Thursday, December 26, 2019

Typing Spanish Accents and Punctuation on a Mac

They say computing is easier with a Mac, and indeed it is when typing Spanish accented letters and punctuation symbols. Unlike Windows, the Macintosh operating system does not require you to install a special keyboard configuration to type letters with diacritical marks. Instead, the capability for the characters is ready for you from the first time you turn your computer on. The Easiest Way to Type Accented Letters on a Mac If you have a Mac from 2011 (OS X 10.7, aka Lion) or later, youre in luck—it provides what may be the easiest way in computing today to type accented letters without using a keyboard made specifically for Spanish. The method uses the Macs built-in spelling-correction software. If you have a letter that needs a diacritical mark, hold the key down longer than usual and a pop-up menu will appear. Simply click on the correct symbol and it will insert itself in what youre typing. If this method doesnt work, it may be because the software youre using (e.g. a word processor) doesnt take advantage of the feature built into to the operating system. It is also possible that you may have the key repeat function turned off, so double-check that its enabled. The Traditional Way to Type Accented Letters on a Mac If you like options, there is another way—it isnt intuitive, but it is easy to master. The key is that to type a modified letter (e.g. à ©, à ¼, or à ±), you type a special key combination followed by the letter. For example, to type vowels with an acute accent on them (namely the à ¡, à ©, à ­, à ³, and à º), press the Option key and the e key at the same time, and then release the keys. This tells your computer that the next letter will have the acute accent. So to type à ¡, press the Option and e keys at the same time, release them, and then type the a. If you want it capitalized, the process is the same, except press the a and the shift key at the same time, as you would normally for a capital a. The process is similar for other special letters. To type the à ±, press the Option and n keys at the same time and release them, then press the n. To type the à ¼, press the Option and u keys at the same time and release them, then press the u. To summarize: à ¡ — Option e, aà  — Option e, Shift aà © — Option e, eÉ — Option e, Shift eà ­ — Option e, ià  — Option e, Shift ià ± — Option n, nÑ — Option n, Shift nà ³ — Option e, oÓ — Option e, Shift oà º — Option e, uÚ — Option e, Shift uà ¼ — Option u, uÃÅ" — Option u, Shift u Typing Spanish Punctuation on a Mac To type Spanish punctuation, it is necessary to press two or three keys at the same time. Here are the combinations to learn: inverted question mark ( ¿) — Shift Option ?inverted exclamation point ( ¡) — Option 1left angle quote ( «) — Option \right angle quote ( ») — Shift Option \quotation dash (—) — Shift Option - Using the Mac Character Palette to Type Accented Letters Some versions of the Mac OS also offer an alternative method. Known as the Character Palette, it is more cumbersome than the above method but can be used if you forget the key combinations. To open the Character Palette, open the Input menu on the top right of the menu bar. Then, within the Character Palette, select Accented Latin and the characters will display. You can insert them into your document by double-clicking on them. In some versions of the Mac OS, the Character Palette may also be available by clicking on the Edit menu of your word processor or other application and selecting Special Characters. Typing Accented Letters With iOS If you have a Mac, chances are that youre a fan of the Apple ecosystem and are also using an iPhone and/or iPad  using iOS as an operating system. Never fear: Typing accents with iOS isnt difficult at all. To type an accented vowel, simply tap and lightly press on the vowel. A row of characters including the Spanish characters will pop up (along with characters using other types of diacritical marks such as those of French). Simply slide your finger over to the character you want, such as the à ©, and release. Similarly, the à ± can be selected by pressing and holding the virtual n key. The inverted punctuation marks can be selected by pressing on the question and exclamation keys. To type angular quotes, press on the double-quote key. To type a long dash, press on the hyphen key. This procedure also works with many Android phones and tablets.

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Christianity, By Clive Staples Lewis - 1657 Words

In Mere Christianity, Clive Staples Lewis, known as C.S Lewis known best for his writing, and being a Christian apologist, divides the novel into 4 different section. Each book emphasizes the struggles he has faced and overcome as well as personal life lessons he has learned. The first section, Right and Wrong as a Clue to the Meaning of the Universe focus on moral law and the law of nature. Christians Believe, second section, corresponds with his life because Lewis has had many interviews defending his faith and studied the Bible thoroughly. In the third book, Christian Behaviour. It talks about all of the different types of morals and behaviors Christians are called to follow because Lewis has studied into Jesus’s teaching he has a deeper understanding of what Jesus has called his followers to be. Lastly, Beyond Personality: or First steps in the Doctrine of the Trinity, is about the first steps and the process of becoming a Christian. Lewis went from an atheist to a highly Christian figure in the church and believer society resulting into a lot of personal knowledge of the topics in his novel. C.S. Lewis’s life influences his writing in Mere Christianity through his ability to portray the foundation of Christianity from the growth made from both his believer and non-believer life, using the amount of studies and research done defending the views of atheists and Christians, his studies in people and Christian behavior, and finally how his intimate growth as a godly personShow MoreRelatedClive Staples Lewis Essay1325 Words   |  6 Pagessoldier, author, or speaker, C.S. Lewis inspired many in his lifetime. The trials he encountered in his life made him a more inspiring and respectable author and person. Narnia, one of his most popular works, demonstrates moral characteristics in ways we can more easily understand with fictitious characters and settings (Gilbert 14). Young Life Clive Staples Lewis was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland to Albert J. Lewis and Florence Hamilton Lewis (Lewis Foundation) on November 29, 1898 (GormleyRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book The Chronicles Of Narnia 1576 Words   |  7 PagesClive Staples Lewis, although his name avowed around the world, his literary works are exceedingly identifiable to the common household. There are few children who have yet to experience the mystical land in â€Å"The Chronicles of Narnia† and numerous scholars who have dissected the â€Å"Studies in Medieval and Renaissance Literature†. Having written over thirty published works by his death in 1963, Lewis has explored close to every genre of literature. (CSLEWIS.COM) Referred to as one of the intellectualRead MoreA Brief Biography of C.S. Lewis827 Words   |  3 PagesC.S. Lewis is one of the greatest authors in history. His books are still widely available and sold to many interested readers. In Lewis’ childhood, he experi enced a tragedy that affected his belief in god; in his middle life, he mainly focused on college and his studies, but his father’s death played a role in Lewis later becoming a Christian. In Lewis’ later life, he married one of his own fans. Clive’s passion for writing began when he was a small child, and it continued to grow as he furtheredRead MoreThe Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe1116 Words   |  5 Pagesand perhaps influenced future writers to come. C.S. Lewis’ past experiences and authors such as George MacDonald, Beatrix Potter, Greek Mythology, and the Bible have significantly influenced C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe through the use of anthropomorphisms, mythical creatures, and allegories making it one of the greatest children stories of all time.    On November 29, 1898 in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Clives Staples Lewis began his life. At the young age of ten, his mother diedRead MoreThe Chronicles Of Narni The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe1183 Words   |  5 PagesNovember 29, 1898, Clives Staples Lewis was a British author best known for The Chronicles of Narnia series and the book of Mere Christianity, although he has written more than 40 books. In 1916, C.S Lewis was drafted into the army to serve in war, an experience that turned him into an atheist. In 1929, Lewis converted from atheism to theism and in September of 1931, after talking to his close friend, J.R.R Tolkien, Lewis became a Christian. C.S. Lewis started to write about Christianity and on OctoberRead MoreCS Lewiss Moral Argument and the Existence of a God Essay1538 Words   |  7 Pageswas demanded of them by their God. CS Lewis argues that through the comprehension of standards of good and bad, God’s existence is proven. However, Lewis’s def ense for the existence of God is adequate because it fails to acknowledge the possibility for people to be good on their own, without the instruction of a supernatural entity. Clive Staples Lewis grew up in a Christian household in Belfast, Ireland, and though his family was frequent church-goers, Lewis claimed himself to be an Atheist at theRead MoreClive Staples : The Intellectual Writings1072 Words   |  5 PagesClive Staples (C.S) Lewis is known for his intellectual writings and is arguable one of the most influential writers of his day. Lewis was born to a protestant family in Belfast, Ireland. He remembers his family purchasing and reading â€Å"endless† books, where none of them were off–limits to him. This in return may have played a significant role in his imagination and love for fantasy. After his brother left home for boarding school in 1905, Lewis spent most of his time reading and imagining worldsRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe 1621 Words   |  7 Pagesthe Wardrobe. To children, the combination of those three things was intriguing enough. To adults, the name of the author would have pique d more interest: C. S. Lewis, the renowned Christian writer. His name appears on such other titles as The Screwtape Letters, The Problem of Pain, The Weight of Glory, Miracles, and later Mere Christianity, a hallmark of religious classics. While the younger generation pondered how Narnia could fit into something as small as a wardrobe, mature readers would have mulledRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book The Screwtape Letters By Quot. Lewis1567 Words   |  7 PagesC.S. Lewis once wrote There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. Throughout history mankind has struggled, relentlessly, to put this concept into perspective. Lewis, a well respected Christian author, thought it appropriate to develop a work that would help individuals grasp the notion of devils. The Screwtape Letters by C.S.Read MoreThe Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe Christian Themes Essay2025 Words   |  9 PagesWitch, and the Wardrobe C. S. Lewis was a brilliant author known for his fictional novels as well as his Christian apologetics works. Religion was a large part of his life, and he utilized such themes throughout his fiction books. The first book in The Chronicles of Narnia series, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, exemplifies such overlap. Lewis inserted fundamental Christian themes into this novel, allowing his religion to influence his work. C. S. Lewis creates Christian entities within

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Linking Emotional Intelligence and Performance †MyAssignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about the Linking Emotional Intelligence and Performance. Answer: Introduction Leadership is the capacity and the ability of a person to inspire, motivate and encourage a group of followers. It is an important aspect with respect to an individual as well as an organization (Bolman, 2017). The leadership abilities vary from person to person. There is a strong set of values, traits and intelligence that define the kind of a leader a person will be (Northouse, 2015). Leadership is a very crucial aspect of any individual as it largely defines with an individuals ability to lead, guide, motivate and inspire people (Fairhurst, 2014). It is considered to be an important quality in ones career. Hence it becomes imperative for individuals to identify and work on their leadership abilities early in time. In this course module, I have deeply reflected upon my leadership skills and the value set that governs the same. I have been a part of various online surveys and taken a genuine and honest feedback from my friends in order to understand my leadership abilities. In this report I have attempted to understand and fully document the various aspects of my leadership style and abilities. Schwarzs values and motivational domains Schwarz has pioneered the study of values. He believes that values are long term and not mere attitudes to different situations. Based upon this thinking, he came to build the Schwarzs theory of basic value. In this theory, he has reasoned that values are goals for motivation and therefore basic values must be derived by basic needs of humans namely our biological needs, our need to coordinate with others and the need for the group to survive and flourish (Marcus, 2017). These basic needs of humans drive their basic values and shape the personality of an individual. Schwarz identified 10 basic needs of a human and related various set of values with those 10 needs. I sincerely read the chapter 8 of Personal values from Success with soul (Sun, 2014) and established that my top 3 values are as below: Honesty One of my top most quality as per analysis is honesty. I have always been an honest person and I really do not indulge in lying. Many of my friends have often lied in order to get out of school or any such responsibility but I have ensured that I dont lie. I strongly believe that honesty is very crucial to develop and maintain trust. I have realized that this value belongs to the domain of Benevolence (Schwarz, 2014). Broadmindedness My second most important quality is my broadmindedness which fits under the module of universalism. Since my teenage years, I have been very liberal in my views and I do not easily get offended. I do no judge people and I really understand that every individual thinks, behaves and acts differently. True friendship For me friendship is very important. I am a very social person and have a lot of friends. However, I have a set of 4 friends who are very close to me and I really value their friendship. This is a part of the security module. I believe, these true friendships provide a sense of security and safety. Schwarzs online survey While in the process of understanding my values, I also took the online survey of Schwarzs value scale. The findings of which were as below. This survey made me realize that I score highest in Hedonism and Self-direction. This implies that I am a very motivated person but I also believe strongly in my personal pleasure and happiness (Caprara, 2016). As a person I dont value traditions much as I believe they pull us down. Also these traditions and customs probably suited ancient times but are not necessarily valid today. Domain Score Power 3.7 Achievement 4.2 Hedonism 5 Stimulation 3 Self-direction 5 Universalism 2.2 Benevolence 4.2 Tradition 0 Conformity 4 Security 2.8 Consolidate values and domains Highest Value (1 )__________ HONESTY ___________________: Domain is ___ BENEVOLENCE ___ Second highest Value (2) is ________ BROAD MINDEDNESS ______: Domain is ___ UNIVERSALISM __ Third highest Value (3) is ____ TRUE FRIENDSHIP __: Domain is _______ SECURITY _______ NEXT 3 VALUES Fourth Value (4 )__________ INDEPENDENCE ________________: Domain is ___ SELF DIRECTION____ Fifth highest Value (5) is ________ EQUALITY______: Domain is ___________ UNIVERSALISM _____ Sixth highest Value (6) is _____ HELPFULNESS ______: Domain is ____ BENEVOLENCE ________ My values and domain summary My Values and Domain Summary Impact Consideration Individual Value Motivational Domain Impact on My Self Personal Impact on My Career Choice Impact on My Leadership Style/ Behaviour 1 Honesty Benevolence I am always honest. Sometimes people find me too straight forward I will be able to work in the department of business ethics and efficiently work to As a leader, I will be able to give genuine and honest feedback to my team members 2 Broadmindedness Universalism I dont judge people and I respect peoples opinions even if they dont match with mine I will be able to work in training and development where I will I will be able to consider everyones perspective before making a decision 3 True friendship Security I value true friendships and put in efforts to build genuine friendships with people I can work in teams and enhance my social network owing to my friendship skills I will be able to develop and encourage team spirit and enhance personal relationships within the team 4 Independence Self-direction I am very independent and tend to take responsibility of small tasks by myself Entrepreneurship can also be a chosen career option for me as I am very independent I will be able to take quick decisions at the time of a conflict. 5 Equality Universalism I treat everyone equally and do not discriminate I can effectively work in organizations that have a flat hierarchy I will be able to treat my team members with equality and create no biasness. 6 Helpfulness Benevolence I have always been helpful and try to do my best to help people in need I will be able to help my team members and instil a sense of helpfulness within the team The big five project personality test In order to gauge my traits as a leader, I took the big five personality test. This test made me realize my top traits and I scored highly on extraversion and openness to experience (Judge, 2015). This is true because I really enjoy the company of others and I am always open to new experiences. This is evidenced by the fact that I travel a lot and indulge in various sports and event. I scored low on neuroticism because my temperament is very moderate. I tend to remain calm in different situations and avoid getting angry or feeling depressed. Whenever I feel angry, I try to compose myself. Personality/ trait dimension Score Rank (1-5) Openness to experience/ intellect 95 2 Conscientiousness 75 4 Extraversion 99 1 Agreeableness 85 3 Neuroticism 41 5 Result of my reflective partner Personality/ trait dimension Score Rank (1-5) Openness to experience/ intellect 78 4 Conscientiousness 82 3 Extraversion 94 2 Agreeableness 99 1 Neuroticism 44 5 The reflected self-best (RBS) exercise With an aim to identify my biggest strengths, I took the RBS test wherein I asked my friends to email me my biggest strengths. I also asked them to enlist why they thought I possessed those particular strengths. Once I received their feedback, I started evaluating exactly how these strengths would help me become a better leader and impact my leadership style. The following table, shows the result of the exercise. Strengths from feedback Examples cited Interpretation to my life Helpful Always helping friends I would be keeping the team together and helping my team members as a leader Optimistic Always smiling and hoping for the best I will not easily panic is case of a crisis and will be able to look at the best for my team Creative Looking at things from a new perspective I will be able to handle situations with a fresh perspective and try to be different than others Honest Cannot take lies. Does not lie ever I will ensure complete transparency and communication in my team and encourage complete honesty. I will also be able to prove genuine feedback to my team members Hard working Gives 100% to any task I will not give up even if things get tough. I will encourage my team to work hard and lead the same by my own example The Richard step: Strength finding questionnaire Optimism: I always look for the positive in every situation. I can hence work in sales or marketing as I dont get easily demotivated. Integrity: I keep my commitments and value honesty. I stick to programs. However, I need to learn to say no. Purpose: I like being busy and having a sense of purpose in everything I do. I get rather annoyed when I do not know the ultimate aim of doing a particular task Salesmanship: I love meeting new people and becoming the initial point of contact in various groups. Self-motivation: I read and watch a lot of inspiring books and movie. I read about successful people and hence remain motivated. The kind of life that I have planned for myself, requires me to work hard. And I keep thinking of a successful future every time I feel demotivated. Richard Step strength listing Strengths Percentage Determination 81% Adaptability 75% Team work 75% Risk Taking 69% Zenders 16 leadership capabilities. Upon highlighting the leadership abilities on the Zenders research. I have established that the abilities are grouped. The capabilities are clustered around character and interpersonal skills (Zehnder, 2017). Because I am an honest person who works with integrity. Also I have a large social circle and I thoroughly enjoy meeting new people. I need to enhance a few aspects of my personality. Firstly, develop others and Focuses on results. This is because I feel I believe in effort. As long as I put enough effort, I dont feel bad if the aim is not achieved. I need to become more result oriented. Emotional intelligence or EQ is the ability of a person to identify, recognize, control and manager their emotions. The persons emotions can be a major driving factor for an individual. A high level of emotional intelligence enables individuals to remain calm and composed and take decisions efficiently. Emotional Intelligence Area Score Emotional Awareness 82 Emotional Management 75 Social Emotional Awareness 30 Relationship Management 84 My scores show that I have a high ability of relationship management and emotional awareness. I believe in developing others and working like a team. However I scored extremely low on social emotional awareness. My awareness is usually limited to my inner circle. My score in Emotional awareness is also good as I am a confident person and mostly aware of my strengths and weaknesses. I usually tend to remain calm and composed but sometimes I lose my patience and panic. Which is what I need to work on the most. Emotional intelligence is extremely useful but can surely be worked upon (Druskat, 2013). I have started putting in efforts to enhance my emotional intelligence. I make a sincere effort in remaining calm when something angers me. I try to sit alone with myself and compose my temperament. Also I try to become more aware of my surroundings. If I see that someone is angry, I try not to irritate them and make an attempt to understand their situation. Hence I am working on being more empathetic. Working on my emotional intelligence is expected to lead to an improved mental health, increased job performance and leadership abilities (Gilbert, 2017). When I lead the team in the future, it is imperative that my emotions are well under control and effectively managed. This is very important if I want my team to work together and take important decisions quickly. The dimensions of culture questionnaire Cultural intelligence deals with the ability of an individual to relate work cross culturally in an efficient manner (Ang, 2015). In this course module, I have taken up a questionnaire to understand my perception of my culture as compared to other cultures. The scores of which are as below: Dimensions of Culture Mean Score Uncertainty avoidance 5.5 Power distance 4.5 Institutional collectivism 2 In-group collectivism 7 Gender egalitarianism 4 Assertiveness 2.5 Future orientation 2.5 Performance orientation 6 Humane orientation 3 I have come to understand my views and perspectives in greater detail. For example, I strongly believe that my Australian culture and society is provides equal opportunities to men and women as compared to Anglos. However, as a family, our culture is strong enough to promote love, respect and appreciation between parents and children. This is why I have scored 7 on in-group collectivism. Diagnosing your cultural intelligence During this course, I looked at the article in Harvard business review named Cultural Intelligence (Harvard Business Review, 2004). And I performed a small exercise that helped me diagnose my cultural intelligence. The details of which are as below: Dimension of CQ Score Cognitive CQ 4.5 Physical CQ 4.8 Emotional CQ 4.2 I have scored relatively high in this because I have worked with various nonprofit organizations that allowed me to interact with people from different countries. This helped me understand that I can easily adapt to a different culture and their lifestyles. According to the analysis, I have a high CQ which will really help me work in multi-cultural organizations and lead a sundry group of people (Chao, 2017). Leadership style: Task vs. Relationship In order to understand my leadership style, I took the VLS task vs. relationship test. The purpose of the test was for me to understand how much I emphasize task as well as relationship behaviors in my life. And also to gauge the relationship between these task and relationship behaviors (Cronin, 2015). My score on relationship is 24 which falls under the category of high range. I have come to realize that I am a relationship oriented leader and believe in building good relationships with my team members. I genuinely feel that if a team works together in unity then they can surely achieve their targets. Moreover, the culture in which the organization functions in more important. My score on Task is 13 which is low moderate range. This means that I believe in accomplishing the task and fulfillment of goals but not at the cost of hampering relationships with the team members. Conclusion This module has been extremely helpful for me to analyze my leadership skills. I have taken up various surveys and online tests that have helped me understand that my people management skills and communication skills are my strengths. I should work on them further and highlight them in my professional experience. My virtues of honesty and my love and responsibility for my family are also important aspects of my personality and I will never corrupt them. Lastly, my leadership style is more relationship oriented than task oriented. I will work on being more result oriented and also put efforts to increase my emotional intelligence. References Ang, S. and Van Dyne, L., 2015.Handbook of cultural intelligence. Routledge. Bolman, L.G. and Deal, T.E., 2017.Reframing organizations: Artistry, choice, and leadership. John Wiley Sons. Caprara, G.V., Vecchione, M., Schwartz, S.H., Schoen, H., Bain, P.G., Silvester, J., Cieciuch, J., Pavlopoulos, V., Bianchi, G., Kirmanoglu, H. and Baslevent, C., 2016. Basic values, ideological self-placement, and voting: A cross-cultural study.Cross-Cultural Research, p.1069397117712194. Chao, M.M., Takeuchi, R. and Farh, J.L., 2017. Enhancing cultural intelligence: The roles of implicit culture beliefs and adjustment.Personnel Psychology,70(1), pp.257-292. Cronin, L.D., Arthur, C.A., Hardy, J. and Callow, N., 2015. Transformational leadership and task cohesion in sport: The mediating role of inside sacrifice.Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology,37(1), pp.23-36. Druskat, V.U., Mount, G. and Sala, F., 2013.Linking emotional intelligence and performance at work: Current research evidence with individuals and groups. Psychology Press. Fairhurst, G.T. and Connaughton, S.L., 2014. Leadership: A communicative perspective.Leadership,10(1), pp.7-35. Gilbert, D., McKee, A., Spreitzer, G. and Amabile, T., 2017.Happiness (HBR Emotional Intelligence Series). Harvard Business Press. Harvard Business Review, 2004, Cultural intelligent, https://hbr.org/2004/10/cultural-intelligence, retrieved on 15 November, 2017. Judge, T.A. and Zapata, C.P., 2015. The personsituation debate revisited: Effect of situation strength and trait activation on the validity of the Big Five personality traits in predicting job performance.Academy of Management Journal,58(4), pp.1149-1179. Marcus, J., Ceylan, S. and Ergin, C., 2017. Not So Traditional Anymore? Generational Shifts on Schwartz Values in Turkey.Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology,48(1), pp.58-74. Northouse, P.G., 2015.Leadership: Theory and practice. Sage publications. Schwartz, S.H., Caprara, G.V., Vecchione, M., Bain, P., Bianchi, G., Caprara, M.G., Cieciuch, J., Kirmanoglu, H., Baslevent, C., Lnnqvist, J.E. and Mamali, C., 2014. Basic personal values underlie and give coherence to political values: A cross national study in 15 countries.Political Behavior,36(4), pp.899-930. Sun, M., Zhang, H., Zhao, Y. and Shang, J., 2014, November. From Post to Values: Mining Schwartz Values of Individuals from Social Media. InChinese National Conference on Social Media Processing(pp. 206-219). Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. Zehnder, C., Herz, H. and Bonardi, J.P., 2017. A productive clash of cultures: Injecting economics into leadership research.The Leadership Quarterly,28(1), pp.65-85.

Monday, December 2, 2019

Is it arguable that lady Macbeth is the fourth Essays -

Is it arguable that lady Macbeth is the fourth witch?' Discuss the character of lady Macbeth in response to the above statement. Shakespeare wrote the play 'Macbeth' explicitly for James I. The King was such a supporter of theatre that Shakespeare's company even became known as 'The King's Men'. King James's claimed that his lineage could be traced back to Banquo. Witchcraft was taken extremely seriously in Shakespeare's time, and if anyone was found to be practising witchcraft, they were sentenced to death. It was taken even more seriously than normal as James I was so afraid of witches that he even wrote 'Daemonologie' in 1597. This justified why witches should be persecuted under English law. The law against witchcraft in England was passed by parliament in 1563 at the wish of James I and was not appealed until 1951. In the play 'Macbeth', Lady Macbeth provides the ambition, the justification and the actions which drive the events of the play forward. She is made to act as a catalyst in Macbeth's evil doings. It is arguable that Shakespeare presented Lady Macbeth as a witch in the play in order to appeal and flatter James I. In the play Macbeth treats her as his equal and in his letter to her in act 1 scene 5, Macbeth calls her his 'dearest partner'. Lady Macbeth, on the other hand, seems tougher and more pragmatic. She says she wants to 'pour (her) spirits' into his ear and quickly Shakespeare shows how determined and ambitious she is. For instance, in his letter to her, when Macbeth calls her his 'dearest partner' her response is to ask where Duncan will go after his visit. This suggests that she is efficient, orderly and wants to get things done. Lady Macbeth has a very strong influence on Macbeth and is one of the main reasons as to why he acted as he did. Lady Macbeth is not certain whether Macbeth is too kind and is deprived of the evil that he is in need of in order to match his ambition. She says I fear () is too full'o the milk of human kindness to catch the nearest way. For this reason, she pressures him greatly into the prospect of committing regicide. Much the same as the witches, Lady Macbeth drives her husband to regicide with her taunts and questioning of his manhood. She persistently pressures him on by questioning his courage, and from the beginning, she calls upon the, Spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, to help her in her quest. The thought of becoming queen dominates her causing her to act out of line. Lady Macbeth plays a great role in the conspiracy against the king, pulling on the strings of her puppet, Macbeth. Lady Macbeth's growing ambition to be queen helps her to achieve great power. She has a growing obsession with becoming queen and this causes her to act with all the qualities of a witch, including the fact that she has no regard for morality, she is deceitful, and she is malicious. Macbeth is doubtful of his wife's plan to kill the king, however Lady Macbeth skilfully pressures him with statements questioning his masculinity, courage and by saying that his love is worthless to her if he refuses to go through with her plan. She says to him, screw your courage to the sticking-place in order to encourage him to be more villainous and optimistic about his actions. She uses compelling expressions to castigate Macbeth's of lack of commitment, even going as far as saying that she would dare to kill her own child for it, and dashed the brains out if I so sworn as you have done this if such a situation were to emerge. Lady Macbeth's confident reassurances and flatteries ensure Macbeth that there is no chance of them failing. She frequently uses powerful rhetorical questions su ch as, we fail? to enhance the effect of flattery and taunting. Lady Macbeth calls upon thick night and pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell so that her keen knife will be unable to see the wound it makes. Although her senses are so alive and acute, Lady Macbeth's speech is

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Malaysia Sports Essays

Malaysia Sports Essays Malaysia Sports Essay Malaysia Sports Essay Sports in Malaysia A General Overview When asked about what needs to be done to encourage youths in this country to be involved in sports, ex-Olympian and International Sports Official, Datuk Dr Mani Jegathesan says it is absolutely crucial that we push for a healthy lifestyle, including physical activity, for all Malaysians, especially the youth. â€Å"They are our future, life habits and skills are best inculcated in the formative years†, he adds. A time-tested method for encouraging physical activity is the practice of sport. Sport brings not just the exercise component, but psychological and social benefits as well. Sport is fun, exciting and engaging, and sports can teach us many good values. † It is no surprise that Dr Jegathesan. s view concurs that the schools and the community, in which the youth work and play, would be the best place to strongly advocate this by first making the programmes attractive and compelling to attract the young people. Instead of engaging themselves in some anti-social behaviours, their involvement in all kinds of sports will help develop a healthier generation of young Malaysians with a more confident, competitive and positive outlook in life. Hence, the recent decision by the Education Ministry to slash the annual allocation to the Malaysian Schools Sports Council (MSSM) from RM6 million to RM1. 5 million is definitely a bane to the promotion of sports among the young people in the midst of rising anti-social behaviours. Where there used to be 24 sports, catering for the Under-12, Under-15 and Under-18, now a number of these sports have to be slashed to nearly half of the number of sports. A number of sports like handball, rugby, sailing, table tennis, cricket, softball, cross country, chess, bowling, squash and archery have been axed from the programme. Some of these are the sports such as squash, bowling and archery have put Malaysia on the world map, having produced current world squash champion Datuk Nicol David. Both Shalin Zulkifli (Bowling) and Cheng Chu Sian (Archery) had won the recurve individual gold at the recent SEA Games in Laos. Besides, when we talk about the 10 merit points allocated to students to gain entry into local universities, the students, who are active in the 11 sports axed by the MSSM, will be at a greater disadvantage. In short, before we talk about going for Gold, we should be talking about investing in the development of young sportsmen and women, in the process help the young people at large develop good social and inter-personal soft skills,besides cultivating a healthy eating habit based on good knowledge of nutrition. All this has to begin at the school level, and we can never go wrong if both the government and the parents of these children put serious efforts to encourage their children to actively participate in sports. Sports in Personality Development Parents, who generally place more emphasis on academic excellence, should realize that their childrens involvement in sports is more than just the ability to play a game. Participation in the sports helps the young people to learn to be in control of various challenging situations and in the process develop a healthy and positive outlook in life. Some of them will eventually learn to be good leaders in their respective fields when they grow up. EDITORIAL EDITORIAL Involvement in the sports also helps to boost up both physical and mental stamina in children. Studies have shown that participation in school sports is vital for the development of motor skills besides helping to release endorphins which helps decrease depression and increases energy. Because the young people are taught to accept defeat in life at a very young age, they eventually develop a stronger determination to succeed in their next attempt. They learn to push beyond their human limitations and trust in their ability to break world records. They say, world champions are made, not born. This is where young people also learn that, in order to win, they will always have to play by the rules. As they advance in their sports as professional sportsmen and sportswomen, they know their rules by hard. The moment a rule is broken, there is a penalty, and in some cases, the athlete may be totally disqualified altogether. Even a year after they are eventually found guilty of foul play, their hard-earned championship title can be withdrawn indefinitely. The rules in a game are the same as the rules in real life which they can ill-afford to overlook. It is this kind of holistic development of the personality of their children and their ability to meet challenges in life that is more important, which like race relations cannot be taught in the classrooms. Sports in Social Benefits and Race Relations In a multi-racial society like Malaysia, young people learn best to bond with each other and people of other races at an early age, when they are on the playground. It is a more effective way to inculcate race relations than having classroom lectures on race relations. When the late Mokhtar Dahari scored a goal, everyone cheered. When Nicol David won the World Squash Championship, her name was mentioned on everyone. s lips. Other well-known names – the late Santokh Singh, Marina Chin, Lee Chong Wei, Misbun Sidek and the list goes on and on – have similarly made the nation proud of their individual achievements. Malaysians are proud of the advancements in sports made by their fellow citizens, regardless of race, religion or creed. For this reason, the government should channel more funds to build good sport facilities for the schools, and focus on promoting participation of the young people in various types of sports as part of the extra-curricular activities. The spirit of comradeship in sports at the school level will eventually help to foster greater race relations in a multi-racial society like ours. A talented young man of 17, Philippe Yang from Sri KL Private School, who had a chance to visit a few public schools in Australia, recently gave a moving speech to his fellow students about his observations how the schools in Australia are generally better equipped with good sports facilities compared to schools in Malaysia. At the conclusion of his speech, Yang urged the Ministry of Education to spend more on providing good sports facilities for the schools. â€Å"I believe†, he said with convictions, â€Å"that Malaysians can do better at sports if they started early in life†. One other area which is very much neglected in the schools nationwide is a better understanding of nutrition, in particular, about the correct way of eating to achieve maximum performance in competitive sports. MALAYSIA SPORTS FITNESS DIRECTORY 2010/2011 MALAYSIA SPORTS FITNESS DIRECTORY 2010/2011 Sports Nutrition Close consultation with the nutritionist is important. Sadly, except for the sports schools, most urban schools do not even have nutritionists who are assigned to take care of the children’s food consumption. As a result, the young people are ill-advised on their daily diet. Junk and fast food has become very popular in schools globally, including Malaysia. That has recently prompted the Taiwanese Government to consider introducing junk food tax to reduce obesity amongst the country. s school-going children. Statistics show that 25-30% of children in that country are obese. In Malaysia, at least 27% of the 25 million people are obese. Our children are no better – and this is an alarming situation for a country with a young population. Analyst such as Malaysian Association for the Study of Obesity president Dr Mohd Ismail Noor opined that efforts to ban fast-food advertisements will not make any impact on the way society eats. A good habit of eating the right diet and frequent exercise has to be cultivated and taught from young. Perhaps, a proper diet, without the excesses of the fast food of modern days, is one possible reason why the country could produce great sportsmen and sportswomen in badminton, football and hockey in the hey days of these sports, at a time when Malaysia was emerging as a nation. Today. s diet is a bane and probably a contributing factor for the lack of exercise and the determination to excel in sports. A proverb may be true after all: â€Å"You are what you eat! † To achieve peak performance in sports, the young athletes will have to follow guidelines that are particularly designed for their kind of activities. A good nutrition plan also includes the proper timing in food consumption. Nutritionists will be able to advise the young athletes how to time their meals to their training, so that the energy peaks at the right time when it is most needed. Meanwhile, apart from looking at the long term goal of developing the younger generation of Malaysians to become world-class athletes, the government also has to study how to further improve the performance of our athletes in some international events, especially those that the country is taking great effort to bid for and host the events. Except for a handful of good athletes, the nation. s performance in some of these international sport events for the past two decades is hardly enviable. Proper resources channelled into the training of our sportsmen and sportswomen will hopefully help to propel our athletes into greater heights of achievements. In some areas, there are apparently improvements being made, but more efforts need to be focused on turning the ashes into the glory of winning World Championships. The six million Ringgit question: Will our involvement in the upcoming major sports events bring a greater fame or disgrace to the country? It is unfair to blame it on the sportsmen and sportswomen alone, as it is a question that also involves the sports administrators, the government, and the sports fans. Are we giving enough support, morally and financially, to help boost the performance of our sports community? Thomas Uber Cup 2010 Malaysia has won the bid to host the 2010 Thomas and Uber Cup Finals in May 2010, beating two others, China and Brazil, which also offered to play host to the two Team World Badminton Championships. This would be the 26th tournament of the Thomas Cup since its debut in 1948, and the 23rd edition of the Uber Cup since 1956. In badminton, despite its late entry into the competition, China. s emergence as a tough competitor is something to emulate. The 2008 Thomas Cup last contested in Jakarta, Indonesia rom May 11 to May 18, 2008, saw Malaysia losing to China 2-3 in the semi-finals. Meanwhile, in the finals, China beat Korea 3-1 and won the championship title for the seventh time in the World Mens Team Championship. Malaysia has won the championship title for five times, the last 3 EDITORIAL EDITORIAL being in 1992 when Malaysia played host. The biggest ch allenge is for Malaysia to take on the world, and prove herself as capable to match China. s performance by winning another world championship on home ground. In the Uber Cup, Malaysia has never won any championship titles; will our shuttlers be able to at least improve their erformance, if not able to win the championship title? To date, only four nations namely China, Japan, USA and Indonesia have won the Uber Cup, and Malaysia is still a long way to go in boosting its all-women. s team. Our team can make it, if they put their heart and soul to winning the Uber Cup championship for the first time. To date, Indonesia still holds the record of being the most successful country in the Thomas Cup, having won the event 13 times while China dominated the Uber Cup with ten championships to their name. Whether Malaysia will once again win the much coveted Thomas Cup world championship is something that many are waiting o see since the event is held on its home ground, especially since it has some of the best shuttlers in the world. For example, Datuk Lee Chong Wei recently managed to clinch his sixth Malaysia Open Super Series title after beatin g Thailands Ponsana Boonsak 21-13, 21-7 in 34 minutes in the final held at the Putra Stadium in Bukit Jalil. He had earlier emerged champion in the Korean Open, and is considered World No. 1. His success is something to be celebrated. The Champions of THOMAS CUP Indonesia 13 times China 7 times Malaysia (incl. Malaya) 5 times The Champions of UBER CUP China 10 times Japan 5 times U. S. A 3 times Indonesia 3 times 4 25th SEA Games 2009 The 26th SEA Games will be held in Bandung and Semarang, Indonesia in 2011. With one year ahead, Malaysia has to pump in a lot of efforts to regain its glorious moments, considering that its performance in the last SEA Games 2009 in Vientiane, Laos, was hardly enviable. Malaysia came in fourth position after Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia. This was the lowest final position in 22 years. Compared to both Thailand and Vietnam, the number of medals collected was nearly half the number compared to Thailand. Thailand bagged 86 Gold, 83 Silver and 97 Bronze medals, whereas Malaysia accumulated 0 Gold, 40 Silver and 59 Bronze medals. Even Laos coming in the seventh placing won 33 Gold, 25 Silver and 52 Bronze medals, an achievement that far exceeds its own record of five Gold medals at the last SEA Games in Korat, Thailand in 2007. Table 1: Number of medals collected by countries at 25th SEA GAMES 2009 Country Thailand Gold 86 Silver 83 Bronze 97 Tot al Medal 266 Vietnam 83 75 57 215 Indonesia 43 53 74 170 Malaysia 40 40 59 139 Philippines 38 35 51 124 Singapore 33 30 35 98 Laos 33 25 52 110 Myanmar 12 22 37 71 Cambodia 3 10 27 40 Brunei 1 1 8 10 Timor Leste 0 0 3 3 Source: www. laoseagames2009. com Meanwhile, host country Laos surprised everyone by its performance in football in the region by reaching the semi-finals, before falling 3-1 to Malaysia. In football, there was reason for celebration. This was the first time that Malaysia won the football Gold dubbed the mother of all Gold medals in both the mens and womens football, after Thailand had been winning the SEA Games crown in mens football for the last eight editions since 1993 while for the women, they were the defending champions. Malaysia managed to knock out Thailand from a place in semi-finals and regained its status as the SEA Games Football Champion, with a 1-0 win over Vietnam in the final. This raises the hope that Malaysian football MALAYSIA SPORTS FITNESS DIRECTORY 2010/2011 MALAYSIA SPORTS FITNESS DIRECTORY 2010/2011 will be returned to its former glory. Will it still perform even better in the Bandung Games in 2011? Other notable achievements in Laos Games include Roslinda Samsu, who became the new Games record holder for Pole Vault Final (Female) with 4. 15 metres, compared to her 4. 10 metres in the 23rd SEA Games in the Philippines in 2005. Meanwhile, Tan Song Hwa managed to achieve Hammer Throw Final (Female) and hit a new Games record with 56. 1 metres after the old record of 53. 35 metres was won during the 23rd SEA Games in the Philippines in 2005. Asian Indoor Games and ASIAD Malaysia came 15th in rank during the recent 3rd Asian Indoor Games 2009, which was held at the newly constructed Hanoi Indoor Athletics Palace. Two other ASEAN countries, Vietnam and Thailand, were amongst the top five countries, w ith Vietnam bagging 42 Gold medals, 30 Silver and 22 Bronze. Even Thailand. s achievement was glamorous, compared to Malaysia. s performance, with 3 Gold medals, 5 Silver and 8 Bronze. With the 4th Asian Indoor Games being planned in 2013, it is hoped that more emphasis ill be placed on producing athletes with greater excellence. Table 2: Number of medals collected based on countries during the 4th Asian Indoor Games 2009 Rank Country Total 1 Peoples Republic of China 48 25 19 92 2 Vietnam 42 30 22 94 3 Kazakhstan 21 16 21 58 4 Thailand 19 17 34 70 5 Iran 17 15 13 45 . . . . . . 15 Malaysia 3 5 8 16 G S B Taken from vaigoc2009. com During the 15th ASIAD or Asian Games held in Doha, Qatar from December 1 to December 15, 2006, Malaysia came in the eighth position, with a total of 8 Gold, 17 Silver and 17 Bronze medals. The next Asian Games, to be held in Guangzhou, China from November 12, 2010 to November 27, 2010 will be another opportunity for Malaysian athletes to prove their worth. With 41 events making it the largest Asian Games ever held since 1951 when the Games made its debut in New Delhi. Malaysia will be sending its football team to compete in the Asian Games, after capturing the championship title in the Laos SEA Games and nearly decades in the doldrums. It is hoped that this new team will help bring back the glories during the days of Santokh Singh, Mokhtar Dahari, Soh Chin Aun and R. Arumugam, a truly multi-racial mix. 2010 Commonwealth Games The 2010 Commonwealth Games from 3-14 October 2010 will see some 6,000 international athletes competing in 17 sports in New Delhi, India. Malaysia is also forming its contingent toparticipate in various sports, including diving andswimming competitions, where three swimmers, Daniel Bego, Siow Yi Ting and Khoo Cai Lin, willbe competing against some of the best swimmersfrom China, Japan and South Korea who arealready of world class status, based on theirresults at the World Championships and Olympics. Laos SEA Games Double goldmedalist, Yeoh Ken Nee will also be competing inthe diving competition at the CommonwealthGames in New Delhi in October. He had earlier won a silver in the 1metre springboard during thelast Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. Cheng Chu Sian, Mohd Izzudin Abdul Rahimand Wan Khalmizam Wan Abdul Aziz have been selected to represent Malaysia as the nationalelite archery team. Meanwhile, the MalaysianAmateur Boxing Federation (MABF) said it ishopeful that its boxers will win medals in the NewDelhi Commonwealth Games in October, after delivering two unexpected gold medals at theLaos SEA Games, when Mohd Farkhan Haron and Fairus Azwan Abdullah won the Middleweight(75kg) and Light Heavyweight (81kg) Competitions, respectively, in the Laos Games. Former top rifle shooter, Mohd Emran Zakariais also planning to make a comeback as acompetitor in the Commonwealth Games afterwatching the lack of performance by the youngerparticipants during the Laos SEA Games. 5 EDITORIAL EDITORIAL While a lot of preparations have gone in, the question is: will we see a quantum leap in Malaysia. s overall performance in the major sports events, including the Olympic Games 2012 in London, after a poor show in the Beijing Summer Olympics 2008? Has sufficient efforts been put in to address our weaknesses and build on our existing strengths? This is where more emphasis as to be placed to improve the prestige of our local sportsmen and sportswomen besides promoting other major events that put the country on the world map, one of which is the Formula One, where Malaysia is still a new player. Formula One In March 2010, all eyes will be on Bahrain where the Formula One race will begin from March 12-14. This will feature among others the sensational comeb ack of seven-time world champion, Michael Schumacher who recently signed a deal for with Mercedes. Some 20 locations around the world have been identified, including the Malaysian Grand Prix which will be held on April 4. Malaysia will have two teams in this coming event. Created by AirAsia. s boss, Tony Fernandes, Malaysia. s Team Lotus F1, represented by veteran Formula One driver Jarno Trulli, Finland. s Heikki Kovalainen and Malaysian Fairuz Fauzy, will also be competing in the race. 35 years old Trulli was formerly racing with Toyota, and since 1997, has completed in 216 races, while Kovalainen, 28 made his debut in 2006 with Renault. Fairuz, 27 has driven in the GP2 series and A1 GP. However, in a recent announcement, Petronas said it was signing up with Mercedes for title sponsorship, after the withdrawal of BMW Sauber. team from F1. This, defended Petronas vice-president of corporate services, Ahmad Nizam Salleh, is decided upon after much deliberation and short-listing four teams -Williams, Sauber, Mercedes and Lotus. Ahmad Nizam explains that Petronas was looking beyond patriotism for its sponsorship to allow greater opportunities for business growth. Although Lotus 1 is a Malaysian team, Ah mad was quoted in The Star recently, saying, â€Å"we believe Mercedes are the ideal partners. Besides their long and established history in motorsport, they have the platform to serve our long-term business plans to expand our lubricants business. With the participation of Schumacher, the turnout at the Malaysian Grand Prix on Sunday 4 April 2010 is expected to swell to 100,000, compared to 60,000 last year. Monsoon Cup The current Monsoon Cup agreement, inked in 2005 between the State Government of Terengganu and the World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) for the prestigious sailing event, will end in 2012. The event, which works as a catalyst for the state. s development, serves as the Malaysian leg for the international event, dubbed â€Å"The Formula One of Sailing†, which was started in 2000 to unite the world. s best match-race regattas under one banner. It has drawn tourists from around the world to the state especially during the monsoon season at the end of the year. More importantly, a total of 1. 21 billion people around the world watched the live telecast of the Monsoon Cup over ESPN in 2006 alone, bringing attention to the state. The racing tour comprises nine events in different locations around the world with the Monsoon Cup being the final leg. Thirteen teams met in the waters off Terengganu from Dec 2 to Dec 6, 2009 to battle for the championship trophy. This event has generated as high as 1. 2 billion viewers on ESPN Star Sports, Fox Australia, CNBC Australia and Pan Asia, Sky New Zealand, America One, Sports Max, Eurosport World, Fox Sports US and Travel Channel China live telecast every year. Skipper Adam Mino prio, his Kiwi crew David Swete, Nick Blackman, Daniel Lean and Tom Powrie of the New Zealands Black Match Racing clinched the 2009 Monsoon Cup, after being crowned the 2009 ISAF Match Racing World Champions and beating three-time (in 1998, 2002 and 2008) Olympic gold medallist and ISAF World 6 Sailor, Ben Ainslie and Team Origin at the Ri-Yaz Heritage Marina Resort and Spa in Pulau Duyong. Yanmar Racing came in the third placing, while two-time winner of Monsoon Cup, Datuk Peter Gilmour came in fourth. 2009 MONSOON CUP RESULTS 1. Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/Black Match Racing 2. Ben Ainslie (GBR) Team Origin 3. Peter Gilmour (AUS) Yanmar Racing 4. Sebastien Col (FRA) French Match Racing Team All4One 5. Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team 6. Phil Robertson (NZL) Waka Racing 7. Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team 8. Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team 9. Magnus Holmberg (SWE) Victory Challenge 10. Francesco Bruni (ITA) Team Azzurra 11. Ian Williams (GBR) Team Pindar 12. Hazwan Hazim Dermawan (MAS) Taring Pelangi Team 2009 WORLD MATCH RACING TOUR RESULTS Adam Minoprio ETNZ Black Match Racing 138 points Torvar Mirsky Mirsky Racing Team 97 points Ben Ainslie Team Origin 95 points Peter Gilmour Yanmar Racing 89 points Mathieu Richard French Match Racing Team 89 points Ian Williams Team Pindar 75 points Sebastien Col French Match Racing Team All4One 59 points Damien Iehl French Match Racing Team 54 points The Creation of New Sports Efforts have also been made to revive traditional sports and to introduce them to the world. With the help of the All Malaysia Traditional Games Heritage Association, traditional games (some of which went back as far as the 15th Century) have been made alive with a close working relationship between the association and various ministries. It has hosted some of the biggest events in Selangor, Penang and Kuala Lumpur since 2001. The pressure exists when host countries also introduce and seek to popularise their traditional sports. Across the region, there is a growing interest in reviving traditional sports, and Malaysia should not be lagging behind. Some of these traditional sports are common in the region, which can be included into the wide spectrum of existing competitions. Some of the other sports are also becoming increasingly popular. In the equestrian sport, the Pahang Penn Endurance Challenge 2009, held at the RM2 million Pahang International Endurance Park in Sungai Baging, Cherating, covering 100 ha of training ground, saw a bigger turnout of spectators. In the event, Shahruddin Abdullah from the Team Blue Moon defeated defending champion, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Abidin, and emerged champion after completing the route in seven hours, 25 minutes and seven seconds. The event attracted a total of 130 riders from France, Germany, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia. Putting the Money Where the Mouth is A total of RM2. billion was spent in the 8th Malaysia Plan, while under the 9th Malaysia Plan, a budget allocation of RM2. 4 billion which represents an increase of mere 1. 1% from the previous plan, was approved for the development of sports from 2006-10. This budget requires a great deal of proper management of funds to help achieve the nation. s aspiration to produce more of its world-class sports people such as Malaysias squash queen and world number one Nicol David, who recently sealed her fourth successive Womens World Open title after defeating host nations favourite, Natalie Grinham. Some of the major sports events such at the Monsoon Cup, whose current agreement ends in 2012, should be encouraged to go on because of their ability to attract tourists to this country and it works as a catalyst for the state. s development, while others help to put Malaysia on world map when championship titles are won. At a recent 12th World Sport for All Congressheld in Kuala Lumpur, themed, â€Å"Sport for All – Sport for Life†, where 505 participants from 96countries came together to brainstorm ideas onhow to increase the trend of physical inactivity, the 7 EDITORIAL EDITORIAL delegates arrived unanimously at some keyconclusions: . Focus on the importance of sport and hysical activity as a key element of healthpolicies. . When formulating policies, take into account the public health, social and economicbenefits of increased participation in sportand physical activity. . Recognise the importance of community sport and physical activity. . Consider Sport for All as an investment, not a cost or burden. The re sults of the four-day congress werecompiled into a declaration which underlined theimportance of a partnership between the OlympicMovement and governments to act together tocounter the global problems of decreasingphysical activity and the increasing incidence ofobesity. At another conference, some 500 participants at the 2009 International Conference on Integration of Knowledge Intensive Multi-AgentSystems (KIMAS 2009) learnt that, althoughMalaysia has become the favourite destination forinternational sports events, it has yet to set up adesignated department or unit in related government agencies to monitor the cash flow ofour Ringgit or foreign currencies to see how it iscontributing to our economy. This was a fact whichcould not be denied by the Prime Minister himself. Despite the fact that Malaysia has participated inthe Olympics from as early as 1956 and sportsmarketing is easily worth US$250 billion (RM875billion) globally based on a report in SportsBusiness Journal, the sports and fitness industryin Malaysia is still considered as a â€Å"young andemerging sector†. One of the speakers at the convention, DatukRadha Krishnan, Managing Director of UniversalFitness Leisure (UFL) cited that the biennialSukma Games has an allocation of RM30 to RM40 million for every chapter, yet the moneygenerated from the event was not documented. Compared to New Zealand, with just 4. 3 millionpeople, the country had three per cent or 37,500 of the population involved in the sport industry, where about US$75 billion (RM272 billion) isgenerated annually from the sector. Whereas Malaysia has a dedicated Youth andSports Ministry, National Sports Council andNational Sports Institute, in the United States, themajority of the state sport bodies are run on avoluntarily basis, yet they are able to monitor sixmillion school students and 22,000 high schoolstudents. Moving Ahead It goes without saying that industry players wantto see the sports industry achieve the nextquantum leap. Although the country has achievedsterling feats at the world stage by havingworld-beaters in more than one sport, withbadminton, bowling, squash, cycling and archerybasking in limelight, they say, there is still a lot thatneeds to be done. Much soul searching has to bedone at all levels to see how we can train our sportsmen and women from young and bring thecountry to the next level of sports excellence tobeat world records. This is why the nation has to seriously look atthe overall development of sports from the schoollevel onwards, if we are determined to see our young people emerging as world class champions. It requires a lot of cooperation at alllevels of society. The reality is that sports have notbeen given much emphasis in schools thatprompted the President of the Olympic Council ofMalaysia, Tan Sri Tunku Imran Tuanku Jaafar toexpress his personal disappointment: â€Å"I hopeMalaysians will put into practice what they havelearnt from other successful nations. Unfortunately, Malaysia is lacking concrete examples, especially in schools where somechildren have only one hour of sport a week†. Hisresounding call to greater involvement of thechildren in sports is one area of concern that thegovernment, teachers and parents have toimmediately address. Without a doubt, they haveto view sports as an investment, not a liability or aburden – and continue to encourage the young toparticipate in all sorts of games, apart frommerely focusing on hosting major sports events inMalaysia. 8

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Charity fundraising. Common solutions

Charity fundraising. Common solutions Charity fundraising. Common solutions To reach out to the community and make people talk about you, one can launch an advertising campaign. However, this attitude is not always true with charity, where you have to encourage large corporations to invest for the future. We understand the value of such gatherings and want you to know what you can do to gather fundraisers for an event. Businesses that operate on a local level often reach out to clients to cover the costs for the social event, and if it happens to be charity, it will only increase their chances to support their name and maintain reputation. If you haven’t found the right sponsor yet, we are going to provide you with a few tips on how to do this:   Ã‚  Ã‚   Use your connections. Talk to people you know and communicate with the members of the board. They may personally know business owners, who are interested in funding the charity event and receiving additional bonuses for hosting it on a high-end level. If you are lucky, you will be introduced to some very influential individuals, who can be of great help whenever it comes to a charity event.   Ã‚  Ã‚   Plan the event ahead. Every time we talk about raising funds, we should remember that it is an opportunity for the sponsor to make an association with their names. In other words, when larger businesses facilitate your budget, they hope to receive their fair share of advertising in return, even if it is charity. These are the rules of the game, and by creating a scenario of the future venue in your head, you make it easier for sponsors to follow your thought.   Ã‚  Ã‚   Think of the assets. Before the event takes place, make a small excursion around the area to identify the best places for the brand name of the company. Like any other venue, charity organization demands time and effort. You should search for all potential spots where the commercial banners can be placed so that they catch the guests’ eye immediately. However, you should not make your advertising tacky, as the objective of the venue does not represent commerce alone.   Ã‚  Ã‚   Provide the goody bags. We all need encouragement, so do not forget to present your guests with a memorable gift. It does not necessarily have to be a luxury item or a golden piece (after all, we are talking about raising money for a good cause – they don’t call them goody bags for nothing). However, you can opt for a notebook with the company’s initials and basic information about the aim of venue. Frequently, guests are presented with the bags at the entrance, but you can do this throughout the party to produce an impression.   Establishing the relationships If you think that your venue details are in order, it is time to manage relationships between the sponsors. You should be as diplomatic as possible, and remember to stick to the original plan. In case you are on a limited budget and the local businesses cover all the costs, you should still be ready to provide an outlay of the future event. Once you know your sponsors are going to be with you, you should delegate someone on your team to ensure friendly relations throughout the entire campaign. This is done in order to secure future meetings: in case you plan to organize similar events in a couple of months, you want your sponsors to keep coming back to you no matter what.   Venue recap Delegate people who are good at communication and are excellent conversationalists. Assisting a charity event is no easy job, and you will need as many helping hands as you are able to find. Discuss the event prior to its start in order to clear up the details and make sure you found a mutual agreement in terms of finance and logos. In case you have contrasting opinions or your views differ on the objective of the event, share them with your colleagues and members of the board, so that you can come to similar conclusions together. After the event is over, do not forget to send a letter of gratitude to all your sponsors, indicating the number of the guests that attended the party, the money raised and the general impressions of the public. It would be a wise gesture to thank your fundraisers for the opportunities provided. We always think of a charity event as a duty, but there is a side to this issue you probably never knew, especially if you are the head of the group, responsible for the venue and everything, related to it. Do not underestimate the importance of recapping an event and highlighting the details, as you inform your sponsors of the press coverage. Their name should be associated with the event, and the goody bags we mentioned in the beginning will help the guests remember the organizers. Local businesses are no exception to the rule when they want to give feedback to their customers and deliver the best performance, whether it is an advertising campaign or a charity issue.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Triangle Order Fulfillment Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Triangle Order Fulfillment - Case Study Example Triangle Order Fulfillment Analysis In June the total number of orders that was received was 280900. The total number of defected orders was 2227. Defects per opportunity can be calculated here by using the formulae DPU= number of defect/number of opportunities = 2227/280900 = 0.0004081 This value is small indicating that the defects level is average. However the next month see the company having a DPU of 0.0089. This is a very large increase showing us that the level of error per total number of orders has increased. In august, the DPU reduced with a small range from that of July to get 0.0085. After this the DPU has been increasing steadily to reach 0.009 in November six months after the first DPU is measured. The increase in the DPU over the years shows that there is an increase in the number of low quality work that is done by the staff. The DPMO of all the months can be calculated as DPMO= 1000000*DPU. The DPMO of the month of June is 1000000*0.000408 this gives us 408. The DPMO of the next month increase s to 8800 showing a significant increase over the two months. The DPMO of the following months has been on the increase increasing steadily to reach the 9000 mark. This value shows that if one million orders are taken then 9000 of they will have defects. Though this might seem a small number, the problem comes by the way that it has arisen from 480 to 9000. . This shows that there are some changes that have been seen over the past 6 months. The graph below shows the way that the DPU as well as the DPMO have been increasing over the past 6 months.... This shows us that there might been a change or a significant event occurred between June and July to cause the changes that occur in the change in the DPU. K sigma can also be calculated from the above data but the standard deviation has to be calculated first. From the data the SD= 567. K= tolerance/ (2*SD) this we get the K sigma to be 1000000/ (2*567) ewe get value 881. Therefore the value is high and shows that the quality rate is reducing every time. If these defects are to be reduced then six sigma should be adopted by the company. There are lots of benefits that come with the use of six sigma, one is the improvement in quality of the work that is done, six sigma also provides an opportunity for the removing of the causes of defects in the organization and to also make sure that variability is reduced. The quality management tools that are used by six sigma also provide a special infrastructure of the general work force and this in turn helps the management to know the experts in each specific fields. For Ms. Jackson to convince Mr. Nguyen of the importance of six sigma, she needs to get all the benefits of six sigma and list them to the manager. She also needs to do research on companies that have successfully used six sigma and how they have benefited from the six sigma method. She also needs to inform the manager, that even if the implementation of six sigma would cost the company, it will help in saving for the expenses that come due to low quality. For six sigma to be in fully implemented, the following roles have to be taken The executive leadership has to be taken. The CEO and the top members of the management are to be in this category Champions who have the responsibility of implementing the six sigma Master black these are identified

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

'Capitalism is a force of progress for business and society'- Discuss Essay

'Capitalism is a force of progress for business and society'- Discuss - Essay Example Countries like America have ensured that its people make the best out of capitalism, unlike countries that govern their people by using the socialistic system (Murphy, 2007, p.2). There are certain freedoms that capitalism has provided to the people with the help of democratic rights of freedom. They include that as a US citizen one is not bound to one job. If he feels the need to leave it, then he has full rights to do so and no law bounds him from leaving that job (Murphy, 2007, p.3). Along with that, capitalism also provides the opportunity to be self employed by the help of a self-owned business or sell your own goods and services at the price he/she desires. Sometimes, capitalist form of economy and democracy are thought to be considered much adjacent to each other, however in reality it is quite the opposite. The economic growth that the world saw for a quarter of a century may say otherwise after the World War, but after that, the international economy simply deteriorated sinc e then. That quarter of a century of progress made people assume that democracy and capitalism together result in economic growth. But the events later to that growth prove otherwise. The economic meltdown of 2008 itself is a proof for that matter. (Cammack, 1997, p.252) The political rights and school of thoughts determined that in order to make capitalism the primary form of economy, democracy had to be abolished because it gave power to the authority, or in other words power of the weak and poor over the rich. They even warned that capitalist forces may even start a campaign to destroy democratic form of governments to avoid redistribution of the capital. In order to align Democracy and capitalism, it was proposed after the World War that it could only happen if key industries and sectors of the economy were nationalized and a more co-determination by the workers as it happens in Germany. (Cammack, 1997, p.252) Unlike a socialist country, where the state bounds you to a certain s et of jobs and where personal rights are not given at ease. However, capitalism has often been accused of their hypocritical by several critics in a number of ways. One such example of that includes the fact that even though people do have the right to choose their own jobs, nevertheless, it is undeniable that they are always at the mercy of the people who employ them (Murphy, 2007, p.3). When it comes to capitalism and the choice of occupation, the major factor that determines what job a person chooses is the salary (Anderson, 2000, p.24). With capitalism and the inequality that it brings into the economic order, it also creates a remarkable ridge between professions and the earnings that people make from them. For instance, in the United States, a teacher or a doctor earns around $40,000 to $50,000 in a year with most of the expenses going in their mortgages and rents ((Anderson, 2000, p.27). However, on the other hand professional sportsmen earn round $2 million to around $20 mil lion in a whole year, as the interest of several bookies and economic tycoons rely on them, even though they haven’t even graduated from college. The most expenses they have are their agents. Capitalism therefore has induced such in equals in our society where sportsmen are paid much heavily as compared to teachers and doctors. Capitalism is quite difficult to understand at times. This is because on one hand, it gives the people a free market to work in. People

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Abstract for Choices, Values, and Frame Essay Example for Free

Abstract for Choices, Values, and Frame Essay Reading 2.2 Kahneman,D and Tvesky, A. (1984), ‘ Choices, values, and frames’. Ameriacn Psychologist, 39 (4) Abstract This article discuss when consumers feel a certain price which is bringing the loss rather than the income, they are more sensitive to price. Consumers are feeling a certain price more cost-effective manner and the other a less cost-effective. They will accord the cognitive psychological evaluation to exhibit a completely different personal attitude and decision making. Economic decision making theory has always been that people are fundamentally rational animal. However, human beings have irrational features in many aspects. One of the most attract somebodys attention example is calling the â€Å"framing effect In this effect, the positive or negative way to make a decision has had a dramatic effect on subsequent choice. The researchers found that integration from the decision system of emotional preference were potential causes of framing effect. With the potential risk benefit choices need to pay the cognitive effort than defined benefit choice; however, determining the damaged choice and risk selection potential damage to pay cognitive effort is the same. There are two fundamental analyze principles for rational choice theory: dominance and invariance. Dominance can be defined that project A in the worst case is better than project B, project A should be accept. Invariance requires that human describe selectivity problem for the same thing that will draw the common preference. Framing effect can be divide two types: positive and negative. The positive frame shows risk-averse preference for gains. On the other hand, the negative frame shows risk- seeking preference for losses. In addition, in mental accounting, money can be attributed to the different types of account which cannot replace each other. People are always divide outcomes into different mental accountings and use decision value and experience value, in order to evaluate the results whether can be accepted. EXAMPLE To discuss the cognitive psychology effects our daily life, I will give a  example of rent or buy a house in Sydney. If we want rent a house or apartment in Sydney which have two bedrooms, a living room and 2 bathrooms, according to my experience, we need to pay 600-800 dollar each week. Most of us may not feel pressure to rent an apartment for one or two years. If we spend 20000 or 30000 as down payment which is use for purchase an apartment. I think we could be hesitating. We analyze that purchase a apartment is better than rent in order to live one or two years in some place. We are willing spend less to live although we make sure loss 600-800 each week. However, it leads to a value of experience, and this experience value effect our decision. Finally, we would rather to rent an apartment although we know it not a rational investment. Reading 8.3 Abstract This article point out that the exercise of power in the process of development and implementation of organizational information systems are very expensive and time consuming. Accordingly, the theory of ‘sociology of translation’ provides corresponding solutions for the organization. According to the theory, there are two important features in the problemastisation. Firstly, actor or group should more specific in a general problem to find a mental to solving. Secondly, actors should be defined identities in a plan that will use their skill and experience precisely. The author point out an example that senior manager enjoy the IT program and analyze it to use reducing cost as a new tool. In addition, most of the consultants believe that organizations should make clear position, future goals and behavior before implement IT strategy. Meanwhile, consultants also believed that IT system is great significance strategy for organizations lead to successful. For another example, IT consultants try them best to make sure problematisation steady. The successive problematisations build an exercise of power and prevent other alternative problematisations from getting onto the agenda of the project team. In conclusion, the author solves the problems in the information technology process in the theory of concepts. Consultants adopted the theory of  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœsociology of translation’ to solve organizations’ problem. Discuss the nature of the relationship between external management consultants and customer or user groups. The author considers the other resource management role and differential access to its knowledge and skills, such as an important exercise of power relations. Example ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning): Enterprise resource planning system is basing on information technology. The use of information technology implementation of enterprise supply chain management, in order to realize scientific management of each link in the supply chain. ERP integrates information technology and advanced management ideas become the modern enterprise mode which reflecting the era of enterprise reasonable allocation of resources. It maximizes the creation of social wealth and become the cornerstone of corporate survival. In the company, the general management mainly includes three aspects: production control (planning, manufacturing, logistics (distribution), procurement, inventory management) and financial management (accounting, financial management); three systems are integrating and the importance of human resources constitutes the primary module of ERP system. The ERP system of business each module refinement, split, forming a relatively independent software syst em and the seamless connection, so that the enterprises of different scales can be freely combined according to need and make enterprise resource optimization configuration. Reading 1.3 Abstract The author claims a general make a strategic relate to several aspects. This article points out that your teammates or colleagues making decision will affect on yourself. Namely, the title of this article: â€Å"looking up and looking around†. Firstly, â€Å"looking up† is a basic human nature in any situation. In other words, when you meet a more experience and knowledge person (such as your manager and your boss) make a strategic, and then making decision follow how he/she would act. Secondly, ‘looking around’ is one of your opinions. When you work with your teammates or colleagues, you will find out how they deal with problems and what they make decisions. Then  you will follow their opinions to deal with yourself problems. The author also points out that â€Å"decision- making paralysis† always effect on everyone no matter you are middle manage or even the top manager and CEO. When face with a problem, human minds always goes blank. They want to find a solution to solve the problem. If not, they will look for someone to take the burden. On the other hand, they will afraid to make decision in any situation because they don’t want the decision bring fail. Most of managers suffer from anxiety that colleagues will find out their incapability. There is important problem that makes a rational strategic not only managers’ duty, it also relate to company’s structure and the project. Manager always are demanded to make a decision quickly which based on information transmits from primary levels. However, the information not particularly correct that leads to some wrong decisions in that situation. Obviously, the manager who makes the wrong decision in a organization should take the bl ame and be fired. This situation always happens in many companies. The author claims that a outstanding managers should have a rational analyze and quick thinking abilities. Example In my experience, when I worked at an international land sales company, my manager receives a project to help a China company find an office. Our team receive the order which needs a 300㎠¡ work place in shanghai CBD. Firstly, we should make a research to find out whether a suitable square. Our manager makes a decision to ask some building manager which is located in shanghai CBD. Finally, we find a suitable place for the China Company. However, when we check require with the company, our assistant told us we get wrong squares that is 400 ㎠¡. So our manager has to afresh contact to the building list. Fortunately, we found a 90 ㎠¡ near the former one. Our manager decides to connect the two work place to reach 400㎠¡. We successfully completed out task on time.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Essay --

Introduction: Since ancient times, human had two types of energy. The two types are conventional energy and renewable energy. At that times with the available knowledge which guided human to use solar, wind and water energy which are named as renewable energy. Renewable energy defined as the energy which produced daily from nature itself without any direct cause by humans or life creatures. The second type of energy is the non-renewable or the conventional type which is the energy kind which cannot be recreated and it is created from very long time by creature’s bodies such oil, gas and coal. 1. Discuss and write about the conventional sources of energy that is widely utilized in Oman and provide examples with statistics. Nowadays the common used energy is the conventional type. It is used all over the world widely. In Oman it is the main source of energy and economy where it generates the production of the secondary type of energy like electricity. All the modern life at all its sides and faces they depend in oil and gas only. The discovery of oil was in 1962 while the production started on the end of 1960s. Oman production of oil is about 924,000 barrels per day according to 2012 statistics. Oman consumes 124,000 barrels for entire use and the rest for export. Gas production in the same line with oil always it reached up to 936.55 billion cubic feet while the exported amount is 317 billion cubic feet only. Coal production still not utilized as a main source. Oman needs extra and extra energy year after year, all that because of the development and the rise on the population. For example between 2000 and 2010 the amount of electricity which is produced for Oman entire use increased from 8.6 to 18.6.g igawatts. As a modern l... ... for green life and for modern ways to protect all the nature resources. Renewable energy is the future of all life not only the energy because it has no side effect, and no limits for its availability. The renewable energy will be large industry same as oil and gas but it will be much easier and safer. Conclusion: References: 1. Oman’s renewable energy potential - solar and wind | Norton Rose Fulbright. 2013. Oman’s renewable energy potential - solar and wind | Norton Rose Fulbright. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.nortonrosefulbright.com/knowledge/publications/75892/omans-renewable-energy-potential-solar-and-wind. [Accessed 29 November 2013]. 2. U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). 2013. U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.eia.gov/countries/country-data.cfm?fips=mu. [Accessed 29 November 2013].

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Mannerism Artist

Mannerism appeared in response to the Renaissance style from Florence, Rome and Venice in the 1520’s. Unlike Renaissance artists to strove to make their art look as realistic as possible, mannerism artists broke away from this convention. Some of these key characteristics include abnormally elongated limbs, contorted bodies impossible poses and most importantly, artifice. Renaissance artists tried to disguise artifice where mannerism artists reveal imbalanced compositions, ambiguous space, departures from expected conventions and unique presentations of traditional themes (Gardner 612).There are great examples in paintings, sculptures and architecture that utilize these characteristics and give us a better understanding of what mannerism truly is. There were many influential painters in the 1500’s that took advantage of the freeing style of mannerism. One artist who stands out is Jacopo Da Pontormo. His piece, Entombment of Christ, (Capponi Chaple, Santa Felicita, Flora nce Italy, 1494-1557) embodies almost all of the characteristics assigned to mannerism.Christ’s decent from the cross-had been frequently portrayed by many artists before him. However, Pontormo took a different approach from his processors. Pontormo changed his picture plane from the traditional perpendicular plane by rotating image along a vertical axis. Because of this, the Virgin Mary falls away from the viewer as she releases her son’s hand (Kleiner 613). Another striking difference is how he positions the characters so there is an intentional void in the middle of the painting.How the bodies and limbs moves around the center accentuate the void. Also, the elongated limbs and bodies positioned in a contorted fashion depict the key characteristics of the style. For example, the figure holding Christ on his back has an elongated torso that does not seem to be anatomically possible. This painting gives the viewer an excellent example for how Pontormo and other manneri sm artist’s have split ways with the natural, realistic, and balanced principles of the Renaissance artists.The mannerism style can be seen across other mediums as well. Other artists took these new principles and incorporated them into sculpture. Giovanni da Bologna’s (born, Jean de Boulogne) Abduction of the Sabine Women, (Loggia dei Lanzi, Piazza della Signoria, Florence, Italy, 1579-1583) epitomizes the principles of figure composition for Mannerists. As seen by Pontormo, this piece is also created on a vertical axis. The bodies create a vertical, almost flame-like spiral movement. This sculpture was the first large-scale group since classical antiquity designed to be seen from multiple viewpoints†¦ † (Kleiner 619). Because of this, the piece changes immensely depending on where the viewer is standing. The figures also display extreme emotion that was not common before this period. For example, you can almost feel the woman figure’s pain and angui sh by her face, and how she is trying to break away from the young male figure. Mannerism also translates into the medium of architecture.This style of architecture also challenged the classical elements of balance, order and stability that were prominent in the Renaissance. Giulio Romano ended up being the leading architect in Mannerism. An example of his work would be the Palazzo del Te, Mantua, Italy, 1525-1535. The viewer can see his Mannerist style in the facades that face the interior courtyard. The deviation from the conventional architecture of the time is pronounced by revealing the artifice of the palace design. The keystones for example, either have fully settled or seem to be slipping from the arches-and, more eccentric still, Giulio even placed voussoirs in the pediments over the niches, where no arches exist† (Kleiner 620). The building is full of structural oddities and contradictions. For example, the architraves holding the columns up don’t look strong enough to support the building, giving the viewer the illusion that the building may come crashing down at any time.In conclusion, the mannerism style broke away from the conventional Renaissance style of order, balance and realistic paintings. It focused more on the artifice, elegant style and showing emotion through the figures. Although Mannerism did not last long, I believe this style of art helped artists break away from the strict rules of its predecessors and let the artist be free to express more emotions and to retell stories in a different way. Sources: Kleiner, Fred S. , and Helen Gardner. Gardner's Art through the Ages: A Global History. Boston, MA: Thomson/Wadsworth, 2009. Print.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Assertive Discipline

â€Å"Miss Collin was a nasty teacher that I had when I was 6 or 7 years old and, as a result of the psychotherapy I underwent in later years, I am now able to say that this teacher is responsible for most of the psychological damage I suffered with resulting suicidal tendencies. She used terror and humiliation to keep order in the classroom and did not hesitate to use the strap as her method of control† (Warnes 1). School children shouldn†t be afraid to attend their school because the teachers humiliate students, are mean and have strict rules. The overall purpose of public schools is to provide a simple learning environment so a student can obtain a good education. All students should be treated equally no matter where they are and should have the same rights as adults so they can reach their goal of graduating. Discipline is more than keeping a group of children or young people quiet while being talked to. Preserving good behavior is certainly one aspect to discipline, for learning it in an atmosphere of confusion is difficult. Children have to learn to conform to the rules of behavior needed in a classroom. Teachers have the right to ask for a quiet class, keep the students in their seats, and have the right to discipline them if they do not cooperate. When a teacher expresses his or her thoughts, feelings, and beliefs in direct, honest, and appropriate ways that do not violate the right of others, and when the message does not humiliate, degrade, or dominate the one being talked to, he or she is using Assertive Discipline. In order for a teacher to maintain control of his or her class they must use Assertive Discipline. In order for a teacher to have his or her needs met, they can influence the behavior of the children. Without influence a teacher is â€Å"powerless† and will become â€Å"burned out. † (Canter, 2) There is no simple answer to why this happens. A number of complex factors have combined to create an environment in which teachers are having trouble in getting personal and professional needs met. Until the past decade, the teacher was looked at as the main person in the classroom by students and parents. The teacher, simply because of their role status, had respect and authority. Thus, the teacher was a â€Å"powerful† figure in the eyes of the students and could easily influence the student's behavior, often with just a look, smile, or a threat. All of that is now changed. Today, a teacher has to earn the respect of both the students and their parents. A teacher's basic techniques of influence, or discipline, is no longer as effective as getting the desired results. The discipline approaches of the 1950's and 1960's do not work with the students of the 1990's. In addition, the teacher cannot rely on the strong support of the parents anymore. Many parents are openly questioning, the education that their children are receiving, and do not feel they want to support the needs of their child's teachers. Teachers cannot get their needs met in a classroom unless they have an effective method of discipline in which they thoroughly understand and comfortable utilize. An assertive teacher is: â€Å"One who clearly and firmly communicates his or her wants and needs to his or her students, and is prepared to reinforce their words with appropriate actions. † (Canter,9) When a teacher is assertive, and clearly and firmly communicates their wants and feelings to a child, they send a clear message. This message simply states: â€Å"I mean what I say and say what I mean. (Collins, 155) Lee Canter, a child guidance specialist, has found that while most teachers make lesson plans as a routine matter, very few make discipline plans. Planning is essential to teaching well. Lesson planning is second nature to teachers. Lesson plans are part of a professional routine, and are done almost automatically when the need arises. However, planning for discipline is an entirely different story. The vast majority of teachers have learned or have been exposed to the steps involved in planning discipline programs, especially those to be used specifically with disruptive students. Because of teachers' frustrations, all we often hear is their complaining about how difficult the students really are. Such complaining may help to relieve the strain of dealing with difficult students, but it in no way helps to solve the problem. Planning your discipline efforts, and utilizing assertive principles, are as essential to teaching as a lesson plan. (Charles,128) Discipline planning will structure and guide classroom management efforts the same as lesson planning for academic efforts. Discipline plans are important and helpful to all teachers. Charles, urges to make discipline plans according to the following steps: Identify any existing or potential discipline problems, specify the behaviors you want the students to eliminate or engage in, decide on negative and positive consequences appropriate to the student and situation, and decide how to execute the negative and positive consequences. (Charles, 129) Discipline planning is the systematic applications of the assertive principles the teacher exhibits. It involves focusing your attention on any existing or potential discipline problems you may have. These discipline problems may involve an individual student, or a group of students, or an entire class. Having good discipline enables the teacher to deal assertively with their students. He or she will know how to maximize their potential influence to get their needs met, with more difficult situations it may be useful for the teacher to engage in problem-solving and discipline planning with peers, school psychologist, principle or anyone who may be familiar with the students or have successfully managed similar problems. One final area needed for discipline planning are special activities. Special activities are those activities the students do not consistently engage in, for example, field trips or assemblies. A day or so before such an activity, the teacher must have some basic discipline planning. Once again, the teacher must determine the behavior wanted and not wanted, the limit – setting and positive consequences, and how the program will be started. The assertive teacher recognizes the fact that he or she has wants and needs and has the right to get them met in the classroom. The teacher is also aware of the limitations and realizes that they have the right to ask for assistance, whether it is from the principle, parents, or peers. (Charles,37) The assertive teacher should be aware of the child's need for warmth and support. An assertive teacher is aware that a limit setting response must be delivered in as effective a manner as possible. Eye contact is very important when trying to get a point made. Whenever necessary, the teacher plans how to back up their limit setting statement with appropriate consequences. This is done in order to maximize the influence that his or her response can have on the behavior of the child. (Canter, 28) Whenever required, teachers should be prepared to back up their words with consequences in order to motivate the behavior of more difficult children. He or she is aware some children need more support than others and is prepared to give that child as much as they can. (Canter, 32). The children learn to trust and respect an assertive teacher. The children clearly know the parameters of acceptable and unacceptable behavior. This gives them an opportunity to choose how they want to behave while knowing fully what the consequences will be for their behaviors. This does not mean that every child will like an assertive teacher, and does not mean that every child will behave. Some children may still decide not behave for any reason. All that an assertive teacher can do by his or her behavior is try to establish an atmosphere where he or she maximizes the potential for a positive teacher – child relationship. The major area where being an assertive teacher helps a child is when the student has special needs or problems. This when a teacher needs to step things up a notch and become more assertive. Some teachers may lose track of their assertive potential, but they have to teach the child how to behave in the appropriate manner. (Canter, 46) One problem area where a child needs assertive discipline is when he or she is confronted with peer pressure. This is when the student's fellow peers force him or her to do something, like throw spit balls or make funny noises to win the approval of others. This problem can be solved by confronting the child and telling him what he or she is doing wrong. This problem can also be solved by giving out a punishment like, writing on the chalkboard or may be standing in the corner with his or her back turned to the rest of the class. If all else fails, the teacher may want to call the child's home and plan a conference with the student's parents. Though most teachers feel threatened and overwhelmed by parents, especially if they are pushy or manipulative, they need to take a stand and thoroughly explain the situation going on with their child. (Rich, 145) The teacher has to be assertive with the parents and the child. The teacher should not down grade the problems they are having with their child. Instead they should tell the parents the way things are. For instance a teacher should not call the child's parents and say, â€Å"we have a little problem with your son,† when in actuality, the child had a violent tantrum. The teacher should let the parents know that they need their cooperation to discipline the child at home for his tantrum. If the teacher does not tell the parents what they truly feel then the child's tantrum will be even worse the next time. The corner stone of assertive discipline is the potential positive influence teachers can have on the behavior of their students. † Hand in hand with influence goes responsibility. † (Canter, 57) When teachers accept the consequences of their potential influence they accept the consequences of their potential influence they accept the responsibility to choose, or not to choose, to utilize this potential for the best interest of both themselves and the students. Assertive teachers recognize the responsibilities they have for the children. They know they cannot assert themselves and get their needs and the children needs met. They know they can have the impact on their classrooms if they choose to do so. Other teachers choose not to accept the reality of their potential influence. Thus, they are confronted with the following situations: they place themselves in a powerless position. They view themselves as a helpless victim at the mercy of the students, their parents, the principle, and the school system. Such teachers become the complainers. They complain about everyone and everything that â€Å"victimize† them. Charles, 120) They end up blaming all of their problems on others, and never on themselves. Mandatory uniforms is an answer that some give to stop the recent and alarming rise in violence and drop out rates in our public schools. Those that support uniforms argue that uniforms disguise economic and ethnic backgrounds, so students are no longer jealous of others. The financial burden on parents is lifted. But do uniforms really give all of these benefits? Can just one change in public schools make them so much better? The wearing of uniforms in more of the nation's public schools has been a much-talked about issue recently, with President Clinton and several members of Congress voicing their support. Supporters of school uniforms say social and economic classes would no longer be revealed by students' clothing, schools will have more of a sense of community, and students' self-esteem will improve. Some gang members have hurt or murdered innocent people because of a colored item of clothing they chose to wear. Proponents assert that uniforms will reduce this type of violence in schools and, therefore, make classes safe and orderly. Uniforms have been shown to reduce absentee rates as well. In situations where there are several different financial backgrounds attending the same school students may be under pressure, and possibly ridiculed because of failure to conform to the latest fashion trends. Everybody wearing the same styles of clothes might eliminate that. In response to growing levels of violence in our schools, many parents, teachers, and school officials have come to see school uniforms as one positive and creative way to reduce discipline problems and increase school safety. They observed that the adoption of school uniform policies can promote school safety, improve discipline, and enhance the learning environment. As a result, many local communities are deciding to adopt school uniform policies as part of an overall program to improve school safety and discipline. California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, New York, Tennessee, Utah and Virginia have enacted school uniform regulations. Even though social and economic barriers can be torn down, some schools have not had as much success. In fact, implementing mandatory school uniforms can be dangerous because it provides the community with a false sense of security. It is like putting a small bandage on an enormous wound, instead of attempting to find ways to truly deal with the bleeding. Although this can happen, uniforms prove to continue to be a success. In a recent study of uniforms in Georgia Schools, eighty percent of students stated that they did not feel that the uniforms reduced fights and 68. % felt that uniforms did not help to make them feel a part of school. I myself would not feel at any way individually squashed if I were made to wear a uniform. Everyone must look at the main issue pertaining to this topic. Our lives, without our individuality is meaningless. I would be more than willing to wear a uniform to school and be safe and let my personality express my individualism, and be judged for what I am than to be judged and be put into a life threatening situation for what color I was wearing.