The Theme of “A Worn Path”

The Theme of â€Å"A Worn Path† Charlotte Schroeder Ashford University 03/04/2013 ENG 125 Instructor Abby Forster In the short story â€Å"A Worn Path†, the author Eudora Welty, created a strong theme of undying love with an old woman and her grandson. The main character in this story is called Phoenix; she is an old woman that is narrated from the author trying to make a long journey down a worn path to bring her sick grandson medicine. She will not let anything get in her way from completing her mission and will not give up even though she is not a young puppy anymore.She is the last living relative to her young grandson and she keeps strong to fulfill his needs and keep him happy. The author uses great symbolism in the short story throughout the entire story. Religion, racism, and true love all play a key role in the theme of â€Å"A Worn Path†; it has strong literary elements that take this story to higher limits. The story does not tell us where the mother i s, however shows us how strong Phoenix is in her journey with characters making us know how bad racism is and how God is strong with her in her mission.Anyone that has children would not stop at anything to save them; Phoenix’s journey down a worn path proves it. This story is about a grandmother, Phoenix, walking through treacherous woods to get some medicine for her grandson that is sick that may or may not help him. The story is told in the third-person, â€Å"Third-person point of view which occurs when the speaker is not a participant in the story. It has two forms: omniscient point of view and objective point of view. † (Cited in Clugston, 2010) The author uses a narrative approach with the main character; it shows her thoughts and feelings throughout the entire story.She speaks to herself with a single purpose, devotion to her grandson in the doctor’s clinic. She must get to him at no cost since she is poor. The story’s theme is about undying love for a grandmother and grandson; it explains her struggles against aging since she has walked this path since the civil war. The narrative story expresses a lot of symbolic characters, first it starts with the name Phoenix which stands for the mythical creature that rises from its own ashes. â€Å"The use of symbolic characters throughout the story is explained.The author provides a critical interpretation and offers different meaning behind several elements. † (Cited in Clugston, 2010) Phoenix is faced with getting old and losing her mind, she is very afraid of it, but still carries on with the strength of God with her. Religion plays a key role to keeping her mind and strength strong and even beat racism with the characters she met along the way and interacts with. It starts with a cold month in December for the setting that makes you feel compassion for the main character and brings a thought of stagnation and sleeep.The story’s author sets a picture in your head fir st, â€Å"The setting is rural, a cold, early morning in December in the South. † (Cited in Clugston, 2010) The main character is a Negro woman that is an old lady and has been through many life situations. The story uses settings to establish many points for the theme and details of wagon tracks used to tell us she is following a familiar path. â€Å"On she went. The woods were deep and still. The sun made the pine needles almost too bright to look at, up where the wind rocked. The cones dropped as light as feathers.Down in the hollow was morning dove- it was not too late for him. † )Cited in Clugston, 2010, â€Å"A Worn Path†, para. 3) This is the â€Å"easy part† of her new journey since she will face a hunter and a nurse along the way. She meets a white hunter with a dog; they represent external conflicts that she must deal with. The hunter helps her out of a ditch that she has fallen in, however irony is used since he puts a gun in her face that also resembles racism. She compares her bones to weeds springy enough not to have been broken by the fall into the ditch.The hunter speaks down to her since he thinks she is a crazy old black woman trying to go see Santa Clause for presents. She finds a nickel in her pocket, â€Å"God watching me the whole time. I come to stealing,† she knows that she must keep going with god’s help. However, she does not let this get her down since religion played a big role in her life and she has encountered much worse. Next, the author tells how Phoenix is feeling, â€Å"Seem like there is chains about my feet, time I get this far†, this symbolizes chains are like a struggle for her. Cited in Clugston, 2010, â€Å"A Worn Path† para. 10) She is faced with buzzards that symbolize death for her and oak trees that symbolize strength and wisdom since she was strong with life still. â€Å"She passed through the old cotton and went into a field of dead corn†, this showed how devoted her love was to pass through death defying places. (Cited in Clugston, 2010) Also, when she drank water, â€Å"In a ravine she went where a spring was silently flowing through a hollow log. Old Phoenix bent back and drank†, it symbolized a source of life and regeneration. Cited in Clugston, 2010, â€Å"A Worn Path† para. 14) All of these literary elements contributed to the short story and theme. When Phoenix arrives in the city she sees Christmas lights that are red, green, and silver that look like presents, which made religion come to play again. She encounters a nurse when she arrives finally to the doctor’s clinic. The nurse thinks that she is very poor and gives her another nickel to help her. All Phoenix wants is to see her grandson happy so she takes the two nickels and buys him a pinwheel to make him smile.Besides the medicine she has for him, she wanted to make him know he was loved and wanted to give a present. In the end the author made m e feel the undying love that a grandmother can have for her grandson. She took a hard path in spite of her old age to make her grandson get what he needed, medicine, and a smile. Her journey faced racism, religion, and death that she overcame with the love she had in her soul, it would not die even if she got hurt. The medicine did not work in the past for her sick grandson, however she thought it might help to cure him with love.Everyone that has experienced a mother’s love or grandmother’s would know that they will not stop for anything to give their undying love. References A Worn Path, Edora Welty-Introduction. Critism. ED. Anna J. Sheets. Vol. 27 April, 2012 Retrieved from: http://www. enotes. com/worn-path-critcism/worn-path Clugston, R. W. (2010). Journey into literature. Retrieved from: https://content. ashford. edu Lappin, A. Studia Neophilologic June, 2012, Vol. 84 Issue 1, p33Retrieved from: http://www. ashford. edu/ehost/books

Organic Foods Pdf Essay

Abstract: During the last decade, consumers’ trust in food quality has decreased drastically, mainly because of growing ecological awareness and several food scandals (e. g. BSE, dioxins, bacterial contamination). It has been found that intensive conventional agriculture can introduce contaminants into the food chain. Consumers have started to look for safer and better controlled foods produced in more environmentally friendly, authentic and local systems. Organically produced foods are widely believed to satisfy the above demands, leading to lower environmental impacts and higher nutritive values. So far, studies have partly con? rmed this opinion. Organic crops contain fewer nitrates, nitrites and pesticide residues but, as a rule, more dry matter, vitamin C, phenolic compounds, essential amino acids and total sugars than conventional crops. Organic crops also contain statistically more mineral compounds and usually have better sensory and long-term storage qualities. However, there are also some negatives: plants cultivated in organic systems generally have 20% lower yields than conventionally produced crops. Several important problems need to be addressed in the coming years: environmental, bacterial and fungal contamination of organic crops and, the most essential issue, the impact of organic food consumption on animal and human health.  © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry Keywords: organic plant crops; quality; yield; composition; nutrition; vitamins; phenolics; sugars; nitrates; nitrites; pesticides; dry matter; health; sensory qualities. FACTORS INFLUENCING THE QUALITY OF ORGANIC PLANT FOOD PRODUCTS There are several important factors in?uencing the quality of food products that also are relevant to organically produced plant products. As illustrated in Fig. 1, the basic factors are the quality of the environment (abiotic factors) and the levels of pest and pathogen damage (biotic factors) to which plants are subjected. The main components of the environment (air, water, soil) have to be unpolluted if the crops obtained are expected to be of high nutritive quality. Many environmental contaminants enter the food production chain (soil–plant–animal–human organism), causing signi? cant problems in human health. 1 These contaminants include heavy metals, pesticide residues, nitrogen compounds, mycotoxins, chlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), aromatic hydrocarbons (e. g. benzo[a]pyrene), plant growth stimulators (e. g. choline chloride), antibiotics, hormones, radioactive isotopes and plastic substances (monomers). Climate and weather are also important factors, as well as soil type and pH, soil cultivation, fertilisation and conditions of crop storage after harvest. ? Biotic factors can have also a signi? cant impact on crop quality. The main biotic factors are cultivar choice, bacterial and fungal contamination (disease) and pest damage. Cultivars of the same crop species can differ signi? cantly in nutritive quality. For example, the content of ? carotene in carrots (Daucus carota L. ) can vary between 7. 19 and 13. 84 mg g? 1 depending on the cultivar. 2 The main potential source of bacterial contamination in plant crops is animal manure used in organic farming. Contamination can take place via the roots or by water splashing onto the leaf surfaces. The most important organisms are several species of facultative anaerobic bacteria (Salmonella enterica, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Campylobacter spp., Listeria monocytogenes, Clostridium botulinum, Mycobacterium paratuberculosis), protozoa (Toxoplasma gondii), tapeworms, viruses and prions. The results obtained so far are contradictory. Some studies indicate higher bacterial contamination in organic crops, while others show the opposite. 3 Mycotoxins (produced by fungi) originate mostly in the ? eld but can also develop during storage. Owing to the fact that fungicides are not used Correspondence to: Ewa Rembialkowska, Organic Foodstuffs Division, Faculty of Human Nutrition and Consumer Sciences, Warsaw Agricultural University, Nowoursynowska 159 C, PL-02-776 Warszawa, Poland E-mail: ewa rembialkowska@sggw. pl (Received 24 October 2006; revised version received 29 January 2007; accepted 8 February 2007). Figure 1. Factors in? uencing the quality of organic food products. in organic agriculture, some authors believe that organically produced foods will contain higher concentrations of mycotoxins. However, literature reviews show that mycotoxin concentrations are usually similar or reduced in organic compared with conventional products. 4 The most notorious mycotoxins are those produced by Fusarium species on cereal crops and maize. One of the reasons for lower Fusarium infections in organic grains could be the lower nitrogen concentrations in the tissues. 5 Insect pests also exert an in? uence on crop quality. Because of the ban on synthetic pesticides in organic agriculture, insects often damage fruits and vegetables, thereby diminishing their yield and harming their appearance. However, it is not clear whether they also reduce their nutritive quality. In contrast, there is evidence that organically grown plants contain more phytochemicals (which are natural insecticides) and are therefore more resistant to insect damage. 6 They can also play a positive role in human health, because several phytochemicals, being plant defence compounds, are connected with possible health bene? ts (Brandt K, oral presentation at QLIF Congress, Newcastle, 2005). Regulations on organic plant production allow actions that avoid many negative features of crop quality if they are consistently performed by producers. In order to ful? l these demands and to offer highquality products to consumers, an ef? cient and airtight certi? cation and control system must be implemented. In most countries such systems are quite ef?cient, though a rapid increase in the number of organic farms could lead to problems with a subsequent loosening of regulatory control. Therefore the main rule should be ‘trust is good, but control is better’. Moreover, the ? nal quality of organic food products is in? uenced by the effective implementation of 2758 the regulations on animal production and organic food processing. Only precise ful? lment of all these regulations can guarantee the best organic food quality (Fig. 1). IMPACT OF REGULATION ON ORGANIC PLANT PRODUCTION The regulations for organic plant production are clear and detailed. 7 The European Union (EU) regulation published in 19918 contains parts that relate directly to the composition of organic plant products. The most important aspects of this regulation include:7 †¢ a ban on genetic engineering and genetically modi? ed organisms (GMOs); †¢ lower nitrogen levels – a maximum limit for manure application of 170 kg N ha? 1 year? 1 ; †¢ a ban on synthetic pesticides; †¢ a ban on synthetic mineral fertilisers; †¢ a ban on growth promoters. Organic farmers must follow the above regulations if they want to pass the inspection procedure every year and receive a certi? cation document. If all requirements are complied with, several qualitative results can be expected. The most important conclusions from scienti? c comparisons are given below. CONTAMINANTS Nitrates and nitrites A large amount of data shows that the content of nitrates and nitrites is distinctly higher in conventionally cultivated than in organic crops. This is important, because nitrates can easily be converted into nitrites, which can cause a dangerous illness called methaemoglobinaemia in babies, infants and elderly people. 9 J Sci Food Agric 87:2757–2762 (2007) DOI: 10. 1002/jsfa Quality of organic plant products. Moreover, nitrites can react with amines to create nitrosamines, which are carcinogenic and mutagenic substances causing cancer of the digestive tract and leukaemia. 10 This process is dangerous not only for young children but also for adults of any age. Based on a large amount of data, the nitrate content of organic and conventional crops has been compared. On average, the nitrate content of organic crops was 49% that of conventional crops. 11 These and other data provide a basis for stating that organic methods lead to an approximately 50% reduction in the intake of nitrates and nitrites by humans. Pesticides Governments place legal limits, known as the Maximum Residue Level (MRL), on the level of pesticides that can be present in food. The MRL is usually estimated by testing individual pesticides on rats. Governments maintain that consumption of pesticides below the MRL is not a health risk. However, at lower levels, pesticides are known or suspected to cause many diseases and health problems, including cancer. 12 The main problem is that the MRL for pesticides is usually estimated by testing individual pesticides on rats for a relatively short period. Virtually nothing is known about the effects of consuming combinations of potentially hundreds of different pesticides over the course of a lifetime. We do not and cannot know explicitly what is causing what, so precaution is the main tool available to us (Howard V, oral presentation at QLIF Congress, Newcastle, 2005). The levels of pesticide residues found in organic crops are de? nitely lower than those present in conventional crops (Howard V, oral presentation at QLIF Congress, Newcastle, 2005). It can be expected that eating organic foods will result in lower pesticide levels in human milk and body tissues. There is some evidence con? rming this hypothesis. Researchers in France found that the level of pesticide residues in the milk of breast-feeding women decreased signi? cantly with an increase in the proportion of organic food in the daily diet (from 25 to 80%). 13 All available results show that the content of pesticide residues is signi? cantly lower in organic crops, which creates safer health conditions for consumers eating organically. Heavy metals Heavy metals such as cadmium, lead, arsenic, mercury and zinc are introduced into the food chain from various sources, including industry, transportation, communal wastes and agriculture. For example, mineral phosphoric fertilisers used in conventional agriculture can introduce cadmium into crops, but the metal industry and transportation also cause cadmium contamination of soils and crops. Therefore there are no clear results in studies comparing the levels of J Sci Food Agric 87:2757–2762 (2007) DOI: 10. 1002/jsfa heavy metals in organic and conventional crops. Some data point to higher levels in conventional crops, while others show the opposite. 11 A problem to be solved is whether organic farming (composting, increasing the organic matter in soil, pH, etc. ) can diminish the intake of heavy metals by cultivated plants. DESIRABLE COMPOUNDS IN PLANTS Vitamins, phenolic compounds and mineral compounds The nutritive value of foods depends mainly on them having the appropriate content of compounds indispensable for proper functioning of the human organism. The content of phyto-compounds in plant foods is a topic of great interest in food science nowadays. A growing body of evidence indicates that secondary plant metabolites (phytochemicals) play a critical role in human health and may be nutritionally important. 14 There are two main theories explaining the factors in? uencing the levels of compounds in plants. 15 The carbon/nitrogen (C/N) balance theory states that, when nitrogen is easily available, the plant will ? rst make compounds with high nitrogen content, e. g. proteins for growth and nitrogen-containing secondary metabolites such as alkaloids, glucosinolates and non-protein amino acids such as the Allium ? avour precursors. When nitrogen availability is limiting for growth, the metabolism changes more towards carboncontaining compounds, e. g. starch, cellulose and non-nitrogen-containing secondary metabolites such as phenolics and terpenoids. The second, newer theory is the growth/ differentiation balance hypothesis (GDBH). 15 It states that the plant will always assess the resources available to it and optimise its investment in processes directed towards growth or differentiation. The term ‘differentiation’ encompasseses increased formation of defence compounds as well as accelerated maturation and seed development. The C/N balance theory is a special and typical case of the GBDH theory, since low nitrogen availability is the most common growth-limiting condition in natural ecosystems. 15 To verify the above theories, several authors investigated the content of some vitamins and phyto-compounds in organically and conventionally produced crops. In order to summarise different data, for each organic–conventional comparison a % difference was calculated: [(organic ? conventional)/conventional] ? 100 The collected data for several desirable components are presented in Table 1. The role of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) in the human organism is basic for several metabolic functions, mainly because it is one of the major cellular direct antioxidants (along with glutathione) and is a 2759 E Rembialkowska Table 1. Contents of desirable components in organic crops relative to those in conventional crops Component Vitamin C Phenolic compounds Iron Magnesium Phosphorus Mean % difference +28. 7 +119. 3 +21. 1 +29. 3 +13. 6 Range (%) ? 38 to +135. 5 ? 56. 6 to +734. 2 ? 73 to +240 ? 35 to +1206 ? 44 to +240 Number of studies 21 15 16 17 18 production and reduces carbohydrate production. Moreover, the increased protein produced in response to high nitrogen levels contains lower amounts of certain essential amino acids such as lysine and therefore has a lower quality with respect to human nutrition. Source: Ref. 17 and author’s own calculations. cofactor for certain enzymes. Vitamin C also supports detoxication and resistance of the human organism. The higher content of vitamin C in organic crops is bene? cial to health, because vitamin C inhibits the in situ formation of carcinogenic nitrosamines, thus diminishing the negative impact of nitrates on the human organism. 10 Therefore organic vegetables can play an important anticarcinogenic role. Plant-based phenolic metabolites are particularly interesting because of their potential antioxidant activity and medical properties, including anticarcinogenic activity. 15 According to Benbrook,16 organic farming has elevated antioxidant levels in about 85% of the cases studied to date and, on average, levels are about 30% higher compared with foods grown conventionally. Mineral compounds containing iron, magnesium and phosphorus are fundamental for human health. According to Worthington,17 the higher mineral content in organic crops may be connected with the higher abundance of micro-organisms in organically managed soil. These micro-organisms produce many compounds that help plants to combine with soil minerals and make them more available to plant roots. Unfortunately, there have been only a few studies on other vitamins such as ? -carotene, B1 and B2 and the results are contradictory. Therefore no general conclusions can be drawn about these compounds. Total sugars A higher total sugar content in plant crops not only improves their taste but is also an important component of their technological quality, e. g. in the case of sugar beet. Studies clearly indicate a higher content of total sugars, mainly sucrose, in organically produced vegetables and fruits such as carrots, sugar beet, red beetroot, potatoes, spinach, Savoy cabbage, cherries, redcurrants and apples. 11,18 Proteins Several studies analysed in review papers11 show that the quantity of crude protein is lower in organic than in conventional crops but that the quality is better as measured by essential amino acid content. According to Worthington,17 nitrogen from any kind of fertiliser affects the quantity and quality of protein produced by plants. Provision of a large amount of nitrogen to a plant increases protein 2760 SENSORY QUALITY OF ORGANIC FOODS Many studies have proved quite unequivocally that vegetables and fruits from organic farms have a better taste and smell. This was found for carrots and potatoes, celery and red beetroot, head cabbage and tomatoes as well as for apples, cherries and redcurrants. 11 Organic fruits contained more total sugars, which probably in?uenced the better taste perception by consumers. Better taste and smell have also been found for bread made from organic grain, which also had better crumb elasticity. 6 Interesting studies have been conducted on animal food preference in which animals were given organic or conventional fodder. Most studies have proved a clear animal preference for foods produced organically; such studies have been conducted on rats, mice, hens and rabbits. 19 Preference for organic fodder was also observed in cases where, according to chemical analyses, both organic and conventional fodder ful? lled all physiological needs of the animals tested. 20 The reason for this was probably the difference in taste between organic and conventional fodder. STORAGE QUALITY OF ORGANIC PLANT CROPS Transpiration losses and decay processes, as well as changes in nutritive value, normally take place during the storage period of potatoes and other vegetables. However, these changes can proceed at different rates and to differing degrees. Most of the available data indicate that the decay process is slower in organic crops, which therefore show better storage quality after the winter period. A review study based on many sources21 concluded that the storage quality of vegetables and fruits was better in the case of plants grown on organic farms (Table 2). The better storage quality of organic crops Table 2. Storage losses of carrots, potatoes and various fruits and vegetables from organic (ORG) and conventional (CONV) farmsa Carrots Potatoes Fruits and vegetables ORG CONV ORG CONV ORG CONV Number of quoted studies Storage loss (% of initial mass) a 15 33 15 40 22 22 22 30 53 28 53 38 Average data based on literature review. 21 J Sci Food Agric 87:2757–2762 (2007) DOI: 10. 1002/jsfa Quality of organic plant products Table 3. Positive nutritive attributes of organic plant products No. 1 2 3 4 5 Attribute Organic crops contain fewer nitrates, nitrites and pesticide residues than conventional crops. There is no clear difference in the content of heavy metals between organic and conventional crops Organic plant products contain, as a rule, more dry matter, vitamin C, phenolic compounds, essential amino acids and total sugars. However, the level of ? -carotene is often higher in conventional plant products Organic plant products contain statistically more iron, magnesium and phosphorus. They also tend to contain more chromium, iodine, molybdenum, selenium, calcium, boron, manganese, copper, potassium, sodium, vanadium and zinc Organic plant products usually have better sensory quality. They have a clearer smell and taste and are sweeter and more compact because of their higher dry matter content Preference for organic products is typical not only for humans but also for animals such as rats, rabbits and hens. This preference was also observed in cases where, according to chemical analyses, both organic and conventional fodder ful? lled all physiological needs of the animals tested Vegetables and fruits from organic production maintain better quality during winter storage, showing lower mass losses due to transpiration, decay and decomposition processes. A possible reason for this is their higher content of dry matter, minerals, sugars and other bioactive compounds 6 Table 4. Negative and unclear aspects of organic plant products No. 1 Negative aspect Plants cultivated in organic systems have, as a rule, signi?cantly (on average 20%) lower yields than conventionally produced crops. This increases their price and creates for many consumers a barrier to buying organic foods Unclear aspect Environmental contamination (heavy metals, PCBs, dioxins, aromatic hydrocarbons) can be similar in organic and conventional crops, because the impact of industrial, transport and communal sources is similar on organic and conventional farms located in the same area Bacterial (mainly Salmonella and Campylobacter) Contamination can sometimes be higher in organic produce, but scienti?c evidence of this is still not clear Mycotoxins can contaminate both organic and conventional foods, but scienti? c data are contradictory The impact of organic food consumption on human health and wellbeing remains essentially unknown in spite of some positive indications, so the subject needs further study 2 3 4 was probably associated with a higher content of dry matter in their ? esh, resulting in less extensive decay and decomposition. Lower losses in organic production have not only nutritive but also economic bene? ts. In conventional systems, high yields are produced but signi?cant losses during storage reduce the economic bene? ts. CONCLUSIONS Recent food crises (BSE, foot and mouth disease, food contamination by dioxins, toxic fungi, Salmonella and Campylobacter bacteria) have caused consumers to look for more authentic and safer foods. Organic food production is widely recognised as being more friendly to the environment, more controlled and better for animal welfare. On the other hand, many data indicate that a lot of food contaminants have their source in conventional methods of agriculture, animal production and food processing. The negative effect of the continuing enthusiastic use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides in agriculture is potentially huge. Therefore safer methods of agricultural production, mostly organic methods, are very important. Studies conducted in various countries have indicated several positive attributes of organic plant J Sci Food Agric 87:2757–2762 (2007) DOI: 10. 1002/jsfa products (Table 3) but also a few negative and unclear aspects (Table 4). To summarise the positives, organic food should be recommended for all, but especially for young babies, pregnant and breast-feeding women, elderly and chronically ill people and vegetarians. The last group obviously consumes a lot of vegetables, which can contain too high levels of carcinogenic substances when produced conventionally. The lower content of nitrates and higher content of phenolic compounds and vitamin C in organic crops are especially important for health. Nitrates are easily converted in the digestive tract into poisonous nitrites, which are the precursors of carcinogenic nitrosamines. This process is hampered by vitamin C, and carcinogenesis is retarded by phenolic compounds and other dietary phytochemicals present at higher levels in organically produced crops. Therefore organic vegetables can play an important anticarcinogenic role. REFERENCES 1 Rembialkowska E, Organic agriculture and food quality, in Ecological Agriculture and Rural Development in Central and Eastern European Countries, Vol. 44 of NATO Science Series, ed. by Filho WL. IOS Press, Amsterdam, pp. 185–204 (2004). 2761 E Rembialkowska ? ? 2 Schuphan W, Biochemische Sortenprufung an Gartenmohren ? ? als neuzeitliche Grundlage fur planvolle Zuchtungsarbeit. Z? chter 2:25–43 (1942). U 3 Franz E, van Bruggen AHC and Semenov AM, Risk-analysis of human pathogen spread in the vegetable industry: a comparison between organic and conventional production chains, in Bayesian Statistics and Quality Modelling in the AgroFood Production Chain, ed. by van Boekel MAJS, Stein A and van Bruggen AHC. Kluwer Academic, Dordrecht, pp. 81–94 (2004). 4 FAO, Food Safety as Affected by Organic Farming (Twentysecond FAO Regional Conference for Europe). [Online]. (2000). Available: www. fao. org/docrep/meeting/x4983. htm. 5 Van Bruggen AHC and Termorshuizen AJ, Integrated approaches to root disease management in organic farming systems. Aust Plant Pathol 32:141–156 (2003). 6 Bjorn G and Fruekilde AM, Cepa onions (Allium cepa L) grown conventionally and organically – similarities and differences. Gron Viden 153:1–6 (2003). (in Danish). 7 Hansen B, Alroe HF, Kristensen ES and Wier M, Assessment of food safety in organic farming. DARCOF Working Paper 52 (2002). 8 EU, Council Regulation No. 2092/91 of 24 June 1991 on organic production of agricultural products and indications referring thereto on agricultural products and foodstuffs. OJL 198, 22. 7 P. 1 (1991). ? 9 Szponar L and Kierzkowska E, Azotany i azotyny w srodowisku oraz ich wplyw na zdrowie czlowieka. Post Hig Med Do? w s 44:327–350 (1990). 10 Mirvish SS, Vitamin C inhibition of N-nitroso compounds formation. Am J Clin Nutr 57:598–599 (1993). 11 Rembialkowska E, Wholesomeness and Sensory Quality of Potatoes and Selected Vegetables from the Organic Farms. Fundacja ? Rozwoj SGGW, Warszawa (2000). 12 BMA, The BMA Guide to Pesticides, Chemicals and Health. Report of Science and Education. British Medical Association, London (1992). 13 Aubert C, Pollution du lait maternel, une enquete de terre vivante. Quatre Saisons Jardinage 42:33–39 (1987). 14 Lundeg? rdh B and M?rtensson A, Organically produced plant a a foods – evidence of health bene? ts. Acta Agric Scand B 53:3–15 (2003). 15 Brandt K and Molgaard JP, Organic agriculture: does it enhance or reduce the nutritional value of plant foods? J Sci Food Agric 81:924–931 (2001). 16 Benbrook CM, Elevating Antioxidant Levels in Food through Organic Farming and Food Processing. An Organic Center of Science Review. Organic Center for Education and Promotion (2005). 17 Worthington V, Nutritional quality of organic versus conventional fruits, vegetables, and grains. J Alternative Compl Med 7:161–173 (2001). 18 Zadoks JC, Development of Farming Systems. Pudoc, Wageningen (1989). 19 Williams CM, Nutritional quality of organic food: shades of grey or shades of green? Proc Nutr Soc 61:19–24 (2002). ? 20 Woese K, Lange D, Boess Ch and Bogl KW, A comparison of organically and conventionally grown foods – results of a review of the relevant literature. J Sci Food Agric 74:281–293 (1997). 21 Bulling W, Qualit? tsvergleich von ‘biologisch’ und ‘konventionell’ a erzeugten Feldfruchten. Regierungsprasidium, Stuttgart (1987). 2762 J Sci Food Agric 87:2757–2762 (2007) DOI: 10. 1002/jsfa.

The Life of Edgar Allan Poe Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Life of Edgar Allan Poe - Essay Example His father's name was David Poe (1784-1810) while his mother's was Elizabeth Arnold Hopkins (1787-1811) (Quinn 1997). He was born on January 19, 1809. A year after his birth, his father died, then a year later, her mother followed. Left as an orphan, Edgar was taken in by Frances and John Allan, a wealthy merchant in Richmond, Virginia. In 1815, Poe went with the Allans to England where he studied in Chelsea. Five years later, he went back to study at the University of Virginia. In this school he considered Latin and poetry. In addition, Edgar was an active and athletic student, joining activities such as swimming and acting. A few years later, Edgar and John had a falling out due to Edgar's debts and lack of responsibility. Unable to support his self, he enlisted in the U.S. army where he served for two years. In 1827, Edgar Poe published his first book, Tamerlane and Other Poems. When Edgar's foster mother died in 1827, he had a brief reconciliation with Allan and later entered West Point Military Academy but was dismissed after one year. In 1831, the same year his Poems were published, Edgar lived in with his aunt Maria Clemm in Baltimore. Eventually, he married Maria Clemm's daughter, Virginia Eliza, in 1836, who was just a girl of thirteen. The only completed novel of Poe, The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym was published in 1838. The story is about a Nantucket stowaway looking for adventure but the novel soon turns to a chilly story of murder and cannibalism. (Merriman 2007) It was the years succeeding his marriage that the financial strains started to set in. The Panic of 1837 marking the "close of one epoch in our industrial history, and the beginning of a new era. It engulfed all classes and all phases of economic toils; and for seven long years the people of the land struggled to free themselves from its oppression," (McGrane). Aside from professional and personal struggles, Poe was also almost always in economic distress; frequently loaning and making literary hack works (Whalen 1999). It was these problems that made him understand the "sad poverty and the thousand consequent contumelies and other ills which the condition of the mere Magazinist entails upon him in America - where more than in any other region upon the face of the globe to be poor is to be despised." After their marriage came the string of years of writing. It was in 1841 that the first detective story was ever written. The title was The Murders in the Rue Morgue. Their last residence was a cottage in the Fordham section of the Bronx. In 1847, Virginia died, Edgar Allan Poe was deeply saddened by the loss of his wife. Due to this, he frequently directed his attention to alcohol and was reportedly becoming more erratic. A year after Virginia's death, he rekindled his affair with his childhood sweetheart in Richmond, Elmira Royster. In able to raise funds to start his own magazine (to be called Stylus) in 1849, Poe went on a poetry and lecture reading tour. But his hopes of starting his own magazine was never realized because of his sudden mysterious death on the 7th of October of that same year. (Merriman 2007) There are several different theories that have been proposed concerning his death. Others say he died of alcoholism while others suggest different diseases. Still, others imply that Poe did not suffer a natural death but instead was murdered. For the past decades and until now, what really happened to Edgar Allan

Cross Cultural Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Cross Cultural Communication - Essay Example Brandl, J. and Neyer, A. 2009. APPLYING COGNITIVE ADJUSTMENT THEORY TO CROSS-CULTURAL TRAINING FOR GLOBAL VIRTUAL TEAMS. Human Resource Management, 48 (3), 341-353 Anxiety and uncertainty in global virtual teams can be overcome when feeling of mutual trust is developed among the members, according to Brandl and Neyer. The type of cross-cultural training can influence cognitive adjustments in virtual teams. Training should equip the team members to deal with uncertainties instead of enforcing ready-made concepts of culture. Horak, S. 2010. Does The Individual’s Culture Play A Role In The Value Perception Of Members Of Small Multinational Teams? Business and Economics Journal. Horak investigated and found that the culturally influenced work values at country level as discovered by Hofstede do not play a significant role in small multicultural teams. Students being young and dynamic adapt to an international environment and respond positively to convergence of cultures. Kirkman, BD, and Shapiro, DL. 1996. THE IMPACT OF NATIONAL CULTURE ON EMPLOYEE RESISTANCE TO TEAMS: TOWARD A MODEL OF GLOBALIZED SELF-MANAGING WORK TEAM EFFECTIVENESS. Academy of Management Proceedings, 53-59 Kirkman and Shapiro evaluated the impact of national cultures on self-managed working teams (SMWT) and found that national cultures can create different conceptualizations of organizational justice. Moreover, members of SMWT may require different forms of compensation, appraisals, and decision-making structures to reduce resistance due to differences in perceptions of fairness. Mockaitis, AI., Rose, EL. and Zettining, P. 2007. THE DETERMINANTS OF TRUST IN MULTICULTURAL GLOBAL VIRTUAL TEAMS. Academy of Management Proceedings, Mockaitis, Rose and Zettining focused on the development of trust in multicultural virtual global teams and found that national culture, conflict, task interdependence, and communication play a vital role. However, diversity – cultural or demographic – has minor relationship in the development of trust. Cultural diversity is not a barrier to trust. Newell, S., David, G. and Chand, D. 2007. An Analysis of Trust Among Globally Distributed Work Teams in an Organizational Setting. Knowledge and Process Management, 14 (3), 158-168 Newell, David and Chand analyzed trust among IT work teams based on the Newell and Swan threefold typology of trust and found that due to situational factors and socio-psychological dynamics, and ‘Us versus them’ attitude undermines the development of trust. Relationship management can minimize the impact of an inter-group perspective. Puck, J., Rygl, D. and Kittler, M. 2006. Cultural antecedents and performance consequences of open communication and knowledge transfer in multicultural process-innovation teams. Journal of Organisational Transformation and Social Change, 3 (2), 223-241 Puck, Rygl and Kittler evaluated the performance of process-innovation teams necessary in the ever--changing bus iness environment. The study found that national cultural diversity had no significance on intra-team communication and knowledge transfer but both these elements have significant influence on different measures of performance as performance is perceived differently by team members. Sivakumar, K. and Nakata, C. 2003. Designing global new product teams - Optimizing the effects of national culture on new product development. International Marketing Review, 20 (4), 397-445 Since cultural diversity has both positive and negative impact on global new product teams (GNPT), Sivakumar and Nakata developed a framework containing four factors that would

Is liberal democracy the best government system Critically assess Essay

Is liberal democracy the best government system Critically assess - Essay Example Bell (2006) extrapolates that, theoretically, one system can be perceived to be better than the other but in an ideal setting, and this may be otherwise. Deutsch & Soffer (1987) argue that this is because it is subjective to describe or define something to be the best as it depends on the modalities employed in the evaluation. North Korea Republic can be used as a case study since some may perceive its tyrant military to be oppressive and as the worst system of governance which suppresses the private sector and infringes the fundamental rights of its citizens (Eagles, Johnston & Holoman, 2004). According to Deutsch & Soffer (1987), liberal democracy can be described as a form or type of governances where principles related to liberalism are upheld and valued. The main principle of liberalism is the provision of protection rights of persons. In addition, these principles are usually embedded in the laws of nations that practice this form of government. On the other hand, Eagles, Johnston & Holoman (2004) illuminate that the features of liberal democratic countries are the existence of elections that are deemed free, fair and competitive among different existing political parties; separations of power between the various facets of government; and the application of rules of law in daily activities. The rights of the civilians, and humans, as well as freedom are not only highly embraced and protected. Bell (2006) point out that countries that practice this form of government usually have a constitution that stipulates the way in which its citizens are governed. Chan (2004) ex plains that the constitution can either be in written form or unwritten form. There are various constitutional forms of liberal democracies. For instance, some countries practice the republican constitutional forms of governance such as the US while others practice the constitutional monarch such as the United Kingdom. Eagles,

Mechanical vibrations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Mechanical vibrations - Essay Example Electromechanical devices also create mechanical vibrations. Fig 1 shows different types of vibration that are common sources of vibrations. The for examples of the daily life vibrations. Elementary Parts of Vibrating system The vibration of the body corresponds to the release and storing of the energy. The body stores the potential energy. There should be a mean to store the kinetic energy. In spring mechanism, spring stores the potential energy and mass is the medium that converts the potential energy is the spring to kinetic energy. In the similar case of pendulum, the length of the string determines the capacity of the system to store the potential energy and the mass acts to convert the potential energy into kinetic energy (Den Hartog, 1956). The major part of any vibrating body is the damping in the vibration that gradually tends to loss the energy of the vibrating body. In some cases where vibrations are undesired damping constants are high by absorbing the vibrations or by cr eating negative oscillations. The major types of forces that are acting on a vibrating system are disturbing forces, restoring forces, inertia force, damping force. Disturbing forces are forces which act to energize the system to make vibration in the system. Inertia force is the force that makes the vibrating body to remain in motion. Damping force is the force that tends to stop the motion of the body by damping the energy of the vibrating system (Den Hartog, 1956). Fig 2 depicts the mass attached to the spring showing the vibratory motion. F depicts the force, m is the mass, L is the length of the spring. Degree of freedom refers to the coordinates available for the motion of the vibrating body. The coordinates to evaluate the instantaneous position of the system at its each part is a degree of freedom of that system. A finite degree of freedom corresponds to a discrete or lumped parameter system; while an infinite degree of freedom corresponds to a continuous or distributed syst em. Classify various types of vibration in mechanical systems. Types of Vibration in Mechanical System In any mechanical system, the vibrations are typified according to their classification. The classifications of different vibration are as follows. Classification of Vibration: Vibrations in a system or within a system can be classified as †¢ Free and forced †¢ Damped and undamped †¢ Linear and nonlinear †¢ Deterministic and Random Free vibration Consider a vibrating system that is only once disturbed by exerting an external force and then the system vibrates with any further external force or disturbance. The vibration of such system is free vibration. If the mass attached to the spring is once stretched and then the eternal force is removed, the spring mechanism shows vibration on its own, this type vibration is called free vibration. Forced Vibration: Forced vibrations refer to the type of vibrations that are due to the constant disturbance or repeating exter nal force. Car engines, generators, and other constantly moving mechanical devices produce forced vibrations (Seto, 1964). Damped Vibration Damped vibrations are due to the damping factor that makes the system to gradually loss the energy and slow down the vibration of the system. Consider the mass attached to the spring, if it is once stretched and then the external force is removed; the vibration of the mass attached to the spring will gradually slow down due to the presence of damping force (Francis, Morse &

Marketing management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Marketing management - Essay Example This paper outlines the marketing objectives and analyzes the issues surrounding the sale of the Xbox 360. The Xbox 360 and the PS3 both share a very competitive market. To remain relevant in the gaming business, FashionStatementX needs to have a gadget that competes favorably with the other participating gadgets. Presently in the market, smartphones and tablets now use multiple core processors and graphic chips at higher speeds than before. Intel now uses chips that contain built-in graphics, longer battery life, and faster speeds. It is clear that every company is using advanced technology to survive the competitive software market. In a competitive market production of a product that beats the other competing product to ensure the survival in the market (McDonald, 2007: pg 45). The first marketing objective is to increase the market share of FashionStatementX by 10% per year for the next two years. Increasing the market share will increase the revenue generated in the end. The mar ket is currently very competitive with new gadgets penetrating the market daily (Lacher et al, 2004: pg 67). With an increase of revenue growth by 20% every year, the company will experience an increased market share in the country of 10% by the end of two years. To facilitate this increase, it is important to ensure that there is an improved online order of the gadgets. This is because a majority if the targeted customers purchase the gadgets online and make payments through PayPal and other online means of payments. An increase online order rate of 85% will see the achievement of the desired revenue growth in the end of two years. The addition of new customer accounts will generate at least $75000 in the end of the two years. With an increased market share of 10%, the company will be the leading gaming software with greater revenues after two years (Zichermann & Linder, 2010: pg 123). Another objective is developing and using new products in the development of more effective gamin g software. The FashionStatementX enjoys the use of modern and different type of technology as compared to its competitors. The use of hand and finger gesture is a unique technology that puts it above its competitors. In an environment of healthy competition, new products will improve FashionStatementX’s market value and expand relevance for the next two years. To better, the performance of FashionStatementX in the market, frequent upgrading, and use of new developed technology is important (Zichermann & Linder, 2010: pg 189). Therefore, the company intends to use 5% of the revenues generated to finance research and development of software that would help in achieving this. In addition, the company will work closely with other software developing companies to come up with new ideas that will improve the company’s performance in the market. The company intends to create a good company and customer relationship that aims at ensuring that the company meets the needs of th e customers. Interactions with the customers will increase since the company will encourage more customers to create accounts with the company. The accounts will create a direct platform in which the customers will interact freely with the company operatives (Bodnar & Cohen, 2011: pg 43). Through these accounts, the customer will share their experiences and to suggest ideas that will make the

Managing Information Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Managing Information Systems - Essay Example Data in a Data Warehouse is arranged by subject not by function. As a result a data warehouse provides a peculiar view of the data that is amenable to manipulation for decision support. Levine and Siegel (2003) identify the key elements of a data warehouse as: "They are subject orientated, integrated, time variant, nonvolatile, and contain a collection of both detailed and summary data." The data warehouse can enable a business to solve many problems that can only be diagnosed when someone looks for a pattern in data. For instance, someone can determine problems associated with a product buy analyzing return and repair records. Data warehouse can be used for customer profiling where customer behavior in past promotions can be used to predict results of a planned campaign. A targeted campaign can be launched on a specific set of profiled customers where the anticipated response is expected to be higher. A data warehouse manager is the key person in defining requirements and format of a data warehouse. He or she must ensure at all the time that the data warehouse is meeting a company's strategic objectives. A data warehouse manager leads in specification of new solutions for the business. He or she is in charge of a team of experts that are involved in data warehousing projects. He or she has to ensure that any projects are implemented on time and properly and meet the company's objectives. The data warehouse manager needs to understand the different job responsibility of customers including the user computer skills. It is important that he understands the nature of decisions that need to be supported. In monitoring the system the manager should identify the most effective users of the warehouse. Expand usage of the system within company by identifying non-users of data warehouse and schedule them for appropriate training. The manager must ensure that the user interfaces are user-friendly. Data integrity issues are also the responsibility of the data warehouse manager. It is important to make sure the data in the warehouse is trustworthy. To this end data should be continuously monitored. The manager must search for new data sources and adapt the warehouse to changing data profiles, reporting requirements, and business priorities. The manager must highlight any successful decision made using data warehouse. Finally, "[k]eep your business users, executives, and boss happy". Data warehousing is a dynamic process. The warehouse manager has to ensure that the data is refreshed frequently and no data goes stale. Monitoring of utilization of the warehouse is also important for the data warehouse manager to understand how suitable each of the warehouse solutions is to the business. Being essentially a team leader a data warehouse manager has to supervise a high level team of programmers and database experts. With his or her team the data warehouse manager devises projects such as load processes automation and data modeling. The data warehouse manager must understand high-level business modeling and decision support to assist in development of business solution. Components of a data

The Role Immigration Plays in Drug Trafficiking Research Paper

The Role Immigration Plays in Drug Trafficiking - Research Paper Example Production, operation and use of unlawful drugs are the ultimate danger towards the well being of the global community worldwide. In this connection, drug trafficking has became one of the major concerns that is being faced by many countries around the world. The most probable reason for this major concern of drug trafficking is recognized as unlawful immigration (Olario, n.d.). In the paper, the role that immigration generally plays in drug trafficking is taken into concern. Various aspects such as the link between unlawful immigration and crime, origin of drug dealers in the United States, various effects of drug trafficking and necessary policies along with a summative conclusion is taken into concern in the discussion of this paper. It has been recognized that most of the unlawful immigrants who are coming transversely from the southern border are usually involved in practicing the unlawful offense of drug smuggling. In lieu of this, the unlawful immigrants are not complying with the lawful considerations and they are regarded as criminals as they carry unlawful drugs on their backs. A few of the unlawful immigrants often come to the United States to look for work but are detained and they become a subject of the drug interest groups or associations (CNN, 2010). The United States /Mexico boundary is the principal spot of entrance especially for the drugs such as cocaine that are prevailed into the US. According to the latest evaluation that is made by interagency intelligence, it has been notified that an unlawful business operation of cocaine is practiced in the US and is accessible in all chief cities of the US (US Drug Enforcement Agency, 2004). Apart from the market of cocaine in the United States, the market of heroin is also firm in many US cities. Most of the heroine is produced in Mexico. In the previous years, the US has undertaken quite a few steps against the market of heroin (US Drug

Service Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Service Management - Assignment Example The guitar was damaged which made Dave Carrols to come up with a video song and posted it on the You Tube with an aim of harming the company. The video tarnished the reputation of the Airline Flight and attracted more than one hundred and fifty thousand online audience (Thomas and Grà ©goire, p.2). The article indicates that the main reason why customers post their frustration online is due to anger as they feel that the organisations had betrayed them. Dave Carrols had pleaded severally with United Airlines Flight Airline regarding his destroyed guitar. However, the company did not act to assist him; the only way he could be heard was via the internet. Therefore, companies should listen to their customer’s problems to prevent customers from tarnishing their reputation. The article indicates that customers continue to hold a grudge against a company for a long time. Some even avoid transacting with such companies again in the future due to the fear that they might be betrayed. The article further indicate that companies may avoid complains made by their customers over the internet by acting fairly and compensating those who had been hart. In case a customer had made an online complain, the company should respond by making a sincere apology to the customer to prevent fur ther damages (Thomas and

Quality Control Essay Example for Free

Quality Control Essay As products and services evolve, consumer expectations tend to increase so that yesterday’s quality product becomes tomorrow’s junk. Quality revolves around meeting customer expectations, expectations that may be stated or implied. One action that sums up quality from a business perspective is when the customer returns after the sale and the product doesn’t. The statistical definition of quality is a little more precise than other definitions, such as the customer-based concept, and is based on mathematics. When you measure quality statistically, you look for variation in a measurement between what the ? ustomers asks for and what you produce. The less variation you have, the higher the quality of your product or service. All processes have some natural variation; you use statistics to detect abnormal variation that could cause you to produce a bad product or service. You can also use statistics to avoid testing every item that you produce. By testing a sample of what you make or deliver, you can use statistics to measure its quality and find out whether it meets customer requirements the statistical definition of quality is a little more precise than other definitions, such as the customer-based concept, and is based on mathematics. When you measure quality statistically, you look for variation in a measurement between what the customers asks for and what you produce. The less variation you have, the higher the quality of your product or service. All processes have some natural variation; you use statistics to detect abnormal variation that could cause you to produce a bad product or service. You can also use statistics to avoid testing every item that you produce. By testing a sample of what you make or deliver, you can use statistics to measure its quality and find out whether it meets customer requirements. After you as an organization decide on a definition of quality you need standards against which to measure your quality. Many standards are driven by the desire to safeguard the health and well-being of the people who use the products or services companies provide. Quality standards also are critical in support of international trade. Almost every industry has an association or trade group that sets quality standards against which companies can measure the quality of their products or services. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is an international body made up of the national standards organizations for almost every country. Quality assurance focuses on the ability of a process to produce or deliver a quality product or service. This method differs from quality control in that it looks at the entire process, not just the final product. Quality control is designed to detect problems with a product or service. Quality assurance attempts to head off problems at the pass by tweaking a production process until it can produce a quality product. A process called the Plan-Do-Check-Act, or the PDCA cycle is a powerful tool that requires planning improvements to your process by looking for problems that affect the quality of your product or service. Make improvements by implementing small changes to minimize disruption to your process. Check production results to see if you’ve actually made an improvement. Act on what you discover and roll it out to the entire process. The most basic quality control technique is to inspect the results of your production or service-delivery process to make sure it conforms to customer requirements. In quality control terms, conforming means that an item meets customer specifications, and nonconforming means it doesn’t. You inspect your product or service by measuring one or more of its properties and comparing the measurements to customer specifications. Although inspection can ensure that 100 percent of the products or services delivered to your customers are good, it can be a very expensive process, especially for high-volume, low-value items. Also, inspection is impossible for items where testing can damage the product. The introduction of a quality control process into an organization can be a major shock to its system. The following components are crucial if you want to lessen the shock and gain acceptance within your organization. Advertise acceptance of the program from important stakeholders within your organization. Communicate the reasons for the change and the benefits it will bring to everyone in the organization. Train employees in the new ways of the organization. You want workers doing the right things consistently because success helps to gain support. Like most other changes, quality control is best introduced in small bits. One way to do this is to create a pilot project that allows you to make a small change to a small part of your process to see the change’s effect. If the results are good, you can implement the change on a wider basis; if the change is bad, you’ve limited the damage done. As an example I made a small research on Quest Diagnostics to make a scenario to explain how a company works on quality control. Quest Diagnostics is the nations leading provider of diagnostic testing, information and services. The clients include patients and consumers, physicians, hospitals, health insurers, employers and government agencies. Each year the company performs personal health testing on over 100 million patients, over 250 million diagnostic laboratory tests, and more than 6. 5 million gene-based tests. Quest Diagnostics Inc. develops tests that help people live longer, healthier lives. Some of the most notable technological advances include earlier detection of Cervical Cancer. Cervical cancer is almost 100% curable when detected early and clinical studies have shown that the Thin Prep Pap Test increases the early detection of precancerous cells. This test has been hailed as one of the most significant improvements in cervical cancer screening in over 50 years. Every year Chicago Business Unit cytology laboratory performs 1. 1 million Pap smear tests. Currently the business issue is time for Thin Prep Pap Test reports. Many of the clients have complained that the time for Thin Prep Pap Test reports is too slow. Clients also have complained that the patient care is affected due to slower time for test reports. The hypothesis of the business issue is that the time is too slow for reporting the Pap Test results. Management has planned to make improvements for time of Thin Prep Pap Test reports. In order to make improvements, the management needs to research on current workflow processes of Thin Prep Pap Test and then find the possible solution. In order to research the current workflow process of the Thin Prep Pap Test and finding possible solutions following research questions will be researched: What is the volume of Pap Tests? What barrier factors are affecting the time of the Pap test? What is the staffing situation? Is it efficient to handle the volume? What steps are involved in processing of the Pap Test? How much time is spent for each step? Which departments are involved in processing of the Pap Test? What is the current cost for the Pap test? What other new technology is available in the market for faster processing of the Pap tests? What is the cost of the new technology? Is there an approved insurance reimbursement for the new technology? Statistics serve many purposes within quality control. Statistics allow you to determine which processes or parts of processes are causing your company the most problems.

A Hostile Work Environment Commerce Essay

A Hostile Work Environment Commerce Essay This compensation can come in the form of salary increase or bonus. If someone feels they are not being rewarded or even considered for an increase they very often look to move somewhere else that they can receive a higher salary. A hostile work environment is also a major reason that employees felt demotivated. When an employee feels that their work environment is not safe or that they are treated unfairly they may often look to leave. Many times they do not try to confront the situation, but instead would prefer to just avoid it which greatly dissatisfies them and which would in turn prevent the organization from retaining its employees. Problem Statement In this research study, the motivating factors which are not being implemented due to which Ufone is facing trouble to retain its employees Research Question What are the motivating factors that will lead to employee retention at Ufone? Rationale of the study The basic premise for studying the Human Resource Management Practices (HR) and Employee Retention in relation to level of motivation of employees at Ufone is to assess the importance being attached to these vital aspects by the organizations concerned and to develop an understanding of the relationship between the overall manner in which motivation has subsequent impact on the willingness of the employees to stay with the organization. Its the need of today for us to analyze the important role played by the ability of the organizations to retain competent employees for developing distinctive competencies for an organization. This report can be useful for different people for organization and employers who are planning to retain talented employees and are faced by lack of employee turnover. In todays emergent world, the Telecom industry is expanding immensely and the 2nd largest sector in Pakistan. It is essential to conduct research on telecom related topics in order to create a better understanding of the sector and help to increase the revenue generated from this sector for the government and for itself, having a positive effect on the economy too. Institutions are being reshaped to adjust to a postindustrial society. Naisbitt suggested that motivational implications are very important; most of our economy continues to shift from manufacturing to service and information jobs. In an ever raging battle of surpassing each other, organizations with distinctive competencies out perform their competitors. To gain and maintain competitive advantage an organization uses every possible mean available to it in its battery of resources. Marketers and multinationals would want their competent employees to stay within the organization, thus they would want to find out the motivating factors that lead to employee retention. The present research focuses on exploratory goals such as analyzing the motivating factors that lead to employee retention, which in turn effects the over all performance of the company. Research Objective To explore factors that lead to employee retention. To analyze if working environment plays an important role in the motivation process To access the recognition of work and its impact To analyze the amount of influence training has   when it comes to motivating employees To find out what are the challenges and bottle necks preventing Ufone from enhancing the employee productivity and in retaining talent. To find out the importance that motivation holds for employees in order to stay with-in the organization. To asses whether empowerment and delegation of authority gives an employee a sense of responsibility To explore if internal and external factor would help increase the motivation process To analyze the amount of influence that motivation at Ufone has on its employees. Scope of the study This study is restricted to the motivating factors that would lead to employee retention at Ufone. In this research secondary data is obtained from sources such as published articles and reports while primary data is gathered through interviews and questionnaires survey from the employees of Ufone. This report can be useful for Ufone, its head of departments and the institutions which would bring into light the problems and how to prevent those factors that lead to employees being demotivated and how a company can retain its employees.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW In the business world, motivation is the word used to describe the drive that impels an individual to work. A truly motivated employee is one who wants to work, if employees know what strengthens and weakens their motivation, they can often perform more effectively and help themselves find more satisfaction in their jobs. Employers also want to know what motivates their employees so that they can encourage continued peak performance (Halloran, 1986).   A lot of research has been done on the study of motivation and it can be traced back to the writing of the ancient Greek philosophers. Hedonism has given a basic assumption in the prevailing economic and social philosophies of Adam Smith, Jeremy Bentham, and John Stuart Mill who explained motivation in terms of people trying to maximize pleasure and minimize pain.   Motivation is a personal drive to act in order to satisfy ones needs. It comes from within the individual. It creates a drive to act, which may be influenced by some external stimulus. Employee retention is an important factor in an organizations ability to achieve sustained competitive advantage over a longer period of time. Besides this aspect a failure to retain competent employees leads to a numerous other problems. Retaining good employees is critical to a firms long term success. In the engineering and business markets, employee retention is extremely serious since the job market is tight and competition is very intense for candidates. The main factors in retaining employees include, corporate brand identity, employee intention to remain, organizational culture, self-esteem, need for achievement. The cost of employee turnover adds hundreds of thousands of money to a companys expenses. While it is difficult to fully calculate the cost of turnover (including hiring costs, training costs and productivity loss) industry experts often quote 25% of the average employee salary as a conservative estimate. When an employee leaves, he takes with him valuable knowledge about the company, customers, current projects and past history (sometimes to the competitors).   Often much time and money has been spent on the employee in expectation of a future return. When the employee leaves, the investment is not realized. Customers and clients do business with a company in part because of the people. Relationships are developed that encourage continued sponsor ship of the business. When and employee leaves the relationships that employee built for the company are severed which could lead to potential customer loss. If an employee resigns then good amount of time is lost in hiring a new employee and then training him/her and this goes to the loss of the company directly which many a times goes unnoticed. And even after this a company cannot assure the same efficiency from the new employee.

Muhammad And The Rise Of Islam

Muhammad And The Rise Of Islam Islam is a monotheistic faith and one of the largest religions in the world. With a total population of almost 1.5 billion followers, it is also the fastest growing.  [i]  The reason for this steady rise is not only the increasing population in Muslim countries, but also the growing number of people who are turning to Islam, a phenomenon that has recently gained momentum, especially after the attacks of September 11th when the religion was put under the spotlight.  [ii]  However, despite all of this, questions that are often asked are, how did Islam rise to become one of the most represented group in modern times? Where did it originate and how did it all start? In order to answer these questions, we must go back more than 1400 years and trace the life of man, who almost single handedly changed the dynamics of this world. In the year 570 AD, Muhammad bin Abdullah was born into a noble family that belonged to a clan of the Quraish, the ruling tribe of modern day Mecca. The city was home to the Kabah, a holy shrine, which attracted thousands of people every year from nearby lands who would come and offer pilgrimage. Mecca soon became an important religious center and a financial hub, linking the Arabian Peninsula with powerful empires such as the Ethiopians and the Byzantines.  [iii]  As a result, the city became dominated by several influential families, among whom the Quraish were preeminent. Muhammads father, Abdullah bin Abdul Muttalib, died before the boy was born. He was raised by his widow mother until the age of six when she too passed away, leaving him under the care of his paternal grandfather. After his death, the orphan was consigned to his uncle, Abu Talib, who took Muhammad in as his own son. As was customary, Muhammad was sent to live for a year or two with a Bedouin family that resided in the desert outskirts of Mecca. This period of his life had important and lasting implications on Muhammad. In addition to enduring the hardships of desert life, he acquired a taste for the rich language of the locals, whose speech was their proudest art. He also learned the patience and forbearance of the herdsmen, whose life of solitude he first shared and then later came to understand and appreciate.  [iv]   From his early youth, Muhammad was famous for his honesty and truthfulness. He was respected by everyone and was considered one of the most reliable people in Mecca. The people of Quraish honored him with the title of Al-Amin meaning the trustworthy and this purity of his nature increased as he grew older.  [v]  Muhammad also seemed to possess an inner knowledge that other people did not. He would refuse to worship the countless idols and gods that were central to pre-Islamic life in Mecca and would rather spend countless hours in meditation by himself, trying to seek true knowledge. When Muhammad reached his early twenties, he started working for a woman who went by the name of Khadija bint Khuwalid. She was a widow but was known for being a rich and successful merchant. Muhammad used to actively engage in leading her trade caravans up north, making handsome profits every time he did so. Khadija was so deeply impressed by his work ethics that she sent him a proposal of matrimony which Muhammad happily accepted. Even though Khadija was fifteen years older than him, the marriage proved to be very successful. Muhammad had gained a companion who was always there for him whenever he needed moral support and comfort. Muhammad grew more and more spiritually restless as the days went by and he started increasing the time he spent in meditation. In order to get away from the troubles and vices that existed within the city, he chose a spot in the hills that surrounded Mecca. The cave where he used to pray was known as Hira and according to popular Islamic belief, this was where Muhammad first received the message of Islam and where his journey as a Prophet of God began.  [vi]  The angel Gabriel came to Muhammad with the following revelation: Read in the name of your Lord who created; Created man from a clot of blood; Read and your Lord is the most Beneficent; Who taught man by the pen; Taught man what he knew not (Quran 96: 1-5)  [vii]   These were the first revealed verses of the Islamic book, the Quran and since then Muhammad stopped retreating in the Cave of Hira and took upon himself the duty of spreading the message of God. At first, Muhammad only preached to his wife and close friends. But as more revelations enjoined him to proclaim the oneness of God universally, his target circle grew; at first the poor and the slaves, but later, also the more prominent people of Mecca. However, not everyone accepted what he had to say and even members of Muhammads own clan denied him openly. The opposition persecuted and tortured him and his early followers in every possible manner. But this did not deter Muhammad away from his mission but rather it strengthened and sharpened his resolve to spread the light of Islam. The Quraish had always held their idols in high regards and therefore found it difficult to come to terms with belief in one unseen God, which was one of the pinnacle pillars that Muhammads religion was based on. As Muslims grew in number, the severity of punishment of the local leaders also increased. They boycotted him and his followers from every kind of trade and transaction, so much so that they had to go without proper food and drink for many weeks. Soon, the opposition to Muhammad reached such a high pitch that, fearful for their safety, he sent some of his adherents to the Christian ruler of Abyssinia asking for protection.  [viii]  Before long, the fame of Muhammad had spread to almost every part of the Arabian Peninsula. A group of people from Yathrib, modern day Medina, met Muhammad and entered into a contract with the Muslims. When the persecutions in Mecca increased and life there became unbearable for the Muslims, the people of Yathrib invited the Prophet and his companions to migrate to their city.  [ix]  Muhammad accepted their invitation and this emigration from Mecca to Medina marked the beginning of an important Islamic era. The Muslims who migrated from Mecca were called the Muhajirs while the people of Medina who received them with open arms came to be known as the Ansars. It was here that Muhammad gradually laid the foundation of an Islamic state. Many of teachings of the Prophet in Medina were concerned with the life of a community in its social, political, economic and administrative aspects. With the help and support of the local Ansars, Muhammad was able to establish a system of government that was way ahead of the time it belonged to in terms of its form and working.  [x]   When the leaders of Mecca found out that Muhammad was building a city state, they became anxious about the new influence. They feared that this position of authority and power would encourage Muhammad to extract revenge on them. The Quraish believed the best way to deal with this threat was to destroy Islam in its infancy. They gathered a large army and marched north towards Medina. When Muhammad came to find out about their intentions, he too put together an army consisting of only three hundred and thirteen men. The resulting battle was known as the Battle of Badr and it was the first major war fought by the Muslims. Even though Muhammads army was poorly equipped and faced a force three times its size, they remained steadfast in their resolve towards protecting Islam and the Muslim army as a result was able to route the forces of Mecca. The Battle of Badr was a landmark in the history of Islam and it had several important effects in terms of Medina as a city state. Firstly, Muhammad with only a handful of men was able to defeat a much larger army through sheer determination and discipline. This brought home to the leaders of the Quraish, the abilities of the very man they had driven from their city. Also, one of the allied tribes which had pledged support to the Muslims in the battle had proved lukewarm when the actual fighting started. They were expelled from Medina and Muhammad served a warning to every tribe in allegiance with the Muslims: membership in the community imposed the obligation of total support.  [xi]   The Quraish, however, felt humiliated and almost one year after the Battle of Badr, they waged war again on the Muslims, this time coming with an army of almost three thousand soldiers. After establishing a strong foothold early in the battle, the Islamic army was put under pressure and had to retreat. Seeing as Muhammad and his followers were not entirely overpowered, the Quraish sent out an army again two years later in the hope of completely eliminating any sort of Islamic threat. At the Battle of the Trench, the result was completely different. The Muslims scored a signal victory by introducing a new form of defense. On the side of Median from which the attack was expected, they dug a trench too deep for the Meccan cavalry to clear without exposing itself to the archers posted behind the earthworks. After an inconclusive siege, the Meccans were forced to retire and thus establishing Medina and Muhammads Islam as a power to be reckoned with in the Arabian Peninsula.  [xii]   The Constitution of Medina dates from this period. The charter established Muhammad as the leader of Medina and the Muslims as a separate entity in their own right. The Constitution also defined the role of non-Muslims in the society. Jews, for example, were part of the community; they were dhimmis, that is, protected people, as long as they conformed to its laws. Followers of the monotheistic religions were permitted spiritual independence. This did not, however, pertain to the Pagans as they could not be tolerated in a place that worshiped one God.  [xiii]   According to Ibn Ishaq, one of the earliest biographers of the Prophet, it was at about this time that Muhammad sent letters to various rulers all around the world- the King of Persia, the Emperor of Byzantium, the Negus of Abyssinia, and the Governor of Egypt among others inviting them to submit to Islam.  [xiv]   Muhammad so efficiently established a number of allies that, by 628 AD, he and almost a thousand Muslims were able to stipulate admittance to Mecca. This was a milestone in the history of Islam. Just a short time before, Muhammad had left the same city to establish an Islamic state and now he was being treated by the Quraish as a leader. Almost a year later he was able to occupy Mecca without any violence which. He cleaned the Kabah from the gods that were present and forever ended idol worship. At the same time Amr bin Al As and Khaleed bin Walid, accepted Islam and swore allegiance to Muhammad. Their acceptance of Islam was very important because they would later go on and through various campaigns, expand the Muslim empire.  [xv]   After almost a decade since Muhammad migrated to Medina, he made his last pilgrimage to Mecca and delivered a farewell sermon to a congregation of about 120,000 people. Shortly afterwards, he was taken ill and passed away in 632 AD. The death of Muhammad was a profound loss. To his supporters he was more than a friend and a teacher. He was also a perfect role model who till this date has guided the faith and life of countless men and women and which has brought in a distinctive era in the history of mankind. After his death, Muhammads legacy was continued by his close companions who took the responsibility of presiding over the Muslim population for years to come based on his teachings. Muslim dynasties were soon established and subsequent empires such as those of the Persians, Ottomans and the Mughals of India, were among the largest and most powerful the world has ever seen. The people of the Islamic world created numerous sophisticated centers of culture and science with far-reaching mercantile networks, travelers, scientists, hunters, mathematicians, doctors and philosophers, all of whom contributed to the rise of Islam.

I Am Deaf Essay -- essays research papers

Otherness Project Exceptional Learners I am deaf. I am at Starbucks. I want to order coffee. I have to do it on paper rather than out loud because I speak so poorly, I don’t like to try. I intend to write it down and show it to the barrista, but I am nervous. I don’t know if I am more nervous because I am not really deaf and I feel guilty or because I am different from the other customers and I will be labeled as disabled. I am not looking forward to placing my order. I order a medium decaf coffee by holding up a notebook with the phrase â€Å"Medium Decaf Coffee, Please.† The young man at the counter does a quick transformation from a confident good looking guy to a bumbling embarrassed guy. He says,† yes sir† three or four times. He spends a long time giving change from a five dollar bill for a coffee. Then, he hands me $4.27. (The bill was $1.73) He seems hesitant and confused, and I’m thinking that he’s too worried about hurting my feelings to reconsider if he has the cor rect change. I shake my head: â€Å"no.† He goes thru an explanation (that makes absolutely no sense) of why it is the correct change. Then, he hands it back to me, and I again shake my head: â€Å"no.† He then thinks a second, and he gives me $2.27 change, shorting me a dollar, and then as an afterthought he finally corrects it and gives me the right change. He is clearly addled. And I feel bad for causing him anxiety, especially since it is all a drama for the paper. But, I am trying to maintain my position as a deaf man. I am trying not to respond to sound stimuli. There’s no crime in looking though—for a deaf man. In fact, I enjoyed a heightened sense of sight as I drove without radio accompaniment in my car. I am not talking to anybody. And if they are talking to me, I am avoiding their eyes because I am so busy looking at the words coming out of their mouths. Though I am a bit excited by my isolation, I am also of course, just plain lonely to be so apart from others and their community. I notice I have a message on my cell phone, and I am not supposed to answer it, because I am not able to answer it at this time. I answer it anyway thinking it may be someone I love or it may be someone I work with that will give me money. I am so fortunate to be able to communicate by cell phone with such ease when my alter ego that is deaf is unable to do so. In fact, my alter ego can us... ...fic and up the driveway of the parking lot on the other side of the street. As he makes his way across I think of going to him and asking him out, and how that would infuriate my boyfriend. I think of how confident he is and how skilled and strong. I think of how able he is. And I remember how I was feeling at Starbuck’s knowing that the cashier was trying so hard not to hurt my feelings, because he was apparently certain how sensitive I would be to social discomfort regarding my condition of deafness. I felt offended and hurt and disappointed that the cashier did not recognize my talents. I’m deaf but I’m still an astrologer, numerologer, massage therapist, meditation instructor, teacher, and businessman. I am a well rounded person with an added dimension due to my lack of hearing. I have perspectives that come to me entirely from my deafness that no one but a deaf person can access. Will he recognize my strengths? Will he recognize my completeness, my whole ness, the synthesis of all my individual parts? Right now he doesn’t. These are the things I thought of as I watched that attractive man make his way across the street, while I wished that I was trotting along beside him. I Am Deaf Essay -- essays research papers Otherness Project Exceptional Learners I am deaf. I am at Starbucks. I want to order coffee. I have to do it on paper rather than out loud because I speak so poorly, I don’t like to try. I intend to write it down and show it to the barrista, but I am nervous. I don’t know if I am more nervous because I am not really deaf and I feel guilty or because I am different from the other customers and I will be labeled as disabled. I am not looking forward to placing my order. I order a medium decaf coffee by holding up a notebook with the phrase â€Å"Medium Decaf Coffee, Please.† The young man at the counter does a quick transformation from a confident good looking guy to a bumbling embarrassed guy. He says,† yes sir† three or four times. He spends a long time giving change from a five dollar bill for a coffee. Then, he hands me $4.27. (The bill was $1.73) He seems hesitant and confused, and I’m thinking that he’s too worried about hurting my feelings to reconsider if he has the cor rect change. I shake my head: â€Å"no.† He goes thru an explanation (that makes absolutely no sense) of why it is the correct change. Then, he hands it back to me, and I again shake my head: â€Å"no.† He then thinks a second, and he gives me $2.27 change, shorting me a dollar, and then as an afterthought he finally corrects it and gives me the right change. He is clearly addled. And I feel bad for causing him anxiety, especially since it is all a drama for the paper. But, I am trying to maintain my position as a deaf man. I am trying not to respond to sound stimuli. There’s no crime in looking though—for a deaf man. In fact, I enjoyed a heightened sense of sight as I drove without radio accompaniment in my car. I am not talking to anybody. And if they are talking to me, I am avoiding their eyes because I am so busy looking at the words coming out of their mouths. Though I am a bit excited by my isolation, I am also of course, just plain lonely to be so apart from others and their community. I notice I have a message on my cell phone, and I am not supposed to answer it, because I am not able to answer it at this time. I answer it anyway thinking it may be someone I love or it may be someone I work with that will give me money. I am so fortunate to be able to communicate by cell phone with such ease when my alter ego that is deaf is unable to do so. In fact, my alter ego can us... ...fic and up the driveway of the parking lot on the other side of the street. As he makes his way across I think of going to him and asking him out, and how that would infuriate my boyfriend. I think of how confident he is and how skilled and strong. I think of how able he is. And I remember how I was feeling at Starbuck’s knowing that the cashier was trying so hard not to hurt my feelings, because he was apparently certain how sensitive I would be to social discomfort regarding my condition of deafness. I felt offended and hurt and disappointed that the cashier did not recognize my talents. I’m deaf but I’m still an astrologer, numerologer, massage therapist, meditation instructor, teacher, and businessman. I am a well rounded person with an added dimension due to my lack of hearing. I have perspectives that come to me entirely from my deafness that no one but a deaf person can access. Will he recognize my strengths? Will he recognize my completeness, my whole ness, the synthesis of all my individual parts? Right now he doesn’t. These are the things I thought of as I watched that attractive man make his way across the street, while I wished that I was trotting along beside him.

Essays --

Around the turn of the last century, and in the nineteen hundreds, much literature was sent from Canada to the United States for the benefit of those that were interested in farming. People were led to believe that a short cut to happiness and prosperity was to simply go to Canada. It all sounded so interesting. It was written that anyone coming to Canada received 160 acres of land for ten dollars plus slight homestead duties. Canada was the land where you never heard the thunder. It usually rained only at night and the water was so pure, one could drink water off the ground anywhere and it would not make you sick. When you wanted fresh meat, all you had to do was open the door and shoot your choice of the wild game that was so abundant. Seeing no future for themselves as young farmers, on poor, stoney and heavily timbered land at Fosston, Minnesota, several families left for Canada to look for these homesteads. After arriving in Wadena, and with the local guide, the men began walki ng in the north direction. They followed an old Indian trail over to the quarter sections of land available for proving as homesteads. Each man selected a quarter that he would work, they were all enjoined. They had now put in two days of interesting and educationaldiscoveruies. Interesting, in that it looked like there was a future for this country and educational, in learning that you could not expect to be able to do much walking if you drank the supposedly pure water lying everywhere on top of the ground. The local guide was already a seasoned homesteader and anyone that knew him would realize that he knew how sick, those poor greenhorns would get from drinking all that slough water. The next day, they walked back to Wadena and took the train to Hu... ... We had so many ducks that winter that we couldn't eat them all before the weather turned warm in the spring. When we tired of eating duck, there were lots of bush rabbits, and when we tired of rabbits, we ate duck. On the 20th of march 1949, I awoke one morning to find mom in an unusual mood and she told me dad had left for a drive with Cathy and the buggy during the night. For the life of me, I could not grasp what was going on, or what was to take place. Then I heard the buggy on the frozen ground and sure enough, dad was home. He had a passenger with him. She was an older lady and I was told her name was Mrs. Thorsen. I was then told to hook up Black, a calf we had broken, and to drive to the new neighbors to see how the building of their new house was coming along. I went, but I was not away very long because I knew the circumstances were not ordinary at home.

Illinois Michigan Canal is Responsible for Chicagos Size Essay

"Didn't expect no town" -Early Chicago Settler Mark Beaubien The I & M Canal is universally considered the driving force behind the huge surge of growth that turned the tiny settlement on the banks of Lake Michigan named Chicago, in to a huge metropolis and bustling center of trade. Ever since Joliet first crossed the portage between the Chicago River and the Des Plaines River in 1673, explorers, investors, politicians, and farmers alike all agreed that constructing a canal across the continental divide could benefit them greatly. The canal would connect the two largest water systems in the United States, creating a continuous waterway between New York and New Orleans, but more importantly, place Chicago on perhaps the most valuable piece of real estate in North America and in the position to become an international city almost overnight. The plans to build the Illinois & Michigan canal began in the newly started Illinois legislature in 1818. It was driven forward by the new construction on the Erie Canal in New York. Once the Erie Canal was complete only a canal between the Des Plaines and Chicago rivers would be necessary to complete the chain of waterways connecting New York to New Orleans. In 1822, Congress gave Illinois a large portion of land on which to not only build the canal, but to sell to raise funds for its construction. The land contained the portage between the two rivers and about 100 miles of land to the south and west of it. It had just recently been coercively and dishonestly purchased from the local Blackhawk Indians in a treaty that ended the Blackhawk War. As soon as the Erie Canal was completed in 1825, eastern investors quickly realized Chicago's huge potential. The land around what would one ... ...ys to twelve days. The canal remained a profitable enterprise until the year 1866 when the newly completed railroad system proved to be a cheaper and more efficient alternative. Use of the canal did not disappear however until around 1900 when it began to fall into disrepair. The final deathblow to the Illinois & Michigan came when the big, wider, and deeper Illinois Waterway was completed in 1933. However, though no longer in commercial use, the Illinois & Michigan canal remains as a source of recreation and will forever be remembered as the spark responsible for Chicago's leap to prominence. In 1833 the population of the newly incorporated town of Chicago was 250 people, by 1854, only 20 years later, the population had swelled to over 75 thousand. The city of Chicago had ascended from a tiny trading outpost to a thriving metropolis at an unprecedented speed.

My values

It has been reiterated from our class discussions that values are the things that really matter to us. (Lopper, 2006) And, as we further discussed this subject, we have discovered that it really has a big influence on our wants and needs. Our values guide us to make decision and even how to run our everyday lives. In assessing our wants and needs, we are unconsciously contributing betterment or demise to the world. So, it is important to channel in to our inner selves to know what really want and need so that in the end, we will find the things that we most cherish and cultivate it to add some goodness in the world. Our values can either be our belief, our principles and sometimes, even our family. Even voicing out your opinion is considered a value. Now, as I sit and write the values that I treasure most, I found out that aside from my family, I also deeply care about the environment and love. As clichà © as it may sound, we should take care of our environment because after all, we are all going to benefit from it and our future children as well. With the onset of technology and our desire to acquire what is the latest, it is heartbreaking to know that a lot of trees, tribes, etc. must be sacrificed just to have out wants. But, to compensate for our advancing technology, it is also glad to know that we are now beginning to take into considerations the environment—this can be best epitomized by the commercialization of the hybrid cars and the abundance of solar-generating houses in some parts of the world. Still, there are â€Å"quite† parts of the world wherein we continue to manipulate their resources so that we can have our personal satisfaction and gains. Now, from what I have learned from our discussions, all I can say is that, we should all make an effort, no matter how small it is, to make this world a little cleaner. For my part, I have started doing so through my small ways like throwing my trash in the trashcan (or if ever there is no trashcan, I make sure that I keep it in my pocket and dispose it in our house) and religiously segregating the biodegradables from the non-biodegradables. Also, I started to make a compost pit at our house so that I can grow organic vegetables in the future. Lastly, I tell smokers to quit the habit because it only adds up to air pollution. As for the other value that I treasure most, it is so overrated but if we analyze it thoroughly, it is surprising to know that we can only achieve the things that we want in this world (i.e. peace, justice, unity, etc.) if we love ourselves enough. I believe that if we love ourselves enough, it is the only time that we can share that love and consequently, build respect for others. And with respect, there comes understanding and then justice and peace. It is a very extraordinary concept but it just all boil into that. I also have to emphasize that this love that I deeply value is not filial in nature but for the greater good. And, as a first step in achieving this idealistic want (or need), I must admit that I do not have enough love with me to share with others but I am starting to gather love by knowing myself more and talking to my inner self more often and appreciating the value of everything that I see and treasure. The two values that I treasure most seem conventional but the way I see it, there is nothing too conventional if we want to have a better world. As said in our discussions, we should know our wants and needs because it leads to some make-or-brake decisions in our lives and in the course of the world as well. We all want and definitely need a better world and we can achieve this through the values that are instilled in us or our beliefs and principles that we genuinely cherish. After all, all our values should be for the improvement of ourselves and for others. And I believe that for us to have a better living environment, it must start from ourselves. In conclusion, for us to have a better world and a proper knowledge of ourselves, it is imperative to have a step-by-step procedure to achieve those desires and these can be done even in the most modest ways. And these steps will only begin from us if we only consider our wants and needs and integrate it to our values but we have to keep in mid that these values should be for the benefit of us. REFERENCES: Lopper, J. (2006). What are values? [Electronic Version]. Retrieved September 27, 2007 from http://personaldevelopment.suite101.com/article.cfm/what_are_values_.