Patterns of Democracy Essay

The book Patterns of Democracy: Government Forms and Performances in Thirty-Six Countries compared consensus democracy vis-a-vis majoritarian democracy as society’s backbone towards social and economic development. Through its discourse, it made evident that consensus democracy exhibits a more mature type of democracy as it better responds to many of the contemporary community’s social and political issues such as women’s rights, environmental awareness and voter’s turnout. The books presented ideas that broadened my perception of sociopolitical and socioeconomic issues. It has effectively demonstrated the complexities of our society and the dynamics of democracy in particular. For this, the book is a good baseline for building our political awareness and ideological stance. However, I find consensus democracy, as presented in the book, a very debatable concept. As the book relates, consensus democracy is a type of government where every sector with a valid purpose is given due representation in the socio-civic segments of society. It has been practiced and seen success in Switzerland, Belgium and even international organization such as the European Union among others. Among its identified key characteristics are the formation of a grand coalition where elite leaders of each sector recognizes the dangers of non-cooperation; exercise of mutual veto which requires consensus to confirm the majority rule; proportionality where representation in the national and civic segments of the society is equal to the sector’s population; and segmental autonomy which creates a sense of individuality and allows for different culturally-based community laws (www. wikipedia. com). Popular literature credits Arend Lijphart as is the primary promoter of this type of democracy. Lijphart sees consensus democracy as â€Å"kinder, gentler† approach compared to majoritarian democracy. The book advocates this type of democracy – also called consociationalism – not only as an antidote to countries in conflict but also as the supreme state of society. The way he presented and navigated his evidences into asserting the numerous advantages of consociationalism is obviously coming from a one-track mind. Understanding his standpoint as an avid and pious promoter of this political theory as evidenced in his early works such as Democracy in Plural Societies (1977), he must have been so immersed and engrossed on this concept. There is no question that this type of democracy works, in some situations far better even, than other democracies. Yet, as a reader, one may not help but feel overwhelmed by the bombardment of too-good-to-be-true attributes and then start to look for flaws and critique the concept. In his narration on how idyllic consensus democracy is, he missed out on several obvious contentions which real life circumstances may pose on its actual implementation. He may also have overlooked some contextual considerations that had served as crucial factors in the success of consociationalism. Therefore as a review of his work – Patterns of Democracy – it would be insightful to mention several observations from an outsider’s point of view. Consensus democracy is ideal; in fact it’s too ideal it seems too good to be true. Operating from a realist point of view, consociationalism is a fantasy. It is difficult to imagine sectors of the society – each with its own agenda and interest, some with contrasting views as the other – would come together and work for a policy that may not have any effect on their cause. There will always be an opportunity cost which one or several sectors should be willing to pay. The question now is how much each sector is willing to sacrifice for the common good. Also, the sectors which they intend to integrate in policy-making initiatives are largely issue-based. This introduces another complexity since some of them are ad-hoc groups that disintegrate once their mission has been realized, unable to sustain the support of its subordinates. Except for some constant concerns such as labor, health and education, sectors with less important concerns need not to be raised on national level regardless of its populace. Institutionalizing a long term sectoral representation and compromise agreements in a much diversified society is a serious challenge to meet, and even harder to maintain. Consensus democracy dreams of a welfare state with less violence, more equality, and greater environmental concern, and all the good things every government aspires for its people. However, the book discussion of consensus democracy makes it seem so easy to realize, eliciting false hopes, leading to unrest and eventual breakdown of the society. There is nothing wrong in setting goals but it should also be practical and pragmatic as to not mislead the people into an overnight change. The goals of consociationalism could also be interpreted as being preachy. As in the case of consociationalism in Lebanon which was tagged as â€Å"confessionalism† due to its religious linkages, consensus democracy defies the separation of church and state – a characteristic common to most democratic states. Aligning the government’s policies with that of the church’s is a U-turn back to the conservative ages which democracies have long tried to break from. Another comment on the book is that it had the impression of being too imposing. Though it may have seen several successes in some countries as in the Netherlands and Belgium, this type of democracy cannot be forced upon other states. Again, operating from a relativist’s perspective, one must realize that each sovereign state is a unique entity. In fact, recognizing pre-conditions for better application of consensus democracy is in itself a recognition that it cannot be function as effectively in other states. This is precisely the purpose of comparative politics where various forms of governments are studied to determine which would work best in a particular society. Contrasting consensus democracy with majoritarian democracy was Lijphart’s way of highlighting the positive facets of the former. However, the manner on which the comparison was presented seems to be discrediting the latter in order to elevate the status of consociationalism. It is ironic that consensus democracy calls for tolerance for unparallel views for various sectors yet he is maligning majoritarian democracy to forward his thoughts. This manner of persuasion holds no chance in a consensus democracy for it will only stir more conflict and cleavages among disparate groups. As sectors are represented by elites in a consensus democracy, it manifests an imbalance in the society; elites who have their own interests to protect, have secured places in the society and have nothing much to lose should they fail to forward their cause. This leaves the sectors they represent helpless should the elites decide go with the majority. The minority will have no power against the majority in fear of retaliating on them with a bigger impact. This scenario is highly hegemonic. Lastly, the federalism by means of identifying the racial and cultural backgrounds is not cohesive, rather it’s the opposite. Continuously referring to them as the minority will not improve the chances of garnering greater support. This will allow the so called ethic groups to detach from the coalition and pursue their own initiatives in some other venue that may not be as diplomatic as consociationalism suggests.

How to Get Your MLA Citation Format Right?

How to get your MLA citation format right Well, the help is right here. When you are asked to write an essay or report in an MLA format, you might be confused how to reference your sources to avoid plagiarism. The MLA citation format is designed by the Modern Language Association, and the latest, 8th edition gives you simple guidelines to follow when providing direct quotes or referring to works you used to write your essay. It is mostly used for liberal arts, literature, and humanities course works. The requirements for in-text citation and reference list have been updated, due to the different types of electronic sources used by students. Find out below how to create a Works Cited page in MLA and avoid plagiarism. How to Format Your MLA Citation: General Guidelines Before you create your Works Cited page in MLA, you need to make sure that you get the order right. The following information is needed on the page in the following order: Author’s name Title of source (book or article Title of journal or collection Other contributors or editors Version number or â€Å"updated† information Number of the publication Publisher’s name Publication date Location of the publication Unlike in other academic formats, such as Chicago and Harvard Manual of Style , the date of the publication is in the very end of the citation. The updated 8th edition MLA style guide has simplified some of the references, so you can easily quote websites and online sources, too.Author’s InformationThe name of the author should be in a surname-first name order. If there is only one author, you need to write their full name, not only the initials, followed by a full stop. If there are two authors, connect their names with an â€Å"and†. If thereTitle PageThe titles of books should be written in Italics, but if you are using a website, the site’s title needs to be in quotes. When citing a journal article in an MLA format, you need to put the article’s title in quotes and the journal’s name (container) in italics. Music track titles should also be cited in italics.Container (collection or journal)As a general rule the container always has to be in Ital ics and title case. This includes the website where you found an article used as a source for your essay.Translation and CommentaryYou need to add this information after the basic (title and container) information, such as: â€Å"Translated by† or â€Å"Explanatory notes written by† followed by the name.Publisher and Publication DateIf you know the version of the source, you add this, followed by the publisher’s name and the date of the publication.Sample MLA Citation:Your MLA references should look like this: Contributors’ names. â€Å"Title of Resource.† Journal Name, Last edited date.In-text MLA CitationsYou can use direct or paraphrased quotations in MLA format. Unlike in APA and Harvard, you will not need to use the date when citing the source, only the name of the author, and the page number if you have taken an idea directly from a source, even if you paraphrased it. As a general rule, if you refer to the author in the same sentence, you will not need to add their name in the MLA format citation again, only the page number. For example, you can write the following sentence: â€Å"Greene claims that â€Å"urban neighbourhoods are declining† (226). You still have to note the page number for direct quotations, without the letter â€Å"p† or a full stop after the page number. If your MLA sources have more than one authors with the same surname, it is recommended that you use their first initial to identify them clearly in in-text citations. If there are two authors, write both of their surnames, and if there are three or more, only write the first author’s surname followed by â€Å"et al.†. When you quote indirect sources, you will need to add â€Å"qtd.in† and â€Å"name of the author† to your MLA citation.What are Parenthetical Citations?Any idea that you take directly from a source is a parenthetical citation, even if you do not quote it word-for-word. You always have to identify the source by page number to avoid plagiarism.What is the Main Change in the 8th Edition MLA Citation Guide?In previous versions, you were required to write web sources in a format that starts with http: or www. In the new version, you do not need to add either, simply start with the web address without the â€Å"www†.How to Format Your MLA Citation Page?You need to write â€Å"Works Cited† centred on the top of the MLA citation page. This is followed by tge alphabetical list of your sources used to write your essay. Order your sources based on authors’ surname. Do not start your source indented, but every second and following line of the same source needs to be indented half an inch. Do not put extra paragraph space between sources. If your Works Cited page is longer than one page, you do not have to use â€Å"Works Cited† on the next pages as a title. How to Check your MLA Referencing is Correct? There are several ways you can make sure that you have your MLA sources listed correctly. You might want to use the simple solution and use Google Scholar for referencing, however, it is not a hundred percent reliable. There are also tools you can use to create your MLA citations, such as citation machine. When you use the tool, you need to make sure that you select MLA 8th edition, as the references are created in 7th edition format as standard. Simply choose the type of source, and add your title and author, so you get your MLA references formatted for you. If you are not sure whether or not you have created the right format of citation or want to make sure you are not accused of plagiarism, and included all your sources, you can get in touch with our experienced academic editors at our site to help you out.Do you need help writing your Dissertation OR Custom Essay? Order Dissertation Today OR Call Now 855-997-2158Summary Article Name How to Get Your MLA Citation Format Right? Description Looking for some help on how to get your MLA citations right, then look no further, a brief guide is here. Author our site – Admin – Laura Publisher Name our site Publisher Logo

Counselling for Loss and Grief

3000 WORD ESSAY ON LOSS AND GRIEF – ELIZABETH KUBLER ROSS AND J W WORDEN . Elizabeth Kubler Ross 1926-2004. â€Å" The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat ,known suffering ,known loss ,and have found their way out of the depths . These people have an appreciation ,a sensitivity ,and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion ,gentleness ,and a deep loving concern . -Beautiful people do not just happen –Elizabeth Kubler Ross ‘ Elizabeth had a unique childhood she was one of triplet girls born in Zurich Switzerland on July 8th 1926 ,her mother Emmy Villiger Kubler closely attended to all their physical needs as they were all extremely small at birth .Elizabeth’s childhood treatment by her father was said to be very harsh ,which might explain why she was concerned by peoples suffering ,and her experiences at the end of the second world war including the aftermath of Majdanek –concentration camp in Poland ,a nd very soon after she was well known for her work with the terminally ill and her ideas soon came in to counselling and support for people effected by death and bereavement .She challenged previous conservative theories ,and was welcomed by carers ,and the dying and bereaved as many western people saw death as a taboo subject where as other cultures did not see death as such a taboo . Critics have tended to appauled her model as vague and others have had mixed responses to her interest in the after life ,and her study of Thanatollog which is a Greek work for death and means the study of death and dying .She has written over twenty books and her book in 1969 called death and dying was revolutionary as it did reflect her bold and unspoken approach . It was Elizabeth’s work with dying individuals which led her to develop a five stage model for coping with terminal illness , the five stages are –denial ,anger,bargaining ,depression and acceptance . Today many professional s have adapted this model . her model does imply that all dying people go through the stages and in the same order and acceptance is an essential part of the process.She also conclude in her theory that women are more likely to go through the five stages of grief than men , however most people go through at least two . First there will be the initial shock of the news ,and a person may not show any physical symptoms at this stage as internally they have frozen the news out and have not yet taken a hold of what has happened , telling a person several times helps ,external symptoms can be paling of he skin ,shortness of breath and fight or flight reaction. After the initial shock a person may be in denial this is where a person may close their eye s to what is being told to them and pretend nothing has happened ,they will continue to carry on doing their job , and classic behaviour will be â€Å" flight in to health â€Å" where previous problems are suddenly seen as fixed by themse lves ,they are trying to avoid the inevitable .Getting stuck in denial is common in â€Å" cool â€Å" cultures ,ie Britian . A person can suddenly swing into anger ,bottled up feelings can come up and â€Å" why me† may be repeated in their heads and â€Å" why not you â€Å" fuels the anger even more ,supporting the anger and accepting it helps the person and just letting them be angry ,and also channelling the anger in to useful channels with help .After the fires of anger have been burnt out the next stage is bargaining , it is an expression of hope that the bad news is reversible , this is a time when false hope should not be given though ,and support instead . Depression is when the news now starts to sink in and the person slumps in to a slough of despond , they turn towards themselves and turn away from help , and may start blaming themselves not others or the situation .Finally the person is back to reality when they are at the acceptance stage , this is where th e person is ready to move on ,acceptance is visible by people taking ownership for themselves again and their own actions , in this stage many will appear more content as they find their way forward in life again , people at this stage are at the completion of the transition. Elizabeth did not wish her process to become rigid steps , she intended it to be a framework , a guide as such ,as some steps may not be visited ,and others may be revisited ,as people s experiences of grief and trauma are all individual .Elizabeth also recognized that people have to pass through their own grief journey in order for acceptance to happen and enable them to cope , having an understanding of what is happening and our emotions makes dealing with it much easier. The mourning process may last for months or years ,intense symptoms of emotional distress generally lasts between six and twelve months ,however if morning is not complete growth ,and development can not take place and complications can deve lop .Similar reactions can be observed in people confronted with far less trauma than death and bereavement, such as crime , relocation ,disability ,injury ,breakups ,so it is a model that can not only be for people suffering with death and dying but also trauma ,as trauma and emotional shock are relative in terms of effect on people , life challenges cause similar emotional upset , but one persons personal trauma will not be another person’s personal trauma .

Evaluate technical security or privacy products for selection Essay

Evaluate technical security or privacy products for selection - Essay Example One of the best methods of dealing with visuses is by the use of antivirus software. These software are made by different companies and come with unique trade names. This paper is dedicated to analysing the suitability of two such software, Kaspersky and Panda, in fighting viruses. Karspersky anti- virus 2011 is a vital organ for the PC security system that offers protection on a range on information technology threats. It is designed to mostly offer services for the home and offices. No administration of special tools is required during the installation since it is faster in installing. It offers protection against viruses and spyware and scans the websites and emails to ensure that there are no malicious codes and through this one is assured of continued protection of his digital technology. It will provide the user with an easy access to the desktop. The karspersky anti virus 2011 for Mac offers the user an advanced updated security for his technology and does not impact negativel y on the computer. Panda antivirus pro 2012 is another antivirus product which can be installed in the safe mode where the safe disk has the CD that is bootable. With the optimal safe browser it is able to protect its privacy with the help of the web based malware, USB vaccine and the vulnerability scan (Axelrod, Jennifer & Daniel 45). It has several features that are present in a suite commonly referred to as the firewall. It is more effective in the actual malware protection in order to avoid future problems. It adds firewall protection, a parental control and antispam to its antivirus to make it effective. Despite its effectiveness it does not effectively clean all the malware when detected in the computer. Its main window has a dark appearance though it still behaves like other security products. Panda anti virus pro 2012 will display its features at a click and head on to the other features as you continue to click. One is able to access the configuration and reporting features present in it. It has statistics page breaks that are able to detect threats by their type while for the advanced statistics page they go to an extent of detecting threats in the email and the network threats too. Panda also does not take part in the virus bulletin’s VB100 testing since it has already been certified by the ICSA labs and West Coast labs as an antivirus that is good for detecting virus and removing it (Rannenberg 23). The latest online reviews indicate that it is the second largest rating and has gone further to come up with a measure that enables it to resist any infestation of the malware. Karspersky anti- virus 2011 will protect your digital life by checking the files and the mail attachments. It is therefore a safeguard to the life of an individual online. It blocks the threats as soon as it gets to know about them. Online reviews see it as very fast, effective an unobtrusive and can be used even in the most demanding applications. The quality of both tech nologies has been estimated with reference to their speed and ability to protect the computers from attack by threats. Karspersky has a familiar look like the normal applications and can be applied even in the most complex settings because of its speed. They are easy to install and they let you manage them because of the defaults that are not complicated. Panda offers a variety of anti virus from which to choose from as they are based on intelligence technology. The protection offered by the antivirus ensures privacy in the sense that

The Evaluation of the Hiring Process Used By the Firm Case Study - 1

The Evaluation of the Hiring Process Used By the Firm - Case Study Example This reflects a well thought out approach to hiring process which might yield undesirable results if conducted haphazardly or in a hurry or if started late as that would leave the firm to choose from only the leftovers that have been rejected by all prospective employers that have commenced and completed their entire recruitment process even before S. G. Cowen had made any moves. S.G. Cowen already has with them associates who had joined the firm as interns when they were in their first or second year in a business school. These associates had joined the firm in the break between their first and second years in their business schools and were offered full-time employment as they completed their internship that started the following summer. Some other associates had never been to a business school but had served as interns in the firm for three years and were promoted as first-year associates after they completed their internship. Very often officials of S.G. Cowen conduct ‘informational interviews’ prior to the actual formal process to gauge the level of seriousness and intent of the prospective candidates. Though this is essentially an informal process it helps the firm to focus on serious candidates and thus reduces unnecessary efforts on those that are genuinely not interested and have appeared just for the sake of appearing. It must be mentioned that prospective candidates have to appear for these informal interviews at their own expense thus automatically segregating those that were seriously interested from those that are rather casual about the whole process. S.G. Cowen also appointed ‘group captains’ or contact persons at every core business school to ensure students always had someone through whom they would be able to remain in constant contact with the firm. These contact persons are seldom ever from the human resource department. Rather, they are professional investment bankers with long years of service with the firm. These people served the twin purposes of locating the best possible candidates who would be able to seamlessly merge with the company and also attracting students who though interested in investment banking but are not quite sure as to which firm they would join.  Ã‚  

African americans and the military during WW2 Essay

African americans and the military during WW2 - Essay Example They nurtured great expectations due to their excellent work and war records they possessed. This hope had been carried further as President Wilson declared that the war was being fought â€Å"to make the world safe for democracy†.(President Wilson, World War I) African American soldiers as well as the civilians always recollected or remembered their painful experiences of World War I. They had endured discrimination and segregation in almost all areas and they were not willing to accept these factors once again. So they started raising their voices in protest for which they had to undergo severe punishment in lieu of their attitude. Their hopes and aspirations were dashed to the ground when after the war; discriminatory feelings began to grow against them in leaps and bounds. The Ku Klux Klan was once again revived and gained the support of other anti- African American groups. The Blacks suffered horrendous discrimination and riots and attacks left thousands homeless. Many of the Black writers interviewed some of the black American slaves and received a first hand report of the atrocities meted out to them. Due to segregation of the Black Americans discontentment and the need to take revenge brewed among them. Many organizational groups such as the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, the NAACP and the National Urban League tried very hard to put an end to segregation of the Black Americans and the discrimination shown to them, but all the efforts undertaken were slow and laborious. The NAACP also worked towards obtaining voting rights and tried hard to dismantle discrimination and segregation by moving the court. They also strived hard to gain laws that were beneficial to the suffering African Americans. The â€Å"Jim Crow† laws that were mandated discriminated Blacks to have separate facilities for worship, housing, travel, schooling, lodging, eating and drinking and all other aspects of

Korean history (Old Joseon to the Joseon dynasty) Essay

Korean history (Old Joseon to the Joseon dynasty) - Essay Example The religious factor played a fundamental role in the unification and the cohesion of the Korean society during the Old Joseon to the Joseon Dynasty. The adoption and subsequent internalization of the Confucian religious and social doctrines served as a major milestone in the unification of the Korean society during the Joseon reign. This is because, the Confucian religious doctrine was redefined after it was adapted in Korea, to entail five very basic principles that henceforth served to ensure that the Korean society remained in cohesion, regardless of the age or the social class that individuals belonged (Kim & Park, 23). To achieve the stabilization of the Korean society back then, the Confucian ideals were pitched on the principle relationships of husband and wife as the basic relationship within a family that sought to keep the family unit bonded together, such that external influences and invasion or any other form of external infiltration could not enter and divide the society. Secondly, the Confucian religious doctrine established the principle relationship as that of the young to old, where the young people were supposed to respect the elders and tore the line of the cultural and social principles that were represented by the elders in the Korean society (Kim & Park, 36). This way, it became possible to establish a respectable society that ensured that the even where any form of dissent would emerge between the young generation and the older generation in terms of the administration of the society, there were already predetermined avenues that prevented such dissent from simmering into rebellious levels that could destabilize the society (Kim & Park, 29). This way, the Confucian religious doctrine ensured that the society remained united, and the dissents that emerged were handled through the rightful channels. Additionally, the Confucian religious

Chiquita Brands Inc Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Chiquita Brands Inc - Research Paper Example Corporate Ethics The strategy for business ethics in Chiquita Brands was begun in 1998 when the company engaged the professional services of SmithOBrien to craft and implement a CSR policy for the company. The first comprehensive CSR report was released in 2004. (SmithOBrien website). Chiquita Brands’ corporate commitment speaks of the corporate values of integrity, respect, opportunity and responsibility as the embodiment of what they are and what they do. The company defines integrity as ethical and lawful business communicated in an open and straightforward manner (Kotler and Lee, 2005). Respect is seen as fair and respectable treatment of people. They recognize that the growth and development of their employees is the key to the company’s success. They take pride in their services and make sure that these exceed customer expectations. As much as they uphold the primacy of their customers, they recognize that their accountability is to all stakeholders, including emp loyees, suppliers, shareholders, communities and the world. (Chiquita website). At Chiquita Brands, corporate social responsibility is an integral part of their global business strategy. They make it a point to live up to the requirements of SA 8000, one of the more credible and verifiable social accountability standards (developed by Social Accountability International), by regularly including the SAI assessment in their corporate responsibility reports. Their openness on issues about their social, environmental and financial performance is highlighted in these reports. (Chiquita website). As part of their pursuit of these corporate commitments, Chiquita Brands has implemented an anti-retaliation policy to encourage the reporting or raising of concerns about potential misconduct and other ethical issues. This policy is available in six key languages to make sure it is understood by employees, contractors and vendors in most Chiquita locations. (Chiquita website). CSR Issues Involvi ng Chiquita Brands Notwithstanding the implementation of a corporate responsibility policy sometime after 1998, a number of violations or infringements resembling CSR violations have been reported and documented involving Chiquita Brands. On of these was the conviction of Chiquita Brands in 2007 by a US court of illegal financial dealing with Colombian terrorists in the form of â€Å"protection money† during the period 2001-2004. $25 Million Fine The court slapped a fine of $25 Million and five-year probation, and was required to hire a permanent compliance officer. Under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, the fine would have been almost $100 Million, but the court rendered a much lesser penalty in consideration of Chiquita’s self-disclosure and full cooperation (Annual Report 2010). The situation in Colombia is atypical of businesses engaged in landed estates for their production, as in banana production. Where the country is under-developed and the econ omy is struggling, this would have been an ideal location to operate a wide-area plantation because of the low cost of agricultural work (Vellema, 1999). Protection Money Most such areas, however, are characterized by the presence of insurgents who are also members of the local community and who feed on instigating for peasant rights, as in Panama and the Philippines (Vellema, 1999). There is no way an organization

Palestinian VS. Israeli debate Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Palestinian VS. Israeli debate - Research Paper Example In that context the proposal extended by the Israeli side is a two edged sword in the sense that it not only seeks cooperation of the Palestinian side, but also in a very sophisticated manner labels the genuine acts of armed resistance on the part of Palestinians as â€Å"Palestinian acts of terrorism and violence†. The very act on the part of the state of Israel to dub the just and right freedom struggle of the Palestinian people as acts of terrorism is objectionable and unacceptable. The contemporary wars are fought in media newsrooms. The best way to compromise the legitimacy of any freedom struggle is to brand it as being Islamist and Jihadist. Just throw the right words and soon the world will distort acts of legitimate resistance into what will be looked as acts of terrorism and violence. It’s the time that Palestinians agree to the fact that Israel certainly has a better PR infrastructure as compared to them. But, it is also time for the Israeli side to agree to the fact that just because they dub each and every act of Palestinian resistance as being jihadist or terrorist will in no way stop the Palestinian people from carrying on with their struggle for independence.

Organization Theory and Its Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Organization Theory and Its Analysis - Essay Example In attempting to create a science study of organizations, the major focus has been placed on identifying general behaviours in work place situations and related them to all enterprises, despite their different nature. In particular proponents of this concept have paid little attention to differences among organization, those that are subjected to market forces and those that are not. (Hussey& Hussey, 1997, pp 5-45) The organization theory can determine the organization culture, which in turn determines the success or failure of an organization to achieve its stated mission and objectives. Culture of an organization defines an organization since it a collective beliefs and ideology shared by the employees working in an organization. Kotter (1992, pp 86-99) also clearly defines organizational culture as "the values, beliefs and norms expressed in actual practices and behaviours of the organization's members." To Kotter (1992, pp 86-99), culture is the main motivating force that ensures the success of an organization; culture also determines and represents organizational values. A paradigm offers a conceptual structure for considering and making good judgment about the social world. Burrell and Morgan (1979, pp 1-37), states that "to be located in a particular paradigm is to view the world in a particular way." The importance of paradigms is that they outline the way in which we view the world and at the same time reinforce the view of those around us. Philosophical assumptions and paradigms In organizational research the word paradigm includes three levels. The philosophical, which is fundamental beliefs concerning the world in which we live in, the social level, where guiding principle do exist as to how a social researcher should perform their activities and lastly, the technical level. This includes the processes and techniques ideally accepted when carrying out research. Burrell and Morgan (1979, pp 1-37), points out that at philosophical level, organizational theories differ in five sets of assumptions. These are 1. Subjectivist /objectivist dimension 2. Ontological, 3. Epistemological, 4. Axiological, 5. Methodological assumptions and also assumptions in relation to human nature These assumptions ooze through from top to lower levels and impact the research process. Burrell & Morgan paradigms Over the past two decades Burrell, G has made a several noteworthy contributions in regard to the development of a fundamental organization theory. As pertaining Sociological paradigms and also organizational analysis (co-authored with Morgan G in 1979) Burrell drafted a position for radical "structuralism and humanist" work which has provided legality for viewpoints critical of the "managerialist" direction of many organization theory. However times change, and so do theoretical modes change. "Pandemonium" is Burrell's most recent effort to create a drastic organization theory, in the outline of a "retro-organization theory". (Burrell and Morgan, 1979, pp 1-37) When looking at subjective-objective a dimension that is used to separate radical humanism and interpretive sociology and "radical structuralism and Functionalist sociology" Burrell and Morgan (1979, pp 1-37), outlines four philosophical aspects that distinguish objectivist from subjective studies. These aspects are 1. Ontology 2. Epistemology 3. Human nature 4. Methodology Ontology According to Burrell and

Descriptive Essays vs. Narrative Essays Essay Example for Free

Descriptive Essays vs. Narrative Essays Essay Many people have different preferences on what type of writing style they think is more superior to another, I believe descriptive writing to be more excellent writing style then narrative. I can tell you that there are a few similarities and a few differences between the two. I prefer Descriptive essays, rather than narrative essays. In my belief, its that the descriptive essays are more effective when an author is trying to convey a story or get a message across than narratives. Descriptive essays keep the reader engaged throughout the story. It provides the reader with more in depth details, and it allows the reader to better envision the picture that the author is trying to paint. Descriptive and narrative essays have a few traits in common. Typically both almost make you feel as if you are present with the author. They both usually tell you of an event that the author went thru or a message the author wants you to receive. Whether you are reading the Personal Narrative or Descriptive Essay both are very creative form of writing. The difference between a narrative essay and descriptive essay is that the narrative essay is more catered to someone’s point of view in order to tell a story, whereas the descriptive essay describes a person or the place or an event by using vivid images. The writer describes a behavior or personality or uses our sense of smell, touch, sound, taste. Descriptive essays show a reader and do not tell them. Descriptive essays give a lot of details for instance, would you prefer to read an essay with a sentence like, â€Å"the girl ran down the street† or â€Å"the young girl ran down the street wearing light blue shorts and a white top, as her blonde hair blew in the wind†. The second sentence would catch a reader’s attention more than the first. This is a example as to why I believe descriptive essays are better than narrative essay, because they paint a better picture. â€Å"On Christmas Eve I saw that my mother had outdone herself in creating a strange menu. She was pulling black veins out of the backs of fleshy prawns. The kitchen was littered with appalling mounds of raw food: A slimy rock cod with bulging eyes that pleaded not to be thrown into a pan of hot oil. Tofu, which looked like stacked wedges of rubbery white sponges.  A bowl soaking dried fungus back to life. A plate of squid, their backs crisscrossed with knife markings, so they resembled bicycle tires.† Tan, A. (2013). This is an excerpt from the descriptive essay Fish Cheeks. When we as a writer provide our readers with such descriptive details you can almost picture yourself in that kitchen, and I became engaged from this point on. It is easy for the reader to get wrapped up in the story when the author is using descriptive language to paint a vivid picture. The audience can visualize the food, and the way it looks. Narratives are more direct and straight to the point, and that can cause a lot of readers to get lost or disengaged. A descriptive essay takes the dialogue to a different height by the details given by the author allowing us as a reader the ability to share the authors experiences by explaining and to show us rather than just telling us. When giving more details, the reader obtains more of the story. When reading the article I Want a Wife (Brady, 1971), the author gives a brief description of their friend who had recently become divorced and was now looking for a new wife. The author goes into explain how she also, would like a new wife. She then explains the â€Å"duties† her new wife would complete for her. The new wife would be preparing meals and keeping a clean home. Here comes my issue with this narrative, I am left wondering about this womans story. I want to know who she is. Is this description of her own marriage? What is her husband like? Is she not happy? Does she like being a wife? Narrative essay focus more on the information, and again telling the reader the story from the point to point they may use different forms of dialogue to convey this message to the audience. The author may use intriguing humor or tell the story first hand in first person to try to make the reader interested. The benefit of writing a story that contains many details is that it also allows the reader to visualize and feel the emotions that the author is trying to convey. The descriptive language presented in Fish Cheeks; the reader is able to visualize them as a fourteen year old who describes a Christmas Eve dinner when she as fourteen, how she felt when the boy she had a crush on, who, was also a minister’s son and his family had been invited to have a traditional Chinese dinner with her family. Her being afraid of what he would think of her and her culture, and of how she just wanted to fit in: When she finds out he is invited to dinner, she cries because she fears what he might think of her and her families Chinese  Christmas celebrations. Her fears came to life just as her mother brought out the steamed fish, with its eyeballs still on. Also, her father added to her worries by poking the fish’s cheeks and announcing that it was her favorite. When everyone left Amy’s mother handed her a gift a mini skirt, and told Amy that she could look like an American girl on the outside, but she would remain a Chinese girl on the inside , saying to Amy â€Å"Your only shame is to have shame.† It was a lesson that she would understand many years later. When Amy describes, this all I can visualize every piece of her story. In conclusion, by the author providing descriptive language and more in depth details to captivate and engage their audience, and by also allowing the reader to become wrapped up in the moments and emotions being depicted and painted throughout the story and providing a more engaging experience for the reader, this means to me that a descriptive essay is more beneficial than a narrative essay. A descriptive essay has a larger and long lasting impression and impact on the reader, and the audience walks away as if they just lived the story or event described themselves. It not only has that but, also the message that the author was trying to convey been instilled into the reader to remember forever. References Tan, A. (2013). Fish cheeks. Retrieved from http://redroom.com/member/amy-tan/writing/fish-cheeks Brady, J. (1971). I want a wife. Retrieved from http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/everythingsanargument4e/content/cat_020/Brady_I_Want_a_Wife.pdf

Chocolate History Essay Example for Free

Chocolate History Essay All chocolate starts with a seed called a cocoa bean that is grown on a small tree. Many countries in Central and South America produce cocoa beans. The history of chocolate starts in Latin America, where the cocoa bean was first discovered about 2,000 years ago on a tropical tree. The first people recognized to have used these beans to make any kind of chocolate were the Maya’s. They called it the kakawa bean, which is where the origin of the world chocolate began. They most often used the bean to make a spicy, foamy drink. Later, the Aztecs discovered the cocoa bean. Eventually this was introduced in Europe after the Spaniards came to Central America. When the Spaniards began experimenting with the bean, they began to add other spices to it, such as cinnamon and sugar, to give the chocolate a sweeter taste. Soon, the rest of Europe started drinking it and it became a popular drink that only the rich could afford. In the 1600’s the first chocolate house was opened and this flavor was able to reach the mouths of many other people. In the early 1800’s, solid chocolate was created. It became more affordable to everyone and throughout time more recipes were experimented with, creating many different types of chocolate. There are many different types of chocolate such as White, Dark (bittersweet), Milk, Semi-Sweet and even Baking Chocolate (unsweetened). White chocolate isnt really considered chocolate because it has no cocoa solids in it, it is made of the fat from the cocoa beans known as cocoa butter. White chocolate has a creamy consistency and taste. It lacks flavor because it contains no chocolate liquor which gives chocolate the bitter strong chocolate flavor. White chocolate is not normally used in cooking unless it is a replacement for dark or milk chocolate. It is used mainly for decorating. Dark chocolate is the healthiest type of chocolate. This chocolate contains a large amount of disease-fighting flavonoids, anti-oxidants also found in red wine and lots of different fruit and vegetables. Its anti-oxidants can significantly improve blood pressure, prevent blood clots, slow the oxidation of low-density lipoproteins (LDL) cholesterol making it less likely to stick to artery walls and also reduce inflammation. Eating dark chocolate can also lower insulin resistance, the main problem behind diabetes. Milk chocolate does not contain as much chocolate liquor as dark chocolate, which gives it a softer chocolate flavor. This chocolate is much sweeter than any other. It is the most popular type of chocolate. Milk chocolate is more difficult to temper properly and more prone to overheating which would make it thick and lumpy if it comes into contact with water. Milk chocolate can be used in pretty much anything you want to be sweet. The difference between regular chocolate and baking chocolate is baking chocolate has less sugar and no fat and its bitter while regular chocolate is sweet and sugary. Tempering means improving the consistency, durability or hardness of a substance by heating and cooling it. Tempering is done by melting solid chocolate to a temperature high enough that the crystals in the cocoa butter break down. Once the chocolate is fully melted, it must be cooled to about 82F, a temperature at which crystals will start to form again so that the chocolate can eventually re-solidify. The chocolate’s temperature is then raised back to about 90F, where it is very smooth and can be poured into chocolate molds and used for other things. White, milk and dark chocolate can be tempered. Tempered chocolate is very glossy, has a firm finish and melts smoothly at around body temperature. Chocolate that has not been tempered or that has been improperly tempered will look flat or discolored. Tempering can be done in 2 ways by hand, or through a process called seeding. Tempering by hand can be done by tabliering where melted chocolate is poured onto a cool marble surface and worked with spatulas until it has cooled down sufficiently. More melted chocolate is added back and incorporated in to the tabliered chocolate to bring it back to the final working temperature. Through the process of seeding, chocolate is melted and a small amount of finely chopped solid chocolate is added into the melted chocolate and stirred in. Adding solid chocolate will lower the temperature of the melted chocolate and it will start to temper the melted chocolate. When it comes to baking, chocolate does not need to be tempered because it is being incorporated into another form. Tempering chocolate is good for dipping foods, for a more clean finish.

History Of Weibull Distribution

History Of Weibull Distribution In probability theory and statistics, the Weibull distribution is one of the most important continuous probability distributions. It was, first introduced by W. Weibull in 1939 when he was studying the issue of structural strength and life data analysis, and was formally named after him later in 1951. He proposed the chain model to explain the structural strength. Based on the assumption that a structure is composed of several small components (n pieces) in series, we could consider the structure as being composed of an n-rings chain, the strength of which (or life) completely depends on the weakest rings strength (or life). In his model, with the assumption that the strength of different rings are independent and identically distributed, finding the strength distribution of the chain become the problem of finding the distribution of the weakest ring. Due to the result of research conducted by Gnedenko (1943), no matter what the original distribution of the variable is, the asymptotic distribution of the minimum could only be three different forms. The Weibull distribution is one of them. Since Weibull distribution is established on the weakest link model, which could sufficiently reflect the defect of material and the effects of stress concentration, it has been considered as appropriate model to describe strength of fiber material in practical application. 1.2 Stress-Strength Analysis Stress-Strength Analysis is the analysis of the survival of materials subjected to a random stress. Stress-Strength Analysis is a commonly used tool in reliability engineering. The stress-strength reliability is given by Where is the pdf of the strength distribution and is the cumulative distribution function of the stress distribution. In this case, the data for the strength set would be actual data that is indicative of the strength of the material (i.e. maximum applied stress to cause failure), and the stress data would be actual stress data of the material under use conditions. 1.3 Research Motivation Target Judging from physical of carbon fibers, microscopic flaws cause tensile failure to occur below the intrinsic strength of the fiber. Therefore, analysis of tensile failure data should provide insight into the distribution of flaws within fiber. The fiber might be viewed as a chain of interlocking links, with the flaws acting as weak links in the chain. As the same model mentioned previously, the chain will fail at its weakest link. Usually tensile data do not confirm to rigid statistical distributions. Therefore, they cannot be represented by the specific fixed statistical distribution accurately. Instead, it is necessary to use a flexible distribution that enables the shape of the distribution function to be altered by the data itself. Under this situation, the Weibull distribution is one the natural choice.[] Although based on the theoretical model, Weibull distribution should be an appropriate description strength distribution for carbon fibers. However, judging from empirical data, it always suggests that the Weibull distribution is not an appropriate model for carbon fibers. One plausible problem is validity of independency assumption in the chain of links model. In that model, we assume a physical system is consisted of n identical units or items connected in series and each unit should be independently and identically distributed. However, in practice, this strict assumption cannot be guaranteed, which will cause the discrepancy of between real strength and Weibull distribution. For example, if there is a defect hole on n-th link, this defect hole will probably expend to adjacent link(n-1-th and n+1-th). That causes the problem of dependency. Another popular plausible explanation is clamp effects which is analysed in detail by Phoenix and Sexsmith[]. In building upon this work, Stoner[] developed new end-effect Weibull model, in which distinct Weibull distributions were used to characterize failures from true flaws and from artifacts in carbon fibers. Although, to some extent, the end-effect Weibull model accurately descripts the data upon which it was based, it provokes our interests in pre-stress issue applied on carbon fiber before it got tested. Because in practice, such as in the strength test, fiber always suffer stress before they can be tested. For example, in the popular experiment proposed by Bader Pries[], there is no guaranty that single fiber could be distinguished without any slight press of damage. Thus, in that experiment, they stress the fibers before they get tested, which will cause the strength test result representing all fibers performance survived from pre-stress. This question arise our interest in study of pre-stress Weibull distribution. In the problem we will discuss in this thesis, we assume that original strength of fiber is Weibull distributed. Therefore, if there is no pre-stress applied on fiber material, the final strength will be also Weibull distributed without any changes from origins. However, judging from common sense, pre-stress could not be avoided exclusively before the strength test. They usually could occur in shipping procedure, and pre-test preparation procedure. Our goal is to find out under what conditions these pre-stressed fiber have a (approximately) Weibull distribution. In the second chapter, the results of survival fiber strength distribution under multi-type pre-stressed condition have been given out. At same time, a minimum censoring proportion has been set up to assure the pre-stress has a significant effect on original fiber material. In the third chapter, MSE is used to measure the fitness of the pre-stressed censored sample and nearest Weibull distribution. Moreover, we discuss the goodness of fit test applied to the pre-stressed censored sample and Weibull distribution with parameters value equal to MLEs from censored sample, which is considered as nearest Weibull distribution based on the censored sample. In the fourth chapter, the simulation results of two methods proposed in the third chapter have been discussed and analyzed. Finally, we will give out a conclusion about survival distribution of pre-stress Weibull distribution. Chapter 2 Weibull Family and Pre-Stressed Censored Sample 2.1 Basic Properties of Weibull Distribution The probability density function of a Weibull random variable is The parameter is the shape parameter, is the scale parameter, and is the location parameter of the distribution. When , this reduces to the usual two-parameter Weibull distribution. The Weibull distribution is related to many other probability distributions; in particular, it interpolates between the exponential distribution () and the Rayleigh distribution (). The CDF The cumulative distribution function for the two parameter Weibull distribution is for , and for . The failure rate (or hazard rate) is given by: The Mean The mean, , of Weibull pdf is given by: Where is the gamma function evaluated at the value of . The Median The median, , is given by: The Mode The mode, , is given by: The Standard Deviation The standard deviation, is given by: Applications The Weibull distribution has multiple applications in practical world. Survival analysis Reliability engineering Weather forecasting General insurance 2.2 Censored Weibull Sample Because our primary interest is to study strength distribution of fiber material after pre-stressed, we need to generate various censored Weibull sample which is applied multi-type pre-stress. Given and are independent random variables where represent original strength of material and pre-strength individually. So the problem of our interest is what distribution does variable have? To state the problem more clearly, we assume the original strength of material always yield to Weibull distribution family. And the pre-stress yield to three different distribution families which are Weibull, Normal and Gamma. Based on different parameter choice, we will try to find out what values of the parameters give us that survival strength yield to or approximately yield to Weibull distribution. Mentioned in Chapter 1, we assume is weibull distributed with different shape and scale parameter. In this paper, we will from (pre-stress variable) from three different distribution: Weibull distribution, Gamma distribution, and Normal distribution. Also as similar as original strength set, in each distribution option, different parameters are chosen to generate various censored Weibull sample. Meanwhile, since trivial results are not what we expected, a certain censoring ratio has been set up to guarantee there is a significant effect of pre-stress applied on original fiber carbon material. Serving to this purpose, samples with censoring proportion is 0.5 or greater than 0.5 will be kept, which is considered as plausible limit of censoring ratio. Chapter 3 Mean Squared Error and Goodness of Fit Test The Mean Squared Error (MSE) is a measure of how close fitted curve is to data points. For every data point, the vertical distance from the point to the corresponding value on the fitted curve (the error) will be taken, and the value will be squared. Then those squared values have been added up for all data points, and been divided by the number of points, which is considered as a mean. Since all errors have been switched into positive values on matter what original sign they have, negative values do not cancel positive values. The smaller the Mean Squared Error, the closer the fit curve is to the data points. MSE has been widely used for quantitative performance metric in the field of statistical regression and engineering, such as signal processing. 3.1 Comparison of MSE of Censored Weibull Sample Based on the censored Weibull Sample we got, we will calculate out MLE of parameters for Weibull distribution, noted as and , which is considered as nearest Weibull distribution to censored weibull sample. Since our objective is to measure fitness of censored Weibull sample and nearest Weibull distribution, MSE between of censored Weibull sample and Weibull distribution with parameters and . We establish the MSE as following way: Where are censored Weibull sample which is sorted as . is empirical CDF at sample point . is defined as sample size. And is CDF of Weibull distribution with parameter , which is MLEs got based on censored Weibull sample. In addition, a baseline of MSE comparison is established by calculating MSE between the sample of size from Weibull() and Weibull() distribution. Where consist the sample of size from Weibull(), which is sorted as ascending order: . is empirical CDF at sample point . And is CDF of Weibull distribution with parameter . 3.2 Comparison via Simulation Result We conducted a large-scale simulation study to compare of the performance of difference between base MSE and sample MSE depends on different censoring stress distribution and parameter chosen. For example, let original strength distribution yields to Weibull(1,1), and censoring stress distribution is Gamma distribution with parameter value chosen from the range 0.25 to 2.5, then we will focus on the performance of fitness of cersored sample to Weibull distribution from various aspects such as censoring proportion, shape parameter value of censoring distribution and scale parameter value of censoring distribution. From above figure, we could not hardly see that the MSE increases with increasing of cersoring proportion, which could be simply interpreted as survival data will go off the original strength distribution when considerable proportion of original strength failed the pre-stress test. Meanwhile, the base MSE keeps relatively stable, since it will not be affected by different pre-stress distribution. Therefore, it is obvious to tell that difference between MSE and base MSE is raised up when the censoring proportion increases, which indicates fitness will go worse at same time. The series of comparison MSE chart are arranged by the ascending order of value of Shape Parameter of Gamma Distribution. If we focus on the changing trend of Average Difference between Sample MSE and Base MSE, we could easily figure out that the Average Difference decreases as long as value of shape parameter become smaller and smaller. This shows that fitness of sample is improved by using smaller shape parameter of pre-stress Gamma distribution. On the other side, if we focus on each individual chart, it is not too hard to find that when the value of Scale increases, difference between Sample MSE and Baseline decreases, which indicates fitness is improved by larger scale parameter chosen. This phenomenon could be interpreted as larger scale brings in less spread compared with smaller ones create absolute peak in pdf, which breaks the continuity of censored sample. Above figure is overall behavior of MSE based on different choice of shape and scale parameter of pre-stress gamma distribution. To summary up, In general MSE boosts up where is smaller scale value and larger shape values. Fitness performance indicates censored sample is still Weibull (or approximately Weibull) distributed when shape and scale parameter choice close to minimum and maximum individually. Chapter 4 Fit Study Based on Weibull Goodness-of-Fit Tests In order to study whether the censored weibull distribution data yields to a weibull distribution, we first generate different censored weibull samples based on different censoring function. Then we use the weibull distribution with parameters value equal to MLE of censored sample as hypothesis. Three Goodness-of-Fit Tests are manipulated to censored weibull samples. We check whether simulation results shows censored weibull sample still yields to a weibull distribution. Goodness-of-fit tests Goodness-of-fit tests for the two-parameter Weibull distributions have drawn considerable attention since its critical importance. Mann and others (1973), Smith and Bain (1976), Stephens (1977), Littell and others (1979), Chandra and others (1981), Tiku and Singh (1981), Wozniak and Warren (1984), and James and others (1989) have gave out universal discussion of this problem. Mann and others (1973) and Tiku and Singh (1981) proposed new statistics to test the goodness-of-fit of two-parameter Weibull distribution. ), Smith and Bain (1976) proposed a test statistic to test normality which is analogous to the Shapiro-Francis statistic. The Smith and Bain statistic was derived from the sample correlation between the order statistics of a sample and the expected value of the order statistics under the assumption that the sample comes from a two-parameter Weibull distribution. They provided critical values for samples containing 8, 20, 40, 60, 80 observations. Stephens (1977) provided tabl es of the asymptotic critical values of the Anderson-Darling statistic and the Cramer-von Mises statistic for various significance levels. Littell and others (1979) made a comparison among the Mann, Scheuer, and Fertig statistic, the Smith and Bain statistic, the modified Kolmogorov-Smirnov statistic, the modified Anderson-Darling statistic, and the modified Cramer-von Mises statistics through a various of power studies for sample size n = 10 to 40. Critical values for the , , and statistics for n = 10 to 40 have been calculated and provided at the same time. Chandra and others (1981) calculated critical values for the Kolmogorov-Smirnov statistic for n = 10, 20, 50 and infinity for three situations. James and others produced extensive tables of goodness-of-fit critical values for the two parameter Weibull distributions developed through simulation for the Kolmogorov-Smirnov statistic, the Anderson-Darling statistic, and Shapiro-Wilk-type correlation statistics. Kolmogorov-Smirnov statistic Kolmogorov-Smirnov test (Chakravart, Laha, and Roy, 1967) is widely used for comparing a sample with a reference probability distribution (one-sample K-S test), or for comparing two samples (two-sample K-S test). Since it is highly sensitive to distinguish the difference of the empirical cumulative distribution functions of the tested samples, it has been considered as one of the most useful nonparametric methods for comparing two samples. Kolomogorov-Smirnov test is based on the distance between the empirical distribution function of the sample and the cumulative distribution function of the reference distribution, or between the two samples empirical distribution functions. Kolmogorov-Smirnov test has been modified to serve as a goodness of fit test here. The modified Komogorov-Smirnov D statistic is given by where is the empirical distribution function of the sample and is the fitted distribution. Anderson-Darling statistic Anderson-Darling test (Stephens, 1974) is used to test whether the data follow a particular distribution. It is named after Theodore Wilbur Anderson and Donald A. Darling who proposed it in 1952. Anderson-Darling test is based on Kolmogorov-Smirnov test and enjoys superior property of more sensitive due to specific distribution application in calculating critical values. Contrarily, its disadvantage is that critical values must be calculated for each distribution. Anderson-Darling test has been modified to serve as a goodness of fit test here. The modified Anderson-Darling statistic is given by Where and is the th-order statistic. Shapiro-Wilk-Type correlation statistics In statistics, the Shapiro-Wilk test is used as the tester of goodness-of-fit test of normal distribution. It has the superior power compared with other statistics in detecting the data comes from a relatively wide range of other distributions for testing goodness-of-fit of normal distributions which has been proposed from Monte-Carlo study of Shapiro and others (1968). Shapiro-Wilk test has been modified to serve as a goodness of fit test here. The statistic first proposed by Shapiro and Francia (1972) but with approximate scores suggested by Filliben (1975) and modified form fitting for good-of-fit test for Weibull distributions is given by: And Is the median score, in the spirit of Filliben, except that these scores depend upon the maximum likelihood estimate the Weibull shape parameter . If a variable has the two-parameter Weibull distribution, the variable has an extreme value distribution. Calculating goodness-of-fit on this scale has advantages. Since the extreme value distributions are defined by location and scale parameters, the critical values for the correlation statistic are not dependent on the true shape parameter. Thus, for two-parameter Weibull distribution, we propose the correlation-type statistic , where And Simulation Result

John Quincy Adams Essay -- Biography Biographies

John Quincy Adams John Quincy Adams was the only son of a president to become president. He had an impressive political background that began at the age of fourteen. He was an intelligent and industrious individual. He was a man of strong character and high principles. By all account, his presidency should have been a huge success, yet it wasn't. John Quincy Adams' presidency was frustrating and judged a failure because of the scandal, attached to his election, the pettiness of his political rivals, and his strong character. John Quincy Adams was born on July 1767, in Braintree Massachusetts. His parents were John and Abigail Adams. "Quincy, had every advantage as a youngster. At the time of his birth, his father was an increasingly admired and prospering lawyer, and his mother Abigail Smith Adams, was the daughter of an esteemed minister, whose wife's family combined two prestigious and influential lines, the Nortons and the Quincys. Accompanying his father on diplomatic missions in Europe, young John Quincy Adams received a splendid education at private schools in Paris, Leiden, and Amsterdam, early developing his penchant for omnivorous reading." He was able to speak several languages. At the age of fourteen, he was asked to serve as secretary and translator to Francis Dana, the first US ambassador to Russia. "Despite his age, young Adams was a valuable aid to the consul; he enjoyed Russia and the exposure to diplomatic circles." He later returned to the United States and attended Harvard. "He graduated in two years and entered the law offices of Theophilus Parsons in Newburyport, Massachusetts. Passing the bar in 1790, he set up practice in Boston." In 1794 John began his long political career. George Washington appo... ...r the country realized his important contribution. " I should of been one of the greatest benefactors of my country.... But the connective power of mind was not conferred upon me but by my Maker, and I have not improved the scanty portions of His gifts as I might and ought to have done." His presidency was judged a failure due in a large part to the presidential scandal he seemed unable to overcome. His rivals were responsible for keeping it alive in everyone's minds. They never let the public forget his "Corrupt Bargain" with Clay. They also doomed almost every piece of important legislation he had tried to pass. Adams' own integrity allowed his rivals free reign. His own high standards about refusing to abuse his office resulted in his rivals retaining their positions of power. The scandal, political rivals, and his own integrity doomed his presidency to failure.

Defining Social Roles for Men and Women in India through Traditional Hi

Social Roles for Men and Women in India through Traditional Hindu Texts Throughout this essay, I will discuss the social roles of men and women in the home, within rituals and within creation. I will look at the roles of a husband and wife, as well as Goddesses and Kings. The main traditional texts that support these roles are the Rg Veda, the Kalpa Sutras, the epics (the Ramayana and Mahabharata), Tryambaka, and Manu Smrti. They are believed to lay the foundations for order in society, as well as giving people the knowledge of their duty. I will show how these separate texts have defined roles within castes and genders and show how their different styles of writings have defined roles in different ways. A person's role in society depends largely on their caste/class. Firstly, I think it is important to distinguish the difference between `Caste' and `Class'. A person's class (Varna) is dependant on their occupation. It can be changed throughout a person's life. "A varna is very far from being the same thing as a caste" A person's caste (jati) comes mainly from their blood line. The only way that a persons caste can be changed is through "violations of its rules" or through marriage to a member of another caste (although this is greatly frowned upon). In the past, a person's caste and class were the same. "There are fixed occupations for many castes" . In our more modern society however, two people who belong to the same caste do not necessarily do the same job. For example, a person belonging to the Warrior caste can be either a soldier or a doctor for the soldiers. This is where `sub-castes' are introduced. They distinguish between jobs as well as wealth within a certain caste. It shows different roles within society a... ...rsity press Hutton J.H 1980 Fourth edition Hinduism: A very short Introduction Oxford University press Knott K 1998 Hindu Goddesses; Visions of the divine feminine in the Hindu religious tradition University of California press Kinsley D 1986 The Perfect wife: The orthodox Hindu woman according to the Stridharmapaddhati of Tryambakayajvan Delhi- Oxford University Press Bombay Calcutta Madras Leslie J 1989 Roles and Rituals for Hindu Women Pinter Publishers, London Leslie J 1991 Dharma's daughters; contemporary Indian women and Hindu Culture Rutgers University Press Mitter S. S 1991 The rise of the Goddess in the Hindu tradition State University of New York Press; Albany Pintchman T 1994 Hinduism and Human rights: a conceptual approach Oxford University press Sharma A

Time Management Essay -- Lifestyle Living

'Things that matter most should never be at the mercy of thing that matter least'. We let this happen much too often. Many of us waste our time on things that are neither important nor necessary, instead of using that time for things that are significant. Time management is not only how to get more out of your time, but really how to become a better person. Time is a very hard thing to manage, because we can neither see it or feel it until it has passed. Before we can manage our time we must know exactly what time is. The dictionary describes it as, the duration of one's life; the hours and days which a person has at his disposal. How we dispose of that time is time management. It's the way we spend our time to organize and execute around our priorities. Remember just because time is intangible doesn't mean that it is not valuable. I want to teach you about the background of time management, the different styles and how to use them, and how it will change your life. Background Time management today is not as it was in the past. It has grown with time. Stephen R. Covey places time management into four generations. He feels it has evolved the same way society has. Each generation grows on the one before it. For example, the agriculture revolution was followed by the industrial revolution, which was then followed by the informational revolution. The first wave or generation is basically notes and checklist. Which really only identifies the demands placed on our time and energy. Calendars and appointment books characterize the second generation. This reflects an attempt to look ahead. The third generation is current time management field. It?s the last two generations with the ideas of prioritization, clarifying values, and comparing the worth of activities. It also includes the idea of making a specific plan to accomplish goals and activities that we determined to be of value. Because this all may be too restricting for people they turn to the previous genera tions to preserve relationships, and spontaneity. And the last generation, which is just beginning to emerge, is a different type of time management. The challenge is not to manage time, but to manage ourselves. The generation focuses on relationships and results. Time management is forever changing. We each see it in our own way. It has been used since the start of time and will only improve. Just beca... ...nd this style of time management to be the best. It incorporates the best of time management styles and combines them altogether in a very logical easy to understand manner. How Does It Change Your Life   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Learning how to manage your time and successfully applying it to your life will liberate you. Really, time is the freedom and power we need to better ourselves. Once time management has become a way of life you will find your self-living a more relaxed lifestyle. Your whole life will become less stressful. While some stress is useful, it can help in focusing and increasing efficiency; too much stress creates problems. In fact, 70% of medical visits are stress related. Time management may very well improve you health. It may improve your career by helping you to be able to plan the use of your time so that tasks can be completed in timely manner, and so time is available for planning, thinking, and reflection. It will indubitably better your social life by giving you more time to spend with loved one. Also it will give you more personal time to yourselves. Because we are managing such a precious commodity that is time, the way it effects ourselves is endless and pr iceless.

Organizational Behavior Chapter Essay

Read chapter 1 (â€Å"What is Organizational Behavior†) in your e-text, answer these questions, and watch the chapter 1 quiz video for course mentor clarification. 1) Johanna Reid, a campaign manager at a child rights organization, recently started working on an illiteracy project. During the project, she needs to motivate team members to attain their project milestones and direct them through different phases of the project. Which of the following kinds of functions will these tasks be covered under? a) planning b) organizing c) scrutinizing d) evaluating e) leading Answer: E 2) Regina George works as a campaign manager in a not-for-profit organization in Hampshire. For the upcoming campaign against genetic engineering, she is networking with managers who are working on the issue of food safety. Through her network of contacts, she strives to gain information about the stakeholders in the food industry and other lobby groups. Which of the following roles is George most likely to be playing according to Mintzberg’s classification of managerial roles? a) figurehead b) leader c) liaison d) entrepreneur e) resource allocator Answer: C 3) The ability to understand, communicate with, motivate, and support other people, both individually and in groups, may be defined as ________. a) human skills b) technical skills c) conceptual skills d) cognitive skills e) analytical skills Answer: A 4) According to Fred Luthans and his associates, managers involved in traditional management activities undertook which of the following tasks? a) motivating b) socializing c) decision making d) training e) politicking Answer:C 5) According to Fred Luthans and his associates’ study of 450 managers, ________ made the largest contribution to the success of managers in terms of speed of promotion within their organization. a) networking b) decision making c) planning d) controlling e) staffing Answer: A

Christian Ethics in A Complex World Essay

In 2002 the book entitled â€Å"Choosing the Good: Christian Ethics in A Complex World† was by Dennis Hollinger was published. It gives an overview of the Christian ethics in today’s complicated world. It is indeed a precious and unique book that assesses the framework and perspective of Christian ethics in relation to social issues. The approach is designed to widen initial ideas about relations among different races, policies, human sexualities, economics and many more. The approach of the author is very unusual that made the book more likeable. Hollinger wanted to connect his beliefs to his readers in a way that he wanted to imply something in choosing to do what is good and right. In every social issue at hand there is always an equivalent step by step framework to be followed. The book’s weakness are the lengthy statements that bores readers easily, It may mislead readers since comprehension may be hard to acquire. It would be better if the author wrote it in a direct to the point manner. There are cases presented in the book that aids readers how to carefully analyze a real life scenario. It would be better for people not to complicate things as it is better if problems are looked down easily. In general the book is awesome since it tackles about foundations of ethical theories. Hollinger outlines much of the essential data needed so that readers will understand the areas of pastoral care, Christian ethics and its interconnection with public policy. An overall generalization is also given to see what does the author wanted to imply in this beautiful book. There were also judgments and ethical commitments presented in the second chapter of the book. The issues involving postmodernity and modernity treatment s discussed. But this is the chapter that lacks focus because vague explanations were given on how the society operates in modernity but does not make t in academics. The enticing part is that third part of the book presents figures about history tht guides readers on deciding in this contemporary world. A survey of recent Christian Ethics by Edward LeRoy is part of the book for readers to see an accurate statistics of the public’s opinion. Biblical ethics is also presented that shows a deeper connection of choosing to do the good things in life. The best reference is still the Holy Scriptures. Talking about culture and its relation to faith is also presented by Hollinger in this book. He cited examples like the delineation of Christ and Culture by Niebuhr and how the church is placed in the center of a more organized society. Christ should still stand up amidst the complexities of things I every culture. As the author concludes the book â€Å"the moral task before the Christian church today is immense. But God has called us, as he called Esther long ago in Persia, to be a divine presence for such a time as this† (Hollinger, 2002). For good to succeed it is our duty to devote our moral commitments against the complex world. It is in humility that people can find goodness and it is God who is the true foundation of everything we do (Hollinger, 2002, p. 272). The book is designed to let readers be aware that choosing good should incorporate a broad and deep understanding of the word goodness. Having reflections on the book made it easier for readers to understand what he is trying to point out. It is recommended to discuss a book like this in the classroom scenario so that all students ma practice the ethics of goodness inside the classroom and spread it outside as they grow. References: Hollinger, D. (2002). Choosing The Good: Christian Ethics in A Complex World. USA: Baker Academic

Focus on Siemens AG Company

There is a state of ambivalence over bribery in organizations. Some people regard bribery as a type of pecuniary corruption since it involves the transfer of money or any form of gift aimed at altering the behaviour of the recipient (Dowling 2008). In deed the Black’s law Dictionary defines bribery as a form of crime that involves giving, offering, soliciting for or receiving any item that has value in order to manipulate the actions of a person or official performing a certain duty (Dowling 2008).In this case, what makes bribery bad is the fact that the person receiving the bribe may act in a manner that would be detrimental to other operations in an organizations or related organizations. Such operations may include substandard services in which the bribery is used to protect the parties involved (Dowling 2008). On the other hand, some people view bribery as an act that is part of development ambitions in organizations. For instance, Lemieux (2005) argues that many countries whose underground economies have grown could not be where they are today were it not for bribery.And this seems to be the secret behind many organizations such as Siemens AG, which have to deal with authorities in terms of taxation and other legal requirements. Along this line, Lemieux (2005) opines that it is often not possible, or it is very costly, for a company or an individual to escape the restrictions and other prohibitions that are prerequisites to operation of business. Lemieux (2005) also notes that bribery in organizations is a phenomenon that cannot be easily gotten rid of because it is perfectly impossible to enforce the measures required to maintain a bribery-free business environment.Instead, the stricter measures to stop bribery in many organizations only serve to amplify the phenomenon (Lemieux 2005). Cash bribes are often used as donations to many political parties, and non-cash bribes may also be used to seek support in certain business ventures. Thus, according to Lemieux (2005), there is a common dictum among organizations: bribe them (the authorities) if you want to do peaceful business. Siemens AG was a company of high repute as the largest engineering firm in Europe, but its image was clouded when it ventured into bribery in order to expand its operations (OECD 2005).As discussed in this paper, Siemens AG was involved in massive bribery deals both locally and internationally in a bid to maintain a good image of the corporation as a global leader in engineering (Economist. com). But as further discussed, bribery is not only expensive but also a phenomenon that can tarnish the name of a company given the fines that Siemens AG had to pay and the numerous apologies it had to make ( Economist. com). The company also had to suspend many of its staff who were allegedly involve in the bribery claims, thus slowing down its vigour in the market (Economist.com). This makes bribery a topic that is amenable to further discussion as to whether it is a mechanism to advance the operations of a business or it is a vice that should be abhorred by organizations if they want to be successful. The Siemens AG Bribery Scandals Siemens AG’s slogan â€Å"Be Inspired† of the mid-1990s was perhaps of the most inspiring slogans to have been used by leading organizations in the world (Economist. com). However, the inspiration later turned out to involve murky deals aimed at promoting the company globally.So did the managers of the company lack the inspiration to build the company or they were just inspired to build it using alternative means? Siemens AG’s managers were involved in mischievous ways of funnelling huge sums of money to corrupt leaders of many authorities and politician the world over (OECD 2005). The methods used in the bribery cases were just astounding. According to Economist. com, the company bribed its subjects with a lot of trust and candour that no one could figure out the vice in many business transa ctions.To facilitate the bribery operations, the company set up three â€Å"cash desks† in its offices from which the bribery operations were performed (OECD 2005). Company employees would bring empty suitcases to the desks, which would be filled with cash in a manner that could raise no suspicion. As a result of such deals, as much as â‚ ¬1 million or $1. 4 million was withdrawn at different times to facilitate securing of contracts for Siemens AG’s telecoms equipment division (OECD 2005).The cash desks for bribery deals operated on honour mechanisms and not many questions were asked about the operations, nor was proof documentation required (Economist. com). In addition, managers who made application for money from the company were allowed to approve their requests without following due procedures (Economist. com). In fact, by the year 1999 Siemens AG was openly claiming tax deductions to cater for bribes, and the dealings were recorded in accounts books as useful expenditure (Economist. com).In the context of the bribery deals, it is worthwhile to note that Siemens AG considered bribery as a business venture aimed at widening its scope of operations. As a matter of fact, Siemens AG spent about $67 million in â€Å"suitcases† between 2001 and 2004 (OECD 2005). Nevertheless, according to OECD (2005), the people involved in the bribery transactions felt confident about what they were doing and knew that there was nothing wrong. The point here is that bribery was considered as a normal activity that required no questioning.The seemingly conducive culture of bribery continued with illicit payments even after Germany had banned bribing of foreign officials in the year 1999 (Balzli, Deckstein & Schmitt 2007). Thus, when Siemens AG listed its shares on United States’ New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in 2001 and it was subjected to stringent American anti-bribery measures, the managers desisted from counting cash in office (Balzli, Decks tein & Schmitt 2007). Instead, they turned to the use of cash cheques to perform the same operations.The cheques were deposited in various accounts but the company did not keep records in its own books so that it could make more nefarious payments (Balzli, Deckstein & Schmitt 2007). In order to disguise the underhand operations, Siemens AG managers outsourced most of its accounts works to â€Å"business consultants† so that no it would not be culpable in any secret operation would be unearthed (Economist. com). In bid to cover their operations further, the managers of the company used more eccentric mean to avoid being found (Balzli, Deckstein & Schmitt 2007).When they authorised the bribery payments, they used removable sticky notes, which would be easily destroyed to conceal all evidence of any transaction (Fernando & Bellamkonda 2007). The sums of money transferred by the managers of Siemens AG were staggering. According to Balzli, Deckstein and Schmitt (2007), a total of $805 million was handed over by the company to foreign officials in bribes. The money handed out was aimed at ensuring that Siemens won as many contracts as it could in many foreign markets (Economist. com).In other instances, the bribes were meant to woo labour representatives in supervisory areas to support Siemens AG policies when they would obviously need to rejected (Fernando & Bellamkonda 2007). Along this line, Fernando and Bellamkonda (2007) note that the German government’s stance on bribery was perhaps a contributing factor in Siemens AG’s underhand operations. This is because many companies understood that the German law and even the law in many other OECD countries permitted bribery and even offered subsidies to companies in order to enhance their operations in spite of the huge sums of money given out in form of bribes.Implications of the bribery cases When the Siemens AG bribe scandals were unearthed between 2006 and 2007, it was dubbed the â€Å"$2 bill ion bribes-for-business scandal† (Bushan 2008). When the details of scandal spilled out, German authorities raised siemens AG’ s offices in Germany an further investigations were initiated in countries such as the United States, Italy, Greece, and Switzerland where the company hand major investments (Bushan 2008). What followed were court suits, apologies, and a general decline in the company’s performance.The first reaction by the company managers was a fallout in which the CEO, Heinrich von Pierer and head of the company’s supervisory board, known as Klaus Kleinfeld, resigned in spite of the fact that they were not directly implicated (Bushan 2008). On December 15 2008, Siemens AG agreed with its host country Germany and the United States to pay them $1. 34 billion in response to bribe charges (Dowling et al 2008). This ended a two-year inquiry that had been made by the German Government to Siemens AG officials all over the world.In the agreement, Siemen s AG paid â‚ ¬395 million to settle to the German Government’s inquiry expenses and a further $800 million as the charges raised by the United States Security Exchange Commission (Dowling et al 2008). In addition, Siemens AG pleaded guilty to flouting the United States anti-bribery laws, which resulted into a penalty of a further $1. 36 billion (Dowling et al 2008). In an attempt to recover the massive losses, Siemens AG sued eleven of its former board executives led by Heinrich von Pierer and Klaus Kleinfeld (Dowling et al 2008).The new management of Siemens said that the action was meant to seek compensation from the former managers for damages that the company incurred as a result of their wanton actions (Dowling et al 2008). Some of the damages that were inflicted on Siemens and which the company would take time to recover from included a fall in the company’s share price by 23 cent to â‚ ¬47. 15 on the Frankfurt stock market. In addition, Siemens’s st ock in the market plummeted by 56 per cent in 2008 (Dowling et al 2008). What the Bribery Scandal in Siemens AG means about Bribery in OrganizationsGiven that the law in Germany and other OECD countries was somehow supportive of bribery, the efforts by the German Government to investigate the bribery claims can be considered to have been aimed at dignifying international laws on trade and laws against bribery (Dowling et al 2008). This is particularly true since other countries such as the United States, Greece, Italy and Switzerland were involved. According to Lemieux (2005), countries usually support corporations that have significant influence on the magnitude of their gross national product, as was the case of Siemens in Germany.Here, the fact that the German government provided subsidies to Siemens AG to facilitate its bribery payments cannot be gainsaid and is a clear pointer that even the though the government reacted, its officials had been well aware of the underhand operat ions. The Siemens AG bribery case also points out the weaknesses in governments when it comes to dealing with giant corporations. It is particularly worthy noting that Europe is still miles behind the United States when dealing with corruption cases particularly bribery (Georgiev 2008).According to a further analysis in Economist. com, Siemens invited group of lawyers from a United States firm called Debevoise & Plimpton to represent it with the hope that doing so would make it win sympathisers and have its name cleared from the bribery scandal. Nevertheless, this move made things even worse as the lawyers carried out a private investigation that cost the company a further â‚ ¬204 million. Thus, according to Economist. com, an investigation by German investigators would not have unravelled as much.Although Siemens AG paid many fines, the amount of money cannot equal the damage it did to markets both locally and at the international level. Considering the fact that Siemens AG was used to paying bribes, the fines were just meant to polish the name of the company. Nevertheless, other companies lost several contracts due to Siemens AG’s bribery (Balzli, Deckstein & Schmitt 2007). This perhaps is the worst effect of the bribery claims as companies that seemingly would have been more competent than Siemens AG were denied the chance to compete for tenders due to the bribe mask.This shows how unpopular companies are treated unfairly at the expense of pleasing giant companies, which have the ability to finance illegal operations. Siemens AG was able to influence market policies through bribery and this therefore leaves a question of whether the giant organizations of the world actually reach the top through excellent performance or through underhand deals as portrayed by firm. According to Economist. com, the confession by Siemens AG of involvement in bribery was triggered not by the fact that bribery is a vice in the organizational environment.Rather, it was due to the realization that the company was bound to lose a major market in the United States- which was firmly against the deals, as well as other markets in Greece, Italy, and Switzerland. A question that arises therefore is what would have happened had the bribery scandal not been raised in the public limelight. Would Siemens AG have been praised as a company that has roots all over the world and experiencing rapid growth to necessitate government subsidies, or would it have been criticised to have grown based on underhand operations?Probably the answer lies in viewing bribery a vice and not an incentive within organizations, and realizing that fair competition should not involve bribery. Conclusion Bribery in organizations is viewed with different standpoints depending on the effect it has on the respective organizations. For large organizations such as Siemens AG, bribery is seen as a mechanism to augment expansion since restrictions such as laws are avoided. Nevertheless, the adverse effects of bribery include massive fines against the organizations involved and a significant corporate damage as was realized in the case of Siemens AG. ReferencesBalzli, B, Deckstein, D & Schmitt J 2007, New Report Details Far-Reaching Corruption, Spiegel Online International, Available from http://www. spiegel. de/international/0,1518,462954,00. html (16 March 2009) Bhushan, A 2008, Bribes-for-Business: Siemens AG Sues 11 former management board executives, CEOWORLD Magazine, Available from http://ceoworld. biz/ceo/2008/07/31/bribes-for-business-siemens-ag-sues-11-former-management-board-executives/ (16 March 2009) Dowling, P; Welch, D E ; Festing, M & Engle A D 2008, International human resource management: managing people in a multinational context, Cengage Learning EMEA, New YorkEconomist. com, 17 Dec 2008, The stench of bribery at Siemens signals a wider rot in Europe, Available from http://www. economist. com/business/displaystory. cfm? story_id=12800474 (16 March 2 009) Fernando, R & Bellamkonda, B 2007, The Bribery Scandal at Siemens AG, Available from http://www. caseplace. org/d. asp? d=375 (16 March 2009) Georgiev, P K 2008, Corruptive patterns of patronage in SE Europe, VS Verlag, London Lemieux, P 2006, In defense of bribery, Available from http://mises. org/story/1884 (16 March 2009) OECD 2005, Fighting corruption and promoting integrity in public procurement, OECD Publishing, London

A Day at the Beach in Cape Hatteras, North Carolina

When I woke up in the morning my mind began to run wild; imaging my fun filled day at the beach.   I imagined the warm sun wrapped around my back, as the warm sand rolled through my toes.I smelled the salty sweetness of the ocean waves that would soon carry me to bliss.   I saw parents with their children laughing and playing along the shore, as small waves crashed against their ankles.  Ã‚   I could not wait to get to the beach.After my mind calmed down, I quickly jumped out of bed and ran to the window to see the sun of my thoughts.   To my dismay, the sun was not there.   My eyes moved rapidly, searching for any possible sign of the sun’s rays.   All I could see was numerous thick gray clouds suffocating the sun and its rays.I told myself I would not let a few clouds interfere with my day at the beach.   I moved with haste, as I put on my favorite orange swim trunks outlined with blue stripes.I threw on a white tank top, grabbed my float, threw my big blue bea ch towel across my back and headed for the beach.   When I got out the door I heard the faint sounds of thunder in the distance.   I then turned up my nose and sniffed the air for any odor of rain to come. I only hoped that lighting was not far behind.I did not know how the weather was going to behave so I grabbed my float and tucked it under my arm and ran into the ocean.   My body began to shiver as I felt the cold waves rush against my feet. While my body adjusted to the temperature change, I sat on my float legs dangling on each side and waded close to the shore. I watched parents as their faces changed from gleeful smiles to concerned glares, as their eyes searched the dubitable sky.All of a sudden a loud crack of thunder pierced my ears. My body reacted immediately, as I jumped and slipped off of my float. I wasn’t too far from the shore, which enabled my feet to hit the surface.   I eagerly looked at the sky and saw a flash of lighting.   I grabbed my float a nd began to swim back, as I saw disappointed children reluctantly go inside from the beckoning call of their parents.Before I could put my feet back on sand, the sky immediately cleared up.   The sun came roaring out from behind the clouds announcing its return.   The gray clouds dispersed quickly as if they were afraid of the sun’s strength.   I gazed throughout the sky looking for any sign of bad weather.   To my surprise the day began to turn into my early thoughts of the beach.I was extremely happy with the new turn of events.   I reached shore and threw down my float and began to run through the sand.   I was so ecstatic that I stepped on three sandcastles, and tripped over a red shovel and bucket that one of the children left in the sand.   I rejoiced, as I ran down the beach along the shore.   My feet were moving swiftly, as I swung my arms to catch as much wind as possible.I stopped a half a mile down the stretch of the beach, when something clear and shiny caught my eyes.   I walked over slowly to the unknown object, careful not to disrupt its peace.   The closer I got, the more I began to realize what was before me.  Ã‚   This was my first encounter with a jellyfish.The jellyfish washed up close to shore because of the slight storm.   The waves must have carried it in. I was about to examine the jellyfish, when the tide rushed in and pulled it back into the ocean.   Just being able to see a real jellyfish in its natural habitat made my day at Cape Hatteras beach one the best.