John Augustus Roebling, Builder of the Brooklyn Bridge

John Augustus Roebling, Builder of the Brooklyn Bridge John Roebling (born June 12, 1806, Mà ¼hlhausen, Saxony, Germany) didnt invent the suspension bridge, yet he is well-known for building the Brooklyn Bridge. Roebling didnt invent spun wire roping, either, yet he became wealthy by patenting processes and manufacturing cables for bridges and aqueducts. He was called a man of iron, says historian David McCullough. Roebling died July 22, 1869, at age 63, from a tetanus infection after crushing his foot on the construction site of the Brooklyn Bridge. From Germany to Pennsylvania 1824 - 1826, Polytechnic Institute, Berlin, Germany, studying architecture, engineering, bridge construction, hydraulics, and philosopy. After graduating, Roebling built roads for the Prussian government. During this period, he reportedly experienced his first suspension bridge, Die Kettenbrà ¼cke (chain bridge) over the Regnitz in Bamberg, Bavaria.1831, sailed to Philadelphia, PA with his brother Karl. They planned to migrate to western Pennsylvania and develop a farming community, although they knew nothing about farming. The brothers bought land in Butler County and developed a town eventually called Saxonburg.May 1936, married Johanna Herting, the town tailors daughter1837, Roebling became a citizen and a father. After his brother died of heatstroke while farming, Roebling began working for the State of Pennsylvania as a surveyor and engineer, where he built dams, locks, and surveyed railroad routes. Building Projects 1842, Roebling proposed that the Allegheny Portage Railroad replace their continually breaking hemp coil ropes with steel coil ropes, a method he had read about in a German magazine. Wilhelm Albert had been using wire rope for German mining companies since 1834. Roebling modified the process and received a patent.1844, Roebling won a commission to engineer a suspension aqueduct to carry canal water over the Allegheny River near Pittsburgh. The aqueduct bridge was successful from its opening in 1845 until 1861 when replaced by the railroad.1846, Smithfield Street Bridge, Pittsburgh (replaced in 1883)1847 - 1848, the Delaware Aqueduct, the oldest surviving suspension bridge in the U.S. Between 1847 and 1851 Roebling built four DH Canal aqueducts.1855, Bridge at Niagara Falls (removed 1897)1860, Sixth Street Bridge, Pittsburgh (removed 1893)1867, Cincinnati Bridge1867, Plans the Brooklyn Bridge (Roebling died during its construction)1883, Brooklyn Bridge completed under the direction of his oldest son, Washington Roebling, and his sons wife, Emily Elements of a Suspension Bridge (e.g., Delaware Aqueduct) Cables are attached to stone piersCast iron saddles sit on the cablesWrought-iron suspender rods sit on the saddles, with both ends hanging vertically from the saddleSuspenders attach to hanger plates to support part of the aqueduct or bridge deck flooring Cast iron and wrought iron were new, popular materials in the 1800s. Restoration of the Delaware Aqueduct 1980, bought by the National Park Service to be preserved as part of Upper Delaware Scenic Recreational RiverAlmost all of the existing ironwork (cables, saddles, and suspenders) are the same materials installed when the structure was built.The two suspension cables encased in red piping are made of wrought iron strands, spun on site under the direction of John Roebling in 1847.Each 8 1/2-inch diameter suspension cable carries 2,150 wires bunched into seven strands. Laboratory tests in 1983 concluded that the cable was still functional.Wrapping wires holding the cable strands in place were replaced in 1985.In 1986, the white pine wooden superstructure was reconstructed using Roeblings original plans, drawings, notes, and specifications Roeblings Wire Company In 1848, Roebling moved his family to Trenton, New Jersey to start his own business and take advantage of his patents. 1850, established John A. Roeblings Sons Company to manufacture wire rope. Of Roeblings seven adult children, three sons (Washington Augustus, Ferdinand William, and Charles Gustavus) would eventually work for the compnay1935 - 1936, oversaw the cable construction (spinning) for the Golden Gate Bridge1945, provided the flat wire to the inventor of the toy1952, business sold to the Colorado Fuel and Iron (CFI) Company of Pueblo, Colorado1968, the Crane Company purchased the CFI Wire rope cabling has been used in a variety of situations including suspension bridges, elevators, cable cars, ski lifts, pulleys and cranes, and mining and shipping. Roeblings U.S. Patents Patent Number 2,720, dated July 16, 1842, Method of and Machine for Manufacturing Wire RopesWhat I claim as my original invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: 1. The process of giving to the wires and strands a uniform tension, by attaching them to equal weights which are freely suspended over pulleys during the manufacture, as described above. 2. The attaching of swivels or of pieces of annealed wire to the ends of the single wires or to the several strands, during the manufacture of a rope, for the purpose of preventing the twist of the fibers, as described above. 3. The manner of constructing the wrapping machine....and the respective parts of which are combined and arranged, as above described, and illustrated by the accompanying drawing, so as to adapt it to the particular purpose of winding wire upon wire ropes.Patent Number 4,710, dated August 26, 1846, Anchoring Suspension-Chains for BridgesMy improvement consists in a new mode of anchorage applicable to wire br idges as well as chain bridges...What I claim as my original invention and wish to secure by Letters Patent is The application of a timber foundation, in place of stone, in connection with anchor plates, to support the pressure of the anchor chains or cables against the anchor masonry of a suspension bridge for the purpose of increasing the base of that masonry, to increase the surface exposed to pressure, and to substitute wood as an elastic material in place of stone, for the bedding of the anchor plates, the timber foundation either to occupy an inclined position, where the anchor cables or chains are continued in a straight line below ground, or to be placed horizontally, when the anchor cables are curved, as exhibited in the accompanying drawing, the whole to be in substance and in its main features constructed as fully described above and exhibited in the drawing. Patent Number 4,945, dated January 26, 1847, Apparatus for Passing Suspension-Wires for Bridges Across RiversWhat I claim as my original invention, and wish to secure by Letters Patent, is The application of traveling wheels, suspended and worked, either by a double endless rope, or by a single rope, across a river or valley, for the purpose of traversing the wires for the formation of wire cables, the whole to be in substance and in its main features, constructed and worked, as above described, and illustrated by the drawings. Archives and Collections for Further Research John A. Roebling Collection, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian InstitutionThe Roebling Museum, Roebling, New JerseyThe Delaware and Hudson Canal Slide Show, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior Sources The Great Bridge by David McCullough, New York: Simon and Schuster, 1972, Chapter 2John Roebling, Upper Delaware, National Park ServiceRoeblings Delaware Aqueduct, National Park ServiceAllegheny Portage Railroad, History and Culture, National Park ServiceRoebling and the Brooklyn Bridge, The Library of CongressModern History of Wire Rope by Donald SayengaUnited States Patent and Trademarks Office, Department of CommerceAdditional inline photo  ©Jackie CravenAll websites accessed June 11, 2012

The Anonymous Author

The Anonymous Author I read an interesting essay recently, fully expecting to gloss it over and move on to my next email. But the theme grabbed my mind and wouldnt let go, and when that happens, when I see it matters to the writers I love, I usually convert the message into a FundsforWriters post. While fame impedes and constricts, obscurity wraps about a man like a mist; obscurity is dark, ample, and free; obscurity lets the mind take its way unimpeded. Over the obscure man is poured the merciful suffusion of darkness. None knows where he goes or comes. He may seek the truth and speak it; he alone is free; he alone is truthful; he alone is at peace. ~Virginia Woolfe Imagine being able to write without worry as to what the world thought of you? Imagine writing not caring how many books sold? Imagine just focusing on leaving your deepest thoughts on paper with no ramifications or backlash from family and friends? Virginia Woolfe said it best when she stated, the delight of having no name, but being like a wave which returns to the deep body of the sea. Oh my goodness, I could envision and embrace that feeling. Isnt that what we crave as writers? To write without repercussions? To write from our most inside place and let it loose into the world then retreat back to our inner self and write again? When we write solely for profit, our writing often suffers a bit, because we write knowing that it has to be accepted When we write solely to release our candid, sincere thoughts, and yes, Im including with fiction, we feel a sense of relief, release, and self-sustaining integrity. But we risk not making many sales. My suggestion is this . . . if you are writing as a career, then you must write somewhat for the public. However, somewhere along the way, write something that is yours. Write something that reconnects with your true being. Feel honorable and principled writing for one person, yourself. You never know . . . that might be your best work.

Special Education in General Ed classroom Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Special Education in General Ed classroom - Essay Example If there are any areas of concern, consult with an educator, occupational therapist or low vision specialist to evaluate your pupil's school environment. These evaluations can give essential information about your pupil's areas of strength as well as areas that need support services. Educational materials should be presented against a simple background. Keep the work area uncluttered. If pupil finds light too irritating and glaring, he/she will be allowed to wear a hat and dark glasses to protect him. If the situation permits, she may come inside a room to avoid too much light. 2. Children and youth from culturally diverse groups are often under-represented in programs for students with special gifts and talents. Describe procedures, using the content provided in this course that will minimize this under-representation. Different students with different abilities and personality types learn more with varying techniques. Students low in authoritarianism, low in tendency to dichotomize, low in the need for structure, and high in the ability to tolerate frustrations have been found to learn more when the Socratic questions and answer method is used while children of different reasoning skills learn more with the discovery and expository methods. Researchers found that lo... It is worth watching carefully to find out what the smallest toys are that a child can see and play with. Then try to only play with toys that are the same size or bigger. 2. Children and youth from culturally diverse groups are often under-represented in programs for students with special gifts and talents. Describe procedures, using the content provided in this course that will minimize this under-representation. The teacher who recognizes individual differences among his pupils has an edge over those who do not recognize the same. Recognition of these variations helps the teacher maximize learning. Varying the techniques of instruction Different students with different abilities and personality types learn more with varying techniques. Students low in authoritarianism, low in tendency to dichotomize, low in the need for structure, and high in the ability to tolerate frustrations have been found to learn more when the Socratic questions and answer method is used while children of different reasoning skills learn more with the discovery and expository methods. Selection of instructional materials In choosing instructional materials, the following are some implications of individual differences. 1. "complex" and "simple" materials vary with the levels of anxiety 2. carrying the sequence of instruction 3. "visual" and "oral" methods used with students of different perceptual preferences 4. Difficulty level of instructional materials to fit the personality of learners. Researchers found that low anxious, low achieving subjects learned better when materials were sequenced in an easy-to-difficult manner, while anxious, high achieving subjects did better with materials presented in difficult-to-easy manner. Varying setting of instruction. The setting

Home Building Industry in the United States Essay

Home Building Industry in the United States - Essay Example Housing is globally recognized as productive sector of the economy rather than a form of welfare, because "housing and economic development are closely linked" and it acts as an instrument to improve the GDP. (Housing for Economic Development, 2005). Because a healthy housing stock provides safety for employees, taxes for state and local governments, and more customers for retail and service business, house building industry helps state and regional economy to flourish. Every individual aspire to own individual dwelling unit and buying a home is a major life event. Major life events such as marriage, birth of a child, changes in employment, or retirement particularly influence the decision to purchase a house though mortgage rates, income and expected returns on investment also motivate their decision to invest in residential property. Young adults in the population constitute primary source for home buying and when there is upward trend to housing prices these first-time buyers will be more attracted to enter into homeownership under the notion that rising prices will make future purchases unaffordable. Housing is an important basic need and focus of social concern and should be viewed as one of the key elements of social policy. Some of the U.S markets may not have sufficient housing supply to accommodate the influx of new residents, while the state and local governments may lack the resources to provide supportive services. The ability of Americ a's working immigrant families to obtain decent and affordable housing has implications for the social and economic well-being of the United States. Studies found that there is a direct proportionality between housing price and homeownership, establishing that "housing market's volatility is amplified by buyers' responses to the trends in market fundamentals." (Myers & Ryu, 2008, P.17-33). Housing market provides "mechanism for equity growth, liquidity and financial flexibility for individual households, while also providing relatively safe, productive investments for institutions through secondary mortgage markets." (Housing for Economic Development, 2005). "Housing shortages have historically gone hand-in-hand with rising housing prices and rents, higher housing cost burden, lower homeownership rates, increased crowding, and longer commutes." (Landis, 2000). It is admitted that State's economy is one of the chief determinants of producing more housing units, because when the economy goes into recession housing demand falls quickly and deeply. "Economic recovery revitalizes the housing market, though expansionary peaks rarely even out the recessionary troughs." (Landis, 2000) According to Professor Michael E. Porter of Harvard Business School, "the only reliable test of economic value is sustained profitability, measured by superiority in long-term return on investment" and "industry structure is a key driver of homebuilder profitability". However, he asserts that "market assessments of homebuilding stocks appear to be out of line with other industries that have similar structural characteristics." (Porter, 2003). "The conduct of monetary policy by the Federal Reserve has profound impacts on the housing sector and its contribution to the overall economy" as reducing inflationary

African American Cinema Essay Example for Free

African American Cinema Essay The subject of African-Americans in Motion Pictures provides some of the most interesting studies along with the many controversial interpretations of the roles as actors they played on screen. As far back as the silent films era, African-Americans have been featured in motion pictures playing roles depicting some aspect of acting and being purveyors of a black image. The messages or themes of these movies have over the years presented a mixture of images based upon what was thought to please the viewers of each particular film. Unfortunately, many of those films showed black characters in negative stereotypical roles, which the average African-Americans would never truly identify as being like themselves. Since many of our American icons and heroes have come from our motion picture stars, we need to understand what this narrow view presented and compare it with what we presently see at our local cinema today. The movies Guess Whos Coming To Dinner (1967), Shaft (1971), Do The Right Thing (1989), Boys n the Hood (1991), and Menace to Society (1993) show a thematic style and stereotypes in the way that black films have progressed over the years. The motion picture industry was never too quick to change their approach in presenting African-Americans in realistic roles depicting social or civil conditions in an integrated context. Many of these roles required scenes showing African-Americans in positions of authority or relating to white Americans in a positive way. This Integration Period therefore brought together African-American actors with scenes along side white actors in roles showing both players dealing with racial conflict and resolution. Guess Whos Coming to Dinner was truly a unique film for its time in that Sidney Poitiers character breaks all the stereotypical views of blacks in American Cinema. In the early 1930s blacks were portrayed as lower class, slow-witted figures of entertainment, often showed in menstrual shows. Poitiers character broke all these stereotypes. 1971 brought to the big screen a successive series of superhero black or blaxploitation films. Shaft was released in 1971, and Richard Roundtree was the superman black hero detective. He was compared by many to the white James Bond. Related to Guess Whos Coming to Dinner, Shaft took it up a notch in showing a black man as a hero. Poitiers role was one to equalize whites and blacks in their roles in American cinema, but Shaft showed a black man who was an authoritative figure. Different themes can be mixed in between the two movies. They both show an intelligent black man that has a grip on reality. Both movies showed themes of how integration has struck America. They differ though on a level in that Shaft was a black dominant cast and Guess Whos Coming to Dinner was predominantly white. Do the Right Thing, Boyz n the Hood, and Menace to Society were all produced in a more modern era, hence the fact that they all have similar racial themes. The films all paint a picture of urban Black America in their time period. All three films are thought to be racially reactionary films aimed at the psyche of both black and white viewers. The movies were all a success due to the touched topics of racial situations, ethnic tensions, and human encounters of anger. The superb casts of both black and white actors made the motion picture industry aware of a newer avenue for films and race relations. African-Americans in motion pictures in todays expanding world of visual imagery can be seen on many expanding fronts. We see the making of motion pictures on subjects or themes which can be taken from history, life experiences, music, and unexplored events. Todays markets are open, and African-Americans are taking advantage of these open door opportunities. Actors and actresses are expanding their roles from stage acting to movies to TV miniseries to video cassettes or discs, and roles taken from books, plus movie soundtracks. In our world today African-American actors and actresses will always have a place in American Cinema and their future looks bright and promising.

Appearance Versus Reality in Katharine Anne Porters He :: Katharine Anne Porter He Essays

Appearance Versus Reality in Katharine Anne Porter's He So many memories came to my mind while reading this story! I grew up in a family (or at least one side of that family) who always cared and worried about what other people thought! Most obviously, the short story, "He," by Katharine Anne Porter is about appearance vs. reality and living with a disabled child. But I also believe the story is about life, the hardships of life, poverty, the innocence of children, the trust children put into their parents, the gossip of small towns, the resentment and bitterness of the hardships of life, being a mother, rural life, denial, guilt, and compassion. Most importantly, however, I believe the story is mostly about the resentment of the hardships of life and appearance vs. reality. Edgar Allan Poe once said in his "Twice Told Tales" that a writer must give her "single effect," or thesis, in the first sentence of a story or they have made a mistake. So, I always look at the first sentence of a story when I read it to see what themes it provokes. The first sentence in "He" is: Life was very hard for the Whipples (324). Throughout the story, we get a building up of just how "hard life was for the Whipples." Through all these hardships, Mrs. Whipple seems to be resentful of every problem the family must overcome. Instead of supporting her husband and her children she complains about everything and seems to worry only about herself. For example, one of the first instances of Mrs. Whipple's true feelings of resentment of having a disabled child (and the burden that creates) comes when she butchers the pig. After she slits its throat, He runs away and Mrs. Whipple thinks to herself "with a stiff face": He'd eat it all if I didn't stop him. He'd eat up every mouthful from the other two if I'd let him (327). Here, I believe Mrs. Whipple's tone is very resentful that she has a disabled child that cannot think for or take care of himself. Mrs. Whipple must always take care of Him first before anyone else since he cannot fend for himself. She "gets tired trying to keep [Him] decent" (327). This scene also shows how resentful Mrs.

Company background

In addition to the usual media (television, radio, and newspaper) for aintained an extensive advertising campaign, the company makes significant use of billboards and signage, sponsors sporting events ranging from Little League to the Olympic Games. B. Training Topic/Area Our training topic is about how to become a good coach. We will identify the coaching skill and give some demonstration to manager trainees. In this training session, we will aim to focus on four main areas.First is Introduction, it would include the company background, objective, mission and the importance of coaching. Second is the concern of how to be a good coaching which includes the coaching skill, conflict cenario preference and resolution. Third is the session for discussing of the conflict scenario such as the advantage and disadvantage. Final one is the role play, short session for presenting and correcting the coaching conflict scenario which watched before. C. Target Trainees Our target trainees are focu s on the restaurant manager in all McDonald in Hong Kong.As most of them are newer to this level, therefore this training can provide the opportunity to them to get a well understanding of their Job duties. D. Lesson objective Manager Trainees should be able to equip the effective coaching skills. We hope that t can identify the unique leadership skill which is a healthy, positive and enabling process that transforms people to higher levels of competence. Furthermore, the coaching course can let the McDonald's manager trainees understand how to become a good coaching through the role play section and demonstration.In addition, the most important objective should understand the importance of mentoring in maximizing the team performance. E. Lesson plan Subject: Coaching (McDonald) Date ; Time: 4th March,2013, 1630-1730 Venue: Room 309 Lesson: How to become a good coaching. Coach: Han Chow, Adam Ku, Katie Lee, Kevin La', Simon Lam Objectives:After this lesson, 16 Manager Trainees shoul d be able to: To equip the To understand how to become a good coaching To understand the importance of mentoring in maximizing the team performance.Topics Important points Method Media/ Materials Time Venue Trainer Introduction Company background, Objective and mission, Importance of coaching PowerPoint 3Mtn 309 Kevin How to become a good coaching Coaching Skill, Conflict Scenario Preference and Resolution PowerPoint + Video PowerPoint Nga Han Role Play Good Coaching Scenario – 8Mtn Adam + Katie Discussion of scenario Advantage and Disadvantage of coaching scenario 6Mtn Simon F. Supplementary Information Role play scenario: McDonald manager always give some support to staff no matter staff cannot do the report well in the deadline.He will listen the reasons why the staff cannot do well instead of punish his staff. M= McDonald's Manager, S= McDonald's Staff (Aside: Mr. Ku is a manager of McDonald. Katie is a McDonald's staff. One day, Mr. Ku M:Hi, katie, we decide you to be th e holder of Mcdonload birthday party and write a report after this program, 0k? S: Sure. I am 0k. mr. ku. When do I need to complete the report and program? M: I am sure you will be able to do well in this program. You can complete it within one week. This book can give you some reference for your program.It is included some useful information and teach you how to do the program well. Hope it can help you. S: Thank you so much. Mr. Ku. I wont make you disappointed. (Aside: After 7 days, Katie finishes the report on time and hand in to Mr. Ku. ) S:Mr ku. this is my McDonald party report. M:Ok, let me check this. Did you find any problem in doing this report? Did the book give you some idea on doing the project? S: yes, I do. M:You always give us surprise, but this time, it's should not your usual performance, ou look tired, Is the working pressure too high or other thing influence you ?S: I am sorry that I could not do a perfect Job and have many mistakes in the report . lam afraid t hat i need more time to do it M: As I know you always are the good employee, i believe something make you fail. Fortunately this project is not urgent, i can give you more 4 days, but your problems do not solve that still affect the program, can you tell me? Maybe i can help you. S: My dad get sick now, i am really worry about his physical condition and my dad state, I often cannot fall asleep at night. Also, ‘need to go to hospital everyday, I really eel I can't sustain. For this program, I really want to do it better.M: Oh , i am sorry for that, No wonder you give me the report in your tensity, bestiring up, all things will be allright. do you want the leave to take care your father? S:Thanks a lot but I hope I follow my Jobs till the end, ‘will be responsible for this program I don't want to see other one handle my Jobs. M: I trust your ability and you can perform a good show, besides the time, what can i help you more? Like arrange a assistant for reducing your workl oad? S:Thank you for your support and accept my mistakes. That is a good idea, I hope he an help me handle the daily operation when I go to the hospital. epartment s:sure M: Good. In fact, everyone will face the difficult time, next time if you need help don't hide the problem that make more worst, try to talk to person who can help you, i believe they can solving the problem for you like this time. Remember, communcation is most important in a team. S: I got it! M:Good! I really expect your prefect program in the future. (Aside: After this matter, other staff members were surprise of Mr. Ku attitude and think that he is a good manager. He willing to understand his staff and accept mistakes so motivate staff to do better.

Oprah’s Empire and Organizational Theory, Design and Change Essay

The Oprah Case was a brief view into the life of Oprah Winfrey and the empire she built. Born in Mississippi, Oprah had a gift for public speaking. She delved into journalism and landed her own day time TV show in Chicago. The broadcast television industry proved to be a wonderful source of revenue for Winfrey and here her empire began. Oprah then went into acting and found interest in producing. She founded Harpo, Inc. and began acquiring rights to film books. The Oprah Winfrey Show became a hit success propelling Oprah forward to be one of the world’s most influential people. She launched a website, oprah.com; a magazine, O, The Magazine; and began her own network, OWN. She organized several charitable organizations around the world and is recognized as the most generous celebrity as it relates to giving away her own money. There is a component in Emotional Intelligence by Travis Bradberry and Jean Greaves’ book that emphasizes the need for Self Awareness. With much o f Oprah Winfrey’s success being attributed to not compromising her beliefs for society, Oprah has to continuously guard against being mislead or possibly used by others. Although her intentions may be good, Oprah Winfrey’s tendency to be hard on herself if she neglects to reach success can cloud her talent to recognize her own efforts. There are three key indicators of Self-Awareness that Oprah Winfrey utilizes in order to maintain her public image and reputation. First, Oprah exudes self-confidence in order to effectively market anything that she endorses or supports. Because of this keen awareness of her self-worth, throughout any appearance, Oprah presents her viewers with a self-assurance which enables her to voice views that her followers can assess and take into consideration. Over the years, Oprah has become a beacon for making sound decisions despite the uncertainties and pressures of the media. Next, Oprah is aware of her strengths and limits, therefore, she is able to give an accurate self-assessment and accept candid feedback. Early on in her career she was able to learn that she was not able to operate as owner, president, and CEO. Knowing this, Oprah was able to profit more in the grand scheme of things because her limit was recognized and valued. As Tim Bennett acted as the President of Oprah’s Harpo Productions, he was able to give Oprah a new perspective and aid in her self-development with his expertise. Lastly, Oprah has a self-deprecating sense of humor that shows she doesn’t take herself too seriously. This is important in the candid feedback she receives from viewers, bloggers, and other forms of news. As a person in the media, Oprah is self-aware and realizes the need to trust yourself and not let negative energy hold you back from operating at your full potential. As a steward of her brand, it’s safe to say that Oprah Winfrey pays close attention to the quality of her message and products. Oprah Winfrey has a great gift of compassion, tenderness, and kindness. For balance, Oprah Winfrey promotes mature self-obedience, self-management, and personal responsibility. In doing this, Oprah utilized four core competencies to build her personal brand. First, she discovered what she wanted her brand to convey and laid out a development plan for herself, which included where she was presently and future goals. Oprah Winfrey is most successful because she was able to merge her passion of journalism with expertise. Next, Oprah created her brand by positioning herself as extraordinary in her niche of talk show hosting. The point of this is to tell her audience what she values and the benefits of watching her show. Besides tangible incentives, Oprah gives advice and offers community awareness through her many projects. Then, Oprah uses communication to allow her to gain the visibility to be looked to as a guru of opinions. Oprah attracted her viewers and followers by becoming accessible through forums, book clubs, mail, and social media. Lastly, Oprah has been able to maintain her brand through constant revisits and updates. Constantly Oprah goes back to everything she has created; her O magazine, OWN network, book club and everything that she has endorsed to refresh it with current information and maintain its reputation. The mission for The Oprah Winfrey Show was â€Å"to be a catalyst for the transformation in people’s lives.† In keeping with core competencies, the organization was able to continue to generate revenue by using the skills and abilities in value-creation activities that allowed all of the business subunits to achieve superior quality and consumer responsiveness. Because the mission was one of empowerment, Oprah’s team made sure that anything that was done supported that mission and by doing so it increased intrinsic value. Oprah’s following knew what to expect, they enjoyed it, and they kept coming back even bringing new consumers. Oprah was known to surround herself with high performing people. The business was demanding there were constant deadlines and long hours. Many were known to work from 15-17 hours in order to keep up. They had a code of excellence and anyone who could not meet that code did not last long. The type of environment that came from this fast-paced work style is in part related to the expansion strategy. Harpo was growing rapidly due to the corporate-level strategy. Oprah had harnessed a command in the daytime TV domain and used this base to expand into new media domains through related diversification. There are so many cultural differences such as diverse communication styles, different approaches to completing task and different attitudes toward conflict. As a leader within her brand and enterprise, Oprah has mastered the art of working around cultural differences and effectively coordinating outsourcing relationships. She has conquered working with different cultures by encouraging and rewarding creativity, creating a diverse workforce and educated staff and offering support while having fun. Oprah has also effectively coordinated outsourcing relationships with her many international projects, specifically her school in Africa. Benefits of outsourcing include higher performance, a better mitigation of risk and reduced confusion and wasted time. Oprah opened the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in 2007 with the goal in mind of giving children who are less fortunate the chance to better themselves with a proper and suitable education. In order to effectively accomplish this goal, it was a mission of Oprah’s to have access and acquire the best talent. Oprah has been able to enjoy the benefits of outsourcing because of her quality commitment and reputation. Throughout Oprah’s career, several conflicts within her organization have risen. Although conflict is perceived negatively, some conflict is good for an organization. Conflict can be beneficial because it can overcome organizational inertia and lead to organizational learning and change. This is extremely evident when Oprah’s Book Club introduced A Million Little Pieces by James Frey to the public. This is a great example where Pondey’s Model of Organizational Conflict is illustrated. Latent Conflict, the first stage of this model, surfaced in 2005 when Oprah introduced this book. In several ways, the work was an unconventional choice for the Book Club where potential for conflict was at a high risk. The book was a classified as a memoir, not the ordinary book for the Book Club. Frey’s memoir, an account of his descent into alcohol and drug addiction, offered a graphic, unsparing look at the consequences of his illness and at the long, difficult road to recovery. It was the first contemporary piece of writing that Winfrey had selected for the Book Club in more than two seasons. The second stage, Perceived Conflict, happen on January 8, 2006. The investigative web site The Smoking Gun delivered a devastating blow to Frey’s insistences of authenticity. The site revealed numerous instances of exaggeration in A Million Little Pieces. This brought many aware of this conflict and people began to analyze it. The conflict escalated when Oprah battled against what was being said. She stated, â€Å"that the underlying message of redemption in James Frey’s memoir still resonates with me. And I know that it resonates with millions of other people who have read this book and will continue to read this book.† In the third stage of Pondey’s Model, conflict is felt. Investigative reports showed that he had exaggerated his criminal past to the point of fancy. But he had also distorted the stories of others, including two high-school classmates who died in a car crash in 1986. Marianne Sanders, the mother of one of the deceased, called Frey’s account â€Å"flat-out lies.† What began as a small problem had now escalated into a huge conflict. On January 26, 2006, these issues came to a head when the talk-show host brought Frey back onto her show. Winfrey confessed that the facts that had come out about Frey’s past since the scandal broke had caused her to revise her opinion of his work. â€Å"I feel duped,† Winfrey told Frey. â€Å"But more importantly, I feel that you betrayed millions of readers.† Conflict had manifested. This is demonstrated in the fourth stage. In the fifth and final stage, the aftermath of the conflict is present. Conflict is resol ved in a way that leaves subunits feeling combative or cooperative. In this case, Winfrey also apologized to viewers for her own role in supporting Frey’s actions and attitude toward self-representation. The truth, it turned out, mattered to many people. In the aftermath of the controversy, Nan A. Talese/Doubleday, the imprint that had published Frey’s book, also issued an apology. Winfrey’s response in particular, spurred a large-scale conversation among publishers, authors, and journalists about the state of nonfiction writing. Oprah used her power and ability to manipulate decision making. She uses two tactics that has led to her success. The first tactic she uses is her ability to control the agenda. Oprah si involved in the majority, if not all, departments and committees of her empire. She likes to be on and involved in these committees and departments so that she can control business decisions, especially if the issues affect how and when to change the organization’s strategy and structure. Bringing in an outside expert is the second tactic. The biggest mistake Oprah made in the beginning was that she did understand that she needed infrastructure and systems in order to run a business. And it wasn’t until 1994 that she actually brought in someone to be president and organize the systems. She described herself as a crazy person, trying to do it all. In 1994, Winfrey hired Tim Bennett to serve as Harpo’s president. 8. Infrastructure 9. Organizational Life Cycle Oprah has put up her $5.6 million Gold Coast Condo on the market, and moved to California to run her network OWN. Her condo that sits on top of a huge building in downtown Chicago can be rented for $15,000 a month. Rosie O’Donnell’s current OWN talk show was being taped at Harpo, but no longer. The Rosie O’Donnell show has been moved to New York. The move resulted in low ratings and the lack of obtaining special guest for the show. It was a constant challenge trying to get people to come to the show, so they decided to move to a location that was convenient for special guest. This was never a problem for Oprah. Therefore, Harpo Studios is dark and inactive. Possibilities of putting it up for sale to those buyers who want to have their own production facility, or to those who want to tear it down to build a high-rise building are beginning to surface. Despite struggles with OWN, Oprah.com is still successful. What’s next for Oprah? The future of the Oprah Empire is a topic that many people find may be threatened. Much of Oprah’s target market is the baby boomer middle class. With her target market aging and the culture of broadcast journalism changing, where does this leave Oprah? Oprah’s future relevance will heavily rely on the diversification of her current and future business developments. Currently worth $2.7 Billion, Oprah has plenty of cushion room to reinvest in new strategies or add to her current ventures. With the stability of her magazine and online presence, Oprah has made her name an international staple touching the homes of millions around the globe. Her integration of technology into her business model has transcended generations inviting the more tech savvy to join the ranks. The real question is about the future of OWN network. While it is experiencing difficulty now, expect it to make a transition into a network that is developing future leaders with the power of persuasion. In the future as Oprah ceases to have a world presence, her legacy will remain.

Last of the Mohicans essays

Last of the Mohicans essays I am going to be writhing an opinion based paper about the movie, "The Last of the Mohicans".It is a translation of the james fenimore coopers book that was written a long time ago. The movie is based on a dying Indian tribe that is caught in the middle of the war between the French and the British over the North American territory. The mohawks are bitter rivals with the Hurons, who are fierce and outnumber them by far. One of the french commanders asks that his daughters be put under that watch magua, a member of the Hurons, yet they did not know that Magua had connections with the British. Magua turns on the colonel in favor of the french and attempts to take the daughters hostage as a revenge for the british killing his family. This is where the Mohawks come into play by trying to rescue the girls and they do all they can to avoid Magua and the Huron so that they can bring the girls back to their father at the fort. The only problem is that the Huron act on revenge, not for the French, But for themselves. This makes their desire for the girls greater, now that they are under an eye of their rivals. This movie overall was very good though, the first 20 minutes were kind of confusing while i was trying to figure out the characters and where they belonged in the movie. The movie is somewhat violent but it is only that for one reason, its about a war so I think it is accepted that there be some blood shed. The whole movie overall was ver good even though at a few spots I felt it carried on a little to much that it should. The music in the movie was great and it fit the movie perfectly. I was only disappointed in a few points and that would have to be how the parts drug out and how the movie ended. I feel that it should have had more romantic ending rather then having her take her life but that is how it was meant to be. I would give this movie a 3.5 out of 5 stars. ...

Use Reddit To Develop New Skills

Use Reddit To Develop New Skills Talent is funny thing, often difficult to define. Either you have it or you don’t. Over on the subreddit /r/photoshopbattles there are some amazing designers with lots of creativity and maybe too much free time on their hands. Regardless, this subreddit is a great example of how someone can get more experience developing professional skills in a fun way. Here is how it works:1 person posts a photo in the subreddit and then anyone has free reign to photoshop the photo however they like. The results often produce hilarious results.Here is a recent one:Just a tiger standing next to his keeperThe Original PhotoThen, one crafty individual edits the photo, suggesting something else†¦They’re grrrrrrrrrrrrrrreat.And so it begins†¦Of course, Calvin needs to get in the mix†¦So then the inevitable happens†¦Bet you saw this coming†¦And guess what comes next†¦Full blown photoshop insanityCue creative chaos ensuring:I wonder if he was grrrrrrrrrrrrrreatN ow watch what some crafty person did†¦Next level creativityHere we go†¦Kaboom! Mind = blownAll photos can be found here.Well there is plenty more on this subreddit, but the point here is that you can always be developing professional skills, especially if you are thinking about what you need to have in your toolset for your next job.There all kinds of other subreddits where people can develop professional skills, such as writing prompts, HTML, and just about everything else you can think of.

Best Approach to a Nuclear Iran Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Best Approach to a Nuclear Iran - Essay Example Dore Gold writes, â€Å"†¦outwardly Iran wanted the peaceful use of nuclear energy, but its hidden intention, according to Ramezanzadeh, was to engage in other activities.†(15)The international community is not willing to believe Iran and remains skeptical about its nuclear plan. Bush administration takes a tough stance and warns that production of nuclear weapons is on the agenda of Iran and that concern is shared by Obama administration. Gold argues about the administration’s initial attitude and writes, â€Å"Obama’s neutrality on the developments in Iran reached its height when he declared: â€Å"It’s important to understand that although there is some ferment taking place in Iran, that the difference between Ahmadinejad and Moussavi in terms of their actual policies may not be as great as advertised.†(5) But the position is not the same now though Iran consistently denies allegations that it owns intention to develop a bomb. Gold further tenders details that â€Å"†¦.intelligence data indicating that Iran was also working on a nuclear warhead that could be fitted on its ballistic missiles.†(35) How do the authors present these issues? The authors present the issues in a logical manner tendering facts in support of their arguments. Both of them share concern about America’s political and economic interests. They differ in details as for approach but both agree that Iran’s nuclear weapons program ambitions must be contained without further delay. What are their assumptions? Christopher Hemmer argues that patient diplomacy is the best approach to contain Iran’s nuclear program. According to him, Iran with nuclear weapons will pose challenges for the United States, but it is prudent to meet them through a policy of deterrence actively pursued, through containment and engagement and with active deliberations with America’s allies in the region. It is better to talk to Iran across t he table on a perennial basis, than challenge it through arms. Norman Podhooretz answers this question in a simple and straightforward style. He is not willing to trust Iran under any circumstances. According to him a nuclear-armed Iran is dangerous for all concerned countries and disastrous for America. Use of arms to checkmate Iran is less risky than allowing it to go scot-free with its weapon-development program. He advocates direct military intervention and destruction of Iran’s nuclear capabilities. What are their arguments? According to Hemmer, in pursuance the path of peaceful negotiations, America needs to look out for options like change of regime, preventive military strike, economic sanction and make appropriate evaluations about cost of action vs. costs of inaction. In any case, America cannot remain a silent spectator about the nuclear ambitions of Iran and need to take actions on an ongoing basis. Christopher Hemmer argues, â€Å"The United States has three str ategic interests in the Persian Gulf: maintaining the flow of oil onto world markets, preventing any hostile state from dominating the region, and minimising any terrorist threat.†(Parameters†¦) Norman Podhooretz writes, â€Å"I argued that deterrence could not be relied upon with a regime rules by Islamafacist revolutionaries who not only were ready to die for their beliefs but cared less about