Communication Skills Essay

1. Summary In summary, this report is based on the based on how the skill of effective communication can improve your writing, listening, conflict and anger management skills. It is seen that communication is the key to proper writing which is critical to tertiary education students as is required for the successful completion of a certificate, degree and masters. Also, communication can be an influential force in effective listening, which is important for job interviews, group projects and communication in the workplace. Lastly, there is conflict and anger management which are problems that usually arrive due to the lack of adequate communication skills. 2. Introduction 2.1 Communication Communication is the exchange and flow of information and ideas from one person to another; it involves a sender transmitting an idea, information, or feeling to a receiver. Effective communication occurs only if the receiver understands the exact information or idea that the sender intended to transmit. Many of the problems that occur in an organization are the either the direct result of people failing to communicate and/or processes, which leads to confusion and can cause good plans to fail (U.S. Army, 1983). The following are elements of communication (Pearson, 1983): 1.1.1 Communication Channels This is the term given to the way in which we communicate. There are multiple communication channels available to us today, for example face-to-face conversations, telephone calls, text messages, email, the Internet (including social media such as Facebook and Twitter), radio and TV, written letters, brochures and reports to name just a few. As a result choosing an appropriate communication channel is vital for effective communication as each communication channel has different strengths and weaknesses. 1.1.2 Encoding Messages All messages must be encoded into a form that can be conveyed by the  communication channel chosen for the message. We all do this every day when transferring abstract thoughts into spoken words or a written form. However, other communication channels require different forms of encoding, e.g. text written for a report will not work well if broadcast via a radio programme, and the short, abbreviated text used in text messages would be inappropriate if sent via a letter. Complex data may be best communicated using a graph or chart or other visualisation. Effective communicators encode their messages with their intended audience in mind as well as the communication channel. This involves an appropriate use of language, conveying the information simply and clearly, anticipating and eliminating likely causes of confusion and misunderstanding, and knowing the receivers’ experience in decoding other similar communications. Successful encoding of messages is a vital skill in effecti ve communication. 1.1.3 Decoding Messages Once received, the receivers need to decode the message, and successful decoding is also a vital skill. Individuals will decode and understand messages in different ways based upon any Barriers to Communication which might be present, their experience and understanding of the context of the message, their psychological state, and the time and place of receipt as well as many other potential factors. Understanding how the message will be decoded, and anticipating as many of the potential sources of misunderstanding as possible, is the art of a successful communicator. 1.1.4 Feedback Receivers of messages are likely to provide feedback on how they have understood the messages through both verbal and non-verbal reactions. Effective communicators should pay close attention to this feedback as it the only way to assess whether the message has been understood as intended, and it allows any confusion to be corrected. Bear in mind that the extent and form of feedback will vary according to the communication channel used: for example feedback during a face-to-face or telephone conversation will be immediate and direct, whilst feedback to messages conveyed via TV or radio will be indirect and may be delayed, or even conveyed through other media such as the Internet. Without the above elements it would be impossible to  have effective communication. 2. Types of Communication People communicate with each other in a number of ways that depend upon the message and its context in which it is being sent. Choice of communication channel and your style of communicating also affect communication. So, there are varieties of types of communication. Types of communication based on the communication channels used are (Muhammad, 2012): Verbal Communication Nonverbal Communication 2.1 Verbal Communication Verbal communication refers to the form of communication in which message is transmitted verbally; communication is done by word of mouth and a piece of writing. Objective of every communication is to have people understand what we are trying to convey. In verbal communication remember the acronym KISS (keep it short and simple). When we talk to others, we assume that others understand what we are saying because we know what we are saying. But this is not the case. Usually people bring their own attitude, perception, emotions and thoughts about the topic and hence creates barrier in delivering the right meaning. So in order to deliver the right message, you must put yourself on the other side of the table and think from your receiver’s point of view. Would he understand the message? How it would sound on the other side of the table? Verbal Communication is further divided into: Oral Communication Written Communication 2.1.1 Oral Communication In oral communication, Spoken words are used. It includes face-to-face conversations, speech, telephonic conversation, video, radio, television, voice over internet. In oral communication, communication is influence by pitch, volume, speed and clarity of speaking. Advantages of Oral communication are: It brings quick feedback. In a face-to-face conversation, by reading facial expression and body language one can guess whether he/she should trust what’s being said or not. Disadvantage of oral communication: In face-to-face discussion, the user is unable to deeply think about what he is delivering; as a result they may say the wrong thing. 2.1.2 Written Communication In written communication, written signs or symbols are used to communicate. A written message may be printed or hand written. In written communication message can be transmitted via email, letter, report, memo etc. Message, in written communication, is influenced by the vocabulary & grammar used, writing style, precision and clarity of the language used. Written Communication is most common form of communication being used in business. So, it is considered core among business skills. Memos, reports, bulletins, job descriptions, employee manuals, and electronic mail are the types of written communication used for internal communication. For communicating with external environment in writing, electronic mail, Internet Web sites, letters, proposals, telegrams, faxes, postcards, contracts, advertisements, brochures, and news releases are used. Advantages of written communication include: Messages can be edited and revised many times before it is actually sent. Written communication provides record for every message sent and can be saved for later study. A written message enables receiver to fully understand it and send appropriate feedback. Disadvantages of written communication include: Unlike oral communication, written communication doesn’t bring instant feedback. It takes more time in composing a written message as compared to word-of-mouth. A number of people may struggle with their writing ability. 2.2 Nonverbal Communication Nonverbal communication is the sending or receiving of wordless messages. We  can say that communication other than oral and written, such as gesture, body language, posture, tone of voice or facial expressions, is called nonverbal communication. Nonverbal communication is all about the body language of speaker. Nonverbal communication helps receiver in interpreting the message received. Often, nonverbal signals reflect the situation more accurately than verbal messages. Sometimes nonverbal responses contradict verbal communication and hence affect the effectiveness of message. Nonverbal communication has the following three elements: 1. Appearance Speaker: clothing, hairstyle, neatness, use of cosmetics Surrounding: room size, lighting, decorations, furnishings 2. Body Language Facial expressions, gestures, postures 3. Sounds Voice Tone, Volume, and Speech rate 3. Barriers to Communication There exist many barriers to communication and these may occur at any stage in the communication process. Barriers may lead to your message becoming distorted and you therefore risk wasting both time and/or money by causing confusion and misunderstanding. Effective communication involves overcoming these barriers and conveying a clear and concise message. 3.1 Physical Barriers An example of a physical barrier to communication is geographic distance between the sender and receiver(s). Communication is generally easier over shorter distances as more communication channels are available and less technology is required. Although modern technology often serves to reduce the impact of physical barriers, the advantages and disadvantages of each communication channel should be understood so that an appropriate channel can be used to overcome the physical barriers (Ting-Toomey and Chung, 2004). 3.2 Psychological/Emotional Barriers To communicate effectively, according to McBride and Maitland (2001, p.117) you must clearly convey thoughts and emotions both verbally and nonverbally. Many times, emotional barriers on your part or the part of the person you are speaking with may inhibit your ability to communicate on an effective level. Your emotional state may influence your capacity to make yourself understood and hamper your understanding of others. 3.3 Cultural Barriers Cultures provide people with ways of thinking–ways of seeing, hearing, and interpreting the world. Thus the same words can mean different things to people from different cultures, even when they talk the â€Å"same† language. When the languages are different, and translation has to be used to communicate, the potential for misunderstandings increases. Ting-Toomey and Chung (2004) describes three ways in which culture interferes with communication as: 1. Cognitive Constraints – These are the frames of reference or world views that provide a backdrop that all new information is compared to or inserted into. 2. Behaviour Constraints – Each culture has its own rules about proper behaviour which affect verbal and nonverbal communication. 3. Emotional Constraints – Different cultures regulate the display of emotion differently. Some cultures get very emotional when they are debating an issue. However, this fails to take account of â€Å"Linguistic Constr aints† that may be involved when communicating with someone from a different culture. The lack of knowledge about all barriers can hinder your attempt to communicate effectively. 3. Effective Listening 3.1 Listening It is vital to keep an open mind while you are listening. If you have already judged a situation and come to an option you are likely to hear only those things which are consistent with your existing opinion. Focus on what the speaker is saying and how they are saying it. Failure to adhere to these rules it may make it difficult for you to communicate effectively and clearly understand what is expected of you, whether the requirements for an assignment or specifications for a module. Effective listening will be  crucial to your success in writing for educational advance (Cameron, 2009). 4. Conflict and Anger Management 4.1 Conflict Conflict is a lack of agreement between opinions and principles of needs, values and interests. Conflict can be internal (within oneself) or external (between two or more individuals). Conflict as a concept can help explain many aspects of social life such as social disagreement, conflict of interests, and fights between individuals, groups or organisations. In political terms, â€Å"conflict† can refer to wars, revolutions or other struggles, which may involve the use of force as in the term â€Å"armed conflict† (Myers, 2007). Conflict can be a major hindrance for effective communication, but can be controlled through proper communication skills. 4.2 Anger Management Anger is an emotion related to one’s psychological interpretation of having been offended, wronged, or denied and a tendency to react through retaliation. Anger is a normal emotion that involves a strong uncomfortable and emotional response to a perceived provocation. The term anger management commonly refers to a system of psychological therapeutic techniques and exercises by which someone with excessive or uncontrollable anger and aggression can control or reduce the triggers, degrees, and effects of an angered emotional state (Centrec Care, 2002). Through networks that facilitates proper communication such as therapy or counselling one can learn how to proper deal with their anger which can be a barrier to effective communication. 5. Conclusion In conclusion, these are all ways by which communication can be helpful to an individual who is interesting in building their employability, writing and interpersonal skills. Communication is vital to everyday task and can be the deciding factor on its successful completion or failure. Effective communication is a skill that can be applied to a wide variety of other skills. Once used properly this is no limit to the new skills you can attain. 6. Recommendations The purpose of this report is to inform readers on the importance of having effective communication skills and how it can help improve your other skills such as listening, writing and conflict management. I recommend that reader try to implement each of the listed skills above through communication to help them advance in their goals. Whether it is to listen more and talk less or just being aware of your tone and body language when communicating to others. You may be surprised by the difference in response you may receive from others. 4. References 1. SkillsYouNeed, 2013. What is Communication? [online] Available at: [Accessed 9 December 2013]. 2. SkillsYouNeed, 2013. Barriers to Effective Communication. [online] Available at: [Accessed 9 December 2013]. 3. McBride, P. and Maitland, S., 2001. The EI Advantage: Putting Emotional Intelligence into Practice. [e-book] Berkshire: McGraw Hill Professional. Available at: Google Books [Accessed 30 November 2013]. 4. Ting-Toomey, S. and Chung. C. L., 2004. Understanding Intercultural Communication. [e-book] USA: Oxford University Press. Available at: Google Books [Accessed 30 November 2013]. 5. Cameron, S., 2009. The Business Student’s Handbook: Skills for Study and Employment. 5th ed. Essex: Pearson Education Limited. 6. Muhammad, A. B., 2012. Communication Process. [online] Available at: [Accessed 5 December 2013]. 7. U.S. Army, 1983. Military Leadership. FM 22-100. Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office. 8. Pearson, J., 1983. Interpersonal Communication. Illinois: Scott, Foreman and Company. 9. Myers, G. D., 2007. Social Psychology. 9th ed. Berkshire: McGraw Hill Professional. 10. Centrec Care, 2002. Anger Management Counselling. [online] Available at: [Accessed 5 December 2013].

Budgeting Policy in Managing a Business

Budgeting is one of the fundamental concepts in managing a business and it is often up to the budgeting policies that the managers decides upon that will conclude where the company is going to make it in the industry or not. The budgeting policy a company decides upon will show the top management team where the money is being spent and, even more importantly, it will show the team prior to the spending actually occurring. If we refer to the four management functions (organizing, planning, directing and controlling), budgeting covers all four of them. Indeed, a responsible manager will be able to apply all four functions in what the budgeting policy is concerned. First of all, the top management will need to determine what the company's budget for the future period of time will be. This will need to take into consideration both the company's possible revenues during this time and the expansion strategy that the team has decided upon. It may be the case that the management team has designed an expansion on the market that will take up more of the resources than otherwise. While this may be the case, the spending must be determined by realistic plans and future achievements. Second of all, the top management team needs to organize the portfolio of projects and the investments it wants to develop in the subsequent period of time. Organizing the portfolio of projects also refers to determining (1) which projects of the portfolio will be done and (2) with what priority. Before the actual spending and investing begins, the company needs to have a organized set of future spending steps. The planning functions intervene in terms of properly determining the evolution of projects' costs in the period to come. Budgeting helps plan projects' costs so that we don't arrive at a situation where the company's finance is overwhelmed by costs during a period of time. In terms of directing, budgeting ensures that the funds are used where they are most necessary. Directing also refers to leading and the budgeting policies are direct means by which the top management leads within the company. Finally, the controlling function is essential in budgeting policies and strategies. Indeed, the controlling function ensures that the budget and the budgeting policies, previously established and decided upon, are fully respected. There is no point in having a healthy financial system within the company, corresponding to a well-planned budget, if this budget is regularly underestimated or overspent. The controlling function will keep track of projects' cost evolution, track down any inadvertence's that may appear and correct them in time. As we have seen from those previously presented, the budgeting function within the company is not only intrinsically linked to management, but the main functions of management are also reflected in a company's budgeting policies. It is essential, as pointed out, that the company properly analyzes what its sources are, how much of them it is willing to spend and, additionally, what future results and added value the investments will bring at a certain point in the future, in terms of the rate of return. A healthy budgeting strategy will lead to a healthy financial situation of the company and a solid development strategy for the future. Budgeting should be where every company strategy should begin.

Zoe’s Tale PART III Chapter Twenty

â€Å"Admit it,† Enzo said, through the PDA. â€Å"You forgot.† â€Å"I did not,† I said, with what I hoped was just the right amount of indignation to suggest that I had not forgotten, which I had. â€Å"I can hear the fake indignation,† he said. â€Å"Rats,† I said. â€Å"You're on to me. Finally.† â€Å"Finally? There's no finally,† Enzo said. â€Å"I've been on to you since I met you.† â€Å"Maybe you have,† I allowed. â€Å"And anyway, that doesn't solve this problem,† Enzo said. â€Å"We're about to sit down for dinner. You're supposed to be here. Not to make you feel guilty or anything.† This was the difference between me and Enzo now and then. There used to be a time when Enzo would have said those words and they would have come out sounding like he was accusing me of something (besides, of course, being late). But right now they were gentle and funny. Yes, he was exasperated, but he was exasperated in a way that suggested I might be able to make it up to him. Which I probably would, if he didn't push it. â€Å"I am in fact wracked with guilt,† I said. â€Å"Good,† Enzo said. â€Å"Because you know we put a whole extra potato in the stew for you.† â€Å"Gracious,† I said. â€Å"A whole potato.† â€Å"And I promised the twins they could throw their carrots at you,† he said, referring to his little sisters. â€Å"Because I know how much you love carrots. Especially when they're kid-hurled.† â€Å"I don't know why anyone would eat them any other way,† I said. â€Å"And after dinner I was going to read you a poem I wrote for you,† Enzo said. I paused. â€Å"Now that's not fair,† I said. â€Å"Injecting something real into our witty banter.† â€Å"Sorry,† Enzo said. â€Å"Did you really?† I asked. â€Å"You haven't written me a poem in ages.† â€Å"I know,† he said. â€Å"I thought I might get back into practice. I remember you kind of liked it.† â€Å"You jerk,† I said. â€Å"Now I really do feel guilty for forgetting about dinner.† â€Å"Don't feel too guilty,† Enzo said. â€Å"It's not a very good poem. It doesn't even rhyme.† â€Å"Well, that's a relief,† I said. I still felt giddy. It's nice to get poems. â€Å"I'll send it to you,† Enzo said. â€Å"You can read it instead. And then, maybe if you're nice to me, I'll read it to you. Dramatically.† â€Å"What if I'm mean to you?† I asked. â€Å"Then I'll read it melodramatically,† he said. â€Å"I'll wave my arms and everything.† â€Å"You're making a case for me being mean to you,† I said. â€Å"Hey, you're already missing dinner,† Enzo said. â€Å"That's worth an arm wave or two.† â€Å"Jerk,† I said. I could almost hear him smile over the PDA. â€Å"Gotta go,† Enzo said. â€Å"Mom's telling me to set the table.† â€Å"Do you want me to try to make it?† I asked. All of a sudden I really did want to be there. â€Å"I can try.† â€Å"You're going to run across the entire colony in five minutes?† Enzo said. â€Å"I could do it,† I said. â€Å"Maybe Babar could,† Enzo said. â€Å"But he has two legs more than you.† â€Å"Fine,† I said. â€Å"I'll send Babar to have dinner with you.† Enzo laughed. â€Å"Do that,† he said. â€Å"I'll tell you what, Zoe. Walk here at a reasonable pace, and you'll probably make it in time for dessert. Mom made a pie.† â€Å"Yay, pie,† I said. â€Å"What kind?† â€Å"I think it's called ‘Zoe gets whatever kind of pie she gets and likes it' pie,† Enzo said. â€Å"Mmmm,† I said. â€Å"I always like that kind of pie.† â€Å"Well, yeah,† Enzo said. â€Å"It's right there in the title.† â€Å"It's a date,† I said. â€Å"Good,† Enzo said. â€Å"Don't forget. I know that's a problem for you.† â€Å"Jerk,† I said. â€Å"Check your mail queue,† Enzo said. â€Å"There might be a poem there.† â€Å"I'm going to wait for the hand waving,† I said. â€Å"That's probably for the best,† Enzo said. â€Å"It'll be better that way. And now my mom is glaring at me with laser eyeballs. I have to go.† â€Å"Go,† I said. â€Å"See you soon.† â€Å"Okay,† Enzo said. â€Å"Love you.† We had started saying that to each other recently. It seemed to fit. â€Å"Love you too,† I said, and disconnected. â€Å"You two make me want to vomit so hard,† Gretchen said. She'd been hearing my side of the conversation and had been rolling her eyes the whole time. We were sitting in her bedroom. I set down the PDA and whacked her with a pillow. â€Å"You're just jealous Magdy never says that to you.† â€Å"Oh, dear Lord,† Gretchen said. â€Å"Leaving aside the fact that I so do not want to hear that from him, if he ever did try to say that to me, his head would actually explode before the words could even get out of his mouth. Which now that I think about it might be an excellent reason to try to get him to say it.† â€Å"You two are so cute,† I said. â€Å"I can see you two standing at the altar and getting into it right before saying ‘I do.'† â€Å"Zoe, if I ever get anywhere near an altar with Magdy, I authorize you to make a flying tackle and drag me away,† Gretchen said. â€Å"Oh, fine,† I said. â€Å"Now let's never speak of this again,† Gretchen said. â€Å"You're so in denial,† I said. â€Å"At least I'm not the one who forgot her dinner date,† Gretchen said. â€Å"It gets worse,† I said. â€Å"He wrote me poetry. He was going to read it to me.† â€Å"You missed dinner and a show,† Gretchen said. â€Å"You are the worst girlfriend ever.† â€Å"I know,† I said. I reached for my PDA. â€Å"I'll write him an apology note saying that.† â€Å"Make it extra grovelly,† Gretchen said. â€Å"Because that's sexy.† â€Å"That comment explains a lot about you, Gretchen,† I said, and then my PDA took on a life of its own, blasting an alarm sound from its speaker and scrolling an air attack notice on its screen. Over on Gretchen's desk, her PDA made the same alarm sound and scrolled the same message. Every PDA in the colony did the same. In the distance, we heard the sirens, posted near the Mennonite homesteads, alerting them because they didn't use personal technology. For the first time since the defeat of the Conclave fleet, Roanoke was under attack. Missiles were on their way. I rushed to the door of Gretchen's room. â€Å"Where are you going?† she asked. I ignored her and went outside, where people were bursting out of their homes and running for cover, and looked into the sky. â€Å"What are you doing?† Gretchen said, catching up with me. â€Å"We need to get to a shelter.† â€Å"Look,† I said, and pointed. In the distance, a bright needle of light was tracing across the sky, aiming at something we couldn't quite see. Then there was a flash, blinding white. There was a defense satellite above Roanoke; it had fired on and hit one of the missiles coming for us. But others were still on their way. The sharp pop of the missile explosion reached us, with not nearly enough time lag. â€Å"Come on, Zoe,† Gretchen said, and started tugging at me. â€Å"We've got to go.† I stopped looking at the sky and ran with Gretchen to one of the community shelters we had recently excavated and built; it was filling up quickly with colonists. As I ran I saw Hickory and Dickory, who had spotted me; they closed in and took either side of me as we got into the shelter. Even in the panic, people still made room for them. Gretchen, Hickory, Dickory, about four dozen other colonists, and I all hunched down in the shelter, straining to hear what was going on above us through nearly a dozen feet of dirt and concrete. â€Å"What do you think is happ – † someone said and then there was unspeakable wrenching noise, like someone had taken one of the cargo containers that made up the colony wall and peeled it apart, right on top of our eardrums and then I was tumbling to the ground because there was an earthquake and I screamed and bet that everyone else in the shelter did too but I couldn't hear it because then came the single loudest noise I had ever heard, so loud that my brain surrendered and the noise became the absence of noise, and the only way I knew that I, at least, was still screaming was that I could feel my throat getting raw. Either Hickory or Dickory grabbed me and held me steady; I could see Gretchen being held the same way by the other Obin. The lights in the shelter flickered but stayed on. Eventually I stopped screaming and the ground stopped shaking and something similar to my hearing came back to me and I could hear others in the shelter crying and praying and trying to calm children. I looked over at Gretchen, who looked stricken. I disentangled from Dickory (it turned out) and went over to her. â€Å"You okay?† I asked. My voice sounded like it was pushed through cotton from a distance. Gretchen nodded but didn't look at me. It occurred to me it was the first time she'd been in an attack. I looked around. Most of the people in the shelter looked like Gretchen. It was the first time any of these people had been in an attack. Of all these people, I was the one who was the veteran of a hostile attack. I guess that put me in charge. I saw a PDA on the floor; someone had dropped it. I picked it up and activated it and read what was there. Then I stood up and waved my hands back and forth and said â€Å"Excuse me!† until people started looking at me. I think enough people recognized me as the daughter of the colony leaders that they decided I might know something after all. â€Å"The emergency information on the PDA says that the attack seems to be over,† I said when enough people were looking my way. â€Å"But until we get an ‘all clear' signal we need to stay here in the shelter. We need to stay here and stay calm. Is anyone here injured or sick?† â€Å"I can't hear very well,† someone said. â€Å"I don't think any of us can hear well right now,† I said. â€Å"That's why I'm yelling.† It was an attempt at a joke. I don't think people were going for it. â€Å"Are there any injuries here besides hearing loss?† No one said anything or raised their hand. â€Å"Then let's just sit tight here and wait for the ‘all clear.'† I held up the PDA I was using. â€Å"Whose is this?† Someone raised their hand; I asked if I could borrow it. â€Å"Someone took ‘in charge' lessons when I wasn't looking,† Gretchen said when I sat back down next to her. The words were classic Gretchen, but the voice was very, very shaky. â€Å"We were just under attack,† I said. â€Å"If someone doesn't pretend like she knows what she's doing, people are going to start freaking out. That would be bad.† â€Å"Not arguing,† Gretchen said. â€Å"Just impressed.† She pointed to the PDA. â€Å"Can you send any messages? Can we find out what's happening?† â€Å"I don't think so,† I said. â€Å"The emergency system overrides usual messaging, I think.† I signed out the owner on the PDA and signed in under my account. â€Å"See. Enzo said he sent that poem to me but it's not there yet. It's probably queued and will get sent once we have the all clear.† â€Å"So we don't know if everyone else is okay,† Gretchen said. â€Å"I'm sure we'll get an all clear signal soon,† I said. â€Å"You worried about your dad?† â€Å"Yes. Aren't you worried about your parents?† Gretchen asked. â€Å"They were soldiers,† I said. â€Å"They've done this before. I'm worried about them, but I'm betting they're fine. And Jane is the one running the emergency messages. As long as they're updating, she's fine.† The PDA switched over from my mail queue to a scrolling note; we were being given the â€Å"all clear.† â€Å"See,† I said. I had Hickory and Dickory check the entrance of the shelter for any falling debris; it was clear. I signed out from the PDA and gave it back to its owner, and then folks started shuffling out. Gretchen and I were the last to head up. â€Å"Watch your step,† Gretchen said as we came up, and pointed to the ground. Glass was everywhere. I looked around. All the houses and buildings were standing, but almost all the windows were blown out. We'd be picking glass out of everything for days. â€Å"At least it's been nice weather,† I said. No one seemed to hear me. Probably just as well. I said good-bye to Gretchen and headed to my house with Hickory and Dickory. I found more glass in surprising places and Babar cowering in the shower stall. I managed to coax him out and gave him a big hug. He licked my face with increasing franticness. After I petted him and calmed him down, I reached for my PDA to call Mom or Dad, and then realized I had left it over at Gretchen's. I had Hickory and Dickory stay with Babar – he needed their company more than I did at the moment – and walked over to Gretchen's. As I walked to her house, her front door swung open and Gretchen burst through it, saw me and ran to me, her PDA in one hand and mine in the other. â€Å"Zoe,† she said, and then her face tightened up, and whatever she had to say was lost for a minute. â€Å"Oh, no,† I said. â€Å"Gretchen. Gretchen. What is it? Is it your dad? Is your dad okay?† Gretchen shook her head, and looked up at me. â€Å"It's not my dad,† she said. â€Å"My dad is fine. It's not Dad. Zoe, Magdy just called me. He says something hit. Hit Enzo's homestead. He said the house is still there but there's something big in the yard. He thinks it's part of a missile. Says he tried to call Enzo but he's not there. No one's there. No one's answering there. He said they just built a bomb shelter, away from the house. In the yard, Zoe. Magdy says he keeps calling and no one answers. I just called Enzo, too. I don't get anything, Zoe. It doesn't even connect. I keep trying. Oh God, Zoe. Oh God, Zoe. Oh, God.† Enzo Paulo Gugino was born on Zhong Guo, the first child of Bruno and Natalie Gugino. Bruno and Natalie had known each other since they were children and everyone who knew them knew that from the first moment they laid eyes on each other that they would be together for every single moment of their lives. Bruno and Natalie didn't argue with this idea. Bruno and Natalie, as far as anyone ever knew, never argued about anything, and certainly didn't argue with each other. They married young, even for the deeply religious culture they lived in on Zhong Guo, in which people often married early. But no one could imagine the two of them not being together; their parents gave their consent and the two of them were married in one of the best-attended weddings anyone could remember in their hometown of Pomona Falls. Nine months later, almost to the day, there was Enzo. Enzo was sweet from the moment he was born; he was always happy and only occasionally fussy, although (as was frequently explained, much to his later mortification) he had a marked tendency to take off his own diapers and smear the contents of them against the nearest available wall. This caused a real problem one time in a bank. Fortunately he was toilet-trained early. Enzo met his best friend Magdy Metwalli in kindergarten. On the first day of school, a third-grader had tried to pick on Enzo, and pushed him hard down to the ground; Magdy, whom Enzo had never seen before in his life, launched himself at the third-grader and started punching him in the face. Magdy, who at the time was small for his age, did no real damage other than scaring the pee out of the third-grader (literally); it was Enzo who eventually pulled Magdy off the third-grader and calmed him down before they were all sent to the principal's office and then home for the day. Enzo showed a flair for words early and wrote his first story when he was seven, entitled â€Å"The horrible sock that smelled bad and ate Pomona Falls except for my house,† in which a large sock, mutated by its own horrible unwashed smell, started eating its way through the contents of an entire town and was thwarted only when the heroes Enzo and Magdy first punched it into submission and then threw it into a swimming pool filled with laundry soap. The first part of the story (about the origin of the sock) took three sentences; the climactic battle scene took three pages. Rumor is Magdy (the one reading the story, not the one in it) kept asking for more of the fight scene. When Enzo was ten his mother became pregnant for a second time, with twins Maria and Katherina. The pregnancy was difficult, and complicated because Natalie's body had a hard time keeping two babies in it at once; the delivery was a near thing and Natalie came close to bleeding out more than once. It took Natalie more than a year to fully recover, and during that time the ten- and eleven-year-old Enzo helped his father and mother to care for his sisters, learning to change diapers and feed the girls when his mom needed a rest. This was the occasion of the only real fight between Magdy and Enzo: Magdy jokingly called Enzo a sissy for helping his mom, and Enzo smacked him in the mouth. When Enzo was fifteen the Guginos and the Metwallis and two other families they knew entered a group application to be part of the very first colony world made up of citizens of the Colonial Union rather than citizens of Earth. For the next few months every part of Enzo's life, and the life of his family, was opened up to scrutiny, and he bore it with as much grace as anyone who was fifteen and who mostly just wanted to be left alone could have. Every member of every family was required to submit a statement explaining why they wanted to be part of the colony. Bruno Gugino explained how he had been a fan of the American Colonization era, and the early history of the Colonial Union; he wanted to be part of this new chapter of history. Natalie Gugino wrote about wanting to raise her family on a world where everyone was working together. Maria and Katherina drew pictures of them floating in space with smiley moons. Enzo, who loved words more and more, wrote a poem, imagining himself standing on a new world, and titled it â€Å"The Stars My Destination.† He later admitted he'd taken the title from an obscure fantasy adventure book that he'd never read but whose title stayed with him. The poem, meant only for his application, was leaked to the local media and became something of a sensation. It eventually became sort of an official unofficial anthem for the Zhong Guo colonization effort. And after all that, Enzo and his family and co-applicants really couldn't not be chosen to go. When Enzo had just turned sixteen, he met a girl, named Zoe, and for some reason that passes understanding, he fell for her. Zoe was a girl who seemed like she knew what she was doing most of the time and was happy to tell you that this was in fact the case, all the time, but in their private moments, Enzo learned that Zoe was as nervous and uncertain and terrified that she would say or do something stupid to scare away this boy she thought she might love, as he was nervous and uncertain and terrified that he would do something stupid, too. They talked and touched and held and kissed and learned how not to be nervous and uncertain and terrified of each other. They did say and do stupid things, and they did eventually scare each other away, because they didn't know any better. But then they got over it, and when they were together again, that second time, they didn't wonder whether they might love each other. Because they knew they did. And they told each other so. On the day Enzo died he talked to Zoe, joked with her about her missing the dinner she was supposed to have with his family, and promised to send her a poem he had written for her. Then he told her he loved her and heard her tell him she loved him. Then he sent her the poem and sat down with his family to dinner. When the emergency alert came, the Gugino family, father Bruno, mother Natalie, daughters Maria and Katherina, and son Enzo, went together into the attack shelter Bruno and Enzo had made just a week before, and sat together close, holding each other and waiting for the â€Å"all clear.† On the day Enzo died he knew he was loved. He knew he was loved by his mother and father who, like everyone knew, never stopped loving each other until the very moment they died. Their love for each other became their love for him, and for their daughters. He knew he was loved by his sisters, who he cared for when they were small, and when he was small. He knew he was loved by his best friend, who he never stopped getting out of trouble, and who he never stopped getting into trouble with. And he knew he was loved by Zoe – by me – who he called his love and who said the words back to him. Enzo lived a life of love, from the moment he was born until the moment he died. So many people go through life without love. Wanting love. Hoping for love. Hungering for more of it than they have. Missing love when it was gone. Enzo never had to go through that. Would never have to. All he knew all his life was love. I have to think it was enough. It would have to be, now. I spent the day with Gretchen and Magdy and all of Enzo's friends, of whom there were so many, crying and laughing and remembering him, and then at some point I couldn't take any more because everyone had begun to treat me like Enzo's widow and though in a way I felt like I was, I didn't want to have to share that with anyone. It was mine and I wanted to be greedy for it for just a little while. Gretchen saw I had reached some sort of breaking point, and walked me back to her room and told me to get some rest, and that she'd check on me later. Then she gave me a fierce hug, kissed me on the temple and told me she loved me and closed the door behind me. I lay there in Gretchen's bed and tried not to think and did a pretty good job of it until I remembered Enzo's poem, waiting for me in my mail queue. Gretchen had put my PDA on her desk and I walked over, took the PDA and sat back down on the bed, and pulled up my mail queue and saw the mail from Enzo. I reached to press the screen to retrieve it and then called up the directory instead. I found the folder titled â€Å"Enzo Dodgeball† and opened it and started playing the files, watching as Enzo flailed his way around the dodgeball court, taking hits to the face and tumbling to the ground with unbelievable comic timing. I watched until I laughed so hard that I could barely see, and had to put the PDA down for a minute to concentrate on the simple act of breathing in and out. When I had mastered that again, I picked up the PDA, called up the mail queue, and opened the mail from Enzo. Zoe: Here you are. You'll have to imagine the arm waving for now. But the live show is coming! That is, after we have pie. Mmmm†¦pie. BELONG You said I belong to you And I agree But the quality of that belonging Is a question of some importance. I do not belong to you Like a purchase Something ordered and sold And delivered in a box To be put up and shown off To friends and admirers. I would not belong to you that way And I know you would not have me so. I will tell you how I belong to you. I belong to you like a ring on a finger A symbol of something eternal. I belong to you like a heart in a chest Beating in time to another heart. I belong to you like a word on the air Sending love to your ear. I belong to you like a kiss on your lips Put there by me, in the hope of more to come. And most of all I belong to you Because in where I hold my hopes I hold the hope that you belong to me. It is a hope I unfold for you now like a gift. Belong to me like a ring And a heart And a word And a kiss And like a hope held close. I will belong to you like all these things And also something more Something we will discover between us And will belong to us alone. You said I belong to you And I agree. Tell me you belong to me, too. I wait for your word And hope for your kiss. Love you. Enzo. I love you, too, Enzo. I love you. I miss you.

The 1931 Central China Floods know as the yellow river floods Research Paper

The 1931 Central China Floods know as the yellow river floods - Research Paper Example The region began to experience heavy snowfall due to cooling of the warm winds from the north, which were deposited majorly in the mountain areas close to the Yellow River basin (Chen, pp.184). As the spring of 1931 approached, the weather started to change coupled with the high temperatures. The high temperatures led to the melting of the snow that flowed into the three major rivers causing a rise in water levels. At the same time heavy rains stroke Central China due to cyclones that increased from the normal two to about nine cyclones causing storm surges in the region. These storm surges increased further the rising water levels of the three rivers especially the Yellow River. For several centuries, farmers had built dikes along the river banks to prevent it from bursting. In turn, this caused accumulation of silt along the riverbed and hence reduced the porosity of the soil around the riverbed and further increased the rising water levels (Shiyang, pp.175). The increasing water levels alongside the heavy rains overcame the dikes in Huayankou around Zhengzhou city in Henan province causing the river banks to burst leading to a massive flood of the central China plains. The drainage routes of the melting snow in the North, West and East Mountains were the three rivers that burst their banks. The water levels rose so high and by August, 1931 the capital city of China by then, Nanjing City was surrounded by an island of water of about a hundred thousand square kilometers. The two major rivers were also affected by the rising snow storms and heavy rains. Yangtze water levels rose to its worst between July and August due to high rainfall in this period, which was recorded to be around 24 inches of rain. On the other hand, Huai River burst its banks and led to an average rise in flood levels at an average of 5.6 ft above Shangai Bund. By

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Personality Traits-PSY - Essay Example One of the most highly used personality tests is the Myers Briggs personality assessment. For the online Myers Briggs survey, the Internet site classified me as ENFJ: extraverted, intuitive, feeling, and judging. Extraversion is a trait by which a person is naturally outgoing and is able to derive energy from being around people. Activities that extraverts like to commonly engage in deal with large groups of people such as parties, events, etc. Intuitive and feeling are traits that go together. Intuitive properties mean that a person relies on gut instincts and basic reactions when making decisions more so than hard facts and planning. In relation, those that display the feeling trait on the Myers Briggs survey are more expressive when it comes to their emotions. As a result, those that are extroverted and feeling are often vocal in expressing emotions. The judgmental category deals with how information is organized. People who express this personality trait often have what is consid ered the â€Å"Type A† personality in that everything tends to stay organized as well as organization through the use of lists, to do lists, etc. I think that the survey was able to describe me exactly perfectly. When asking the questions, there was no middle ground in picking an answer, which I think helps eliminate other variables, which would confound for the â€Å"gray† area in between personality traits.

POETRY COMMENTARY BEHAVIOUR OF FISH IN AN EGYPTIAN TEA GARDEN Essay

POETRY COMMENTARY BEHAVIOUR OF FISH IN AN EGYPTIAN TEA GARDEN - Essay Example She judges the personality of men around her and chooses a rich man for accompanying her as she sits alone waiting for â€Å"a collector, a rich man†. All other men get busy in their jobs after getting disappointed in her case. Different kinds of men are portrayed as different kind of fish. The old man is portrayed as â€Å"a cotton magnate† â€Å"with great eyepouches and a golden mouth† speaking of his richness, age and experience. The young man is portrayed as a â€Å"lean dark mackerel†. The poem comprises seven stanzas of dissimilar rhythmic pattern. However, the poem follows some pattern as it contains rhyming pattern such as first stanza has rhyming words like â€Å"fish, wish†, â€Å"afternoon, spoon† and so on. We can also find rhyming words in other stanzas such as â€Å"submarine, lean†, â€Å"chair, stare† and â€Å"see, be†. The lines of the poem are not complete in themselves as they are connected to one another and get completed in several lines such. For example, a full stop can be seen after four or five lines. The poem as a whole follows an organized structure as we can find four lines in each

Insolvency Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Insolvency Law - Essay Example This concept of COMI has been used to allow the more powerful creditor to choose the regime that best suits their needs to maximize their return on credit. The following discussion is going to examine the theory of Professor Jackson and then consider whether he is indeed correct with insolvency law in the UK in domestic cases and then in consideration of cross-border proceedings where the EU regulations apply. In the US insolvency law seems to more geared towards the creditor regaining their money back, because in good faith they have lent it out. Jackson argues that the assets of the individual should be pooled together and divided amongst the creditors on the strict economic basis to maximize the return of credit to the creditor.1 This would mean that the laws that offer this maximization of credit should be applied, even if there are different jurisdictions because the debt crosses state or international borders.2 Therefore this will be illustrated as the approach taken by the EU in regard to the new trans-border insolvency regulations, rather than individual actions for each creditor in differing jurisdictions. The enforcement of individual creditors needs versus the individual debtors needs is the soft approach that the UK system of law takes and NOT in the best interests of creditors because they should be able to get the maximum return of credit because they are already a loss. Jac kson argues this hard economic approach, rather than an approach that considers the interests of the debtor.3 This is fair because the creditor in good faith has lent this money to the debtor expecting its return; therefore in the case that this is not possible the maximization of this return should be available.4 Therefore the question that has to be asked is what would the creditors' agreed to take prior to the insolvency and divided the assets this way, in order to get some return on the money lent in good faith, which is known as the creditor's bargain: The Creditor's Bargain Model was developed by Professor Jackson. The model in simplest terms was utilized to analyze almost any bankruptcy issue by asking the theoretical question: What would creditors agreed to if they had been asked in advance of insolvency Professor Jackson argued that normative bankruptcy principles should be viewed as resolving a limited common-pool problem caused by the execution and enforcement of individual creditor remedies when the debtor has insufficient assets to satisfy all claims.5 As one can see in the formula that Jackson uses the rights of the debtor are not considered, such as the right to a home and funds to live on. In the UK there is a lot softer system; however in light of the cross border insolvency regulations that the EU has introduced this will soon change for cases that transcend borders. UK Insolvency Law: The following discussion will consider the SSGR and UK insolvency proceedings; however with COMI being in force the protections provided to the consumer may be eroded in another jurisdiction where

The strategy consulting companys products Assignment

The strategy consulting companys products - Assignment Example In its activities such as assessment, formulation and decision making, this firm concentrates on the interest of their customers who plays a vital role in the success of the organization. While carrying out their plans, this organization makes sure that it has put the interest of their clients above everything. In a business, buyers or clients play a significant role because they generate the necessary income to make the business continue running its projects and be able to pay its employees (Grant & Jordan, 2012). The MGT510 strategic management calls for a strategic choice, analysis and strategic implementation from a company while carrying out its processes (Grant & Jordan, 2012). However, in its operations, this organization carries an intense analysis of their clients by asking for so much details from them, a feature that the MGT510 strategic management does not mention in its ways of operation. This company collects so much information from clients to be sure of their credibility. As much as it is important to allow customers their privacy, it is also important to gather enough information from them to be able to know how to handle their cases (Robinson,

Organisational Behaviour Theories and Modern Learning Organisation Essay

Organisational Behaviour Theories and Modern Learning Organisation - Essay Example Specifically, it offers a wide-ranging tactical support within which abilities, instructing and growth strategies can be placed, thus providing teaching and HRM professionals with a tactic for advertising their products to higher management. Instead of training and capabilities being a bolt-on extra, learning transfers to centre stage and grows to be the principal organisational standard around which business policy and viable gain can be developed. Put plainly, there are said to be 3 different shapes of learning within an association: folks within an organisation learning belongings; organisational learning - where the organisation as a unit begins to develop means in which it can learn lectures in a group; and lastly the learning organisation - where the vital organisational objective is complete learning. The nature of the amendments needed becomes understandable as we look at the five-step prototype of development of a learning organisation submitted by Johnson (2002, pp. 241-249 ). The initial three steps of the model (Foundation, Formation and Prolongation) are taken to characterise a state of organisational learning. Phases 4 and 5 (Renovation and Transfiguration) represent evolution and conversion to becoming an entirely driven learning organisation. Foundation: Essential talents development, plus providing beginners with practices and eagerness to learn further. Basic human resources development plans to stimulate and put up self-belief for advance knowledge. Formation: Organisation promotes and develops skills for self-studying and self-development assists individual discover about the organisation and their position in it. Likelihoods and resources are set aside to meet requirement for learning. Renovation: An absolute transform in the form, look and traits or traditions of the organisation.

Opinion on 2 Students Discussion Board Response Assignment

Opinion on 2 Students Discussion Board Response - Assignment Example Overall, the responses identified that teaching strategies would effectively address the need to develop study skills, depending on what is required by different subjects. The responses that were provided were clearly and accurately structured in a straightforward and effective manner. All the concerns were answered through the support of valid concepts about learning styles, study skills, and through the provision of comparative analysis of subjects, as required. One definitely agrees with all the responses made, especially in terms of establishing that knowledge of learning styles would enable content teachers to design appropriate learning materials which would be consistent with the learning styles and distinct academic needs of the students. A rundown of the learning styles were likewise presented to confirm understanding of the concept. The comparative analysis of subjects and the respective instructional strategies was likewise presented in a clear manner and effectively linked to appropriate study skills deemed crucial to enhance the potentials to

Strategies for Promoting Democracy in Iraq Term Paper

Strategies for Promoting Democracy in Iraq - Term Paper Example This is usually entrenched in the laws of the land. It involves social, cultural and economic conditions that provide free and fair practice of self-determination politically. It hails from a Greek word demokratia whose meaning is â€Å"rule of the people†. This word can be divided into two. Demos meaning â€Å"people† and Kratos meaning â€Å"power†. Democracy contrasts other forms of government like monarchy and aristocracy /oligarchy. Monarchy is where power is held by one individual while aristocracy is where power is held by a group of people. Contemporary governments tend to have a mixture of all these elements. There are several types of democracy (Lijphart 150-250). The two basic forms of democracy are a direct democracy and representative or indirect democracy. In direct democracies, citizens have direct participation in the decision-making process within the government. In indirect  democracies, citizens elect representatives (Lijphart 200-250). He ex plains that in modern democracies, the sovereign power is retained by the people while the political power is exercised through the representatives (200-250). He further explains that an electoral democracy government is determined by popular sovereignty (200-300). People in the country determine who will govern them. They do this by voting. Liberal democracy is one in which both sovereignty and liberties are manifested. The civil society is very active and restraints the government from misusing power. A substantive democracy is a working democracy. Under the representative democracy, we have a parliamentary, presidential and constitutional democracy. Parliamentary democracy is a democracy where the government is chosen by elected representatives (Lijphart 200-250). The government in this case is checked by the legislative parliament elected by people. The legislature can dismiss the prime minister under this system of government. This happens by passing a vote of no confidence. Th e presidential system of democracy is where the public elects the president through general elections (Lijphart 200-250).

Laertes to be cordial with everyone Essay Example for Free

Laertes to be cordial with everyone Essay This line tells us once again that the man who listens more but talks less is more prosperous and successful. He also tells Laertes to control his temper if anyone rebukes him. Even here Shakespeare has used personification as he describes ear and voice as things that can be given. When he says take each mans censure he is telling Laertes to hear out everybodys opinion but not to voice his own regarding anything. Shakespeare uses the words give and take almost everywhere in this speech. Polonius also says, Beware of entrance to a quarrel. This is an important lesson for Laertes and for the reader too. It is important to Laertes because he is going away to a foreign country where he does need friends not enemies. The word, beware signals a warning, which shows us the importance of the usage of this word. The word, entrance means starting. It is important it highlights the way Shakespeare highlighted certain actions by using more figurative language. He tries to tell us and Laertes that it is not not not not important not to start a quarrel nor should anyone enter a quarrel. This can be compared to the next phrase in which he also tells Laertes to be cordial with everyone. Polonius also asks Laertes to stay away from the common folk when he says, Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar. This line means that he should be familiar with everyones habits and thoughts but not be too friendly. He is also trying to tell Laertes to be pleasant with his dealings with people but not to be too cheap among common people. It is this moral value that we can only partly accept and learn. It is correct that we should be pleasant in our dealing with people but the fact that we should not mix with the common people is wrong. It shows us that the higher class of people in the Victorian era did not respect or accept the commoners as a part of society. This is in fact the only place where we have to learn the opposite. We should learn that it is not a disgrace to blend in with people who have less money or less food. We can see that Shakespeare has used a strong word, vulgar, in describing the lower class of people. The use of this word shows us the feelings of the aristocrats. It tells us how we should respect all kinds of people however poor they may be. It also adds to the lesson that if he has to stay away from all kinds of quarrels and fights he should be warm and cordial in his dealings with everyone. During the speech Polonius also communicates the importance of saving. This is expressed when he says, Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy, But not expressed in fancy; rich, not gaudy For the apparel oft proclaims man. In this line we come to learn a very important lesson that is even important in our daily lives today. Polonius imparts to his son not to wear any attire that is expensive, extravagant flamboyant ostentatious. He should always be moderate reasonable in his spending and only buy things that are within his limits or that which his purse can buy. We see Shakespeare use of figurative language in this line as he personifies the purse to something that is capable of buying things. However it is important to understand that Polonium also meant for his son to dress well For the apparel oft proclaims man as the quote signifies. Further in the speech, Polonius also tells Laertes something that has become one of the most famous lines in our time. Laertes is advised by his father to be, neither a borrower nor a lender is. This, of course has a lot of moral value whether it be in the Victorian era or the modern era. It shows us that Polonius tells Laertes to guard against excessive spending. He should never spend money to an extent that he will be in depth and will need to borrow money. He should not even help anyone during their times of need. This shows us that Polonius was indeed a very selfish character and also tries to tell his son to be so too. In a way he is noble also because he lives within the limits of what he can buy and imparts this knowledge to his son. This can be compared to the previous lesson in which he tells Laertes not to buy fancy or rich things so as to spend all his wealth. We can see how Shakespeare links the two ideas to seem as though they are the same. The word, costly, in the first idea and the word, borrower in the next makes the association. It is important for us to realize the importance of wealth in our lives as Shakespeare does and tries to convey this to us. He also tries to show us the consequence when he says, For loan oft loses both itself and friend. This piece of knowledge tells us just how one must socialize. It also shows us that borrowing or lending money can be disastrous for a friendship. It is quite obvious that Shakespeare is trying to convey to us the importance of a good friendship that is not plagued by money. Another lesson that Polonium gives to his son is- this above all: to thane own self be true, and also says that if Laertes does follow this then he canst not then false to any man. This piece of wisdom is quite important in society today. It is our conscience that we should answer to at the end of the day and not any one else. If we are true to our conscience then we will be true to everyone around us. Here again Shakespeare stresses on the fact that we should not lie, quite contrary to the opinion that he promotes lying when Polonius tells Laertes to keep silent about certain aspects. This truly displays the way he has portrayed his genius. He manages to tell us to be diplomatic but not to lie. The lessons learnt from these speeches apply to our everyday life also as they highlight how we should act and our moral values and conscience also comes into question here. Both Laertes and Hamlet are loving sons to their parents. In fact Laertes is a foil to Hamlet. Both are young men who have had their fathers murdered and both seek revenge. The difference between them is that while Laertes is hot blooded , active and seeks immediate revenge Hamlet thinks over the moral rightness and wrongness of his actions but the end result is the same-that by seeking revenge, by taking Gods justice into their own hands and by seeking to destroy another human life both young men are killed . So what is Shakespeares message and advice to us? Not to seek revenge? Not to take the law into your hands however justified it may be? But to avenge your fathers death and to destroy the murderer of your father, is it not the duty of a son and a matter of honor? This is something that Shakespeare does not give a conclusive solution to. He leaves it to us, people of different societies and different periods to make our choices and decisions based on our moral rules and the traditions and practices and conventions of the society that we belong to. But what Shakespeare seems to underline is that destroying another human life whether justifiably or not will have its consequences. Hamlet also explores the theme of friendship and loyalty. Among the hundreds of young men that Hamlet could have as his friends he finds that only Horatio is to be trusted and valued. He has complete faith in Horatio. It is to Horatio alone that Hamlet confides all his secrets. Even on his return secretly from England after tricking Rosencrantz and Guildenstern; it is to Horatio that Hamlet narrates the whole sequence of events. At the end of the play when Hamlet lies dying and Horatio shows his loyalty to his beloved friend by preparing to die with him I am more an antique Roman than a Dane. Heres some liquor left. Hamlet lays upon him the duty of clearing his wounded name. He enjoins upon Horatio the sacred task of making the world aware of why and how Hamlet came to meet his end If thou didst ever hold me in thy heart, Absent thee from felicity awhile, And in this hash word draw thy breath in pain, To tell my story. In contrast Hamlets friendship with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are shown as false and contemptible. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are young men who tried to take advantage of their friendship for Hamlet. They turned out to be Claudiuss spies and professed friendship with Hamlet for self advancement. And so Hamlet when he discovered the nature of the message that they were carrying to the king of England he substituted Claudiuss order with a fake one according to which it was instructed that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern be put to sudden death , Not shriving time allowed. Hamlet shows no regret or remorse for his deed. Infact he declares they are not near my conscience. Thus what Shakespeare is perhaps trying to teach us is that true and loyal friends are rare and precious. They are to be valued and honored. For every true friend that we have we may have double the number of false friends who will plot our downfall if it is to their advantage. Shakespeares message is therefore is to be wary of such false friends. Hamlet also contains lengthy discourses on man and how he is in every way the crown of creation. Shakespeare has used his wealth of poetic genius and shows his incredible mastery over poetic expressions when he describes the beauty of the earth and man as an exquisite piece of art. Looking at the star studded sky he waxes poetic. He calls the sky This most excellent canopy, Brave oerhanging firmament, This majestically roof fretted with golden fire. Man itself is a piece of work that is to be admired and appreciated. Hamlet is full of admiration of this exquisite creation of nature and exclaims What a piece of work is a man, how noble in reason, how infinite in faculties, in form, and moving how express and admirable, in action how like and angle , in apprehension how like a god. Later in a discussion with Horatio Hamlet talks of who is an ideal man. According to him the perfect man is in whom passion and reason are so well co meddled that they are not a pipe for fortunes finger to sound what stop she please. Hamlet considers Horatio as such an ideal man and through Hamlets intelligent, detailed and perceptive analysis Shakespeare is telling us about how man can become a paragon of animals by balancing emotions and reason. Hamlet is greatly empresses by Fortinbras and his adventures when he is told of how the Norwegians risked the lives of 20,000 men for a little patch of ground that hath in it no profit but the name. Hamlet comes to the conclusion Rightly to be great, is not to stir without great argument, but greatly to find quarrel in a straw when honors is at stake. Hamlets character changes during the course of the play. Towards the end especially after his violent confrontation with his mother we see the mellowing of Hamlet and how he slowly seems to be at peace with himself. Perhaps it is the fact that Gertrude and Hamlet has reached something of a better understanding that has given him this peace, because after the closet scene we see Gertrude being more supportive of Hamlet. She does not confide in Claudius the truth about Hamlets madness that he is not really mad but Only mad in craft. Hamlet acknowledges the presence of a higher power in our lives. It may have been his escape from death not once but twice that has built up a stronger Christian faith in him. He had on an impulse rashly, And praised be rashness for it- let us know our indiscretion sometimes serves us well, opened the official document entrusted with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern and made the astonishing discovery that Claudius himself has passed the order That on the supervise, no leisure bated, No, not to stay the grinding of the axe, My head should be struck off. On the same voyage he had escaped death a second time from the hands of the pirates. It is these experiences that had also had a chastening effect on him. Through Hamlet Shakespeare invites us to strengthen out faith in the omniscient when he says Theres a divinity that shapes our ends, rough-hew them how we will. Later in the same scene Hamlet reaffirms this that There is a special providence in the fall of a sparrow. This faith is established when he continues by saying the readiness is all which means that since no one knows what happens after death , it does not matter whether we die early or not. In a way Hamlet was committing himself in Gods hands and he shows an extraordinary wisdom, humility and maturity which are a lesson to all of us. In Act 5 Scene 1 Hamlet is seen in a mood of contemplation with the skull of Yorrick. Through the image of the skull Shakespeare conveys a powerful message. The picture of the young prince contemplating Yorricks skull is a universally recognized icon. The singing grave digger has a profound impact both on Hamlet and on us. He is amusing and terrifying at the same time because he is so full of life and so at home with death . His profession is dealing with something that we would not want to think about and very often struggle to make sense of. The grave digger is the one who has dug grave in which Ophelia is to buried. Soon he will deal with Hamlet, Laertes, with the king and the Queen and finally he will deal with us all whether we are somebody or nobody . Thus the grave digger is the assistant of that Great Leveller- Death. Hamlet says Alexander died, Alexander was buried, Alexander returneth to dust; dust is earth; of earth we make loam. Long before Alexander and Caesar, Claudius and Hamlet came into the world. The grave digger was busy and he will be at his work long after their brief exits and entrances. He has been there from the beginning of human history and will be busy until the final trumpet. Thus through the image of the skull and the grave digger Shakespeare presents a reminder to us about our mortality. Hamlet is the longest as well as the most complex of all Shakespeares plays. Hamlet the introspective, contemplative, intellectual and highly perceptive university scholar offers us a deep and profound examination into the nature of human life. The play deals with such eternal themes as death, the meaning and purpose of mans life, the choices that are available to him and the choices that he should be able to make. Shakespeare does not offer any solutions either foe us or for Hamlets own problems. What he does is point out the strength and draw backs of each of the choices that Hamlet and we have made or are likely to make. In this way the play is not simply a plot with characters enacting certain specified rules but it is a manual about life providing us with knowledge, information, wisdom and values that would be an education for life through the medium of drama and therein lies Shakespeares greatness.

Transitioning from a Linear to a Circular Economy

Transitioning from a Linear to a Circular Economy Prepare a critical review evaluating the challenges of transitioning from a linear to a circular economy. 2000 words (24th March) Introduction The linear model of consumption will need to adjust or be replaced in the near future due to rising population, decreasing resources (i.e. metals, materials), and water limits. The current linear economic system is unsustainable but the concept of circular economy may supply the means to allow for sustainability by improving efficient use of material and energy. From policies and frameworks driven on a macro scale by local governments to optimisation of process lines and waste reduction on a micro scale gives more social and sustainable aspects to our current way of resource use. We can use examples throughout the world of a shift in the utilisation of resources in an overall effect of achieving the ultimate goal of zero waste and impact to the environment. What is Linear Economy? Linear economies assume the worlds resources are unlimited. The linear models primary objective is to the economy, with no regard for ecological and social impacts. It takes waste from the production process and contaminates the environment and is based on the principle, take, make, consume, discard and everlasting availability of resources. (Drljaca, 2015) This was due to a historically cheap and plentiful amount of resources being available leading to companies focusing on supplying the customer. This has disregarded the environmental impact and lacked incentives to minimise waste from its production to its end of life. Currently there is more than 11 billion tons of global waste globally and only 25% is recycled. (Lacy Rutqvist, 2015) Circular Economy Circular economy focuses on the sustainable exploitation of resources but also acts to increase the social responsibility. It aims to decouple prosperity from resource consumption by ensuring a closed loop process which depends on the extraction of virgin resources. (Sauve, Bernard Sloan, 2016) The concept allows waste to be put through the production process again and thereafter only a small amount of waste that is unable to be recycled is disposed into the environmental harmlessly. This will reduce our dependency for new resources, allow future generations to meet their needs, and promote sustainability. Due to Chinas resource supply and environmental problems they have utilised the circular economy model on a national level many years ago allocating three distinctive levels micro, meso, and macro: The micro level aims to reduce waste and optimise materials for cleaner production within an individual company. The meso level collaborates between industries to utilise the by-product of one another which is facilitated by Chinas governmental directives. The circular economy at a macro level is integrated with societal and stakeholder interests which is on a similar level to sustainable development. (Sauve, Bernard Sloan, 2016) Figure 3.1: Overview of the circular economy concept. (Reh, 2013) The circular economy model aims to replace the linear economy model by extending the usefulness of the product via several methods: Building a product which has a higher quality and more durable targeting the consumers who are able to pay a premium. Refurbishing a product Trade back your product to the market for a price Upgrade the product to add new features Refilling a component in the product where the rest of the functions are still in quality. Repairing a broken product (Lacy Rutqvist, 2015) Having a society that promotes circular economy may increase competition worldwide. (Drljaca, 2015) Policies The transition from a linear to circular economy has been happening for many years and is seen from the laws, policies, and frameworks given below in numerous countries around the world. The methodology changes from country to country as an example according to Tukker (2015) China promotes a top-down national political objective while the EU, Japan and USA use bottom-up environmental and waste management policies. Country Circular economy strategy UK The House of Commons suggested in 2014 that the circular economy should be stimulated by taxation reforms. This would reward reuse and give more funding for companies promoting material recovery. They could prohibit companies using non-recyclable components where other alternatives exist. (Lacy Rutqvist, 2015) Denmark The Denmark without waste strategy focuses on better exploiting the resource by reducing the environmental impact and improving recycling, e.g. household waste recycling. Funding is given for improvements in waste separation and treatment facilities. (Lacy Rutqvist, 2015) Scotland The Safeguarding Scotlands Resources initiative is aims to reduce material use through replacing material with reused/ recyclable substitutes and making sure that virgin resources are efficiently and productively used. China Several regions using the Circular Economy Promotion Law of the Peoples Republic of China have set up funds aiming at the circular development and developments of science. The law also pushes for collaboration among several industries to re-use each others waste to benefit their own process.   (Lacy Rutqvist, 2015) Singapore The Singapore Packaging Agreement (SPA) joint initiative by the private sector, nongovernmental organisations, and government which dramatically reduces the packaging waste in Singapore. This has saved USD 35 million over a 5-year period. (Lacy Rutqvist, 2015) The Republic of Croatia The Act on Sustainable Waste Management manages waste at its source by putting the cost of waste to the producer. Disposal must not threaten future generations. (Drljaca, 2015) The drivers for the transition from a linear to a circular economy The transition towards a circular economy is dependent on politics, culture, society, the economy, and technology limitations. This transition can be implemented from the top-down or bottom-up. The top-down process as an example has international and national policies delegated to companies and their operations and supply chains. The bottom-up process starts at the product level hoping to simulate ideas at a more disaggregated level of analysis up to the higher level systems. The top-down process should be used to enhance bottom-up initiatives. The aim is to identify areas where we can reduce virgin resources usage, carbon emissions, and waste production by collaborating between supply chains and stakeholders e.g. Local Authorities. (Genovese et al., 2017) Economics By 2030 the linear growth model will be unable to supply the growing demand for resources. The most likely model by Lacy Rutqvist (2015) shows a USD 4.5 trillion loss by 2030 increasing to USD 25 trillion by 2050. If the circular economy replaces the current linear model it could potentially release USD 4.5 trillion in additional economic output by 2030 as shown in Figure 5.1.1. Figure 5.1.1: Potential savings from a circular opportunity. (Lacy Rutqvist, 2015) However, according to Drljaca (2015), the circular advantage hopes to give a competitive edge leading to improvement of resource utilisation which could decrease material exploitation by 17-24% until 2030 with savings of ~EUR 630 billion per year which totals USD 10.3 trillion from 2015-2030 (1 EUR = 1.0867 USD 2015 average, Pound Sterling (2016)). In either case the huge potential savings from using the circular advantage could persuade governments to drive the change. Fair competition between linear and circular economy Current regulations give linear economy an unfair advantage over circular economy by making it more financially attractive by increased profits through expanding resource use. A shift of taxation from labour to resources would see this shift in bias. Companies are encouraged to extract new resources instead of investing in people and processes to achieve a higher productivity of resources already in use. Currently the Europe labour tax totals 52% of all tax revenues while Other taxes could include landfill tax, energy recovery tax, and reducing the VAT on a more circular advantage product. An increase in cost of the product that incorporates the cost of environmental impact would help manufacturers to minimise the impact to keep pricing competitive. Product-service systems (PSS) In a product-oriented business model companies focus on the increase in products sold to maximise profits however in a PSS model companies are paid by offering a service and the product and consumable is the cost factor. This leads to the companies being incentivised to prolong the life of the product which could be done by using more robust materials or re-using parts to the end of the products life. Renting, leasing, and sharing reduces the impact on the environmental per product manufactured however leased products will tend to be used without care leading to reduced longevity of the product and will be returned to the manufacturer more frequently compared to the traditional manner. Due to labour intensity, PSS increases the cost to manufacture the product and dependent on the speed of innovations for certain technological industries the re-use of components may be deemed uneconomic due to no demand. PSS can contribute to resource -efficiency and a circular economy but does not change the incentive to maximise the product sales. (Tukker, 2015) Circular Economy Challenges Entropy The circular economy assumes the planet is a closed system with the amount of resources being depleted equalling the amount of waste generated. This principle follows the Laws of Thermodynamics however in practice the circular flow of exchange starts with low entropy from the environment and ends with high entropy waste polluting the environment. (Genovese et al., 2017) Sauve, Bernard Sloan (2016) further emphasises this with an added social impact of, what is socially more desirable investing in a new infrastructure to recycle raw material to limit waste or exploit additional raw materials at cheaper cost to use today to build a school? At some point the cost to refine the material will exceed the benefit to the environment. Processes According to Sauve, Bernard Sloan (2016), in many cases certain processes in the value chains are non-existent leading to products that are in the queue for recycling often dis-regarded as companies who seek profit are not ready to use waste as the raw material for new manufacturing. Some experts see the implementation of the circular economy model for sustainable development on current linear economy model productions as an automatic failure. It is difficult to achieve a profit using circular economy as support is sometimes unavailable through policies, national eco-industrial parks (EIPs) initiatives, environmental legislative framework, and economic taxes and subsidies for development. (Ghisellini, Cialani Ulgiati, 2016) Economics Fair Competition The complexity and early understanding of circular economy will require experts from many sectors to achieve the economic incentives that would ensure the post-consumption products are re-integrated upstream within manufacturing. It is more expensive to manufacture a durable long lasting product than an equivalent quick and disposable version. This is based on the fact that the public pays for the cost of disposal to the environment. In order to make circular economy more feasible requires integration of the cost of disposal into the price paid by the customer. (Sauve, Bernard Sloan, 2016) There needs to be internalisation of full environmental costs implemented using certain governmental legislation (e.g. taxes) to ensure reverse flow of the products post-economy. This is therefore dependent on governmental intervention which is dictated by political-economic issues which in turn will slow down circular economy opportunities. (Sauve, Bernard Sloan, 2016) Geographic Feasibility It may be unfeasible to use recycling, reuse and/or recovery as an option within certain geologies as they may not be appropriate in some instances based on green chemistry and technologies available e.g. prevention maybe a better option. (Tukker, 2015) More examples can be seen in Table A1. Case studies TATA Steel Currently concrete, timber, and steel have huge differences in their life cycle flows within the demolishing industry of buildings as seen in Figure 7.1.1. According to Reh (2013), achieving complete re-use and recycling remains impossible with todays technology so maximum recovery of the most valuable resource remains the first priority. The integration of different materials combined with depreciation requires a more involved investigation of the recovery plan which becomes very complex. Figure 7.1.1: Life cycle of a demolished building (Reh, 2013) Blast furnace-basic oxygen furnace (BF-BOF) is the most common steel process however with shortage of metallurgy coke, high CO2 emissions, high by-product of slag, and dust from blast furnace gas cleaning is not considered environmental friendly. An alternative being the new electric arc furnace which is more energy efficient and reduces the CO2 emissions but high capital investments remain the limitation. (Reh, 2013) Toyota Motor Cooperation By optimising the sorting of dust in Toyotas automobile shredder pants Toyota were able to successfully treat 100% of the residue of 15,000 cars per month into valuable materials. High value electrical energy is transferred to several process steps to decrease the entropy of mixing during production. This improvement in technology has an exponential impact on the car industry with an estimated 1 billion cars in the world. (Reh, 2013) Conclusion The transition to a circular economy has many challenges and obstacles in the near future. As shown, many countries are placing high emphasis on the legislation and development of circular economy as they see a requirement to adjust on a macro sustainable level. If the transition is increased this could potentially unlock several trillions of dollars over the many years to come. In order for this to work a combination of strategies at every level is required to allow each stakeholder to be a benefit to the global transition. Appendix A Table A1: Further examples of challenges with circular economy (Ghisellini, Cialani, Ulgiati, 2016) References BRIEN, H. G. (2015a) Circular Economy. [Online] Available from https://kenniskaarten.hetgroenebrein.nl/en/kenniskaart/circular-economy/ [Accessed: 23rd February 2017] BRIEN, H. G. (2015b) The 10 Big Questions for the Circular Economy. [Online] Available from http://hetgroenebrein.nl/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/10-Big-Questions-for-the-Circular-Economy-INFOGRAPHIC.pdf [Accessed: 23rd February 2017] DRLJACA, M. (2015) The Transition from Linear to Circular Economy (Concept of Efficient Waste Management). In Association for Quality and Standardization of Serbia. VrnjaÄ ka Banja, 2015. p. 35-44. Available from http://www.kvalitet.org.rs/images/phocadownload/the%20transition%20linear%20in%20circular%20economy%20miroslav%20drljaa.pdf [Accessed: 23rd February 2017] Ellen Macarthur Foundation (2015) Our Mission is to Accelerate the Transition to a Circular Economy. [Online] Available from https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/ [Accessed: 23rd February 2017] GENOVESE, A. et al. (2017) Sustainable supply chain management and the transition towards a circular economy: Evidence and some applications. Omega. [Online] 66. p. 344-357. Available from http://ac.els-cdn.com/S0305048315001322/1-s2.0-S0305048315001322-main.pdf?_tid=74c6de02-fa10-11e6-aa77-00000aacb35facdnat=1487886106_74b304b3dc5437e17e5fe519fa8c0812 [Accessed: 23rd February 2017] GEORGE, D. A. R., Lin, B. C. Chen, Y. (2015) A circular economy model of economic growth. Environmental Modelling Software. [Online] 73. p. 60-63. Available from http://ac.els-cdn.com/S1364815215300050/1-s2.0-S1364815215300050-main.pdf?_tid=0bc1df60-fa10-11e6-8c30-00000aab0f6cacdnat=1487885930_37488d1ce4f1739084fd69489fc8a1a7 [Accessed: 23rd February 2017] GHISELLINI, P., CIALANI, C. ULGIATI, S. (2016) A review on circular economy: the expected transition to a balanced interplay of environmental and economic systems. Journal of Cleaner Production. [Online] 114. p. 11-32. Available from http://ac.els-cdn.com/S0959652615012287/1-s2.0-S0959652615012287-main.pdf?_tid=1b6a27e6-fa11-11e6-b2c6-00000aab0f6bacdnat=1487886386_e13f933c344129238b699b40c81c696b [Accessed: 23rd February 2017] LACY, P. RUTQVIST, J. (2015) Waste to Wealth: the circular economy advantage. UK, Hampshire: Macmillan Publishers Limited. POUND STERLING (2016) Historical Rates for the EUR/USD currency conversion on 31 December 2015 (31/12/2015). Available from: https://www.poundsterlinglive.com/best-exchange-rates/euro-to-us-dollar-exchange-rate-on-2015-12-31. (Accessed: 19th March 2017) RAUPACH, M. R. et al. (2007) Global and regional drivers of accelerating CO2 emissions. PNAS. [Online] 104. (24). p. 10288 -10293. Available from https://uhi.blackboard.com/bbcswebdav/pid-621274-dt-content-rid-5673934_1/courses/UF811998/PNAS-2007-Raupach-10288-93.pdf [Accessed: 23rd February 2017] REH, L. (2013) Process engineering in circular economy. Particuology. [Online] 11. p. 119-133. Available from http://ac.els-cdn.com/S1674200113000023/1-s2.0-S1674200113000023-main.pdf?_tid=f6b7e250-fa0e-11e6-9938-00000aacb360acdnat=1487885465_0117d7df5a14a5ca6f24c03ae761e2d5 [Accessed: 23rd February 2017] SAUVE, S., BERNARD, S. SLOAN, P. (2016) Environmental sciences, sustainable development and circular economy: Alternative concepts for trans-disciplinary research. Environmental Development. [Online] 17. p. 48-56. Available from http://ac.els-cdn.com/S2211464515300099/1-s2.0-S2211464515300099-main.pdf?_tid=c0687f78-fa10-11e6-bdc2-00000aacb35eacdnat=1487886233_c2050df04694fc30b490f4e8486dee8a [Accessed: 23rd February 2017] SKEA, J. NISHIOKA, S. (2008) Policies and practices for a low-carbon society. Climate Policy. [Online] 8. p. S5-S16. Available from https://uhi.blackboard.com/bbcswebdav/pid-621272-dt-content-rid-5632275_1/courses/UF811998/Policies%20and%20practices%20for%20a%20low-carbon%20society-1.pdf [Accessed: 23rd February 2017] SU, B. et al. (2013) A review of the circular economy in China: moving from rhetoric to implementation. Journal of Cleaner Production. [Online] 42. p. 215-227. Available from http://ac.els-cdn.com/S0959652612006117/1-s2.0-S0959652612006117-main.pdf?_tid=5aa9aef6-fa0f-11e6-9009-00000aacb362acdnat=1487885633_e486ac7b90cff16cd44ec5b72b405a9a [Accessed: 23rd February 2017] TUKKER, A. (2015) Product services for a resource-efficient and circular economy a review. Journal of Cleaner Production. [Online] 97. p. 76-91. Available from http://ac.els-cdn.com/S0959652613008135/1-s2.0-S0959652613008135-main.pdf?_tid=b1c99494-fa0f-11e6-bafc-00000aacb362acdnat=1487885779_1dbb3b632024a09a87307a26dc6caf65 [Accessed: 23rd February 2017] YADUVANSHI, N. R., MYANA, R. KRISHNAMURTHY, S. (2016) Circular Economy for Sustainable Development in India. Indian Journal of Science and Technology. [Online] 9 (46/ December). p. 1-9. Available from http://www.indjst.org/index.php/indjst/article/view/107325/76142 [Accessed: 23rd February 2017] ZINK, T. Geyer, R. (2017) Circular Economy Rebound. Journal of Industrial Ecology. [Online] 00 (0). p. 1-10. Available from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com.eor.uhi.ac.uk/doi/10.1111/jiec.12545/epdf [Accessed: 23rd February 2017]

The Effects of Human Mobility :: Traveling Mobility Technology Essays

The Effects of Human Mobility The effect of human travel has been twofold on the course of human history. It has served to transfer technologies, and it has also served to facilitate the spread diseases. There are examples of how technology travels from one culture to another all over the place, from the readings and movies we watch to things that we surround ourselves with everyday. Most of these technologies serve to make the lives of humans easier or more fun, but there are some inventions that have served to only destroy or make others lives worse. In some cases the technology’s originally intended usage was preserved, but in others the technology is used in different manners. An example from one of the first readings from this class is the Chinese invention of gunpowder. Originally it was used for religious purposes, but once the technology spread west through human travel, Europeans used the gunpowder and invented guns and ammunition. Once guns were invented, though, their use has not been altered. T hough there are many different models, and types of guns, they all operate under the same principles and for the same purpose. As I was trying to think of other examples of transfer of human technology through travel the movie â€Å"The Gods Must Be Crazy† came to mind. I know that this movie doesn’t represent real life, and might not be based on a true story, but it shows an example of how technology from one culture can influence and change another. The basic premise of the movie is that a pilot is flying his plane over the African bush lands, and drops his Coke bottle out the window. The bottle falls into the hands of a tribe of bushmen who still live a relatively primitive lifestyle. The Coke bottle serves many different uses for them. This glass bottle is harder than most things that they had access to, and its mouth and base are circular. Eventually everyone in the tribe wanted to use the bottle for their own purposes. The drawback was that there was only one bottle, so everyone in the tribe begins to fight over it. The rest of the plot is irrelevant, but what I have retold so far serves to illustrate how human travel influences the spread of technology. It also illustrates that the use of one culture’s technology in another culture may not be the originally intended purpose.

Analysis of Proverbs 31 Essay -- The Worthy Woman

The â€Å"Worthy Woman;† what a title. Everyone who has some knowledge of the Bible has heard this phrase. Almost anyone can name some catchy phrase or saying that is from the Bible whether it is from the Psalms or Proverbs or any other book. We all know those verses that tend to get stuck in our mind. However catchy they may be, unless one actually comes to an understanding of what is being said and applies it to their lives, these catchy phrases can just be surface knowledge. Every Christian can get caught in that trap. When someone is considering a Bible passage they should try to learn everything they can about that passage; any background information, what certain words mean, who the author is. The knowledge one can gain from the Bible is never ending. Another problem when studying the Bible is when people use their â€Å"knowledge† of the Bible to make themselves look like better Bible students. The Pharisees were constantly doing this. We need to not be puffed up about the knowledge we gain from the Bible and constantly try to be gaining more and share it with others. Going back to â€Å"the worthy woman,† it is one of the most well known passages and therefore a lot of knowledge and wisdom can be gleaned from it. This is the last chapter of the Proverbs and is divided into two sections. Verses 1-9 are categorized as ‘The Words of King Lemuel,’ followed by verses 10-31 categorized as ‘The Woman Who Fears the Lord.’ This Proverb has a title unlike some of the other Proverbs. This title tells who wrote it and what the proverb is. The title of Proverbs 31 is â€Å"The words of King Lemuel. An oracle that his mother taught him (ESV).† The exact identity of King Lemuel is unknown. Many commentaries suggest that even though ... ... passage because it gives me something to strive for as a woman. It is easy to understand and practical. To have this woman as an example of what a virtuous godly woman should be like, should give us no excuse to not continually strive to be like her in any and every way. We should try to dwell on these qualities and put them into our lives, until those qualities become our lives and we are praised for the good we are doing. Works Cited Arnot, William. "Proverbs 31." Studies in Proverbs: Laws from Heaven for Life on Earth. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1978. 570-83. Print. Greenstone, Julius H. "Poverbs 31." The Holy SScriptures: Proverbs. Philadelphia: Jewish Pub. Soc. of America, 1950. 329-39. Print. Henry, Matthew. "Proverbs 31." Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible. Vol. III. McLean, Virg.: MacDonald, 1991. 971-77. Print. Analysis of Proverbs 31 Essay -- The Worthy Woman The â€Å"Worthy Woman;† what a title. Everyone who has some knowledge of the Bible has heard this phrase. Almost anyone can name some catchy phrase or saying that is from the Bible whether it is from the Psalms or Proverbs or any other book. We all know those verses that tend to get stuck in our mind. However catchy they may be, unless one actually comes to an understanding of what is being said and applies it to their lives, these catchy phrases can just be surface knowledge. Every Christian can get caught in that trap. When someone is considering a Bible passage they should try to learn everything they can about that passage; any background information, what certain words mean, who the author is. The knowledge one can gain from the Bible is never ending. Another problem when studying the Bible is when people use their â€Å"knowledge† of the Bible to make themselves look like better Bible students. The Pharisees were constantly doing this. We need to not be puffed up about the knowledge we gain from the Bible and constantly try to be gaining more and share it with others. Going back to â€Å"the worthy woman,† it is one of the most well known passages and therefore a lot of knowledge and wisdom can be gleaned from it. This is the last chapter of the Proverbs and is divided into two sections. Verses 1-9 are categorized as ‘The Words of King Lemuel,’ followed by verses 10-31 categorized as ‘The Woman Who Fears the Lord.’ This Proverb has a title unlike some of the other Proverbs. This title tells who wrote it and what the proverb is. The title of Proverbs 31 is â€Å"The words of King Lemuel. An oracle that his mother taught him (ESV).† The exact identity of King Lemuel is unknown. Many commentaries suggest that even though ... ... passage because it gives me something to strive for as a woman. It is easy to understand and practical. To have this woman as an example of what a virtuous godly woman should be like, should give us no excuse to not continually strive to be like her in any and every way. We should try to dwell on these qualities and put them into our lives, until those qualities become our lives and we are praised for the good we are doing. Works Cited Arnot, William. "Proverbs 31." Studies in Proverbs: Laws from Heaven for Life on Earth. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1978. 570-83. Print. Greenstone, Julius H. "Poverbs 31." The Holy SScriptures: Proverbs. Philadelphia: Jewish Pub. Soc. of America, 1950. 329-39. Print. Henry, Matthew. "Proverbs 31." Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible. Vol. III. McLean, Virg.: MacDonald, 1991. 971-77. Print.