British Columbia

British Columbia is Canada’s western border province. At its north are Yukon and the Northwest Territories while its northwestern border is the U.S. State of Alaska.On its eastern border is another province, Alberta, and on the southern border are the U.S. States of Washington, Idaho, and Montana. It is the third largest province in Canada and encompasses 9.5 percent of the country’s total land area, which makes it around four times the size of Great Britain or more than twice as large as Japan. (Information on BC, 2006, par. 1)Physical geographyTopography. British Columbia boasts of great mountains.   Its highest peak is Fairweather Mountain which is 4,663 meters high and its lowest is Hallam Peak which is just 3,205 meters high.   (Statistics Canada, 2002) Volcanoes also abound in British Columbia although most are dormant. The largest of the seventeen volcanoes is Ruby Mountain and the smallest is called Mount Garibaldi.Water Forms. The Fraser River is one of the most important means of transportation in British Columbia because it directly flows to the Pacific Ocean nest. The province’s Columbia River is the location of 14 hydroelectric dams which is a major power source for its population. Other rivers that lead to the Pacific Ocean are Skeena and Kootenay while the Peace River drains toward the Arctic Ocean.   British Columbia is also the host of many large natural lakes including the Babine, Atlin, Kootenay, Ootsa and Okanagan. (British Columbia, 2007, p. 1)Climate. The climate in British Columbia can vary depending on the area’s location from the Pacific Ocean and the mountain ranges but the province is known for its mild temperature. Snow rarely falls on the coast even during winter but the interior lands can experience very cold temperatures and snow between the months of November to March.The warmest days in summer can be experienced in the interior lands, most especially in the south with temperatures that can go fu rther than 30 ºC while the coast enjoys a temperature range of about 22 to 28 ºC. (Climate and Weather, n.d., par. 1-4)Government and MunicipalitiesBritish Columbia espouses the parliamentary form of government headed by a Lieutenant Governor appointed by the Canadian Governor-General. However, executive power truly emanates from the Premier who comes from the legislature branch because it is the position that appoints 20 ministers to the cabinet that maintains and makes the policies for the province.British Columbia has athe Legislative Assembly (unicameral legislature) which has 79 elected members with five-year terms.   British Columbia is also represented by 36 members in Canada’s House of Commons and has 6 senators all of whom are appointed by the Governor-General.

Sherman Alexie V. Frederick Douglass

Compare and Contrast Essay Frederick Douglass V. Sherman Alexie As a young child, we are given certain opportunities and guidance to expand our knowledge right off the bat when it comes to reading and writing. Going to school to get an education is what every parent aspires their child to do. Parents want the best for their children, to be accepted and to learn to their fullest extent just like every other child their age. However, there are many children and families who are not as privileged when it comes to receiving these certain opportunities.I ask myself a simple question: is education really taken for granted as if it is just a given and not a privilege? It seems that these days, going to school and learning is just expected. Nobody takes the time to realize how privileged they are to have an education, where they can learn to express themselves creatively and form opinions when thinking for themselves without others affecting you. Looking at two essays, â€Å"The Joy of Read ing and Writing: Superman and me† by Sherman Alexie, and â€Å"Learning to Read and Write† by Frederick Douglass, comparisons between the two are greatly visible.Both of these stories take an in depth look at these two young men’s lives, as we focus on what these stories are trying to tell, and what message(s) are trying to get across. Not only do these two authors share similarities in upbringing, but they also share the same determination when it comes to educating themselves on their own and proving to others that ignorance truly is bliss. Born and raised on the Spokane Indian Reservation in Wellpinit, Washington, Sherman Alexie was truly a remarkable boy.Coming from what he considered to be a poor family â€Å"by most standards†, Alexie claims that him and his family lived â€Å"on a combination of irregular paychecks, hope, fear and government surplus food† (Alexie pg. 16). At the young age of three, Alexie taught himself how to read with a Sup erman comic book. Where Alexie was from, â€Å"A smart Indian is a dangerous person, widely feared and ridiculed by Indians and non-Indians alike. † (pg. 17). Expectations were at a low standard for Indian children like him. Teachers and students expected him to fail, especially in a learning environment of non-Indian students.Despite these ignorant accusations, Alexie refused to not only be a statistic within his community, but a failure as well. This is shown as he wrote, â€Å"I refused to fail. I was smart. I was arrogant. I was lucky. I read books late into the night, until I could barely keep my eyes open† (pg. 17). He jumped at the chance to read anything in his tracks, giving him the opportunity to expand his mind and knowledge base. He fought with his classmates on a daily basis because they expected him to stay silent if questions were asked in class.Alexie refused to do so; he bypassed his classmates intellectually and would not let anyone make him feel infe rior. As he grew up to become a writer, we see pain in the story he tells. â€Å"I loved those books, but I also knew that love had only one purpose. I was trying to save my life† (pg. 18). Alexie wanted to be someone greater than what others expected him to be. People would put him down constantly, but he fought back just as much. He tried to save himself from the stereotypes of being just another dumb Indian.He had more determination to prove others wrong when it came too exceeding in reading to further excel in his daily life. When talking about determination and power to succeed, many similarities are portrayed by Sherman Alexie and Frederick Douglass. Frederick Douglass was born a slave in 1818 in Maryland. For most of his life he lived in what he said, â€Å"Master Hugh’s family† (Douglass pg. 129). Douglass’s mistress, someone he claimed to be a â€Å"kind and tender-hearted woman† (pg. 129), had begun to instruct him on how to read and writ e starting with teaching him the alphabet.Slavery is mainly what caused the change in Douglass’s life. As his master found out about his wife’s actions in teaching him how to read and write, she was instructed to stop. She quickly turned from warm and tender hearted to cold and fierce. This eventually left Douglass to take his education into his own account and further teach himself. He stated that, â€Å"The plan which I adopted, and the one by which I was most successful, was that of making friends of all the little white boys whom I met in the street. As many of these as I could, I converted into teachers.With their kindly aid, obtained at different times and in different places, I finally succeeded in learning to read† (pg. 130). Douglass took matters into his own hands and did whatever he could to learn. Along with learning how to read himself, he also learned how to write by looking at letters on timber in old ship-yards. Copying down the letters he saw an d making four letter names by associating them with certain objects. Much later in Douglass’s life, he went on and became a leader in the abolitionist movement.Coming from a dark past while living in slavery to becoming a great speaker and someone others can look up to as a role model. The similarities between these two men are uncanny. For one, the both share a similar upbringing as young boys dealing with racism. For Sherman Alexie, he was a young Indian boy living on a reservation facing stereotypes how Indian children are expected to be unintelligent. As for Frederick Douglass, he was a young boy who grew up a slave and faced cold treatment from those who were once there for him.What these two shares is a common similarity when it comes to dealing with racism and all its ignorance. Both of these young men were forced to learn on their own due to others constantly doubting their intelligence and stereotyping. However, the main similarity between these two comes down to one word, determination. Determination and the desire to achieve are Alexie and Douglass’s greatest qualities. Alexie was always told that Indian children were expected to be dumb and Frederick was automatically expected to be uneducated due to the fact that he was a slave, and that slaves were to not have an education.Both of them took the negative aspects of their life and made them positive. Doing this eventually led the both of them into having successful lives. By taking the time to educate themselves and better their knowledge, Alexie became a well-known writer, and Douglass an abolitionist leader and speaker. Alexie and Douglass proved that ignorance is bliss, and showed that judging someone without knowing who they are or what they are capable of will do nothing but prove you wrong. Nobody has the right to ignorantly make assumptions about a person or their lives.This just goes to show how knocking someone down will make them come back ten times as strong. For Alexie and Douglass, education was their main obstacle in life. They lived through how an education can either make or break you depending on the situation. What it comes down to is whether or not you are willing to achieve further and harder than to listen to what others think they have to say about your success. Although both achieved success in a different outcome than another, they are both great examples of how each had a similar upbringing down to their determination for success.

Skills of a leader of a public health organization Term Paper - 1

Skills of a leader of a public health organization - Term Paper Example A leader in a public health organization ought to be able to classify and manage all activities within the organization each and every day. Coles and Porter (2008) asserts that "Organizing a normal days activities either at work or at home involves basic elements of project management such as meeting time deadlines and utilizing resources" (p. 238). There are instances during public health interventions when activities appear intricate, and instances where diverse activities require to be conducted at dissimilar periods hence a mix-up or confusion may occur. Having effective project management skills hence is important in such cases as it helps a public health leader prepare and arrange activities methodically and at the same time spot or recognize key areas that need perfection. These skills also enable a public health manager or leader to allocate resources according to precedence. It is important to point out that organizational skills enables public health leaders to conclude hea lth interventions as well as other activities aimed at improving public health timely and also account for allocated resources (Coles and Porter, 2008). Loue (2006) defines advocacy as instigating activities or manners of conduct in a bid to manipulate a course of action. A leader in a public health organization should be able to speak out and influence positive change within the community in terms of health. He should also have the ability and courage to speak against negative behaviours and activities within the community that can risk the health of community members. It is important to posit that a public health leader also ought to be able to incorporate technology in advocacy. There are various platforms through which advocacy within the community can be conducted such as through the social media, television, and news papers or magazines. In other words, comprehending the role of the social

Political Ideology and Voting Behavior in the Age of Jackson Essay

Political Ideology and Voting Behavior in the Age of Jackson - Essay Example The majority of all historical accounts depict President Jackson as a strong and aggressive individual who frequently resorted to bullying as a means of championing the causes of the common man. He has been reputed to have bullied the Indians, the national bank, and the states. Despite his strategic and methodic bullying of others, he is remembered as being responsible for bringing democracy to the â€Å"common† white man and championing one of the most poignant and vigilant suffrage movements of all times. His great favor for the common white man can be directly attributed to his humble beginnings. He was a fairly uneducated individual who received formal education sporadically throughout his formative years but was successful in applying himself to the study of law for a period of two years. As a direct result of this, he became an excellent lawyer and gained acclaim. His fame and fortune were a strong testament to the notion that with hard work and perseverance a common man can achieve success irrespective of his beginnings. This fame and fortune, however, was very costly in that President Jackson were greeted with great hostility by individuals fueled by jealousy. This jealousy resulted in the death of a man at the hands of President Jackson when he attempted to defend the honor of his wife, Rachel. President Jackson went on to become a national war hero when he led a brigade which was responsible for defeating the British at New Orleans during the war of 1812. Despite the fact that he did not win his first bid for presidency in 1824, his candidacy was historical in that he was the first individual to lose an election despite the fact that he amassed the most popular vote.3 He went on to become the seventh president of the United States. Since his election in 1828, he has been depicted as a democrat who has gone above and beyond to represent the common, working people with what became known as Jacksonian democracy. At the heart of Jacksonian democracy is the notion that the lion's share of the power to elect the leaders of the United States should reside with the people and not with the Electoral College or the House of Representatives. This notion was made salient by the 1824 loss he suffered when he won the popular vote and lost the election as a direct result of what he considered to be "corrupt bargain".4

Field of project management and how it relates to the Project Research Paper

Field of project management and how it relates to the Project Management Maturity Model - Research Paper Example Typically, as it has always been the norm, project management works efficiently when the direction and the scope of the project is well depicted and understood. Additionally, the process of project management works effectively when all the stakeholders reach a mutual consensus on aspects of objectivity and expectations. Equally important in project management is the need for a thorough understanding and assessment of the risks involved. All these benchmarking features in project management become achievable when the probability of success is assumed to be equally high. However, different companies no longer align themselves towards the above stated guidelines in the process of project management. Nowadays, different companies are undertaking different approaches towards the project management. Many reasons can be attributed to the shift from traditional project management approaches. One of the reasons in this paradigm shift is that more and more projects are becoming highly complex and hence require technical capabilities in order to achieve success. ... The rising costs, global economic disparities and competition within the market players continue to drive many companies to take more risks. Changes in project management have undergone significant milestones with regard to the entire practices as more industries embrace the art. However, a notable observation is that these companies share similar accomplishments with other companies during the benchmarking activities. One of interesting areas in project management is the project management maturity model, which is a vital component in strategic planning (Kerzner 45). Project management maturity model abbreviated as PMMM, can be elucidated as the foundation in achieving excellence in project management. Project management maturity model is a fundamental component of strategic planning that is significant in achieving distinction in any organization. By incorporating strategic planning in the project management maturity model, organizations are in a position to shorten the time frames of the entire project management. Strategic planning in project management is quite dissimilar from other variants of strategic planning. This is because it is an activity that is performed at the middle-level of management as opposed to the executive management. The executive management only comes into play in a supportive role and also in the provision of funds. The executive management ensures that all the recommendations made by middle level management do no result in unnecessary changes to the corporate culture (Kerzner 928). Many organizations are inclined in performing strategic planning on new services and products by laying out a well thought plan before execution. In project management, strategic

PRE-LAUNCH DECISIONS WHICH INFLUENCE INNOVATION SUCCESS Essay

PRE-LAUNCH DECISIONS WHICH INFLUENCE INNOVATION SUCCESS - Essay Example The actors of the manufacturing world adapt to the innovation for increasing the availability of the complementary products. This in turn enhances the value of the innovation. The subsequent adopters reinforce this process for the promoting the double loop cycle (Frattini, 81-120). Using this system and allowing the early adopters and the network development personnel enhances the value of the innovation for the user. This further promotes long term strategic partnership between the members of the adoption network. This process also shares the risk and supports the systemic innovation. Different innovation products like the Palm Pilot, Apple and Nintendo have used this technique for reducing this risk associated with the innovation. In some of the cases such companies have also refused to share any sort of partnerships with the competitors and yet share the innovation. This leads to a commercial relationship and leads to potential profits realized by the organization. Adapting to thi s practice the companies commercializes their innovation which leads to the subsequent future benefits. Due to the increasing high tech innovations the target market comprises of the people who resist change. This leads to uncertainty when evaluating the opportunity. The willingness of the early adopters to buy the products is not backed by the critical members which are part of the adoption network. This represents signals to the later adopters and hence reduces resistance and uncertainty. Hence this shows the role of early adopters and network developments in the market acceptance process of innovation. Question # 2: Compare and contrast the critical factors that impact successful and unsuccessful innovations; pay particular attention to timing and positioning. The critical factors which impact on the successful and unsuccessful innovations are timing, targeting and positioning, inter-firm relationships, product, distribution, advertising and promotion and pricing. Comparing the p rocess signifies the success and failures of the process. For the inter-firm relationship it is signified that support is required from the critical administrators of the process. This ultimately leads to enhancing the value of the innovation. Increasing the availability of the complementary products will enhance the potential adoption for choosing the purchase of the innovation. Different strategic policies are initiated for initiating a long term partnership. The contributing role of the adoption networks also refers to content based innovations and promotes use of creative software’s for application development (Frattini, 81-120). Timing is considered as one of the most critical factors. The timing with which the innovations are formed is important for determining the degree of support which is ensured to the innovation. The analysis shows that often the firms act to postpone the establishment of strategic alliances. Once the innovation has been launched in the markets the n the critical players engaged with the product take the measures for promoting it. Timing is also critical because in certain situations the product fails to generate the sales in a particular segment. Example of such a situation is that Sony refused to partner with electronic outlets. Similarly the targeting and positioning of the innovations also plays a vital role. A firm easily succeeds in orchestrating the support from the adoption network players. The firms appropriately select the target market and they position the product accordingly for attracting the right set of customers. in some cases the response from the

Ethics in business (case study) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ethics in business (case study) - Essay Example The organization expects compliance with its standards of integrity throughout the organization and will not tolerate employees who achieve results at the cost of violation of law or who deal unscrupulously. It is the policy of the organization that all transactions will be accurately reflected in its books and records by the employees. This, of course, means that falsification of books and records and the creation and maintenance of any off-the record bank accounts are strictly prohibited. The organization anticipates sincerity from employees at all points and observance to its regulations and internal controls. A negativity which might result when the employees obscure information from the organization’s officials or the auditors is that other employees might get an idea that the organizational policies and internal controls can be overlooked when they are problematic. It is the corporation’s policy to make full, fair, accurate, timely and understandable disclosure in reports and documents that the corporation files with the Securities and Exchange Commission and in other public communications. All employees are responsible for reporting material information known to them to higher management so that the information will be available to senior officials responsible for making disclosure decisions. A code of ethics is developed in order to provide the members of the organizations with some broad ethical statements that will guide them through their professional lives and also to identify relevant considerations when ethical uncertainties arise (Anonymous 2008). It facilitates the employees to share common values and a common vision. The development of code of ethics defines behaviors that are both accepted and acceptable in an organization (MacDonald 2009). It further assists in establishing a better organizational culture which would improve the public image of the organization. They also develop a sense of community and belonging

Curriculum definitions and reference point Article

Curriculum definitions and reference point - Article Example Thus, the two settings where the notion of a curriculum did persist were Scotland and the United States. In the United States, the development of a structure for the curriculum, in administrative and managerial terms, proceeded rapidly. However, the concept of what the realm of curriculum might be became highly diffused, and two consequences persist. 1. The curriculum as a concept, as a discrete idea, was almost without boundaries. It could mean anything from the â€Å"bundle† of programs an institution offered, to the individual experience of a particular student. 2. Systematic description, that is, an orderly, technical terminology that enhanced insights on practice and linked ideas to application, had not developed. Often faculty at work on the curriculum had to invent their own labels to describe what they did. 1. The word can connote either formal structural arrangements or the substance of what is being taught (split in definition). Most faculty would side with the notion that â€Å"the structural aspects of the curriculum had much less to do with the quality†¦quality instead was more importantly linked to matters of substance.† In sum, application of the concept of â€Å"curriculum† spread in the United States, but it did not achieve the refined meaning, precise definition, or consensus among professors that standards of professional practice normally require. 1. The concept of the curriculum as a plan for learning is well developed based on a comprehensive analysis of the literature on the subject. Further field research among faculty led back to the course as the fundamental component of such a plan, not the curriculum. 3. The concept of system has been extended to consider the curriculum as a major subsystem of the university, thus opening analysis of inputs and outcomes. This approach can be characterized as â€Å"systemic curricular planning.† One great asset of the concept of

Business report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Business report - Essay Example The cash rate or the interest rate of monetary policy has been stable for the past financial year and half, and the board had already taken some time to evaluate the implication of substantially reducing the rate of interest on the monetary policy. Finally, the Reserve Bank of Australia has done a crucial job in controlling the lending rate by reducing the cost of borrowing. Also. Since the Australian dollar was week against the U.S dollar, the reserve bank operated with favorable monetary policies to prevent the collapse of the Australian Economy. Therefore, the economy is stable and there is a predictable growth in the first half of 2015. The growth will boost investment, the rate of return to commercial banks and employment. One of the most important elements in the performance of any economy is the amount of workforce or the employment status of the population. High level of employment results in a high output of the economy and consequently a high level of development. However, the level of employment is not the only determinant of economic growth, especially when it comes to global markets. The prices of oil have proved to a significant determinant of macroeconomics and research has already pointed out that the increase in the prices of oil is hazardous to global markets. The prices of commodities have been observed to decline and the price of oil has significantly fallen over the last couple of months; which has resulted to a lower level of demand as a result of high level of supply. Interestingly, since oil is arguably the core driver of any economy, lower price of the energy is tipped to strengthen the global output and the rates of inflations are temporarily expected to fall. This study will look to explain the current economic situation in Australia and making a forecast for the rates of cash of the Central Banks, keeping in mind the drop in the prices of the oil in the global market. With the cost of oil falling in the