Professional Standards for Teaching: a Review or Literature Essay

ABSTRACT Abstract:- The aim of this article is to review the related literature about the Professional Standards for teachers. The conceptual and historical background of the professional standards has been discussed in this article. It is viewed that quality of education and quality of life are interdependent. Quality of education to a great extent lies on the quality of his teachers. Professional standards for teachers are being used as a tool to improve the quality of education. Standards are the measures of achievement for both the professional teachers or educators and the their students. These professional standards are sub divided into content and performance standards in the curriculum seek to assure excellence. These standards define and establish expectations, and provide a common base for planning. Professional standards for teachers also provide a foundational framework to develop pre-service teacher education programmes, accredit the institutions that offer them and to certify their graduates as licensed teachers. In different western countries various organizations are responsible for the development of different types of professional standards for teachers. In Pakistan, National Professional Standards for teachers has been introduced by the Federal Ministry of Education in collaboration with UNESCO and USAID, which are discussed in detail in this review. Introduction Education is considered as one of the basic elements which contribute to the development of a country and the prosperity of the masses. It promotes awareness among people by making them able to ‘read’ the world (Freire, 1987). The increasing use of technology has transformed the world into a global village. This global community has accepted the principle that education is a basic human right. Accomplishment of such right does not only involve being given access to schools and being trained for life-long learning via either formal or non-formal means, but more importantly, being provided quality education (Ibrahim & Ahmed, 2008, p. 402). For many children, youth and adults today, access to learning opportunities is no  longer a luxury; however, getting quality education remains to be elusive even in developed countries. The declarations of the 1990 Jomtien World Conference on Education and the 2000 Dakar World Education Forum both emphasized that to achieve Education f or All (EFA) by 2015 would require, in addition to increased access to education, all countries to improve the quality and equity of education â€Å"so that recognized and measurable learning outcomes are achieved by all† (Ross K., 2007). Teachers are vital. Unless we can get more teachers, and better teachers, we will not reach the target of making quality education available for all by 2015.The quality and standard of excellence in education depend upon the quality and standard of teachers. Strong evidence demonstrates that the quality of teachers is the most significant educational input for quality learning in schools. The importance of the role of the teacher as an agent of change, promoting understanding and tolerance, has never been more obvious than today (Delors, Mufti, Amagi, Carneiro, Chung, Geremek, Gorham, Kornhauser, Manley, Quero, Savane, Singh, Stavenhagen, Suhr, Won, & Nanzhao,1996). This is reflected in the international trend to give greater attention and effort to improve the quality of teachers. If any country aspires to compete successfully in the global knowledge economy and convert the raw talents of its people into productive asset it has to create a world class educational system from pre-school to postgraduate levels. A world class education is not possible without world class teachers, most importantly at the foundational levels of K -10 grades, who instruct, inform and inspire their students to quality learning and scholarship. MacBer (2000) describes the qualities of a teacher, A good teacher is kind, is generous, listens to students, encourages them, has faith in them, keeps confidences, likes teaching children, likes teaching their subjects, takes time to explain things, helps them when they are stuck, tells them how they are doing, allow them to have their say, doesn’t give up on them, cares for their opinion, makes them feel clever, treats people equally, stands up for them, makes allowances, tells the truth and is forgiving ( p. 3). Since last decade, there has been a worldwide focus on quality in education in many countries. Calls for quality teachers, quality outcomes and quality schools have become something of a mantra for politicians employing authorities and business leaders (Ibrahim & Ahmed, 2008, p. 402). K. Kennedy (2001) describes a quality  profession and a quality classroom teaching as two sides of the same coin. It is true that we want a need a â€Å"quality profession†. Yet it equally true that we need individual teachers who make up the profession to be committed to quality teaching [†¦]. What the profession as a whole says about standard of professional practice should come to life in individual classrooms (Kennedy, 2001). To produce world class teachers and empower them to educate generations of learners /scholars, the fundamental requirements have been clearly delineated in professional literature. It includes standards of what teachers need to know and be able to do. Professional Standards for Teachers Standard-setting and accreditation of teacher education are key mechanisms to ensure the quality of teacher training. Quality assurance requires Professional Standards of teacher education and an effective mechanism of teacher accreditation of teacher education institutions and programmes. Developing and implementing standards of professional practice to reflect a new model of teacher professionalism is emerging as a priority in a number of countries across the globe. Professional teaching standards help to make teachers’ knowledge and capabilities more explicit, as well as provide a powerful mechanism for defining and communicating what constitutes good teaching. They can also provide a useful framework for ongoing professional learning. Quality of teachers is reflected in their quality of teaching. To ensure quality in teaching, standards for what teachers should know and be able to do should be developed. The standards are used as the criteria for licensing or certification , recruitment, and career planning and development (Ibrahim & Ahmed, 2008, p. 414). Meaning of Standards The term â€Å"standards† can be used in at least two ways: firstly, standards are statements about what is valued – statements of principle; secondly, they are measures – levels or measures of performance. A standard, in the later sense â€Å"points to and describes a desirable level of performance† (Ingvarson L. , 2002). Sykes and Plastrik point out that the word ‘standard’, as in the second sense of a measure, carries different usages and nuances. One of these is the idea of a standard as a legally recognized unit, such as that of Greenwich Mean Time, or the Gold Standard, or the Standard Meter for length. Another is the notion of a standard as ‘an authoritative or  recognized exemplar of perfection’, such as the sacred books of a religious organization. Yet another usage refers to ‘a definite level of excellence, attainment, wealth or the like’ such as ‘standard of living’, standards of health or a particular level of proficiency’, as in playing the piano or conducting a hip replacement, for example (1993). There are two main types of standards as applied to teaching: The first defines the basic tasks or duties of a teacher – what a teacher is hired to do. These are the kinds of generic criteria that school administrators usually have authority to apply in appraising whether teachers are doing their basic job. †¦ The second are standards for good teaching specific to particular subject and curriculum fields. †¦ These standards are based on professional values and images of high quality learning specific to subject fields (Ingvarson L., 1998a, pp. 32-33). Standards are used in different ways in teaching profession. For example pre-service preparation and at the time of induction, they are used to select new members of the teaching profession (Selection Standards), to assess that what graduates from teacher education courses should know and able and to do (Standards for higher qualification in teaching), to assess the teacher preparation course and institutions (Accreditation standards), and to measure the performance for full entry to the profession after probationary year (Registration / Licensing Standards). Professional Standards for teachers are also used to improve continuing Professional Development (CPD). These standards may include Employer specific standards, where permanency still applies (Permanency / Tenure standards), Standards for periodic review of performance of contractual duties for retention or dismissal decisions (Accountability standards), Standards for self-analysis and reflection on practice (Appraisal Standards for Professional Development), Profession-wide standards for highly accomplished practice set by a professional body (Advanced Certification Standards) and Standards for career advancement specific to an employing authority (Promotion Standards) (Ingvarson L. 2002, p.3-6). History of Initiative or Development of Professional Standards There is considerable interest worldwide in the potential of professional teaching standards to support improvements in the quality of teaching and learning. This interest reflects the findings of  recent research on quality teaching (Darling-Hammond. 2000; Cuttance, 2001; Rivkin, Hanushek & Kain, 2000). The development of professional standards has proceeded with remarkable speed within a number of countries. Developments have been â€Å"driven by a diverse range of factors. It includes the demand for greater accountability, the desire to reform education, the need to strengthen teacher professional development and the introduction of teacher performance appraisal† (Mulcahy, 2003). A brief history of development of Professional Standards around the world United States of America At the national level, the establishment of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) has dominated discussion of professional standards in the United States. The National Board established in 1987 in response to the criticisms of teaching standards in â€Å"A Nation at Risk†, is credited as being the catalyst for action in the United States. The National Board’s mission was to establish rigorous standards for what accomplished teachers should know and be able to do. The vast canopy of NBPTS standards of accomplished teaching is built on five core, underpinning propositions. (1) Teachers are committed to students and their learning; (2) Teachers know the subjects they teach and how to teach those subjects to students; (3) Teachers are responsible for managing and monitoring student learning; (4) Teachers think systematically about their practice and learn from experience; and (5) Teachers are members of learning communities (NBPTS, 1987). Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC) is a consortium of state education agencies, higher education institutions, and national educational organisations dedicated to the reform of the education, licensing, and on-going professional development of teachers in the USA, which had also formulated the professional standards for teachers. INTASC’s mission is to promote standards-based reform through the development of model standards and assessments for beginning teachers (INTASC, 2006). In comparison with the National Board’s approach to developing standards, the INTASC standards are performance-based, that is they describe what teachers should know and be able to do rather than listing courses that teachers should take in order to be awarded a licence (Ibrahim & Ahmad, 2008, p. 418). Developed for purposes of licensing  beginning teachers, they do not differ markedly in knowledge or skills requirements from those used by the NBPTS for accredita tion of accomplished teachers. Where they do differ is in the expectation that accomplished teachers will be able to demonstrate their knowledge and skills in more refined ways (Ramsey, 2000, p. 22). The United Kingdom The issue of standards for teachers has been a focus of policy development in England for most of the last decade. Four separate agencies are now involved in the development, monitoring and accreditation of teachers against educational standards. They are; (1) The Teacher Training Agency (TTA) or Training and Development Agency (TDA); (2) Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED); (3) The General Teaching Council (GTC); (4) The Further Education National Training Organisation (FENTO). The General Teaching Council (GTC) was established by the Teaching and Higher Education Act 1998, started work on 1 September 2000 as the independent professional body for teaching in England. The Act gave effect to a long-held aspiration to give teaching the same status as other self-regulating professions, such as nursing. It set the GTC two aims: (1) to contribute to improving standards of teaching and the quality of learning, and (2) to maintain and improve standards of professional conduct among t eachers, in the interests of the public. The GTC code has been revised and is effective from September 2009. The Code describes professionalism in practice in relation to registered teachers: (1) Put the wellbeing, development and progress of children and young people first (2) Take responsibility for maintaining the quality of their teaching practice (3) Help children and young people to become confident and successful learners (4) Demonstrate respect for diversity and promote equality (5) Strive to establish productive partnerships with parents and carers (6) Work as part of a whole-school team (7) Co-operate with other professional colleagues (8) Demonstrate honesty and integrity and uphold public trust and confidence in the teaching profession (The General Teaching Council (GTC), 2009). Australia The issue of standards is under discussion in Australia since 1980’s. Professional Standards for teachers have been developed both at National and state/ province level after a long and continuous struggle. This Standard  movement can be divided into two parts. (1) First Phase of standards development (1980 – 1999), (2) Second Phase of standards development (21st Century). Most of the initial work on professional standards done in first period was the result of state government agencies or employers. However, no comparable professional standards for teachers were developed. Accreditation of teacher education programs, entry to and succession within the teaching profession was organized in line with the particular qualification or registration requirements within each State or Territory. Regulatory bodies for teachers within Australia were state-based (Mulchay & Jasman, 2003, p. 13). In the second phase of standards develop movement; the responsibility of developing pr ofessional standards was squarely placed with the profession. It was increasingly argued that standards should be generated by the teachers so that establishment of these standards would craft point of reference for teachers. Ingvarson (1998, p. 127) writing in the context of school teaching, argues that teaching standards â€Å"need to be embedded in the teaching of a particular subject if they are to be valid representations of expertise and useful guides to professional development† (as cited in Mulchay & Jasman, 2003, p. 16). The National Standards for Teachers (the Standards) in Australia has been validated and finalized by The Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) in collaboration with The Ministerial Council for Education, Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs (MCEECDYA) in 2010. The National Professional Standards for Teachers were endorsed by MCEECDYA in December 2010. The Standards represents an analysis of effective, contemporary practice by teachers throughout Australia. Their development included a synthesis of the descriptions of teachers’ knowledge, practice and professional engagement used by teacher accreditation and registration authorities, employers and professional associations (The Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL), 2011). The seven Standards identify what is expected of teachers within three domains of teaching (Professional Knowledge, Professional Practice and Professional Engagement) within their four stages (Graduate, Proficient, Highly accomplished and Lead Teacher) of their careers . Teachers’ demonstration of the Standards will occur within their specific teaching context at their stage of expertise and reflect the learning requirements of the students they teach (AITSL, 2011). The Standards are;  (1): Know students and how they learn (2): Know the content and how to teach it (3): Plan for and implement effective teaching and learning (4): Create and maintain supportive and safe learning environments (5): Assess, provide feedback and report on student learning (6): Engage with professional learning (7): Engage professionally with colleagues, parents/carers and the community (AITSL, 2011, p. 5). Pakistan The Ministry of Education, with the cooperation of United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the financial support of United States Agency for International Development (USAID), has developed National Professional Standards for Teachers in Pakistan. These standards frame a vision of the qualifications Pakistan expects of its teachers. These expectations need to be of national concern because teachers are the heart of the nation’s effort to assure a better future for all children and youth (United Nation Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), 2011). These standards were launched on the 23 of February of 2009 and it is hoped that with them, a wider discussion on teacher quality will emerge and be accompanied by concrete actions dedicated to its improvement. The standards are; (1)Subject matter knowledge (2) Human growth and development (3) Knowledge of Islamic ethical values/social life skills (4) Instructional planning and strategies (5) Assessment (6) Learning environment (7) Effective communication and proficient use of information communication technologies (8) Collaboration and partnerships (9) Continuous professional development and code of conduct (10) Teaching of English as second/foreign language (ESL/EFL) (Government Of Pakistan, 2009). CONCLUSION Education is an essential need of life. The quality of life depends upon the quality of education. A quality education system depends upon the well qualified teachers. To measure the ability and performance of the teachers we need some basis and standards provide these bases for evaluation or comparison of teachers. Just like many other professions professional standards for teachers are being introduced in education in different countries of the world including Pakistan. The review of literature reveals that United States of America has a pioneering role in the development of these professional standards for teachers. In many western countries like  America and Australia these professional standards for teachers are being introduced by both public and private organizations, especially teachers’ organizations. These standards are of generic and specific types. The generic standards are introduced to general expected behavior of teachers. The specific standards are produced according to the needs of the specific subject. These standards are playing a crucial role to improve the quality of education. These standards are also motivating factor for teachers for their continuous professional development (CPD). In Pakistan these professional standards are recently introduced in 2009 by the federal ministry of Education government of Pakistan with the financial support of UNESCO and USAID under STEP project. These standards are in the process of implementation and several teachers’ organizations and NGOs are also closely monitoring and evaluating them. It is hoped that these standards may be used as agent of change for the betterment of education in Pakistan. BIBLIOGRAPHY Cuttance, P. (2001). The impact of teaching on student learning. , in: K. Kennedy (Ed.) Beyond the rhetoric: building a teaching profession to support quality teaching (Canberra, Australian College of Education) , 35-55. Darling-Hammond, L. (2000). Teacher quality and student achievement: a review of state policy evidence. Seatle, WA: Center for the Study of Teaching and Policy, University of Washington). Delors, J., Mufti, L., Amagi, I., Carneiro, R., Chung, F., Geremek, B., Gorham, W., Kornhauser, A., Manley, M., Quero, M.P., Savane, M.A., Singh, K., Stavenhagen, R., Suhr, M.W., Won, M. & Nanzhao, Z. (1996). Learning: The treasure within: Report to UNESCO of the international commission on education for the twenty first century. Paris: UNESCO. Freire, D. M. (1987). Literacy: Reading the Word and World. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul Ltd. Government Of Pakistan. (2009). National Professional Standards for Teachers in Pakistan (NPST-2009). Islamabad: Ministry Of Education. Ibrahim, M. S., & Ahmad, A. R. (2008). An Analysis of Teacher Education Reforms Worldwide and the Need for the Introduction of the Teacher Professional Standards in the Contemporary Education Systems. SOSIOHUMANIKA , 401-426. Ingvarson, L. (1998a). Professional standards: A challenge for the AATE. English in Australia (122), 31-44. Ingvarson, L. (2002). Development of a national standards framework for the teaching profession. Melbourne: Australian Council for Educational Research. INTASC. (2006). INTASC Fact sheet. Washington D.C.: INTASC (Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium). Kennedy, K. ed. (2001). Beyond the Rhetoric: Building a Teaching Profession to Support Teaching. Canberra: College Year Book, Australian College of Educators. McBer, H. (2000). Research into teacher effectiveness – A model of teacher effectiveness. Report to the Department for Education and Employment. Mulcahy, D. (2003). Teaching standards and professionalism in TAFE: prospects, possibilities and pitfalls. Department of Education Policy and Management University of Melbourne . Mulchay, D., & Jasman, A. (2003). Towards the development of standards of professional practice for the Victorian TAFE teabing force. Melbourne: Office of Trainig and Tertiary Education. NBPTS [National Board for Professional Teaching Standards]. (1987). What Teachers Should Know and be Able t o Do. Detroit, MI: NBTPS Ramsey, G. (2000). â€Å"Quality Matters, Revitalising Teaching: Critical Times, Critical Choices†. Report of the Review of Teacher Education, NSW Dept. of Education and Training, Sydney, NSW. Rivkin, S., Hanushek, E., & Kain, J. (2000). Teachers, schools, and academic achievement, Working Paper 6691 (revised). National Bureau of Economic Research. Ross Ken. (2007). Quality and equity in basic education: can we have both?, IIEP Newsletter, July-September 2007. P .9 Sykes, G., & Plastrik, P. (1993). Standard setting as educational reform. Washington D.C: American Association of Colleges for Teachers of Education. The Austeralian Institute for teaching and School Leadership (AITSL). (2011). National Professional Standards for teachers, Australia: The Austeralian Institute for teaching and School Leadership. The General Teaching Council (GTC), (2009). CODE OF CONDUCT AND PRACTICE FOR REGISTERED TEACHERS, London: general Teaching Council for England. Unit ed Nation Educational scientiofic and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). (2011). UNESCO Islamabad, Retrieved September 2011, from Education / STEP: http://unesco.org.pk/education/step.html

Relationship between Private and Public Sector Economies

Public sector affects the private sector in such a way that the government can impede to the abusing powers of the private sector or provide guidance to the private sector to gain stability depending on the condition which both sector is situated. The welfare of the consumers and the entire society is the priority of the government; therefore, government policies can either support the private sector or the other way around.Public sector arises if the private sector abuses their market power in the economy. Like for instance, companies that have patent rights over a certain type of medicine or drug have the tendency to over price their products thereby creating much burden on the consumers especially those that are considered poor and less privilege. If this scenario happens, then, this is the right time when the government can step in and restrict the said concerned company through certain market barriers like government policies such as price ceiling/floor price to restrict the inc rease of prices in the market.Furthermore, the government could also produce generic drugs in the market, with same medical effect but of cheaper price for the poor and less privilege people. With this, the government is able to fulfill their role as the provider of basic needs of every citizen such as medical accessibility plus restricting the private company from overcharging the consumers for their products. It is now therefore clear that public sector only rises whenever the private sector cannot produce a certain product efficiently or the private sector already abuses their power and causes much burden on the consumers in the market.On the other hand, private sector rises whenever the government inefficiently produces a certain type of good or services or has the possibility that government officials only abuses their power while holding a government-owned company (adbi.org, 2008). One great example into this would be the production of electricity in the domestic market. Most countries give this industry to the private sector since the government only acquires tremendous amount of financial losses contributing to the budget deficit of the government. In this regard, the government already gives way for the private sector to step in. for as long as the private sector can reasonable operates in the market, then, there is no room for the government to intervene giving way for the rise of public sector.The private sector also provides income to the government and this is the most reason why government allows private sector to dominate the production of goods and services in the market (Adb.org, 2006). On the other hand, private sector gets benefits from the public sector in the form of government subsidies and other helpful policies like lower tax rate from operating the market. At the end of the day, public and private sector have a mutual relationship with one another since both of them benefits from simultaneously existing in the economy.Public sector bas ically encompasses all the goods and services that are provided by the government (Cox, 2005). Like what is mentioned above earlier, the provision of generic drugs or medicine is already considered as one of the public sector since it is being provided by the government and this is one of the main component of the public sector- goods and services under this sector is being provided by the government. Another example of this would be the national defense, social security and the urban planning administration.On the other hand, private sector is primarily being comprised by goods and services that are made in the purpose of making profit in the market. Companies in this sector are profit driven and only motivated to produce goods and services in the market not because of charity and social service rather to make earnings. This what makes the private sector different from the public sector – their purpose for providing a given product or service in the domestic market (Sasagawa , 2008).In the end, despite of the difference on the intentions of the private and public sector, they still able to work effectively by providing harmony in the market towards the attainment of impressive economic growth for the country.Political policies for the public sector would be very much different for that of the private sector since these two sectors have different reason from existing in the market. Most of the policies concerning the public sector concentrate on the influence of the government over the management of the production of goods and services under this sector (uni-koblenz.de, 2008). In other words, the government has the entire power to interfere in the operation of a company/organization operating under the public sector like the wage rate of the workers in the public sector. Most of the times, policies in this sectors concentrates on the minimization of cost of providing services and/or goods to the public since public sector’s companies get their bud get from the government. In other words, the government, as much as possible, controls the management of the public sectors in order to see that they provide the highest possible quality of product and services in the market and at the same time minimizing the cost of their provision of goods and services as much as possible.On the other hand, political policies for the private sector focuses mainly on the restrictions that the government will impose the private entities especially if the latter already abuses their market power. Furthermore, the government could also implement political policies such as high tax for private entities in order for the government to generate more revenue. Import/export quota are also some of the government policies that directly affects the level of operation and production of a given private company in the market. Nevertheless, there are some policies that both sectors can be addressed like the policy on the increasing the minimum wage rate of the wo rkers in the labor market. Only the policies concerning the factors of production are the only time wherein both sectors will be affected by one political policy like the increasing of wage rate of workers in the labor market.ReferencesAdb.org (2006). Private Sector Development. Retrieved May 2, 2008, from www.adb.org/documents/policies/private_sector/PSD-strategic-framework-2006.pdfadbi.org (2008). The Growing Role of Private Sector. Retrieved May 2, 2008, from http://www.adbi.org/book/2004/10/07/602.private.sector.prc/the.growing.role.of.private.sector/Cox, M. (2005). The Public Sector Components that Promote Sustainable Development and Construction. Retrieved May 2, 2008, from www.cce.ufl.edu/the%20public%20sector%20components%20that%20promote%20sustainable%20development%20&%2Sasagawa, T. (2008). The Relationship between the Public and Private Sectors in 20th Century in Japan. Retrieved May 2, 2008, from www.ua.es/es/internacional/eisenhower/SASAGAWA.pdfUni-koblenz.de (2008). Gov ernance of the Public-Private-Civic Sector Relationships. Retrieved May 2, 2008, from http://www.uni-koblenz.de/FB4/Contrib/EGOVRTD2020/navigation/work_packages/wp4_roadmapping/ppcrelations

Cell Phone

My favorite color is white. It’s a symbol for peaceful. white color is nothing but a without color. It seems cool. We can reduce the any of the bright colors to light colors by adding them white color. not only me most of the people in the world likes white color only. becz we can see the white color every where in the world, every where in our surroundings unlike other colors. My favourite colour is Red. Because Red is the color that we pay the most attention to. It is the warmest and most energic color in the spectrum. We associate red with love, valentines, danger, desire, speed, strength, violence, anger, emergency exit signs, stop signs and blood. Red can evoke a fight-or-flight response, raise blood pressure and make the heart beat faster. Red would not be the color of choice for psychiatric wards, prisons or a hospital. In China red symbolizes celebration and luck, used in many cultural ceremonies that range from funerals to weddings. In India red is the color of purity (used in wedding outfits). My favourite color is Green. I like everything around me to be green colour. Green is one of most-often cited favorite colors. It represents nature, environment, health, good luck, renewal, youth, vigor, spring, generosity, fertility, jealousy, inexperience, envy, misfortune. Its cool quality soothes, calms, and has great healing powers. It is often worn in operating rooms by surgeons. Green colour is the favour of Islam. green colour can give coolness to the eyes. For the above said reasons i like green colour very much. Today, i’m going to tell u guys about my favorite color- white, and I think a lot of people like this color, too. Why? because white represents peaceful, cold, silent, innocent and also romantic, etc,   that adjectives are also my personality( except for the romantic), it also make me feel something that I cannot describe by word, something that really peaceful, and silent. But many people think this color is kind of boring, and empty. I don’t know why they think like that, maybe because they like colorful, so they don’t want to look at one color and enjoy it. But we can see that a lot of thing has white like paper, roses, wall,etc. I think each of the color represent differently like black represent for bold, or even sexy, etc. In general, I really really love this color. And now, let’s me show u guys some picture of my favorite color Green is the color of nature. It symbolizes growth, harmony, freshness, and fertility. Green has strong emotional correspondence with safety. Dark green is also commonly associated with money. Green has great healing power. It is the most restful color for the human eye; it can improve vision. Green suggests stability and endurance. Sometimes green denotes lack of experience; for example, a greenhorn is a novice. In heraldry, green indicates growth and hope. Green, as opposed to red, means safety; it is the color of free passage in road traffic. Use green to indicate safety when advertising drugs and medical products. Green is directly related to nature, so you can use it to promote green products. Dull, darker green is commonly associated with money, the financial world, banking, and Wall Street. Dark green is associated with ambition, greed, and jealousy. Yellow-green can indicate sickness, cowardice, discord, and jealousy. Aqua is associated with emotional healing and protection. Olive green is the traditional color of peace. My Favorite color is green! Green, my favorite color! The color of life! Everywhere one looks in the summer they’ll find green. And that brings me to my favorite time of year, ya, you guessed it, summer! Some people love fall. I don’t get it, sure the vivid colors of the dying leaves are pretty, but everything is dying, drying up or falling off. I have watched people after stepping out into the cold, oh, excuse me, †cool† fall air, take a deep breath and say, â€Å" Ahh! Don’t you just love the smell of fall! † I guess if you like the smell of death, mold and rotting leaves, not for me thanks. Then you have your â€Å"winter† lovers. To me, these people are a â€Å"few fries short of a happy meal†! Or maybe the cold has slowed down their brain functions, eith er way, I don’t get it. The one good thing is that all the dead, rotting, and moldy debris, is covered under the snow, making winter smell a lot better than fall. The white stuff that covers every inch outside, can be pleasant to look at, and some mornings when there’s a wind chill of oh, I don’t know, maybe -40o Celsius, the frozen air crystals are quite beautiful. But seriously, if I want to see ice crystals I’d rather look at a picture or stick my head in the freezer, than have to go out and start the car and freeze my butt off. I don’t know I just don’t get it. At least in the summer when it rains you don’t have to shovel it or worry about falling down the stairs covered with ice. Unless of course you are my step father, he falls down in any season, especially when hanging out with his best friend, â€Å"Bacardi†. I wonder if anyone else has noticed how dark it is in the winter. Thank goodness the white stuff is all over the place to help reflect the light or one would forget what light looks like. We wake up in the dark, sneak a peek at daylight and then go to bed in the dark. There have been studies done stating that people need so much sun every day to remain healthy. Not just physical needs are met by the sun but our mental states are affected by the sun as well. How the heck are we supposed to get enough sunshine to create vitamin D when in order to go outside, you have to be covered from head to toe with warm clothes. Sunshine is not getting past our winter get ups. Again, we have another reason to love summer. I could go on and on about winter, if you have lived in Canada for any length of time, you know what I am talking about. You’ll be reminded when you need to get up when it is still dark outside to shovel the driveway so you can get your kids to school, then finding out it’s a snow day. If that happens to you I suggest you go look up my step father, and ask him to ntroduce you to his best friend. If you survive winter, spring does bring us hope of the joy that is to come. Life is starting to return. Spring is good, the sound of dripping water from melting ice can be heard everywhere. The chirping of birds has begun once again. Everything is springing back to life, waiting with hope and expectancy of what is to come. In t he trees we see signs of life everywhere, whether it is chirp of squirrels dancing and serenading their mates or the newly budding trees. The world is pregnant with the expectation of summer, bringing with it the birth of new life. Spring ushers summer back in, with all the different shades of green that can only be seen in summer’s backdrop. No more coats, boots, hats, and mittens, with the exception of baseball mitts. We can walk outside with our faces raised upward feeling the warmth of the sun on our faces, enjoying every beautiful ray of sunshine that rains down on creation supporting all life and filling our hearts with joy. It always comes back to summer. So the way I see it life revolves around summer, and green is the color of summer. So green is the best color in the world.

Three Case Studies on Terrorism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Three Case Studies on Terrorism - Essay Example Basically, their objective during that time is to destabilize Italy through vehemence. Because the said group (red brigades) was adhering on the political beliefs of Marx and Lenin, they strongly rely on the fact that they could change the government system as well as structure through revolution, thus, it inevitably result to chaos and riots. During their early year of existence, they already damaged factory equipment and in their third year, they had done lots of felonious acts like robberies and kidnappings. In 1974, the terrorist group had already done high profiles of crimes like kidnapping and bank robberies which is sort out to be their source of living. This are the ways which they find means in acquiring their money for survival, though allegedly, they rarely kill person unless politically motivated, then, they just used other person as an instrument to gain money. One of their declared goal is to assault the heart of the state which is the State Imperalista delle Mutinazion ali (SIMS) because their perceived their state as an imperial assemblage of multinational corporations. Because of this advocacy, they showed their protest though violent acts that could threaten the state’s security during the next years like the kidnapping of the NATO deputy chief of staff at Southern European land force, James Dozier and the assassination of Marco Biagi, an economic adviser. According to Martin (2003), the Red Brigade an approximate 14,000 number of violent acts with a total of 75 murders because of political reasons. Looking at the facts gathered, one of the reasons primarily why this group was established is because of an ideological influence of Marx and Lenin. As we have notice what was mentioned above, one of the founders belong to the department of sociology wherein political theories concerning state and society was prominent. This could be a factor that shaped the mind of Curcio and the other students to form groups that could change their society and it can be achieved faster through revolutions and violent actions. Thus, as Crenshaw (1981) state â€Å"individual psychopathological is often blamed to be the malefactor† (380). This could be a big and strong factor that could contribute to a social change through organization that can also attract other people. The mind-set of the leaders was already shaped by the circumstances and external influence that they perceived to be right and that would be the Marx and Lenin perspectives. For me, I do not personally disagree with someone who wants to adhere to certain ideas and perspectives, what may be somehow erroneous for this group is the exaggeration in the interpretation of violence. Though they rarely kill person, still, the other means employed to obtain their objective could not be also right. Like for instance, cases on drug trafficking, how could this group relate drugs on changing the political system that Italy had and also, to eradicate the Imperial Corporation t hat is believed to be the main component of their societal and political structure? Also, their high profile of crimes seems to be ambivalent with their main goals. As Crenshaw also identifies in his book ‘The Causes of Terrorism’ the phrase: â€Å"If we focus on terrorism directed against governments for purposes of political change, we are considering the premeditated use or threat of symbolic, low-level

Supply Chain Integration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words - 1

Supply Chain Integration - Essay Example Priory Lodge has fabulous and tremendous views of the coast and a very informal and relaxed atmosphere. Besides, it has an iconic architectural design, modern interiors, and beautiful views of Coventary, which are very pleasant to the customers. Our prices are also affordable hence a potential hub for buyers (Warren & Seaman, 2009, 1). The rooms are ensued with a bath or a shower and individually decorated. The various room facilities include tea and coffee making facilities, hairdryer, direct dial phone, terrace or balcony, free view, non-smoking, desk, color television, and adjoining rooms (Travel Republic, 2015, 1). We provide bunk bed, single bed, twin (single beds), and double bed. Our bathrooms entail bidet, en-suite, bathtub or shower combination. We provide amenities such as wake-up call, restaurant, non-smoking (throughout), sauna, room service, porter service, pool, lounge, internet access (wireless or high speed) in public areas, entertainment, bar, ironing facilities and adjoining rooms. In parking, we offer secure, free and onsite parking (Cleartrip, 2014). We welcome children, and their facilities include highchairs, games available, cots, children’s menu, and baby listening. In the recreation sector, there are windsurfing, water activities, walking, theatre, tennis courts-indoor and outdoor, sightseeing tours, shopping, nightclubs golf, fly-fishing, horse riding, fine dining, and dancing (Travel Republic, 2015). We offer business facilities such as internet connection, printer, photocopier, and direct dial phone. We stand best to win the bid from the Turquoise Company. Our prices are relatively affordable compared to our competitors, and we provide quality services. We have ample rooms lucrative for the buyer. Our competitors include Eaton Hotel, Hilton Hotel, and Marriot Hotel. Our bidding strategy is categorically

Dictionary Translates Ancient Egypt Life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Dictionary Translates Ancient Egypt Life - Essay Example This dictionary is said to be 2000 page, and already published online with upcoming printed copies for educational and research purposes. As revealed by scholars, this dictionary can serve as a bridge to connect the past and present Egyptian history that coursed throughout time. This translation of symbols makes history become clearer in understanding their ancient lives in terms of religion, racial, commercial, cultural, social, and political aspects. Further developments in understanding ancient scrolls in papyrus and other historical artifacts are projected to be hastened as more updates and newer editions are expected to come up with the help of this dictionary. Historical Example 1: Egypt is an interesting topic when it comes to its history. Early civilizations started in Egypt where various contributions from foreigners colored their timeline influencing them in various aspects such as political, social, religious, and cultural facets. Egyptologists around the world such as Janet Johnson reveals this part of Egyptian history where various invaders conquered Egypt, such as the Persians, Greeks, and the Romans. Further, she concluded that the dictionary serves as an important tool in revealing easily the many fascinating eras in the history of Egypt Historical Example 2: Demotic language is an abandoned language. This is a fact that needs to be accepted in the modern world. However, no matter how deeply they are buried with time, about 1,500 year ago, still, their relevance in the present time of Egypt can not be erased. They are as part of history as the present civilizations. Although these hieroglyphs seem to be meaningless today, but their deeper meanings are yet uncovered revealing such a healthy and rich bearing to the present day Egypt. This dictionary can revive the ones long dead language to trace the origin of words such as â€Å"adobe† from â€Å"tby† and many more The translation of long forgotten words and symbols can give significance to

Business strategy of General Motors Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business strategy of General Motors - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that the automobile industry is among the ancient companies whose presence has the effect in the economy. Although experiencing a process of evolution over time, the automobile industry boasts of dominance in the economy. Statistics support this assertion, given the fact that automobile industries employ almost 10 percent of the entire American population. The present research has identified that General Motors is among companies that continue to grow and develop in tremendous lengths. Thanks to excellent strategic plans based on powerful long-term goals, the multinational has spread its wings with a vast geographical presence in all the continents. The author has rightly presented that from America, where the company was founded in the early 20th century, over and across to Africa where dealer shops have been established, General Motors satisfy a lot of customers. Dealing with a wide range of products, the company mainly assembles vehicles and provides spare parts. This paper illustrates that being the mother company to such subsidiaries as renown Chevrolet, Buick, and even the Cadillac, General Motors specialize in personal vehicles; this way its customer bracket entail individuals seeking comfort and convenience, as that their vehicles are customized in order to satisfy those very needs. By doing that, the company manages to maintain its customers as well as attracting potential buyers.

Intro To Business Management Exam Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Intro To Business Management Exam - Assignment Example Also, a lot of opportunities emerge in the recession or in the times of economic depression. The opportunities revolve around sale of existing businesses at considerably lower rates which makes them easy to be acquired. Also, various physical asset, which are considered highly important for a startup venture are available at relatively cheap prices and high rate of discounts (Gordon, p. xiii). Also, during various recessionary times as well as in the times of economic boom, government funding agencies, venture capitalists and private lenders share a bias to promote various entrepreneurship ventures which have the ability to promote radical or incremental innovation in its product or service offerings, thereby generating and adding value to the clients and customers. Hence while proposing an entrepreneurship venture for the purpose of funding; the focus will be on the innovativeness of the product offering as well as the amount of value that can be generated for the target audience. T he main focus of the presentation will be the unique selling proposition of the offering. The conversation will rotate around the factors of minimum initial investment, the demand forecasting, estimated sales forecast, the breakeven period, and the intended targeted market share. The cash flow cycle for the new venture will also be brought into highlight in this case. 2. Ethics in the workplace is a very important factor in the case of a new startup manufacturing firm. The following ethical practices should be practiced in the firm (Trevino & Nelson, p. 219): Worker Safety High priority will be given at all times to ensure safety of the consumers at the work place. Product Quality The employees of the company should comply and cooperate with the stringent processes and measures regarding quality check that have to be followed at all times in order to produce high quality products. Labor Relations The workers have to follow the various rules and regulations that are laid down by the company management in order to address the issues related to labor relations. The workers are to be informed that the management follows an open door policy for the purpose of addressing the problems of the employees. Intolerance to Harassment The company does not tolerate any harassment or discrimination on the basis of age, gender, beliefs, and religions. The company also has stringent policies to address issues related to harassment on the basis of racism. Corruption The company has strict policies including the ultimate termination of the service contract in order to deal with corrupt practices at the workplace, that are practiced by the employees on a individual or a collective manner either within or with people outside the physical boundaries of the organization. 3. The process of business planning is a very important factor in the part of designing a strategy as it helps in smooth running of the business operations in the long term. It ensures the fact that the company is mo ving ahead with proper goals while having proper synchronization of the business processes with regards to the current market conditions (Reading, p.7). The business planning helps in determining the future goals of the company. This helps in identifying the amount of resources that is required in the production processes in order to produce the desired amount of inventory that is necessary to meet the forecasted demanded.

Report about the aviation bureau Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Report about the aviation bureau - Essay Example It provides air transport summary data, which is summary information about the nonstop segment and on-flight market. This is a report by air carriers on Form 41 and 298C (U.S Department of Transport, 2015). The bureau gives airline on-time performance data. The data accounts for at least one percent of domestic booked passenger revenues, which consist of scheduled and actual arrivals and departure times for flights, and it is reported monthly. Other services offered are as follows. Origin and Destination Survey (DB1B) which includes data of origin, destination, and other itinerary details of carried passenger and at least a sample of 10% airline tickets is taken from reporting carrier. American Travel Survey: it includes national data on the nature and features of long-distance personal travels. Aviation support: It provides comprehensive geographical data and carrier entities. Commodity Flow Survey: It is conducted in every five years and consists of shipment information. Intermodal Passenger Connectivity Database consist of national data table of passenger transportation terminals with information on connectivity among the various scheduled public transportation (U.S Department of Transport, 2015). Small Air Carrier Statistics is information on small carrier performance in booked or non-booked and charter services. Air carrier employees comprise of a number of employees of all major domestic air carriers. Aviation Accid ent Database and Synopses are database of unsafe civil aviation incidents within the state and in global water. Accidents summary is a brief of all annual fatalities, injuries, and accident of all air carriers. Finally, aviation safety reporting system is a collection of data sets relevant to aviation

Esl423 8 practium experience Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Esl423 8 practium experience - Essay Example They used the Wilson Fundations book for Word Work. It’s an excellent book as there is a suggested weekly plan provided for the study material. This certainly helps the teacher pace the class. For Reading, there was a new story everyday. I believe this practice of reading everyday would help them achieve that objective. Their objective was to identify concepts of print by distinguishing letters from words and recognizing that the latter are separated by spaces. My concern is the efficiency of the ‘read back’ exercise. Done as a group, it is difficult to check if a particular student was actually reading or just mimicking the others. I also encourage both oral and silent reading like Mrs. Beach. The Free Reading for 15 minutes was satisfactory, too. It allowed the students to test their reading skills on their own. One of the SIOP components encourages hands-on materials or manipulatives for student practice. (Haynes, 2004) Writing was the last part of the class. T o me, it served to assess the students’ reading as well as develop their writing skills. However, maybe the exercise should not be limited to journal writing only as they are still very young. They could also write short letters. Or, make short stories by writing simple sentences for a sequence of pictures. The SIOP component of Practice and Application was evident in this class because the language skills were integrated in the activities such as reading back, journal writing, discussion & oral reading. There were other SIOP components in play, too, like preparation and lesson

Determining Causes and Effects Essay Example for Free

Determining Causes and Effects Essay The majority of blood donors are middle aged due to advertising not being effective among youth donors. Young prospective first time donors, with their long-term donation potential, are especially attractive targets for blood agencies. Youth are often underrepresented in donor pools, however; persuading them to give blood may require specifically tailored marketing communication. The first cause of not being effective in advertising towards youth is marketing communication. Blood collection agencies often emphasize altruism. Altruism is the philosophical doctrine that right action is that which provides the greatest benefit to others. Specifically, research demonstrates that established donors who have given blood several times report altruism and awareness of the need for blood as their main reasons for giving (Glynn S.A. 417). In other words, a regular blood donor gives because they want to help others in need, and they act altruistically without expectation of reward. Altruistic ads focus on the altruistic message of a blood recipient thanking individuals for giving blood to save his/her life. An appeal to self-interest may be more effective in heightening blood donation intentions among youthful donors. The second cause of advertising not being effective is not appealing to individual self-interest. Collection agencies often use a communal message strategy that you should donate because someone close to you may need it. A communal ad features blood donors asking others to join them to help save lives. This communal approach, often receives less attention from donors because people value incentives. There has been little academic research conducted in blood recruitment to further these recommendations and actually test the effectiveness of specific message types in relation to the established profiles. Another contributing cause is the selectivity model, attributes sex differences in information processing to traditional gender roles. For instance, the male or agentic gender role is characterized by concern for the self (ex., what helps me or is of interest to me?). It is associated with personality traits such as independence and autonomy. Men, who already attend to self-relevant information because of their presumed agentic gender role, should respond even more favorably to a self-benefit message that also  invokes a higher degree of self-referencing (Hupfer, 1004). The communal female role, which encompasses concern for both self and others (ex., what interests or helps both me and others?). The personality traits associated with the female are independent and giving. The female role is typified by sympathy, understanding, and sensitivity to others’ needs. These traditional role distinctions lead to sex differences in response to information that is self-relevant or other relevant (Hupfer, 1004). Gender roles, therefore, should be an important determinant of reaction to blood campaigns. They should indicate that giving blood helps me which is the agentic benefit (Fig 3). Or giving blood helps someone else which is the communal benefit (Fig 4). When an advertising message elicits attention by reflecting on negative outcomes it appears to be more favorable. When advertising message elicits attention by focusing on the positive outcomes it appears to be less favorable. One effect on the economy is when agencies paid people to donate it decreased the blood supply. Economists were skeptical citing a lack of empirical evidence. Since then new data and models have prompted a sea change in how economists think about incentives. Economists have found that offering to pay women for donating blood decreased the number of donators by half. However, letting society contribute the payment to charity reversed the effect. This psychology here has eluded economists, but it was no surprise to business owners. Rewarding blood donations may backfire; because it suggests that donor is less interested on being altruistic than in making a buck. Incentives affect what our actions signal, whether we’re being self-interested or civic-minded, manipulated or trusted, and they can imply wrongly what motivates the U.S. (Bowles) An increase in unemployment may mean people have more time to give blood, but I doubt it would cause an increase in supply. First, many blood donations are arranged by firms who agree to give employers time off work during the day. Secondly, it is possible that if you are unemployed you are likely to be stressed and don’t feel inspired to give blood. Findings indicate that when donors are eligible to benefit from the day-off incentive (i.e., when they are in paid employment) they make, on average, one extra blood donation per year, a substantial effect that represents a 40% inc rease (Lacetera). The decrease in blood supply affects those who have diseases such as sickle cell. There are more than 80,000 people in the U.S. with Sickle Cell, who require blood  transfusions. It also affects those who have cancer because chemotherapy consists of needing blood; sometimes on a daily basis. Also car accident victims can require as much as 100 pints of blood (American Red Cross). So if there are shortages of blood, there are not enough lives being saved. Hospitals haven’t had enough blood supply to care for patients with leukemia. It also affects newborns that are faced with having open heart surgery. Most patients who are hospitalized for serious complications and require transplants suffer because of the lack of blood supply in the U.S. In conclusion, collection agencies should consider appealing to young non-donors by suggesting that they give blood to make it available for themselves. Those who are capable of donating should do so with no questions asked. You never know when you will have a life-threatening event in which you need a blood transfusion to save your life. Researchers should continue to find theories on advertising to appeal to self-interest so that the blood supply in the U.S. will increase; however, the best approach in advertising is appealing to people’s emotion. If everyone would come together as one as they do in elections for blood drives the outcome would be greater. Fig. 3. Agentic Version of accident scene Fig. 4. Communal version of accident scene. Works Cited American Red Cross (2012). Blood Facts. www. Redcross.org Bowles, Samuel (March 2009). The Magazine; Harvard Business Review Glynn, S.A., Kleinman, (2002). Motivations to donate blood:. Transfusion, 42, 216-225. Hupfer, M.E. (2006). Transfusion 46(6), 996-1005, Visuals, DOI: 10.1111/j.1537- 2995.2006.00834.x Lacetera, Nicola (n.d.), Icentative Research Foundation. Time for Blood Article.

Analysis of Saudi Arabias Restaurant Industry

Analysis of Saudi Arabias Restaurant Industry Introduction: In this paper we will discuss the restaurant Industry in Saudi Arabia which is growing faster than anywhere else in the region; it is growing at a pace that is exceeding its infrastructure wwith different range of prices and classes, starting form as low as $1.00 USD and going up to $75.00 USD if youre into fancy restaurants  [1]  . The restaurant industry is very divers and large including: cafes/bars, full-service restaurants, fast food, home delivery and street stalls, all types of restaurants have a wide range of food specialization from ethnic, international, and local. There are also three main types of investors: independent owners, international franchise, and local restaurant chains. A restaurant chain is a set of related restaurants, typically with the same name in many different locations either under shared corporate ownership e.g. Al-Baik and Herfy. Typically, the restaurants within a chain are built to a standard format and offer a standard menu. A franchise is a right granted to an individual or group to market a companys goods or services within a certain territory or location. Some examples of todays popular franchises in Saudi Arabia are McDonalds, Subway, and Dominos Pizza. In order to analyze the attractiveness of the restaurant Industry in Saudi Arabia we will employ three different analytical tools, Porter five forces, assessment of the macro market environment known as (PESTLE Analysis), and SWOT analysis. Based on our analysis we will offer an advice to any new firm considering entering the restaurant industry in Saudi Arabia. PESTLE Analysis The effect of the Saudi politics on the restaurant industry Saudi Arabia is ruled by the family of Al Saud who since the establishment of their kingdom declared that it is ruled by the Islamic law. The Al Saud family also affirmed that they are committed to supporting the economic growth and be part of the developed nations. This goal is very challenging to achieve because fundamentalist Muslims refuse the idea of globalization, this lay a moderate political risk on the regime. On the other hand, this political situation affects the restaurant industry positively because the restaurant industry remains the major uncontested method of entertainment among Saudis. Particularly, by law, all restaurants are required to have single-males section separated from the family section to adhere to the tradition and religious requirements. Moreover, The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is perceived as the leader of the Muslim world, because it is the home town of Makah; which Muslims from all over the world must visit at least once in their life time to complete the fifth pillar of their religion. This makes Saudi Arabia suffers from a tension in its international relationships mainly after the event of 911 because some of the western countries are holding the kingdom partially responsible for 9/11. This political situation is one of the main strength of the restaurant industry in Saudi; with no cinemas or night clubs, eating out becomes the main source of entertainment for most of the population. There is an appetite for new restaurants that exceeds any other region in the world  [2]  . The effect of the Saudi law and Regulation on the restaurant industry The recent ruler of the Saudi Arabia, king Abdullah, is respected internally and internationally for his efforts to fight terrorism and his large amount of public spending on reform plans have helped the country to overcome  [3]  most of its economic obstacles. The kingdoms major step toward reform was the application for membership of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and making consistent legal changes to meet with its requirements, but still there is mistrust from the Privet sectors toward the government, because of the unnecessary bureaucratic practices and inappropriate regulations that are seen as burdensome for the competitive market. Some areas are over regulated while others are under regulated. It takes almost six months to register a company, and the company must give a proof that it has substantial sum of money to invest, not less than $10,000. However, the regulatory changes made in recent years appear to have been of most beneficiaries to those Saudi companies which are seeking to expand through alliances with foreign investors  [4]  . Nevertheless, the law requires foreign investors to have a Saudi partner and the Saudi partner, individual or company, will have the majority of control over the business. Over all, the legal process is very complex and financially risky whether you are opening a small business or a major enterprise. The government should amend these processes to encourage foreign investments. The effects of Saudi economic on the restaurant industry The Kingdom is experiencing accelerated growth due to recent oil price spikes. The positive effect has been a rise in per capita GDP from approximately $8100 (1999) to $9575, or 18%, by 2005. Combine this with the fact that the Kingdom has one of the worlds fastest growing populations (3.5% per year) and you are faced with an expanding market with good disposable income levels. AC Nielsen research reports that the Saudi economy is expected to grow 8.7% this year, mainly fuelled by the high oil prices as well as strong private sector growth  [5]  Saudi remains the largest market in the entire Gulf. Many view Dubai as the showcase but Saudi proves to be the sales room and cash generator. Due to fact that Saudi Arabia is a third world country, it depends on imported goods and technology, the government commitments to the economic expansion creates job opportunities for professional trained foreigners and depend on them to fulfill the countrys ambitious development strategies. According to HSBC Bank Saudi Arabia is classified as the second in the wealth of professional trained foreigners. Saudi Arabia is ranked twenty two among other countries in the tourism sector. Moreover, Saudi Arabia hosts over five million pilgrims yearly from all over the world coming for Hajj and Ummrah. Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam which all Muslims must perform at least once in their life time. The restaurant industry is one of the major Beneficiaries from such advantage. Therefore, the government has been actively considering to expand what is believed to be billions of dollars worth of income in the tourism sector by attracting international tourists to the Kingdoms historic sites, in the mid-2008, a package of new relaxed visa rules were released allowing many groups from Europe to visit the Kingdom with a group tourist visa, which years before was unheard of. This policy has created a new segment for the Saudi restaurant industry. Also, the large number of foreigners, coming as workers or as tourist and pilgrims, with their ethnic background are considered the back bone for the restaurant industry. The effect the social characteristics on the restaurant industry Tradition and religion encourage Muslims to be hospitable and sociable. Inviting guests and friends to banquet in their home is the norm in Saudi Arabia. In Saudi Arabia Segregation between opposite gender exist in most sectors of public eservices, schools, universities, banks, this segregation unlocked job opportunities for large number of Saudi females. In the last few years it became easier to entertain guests and family to a restaurant for the busy working females or even have the restaurant food and staff to entertain them at home. Dining out became a habit among all social classes in the Kingdom with the lack of other entertainment venues due to religious issues. Therefore the trend of eating out is constantly growing among them.  [6]   This social characteristic will have a blooming and flourishing effect on the restaurant industry in Saudi Arabia where the main entertainment is going out restaurant. Perhaps the most pronounced feature of the demography is its young population where more the 59% are under 24 years of age. And part of the Saudi government or reform is to develop its workforce; to achieve this goal the government sends over one hundred thousand young students to peruse their higher education in highly developed countries every year. These large numbers of young people live abroad for almost five to seven years comes back with food and restaurant likes that they adopted during their scholarship.  [7]  This opened the door widely for international franchise in Saudi Arabia Some of the franchises that are currently present in Saudi Arabia, McDonalds, Hardees, Burger King, Popeye, Chilies, TGI, Fuddruckers, Pizza Hut among many others and are very popular among this young population along with foreign workforce, tourist, and pilgrims. The effect of technology and the environment of the restaurant industry The last of the two macro marketing environment forces are the technological and the environmental: In Saudi Arabia Technology in the restaurant industry is not limited to basic kitchen appliances and tools. However, one may not expect some complex equipments are used in the restaurant industry. Many restaurants are leading the way in regards to credit card processing and point-of-sale technologies, introducing new ways to serve their customers and increase the overall convenience of the dining experience. Of course, restaurants chains and franchise are the main benefactors of this development in communication  [8]   In Saudi Arabia there is no significant awareness from the government or most of the population to the environmental issues. All the restaurants that uses recycle paper or green energy are mostly international franchise applying their Owen corporate policy as part of their responsibility Porters 5 Forces Analysis Threat of New Entrants. The restaurant industry is the easiest to enter basically anyone who can cook, with the minimize capital amount can enter the business. Barriers to enter this industry are mainly in the bureaucratic regulation that might take time but this is not considered a serious barrier. Power of Suppliers. While there are plenty of food supplies, but they depend on imported material because Saudi Arabia is not an agricultural country. The import of food and foodstuffs are estimated to exceed $7 billion annually and the Kingdom remains the leading market in the region. Except for date and milk all other raw materials are imported. There are big numbers of suppliers and prices are controlled by the government. Only international food chains franchise might be obliged to buy its raw material from a certain supplier. Power of Buyers. The balance of power is shifting toward buyers. With so many restaurants the competition is very high. Buyers are always looking for the best quality and price. Going to restaurant is not an essential; people are always ready to try something new. With Variety of products to choose from, local, ethnic, and western couple with intense competition lead buyers seeks lower prices and better services. Disposable income levels and an expanding shopping mall culture are assisting this growth Availability of Substitutes. Substitutes for the restaurant industry in general include alternative form of entertainment like cinemas or night club. The available entertainment substitute is the shopping malls, where people will go shopping, or window shopping. Most fast food chains are showing positive growth and are ever present in all the new shopping malls Competitive Rivalry. Even though there are no figures revealing the size of this lucrative market, a high industry growth rate is intensifying the competitive rivalry the presence of so many available substitutes are a particularly challenging situation for some firms SWOT: Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats The Saudi restaurant industry is weak in economies of scale and labor productivity. Its strength is the ability to attract huge capital and labor with it openness to the world market. The restaurant industry is showing significant growth, on the other hand, this open market has intensified an open competition. The diversified culture of Saudi Arabia is the key to exploit Economies of scope. Also, exploiting the economies of scale is also an opportunity. The consumer preference for differentiated and healthy products is also another opportunity to exploit in enhancing the economies of scope. Although, the anticipated low population growth in the future could be a major threat as it would decrease the quantity of demand coupled with the increase in the retail chain the significant increase in small households and working women will create new opportunities for the restaurant industry. Conclusion and recommendation: In this assignment we carried out an analysis of the restaurant industry competitiveness in Saudi Arabia by employing three different analytical tools, PESTLE Analysis, Porter Five Forces, and SWOT Analysis. Based on our analysis we concluded with the following findings and advices to any new firm considering entering the restaurant industry in Saudi Arabia. The strength of the restaurant industry lies on its ability to attract huge capital and labor with it openness to the world market. The restaurant industry is showing significant growth faster than anywhere in the world. Many factors have contributed to this fast growth as such as the political, economical, and low labor market and other socio-cultural factors. The economical and political outlook for restaurant industry in Saudi Arabia is very encouraging, government shows commitment and support to economic growth which is reflected in its double-digit increase in government expenditures on many aspects that are related to the restaurant business. Furthermore, currently, the government economic plan emphasizes the strengthening the growing private sector business opportunities with focus on increasing the national and foreign investments as public spending has increased by 15.8% the government has increased the budget for new projects by 36%. One of the most promising aspects for the restaurant industry is the social changes in Saudi Arabia. For example, the role of females in the social and economic life is dramatically changing as women are now allowed to enter the work force and have huge impact on the purchasing power and certainly a change in womens lifestyle that is favorable to the restaurant industry. On the other hand, the legal process in Saudi is very complex and financially risky whether you are opening a small business or a major enterprise. The government should amend these processes to encourage further foreign investments. Also, the Saudi restaurant industry is weak in economies of scale and labor productivity. Based on the above findings, we strongly recommend and encourage any firm to enter the Saudi market keeping in mind the following points: The restaurant industry is highly competitive in terms of price, service, location, and food quality and is affected by changes in consumer trends, economic conditions, demographics, traffic patterns, and concerns about the nutritional content of foods. shifting dietary preferences among consumers in favor of alternative foods can open the doors for niche market The growth of the restaurant industry is expected to generally stay the same over the next few years and it can be considered a blue ocean. The restaurant industry is affected greatly by globalization and it will continue to be.

Reproductive Health Among Adolescent Girls Health And Social Care Essay

Reproductive Health Among Adolescent Girls Health And Social Care Essay Review of literature is a systemic search of a published work to gain information about a research topic (Polit and Hungler, 2011). Conducting a review of literature is challenging and an enlightening experience. The review of literature was based on extensive survey of books, journals, and international nursing indicates. A review of literature relevant to the study was under taken which helped the investigator to develop deep into the problem and gain information on what has been in the past. An extensive review of literature was done by the investigator to lay a broad foundation for the study. For the purpose of logical sequence the chapter was divided in two parts. 2.1 PART I: Reviews related to reproductive health among adolescent girls. 2.2 PART II: Reviews related to effectiveness of adolescent to adolescent approach on reproductive health. 2.1 PART I : Reviews related to reproductive health among adolescent girls. Mc Call-hosenfeld JS et al., (2012) conducted an experimental study in Pennsylvania; they investigated the impact of individual on womens are receipt of a comprehensive panel of preventive services in a region that includes both urban and rural communities. Outcome variables were a screening and vaccination index blood pressure , lipid panel, sexually transmitted infections or individual level variables includes predisposing factors, enabling and need based measures. The investigator found that overall use of preventive services, were low individual variability in womens receipt of counseling services is largely explained by psychological factors and seeing an gynecologist. . Fengy et al., (2012) conducted a cross sectional survey of 17,016 adolescent girls and young aged 15-24 yrs old in both rural and urban Asian cites, China, through interview and computer assisted self interview for sensitive questions. To identify the predictors perception of homosexuality. The 40% of adolescent and young adults who hold a positive view of homosexuality for both males and females. Preferred origin of movies, videos, self identified sexual orientation, sexual and reproductive health knowledge, family values, gender role and attitude towards premarital sex. The most common and important predictors for a respondents perception of homosexuality were his/her knowledge of sexual and reproductive health. Shelia G et al., (2012) conducted a experimental study regarding features of physical and sexual development of reproductive behavior among adolescent girls at Russia. In this assessment the adolescent reproductive behavior identification and the factors affecting was made in female adolescents age 14-19yr [randomly formed via continuous selection] information of the state of their health their attitudes towards child bearing and their risky habits have been evaluated. High frequency of menstrual irregularities, 24.7% delayed formation of the bone pelvis, 25.2% the prevalence of chronic external genital diseases were found. Iliyasuz et al., (2012) conducted a qualitative study regarding sexual and reproductive health communication between mothers and their adolescent daughters in North India Assam. The investigator employed structured interviews and groups to investigate reproductive health communication practices among 108 mothers and daughters transcript were analyzed using the grounded theory approach .A total of 136 mother reported discussing reproductive issues with their daughters. The majority of daughters acquire reproductive health education from their mothers; parents were more likely to discuss marriage, menstruation, premarital sex, STI infections and sex education need to be empowered with knowledge and skills to improve the scope and quality of home -based reproductive health education. Palke VD et al., (2011) conducted a study regarding impact of sex education on knowledge and attitude of adolescent school children in Bihar. Reproductive capability is now in earlier age, but the subject of adolescent sexuality in most societies, there is a wide spread ignorance about risks are unprotected sex problems among adolescent girls. Unfortunately need of sex education is not perceived and fulfilled in India especially in rural areas. The present study was conducted to assess the need and demonstrate the impact of sex education among adolescent school children, by analyzing pre and post intervention questionnaire and there was a significant increase in knowledge about sexuality , menstrual hygiene. Sexually transmitted disease, it has significant impact on knowledge of adolescent school children. Ezekwere et al., (2011) conducted a study regarding sex education, sex information, sex practices, among adolescent girls in Nigeria. A total 304 girls selected by multi-stage sampling technique studied primary and subsequent sources of sexuality information, mainly the by the media, peers, families and schools, found that mostly they were not involved in provision of early sexual initiation and un protected sex was common among them. The study highlights the need to create a awareness at earlier stage of adolescent period sexual education of adolescent girls through parents and teachers had to be initiated. Wong LP et al., (2011) conducted a large cross sectional study regarding attitude towards dysmenorrheal impact and treatment seeking, among 1,295 adolescent girls (13-19 yrs) from 16 public secondary schools in rural districts of Malaysia. Dysmenorrhea was reported in 76.0% of the participants multivariate analysis shows that being in upper secondary levels was the strongest predictor for poor concentration, absenteeism and poor school grade due to dysmenorrheal is a normal cycle and only 14.8% sought medical treatment , education should be extended to parents and school peer leaders to address the reproductive health needs of adolescents. Lazarus JV et al., (2011) conducted a quasi experimental study regarding reproductive health awareness programme to assess the knowledge, attitude and behavior. Reproductive health data was collected from the students aged (11 16 yrs) by using a picture and group discussion. In total 313 questionnaire has distributed, and the mean score in the pretest knowledge was 5.9 and 6.8 in post test score was p (0.003), which increased significantly t=4.5, p=0.000. The attitude mean score in pre test was 4.3 in post test was 6.8 which shows the increased significant. The mean behavior pretest score which showed a significant p =0.019. Hence the intervention significantly improved the adolescent reproductive health knowledge attitude. BiscoFreudenthal J et al., (2011) conducted a study regarding creating community awareness of reproductive tract infections including STD infections. The aim of this study was thus to explore people perception treatment seeking behavior and understanding of information about RTI/STD. Qualitative contact analysis was employed for the data analysis. The major findings was that the most common treatment seeking behavior was taking self medication. Shyness of genital examination, negative attitudes towards dirty diseases. The main media sources of RTI/STI information were radio, TV and other access to health information was more difficult. Health education messages should be more accessible in rural areas. Van Rossem et al., (2011) conducted the survey to evaluate the reach and impact of social marketing and reproductive health communication campaigns (selected radio and television programs) regarding family planning and HIV/AIDS in Zambia. The results evidenced that the reproductive health and social marketing Campaigns in Zambia reached a large portion of the population and had a significant impact. The results suggested that future reproductive health communication campaigns that invest in radio programming may be more effective than those investing in television programming and future campaigns should seek to increase their impact among women. Portillo et al., (2011) conducted a cross sectional study regarding sexual and reproductive health among adolescent girls at High school in Spanish. The study focused to determine the extent of information about preventing sexually transmitted diseases, knowledge and use of contraceptive methods. It includes 641 students who agreed to complete the questionnaire by school. 84.5% students know at least one contraceptive method 84%, It is necessary to establish or strengthen information programme on sexual health for adolescent. Fehr KR et al., (2011) conducted a study to assess the knowledge and use of Folic acid in women of reproductive age Folic acid reduces the risk of neural tube defects 50%, women of reproductive age group should be aware of the importance of the folic acid and neural tube defects. They used terms such as Folic acid knowledge and Folic acid awareness to search articles published, women were although knowledge levels were associated with education and health care professionals magazines and news papers, radio, TV, as common sources of information, and this knowledge will allow them to make informed decisions about Folic acid among women. Mc Call JS et al., (2011) conducted a study regarding preventive counseling among reproductive aged women. Preventive health intervention often occur less frequently among rural women compared to urban is an important feature of comprehensive preventive health care provisions .Data were collected by telephone survey during 2004-2005 participants aged 18-45 yrs in the central Pennsylvanias. The study assessed the independent contribution of counseling for smoking ,alcohol, drug use, birth control ,nutrition, physical activity. Most women do not receive recommended preventive counseling, while rural women are less likely than urban women to receive counseling educating rural health care providers about the need for preventive counseling. Jousha et al., (2011) narrated on condom negotiation and experience among sexually active young women in New south wales, Austraila by using feminist narrative approach. Ten womens stories were collected via online interviews. The findings revealed that none of the women initiated or negotiated use of the male condom promotion relies on the r4coginition of the gender factors that impede young womens condom negotiation and use. Strategies that overcome gender dynamics and empower women to negotiate condom use have the ability to promote condom use among this group. Lawan et al., (2010) conducted a study regarding menstruation and menstrual hygiene among adolescent girls in Gujarat .This study examined the knowledge and practices of adolescent school in around menstruation and menstrual hygiene .Data was collected quantitatively and analyzed using pre experimental study, the study findings showed that majority had fair knowledge of menstruation, although deficient in specific knowledge areas, most of them used sanitary pads as absorbent during their last menses, changed menstrual dressings about 1-5 times per day and improving access of the adolescent to reproductive health needs. Sivagami, et al., (2010) conducted a qualitative study on community perception and treatment seeking behaviour regarding reproductive tract infections including sexually transmitted infections in Lao by using fourteen focus group discussion and 20 in depth interviews. It held among 76 women and 56 men. The major finding was that both male and female participants had a variety of misconceptions about the causes and symptoms of RTI/STIs and their cure and a reluctance to seek health care. The main reasons for not going to health facilities were fear of social discrimination or shyness. They suggested strengthening health education and promotion through interventions at the community level to improve the quality of RTI/STI management. Minto et al., (2010) reviewed the efficacy of HIV/STI behavioral intervention and identified factors associated with intervention efficacy for American African females in the United states by using meta- analysis from 37 relevant studies. The results showed that behavioral intervention had a significant impact on reduction in HIV/STI risk sex behavioral. They concluded as behavioral interventions were efficacious in preventing HIV and STIs among African American females. They suggested that conducting more research to examine the potential contribution of prevention strategies that attend to community level and to improve communication between RTI/STI patients and clinicians. Thakor HG et al., (2010) conducted a STIs prevalence study on knowledge and practices related to STIs and HIV among 125 sex workers in an urban area of Gujarat, India. 85-90% were aware about various symptoms / diseases transmitted by unsafe sexual practice in male and female. 23.4% took treatment from health worker for such problems; 87.9% were aware that consistent use of condom could protect them from HIV infections and 2.6% reported for non treatment of STD.58% were not aware about behavoural changes needed to reduce the risk. 2.2 PART II: Review related to effectiveness of adolescent to adolescent approach on reproductive health. Denison JA et al.,(2012) conducted a quasi experimental study on peer education make a difference an evaluation of HIV prevention in youth-led model trained volunteer peer educators age (18-25 yrs) in school, to teach HIV prevention and Reproductive health. This evaluation programme effects on students HIV knowledge, attitude and behaviors of adolescent girls by using a non randomized quasi experimental design among 2133 students had significantly higher levels of knowledge regarding HIV p 0kanlawon FA et al., (2011) conducted a study to assess the effectiveness of peer education in a secondary school regarding reproductive health among adolescent girls in Karnataka. The study employed pre and post test intervention quasi experimental design, The experimental group was the adolescence girls to give peer education programme for 6 months pre and post test data in the experimental and control groups were compared and analyzed. The knowledge of reproductive health issues was p Drummond P et al., (2011) conducted a study by using peer education to increase the sexual health knowledge among West African refugees in Western Australia. Ten bilingual west African peer educators conducted a 3 hours workshop on sexual health for small groups of western African refugees (n = 58) who recently settled in Perth , western Australia .There were significant increases in the participants knowledge on sexually transmitted infections and HIV , their spread and the measures to protect against infection. They Concluded that the peer education approach was successful in assisting new and emerging community to work effectively on sexual health topics generally considered as taboos or too sensitive to discuss. Stephenson. J et al., (2010) assessed the effectiveness of school-based peer-led sex education among 9,000 pupils aged 13-14 years at England. Schools were randomized to either peer-led sex education (intervention) or to continue their usual teacher-led sex education (control). Peer educators, aged 16-17 years, were trained to deliver three 1-hour classroom sessions of sex education to 13- to 14 years old pupils from the same schools. The study findings concluded that compared with conventional school sex education at age 13-14 years, this form of peer-led sex education was very effective associated with change in teenage STDs, it merits consideration within broader teenage STDs prevention strategies.

Lack of Style Essay -- Personal Narrative, Essay About Myself

As I open my eyes to the world around me, I am blinded by the misery and the despair of people. I am subjected to seeing the lack of style exhibited. It is sinful to identify expensive blasà © attire purchased for brand names that are nothing short of atrocious. In defense to this calamity, I can bring the world an extensive fashion insight, a view not a single person has tackled before. Combined textures, fabrics, and designs, undiscovered brands, form fitting and flattering attire. I can make appearances at modern and splendor fashion shows. Tying in the styles exhibited into everyday wear; combined with taste and sophistication. I can reveal different fashions for different personalities, and help people uncover their inner-character. I can inform the public of colors that look good together, and identify clothes you shouldn’t be caught dead wearing. As a fashion journalist, I will close the windows of yesterday and open doors of today and tomorrow. Identifying trends, rev ealing hip shops, and traveling to fashion exhibits, overpriced name brands will be replaced with glamorous st...

Essay on Relationships in Antony and Cleopatra -- Antony Cleopatra Ess

Destructive Power Relationships in Antony and Cleopatra  Ã‚   Antony and Cleopatra's â€Å"love† is not really about love at all.   Their interaction can only be considered a sort of immature lust-power relationship. Their relationship is shallow, self-centered, irresponsible and destructive. Their attraction for each other centers around infatuation and a sort of egoistic rush that they are more important than the world.   Just as a man or woman of today may attempt to control the desires of his or her intended, Cleopatra wants to manipulate Antony into wanting her: Cleopatra. See where he is, who's with him, what he does: I did not send you: if you find him sad, Say I am dancing; if in mirth, report That I am sudden sick. Quick, and return. Romeo and Juliet's relationship was sweet and beyond life. Cleopatra and Antony's relationship is a very worldly one (we do not even know if Cleopatra "applied the asp" because she wanted to be with Antony in death or if she simply could not stand being left with Caesar in life). G.W. Knight of the Aesthetic school of critics says of Cleopatra that she is "a metaphysical, not moral, good--a good of totality. She is good in the same large way one might say life is good, or the universe is good, not because it contains no suffering or bad times, but because from restropect even these experiences are worth having. Her perfection flowers from totality, not exclusion." You end up liking Cleopatra in this play because she is so robust and sensual and unpredicable and capable of so many strong emotions. Here she bursts out at the messager after he reported that Antony had married: Cleopatra. What say you? Hence, Horrible villain! or I'll spurn thine eyes Like balls before me; I'll ... ...and the first stone Drop in my neck: as it determines, so Dissolve my life! the next Caesarion smite! Till by degreees the memory of my womb, Together with my brave Egyptians all, By the discandying of this pelleted storm Lie graveless, till the flies and gnats of Nile Have buried them for prey! The hand of death hath raught him. . . . let Patient Octavia plough thy visage up With her preparà ©d nails. . . . fill our bowls once more: Let's mock the midnight bell. A 1759 quote about a performance of this play stated that it "did not seem to give ye Audience any great pleasure or draw any applause." I can imagine that. It is not one of the best of Shakespeare's plays, but it does give you a fair share of history, tragedy, and poetry. I think this play would be perfect for a more modern reinterpretation analyzing destructive power relationships.

The Theme of Death in Haydn Middletons The Lie of the Land :: Middleton Lie of the Land Essays

The Theme of Death in Haydn Middleton's The Lie of the Land Haydn Middleton's The Lie of the Land is a complex book filled with many themes. One of them, which I focused on, is the theme of death. Death seems to be shown as a means to an end. In the beginning, David sees death as an inevitable, horrible event that he must face up to all too soon. "I'm going to die" (p. 16) David states to Rachel during his first visit to the Samaritan Center. "I know I've got to die, Rachel but I'm a coward" (p. 18). David's death won't be one of the ordinary. David is one of the chosen. He is one of the sons of the sky. He is tormented by the woman's voice, the one who chose him, who is always overshadowing him. The woman, possibly the angel of death, has an elaborate plan laid out for David. It began when he was first conceived and will continue on until the day that he dies and beyound. "In her vindictiveness she would call these new sons of the sky westward. And, at the gateway to Albion, she would make them perform, in that brightest light that sits forever upon the darkness, the dance of death..." (p. 85). The island of Albion seems to be referred to as hell. David speaks of being in contact with "...the keeper of the gateway to hell" (p. 18). The island is believed to be a "...rendezvous for the souls of the dead" (p. 79). When the time comes the woman will call to the sons of the sky and take David to the island of the dead. David didn't fully understand his fate until it was explained to him by his stepfather, Emrys. Later in life, when David is married and a son of his own, the power of the woman took over his mind and body. She willed him to committ one of the worst crimes possible. He took the life of another human being. And in the process he lost his own life as well. Not literally, but he lost his family and his soul. He had nothing. "I am the son of the sky, he thought. And after so many years, he knew what that meant. He knew that he would dance before his time. And he knew, too, glancing down at his child, that there would be more than one end" (p. The Theme of Death in Haydn Middleton's The Lie of the Land :: Middleton Lie of the Land Essays The Theme of Death in Haydn Middleton's The Lie of the Land Haydn Middleton's The Lie of the Land is a complex book filled with many themes. One of them, which I focused on, is the theme of death. Death seems to be shown as a means to an end. In the beginning, David sees death as an inevitable, horrible event that he must face up to all too soon. "I'm going to die" (p. 16) David states to Rachel during his first visit to the Samaritan Center. "I know I've got to die, Rachel but I'm a coward" (p. 18). David's death won't be one of the ordinary. David is one of the chosen. He is one of the sons of the sky. He is tormented by the woman's voice, the one who chose him, who is always overshadowing him. The woman, possibly the angel of death, has an elaborate plan laid out for David. It began when he was first conceived and will continue on until the day that he dies and beyound. "In her vindictiveness she would call these new sons of the sky westward. And, at the gateway to Albion, she would make them perform, in that brightest light that sits forever upon the darkness, the dance of death..." (p. 85). The island of Albion seems to be referred to as hell. David speaks of being in contact with "...the keeper of the gateway to hell" (p. 18). The island is believed to be a "...rendezvous for the souls of the dead" (p. 79). When the time comes the woman will call to the sons of the sky and take David to the island of the dead. David didn't fully understand his fate until it was explained to him by his stepfather, Emrys. Later in life, when David is married and a son of his own, the power of the woman took over his mind and body. She willed him to committ one of the worst crimes possible. He took the life of another human being. And in the process he lost his own life as well. Not literally, but he lost his family and his soul. He had nothing. "I am the son of the sky, he thought. And after so many years, he knew what that meant. He knew that he would dance before his time. And he knew, too, glancing down at his child, that there would be more than one end" (p.