The Prince of Los Cocuyos Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Prince of Los Cocuyos - Essay Example He is presented as a father, an older brother and domineering Abuela. All these personalities in real sense appeared to be part of me as a freshman. This was largely due to cultural diversity and above all naivety. Secondly, social-cultural mischief has been additional experience in the college as a freshman. Uncultured behaviors such as homosexuality, heterosexuality and lesbianism are some of the major experiences in colleges common to freshmen such as myself. The Prince of Los Cocuyos portrays all these vices through Riqui. Naturally, through this book, Riqui’s homosexuality greatly affected his personality. As a freshman, this book could not have been any better concerning its explanation of tolerance to different personalities we meet in this life. College life is an extremely challenging though enjoyable. For instances, in the college, I meet various personalities, which I must liberally scrutinize to be socially and psychologically upright throughout the entire college

Skills for running a small business

Skills for running a small business SKILLS FOR RUNNING A SMALL BUSINESS There are a number of skills required to run a business. You will need to use the skills you have and probably develop new ones as well It is often not possible for one person to have all the skills, in this case you might consider taking on staff or perhaps a partner to fill the gaps What kind of skills do you think are needed to run a business? Skills relating to products or services Management skills Recording and checking performance skills Selling skills Administration skills Previous experience, although not a skill will help The ability to recognise your own strengths and weaknesses 1. Skills relating to products and/or services Some products or services require specialist skills to produce or provide Even if you buy your products or services in, the people in your business that deal with customers still need a detailed knowledge of what is on offer You will need to think about these skills for your business, do you have them, are you planning to develop them, or are you going to employ someone who has them? 2. Management skills Henry Fayol suggested there are 5 primary functions of management, to be a successful manager you will need to have or develop skills in these areas. Planning Organizing Leading Co-ordinating Controlling (processes, performance etc, NOT people) Some people now think Fayols ideas are a bit old fashioned, however the basic principles of management remain the same A more modern writer, Katz, identified 3 main components to being a good manager Technical skills about the product or service Human skills, interacting with others and leading effectively Conceptual skills, coming up with new ideas, decision making and problem solving 3. Recording and checking performance skills One of the main roles of a business owner is to monitor how well the business is doing so that things can be changed if needed Performance standards need to be set, these should relate back to the aims and objectives and be SMART Actual performance is measured, information is collected. What information would your business need to collect? Actual performance is compared to the standards, if they are being met no further action is needed Corrective action is taken where required How good are you at following this kind of process, do you have an eye for detail, are you likely to follow up and measure? You will need to make use of your organisational and analytical skills 4. Selling skills As a small business owner you may need to use personal selling to get your potential customers to buy Good communication skills Persuasion skills An awareness of buying signals from customers (Observational skills) The ability to close a sale (Negotiation Skills) Good listening skills Identifying product needs in the customer Good product knowledge A lot of these skills can be learnt if you dont have them 5. Administration skills . Administration skills are vital to any business. To be good at administration you need to have a logical approach, be well organised, pay attention to detail and have good communication skills Accurate organisation of customer files and data Letter writing, faxing, emails, telephone calls etc (Technological skills) Preparation and dispatch of invoices, paying bills Managing budgets 6. Previous experience (although not a skill, this would be useful) If you have already worked in a similar company or related business this will help you. Also if you are basing your idea around a hobby or interest this may also give you some expertise If you have worked in a similar business you may have seen problems in that one that help you to avoid them yourself 7. Strengths and Weaknesses No-one is good at everything so you need to be honest about what you can and cant do Recognising your strengths will help you build the business around things you are good at Weaknesses should not be ignored. Once you are aware of them its important to implement a strategy to either eliminate them or prevent them from undermining the business Training you could enroll on a course, possibly with a local college. There are also lots of companies around that specialise in training so you might be able to contact one of them. Beware though, sometimes they can be very expensive, particularly if they are specialised Take on a partner if they compliment your skills this may be a good idea. There may be no upfront expense associated with this but they will expect a share of the profits Do some business networking this is where you attend events that attract other business people, you can talk to them, make contacts, get advice and possibly sales leads as well. For most small businesses this is an excellent option. Business Link, Chamber of Commerce and trade associations are sources that can help with this Employees you could always advertise for an employee with particular skills. Specialist employees may expect   higher salaries so could be expensive There are a number of areas that you can get professional help in. It can be really expensive so be sure you know what youre getting into before you commit. What kind of professions do you think can help? Business consultants you can employ experienced business people who will share their expertise and knowledge Accountants Most small businesses will need to employ a professional accountant, particularly to set up the legal status of the business and produce the annual accounts Solicitors will advise on any legal matters, contracts and the like with regards to the business Business Link an organisation set up by the government (Department for Trade and Industry), they offer services similar to business consultants but because they are government funded they are cheaper. You may have to wait for them, they are generally very busy You are now ready to do a skills audit. You need to perform an objective and accurate assessment of your suitability and the skills you possess to run the business you have chosen. You need to appraise your own skills and abilities honestly and identify any gaps For the first part you need to compile a list of the skills needed to run your business and a realistic assessment of whether or not you have them at the moment. You now need to put an outline job description together that describes the skills needed to run your business. Skills relating to products or services A keen interest in the product sold by my business shal be a necessity n the working of the company, Also a ability to know the whole of the procut along with its functionality shall also be required. It would also be needed that a ability to answer customer demands in regards to a product, to run the business smoothly. Obvioulsy therefore in light of this a ability to use and demonstrate the product shall be required along with a ability to market the product as well as the business enteprie itself. Management skills Team management shall be needed when running my business, especially in the field of marketing. Whereby groups of ndividuals shall market the product outside the company, and therefore good management technique shall need to be drawn upon. Furthermore to this senior management shall be needed to direct the company and its product as the business gros and develops. This ability to lead the business shal undoubtably be a massive requirement in regards to moving th company forward in the future. Recording and checking performance skills Recording and checking the companies performance shall be a necessity as in any other eneterprise. Particularly in the business of a new innovative product, market analysis and checking shll be a hugely needed requirement. Furthermore a ability to check company financial performance shall be needed to ensure the company is hitting projected performance targets as a whole. Selling skills A strong ability to sell the product of which we sell shall be neededwithin my business, for It continued success. A ability to sell the product in bulk orders would be preferable and also to sel the product in a friendly manner too. Also when sales are lost an ability to record and suggest how the sale went wrong shall also b e a required skillset. Administration skills Administration skills as in any business shall be critically important. In order to run my business successfully a srong administration skillset shall be needed. This shall allow for all paperwork and smaller tasks within the business to all be completed to a standard that ensures the company in kept up-to-date in all its work and legality documents. Previous experience, although not a skill will be useful Internal audit Strengths Weaknesses External audit Opportunities Threats Skills Assessment Team Member (Anonymous) Skill Administration Skill Management Skill Selling Skill Product Knowledge Skill Operations Skill Customer Service 1 3 3 2 3 5 3 2 4 4 2 2 4 3 3 5 3 1 2 5 2 4 3 2 2 3 4 1 Tally Priority Rating Scale 1-5 (1=Good, 5=Poor) Statement 1 Your selling skills within your business at the momen its its greatest quality. However its clear that the area of operations can greatly do with improvement Statement 2 Operations is a poor area of your business to date, in terms of how everything works and things fit together however management like selling is a better quality existing. Statement 3 Your customer service at the moment is good, however a better knowledge of the products you shall would be of greater use and further help your customer service. Statement 4 Your management skills however currently good theres a great amount of room for improvement in this skillset. This can be achieved by leading your employees more effectively of which shall also cross over and improve your results for the operations section of your business. Skills I need to run my business Do I currently have these Evidence Selling Skills in regards to the product Good Customer Service I feel that currently my selling skills are of a good standard however would greatly need improvement in the future. In order to run my product based business to a successful level. It key therefore that this skill is worked upon and developed. Along with a ability to sell, with my business being around a product good customer service shall be essential. It shall be preferred that I develop a good level of customer service skills that are used throughout my business. Selling products within young enterprise group. Speaking to customers of young enterprise and helping with order placements. Skills I need to develop Purpose for development How will I achieve this By When Need to develop operations skills To improve my ability to work a business. And to get it functioning towards a objective. Allowing for the business to run smoothly and operate successfully. This shall be key in ensuring my business is of a good working level and leads to a strong company as a whole. I shall achieve this by working on the area of operations within a business. I shall therefore take roles relating to operations more frequently and work in those areas with great care in order to improve within that particular area. I aim to achieve this particular goal by February 2010. Target Review point 1:   February 2010 Date achieved Evidence If not achieved how   can you achieve them in the future Target Review point 1: April 2010 Date achieved Evidence If not achieved how   can you achieve them in the future

Kennedys True Initiative in Times of Crisis: The Cuban Missile Crisis :: essays research papers

Introduction:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚    ¡Ã‚ ¥Khrushchev must not be certain that, where its vital interests are threatened, the US will never strike first. As Kennedy says,  ¡Ã‚ §In some circumstances we might have to take the initiative. ¡Ã‚ ¨Ã‚ ¡Ã‚ ¦ These words, readily published in 1962, became the verification to both Khrushchev and Kennedy that the Soviet Union and the United States would be preparing for a nuclear war. One could simply take Kennedy ¡Ã‚ ¦s threat at face value. The United States in 1962 was a growing empire whose military credentials outmanoeuvred that of the Soviet Union by a decade. Here, outlined, are two factors which prove that President Kennedy was technically able to initiate a nuclear war while, also discussed, are two factors that would prove to be a likely source of negativity towards such an initiative. Thus, proving that regardless of the military advantage that the United States had over the Soviet Union, President Kennedy did not wish to initiate a nuclear war. Strong-Point/Introductory, Key Argument #1:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Militaristically, the U.S. was in a significantly advantageous situation over Russia. If he wished to, Kennedy would have been capable of striking the Soviet Union with nuclear missiles. „ «Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1962, the U.S. had an estimated 5 100 nuclear weapons while the Soviet Union had only approximately 300. „ «Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Soviet ¡Ã‚ ¦s Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles (ICBM ¡Ã‚ ¦s) were 10 years behind what the Americans were producing. „ «Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Americans had stealth spy capabilities far greater than the Soviets o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  U.S spy satellites were focused on the Soviet. „X  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1962, Daniel Ellsberg, part of the Rand Corporation and later publishing the Pentagon Papers on Vietnam, commented that to show the Russians the U.S. supremacy,  ¡Ã‚ §it would be simpler to send Khrushchev the precise geographical coordinates of the Soviet ICBM bases at plesetsk, or even copies of the photographs taken by US satellites. ¡Ã‚ ¨ o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  U-2 spy flights were constantly monitoring the progress of the Soviets in order to ensure accurate US Strategic Military planning. „ «Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The U.S. had posted military bases surrounding the Soviet Union where until utilising Cuba, the Russian ¡Ã‚ ¦s were isolated to posting bases only in the Soviet Union. o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1963, there were approximately one million US servicemen stationed in 203 bases in the United States and in 1 040 bases overseas. o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Due to the NATO alliance and US foreign assistance programmes, there were another 3.5 million troops bordering the Soviet Union. Body, Key Argument #2:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To eliminate the possibility that Kennedy may have wanted to initiate a nuclear war, and was influenced not to, Kennedy ¡Ã‚ ¦s personal advisors (his closest being finance and military) were pressuring him to initiate a nuclear war.

The Cure for Death by Lightning

Gail Anderson-Dargatz’s masterpiece, The Cure for Death by Lightning, recounts the story of Beth Weeks, a fifteen-year-old living on a farm near a reserve. Throughout the story, Beth has to endure different kinds of ill-treatment as well as an invisible predator who seems to be following her. Through her struggle, the author reveals that a character, despite being abused, and having to live in difficult conditions can evolve into a mature and responsible young woman. Beth’s encounters, as well as her choices throughout the novel, help her overcome her difficult situation and put a stop to the abuse she’s going through. Firstly, some encounters Beth has in the story help her surmount the difficult conditions she lives in. Specifically, her encounter with Nora makes her more determined and more inclined to stand up for what she wants. The following extract illustrates that rather clearly: â€Å"I’m going to see Nora tomorrow,† I said. â€Å"While Dad’s out in the field. He doesn’t have to know. † â€Å"You’ll stay here,† she [her mother] said. â€Å"I need your help. † â€Å"I’ll do the work and then I’ll go. You can tell him or not. I’ll leave after he’s gone out for lunch and come back before supper. † â€Å"You will not leave this house. † â€Å"What are you going to do to stop me? (Page 162) It is important to note that Beth is informing her mother of her plans and not seeking out her permission. Following their encounter, Beth and Nora’s relationship evolved into a very intimate friendship that means a lot to Beth. As a result, Beth is more determined to stand up to her parents to maintain that friendship. She decides to fight for what she wants rather than bow her head and obey without protest. That builds up her strength of character and make her stronger when faced with other conflicts. By the same token, Beth’s encounter with Nora make her less of a follower and more of a participant. Indeed, Beth, who is someone who doesn’t mingle much, is brought out of her shell thanks to Nora. In the following extract, Beth’s eagerness to participate to the winter house project Nora proposes is obvious; ‘â€Å"We could decorate it,† I [Beth] said. â€Å"Hang some things up the wall. †Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Page 131) In brief, following her encounter with Nora, Beth has become a much more determined and much less secluded character. That change helps her stand up to her fears more and make some difficult choices that she may not have been able to make without that input. Secondly, some choices Beth make throughout the novel help her evolve into the mature and responsible young woman she becomes in the end. For instance, her decision to quit school after her classmates bully her helps her detach from that disheartening environment. She can roam around freely in calming and peaceful places such as the one described in the following extract: â€Å"At first, the forest was quiet. Then I began hearing the noises that made up the quiet: trees aching, birds whistling, someone chopping wood way off. (Page 106) Quitting school turns out to be a rather therapeutic experience for Beth who can finally escape to a place a few hours a day to unload the stress her difficult situation is giving her. That enables her to be less stressed and pessimistic when faced with other conflicts. Similarly, Beth’s choice to stay home and not accompany Nora to Vancouver is a major decision that helped her resolve many conflicts. It is underlined in the following extract: â€Å"You going to come with me? † [asked Nora] I shook my head and looked at the carpetbag she carried. â€Å"What’re you staying here for? she said. â€Å"Your father’s coming back. You know he is. † â€Å"It’s home,† I said. â€Å"I don’t know anything else. † â€Å"You’re never going to if you don’t step out. † â€Å"I got things to do here first,† I said. â€Å"I’ll go when I’m ready. Anyway, Mum needs me now. † In this extract, it is uncovered that Beth is choosing to stay and face her father, whom she has great conflicts with, and her problems head-on, rather than escape and avoid them forever. She chooses the right way instead of the easy way out. It unveils how much Beth has grown and how mature and brave she has become. Finally, it is obvious that Beth’s encounters, as well as her choices throughout the novel, help her overcome her difficult situation and put a stop to the abuse she’s going through. These two factors are obviously very essential to Beth’s growth. Although I think that Beth’s development is due to her great bravery and strength of character, I don’t think that she would have achieved such maturity if she hadn’t been faced with the encounters she’s been faced with, or the choices she had to make. The turn the events took definitely helped Beth become the mature and responsible young woman she has evolved in.

Art History Midterm Essay

The tomb painters were more of artisans than they were artists in ancient Egypt. The reason for this is they didn’t typically come up with the ideas for what they were painting in the tombs; they were told what to paint and painted it. Artists would have had free range on what to paint rather than being told what to paint exactly. Artisans are more the people who can actually paint someone’s idea who might not be able to design or paint the idea given. 2. One rationale reason for cave paintings in prehistoric times, that I have heard and agree with is that they painted these things on the walls in hope that the creatures would come so they would have food among other things. One particular example would be all the paintings in the Las Caux cave in France; it is a cave entirely full of images of bulls. Bulls or bison were a source of not only food but probably clothing and they could use other parts of the body for various things. These animals were extremely important for their culture to survive. I believe they painted them on the walls not only to honor the creatures for all they did to help their people but also as wishful thinking. It’s the whole â€Å"if you build it they will come† idea, if the people painted these animals maybe something miraculously would help their hunting season better. This theory helps show how they believed in gods and looked for help from a higher being just like we do now. 3. During ancient times goddess statues were extremely popular all over the then world. One of the most famous goddess statues is the Venus of Willendorf. She is the very first goddess statue that has been found and dates back to 24,000 bce. She is a very small pudgy statue with and large female areas; her face is not there and is replaces with grooves. The statue has no feet and cannot stand on its own. The way that the statue was created shows the importance of fertility and women by not only the enlarged breast but the wide hips that would be of assistance when it comes to giving birth. They most likely used this little statue to wish new couples luck when it comes to reproducing and it was a fertility statue. Modern day has a much different view on our â€Å"goddess† culture. People nowadays look up to Barbie dolls and stick thin models and celebrities. So much has changed since then. The prehistoric times and even up until more recent times believed that fuller women were beautiful and even that it showed wealth. I think that our culture looks up to the wrong people when it comes to our versions of a â€Å"goddess culture†. One Mesopotamian civilization that I like is Babylon. It was a land in the Fertile Crescent between the rivers like most civilizations in that time period. They had one of the most influential and important leaders, Hammurabi, who came up with one of the most well known set of laws or Hammurabi’s code. Babylon also was the home of one of the Seven Wonders of the World the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Babylon was a very well set up society and really changed the way people governed their civilizations. They were one of the first cultures to write down their set of rules and stick by them through thick and thin and that was entirely new. Question 1: When it comes to restoring artwork it is a tricky subject. I think that they should restore art but not add anything to it because it makes it a different then it was originally portrayed. I think restoring the art so it is in full form is ideally good because we want future generations to see the pieces of art the way they were meant to be viewed. I mean yes, it is using a lot of time and a lot of hours to be fixing something that is broken and old, but it’s our history. If these artifacts were not there we would have no look into our past and how people lived. People should fix up old paintings, statues and buildings because not only is it part of history but it’s incredible to see how people could build such magnificent things without the technology we have today. It makes people appreciate what they have now and all the advances we have gone through. When it is 300,000 years from now and out pictures and buildings are slowly falling apart we would want someone to take their time and interest to fix up something that we once held as a huge part of our lives and our society. If the paintings, statues and buildings were built and built so beautifully they were made that way for a reason. Art is art and I think we should do everything humanly possible to keep this world as beautiful through the decades as it was meant to be when they first were displayed.