The bird in the bush Essay Example

The bird in the bush Essay No one knew anything about us. We were the kids that stuck together everywhere, played Poke ©moon on our Somebody in the hallway and wore glasses. What are supposedly characteristics of a geek, but Dusk and I couldnt have cared less. Dusk was the best friend any guy could have. He was tall and lanky and had long, curly hair that cascaded like a waterfall to his shoulders. He wasnt what youd call hot, but he had a good attitude and that was all that mattered. He amused me, was brave and boundless, loyal and caring, everything everyone wants in a friend. It was during year 7 that Dusk and I met, we were the dorky guys that TLD have anyone to talk to, so I decided to say hi. Ive never regretted a moment after it. We lived so far from each other however that didnt stop us from accomplishing the fun things. We had sleepovers frequently which contained watching hours of star wars, reading comics and studying. Our nature adapted accordingly to the weather, drinking a nice cold beverage from Struck by the beach during the sweltering summer days and hitting up trivia night at the local bar on rainy days. We will write a custom essay sample on The bird in the bush specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The bird in the bush specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The bird in the bush specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer No one had ever brought so much Joy to my life. Dusk was the person I spent most of my time with and someone I cherished. One night Dusk called me, a regular occurrence as we had no other way of communicating outside of school. He told me how he had tried out for the basketball team and made it. I had never felt so proud and ecstatic for him. This was Dusks first ever real achievement. The day after Dusk couldnt come home with me as he had basketball training. He told me how they took It so seriously and how he could spend limited hours with me o concentrate on the sport. I stared at the wall ahead of me and a million thoughts rushed into my head. I felt like crying and managed to find the strength to say alright. Secretly, I wasnt. The following days I couldnt bear to look Dusk hang out in the cool group which consisted of Richard and a few other dicks. It wasnt me that I was concerned about, it was him. Days went by, followed by weeks. Instead of having Dusk with me during a movie marathon, I watched it alone and ate tubs of ice cream to put away the misery. He was happy and that made me happy. He was happy without me, and the thought of that left me broken to bits. One day, I heard a voice shout Hey you. It was Richard, I turned around to see if he had yelled at someone else but there was no one behind me. I wondered what he comfortable so I walked up and offered him a hand shake, he stared at it and looked up and glared me in the eyes. I have never seen this side of Dusk and it made me scared. Before I knew it, Dusk had me lying on the floor, helpless and winded. Get off I exclaimed. He stood up and called me a dirty little fagged. As I picked myself up and staggered away not taking notice of the bruise on my leg, I turned back and saw the look on his face. He didnt need to say it but I knew he was apologetic, shamed-faced and melted. Soon after, Dusk was the most popular kid in school. He started dating a girl named Macaulay. She was the most beautiful thing I have ever set my eyes upon and if Im not correct, the most beautiful thing anyone has ever set their eyes upon. Id see them kissing in the corridors on the way to class and in the corner of my eye see him touch ere inappropriately. What happened to my innocent friend, the guy I spent hours with, the guy that I shared so many good memories with, the guy that plastered a smile on my face every time, the guy that didnt even have the confidence to speak to a girl. Dusk had changed, I guess it was my time to change and forget about him. I lost someone I admired and appreciated so much. I had no other friends, without him I didnt have the confidence to do most things. Ultimately I decided to face my previous best friend and talk to him in person about y future and how I had spent the most memorable part of my life with him. I knew something wasnt right as soon as I saw his face. He had a peculiar look, dismal and about to burst into tears. I approached him cautiously and sat next to him on his front porch. He didnt seem to notice my arrival but as soon as I spoke he started to shed tears. He told me how he was sorry and missed me. Further down the conversation he told me about how Macaulay had been cheating on him with Richard. I comforted him and he said something to me I will never forget. Informer like the bird in the bush

Why Veins Look Blue Even Though Blood Is Red

Why Veins Look Blue Even Though Blood Is Red Your blood is always red, even when it is deoxygenated, so why do your veins look blue? They arent actually blue, but there are reasons why veins look that way: Skin absorbs blue light:  Subcutaneous fat only allows blue light to penetrate skin all the way to veins, so this is the color that is reflected back. Less energetic, warmer colors are absorbed by skin before they can travel that far. Blood also absorbs light, so blood vessels appear dark. Arteries have muscular walls, rather than thin walls like veins, but they likely would appear the same color if they were visible through the skin.Deoxygenated blood is dark red:  Most veins carry deoxygenated blood, which is a darker color than oxygenated blood. The deep color of blood makes veins appear dark, too.Different sizes of vessels appear different colors:  If you look closely at your veins, for example, along with the inside of your wrist, youll see your veins are not all the same color. The diameter and thickness of the walls of the veins play a part in the way light is absorbed and how much blood is seen through the vessel.Vein color depends on your perception:  In part, you se e veins as more blue than they really are because your brain compares the color of the blood vessel against the brighter and warmer tone of your skin. What Color Are Veins? So, if veins arent blue, you may be wondering about their true color. If you have ever eaten meat, you already know the answer to this question! Blood vessels appear reddish-brown in color. There isnt much difference in color between arteries and veins. They do present different cross-sections. Arteries are thick-walled and muscular. Veins have thin walls. Learn More Why Blood Isnt BlueWhy Babies Have Blue EyesWhy the Sea Is BlueChemical Composition of Human BloodIntro to Biochemistry Reference: Kienle, A., Lilge, L., Vitkin, I.A., Patterson, M.S., Wilson, B.C., Hibst, R., Steiner, R. (1996).  Why do veins appear blue? A new look at an old question.  Applied Optics, 35(7), 1151-1160.

Question and answer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Question and answer - Essay Example The theory requires that the goods should be tradable to enable high cost countries to import goods from low-cost countries; therefore, forcing currency values back to purchasing power parity. The big mac index has relevance because although there are other methods of comparing efforts the Big Mac index receives a lot of attention. For example, the United Nations and the OCED are involved in the International Price Comparison Programme, which analyses a wide range of prices; hence, producing more demanding estimates of the exchange rates that would eradicate price dissimilarities between their members (Carbaugh 394). I would not substitute it with a basket of goods index because it reflects more than just the cost of meat, bread and vegetables, but also non-tradable elements such as labor and rent; hence, comparing countries roughly at the same stage of development. The basket of goods looks at the non-tradable imports and services indicating that they should be alike in different countries. The global consumption habits can be derived by establishing the international correlation risk where inequalities in food consumption should be determined. The basket of goods reflects the inequality in food consumption where the little there is in the food basket it reflects how the global market is working. The between link currency and international trade is determined by various factors such as differential inflation where a country with low inflation rates exhibits a rising currency values. Secondly, the link between the two is differential interest rates where exchange, interest, and inflation rates are highly correlated because by manipulating interest rates the central banks exert influence over inflation. Additionally, the link between currency and international trade is brought about by public debt and current account deficits where some countries work with money that they do not have in

The Role of the Government Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Role of the Government - Essay Example In 2010, the US government has made affordable care Act. In this plan, the government has made comprehensive reforms for health care which will be implemented for four years. Some of these reforms include 50% discount for the senior citizens on buying the medicine, the age of young adults is increased to 26 years, and they are eligible for their parent’s medical plan up to this age. Around 4 million businesses that are small in scale, tax credit is eligible for them so that they can provide medical benefits for their employees (Healthcare, 2012). The US government, healthcare providers, and the employers should work hard to make sure that the health care is accessible to every person. Incentive should be given to the providers so that health services are expanded (Pomerance, 2011). Pomerance, D. (2011). Access to Healthcare: The Right of the People. Retrieved January 4, 2012, from www.healthmgttech.com:

Effects of Industrial Revolution in the World Essay Example for Free

Effects of Industrial Revolution in the World Essay Industrial Revolution [pic] In the 1700s, the world was on the verge of a great change – the industrial revolution. By the end of the eighteenth century, the industrial revolution was well under way in England and would spread to the rest of Europe, the United States, and Japan during the next hundred years. Before the industrial revolution, Europe and the rest of the world were rural societies. Over three quarters of the population lived on farms, and in the busiest of countries only a few hundred thousand out of several million lived in towns and cities. Tools and the few machines that existed then were made mostly from wood. European products were handmade and the power to operate these tools came from human muscles. The only other available power sources were wind and water, but the use of wind and water-powered machinery was restricted to places where the wind and water power was reliable. Therefore, what’s known as the domestic system was used. The domestic system is a form of manufacturing in which goods were produced in the homes, either alone or in very small groups. A few industries used simple factories, single-room buildings or workshops for the manufacture of luxury goods, such as cloth and the production on certain military weapons. â€Å"This world of cottage industries and wooden tools was about to be transformed. After the industrial revolution, only traces of this former existence would remain. † (Corrick, 12) The industrial revolution began in eighteenth-century England. England had money and natural resources, but most importantly, people. The industrial revolution required both workers and consumers. England had a population boom in the 1700s due to cured diseases, healthier childbirths, and more and better food. Economic historian Phyllis Deane says, â€Å"Without the rising demand for goods†¦which reflected†¦the growth of population, there would have been less incentive for British producers to expand†¦and hence some of the dynamism which powered the industrial revolution would have been lost. † (Corrick, 18) With the growth of population came the demand for goods and the need for better, easier, and cheaper ways to make these goods. England also had a natural abundance of iron and coal. Iron became increasingly important because it was a common building material and an essential factor in the development of mechanical production. With England’s jagged coastline, which provided excellent natural harbors, iron became a major export. In addition to people, natural resources, and inventions, money was needed to start the industrial revolution. England had roads, banks, insurance brokers, and all the things needed to open a business. Rich English traders were more than eager to put their wealth to work and invest in English industry. England had all the factors of production and was the ideal region for the start of the industrial revolution. Another great English industry aside from iron production was the textile industry. â€Å"The export of cloth accounted for about a third of all English trade, both at home and abroad. † (Corrick, 20) In 1733 John Kay invented the flying shuttle. When added to the regular hand loom, a single weaver was able to work the loom. Even though the weaving was still done by hand, it went faster and weavers turned out cloth much more rapidly. Following the invention of the flying shuttle were James Hargreaves and his spinning jenny, Richard Arkwright and the water frame, Samuel Crompton and Crompton’s mule, and probably most importantly, James Watt and the steam engine. With the ending of Watt’s patents, other inventors were able to make the steam engine more powerful and find more uses for it. By the beginning of the nineteenth century, the industrial revolution played an important role in England. New and larger factories were filling the English landscape. In the meanwhile, the revolution began to spread: first to Western Europe, then all over the world. Although England was the center of the revolution, France had its fair share of inventors. Nicolas-Louis Robert developed a machine that turned out paper in long rolls, Claude-Louis Berthollet invented chlorine bleaching of linen, and Joseph-Marie Jacquard built a machine that was able to pattern cloth with elaborate designs. Despite these new inventions, most technology was still found in England, so Europeans were drawn to England to study the new machines. England tried to stop it by passing laws banning the export of technology, but they couldn’t stop the technology transfer from England to the rest of Europe. When Napoleon Bonaparte rose to power in France, it became more difficult for the industrial revolution to come to continue spreading in France. Although Napoleon promoted modernization of the French textile industry, England was soon at war with Napoleon and established a naval blockade of Europe. The blockade cut off French manufacturers from raw materials normally imported from England. Once Napoleon was defeated at Waterloo, France began modernizing industry with illegally bought British equipment and imported English workers. However, unlike England whose iron production played an important role in industry, â€Å"French industry instead concentrated on a ‘lighter’ type of manufacturing, particularly the luxury trade. † (Corrick, 35) The French specialized in printing designs onto cotton cloth and also got into the manufacturing of furniture. Germany also had a hard time industrializing. Germany was not a unified country and the independent states were separated by religion, currency, and even viewed each other as economic rivals. â€Å"They discourage emigration and levied custom duties†¦not only on goods entering from other states but even on trade between towns and cities within the same state. † (Corrick, 36) There were many economic barriers between the German territories. One German state, Prussia, played a major role in bringing industry to Germany. Prussia joined with a number of states to form the Zollverein. They didn’t charge customs and allowed goods to go freely though their territories. The other states were at an economic disadvantage and joined the Zollverein. Now manufacturers were able to move in and set up factories within the union’s boundaries. Prussia also helped remove serfs and guilds, which were both standing in the way of industry. Now that serfs were no longer bound to their landlord’s farms, Germany was exposed to an important amount of capable industrial workers. In1810, Prussia enacted a law that opened manufacturing to guild and non-guild members, Other German states followed Prussia’s lead and by the 1830s, many obstacles to German industrialization were down. The industrial revolution didn’t stay in Europe. It eventually spread to the United States and Japan as well. Unlike most countries, Japan was extremely resistant to industry. Japan had a strict policy of isolation from the rest of the world. The rulers of Japan, or the shoguns, thought of the rest of the world as barbarians, and didn’t want corrupt foreign ideas to pollute Japanese society. For that reason, the Japanese lacked all modern technology, and it was for that same reason that July 8, 1853 marked one of the greatest turning points in Japanese history. On that day, US Commodore Matthew Perry sailed into Edo Bay with orders from President Millard Fillmore the Japanese to open Japan to the outside world, even if using force was necessary. The Tokugawa shogunate was in charge of Japan at the time and the government attempted to show the strength of Japan’s military, but Commodore Perry was well aware that his military advantage was superior. Eventually the Tokugawa realized that their forces are no match for the American military might, so in 1854 Japan gave in and signed the Treaty of Kanagawa with the US. Once Japan was open to the US, there was no way to close it. Japan in due course signed treaties with England, Russia, and Holland. The stage was now set for revolution in Japan, leading to the Meiji Restoration, and ultimately to the beginning of industry. Japanese daimyos launched a brief rebellion and were able to overthrow the Tokugawa. â€Å"Rather than submit to the same fate (as Korea, China, and other East Asian islands being dominated by the West), Japanese leaders decided on a bold and unprecedented strategy†¦to initiate a massive modernization program†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Nardo, 21) They believed that there was no other way for Japan to become a great independent nation, and through odernization Japan could be militarily and economically equal to the Western powers. The newly empowered Meiji made a major change – industrialization. He sent young upperclassmen to Europe and America to learn engineering, economics, and military science. Every year he ordered the construction of new railroads, steamships, ports, and canals. Huge corporations now dominated the economic landscape. Industrialization arose in Western European countries because they desired it. People always wanted more, and they wanted it fast. France saw British success and wanted it. German states such as Prussia saw the British success and wanted it. That was the difference between industrialization in Europe and industrialization in Japan: Japan didn’t want it. Japan was determined to stay isolated as long as possible and only rose to the challenge of industrialization because they realized the dangers of not industrializing. The Japanese were too proud to be economically and militarily less superior to the rest of the world. The industrial revolution was a major turning point in world history.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee :: To Kill a Mockingbird Essays

To Kill A Mockingbird Essay ï » ¿ Injustice is a problem which everyone faces. Nobody likes to suffer from injustice, yet they make others suffer all the time. Yet some individuals like Atticus Finch rise above this injustice enough to stay proud of his ways and to know what he was doing was truely right. Other individuals like Boo Radly hide indoors practicing ways â€Å"Alien† to Maycomb believing what he was doing was morally right and he would be repaid in his afterlife. The last man who rises above injustice is Tom Robinson, who has been charged with a crime he didn’t commit but yet he stayed strong enough to be able to think beyond it and win his court case. In the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, there are three characters who suffer the most injustice. These people are Atticus, Tom Robinson and Boo Radley. Atticus, a man with great wisdom, suffers from the fact that he had taken on a Negro case. He was constantly persecuted for his decision by all classes in Maycomb county, which made him have to work even harder and keep his head up if he was going to overcome the odds and win the trial. Even though his family was made fun of, he stuck with his choice and worked the hardest he could to ignore the threats and harassment. Some people almost tried to turn his own kids against him through persuading them against him and telling them about the different ways of Atticus; â€Å"‘Do you know he can play a Jew’s Harp?’(About Atticus) this modest accomplishement served to make me even more ashamed of him†(Lee 90). He did very well to ignore all the abuse and was greatly respected after the trial was over. Another person who suffered from injustice was Tom Robinson. He suffered a different type of Injustice than Atticus Finch though. He suffered a Racial Injustice, a raw, upfront injustice; â€Å"‘I seen that black nigger yonder ruttin on my Mayella’†(Lee 173). He was charged with a crime he did not commit. His side of the story was not believed because he was black, which really shows the amount of injustice during the time the novel was set in. Through the whole trial, he did not retaliate at the white people, he did not get mad because he was improperly accused, he just showed the level of respect which everyone deserves.

HR Plan for Principle Financial Group Essay

Human resources are the most important aspect of any organization in today’s world. The developing idea of the necessity of HR department and the need of making the efficient and timely use of the organization’s resource for the betterment of the organization has taken recent importance. Companies that are the giants of business arena have made it sure that their sole target is not to keep their customers satisfied but also to ensure that their employees are satisfied with their work and they are giving their best output. The paper will look into the organization named â€Å"Principle Financial Group† that how the HR of organization works and how they are making it work better. Principle Financial Group The organization Principal Financial Group (The Principal) is a worldwide financial services contributor which provides an extensive variety of financial commodities, and is a U. S. leader in 401(k) plans. The Headquarters of The Principal are based in Des Moines, Iowa, USA. The corporation is serving more than 18 million customers globally. By September 30, 2009, the organization had assets amounting more than $280 billion. In May 2009, Fortune Magazine had listed The Principal as 273rd in the list of 500 largest companies in USA. It is also considered as the most Ethical Company of the world and has received many awards due to this quality (Principal. com, 2010). The organization was founded by Mr. Edward Temple in the year 1879 by the name ‘Bankers Life Association’ and it used to provide life insurance to the men aged between 22 to 55 years. Since then, Mr. Edward served as the President of the organization for thirty years and the organization saw its prosperity under his leadership. In the year 1985, after nearly a century, Bankers Life Company became Principal Financial Group (PFG). The company started to expand and decided to provide its services in other countries too that included Brazil, China, Argentina, Chile, Hong Kong, Mexico and India. In October 2001, the company offered its initial public offering and became listed in New York stock Exchange (Principal. com, 2010). The competitors of PFG are AXAHY. PK, John Hancock Financial Services Inc. , a privately held organization and Lincoln National Corporation. PFG ranks to be the highest amongst the three mentioned (Daily Finance. com, 2010). The Culture of Principal Financial Group Culture is the way people work in an organization. It the way employees are thought to behave and perform their tasks. Culture is an important aspect of any organization as with out culture and organization would not function properly. It may not seem to be an integral of any organization’s success, but when giant corporations are looked over, it would come to our realization that culture makes each and every organization distinguish itself from others. Cultures can originate from many factors and they can also become the permanent way of work performances. Stories, jargons, ceremonies are part of an organization’s culture. Culture can be formalized i. e. , followed strictly by the words of book, or it can also be simple. In which ever way culture is followed, it makes an important component of an organization and it also helps employees get familiarized with the place they work in. Culture of PFG Culture of PFG is very vibrant and helps employees enjoy the work they do. The culture of PFG is embedded with their commitment to honesty and togetherness. They believe in team work and they want to excel at what they do. There are certain components of their culture. They are: Commitment to diversity, Commitment to development, Commitment to community and Commitment to ethical practices (Principal. com, 2010). They have faith in diversity if employees in organization. They respect the employees which hail from different back grounds and consider that their experiences and their knowledge would help the organization perform better. They appreciate learning from them and value the differences present amongst each other. Development is important for the organization. Training to the employees is important and they accept the fact as true. They have their training programs and they enhance the capabilities of the employees’ not for the organization only, but they trust that employees should be given importance as they give importance to their work. Additional development openings are provided to the employees through Employee Resource Centers. These centres foster a way of learning amongst the employees. These groups give a proper work setting for the employees who have common interests, and they provide career development opportunities and reach out the community for the purpose of recruitment and selection. Some of the employees resource groups are; ‘Asian Employee Resource Group’, ‘Disability Employee Resource Group’, ‘Muslim Employee Resource Group’, ‘Women in Technology Group’ etc (Principal. com, 2010). Core Values of PFG Their core values are the factors that are critical to their success. They are factors which help the organization make its decision and they do not change. These factors give the organization its personality. They are customer focused and they believe that customers will help their organization grow and they are very concerned about what their customers want and desire. Be it any business or an individual that needs financial assistance, they make it sure that their customers are provided with complete choice and control in their financial provisions. Training and Development at PFG Training and development of employees is another important aspect of the organization. The organizations that ignore the aspect of training and development come across many troubles at the later stage of their organizational life cycle. They fail to stay in touch with the recent development in the environment and their response to those changes is laid back which results in failure. In order to stay in touch with the regular changes in internal as well external environment, companies must train and develop their employees. Importance of training and development can not be ignored. Timely training and development not only helps the employees, but it also provides organizations with competitive advantage over their competitors (Noe, 2009). Employee development is another critical to success factor of the organization. Excellent culture with growth opportunities is what PFG gives to its employees and it believes that continuous training and development will help them retain employees and would give satisfactory results to the organization. Change and innovation is another key to success for PFG and it works on it to help employees change with ease and flexibility (Principal. com, 2010). Profitability and sound financial performance is also the success factor of the organization. Along with operational brilliance they provide their customers with timely solutions and satisfactory results with their products and services. With fierce competition they are faced with, PFG has been able to remain an outstanding financial solution to many institutes and individuals (Principal. com, 2010). Recruitment and Selection When recruiting and selecting the employees, PFG follows the guidelines of EEOC. i. e. , Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. They are fully dedicated to the concept of the equal employment opportunities and it is evident through the diversity of the employees in the organization. The policy is to hire, train and develop employees regardless of gender, color, race, religion, pregnancy, national origin, sexual orientation, etc. Harassment of employees on these differences is strictly forbidden in the company. However, the things to decide their eligibility to the employment are their competence, qualification and their merit (Roberts, 2008). In the work place the employees are treated with great respect. Diversity in the organization makes employees accept each other’s differences as the basis of their learning and experience. The principles they follow at their work place are: work schedules are flexible to cater to the needs of their employees. They believe that employees should be given the required flexibility so they do not find hindrances in their personal as well as professional lives. Multicultural celebrations are norms at PFG. Employees learn the cultural celebrations of their colleagues and they respect each others traditions. This creates the bond between employees and they value the contentment of their partners. For the expectant mothers, PFG is very considerate to help them during their pregnancy. PFG provides prenatal care to the mothers and ensures that working mothers who are expecting their babies are to be taken care of. They do not discriminate them on their health issues. For Muslims, they also provide a separate prayer rooms to ensure that that religious obligations do not go unattended and it helps the employees respect the religious needs of their counterparts (Principal. com, 2010). Compensation Management in PFG Compensation management is other important aspects of an organization’s contend employees. Efficient compensation management gives the employees with advantage of performance management too. These two aspects are closely linked. Employees must know that their compensation would tend to increase if they outperform their colleagues and give performance that is beneficial towards meeting the goals of the organization (Berger & Berger, 2008). Compensation Management in PFG is based on the competitive salary system and salaries are evaluated yearly on the basis of the performance of the employees. They also get to participate in the annual incentive program which is subjective to the performance of the organization as well as the individual performance. They call it PrinPay (Principal. om, 2010). The organization’s compensation package is not just salary but it comprises of different benefits provided to the employees. These benefits are the medical benefits which can be customized by the employees according to their choice. Dental benefits include different dental services. Other benefits are vision coverage, wellness programs, and flexible spending accounts. Financial benefits provided to the employees include the retirement programs with 401 (k) plans, stock purchase program and treatment to short term and long term disability of the employees. The financial and health benefits are not the only incentives that are given to the employees of the organization. The employees enjoy the time off facility called ‘Personal Time off (PTO)’. The PTO is saved in a â€Å"PTO Bank† and employees earn extra hours at the year end. Nine paid holidays are given to the employees through out the year, and they are also given some time off for voluntary activities they want to perform. PFG does not believe in standardized compensation package and year end salary raises are all subjected to the performance of the employees (Principal. com, 2010).