Character, I essays

Character, I essays When writing a fiction story, the main goal for an author is to base a good plot along with one or a few good characters. Because the author is acting as a creator when writing fiction, these characters can be anything in the world they would like them to be. They can be simple and straightforward or complex and intricate. The most important choice an author must make when trying to place characters in a story is how to illustrate each character in its most effective way. There are two ways an author can approach presenting a character, indirectly or directly. They can elaborate this presentation by making the characters flat, round, dramatized or more. Whichever way they chose to depict these characters, they must be sure that by the end of the story, the character is not necessarily complete, but is consistent with their decision-making and behavior. In Im a Fool, Sherwood Anderson uses indirect presentation to show us, instead of tell us, who Walter, the protagonist of the story, is. We can tell she uses indirect presentation because there are very few points in the story that tells us how Walter feels, or who Walter is, we must figure it out ourselves. Im a Fool, is written as though Walter was writing directly to us. He is telling us of a time in his life where he did something he now regrets. You immediately get a sense of humor from Walter in the opening paragraph, When I think of it, I want to cry or swear or kick myself. Perhaps, there will be a kind of satisfaction in making myself look cheap by telling of it. His story starts out very broad giving us small details throughout, which slowly build up Walter as well as building up the plot. As the story goes on we learn more and more about Walter. We learn that he does not like people who flaunt their wealth. He actually is very against putting on that kind of airs. This is most likely because he is not wea...

Step by Step Guide to Tracing Your Family Tree

Step by Step Guide to Tracing Your Family Tree You have a little knowledge about your family history, a few old photos and documents and a consuming curiosity. Here are some basic steps to start you on your family tree adventure! Step One: Whats Hiding in the Attic? Begin your family tree by gathering together everything you have - papers, photos, documents and family heirlooms. Rummage through your attic or basement, the filing cabinet, the back of the closet... Then check with your relatives to see if they have any family documents they are willing to share. Clues to your family history might be found on the backs of old photographs, in the family bible, or even on a postcard. If your relative is uneasy with lending an original, offer to have copies made, or take pictures or scans of the photos or documents.   Step Two: Ask Your Relatives While youre collecting family records, set aside some time to interview your relatives. Start with Mom and Dad and then move on from there. Try to collect stories, not just names and dates, and be sure to ask open-ended questions. Try these questions to get you started. Interviews may make you nervous, but this is probably the most important step in researching your family history. It may sound cliche, but dont put it off until its too late! Tip! Ask your family members if there is a genealogy book or other published records within the family. This could give you a wonderful head start!   Step Three: Start Writing Everything Down Write down everything you have learned from your family and begin to enter the information in a pedigree or family tree chart. If youre unfamiliar with these traditional family tree forms, you can find step by step instructions in filling out genealogical forms. These charts provide an at-a-glance overview of your family, making it easy to track your research progress.   Step Four: Who Do You Want to Learn About First? You cant research your entire family tree at once, so where do you want to begin? Your moms side or your dads? Select a single surname, individual, or family with which to begin and create a simple research plan. Focusing your family history search helps keep your research on track, and reduces the chance of missing important details due to sensory overload.  Ã‚   Step Five: Explore Whats Available Online Explore the Internet for information and leads on your ancestors. Good places to start include pedigree databases, message boards, and resources specific to your ancestors location. If youre new to using the Internet for genealogy research, start with Six Strategies for Finding Your Roots Online. Not sure where to start first? Then follow the research plan in 10 steps for finding your family tree online. Just dont expect to find your entire family tree in one place!   Step Six: Familiarize Yourself with Available Records Learn about the wide variety of record types that may be able to help you in your search for your ancestors including  wills;  birth,  marriage,  and  death records;  land deeds;  immigration records; military records; etc. The Family History Library Catalog, the FamilySearch Wiki, and other online finding aids can be helpful in determining what records might be available for a particular locality.   Step Seven: Utilize the Worlds Largest Genealogy Library Visit your local Family History Center  or the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, where you can access the worlds largest collection of genealogical information. If you cant get to one in person, the library has digitized millions of its records and made them available online for free through its free FamilySearch website.   Step Eight: Organize and Document Your New Information As you learn new information about your relatives, write it down! Take notes, make photocopies, and take photographs, and then create a system (either paper or digital) for saving and documenting everything you find. Keep a research log of what youve searched and what you have found (or not found) as you go. Step Nine: Go Local! You can conduct a great deal of research remotely, but at some point, you will want to visit the place where your ancestors lived. Take a trip to the cemetery where your ancestor is buried, the church he attended, and the local courthouse to explore records left behind during his time in the community. Consider a visit to the state archives as well, as they are likely to also hold historical records from the community. Step Ten: Repeat as Necessary When you have researched that particular ancestor as far as you can go, or find yourself getting frustrated, step back and take a break. Remember, this is supposed to be fun! Once youre ready for more adventure, go back to Step #4 and choose a new ancestor to start searching for!

International and Comparative Human Resources Management Essay

International and Comparative Human Resources Management - Essay Example Choy (2007) suggests that the increasing role of multinational HR managers as trainers, counsellors, guides, and succession organizers is increasingly becoming irreversible. The role of HR managers is also sidling towards promoting and championing the ideals, ethics, concepts, and spiritual elements of their multinational organizations, especially with regard to handling cultural diversity at the workplace (Choy, 2007). HR managers for multinational companies grapple with numerous challenges in their line of duty, problems brought about by globalization (Mongiello, and Harris, 2006). These include; workplace diversity, low employee morale and productivity; and complicated planning options in certain markets. However, with an open and strategic approach to management, the managers can show effective leadership for their organization and manage the resources well (Choy, 2007). Globalization Globalization has tailored the significance of HR management in multinationals to reflect the to wering global scope and value (Escobar and Vredenburg 2011). Today’s HR managers have to deal with the transfer of workforces and responsibilities across countries. Additionally, globalization has enhanced the need for human resources to interact with sophisticated technologies in order to accomplish various HR tasks: these include; ensuring more competition among skilled employees at all organizational levels; more convoluted and strategic talent sourcing and nurturing pipelines (Jain, and Singh, 2013). In particular Darrag, Ahmed, and Hadia (2010) have noted the presence of a highly rigorous advertising, communication among various corporate fields and... This essay stresses that an effective HR manager of a multinational should apply controls and measure the outcomes of each employee’s productivity. Such a manager ought to carry out organizational appraisals on issues like remuneration, benefits, and condition of the workplace environment among other issues on a regular basis to evaluate the status of the organization for long-term planning initiatives. Additionally, there is need to implement performance matrix for gauging the effects of cultural diversity programs on the business operations through feedbacks. This report makes a conclusion that the mandate of a HR manager should be tailored to suit the changing requirements of the organization in relation to the dynamic global market. An effective HR manager transforms his organization into a more adaptable, strong, and consumer-oriented business. Within such an environment, the leader must learn and deploy effective management strategies such as being able to plan, organize, lead and manage the human assets in an evolving and competitive market environment. To manage the challenges that couple the enforcement of various HR initiatives in multinational corporations, organizations should promote cross-cultural communication among the diverse workforce to achieve teamwork. It is important to also embrace technology as a way of improving better interaction with customers, employees, suppliers and shareholders.

Open Office Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Open Office - Essay Example This project eliminates the helping wizards like in Microsoft office and introduces with a new feature that may be somewhat helps in the styles of the document. The best feature of this Open Office is that it maintains the database in form of bibliography, which later helps in referencing or finding some extra resources for notes. Being a writer Mike Magee emphasizes about the feature comparable to Microsoft Word in Open Office in his article. He after his reviews on different word processors like the Byzantine Wordstar, Lotus Manuscript, Xywrite, Gem First Word Plus and many more including different innumerable Microsoft word processors he prefer Open Office Word Processor. He encloses that Open Office Word Processor by default gives many feature for the document that may be changed and saved as a template document, later all other documents may customize with respect to all favorite style document user saved. The software may read all the Microsoft extensions i.e., .rtf, .txt, etc and may produce HTML files as well. He as a writer likes Open Office as it allows him to switch all the auto options, like auto spell-check, auto sense, auto sniff, auto quotes etc, easily. Moreover, he switches off the option that change his word Icons in OO icons. Open Office is an open source software and are available free on Internet. There are two kind of software, one is open source software and the other is proprietary software. The open source software is found free or for very low cost on Internet or on Compact Disks with their source code for the use. However, proprietary software is same but their code is only with developers or sometimes with the good hackers. Microsoft Explorer is the best example for preprimary software. This software is designed for some particular issues, as developers are not the users and though it lacks with the features and sometimes don't allow enhancing. Contrary to this, open source software holds the source code and can be modified by the user according to its own requirements. Briefing a little more about the proprietary software, that to eliminate bugs and have new functionalities user has to wait for the new version and developers work for this on extra money, despite open source totally oppose it an d though use more cause its bug fixations are continuous and features release are regular to the user to use. Moreover, developers work for open source by volunteering themselves for free to specialize and earn name where as all proprietary software are part of business trade-offs. And though it may conclude that due to open source in hand, user is more flexible with open source rather than proprietary software. Open Source Software is famous and efficient cause their source code is in the hand of user and can modify to respective requirements. Source Code actually is a set of instructions or programs compiled together to run software. Or in other words, source code is the set of statements that is readable to human but not computers and to make computer understand that language it is compiled and changed into machine language. This set of statements seems to be nothing else than a document of text but values whole software. A little change in a text of doc may not allow software to run perfectly and though these source codes of different software are kept out of reach from the users who don't have any idea about computer languages. There are

Skin cancer Essay Example for Free

Skin cancer Essay How many of you have every laid out in the sun on purpose just to get a tan?   Or better yet how many of you believe you look prettier or more handsome tan?   According to the American Cancer Society more than 1 million people are diagnosed with skin cancer each year and the numbers seem to be increasing day to day. And believe it or not skin cancer is the most common of all cancers.   Today I am going to inform you about skin cancer and how you can protect yourself from it. To begin, our skin is the largest organ of the body and it covers our internal organs and protects them from injury.   The skin also serves as a barrier between germs and our internal organs.   Our skin regulates body temperature and helps the body get rid of excess waste.   Certain cells in our skin also communicate with the brain and allow us the feel temperature, touch, and pain sensations. Some may ask, what exactly is skin cancer and why is it such a big deal now?   Well there are two basic types of skin cancer; Nonmelanoma (which is also called basal or squamous cell) skin cancer and then there is melanoma skin cancer. Most skin cancers are classified under nonmelanoma, meaning that the cells are located at the base of the outer, layer of the skin.   Basically, the skin that covers the surface of the body, not the deep tissues.   Nonmelanoma skin cancer usually develops on sun-exposed areas of the body, places like: the face, ears, necks, lips, and the backs of hands.   Depending on the type they can be fast or slow growing but rarely spreads to other parts of the body.   There is a cure for nonmelanoma skin cancer is detected and treated early. On the other hand, you have melanoma skin cancer.   Which is the more dangerous of the two; however it is also the least common.   Melanoma skin cancer tends to spread very quickly to other body parts.   However, it is almost always curable if it is detected in the early stages.   But the killer part is a lot of people do not realize that they may have melanoma skin cancer until the later stages, after it has already started affecting other organs.   Once it has reached that stage, it is virtually incurable.   People diagnosed with melanoma skin cancer that has already spread to other body parts are given on average a five year survival rate. So what puts you at risk for skin cancer?   Some high risk factors include:  · Unprotected and/or excessive exposure to Ultraviolet(uv) radiation  · Fair complexions( people with red hair, most likely)  · Occupational exposures (i.e. Construction workers, arsenic compounders, baseball players)  · Family history of skin cancer  · Multiple or atypical moles  · Severe sunburns as a child So how can you detect skin cancer? Some signs of skin cancer in the early stages may include but are not limited:  · any change on the skin, especially in the size or color of a mole or other darkly pigmented growth or spot, or a new growth  · scaliness, oozing, bleeding, or change in the appearance of a bump or nodule  · the spread of pigmentation beyond its border such as dark coloring that spreads past the edge of a mole or mark  · a change in sensation, itchiness, tenderness, or pain in a mole

Television Violence Essay -- essays research papers fc

Television Violence Television violence is a negative message of reality to the children who see it. There is an excessive amount of violence being watched in millions of people’s homes every day, and this contributes to the growing amount of violent crimes that are being committed in our communities. This cycle of more and more sex and violence being portrayed as reality on television will not stop until something is done. Not one parent that I know wants his or her children watching people getting blown away and thrown off cliffs. But the reality of it is that parents cannot be there 24 hours a day to monitor what their children are watching. In fact the television is often used as a baby-sitter, so that the parent can do housework, have an adult conversation, or just relax after work. The types of people who are the most likely to be harmed by the surplus of violence on TV are children. Ed Donnerstein stated in the February 15, 1996 edition of the Boston Globe the following: Violence turns out to do a lot of harm when it looks harmless. One of these lessons children learn watching television is that there are few consequences to the person who commits violence – or to the victim. Add to this ‘positive’ portrayal of negative behavior the fact that children’s programs were least likely to show the bad effects of violence and most likely to make it funny" (Goodman pg. 23). We are showing children that violence is humorous and it can’t do harm. A researcher by the name of Meltzoff studied learning in infants. He concluded that babies start to learn even before birth. A study by Meltzoff demonstrated observational learning in 14-month-olds. After watching an adult on television handling "a novel toy in a particular way," the babies were able to imitate the behavior when presented with the toy 24 hours later (Wood pg.292). This study indicates that babies learn imitation very early in life. This is why parents should be more particular with what they allow their susceptible children to view on TV. The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, television show for children, is a very good example of how violence on TV can affect our children. It is one of the highest rated kids television shows today. The Power Rangers are everywhere, on everything, from lunch boxes to boxer shorts. And kids want it all. This creates a bind f... ...e. We are getting more and more information and on the effects of television violence. All of these findings have produced an increasing awareness of the basic problem and of the need for change. We know excessive viewing of television violence is harmful to the viewer. It is time we take a solid stand on the issue and tell the producers of these shows that we don’t want them. Bibliography Comstock, George. Television and the American Child. San Diego: Academic Press, Inc., 1991. Elber, Lynn. "Getting to the Heart of TV Violence". Boston Globe, 20 September 1995: Page 84. Goodman, Ellen. "How to Zap Violence on TV". Boston Globe, 15 February 1996: Page 23. Hohler, Bob. "Christopher Reeve Argues Against Federal Censorship of TV, Urges Hollywood to Adopt Own Rules". Boston Globe, 24 February 1994: Page 11. Jackson, Derrick. "A G-chip, Not a V-chip". Boston Globe, 6 March 1996: Page 15. Meltz, Barbara. "Beware Rangers’ Mixed Messages, Sidebar I: How Parents Can Become Involved, Sidebar II: Share Your Holiday Strategies". Boston Globe, 1 December 1994: Page A1. Wood, Samuel. The World of Psychology. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1996. Television Violence Essay -- essays research papers fc Television Violence Television violence is a negative message of reality to the children who see it. There is an excessive amount of violence being watched in millions of people’s homes every day, and this contributes to the growing amount of violent crimes that are being committed in our communities. This cycle of more and more sex and violence being portrayed as reality on television will not stop until something is done. Not one parent that I know wants his or her children watching people getting blown away and thrown off cliffs. But the reality of it is that parents cannot be there 24 hours a day to monitor what their children are watching. In fact the television is often used as a baby-sitter, so that the parent can do housework, have an adult conversation, or just relax after work. The types of people who are the most likely to be harmed by the surplus of violence on TV are children. Ed Donnerstein stated in the February 15, 1996 edition of the Boston Globe the following: Violence turns out to do a lot of harm when it looks harmless. One of these lessons children learn watching television is that there are few consequences to the person who commits violence – or to the victim. Add to this ‘positive’ portrayal of negative behavior the fact that children’s programs were least likely to show the bad effects of violence and most likely to make it funny" (Goodman pg. 23). We are showing children that violence is humorous and it can’t do harm. A researcher by the name of Meltzoff studied learning in infants. He concluded that babies start to learn even before birth. A study by Meltzoff demonstrated observational learning in 14-month-olds. After watching an adult on television handling "a novel toy in a particular way," the babies were able to imitate the behavior when presented with the toy 24 hours later (Wood pg.292). This study indicates that babies learn imitation very early in life. This is why parents should be more particular with what they allow their susceptible children to view on TV. The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, television show for children, is a very good example of how violence on TV can affect our children. It is one of the highest rated kids television shows today. The Power Rangers are everywhere, on everything, from lunch boxes to boxer shorts. And kids want it all. This creates a bind f... ...e. We are getting more and more information and on the effects of television violence. All of these findings have produced an increasing awareness of the basic problem and of the need for change. We know excessive viewing of television violence is harmful to the viewer. It is time we take a solid stand on the issue and tell the producers of these shows that we don’t want them. Bibliography Comstock, George. Television and the American Child. San Diego: Academic Press, Inc., 1991. Elber, Lynn. "Getting to the Heart of TV Violence". Boston Globe, 20 September 1995: Page 84. Goodman, Ellen. "How to Zap Violence on TV". Boston Globe, 15 February 1996: Page 23. Hohler, Bob. "Christopher Reeve Argues Against Federal Censorship of TV, Urges Hollywood to Adopt Own Rules". Boston Globe, 24 February 1994: Page 11. Jackson, Derrick. "A G-chip, Not a V-chip". Boston Globe, 6 March 1996: Page 15. Meltz, Barbara. "Beware Rangers’ Mixed Messages, Sidebar I: How Parents Can Become Involved, Sidebar II: Share Your Holiday Strategies". Boston Globe, 1 December 1994: Page A1. Wood, Samuel. The World of Psychology. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1996.

Benefits of Cost Allocation in an Organization

Introduction: The Need for Cost Accounting and Allocation A product or a service cannot be provided without costs going into its creation. The ability to transform a raw material into the final product, whatever the final product may manifest, is unavoidably connected with a cost. Often costs are incurred in a manner that is not even directly related to the making of the final product but to activities that are necessary for the production process.Activities such as planning and administration come under the support activities that are not directly related to the creation of a product or service but they are necessary for a organization to operate. Often a situation arises when a cost becomes attached to more than one product or department. The question as to whom to ascribe a cost to when more than one party seems responsible for the charge had been a highly problematic issue for accountants for long while. Many schools of thought have sprung up with regard to this dilemma.Some feel that costs can be assigned based on dividing space, or percentages of use. Others were of the view that there is no need to allocate costs at all. â€Å"A third group preferred no allocation at all, because regardless of the method applied, bottom-line would not change† (Doost, 1997). The introduction of Activity Based Costing further pushed cost allocation into the background (Doost, 1997). However, Activity Based Costing had a major shortcoming in that not all cost incursion are clear-cut enough to be charged to the ultimate users.The need to allocate costs in the face of multiple users remained. Cost allocation is also known as cost apportionment and cost distribution. Defining Cost Allocation Cost allocation is the process of accounting developed to deal with a situation in which assigning costs to a particular product or department is difficult. The process involves identifying and linking the costs incurred with the cost objectives. Cost allocation consists of three ma in steps: ? Defining an â€Å"object† to link costing to ?Accruing the costs linked to the object Determining a method to link the object with the accrued cost The cost object can be thought of as an activity or a process, a product or service or even a part of the organization for which a separate measure for costs is required. Definition of the object is based largely on the needs and circumstances of the organization. After costs are incurred, they undergo an appraisal and are assigned to various pools depending upon a criterion that has been determined to link costs to the object. The costs are of two types; direct and indirect (Ijiri, 1975).Direct costs are traceable to the cost object through a highly objective, uncomplicated relationship. Indirect costs are the real purpose of cost allocation and are cost incurred without any traceable source. They must be assigned according to some bridging activity that will form the link between costs and cost object. The Benefits o f Cost Allocation Most literature follows the disadvantages of cost allocation and shows why it should not be used. However, cost allocation continues being used in numerous organizations.Two authors, Horngren and Kaplan have been the exceptions in relating this aspect and Zimmerman builds on their work to show, that in spite of what research, what benefits are derived from cost allocation which makes it popular among the practitioners. Horngren and Kaplan refer to the benefits to managerial behavior. Zimmerman (1978) divides this into the agency problem and using allocation as a proxy. The agency problem arises whenever a relationship is formed between a principal and an agent, such as that between the owners of the company and its managers (Jenson and Meckling, 1976).This situation assumes that the agent will do his or her best to increase the welfare of the principal; however, in reality an agent will sometimes act in ways that reduce the welfare of the principal. This is due to the lack of optimal monitoring systems. The monitoring system can restrict such acts but not completely stop them. The portion that can not be reduced is, thus, a expenditure and is known as agency costs that a principal needs to bear. A similar situation occurs between a superior and a subordinate when costs are allocated. The subordinate has his own interests at heart, including his chances of advancement.Thus, by allocating to the subordinates the superior’s expenditures, motivation is created for subordinate to carefully monitor their superior’s spending and ensure that the superior does not spend unnecessarily or for personal gain on the company’s tab. Thus, the subordinate will monitor the spending by the superior, ensuring less shirking and adequate spending on perquisites (non monetary incentives e. g. air conditioning in the office). Thus, the superior’s welfare is dependent directly on the subordinate’s productivity, subordinate’s compensation and the agency costs related to this relationship.This agency costs include the monitoring costs, bonding costs and residual loss. Excessive consumption of prerequisites by the superior, thus, negatively affects the subordinate's future promotions. To avoid this, the subordinate would either go over the direct superior’s head or attempt to convince the direct superior to reduce spending. Thus, cost allocation itself allows a principal-agency relation to be created in the organization, and using allocated costs, a means of monitoring superiors is created.This monitoring is not so effective if done by a person higher-up than the superior (because of one-to-many relation and lack of incentives), and is one reason that costs allocation are widely used in organizations. Another assumption made is the fact that lump-sum tax can also reduce an agent’s spending on perquisites. Here, costs allocations act as a lump-sum tax as they allow costs to be allocated to dif ferent departments. Thus, if a cost is allocated among five departments, then for each department this is similar to a lump-sum tax, and this is reduce the agent’s spending on perquisites in each of the departments.However, if this tax amount is tied to profits, then theory shows that mathematically the perquisites spending may actually increase. Thus, non-controllable costs are allocated to managers to decrease their perquisite spending and should be based on lump-sum overhead allocation rather than tied to profits. The above discussion also implies that costs allocations are better used when other forms of monitoring costs are high, perhaps due to geographical locations etc. Another benefit of cost allocation is observed with regards to manufacturing overhead costs.Zimmerman (1978) shows that a shared resource inflicts costs on others, for instance, for a shared resource a user will be constantly expanding his utilization. Besides the overuse, this agent is also inflicting a delay costs on other whose work may be affected by the delay they have to endure. After a certain point though, the costs will be more than the benefit derived from the shared resource and it would be more profitable to expand resources. Costs allocation acts a proxies to this expansion costs and allows proper allocation of costs which can be monitored. Thus, the manufacturing overhead issue is as follows.For a manufacturing concern, its main costs are its direct material used, direct labor required and manufacturing overhead, which are not directly traceable to one product but are incurred in manufacturing. When a principal assigns an agent, he also passes on the responsibilities and decision making thus resulting in a decentralized organization. In such a setting, each person will choose that level of inputs which minimizes the overall costs. This will be at a point when minimum variable costs are used by decreasing inputs and using maximum fixed costs, which are indirect costs. This will firstly not operate at optimum level, and secondly this will impose costs on other departments by using more of the manufacturing overhead costs. Hence, a need for centralized decision making arises. By using centralized decision making, a level of inputs is selected which minimizes input costs. . Also, manufacturing overhead is allocated based on requirements rather, than to show minimum costs. Thus, cost allocation allows optimal distribution of indirect costs, and also incorporates other immeasurable costs like delay costs, expansion costs etc.Doost (1997) also shows how cost allocation is useful for determining actual product costs by using all relevant costs, and can be used for control purposes. He demonstrates that the budgeted amount of manufacturing overhead costs allow monitoring of overspending or under spending and is the responsibility of the specific department. Conclusion Cost accounting is a highly useful method of accounting that is very accommodating to c ontrol and coordination measures of various costs. The importance of cost allocation has not diminished over the years.Cost allocation continues to be as important today as it was in the seventies. The basic principle behind cost allocation has remained largely the same; however, new methods of forming the link between costs and cost objects are continuously being formed. It continues to finds its application in cost control and accountability. By no means a cure-all, cost accounting does, however, provide a sound foundation for increasing responsibility, control and accountability by changing the very behavior of managers and creating an environment where cost reduction can be linked to advancement.

Fishing from heaven

The frost clung to the surroundings as I made my way down the old crooked path. It was early morning and the sun was attempting to wedge its way through the clouds: it remained ice cold. There was little life to be seen – most animals were hidden away from the dangers and cruelty of winter. They had collected their food and were snuggled away ready to sleep the months through. At that moment I wished I could join them. Why couldn’t I run away and hide until I was ready to face life again? As I trod over the cold granite with the fellow mourners I could see nothing of happiness. Everything hung in dismay as if even nature knew this was a wretched and lonely place. I imagined the gloomy individuals walking this route over the decades. It was a path that had to be travelled but very few were ready or willing to face its destination. Instead we all hoped something would suddenly change and that our fate would be reversed. The daunting doors appeared ahead and I made my way inside along with the others – all of us coated in black. I shivered, no longer because of the temperature but rather fear, as I made my way inside the thick stone walls. The mighty roof towered over me shadowy and oppressive. I found my pew and sat down alone to wait. The tranquilising smell of burning incense combined with my tired state almost lulled me to unconsciousness but a stern voice suddenly called for the beginning of the service and I turned to face the altar. It was covered in a white cloth which hung loosely over the sides clearly too big. A cross made up the centrepiece and a candle stood on either side. I’d never been to a church before but I knew granddad had. I imagined him looking at this cross and, like me, wondering why life had to happen the way it did. The music sounded and they began to enter – the robed man and the six friends of my grandfather. I only knew one of them. They had gone to school together and granddad would always tell stories of their misbehaving – tricking the teacher and missing classes. I saw his friend dim with dread no longer a schoolboy with a future of brightness ahead. His head hung low as he made his way down the aisle. The lid of the coffin was lifted and his face tightened as he saw his friend for the last time. Granddad’s face was withered and frail, his lips rose pink and dry. They had dressed him in his favourite suit especially for the occasion. His body lay stiff, fragile and delicate – but strangely imposing. This was not how I remembered him. Vulnerability and helplessness had overcome him. His intelligent being was hidden – deposed by death. * * * It was a spring morning and the lake glistened in the sun. Not a ripple disturbed the perfect reflections. The smell of freshly painted wood hung in the air as the boat entered the water. Its green body caused it to appear like a lily-pad against the still expanse. I was trembling with excitement: I had never been on a boat before. We lived in the town where buildings filled the landscape. It was only when I came here on holiday that I got to see the amazing aspects of nature so forgotten in cities where cars and buses have taken over. First grandfather gave me a rod. He smiled as I looked at this alien object with uncertain eyes. He loaded the reel, explained how to make a blot knot, stuck on the tiny squirming pinkie and cast into the distance. He stressed the importance of doing this properly so as to avoid whipping your neighbour or startling the surrounding fish. Looking at granddad I stared intently at the thick folds throughout his face, his hunched over body and the shadows b eneath his eyes. As he cautiously scanned the horizon he noticed my attention had wavered and stared right into my soul seemingly extracting my thoughts. â€Å"Ethan, old age is nothing to fear but something to grasp with open arms and imagine the life past and still to come. You must remember that. This moment will pass but the memory remains forever and that’s what we hold on to even when death arrives.† I turned away not sure what he meant and focused back on my fishing. My line went taut and I was pulled back to the present. The fish wriggled desperately trying to free itself from the cruel spike threatening its life. It was helpless against my strong grasp. My determination to impress granddad and the weak power of the fish enabled me to reel the rod all the way in. I had caught a fish – a trout! It was avocado green speckled pink. I knew little of the types of fish but granddad told me it was a Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout native to this area. He smiled proud of what I had gained. * * * I wept bitter with regret as the pastor began to talk of grandfather’s life in such a dispassionate way. He knew nothing of the love I felt for him, of the kindness grandfather showed or of the suffering he endured in his last years. I wished I could have stood up and conjured up something which may have done him justice rather than this monatomic drone of weddings, birthdays and jobs. This was not all that my grandfather was. He was more than this. The room silenced as the pastor took to his seat. The roof of the coffin was replaced and the congregation bowed their heads remembering the man in their own way. I saw, not the cold lifeless face that had been laid before me this morning but the bright and warm-hearted glow from that fishing day. I saw him in his heaven with doves fluttering above a crystal ocean full of the most beautiful creatures.

German Herbs and Spices Glossary

German Herbs and Spices Glossary When you are cooking or dining in a German-speaking country, you will want to know the words for herbs, spices, and seasonings. Explore these two lists. First, a German-English list and then an English-German list. German-English Herbs and Spices Glossary Key:Noun gender: r (der, masc.), e (die, fem.), or s (das, neu.) Ar Anis anise Bs Basilikum basilr Beifuß mugwortr Bockshornklee fenugreeks Bohnenkraut savory n.r Boretsch boragee Brunnenkresse watercresss Bà ¼rzelkraut/Purzelkraut purslane Cr Cardamom/Kardamom cardamom, cardamonCayenne-Pfeffer cayenne pepperr Coriander cilantro (coriander)r Cumin cumine Curcuma/Kurkuma turmericr/s Curry curry Dr Dill dill Ee Edelraute ruer Estragon tarragon Fr Fenchel fennelr Fencheltee fennel tea Ge Gartenkresse nasturtiume Gelbwurz turmerice Gewà ¼rznelke (-n) clove(s) Hr Holunder eldere Holunderbeere elderberryHopfen (pl) hops Ir Ingwer ginger Ke Kamille camomile, chamomileKapern (pl) capersr Kapuziner nasturtiume Kapuzinerkresse nasturtiumr Kerbel chervilr Knoblauch garlicr Koriander cilantro, corianders Kraut herb   Kruter (pl) herbse Kruterbutter herb butterr Kruterlikà ¶r herbal liqueurr Krutertee herb(al) teae Kresse cressr Kreuzkà ¼mmel cuminr Kà ¼mmel caraway (seed)r Kà ¼rbissamen pumpkin seede Kurkuma turmeric Lr Lauch (-e) leek(s), alliumr/s Liebstà ¶ckel lovages Là ¶ffelkraut common scurvygrasss Lorbeerblatt bay leafLorbeerbltter (pl) bay leaves Mr Majoran majoram, majoran, marjoramr Majoran sweet majoram, knotted majoramr Meerrettich horseradishe Minze mintr Mohn poppy (seed)e Muskatnuss nutmeg Ne Nelke (-n) clove(s)r Nelkenpfeffer allspice (berries of the pimento tree) Or Oregano oregano Pr Paprika paprikae Paprikaschote pimentoe Peperoni chili pepper, peperoni (spice)e Petersilie parsleyr Pfeffer peppers Pfefferkorn (-kà ¶rner) peppercorn(s)e Pfefferminze peppermintr Piment allspice (berries of the pimento tree)r Porree (-s) leek(s), alliumr Portulak, s Bà ¼rzelkraut/Purzelkraut purslaner Puderzucker powdered sugar Rr Rosmarin rosemary Sr Safran saffronr/e Salbei sagee Schale peel (orange, lemon)r/e Schickoree chicoryr Schnittlauch chivesr Selleriesamen (-) celery seed(s)r Senf mustardSenfkà ¶rner (pl) mustard seedr Sesam sesames Steinkraut stonecrop Tr Thymian thymee Tripmadam, s Steinkraut stonecrop Ve Vanillestange vanilla podr Vanillezucker vanilla-flavored sugar We Wacholderbeere juniper berryWacholderbeeren (pl) juniper berriesr Waldmeister woodruffe Wegwarte chicorye Weinraute ruer Wermut (seasoning) wormwoodr Wermut (herbal liqueur) vermouths Wurstkraut, r Majoran sweet majoram, knotted majoramwà ¼rzen v. to season, add seasoning/spices Yr Ysop hyssop Ze Zichorie (in coffee) chicoryr Zimt cinnamone Zitronenmelisse lemon balme Zitronenschale (-n) lemon peel(s)r Zwiebel onion    English-German Herbs and Spices Glossary Key:Noun gender: r (der, masc.), e (die, fem.), or s (das, neu.) Aallspice (berries of pimento tree) r Nelkenpfeffer, r Pimentanise r Anis Bbasil s Basilikumbay leaf s Lorbeerblattbay leaves Lorbeerbltter (pl)borage r Boretsch Ccamomile, chamomile e Kamillecapers Kapern (pl)caraway (seed) r Kà ¼mmelcardamom, cardamon Kardamom, Cardamomcayenne pepper Cayenne-Pfeffercelery seed(s) r Selleriesamen (-)chervil r Kerbelchicory e Wegwarte, r/e Schickoree, e Zichorie (in coffee)chili pepper e Peperonichives r Schnittlauchcilantro (coriander) r Koriandercinnamon r Zimtclove(s) e Nelke (-n), e Gewà ¼rznelke (-n)common scurvygrass s Là ¶ffelkrautcoriander r Coriander/Koriandercress e Kresse/Brunnenkressecumin r Cumin, r Kreuzkà ¼mmelcurry r/s Curry Ddill r Dill Eelder r Holunderelderberry e Holunderbeere Ffennel r Fenchelfennel tea r Fenchelteefenugreek r Bockshornklee Ggarlic r Knoblauchginger r Ingwer Hhops Hopfen (pl)horseradish r Meerrettichhyssop r Ysop Jjuniper berry e Wacholderbeerejuniper berries Wacholderbeeren (pl) Lleek(s), allium r Lauch (-e), r Porree (-s)lemon balm e Zitronenmelisselemon peel(s) e Zitronenschale (-n)lovage r/s Liebstà ¶ckel Mmajoram, majoran, marjoram r Majoranmint e Minzemugwort r Beifußmustard r Senfmustard seed Senfkà ¶rner (pl) Nnasturtium e Gartenkresse, r Kapuziner, e Kapuzinerkressenutmeg e Muskatnuss Oonion r Zwiebeloregano r Oregano Ppaprika r Paprikaparsley e Petersiliepeel (orange, lemon) e Schalepeperoni, chili pepper e Peperonipeperoni, chili pepper r Paprika (Switz.)pepper r Pfefferpeppercorn s Pfefferkorn (-kà ¶rner)peppermint e Pfefferminzepimento e Paprikaschotepoppy (seed) r Mohnpowdered sugar r Puderzuckerpumpkin seed r Kà ¼rbissamenpurslane r Portulak, s Bà ¼rzelkraut/Purzelkraut Rrosemary r Rosmarinrue e Weinraute, e Edelraute Ssaffron r Safransage r/e Salbeisavory n. s Bohnenkrautseason, add seasoning/spices v. wà ¼rzensesame seeds Sesamkà ¶rner (pl), r Sesamstonecrop e Tripmadam, s Steinkrautsweet majoram, knotted majoram s Wurstkraut, r Majoran Ttarragon r Estragonthyme r Thymianturmeric e Curcuma/Kurkuma, e Gelbwurz Vvanilla-flavored sugar r Vanillezuckervanilla pod e Vanillestangevermouth r Wermut (herbal liqueur) Wwatercress e Brunnenkressewoodruff r Waldmeisterwormwood r Wermut (seasoning)

Writing Contests Are Good Practice

Writing Contests Are Good Practice Writing Contests Are Good Practice Writing Contests Are Good Practice By Guest Author This is a guest post by Mary Hodges If you want to write for Daily Writing Tips check the guidelines here. There are some writers who wouldn’t dream of entering a writing competition. They consider such things beneath their dignity. I’ve even come across someone who refused to take part in competitions because â€Å"someone has to lose†. My response to this would be â€Å"someone has to win, and it might be you. But if you don’t enter, you certainly won’t win.† My own feeling is that writing for a competition is helpful for these reasons: You have to write to a word limit. You have a deadline to meet. You often have to write on a given topic. Even if your work is not among the winning entries you have a finished story article or poem that you can adapt for another market Writing competitions seem to be a growth area. A Google search for â€Å"writing competitions† came up with over a million hits! Prizemagic includes some interesting details about Michael Shenton and his book Stiff Competition based on his experience of entering competitions. The poetrykit site includes a link to story and other competitions and a warning to beware of scams. There are numerous print magazines with titles like Competitors’ Companion but these include only a few writing contests. They are mainly devoted to general consumer competitions where the entrants need to provide proof of purchase and concoct advertising slogans for particular products. Some points to remember when entering competitions: Always read the rules for entry carefully. State age, sex, ethnicity, place of birth or residence, and whether or not your work has been published. – I’ve seen all these used to restrict who is eligible to enter. Look carefully at the deadline. There’s no point in sending your work off too soon and making it unavailable for other uses any longer than necessary. Look for contests that give a clear date by which the winners will be notified. Once that date has passed, you know you can submit your work elsewhere or enter it in another competition, Note the prizes and the entry fees – if any. Remember, a bigger prize might attract more entries; you might have a better chance of winning in a smaller local comp. albeit with a smaller reward. Contests you can enter by email are to be preferred every time over those that require hard copy entries. Some ask you to send an S.A.E for an entry form, requiring wo lots of unnecessary postage. Look carefully at what the organizers say they will do with the non-winners. I’ve come across one contest where the entrants granted the organizers â€Å"a worldwide, irrevocable, perpetual license to feature any or all of the submissions in any of its publications†. Do you really want to give your work away when you might submit it to another publication or enter it for another contest? Keep a copy of your entry and a record of where you sent it. I should come clean and say I haven’t won lots of writing competitions. I seem to get to the runner-up stage quite often, but don’t make the big time. Of course prizes in writing competitions are not always in the form of cash. You might win a holiday, a place on a writing course in some exotic location or as I did many years ago you might win a lavatory seat! I’m not kidding. This was part of a prize for writing a poem about Convent Garden in London. Prizes were items from the various shops in Covent Garden including one that specialized in wooden loo seats with the owner’s initials on the lid! But when all’s said and done it’s not the winning that counts, it’s the taking part. Mary Hodges has published poems in The Oldie, Freelance Market News and Quantum Leap magazine. She edits the Garstang Arts Centre Newsletter and is Press Officer for her local Women’s Institute. She also writes plays, one of which was produced for the Women’s Institute Drama Festival. Although computer literate and interested in the web, she has not yet set up her own website or blog. Two sites she’s found particularly useful are PrizeMagic and The Poetry Kit. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Freelance Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:"Because Of" and "Due To" Comma Before ButA Yes-and-No Answer About Hyphenating Phrases

The Impact of Technology on Education Research Paper

The Impact of Technology on Education - Research Paper Example In the present world,technology has an influence on almost every field of life.However,there are some fields where the impact of technology is more apparent than others.As Thadani states,â€Å"the latest developments in technology can be seen and felt in many industries,but there are some areas that have been benefited more than others† Some of those fields include long distance communication, nursing and healthcare, product design and manufacturing, ecommerce, and education. In this paper, we will discuss the impact of technology on education. The aim is to know how different technologies are making educational system more interactive and beneficial for teachers and learners. Education and technology are directly related to each other. Education feeds technology, which in turn, serves education (Fodje). Technology has become an essential part of all educational systems (Pratt). The reason is that the use of technology in classrooms has opened up a way towards an interactive l earning environment for students where they have an easy access to knowledge. In the present world, the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in education has become extremely important because of the wide range of benefits associated with it. In the field of education, ICT supports both teachers and learners in exchanging information and knowledge in such a way that communication distances between students and teachers become shorter and access to knowledge becomes easy.... Having discussed the need for using technology in educational sector, let us now discuss some of the ways technology is making the processes of teaching and learning easier for teachers and students respectively. Smart Boards Smart boards help teachers in presenting lectures to large audiences using big white screens. This technology not only benefits teachers in communicating knowledge to students but also helps students in learning the knowledge. Students usually take more interest in studies when their teachers make use of technology for knowledge transfer. As Dekunder states, â€Å"SMART Boards, which are made by SMART Technologies of Canada, are interactive whiteboards that are mounted to a wall, like a chalkboard, and connected to a computer and projector† (1). Here, an important point to mention is that smart board is a newer a technology than ordinary projectors. Using ordinary projectors, teachers cannot make any changes to the display being shown on the screen, where as smart boards have a touch sensitive screen using which one can touch the text and can make changes wherever needed. Smart boards play a major role in creating an interactive learning environment. Another advantage of using smart boards is that teachers do not need to sit behind the computer system all the time while delivering lectures; rather they can move in front of the white screen of smart board to edit the data or to move to the next page or slide. The impact of every technology is positive for education considering the ease they provide to both teachers and students. Smart board is one of those technologies the demand of which is increasing in the educational sector with every passing day because of their reliable and high