Toy Soldiers Essays - Uniforms, Childrens Clothing, Military Uniform

Toy Soldiers Ever since the beginning of time people have been dressing in ways that describe their cultural background, social status, and sometimes even their religion. I do not see why this deep tradition should be changed, throwing children of different backgrounds all into the same unifying clothing. I did not go to a school where I had to wear a uniform, so I do not exactly have a firsthand idea of what it would be like to wear one. I do know though, that I would feel uncomfortable. The way I dress is something that I take pride in and put effort into. That might sound corny, or strange, but I really do not give a damn! I enjoy looking good, everybody does, however not everybody will admit it. As a senior in high school I was voted best dressed, a huge accomplishment if you went to the school that I did. All of my friends, all of the girls that I was interested in, and even most of the teachers dressed with a certain passion, the passion to impress others with their outward appearance. While reading a recent article in the Chicago Tribune by Lauren Waters, I found that Dr. Harold Goldstein held the same opinions on the subject of school uniforms as I do. Dr. Goldstein is the school superintendent of the Bethlehem Trinity Lutheran School System, in Poughkeepsie, NY. Dr. Goldstein was asked to make a speech for the National Reading Council on the topic of school uniforms, in the article he was quoted as saying: "In all of the fifteen years I have been teaching, I have never seen a school that resembles an institution atmosphere as much as the B.T.L.S.S. At first we believed that the school uniform would improve academics and increase order in the classroom, but in reality, we now have an UN-spirited group of children who no longer enjoy attending their own school"(Waters, 121). In this case, the school not only had a decrease in academics, it was turned into an almost drone like atmosphere. I feel that if school uniforms were implemented, this passion and desire to look good would be diminished. I mean, how much control can you possibly have with your appearance, when you are told what to wear. Originality is something that would also be destroyed. There would be no more trend setters, or fashion experimentation. Thus, style would come to a complete halt! Now I know that I am making this all sound very dramatic, but I am trying to make a point here. Also, as I said in the introduction, many people dress in affiliation with their religion or culture. If school uniforms were brought into effect, what would happen to the Jewish kids that had to wear a Yamalka? Could Muslim children wear head wraps, or could Christians even wear crosses? This is another problem that would arise. Christopher Bishop, a writer for Time Magazine, researched the idea of having school uniforms in several Texas public schools. Bishop found the biggest problem was for the children of the Middle East, who were unable to wear their traditional wraps and cultural robes. "...in most cases the children were forced to just up and change schools, and move to different community"(Bishop, 77). Kids would always be trying to squeeze a little more freedom out of the system. Where do you draw the line? What is wrong with kids dressing in all black with fishnet stalking on their arms? In my opinion, nothing, it is just different. Let kids express themselves. Let the Indians wear their full body sheets, and the cowboys wear their oversized belt buckles. The child's clothing is not what's causing the problem; it is their upbringing. The final problem that I see with school uniforms, or atlas the last one I can think of, is money. I do not have the faintest idea how some people can see school uniforms as being cheaper. It is not like the kids are going to wear those ugly things everywhere. What kind of social leper is going to wear blue trousers and penny loafers to play ball on the weekend? Parents are still going to have to fork out money for regular clothes. Also, what happens when an article of the uniform gets ripped, torn, or stained? There goes a bunch more money for replacements. In a recent pole taken in New York of 1,000 parents who had to wear school uniforms in the past and are now faced with dilemma of

8 Amateur Mistakes You Must Avoid at Work

8 Amateur Mistakes You Must Avoid at Work Sometimes getting jobs, changing jobs, and dreaming about dream jobs takes up so much of our career energy that we forget to focus on the job we’re in now. Take care not to make careless mistakes or get too complacent. Make sure you’re not guilty of any of the following blundersand then go back to daydreaming.1. Playing politicsIt never pays to be cutthroat, backstab, or even to go in the other direction and be sickeningly nice to everyone. People can read a phony from miles away. Don’t be one.Rather than constantly posturing, stick to your own personality, smoothed over a bit to maintain your professionalism, of course. Be genuine.2. Over-taskingMulti-tasking is one thing- and a very valuable skill, but it can be overdone. When you have too much on your plate, some projects will get lost in the shuffle. Keep your head, choose your priorities, and stay focused on one thing at a time whenever possible. That means not answering emails or texts during meetings, and actually listening when your colleagues speak.3. WhiningNobody likes all aspects of their job. But everyone appreciates a positive attitude. Keep quiet about what makes you most disgruntled, even if you really wish you could blast it on Twitter for sheer catharsis. Focus on what you can change, and stay quiet about the rest. If things are really all that bad, start looking for another job.4. Promising too muchWe all want to be the hero and say â€Å"yes† whenever called upon. But it’s important to make sure you can deliver on the promises you make. Don’t overextend yourself and end up disappointing people. Help whenever you can, and push yourself to greater heights, but stay honest and don’t let expectations get away from you.5. StruttingKnow your place. If you’ve just started in a company, don’t walk around like the C.E.O. You have to earn your coworkers’ (and boss’s) respect over time. That way, when you run the place, everyo ne will still like you, as well as fear you.6.  Being antisocialDon’t just mainline a salad at your desk, or grab lunch with only your team every day as if nothing else- not even the rest of the company- exists. Don’t forget to make friends that aren’t necessarily working with you on a day-to-day basis. It will help you maintain a work-life balance, even at the office. And it helps you make more connections and develop a more diverse profile at your company and in your field.7. Not answering opportunity’s knockEven if you like your job, you shouldn’t turn a blind eye to new opportunities. You never know when a better position or more exciting opportunity will come your way. It pays to be prepared.8.  Letting small failures keep you downWe all make mistakes. What we should all do is learn from them. It keeps us from making even more mistakes, keeps us humble, and keeps us improving ourselves in hopes of greater and greater success.

Foundation Early childhood studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Foundation Early childhood studies - Essay Example ironment that emphasizes on morals and religion there is a high probability that those children will be well disciplined (Jones, Holmes & Powell, 2007). That notwithstanding the religious knowledge which was introduced to them at a tender age will enable them view the world from a religious perspective whereby everything has to be related to a supernatural god (Global Alliance for Advancing Hcd Programmes, 2010) In addition, child development does not entail only physical growth it is a multi-facet process that entails a lot of process ranging from cognitive development to the manner in which a child views things and reasons out (Fabian, & Mould, 2009). Human beings are social beings thus they will tend to imitate the behaviours of the people they interact with in their immediate environment (Derobertis, 1997). Children that are brought up in a surrounding whereby people are drunkard or possess any other undesirable trait will most likely grow up with the same trait (Taylor, & Woods, 2005). This basically because when the mind of a human being is young and developing the things that it was exposed to are prone to stick there forever unless that individual undergoes a total psychological dynamism in some point in life which may help to change the mind-set from previous habits (Meggitt, 2006). Human beings just like any other creatures undergo the process of physical development this is occasioned by repetitive differentiation of body cells leading to cell multiplication which in turn results to a living organism growing (Meggitt, (2006). According to the maturationist theory which was advanced by Arnold Gessel physical development in children is a purely biological process that occurs automatically to all children as long as they are kept health in an enabling environment (Fabian, & Mould, 2009). It goes on to state that the physical development process is predictable in the sense that by carefully analysing the progress in a child one is able to predict the

Public participation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Public participation - Essay Example All members of the committee nominated the chair and his deputy through voting. Free and fair elections were held with willing members of the committee being among the nominees. Free elections mean that citizens can go to polls without terror of reprisal, and for elections to be fair; they must be count with equality (Dahl 89). All the votes were counted as equal in front of the members to assure that their judgements were counted without biasness. The chair and his deputy were then announced to the members and residents immediately after the counting. One of the residents offered a suggestion on poor lighting of the streets. He advised on the installation of LED street lights. The resident also asked whether the poor drainage conditions are solved. Weaste ward councilor answered the question that the drainage and plumbing company was informed. The health improvement officer asked for suggestions on the re-housing of the rehabilitation center. It was advised that the center was to be moved from the current location. Citizens must be active in forming the actual agenda. They should be permitted to suggest on both specific and general matters that are to be discussed and finally decided on (Dahl 123). A resident suggested on a cleanup day, the individual suggested Saturday. The city council was to provide the gloves, in bags, and litter pickers. Citizens must be knowledgeable and should be given a chance to express themselves (Dahl 216). Notes on any disabled individual who wanted to participate in the meeting was to call the any of the ward’s clerk for accommodation. A disabled resident on a wheel chair suggested on building of ramps in public places like the city halls to make the movement for the less privileged easier and efficient. Everyone in the society should be given a chance to have the freedom of speech. Democracy is important in a community and country. Elections help hold a government responsible and let the people

Sales Engineering Division Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sales Engineering Division - Essay Example In this scenario, one can conceive that while Terrill is trying to accomplish the responsibility of being a good leader, he also makes it a point that he listens to what his subordinates will say, an indication that he wants his decisions to be reasonable enough for the welfare of his followers. Terrill belongs to Leadership Era 4, where relational theories were being applied to stabilize organizations. Terrills commitment to improve the status of productivity and to inhibit himself, as well as the management from intervening in the work of the sales engineering division, shows his dedication to turning around what has been the usual practice which is being spearheaded by those in the top management. He wanted to bring out the best among his followers, and that is the reason why he wanted to let them work as a team and use their expertise as engineers, and not as mere pencil pushers. Diversely, the headquarters belong to leadership era 2, where rules were set by management. They have forced employees to follow not what they think is proper, but what the management thinks is right for them (Daft 21). In other words, employees were being treated as followers alone, depriving them with the right to influence management decisions. If in the same position as Terrill, the most appropriate approach to consider would be to adopt the relational theories. Disputes arise between management and employees that would cause conflict obliging leaders to mediate and implement actions that will not cause harm to both parties. The manager, who serves as a leader, should also act as a follower who will bridge the gap between the management and the sales engineering division through means of establishing relationships and regular communication. When healthy working relationships are built, eventually all things will follow e.g. increase in productivity, performance

Competitors Of Tui Based On Market Share Tourism Essay

Competitors Of Tui Based On Market Share Tourism Essay The task of the following assignment is taking a strategic fit for a package holiday company. A package holiday company is defined as one that offers minimum of travel and accommodation in a single package. One company that operates internationally and offers minimum package of travel and accommodation is TUI Travel. TUI is the worlds leading international leisure travel company operating in four different sectors (tuitravelplc.com) The main competitors of TUI based on Market share are: Carlson Wagonlit Travel Thomas Cook plc. Travelport Ltd Vision Statement Our vision is Making Travel Experiences Special (tuitravelplc.com) TASK A: Market Environment Analysis In order to analyse the market environment proper analytical tools should be chosen: PESTLE Analysis for Macro Environment Porters five forces for Micro Environment PESTLE Analysis Political Factors Changes in the taxation policy of the government in UK, such as increase in VAT percentage by 2.5% may have a negative impact on inbound tourism in UK as the prices of commodities will rise. Also, 24% Britishers claim that increase in VAT will also lead to expensive staycations (Casal 2011) Unstable Political environment can seriously impact the tourism industry of a nation as the travelers fear for their safety and tend to avoid that nation. Such as recent Political uprising in mid east has lead to 50% cancellations in Arab nations (Zablit 2011). Security and safety concerns have major impact on tourism industry. Terrorist attacks of 9/11 in US led to 10% fall in demand for travel and tourism (Bennett and Barry n.d.). Such attacks also raise a question on national security of the country and dampen the tourists confidence. Economic Factors Recession: UKs plan to emerge out of recession may just be stretched further as the recent political uprisings in Middle East and disaster struck Japan may have prolong effects on the world economy, affecting the tourism industry as well. In measures to keep household budgets low, families are looking into more of domestic shore holidays, also stated as staycations. In year 2009 there was a decrease by 14% in overseas holidays in UK, whereas the domestic shore market rose by 5% (Mintel Report 2010). Currency Fluctuations: In the year 2008 there was resistance amongst the US visitors for the UK due to strong Pound. Against the dollar, Pound was at two-year low. (Ashby 2008) Looking at the table 1, which shows Dollar strengthening against the pound in the recent years, may attract tourists from US. Furthermore, strengthening of Euro and Dollar can be stated as a cause for escalated interest in staycations and a concern for outbound tourism from UK. Table 1: Currency Prices for last 5 years, with base currency being Pound ( £) (Source: XE.com) Fuel Prices: Year Euro Dollar 2006 69 p 57p 2007 68p 51p 2008 76p 49p 2009 92p 71p 2010 90p 66p The Oil prices rose to $120 per barrel in February 2011 due to political uprising in Middle East and have left airlines worried. International Airlines Group has decided to cut back by flying less often. IAGs CEO said if the fuel prices do not recede the ultimate effect would be on fares (Milmo 2011). This would lead to increase in packaged holidays prices. Social Factors: Demographics: Mintel report 2009 suggests that the decline in average households is projected to continue whereas 5% growth in 1-3 person households. It states about 48% of 1 member family went on a holiday as compared to 68% of marries, 60% of three person and 70% of four households. (Mintel Report 2010) Table2: Showing % change in households in UK. (Source: Mintel Report 2010) By 2031 it is projected that the single households (mainly people over 55) will comprise of 18% of the total households in UK. Therefore it would be a major market for the package operators (Communities 2009) Health concerns. 2004 2009 2014 % Change % Change M M M 2004-09 2009-14 One-person households 7.6 8.35 8.8 9.9 5.4 2 person 8.96 9.54 10.02 6.5 5 3 person 3.95 3.97 4.15 0.5 4.5 4 person 3.3 3.31 3.33 0.3 0.6 5+ person 1.67 1.65 1.64 -1.2 -0.6 Total households 25.48 26.81 27.93 5.2 4.2 Continued concerns over health and hygiene are seen amongst UK residents. The outbreak of Foot and Mouth disease in year 2001 led to 16% fall in visitor expenditure in UK leading to negative images of Britain as a holiday destination (Pasty 2003). But, with the upcoming Olympics 2012 and Royal Wedding in 2011 will lead to high volume of tourists visiting UK. Ageing Population. As per the National statistics organization (2010) there were one in five people of retirement age in the UK. As the population is ageing there will be an extra cost for the companies who offer pension schemes to their employees so that their staff lives longer (Oxford University Press 2007). Technological Factors Internet: In UK there were 20 million Internet subscribers out of 27 million households. High Level of Internet penetration is a key contributing factor to online travel retailors performing better. Online sales of travel retail product represented 34% of the total sales. This also has led to fierce competition amongst the players as the customers are looking for cheap vacation packages, third most important factor when selecting holiday package (Euromonitor) Better Technology: Latest technology advancements in sectors such as engineering, airline industry, transport, infrastructure etc. such as coming of luxury passenger planes such as Airbus A380 and Boeings 787, Eurostar via Eurotunnel have made cross border travel easier and swifter than ever. Legal Factors Emissions Trading Scheme: This scheme was presented in the year 2003 for EU in-order to curb carbon emission. In 2008 amendments were made to this scheme, including the aviation activities as well. It means the aircraft operators will be subject to a cap and will have to pay allowance to cover their emissions. This could have an upward impact on the prices of holiday packages (Euro Monitor). Open Skies Agreement: Signed between EU and US in the mid 2008 allowing and airline from the EU or the US to any place between EU and US. (Euro Monitor) This allows the customers to fly with their choice of airline and thus can help reduce costs because of competition amongst the operators. Environmental Factors Ethical Consumerism The Ethical Purchasing Index states that the ethical purchasing has grown phenomenally with total market valued at  £30million. Eco Holidays, Fair trade holidays have experienced exceptional growth due to the rasing concern regarding the environment amongst the people (Mintel Report 2005). Green Initiatives: In todays world it is impossible for the travel and tourism industry to ignore the growing concerns over environment. In a survey in year 2002, 85% of the people said it is important their vacation does not hamper the environment. Due to this fact the package operators are aligning themselves to become environment friendly (Euro Monitor). Such as Thomas cook has now started to highlight about their services meeting responsible tourism criteria (Mintel Report 2005) Porters Five forces: Competitive Rivalry The four major players in the market (Thomson, MyTravel, First-Choice and Thomas Cook) have, for number of years, jostled each other for bigger market share and profits have proved to be volatile (Evans et al, 2003). The major package holiday players target different segments in the market such as, offering luxury vacations, adventure vacations etc. with some uniqueness as well. Package operators such as Thomson introduced their own low cost airline- Thomson fly and dynamic packaging where customers can book their accommodation and flights separately (Lueck 2005) The level of customer services affect when choosing a company, if one offers better customer service than others it helps in retaining customers. Therefore there is intense rivalry in the industry Threat of New Entrants: The total expenditure on holidays is expected to rise by nearly 22% in 2014 from 2004(Mintel report, 2010) making the tourism industry attractive one because of the market size. Yet, high level of capital investment required targeting larger audience and the need to differentiate acts as a barrier to entry. And to add, top 10 companies control 70% of the market. This reduces the price retaliation and keeps the economies of scale high. Findings from Mintel report (2010) states Brand awareness plays an important role in package holiday industry and thus can act as a barrier. Therefore threat of new entrant is low. Threat from Substitutes: Holidays can have direct as well indirect substitutes, such as instead of spending couple of pounds on a weeks vacation people might spend same amount of money on buying a car or towards house extension. Therefore threat from substitutes if moderate. Bargaining Power of Suppliers: Supplier can have high negotiation power over the companies having small market share, but in a market where 4 major players control over 50% of the market there is threat of backward integration. Therefore the bargaining power of the suppliers is low Bargaining Power of buyers: Customers today have the option to book their holidays over the Internet they eye to fetch cheap deals. Regards to this the customers have more choices. But, due to low level of differentiation and lesser substitutes make the bargaining power moderate. Critical Success Factor New Destinations: As per the Mintel report (2010) visiting a new destination has seen highest growth in terms of percentage, 12%. Places that have hot weather, beaches, landscapes, cultural heritage are a major hit amongst various demographics. Therefore in order to have larger market share it is important for the package operators to continuously look to update their offering of destinations. It is important for the tour operators to offer short and medium haul holidays destinations and domestic places for vacations, as it is the growing market as per the current statistics. (Mintel Report 2010) Convenience: In todays technologically advanced world where most of the population is the subscriber to Internet, it is important for travel agents to offer the customers with online booking facility. In UK itself out of 27 million households 20 millions are the Internet subscribers (Euro Monitor). Mintel report (2010) states there was nearly 20% growth in online booking, way more than any other method of booking holidays. Also, a company should be easily searched over the Internet. Therefore the companies should optimize their websites to reach larger audience. Brand Value: It is important to persuade customer to buy package holidays. Here, brand comes into the picture. The recent volcanic eruption helped the package operators build on their brand image and capitalizing on what could happen if independent holidays are booked. Green initiatives: The growing concerns for the environment amongst the customers (see Environmental factors in PEST) have made travel operators take stock of the growing concern. Thomas cook has now started to highlight in their brochure that their services meet the responsible tourism criteria. (Euro Monitor)

Free College Essays - Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter - Only God Should Judge :: Scarlet Letter essays

The Scarlet Letter: Only God Should Judge    In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s classic novel The Scarlet Letter many moral issues come to mind. For one, the book is about an adulteress trying to live her life in an old Puritan town. This is especially hard since the man who has committed this sin with her, known as Arthur Dimmesdale, refuses to confess his part in her crime. The town has many convictions of whom or what Hester is which makes it impossible for Hester to live a happy normal life. The thoughts on adultery were not very good at the time of the puritans. Many people were banished from society or even killed as a result of it. Hester’s punishment is relatively light because of her age and beauty. She is forced to wear a scarlet â€Å"A† on her breast for the rest of her life so that all can see her shame. But for Hester, Death would have been a much more welcomed punishment. As a result of her action and punishment she ends up a sad and shameful old woman that is never released from her shame. Seeing her bravery, Dimmesdale confesses to having committed adultery also and then dies of faintness of heart. Hester dies years later and not even in death is she released for on her grave only a dark gloom surrounds, never any light. The Scarlet Letter is a book that involves the perception of adultery, thoughts about it, and the result from it. To begin, the perceptions on Hester as shown throughout the novel are not at all good ones. Some people think she is a witch, this is shown when a true witch asked her if she will be joining them later that night in the forest for a witches gathering: â€Å"Hist, Hist Wilt thou go with us to-night?...†(pg.80). Other people think that Hester is somehow involved with Satan by directly relating the scarlet letter with evil or supernatural: â€Å" the scarlet letter threw a lurid gleam along the passageway of the interior.†(pg.48) The women of the town also highly frown upon her action and when she is standing atop the scaffold they mock her by saying such things as â€Å"†¦before this brazen hussy†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (pg.26) The town believes what she did is wrong and immoral, which it is, but what they don’t realize is that it isn’t because she is a witch or a demon of Satan and certainly not shameless. Free College Essays - Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter - Only God Should Judge :: Scarlet Letter essays The Scarlet Letter: Only God Should Judge    In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s classic novel The Scarlet Letter many moral issues come to mind. For one, the book is about an adulteress trying to live her life in an old Puritan town. This is especially hard since the man who has committed this sin with her, known as Arthur Dimmesdale, refuses to confess his part in her crime. The town has many convictions of whom or what Hester is which makes it impossible for Hester to live a happy normal life. The thoughts on adultery were not very good at the time of the puritans. Many people were banished from society or even killed as a result of it. Hester’s punishment is relatively light because of her age and beauty. She is forced to wear a scarlet â€Å"A† on her breast for the rest of her life so that all can see her shame. But for Hester, Death would have been a much more welcomed punishment. As a result of her action and punishment she ends up a sad and shameful old woman that is never released from her shame. Seeing her bravery, Dimmesdale confesses to having committed adultery also and then dies of faintness of heart. Hester dies years later and not even in death is she released for on her grave only a dark gloom surrounds, never any light. The Scarlet Letter is a book that involves the perception of adultery, thoughts about it, and the result from it. To begin, the perceptions on Hester as shown throughout the novel are not at all good ones. Some people think she is a witch, this is shown when a true witch asked her if she will be joining them later that night in the forest for a witches gathering: â€Å"Hist, Hist Wilt thou go with us to-night?...†(pg.80). Other people think that Hester is somehow involved with Satan by directly relating the scarlet letter with evil or supernatural: â€Å" the scarlet letter threw a lurid gleam along the passageway of the interior.†(pg.48) The women of the town also highly frown upon her action and when she is standing atop the scaffold they mock her by saying such things as â€Å"†¦before this brazen hussy†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (pg.26) The town believes what she did is wrong and immoral, which it is, but what they don’t realize is that it isn’t because she is a witch or a demon of Satan and certainly not shameless.