The Daily Mirror Essays

The Daily Mirror Essays The Daily Mirror Essay The Daily Mirror Essay I have decided to compare two newspaper articles, one from the tabloid The Daily Mirror and the other from the broadsheet The Guardian. Both papers on Friday January the 13th 2006 covered the tragic story of the 345 deaths, caused by stampede at the annual hajj pilgrimage to Mecca. Since the story is relevant to current issues, I believe it will conjure an array of diverse language. The comparison of language usage will be predominantly achieved through my analysis of grammar, semantics and lexis. Since the mirror is aimed at readers requiring a quick fix off the news I expect it to use short simple and compound sentences, with brief vital information only included, whereas the Guardians appeal to an educated audience will result in the usage of subject specific lexis, and longer complex sentences, creating a text of standard English throughout the extract. This will be contained in longer paragraphs with the increased use of Latinate and French origin words, compared to the Mirrors predominantly Anglo-Saxon content. Being a tabloid the mirror will dramatise the issue through use of journalese and utilising highly emotive words with strong, relevant connotations to maximise impact of the writing. I hypothesise both extracts will use this emotive language but will be exaggerated in the Mirror in order to appeal to its target audience. Finally the visual layout of both papers will be evident through the Mirrors typical use of enlarging and emboldening headlines in order to stand out, whereas the guardian will use a more subtle, informative title. The mirrors slightly facetious, informal and straight to the point title often tells half the information contained within the text anyway. There are many short paragraphs in the Mirror, made up of generally one to four sentences. Having more paragraphs means that points are succinct and therefore sustaining the attention of a reader. These short paragraphs are predominantly used at the beginning of an article, acting as a caption to lure the audience to continue with reading the article. This is evident in the opening statement of the mirrors report where a sixteen word sentence briefly opens and describes the incident, At least 345 Muslim pilgrims were crushed to death yesterday at a holy festival. This is a typical brief, succinct opening we can expect from a tabloid publication such as the mirror. The Guardian on the other hand opens with one sentence that consists of a lengthy 46 words. In the broadsheet publications such as the Guardian, paragraphs are typically longer due to their readership. However, surprisingly in the remainder of the article paragraph lengths are typically between one and four sentences like, much like the mirror. Broadsheet publications have the tendency to use different sentence structures and complexities in order to retain a readers interest and to make further explanation of a point more coherent. In spite of this I have identified a range of sentence structures in both articles. Generally though, the guardian uses compound and complex sentences, while complex sentences are less common in the mirror, making it easier to read. The second paragraph in the mirror states, Around 1000 others were injured- at least two of them Brits-as people surged towards the Jamarat Bridge in mina, Saudi Arabia for a stoning ritual during the annual Hajj furthering the single sentence paragraphs that are evident in the mirror. However this is a complex structure, the other stereotypical sentence structure I expected to see in the Mirror. These complex sentence structures from the Mirror were unexpected as the use of the sub-ordinate clause elaborates upon the main clause giving the story more detail therefore sensationalising the incident making it more interesting for the readers. Furthermore in this quotation hyphens are used on two occasions to break up the text. This gives the text pause like features similar to the qualities of speech, these pauses hold the text back creating tension and suspense, subsequently dramatising the depiction of the event even further than the choice of sentence structure. The Guardian also typically uses a complex sentence structure with subordinate clauses for its first sentence to add detail- Thousands of Muslim pilgrims rushing to the complete a symbolic stoning ritual during the annual hajj tripped over baggage yesterday, causing a crush in at least 345 people were killed and hundreds injured, despite Saudi attempts to prevent stampedes that have plagued the annual event. This single complex sentence forces the reader to endure a brief but informative sentence about the incident and then makes them want to read further as it shows the article will contain useful knowledge of the incident as the sub-ordinate clause in the complex structure adds this detail. Neither piece contains many co-ordinators in the transcripts despite them being typical to a tabloids write up. Co-ordinators are used predominantly at the beginning of sentences for example but to reflect speech patterns, and as these are less formal grammatical structures they maintain momentum throughout an article. The mirror uses it at the start of a paragraph to divert attention to a new point- But West Yorks assistant chief constable this is the contrary to what you would expect in the guardian as co-ordinators are less formal hence the use of grammatically complete sentences in the Guardian. Adverbials are used at the start of sentences to change the focus yet keep the reader involved. They can be used for example by writing meanwhile or on the other hand the Guardian typically uses adverbials in a variety of positions depending on the emphasis most appropriate to the meaning. In the guardians sentence- This years event was also marred by the collapse of another building this is a more formal and subtle way of changing focus whereas the mirror would typically use meanwhile as it subtly includes added information and represents a similarity to informal speech that is easy to comprehend.

Parallel Construction

Parallel Construction Parallel Construction Parallel Construction By Maeve Maddox A common writing fault is faulty parallelism. In writing, parallelism is a similarity of construction of adjacent word groups. Faulty parallelism results when words, phrases, or clauses are mismatched. Here are some examples of faulty parallelism: Hiking is more fun than to swim. Hiking is a verbal noun. To swim is an infinitive. Better: Hiking is more fun than swimming. To hike is more fun than to swim. Sandra Bullock is beautiful and has intelligence. Beautiful is an adjective; has intelligence is a clause. Better: Sandra Bullock is beautiful and intelligent. Sandra Bullock has beauty and intelligence. Even though we have had peaceful protest, there has been protest that was violent, even today. This sentence from a student essay about a tradition of violence in the United States has several problems. The first clause begins with a true subject, we, while the second clause begins with there. The delayed subject of the second clause is protest. Having protest as the object of a verb in the first clause and the subject of the verb in the second clause is awkward. More imbalance results from the mix of past and present verb tenses and the tacked-on phrase even today. Even though seems to call for a stronger contrast than what follows. Better: Even though we have had peaceful protests, violent protests have been common and continue today. The nightly news is full of stories about missing children or stories that someone tried to abduct some children at a bus stop. This example is also from a student essay. The structural imbalance results from the fact that the first storystories about missing children is qualified by an adjective phrase, while the second storystories that someone tried to abduct some children at a bus stop is qualified by an adjective clause. Better: The nightly news is full of stories about missing children and child abductors. The nightly news is full of stories about children who have disappeared from their homes or who have been abducted at bus stops. A recent Apple ad for the iPad contains an example of faulty parallelism in the list of words interspersed with a series of screenshots: delicious current learning playful literary artful friendly productive scientific magical All but one of the words is a descriptive adjective. Learning is a verbal noun. The adjective that would fit with the other adjectives is educational. Perhaps the copywriter felt that the word educational is too stodgy for an Apple ad targeting fun-loving consumers. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Writing Basics category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:What is the Difference Between "These" and "Those"?Peace of Mind and A Piece of One's Mind48 Writing Prompts for Middle School Kids

After reading a mini-case, and writing a summary with your opinion Essay

After reading a mini-case, and writing a summary with your opinion - Essay Example that Twitter was more compatible for their needs than Facebook, as Twitter was more mobile friendly and allowed them to create needed content immediately. JetBlue used Twitter to market new deals and sales without turning into spam or the usual â€Å"promotional lingo† (2). It created a separate Twitter account known as â€Å"JetBlue Cheaps† to cater to the different needs of their customers. This led to an exciting offer in JetBlue’s history in the summer of 2009 known â€Å"All You Can Jet† (3). This allowed customers to travel many routes under just one ticket. Twitter basically allowed them to market this offer for free. The AYCJ pass was sold out before the company’s expectations leading to millions of blog references, search engine hits, and increased traffic. Media channels, newspapers, and blogs also propelled this offer, further highlighting its publicity. The already booming loyal followers became ecstatic over this historical offer and shared it on their other social networks. JetBlue was able to get a hold of even more customers and satisfied followers. The offer allowed JetBlue to gain i mmense profits as well as more TrueBlue flyers, where its members soon hit the 8 million member mark. JetBlue also used Twitter in March of 2010 to give away 1,000 free roundtrip tickets because of its 10th anniversary (4). The company established itself further as a customer oriented service gaining even more positive publicity. JetBlue realized that its profits and public support were not solely the result of its few Twitter team members but instead due to â€Å"the crew members who are on the front lines all across the company† (4). Furthermore, JetBlue used Twitter to closely and carefully monitor customer complaints and concerns as they were occurring in real time. This way instead of targeting a problem or issue, no matter how big or small, a week down the road, they were able to handle it on the spot with satisfying results. For example, when the company

Accounting case s Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Accounting s - Case Study Example The request of baker to be involved in the scheduling of employees and the discussion over the costs of the labor force also indicates cases of fraud. According to him, he thinks that maybe there is more money given in order to fund more experienced labor but someone and most probably the departmental manager uses the allocated funds to recruit less qualified labor at a cheaper cost bearing in mind that the department would still record high profits. Through the complaint that the departmental statement includes charges that are not related to the bakery also indicates that the baker is concerned by the fact that the departmental manager may be using the high profits from the bakery department in order to account for losses made in other sectors of the department. According to reliable operating statements, it is prudent for all the sectors in a department to have their statement in order to help analyze the effectiveness and the progress of the sector As clearly observed from the baker’s complaint, it is clear that there may be cases of fraud and mismanagement of funds going pun from the management of the department. It is, therefore, recommendable that the baker must be involved in decisions to do with the choice of labor. Despite the fact that his sector records high profits, more experienced labor s required in order to help produce more. It is only through an increase in the profits from the preceding year that will mark development and growth of the company. It is also recommendable that the baker must be involved in the making of the general statements for the department. The fact that there happens to be charges in his sector that are not related means that resources from the bakery sector are used to source other sectors. In order for a company to grow, each sector and department has to be accountable for its expenses. This makes it easier to realize the weaknesses and be able

Growing Acme Fireworks Essay Example for Free

Growing Acme Fireworks Essay There is much to consider when expanding a business. How will you make, market, and distribute your product. Are you willing to take full liability for your product and understanding the legalities of what happens if your product is defective? Once that has been established, it’s important to make sure that your business dealings are in order. The strength of the contract and what all it entails. Knowing that the legal document is important more so when things tend to go downhill. Above all is deciding which type of business entity the company will select especially if the company starts out small and looks to expand. Which entity will best serve the growth of the company such as Acme Fireworks? Some years ago I watched a movie called fight club. The movie dealt with a ton of social issues. One of the characters worked for a car company that would fly out their employers out to the areas where there were car accidents. They worked almost as an insurance adjuster that would come and appraise a vehicle once it has been in a wreck and determine, based on the damages how much they would award the car owner. However in the case here the employees would view accidents all over the country and decide if it would cost more to recall the product or pay the total fee for the said accident. If the cost was too much to do a recall then the company would take responsibility for the accident if a law suit is brought forth, however if it is cheaper to recall then the necessary actions would be taken to recall the malfunctioned part. Knowing this it is important that we label the products and its proper uses so if there is an issue then it can be said that the manufacture warned the consumer. In this way, any injury would not be the fault of Acme Fireworks, but the consumer. Just as the example with the cars above, if someone lights a firecracker in a closet and the firecracker goes off and injures the person then the company is not liable being that it is neglect  on the part of the consumer (Rogers, 2012). Now if the same individual uses the firework outside in an open area as is stated on the label and they light the firecracker and it goes off in their hand as soon as the fuse is lit, then that is negligence on behalf of Acme. It must be understood that regardless of the product used, all products have the potential to cause consumer harm (Anthony, 1995). So that is why it is important to make sure everything from the development of the fireworks to the warning labels have been gone over to make sure that the product is not faulty. If a fuse is too short in a product or if the material used to cause the firecracker to explode is too much then that is a defectively manufactured product. Another issue could also be the type of firework that is made. Let’s say for instance that one of the products has the tendency to go off in extreme temperatures and is purchased and placed in areas of storage when the temperatures extreme then that is negligence on the consumer, however if the consumer was not made aware of this by the manufacture then the liability falls to the company. I recall about three years ago when I was in a car accident. Our brakes that we had from the car company had been recalled. We were sent notices in the mail, phone, and email about the recall and were told to bring our vehicle in to make sure the brakes were not faulty and if they were they could be fixed free of charge. The deadline came and went a after it expired I was in a car wreck. I was making a turn in the rain and slammed my brakes and they were locked. I had the repair work done on the vehicle and was told that the brakes were faulty. I informed the dealership of the issue and was told that the company was no longer liable because the deadline had passed. I was outraged and wanted to file a lawsuit against the company, however there are deadlines and limitations to when a suit can be filed and in the state of Georgia, you have up to a year to file such claim. I missed it by 3 months and was unable to file suit against the manufacturer (Day, 2014). Another import issues are the contracts. There are 5 basic elements to a contract: Offer, acceptance, Consideration, Legality and Capacity (Rogers, 2012). Other retailers stated to the owner of Acme Fireworks that they wanted a certain amount of orders filled on a regular bases for an undisclosed time frame and a price was agreed upon, this is the acceptance and offer portion of the contract. The offeror, which in this case are the large retailers, makes an offer which once accepted by  Acme Fireworks, creates a binding contract. Acceptance must be in some way agreed b y all participants; it may be verbal, symbolical, oral or written. The came from the retailers, they had a want from Acme to manufacture a product for them at a certain cost (Stim, 2010). Consideration is another element of a contract and what consideration brings to the table ask the whys and what’s: Why are we entering the contract and are you receiving? In this case Acme gets more money by being able to produce its products and grow their brand and the other retailers receive fireworks from Acme. However in this instance the owner of Acme may have taken on a task bigger than himself. This is a company with only 15 workers and to fill the orders with the new retailers, more employees need to be hired. Not only do they need to be hired, but they need to be trained as well. This must be done while filling out the orders. Here there is not much consideration given by the owner. How many employees do we need, how much will the work flow increase, and how long will we have a contract with the other retailers. No time period was given for the contract. Will this just be one order or is this something that will go on annually. What happen if the orders are not filled on a timely manner is the contract then void? Another question to ask is the capacity and legality of a contract. Capacity to contract means the legal competence of a person to enter into a valid contract. Usually the capacity to contract refers to the capacity to enter into a legal agreement and the competence to perfor m some act. The basic element to enter into a valid contract is that s/he much has a sound mind. Recently there was an issue with an owner of the L.A. Clippers making comments about minorities. The group of owners in the league wanted him to sell his team. He didn’t want to sell and wanted to fight it, however it came out that he does not have the mental faculties to run the organization or make business decision so that responsibility was given to his wife. It came out that he has dementia, but he is fighting this claim as well. Once it is established if he can mentally make these decisions then the wife will not be able to go into discussions to purchase the franchise legally. Acme has 15 full time employees as it stands now. This is without the orders for the new retailers. What we know is that the owner guaranteed that we can take on more business, not considering the staff that we currently have. For the orders to be filled we would have to take on more labor force. Before this  can be done we have to first consider what we have now. We currently have 15 people employed by Acme, to fill the new orders; do we take on double or triple the size? If we do take on more people, would it be something on permanent or temporary ba ses? Employment is very important when business is involved. There are many things to consider when a workforce is involved. When it comes with dealing with explosives it is important that we consider finding individuals who have experience with working with explosives and are well trained as well. This will cost more money for the company when it comes to hiring individuals that are trained to handle explosives. So these can’t be regular workers that one can find at a temp agency. However, we do not know how long to hire these individuals because there is no clarity as to the length of the contract, so the types of workers that we would have to hire would have to come through labor force agencies (Smith, V., Neuwirth, E.B., 2009). The great thing about a temp agency is the large pool of people that they have to choose from. There are times when many corporations view temp agency workers as people who are unskilled, however with the types of agencies that are around today, they can find highly skilled individuals that many companies wo uld be hard pressed to do, being that they would have to exhaust many resources to do so. It has to be understood that this business started out of a garage a couple years ago and is now grown into a company that employees 15 people on staff. Now with the new revenue that will come into the company, Acme Fireworks will have to expand. Acme is a sole proprietorship owned by one individual. This is the simplest organization structure to have. There is less paperwork as well as the tax implications. If there is a loss for that year you can use this loss to offset your other income on your personal return (Fishman, 2014). Though operating as a sole proprietorship is easier, it can also have some setbacks as well. The main problem is that there’s no separation between the individual and the business with the sole proprietorship. That means that if something should happen in the business, like taking on huge contracts with no clear time line and limited planning and staff, you’d be personally liable. For example, if Acme Fireworks business is ever sued or runs int o financial trouble, the owner would be personally on the hook and creditors and lawsuits can come after your  personal assets. That is an issue because if the company profits go to offset the debt, there is little to no money to run the company properly, expand, or take care of the employees. This is just one of the many things to consider when changing your business entity as well as deciding on what is best for the company as a whole. Acme Fireworks started out of a garage, like most businesses it is difficult to raise capital or arranging long term financing because of fewer assets. Also there is one voice and one view which can scare big business opportunities away. This is why a Sole Proprietorship for the future of Acme Fireworks would not be feasible. Being in this type of entity makes it hard to expand. To grow and expand a company needs a formal business structure. So the choice is which entity to choose? With such an undertaking in such a short time, the risk would cause a sole owner to want to form an LLC or incorporate his or her business. In the case of Acme Fireworks, it would be best to change the business entity to a corporation. With the promise of product to these new large retailers, Acme Fireworks would need more capital to grow the business as well as purchase the necessary material to make sure the new orders are able to fill as well as fulfilling previous obligations to the other retailers that we have business with. Choosing this entity protects the owner from legal liability, gives the ability to attract more investors through stocks, and has more structure where there is not just one voice for the business. The juxtaposition to this is the tax liability and the time and how much it cost to incorporate, unlike a sole proprietorship, incorporating a business takes much more paperwork, as well as fee’s that need to be paid to the state the business is in. One of the silver linings for the employees is that even if something happens to the owner, or if he or she retires, the corporation will still be i n tact unlike sole proprietorships. There are many things to consider when it comes to running a company, expanding it, and watching it flourish. There are many businesses that started out in a small garage, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, even men like John D. Rockefeller. However, growth cannot take place without determination and risk. The best way to make sure that your ready to expand is to be sure where you want to take the company and have a sound plan as to the steps one will take to get there. Once you have a vision and financial backing the  next step is to decide which type of business entity you want to be. There are many entities to choose from and no one is greater than the next. It’s all about how you want to mold and model your business. Reference: Anthony, S. (1995). Warning: marketers must do better with product warnings. Marketing News, (13). 4. DAY, J. A. (2014). Protecting Yourself from Statutes of Repose. Tennessee Bar Journal, 50(1), 33-34. Fishman, S. (2014). CHAPTER 2: Choosing the Legal Form for Your Business. In , Working for Yourself (pp. 15-54). Nolo. Smith, V., Neuwirth, E. B. (2009). Temporary Help Agencies and the Making of a New Employment Practice. Academy Of Management Perspectives, 23(1), 56-72. doi:10.5465/AMP.2009.37008003

The Federal Reserve System Essay -- Economics Economy

What the world needs now is Money Sweet Money"; that is not the way the song goes however that is surely the way our world and economy does. Money and its importance relative to the US Government have always been difficult to figure out especially when it comes to interest rates. Due to our Federal Reserve System, its chairman Alan Greenspan, and his Board of Governors dedicated to seeing that our economy blossoms, those doubts have become a thing of the past, for now. The Federal Reserve System is a central banking of the US Government, most commonly known as the Fed. A central bank serves as the banker to both the banking community and the government. It issues the national currency, conducts monetary policy, and plays a major role in the supervision and regulation of banks and bank holding companies. Congress created the Fed in 1913. It was designed to ensure political independence and sensitivity to the many different economic concerns. The chairman and the six other members of the Board of Governors who oversea the Fed are nominated by the President of the United States and confirmed by the Senate. There are twelve District Reserve Banks, subsequently located in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, in Richmond, VA. In Atlanta, GA., Cleveland, OH. St. Louis and Kansas City, MO., Chicago, Minneapolis MI., Dallas, TX. And San Francisco. Each bank is responsible to a 9 member Board of Directors, which is set in a three-class system. The three classes are defined as A, B, and member banks elect C. Class A and the Board of Governors appoints B Directors and Class C. The Board of Directors is responsible for the administration of its banks and the appointment of the banks president and vice-president. This process is set from the base... ...1987. In conclusion, the job of Mr. Greenspan and the Federal Reserve is not an easy one. Whenever money is involved there is always great potential for problems. With the monetary policy always an issue, Mr. Greenspan has to constantly come up with ways to keep our economy steady despite changes nationally and internationally. This recently became a relevant factor. At the very moment Mr. Greenspan was expected to accept his ultimate reappointment as Chair of the FED he was in the process of making it painfully clear that he was not going to allow the rapidly growing economy to foster inflationary imbalances that would undermine the economy's record economic expansion. This and other important factors caused several short-term interest rate increases. This saga continues but the FED with all they have to do has steadily maintained an economy to be proud of for now.

Facebook

Opportunities and Challenges UKOLN: Supporting the Cultural Heritage Sector Why The Interest In Facebook? Facebook has generated much interest over recent months. Much of the interest has arisen since Facebook announced the Facebook Platform [1] which enabled third party developers to build applications which could be used within the Facebook environment. Since Facebook was developed initially to support students it is not surprising that student usage has proved so popular.This interest has also spread to ther sectors within institutions, with researchers and members of staff exploring Facebook possibilities. What Can Be Done Within Facebook? Social networks such as Facebook can provide a range of benefits to members of an organisation: Connections with peers: The main function of Facebook is to provide connections between people with similar interests. Friends can then send messages to each other (either closed messages or open for others to read). Groups: Facebook users can set up discussion group areas, which can be used by people with interests in the topic of the group.Creation of details of events, which allows users to sign up to, is another popular use of Facebook. Sharing resources: Many of the popular Facebook applications are used for sharing resources. Some of these replicate (or provide an interface to) popular social sharing services (such as Flickr and YouTube) while other applications provide services such as sharing interests in films, books, etc. An environment for other applications: The opening of the Facebook Platform has allowed developers to provide access to a range of applications.ArtShare [2], for xample, provides access to arts resources from within Facebook. Web presence: Although originally designed for use by individuals since November 2007 Facebook can be used as a Web hosting service for an organisational page. It should also be noted that organisational pages in Facebook were redesigned in 2009 so that they more closely resembl e personal pages [3]. Organisational pages are now also able to share status updates. Facebook: Opportunities and Challenges users can set up discussion group areas, which can be used by people witn interests share Status Updates.What Are The Challenges? Reservations about use of Facebook in an institutional context include: Privacy: There are real concerns related to users' privacy. This will include both short term issues (embarrassing photos being uploaded) and longer term issues (reuse of content in many years time). Ownership: The Facebook terms and conditions allow Facebook to exploit content for commercial purposes. Misuse of social space: Users may not wish to share their social space with other colleagues, especially when there may be hierarchical relationships.Liability: Who will be liable if illegal content or copyrighted aterials are uploaded to Facebook? Who is liable if the service is not accessible to users with disabilities? Sustainability and Interoperability: How s ustainable is the service? Can it provide mission-critical services? Can data be exported for reuse in other systems? Resources: The cost implications in developing services for the Facebook platform. Institutional Responses To Such Challenges How should institutions respond to the potential opportunities provided by Facebook and the challenges which its use may entail?The two extreme positions would be to ither embrace Facebook, encouraging its use by members of the institution and porting services to the environment or to ban its use, possibly by blocking access by the institutions firewall. A more sensible approach might be to develop policies based on: Risk assessment and risk management: Analysing potential dangers and making plans for such contingencies. User education: Developing information literacy / staff development plans to ensure users are aware of the implications of use of Facebook, and the techniques for managing the environment (e. g. privacy settings).

Zumba

Sydney Trumbo An Evaluation: My Zumba Class Experience My weekly workout routine typically consists of running on the treadmill for an hour three days a week and using weights to strengthen my upper body and core two days a week. The gym I belong to provides a variety of exercise classes; however I do not take advantage of this perk. When it comes to coordination I am a bit â€Å"challenged. † It takes me longer to understand and follow the instructor’s directions. The thought of making a fool out of myself in front of a group of people causes me a great deal of anxiety.My major concern has always been that I will not be able to keep up with the instructor or the other class participants. If infomercials are an indication of the current trends in exercise then Zumba seems to be fairly popular. While scanning T. V. channels late at night I often come across an infomercial for this upbeat dance workout. Taking one of the Zumba classes my gym offers seemed like a good choi ce for my evaluation assignment. One reason for my decision was to force myself to focus on the cardio workout I would get rather than whether or not I was making a fool out of myself.I also wanted to see if Zumba was as enjoyable as the infomercials made it look. I did a little research on Zumba before taking the class. I wanted to get an idea of what this new exercise craze was all about. It actually started back in the 1990’s, when a dance instructor, Alberto Perez, forgot the music he was supposed to use for an aerobics class. He ended up improvising his dance class, by using merengue and salsa music instead. After seeing the success it had in Colombia, Perez moved to the United States in 2001 in an attempt to get his new dance concept discovered. Zumba became a huge hit among the fitness world.It includes slow and fast rhythm dances, and is essentially available to all ages because of the wide range of classes available. When it comes to the Zumba class offered at my gym , I assumed it would be designed for physically fit individuals between the ages of 16 and 55. Prior to taking part in an actual Zumba class I had a few preconceived ideas about what to expect. I thought the class would require wearing a special type of workout clothing. I believed the instructor would most likely be a professional dancer whose choreography would be paired with upbeat Spanish songs and consist of challenging moves.The dance steps the class would require would probably be modern day salsa and cha-cha; neither of which I find that exciting. I attended my first Zumba class on Sunday, February 17th. By the end of the first song I had quickly ruled out all of my preconceived ideas. The Zumba class took place in an extremely spacious room which allowed everyone in the class to have their own personal bubble. Mirrors covered all four of the walls, making it a bit awkward and impossible not to watch myself dance. Before the class began, I was complaining about how cold the room seemed.After the first routine I was thankful for the colder temperature. As far as I could tell the only â€Å"equipment† necessary for a successful Zumba class was music. As the room began filling up with participants it became apparent I was going to be the youngest. The group consisted of about fifteen women ranging in ages from the mid-twenties all the way to the late fifties. No one wore specialized Zumba clothing. In fact the majority of exercise attire worn was a plain tee-shirt, yoga pants and a good pair of tennis shoes.On the Zumba commercials, the attendees were all wearing bright colored tanks tops with â€Å"ZUMBA† written across them, colored cargo pants, fun-beaded skirts and leggings. I was not surprised that my classmates had a different wardrobe from those on the commercial. The clothes were probably used as an advertising technique to get people interested in the exercise. Everyone attending the class seemed to be in decent shape implying that this class for the physically fit. Danica, our Zumba instructor, literally ran in the room at exactly 4:30 PM.She had a welcoming smile and was quite observant. She noticed that a couple of us were not regulars to her Zumba sessions. Before we started dancing, Danica explained the basics of the class. She stated that it was not a dance competition and the main goal of Zumba is to be constantly moving in order to achieve a high calorie burn. She reviewed dance moves that she thought might be hard for new people to pick up right away. She reiterated that the most important thing is that we keep moving for the entire hour. After asking if everyone was ready to begin she turned on the music.The first dance was Pitbull’s â€Å"Don’t Stop the Party†; I was not expecting the music to consist of popular songs that could be heard on the radio. Danica would shout out the direction we were going making all her moves very simple to follow. She had us jumping in every direct ion, sliding from right to left, punching the air, marching forward and backward; by the middle of the song, everyone was dancing in a synchronized pattern. I did find myself lost on a few moves, but I just repeated previous steps until I could get back into the swing of things.Even though I consider myself to be in fairly good physical shape I was sweating and panting after the first song. Looking around the room, I could see as well as feel the entire class was pumped up and sending off positive energy. Danica was able to show a few moves to the next song before it started. I could tell it was going to be a bit more difficult than the first. It involved more jumping and slightly advanced foot work. But we were all laughing through our flaws and having a good time with the dance. Our instructor’s attitude and encouragement made my entire Zumba experience a great one.She would complement the moves we mastered, and would not discourage the dances that proved more difficult. Ev en though this was my first class, I was dancing as well as all the other classmates by the end. By the end of the class, we had danced to total of eight songs. They included Shakira’s â€Å"Waka Waka, This Time for Africa†, and Psy’s â€Å"Gangnam Style†. The last song, Enrique Iglesias’s â€Å"Tired of Being Sorry†, was our cool down song. Each song had its own chorography, making them unique and different. The class was an hour long and it managed to work out my entire body.Danica said that we burned about five hundred calories from all the moving around. Zumba did not require a lot of past acquired dance skills. I felt like a professional dancer, because I finally was able to follow moves that weren’t overly complicated. Flexibility was not a necessity but it is important to stretch out a few minutes before any exercise, especially one as involved as Zumba. I found one flaw which I could have avoided altogether. With the constant moving, I was extremely hot and sweaty; I would have to run to the drinking fountain.This caused me to lose my place in the dances, and I had to wait until I could catch onto the moves. As long as I remember a water bottle, this problem can be avoided. By end of the class, I could already feel the tightening of my muscles. I walked to the locker room with my legs feeling like Jell-O. I could hardly reach my locker because I could barely lift my arms above my head. I worked out my arms, abs, and legs all at once in Zumba. I did not leave the gym feeling overly tired so I had enough motivation to go home and continue on with my daily routine.The days of coming home and sleeping after an intense workout are now in the past. I came straight home and shared my fun-filled Zumba experience with my family. I would recommend Zumba to anyone looking for a new type of exercise. Riding the stationary bike or the elliptical every day starts to get boring, in my opinion. If you are looking to ste p out of your everyday workout routine, Zumba is the way to go. I do not however think it would be a positive experience for those who don’t enjoy exercising, or are in poorer shape. The nonstop moving could pose as a shock to bodies that are not used to cardio workouts.It would be a smarter choice for them to slowly work their way up through beginner classes. After having such a wonderful experience at my first Zumba class, I have every intention of attending as many as I can. It was not anything that I had expected; I did not think it would ever be possible to actually enjoy working out. But with the right attitude, an experienced and perceptive instructor, and a room full of fun people; Zumba is all around fun. It is an energetic class that makes for an exciting experience and improves your health, body and mind.

English Language Education in Japan

English Language Education in Japan In Japan, eigo-kyouiku (English-language education) starts the first year of junior high school and continues at least until the third year of high school. Surprisingly, most students are still unable to speak or to comprehend English properly after this time. Reasons for Lack of Comprehension One of the reasons is the instruction focusing on the skill of reading and writing. In the past, Japan was a nation composed of a single ethnic group and had a very small number of foreign visitors, and there were few opportunities to converse in foreign languages, therefore the study of foreign languages were mainly considered to obtain the knowledge from the literature of other countries. Learning English became popular after World War II, but English was taught by teachers who were trained under the method that emphasized reading. There were no qualified teachers to teach hearing and speaking. In addition, Japanese and English belong to different families of languages. There are no commonalities either in structure or words. Another reason in the Ministry of Educations guidelines. The guideline limits the English vocabulary that is to be learned during the three years of junior high school to about 1,000 words. Textbooks must be screened first by the Ministry of Education and result for the most part in standardized textbooks making the English language learning too confining. Recent Years However, in recent years the necessity has increased to communicate in English as the ability to listen and speak English is in demand. The students and adults who study English conversation have increased rapidly and private English conversation schools have become prominent. Schools are now also putting strength into eigo-kyouiku by the installation of language laboratories and the hiring of foreign language teachers.

Empress Matilda, Contender for the English Throne

Empress Matilda, Contender for the English Throne Empress Matilda, also known as Empress Maud (c. February 7, 1102–September 10, 1167), the daughter of Henry I of England, is best known in history for the civil war sparked by her fight against her cousin Stephen to win the throne of England for herself and her descendants.  She was also a strong-willed and capable ruler in her own right, the wife of the Holy Roman Emperor, and the mother of Henry II of England. Fast Facts: Empress Matilda Known For: Member of the British royal family whose claim to the throne sparked a civil warAlso Known As: Empress Maud, Holy Roman Empress;  German Queen;  Queen of ItalyBorn: c. February 7, 1102 in either Winchester  or  Sutton Courtenay, EnglandParents: Henry I of England, Matilda of ScotlandDied: September 10, 1167 in Rouen, FranceSpouse(s): Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor, Geoffrey V, Count of AnjouChildren: Henry II of England, Geoffrey, Count of Nantes, William FitzEmpress Early Life Matilda was born on or about February 7, 1102, as the daughter of Henry I (Henry Longshanks or Henry Beauclerc), the Duke of Normandy and King of England. Through her father, Matilda was descended from the Norman conquerors of England, including her grandfather William I, Duke of Normandy and King of England, known as William the Conqueror. Through her mothers mother, she was descended from more kings of England: Edmund II Ironside, Ethelred II the Unready, Edgar the Peaceable, Edmund I the Magnificent, Edward I the Elder and Alfred the Great. Matilda or Maud? Maud and Matilda are variations on the same name; Matilda is the Latin form of the Saxon name Maud and was usually used in official documents, especially of Norman origin. Some writers use Empress Maud as their consistent designation for Empress Matilda. These are useful notes to distinguish this Matilda from the many other Matildas around her: Henry I had at least one illegitimate daughter also named Maud or Matilda.Robert, Earl of Gloucester, was married to a Matilda.The rival of Empress Matilda for the crown of England was her cousin Stephen, whose wife, also a cousin of the Empress, was also named Maud or Matilda.  Stephens mother, Adela of Normandy, was a sister of Henry I.The Empress Matildas mother was  Matilda of Scotland. Marriage to Henry V Matilda was betrothed to Henry V, who later became the Holy Roman Emperor, In April 1110, at the age of 8. She later married Henry V and was crowned Queen of the Romans. When Henry V died in 1125, Matilda returned to England at age 23. Matildas younger brother William, the heir to the throne of England as her fathers only surviving legitimate son, had died when the White Ship capsized in 1120. Her father Henry I, therefore, named Matilda his heir and obtained the endorsement of that claim by the nobles of the realm. At the same time, however, Henry I took a second wife in hopes of fathering another legitimate male heir following the death of his first wife. Marriage to Geoffrey of Anjou Henry next arranged a marriage between Matilda and Geoffrey le Bel, often called Geoffrey of Anjou. Geoffrey was 14 and Matilda was 25. He then called upon his good relations with Count Fulk V of Anjou to negotiate the betrothal of Matilda to Fulk’s son Geoffrey le Bel. They were soon married in June 1127. After a brief but tumultuous marriage, Matilda attempted to leave her husband. Geoffrey, however, wanted her to return and, after a royal council, Matilda was sent back to Anjou. At the same time, however, Henry I once again required his nobles to support Matilda as his successor. Geoffrey and Matilda had three sons: Henry II of England, Geoffrey, and William. Death of Henry I Matilda’s father Henry I died in December 1135. Quickly thereafter, Stephen of Blois stepped up to claim Henrys throne. Stephen was Henrys favorite nephew and had been endowed by the deceased king with both lands and riches. Despite having pledged themselves to Matilda, many of Henrys followers reneged on their pledge and followed Stephen, preferring a British male king to a female ruler with a foreign husband. Matilda and her supporters- including Robert of Gloucester and King David I of Scotland- stood up to oppose Stephen, and so began the 19-year civil war known as The Anarchy. The Anarchy For several years between 1138 and 1141, skirmishes between Matilda and Stephen led to castles and lands being taken and lost. Each time one of the contenders seemed to gain the advantage, noblemen changed sides in the war. Finally, in 1141, Matilda captured and imprisoned Stephen. She then made preparations for her coronation in London. On her arrival, however, Matilda immediately began imposing taxes and removing privileges from her soon-to-be subjects. These actions were poorly received and, before Matilda could be crowned, Stephens wife was able to raise an army against Matilda and her supporters. Unable to defeat Stephens army, Matilda retreated to Oxford and released Stephen from prison. Stephen was crowned King of England in 1141, and soon thereafter lay siege to Matilda. Matilda escaped across the Thames River to Devizes Castle, where she set up headquarters for several more years of war. Older Years Finally admitting defeat, Matilda returned to France to her husband and son. After Geoffreys death, she ruled Anjou; at the same time she worked to establish her son Henry II as the heir to the English throne. After Stephens wife and son died, Henry was able to negotiate succession to the throne with Stephen and, in 1154, Henry was crowned King of England. His wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, became queen. Death Matilda died September 11, 1167, and was buried in Rouen at Fontevrault Abbey. Her tomb stated only that she had been the daughter of King Henry, wife of King Henry, and mother of King Henry. Legacy Matilda was an important historical figure whose battle with Stephen had a profound impact on the politics of her time. In addition, as the mother of Henry II (and the person who helped put Henry on the throne) she played an important part in the story of English succession. Sources â€Å"Empress Matilda, Lady of the English.†Ã‚  Medievalists.net, 9 Apr. 2013.â€Å"Queen Matilda, Empress Maud and the Civil War with King Stephen.†Ã‚  Historic UK.

Free Speech or Blatant Cuber-terrorism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Free Speech or Blatant Cuber-terrorism - Essay Example An organization like the New York Daily News praised this effort by Wiki Leaks, denoting it had changed the manner in which news was gathered, and disseminated. Freedom of speech is an important pillar that guides the political, social, and economic environments of United States (Beckett and Ball, 2012). All democracies promote freedom of speech, irrespective of whether the information provided is good to the government or not. It is important to explain that democratic governments normally encourage criticisms. By releasing this information, the founder of Wiki Leaks was criticizing the diplomatic and military strategies of United States (Beckett and Ball, 2012). This is because some of the information released talked about the negative perceptions that the American government had towards some world leaders, and their governments. Wiki Leaks is not cyber terrorism, and its founder is not responsible for abetting or aiding terrorism. Instead, Wiki Leaks is a media organization that aims at promoting freedom of speech, and that of the

Empowering Knowledge in Organizations Assignment

Empowering Knowledge in Organizations - Assignment Example 192). That is why we cannot deny the fact that the process of spreading knowledge is facilitated by the development and diffusion of new information technologies. The growth of telecommunications and the multiplication of computers had accelerated the spread of information, giving more people access to more information sooner. That broader access undermines the centralized control of information that was a principal basis for centralized decision making. In the end, as Cleveland (1985) noted, "More and more work gets done by horizontal process-or it doesn't get done. More and more decisions are made with wider and wider consultation-or they don't 'stick'" (p. 192). This is why a new aspect on how knowledge is harnessed was formed. The term knowledge management (KM) has been defined as doing what is needed to get the most out of knowledge resources. Although KM can be applied to individuals, it has recently attracted the attention of organizations. KM is viewed as an increasingly important discipline that promotes the creation, sharing, and leveraging of the organization's knowledge. Peter Drucker (1994), whom many consider as the father of KM, best defines the need for KM: Knowledge has become the key resource, for a nation's military strength as well as for its economic strength is fundamentally different from the traditional key resources of the economist-land, labor, and even capital we need systematic work on the quality of knowledge and the productivity of knowledge the performance capacity, if not the survival, of any organization in the knowledge society will come increasingly to depend on those two factors (pp. 66-69). Thus, it can be argued that the most vital in empowering the businesses today is the collective knowledge residing in the minds of an organization's employees, customers, and suppliers. Learning how to manage organizational knowledge has many benefits, some of which are readily apparent; others are not. These benefits may include leveraging core business competencies, accelerating innovation and time to market, improving cycle times and decision making, strengthening organizational commitment, and building sustainable competitive advantage (Davenport and Prusak, 1998). In short, they make the organization better suited to compete successfully in a much more demanding environment. This is why organizations are increasingly valued for their intellectual capital. An example of this fact is the widening gap between corporate balance sheets and investors' estimation of corporate worth. It is said that knowledge-intensive companies around the world are valued at three to eight times their financial capital. Consider, for example, Microsoft, the highest valued company in the world, with a market capitalization that was estimated at around $284 billion as of July 2003. Clearly, this figure represents more than Microsoft's net worth in buildings, computers, and other physical assets. Microsoft's valuation also represents an estimation of its intellectual assets. This includes structural capital in the form of copyrights, customer databases, and business process software. It also includes human capital in the fo