The Function of Autobiographical Memory Essay Example

The Function of Autobiographical Memory Essay AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL MEMORY Outlines: 1. Definition, characteristics and function of autobiographical memory 2. Methods of studying autobiographical memory 3. Levels of autobiographical memory 4. Conway’s theory 5. Autobiographical memory as life narrative 6. Autobiographical memory over time (infantile amnesia; reminiscence bump) Definition of Autobiographical Memories †¢ Memories of ourselves and our relationships †¢ Episodic and semantic †¢ Unique †¢ One’s life narrative †¢ Interpretive knowledge Characteristics of Autobiographical Memories Constructive integrative †¢ General and specific information †¢ General before specific information †¢ Retrieval rate †¢ More complex The Function of Autobiographical Memories Hyman and Faries (1992) Bluck et al. ’s (2005) TALE questionnaire Williams, Conway, and Cohen (2008) proposed four functions of AM: – Directive – Social – Self-representational – H elping to cope with adversity Studying Autobiographical Memories †¢ Difficult to study †¢ Many studies of autobiographical memory make tenuous assumptions †¦ †¢ Methods of study: †¢ Classic diary method Diary method with random sampling †¢ Memory probe method Structure of Autobiographical Memory Levels of Autobiographical Memory: †¢ Event-specific knowledge †¢ General events †¢ Lifetime periods Levels of Autobiographical Memory 1. Event specific memories †¢ Most closely aligned with episodic memory †¢ Individual experiences †¢ Perceptual and contextual detail †¢ Most lost 2. General events †¢ Two types – Sequence of events – Repeated events of a kind – Cover general time period †¢ Require integrative and interpretive processing 3. Lifetime periods †¢ Several general events Common theme †¢ Provide structure †¢ Goals or preferences Support for Hierarchy †¢ Heuristic †¢ Support for different life-time periods: case studies †¢ Semantic and episodic aspects of autobiographical memories are dissociable: – Retrograde amnesia can affect memory for both personal and public events, or either one, separately Conway’s (2005) Theory The Autobiographical Knowledge Base A hierarchical structure involving an overall life story Conway’s Theory †¢ Experienced self (the â€Å"me†) †¢ Autobiographical knowledge base We will write a custom essay sample on The Function of Autobiographical Memory specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Function of Autobiographical Memory specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Function of Autobiographical Memory specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer †¢ Working self Autonoetic consciousness (Tulving, 1989) Autobiographical Memory as Life Narrative The Life Narrative: †¢ A coherent account of who we are and how we got here that is built up through life †¢ Events that influence the narrative are ranked as important, emotionally intense, and are typically well encoded †¢ Positive events from young adulthood are especially memorable †¢ Differences in perspective on experience †¢ Field memories (own perspective) †¢ Newer memories †¢ More emotional †¢ Less self-awareness †¢ Observer memories (other’s perspective) Older memories †¢ Less emotional †¢ More self-awareness PTSD research Autobiographical Memory over Time †¢ People of all ages tend to recall numerous memories from the very recent past – Due to the recency effect †¢ Infantile amnesia †¢ Reminiscence bump Infantile Amnesia: Why does this occur? ? Psychodynamic (Freudian) ? Neurological/Biol ogical ? Schema organization view ? Language development view ? Development of the self †¢ Nelson Fivush: Multicomponent Development Why is there a reminiscence bump? †¢ Cognitive †¢ Neural substrates †¢ Identity formation

Seven Ways to Build Up Your Writing Confidence

Seven Ways to Build Up Your Writing Confidence Seven Ways to Build Up Your Writing Confidence Seven Ways to Build Up Your Writing Confidence By Ali Hale Do you ever worry that your writing isn’t good enough? Maybe you’re scared to let anyone read your latest short story. Or perhaps it’s worse than that – you find yourself agonising over every email that you write. You’re not alone. Most writers – even those who make a living from their craft – lack confidence at times. Writing is, after all, a daunting thing to do: you’re putting down your thoughts on the page and hoping that they’ll be worthy of someone else’s time and attention. A lack of confidence, though, can be crippling. It leads writers to give up before they’ve even begun – or to fret for hours over the simplest of writing tasks. Whether you’re struggling to get to grips with grammar or preparing to launch your third novel, you can become more confident. Here’s how. #1: Practice Writing – Regularly As a child, I had piano lessons. I didn’t much like having to practice – but I knew that if I didn’t, I wouldn’t get any better. It’s the same with writing. Some people love writing, others find it tedious: but either way, you’ll find that the more you practice, the more you’ll improve. That could mean: Spending ten minutes free-writing every morning Working through different writing exercises, so you get experience in several forms Deliberately working on the elements of writing that you find hard (e.g. if you write fiction, practice dialogue or description; if you write for work, practice those difficult emails) Writing a weekly post for your blog – no excuses! Write from a prompt (a word, phrase, question or image that inspires you) Your writing exercises might be for your eyes only – or you might choose to develop them into something more. Author E.J. Newman’s From Dark Places is a book of short stories that started as pieces written from prompts sent in by her â€Å"story of the month club†. #2: Read Widely You’re probably already reading a lot in your chosen genre or area – but try dipping into a book, magazine or blog that’s very different from what you’d normally choose. You’ll come across authors who are: Journalistic and factual, giving you the details without making any judgements about them Extremely personal and introspective, writing based on their own experiences Unconventional and creative with their use of language, perhaps coining new words and so on. There’s no one â€Å"correct† way to write a book, a blog post, or an article – and the more you read, the more you’ll realise that lots of different styles can be effective. You’ll learn new techniques, and you’ll also get a better feel for your own voice and style (look at what resonates with you – and what turns you off completely). #3: Take Time Over Your Writing If you don’t like writing, or if you find it anxiety-provoking, then you might be tempted to get it over with as quickly as possible. That’s not a great way to build your confidence. No writer – not even Shakespeare! – can produce a perfect piece of work in just one draft. By taking a little extra time to edit your work, you’ll realise that you can: Spot clumsy or ambiguous sentences and correct them Change words that aren’t quite right Fix any typos or spelling mistakes that have crept in I often advise writers to write a basic plan then produce a quick first draft, without worrying too much about quality: that way, they don’t get bogged down trying to perfect the first paragraph. After that, though, it’s important to edit rigorously. You’ll feel more confident about your work when you know you’ve given it enough time and attention. #4: Learn About Writing I’ve been writing with serious intent (i.e. hoping to get published!) for thirteen years now – half my lifetime. I’ve read dozens of books and ebooks about writing, I’ve subscribed to a writing magazine, I’ve taken several online courses, and I’ve completed an M.A. in Creative Writing. Obviously, I wouldn’t have progressed very far at all if I didn’t actually write (see #1!) – but I learnt a lot about the theory and practice of writing from all these resources. Whether you’re a brand-new writer or an old hand, there’s something you can learn. Look out for: Blogs on writing (like this one) – a great place to start learning for free. Books about your specific area or genre – try your library Specialised ebooks and ecourses – you might want to start with 100 Writing Mistakes to Avoid Writing conferences where you can attend lectures and workshops Degree programs – a big investment of time and money, but a great way to study writing in a thorough and rigorous way, alongside other students #5: Ask For Feedback This one requires a bit of bravery but it’s a great way to give your writing confidence a real boost. Ask someone for feedback. Ideally, pick a writer or tutor who you know and trust – you want them to be honest but also thoughtful. Get them to tell you what you’re already doing well (because there’ll be plenty of good things in your work!) And ask them what you could improve on. I know it can be quite daunting to have your work critiqued but once you’ve edited a piece based on feedback, you’ll be able to have real confidence in it. #6: Share Your Work With an Audience One great way to boost your confidence is to have appreciative readers for your work. But where do you find them? The Web 2.0 era has made publication accessible to anyone with an internet connection. Sites like Blogger.com are free and extremely easy to get started with, and allow you to publish your writing online. (If you start getting serious about blogging, I’d recommend using WordPress and hosting the blog on your own domain, for maximum control over your work. For all things blogging-related, check out Daily Writing Tips’s sister blog, Daily Blog Tips.) You might even choose to put together an ebook for people to download and read. You can create this using a word processing program (like Open Office or Microsoft Word) and then convert it to a .pdf file, which can be read on any type of computer and on many devices like Tablet computers and ebook readers. #7: Submit Your Work for Publication One of the best ways to achieve publication is to send a guest post to a big blog. This can be a pretty daunting thing to do but it’s a huge confidence boost if you get your post accepted. Follow the tips above and make it as good as you can before sending it in – and make sure you follow any submission guidelines. You might think that you have to already be a big â€Å"name† in the writing or blogging world in order to get published, but this simply isn’t true: editors care about the quality of your writing and the professionalism of your approach. If you’re a fiction writer, try entering competitions – winning a prize, or even being shortlisted, is a great validation of your work. And if you’re aiming to write for magazines as a freelancer, try sending in fillers or letters to the editor – a great first step in making contact and seeing your name in print. Keep Moving Forwards – However You Feel Maybe it seems like other writers have far more confidence than you. You see them chatting away at conferences, or you look at their work on big blogs or you read their prize-winning competition entries and you think if only I was as confident as them. Perhaps you already are. Maybe they spent a week screwing up their courage to send in that competition entry, or they had to take a deep breath and conquer their nerves before striking up a conversation with a stranger at that conference. As you write more (regardless of how you feel) and as you put your work out there in the world, you’ll find that you gradually become more confident and comfortable with your writing. What one step could you take today to help boost your writing confidence? Pick something from the list above – or add your own ideas in the comments! You can find Ali Luke posting all over the blogosphere – but her home base is on her own blog, Aliventures. If you want to get more writing done, check out her post How to Write Thousands of Words Every Single Week and follow the eight simple steps there. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Writing Basics category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:7 English Grammar Rules You Should KnowDisappointed + PrepositionEbook, eBook, ebook or e-book?

HRM Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 4

HRM - Essay Example Focusing on this aspect, the essay discusses about the role of stakeholders in the Indigenous employment program implemented by Rio Tinto. The essay further considers contribution of human resource functions to the implementation of the program along with the witnessed strategic challenges. Stakeholders Involved and Their Roles in Indigenous Employment Program of Rio Tinto Since its establishment, Rio Tinto has strived to increase the number of indigenous employment opportunities in the business operations. It is the vision of Rio Tinto to establish strong regional economies where local communities and the organisation itself perform cooperatively. Indigenous employment program provides several advantages to the business of Rio Tinto as well as the entire community. This program permits native people to involve in the progress of mainstream economy and to get benefited from wealth generation (Rio Tinto plc 2011). For Rio Tinto, the major stakeholders of Indigenous employment program comprise local employees, communities, traditional owners & local government and other organisations such as banks and educational institutions. These stakeholders play a vital part in the Indigenous employment program of Rio Tinto (Rio Tinto plc 2011). Employees are considered as the major stakeholder in the Indigenous employment program. Employing local indigenous people in the business operation is a method of Rio Tinto to distribute the wealth created through its operations. Therefore, involvement of employees helps to provide sustainable economic as well as commercial benefits to the organisation. Rio Tinto also aims to establish mutually beneficial relationship with the traditional owners and the government. Their involvement in the program helps to set forth a shared vision for regional economic growth. The indigenous employment program summarises an opinion for the future and states a mutual acknowledgement of tasks of traditional owners which are related with mining fields. On the other hand, the business of Rio Tinto is related with several agreements and Acts with respect to mine improvements, land accesses and land uses among others. Therefore involvement of the government helps to uplift these agreements and Acts and as a result, provide support to the Indigenous employment program. Furthermore, government and traditional owners also support for the involvement of native people in the workforce of Rio Tinto (Rio Tinto Limited n.d.). Banks and educational institutions also play a vital role in the indigenous employment program. Banks help to provide funding support for the employment program in order to develop the capabilities of indigenous people. Furthermore, in regional areas, the employees require preparation for performing their tasks in the factory. Therefore, involvement of educational institutions helps to establish a beneficial platform by school tutoring and support arrangements. Rio Tinto focuses on an all-inclusive method in order to e nsure that possible indigenous employees are prepared to perform. Contextually, mining operations can be unfamiliar and overpowering for new

Cultural differences and e-learning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cultural differences and e-learning - Essay Example Therefore one must be cognizant of these cultural differences when designing an e-learning program. observe and use e-learning.  Introduction With the advent of the Internet, distance education is rapidly becoming an excellent way for students become educated. In the traditional sense, it allows for one to one interaction between the teacher and student but also has the facilities for rich collaborative learning through an on-line environment. E-learning has a number of advantages, as it helps students become competitive in a market increasingly dominated by global,multi-national companies that use on-line learning to teach concepts, as well as helps students become globally astute and enhances their social skills. However, there are a number of aspects of individuals about which designers of e-learning software, as well as instructors, should be aware. One of these is the culture of the learner. Culture is a way that individuals mediate their world, and it is has profound implicat ions for e-learning and learning in general. Some cultures are low context, which means that the written word is paramount, and the non-verbal part of communication is deemphasized. With high-context, this is just the opposite.

What caused the korean war Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

What caused the korean war - Essay Example The Korean War, civil and military struggle that was fought on the Korean Peninsula and that reached its height between 1950 and 1953, was originated in the division of Korea into South Korea and North Korea after World War II (1939-1945) . Efforts to reunify the peninsula after the war failed, and in 1948, the South proclaimed the Republic of Korea after the elections held under the United Nations and the North established the People’s Republic of Korea under the influence of the USSR. In 1949, border fighting broke out between the North and the South. On June 25, 1950, North Korean forces crossed the dividing line and invaded the South. Soon, in defence of the South, the United States joined the fighting under the banner of the United Nations (UN), along with small contingents of British, Canadian, Australian, and Turkish troops. In October 1950, China joined the war on the North’s side. By the time a cease-fire agreement was signed on July 27, 1953, millions of soldiers and civilians had perished. The armistice ended the fighting, but Korea has remained divided for decades since and subject to the possibility of a new war at any time3. In this paper, I will talk about causes of Korean War. World War II ended in Sep 1945, with the total surrender of Japan. Now little Korea, a bone without meat, was in paw reach of Russian armies. Dictator Joseph Stalin was all too well aware of Korea’s value as a foil against Russia’s traditional rivals, China and Japan, and as a checkmate to the United States which, having won the war in the pacific, was bound to play a leading role in establishing the new order in Asia4. He was set to overrun Korea, not to prepare it for freedom, but to convert it to Communism and thereafter exploit it. This has been his plan in central Europe, where he had first liberated, then, held captive, what are called the Iron curtain countries. In 1943, after the Cairo conference, Stalin had agreed with US,

Impact of E-Commerce on Global Business

Impact of E-Commerce on Global Business Introduction E-commerce is different from any other type of business. In other words we can say that e-commerce have far more similarities than differences. E-commerce has its road map for the operation and development of the business; just to make sure we will not be lost. It has its own process for the business planning, to set the goals, think ahead, anticipate problems and some measures for the success. The Internet is same like any other sales channel. The Internet allows companies to advertise information fast with almost zero cost, to reach customers with their range, to introduce new and innovative product rapidly, to reduce costs and generate savings, to provide complete information in short period of time, to answer customer questions quickly, and many more differences. However, Internet also creates more bargaining and selection power for the customers, creates more perfect information market to the market place. The Internet is global and being on the Web means that our business will be visible internationally which will be open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days in a year. E-business plan must account for this difference in Web hosting and fulfil the requirement of customers. The Web is giving greater opportunities for personalization of content, self service for the customer and one to one marketing. E-business has always focused on getting close to the customer We just discussed about the differences of business and e-business. In the following pages we will discuss the impacts of the e-commerce with perspective to Abbey Hotel, Reading which we have taken into consideration as a practical business example. Discussing about the e-commerce, we will see about the hotel, its strategy-setting activities such as writing the mission statement, core value proposition which are offered to supplier and consumers, defining the business model, supply chain management, identifying target markets, identification of critical success factors and critical risks. Executive Summary The long term goal of The Abbey House Hotel for temporary lodging and boarding with our shining restaurant and attractive with safe car park creating a differentiated experience, the historical nature of the Reading buildings and as well as the modern Oracles and shopping centre with its unique location in one of the most attractive part of Berkshire. We plan to be more than a great lodging, restaurant, bar and safe park. We planed to create friendly environment and pampered guest with our unique selling services. Expanding our exposure via the Internet and introducing our Abbey House Hotel on the websites to maintain our standard and to control over the market. The Abbey House Hotel aims to build a strong market position in the Reading area of Berkshire as a result of few BB in the area as well as the mild competitive climate in the area. The Abbey House Hotel aims to offer its services at the competitive price to meet the demand of the middle to higher income local market residents and tourists. Location The Abbey House Hotel is a beautiful facility. The Hotel offers 18 individually furnished rooms, each with its own antique theme. We are a complete bed and breakfast Inn with a full complementary breakfast served each morning to our guests. Oracles target market strategy is based on becoming a destination of choice for professional couples in the greater Reading area who are looking for a place to relax. We will also advertise to the newly married couple who are looking for that special get away. It will be important for us to be visible to those potential guests who are travelling on motorway M4 through Heathrow. Abbey house hotel is an established BB, and has been in operation for the last three years. After possession and a brief period of becoming established, Abbey House will diverse into other venires to ensure a steady flow of patrons (tourists and locals) through its doors. The Abbey House is a partnership, equally owned by Muhammad Riaz Hussain and Irfan Mahmood. Mr. Riaz resides on the property, managing and maintaining the business and satisfying guests requirements and Mr. Irfan is taking care of financial matters The Service The Abbey House was originally built in 1980 and is believed to have been one of three train stations on Reading. The slogan for The Abbey House Hotel is Home Away From Home The slogan Home away from Home was chosen to ensure that customers have a different experience different from their day-to-day life. In order to be customer conscious, The Abbey House Hotel is offering four different type of accommodation to its customers depending on their needs. There will be Single, Double, Twin and Interconnected rooms. In next spring we are planning to add one full service coin-operated laundry machine which will provide the facility of washing, drying and optional folding. The Abbey House Hotel will be opened 24 hours a day, 7 days in a week. Each of our rooms is equipped with one King size bed, Two single beds and one single bed. We have full-service restaurant and a bar. Next spring we are planning to add dance floor which will provide live entertainment to the in house guest. We are also plan to renovate the guest rooms next year and placed new LCD TV in each guest room instead of normal TV. The Market The Abbey House Hotels target market strategy is based on becoming a destination choice for the people who are visiting Reading (Berkshire) and who are looking for a place to relax. The target markets that we are going to pursue are people or families looking for a vacation destination, honeymooners, family reunion, visiting patient to Reading Hospital (which is nearby) Reading University students. Our target budget is 30% over than the last budget with  £25 average room rate. More variety was added into the restaurant to increase the weekly sales and also adding vegetarian and fish chips items in our menu. Subscriptions to various Web services will provide international exposure to potential customers for nominal fees, plus it has a website http//www.theabbeyhousehotel.co.uk. The Abbey House Hotel would like to see a 20% increase in customer. Financial Considerations Mr. Riaz Hussain and Mr. Irfan will invest  £50,000 in the business for an initial capital for the start-up and a significant part of the investment will be finance by HSBC. It hopes to secure a loan of  £150,000 from the bank with a payback period of 10 years. Because its family own business,  £50,000 will be contributed by two brothers raising its start up capital of  £200,000. Start-up Summary Table Start-up Expenses Legal  £1,500 Stationary etc  £75 Brochures  £500 Property Goodwill  £50,000 Lodge setup  £200 Direct TV  £200 Insurance  £500 Other expenses  £500 Total Expenses  £53,475 Start-up Assets Cash required  £15,000 Start-up Stock 0 Other Current Assets  £10,000 Total Assets  £25,000 Start-up Funding Start-up Expenses to Fund  £53,475 Start-up Assets to Fund  £25,000 Total Funding Required  £78,475 Business Objectives The broad objective of The Abbey House Hotel is to offer service at competitive price by meeting demand of tourists and residents area of Berkshire and London. The Abbey House Hotel also aims to acquire not less than 25 percent of the BB market before the end of 2009. Key to Success In order to succeed, the management of The Abbey House Hotel will strive to achieve the following goals: To position The Abbey House Hotel as the best BB in the area of Berkshire of London among the numerous tourists. Build strong market position among the local residents. Maintain healthy and sound financial management of the venture. Business Description Vision We are committed to dynamic growth and service excellence built upon our heritage of traditional hospitality. An ethic, respected and evolving organization a leader in excellence, we strive to consistently meet and surpass guests, employees and other stakeholders, expectations. Mission To provide excellent quality and service to all our customers by valuing and rewarding our team, whilst promoting mutual respect and diversity Core Values Communication Listen actively to others Embrace diversity and value differences Regularly update information and keep others updated Open to feedback and communicate positively Collaborate to exceed the organizational goals as well as our own Work Ethics Meet commitments, set personal standards Timely in our duties and punctual Understand our duties and responsibilities and keep our knowledge updated Adapt to change, handle pressure and are open to new ideas We do what it takes to get the work done Customer Services We strive to build customer confidence and are committed to exceeding customer expectation Actively seek feedback for continuous improvement Our aim to act quickly on resolving issues Handling service issues politely, positively and efficiently whilst following procedure Recognition and growth Achievement orientation Performance-based evaluation Appreciation Incentives Setting ever-rising standards of performance Innovation Listening and two-way interaction Participation Encouragement Motivation Initiative Trust Cooperation Support Teamwork Sense of ownership Integrity Dignity Respect E-Business Facilities Online Booking You have the opportunity to check room availability and also make an on line reservation. When you click on the online Booking box located below the left navigation you will be taken to a secure page a credit card will be required for you to make an online reservation. Your credit card is only used to secure the booking and your account need not be settled by this card. Guest will make the booking online and guaranteed by their Credit Card. B2C Booking confirmation No Online Hotel Information Online booking options Guest All bedrooms have en-suite facilities Double bed, Twin bed Single bed, Tea/Coffee making facilities, Direct dial from rooms, TV, Hair dryer, Trouser press Check in time: 1400 hrs Check out time: 1100 hrs All reservation must be guaranteed by Credit Card prior to the arrival. Non guaranteed booking will be cancelled 24 hours prior to arrival. Extra sharing person will be charged  £10. Room Rate Click here to book the room Sunday to Thursday Single  £75 ENQUIRE Double / Twin (single occupancy)  £85 ENQUIRE Double / Twin (double occupancy)  £95 ENQUIRE Extra Person  £10 Weekend Room Rates Click here to book the room Friday and Saturday Single  £49 ENQUIRE Double / Twin  £59 ENQUIRE Extra Person  £10 All rates are inclusive of Full English Breakfast and VAT at 17.5% All rates are subject to change without notice Online Special Offers Extended Stay Programme, Room from Just  £40 ENQUIRE Weekends in Reading  £45 ENQUIRE Valid Date: April 7, 2008 April 7, 2009 Double bed, Twin bed Single bed, Tea/Coffee making facilities, Direct dial from rooms, TV, Hair dryer, Trouser press Reading Rock Festival ENQUIRE Valid Date: August 22, 2008 August 25, 2008 Double bed, Twin bed Single bed, Tea/Coffee making facilities, Direct dial from rooms, TV, Hair dryer, Trouser press Home Away Home click here for our specialities Advance Purchase Reservation click here for our specialities (No amendment, no refund will be given in this offer) Web Plan Summary The Abbey House Hotel website will focus on the features the Abbey House Hotel has to offer. Each room with its different options will be on the site as well as pictures of The Abbey House Hotel and the facilities that it has to offer. The lunch / dinner menu will be displayed. Room rates will be given, with maps on how to get to there. Attractions with in 30 miles will be on the site and other local colour will be shown. Room reservation can be made online if the consumer wishes to do so. Website Marketing Strategy Our website marketing strategy will focus on Corporate, Visitors and groups who are looking for a boarding and lodging. The Berkshire, Oxfordshire and London area will be our main focal point. The Abbey House Hotel will promote through our website by using: Detailed photos of the Abbey House and surrounding area Price list of our rooms and our restaurant menu. Special Package We will contact with travel agent around the world e.g. Active Hotel. Gullivers Travels, Travco, Expedia, Expotel, Late room. Last minute. BSP, Super breaks etc Guests are making the room booking through the following travel agents and pay to them. These Agents forward those booking to the hotel via email and fax. e.g. Gullivers Travels www.gullivertravels.co.uk Expedia www.expedia.com Travco www.travco.com Super breaks www.superbreaks.co.uk On the other hand, these following Travel Agents, they advertise our hotel on their websites, guests make their booking and these Travel Agents forward those booking to hotel and hotel charge to guest directly and pay the commission on top of that to Travel Agents after receiving their commission invoice. Active Hotels www.activehotels.com Late room www.lateroom.com Last minutes www.lastminute.com Our Hotels website is linked with all above mentioned websites. It is another source of e-business to increase the revenue and achieve our target. Booking through Travel Agent B2B Activehotel.com Lateroom.com Lastminute.com Gta.com Travco.co.uk Superbreaks.com Expedia.com Expotel.com Booking Confirmation to Guest Online Guest Confirmation send to the Hotel Inventory Control System on websites by Hotel Joint websites or travel agents websites providing us a business and we will allocate the rooms and control the inventory. If we dont have rooms to sell we can close their allocation and if we want to give some rooms to them, we can allocate them number of room as per our hotel requirement. If travel agent has a client who is looking for a room in our hotel or in our area and there is no room is avail able or room inventory is zero then we can sell directly to the travel agent. On both ways we are not losing the business. Marketing Strategy The mission of Abbey House Hotel is to become the best choice in Berkshire area for the boarding and lodging by expending our exposure via the Internet (with multiple networks and links). We are planning to be more than a great hotel. We are planning to bring the guest satisfaction up to the mark and the name of excellence in the hotel industry and guests feel that they are not away from their homes. And we are also planning on adding a full service coin-operated laundry facility (washing and drying) The Abbey House Hotel makes the guest valued by ensuring their comfort. For special occasions, catered meals, Extra mattress, room service, etc. can be provided for an additional fee. During the weekends, guests will return to the Abbey House Hotel in the evening and find a fine restaurant to dine and efficient staffs is waiting to serve them to make them valued. The Abbey House Hotels target market strategy is based on becoming a destination choice for families, local familys visitors, and corporate clients, small groups who are looking for a place to relax for short or long period of time. The Abbey House Hotel would like to see a 30% to 40% increase in customers on a yearly basis with 100% customers satisfaction. Our target market strategy is based on becoming a destination for people who are looking to get away for a vocation or visit London. Our marketing strategy is based on superior performance in the following area Quality facilities Beautiful location Customer Services The target markets are divided in to three major segments Vacationers, Corporate and Family visitors. The primary marketing strategy is selling to this accessible target market by focusing on their vacation and recreational needs. Sales Strategy The Sales Strategy the Abbey House Hotel aimed to adopt is to ensure customers can book via Telephone Travel Agents Internet (i.e. www.theabbeyhousehotel.co.uk) The Abbey House Hotel also aimed to offer guarantee reservation for regular customers during high season. Critical Success Factors and Critical Risks Although Abbey Hotel is a medium sized organization, there are several survival factors imbedded to its organizational culture. Well experienced staff, visionary leadership, eco-friendly geographical location, continues training and development for the staff, chances to grow based on high performance for the staff, continues supervision on house keeping, food and beverages operation, delicious and different kind of menu, clear downward communication pattern, are survival factors in the organization to overcome the challenges for its business. Among said survival factors in the organization, experienced and visionary leadership, well-trained staff and beautiful location are carrying its business to the top in the industry. Therefore, Abbey hotel could survive as well as it will reach to the business excellence, if the firm can overcome following risk factors. Due to the increased terrorism activities in the world, global certainty is being jeopardized. September 11th incident in New York, recent Bomb blast at Marriott Hotel in Pakistan are some examples. This global uncertainty directly impact for the decline occupancy rate in the hotel industry in main capitals in the world. The most difficult task is implementing proactive steps to overcome these challenges. Present financial crisis in the global financial industry is another risk for the industry as the share value of many leading hotels is declining. In such a situation, industry is in a danger situation as market is depending on economic sovereignty of any market segment. Secondly, should expectations not materialize, and then sub-par returns could damage the overall financial credibility of the lodging industry. Shortage of skilled work force is another risk factor. Changing government rules and regulation on migration policy will be direct impact for finding skilled staff for the hospitality industry. Due to intense competition among the hotels in the hospitality industry, brands issues are appearing in present more than in the past. Customers are assessing this culture that it would be affecting the quality of the service in negative aspect. Because, all organizations are prefer to maximize their profit to remain in the market long-term basis. Popularising of eco tourism also may impact for the industry, as right now customer preferences are more for eco-friendly atmosphere within the hotel premises. For example herbal spa, inorganic foods, natural cottage are highly demanded options from customers. In addition to above, increasing loss of control over the customer due to the use of the Internet, homogenisation of the hotel product and increased corporate oversight has reduced the amount of control that operators have over the customer. Hence emerging impact of new technology, operating cost creep, supply change management issues, safety and security issues, reputation risks, hig h-energy cost, are some other key issues in the industry. The management should emphasis the said survival factors and challenges as provocative measures.

Dantes Motivation to Write The Divine Comedy Essay example -- Dante A

Dante's Motivation to Write The Divine Comedy (La Divina Commedia) To truly comprehend Dante’s Divine Comedy, although complete comprehension is not necessary to enjoy this literary masterpiece, there are several skills one might need to acquire. For instance, one helpful piece of knowledge would be the ability to fluently speak Italian, since the many translations differ being able to have read Dante’s actual written words and understand them would make reading the Divine Comedy a bit more personal and therefore easier to understand. To catch and understand the plethora of references and allusions made by Dante it would aid any reader with their findings to be accompanying their reading of the Divine Comedy with a reading of Dante’s autobiography Vita Nuova. Vita Nuova or New Life would give the reader a comprehension of all the political references in addition to all of the political references throughout the Divine Comedy. Whether it is Dante’s un avenged ancestor Geri del Bello or the political leader Boniface th e Divine Comedy is made up of many aspects of Dante’s life thus making it difficult for any scholar to pinpoint the true motive behind the writings of the Divine Comedy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  However, if one was seeking more then just a ruff understanding of this piece, perhaps the reader is seeking the true reasoning behind the madness that is his unforgettable journey through the afterlife, it may take a more in depth view into the who Dante was. There are several purposes thought of as to why Dante wrote the Divine Comedy to begin with. Perhaps it is all about his dead â€Å"love† Beatrice the divine angel. Or maybe, this is a political tirade. Since Dante was heavily involved in politices perhaps he wanted to promote change, after he was exiled. He had of course been known for writing many epistles in hopes of changing the way things were. And there exists even a third option, the third option could easily be the most obvious. It is said the Dante merely wanted an Italian epic tale, one to match Virgil’s (Aeniad) or Homer’s (Odyssey) . Regardless of the reasoning behind the Divine Comedy the outcome could easily be seen as any of the outcomes Dante originally intended, and perhaps that is what makes this a timeless piece of literary genius.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Love, an often overused motive for, basically anything could easily be the reasoning behind Dante’s Divin... ... of work. It is funny when the Divine Comedy is looked at along side â€Å"Vita Nuova† because the Divine Comedy is just as much of an autobiography as â€Å"New Life.† It is a look into the life of Dante put into his own unparalleled form of poetry, â€Å"though he does not span tragedy and comedy, as Shakespeare does (Dante’s comedy is very seldom comic), he does span poetry and prose† Dante used all of his knowledge on poetry in this one piece that is the Divine Comedy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The answer to the question of the motivation that made Dante write this piece is simply answered like any standardized test question, the most obvious answer is too obvious to be correct, the simplest answer is not complicated enough to satisfy those who make up the tests, and there is always one long answer to throw off the test taker by using big words and names their nor familiar with, so the only answer left is that they all add to make the Divine Comedy a timeless classic. Perhaps it is even because there is no one answer to the lesson Dante sought to teach his readers that allow any reader to absorb his Comedy and manipulate it to satisfy any desire the reader may have. Therefore making it enjoyable to anyone.

When is war justified

To fght back out of self- defense is Just and must be done in order to protect one's nation from harm. A well- known example is when America was attacked by Japan at Pearl Harbor. America responded to this attack by bombing Japan and putting an end to this engagement. If America had not responded in this way, then how many more casualties would they have suffered? America's act of self-defense revealed to Japan that they don't want to engage in a war with America and in effect caused Japan to retreat and make peace with America. Humanitarian wars are not Justified because a nation is fighting out of political justice rather than self-defense.The general hope of a nation fighting a humanitarian war is that the death and destruction inflicted by the war will be less than the death and destruction from not going to war. However, humanitarian wars usually cause lots of death and destruction which ultimately causes a nation to look back at themself and wonder, â€Å"Was it worth all the lives we lost in battle? † The Vietnam War is a common reminder of a Humanitarian War that caused many eople to look back and wonder if it was worth it. Imagine if you were chosen to fight in the Vietnam War.The thought of losing your life in a war that was fought out of national liberation would be terrifying to most. In the book, The Things They Carried, the chapter â€Å"On the Rainy River† is the perfect examination of a young man who has been drafted to fght in a war that has no clear explanation. The young man wonders how a nation can go to war and sacrifice lives without any undeniable Just cause. The young man, Tim O'Brien, thinks aloud to himself and says, â€Å"It seemed to me that when nation goes to war it must have reasonable confidence in the Justice and imperative of its cause.You can't fix your mistakes. Once people are dead, you cant make them undead. † We all know that hundreds of thousands of American soldiers lost their lives in the Vietnam Wa r, but for what cause? The loss of their lives cannot be justified undeniably, therefore proving the point that Humanitarian Wars are unjust. Throughout history it is clear that the loss of lives in a war is inevitable, but the sacrifice ot lives in a war that is tougnt to protect the nation is always Justified when e look back at it while the same cannot be said of Humanitarian Wars.Jake Petroff reviewed my original essay and provided me lots of feedback that aided me in creating my final draft. He told me that I needed to provide more evidence to back up my argument and I did by providing texts from various pieces of literature. Jake also enhanced my knowledge of the Vietnam War by telling me facts about the war that I didn't know prior to my conversation with him. Thanks to Jake's feedback, I have been able to further my essay and create my final draft.

American politics essays

American politics essays The United States is as we all know a very diverse nation. People from all walks of life come to America in hopes for a better life. The government is then looked to, to provide that better life for the American citizen. We have the right as free citizens to put who we want into office. Although the government is faced with many important decisions, we turn to them to make the right ones. The dimensions used in the political gauges are similar for all four of the quizzes. On the first quiz your answers could fit into a liberals, a moderates, or a conservatives point of view. The second quiz was much more in depth and at the end we were presented with a grid. The red dot told us where we stand. We could be social economic libertarian or social economic authoritarian. The third quiz was very short it only concerned common personal and economic issues. Your score was mapped out on a diamond with one of the five following results: libertarian, left-liberal, centrist, right conservative, or statist. The fourth quiz scored your answers much like the second one. Except this time you could be a fiscal/non-fiscal liberal/conservative. In general, I believe they measure not only a persons political stand, but could also reflect the persons personality as well. The things that we are taught in life often shape our political views. We can take this information along with our own thoughts and decide on our political preference. All four of the tests I took measured me almost the same. I am proud of my views and where I stand. I believe the second quiz provided the best non-biased measure, because it was the longest and the most in depth. There were 5 choices you could pick from, so you got the most accurate scored. Unfortunately, other quizzes lacked the selection of answers. I could tell when I was taking the test that I would have a pretty good idea of how they would define me. My ...

10 Tips About How to Write a Caption

10 Tips About How to Write a Caption 10 Tips About How to Write a Caption 10 Tips About How to Write a Caption By Mark Nichol If you contribute to production of a print or online publication that includes photographs or illustrations, you’re likely, at some point, to write captions. Here’s some advice about how to write good ones. 1. Caption copy must match the tone of the running text (the general written content, as opposed to display type such as headlines and captions). Determine whether captions should be formal or informal, or serious or humorous, or whether the tone can vary depending on circumstances. 2. Caption format will depend on various factors. Portraits (often referred to as headshots), or images of places or products can simply be captioned with a name: â€Å"John Smith,† for example, or â€Å"Deluxe Dual-Purpose Widget,† without terminal punctuation. (If the product caption is a description rather than an official product name, capitalize only the first word and proper names.) Captions for photos or other images showing events or occurrences can consist of incomplete sentences (â€Å"Taking the Inchworm personal-transportation device for a test drive†), but it’s generally better to use one or more complete sentences. (â€Å"John Smith takes the Inchworm personal-transportation device for a test drive.†) Avoid eliding words, as in â€Å"John Smith takes Inchworm personal-transportation device for test drive†; write the caption as if you were speaking it aloud, not as if you were writing a headline or dictating a telegram. Some publications use a lead-in phrase to establish the caption; these are either straightforward or may be conceptual and might be humorous and/or alliterative as well. They are often formatted in boldface and followed by a colon, and they generally are capitalized like headlines. (â€Å"Wiggle Wagon: John Smith takes the Inchworm personal-transportation device for a test drive.†) 3. A brief article can be formatted as a caption; it’s best to distinguish such special features with a box around the photo and caption and/or a different font treatment. (A headline is optional.) The extent of the block of type shouldn’t be less than the space taken up by the photo, and the caption should be broken up into paragraphs if it’s more than a few lines long, and perhaps divided into columns if the image is more than one column wide. 4. Use context to determine how thoroughly to identify photographic subjects. Because a person, place, or thing shown in a photo is almost invariably identified in accompanying running text, titles, affiliations, and other additional information, for example, are rarely required in captions. Subsequent photos of the same subject can be simplified (as when a person’s full name is used only in the first of several captions for photos featuring that person). 5. Avoid replicating content from the running text in a caption. The caption should allude to the running text’s topic, but the specific wording should at most paraphrase the running text. 6. Captions should not use judgmental or facetious language or make assumptions about, for example, a subject’s state of mind. (Of course, a publication that features humorous or satirical content is an exception.) 7. If more than one person is featured in the photo, use directional or other targeting terms (for example, â€Å"left,† â€Å"standing,† or â€Å"holding aardvark†) only if the distinction between the photo’s subjects is not obvious. If you must use such wording, be consistent about style and format. Here are some alternatives (the first of which trusts readers to assume left-to-right orientation): â€Å"Security guards Winken, Blinken, and Nod stand watch.† â€Å"Security guards Winken (left), Blinken, and Nod stand watch.† â€Å"Security guards Winken, left, Blinken, and Nod stand watch.† â€Å"Security guards (from left) Winken, Blinken, and Nod stand watch.† â€Å"Security guards (left to right) Winken, Blinken, and Nod stand watch.† 8. Avoid tired terminology. If, in a photo accompanying an article about a cash donation, a person is pictured pointing at an oversized mockup of a check, don’t write, â€Å"Charity Goodheart gestures at a giant check as Greedco chairman Rich Moneybags looks on.† (And ask yourself why your company or organization is publishing such a tired visual clichà © in the first place.) Simply write, â€Å"Charity Goodheart acknowledges a donation from Greedco chairman Rich Moneybags.† 9. Fact-check all quantitative information such as spelling, names (of people, places, and things) and titles, and data, and double-check that you describe action or procedures accurately. 10. Don’t forget to include credits, and be consistent in style and format. Acknowledge the photographer or stock-photography source with the name alone; there’s no need to write â€Å"photo by† or the like. (However, if a photo is provided without charge by another source, credit, for example, â€Å"Courtesy Lookatthis.com.†) Distinguish the credit from the caption by using another font or point size and/or placing it vertically along the right-hand edge of the image. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Freelance Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:When to Use â€Å"That,† â€Å"Which,† and â€Å"Who†Driver License vs. Driver’s License150 Foreign Expressions to Inspire You

Corporations and its affect on the world Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Corporations and its affect on the world - Essay Example Democracy, in its turn, is an ideal medium for the development and growth of businesses and corporations. Democracy and capitalism, in this sense, are the systems that consciously and lawfully encourage and allow so-called â€Å"free market† and â€Å"market competition† where the strongest wins. The strongest now means the richest. Those, who have got their influential and powerful positions in the global marketplace, will never let anyone new in. They play in democracy and in competition. They are more likely to agree on each one’s market share, than to share the market with one more pretender to wealth. As for the overall concept of democracy, it is the system which is supposed to provide each citizen with an opportunity to influence the politics of the country and take part in the legislative practice of the state. On practice, however, we have a system which imposes the will of the elite to the general public, making people think the way they are supposed to think. With the help of the media the strong of the world can influence people’s thinking and opinions. As a result, we get a nation that is taught to believe in its government and not to question the government’s decisions. According to the research conducted by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (Huang and Stone), nowadays the largest income concentrates in hands of 0.1% of income receivers. Inequality between high- and middle-income Americans has been rising since 1990. The tax returns data of 1917-2004 shows a U-shaped trend in the percentage of income received by the top 10% of income recipients (Burtless and Haskins 497). In 2005 the rich got 18% of the nation’s income (Colson). Consequently, the rates of economic and, as a result, political inequality reinforce each other and compromise democracy (Jencks). Furthermore, the richest Americans not only avoid high taxation, but enjoy an enormous political influence in

Philosophy class Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Philosophy class - Essay Example This foundational belief is no other than the cogito, i.e. the â€Å"I†. But how does Descartes arrive at the cogito? On what grounds is Descartes certain that this â€Å"I†, which he claims to be the foundation of all his knowledge, is invulnerable from any deceiver? These are the questions that I shall systematically address throughout this essay. Let me begin with Descartes’ vision. Descartes had a vision, a plan to establish a unified physical science wherein all sciences would form into one systematic whole. This unified science was, for Descartes, a rationalistic one. For, it ought to be based on the methods and principles of mathematics. Why mathematics? For mathematics is the only reliable means for arriving at genuine knowledge of reality, i.e. truth. Indeed, truth was Descartes’ passion. He sought to find this truth even if it means overthrowing all his existing beliefs. For, he realized that all his ideas were doubtful and all his beliefs are fa lse. Of course, how can one claim to have knowledge if the very foundations for my knowledge are either doubtful or false? It is in this regard that he decided to overthrow all these existing beliefs and ideas and use only reason as his sole basis for establishing a permanent truth. Herein, mathematics was Descartes solution. He will use mathematics as his model for his use of reason, in achieving absolute certainty. What is so special about the methods of mathematics? Mathematics uses two principal mental operations: intuition and deduction. It is in this regard that Descartes’ goal as a philosopher is to build a system of philosophy based on intuition and deduction. For, his ultimate goal was to do a total reconstruction of human knowledge. He was determined to find his self-evident or foundational principle, which will serve as his first principle, from which absolutely certainty can be deduced. But what are the requirements for such a foundational belief? First, it has to be clear and distinct insofar that it cannot be doubted. Second, It should be absolute and independent, and should not be based on any other belief. And third, it should be something that exists. So given these said requirements, how then will Descartes establish his foundational belief? Descartes will use the method of doubt, which he terms methodological skepticism. He defines this as the use of doubt methodologically, in order to arrive at true knowledge (Lavine, 1984). So, in doubting all his beliefs and ideas, he classifies then into categories, starting with his beliefs on sense perception. Why? Descartes says that these are by nature, deceptive, and that we cannot tell whether we are dreaming or not. Next, he doubted his beliefs in material objects. Why? For material objects and the physical world are based upon sense perception, which we have established to be deceptive. Third are his beliefs on natural sciences. Why? For it uses objects that are based on sense perception, which we have already established to be deceptive and thus untrustworthy. And fourth, Descartes surprisingly doubted his belief in mathematics. Herein, he invented a malevolent demon that conditions his mind and deceives him with his mathematical ideas. For, even if mathematics is his sole basis for clear and distinct ideas, he sometimes falls into error. One may wonder, why does he have to create a demon to doubt his belief in mathematics? Mathematics was just one of Descartes’ reasons for inventing this demon. For, he uses this