Saturday, November 16, 2019
The Wild Trees by Richard Preston Essay Example for Free
The Wild Trees by Richard Preston Essay For a passionate, daring and courageous writer any theme becomes a great theme. Just as a brave soldier converts defeats into victories, a genius writer weaves an extraordinary story from the ordinary stuff. To an average reader, at the cursory glance of the book, the subject matter of â€Å"The Wild Trees†may look uninteresting and he wonders whether it is a book on botany. When you begin to read the book, Richard Preston will disappoint you on this account.  He has other interesting plans for you, which he reveals through his explorations through the wild growth of redwood. â€Å"The host of golden daffodils†was always there, â€Å"beside the lake and beneath the trees,†but it needed a Wordsworth to create an immortal poem on sighting them. When something penetrates the heart of an author deeply, touches his inner chords and appeals to his emotions irresistibly, a scintillating story, a literary masterpiece is born. The thick cluster of ancient California redwood was always there and many a thousands observed them daily as they drove through the highway. But Richard Preston saw something special and fascinating in them. He saw the giant whales in them. A mesmerized Preston writes, â€Å"in order to see a giant tree you need a magnifying glass.†The biosphere of the redwood kingdom was a wonderland for him. The latent ambition of every literary genius is to ‘cross the moon and beat the stars’ as for the imagination. Mr. Preston is candid about his literary saga. He says, â€Å"My goal is to reveal people and realms that nobody had ever imagined.†The giant, ancient California redwood creates a rainbow in his heart. From the production point of the book, the illustrations of plain line drawings of redwood structure by Andrew Joslin are equally fascinating. The artist’s brush and the writer’s pen have delivered amazing products and results to the reader. As for this book, Richard Preston is an author-turned botanist -turned philosopher -turned spiritualist! That has been the progress of his secular adventure and journey through the inner realms, in relation to redwood trees. The roots of his physical adventure are definitely supported by the spiritual roots. Preston entered the enchanting land of redwood in Northern California in 2003 to meet a tree explorer, Steve Sillette, who figures prominently in Preston’s story. For, Sillette was no ordinary tree explorer. He was a legendary figure, and deserved to be the central character in any related novel. Sillette was married to Marie Antoine, another staunch devotee of redwood trees. In their home, any visitor would be engulfed in endless conversation about trees, trees and trees again. That was the level of her passion for the redwood trees, Preston observes that she created clothing, Gore-Tex, the raw material used was the derivatives of the redwood tree. Preston is quite philosophical when he says that the redwood trees grow so slow, that their development is hard to measure during the course of a scientist’s lifetime. In the book you will find the beauty of the author and the authority of the scientist. The book contains amazing details based on the gigantic trees. You feel as if you read a mystery. The size and growth of the redwood trees is unbelievable. The names given to some of the trees have been detailed in the book. Some of the strange names are: Bamboozle, Bushy Toe, Pig Snout, Trifecta, Screaming Titans etc. A unique event is described in the book. The climbers are on the treetop hammock of a giant among he giant trees, Telpirion, and then a squall hits. It is the strong belief of the ensconced climbers that the tree has survived for eons and the countless storms have no effect on her. The climbers in the meantime escape and then the squall brings down Telperion, in the process creating a 60 feet high splash! Preston turns spiritual when he says, â€Å"May be these trees teach us something about ourselves.†What a great silent history is ingrained in the unending stretch of redwood trees! But when it is revealed to us in the book that ninety-six percent of the ancient redwood forests have been destroyed by logging, we feel sorry. We feel as if something very dear tour hearts has been taken away from us. Preston’s book creates such a deep love for the redwood trees. We feel like clinging to the remaining 4 percent; and curse the destroyers of this forest beauty! Preston’s account of this redwood tree adventure is amazing and truthful, because he decided to experience that adventure, before giving the final touches to his book. Therefore, he is able to write a terrifying, moving and a fascinating account. His narrative thrills you. He actually climbed those most dangerous trees to give you the perfect story. Therefore he is able to write a splendid book about the most splendid redwood forest!                                                            References Cited: Author: Richard Preston Title: The Wild Trees. Publication Date: April 2007 Publisher: Simon Schuster ISBN-10: 0743561228 ISBN-13: 9780743561228
Thursday, November 14, 2019
Child Labor Essay examples -- Children Work Poor Poverty Essays
Child Labor                               Child labor is one of the biggest issues around the world because it puts children in danger, it deprives them of an education, it is widespread and it's often hidden or invisible especially in agriculture, big industries and mines especially in poor countries. In this document of child labor it's explained what the meaning of child labor is, why it exists, also why it is so widespread in poor countries. There are also examples of children working in deplorable conditions. This document also discusses the reason why parents send or allow their children to work in an environment as a result it finally mentions the possible solutions to end child labor. Child labor is morally intolerable. It exists because it is the best response people can come up with to unacceptable circumstances. It is usually very dangerous because it involves of a child?s future well being. One of the other reasons child labor exists it is because an associated reduction in investment in the child?s human capital that occurs mostly because child labor interferes with education. (Udry, 2). The International Labor Organization (ILO) estimated approximately 250 million children between the ages of five and fourteen. Child labor appeared in earlier ages in agricultures societies, but during the Industrial Revolution of the 18th. Child labor first appeared with the development of domestic systems. It was generally performed in England, America, and other countries. Many of these children worked in factories, mines and other horrible places. The problem begins when factories and mines employed children. They are forced to work long hours under dangerous conditions for little pay. They put up with abuse, starvation, and sometimes never being paid for their work. (Henne et al 2005) In many countries, it is considered inappropriate or exploitative if a child below a certain age works, except for some household chores and of course schoolwork. An employer is often not allowed to hire a child below a certain age. This minimum age depends on the country. There is also no consideration for their safety or health. Most of the very dangerous work that child laborers perform is Agriculture; especially in Latin America almost 250 million child laborers between ages 5 to 14 years old are estimated worldwide. Children usually work next to thei... ...y should realize that it is in the best interest of their child not to work as working may put in danger the health and development of their child. In general, all the efforts must be directed towards the elimination of poverty. As a result, the world would be a better place for all children when they are brought up in a loving and caring environment and do not have to work and sweat right from the early stages of their lives. References      A, O. Ajayi and D.O Torimiro. Early Child Development and Care           February 2004, vol. 174(2), pp 183-191      Chao, Elane L. Advancing the Campaign against Child Labor           Washington, DC U.S Department of Labor, 2002 vol. 2 Henne, Kurt, Maury, David. Combating the Worst Forms of Child Labor in Bolivia 004468, winter 2005 vol. 32 EBSCO host The Story of Child Labor           http://library.thinkquest.org/o3oct/01980/800           Nike and Child Labor           http://www.american.edu/ted/nike.htm           Udry, Christopher. Child Labor           Yale University, June 2003 http://ssrn.com/adstract=419862           What is Child Labor?           http://fieldsohope.org/homeroom/          Â
Monday, November 11, 2019
Performance management system Essay
A good PM system is the central nervous system of the organization since it is providing operational intelligence on a real time basis, indicating performance relative to goals, effectiveness and efficiency of programs and services, performance of processes, and customer. Performance Management System is a process of setting objectives, making plans to achieve those objectives and accomplishing the desired results. This pAPER describes about the Performance Management System which is followed in many of the companies. This paper also describes the problems faced by the appraisees and the appraisers in this system. It also elaborates about the steps taken by the appraisers to improve the performances of the appraisees so that their efficiency can be increased and later the rewards and recognitions are given in the form of promotions, incentives and empowerment. Whether An individual is Human Resource professional, a manager or an employee; chances are you aren’t thrilled with their performance appraisal view process. They are rarely easy or effective and they take up their precious time for little result. With Success Factors, the performance appraisal process is streamlined and impactful. It becomes simple for managers to agree upon goals and skills with the employee and then deliver constructive feedback on their progress. With clearly outlined goals, the process benefits BOTH the individual and the organization. A good PM system is the central nervous system of the organization since it is providing operational intelligence on a real time basis, indicating performance relative to goals, effectiveness and efficiency of programs and services, performance of processes, and customer. Performance Management System is a process of setting objectives, making plans to achieve those objectives and accomplishing the desired results. This pAPER describes about the Performance Management System which is followed in many of the companies. This paper also describes the problems faced by the appraisees and the appraisers in this system. It also elaborates about the steps taken by the appraisers to improve the performances of the appraisees so thattheir efficiency can be increased and later the rewards and recognitions are given in the form of promotions, incentives and empowerment. Whether An individual is Human Resource professional, a manager or an employee; chances are you aren’t thrilled with their performance appraisal view process. They are rarely easy or effective and they take up their precious time for little result. With Success Factors, the performance appraisal process is streamlined and impactful. It becomes simple for managers to agree upon goals and skills with the employee and then deliver constructive feedback on their progress. With clearly outlined goals, the process benefits BOTH the individual and the organization. A good PM system is the central nervous system of the organization since it is providing operational intelligence on a real time basis, indicating performance relative to goals, effectiveness and efficiency of programs and services, performance of processes, and customer. Performance Management System is a process of setting objectives, making plans to achieve those objectives and accomplishing the desired results. This pAPER describes about the Performance Management System which is followed in many of the companies. This paper also describes the problems faced by the appraisees and the appraisers in this system. It also elaborates about the steps taken by the appraisers to improve the performances of the appraisees so that their efficiency can be increased and later the rewards and recognitions are given in the form of promotions, incentives and empowerment. Whether An individual is Human Resource professional, a manager or an employee; chances are you aren’t thrilled with their performance appraisal view process. They are rarely easy or effective and they take up their precious time for little result. With Success Factors, the performance appraisal process is streamlined and impactful. It becomes simple for managers to agree upon goals and skills with the employee and then deliver constructive feedback on their progress. With clearly outlined goals, the process benefits BOTH the individual and the organization.
Saturday, November 9, 2019
Case Analysis of Yahoo Business Model Essay
Abstract Yahoo! business model is to perform value creation activities to maximum its long run profitability in the internet advertising industry. Yahoo! first started as a simple directory. And today, it’s a global internet communication, commerce, and media company that serve 237 million individual users monthly. Because of the huge number of users now are using Yahoo! as a first look up website, its advertising revenue become a lot. To have a competitive advantage and get maximum profitability, Yahoo! decided to pursue vertical integration strategy. The benefit of vertical integration is to increase the quality of their products.  Yahoo Business Model Introduction Yahoo! Inc. is an American multinational Internet corporation headquartered in Sunnyvale, California. It is globally known for its Web portal, search engine Yahoo Search, and related services, including Yahoo Directory, Yahoo Mail, Yahoo News, Yahoo Finance, Yahoo Groups, Yahoo Answers, advertising, online mapping, video sharing, fantasy sports and its social media website. It is one of the most popular sites in the United States. According to news sources, roughly 700 million people visit Yahoo websites every month. Yahoo was founded by Jerry Yang and David Filo in January 1994 and was incorporated on March 1, 1995. On July 16, 2012, former Google executive Marissa Mayer was named as Yahoo CEO and President, effective July 17, 2012. According to comScore, Yahoo during July 2013 surpassed Google on the number of United States visitors to its Web sites for the first time since May 2011, set at 196 million United States visitors, having increased by 21 percent in a year. Yahoo grew rapidly throughout the 1990s. Like engines and Web directories, Yahoo added a web portal. By 1998, Yahoo! was the most popular starting point for web users. It also made many high-profile acquisitions. Its stock price skyrocketed during the dot-com bubble, Yahoo stocks closing at an all-time high of $118.75 a share on January 3, 2000. However, after the dot-com bubble burst, it reached a post-bubble low of $8.11 on September 26, 2001. Business Model To take an early view of this company, one can come to realize that it was actually bravery and uniqueness that contributed to most of Yahoo’s young business plan. The owners had the veracity and guts to take their web site to the next level, from a small web site list to a well-known brand name and beyond. Most of the foundations for Yahoo were laid before the Dot Com Boom, meaning very few people had ever made a venture like this one. Yahoo’s business model was about stepping up and taking risk. The founders of this great company strove to make their web site unique, a feature-full piece of the internet that would consolidate the regular web user’s preferences into one place. Yahoo was about having a home on the internet. Soon Yahoo grew, and soon after the Dot Com Boom they were making share-price history, particularly in Japan. Things were going exceptionally well for this company, but as competition entered the fray, the young business minds behind the behemoth realized that their business model had to change. It was no longer unique in the sense that web sites like MSN and Google were bumping shoulders. Yahoo was in danger to losing their appeal. That’s when they realized that their primary focus from there on in would have to be diversification. Yahoo wanted to be about having everything you needed on the internet in one place. As technology developed people were doing more and more of their regular business online. Yahoo had to diversify and fast. Yahoo primarily wanted people to be able to find whatever they needed on this web site, so they soon started acquiring search engines. They later made a deal with Google and made a partnership with the largest search engine on the internet. This of course wasn’t enough to fit their business model of diversification. Yahoo moved into a pact with Verizon and launched their own internet DSL service. They introduced communication with Yahoo Messenger. They allowed people to check their e-mail with Yahoo Webmail. Soon enough they had everything from games to TV listings to personals. Diversification was going swimmingly for Yahoo. They soon controlled everything that the average person needed on the internet. They were finally becoming the internet super-power they are today. However, it was quickly realized that their business model had to change again. Diversification was reaching its limit, so Yahoo began to focus on growth and expansion the focus of its business model today. The company began to acquire companies such as Flickr, expanding their online empire. This is where we see Yahoo today. An online sensation that won’t stop. Its growth is now its primary focus, and who knows where their developing business model will take them next. (See Visibility of Yahoo! Brand was realized by comScore Matrix in 2004). Yahoo Corporate Governance and strategic Issue Yahoo! faces a number of governance and strategic challenges in late 2011 as it tries to compete with rivals such as Google and find ways to monetize its shareholding and business links with Alibaba Group in China and Yahoo! Japan. The company was valued at almost half the offer that Microsoft had made in its acquisition offer in 2008. The depth of the challenge is underscored by the frequent CEO changes the company has had. The case examines the successes and failures at Yahoo! and the decisions now facing its board as it encounters investor pressure to improve performance. The problem at Yahoo! was that it was losing its advantage to faster-growing companies such as Google also the scope of organization’s activities was not defined properly as per Market Demand. For example, should the organization concentrate on one area of activity, or should it have many? I believed that Yahoo! was spread too thinly over too many different activities. Overall I can Say Yahoo Corporate Goveranance was lacking clarity of ownership, accountability, lack in focused, cohesive vision for there company. Yahoo, while not a dying company, has struggled to stay relevant after it missed the two biggest trends on the internet: social networks and the move to mobile devices as the gateway to information and entertainment. Yahoo total revenue in millions Recommendation to Mayer Marissa Mayer is an ex-Google exec, after 13-year career at the biggest Cloud Company on Earth, Mayer brings relevant experience to the CEO position of the once-great Web Company. Mayer knows who she’s competing against, she wants to win, and that means Yahoo! needs to attract Valley-class talents. Mayer did what leaders do: She made a decision that made some people unhappy in order to achieve success for the whole enterprise (toned-up employees and shareholders). After seeing Yahoo! lose altitude year after year, the criticism leveled at Mayer makes me optimistic about the company’s future. Yahoo total revenue in millions of dollars Mobile Products Mayer’s first task should be to articulate a vision for Yahoo. Mayer should be more focused on As we know that Mobile is the future and mobile transition is now a global phenomenon so I recommend Mayer to be more focused on users habits through products and applications available on its web portal such as finance, news, weather, email, sports, etc Mobile Competition Mayer has to be well prepared for mobile competition, report suggest that Facebook and google is now expected to reach a market share of almost 40% of the mobile advertising market in the US next year. Its mobile games and apps are showing no signs of slowing down, Facebook and Google is sure to give Yahoo! a tough time as the latter tries to expand into mobile. Revenue diversification While increasing usage Yahoo! needs to put more focus on growing international presence and appealing to a broader demographic of users. At present, Yahoo! derives 75% of its total revenue from the Americas region, something that needs to be worked on in the future. Search growth and Advertisement Internet Search should continue to be a key area of investment for Yahoo! .Yahoo! should improve more on the advertising quality on its search engine, If Yahoo! can maintain above key areas than I think it’s likely to grow even further in the future. References: Yahoo FAQs. (2012). Investors FAQs . Retrieved from http://yhoo.client.shareholder.com/faq.cfm Jones, G. R. (2007). Yahoo. In C. W. L. Hill & G. R. Jones (Eds.), Strategic Management AnIntegrated Approach (8th ed., pp. C102-C114). Boston, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company. Yahoo! we value. Retrieved from http://docs.yahoo.com/info/values/ Yahoo 10K. (2011, 12 31). Yahoo 10k Annual Report . Retrieved from http://files.shareholder.com/downloads/YHOO/2120211742x0xS1193125-12-86972/1011006/filing.pdf Income statement Retrieved from http://in.finance.yahoo.com/q/is?s=YHOOWomack, B. (2012, 08 10). Yahoo strategy review may result in changes to cash plans. Bloomberg, Retrieved from http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-08-09/yahoo-ceo-strategy-review-may-result-in-changes-to-cash-plans.html The NewYork Times, Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/14/technology/companies/14baidu.html?_r=1Claburn, T. (2006, 01 13). Yahoo loses lawsuit over nazi memorabilia sale.
Thursday, November 7, 2019
A Critical Review essays
A Critical Review essays For years our nation has been debating over the benefits that coeducational schools have versus non-coeducational schools. There are many different perspectives on the subject. Some people believe that girls face harsh environments while seated next to boys in the classroom. The author of The Trouble With Single-Sex Schools, Wendy Kaminer feels otherwise. She argues that the experiments and information supporting the hazards of coed schools can be demolished with a minimal amount of effort. I highly disagree with Kaminer that single-sex schools are really the contributing factors to girls low self-esteem. Through my own personal experience I realize that coeducational schools might be the right place for some young women, but these schools are not the safest place for all. Wendy Kaminer tells us in very gratifying tones of the beginnings of womens education. She says that while the schools may have favored typical gender roles, they did spark the idea of women as citizens. She feels that in the early years single-sex schools were the only known choice. She thinks that many of the current feminists are crazy for accusing coed schools of discouraging girls achievement. To her the main focus should be on whether the establishment of all-girls schools is advancing or destroying civil rights and social equality. I really enjoyed her introduction. She glorifies women as winning their rights and pushing on towards greater victories such as education and the right to vote. She makes women feel very proud to have come this far. And yet underneath her wholehearted happiness for her own sex, she seems to feel that womens rights have gone to far. She seems to despise the very women she was praising earlier. At the start of her essay she informs us of the many triumphs women overcame to obtain these rights, making us believe she will take the side of her fellow woman. ...
Tuesday, November 5, 2019
Bad Odor and Bio-filtration Solutions
Bad Odor and Bio-filtration Solutions Mikhail Kachmazo v UQ: How have microbes solved a local or global problem? The specific problem or issue: Sewage and industrial plants situated near residential areas can produce unpleasant odors making it difficult to live there. Explain the problem: The sewage plants near residential areas can be a subject to the social and environmental problems if these facilities produce unpleasant odors. The causes of the odors are generally the inorganic and volatile organic compounds which result from bio filtration and from the sewer of industrial waste. There are different types of volatile organic compounds that are emitted as a result of bio filtration like 2-butanone, ÃŽ ±-pinene, tetrachloroethylene, dimethyl disulfide, ÃŽ ²-pinene, limonene, phenol and benzoic acid. One of the main culprits for the bad odor are sulphur compounds which are relatively less in concentration but play significant role in odor causing factors.[5] Explain how science is helping, or has helped, to solve t he problem: Bad odor from sewage water is a major environmental issue worldwide. Bad odor from sewage water is an indicator of possible health risk therefore governments spend a lot of money on treating the sewage water and unpleasant odor. Science has played a major role in solving this problem biologically as well as chemically. Following are several methods to treat sewage water and odor from this water. Bio filtration Thermal Oxidation Chemical Thermal oxidation burns the odor causing compounds directly or indirectly. Bio filtration on the other hand oxidizes the odor causing compounds by using microbes. Microbes like Pseudomonas Putida that are used in this technique have been significant in treating sewage water and bad odor in an efficient, safe and inexpensive way. [4] How it works: Bio-filtration is quite an innovative technology to control pollutants. It helps to eliminate malodorous gas emissions and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of low concentrations. The mos t common design of a bio-filter is just an ordinary big box. Some of them can be very big, others can be quite small. A bio-filter’s main function is to bring microorganisms together with pollutants in an air stream. The bio-filter which has the breeding material for the microorganisms is placed inside the box. The â€Å"biofilm†, which is a layer of moisture where the microorganisms live, can be found around the particles of filter media. When the bio-filtration process takes place, the operators pump the polluted stream of air through the bio-filter, so that the filter media absorbs the pollutants. The bio-filter diffuses the contaminated gas and sends it onto the biofilm that absorbs it. The pollutants are then degraded by the microorganisms. The metabolic products of this process are carbon dioxide and water as well as the produced energy. The chemical formula of this process caused by oxidation is: Volatile Organic Pollutant + O2 à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚ CO2 + H2O + Heat + M icrobial Biomass [3] Effectiveness of this technique: This technique is very efficient and it has plenty of advantages over the traditional methods of pollutants. First of all, one of the major conditions for traditional methods is high temperature, however when it comes to bio-filtration the technicians can use low temperatures, thus the whole process becomes cost effective, because there are no costs of combustion. Moreover it is safer than traditional methods because combustion is a dangerous process. Secondly, the maintenance cost of bio-filtration is much lower than traditional methods. According to a research conducted by Pinchin Environmental Group Canada, this technology is more than 95% efficient and environmentally friendly because the whole process can be done in an absolutely natural way. [1]
Saturday, November 2, 2019
Marketing Environment of the Czech Republic Essay
Marketing Environment of the Czech Republic - Essay Example After its break with the Slovak Republic, the Czech nation rapidly privatized state-owned businesses. State ownership of businesses was at about 97 percent under communismâ€â€today it is less than 20 percent. The country is also reducing its dependence on highly polluting brown coal as an energy source, turning more toward nuclear energy. Unquestionably, the integral part of the history of Czech culture is Czech traditions. The traditions are mostly maintained in villages, especially in the Moravian-Silesian region, where they remain as a sign of the cultural taste of the specific areas. Traditional costumes are increasingly popular among Czech people and are also appreciated by foreign visitors. Tourism is a rapidly developing sector, and millions come to Prague to visit castles, palaces, and spas. Although the political and financial crises of 1997 eroded somewhat the countrys stability and prosperity, the Czech Republic succeeded in becoming a NATO member in 1999 and a European Union member in 2004. Czech culture has firm roots in a rich and plentiful history. Tourists and visitors from all over the world can marvel at some of the most beautiful and oldest pieces of architecture, literature and fine arts. Public administration or the management of public services is decentralized in the Czech Republic. Currently, there are only several compact issues managed directly and purely by the highest administrative level - the state. The Czech Republic uses several electoral systems and formulas for recounting votes into mandates. All elections are held on the basis of confidentiality, generality and equality. Direct voting prevails. In international relations, the Czech Republic seeks to represent itself as a democratic nation and a politically, economically and socially stable state in Central Europe. It seeks to promote not only its particular interests but also to
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