Agriculture importance Essay Example for Free

Agriculture importance Essay Those of us who preach the gospel of agriculture with evangelical zeal find the text compelling and convincing. We are regularly possessed by the spirit only to look around and see out colleagues, in other sectors, in country management, or even our senior management doubting, yawning or subtly edging towards the door. We face the implicit query, â€Å"If agriculture can do such great things, why have they not yet happened? †1 The past decade has been one of agro-pessimism. The promises that agricultural development seem to hold did not materialise. This pessimism seemed to coincide with pessimism about Sub-Saharan Africa. Especially for Sub-Saharan Africa the hope was that economic development would be brought about by agricultural development. After the success of the green revolution in Asia, the hope was that a similar agricultural miracle would transform African economies. But this hope never materialised, agricultural productivity did not increase much in SSA (figure 1), and worse, the negative effects of the green revolution in Asia became more apparent, such as pesticide overuse and subsequent pollution. Also in Asia the yield increases tapered off. The sceptics put forward several arguments why agriculture is no longer an engine of growth2. For instance, the liberalisation of the 1990s and greater openness to trade has lead to a reduction in the economic potential of the rural sector: cheap imported Chinese plastic buckets out compete the locally produced pottery. On the other hand, it does mean cheaper (imported) supplies. With rapid global technical change and increasingly integrated markets, prices fall faster than yields rise. So, rural incomes fall despite increased productivity if they are net producers3. The integration of rural with urban areas means that healthy young people move out of agriculture, head to town, leaving behind the old, the sick and the dependent. It is often also the men who move to urban areas, leaving women in charge of the farm. This has resulted in the increased sophistication of agricultural markets (and value chains) which excludes traditional smallholders, who are poorly equipped to meet the demanding product specifications and timeliness of delivery required by expanding supermarkets. The natural resource base on which agriculture depends is poor and deteriorating. Productivity growth is therefore increasingly more difficult to achieve. Finally, multiplier effects occur when a change in spending causes a disproportionate change in aggregate demand. Thus an increase in spending produces an increase in national income and consumption greater than the initial amount spent. But as GDP rises and the share of agriculture typically decreases, the question is how important these multiplier effects are, especially when significant levels of poverty remain in rural areas, which is the case in middleincome countries4. The disappointment with agriculture led many donor organisations to turn away from agriculture, looking instead to areas that would increase the well-being of poor people, such as health and education. Those organisations that still focused on agriculture, such as the CGIAR, were put under pressure to focus more on reducing poverty, besides increasing agricultural productivity. However, since the beginning of the new century, there seems to be a renewed interest in agriculture. A review of major policy documents5, including the well-publicised Sachs report and the Kofi Annan report, show that agriculture is back on the agenda again. The most influential report, however, has been the World Development Report 2008 of the World Bank6. This report argues that growth in the agricultural sector 1 contributes proportionally more to poverty reduction than growth in any other economic sector and that therefore alone, the focus should be on the agricultural sector when achieving to reach MDG 1. A reassessment of the role of agriculture in development seems to be required. This policy paper addresses several timely though complex questions: †¢ First, how can or does agriculture contribute to economic development, and in particular how does it relate to poverty? †¢ Second, the agricultural sector has changed considerably in the past decades: what are the main drivers of this change? †¢ Third, what is the relationship between economic or agricultural growth and pro-poor development? †¢ Fourth, how does agriculture relate to other sectors in the economy? †¢ Fifth, who is included and who is excluded in agricultural development, specifically focusing on small farms? †¢ And finally, if agricultural development is indeed important to economic development, then why, despite all the efforts and investments, has this not led to more successes? 2. Agriculture and economic growth This section presents a number of factual observations describing how the agricultural sector changed in terms of productivity, contribution to economic growth, and indicating the relevance of the agricultural sector for poverty alleviation in different regions. Background: some facts In the discussion of the role of agriculture in economic development, a leading question is how agriculture contributes to economic growth, and especially to pro-poor growth. There seems to be a paradox in the role of agriculture in economic development. The share of agriculture contributing to GDP is declining over the years (see figure 1). At the same time, the productivity of for instance cereal yields has been increasing (see figure 2). It seems that as agriculture becomes more successful, its importance declines in the overall economy. Of course, other sectors in the economy can be even more successful, such as the Asian Tigers.

The Oberoi groups

The Oberoi groups For an organization of your choice, outline a new product or process or other form of innovation. Definition of creativity and innovation: Creativity is the ability to think new idea. (This includes the ability to rethink an old idea, for example to think of a new application for an existing technology. Innovation is the process by which the new idea is put into practice. [ (center of competitiveness, 2001)] Introduction about OBEROI GROUPS: Oberoi groups are one of the Indias famous private organizations which step into the different markets in the year of 1934. It has a powerful market position for its products and services. Oberoi hotels are well known for its high quality service and luxury. A distinctive future of the Oberoi hotels is that they got their own highly motivated and well trained staff which provides a good standard quality of services which is really hard to find today. Apart from the hotel industry, Oberoi groups is engaged in the following business as well, Flight catering Airport restaurant Travel and tour services Car rentals Project managements corporate air charters. Oberoi groups has won many awards which as follows, It has been ranked as the best hotel chain (outside the U.S) in Conde Nast Travelers 2007 business Travel Awards readers survey. It has been ranked as the best hotel chain (outside the U.K) in the Guardian, Observer and guardian.co.uk Travel Awards 2008 readers survey. Rated as the second best resorts in India. And lots of other awards. [ (Oberoi hotels and resorts, 2009)] Mission: Our Guests: we are committed to meeting and exceeding the expectations of our guests through our unremitting dedication to every aspect of service. Our People: We are committed to the growth, development and welfare of our people upon whom we rely to make this happen. Our Distinctiveness: Together, we shall continue the Oberoi tradition of pioneering in the hospitality industry, striving for unsurpassed excellence in high-potential locations all the way from the Middle East to Asia-Pacific. Our Shareholders: As a result, we will create extraordinary value for our stakeholders. Vision: We see an organization which aims at leadership in the hospitality industry by understanding its guests, and designing and delivering products and services which enable it to exceed their expectations. We will always demonstrate care for our customers through anticipation of their needs, attention to detail, distinctive excellence, warmth and concern. [ (The Oberoi hotels and resorts, 2009)] A Tragic year: The Oberoi hotel in Mumbai is situated in the heart of the city and a few minutes away from lots of tourist attractions and the hotel has a beautiful view of blue sea and sky which attracts most of the tourist. And the facilities and services are always in a good slandered. Oberoi hotel is a good competitor for Taj hotel in India. But the Tragedy on 27 November 2008 was a major break down for Oberoi hotel in Mumbai. The attacks by terrorist in Oberoi trident in India shock the world by killing more than 100 peoples inside the hotel which include foreign tourists. The attack didnt only spare the life of the innocent people; it destroyed the beauty of the hotel as well. The gun shots, bombs and fire destroyed everything they touched. Terrorist turned the beautiful hotel as the graveyard for the innocent people who died in the attack. After the army killed those gunmen, the hotel reception was almost demolished. Oberoi hotel (Mumbai) was shut down for a while. Oberoi hotel even lost some of its share holders in the market. Innovation process by the organization: But all those bad things didnt stop Oberoi hotel to shut down completely. It was flashing in the news and everywhere that the Oberoi hotel was re opened a year and a half after the terror strike with the complete new look. It was published in the press that, After extensive restoration and renovation costing over 40 million dollars, the Oberoi opened its doors to guests Saturday, announcing its return with front-page newspaper advertisements that simply said: WELCOME BACK. (AGENCY, 2010) The Oberoi hotel in Mumbai is back into business now. The transformation of the hotel is completely different and is has brand new look. But what about their customers? Did they able to get back their customers? Actually they have a surprising innovation process in the organization which was highlighting in the news and press which is as follows, April 22 (Bloomberg) Indias luxury Oberoi hotel groups will open their flagship Mumbai properties in the next quarter with $6,750-a-night suites and butler services to win back tourists a year and a half after deadly terrorist attacks. The Mumbai Oberoi will reopen on April 24, charging as much as 300,000 rupees ($6,750) a night for 2,050 square foot rooms, which will include quarters for guests security officers. (SF Gate, 2010) Their innovation is that by reducing the rates and price levels, there might be a chance of getting their customers back into the business. This will also lead to attract the new customers into the hotel. This is a simple trick which is used by any kind of business in the market which is also an effective one. Usually in the market in order to sell a new product or increase the sales of the existing product, organizations normally reduce the price level. Most of the consumers fell for the cheap price. But later on the organizations will slowly increase the price level where the customers blindly buy the same product even though when the price increases. This is the same technique which the Mumbai Oberoi hotel is using now as their innovation. But this kind of innovation is normally used everywhere in this world. Although it seems to be a reasonable one. People who couldnt afford the price level before terror strikes might be interested as the price level is decreased. Their innovation in the market: As there is a recession in the todays market which is pushing the weakest industries and the organizations out of the market, lots of organizations have been kicked out of the market. This is going to be the hard time for Oberoi hotel to win back their customers. Due to the recession, lots of hospitality industries reduced their price level to attract the tourists. It is surprising that another famous hotel in Mumbai called Taj Mahal Palace was also being attacked by the terrorist on the same day as Oberoi was attacked and reopened recently. They also have reduced the price level which is more or less same level as Oberois. This is going to be a big problem for Oberoi groups. The first thought comes in the mind of people about the new Oberoi is that as they have invested lots of money in rebuilding the hotel; they are going to charge more prices for their services. But in this case, they have reduced the price level and given an additional feature like a free butler service. So this might be an advantage for the organization. The second thought is that the security level. People always criticize the poor security of the hotel. But the chairman of Oberoi hotel groups [P.R.S OBEROI], announced the press about their tight and improved security level of the new Oberoi. He stated to the press that, A big part of the focus has been to improve security. The hotel now has 150 security cameras, up from just 15 at the time of the attacks. It has 50 security personnel, five times the number it had in 2008. Visitors who drive up are greeted by a big steel gate where their cars are searched. The large windows in the lobby that overlook south Mumbais picturesque, crescent-shaped bay are now made from reinforced, shatterproof glass. (NDTV, 2010) Finally more or less they have answered almost every question about the hotel. This may lead the people to think positive about the hotel which is equal to win back their customers. Disadvantages and advantage of their Innovation: Even though their innovation seems to be a good one, there are some other few disadvantages exists which are as follows, It doesnt fit with the current market situation. Because of the recession, all other hotels have already reduced their price level which makes no difference. Maximum numbers of people will still go for the cheap price. Their innovation is very simple one which might not suite the current market situation. A huge amount of money has been invested in re-building the hotel, to win back the amount invested and their customers, there should be a powerful innovation must be implemented. This is also the time where Oberois competitors will try to overtake and try to conquer the market. But on the bright side, the one major advantage is that the Oberois major competitor called Taj is also facing the same problem. This might be a good chance for Oberoi as it will take time for their competitor to capture the market. In the mean time Oberoi can resolve the problems and get back their market position. And the other small advantage is that of the new look of the hotel. The old customers may come back to visit the brand new hotel. This will not only attract the old customers, it might bring the new customers as well which is the first step for the success after the tragedy. How to implement this innovation in the right way: The following are the major steps to implement the innovation in order to succeed any kind of business, First of all, decision making on implementing an innovation should be done by the top level management and should be very careful while implementing it. An innovation will survive in the market, only when the organization understands the market and balance it with the position of the organization in the market. And the innovation should be a powerful one where it should be a new one in the market and an attractive one as well, so that it will get the attention of others i.e. new customers. But the innovation by the Oberoi hotels is like a market tactics where it is used by others in the market. It is not a new one as the innovation is bringing something new where no one has seen it in this world. So reducing the price is not just an innovation but they have given an additional facility like a free butler service for this reasonable price which is a new process for their group. It will attract the new customers as they already know that this is going to be the temporary offer by the Oberoi group. The innovation should be a flexible one, so that any changes will not affect the any process in the organization. Because the market never remains constant. It will keep on changing according to the time and the factors which influence the change. It should also be flexible with the customers as each and every customer is different from each other. In this point of view, their innovation is quite an advantageous level. They have changed according to the time. Because of their tragedy and the recession in the market, they have done the right thing of reducing the price level and an additional free service. This will always works in the market as we have discussed above. Even though they have implemented an innovation, their process remains constant. May be the look of the hotel changed but the process remains constant. Their service to the customer didnt change or they didnt lose the entire market. Nothing changed except the look as it may brings the new customers into the business. If the innovation is more or less familiar in the market, then at least there should be an improvement in that which will make it as a different one when compared to others. The most important step is that the innovation should never affect the vision, mission and the objectives of the organization. Because the innovation is just to improve the business where the vision, mission and the objectives are the basics to survive in the competitive market. This is a good point where the Oberoi groups did achieve. They made a small difference in their innovation of offering a free butler service which makes a difference from others. It is clear that their innovation is not affecting the vision, mission and the objective of the organization. Their mission is to exceed the level of customer satisfaction. The innovation or the recession didnt affect their customer satisfaction. And the other important fact is that their innovation didnt affect the process in the Mumbai hotel or any other process of their different hotels or groups. In some cases it does happen. An impact on a single process of business will affect the entire business and even result in vanishing the organization from the market. A fine example for this scenario is that the Switzerland was dominating the watch making business in the years of 1968. They had a huge profit and powerful market implementations. They were well known as good inventors. But later in 1980, the market collapsed and lots of watch making employees lost their job. The Switzerland lost their market because of their new competitor called Seiko which grabbed the opportunity of making electronic quartz which was rejected by Switzerland. It is clear that the Switzerland was continuously making watch without changing the fundamental rules and didnt bother about their external environment. (STUDY UP, 2009). And the market never remain stable, it changes all the time as per the time and the need of the customers. Especially in the hotel industry, the market never remains constant. So if an organization fails to take a look over the external fit or fails to look after the defects which affects the organizations process, then there is a plenty of change for their competitors to take over their business and leads the market which will end up in winding up the business. When comparing to that example, it is clear that the changes in the Mumbai Oberoi hotel didnt chance any process in the hotel as well as the other hotels of its own group. Even though they have invested a lot of funds in re building the hotel, they didnt suffer that much. It is in the press that they are planning to open new hotels in India and abroad in a very few years. The Oberoi Group is planning to launch a luxury hotel in Goa. Goa is going to witness development of 12 new hotels over a period of 3-5 years, according to a survey by Federation Of Hotel and Restaurant Associations Of India and HVS International. The Oberoi could be one of these 12 new hotels. (ITOPC). It shows that how powerful their financial background is even in their tragic time period and their excellent survival in the market. And one of their major competitors in India is Taj hotel groups which were also attacked by the terrorist at the same time when the Oberoi was. This is a big advantage for Oberoi groups as their competitor is also facing the same problem. It is interesting that the innovation by the Oberoi hotel is more or less familiar with the Taj hotel groups where they have also reduced the price level after they have reopened their hotel in Mumbai. Taj hotel has reduced their price level to 3, 50,000 rupees per night where Oberois price level is 3, 00,000 rupees per night. The price level of Oberoi is little less when compared to the Taj hotel groups which is an advantage for Oberoi groups. In addition the Oberoi hotel now offers a free butler service for that reasonable price which s also an advantage and will be an effective one in the market. There is a scope that it will grasp the attention of the customers in the market and brings them into the business. In this way they have made a differe nce which is an advantage for Oberoi groups as we have discussed above that the majority for people always falls for the cheap market price. But only reducing the price level is not enough to survive in the competitive market. In order to face the market in a recession time, there should be a change in the general process in the organization, more importantly not the main process of the organization. For example as the Oberoi groups comes under the hospitality industry, it has a major opportunity to survive even in the recession time. There is always a scope for tourism and hospitality industry no matter what is happening in the market. Even though there is a recession in the market, Oberoi hotel groups are in the bright side where the hospitality industries are less affected when comparing to other industries. Understanding the problem of Mumbai Oberoi groups, what they could do now is to make a difference in their customer satisfaction level. The hotel is already known for its customer satisfactory level. Even though a small good change in a good process will be more effective than a normal one. By improving their customer satisfaction, they might be able to win back their customers which are equal to achieve their goals and objectives. (Vision, mission). It is very important that Oberoi hotel groups should not keep this low price tactics for a very long time. They should get back to their normal price as soon as they win back their customers or the market come back to the normal state. As they have invested lots of money on the Mumbai hotel, they should also look over the future and make some long term plans as well. They should not only concentrate on winning back their customers, they should also look for winning back their money which is invested in re-building the hotel and capture the market. Only bringing something new to this world is not easy as it seems. It should also reach the customers knowledge without which even a powerful innovation is nothing but a waste idea. In todays world there are plenty of ways where anything could be passes to the public knowledge. There are lots of media for everything. In this case, the Oberoi hotel groups used lots of media to pass their innovation in the knowledge of the people. This could also be a threatening factor as this may lead to the duplication of ideas by the other organizations in the market. But in this case, most of the percentage falls on the positive side which is a good favor for the Oberoi hotel groups. Conclusion: The Oberoi hotel group seems to be a struggling fish in the hooks of the terrorism and the bad market. But it is not yet pulled out of the water (market). It is pulling itself to survive. The hotel was being attacked by the terrorist and completely destroyed, at the time they were ready to get back into the business, the market was far worse than they expected. But they didnt slip out of the market. With their powerful financial background, they are back into business and stepping into their normal level which shows that they could do better in the near future. Their innovation was a simple one it seems to be an effective one in the market. It didnt affect any of its process and the innovation didnt cause any big changes in the organization. These are the very basic points for bringing the innovation in the market which are all achieved by the Oberoi hotel groups. And their major competitor is also facing the same problem which is also a positive climate for the Oberoi hotel groups in the market. May be their hotel was completely destroyed by those terrorist but they are back into business with a promising high tight security which helps the public to have a confident to walk into the hotel again without any of those death fear. Though there are some threats in the market, it is just a stepping stone for the Oberoi hotel groups for their bright future. On an overall basis, we have covered everything about the basic idea of the Oberoi hotel groups and their marketing position. We have also discussed about their innovation process and how they have implemented their innovation in the market and how successful it worked and also given a suggestion of how it could be more effective. It is important to note that there is always a bright fortune for the hospitality industry in this world as the human expectations are always a head then their imagination. So there is a bright scope for the Oberoi hotel groups which is very near and crystal clear. Bibliography: (2010). Retrieved APRIL 1, 2010, from NDTV: http://www.ndtv.com/news/cities/a-mumbai-hotel-reopens-grander-than-before-20545.php AGENCY, T. N. (2010, APRIL 24). TREND NEWS AGENCY. Retrieved MAY 1, 2010, from http://en.trend.az/regions/world/ocountries/1675687.html center of competitiveness. (2001). Retrieved 4 13, 2010, from http://www.cforc.org/newsdata/news.asp?StoryID=73 ITOPC. (n.d.). Retrieved 4 28, 2010, from ITOPC: http://www.itopc.org/travel-trade/new-hotels-in-pipeline.html Oberoi hotels and resorts. (2009). Retrieved 4 25, 2010, from http://www.oberoihotels.com/awards.asp SF Gate. (2010, APRIL 21). Retrieved MAY 1, 2010, from http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/04/21/bloomberg1376-L19D6Z1A1I4H-1.DTL STUDY UP. (2009). Retrieved 4 11, 2010, from STUDY UP: http://studyup.cut-the-knot.org/factors/externalenvironmentalfactors.html The Oberoi hotels and resorts. (2009). Retrieved 4 25, 2010, from http://www.oberoihotels.com/about_us/mission_and_vision.asp

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings :: essays research papers

1. What Does Marguerite observe about the cotton pickers? She notices that their attitudes depend on the time of day. She says in the morning they are full of life and in the evening they are tired out and dismal from all the work. 2. Why do white people seem un-real to Marguerite? She said white people 's feet were too small, and their skin was see-through, and they walked on their heels, not on the balls of their feet. 3. Explain how their education in Stamps prepared Marguerite and Bailey. How is school different in St. Louis from the one they attended in Stamps? Marguerite and Bailey were prepared for school because of their education in Stamps. They learned arithmetic through working in their store and they said they read so much in Stamps because there was nothing else to do. They also said the schools were different because of their teachers.The teachers in Stamps, they said, were very formal they came imported from a Negro College in Arkansas. The teachers in St. Louis were very siddity they were very strict and had the same characteristics that white folk had. The walked with their knees together and their lips tight. 4. How does Ritie feel about Mr. Freeman's death? She said she felt guilty and had forfeited her place in heaven. She said she was pure evil,because she had lied about him in court and that this lie caused his death. 5. Why is Ritie so offended that she wants to quit working for Mrs. Cullinan? How does she get out of her job? Mrs. Cullinan calls Ritie not by her given name, Marguerite, but by the name of Mary, which annoys Ritie. She is fired after she intentionally breaks some of Mrs. Cullinan's valuable family dishes. 6. Tell what happens at Ritie's eighth grade graduation. Ritie is angered that white's only think that Negroes are only good for being athletes, maids, and other small jobs. She hates how blacks are supressed. 7. How is Miss Kirwin different from Ritie's other teachers? Ritie says Miss Kirwin was in love with information that she really wanted to share her knowledge. She also addressed the students as "ladies and gentlemen." 8. How has Bailey changed while Ritie was gone? Ritie's relationship with Bailey is weakening. Bailey has started to hang out with other groups. He does not talk to Ritie as much as they used to. 9. How does Ritie respond to the obstacles she encounters when she wants to get a job? I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings :: essays research papers 1. What Does Marguerite observe about the cotton pickers? She notices that their attitudes depend on the time of day. She says in the morning they are full of life and in the evening they are tired out and dismal from all the work. 2. Why do white people seem un-real to Marguerite? She said white people 's feet were too small, and their skin was see-through, and they walked on their heels, not on the balls of their feet. 3. Explain how their education in Stamps prepared Marguerite and Bailey. How is school different in St. Louis from the one they attended in Stamps? Marguerite and Bailey were prepared for school because of their education in Stamps. They learned arithmetic through working in their store and they said they read so much in Stamps because there was nothing else to do. They also said the schools were different because of their teachers.The teachers in Stamps, they said, were very formal they came imported from a Negro College in Arkansas. The teachers in St. Louis were very siddity they were very strict and had the same characteristics that white folk had. The walked with their knees together and their lips tight. 4. How does Ritie feel about Mr. Freeman's death? She said she felt guilty and had forfeited her place in heaven. She said she was pure evil,because she had lied about him in court and that this lie caused his death. 5. Why is Ritie so offended that she wants to quit working for Mrs. Cullinan? How does she get out of her job? Mrs. Cullinan calls Ritie not by her given name, Marguerite, but by the name of Mary, which annoys Ritie. She is fired after she intentionally breaks some of Mrs. Cullinan's valuable family dishes. 6. Tell what happens at Ritie's eighth grade graduation. Ritie is angered that white's only think that Negroes are only good for being athletes, maids, and other small jobs. She hates how blacks are supressed. 7. How is Miss Kirwin different from Ritie's other teachers? Ritie says Miss Kirwin was in love with information that she really wanted to share her knowledge. She also addressed the students as "ladies and gentlemen." 8. How has Bailey changed while Ritie was gone? Ritie's relationship with Bailey is weakening. Bailey has started to hang out with other groups. He does not talk to Ritie as much as they used to. 9. How does Ritie respond to the obstacles she encounters when she wants to get a job?

Middleware :: essays research papers

Middleware In the past several decades, a trend has emerged where mid to large size corporations have needed to integrate their existing mainframe systems with their newer PC based information systems. With this shift in focus toward PC based communications and productivity software that became available on the market, companies scrambled for ways to tie PCs and mainframes together. This created the need for middleware. Companies discovered that the hardware and programming, involved in maintaining mainframe systems, was too costly to replace overnight. In addition to the expense, the applications in place for the most part served their purpose and appeared to be much more stable than the personal computers. They maintained master files for customers as well as inventory levels, generated bills and invoices and, with the right programmer and vision, the mainframes could extract just about any information that managers needed. As PCs became more prevalent for a fraction of the cost and with the development of the Internet and a global network, PC applications with productivity software such as Microsoft Office and connection to the Internet have become imperative in almost every business setting. As these resources became available, users such as employees could now access information easily and instantly, share information simultaneously, and communicate both externally and internally through electronic mail. The questions then arose concerning what to do with the expensive mainframe systems and how to permit the PCs to interact. Middleware has become the solution to this problem.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A middleware program is an interface between an application and a server. The most useful are those that allow access to the vast resources stored on the highly developed and expensive mainframe databases with a simple user friendly program, like a web browser. Another example is what Kaiser Permanente implemented to ease the ordering and monitoring of prescriptions. Kaiser bought a NetWeave middleware solution to tie its VAX pharmacy systems to a Tandem master subscriber database to allow subscribers to dial in prescription orders from their touch-tone phones. NetWeave gives us an illustration of how middleware works below. You can find more information on NetWeave at www.netweave.com. It is clear that with the rapid shift in business focus to pc-based information systems, which the demand for scalability and information on-the-fly, will create a huge demand for middleware.

Biography of Miguel de Cervantes :: essays research papers

Miguel de Cervantes was a famous novelist in Spain in the sixteenth century during the Renaissance. Cervantes lived in Spain during the Golden Age which helped him become a recognized writer. He was very talented, and he showed his talents through the interesting and wonderful novels he wrote. The most famous novel he wrote was called Don Quixote. Cervantes had a very exhausting and enthusiastic life, full of excitement and success. Miguel de Cervantes has great histories which lead him to write his wonderful novels and plays, and these have been very influential during the Renaissance and today’s writers. Cervantes was born on September 29, 1547 in a town near Madrid called Alcala de Henares, Spain. He was the fourth son of seven children. His father was a surgeon and his mother died when he was young. Since his father was a medical doctor his family had to travel to many towns in Spain. During his youth and adolescence he was taught by Jesuits. Not much about his education is known but when he was about twenty-one years old in 1568, he went to Madrid where Juan Lopez de Hoyos, a Jesuit, was his tutor. Cervantes did not attend to university, but he read broadly, this greatly influenced his writings. In about 1568 to 1570 he moved to Naples, Italy. In Naples, he joined the Spanish Army because he had a very big interest in the military. In 1571, he participated in the naval battle of Lepanto, located in the Gulf of Lepanto. The war was between the Spanish and the Turks, since the relationship between the Mediterranean countries and the Ottoman Empire was tense. During this battle Cervantes was wounded in his chest and on his left hand. He lost the use of his left hand and therefore, he gained the nickname of ‘‘Manco de Lepanto’’, meaning Maimed of Lepanto. Nevertheless Cervantes remained in the military although he was wounded because he was very dedicated to it. Then he fought in northern Africa and the Mediterranean lands. When Miguel de Cervantes and his brother Rodrigo Cervantes where sailing back to Spain in 1575, their ship was captured by pirates. Bradbury pirates made them prisoners and took them to Algiers as slaves. Cervantes had to remain a prisoner for five years even though he tried to escape a variety of occasions. He had to wait until his family and his religious order released him from prison having to earn money.

Alone Together: The Impact Of Social Media and Its Relationship to Loneliness Essay

Alone Together: The Impact Of Social Media and Its Relationship to Loneliness In the school, parks, restaurants, or streets we can always see a person who is busy â€Å"tweeting†, checking Facebook, or putting pictures to Instagram. Earlier in the past, people would spent their free time with family and friends, reading books, going to the park with kids, and playing games outside. If in the last century, people could say, â€Å"You are what your friends are†; nowadays, you are what you â€Å"like†, post, or share on Facebook. Social media networks have became some of the most entertaining and popular things all over the world, as well as it makes us remember the quote by T.S. Eliot: â€Å"Distracted from distraction by distraction.† Social media is a network of web-sites where people share or discus information; also, it is a great op- portunity to communicate long-distance and build new friendships. Although, social network was designed for people to become closer and h elp to improve their relations, it also declined out at- tempt to communicate in person. In urban life, social media makes such a lonely activity for us — to be stuck in front of the screen. The paradox of social technology that reduces our social in- volvement does affect a lot of people, and can lead to social awkwardness and loneliness. As big as the media itself, it connects all of us in every single aspect, but makes us to be alone together. How does social networks reduce our social involvement? There are three ways through which social media brings us to isolation from the real world: it is easy available, entertaining and very popular. At first, it is so easy and free to make an account on social website, such as Tweeter, Facebook, MySpase, Skype and so on. Because many of us have internet on out phones, it makes it more available and on the go. The statistics shows that, â€Å"over a billion people belong to Face- book, the world’s largest online social network, and over half of them log in daily† (Kross). Being around your friends or in school, we would not realize that we keep looking at our phones, and checking the latest news. Social networks m ake it easy for us to control distances — weather you choose open up for people, or keep them away, there is always a capability for you to keep your distance just right. I use social networks in my regular life, and it helps me to communicate with my family from all around the world. It is easier and cheeper for all of us; we do not have to spent money on our plane tickets, and cancel our plans,  because we can connect over the com- puter. On another hand, the technology reduces chances for me to travel and visit my family. In this way, we can see how easily our conversations transform to connections. People do not have to plan meetings and events in person, because they can connect, press button, and promote everything. Nowadays, most of the things we search for is through â€Å"the easy way†. Wether its interviews, shopping, planning birthday events or reunions, anything what we would usually do in person, now we do without getting out of our houses, and even without leaving our room. By sitting in front of the screen, and doing our â€Å"easy available† activities, we isolate ourselves from social life, which is also shows our laziness based on advantages of technology. Another of the ways though which social network isolating us from the real life, is the entertainment of it. People in general cannot live without something that can make them feel ï ¿ ¼happy and satisfied. Its a great source for us to get entertained, because being online we can present ourselves that we want to be. People can filter all the negatives and show only the positives through uploading pictures, statuses or other information. Social networks such Facebook have a huge amount of groups where people can share their interests; therefore, we have no need for meeting people in person, if we know whats going on in their lives through computer. It is of course helps more introvert people to find new friendships, but it does opposite outcome for more extrovert people, who get addicted to online society. Like video games, and mass media, social media has a great influence on us to get stuck at home. In one of the journals by Graeme Hutton, explains the connection between entertainment activities and humans: Passive social media activities — online reading and viewing, for instance — typically demand less involvement and cognitive processing than such active pursuits as writing, creating video, and posting to sites. Consumers are more likely to be involved in passive rather than active usage largely because such activities demand less conscious effort (566). The quote shows the relation that has speed up our social media use; which is also reminds us of the â€Å"easy available† entertaining activities that lead us to spent less time in public. More people get lonely, or depressed without socializing, and you can benefit from social network, that give you an opportunity to connect, or in some cases to disconnect from people. Finally, when you create a free account, make your profile and put  your â€Å"life† into it, most of people want to get famous. In another words, we want everyone to know what we are doing, and see how many people â€Å"like† or â€Å"share† it with us. People want to be popular, so their news get a top rank on a â€Å"news feed†, such as one on Facebook. We â€Å"engage socially online†, because we have â€Å"needs to promote ourselves† (Hutton 566). But as we search through our news feed we can see already â€Å"popular† people, who usually very good looking, or rich, or successful in their lives. Such little things makes us feel insecure about ourselves, and think that we are not good, pretty, smart enough. After these activities, some of us get soc ially awkward and do not want to attend the public, which will lead our road to loneliness. On another hand, the â€Å"popular† people spent a big amount of hours on the computer to promote themselves, which makes them lonely from the lack of activities they could have done outdoor with their friends. This example makes us to see the paradox of social technology, where we can feel cut off from other people even if they around us. In the short future, our generation will have a plugged-in lives. The explanation of it is that more and more people will get lazy, fake, insecure or jealous that would lead our society to shift. We would have more stereotype than unique people, because it will be â€Å"easier† for us to communicate with people such like us ourselves. Lack of emotions will increase, because people will forget how it is to have a facial expression. Loneliness will take the major spot, because we will be scared to act in front of other people whether than the screen. World will become a smaller place, but in this case it will fundamentally affect our so cial life. We will be alone, but together seeking for connection, and if people want to escape from loneliness, they would have to rely on new technology; therefore make it a vicious cycle.

Describe physical, intellectual, emotional and social development for each of the life stages of an individual Essay

The eldest of Frank and Isobel Hawking’s four children, Stephen William Hawking was born on the 300th anniversary of the death of Galileo—long a source of pride for the noted physicist—on January 8, 1942. He was born in Oxford, England, into a family of thinkers. His Scottish mother, Isobel Hawking, had earned her way into Oxford University in the 1930s—a time when few women thought of going to college—making her one of the college’s first female students. His father, Frank Hawking, another Oxford graduate, was a respected medical researcher with a specialty in tropical diseases. Stephen Hawking’s birth came at an inopportune time for his parents, who didn’t have much money. The political climate was also tense, as England was dealing with World War II and the onslaught of German bombs. In an effort to seek a safer place to have their first child, Frank moved his pregnant wife from their London home to Oxford. The Hawking’s would go on to have two other children, Mary (1943) and Philippa (1947). A second son, Edward, was adopted in 1956. In 1963 Hawking’s had many tests done on his well being and found that he had ALS and the doctors said he would die in 2 years. Hawking’s quest for big answers to big questions includes his own personal desire to travel into space. In 2007, at the age of 65, Hawking made an important step toward space travel. While visiting the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, he was given the opportunity to experience an environment without gravity. He has also gone on to do many more things which I will go into detail about in this essay. Conception There was no given information about conception, this is what generally happens. However we can estimate the conception time. Physical Development Stephan hawking would have been conceived around the date May the 8th 1941. During conception the physical development is that the semen from the male joins with the egg from the female to create a new living cell. A baby’s sex is determined at fertilisation. A chromosome from the father’s sperm determines whether the child is male or female. If an X chromosome is present the baby is a girl; if a Y chromosome is carried by the sperm instead, the baby is a boy. Pregnancy There was no given information about the sort of pregnancy Stephan Hawking’s mother had so this is an overview of the general things that happen. Physical Development There are three Trimesters in pregnancy in the first: in the first four weeks from conception, fetal growth of the ovum begins with development of the spinal cord, nervous system, gastrointestinal system, heart and lungs. By eight weeks, in the embryonic stage, the face is forming, arms and legs move, the baby’s heart begins beating and the brain and other organs form. By 12 weeks, the baby, now called a foetus, grows to 3 inches long and weighs 1 ounce. She can move fingers and toes. Fingerprints are present. The baby smiles, frowns, sucks, swallows and urinates. The sex of the baby can be discerned by this time. In the second; during the second three months of pregnancy, the baby kicks, can hear and has a strong grip. At 16 weeks a strong heartbeat is evident. The skin is transparent and fingernails and toenails form. The baby can roll over in the amniotic fluid. At 20 weeks, the heartbeat can be heard with a stethoscope. The baby has hair, eyelashes and eyebrows. He can suck his thumb and may have hiccups. By 24 weeks, the baby is 11 to 14 inches long and weighs 1 to 1 1/2 pounds. His skin is covered with a protective coating, his eyes are open. The Third; the baby is very active at 28 weeks and initial breathing movements begin. She is adding body fat. By 32 weeks, the baby experiences periods of sleep and wakefulness and responds to sounds. A six months’ supply of iron is accumulating in the liver. By 36 to 38 weeks she is 19 or more inches long and weighs 6 pounds or more. At this point she is less active and gains immunities from her mother. Intellectual Brain waves have been recorded by EEG (electro- encephalograph) in the human embryo 40 days after fertilisation. Human embryos of five weeks gestational age have been seen to move away from an object touching the mouth area. The sensitive area extends to include the rest of the face in the sixth and seventh weeks and the palms of the hands and soles of the feet in the eighth and ninth weeks respectively. 10 weeks your baby’s forehead temporarily bulges with his developing brain and sits very high on his head, which measures half the length of his body. By 12 weeks nerve cells are multiplying rapidly, and in your baby’s brain, synapses are forming furiously. Birth & Infancy Infancy is a time when growth and development are at their most rapid. This is the time when they learn to control the reflexes they are born with and learn to support themselves such as head support and sitting up. Nothing was recorded on this life stage for Stephen Hawking apart from the fact he was born in Oxford and was the eldest of four Stephen Hawking’s birth came at an inopportune time for his parents, who didn’t have much money. The political climate was also tense, as England was dealing with World War II and the onslaught of German bombs. Physical Development From birth to 3 months Motor control develops from the head, moves down through the arms and the trunk and then to the legs and feet, according to an item on early development on the online magazine Parenting. Initial movements are reflexive in nature, such as turning the head to the side when the cheek is stroked, which aids in feeding. As the initial survival reflexes fade, motor skills are related to the growing ability to observe and interact with the environment. From 3 to 6 months At 3 months of age, infant progresses to lifting the head and chest up when lying in its belly and may press up with its arms. A 3-month-old kicks its legs when lying on the belly or back, and bats at and briefly grasps toys, according to Healthy Children. The Hawaii Early Learning Profile indicates that between 3 and 4 months, he begins rolling with belly to back first, and back to belly closer to 6 months. From 6 to 12 months the average age at which infants sat without support was 6 months. The average age for standing with support was 7. months. Infants in the study crawled on hands and knees at 8. 5 months. Walking with assistance occurred at 9. 2 months. The average age of an infant who achieved standing alone was 11 months. From 12 to 24 months a young toddler takes two to three steps alone around 12 months. They should walk unsupported across a room with stopping or changing direction between 13 and 15 months. Around 18 months, kicking and throwing balls, running, climbing stairs with assistance, and propelling scoot toys join the toddler’s set of mobility and play skills. From 24 to 36 months (3 years) between the ages of 2 and 3, balance improves and the toddler walks with a smoother pattern. During this period they learn to stand briefly on one foot, walk backwards, and walk on tiptoes. A child jumps in place around 24 months and progresses to jumping over a small obstacle by 36 months. At 24 months then should be able to climb a small ladder and goes down a small slide, then manoeuvres on a variety of playground equipment around 35 months. Between 30 and 34 months, toddlers begin to walk up stairs alternating feet without a hand held or use of a railing. Other play skills expected within a few months of the third birthday are catching a playground ball that has been tossed to the child and pedalling a tricycle. Intellectual Development From 0-6 months the baby can vocalise, it makes cooing sounds and chuckles, the baby will do this spontaneously and they will discover the impact they can have the world such as when they cry someone will come and that6 when they are played with and tickled they should laugh etc. From 6months- 1? years the child should be able to use one or two words to name things or actions such as ‘juice’ or ‘ball’, they should also be able to say ‘mama’ and ‘dada’. Point to familiar things when they want them or asked where they are, they should also be able to point to at least one body part when asked, for example if someone asked where their nose was they should clearly be able to show that they know. They will be more curious about everything around them and will start to explore and realise right from wrong. They should also start to realise that objects can still exist when they’re out of sight for example if they’re in their high chair and drop something they will then go off and look for it. From 1? years-3 years the child should be able to draw a partial person such as the head and body it may not be clear but you can easily tell that it’s supposed to be a body. They will be able to now talk in sentences and formulate them well and their speech is understandable most of the time. They will use the right pronouns for what they’re trying to say and identifying persons (I, you and me) Emotional & Social Development 0-3 months will develop a social smile, they will also at this time enjoy play and cry when play stops. The child will then in turn become more expressive and communicates more with the face and body. They will imitate some movements and other facial expression that they see on other people. 3-7 months they will enjoy social play with other children and other family members. They will be interested when seeing mirror images (seeing themselves in a mirror), the child will start to respond to facial expressions and emotions and often appears joyful and happy. 7months-1year When the child meets new people they will be shy and anxious at first, will cry when mother or father leaves them at day care, nursery etc. They will enjoy imitating people in his play and shows preference for certain people and different toys. The child will at this age start to test their parent’s responses to different behaviours to see how they react to them crying or laughing etc. Children can become fearful in some situations and will prefer their mother or regular care giver over everyone else. They will be able to finger feed themselves and will repeat gestures for attention and they will also extend their arms and legs to help when getting dressed. -3 years the child will imitate behaviours especially other children’s behaviours and their parent’s gestures and facial expressions, They will be more aware of themselves as separate from other people. They will be more excited about company of other children; they will also demonstrate growing independence and begin to show defiant behaviour. Their separation anxiety with their parents will begin to fade halfway between this years. Childhood age s 4-10 Childhood is the life stage when people develop control over their bodies. Our emotions become more complex as we get older and we have more control over how we respond to them. We develop more communication skills and learn to relate to others. There’s a few things that have come up about Stephan Hawking’s childhood. One of them is at an early age their mother would all lie outside with them and stare up at the stars, Hawking’s mother said that â€Å"I could tell the stars would draw him† and she knew he would from then out want something to do with science and the sky when he was older. Also there was a source that told us that they would all sit quietly at the dinner table and just read this could have affected at least two areas of development that I will talk about when I get to it. However it was said that he hated to be still and would always be on the go as a child and was a very active person even after he started Oxford University at the age of 17 he loved to dance and liked rowing and became one of the Oxford rowing teams coxswain. Also after Hawkings was born his parents would go on to have two other children, Mary (1943) and Philippa (1947). A second son, Edward, was adopted in 1956. Physical Development If Stephan Hawking was a very active child this means his gross motor skills would be very developed as he would never be still and always be running about and even later on in life he carried on with doing active sports and activities. Apart from this there wasn’t much more information on his physical development. At this age the average physical development of a child is: By the age of 4years a child should be able to bend down to pick up toys with their legs straight, can use ladders properly such as climbing up on play frames in the park, they should become better with ball games now finding it easier to kick and throw a ball and catching should begin to develop, if they own a trike (bike with stabilizers) they should now be very good on it, they should also be able to go up and down stairs efficiently, They may also run on their tip toes rather than the balls of their feet and also should be able to sit cross legged and stand on one leg for a short period of time. This is where all the basic things they learn in playgroup come into play and their gross and fine motor skills become more developed such as they can now pick up toys without any trouble where as when they were so many months old this was not possible. At age 5years they should be able to dance, play all sorts of ball games; their balance should have improved, they should be able to walk along a thin line, can touch toes with straight legs and should just be more lively and energetic in general. By the age of 6years they should be able to skip, ride a bike they will begin to lose any fat they have and gain muscle, they should be capable of cleaning their own teeth, they should be able to play jump robe, kick a ball and play catch. Many 6year olds will be interested in playing team sports this then will help boost social Development. Children of 6years will also be able to draw more neatly and clearly, and be able to write letters, they should also be more skilled at using scissors and they should now be learning or already know how to tie their shoe laces and do up buttons. 7years of age children should now have good hand eye coordination and they should have good balance by this age also they should be able to do basic gymnastic movements such as forward and backwards rolls and maybe somersaults. By the age of 8years this is the age when the amount of practice and play done in the earlier years begins to manifest itself in skilfulness and in what might be called â€Å"athleticism. † Motor skills like throwing, catching, kicking, balancing, rolling and batting approach the mature stage and allow some youngsters to be highly successful in traditional sports like baseball, soccer and basketball. Earlier years of practice also provide the foundation for success in sports like skiing, skating, golf, dance and gymnastics. This year is also the time when children frequently begin to identify themselves as â€Å"athletic† or â€Å"un athletic,† thereby influencing their future involvement in sports and physical activity 8 years of age information took from this website: http://www. pbs. rg/parents/childdevelopmenttracker/eight/ At the age of 9years (the final age of childhood) The growth in your 9 year old child can vary greatly some children at this age can experience puberty the motor skills of 9-year-old children are smoother and stronger than when they were younger, You can expect to see a wide range of physical abilities among children this age. Some 9year olds will have better coordination, balance, and endurance than others and they may take a great interest in a certain sport such as basketball, swimming, dance etc. Intellectual Development Stephen Hawkings family used to sit around the dinner table in silence at dinner times and they would all read a book, this means that intellectually Stephen Hawking should start learning to read from a younger age this means his reading age may be more advanced than other children of his age, even though this does not say what age he was when this used to happed it is presumed it would happen every day in the family home. His mother would also take him out to look at the stars this would encourage his interest in the world at a young age and get him more interested and maybe this could have made him want to learn, she said ‘I knew the stars would draw him’ she could tell he was very interested in the world/stars. The intellectual developmental averages for a child in childhood are: at 4years of age, They should be skilful at holding pencils, can draw a house, can draw people with heads bodies legs and most fingers, May decide on what they’re drawing/painting before they complete it, Knows all primary colours and can build a 10 brick high tower and can copy a six brick pattern. At the age of 5years a child should be able to; copy a 10 brick pattern, can count all fingers, can draw a more detailed house with windows chimney garden etc, they should be skilled at colouring in and doing jigsaws, can now copy a square triangle circle and the letters A, C, U, O, T, X, Y, V, H and L and should be able to correspond the time of day with everyday activities. At the age of 6years your child will start school and this is where they will learn all new and exciting things such as writing and reading and mathematics, They will be gaining a longer attention span the interest of the world around them will begin to increase, many 6year olds will begin to develop independent reading, enjoy writing stories, they will start to break words down into sounds vocab will increase and a lot more. Age 7years they should: use a vocabulary of several thousand words, demonstrates a long attention span, will use serious logical thinking, should be able to understand reasoning, knows days months and seasons, able to solve complex problems and individual learning styles become clearer cut. At the age of 8 your child should be able to count to 1000, can do simple comprehension tasks, they will read for pleasure and their vocabulary will now be laying the ground work for academic achievement. Emotional Development Stephan Hawking came from a big family and had sisters and brothers one of which was adopted, this may not have affected him emotionally however sometimes siblings can feel like other of the siblings are favourite and this can often make them feel not good enough and want to impress their parents. There are no records to say this happened to Stephan Hawking however there is a possibility it could have. At 4 years of age a few things they should be able to do include: identify basic emotions on pictures say if the picture looks happy or sad, they can identify care givers such as cares and parents. Obviously this shows Stephan Hawking knew who his mother was etc and maybe have a strong emotional bond as they would often go out and spend time together under the stars. By the age of 5years they will begin to describe their feelings and maybe learn how to control them a little bit by playing with friends/toys when sad, they may even start to imitate their care givers. At the age of 6years they can often become overwhelmed by emotions and feel doubt or shame they will also have formed strong bonds with at least one member of the family and may prefer to send time with them. At the age of 7 years your child will be learning to cope with emotions and can fully be able to describe how they feel when asked will have formed strong friendships at school and will enjoy being around other children. At the age of 8years your child should have a clear favourite friend and will enjoy spending time with them the most, many children will be able to handle their feelings and will know why and how they feel this way which is a good thing as they can then learn how to change how they feel.