Part Seven Chapter 3

The coffins lay side by side on biers at the front of the church. A bronze chrysanthemum oar lay on Krystal's, and a white chrysanthemum teddy bear on Robbie's. Kay Bawden remembered Robbie's bedroom, with its few grimy plastic toys, and her fingers trembled on the order of service. Naturally, there was to be an inquiry at work, because the local paper was clamouring for one, and had written a front-page piece suggesting that the small boy had been left in the care of a pair of junkies and that his death could have been avoided, if only he had been removed to safety by negligent social workers. Mattie had been signed off with stress again, and Kay's handling of the case review was being assessed. Kay wondered what effect it would have on her chances of getting another job in London, when every local authority was cutting numbers of social workers, and how Gaia would react if they had to stay in Pagford †¦ she had not dared discuss it with her yet. Andrew glanced sideways at Gaia and they exchanged small smiles. Up in Hilltop House, Ruth was already sorting things for the move. Andrew could tell that his mother hoped, in her perennially optimistic way, that by sacrificing their house and the beauty of the hills, they would be rewarded with a rebirth. Wedded for ever to an idea of Simon that took no account of his rages or his crookedness, she was hoping that these would be left behind, like boxes forgotten in the move †¦ But at least, Andrew thought, he would be one step nearer London when they went, and he had Gaia's assurance that she had been too drunk to know what she was doing with Fats, and perhaps she might invite him and Sukhvinder back to her house for coffee after the funeral was over †¦ Gaia, who had never been inside St Michael's before, was half listening to the vicar's sing-song delivery, letting her eyes travel over the high starry ceiling and the jewel-coloured windows. There was a prettiness about Pagford that, now she knew that she was leaving, she thought she might quite miss †¦ Tessa Wall had chosen to sit behind everyone else, on her own. This brought her directly under the calm gaze of St Michael, whose foot rested eternally on that writhing devil with its horns and tail. Tessa had been in tears ever since her first glimpse of the two glossy coffins and, as much as she tried to stifle them, her soft gurglings were still audible to those near her. She had half expected somebody on the Weedon side of the church to recognize her as Fats' mother and attack her, but nothing had happened. (Her family life had turned inside out. Colin was furious with her. ‘You told him what?' ‘He wanted a taste of real life,' she had sobbed, ‘he wanted to see the seamy underside – don't you understand what all that slumming it was about?' ‘So you told him that he might be the result of incest, and that I tried to kill myself because he came into the family?' Years of trying to reconcile them, and it had taken a dead child, and Colin's profound understanding of guilt, to do it. She had heard the two of them talking in Fats' attic room the previous evening, and paused to eavesdrop at the foot of the stairs. ‘†¦ you can put that – that thing that Mum suggested out of your head completely,' Colin was saying gruffly. ‘You've got no physical or mental abnormalities, have you? Well then †¦ don't worry about it any more. But your counsellor will help you with all of this †¦') Tessa gurgled and snorted into her sodden tissue, and thought how little she had done for Krystal, dead on the bathroom floor †¦ it would have been a relief if St Michael had stepped down from his glowing window and enacted judgement on them all, decreeing exactly how much fault was hers, for the deaths, for the broken lives, for the mess †¦ A fidgeting young Tully boy on the other side of the aisle hopped out of his pew, and a tattooed woman reached out a powerful arm, grabbed him and pulled him back. Tessa's sobs were punctuated by a little gasp of surprise. She was sure that she had recognized her own lost watch on the thick wrist. Sukhvinder, who was listening to Tessa's sobs, felt sorry for her, but did not dare turn around. Parminder was furious with Tessa. There had been no way for Sukhvinder to explain the scars on her arms without mentioning Fats Wall. She had begged her mother not to call the Walls, but then Tessa had telephoned Parminder to tell them that Fats had taken full responsibility for The_Ghost_of_ Barry_Fairbrother's posts on the council website, and Parminder had been so vitriolic on the telephone that they had not spoken since. It had been such a strange thing for Fats to do, to take the blame for her post too; Sukhvinder thought of it almost as an apology. He had always seemed to read her mind: did he know that she had attacked her own mother? Sukhvinder wondered whether she would be able to confess the truth to this new counsellor in whom her parents seemed to place so much faith, and whether she would ever be able to tell the newly kind and contrite Parminder †¦ She was trying to follow the service, but it was not helping her in the way that she had hoped. She was glad about the chrysanthemum oar and the teddy bear, which Lauren's mum had made; she was glad that Gaia and Andy had come, and the girls from the rowing team, but she wished that the Fairbrother twins had not refused. (‘It'd upset Mum,' Siobhan had told Sukhvinder. ‘See, she thinks Dad spent too much time on Krystal.' ‘Oh,' said Sukhvinder, taken aback. ‘And,' said Niamh, ‘Mum doesn't like the idea that she'll have to see Krystal's grave every time we visit Dad's. They'll probably be really near each other.' Sukhvinder thought these objections small and mean, but it seemed sacrilegious to apply such terms to Mrs Fairbrother. The twins walked away, wrapped up in each other as they always were these days, and treating Sukhvinder with coolness for her defection to the outsider, Gaia Bawden.) Sukhvinder kept waiting for somebody to stand up and talk about who Krystal really was, and what she had done in her life, the way that Niamh and Siobhan's uncle had done for Mr Fairbrother, but apart from the vicar's brief reference to ‘tragically short lives' and ‘local family with deep roots in Pagford', he seemed determined to skirt the facts. So Sukhvinder focused her thoughts on the day that their crew had competed in the regional finals. Mr Fairbrother had driven them in the minibus to face the girls from St Anne's. The canal ran right through the private school's grounds, and it had been decided that they were to change in the St Anne's sports hall, and start the race there. ‘Unsporting, course it is,' Mr Fairbrother had told them on the way. ‘Home-ground advantage. I tried to get it changed, but they wouldn't. Just don't be intimidated, all right?' ‘I ain' fuck – ‘ ‘Krys – ‘ ‘I ain' scared.' But when they turned into the grounds, Sukhvinder was scared. Long stretches of soft green lawn, and a big symmetrical golden-stoned building with spires and a hundred windows: she had never seen anything like it, except on picture postcards. ‘It's like Buckingham Palace!' Lauren shrieked from the back, and Krystal's mouth had formed a round O; she had been as unaffected as a child sometimes. All of their parents, and Krystal's great-grandmother, were waiting at the finishing line, wherever that was. Sukhvinder was sure that she was not the only one who felt small, scared and inferior as they approached the entrance of the beautiful building. A woman in academic dress came swooping out to greet Mr Fairbrother, in his tracksuit. ‘You must be Winterdown!' ‘Course ‘e's not, does ‘e look like a fuckin' buildin'?' said Krystal loudly. They were sure that the teacher from St Anne's had heard, and Mr Fairbrother turned and tried to scowl at Krystal, but they could tell that he thought it was funny, really. The whole team started to giggle, and they were still snorting and cackling when Mr Fairbrother saw them off at the entrance to the changing rooms. ‘Stretch!' he shouted after them. The team from St Anne's was inside with their own coach. The two sets of girls eyed each other across the benches. Sukhvinder was struck by the other team's hair. All of them wore it long, natural and shiny: they could have starred in shampoo adverts. On their own team, Siobhan and Niamh had bobs, Lauren's hair was short; Krystal always wore hers in a tight, high pony tail, and Sukhvinder's was rough, thick and unruly as a horse's mane. She thought she saw two of the St Anne's girls exchange whispers and smirks, and was sure of it when Krystal suddenly stood tall, glaring at them, and said, ‘S'pose your shit smells of roses, does it?' ‘I beg your pardon?' said their coach. ‘Jus' askin',' said Krystal sweetly, turning her back to pull off her tracksuit bottoms. The urge to giggle had been too powerful to resist; the Winterdown team snorted with laughter as they changed. Krystal clowned away, and as the St Anne's crew filed out she mooned them. ‘Charming,' said the last girl to leave. ‘Thanks a lot,' Krystal called after her. ‘I'll let yer ‘ave another look later, if yeh want. I know yeh're all lezzers,' she yelled, ‘stuck in ‘ere together with no boys!' Holly had laughed so much that she had doubled over and banged her head on the locker door. ‘Fuckin' watch it, Hol,' Krystal had said, delighted with the effect she was having on them all. ‘Yeh'll need yer ‘ead.' As they had trooped down to the canal, Sukhvinder could see why Mr Fairbrother had wanted the venue changed. There was nobody but him here to support them at the start, whereas the St Anne's crew had lots of friends shrieking and applauding and jumping up and down on the spot, all with the same kind of glossy long hair. ‘Look!' shouted Krystal, pointing into this group as they passed. ‘It's Lexie Mollison! Remember when I knocked yer teeth out, Lex?' Sukhvinder had a pain from laughing. She was glad and proud to be walking along behind Krystal, and she could tell that the others were too. Something about how Krystal faced the world was protecting them from the effect of the staring eyes and the fluttering bunting, and the building like a palace in the background. But she could tell that even Krystal was feeling the pressure as they climbed into their boat. Krystal turned to Sukhvinder, who always sat behind her. She was holding something in her hand. ‘Good-luck charm,' she said, showing her. It was a red plastic heart on a key-ring, with a picture of her little brother in it. ‘I've told ‘im I'm gonna bring ‘im back a medal,' said Krystal. ‘Yeah,' said Sukhvinder, with a rush of faith and fear. ‘We will.' ‘Yeah,' said Krystal, facing front again, and tucking the key-ring back inside her bra. ‘No competition, this lot,' she said loudly, so the whole crew could hear. ‘Bunch o' muff munchers. Le's do 'em!' Sukhvinder remembered the starting gun and the crowd's cheers and her muscles screaming. She remembered her elation at their perfect rhythm, and the pleasure of their deadly seriousness after laughter. Krystal had won it for them. Krystal had taken away the home-ground advantage. Sukhvinder wished that she could be like Krystal: funny and tough; impossible to intimidate; always coming out fighting. She had asked Terri Weedon for two things, and they had been granted, because Terri agreed with everyone, always. The medal that Krystal had won that day was around her neck for her burial. The other request came, at the very end of the service, and this time, as he announced it, the vicar sounded resigned. Good girl gone bad – Take three – Action. No clouds in my storms †¦ Let it rain, I hydroplane into fame Comin' down with the Dow Jones †¦ Her family half carried Terri Weedon back down the royal-blue carpet, and the congregation averted its eyes.

Comparing and contrasting of the artwork produced during two different artistic periods

In this assignment I am going to be comparing and contrasting the artworks from two artists both from different artistic periods. I have chosen to analyse works from Gustave Courbet and Auguste Renoir both from the Realist and Impressionist movements. Hailed as the pioneer of the Realist movement Gustave Courbet set an unprecedented artistic movement which caused a lot of controversy amongst all it artists.This movement embodied and represented the everyday norm as we know it, our own lives and realities caught on canvas or in this case the realities experienced by the artist Gustave Courbet. Realism was unprecedented and controversial in the sense that it broke away from the norm which was for centuries mainly depicting popular, religious figures however Courbet’s ideologies were for artists to portray only what they can see or has lived, depicting everyday scenes and events.Coming from a harsh environment, Gustaves earlier life was in the small town of Ornans in France were Courbet was born into a lower/ working class. His depictions of his realities can be seen through many works including â€Å"Burial at Ornans 1850†. One painting that embodies realism is entitled â€Å"The Stone Breakers†. This painting merely depicts to figures a boy and a man absorbed in their tedious repetitive work of crushing stones to make road.This controversy surrounding this piece was immense as it depicted two figures carrying out the most miserable tedious tasks one could do however this is the harsh reality they live and the reality Courbet is trying to convey to the viewer. We are unable to see the figures faces as the boy has his back facing the viewer and the man wearing a hat however this gives a sense of the figures shame and somewhat unimportance that we can’t even look at their faces because of the nature of their reality and how they go about earning their money.In comparison to Realism, Impressionism shares the same characteristics in terms of depicting reality. Many Impressionist artists works including â€Å"Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette† or â€Å"La Loge† Auguste Renoir as well as â€Å"Woman with a Parasol† by Claude Monet are all depictions of the artists realities and general normal activities or social gatherings. The breaking from the norm seemed to be continued with the Impressionists by also literally painting what they saw, adopting this new way ofobservational painting which meant artists left their studios and began to paint outside. In relation to Courbets paintings the Impressionists depicted everyday scenes which were observed by the artists themselves at the adopting this new age of artistic movements. Impressionist pieces such as â€Å"La Loge† by Auguste Renoir depict a female figure in her most realist but glamorous form.It is somewhat realist in the sense that there is a lot of attention to the detail of the fabric, the figures dress is a velvety texture it gives the viewer a sense of they can almost feel the texture. Her face and hair are painted in the most natural form. â€Å"Impression Sunrise† by Claude Monet is the piece in which the whole Impressionist movement received its name from. The Impressionists were seen as radicals depicting a new Industrial revolution the way they saw it in reality.It is evident throughout most Impressionist works the use of visible, sketchy brush strokes merely creating â€Å"impressions† of the subject that they are trying to depict. The use of colour and light was revolutionary through this period as certain theories were vital to follow in order to achieve the desired effect. For instance the use of complimentary colours playing off each other to create a more intense piece, shadows merely being shades of colours from where they are cast as well as the thickness of the paint etc all were important factors.In contrast to works such as â€Å"The Stone Breakers†, Impressionist pieces are s omewhat depicted differently. For instance the brush strokes shown in pieces such as â€Å" Woman with a Parasol 1875† the brushstrokes short and sketchy and go with the flow of the subject matter as brushstrokes are meant to depict movement within the piece, something that Courbets was unable to portray but instead his seemed to depicted a never ending slow movement in time because of the repetitive hard labour shown in the piece.The visible brushstrokes also in some ways depict emotion in the sense that quickly faster sketchier brushstrokes may imply a certain emotion the artist was going through in order to create those marks were as shorter strokes may imply a more slight attention to detail. The colour shining from the back of the female figure gives great light and shadow to the piece.Hints of yellows and greens are visible on the female figures dress while touches of blues and pinks are visible as shadows on the field. In conclusion I have managed to compare and contra st some artworks from two different artistic periods and have managed to identify and explain most of the characteristics. The similarities with both Realist and Impressionist movements were apparent within the subject matter of the artworks.Breaking from the norm like this was unprecedented and these artists were seen as radicals changing the ancient teachings of art and adopting their own rules to fit their ideologies. The differences mainly spanned in which the way different artists portrayed their work. Within realist pieces such as â€Å"The Stone Breakers† attention to detail was apparent as the poor figures clothes were ruff and rugged merely the harshness of their everyday job.Impressionist pieces such as â€Å"Woman with a Parasol† weren’t so much focused on every aspect of the figures attire, facial features etc but more on creating this moment of strolling through the field, whilst capturing movement and emotion. These were just depicted with brush st rokes and as mere impressions of the real thing. The subject matter from most Impressionist and Realist artists where just depictions of their reality which in a sense in comparison together makes them similar movements in terms of subject matter.

Marx long ago wrote that philosophers

One of most controversial socio-political ideas, which advocators of social change want to incorporate within the context of society, is egalitarianism. Egalitarianism aims to ensure that equality is being observed among men. Equality is viewed in egalitarian stance, in the sense that each individual must be treated equally and fairly wherein economic opportunities are available to all and wealth is distributed evenly. Hence, egalitarianism presupposes that each individual should have an equal social worth and moral status. John Locke posits the basic tenets of egalitarianism, which explicitly state that the validation of our natural rights will lead to the realization of social change. First, each individual has the right to do everything she chooses; in so far that he/she will not infringe other’s rights, in forms of fraud, force, violence, and the likes. Second, each individual has the right to ensure his/her safety, except if she gave up this right or transfer to others or to the government. And most importantly, each and everyone is the owner of themselves and all infants must be nurtured properly until they reach their adulthood by those who biologically create them. Thus, Locke’s concept of egalitarianism is focus on self-ownership. In this milieu, we can infer that egalitarianism proposed by Locke is geared towards social change because even if it gives so much stress on self-ownership, it can never denied that the validation of one’s natural rights is the primary step for equality among men, which happens to be the epicenter of man’s struggle.   Justice is served when there is equality. The basic drive of egalitarianism springs from the contrast between the claim of every human being to an equal status, in respect simply of our common humanity, and the inequality of income and wealth. That equality of status is expressed in our notion of rights inherent in every human being, by reason only of his or her sentient existence. We speak of ‘human rights’, and expect them to be recognized in every land, whatever the structure of its society or the policy of its government, simply because the inhabitants are human beings as are we. Every person who shares with us the experience of voyaging on this planet between birth and death is in like case with us, and in some respects is entitled to an equal consideration. Those respects appear in civic rights, such as free speech, access to justice, the vote, and protection of property. They appear also where duties are imposed, such as conscription, or jury service; even taxation is required to lay an equal burden on households' ability to pay. In all these and other respects, we feel it wrong to accord or deny rights to people according to their parentage, their abilities, their attainments and even (except in extreme cases) their conduct. Increasingly in recent years it has been held that we should make no distinction by gender. We rate the standing of a country in the scale of civilization by the extent to which it observes these rights. Yet even where they are observed most fully, and the people pride themselves on their civic equality, they are divided from one another by great differences in their income and wealth, with all the consequent differences in their way of life. The spirit of humanity works in one way, the market economy in quite another. To many people who look for no revolutionary change, this disparity is shocking. Contrariwise, egalitarianism for Karl Marx is necessary for as long as it is construed that capitalism is eliminated altogether, in which the existence of inequalities among men in the arena of economic market will not be ruled by capitalist establishments. Marx argues that it is permissible to distribute economic goods based on the criterion emphasized by norms, and not by capitalists. Norm is the basis for equal rights because people will not be exploited since the economic earnings that a person will be getting is justified by his/her labor contribution, or as the catchphrase, â€Å"to each according to his contribution†.[1] But since this kind of reasoning is still problematic, Marx posits that this will only be a stepping stone, until a society reaches a higher communist status wherein the law will be â€Å"to each according to his needs†.   Marx furthers that a society, in order to acquire a just society, must not equate norms to any moral principle because incorporating such concept emanates an attitude of enforcement. If Locke claims that self-ownership is the key in actualizing egalitarian perspective, Marx, on the one hand, construes that is the realization of a utopian society. Self-ownership is lacking for Marx because a person is still vulnerable to any kind of exploitations, especially in economic market and labor, wherein those who cannot claim their self will be left to be exploited. He postulates that exploitation (in terms of labor, economic distribution, etc.) will only be annihilated if the society will reach its utopian status because for this status to be realized, it is a principal prerequisite that every member of a society participates in a societal operation that gives value to one’s ability, and with regards to what the individual can contribute in that society it should not be attacked by any prejudices and biases. Everyone is equal even if there is a diversity of abilities or contributions. If equality exists within one’s society, then social change is achievable. It must be noted that social change asks for the re-landscaping of society’s status quo. And in present times, the distribution of wealth and equal opportunities is of major concern. Reference: Henry, B. P. (1991). Egalitarianism and the Generation of Inequality (Reprint ed.): Oxford University Press, USA. [1] Henry, B.P. Egalitarianism and the Generation of Inequality. Oxford Univ. Press, p. 122.

Project Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 4

Project Management - Essay Example Fourth is the evaluation phase. The initiation phase entails definition of the scope, objectives, purpose, deliverables, resources, the structure of the project and the timescales while in the planning phase, there is the creation of a comprehensive project plan. This project plan is essential to the project since it acts as the reference for the project manager throughout the project for the control and monitoring cost, time and quality. In the project execution phase, the project manager controls and monitors the project delivery while the project team produces the deliverables. Once the consumer accepts the deliverables, the phase review is carried out to ensure that the project objectives have been achieved. The project is therefore ready for closure. After its closure, an evaluation should be carried out to determine the overall success of the project and find out whether the stated benefits in the original business case have been realized. The management should finally document any lessons learned for future projects (Griffin, 2010). Project management is an important activity among the overall business operations. In many organizations, team work has been a common aspect due to the great need for methods that would diagnose and solve problems that arise within the organization. Forecasting has also been applied in an attempt to take care of the arising problems in an organization before they have truly developed. On the other side, the project management has got many benefits to an organization. First, it provides and ability for the utilization of the forecasting methods in an organization. The organization therefore obtains an ability to look at situations by using various driven computer applications. Project management enables better teamwork. In any organization, teamwork is an important part of the entire aspect of its success. The more employees work

Causes and effects of alcoholism Research Paper

Causes and effects of alcoholism - Research Paper Example Research has failed to reach consensus on the causes of alcohol abuse, but one cause due to which individuals become addicted to alcohol is that those who consume alcohol for a very long period of time become mentally dependant on it and if they try to stop consumption of alcohol they experience withdrawal symptoms and this dependence is recognized as one of the causes of alcoholism. There are other causes that may cause alcoholism, but research has failed to reach consensus on these causes. One of these causes is genetic factors that may result in alcoholism. This means that certain individuals might be born with certain characteristics that may increase the risk of these individuals becoming involved in the act of alcohol abuse. Genetic factors may explain alcoholism among certain percentage of population, but it fails to explain the same behavior in various other populations. According to Kearney, genetic factors are one of the reasons due to which individuals abuse alcohol and th e researcher even states that individuals belonging to families in which alcohol abuse was quite prevalent were at a higher risk of around three to four times to abuse alcohol (Kearney, 2011, p.257). Another possible cause of dependence on alcohol is the changes in an individual’s cognitive chemical balances due to continuous consumption of alcohol over a longer period of time. Individuals who try to stop consumption of alcohol may experience decline in the chemical levels of norepinephrine and due to this the individual may experience higher levels of blood pressure as well as increase in heart rate and in order to counter this effect, the individual may resort to drinking higher levels of alcoholic drinks. A research was conducted by Hawley, in which the researchers identified that the levels of cerebrospinal fluid norepinephrine were higher among those who were trying to quit their addiction of alcohol consumption (Hawley, 1981). To a

Conduct on-line research to locate two (2) recent cases (one of child Essay

Conduct on-line research to locate two (2) recent cases (one of child abuse and one of elder abuse). Summarize the case and iden - Essay Example Meanwhile, he kept abusing the child as well. Piskorski used to scald the child with boiling water, and held his hand into the heater. Piskorski also mistreated and endangered the child in many other ways. He was also alleged to have tried to stuff Scheurman’s son into the freezer. During the court proceedings, the judge slapped a lash against one of the benches in the court room to explain the way Piskorski used to abuse the little child, as per his understanding of the matter. Dr. Susan Omura, who was appointed as the child’s emergency physician during the court proceedings, treated the child. After examining the body of the little child completely, Dr. Susan Omura identified numerous marks of injuries. According to her, it was â€Å"one of the most severe cases of child abuse she’s ever seen† (KPTV, 2010). Sue Robinson, one of the child’s family members, said she could not recognize him when she first saw the boy lying on a bed in the hospital be cause of excessive swelling all over his body. When investigated, Scheurman told that she was so badly in love with Piskorski that she overlooked the abuse he would offer to her son. Because of her careless attitude, inconsideration and neglect, Scheurman was sentenced to jail for 180 days. In addition to that, she was offered 3 years of probation, and was required to undergo a thorough psychological treatment. Bill Robinson, the lawyer said, â€Å"As much time as he possibly can get. ... He was left to suffer from psychological stress and trauma for the life ahead. Physically abused children may recover injuries and scars on their bodies, but the marks on their mind never fade away. Adult abuse case study: Helen was a girl in mid 20s when the incident happened. She suffers from extreme learning difficulties. She lived in a residential area. On one eve in the summer, as she was alone in her home, she was raped by one of the temporary staff members, who had stayed for the night shift. Because of her learning and speaking difficulties, she did not know how she would narrate her story to others. After a period of 5 months, the care team of Helen found out that she was pregnant. A care professional said, â€Å"They discovered the relief care agency hadn't done the proper checks† (Hogg, 2009). In order to identify the culprit responsible for Helen’s condition, a forensic investigation was carried out. Soon after the investigation opened, the temporary staff m ember was caught. He was an illegal immigrant. The worker got imprisoned and it was considered as Helen’s success. However, the trauma the woman went through at the time she was raped, the after-rape period and later, when she was declared pregnant was too much for the justification of few years of imprisonment for the rapist. Not only was she humiliated at the time when she was raped, but she would have to live with the memories of it for the rest of her life along with her child. Therefore, such kinds of cases offer the victim both physical and psychological abuse. Helen’s was only one of millions of cases that happen all over the world every day. â€Å"Women age 12 or older annually sustained almost 5 million violent victimizations in 1992 and 1993† (Sound Vision, 2011). In every day work,

Comparison Between Windows 7 And Mac OS X Essay

Comparison Between Windows 7 And Mac OS X - Essay Example It is shown that despite having nowhere near as much malware as on Windows, the Mac remains vulnerable although its usability and multimedia support are much better. The Macintosh OS X series of systems introduced in 2002 is based on Unix, specifically the FreeBSD and NetBSD implementations that were contained in the NeXTSTEP object-oriented system. Mac OS X enabled Apple to move away from its previous Mac OS operating systems, which lacked pre-emptive multitasking support and memory protection (Abu Rumman, 30). Mac OS X is POSIX compliant that is built on an XNU kernel. Originally designed for the PowerPC architecture, it is now made for the x86 architecture, the same as for Windows. The current version of the Macintosh operating system, as of March 2012, is 10.7.3 named Lion and the next version 10.8 named Mountain Lion is due later this year. The Windows operating system is made available in a number of editions including Home Premium, Professional and Ultimate. Windows 7 added su pport for a number of additional features such as virtual hard disks and handwriting recognition. It is considered to be a vast improvement over the previous Windows Vista, which was considered to be a disaster. ... OS 10.7 Company Microsoft Apple Minimum system requirements 1 GHz IA-32/x86-64 processor; 1 / 2 GB RAM; 16 / 20 GB free disk space Intel Core 2 Duo or higher processor; 2 GB RAM; 4 GB disk space for installation (OS X Daily, 2011) Retail price $119.99-219.99 $29.99 Variety of versions Six different versions including Home Premium, Professional and Ultimate A single all-in-one solution (with built-in server) Sources: Microsoft and OS X Daily Of the two systems, Windows enjoys the greatest market share. The main reasons for its dominance is the huge variety of hardware it can run on, the amount of developer support behind it and the amount of games that are available for the platform (Abu Rumman, 30). Apple instead enjoys a niche in the creative and educational markets. On the other hand, the Mac has the advantage of access to Apple's Mac App Store, it has a built-in browser that is better than Internet Explorer, it already has multi-touch support, suffers from much less malware than W indows, it has several features not present in Windows and it has better refinement overall (Reisinger). Examples of the special features are Resume, Air Drop, system-wide Auto Save, Expose, Spaces (virtual desktops), Mission Control, Time Machine and Remote Wipe. These make Lion well ahead of Windows 7 (Warne). With Lion, Apple also introduced a digital distribution method for greater convenience instead of the traditional physical selling method, which Windows is still following. In terms of usability, the Mac is renowned for being generally easier to use from being more intuitive and built on the principle of minimalism. Microsoft on the other hand, is generally more cumbersome and complicated with perhaps too many unnecessary elements that can cause confusion. As a simple example, if a

Management of Jims Cleaning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Management of Jims Cleaning - Essay Example arch Design: It is seen that in any research, the results are confirmed only when they are in alignment with the validity that is, only when the results reflect actually what they are intended to measure as per the defined objectives. There are numerous ways through which a validity of a research can be determined, however, as far as this particular research is concerned, and the measures for validity measurement would include: 1. Statistical Conclusion Validity: as this particular research is quantitative in nature, it would be apt to find whether there exists a relationship between the variables defined for research. Suitable statistical tests would be intervened to ensure the credibility of the results derived and conclusions made. 2. External Validity: Another validity test that is chosen for this research is the external validity whereby the findings of this research can be generalized afar from the current sample. This also means that the problem of microfiber cleaning faced by other organizations and customers in general can prove to be beneficial not only for Jims Cleaning but industry as a whole and a general consensus to ultimate findings can be made. Reliability in Research Design Internal validity in a research is always subjected to its reliability. The data collected through the form of questionnaire, e-mailers etc is subjected to certain discrepancies. To avoid the possible disparities in results, test of reliability would be performed for the current research which includes: Inter Rater Reliability Test To ensure the reliability and certainty of the respondents replies, two observes would be allocated the job to rate the same respondents based on the information imparted by them through different sources after which they can be correlated amongst each... The current research focuses on the predefined objective that is Jims cleaning efforts and practices to overcome the current issues it is facing regarding microfiber cleaning of sensitive fabrics. For this, the business past and present performance will be studied and customer satisfaction would be derived by conducting a stakeholder analysis along with a SWOT analysis of the company. An organization faces numerous obstacles in the process of its establishment and growth. Customer satisfaction is the key that can drive an organization towards success and also an edge towards the existing competitors of the industry. In the course of execution, different problems emerge that pose difficulties for a firm to survive. Amongst all obstacles and issues, Jims Cleaning has emerged a strong competitor for all its rivals in the cleaning industry. But still there are issues which have lead to customer dissatisfaction in the recent past related to microfiber fabric cleaning. To overcome this pro blem, effective strategies and policies need to be framed by the top officials. This study aims to ascertain the procedure and practices that Jims Cleaning would adopt to satisfy its customers regarding the issue taken into consideration. SWOT analysis is a tool which defines all possible strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of an organization. This specific tool would help an organization to analyze its current position in the competitive industry in terms of its internal and external concerns.

EU Initiatives for Contribution to Health and Safety of Workers Coursework

EU Initiatives for Contribution to Health and Safety of Workers - Coursework Example Contributions were made from the member states of the European Union. There was a focus on indicators of health and safety strategies including the extent and costs of occupational injuries and ill health, legislative arrangements, inspection, preventive services, and arrangements for participative management of health and safety and insurance systems. EU HSE directives and specific applications have been reviewed. Hazard has been defined as something such as an object, property of a substance, or a phenomenon or an activity that can cause adverse effects. For example, the breathing of asbestos can cause lung cancer. Risk has been defined as the likelihood that a hazard will actually cause adverse effects, and the effects can be measured. The interpretation is in two parts. Likelihoods are expressed as probabilities, frequencies or in a qualitative way. Effects are described in some measurable way (HSE, 2010). SFAIRP is defined as â€Å"so far as is reasonably practicable† or â€Å"reasonably practicable.† The HSE Act has led to legislation for duty holders to ensure so far as is reasonably practicable. It is a statutory obligation that has to be carried out in the light of current knowledge if it is feasible, irrespective of cost or difficulty. The term requires a cost-benefit analysis to be used while determining actions that have to be taken in response to identified risks or comparison is to be carried out in similar circumstances. The preventive measures should be commensurate with the magnitude of risk (Institute of Engineering and Technology, 2009). SFAIRP is also defined as â€Å"it can be done, it must be done â€Å"or â€Å"practicable.† It is a statutory liability in health and safety legislation. The legislation may be absolute or qualified by expressions for ensuring â€Å"practicability.† The courts make a determination as to whether duty holders have complied with their obligations.

Robert Frosts poem The Mending Wall Essay Example for Free

Robert Frosts poem The Mending Wall Essay Robert Frosts poem The Mending Wall may not seem to be a poem with a lot of meaning but if readers take time to listen to what the author has to say they will discover that it is talking about the basic relationships between people. The author is focusing on an inanimate object that separated two individuals even though it is nothing more than a little stone wall in the middle of a field. Something there is that doesnt love a wall, That sends the frozen-ground swell under it, And spills the upper boulders in the sun; And makes gaps even two can pass abreast The above selection of the poem shows how impersonal the wall is. There is no humanity associated with this object, nor is there any emotion attached to it. Even thought the object has no emotion itself, there is emotion directed toward it as we see in line 1 of the poem. There is something out in the world that doesnt like this wall. Not only does this relate the authors feelings about how it keeps objects separated, This feeling of animosity has gone so far that something has gone as far as to destroy sections of the wall. I have come after them and made repair Where they have left not one stone on a stone, But they would have the rabbit out of hiding, To please the yelping dogs, The gaps I mean, The author goes even further in his description of the emotions directed at the wall, and explains that other dislike the wall as well. Although they dislike it because it is helping to hide the quarry they are after. The hunters express this dislike of the wall but physically destroying the wall, they tear it down even though it is not their wall. This goes a long way at letting the reader understand that this poem is also about relationships between people. Often times others will attack a person to get something they want with little to no regard for the person that is being attacked. But at spring mending-time we find them there. I let my neighbor know beyond the hill; And on a day we meet to walk a line And set the wall between us again. This little wall goes a long way in effecting the authors relationship with his neighbor. They go out of their way to make repairs to this small stone wall, that really has no purpose other than to keep their lives separated. This purpose may seem like a small one but both individuals meet to make sure the wall stays standing and keeps their lives separate. They are meeting and interacting only because the thing that makes them comfortable with each other has fallen in to disrepair and needs to be erected again. My apple trees will never get across And eat the cones under his pines, I tell him He only says, Good fences make good neighbors. The author is trying to get past the barriers that people erect between themselves and the rest of the world in the above section. He tells his neighbor that even without the wall their lives will never interact with each others. Even with his insistence the other man makes sure that the wall will go up again. He is going to do everything he can to ensure that every facet of his life is separated from that of his neighbors. Why do they make good neighbors? Isnt it Where are the cows? But here there are no cows. Before I built a wall Id ask to know What I was walling in or walling out, Here the author is confused because once again he is trying to get past the barriers that keep people separated. The author doesnt feel like there is anything that needs to be separated, he would be able to understand it if there were some sort of object that might cross into his neighbors world, but there is no such object. The only thing to keep separated is the two worlds them selves. He will not go behind his fathers saying, And he likes having thought of it so well He says again, Good fences make good neighbors. Once again the neighbors grasp on an old tradition and saying are all that justify the wall being in existence. The neighbor cannot explain the reason for the wall, he just knows that it has always been there and it adds to his discomfort when there is a hole in the wall, or a section of it missing. The author finally gives up trying to penetrate the barrier between himself and his neighbor, and puts the wall back into place to once again keep their lived from mixing. The whole tone of this poem suggests that the author believes that people should have more interactions with one another and not hide behind thing. If we all stopped hiding behind these wall that we create we would have more time to devote to better pursuits â€Å"Mending Wall† is a poem that presents two opposing attitudes towards keeping barriers up between people. Each neighbor has a different opinion. One neighbor wants a visible line to separate their property lines and the other sees no reason for it. The poem implies a lack of security and trust one person may have towards another, even when it may not seem illogical or necessary. Each year the two neighbors meet annually at the adjoining wall. Both men walk the length of the wall to assess and repair the year’s wear and tear. Frost’ writing style invites the reader to probe the need for communication or, more precisely, the way people put up walls to create barriers between themselves. The visual imagery of the wall helps the reader to shift from just seeing the wall as a basic, natural setting to an abstract consideration of human behavior. In the first stanza of the poem it establishes the sense of mystery, a true color of atmosphere, â€Å"something† that does not want the wall to be there. Whatever it is, it’s a powerful force and it creates a â€Å" frozen ground swell† that disrupts the wall from underneath, forcing stones on top to tumble off. Damage appears each year so the neighbors walk along the wall to repair the gaps and fallen stones that have not been created by either of the two neighbors. Frost then gives the reader an uncertain question as to why should neighbors need walls anyway. Why do good fences make good neighbors? If one or both neighbors had cattle or something that could do possible damage then a fence would be reasonable. However, it is pointed out in the poem that there are no cattle. So, there must be some sort of human distrust between one of the neighbors. What is the distrust? Frost doesn’t let the reader know. Perhaps it is an age difference that results in extreme points of view or tradition. Or maybe there is a religious bias about the other. One neighbor wants to separate and possibly his family. The wall prevents the evil of indifference from entering. The phantom of discomfort seems to be kept in check by this rock structure. Frost gives us the impression that he doesn’t agree with separating people. The poem might have something to do with racism. Maybe one neighbor is black and the other is Caucasian. Perhaps one of the neighbors can’t deal with the difference in ethnicity therefore separates and creates a barrier. He gives a suggestion that good fences make good neighbors but that statement may be a friendly way of saying, â€Å"if I can create a visible way of keeping you away then we can get along because I can fend off your strangeness from me. Frost might be using the simplicity of a common object to allude to a prevalent human dilemma-fear of the unknown. The wall prevents investigation to confirm or negate our presumptions about others. Conversely, the hard, cold rock represents the extreme measures taken to preserve our ridged thinking. Using the tool of visual imagery, Robert Frost challenges the reader to travel deeper within to visit our own personal boundaries. A wall is a physical demonstration of isolating that which we do not wish to trespasses into our domain. I believe Frost wants the reader to question the implications for our emotional limitations. Who do we keep abbey and why? Even the civility of shared responsibility, the fixing of the wall, presents a pretense of cooperation and acceptance. Yet, the very act of repair denotes a willingness to keep distance the trend. It is arguable that the self-righteous speaker of Mending Wall is himself obsessively committed to wall building, far more intractably and instinctively committed than his clichà ©-bound neighbor. While the speaker of Mending Wall justifiably castigates his unthinking neighbor and is himself far more aware of the powers of language for good and for ill, he is nonetheless caught up, ironically perhaps, in the same actual task, wall building, which will have the same results and look no different from his neighbors contribution despite the narrative he brings to it. There are several possibilities for irony here, depending on the level of Frosts self-awareness. Wall imagery pervades his poetry, as a conscious poetic image and as a psychosexual marker of control and limitation. That the speaker is the one who calls the neighbor to mend the wall is vitally important, then, but it is not clear that Frost meant for the speaker to be ironically perceived as a hypocrite. The simple explanation, that the speaker acts out of a sense of inevitability, knowing his neighbors habits, seems hardly enough given the contextual symbolism of the wall in Frosts poetry; the psychological explanation attendant upon this version might suggest that Frosts conscious intent was subverted by his own unconscious need for walls. So while Frost might not mean the speaker to be self-parodic, the reader might judge that there is an ironic discrepancy between what is said and what is meant, both by the speaker and by the poet. On a deeper level even than this is the possibility that Frost was aware of, had taken account of and justified, his own need for barriers. One does, after all, need something against which to push. In this case, the poem might be completely unironic, for while both men are engaged in the same task, each brings a different narrative to it, the one limited to a thoughtless clichJ , the other enriched philosophically. It could be that Frost is illustrating what it means to move from delight to wisdom: the road less traveled may not look any different, but it is made different by the inner progress of the traveler. The one wall becomes, in this reading, two walls, the speakers wall a philosophically differentiated structure, the neighbors wall a mere landmark of past cliches.

Intercultural Communication: Culture in Malaysia

Intercultural Communication: Culture in Malaysia Intercultural Communication Inter-, as you will probably know, comes from the Latin word for â€Å"between†, and the  dictionary defines â€Å"communication† as â€Å"exchanging information†. Martin and Nakayama  (2011) define intercultural communication as the â€Å"interaction between people from  different cultural backgrounds.† Importance of Studying Intercultural Communication Intercultural communication is getting more and more significant due to the advance of  globalization and increasingly multicultural work environments. It is indispensable  because of our increasing exposure to masses of other polishes. Because of this, the  cultural intelligence and cross-cultural communication skills that come with studying in a  foreign country are extremely sought after by employers who seek to earn a competitive  edge and break into foreign markets. Culture â€Å"Culture is brought up to a group or residential district, which shares common  experiences that shape the way its members understand the cosmos (Marya Axner, 2013). Academic researchers often start out with the observation that â€Å"culture† is a word with a  very vague meaning. Or rather, a word with lots of different meanings. A culture is a  unique combination of rituals (such as greeting and parting), religious beliefs, ways of  thinking (such as the earth was created), and ways of behaving (such as women can marry  at 14 years of age in Iran) that unify a group of people. Festivals Celebrated In Malaysia Malaysia is a multiracial country consisting of the three primary races in the nation. Looking for forgiveness from one another, especially from the elder members of the  household is an important custom in this portion of the universe, which leads to Hari  Raya Aidilfitri. This usage is thought as a way of abandoning past animosity, and  strengthening bonds between family members and acquaintances. â€Å"Eid Ul Fitr† is usually  celebrated to give thanks and to celebrate their success in completing the month-long time  fasting period of Ramadan. The festival commemorates the end of Haj, which is the  Muslim pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. It also marks the  willingness of the Islamic prophet Ibrahim to sacrifice his son Ismail in an act of  obedience to Allah (God). Handing out red envelopes to children during the Chinese New Year is one of the  customs traditions in this festival. Aged people and married couples usually are the ones  that take in these handouts. The centuries – old legend includes a report of a terrible  mythical monster who preyed on villagers. On this day, families travel long distances to  meet and make merry. Though the holiday is only around a week long, traditionally it is a  15-day holiday during which firecrackers are lit, drums can be heard on the streets, red  lanterns glow at nighttime and red paper cutouts and calligraphy hangings are hung on  doorways. The famous festival among the Indians is Diwali or Deepavali that marks the victory of  good over evil. On every Diwali day, the goddess Lakshmi is worshipped as a symbol of  prosperity. Annemarie (n.d) discovered that people wear new clothes, share sweets and  light up firecrackers on this very day. It is stated that the fireworks are used to frighten the  evil spirits away, while the light embraces prosperity in the form of Lakshmi. The  preparations begin the day before, when the oven is cleaned, smeared with lime, four or  five kumkum are put on, and then it is sated with water for the next days oil bath. Etiquettes Good eating etiquette is one of the common important rules of feeding. Malays admire  good etiquette and do not appreciate bluntness. It is polite and goes for the soft sell. Beverages will not be served before dinner and it is offered by using both hands. The  right hand is only used to eat, pass, touch or handle anything while the left hand is never  used to eat because it is filthy. As for the Chinese, generally hosts a welcoming banquet while the foreign guests should  reciprocate toward the end of their visits. It is a must to arrive exactly on time for a  banquet to show punctuality and courtesy. The guest of honor is always placed at the head  of the room, facing the door. It is said that chopsticks are usually used and it is considered  very rude to tap the chopsticks on the. The chopsticks are supposedly put neatly on the  table or on the chopstick rest. Not to mention, the Indians as well, have their own etiquette of eating. Food must not be  refused when one is being served but it is all right to be the first to finish eating. Hindu  hosts are never supposed to let their guests’ plates be empty. The guests should always  assure the host that it is fine by following the host’s style of eating. If utensils are not  used, the right hand is used to eat. Spoon is a must use to take food from communal dish;  it is a rude way to use fingers. Taboos In every culture, there are always the Do’s and Don’ts. It depends on a person, whether to  believe the superstitious act or not. In Malaysia, the three primary races share some  common similarities when it comes to taboos. It is said that taboos were believed by the  ancestors, a very long time ago and it is because to bring good moral values to the  younger generation. Wasting money on unnecessary things just to make the celebration  big and merrier is not encouraged by the Muslims. Besides that, those that are celebrating  Hari Raya Aidilfitri are supposedly to visit relatives no matter how bad the family tie is. As for the Chinese, during the celebration of Chinese New Year, it is said that sweeping  the house a day before new year is bad as it will be throw the â€Å" Ong â€Å" away. Families  would be gathered for dinner to build a stronger bond with each other. No matter how  busy one would be, it is a must to celebrate this festival without missing it. Swearing or  jinxing something during new year, is said to bring bad luck to the family throughout the  rest of the whole year. For the Indians, during Deepavali, candles would be lit up, and that is one reason why is it  called The Festival Of Light and to get rid of the evil. Coloured rice would be used to  decorate the porch floor and is called â€Å"Kolam†. It is encouraged to wear bright colours  during the festival, because it is said that white and black symbolize sadness. Conclusion Every culture brings out the traditions that were believed by the ancestors, once and it is  carried on by the following generation. This leads to good moral values and etiquettes in a  person’s self. It is important to learn that intercultural communication is important  because we are highly exposed of other cultures. This brings us to understand a person’s  culture more deliberately as we are curious and try to relate ourselves to others. By  learning a person’s culture, it makes us have a wider mind of range of how others behave,  their religious beliefs and their means of establishing trust in each other. References Ahmed, S. Naumann, E. (2014). Intercultural Communication. Retrieved from http://www.internations.org/magazine/intercultural-communication-15409 Annemarie. The significance of diwali. Retrieved from http://www.auroville.org/society/diwali.htm Axner, M. (2013). Section 1. Understanding Culture and Diversity in Building Communities. Retrieved from http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/culture/cultural-competence/culture-and-diversity/main Cultural Etiquette. Retrieved from http://www.read-write-now.org/UserDir/Documents/Cultural Etiquette.pdf Guhanatha, S. (2009). Thaipusam. Retrieved from http://www.myhindupage.org/index.php/thaipusam Hari Raya Aidilfitri. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.centralsingaporecdc.org.sg/hari-raya-aidilfitri/ Jaime, K. Hari Raya Haji. Retrieved from http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_694__2009-01-02.html Lisa, C. (n.d.). The history of Chinese New Year. Retrieved from http://chineseculture.about.com/od/chinesefestivals/a/ChineseNewYear.htm ). Martin, J. N., Nakayama, T. K. (2011). Experiencing intercultural communication: An introduction. New York : McGraw-Hill. Pearson, J.C., Nelson, P.E., Titsworth, S., Harter, L. (2013). Human communication: Intercultural communication. Penn Plaza, NY: McGraw Hill Education. The Importance of Intercultural Communication. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.ability.edu.au/latest-news/the-importance-of-intercultural-communication/