Humor in the Workplace The Weighing the Pros and Cons Essay Example for Free

Humor in the Workplace The Weighing the Pros and Cons Essay Weighing the Pros Con sSubmitted to:Wilma ThomasonPrinciples of Management InstructorPrepared by:Successful Future ManagementKenya HardenSunday, June 28, 2009Humor in the WorkplaceWeighing the Pros ConsI.IntroductionA.Evaluating the problems in the workplace1.Poor productivity2.Lack of creativityII.Benefits of incorporating humor at workA.Improves healthB.Reduces stressIII.How stress effects companiesA.Increases possibility of mistakesB.Loss of money IV.ConclusionA.Companies encourage humor1.Set ground rules2.Know what is allowed Increase your companys earning potential by paying your employees to watch comedy shows and play games for thirty minutes a day! Reduce employee sick leave by establishing company playtime. These statements may sound asinine, but companies are discovering the benefits of incorporating enjoyment and laughter in the office. People spend at least forty hours a week in the workplace and about five or more of those hours are spent trying to think of a new idea, or trying to complete a project because they cant focus. Some employees are just drained and their minds are bombarded with thoughts of what they need to do at home. As a way to keep their employees focused and boost productivity, many companies are taking heed to the saying: Laughter is the best medicine. It is becoming a fast growing trend in businesses to find ways to allow their employees a period to loosen up and laugh. Laughter has been found to keep a person healthy and has several benefits; it lowers tension, causes one to relax, boosts the immune system and can even temporarily relieve pain (www.HelpGuide.org). Laugh and the world laughs with you, this seems true even in the workplace. It is important that various methods are available to help employees eliminate stress so that their work is not affected. Stress can have a very negative effect on employee performance and causes burn-out. A person that is stressed-out is often distracted and makes mistakes. This can cause a major financial loss to the company, as well as the employee, if injury occurs or a major project is delayed. Some companies consider that having fun or joking around on the job as  goofing off. Management in these types of companies feels that employees do not take their jobs seriously. Some employees are even labeled as adolescent, unprofessional and unproductive. This type of atmosphere creates tension and increases the risks of work related health problems in employees. It also costs the company money due to excessive downtime due to the lack of creativity. However, many companies have been encouraging employees to have fun at work and have even set-up special rooms for their employees to take breaks equipped with televisions and games. By allowing employees to enjoy themselves at work, companies are building better relationships and strengthening communication between management and employees. So why not put the low cost, (if not free) remedy of humor in place? Laughter is contagious. It can make the workplace more pleasurable by easing tension, reduce risk of employee burnout, improve productivity and creativity. The key to the success of implementing humor in the workplace is to make sure that no one oversteps boundaries or cause injury to anyone. It is crucial that no one is offended by joking; steer clear of religious, political, or personal topics. Everyone must be mindful of what is allowed and what is taboo. It is recommended that all business incorporate humor in the daily routines of their employees. The physical and mental health of employees is reflected in his or her performance. Allowing fun and relaxation on the job as a release will only improve productivity. The benefits of humor well out-weigh the risks. Works Cited Emotional Intelligence Central. Laughter is the Best Medicine: The HealthBenefits of Humor HelpGuide.org. 2001-2009. 24 June 2009 Levy. S. Working in Dilberts World. Newsweek 12 Aug 199623 June 2009 McGhee, P. Health, Healing on the Immune System: Humor as Survival Training. 23 June 2009University of Missouri-Columbia. Light Humor in the Workplace is a Good Thing,Review shows. ScienceDaily 1 November 2007. 24 June 2009http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071031130917.htmWood, Robert E., Beckmann, Nadin and Pavlakis, Fiona. Humor in Organizations: NoLaughing Matter Research Companion to the Dysfunctional Workplace. Ed. Langan-Fox, Janice, Cooper, Cary L. and Klimoski, Richaard J. Cheltenham,Glos, UK: Northhampton, MA: Edward Elgar, 2007 216-231

Maintainanse of relationship Essay Example for Free

Maintainanse of relationship Essay The social exchange theory assumes relationships provide both rewards (e.g. sex, affection, intimacy) and costs (e.g. time, energy, money). Everyone tries to max reward for min costs. If a relationship is to continue, people expect the partner to reward them as much as they do. Therefore, the greater the rewards and lower the costs, the more attractive the relationship is. How to judge whether the rewards worth more than costs or vice versa depend on the Comparison Level (CL). CL is the overview of what to expect in the exchange from our past experience. If the person has a bad relationship before, he/she will expect little from the current partner; How satisfactory a person feels depends on the rewards (e.g. sex) and costs (e.g. argument) involved if they have another relationship with someone else (CL alt). The equity theory extends this view. It proposed that people strive for fairness between rewards costs. So, a person expects the same proportion of rewards to their costs; otherwise they will feel distress. This theory can account for individual differences as people have diff. view towards rewards and costs and so what is acceptable may not apply to others. For example, Argyle found that many women feel less satisfied when they are over-benefited in a relationship, whereas many males feel little dissatisfaction. Therefore, it becomes very useful in explaining extreme cases where some people in very unhappy relationship do not dissolve, yet those in mediocre marriages do- this is because the investment is high (e.g. children) and the alternatives are low (e.g. no money) and so people tend to stay (Rusbult). However, the claim that people constantly strive for rewards as motivation to maintain relationship has suggested people are selfish and self-centred in relationships. Yet it may be true to the Western individualistic cultures which emphasises on personal interests, but may not apply to non-western collectivistic cultures. This is because they emphasise on group values and so personal selfish concerns become socially undesirable. Therefore these theories are only relevant to Western cultures (Moghadamm et al). Another theory, the socio-biological theories, states that our behaviours are the result of evolution in order to max the chance of passing on the genes. This would mean all relationships are evolved to increase the survival of individuals and opportunities for successful reproduction. Buss suggested that women often seek older, successful men because these men can support them and their children; whereas men prefer younger women because they are likely to be more fertile than older ones. After successfully pass on the genes, we have to protect them so as to max the chance to pass on further. So we are evolved to form close families to protect our children as they shared genes with us. The closer the genes, the more we prepare to sacrifice to protect them. This is the kin-selection which suggests survival of an individuals genes is ensured by helping close relatives to survive. The claim for kin-selection is supported by Fellner Marshalls study who found that 80% of parents are willing to donate their kidneys to their children. This shows that people with the closest generic relationships (i.e. parents children) are willing to sacrifice to protect each other for their survival, thus support kin-selection. Therefore, this theory has made the specific nature of family worldwide- the enormous resources and energy devoted to children- explainable. This means it appears to gain validity. However, such validity is limited because it cannot explain other common relationships such as homosexuals and close friendships. If the claim that relationships are to reproduce successfully is true, it will not apply to homosexuals as they cannot pass on genes. Furthermore, Grajek found that women love their best friend more than their partners. This cannot be explained by this theory as friends outside relatives cannot help pass on genes and so should be as important as their partner. Grajeks contradictory findings have made this theory insufficient to explain most relationships.

Case study McDonalds Business Plan

Case study McDonalds Business Plan In view of the current issues facing the company as well as the result of the SWOT analysis and Porters Five Forces Analysis, McDonalds may find it compelling to enter new offshore markets. Consequently, the Asia-Pacific region, more particularly China has been considered a promising market for McDonalds. The SWOT analysis revealed that McDonalds has the internal capabilities to enter new market and that external threats make it imperative for the company to enter new markets. In addition, Porters Five Forces Analysis also confirms that McDonalds initiative to expand to China could benefit the company to a large extent. Finally, the PESTEL Analysis also suggest that China is potentially a good new market for McDonalds. 1.0 Introduction A news article by Nicholas (2010) featured McDonalds voluntary recall of tumblers sold in its store. As revealed in the article, the tumblers were sold at McDonalds as part of the promotional tie up with a new film. According to the news article, the tumblers contained cadmium, which is a toxic substance that is extremely dangerous to the developmental health of children (Nicholas 2010). In response to the issue, the Consumer Product Safety Commission called on fast food companies for a stricter and thorough review of domestic and international supply chains in order to prevent products with potentially dangerous elements to reach its stores (Nicholas 2010). Consequently, this issue could add to the list of challenges being faced by the company. To recall, McDonalds has also been held responsible for obesity among children in the US and the UK (Kilkenny, 2010), which may so far be considered as the most disastrous issue facing the company. In view of the issues facing the company, Mc Donalds may find it vital to launch new business initiatives. This paper presents a business plan for McDonalds, which centers on the strategic issues facing the company and on the result of the SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) Analysis, Porters Five Forces Analysis, and PESTEL (political, economic, social, technological, environmental, and legal) Analysis conducted on the company. 2.0 McDonalds Company: Business Overview According to Adams (2007), McDonalds is a popular destination for fifty million customers every day, making the company one of the largest fast food restaurants in the world. McDonalds is considered as the worlds leading fast-food Company in terms of revenues and number of restaurants. At present, there are about 32,500 McDonalds stores in over 100 countries across the globe, employing a total of 385,000 employees worldwide (McDonalds 2010). The company is headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois, but its operations span from the United States to Europe to the Middle East and to the Asia Pacific region (McDonalds 2010). McDonalds stores sell a standardized menu, but there are slight variations depending on the country where the store operates. For example, aside from its standard menu, McDonalds sell coconut water in Brazil, rice burgers in Taiwan, and porridge in the UK to suit the local taste of the customers (Adams 2007). The key or standard products served at McDonalds stores include hamburgers and cheeseburgers, chicken sandwiches, French fries, wraps, chicken nuggets, salads, desserts, sundaes, soft served cones, pies, as well as cookies. Furthermore, McDonalds also serves a wide range of beverages including milk shakes, soft drinks, coffee, and flavored tea. In addition, McDonalds also sells breakfast items especially in the US and many international markets, whereby breakfast offerings include muffins, biscuits, hotcakes, and bagel sandwiches. McDonalds markets its products under the following global brands: Big Mac, Big N Tasty, Filet-O-Fish, McNuggets, McFlurry, McMuffin, and the McGriddle s (McDonalds, 2010). McDonalds Head Quarters 3.0 SWOT Analysis 3.1 Strengths Strong Brand: As mentioned in Leong and Lwin (2006) brands are valuable symbols that magnify the image of the company. In the case of McDonalds, strong brands may be considered one of the greatest strengths of the company. As a proof, McDonalds was included in the list of the best global brands in the annual ranking of the Business Week magazine for 2009 (Holbrook, 2009). In relation, McDonalds brand equity for 2009 was valued at around $32,000 million (Holbrook, 2009). As a strong global brand, McDonalds is very well known in the informal-eating out market in almost all countries where it operates. Strong Global Presence: Aside from a strong brand, McDonalds strong global, diversified presence may also be considered a major strength of the company. At present, McDonalds has more than 32,000 stores in key geographic locations, such as, the US, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa (McDonalds, 2010). Furthermore, McDonalds operations span across 118 countries across the globe (McDonalds 2010). Consequently, McDonalds operations tend to be relatively larger compared to rivals. Large Scale of Operation and Product Customization: Given that McDonalds is the worlds largest food service retailing chain, it could leverage on its size to compete effectively in the market. Furthermore, McDonalds has bigger economies of scale in terms of sales or revenues to compete with rivals. For example in fiscal year 2009, McDonalds generated revenues totaling to $22,744.7 million, which is significantly higher compared to the revenues of Wendys ($3,580.8 million) and Burger King Corporation ($2,537.8 million). Low-Cost Foods: McDonalds has been popular in the market due to its dollar menu, which includes fruit and yogurt parfait, cheeseburger, and fries (Dunlop, 2009). McDonalds low cost food has been considered a major strength to the extent that the company still managed to increase sales by 6.8 percent over the previous year in spite of the economic downturn. Aside from the regular menu, McDonalds also sell specialty coffee such as those sold at Starbucks but a lower cost. To illustrate, Huglett (2009) noted that prices of espresso-based coffee sold at McDonalds costs about 75 cents cheaper than Starbucks coffee. Generally, Holbrook (2009) noted that fast food companies flourished even in a struggling economy due to its cheap menu items. Good Community Reputation: McDonalds sponsors the Ronald McDonald House of Charities, which is an integral aspect of the companys corporate social responsibility programs. As part of the program, McDonalds sponsors various community outreach programs that aim to benefit children especially those who come from poor families in various communities where McDonalds operates (Adams, 2009). For example, the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile aims to provide free screenings and treatments to children all around the United States (McDonalds, 2010). McDonalds corporate social responsibility program has helped create a positive company image. McDonalds mascot, Ronald McDonald has become a symbol of goodwill among customers, most especially to the children. Progressive External Orientation: As part of the companys commitment to total customer satisfaction, McDonalds offers free Wi-Fi services in over 15,000 stores across the globe (McDonalds, 2010). The free Wi-Fi access is intended to meet the personal and professional needs of McDonalds customers (McDonalds, 2010). 3.2 Weaknesses Health Issues: One of the weaknesses of McDonalds is that its core products were considered unhealthy (Adams, 2009). For example, McDonalds French fries was feared to have more Trans fat, which could cause obesity among consumers. Legal Suits Filed Against the Company: McDonalds is party to several litigations around the world. McDonalds have faced charges of violation of state consumer fraud acts, unfair competition or deceptive trade practices acts, strict liability, failure to warn, negligence, breach of express and implied warranties, fraud and fraudulent concealment, negligent misrepresentation and concealment, unjust enrichment, and false advertising (Brown, 2003). Additionally, McDonalds have admitted to 20 offenses of illegally employing children aged 15 and 16 at two restaurants in Surrey, UK (Brown, 2003). Furthermore, the company also received more than 2,750 recorded customer complaints of food poisoning a year (Brown, 2003). Consequently, these issues have tarnished McDonalds reputation in the market. 3.3 Opportunities Adding Healthy Food Options: Studies reveal that consumers are becoming more particular of the health implications of their consumption, whereby consumers now tend to demand healthy food options (Taylor, 2006). For McDonalds, this trend could create an opportunity for McDonalds to expand its menu to include healthy food varieties such as salads and fruits. Improving the Transaction and Service Delivery Processes: Improvements in technology provide a way for more efficient ordering and paying processes. Technologies that could improve transactions at fast food restaurants include the following: touch-screen ordering system, which makes order taking faster and more efficient; timing systems, which aims to monitor meal progress and hence ensure that orders are delivered accordingly; reservation systems, which aims to maintain good flow of traffic within the restaurant; inventory management system, which allows restaurants to effectively track supply levels and reduce wastes from over stocking and spoilage; and hand-held point of sale devices, which allows servers to place orders and print checks at the tableside. 3.4 Threats Slowing Economy: As mentioned in Horovitz (2009), businesses, including fast food restaurants are vulnerable to economic downturns. Generally, the economic slow down has negative implications to the business reflected in slightly depressed sales growth of restaurants. Consumer Eating Out Less: Surveys reveal that consumers are beginning to eat out less relevant to the economic downturn. In relation, a survey conducted by the Nielsen Company revealed that about 46 percent of American households have begun to eat out less (Panian, 2010). Increasing Competition: Competition in the fast food industry has intensified over time, thereby putting pressure on McDonalds. McDonalds does not only compete with rival companies in the industry, but also with formal restaurants and easy-prepare meals sold at supermarkets (Zwolak, 2010). Increasing Regulations: The fast food industry is under strict regulation from the government due to health issues associated to products sold at fast food restaurants. For example, some states in the US have required fast food restaurants to print calorie and nutrition information on their menu and at the same time placed restrictions on selling snack food and soda (Hirsh, 2009). 4.0 Industry Analysis 4.1 Size and Growth According to Data Monitor industry report, the US fast food market generated total revenues of $68.2 billion in 2008, equivalent to a compound annual growth rate of 5.5% for the periods between 2004 to 2008. Furthermore, the industry is highly fragmented, with the four top players holding only 35 percent of the available market share (Zwolak, 2010). Furthermore, 48 percent of establishments are small business operators with nine or fewer employees, while the other 52 percent have between 10 and 99 employees. 4.2 Trends The fast food industry is in the mature phase of its industry life cycle (Zwolak 2010). In this regard, growth may still be expected but at a slower pace and has the possibility of reaching saturation point in the domestic market. For the fast food industry, annual growth is expected to be around 2.5% over the next five years (Zwolak, 2010). 5.0 Porters Five Forces Analysis 5.1 Buyer Power Buyer power is assessed as moderate to the extent that buyer power within the fast food market is weakened by the fact that while not everyone enjoys fast food, large numbers of people are patronizing fast food. Buyer power is strong as such fast food companies are compelled to offer low prizing scheme. 5.2 Supplier Power Supplier power is assessed as strong to the extent that the supplier market is quite consolidated whereby few supply companies have substantial market shares and have other customers in the cost foodservice sector and in other segments of the profit food sector, hence decreases their dependence on fast food companies. 5.3 New Entrants Entry to the fast food market does not require huge capital outlay, allowing small business owners to establish single, independent fast food outlets. Furthermore, franchising agreements are common in the industry. As a proof, franchisees run the majority of McDonalds outlets in the US. In this regard, there is a strong likelihood of new entrants. 5.4 Substitutes Generally, substitutes present a strong threat to companies operating in the fast food industry. At present, substitutes for fast food include other forms of profit food service, and also food retail such as ready meals or easy-to-prepare meals (i.e., frozen meals) for home cooking. 5.5 Rivalry Rivalry in the fast food industry is relatively strong, given that the industry is highly fragmented. As mentioned before, the top four players in the industry hold only 35 percent of the total market share. 6.0 Business Expansion Plan: Entering New Market In view of the current issues facing the company as well as the result of the SWOT analysis and Porters Five Forces Analysis, McDonalds may find it compelling to enter new offshore markets. Consequently, the Asia-Pacific region, more particularly China has been considered a promising market for McDonalds. In relation, the Data Monitor market research found that the Asia-Pacific fast food market has posted strong, generating total revenues of $47.1 billion in 2008, equivalent to a compound annual growth rate of 10.3 percent for the period spanning 2004 to 2008, with the Chinese and South Korean markets having compound annual growth rates of 14.5% and 5.6% respectively. 7.0 PESTEL Analysis The PESTEL analysis will be used to validate the attractiveness of China as the target market for McDonalds. The goal of the PESTEL analysis is to analyze how political, economic, social, technological, environmental, and legal factors will interfere with the organization in entering the Chinese market. 7.1 Political Factors China adopts the open door reform policy, which aimed to decentralize the economic system and to attract overseas investment. In this regard, McDonalds would not have difficulties in entering the Chinese market, as the political structure of the economy supports foreign direct investment. 7.2 Economic Factors China is one of the fastest growing economies in the world today and growth forecasts for the subsequent years are fairly high. For McDonalds the booming economy and increasing gross and disposable income of the population in China suggest higher revenues in the future. 7.3 Social Factors The population of China was estimated at 1,328,020,000 as of 2008 and is expected to grow at a slower pace, given the one-child policy being adopted by the country. For McDonalds the large number of population in China opens opportunity for higher sales potentials. 7.4 Technological Factors Chinese government has placed significant investments on science and technology, leading to significant improvements in technology in the country. For McDonalds, improvements in technology could offer significant opportunities for businesses in managing different aspects of the business. Companies could leverage on newly introduced software to increase productivity and efficiency. 7.5 Environmental Factors The Chinese government has committed to reducing its carbon footprint in the future. In this regard, stricter environmental restrictions on businesses may be expected. 7.6 Legal Factors The Chinese labor force is highly regulated compared with other countries in the Asian region, whereby regulations are tighter for dismissing workers than on hiring. 8.0 Customer Analysis The target market segment of McDonalds in the new market includes mostly of busy, working people, to the elderly and young. Convenience may be considered as the main factor that attracts busy, working people to fast food as well as to the elderly and the young. Additionally, value for money may be considered as the greatest factor that would attract low to middle income households to fast foods. Finally, the childrens meal offered at McDonalds would appeal to children. 9.0 Competitor Analysis McDonalds major competitors in the international fast food market are: Wendys International and Yum Brands Inc. Focusing first on Wendys International, the company is engaged in the operation, development, and franchising of restaurants, operating a total of 6,645 restaurants in the US and in 19 other countries and territories (Data Monitor, 2009). Same with McDonalds, Wendys also offer a standardized menu, comprised of hamburgers and chicken sandwiches, as well as chicken nuggets, chili, baked and French fried potatoes, freshly prepared salads, milk, frosty dessert, floats, and kids meals. In FY 2008, the company reported revenues totaling to $1,822.8 million and net losses amounting to 413.6 million (Data Monitor, 2009). Meanwhile, Yum Brands Inc., similarly develops, operates, franchises, and licenses a system of restaurants. The company operates under five branded restaurant concepts, namely KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, LJS, and AW (Data Monitor, 2009). Yum Brands operates a total of 36,000 restaurants in more than 110 countries. Yum Brands generated total revenues of $11,279 million in the financial year ended December 2008, equivalent to an 8.3% compared to the previous year. 10.0 Conclusion McDonalds is considered as the worlds leading fast-food company in terms of revenues and number of restaurants. However, in view of the current issues facing the company as well as the result of the SWOT analysis and Porters Five Forces Analysis, McDonalds may find it compelling to enter new offshore markets. Consequently, the Asia-Pacific region, more particularly China has been considered a promising market for McDonalds. In relation, the PESTEL analysis confirms that China is potentially a good new market for McDonalds.

Tri-State Water Wars: Impact on Metropolitan Atlanta’s Future Growth Es

Tri-State Water Wars: Impact on Metropolitan Atlanta’s Future Growth â€Å"Whiskey is for drinking. Water is for fighting.† - Mark Twain Metro Atlanta is on a collision course with reality – and the shock of this collision will have profound political and economic implications for future growth throughout the Southeast. The core problem is that Atlanta’s runaway growth will soon outstrip the available water supply (Corps, 1998). And if Atlanta continues to increase its water consumption until the maximum limits are reached, the effects on downstream users will become catastrophic, both economically and environmentally. Without multi-state agreements concerning changes in usage patterns, this could bring about intervention by the Federal courts that would effectively halt Atlanta’s development until the usage disputes were resolved. By comparison, some western states water lawsuits have lasted for decades, typically freezing usage patterns â€Å"as is†. (Barr, 1999) The southeast can ill afford to have Atlanta – the region’s single largest engine of economic growth – brought to a standstill because of this issue. The root cause of the entire regional problem is the combination of Atlanta’s high growth and an inadequate water supply. No US city as large as Atlanta is founded on a river as small as the Chattahoochee. (NY Times) If Atlanta were the size of Birmingham, there would be no crisis whatsoever. In addition, the lack of a usable underground aquifer system in North Georgia limits the options for expanding the available supply. (ITT) The underlying granite subsurface prevents the formation of large underground water reserves, which are often a significant water source for other large cities. Only by transfe... ...raci. â€Å"Conservation helped avert more severe water limits.† USA Today. July 16, 2002 Web Sites: â€Å"Tri-state pact essential to growth.† Congressman Bob Barr. May 24, 1999, official web site http://barr.house.gov/newsdescr.asp?RI=435 â€Å"Atlanta's Unquenchable Thirst Sparks Dixie Water War.† By Marcello Ballve, Pacific News Service, Mar 11, 2002 http://www.pacificnews.org/content/pns/2002/mar/0311water.html â€Å"Tri-State Water Wars.† Southern Environmental Law Center http://www.selcga.org/originals/water_wars/water_wars.shtml â€Å"The Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa Water Deal: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.† By Brad McLane, Executive Director, Alabama Rivers Alliance http://www.alabamarivers.org/tristatewars.htm ITT Industries – Guide to Global Water issues Atlanta and the Southeast, by Charles Seabrook http://www.itt.com/waterbook/atlanta.asp

The History of Computers :: Computers Technology Essays

The History of Computers Computers have been around for quite some time and were developed over many years with contributions from philosophers, inventors, engineers, mathematicians, physicists, technicians, visionaries, and scholars. The first computers were calculating machines and over time evolved into the digital computers as we know them today. It has taken over 180 years for the computer to develop from an idea in Charles Babbage head into an actual computer developed today by many different companies. Therefore, it was a long and tedious path in order to make the computer into what we now use today. Before computers, people had to do calculations using such tools as a Chinese abacus or a slide rule to work out problems by hand. One day in 1821, Charles Babbage decided that he didn feel like working out tedious mathematics problems anymore and wanted to compute numbers using what he called a machine with steam(Palfreman and Swade 16). For the next ten or so years Babbage worked on designing the Difference Engine, however it was never built as it would have weighed several tons and taken entirely too many parts to put together. A few years later, Babbage came up with the Analytical Engine, which he designed to do arithmetic operations. This machine was programmable and the information was stored on punch cards (Palfreman and Swade 20). Charles Babbage never did get to build one of his machines, however, his son Henry Babbage built a machine, which was based on his father ideas. The next step in the development of computers was commercial machines. In the early 1820, Thomas de Colmar came up with the first successful commercial calculator, called the arithmometer, and it was able to perform the four basic arithmetic functions (Palfreman and Swade 22). The next progression of computers came in 1896, when the U.S. Census Bureau could not keep up with the reading and organizing of their surveys. Herman Hollerith invented the electric tabulating system, which could read the data in coded punched cards (Palfreman and Swade 24). During, the 1930, there were two main sub-divisions in the computer world, the calculator industry and the office machine industry.

Intelligence is Key Essay examples -- Art, Celtic Literature

Celtic literature features a full complement of female characters that deserve recognition; from warriors and rulers, to helpmates and daughters. Female characters, like their male counterparts, are often motivated by emotion. The Morrà ­gan and Macha, act out of anger, disrupting a hero or cursing generations to come. Others such as Fà ºamnach, act out of jealousy, causing a chain of events to unfold. However, the women who incite or prompt action due to their intelligence or wit – Rhiannon, Emer, Medb, Nes, and Mac Daa Tho’s Wife – are arguably the most complex and intriguing. Rhiannon purposefully, and with thought, gains the attention of the King Pywll and uses him to avoid an unwanted marriage. Rhiannon appears to King Pywll and his retainers halfway through branch one of The Mabigoni, on three consecutive days, riding a horse that even-paced cannot be caught. On the third day, Pwyll himself rides after her, only able to catch up after requesting her to wait. They begin conversing, and in a single exchange Rhiannon both declares love for Pwyll, and announces her engagement to another. She temps him: â€Å"I have never desired any man, and that because of loving you†, then announces her unavailability (â€Å"Pwyll,† 45). Rhiannon essentially ensnares Pwyll, allying herself with him and ensuring he will go against her current suitor, Gwawl son of Clud. This strong female character even directs Pwyll’s actions in attaining her hand. When her former suitor arrives at her wedding, Pywll rashly promises anything he wants, not knowing the man’s identity. Rhiannon rebukes Pwyll: "Never has a man been more feeble-witted than you,† then lays out three-part plan to ensure that Gwawl shall never attain her (Ford, 46). This intelligent woman ... ...ces that: â€Å"Sleeplessness has come to Macc Da Thà ³Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s house/ He has need of advice but speaks to no one† (Gantz, 181). She suggests that her mind may comprehend what his cannot, and he tells her his blunder, that he promised the hound to two. She suggests that he â€Å"give the dog to both sides- [and] let them fight over it,† (Gantz, 181). This would prevent one party from picking up the hound, and then the other party arriving and attacking him in anger. Though her plan does not go as hoped, she does offer a solution, and protects her husband from blame (the two parties are too engrossed with each other). Celtic mythology features a full complement of women who play an important role. Rhiannon, Emer, Medb, Nes, and Mac Daa Tho’s Wife use their intelligence to help further themselves, to enable those they love, or to protect. They create kings, heroes and alliances.

Intro for Self Introduction Essay

The purpose of this assignment is to provide information you would like me to know about you as a person and as a student. Your essay will also give me an example of your writing, including a reasonable picture of how clearly, correctly, concisely, and creatively you communicate in writing. Write, type, or word process the essay in blue or black ink, using only one side of each sheet of paper. Either lined or unlined paper is fine. Please remember that: †¢ I am your audience for the essay;  Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ inappropriate language is not acceptable in English class; †¢ good form requires an inch margin on all sides of each sheet; †¢ if your essay is longer than a single page, subsequent pages should be numbered at the top right corner; †¢ except as we discussed in class, it is seldom appropriate to use abbreviations; and †¢ if this assignment is turned in on time and is acceptable, it is worth twenty points and will start you out immediately with a one hundred percent score in my grade book. Friendly essay format is provided below as a guide, with some ideas for what to write about: Excellent Student Ms. Werner English 10 September 4, 2007 Title [The essay should have one or more paragraphs about you. You might include information about your family, your activities, your interests and hobbies, your talents, your job or jobs, how you spent your summer, your favorite book, movie, or band, or other information that identifies or introduces you.] [Please describe yourself as an English student. What would you like me to know about your learning style or preferences, your academic ability and achievement, how you learn best, or  your concerns or frustrations with English?] [Include a description of two or three goals you hope to accomplish in this class and why you would like to accomplish these goals. Be sure that the goals you set will make a real difference to you, are observable or measurable, and are realistic.]