10 Classes of Careless Usage

10 Classes of Careless Usage 10 Classes of Careless Usage 10 Classes of Careless Usage By Mark Nichol If you find yourself making any of the following types of errors, general or specific, brush up on your writing with grammar guides and usage handbooks and/or any or all of the other strategies mentioned at the end of this post. 1. Appending an s to words in which, in most usage, the letter should not be included (for example, regards, as in â€Å"in regards to†) or that, in American English, have dropped it altogether (backward). (Using the -st ending in such words as amidst and amongst is a similar sign of poor usage.) 2. Using the incorrect form of pronouns writing, for example, â€Å"My friend and myself† instead of â€Å"My friend and I† or â€Å"That happened to she and I at the same time† rather than â€Å"That happened to her and me at the same time.† (If you don’t like the way that sentence looks, either, write, â€Å"That happened to both of us at the same time.†) 3. Using unnecessarily complicated words or phrases in favor of simpler, well-established terms: utilize instead of use, â€Å"prior to† in place of before, subsequently instead of later. 4. Using nonwords: irregardless, supposably, theirselves. 5. Using plural forms of words instead of singular ones: â€Å"a criteria,† â€Å"a phenomena.† 6. Using less when fewer is appropriate: â€Å"There are less boxes than I thought† instead of â€Å"There are fewer boxes than I thought.† 7. Using euphemisms: â€Å"He passed away last year† instead of â€Å"He died last year.† 8. Using badly in place of bad in such sentences as â€Å"He feels badly about the decision.† 9. Adding extraneous prepositions: â€Å"That’s too small of a shirt for you.† 10. Employing erroneous wording of idiomatic phrases: â€Å"for all intensive purposes† instead of â€Å"for all intents and purposes.† So, how do you know if you’re making such mistakes? Printing this representative list out and tacking it up next to your computer is all well and good for reminding you about these ten pitfalls, but what about the hundreds of others that plague writers? A combination of strategies is called for: Do Your Homework Borrow or buy some of the books listed in the post I linked to in the first paragraph, or check out the resources reviewed on this site. You needn’t read these guides cover to cover; just browse each one to determine whether its content or presentation style is appropriate for you, then, a few pages at a time, work your way through the ones that work for you. Read Role Models Seek out high-quality prose: leading magazines and newspapers and great literature. You don’t have to give up reading your favorite blogs or pulp fiction (some of which is/are very well written), but divide your leisure reading between the exemplary and the acceptable so that you can distinguish between the two and recognize well-constructed prose. Go Back to School Take a writing or editing class, whether offered as part of a university’s regular curriculum or as a continuing-education course. Whether you earned an MA in literature is irrelevant. You probably didn’t focus on the mechanics of writing during your college years, but now it’s time to do so. Ask for Backup Get a friend or a colleague whose writing or editing skills you respect to look over shorter pieces for you and flag grammar and usage errors. (Emphasize that you’d like them to merely call out the problems; you’ll solve them.) This strategy doesn’t work if you’ve completed a novel or a thick report, unless you can pay or trade for services, but when applied to short stories or modest work projects, it will help you develop your skills. 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 Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:75 Synonyms for â€Å"Angry†Precedent vs. Precedence50 Synonyms for "Song"

Definition of Geography

Definition of Geography Since the beginning of humankind, the study of geography has captured the imagination of the people. In ancient times, geography books extolled tales of distant lands and dreamed of treasures. The ancient Greeks created the word geography from the roots ge for earth and grapho for to write. These people experienced many adventures and needed a way to explain and communicate the differences between various lands. Today, researchers in the field of geography still focus on people and cultures (cultural geography), and the planet earth (physical geography).   Physical Geography The features of the earth are the domain of physical geographers and their work includes research about climates, the formation of landforms, and plant and animal distribution. Working in closely related areas, the research of physical geographers and geologists often overlaps. Cultural Geography Religion, languages, and cities are a few of the specialties of cultural (also known as human) geographers. Their research into the intricacies of human existence is fundamental to our understanding of cultures. Cultural geographers want to know why various groups practice certain rituals, speak in different dialects, or organize their cities in a particular way. New Frontiers in Geography Geographers plan new communities, decide where new highways should be placed, and establish evacuation plans. Computerized mapping and data analysis are known as Geographic Information Systems (GIS), a new frontier in geography. Spatial data is gathered on a variety of subjects and input onto a computer. GIS users can create an infinite number of maps by requesting portions of the data to plot. Theres always something new to research in geography: new nation-states are created, natural disasters strike populated areas, the worlds climate changes, and the Internet brings millions of people closer together. Knowing where countries and oceans are on a map is important but geography is much more than the answers to trivia questions. Having the ability to geographically analyze allows us to understand the world in which we live.

How is the idea of architecture being conveyed and what, finally, does Essay

How is the idea of architecture being conveyed and what, finally, does this building mean - Essay Example In that case we do using the visual perception of the building (Tomaszewski, 2003). Therefore architecture relates to the entire design of the building which in the end gives the unique visual impression that we can see. Further, the buildings architectural designs can also communicate their history, iconography, or perhaps the people who built them. Different emotions or feeling as well can be communicated by different architectural connotations. Amongst the above connotations, also context, flexibility, formality, function and simplicity are some of the aspects that can be utilized by architects to communicate through the building design. This implies that architecture is thus a form of language. Architecture is a symbolical representation of language through which different emotions or information can be communicated (Tomaszewski, 2003). Therefore, buildings can be read just like texts. This essay discusses how the idea of architecture is being conveyed using Kolumba Museum buildi ng. Additionally, the essay also discusses what is finally meant by the Kolumba Museum building. Kolumba Museum is an art museum located in cologne Germany. The Museum has a monumental building designed by Peter Zumthor. This site was formerly, St. Columbia Church run by the diocese of Cologne. The museum is one of the oldest founded by the society for Christian art back in1953. The new home was designed by peter Zumthor in 2003. The site where this building sits was formerly occupied by the St Columbia church but was later to be destroyed during the World War II. The structure designed by Zumthor shares a site with the ruins of St. Columbia’s gothic church. The building is wrapped up with a perforated brick faà §ade including the entire museum (Zumthor, 2008). The building additionally has 16 exhibition rooms with varying qualities depending on the day light allowed in. with a light gray wall made of

Discuss how the anatomical and molecular structure of the podocyte Essay

Discuss how the anatomical and molecular structure of the podocyte facilitates filtration in the kidney - Essay Example The epithelial cells in the podocytes are polarized in nature with a luminal and basal cell membrane. The cell membrane corresponds to the sole plates of the foot processes. The slit diaphragm is found between the luminal and basal cell membranes (Kriz et al, 1998). A thick surface coat of sialoglycoproteins covers the luminal membrane and the slit diaphragm. The podocytes have a high negative surface charge due to the sialoglycoproteins made up of podocalyxin and podoendin among others. This surface charge helps to maintain the interdigitating pattern of the foot processes. When the surface charge is neutralized by cationic substances like protamine sulphate, the processes draw back and cause tight junctions between them (Kriz et al, 1998). The abluminal membrane contains many proteins participating in the various functions of the glomerulus. Podoplanin is a recently described protein found all over the podocyte. Galatosamine residues of glycoconjugates and A13 (podocyte-specific pr otein) are found. The cell body has the large nucleus, well developed Golgi system, endoplasmic reticulum and lysosmes (Kriz et al, 1998).Podocytes play a significant role in the physiology and pathology of the glomerulus and form the basis of the filtration process in the kidney along with the slit diaphragm. The glomerulus has a glomerular filtration barrier which is deeply involved in the kidney functions (Pavenstadt, 2000). The podocyte is the most differentiated cell or highly specialized cell in the glomerulus for the functions. The podocytes stabilize the glomerular architecture by preventing distensions of the glomerular basement membrane and maintain the large filtration surface at the slit diaphragm. They account for 40% of the hydraulic resistance of the filtration barrier (Pavenstadt, 2000). The foot processes are contractile in nature with actin, myosin, alpha-actinin, vinculin and talin and connected to the basement

From a close study of the opening of the novel Essay Example for Free

From a close study of the opening of the novel Essay From a close study of the opening of the novel; and with reference to other stages throughout, discuss the relationship of George and Lennie, commenting on how it relates to the theme of loneliness By Matthew Keane In the novel, the two main characters, George and Lennie, have a parent-child relationship, as George leads the way for Lennie; he also gives him advice and teaches him. Lennie follows all advice that George gives him. The idea of a teacher-student relationship is evident because George shows all signs of intelligence; he gives all the advice, and has all the ideas. Lennie on the other hand, is mentally challenged, and needs all the advice that George can give him. Lennies mental capability is reflected in his descriptive appearance, he is often compared to animals, his actions and reactions are childlike, and he also has a bad memory. However, Lennies bad memory can lead to friction, as George can lost his temper with him because he often has to remind Lennie several times before he can remember. Overall, theyre more like father and son than equal adults. From the first time they are introduced, we immediately get the impression of one being a follower and another being a leader, we can tell this by the line, They had walked in single file down the path, and even in the open one stayed behind the other The word even in this sentence signifies that no matter what, George will always lead Lennie, even though there was plenty of space for Lennie to walk next to him, he still stayed behind George. The reader is given an immediate insight to Lennies character when Steinbeck uses animal imagery; most of his actions are compared to animals, Lennie dabbled his big paw These animal comparisons tells the reader that Lennie shares the innocent qualities, as most of his actions are made on impulse, and he doesnt think about what hes doing. Lennie also has a childlike innocence, because he has the mind of a child and again doesnt think about his actions. However, Lennies animal-like behaviour shows that he can have an unpredictable nature, as his acting on impulse can have unexpected results. The childlike qualities that Lennie displays can sometimes lead to friction between him and George. This happens when Lennies memory loss causes George to lost his temper frequently, So you forgot that already did you? I gotta tell you again do I? Jesus Christ, youre a crazy bastard This happens frequently in the novel, this quote is taken just after the bus driver drops them off at the wrong place, George has a reason to chastise Lennie about his poor memory, these outbursts also show that he is in control of Lennie. Steinbeck reinforces the point about who is in control of the relationship by the description if when Lennie keeps a dead mouse in his pocket, and George forces Lennie to give him the mouse. Lennies closed hand slowly obeyed. George took the mouse and threw it across the pool to the other side, amongst the brush The tone used by George Give it here! clearly shows that he is in control. When Lennie retrieves the mouse from the bushes, George shows he is in control by snapping his fingers, and then Lennie immediately returns the mouse. There is another purpose in this episode, which is to show us Lennies irresistible urge to pet things; as later on in the novel it has an important role, as the urge lands him in trouble when he accidentally kills Curleys wife by breaking her neck. So this part in the novel his significance to tell us about Lennies urge to pet soft things. The stroking of soft things symbolises that Lennie wants a soft and easy life, and doesnt want the hard life that he has now. Lennie wishes for something soft that represents the desire for something finer, to be held onto in literal reality leads to tragic consequences of Curleys wifes death, made more poignant, almost dramatic irony takes place at the moment the news arrives that confirms that the ranch is theres. Clearly without George around, Lennie has no control. This control that George has over Lennie also means that Lennie is totally dependant on George. As a result, George often seems angry or upset at Lennie. In the opening, George seems easily angered because of the bus driver, we can tell this by the tone that he speaks to Lennie in, Youre a crazy bastard This brings the negative side of the relationship to the surface, If I was alone, I could live so easy This proves that George can see Lennie as a hindrance to his life, that without Lennie, George wouldnt have to always look after him. George also bring up the subject of what happened in Weed, just to make Lennie feel bad, Jus wanted to feel that girls dresswell, how the hell did she know you just wanted to feel her dress? Also he makes Lennie feel bad by saying that its Lennies fault that they both lose their jobs, I got you! You cant keep a job and you lose me ever job I get This long passage acts as a warning to what happens later in the barn with Curleys wife, we also learn of what happened in Weed, How the hell did she know you jus wanted to feel her dress? She jerks back and you hold on like it was a mouse. She yells and we got to hide in an irrigation ditch all days with guys looking for us This shows us Lennies urge to touch soft things, such as a dress, or Curleys wife hair. The incident with Curleys wife has an uncanny resemblance to what happened in Weed, as while stroking Curleys wifes hair, she gets scared and tries to scream, Lennie tries to stop her screaming and holds on to her, but he unfortunately breaks her neck. Although George is quick to anger, he doesnt want to hurt Lennie, when George realises he has hurt Lennies feelings, he immediately feels bad, His anger left him suddenly, He looked across the fire at Lennies anguished face, and then he looked ashamedly at the flames The true nature of their relationship is revealed as father and son when George apologises to Lennie and then explains to him, No look! I was jus foolin, Lennie. Course I want you to stay with me. Trouble with mice is you always kill em He then tries to reason, First chance I get, Ill give you a pup. Maybe you wouldnt kill it. Thatd be better than mice. This passage ends with George re-counting theyre shared dream, Well have a big vegetable patch and a rabbit hutch and chickens This last phase of the opening chapter clearly shows how George also gets much from this relationship. The unreserved love that Lennie extends to George sets them both apart from the other drifters and farm hands who generally have nothing. Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They dont belong no place. Even though, while angry, George tells Lennie that he could behave like the other men, If I was alone I could live so easy.when the end of the month came I could take my fifty bucks and go into town and get whatever I want His true feelings are revealed later while George is telling slim why he and Lennie are so close, he tells Slim of how one time he abused Lennies trust, while swimming in the Sacramento river, he tells Lennie to dive in the water, even though he cannot swim. George then dives into the river to save Lennie, and since then George realises how much Lennie depends on George. This closeness is confirmed by Georges reaction when Curleys wifes body is found, Maybe theyll lock im up an be nice to him George also tries to defend Lennie as he knows that Lennie didnt mean to kill Curleys wife, Lennie never done it in meanness he said All the time he done bad things but he never done one of em mean' The relationship established in the opening is then illustrated throughout the novel. The first time that George and Lennie meet Curley, George protects Lennie from Curley. What the hell are you getting into it for? We travel together Oh so its that way? Yeah its that way' Also, when Curleys wife first appears, George is again careful to make sure Lennie doesnt make a mistake similar to the incident in Weed, Listen to me you crazy bastard, he said firmly, Dont you even take a look at that bitch. I dont care what she says or what she does' The idea of a father-son relationship is continued during the passage where Curley is attacking Lennie, but Lennie will not fight back until George orders him to, Georgemake um let me alone, George. This shows us that Lennie waits for George to give him permission before hell do anything. When Candy finds Curleys wifes body, George makes it clear that he will not let anyone hurt Lennie Maybe theyll lock im up an be nice to im This shows the strength of their relationship, as George knows that Lennie has done something bad, and should be punished, but he still doesnt want anyone to harm him. Unfortunately, George was unable to save Lennie from himself, and so when Lennie accidentally kills Curleys wife, George has no other option, but to shoot Lennie, he has to take this option because if Lennie was put into prison, he would be alone, with no-one to look after him properly, and condemned to a life if terror and madness. Curley, on the other hand, wants Lennie to die in pain and suffering. Shoot for his guts. Thatll double im over Slim, being the voice of authority in the novel, gives the final confirmation on the killing of Lennie, I guess we gotta get im In my opinion, the novel was very good, the shock ending was very surprising and unexpected, but a closer look throughout the novel foreshows us what happens, such signs as what happened in Weed, the mice that Lennie kills, the need to pet soft things, all of this gives the reader clues to what happens at the end. In my opinion, the relationship between George and Lennie is less than a relationship between two equal adults, and more like father-son, as one of the pair continually leads the other, while the other always follows

Essay --

I’ve heard it said that even the greatest of men are wise enough to fear the dark; whether that fear is rational or not, I’m not sure I’m worthy to judge. But until you’ve felt the dark and experienced the cold depths of it enveloping your soul, I’m not really sure you truly know what it is to fear. Manhattan, New York, 1977. The sweltering July summer left the dense city feeling sluggish and apathetic. I’d spent the day switching between my new television set and my open window (of course our a/c would break in the hottest month of the year), and I planned on walking a few blocks over to my friend’s house so I could spend the night in her wonderful air conditioned home. My mom was at work, probably wouldn’t be back until dawn, and so I was alone when dusk came, the sky still aglow from the bright lights of the city and the last remnants of daylight. I grabbed my duffel bag and headed out, eager to get to Jenny’s and relax in the cool air. I had just stepped into the hallway outside the apartment when it happened; there was a sort of jolt in the air. Suddenly, a buzzing noise could be heard, growing louder each passing second, as if someone was turning up the bass on an exponentially-loud amplifier. As the sound grew in decibels, the lights in the hallway flickered and became brighter, brighter, brighter, so bright I had to wince to look up at them. I swung open the door to the apartment to find all the lights on full blast, shining so brightly my skin began to burn. Slamming the door shut, I slid 2 down to the floor in the hallway and shut my eyes tight, too frightened to leave my apartment building. I was scared, sure, but soon I would find out what real fear feels like. A few minutes passed when, finally, the glare behind m... ...e, when I saw a single figure hunched over on the subway bench. Every instinct in my mind told me not to approach the shade before me. I pictured ghosts and spirits around it, waiting to prey on me, the Good Samaritan, very, very, far from Kansas. But I knew that I had to reach out and touch her, my mother had taught me that much. At their darkest hour, the wisest of men are no different than us, the same battery acid pumps through their veins, and the same fear cripples them. What we all feel together remains unanimous. At that moment, when I reached out to that sobbing woman, I saw my mother, and that dark subway tunnel was brighter than any human eye could have observed. There we sat together, until the lights shuttered their return, holding one another in utter darkness, not saying a word or identifying each other, but hearing and seeing the love between us.

All societies and cultures place a great emphasis on the differences between males and females

All societies and cultures place a great emphasis on the differences between males and females. When a child is born we categorise its gender as being either male or female, or of either being a girl or a boy, and depending on which of these categories you fall in to will have a huge bearing on how your life will evolve. Some basic facts can serve as starting points. The unique reproductive capacities of females normally mark their lives by menstruation, pregnancy, parturition, lactation, and menopause. Males are, on average, larger and have greater physical strength than females in the same population. The burden of evidence also indicates that males are more aggressive, although this is not as well established as the facts of physical morphology and reproductive capacity (Nadelson, pg 3, 1991) However, as Nadelson states none of these capacities or apparent predispositions are uniformly translated into adaptive outcomes across human populations because of variations in technology, socioeconomic organisation, and cultural values. Female reproduction can be halted by celibacy or infertility or delayed by the use of contraception, and lactation can be avoided by using infant formula. The strength of males can diminish as machinery becomes available to do the heavy work. The aggressiveness of young males, though valuable for defence can become socially disruptive if there is no need for local troops. Behavioural differences between boys and girls can be reduced in later childhood when they are raised together and boys perform tasks defined as feminine. Thus the existence of gender specific capacities does not predict how or to what extent they will be used for purposes of adaptation. (Nadelson, pg 4, 1991) Field work carried out by anthropologists within non Western societies provide support for this point, in the East African highlands, where ploughs and animals are absent, the heavy work of cultivation is done largely by women. The same women carry 50-pound loads on their heads over considerable distances, in addition to bearing and raising children and managing their homes. Anthropologists use the term socialisation as a concept to mean the teaching that prepares the young to be competent members of their society. Training children to fit gender roles and to internalise the benefits and values appropriate to performing their roles in all situations and social instructions is a primary job of socialisers the world over. (Herdt, pg 68, 1987) Throughout history many people have long since argued to what extent culture can shape gender and what influences gender identity. The physical appearance of someone, the way they dress and how they act are all supposed to be characteristics of being either male or female. All cultures have acceptable roles based on the sex of the individual and these roles are determined by a person's position within their family and society. Many argue that gender roles are culturally rather than biologically produced and whiles a person's sex refers to biological differences between male and females, it is through gender socialisation that a person acquires his or her gender. It is through this process that a person learns what is masculine and feminine, and how to act accordingly, dependant on the surroundings he or she is in. (www. sociology. org. uk/tecelth. htm) Giddens states that when speaking of sexual differences we are distinguishing between males and females, when speaking of gender it is between masculine and feminine. The content of the male / female distinction is genetically determined and largely universal, whereas the content of the masculine / feminine distinction is culturally determined and highly variable. Giddens, pg 148, 1987) Depending on the society in which we live depends on the activities and characteristics donated to males and females, and while these may be deemed as natural within their own unique culture this may not be so throughout all of society. An example of this being the rituals carried out within the Sambia, an initiation takes place were the main purpose is to make boys big and strong and to make them aggressive warriors. They have to be removed from their mothers and other females as this will also remove their feminine traits, such as shyness and crying. The initiation process involves ridding them of these feminine traits and unlearning all of their so far learnt behaviour. They have to learn how to be masculine. However, this is also a slight two fold initiation in that the Sambia believe that as the male body is incapable of producing semen it has to be externally acquired, as the presence of semen in the body is a sign of masculinity. The semen is digested orally, provided by older members of the men's secret society. The boys will never be allowed back to theirs mothers again and will remain with the other male members of the tribe throughout their childhood, teenage years and early manhood. The female is seen as weaker and the boys can not be allowed to be weakened by her. (Herdt, pg 68, 1987) As has already been identified different societies define gender roles in a variety of different ways, however what is evident is that regardless of culture or society, males tend to always have more power and more authority than women. Giddens, pg 149, 1987) Anthropologists such as George Peter Murdoch argue that biological differences such as the greater physical strength of men and the fact that women bear children lead to a sexual division of labour in society. Murdoch surveyed 224 societies and found that tasks such as hunting, lumbering and mining are usually part of the male role, while cooking and child care were usually assigned to the women. Murdoch states that women were handicapped by the physiological burdens of pregnancy and nursing. (Haralambos, pg 267, 1986) The rise of the Women's Liberation Movement have contributed to the criticism that gender roles are shaped by biology, and more are now arguing that the roles of men and women are determined by culture and are therefore learned as part of the socialisation process, and ultimately there is nothing natural about the roles that women play. It is all learnt behaviour, and as Marjorie Garber states in Vested Interest (1991) the reason that that female to male transgendered people are not generally seen as that remarkable as their male to female equivalents is because it is quite normal in our male dominated culture for a woman to want to become a man, as it is still recognised that social power is most often attached to being male. Even Sigmund Freud's theory on gender was based on the idea that the ownership of a penis reflects masculinity and power, and being female means simply being absent of a penis. Girls, he states suffer from â€Å"penis envy† and due to this they under value their mother's position in the family because she lacks a penis. The father is therefore generally in power and makes all females within the family adopt a submissive attitude. This is referred to by Freud as the Electra Complex. Freud's theory comes in for a lot of criticism by many, as most of his analysis is based solely on biological differences, namely the ownership of a penis. However, as Mark Johnson discovered whilst carrying out fieldwork in the Southern Philippines the ownership of a penis is not always a sign of masculinity and it is rather what is done with it. The ‘bantut' he discovered was thought of by almost all of the community as a man who was either sexually impotent in some way, or who had a small penis, or who was unable to have or sustain an erection (Johnson, pg 94, 1997) It could not be conceived that the ‘bantut' chose this way of life and the desire to be elegant and sensual, to take care over their appearance, to appreciate beauty, to be vulnerable and protected, to be tender and caring, to be coy and flirtatious. As in many cultures there are two types of gender, male and female, masculine or feminine. Transgender is a term that has over recent years entered the vocabulary as a term to designate to anyone not covered by the term, man or woman (www. glbthistory. org/about/ourstory/tg-at-hs. lasso) However, it should be noted that transgender people, along with homosexuals, women and any number of racial and ethnic groups have joined the ranks of being publicly recognised minorities. www. badsubjects. com/issueno7/1993/annaleenewitz) In Cross-Dressing and Re-Dressing: Transvestism as Metaphor, Gilbert and Gubar remark that both Violet Trefusis and Vita Sackville-West wrote about their experiences of there being more than one possibility of opposite genders: In 1920, when Vita Sackville West looked back on her exuberant impersonation of the wounded soldier, ‘Julian' during the height of her post war love affair with Violet Trefusis, she was bemused. She had experienced herself, she remembered, as inhabited by several sexes: â€Å"I hold the conviction that as centuries go on the sexes will become more nearly merged on account of their increasing resemblances† (Gilbert & Gumar, pg 324, 1989) Clearly, this has not happened, eighty six years on and although, although it is not illegal for a man to wear women's clothing, we would certainly not appear to be moving towards a gender free, multi-gender or even gender-balanced society, despite living in an age were hairstyles and clothing have such a huge impact on how we perceive a person and their individuality. Why in the twenty first century is it still more acceptable for a man to carry a knife than to wear women's clothes, and why is it still so clear that they are women's clothes. (Suthrell, pg 9, 2004) The area of gender is a very confusing and at times very cloudy one. It appears that studies throughout history have shown that there are explicit differences between sex and gender and that it is society which transforms biological males and females into sociological men and women. Children it appears discover their gender identity from their parents and parents construct their identity by ensuring that they pursue interests and adopt mannerisms that are stereotypical of a male or female within their society. This means that from a very early age the child knows which gender category he or she falls into. In Western society it could be argued that the media plays a huge role in depicting how males and females should behave, with women usually portrayed in the traditional role of mother and wife, or damsel in distress. Indeed, many fairytales, which have a huge influence on children still tend to portray men as the heroic male, who along with saving the planet will ultimately also have to save the female too. Even in non Western societies were the media have very little or no influence gender roles are still very apparent, Ian Hogbin's account of childbirth and the role of men in a New Guinea villages gives an account of men supposedly being too clumsy and unskilled to minister to a tiny infant, and therefore, the father does not touch his young offspring. After about two weeks the women may give it to him for a few minutes, but six months elapse before he holds it for any length of time. (Hogbin, pg 58, 1963) From birth this child will know his or her place within the village and thus history continues to repeat itself. Nobody within the village will question why things are done this way and social pressure will ensure that this is how things continue. It could therefore be assumed that it is in fact social pressure which ensures that most within society conform to the gender role bequeathed to them, a role which they are led to believe is â€Å"normal† and this is why those who elect their own gender, whether that be male, female or something entirely different are usually pushed out of society and not accepted.

Case Study: Imaginative Staffing, Inc

Imaginative Staffing Inc, a temporary-services firm in New York was formed in 1990. Since then, it had grown to a total of $17 million in revenues. The company is composed of a minimal number of employees – the CEO and her assistant, a sales director, a chief financial officer, four sales representatives, an operations manager, 10 account managers, five administrative assistant and a receptionist. The CEO, Angie Roberts, came up with the idea of engaging into team selling for the reason that she was frustrated with the length of time the company closes a deal with a good prospect. In most cases, it took them 6 months before closing a deal with a good prospect. In one of their meetings, Roberts discussed the idea of team selling to the board. Among the members who attended the meeting, it was only Susan Borland, the sales director, who had an idea about team selling but she didn’t want to take the lead. Roberts asked her to prepare a plan for possible training and development of sales team. Since she didn’t want to take the lead and just wanted to focus on her assignment instead, she asked her assistant, Judy Morgan to the research. In one instance, Borland got the chance to talk to a friend about team selling. Her friend advised her not to put too much person on the team – it might only be a disaster. Also, the members of the team haven’t undergone training; hence, it is quite hard to work successfully. After the conversation, Susan already had in mind who would best become a member of the team. Of course, everybody needs to be trained. (B) – Should Imaginative Staffing adopt a team-selling system for selling to important accounts? Imaginative Staffing, Inc has practiced individual selling; but the result made the CEO a little dismayed. With this, the idea of Roberts to engage in team selling is one of the things the company has to respond quickly. Team selling is a good idea since more than one person can try to convince the other party – to close the deal or not. However, before each member starts working in the team, they must undergo extensive training to ensure they get the appropriate knowledge. Training is one good way so employees can become better and improve their skills. With this, the management must prepare a budget to cover the training expenses. The management must plan, together with the members of the team, about how to successfully implement the project and how to increase more their net income. Moreover, the management must be willing to support the training development programs to, also, improve their services to their clients. – If so, who should be on the team? The team must be composed of employees who are have passion in what they do and those who are willing to expose themselves to various trainings and workshops. The members of the team can be composed of a sales representative, 1 account manager and 1 administrative assistant. These 3 persons must undergo extensive training before they will go on a battle in the field. – What training would be needed by the team? To what extent should the team’s presentation be planned? The team must be exposed to the basic concept of team selling, including its advantages and disadvantages; how to engage successfully in team selling and how to easily convince a prospect to finally close the deal. Basically, the training may revolve in improving oneself in terms of establishing rapport with prospective customers. Before implementing such project, the management must carefully analyze the project and must undergo a systematic way of developing a training program. In addition, training on good communication skills must also conducted to establish a healthy relationship between and among company personnel. (C) Training people is important if an organization wants to achieve competitive advantage. Since the technology is ever-changing, everybody must be well-updated of what’s new in the market. In the process of selecting who can best qualify to become members of the team, the management must include in the program the training of some experienced sales reps; this may be done to further enhance their skills and to improve in areas which need improvement. It is also observed that the highest return on dollars is invested in training the middle managers. In addition, sales manager must also be trained in some managerial tasks. This may be done to develop the manager in all these five competencies – planning and business organization skills, strategic implementation ability, human resource management, leadership and team building and professional commitment. (D) Training Modality for initial training and recurrent training †¢ For initial training – it is best to include newly hired sales rep. This may be done to give them an overview of what it’s really like to work in the real-world. The newly hired sales reps may be exposed to case study analyses in the training; this is done to prepare them on how to attack when similar situations happen in the real-world scenario. In the conduct of an initial training, the management must carefully choose the topic – the one which is most useful for the newly hired sales reps. The management must carefully design the program to cater the needs of the newly hired personnel. In the program design, it must be clearly stated who will conduct the training. In the case of initial training, it may be conducted by an experienced sales rep which may either be an employee of the organization or an invited speaker who is willing to share his expertise in the field. Teaching methodologies may include lecture-discussion, case study analysis, demonstration and most importantly on-the job training. The latter may widen their horizon and let them experience what it’s like to be in the corporate world. This type of training may be done twice every year – January and June. This may also serve as an orientation for newly hired employees. †¢ For recurrent training – it is best to offer refresher course to the sales reps as well as to the administrative staffs and the sales workforce. This is to ensure that they get to know and be reminded constantly how to get customers attention and how to improve their satisfaction rating. In the design of the training program, refresher course in terms of the ideas and concepts in winning customers and in making them satisfied at all times. In addition, it may also be a good topic to include in the program ways on how to motivate themselves to do better in their assigned tasks. Most importantly, the program must include topics on the latest training tools available in the market such as web-based training. This is a good venue for the experienced sales reps to explore the web and find out what’s best in persuading clients. The methodologies which can be applied may be lecture-discussion, demonstrations and role-playing. Refresher course must be given once every quarter to refresh the memory of the employees. This may not only be regarded as a refresher course but an enhancement program as well. (E) To motivate a team, the members must spend some time once in a while to continue establishing an open communication link. This will also enable them to build a positive relationship with each team member. In addition, each member must be a colleague and a coach at the same time. Being a coach enables them to tell other team members about any feedback – positive or negative. And the member must be a believer and each member and leader must have the power of empowerment. The process of empowerment is basically about utilizing the skills, knowledge and experience of an employee. (Fairweather, 2009) In addition, to motivate employees on sales training, some financial methods may be applied such as bonus, commission, profit sharing and piece work. In piece work, the employees are paid according to the number of items they finish in a given time frame. Other than financial motivation, non-financial ones also exist such as job rotation/sharing or team working, consultation, quality circles and fringe benefits. http://www. hoddersamplepages. co. uk/pdfs/cceabus4. pdf) Employee Motivation may be quite a difficult to achieve since each individual may be satisfied in different areas. However, a common meeting for various individuals is through financial motivation. For Imaginative Staffing, it is best to consider giving bonus and rewards to those who can patiently attend the extensive training program. For Imaginative Staffing, it is best to apply some motiva tion methodologies so personnel can feel they are given importance. Borland must carefully prepare documentation regarding factors which can greatly affect the performance of the sales reps. Most importantly, the management of Imaginative Staffing must continue designing programs for the old employees as well as training programs for the newly hired sales reps so they can continue to achieve competitive advantage. Being in a the world where change is bound to happen most of the time, it is best to be updated with the latest trends as well as to keep informed of what’s happening. With this, the management must design a program to suit the needs of the market and the client as well.

The History of Concrete and Cement

The History of Concrete and Cement Concrete is a material used in building construction, consisting of a hard, chemically inert particulate substance known as an aggregate (usually made from different types of sand and gravel), that is bonded together by cement and water. Aggregates can include sand, crushed stone, gravel, slag, ashes, burned shale, and burned clay. Fine aggregate (fine refers to the size of the aggregate particulates) is used in making concrete slabs and smooth surfaces. Coarse aggregate is used for massive structures or sections of cement. Cement has been around a lot longer than the building material we recognize as concrete. Cement in Antiquity Cement is thought to be older than humanity itself, having formed naturally 12 million years ago, when burnt limestone reacted with oil shale. Concrete dates back to at least 6500 BCE when the Nabatea of what we know now as Syria and Jordan used a precursor of modern-day concrete to build structures that survive to this day. The Assyrians and Babylonians used clay as the bonding substance or cement. The Egyptians used lime and gypsum cement. The Nabateau are thought to have invented an early form of hydraulic concrete- which hardens when exposed to water- using lime. The adoption of concrete as a building material transformed architecture throughout the Roman Empire, making possible structures and designs that could not have been built using just the stone that had been a staple of early Roman architecture. Suddenly, arches and aesthetically ambitious architecture became much easier to build. The Romans used concrete to build still-standing landmarks such as the Baths, the Colosseum, and the Pantheon. The arrival of the Dark Ages, however, saw such artistic ambition dwindle alongside scientific progress. In fact, the Dark Ages saw many developed techniques for making and using concrete lost. Concrete would not take its next serious steps forward until long after the Dark Ages had passed. The Age of Enlightenment In 1756, the British engineer John Smeaton made the first modern concrete (hydraulic cement) by adding pebbles as a coarse aggregate and mixing powered brick into the cement. Smeaton developed his new formula for concrete in order to build the third Eddystone Lighthouse, but his innovation drove a huge surge in the use of concrete in modern structures. In 1824, the English inventor Joseph Aspdin invented Portland Cement, which has remained the dominant form of cement used in concrete production. Aspdin created the first true artificial cement by burning ground limestone and clay together. The burning process changed the chemical properties of the materials and allowed Aspdin to create a stronger cement than plain crushed limestone would produce. The Industrial Revolution Concrete took a historic step forward with the inclusion of ​embedded metal (usually steel) to form what’s now called reinforced concrete or ferroconcrete. Reinforced concrete was invented in 1849 by Joseph Monier, who received a patent in 1867. Monier was a Parisian gardener who made garden pots and tubs of concrete reinforced with an iron mesh. Reinforced concrete combines the tensile or bendable strength of metal and the compressional strength of concrete to withstand heavy loads. Monier exhibited his invention at the Paris Exposition of 1867. Besides his pots and tubs, Monier promoted reinforced concrete for use in railway ties, pipes, floors, and arches. Its uses also ended up including the first concrete-reinforced bridge and massive structures such as the Hoover and Grand Coulee dams.

Improving Mobile Access to Government Websites

Improving Mobile Access to Government Websites The U.S. federal government is working to improve access to the wealth of information and services available on its more than 11,000 websites from mobile devices like tablets and cellphones, according to an interesting new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO). While most people still use desktop and laptop computers, consumers are increasingly using mobile devices to access websites with government information and services. As the GAO noted, millions of Americans use mobile devices every day to get information from websites. In addition, mobile users can now do many things on websites that previously required a desktop or laptop computer, like shopping, banking, and accessing government services. For example, the number of individual visitors using cellphones and tablets to access the Department of the Interiors information and services increased significantly from 57,428 visitors in 2011 to 1,206,959 in 2013, according to agency records provided to the GAO. Given this trend, the GAO pointed that the government needs to make its wealth of information and services available â€Å"anytime, anywhere, and on any device.†    However, as the GAO points out, mobile Internet users face a range of challenges accessing government services online. â€Å"For example, viewing any website that has not been â€Å"optimized† for mobile access- in other words, redesigned for smaller screens- can be challenging,† notes the GAO report. Trying to Meet the Mobile Challenge On May 23, 2012, President Obama issued an executive order entitled â€Å"Building a 21st Century Digital Government,† directing the federal agencies to deliver better digital services to the American people. â€Å"As a Government, and as a trusted provider of services, we must never forget who our customers are – the American people,† the President told the agencies. In response to that order, the White House’s Office of Management and Budget created a Digital Government Strategy to be implemented by the Digital Services Advisory Group. The Advisory Group provides the agencies with help and resources needed to improve access to their websites via mobile devices. At the request of the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), the government’s purchasing agent and property manager, the GAO investigated the progress and success of the agencies in meeting the goals of the Digital Government Strategy. What the GAO Found In all, 24 agencies are required to comply with provisions of the Digital Government Strategy, and according to the GAO, all 24 have made efforts to improve their digital services for those who use mobile devices. In its investigation the GAO specifically reviewed six randomly selected agencies: the Department of the Interior (DOI), the Department of Transportation (DOT), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) within the Department of Homeland Security, the National Weather Service (NWS) within the Department of Commerce, the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC), and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). The GAO reviewed 5 years (2009 through 2013) of online visitor data as recorded by Google Analytics from each agency. The data included the type of device (smartphone, tablet, or desktop computer) consumers used to access the agencies’ main website. In addition, the GAO interviewed officials from the six agencies to gather insights about the challenges consumers might face when accessing government services using their mobile devices. The GAO found that five of the six agencies have taken substantive steps to improve access to their websites via mobile devices. For example in 2012, the DOT fully redesigned its main website to provide a separate platform for mobile users. Three of the other agencies GAO interviewed have also redesigned their websites to better accommodate mobile devices and the other two agencies have plans to do so. Of the 6 agencies reviewed by the GAO, only the Federal Maritime Commission had yet to take steps to enhance access to their websites via mobile devices, but plans to enhance access to its website in 2015. Who Uses Mobile Devices? Perhaps the most interesting part of the GAO’s report is an accounting of who most often use mobile devices to access websites. The GAO cites a Pew Research Center report from 2013 showing that certain groups relied on cellphones to access websites than others. In general, PEW found that people who are young, have more income, have graduate degrees, or are African American have the highest rate of mobile access. In contrast, PEW found that people less likely to use mobile devices to access websites in 2013 included seniors, the less educated, or rural populations. Of course, there are still many rural areas that lack cellphone service, let alone wireless Internet access. Only 22% of people 65 and older used mobile devices to access the Internet, compared to 85% of younger people. â€Å"GAO also found that access to the Internet using cellphones has increased, primarily due to lower cost, convenience, and technical advances,† stated the GAO report. Specifically, the Pew survey found that: 74% of African Americans use cellphones to access the Internet.85% of people ages 18 to 29 used cellphones to access the Internet, compared to only 22% of seniors age 65 and older.79% of those using cellphones to access the Internet have incomes of at least $75,000.Only 50% of people living in rural areas use cellphones to access the Internet.74% have college degrees or higher, compared to 53% with a high school diploma and 51% without a high school education. The GAO made no recommendations in relationship to its findings, and issued its report for informational purposes only.

Ethics of a management accountant Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ethics of a management accountant - Essay Example This paper will discuss the ethics of management accountants and explain why there is a need for standardized code of conduct for the financial management practitioners and management accounting. Ethics refers to the fundamental principles or the moral values and rules that guide human behaviors on whether they are right or wrong on a specified line of profession. Ethics of a managerial accountant are meant to ensure that a certain level of trust is attained within the institutions and beyond. Ethical values in financial management are paramount for maintaining accuracy and proper interpretation and analysis of financial data. These ethical values are meant to eliminate any form of financial discrepancies introduced in books of accounts either intentionally or accidentally. In addition, financial variations have a negative effect on all the stakeholders and the information provided by the accountants is crucial for budgeting purposes by the organization’s top management (Duska, Duska & Ragatz, 2011). Moreover, financial and accounting ethics are very critical in any form of business or organization since it deals with actual facts and figures for institutions forecasting. The business management makes full use of the information provided by the accounting department when reviewing the business objectives and targets and also in the vital decision making situations. In addition, accounting practitioners have full access to sensitive business information and should be handled with great care to maintain organizations trust and confidentiality (Duska, Duska & Ragatz, 2011). Therefore, it is unethical to use this information for personal gain since it would lead to detrimental legal implications. For the above mentioned reasons, financial accounting ethics ascertain that managerial accountants can be trusted with sensitive business information if the enterprise is to realize

Chapter questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Chapter questions - Assignment Example First, when trade barriers are imposed on capital or producer goods, some industries gain because they are then able to produce them locally. These goods are then sold to local industries at higher prices. To counteract this cost, some industries lay off some of their workers. Secondly, when production of some goods are localized there is a cost for geographical mobility of workers to those industrial areas. Some workers are rendered immobile geographically, leading to lose of jobs. Thirdly, relocation and retraining of workers is an expensive cost by some industries. Some people will end up losing their jobs because the cost of retraining their employees is very high. Low income countries like Brazil, Egypt or Vietnam have lower environmental standards than high income countries like the German, Japan or the United States. This is because of several reasons discussed below. First, the low income countries have a problem with sourcing of jobs. Most of the time they intentionally lower their standards especially the environmental standards just to attract multinational countries. This situation forces the low income countries to have lower environmental standards than their counterparts who are high income countries. Second, Pollution is a problem that cannot only be controlled and maintained within a country. It is usually passed off to neighbouring countries in a region. Low income countries focus more on economic issues and pay little attention to pollution which degrades their environmental standards. High income countries focus on all areas for the purpose of growth and development. Furthermore, low income countries or the developing nations experience a problem know as policy paralysis. They are often struggling to keep up with the pace of other developed countries. The high income countries take advantage of the fact that they understand the important role that they play in influencing the policies.