Thursday, November 28, 2019

A Midsummer Nights Dream Essays (149 words) - Artemis Fowl, Fairy

How does Shakespeare create the magical world of the fairies in a Midsummer Nights Dream? I feel that the fairies are the very heart of a Midsummer Nights Dream. It is because of fairy magic that we can call some of the action a dream. Nearly everything revolves around them such as nature, humans, emotions, settings, life, death and the weather. Most of the things that happen in the play have some relation to the fairies. All the magic and fantasy that takes place mostly in the middle section of the play comes from deep in the forest, which is the fairies home. Just imagine if fairies really did have magical powers, everyone would love to have them, you could do whatever you wanted with them for example cause mischief, which is what a lot of the play is about. The fairies are responsible for all of the mischief.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

A Short History of the Architecture Profession

A Short History of the Architecture Profession Architecture was not always thought of as a profession. The architect was the person who could build structures that didnt fall down. In fact, the word architect comes from the Greek word for chief carpenter, architektÃ… n.  In the United States, architecture as a licensed profession changed in 1857. Before the 1800s, any talented and skilled person could become an architect through reading, apprenticeship, self-study, and admiration of the current ruling class. Ancient Greek and Roman rulers picked out the engineers whose work would make them look good. The great Gothic cathedrals in Europe were built by masons, carpenters, and other artisans and tradesmen. Over time, wealthy, educated aristocrats became key designers. They achieved their training informally, without established guidelines or standards. Today we consider these early builders and designers as architects: Vitruvius The Roman builder Marcus Vitruvius Pollio is often cited as the first architect. As chief engineer for Roman rulers such as Emperor Augustus, Vitruvius documented building methods and acceptable styles to be used by governments. His three principles of architecture- firmitas, utilitas, venustas- are used as models of what architecture should be even today. Palladio The famous Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio apprenticed as a stonecutter. He learned about the Classical Orders from scholars of ancient Greece and Rome- when Vitruvius De Architectura is translated, Palladio embraces ideas of symmetry and proportion. Wren Sir Christopher Wren, who designed some of Londons most important buildings after the Great Fire of 1666, was a mathematician and scientist. He educated himself through reading, travel, and meeting other designers. Jefferson When the American statesman Thomas Jefferson designed Monticello and other important buildings, he had learned about architecture through books by Renaissance masters like Palladio and Giacomo da Vignola. Jefferson also sketched his observations of Renaissance architecture when he was Minister to France. During the 1700 and 1800s, prestigious art academies like École des Beaux-Arts provided training in architecture with an emphasis on the Classical Orders. Many important architects in Europe and the American colonies received some of their education at École des Beaux-Arts. However, architects were not required to enroll in the Academy or any other formal educational program. There were no required exams or licensing regulations. The Influence of the AIA In the United States, architecture evolved as a highly organized profession when a group of prominent architects, including  Richard Morris Hunt, launched the AIA (American Institute of Architects). Founded on February 23, 1857, the AIA aspired to promote the scientific and practical perfection of its members and elevate the standing of the profession. Other founding members included Charles Babcock, H. W. Cleaveland, Henry Dudley, Leopold Eidlitz, Edward Gardiner, J. Wrey Mould, Fred A. Petersen, J. M. Priest, Richard Upjohn, John Welch, and Joseph C. Wells. Americas earliest AIA architects established their careers during turbulent times. In 1857 the nation was on the brink of Civil War and, after years of economic prosperity, America plunged into depression in the Panic of 1857. The American Institute of Architects doggedly laid the foundations for establishing architecture as a profession. The organization brought standards of ethical conduct- professionalsim- to Americas planners and designers. As the AIA grew, it established standardized contracts and developed policies for the training and credentialing of architects. The AIA itself does not issue licenses nor is it a requirement to be a member of the AIA. The AIA is a professional organization- a community of architects led by architects. The newly formed AIA did not have funds to create a national architecture school but gave organizational support to new programs for architecture studies at established schools. The earliest architecture schools in the US included the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1868), Cornell (1871), the University of Illinois (1873), Columbia University (1881), and Tuskegee (1881). Today, over one hundred architecture school programs in the United States are accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB), which standardizes the education and training of US architects. NAAB is the only agency in the US that is authorized to accredit professional degree programs in architecture. Canada has a similar agency, the Canadian Architectural Certification Board (CACB). In 1897, Illinois was the first state in the US to adopt a licensing law for architects. Other states followed slowly over the next 50 years. Today, a professional license is required of all architects who practice in the US. Standards for licensing are regulated by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB). Medical doctors cannot practice medicine without a license and neither can architects. You wouldnt want an untrained and unlicensed doctor treating your medical condition, so you shouldnt want an untrained, unlicensed architect build that high rise office building in which you work. A licensed profession is a path toward a safer world. Learn More The Architects Handbook of Professional Practice by the American Institute of Architects, Wiley, 2013Architect? A Candid Guide to the Profession by Roger K. Lewis, MIT Press, 1998From Craft to Profession: The Practice of Architecture in Nineteenth-Century America by Mary N. Woods, University of California Press, 1999The Architect: Chapters in the History of the Profession by Spiro Kostof, Oxford University Press, 1977

Thursday, November 21, 2019

A briefing paper on Housing Policy & Finance Outline

A briefing paper on Housing Policy & Finance - Outline Example Other than that, the need to increase the income and bargaining power in order to move on has been hampered by unemployment, special needs, and the least desirable dwellings and areas(Malpass&Murie, 1999). Therefore, in severe times, the system always seems to fail. Of course, the blame can be easily put on the restricted objectives of the social housing. The separated residual housing provision and the dependency of policy on selected Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) can also be mentioned here as it is very faithfully working towards decreasing the private landlord solution and their number has been rising since the deregulation of housing markets in 1988 (Garnett, 2005). The social housing financial policies thus have a sizeable effect on the degree to which government’s policy agenda is supported.Since housing is also taken as a form of market, it holds a very compound supply and demand route. Thus, the government agendais highly affected. This can be said so, because of market closure, as in this area, finance contains only a few big players in credit allocation because the market contains the roles of future values and borrowing which is what this market is paid for, and market volatility, since the buyers and sellers are the only part of the market that is dominating at a given point in time. Certainly, the affect can also be traced to the externalities and uncertainty(Spicker). After the 1988, the social housing construction was seen to be increased in the times of a new financial regime. Since then, many programs have been dependent over the financing that is private in nature so that the public capital subsidies can be aided. The private funds are thus collected from the financial institutions. The data justifies the previous statement by stating that as a housing benefit, rent subsidies have been largely increased. This means that when the government’s

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Feasibility study of setting up a business Assignment

Feasibility study of setting up a business - Assignment Example The primary objective of this study is to find out if it is feasible to set up a fitness/gym shop. Secondary Objectives: The secondary objectives are mainly research, analyses and evaluations. The following types of research will be undertaken: Research into the local economy. Household incomes, unemployment rates as well as demographics within the local area have a significant influence on the success of the proposed business. Finding out and analysing those figures will be necessary to evaluate as accurately as possible. Primary Research into the target market. This is a vital part of the whole study, as it will tell about consumer needs and wants. It will reveal whether there is an interest in such a shop and hence be helpful in order to decide if setting this business up will be feasible. Analysis of primary research. The findings of the different types of research will provide this study with an overview of the demand of the proposed business. However, financial limitations will lead to outcomes that are not completely reliable. Therefore it is necessary to justify the conclusions made. Research into the market. Analysing this market will be of use to decide on which strategy is most appropriate. Assessing the competition the proposed business is going to face will help to adopt suitable marketing strategies. Spending habits as well as holes in the market will hopefully be spotted. Analysis of secondary research. The secondary research gathered will be vital in order to create a marketing plan. The findings about competition and demographics will reveal where it is most suitable to set up the shop. Investment Appraisal. In order to decide where to locate the proposed shop an investment appraisal will be carried out. Qualitative factors are going to be... The result of the first part of the survey reveals a lot. It shows that those who buy supplements purchase them on the Internet, which concludes that there is no or hardly any competition in the area. The result that 99% would like to get consultation in that area explains why there are only 20% buying those products. There is a lack of knowledge about supplements like why it should be taken, by whom, when and how much. From the result that 96% of those buying these products get it from the Internet it can be concluded that they received little if any consultation. As the intention is to employ staff with knowledge about nutrition this can be seen as a good selling point. The 4% who buy supplements elsewhere got them from the fitness centre they are member of. However, those studios are very limited because you need a nutritionist’s degree to sell them.

Monday, November 18, 2019

How organizations change toward a high reliability culture evaluate Essay

How organizations change toward a high reliability culture evaluate and discuss - Essay Example In a high reliability organization, there is psychological inertia, thinking inertia and behavioral habits of most employees (Verweij, 2011). Thus, any organizational change has to consider encouraging cultural reliability. The essay tends to study how organizations change toward a high reliability culture, that is, a culture that has systems in place that enables organization to accomplish its goals and avoid catastrophic errors. A high reliability organization is an institution that has succeeded in avoiding catastrophes in an ecosystem where accidents are expected because of complexity and risk factors. Besides, it refers to the internal efficient management mechanism and investigation on early warning mechanism of safety (Stacey, 2011). Reliability culture entails the use of behavioral science theory of human beings to plan, organize, distribute, lead and control their behaviors to increase the safety and reliability of organizations. High reliability organizations mainly focus on risk management that originates from organizational demand on risk mitigation model (Von, 2008). The risk reduction model applies to organizations in which certain changes can create catastrophes. The risk mitigation model masters the complexity and risk factors in organizations effectively. For instance, the model applies to aviation and aerospace fields, aircraft control system, nuclear power plant, medical industry and fire p rotection sector. In an analysis of high-risk organizations, the continuous increase of complexity of operation system and interdependence among each part increases (Johnson, Scholes & Whittington, 2011). Organizations with high risk and complexity, the failure of a system would influence the functions of other sections that may cause further catastrophes. Under such background, it is necessary to study how to mitigate risk in high reliability organizations. Therefore, organizations often change

Friday, November 15, 2019

Development of Competent Nursing Skills

Development of Competent Nursing Skills Introduction This essay focuses on a reflection on the development from novice, to competent beginner, to skilled practitioner in the light of my own development in clinical nursing practice. It is based on the signposts identified within my clinical learning portfolio and focuses on the notion of the helping role and caring skills within nursing practice. It utilises a reflective framework to better identify and reflect upon the journey from novice to practitioner. The model for reflection I have chosen is Gibbs Reflective Cycle (see Appendix). Reflection has been described as as a process of internally examining and exploring an issue of concern, triggered by an experience which creates and clarifies meaning in terms of self, and which results in a changed conceptual perspective (Boyd and Fales, 1983). Therefore, the experiences of my three placements are explored under three rotations of Gibbs Cycle. Meretoja et al (2004) state that nurses self-recognition of own level of competence is essential in maintaining high standards of care. I have chosen the caring role based on my own recognition of the level of competence achieved in this area. Cycle One Novice to Advanced beginner What Happened. I had to assist a patient in with personal care; make them comfortable in bed and collaborate in pressure area management; assist with toileting, washing, mouthcare, and application of emollient cream. I also had to document care and any deviations from the norm. Feelings I was very aware of my inexperience and of the trust this patient placed in my and the nursing team. I was also aware of the intimate nature of the care I was providing, and the fact that it was basic care also highlighted the fundamental role such care has in supporting health promotion and patient wellbeing. Evaluation I was uncomfortable at first, and clumsy in the provision of the various aspects of care. However, my mentor was informative, supportive and helpful, which assisted me in doing the various tasks. However, I found it difficult to complete these as quickly as I should have. I did learn to communicate with the patient and provide a sensitive approach. Analysis This situation required fundamental aspects of the caring role. It also demonstrates the link between basic nursing care an every other aspect of nursing. The NMC (2004) requires nurses to provide individualised care for their patients. The care for this person was based on their own needs and adapted as those needs changed. I was able to identify those needs and develop competency in providing care at this level. The caring role was very rewarding but physically and emotionally taxing However, I was still in the process of identifying particular needs and responding to them, such as toileting, which required me working with others in a collaborative manner, which I did not find easy. I also realised how much I did not know about nursing. Conclusion In this situation, I could have developed more collaborative working skills and modelled myself on those around me more actively ie., copied the ways in which other nurses and healthcare assistants provided care. When I did do this, it was effective. But I found that despite my enthusiastic approach, my knowledge base meant that I did not always understand the rationale for what I was doing. Action Plan The action plan from this was to take the confidence and competence I had developed in the practical skills and incorporate them into all aspects of the caring role. It was also to identify areas where my knowledge base was lacking, and seek out this knowledge. Keeping knowledge up to date is a requirement of the NMC code of condut (NMC, 2004). Working collaboratively is another NMC requirement (NMC, 2004). Taking this knowledge forward into practice made this process of reflection a learning activity. Cycle Two Advanced Beginner What Happened As part of my role assisting with patient care, I had to monitor pain levels and assist with providing analgesia as prescribed, along with monitoring its effectiveness. This was a surgical placement, and I also discussed with elderly patient their coping and wellbeing after hospital discharge. I engaged in health education and support to enable clients to be self-caring. I was also responsible for monitoring wellbeing through performing and recording clinical observations, recording fluid balance and reporting any abnormalities. I was also involved in providing personal care to patients in a safe manner, especially in the disposal of waste products. Feelings To begin with, I felt glad to be working at a more advanced level of competency, and felt confident in my basic nursing skills including performing clinical observations. However, the increased demand also meant increased pressure and I was aware of this. Again, I felt that I had developed a degree of competency but was very aware of my need to develop further knowledge and skills. The caring role involved supporting people and I had to access other professionals to ensure I gave the right information and that my care had been effective. Evaluation It was good to find that I had the clinical competence to effectively monitor clinical status. However, the complex nature of patient needs meant that I still didn’t always know the answers to their questions. Being involved in discharge planning was an enabling activity for myself and the patients. I developed competence in the administration of medications, under supervision, including controlled drugs, but felt I still needed more practice and skill in this area. Colleagues noted my competence and qualified staff were happy to delegate a range of appropriate tasks to me. Analysis It would appear that the caring role means the provision of patient centred, holistic care. This was achievable in this situation but required a lot of knowledge and the ability to provide focused attention and empathic care whilst carrying out complex clinical nursing tasks. This was harder to achieve, and I was made aware of my continued learning needs around medication and surgical care, for example. However, I must have developed some competence as qualified staff were happy to delegate to me and to act on my feedback. Conclusion It is hard to see what else I could have done, except perhaps done more reading around surgical care, discharge planning and the nurse-patient relationship. Action Plan It was possible to identify future learning needs, and so my action plan included building on my current competence by engaging in more advanced practice, under supervision. Having the confidence to engage in more complex nursing tasks will help me to achieve more competence in advanced practice in the future. Recognising the demands of the caring role means that I will view future practice as based upon this role. Cycle Three Competent Level What Happened. I monitored patients with chronic pain and helped with analgesia. I also supported patients with freedom of choice for their own care (NMC, 2004) and provided personal and palliative care in sensitive manner. I mastered more advanced practical nursing skills including aseptic technique and safe disposal of sharps. I fully documented all care given, and recorded medication given, and communicated to staff at shift change during the nursing handover. Feelings During this experience, I felt that my knowledge and experience in the caring role was finally coming together. I was confident and happy in engaging with patients and providing empathy and a supportive manner, whilst also carrying out more complex clinical tasks appropriately and effectively. It was very nerve-wracking giving handover, but I became more confident as I had more practice. Evaluation I was able to provide care of a high standard, and recognise my sphere of competence and seek help when needed. I was able to engage in effective caring relationships with clients, meet their individual needs, but also value my own input into their wellbeing. Analysis It was obvious that I had moved on to a level of nursing competence which allowed me some autonomy. I was able to act with less direct supervision, but still access the support of the whole care team. The caring role extended to the provision of all care, including end of life care, and I was able to utilise my knowledge and experience and also identify my learning in action, and my future learning needs, which have changed since the first reflection. Conclusion The change from novice to competent practitioner in the caring role has demonstrated not only the acquisition of skill but the incorporation of clinical abilities into what is really a way of being with patients. Action Plan Signposting future learning needs is important following this reflection. I was able to identify the need to still learn advanced clinical skills and perhaps know more about the range of other professionals who could enhance care in individual situations. Conclusion This reflection has signposted my development towards competent nursing practice. The caring role encompasses provision of basic care, advanced techniques, medication and pain relief, health promotion, end of life care and collaborative care. It seems to be the fundamental and most important part of nursing practice. Collaboration and coordination, as well as the holistic management of the situation, are highly recognized as meaningful characteristics of competent nursing practice (Meretoja et al, 2002). References Boyd E, Fales A. (1983) Reflecting learning: key to learning from experience. Humanist Psychol 23 (2) 99–117. Gibbs, G. (1988) Learning by Doing. A Guide to Teaching and Learning Methods Further Education Unit, Oxford Polytechnic, Oxford Meretoja, R., Leino-Kilpi, H. Kair, A. (2004) Comparison of nurse competence in different hospital work environments Journal of NursingManagement.12(5) 329–336 Meretoja, R., Eriksson, E. Leino-Kilpi, H. (2002) Indicators for competent nursing practice Journal of Nursing Management 10(2) 95-102 Nursing and Midwifery Council (2004) Code of Conduct Available from www.nmc-uk.org Accessed 30-4-07.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Impact of Self Esteem on Daily Life Essay -- Confidence

This paper is about the impact of self-esteem on daily life. The more negative thoughts and feelings you have about yourself, the lower your self-esteem. People with low self-esteem often have little confidence in their abilities and question their self-worth. A common scenario, which exemplifies a lack of self-esteem, features college students who say, "It won't do any good to study. I won't make a good grade anyway." These students think they are doomed to failure because of poor performance in the past or their current fears of failure. Consequently, their lack of self-confidence results in passivity with little or no effort to establish goals. Even when they do make worthwhile accomplishments, these students perceive that the performance of other students looks better in comparison. They let events happen to them instead of making them happen and minimize their successes. As a result, these students feel little control over their lives and often find it difficult to set goals and develop close personal relationships. On the other hand, high self-esteem consists of the positive thoughts and feelings you have about yourself. In addition, it affects how you think, act, and feel about others, as well as how successful you are in life. The acquisition of high self-esteem involves you becoming the person you want to be, enjoying others more fully, and offering more of yourself to the world. High self-esteem is not competitive or comparative, but rather it is the state where a person is at peace with himself or herself. Self-esteem is the value we place on what we believe to be true about ourselves. Put simply, our self-esteem is how we feel about ourselves. It's an emotion we hold true about ourselves. People with high self-esteem consider themselves worthy, and view themselves as equal to others. They do not pretend to be perfect, recognize their limitations, and expect to grow and improve. Those low in self-esteem generally experience self-rejection, self-dissatisfaction, self-contempt, and self-disparagement. We all have an inner child and the wounds our inner child received can and do continue to contaminate our adult lives. Our parents helped create this inner child part of us, society also helped with the creation. When this child self is not allowed to be heard or even acknowledged as being real, a false or co-dependent self emerges. We begin... ... self-concept, and that it is either positive or negative all of the time. You have many self-images, and they vary from moment to moment. If you were asked, "Do you like yourself?" you might be inclined to lump all of your negative self-thoughts together into a collective "NO." Breaking down the areas of dislike into specifics will give you definite goals to work on. You have feelings about yourself physically, intellectually, socially and emotionally. You have an opinion about your abilities in music, athletics, art, mechanical undertakings, writing, and on and on. Your self-portraits are as numerous as your activities, and through all of these behaviors there is always YOU, the person that you either accept or reject. Your self-worth, that friendly ever-present-shadow--YOU EXIST--YOU ARE HUMAN. That is all you need! Your worth is determined by you, and with no need for an explanation to anyone. Your worthiness, a given, has nothing to do with your behavior and feelings. You ma y not like your behavior in a given instance, but that has nothing to do with your self-worth. You can choose to be worthy to yourself forever, and then get on with the task of working on your self-images.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

History of football Essay

Football (as well as rugby and soccer) are believed to have descended from the ancient Greek game of harpaston. Harpaston is mentioned frequently in classical literature, where it is often referred to as a â€Å"very rough and brutal gameâ€Å". The rules of this ancient sport were quite simple: Points were awarded when a player would cross a goal line by either kicking the ball, running with it across the goal line, or throwing it across the line to another player. The other team’s objective was simply to stop them by any means possible. There was no specific field length, no side line boundaries, no specified number of players per team, only a glaring lack of rules. Harpaston: Luckily (for everyone) uniforms & equipment have improved dramatically. Most modern versions of football are believed to have originated from England in the twelfth century. The game became so popular in England that the kings of that time (Henry II and Henry IV) actually banned football. They believed that football was taking away interest from the traditional sports of England, such as fencing and archery. Evolution and the Beginnings of Standardization. Football didn’t really begin to take on any consistency of rules and boundaries until it was picked up as a sport in the seven major public schools of England in the early 1800’s. Six of the seven schools were largely playing the same game (including Eton, Harrow and Winchester) – while the seventh, Rugby School (founded in 1567) was playing a markedly different version of football. The other schools moved ahead refining their rules and eventually their game became known as â€Å"association football† – or soccer, which was played back then much as it is today. Rugby School went in a different direction. How and why the game developed differently at Rugby School appears to have been lost in history, but what is known is that by the 1830’s, running with the ball at Rugby School was in common use and 18 foot goal posts had been added with a cross-bar at 10 feet above the ground. The inclusion of the cross-bar was accompanied by a rule that a goal could only be scored by the ball passing over the bar from a place kick or drop kick. Apparently this was done to make scoring easier from further out and also to avoid the horde of defenders standing in and blocking the mouth of the goal. Players who were able to â€Å"touch down† the ball behind the opponents goal line were awarded a â€Å"try-at-goal† – the player would make a mark on the goal line and then walk back onto the field of play to a point where a place kick at the goal was possible (a conversion). There was also an â€Å"off-your-side† rule used to keep the teams apart. Passing the ball forward was not allowed. By the mid-1860s British schools and universities had taken up Rugby’s game and honored the school by giving the â€Å"new football† the name of rugby. The game soon went trans-Atlantic to America and landed on fertile soil. Roots of American Football The birth date of football in the United States is generally regarded by football historians as November 6, 1869, when teams from Rutgers and Princeton Universities met for the first intercollegiate football game. In those early games, there were 20 players to a team and football still more closely resembled rugby than modern football. The game of football has a history of constant rule changes. Rule changes have been implemented to bolster the excitement of the game of football and  to increase the game’s safety. In 1873, representatives from Columbia, Rutgers, Princeton, and Yale Universities met in New York City to formulate the first intercollegiate football rules for the increasingly popular game. These four teams established the Intercollegiate Football Association (IFA) and set 15 as the number of players allowed on each team. Walter Camp, the coach at Yale and a dissenter from the IFA over his desire for an eleven man team, helped begin the final step in the evolution from rugby-style play to the modern game of American football. The IFA’s rules committee, led by Camp, soon cut the number of players from fifteen to eleven, and also instituted the size of the playing field, at one hundred ten yards. In 1882 Camp also introduced the system of downs. After first allowing three attempts to advance the ball five yards, in 1906 the distance was changed to ten yards. The fourth down was added in 1912. Within a decade, concern over the increasing brutality of the game led to its ban by some colleges. Nearly 180 players had suffered serious injuries, and eighteen deaths had been reported from the brutal mass plays that had become common practice. So in 1905, President Theodore Roosevelt called upon Harvard, Princeton, and Yale to help save the sport from demise. At a meeting between the schools, reform was agreed upon, and at a second meeting, attended by more than sixty other schools, the group appointed a seven member Rules Committee and set up what would later become known as the National Collegiate Athletic Association, or the NCAA. From this committee came the legalization of the forward pass, which resulted in a redesign of the ball and a more open style of play on the field. The rough mass plays, which once caused so many serious injuries, were prohibited by the committee. Also prohibited was the locking of arms by teammates in an effort to clear the way for their ball carriers. The length of the game was shortened, from seventy to sixty minutes, and the neutral zone, which separates the teams by the length of the ball before each play begins, was also established. Though refinements to the game would continue to the present day, the modern game of American football had arrived.   

Friday, November 8, 2019

The Architectural Pediment and How to Use It

The Architectural Pediment and How to Use It A pediment is a low-pitched triangular gable originally found on temples in ancient Greece and Rome. Pediments were reinvented during the Renaissance and later imitated in Greek Revival and Neoclassical house styles of the 19th and 20th centuries. Use of pediments has been freely adapted in many styles of architecture, yet remains most closely associated with Greek and Roman (i.e., Classical) derivatives. The word pediment is thought to have come from the word meaning pyramid, as the triangular pediment has a spatial dimension similar to the pyramid. Use of Pediments Originally the pediment had a structural function. As the  Jesuit priest Marc-Antoine Laugier explained in 1755, the pediment is one of only three essential elements of what Laugier called the basic primitive hut. For many Greek temples, first made of wood, the triangular geometry had a structural function. Fast forward 2,000 years from ancient Greece and Rome to the Baroque period of art and architecture, when the pediment became an ornamental detail to be extravagantly modified. Pediments are most often used today to create a solid, regal, stately look-and-feel to the architecture, such as is used for banks, museums, and government buildings. Often, the triangular space is filled with symbolic statuary when a message need be proclaimed. The space within a pediment is sometimes called the tympanum, although this word more commonly refers to the Medieval-era arch areas over a doorway decorated with Christian iconography. In residential architecture, pediments are commonly found above windows and doorways. Examples of Pediments The Pantheon in Rome proves just how far back in time pediments were used - at least 126 A.D. But pediments were around before that, as can be seen in ancient cities around the world, like the UNESCO World Heritage site of Petra, Jordan, the Nabataean caravan city influenced by Greek and Roman rulers. Whenever architects and designers turn to ancient Greece and Rome for ideas, the result will likely include the column and the pediment. The Renaissance in the 15th and 16th centuries was such a time -- a rebirth of Classical designs by the architects Palladio (1508-1580) and Vignola (1507-1573) leading the way. In the United States, American statesman Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) influenced the architecture of a new nation. Jeffersons home, Monticello, incorporates Classical design by using not only a pediment but also a dome - very much like the Pantheon in Rome. Jefferson also designed the Virginia State Capitol Building in Richmond, Virginia, which influenced the federal government buildings being planned for Washington, D.C. Irish-born architect James Hoban (1758-1831) brought Neoclassical ideas from Dublin to the new capital when he modeled the White House after the Leinster House in Ireland. In the 20th century, pediments can be seen throughout America, from the New York Stock Exchange in Lower Manhattan to the 1935 U.S. Supreme Court Building in Washington, D.C. and then on to the 1939 mansion known as Graceland near Memphis, Tennessee. Definition pediment: the triangular gable defined by the crown molding at the edge of a gabled roof and the horizontal line between the eaves. -   John Milnes Baker, AIA Other Uses of the Word Pediment Antique dealers will often use the word pediment to describe an ornate flourish in Chippendale-era furniture. Because the word describes a shape, it is often used to describe man-made and natural shapes. In geology, a pediment is a sloping formation caused by erosion. Five Types of Pediments 1. Triangular Pediment: The most common pediment shape is the pointed pediment, a triangle framed by a cornice or ledge, with the apex at the top, two symmetrical straight lines  sloping to the ends of a horizontal cornice. The rake or angle of the slope can vary. 2. Broken Pediment: In a broken pediment, the triangular outline is non-continuous,  open at the top, and without a point or vertex. The broken space is usually at the top apex (eliminating the top angle), but sometimes at the bottom horizontal side. Broken pediments are often found on antique furniture. A swan-necked or rams head pediment is a type of broken pediment in a highly ornamented S-shape. Broken pediments are found in Baroque architecture, a period of experimentalism in detail, according to Professor Talbot Hamlin, FAIA. The pediment became an architectural detail with little or no structural function. Baroque detail thus became a matter of the increasingly free modification of forms originally classic, to made them sensitive to every possible nuance of emotional expression. Pediments were broken and their sides curved and scrolled, separated by cartouches, or urns; columns were twisted, moldings duplicated and reduplicated to give sharp emphasis, and broken suddenly out and in where a complexity of shadow was desired. - Hamlin, p. 427 3. Segmental Pediment: Also called round or curved pediments, segmental pediments contrast with triangular pediments in that they have a round cornice replacing two sides of the traditional triangular pediment. A segmental pediment might complement or even be called a curvilinear tympanum. 4. Open Pediment: In this type of pediment, the usual strong horizontal line of the pediment is absent or nearly absent. 5. Florentine Pediment:  Before Baroque, architects of the early Renaissance, when sculptors became architects, developed a decorative styling of pediments. Over the years, this architectural detail became known as Florentine pediments, after their use in Florence, Italy. It consists of a semicircular form placed above the entablature, and as wide as the enclosing columns or pilasters. Usually a simple ban of moldings runs around it, and the semicircular field below is often decorated with a shell, although sometimes molded panels and even figures are found. Little rosettes and leaf and flower forms are usually used to fill the corner between the ends of the semicircle and the cornice below, and also as a finial at the top. - Hamlin, p. 331 Pediments for the 21st Century Why do we use pediments? They give a sense of tradition to a home, in the Western Classical architecture sense. Also, the geometric design itself is innately pleasing to the human senses.  For todays homeowners, creating a pediment is a rather simple, inexpensive way to add decoration - usually over a door or window. Have pediments gone sideways? Todays modern skyscraper architects use triangles for structural strength as well as beauty. David Childs design for One World Trade Center (2014) is a good example of aesthetically pleasing grandeur. Norman Fosters Hearst Tower (2006) is filled with triangulation; its beauty is up for discussion. Sources American House Styles: A Concise Guide by John Milnes Baker, AIA, Norton, 1994, p. 175Architecture through the Ages by Talbot Hamlin, Putnam, Revised 1953, pp. 444, 427, 331Furniture with broken pediment Agostini/A. Dagli Orti/Getty Images (cropped)Broken Pediment on Residential Portico Richard Leo Johnson/Getty Images (cropped)Contrasting pediments Julian Castle/ArcaidImages/Getty ImagesPediments over windows Brian Bumby/Getty Images

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Corporate Takeover Essay Example

Corporate Takeover Essay Example Corporate Takeover Essay Corporate Takeover Essay Aurielle Cummings Business Policy November 10, 2010 Anatomy of a Corporate Takeover What did you think of this video? I think this video is a very informative series addressing ethical situations and dilemmas. As a business major it is very important to understand the challenging issues you will be faced with as you embark on the career path into corporate America. The video examines ethical conflicts and gives students a background the tradition of ethics. When there is always so much being said and written about the decline of ethical behavior in our country, a series like this was a appropriate effort to alleviate confusion over what we have a right to do and what is the right thing to do. What questions are being addressed? Some of the questions being addressed are whose best economic interests are most important? Does the government have a role to play in this game of high finance? Also, with large amounts of money changing hands, what ethical concerns surround this issue? While consumers and producers in the world make most decisions that mold the economy, government activities have a powerful effect on the U. S economy. The federal government controls the general pace of monetary activity, attempting to preserve steady growth, high levels of employment, and price stability. By changing spending and tax rates or running the money supply and maintaining the use of credit, it can slow down or speed up the economys rate of growth. As a result, it affects the level of prices and employment. With the rising focus on globalization of the financial system, ethical issues are often submerged by the objective of increasing success. Ethics covers an extensive area in terms of business. Moral principles that one follows should please the customer, the employee, and the employer. There are values that should be satisfied within the organization as well. I believe most ethical issues begin the management stage of the organization. In today’s environment, managers can have a great deal of effect on an employee’s ability to move up in a company. As a worker of a company, management teams also have managers to get reports. It is important for managers to not only have lack of prejudice for their employees, but to achieve somewhat in business, they require to be competent to handle be capable to supervise all of their work associations. In the midst of making money in a business any organization should have an effective leader. Why is this video important now after 30 years? In business all ethics are determined and displayed by the leadership. The leaders of an organization or company must be determined to follow, a personal and business code of ethics. As a whole I believe we learn from examples, not by from what people tell us to do. The importance of ethics in business is that it sets the tone for a business’s success or failure. Ethical conduct is a very private matter, which requires that a person be honest and truthful in all business dealings. Since ethical behavior is so personal, it is unlikely to be given any acknowledgment. While there are many awards for corporate social responsibility, awards that recognize ethical behavior are rare. A well-communicated dedication to ethics sends a influential message that moral behavior is measured to be business essential. Companies, led by top management, are increasingly adopting ethical codes of conduct. As ethical performance comes to the forefront, more and more companies will be taking steps to make certain that the ethics of their corporation and its employees are unquestionable. What are your views on stakeholder vs shareholder rights? Explain. A stakeholder is a person who has or shares an interest in a business project. There are primary, key, and secondary stakeholders who can be positively or negatively impacted by, or cause an impact on the dealings of a company, government or organization. The goal of a stakeholder and the project team is to assure successful outcomes for the project. Stakeholder analysis needs to be performed at the start of new projects, and it is important to identify all stakeholders. A shareholder on the other hand is any person, company, or institution that owns at least one share in a company. Stakeholders and shareholders have different value perspectives as discussed in the video. The shareholder value perspective emphasizes profitability over responsibility. Also, shareholder value believes success can be measured by things such as share price, dividends, and economic profit. Social responsibility is also not a matter, and claims that society is best served by organizations pursuing self-interest and economic competence. The stakeholder value perspective emphasizes the exact opposite which is responsibility over profitability. Stakeholder values suggest that an organizations success should be measure by the satisfaction among all stakeholders. With stakeholder rights social responsibility is an organizational matter and claims that society is best served by pursuing joint interests and economic symbiosis. I agree with the stakeholder values because this economy shouldn’t be based on just one person’s view over things. Social responsibility is a huge part of our economy as whole, and if responsibility was taken for some of the actions taken in previous years, a lot of the same mistakes wouldn’t have been made twice. In business practices we have a ethical responsibility to act in good faith, and in most cases where a large amount of money is changing hands there are large ethical concerns as stated in the video. I believe all money isn’t good money, and to be a successful business you do want to be profitable, but not by gaining it in an unethical sense, or by ignoring the responsibilities you are given as an owner.

Monday, November 4, 2019

The Nursing Shortage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

The Nursing Shortage - Essay Example Unless some wise decisions are taken which result in increasing the nurse population, the ageing general public will have a hard time in the future when they need the services of a nurse. My friend Thomas, when he had an ankle injury recently while playing basketball, had to wait in the hospital emergency room for a long time till he was attended to. The reason for his long wait: there were too few nurses, and they were all too busy. This is the story in all hospitals in the country. There is a dire shortage of nurses throughout the world. and it is affecting the health services everywhere. Fewer young women are opting to take up nursing as their profession. Considered one of the noblest professions, nursing has traditionally been the territory of women. Ever since the well born Florence Nightingale took up nursing in the late nineteenth century, it has attracted intelligent, educated and dedicated women . Although there are male nurses who are indispensable, their numbers are very small. The nurse is the indispensable helpmeet of the doctor and the patient. Her work is manifold- She helps the physician in his office, she cleans and bandages minor injuries, and gives emotional support to the patient. She can even help a pregnant woman in her labor. She teaches the patient's family how to take care of the patient. Nurses write detailed report of the patient's symptoms which helps the physician to diagnose the illness and treat the patient. Some nurses work in the operating theater. The operating surgeon relies on the nurse to assist him while he is doing the surgery. The nurse in the Intensive Care unit has a different set of duties than the nurse in the Trauma Center. A trained nurse is indispensable for the care of the seriously ill patient. Many patients become emotionally dependent on their nurse. According to a report of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Home health nurses go to peoples' homes to help them. Flight nurses fly in helicopters to get to sick people in emergencies. "(BLA report p1) Any shortage in the number of trained Registered Nurses will be a catastrophe which should be avoided at all costs. The twenty first century is witnessing such a shortage of nurses worldwide. The reasons for the diminishing number of nurses are many. Steps must be taken immediately to arrest the shortage of nurses by all concerned so that the nurses and the public will not suffer.. The job of the nurse, besides being stressful, is emotionally exhausting. As Hingley says in The Nursing Mirror, "Every day the nurse confronts stark suffering, grief and death as few other people do. Many nursing tasks are mundane and unrewarding. Many are, by normal standards, distasteful and disgusting. Others are often degrading, some are simply frightening"(Hingly ) The daily confrontation with death and disease takes a heavy toll on the nurse's physical and emotional health. Being constantly exposed to various kinds of infection, the nurse is always in danger of catching one. She has to be extra vigilant in avoiding infection. The tasks a nurse has to do in the course of the day are sometimes disgusting. She has to put up a stoic front and do the task satisfactorily. Many times, the patients

Friday, November 1, 2019

Strategic Management Analysis Based on Case Study Essay

Strategic Management Analysis Based on Case Study - Essay Example This mechanism gets rid of greenhouse gas emission from the vehicle’s engine. For this purpose, Better Place strives to create a global market for electric cars. In order to fulfill its mission of making automobile industry independent of oil consumption, Better Place focuses on re-engineering its car’s model instead of re-engineering the battery. This is in contrast to PSA which is a European automobile firm. PSA’s focus, under the chairmanship of Jacques Calvet, was on using different batteries like cadmium-nickel batteries or lithium-ion batteries to improve the functioning of electric cars so as to capture the commercial market. Their attempts failed to yield positive results (Freyssenet, 2009, p.252). Better Place’s mission is to make electric cars convenient in every way, and also to make them affordable for commercial customers. Vision Shai Agassi opened his company Better Place with the vision to make the world a better place. For this, his goal wa s to reduce or eliminate a country’s dependence on oil consumption especially with regard to transportation. He was known as an environmental visionary, and although his dream seemed apparently not practical, he was however determined to make a world that will not be relying on oil (Better Place: Charging into the Future? 2010, p.1). The company’s vision is to become one of the most valuable automotive companies in the world. For this the need is to design and manufacture electric vehicles in economic and user friendly manner so as to attract the most loyal customers of the industry. Stakeholders Better Place strives to hold a valuable place for its suppliers and dealers by becoming their most profitable business partner. For employees, the company intends to provide a safe, sound and motivational workplace. For investors, the company strives to become a long term and sustainable profitable venture. Finally, the company’s loyalty lies with its loyal and enthusia stic customers who expect continuous growth and improvement in everything the company does including designing of the cars to durability to after service after sale. For this, Better Place promotes technologies that are most convenient for customers. According to Better Place smart grids which are reliable and safe technologies for charging and billing of EVs â€Å"reduce CO? by charging EVs intelligently and at the same time making it easy for EV owners to charge vehicles during off-peak hours† (European Strategy...., 2010, pp.2-3). Power/interest grid for stakeholders High Power Keep satisfied Shareholders Car manufacturer Government officials Banks Manage closely Customers Insurance company Employees Suppliers and dealers Low Power Monitor Public authorities Automotive supplier Infrastructure supplier Keep informed Road operator Service provider II. Industry and Scenario Analysis Bargaining power of buyers In order to understand the standing of Better Place in the automobi le industry, it is necessary to study the Porter’s five forces analysis. The electric cars are seen as solution to vehicle induced air pollution. However, there are many drawbacks attached to electric cars like limited mobility and speed, need of charging battery failure of which can cause power disruption, costlier than conventional cars etc (Cheron & Zins, 1996, p.1). The buyers have little advantage regarding electric cars, since they do not have the option to switch between multiple brands.