they do and say. K9 What is meant by ‘appropriate’ and ‘inappropriate behaviour when interacting with children, the policies and procedures to follow and why these are important? The school’s policies and procedures all members of staff must have a full and active part to play in protecting all pupils from harm, and at all times the children’s welfare is of paramount concern. We should all be working together to provide a caring positive and stimulating environment that promotes the social, physical and moral development of all the individual children. All members of staff are expected to develop their performance portfolios and undertake annual performance management meetings to improve on their teaching standards. The importance of following the school’s policies and procedures in appropriate behaviour are that you are contributing to the overall ethos and aims of the school and safe guarding the children. Helping to promote inclusion and acceptance of all pupils and encouraging interaction with others. Appropriate behaviour helps to develop the children’s confidence, self esteem, resilience and independence giving them a feeling of being respected and valued. Inappropriate behaviour from members of staff could result in the children lacking in confidence and lowering their self esteem. The children we feel that their views and opinions are not respected or valued. The children will become less independent and it will promote bad behaviour resulting in an environment where they will not learn or feel safe. Using unprofessional behaviour when interacting with children could become a child protection issue. Therefore it is inappropriate to be too personal or give personal information to the children in your care. K10 The importance of encouraging children to make choices for themselves and strategies to support this. By encouraging children to act in this way you are helping them to develop and make them become aware of their own needs and areas of improvement. This can be done by allowing the child to try and solve problems or necessary decisions before advice is given. Options can be given to the child to help them choose a path to take K11 The importance of involving children in decision-making and strategies you can use to do this. Within the foundation stage, the overall area is split into specific activities such as role play, home corner, writing table, messy area, quiet area and the outside area. The children can make decisions on when, how and for how long they stay at an activity. With all of the activities, there will be under pinned planned learning intentions and outcomes, some of which will have adult led or adult engagement involved. By letting the children play independently and by not interfering or leading the play, the children will develop social and emotional skills and learn to play alongside others or co-operatively. It enhances their imagination and creativity, develops communication and language skills as they work through ideas and concepts, also enabling the children to take risks and make mistakes and learn through their experiences. In involving the children in decision-making it will build on their confidence and self esteem and they will feel that their views and feelings are valued. K12 How to negotiate with children according to their age and stage of development. The first step in negotiation is to ask ‘what don’t you want to do and why. ‘ Using age related language, experience of the situation, the child and or children will in general be able to come to or reach an outcome. All children need choices it is not age specific, it depends on what level they are at in their development and understanding, for the choices that you give them. For example under 3 year olds, Its tidy up time, ask them to tidy away three things, give them a choice of what three things they are going to pick up. With children 3 years of age and over they start to learn for themselves about negotiating through their play by figuring out what the rules are, who’s going to go first, sharing toys and activities. As children get older it is important for them to be involved in negotiating and decision-making as it develops their ability to become responsible, understand consequences and prevents them from feeling excluded and powerless. Giving children choices puts the responsibility and power back into their hands. Within a school there are several ways in which you can negotiate with the children, including rewards such as stickers for those children who can undress independently for PE. For example if a few children who refuse to get changed, rewarding them with a sticker encourages them to try to undress independently or with our support. Maybe reward house points for good behaviour in following our ‘rules’ or trying really hard and working at their best ability. In the outside area we time the use of the bikes, scooter and cars so that all the children have a turn. We ensure that all the children have a choice of independent or adult led activities. When negotiating we are consistent with our actions and give the children explanations and consequences and listen to their views and feelings. K13 Strategies you can use to show children that you respect their individuality Keys to good practice: Provide activities that encourage self-expression. Provide opportunities within the foundation stage in creative development for the children to express themselves in exploring different media such as painting, drawing and modelling. The children can develop their imagination and expression in songs, music and dance, imaginative play and role play. Celebrate diversity by learning about each other’s culture, religion and beliefs. Encourage the children to listen and talk to each other in our weekly show and tell activity where the children can share a special toy, achievement or a special outing with us and their peers. Provide open-ended activities that children can put their own ‘stamp’ on. Allow the children free flow play where they can make up their own rules and games by providing different areas for role play and activities. Have independent activities based around our themed topics in which the children can expand on such as ‘buildings’. The children make 3D and 2D â€Å"Three little pigs† houses which is an adult led activity. By allowing them different mediums the children independently made houses by chalking out a town in our outside area, making houses with constructions toys, junk modelling, tents, and building their own using building bricks and homemade cement. Avoid comments that single children out as being different. Ensure that we listen and talk to the children include them in choices and decision making, acknowledge their interests and abilities by respecting their backgrounds, experiences and culture. Acknowledge children’s particular strengths and talents. Ensure that you respond to the children in different ways depending on their personalities. We share achievements or talents in special assemblies where the children can show their certificates or their talents to the rest of their peers. Show interest in things that the children enjoy doing. By knowing the children really well you can encourage them to try a new way of completing an activity such as if you know a child likes painting try to persuade them to try a different medium like a collage or junk modeling to create a picture. K14 How to balance the needs of individual children with those of the group as a whole. Within the setting daily routines of which the children have to adhere to such as registration and weekly timetable to adhere to. The school’s planning process involves grouping the children together by learning ability, style, physical and social groups and the teaching resources and levels are matched and deployed to deliver different styles of teaching to these different groups. K15 The importance of clear communication with children and specific issues that may arise in bilingual and multilingual settings All communication is a two way process and it is paramount when working with children that you listen carefully, question, understand and respond in a positive manner to what is being communicated to you. This will give the children the fundamental skills to take part in family life, school, employment and social activities. Within the setting we provide opportunities for the children to development their communication and language skills by different activities: It is important to give children clear communication and sufficient time to express themselves. †¢Showing our understanding and respect. †¢Giving children confidence and self esteem. †¢Encouraging independence. †¢Children can express their feelings and views. †¢Encourages socialising skills. †¢Gives children choice. †¢Showing we understand their needs. †¢Develops their language and communication skills. Also within our setting we have several children who are bilingual and multilingual with two or more languages these children have extra weekly support from our EAL co-ordinator. With these children we also ensure that we give clear and understandable instructions and in some cases use hand gestures or picture clues to help with their understanding. K16 Why it is important for children to ask questions, offer ideas and suggestions and how you can help them do this †¢It makes them feel part of the school. †¢They can have their say. †¢Gives the children a sense of responsibility. †¢Encourages their independence and confidence. †¢They will have a sense of belonging and pride in their school. †¢The children’s views and opinions are being listened to. †¢They will look after the new area or equipment (respect it). †¢Gives the children choices. †¢Builds relationships. †¢Develops their communication and language skills †¢They feel respected and valued. †¢They will explore and experience different activities / environments. †¢Develops their knowledge and understanding of the world. I feel that this is important to include the children in decisions about their environment, activities and learning opportunities because it gives them a sense of responsibility, independence and they will feel respected and valued. We do this by ensuring that the children have time to ask questions in a relaxed and natural way throughout their school day. K17 Why it is important to listen to children? It is important to listen to children so they know that you are interested in what they say and that you care for them. You also get to learn about the child when they are talking to you, for example if you need to help them with their language development or help them in their learning. †¢The children will feel that you are not interested in them. †¢Demonstrates that you are a role model to the children. †¢It builds the children’s self esteem and confidence. †¢It builds on good relationships with the children and other adults. †¢The children feel respected and will be happy to share suggestions and decisions. †¢Develops the children’s communication and language. †¢Helps the children to learn socialising, negotiation skills and independence. †¢The children may need to disclose a safeguarding incident. †¢It shows that we understand the children’s needs. K18 How to respond to children in a way that shows you value what they have to say and the types of behaviour that could show that you do not value their ideas and feelings. All children respond well to positive reinforcement of expected behaviour boundaries. By just giving general statements such as â€Å"do not interrupt† or â€Å"well done† does not reinforce or teach good values. Also by asking open questions you can demonstrate that you are listening to the child and or children and giving them time to express their feelings, views and opinions. K19 The importance of being sensitive to communication difficulties with children and how to adapt the way you communicate to different situations. Communication difficulties with children: †¢Hearing difficulties or deaf. †¢Poor vision or blind. †¢Ill health. †¢Special educational needs. †¢Physical disability. †¢Poor language skills or English as an additional language. †¢Disruptive child. †¢Speech problems. Cultural Differences and English as an additional language 1. Smile and have friendly facial expressions. 2. Use hand gestures to gain understanding. 3. Use pictures. 4. Show warmth and encouragement. 5. Use culturally relevant learning materials. 6. Group EAL co-ordinator who shares the same home language. 7. Have some key words in their home language. 8. Use translator. 9. Always treat children with respect and as individuals. 10. Ensure that you take into account their cultural differences, their life experiences and the way they prefer to communicate. 11. Respond appropriately to their non-verbal communication. Hearing impairment 1. Ensure that you always speak clearly and listen carefully. 2. Remove all distractions. 3. Always check and ensure hearing aids are working. 4. Use written communication if age appropriate. 5. Use sign language if and when appropriate. 6. Use a trained interpreter if a high level of skill is required. 7. Explain things using short, clear sentences and draw or use pictures, as required, to illustrate what you mean. 8. Use physical objects when learning new words or concepts. 9. Ensure the child as your full attention and that you maintain eye contact. Visual impairment 1. Use methods of multi-sensory interactions such as touch, sounds and smell. 2. Use different tones of voice with lots of expression. 3. Do not rely on non-verbal communication. 4. Use environmental sounds. 5. Develop routines when interacting with the child, such as using their name and touch in a consistent manner. Have clear signals that show the beginning and the end of your exchanges. 6. When explaining an activity or object ensure all visual communication is clear and understandable. Physical and learning Disabilities 1. Use alternative and augmentative communication such as hand gestures and eye pointing. 2. Use visual aids such as communication boards or displays, photographs, drawings and symbols to represent words or activities. 3. Use chat books or photograph album containing photographs, pictures, symbols, words and messages. 4. Use speech generating devices such as communication boards or displays on a machine which speak a message when a particular button is pressed. 5. Use spelling, using an alphabet board or typing device to spell out words and messages. 6. Use formal signing or signing which is particular to an individual. 7. Use object symbols that include normally objects or small versions of objects which represent an activity, object or person. Such as a set of car keys can represent it is time to go in the car. 8. Use a multi-sensory approach when providing information and learning taking into account the five senses and present information and activities in a different way enhancing learning and involving the children by doing, touching and seeing. 9. Ensure that your surroundings are appropriate and accessible. 10. Judge correct level of understanding. 11. Respond at the correct level repeating information when necessary. 12. Be prepared to wait and listen carefully. These children can be supported by: †¢Senco. †¢Parents. †¢Children under two by the health visitor. †¢EAL co-ordinator. †¢Other professionals †¢Nurture assistant. In terms of our physical environment we have no children with visual or speech impairments or with physical disabilities within the current foundation stage. So therefore we have no need of changing our different areas to accommodate any of these children. I would ensure that we accommodated these children by ensuring that the environment was spacious and accessible, bringing activities to their level or the floor. I would also use more visual and tactile aids. K20 How you can help the children to understand the value and importance of positive relationships with others. Within our school we encourage the children to develop positive relationships with others by praising good behaviour and following our rules. We act as positive role models such as praising nice manners. I have a rule for example, that if you accidently kick a ball over the fence I will let the children retrieve it if they can ask me with lovely manners. If they don’t ask nicely I make them wait and think about what would be a polite way of asking to retrieve the ball, thus instilling positive and desired behaviour. K21 The importance of children valuing and respecting other people’s individuality and how you can encourage and support this. †¢Act as a role model showing that you respect others individuality, feelings, views, ideas and cultures. †¢Have positive images and toys, books and dolls within your setting. †¢Have activities that encourage negotiation, sharing and building on relationships. †¢Demonstrate positive behaviour. †¢Have activities which encourage the children to talk to, listen and find out about others. K22 Why it is important for children to understand and respect other people’s feelings and how you can encourage and support this. †¢Stops the children’s frustration. †¢The children will feel that their feelings are being viewed. †¢Encourages empathy and social skills. †¢Encourages and promotes positive and expected behaviour. †¢Builds relationships. †¢Develops the children’s communication and language. †¢Develops personal, social and emotional skills. †¢Develops the children’s knowledge and understanding of the world. K23 Why it is important to be consistent and fair in dealing with positive and negative behaviour. †¢Being consistent and fair the children will understand right and wrong. †¢The children will understand expected behaviour boundaries and rules. †¢The children will understand consequences. †¢The children will understand that you are not showing favouritism. †¢The children will understand what is acceptable and what is not. Within my setting we reward positive behaviour with praise and other recognition such as house points and stickers. This is done in the presence of the child’s peers to encourage and reinforce positive and desired behaviour. With negative behaviour, if safe to do so we give no attention as it is often a play by the child for your attention. However, some unsafe and disruptive behaviour must be addressed immediately in a consistent and fair manner. K24 Strategies you can use to encourage and reinforce positive behavior Children may have negative behaviour due to: 1. Lack of sleep. 2. Feeling unwell. 3. Problems at home. 4. Sibling rivalry. 5. Tension at home. 6. Some children do not know how to play with others. 7. Bored and frustrated. 8. Lack confidence in socialising with others. We acknowledge positive behaviour and give reasons behind any boundaries such as we walk in school because we might fall over and hurt ourselves or others. We are consistent and fair by rewarding praise, house points and stickers for following the rules. We control negative behaviour by reinforcing and reminding the children of our rules. K25 Strategies you can use to challenge and deal with different types of behaviour which are consistent with your organisation’s policies The school policy aims and expectations are that every member of the school community feels valued and respected and that each person is treated fairly and well. The school’s policy encourages and promotes good relationships and that we work together to help everyone learn. We also aim to help the children grow in a safe and secure environment and for them to become positive, responsible and increasingly independent members of the school community. The school’s main ethos is to reward good behaviour as it believes that this will develop an environment of kindness and co-operation. The school employs sanctions to negative behaviour which are appropriate to each individual child, taking into consideration each child’s needs and the issue. The role of members of staff are to ensure that the rules are enforced in their class, that each individual child is treated fairly and consistently, to monitor repeated incidents and to seek advice from appropriate leadership team if necessary. We also use behaviour observations to help us understand the needs of the individual child such as requiring extra support from key worker, SENCO, EAL Co-ordinator, Management or other professionals. We also use different strategies and resources such as SEAL (Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning) to help individual children with their behaviour. K27 Why it is important to encourage and support positive relationships between children and other adults in the setting and strategies you can use to do this †¢It demonstrates that you are showing respect and sensitively. †¢Promotes good and positive behaviour. †¢Act as a role model for the children. †¢Promotes good communication in a caring and clear way. †¢It promotes good manners. †¢The children feel that they are listened too and that you value what they have to say. †¢It creates a positive atmosphere and environment where the children feel welcome and valued. †¢Promotes a friendly, consistent environment where the children will feel their views are worthwhile. †¢Ensure that you always give reasons and take time to explain your thoughts and actions. The main strategies that we use in the school are we work very closely in a team in the Foundation Area; we have a consistent approach with dealing with the children’s behavioural issues. We encourage the children to interact and build on relationships with all of us by acting as role models and by reinforcing our key rules. We also spend time with all the children across both classrooms in teaching and delivering our planned activities each week including taking phonics sessions, guided reading sessions, show and tell, PE and music, key person story time and supervision of the outside area. We have effective communication across the team to enable us all to keep up to date with any issues such as medical conditions, negative behaviour incidents, records of ongoing assessments / observations, developmental progress and achievements of the children in our care. K28 Why positive relationships with other adults are important. As a practitioner it is important that you maintain and have positive relationships with all adults that you come in contact with to support and develop the children in your care to grow into secure, confident and happy people. Having collaboration and support from parents, colleagues and other professionals will enable you to develop strong relationships which will enhance and benefit the children by demonstrating positive and desired behaviour. The children will cope better with transitions from home to school, to new classroom, to new staff and or support from other professionals. K29 Why it is important to show respect for other adults’ individuality and how to do so ? It’s important to respect other