Creativity versus Intelligence Essay Example for Free

Creativity versus Intelligence Essay I have been accepted by a research company, a company I have been dreaming to be a part of ever since I discovered that I have extreme interest for research and that I possess skills that only researchers have. My mother however has a bakeshop that I play a large role in; without me, my mom will be having excruciating difficulty running the business alone. As soon as I received the letter stating that I have been accepted to the part-time research job I applied for I went to the company downtown and spoke to the one in charge of the Human Resources division. I have been told that if I have finally decided to accept it, I should return for the contract to be signed. I left the research company and drove around town thinking of what I should do. As I was driving my mother called and told me to drop by at the bakeshop as soon as I can. When I arrived there a few minutes later she told me she’ll make an offer I could not refuse. She said she will promote me – from being an assistant baker to be the head, a dream which I have been yearning to attain as well. Creative Thinking Strategy I left the bakeshop to think. I called my best friend and told her I would like to brainstorm with her with regards to my dilemma. I am aware that in brainstorming I should: 1) â€Å"suspend judgment† or to make a final assessment or evaluation later; 2) â€Å"think freely† or to include countless options even though they are ridiculous or seemingly impossible to attain; 3) â€Å"tag on† or to develop and adapt the ideas of other individuals; and 4) come up with countless of ideas (Harris, 2002, n. p. ). This is what my best friend and I did: First, I â€Å"suspended judgment† by considering both accepting the job in the research company and taking the promotion in the bakeshop as excellent choices (Harris, 2002, n. p. ). This helps me avoid being biased on one over the other (Harris, 2002, n. p. ). This strategy plays a large role in balancing my options at least initially (Harris, 2002, n. p. ). Second, I engaged in â€Å"thinking freely† (Harris, 2002, n. p. ). This led me to come up with ridiculous options like â€Å"maybe I should give up both opportunities and focus on my studies first; maybe later I will have these chances knock up my door once more† and â€Å"maybe I should just ask my mother to wait until I finish my contract with the research company† (Harris, 2002, n. p. ). Third, I â€Å"tagged on† as well (Harris, 2002, n. p. ). I developed and adapted the idea of my best friend to just stay in the bakeshop since my mother needs me more than the research company (Harris, 2002, n. p. ). She said that I should be doing my responsibility first as a child before I attend to somebody else’s (Harris, 2002, n. p. ). I took this seriously and thought I should really pick this as the best option especially that it is our own business after all (Harris, 2002, n. p. ). The current generation, as well as, the succeeding generations will be the first ones to benefit from this if I just stay and help make it more successful (Harris, 2002, n. p. ). Finally, I listed down all the other options I have including taking both jobs and just go through everything successfully by employing time management and discipline (Harris, 2002, n. p. ). The Solution The option I have chosen is to accept the part-time job at the research company, as well as, the promotion at the bakeshop while attending college. I will do my best to carry out my responsibilities through time management as well as discipline. Reflection on the Difference between Intelligence and Creativity I realized that, indeed, â€Å"time pressure quashes creativity because it limits people’s freedom to ponder different options and directions† (Murray, 2002, p. 24). If the company obliged me to return there to sign the contract ASAP or if my mom pressured into deciding ASAP, I would not have thought clearly, I would not have gotten the chance to evaluate all the possible options that I have and would not get to pick the best alternative as well (Murray, 2002, p. 24). This also made me realize the difference between intelligence and creativity. Intelligence may be innate, it may be there when you need it; it may also be acquired through a good education. Intelligence is stored and may just be retrieved if necessary. Creativity on the hand may also be innate and may also be acquired; but it is different in such a way that unlike intelligence it cannot just be retrieved and utilized. There are other factors to consider for instance â€Å"time pressure†, this may get in the way of creativity (Ordonez et. al. , 1997, pp. 121 140). One may be intelligent but one cannot be too creative especially if he or she is under time pressure; in fact it has been concluded in a certain study that â€Å"†¦if one is crunched the less likely he or she will be able to solve a tricky problem† (Murray, 2002, p. 24). References Harris, R. (2002). Creative Thinking Techniques. Retrieved November 14, 2008 from http://www. virtualsalt. com/crebook2. htm Murray, B. (2002). A Ticking Clock Means a Creativity Drop. Retrieved November 14, 2008 from http://www. apa. org/monitor/nov02/tickingclock. html Ordonez, L Benson, L. (1997). Decision under Time Pressure: How Time Constraints Affects Risky Decision Making. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes (71) 2, 121 – 140.

Development of First Person Shooter (FPS) Games

Development of First Person Shooter (FPS) Games First-person shooter (FPS) is a video game that shows the game play around gun and projectile weapon-based combat in the perspective of main person. The player experiences the action via the protagonist eye view. In general, the first-person shooter shares common characters along with some other shooter games. From the genres inception, advanced 3D graphics elements have challenged the hardware development, also the multiplayer gaming has been integral. First-person shooters are a type of 3D shooter game, featuring a first person point of view with which the player sees the action through the eyes of the player character. Usually, a player goes through a series of levels. The best examples are Halo series, the Left 4 Dead and Half-Life series, and Golden Eye: 007. General: There are many different types of PC games in the market today. From the flight simulators to a real-time strategy, all the varieties have created niche markets amongst several computer gamers. First-Person Shooter is one of the swiftly growing game-types. Over-the-shoulder shooter games other game names which are based upon relatively premises comes under First-Person Shooter as a subcategory. We can see through the eyes of main character. The goal will be very simple for such games. However, reducing the genre to simplistic elements fails to appreciate the reasons that these games are so popular. First-person shooters implements latest technology and lead the industry. Later it provided support for multi-player gaming, also generated praise and condemnation. As we all know that the action games are fun-packed and thrilling thus become very popular. In this game, we need to use weapons, reflexes and special moves in order to beat the opponents and move ahead in the game. There are many types of shooter games. Content Analysis: In recent years, violent video games have become very popular. Every player creates their individual game content depending on the user s decisions and actions in a game. Individual game content concepts are essential for the evaluation of potential effects of media usage on cognitions, affects, and behavior. This study analyses the individually generated content with high temporal resolution. Continuous heart rate, skin conductance are associated with game content, which distinguishes the different game playing phases and transitions. In both intra-player and inter-player levels, Playing phases and transitions between playing phases are analyzed. History: The First-Person Shooters were evolved since 1970 s. Maze War and Spasim were started in 1973. However, the completion date is unknown. Later in 1974, University of Illinois was developed which was a rudimentary space flight simulator, and also first-person perspective. Detailed combat flight simulators and tank simulator development were influenced from Spasim. In 1980, Battlezone was released which is a tank game. First-person viewpoint and 3D graphics were successfully launched in 1983 for home computers In 1987, MIDI Maze was released which was an early first-person shooter. Through the MIDI interface it used to network multiplayer games before Ethernet and Internet was introduced. In 1991, Id Softwares Hovertank 3D developed ray casting knowledge to enable faster gameplay for vehicle simulators. Later advanced texture mapping was introduced though Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss. In 1992, role-playing game by Looking Glass Technologies introduced first person viewpoint and an advanced graphics engine. Due to violence associated with the First person shooters, they sometimes attract the negative attention of parents and censorship. They are liked by some and hated by others. However, now the First person shooters have evolved to be more than just mindless violence. The first FPS is Wolfenstein which was released in 1992 by id software. He Introduced super graphics, high quality sound, and unique playing styles and remained popular. In 1993, Doom was released by id software which was a big turning point in the First person shooters history. It was more powerful and advanced than Wildenstein, as it has a much larger weapons variety. One of its main selling points was its ability to stage multiplayer games. Due to Doom s success, id software has literally become the king of FPS game developers. In 1995, Star Wars were made into a FPS- Dark Forces by LucasArts. It is inspired by the movie, Star Wars. Later in 1996, RPG/FPS named Dagger fall was released by Bethesda Soft works. During this period, even the other genres are merged with FPS. One could fight enemies with swords, ride horses, join guilds, buy houses, burglarize shops, and even become a devil. In 1996, ID Software released Quake which was the first FPS to move from 2-dimensional pop-up enemies to fully 3-dimensional models. The gamers require 3D accelerator cards for high performance to play this game. In 1997, its sequel was released as Quake 2, which won much acclaim from both the gamers and critics. Golden Eye 007 which was one of the most popular console FPSs of all time was released in 1997 influenced from the movie of the same name. In 1998, the game Half-Life was released by Valve. It changed the gaming world by making its place as the greatest in the FP shooter. Amazing graphics, highly artificial environment, and a playing style influenced by movie. Thief: The Dark Project was released in the same year which emphasizes on stealth element. In 2000, Monolith Productions released No One Lives Forever. In 2001, Halo for Xbox was released by Bungie Studios. The story is futuristic and involves Master Chief fighting an alien cult and zombies in marine. In 2004, an incredibly cinematic Doom 3 was launched with the story based on mars. Later in 2004, Half-Life 2 was released which was considered as the greatest first person shooter ever. It features includes highly advanced graphics, amazing physics engine, and a super artificial intelligence. The complete history of First person shooters in brief above shows how the First person shooters have continued to push the sheath of graphics, sound, and game play. In the past decade, FPS achieved new heights. Making the gaming experience much more cinematic and realistic, First person shooters immerse the player into a completely new fascinating world. Difference between First Person Shooters and Third Person Shooters Due to crossover of features and other recent overlaps, differences between First person shooters and third person shooters continues to exist some confusion. One of the most basic differences is the character s perspective. In a FP shooters game, the player is the main character; and his viewpoint is through his own eyes. He will not be able to see himself, however, can view the surroundings. In FP shooters, you almost blow up everything you see. Hands and weapons can be seen at the bottom of the screen as the action is taking place through the eyes of the character. However, in third person shooter game, the main character can see himself on the screen. In Third-person shooters game, the surrounding environment was more clearly visible to the players. It helps the player to be more interactive with the surrounding environment. The main difference, between FP Shooters and Third Person Shooters, is the player perception in interacting with objects is more optimal. As the Third Person Shooter can see himself in the middle of the action, he can usually do some really kick-butt maneuvers like Jackie Chan style back flips and side rolls. That is the reason, the game designer is allowed to create more strongly characterized avatar, and directs the players attention as if watching a film. The boundaries between FP Shooters and Third-Person Shooters are not always clear. While the main character is driving a vehicle, many FPS games switch to a third-person viewpoint. In many other games like- Metroid Prime and Combat, the combination of first-person for aiming and third-person for driving has been used. Technology Advanced technology and Internet has led to the development of a number of multiplayer First person shooters. Multiplayer FP Shooter games online allows you to interact with players from all around the world and enjoy the FPS games online with them. You can even make teams online so as to kill the enemies easily. One of the most popular FP Shooter games online is Counter Strike is. In Counter Strike, you can interact with team partners so as to form the strategy on the selection of the weapons, decide the location and then fight enemies. Some FPS games focus on the storyline too, beside the action. Experiencing a different kind of world, you need to find clues and kill enemies silently so as to move ahead in the game. Half-Life is one such game. As a group, first-person shooters tend to be driving forces in accelerating the development of computer software and hardware. Other types of games are now trying to keep up, but FPSs have a clear lead in the technology race. The rise of the 3D graphics accelerator cannot be accredited to business applications; it is rooted firmly in computer games. It could be argued that 3Dfx, the company that created the Voodoo chipset used by several graphics cards, owes much of its success to GL Quake. A short list few FPS games: Zero Tolerance (Raycaster) Wolfenstein 3-D (Raycaster) Duke Nukem (Raycaster) Shadow Warrior (Raycaster) Doom (Raycaster) Rise of The Triad (Raycaster) Quake (3D) Quake 2 (3D) Quake III: Arena (3D) Hexen (Raycaster) Counter Strike 1.6 (3D) Counter Strike Source (3D) Shogo: Mobile Armor Division (3D) No One Lives Forever (3D) Half-Life (3D) Half-Life 2 (3D) Unreal (3D) Unreal Tournament (3D) Unreal Tournament 2004 (3D). Some popular first person shooter games description Maze war developer Steve colley, Platform; mlac PDS-1, Mac, NeXT Computer, PalmOS, Xerox Star. Release date on -INT 1974. Genre- First person shooter. Model-Single player, multiplayer Maze War (also known as The Maze Game, Maze Wars, Maze war, or simply Maze) is a historically significant video game. Maze War originated or disseminated a number of concepts used in thousands of games to follow, and is considered one of the earliest, if not the earliest, examples of a first person shooter. By later standards, gameplay has become simple. Characters in the game roam in a maze, and also capable of moving right or left, backward or forwards and entering through the doors. Other characters are represented as eyeballs. They are able to shoot each other, when a character sees another character. By shooting other players, the main player will get the points for, and if he is shot he will be lost in the game. Occasionally, a duck also appears in the passage in some versions. At that time, this is a great standard for network games. Maze war game. Wolfenstein 3D Wolfenstein 3D: Rise in popularity: 1992 1995 Generally, video game named Wolfenstein 3D is regarded as popular first-person shooter genre on the PC. Also, created the basic archetype which is subsequent games of same genre. It was published by Apogee Software and created by id Software. It was inspired by the 1980s Muse Software computer games Castle Wolfenstein and Beyond Castle Wolfenstein and released on May 5, 1992. The protagonist who is an American soldier, William B.J. in Wolfenstein 3D. While escaping from the Nazi stronghold of Castle Wolfenstein, Blazkowicz comes across many armed guards and attack dogs. The building consists of many hidden rooms with various food supplies, treasures, and medical kits, also three different guns and ammunition. GAME CHARACTER OF Blazkowicz in Wolfenstein 3D Details of the character Height: 6 ft, 4Weight: 210 lbs, Pros: Killed Hitler, Deployed at least 14 times Super Muscular When hes not busy killing Nazis he goes kill more Nazis, His grandson is Commander Keen, Can heal himself by eating a Hot Meal GAME PLAY of Wolfenstein 3D Each episode has ten missions (levels) which are supposed to be completed level wise. Entrance to the tenth which is a secret one can be found in the eighth level. However, we are supposed to complete only nine levels. The third episode which is a secret level can be identified in which one of the original Pac-Man levels, complete with ghosts, seen by the player from Pac-Mans perspective was recreated. ExMx map/level naming convention was first used in Wolfenstein 3D. In order to complete the episode, all the bosses need to be killed in each level. Boss enemies are drawn from one angle instead of eight unlike normal enemies. So the player cannot take them by surprise or sneak up on them. Also, they always face the player, in the first encounter. Until they see the player, bosses will not become active. A death cam (which is a replay of death) will be shown after the death of every boss. The early concept of the game included some innovative stealth concepts dragging dead bodies, swapping uniforms with fallen guards, silent attacks, etc., like in the earlier Wolfenstein games, which focused more on stealth than action. These ideas were dropped however, since they drastically slowed the game down and made the controls complicated. In game screen shot of wolfenstein 3d In game screen shot of wolfenstein 3d Halo: History of halo: Nothing says that you are a saint like having a bright halo over your head. The bright circle located at apex of the savior and the noodle of Catholic saints. Most of them lived nothing like is one of the most iconic symbols in Christendom. That is the reason; it could come as an astounding thing to learn many other icons related to Christendom. Halo was actually stolen from pagans and other religions. In ancient drawings in deities from Indian, Greek and Roman culture, a nebulous nimbus of luminosity was discovered on cave paintings. In ancient times, kings used to like to be portrayed with celestial crowns. The sole purpose is to establish special relationship with their particular gods who lives somewhere up in the sky. Halo is a video game franchise related to science fiction published by Microsoft Game Studios and created by Bungie. Main trilogy of the game centers experiences the Master Chief, an enhanced human super-soldier, and AI companion. The trilogy of video games was praised as being among the best first-person shooters on video game console. It is also considered as the Microsoft Xboxs killer app. It leads to the term Halo killer. As a developer Ensemble Studios last project, Halo games was launched into other video game genres, including Halo Wars which is a real-time strategy game. For the expansion of Halo 3: ODST and a prequel Halo: Reach, even the Bungie also contributed. Concept arts of Halo game. Screen shots of game halo HALFLIFE2 Half-Life 2 is a science fiction FP shooter game and sequel to the highly acclaimed Half-Life. It was developed by Valve Corporation and was released on Nov 16th 2004. The game uses the Source game engine, which includes a heavily modified version of the Havok physics engine. It is also known as the first video game to require online product activation. Later it was ported to Xbox and Mac OS X. It is a part of Orange Box compilation for PS 3 video game consoles and Xbox 360. Half-Life 2 takes place in a dystopian world in which the events of Half-Life have fully come to bear on human society, which has been enslaved by a multidimensional empire known as the Combine. Gameplay of Half life 2; Half-Life 2 is a FP shooter, following relative mechanics from its predecessor, Half-Life. At the bottom of the screen we can see the players health, energy, and ammunition status. Also, we can view the available weapons while toggling between screens. By picking up medical supplies and energy cells, the player can replenish his health and energy. Throughout the game we can see the puzzles and sequences involving vehicles. The player defeats his enemies with varied assortment of hand weapons. The modern-day projectile weapons like shotgun, pistol, submachine gun etc, are used. Also, more elaborate, fictional weapons like crossbow (shoots hot metal rods), a pulse rifle (disintegrate enemies on contact) are available. Some screen shots and game views of Half life 2 Conclusion: First person shooters are new phase in gaming world. With their advanced technology and sophisticated environment, FP Shooters gives a player thrilling experience. In every aspect it offers a great excitement with fast pace while playing. They give you the complete freedom to configure everything just the way you want it.

Classical vs. Operant Conditioning :: essays research papers

Learning Thoughts on Learning â€Å"Learning is not compulsory. Neither is survival.† –  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  W. Edwards Demming â€Å"Education is what survives when what has been learned has been forgotten.† –  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  B.F. Skinner â€Å"I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it.† –  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pablo Picasso What is Learning? A relatively permanent change in behavior that results from experience Types of Learning †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Classical conditioning †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Operant conditioning †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cognitive and social learning Classical Conditioning: Examples †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sound of a dentist’s drill: sweaty palms †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Smell of mom’s perfume: smiling †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sight of certain restaurant: nausea †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Noise of a can opener: cat comes running †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Smell of a hospital: weakened immunity Classical Conditioning †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Discovered (accidentally) by Ivan Pavlov Pavlov’s Observation †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Studied digestion in dogs Pavlov’s Experiment: Phase 1 †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Food (US): salivation (UR) –  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Reflexive response †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Tone (CS): nothing (CR) Pavlov’s Experiment: Phase 2 †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  CS is repeatedly paired with the US –  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A tone is sounded before the food is presented Pavlov’s Experiment: Phase 3 †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Eventually, the CS elicits a new CR –  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hearing the tone by itself causes salivation Classical Conditioning: Conditioned Emotional Response †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Avoidance learning †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Conditioned phobias –  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Little Albert Classical Conditioning †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Extinction †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Spontaneous recovery Classical Conditioning †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Stimulus generalization †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Stimulus discrimination Higher Order Conditioning †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pair CS1 with a new CS2 †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  CS2: CR †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  But, CR will be weaker Classical Conditioning Applied †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Drug overdoses †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Smoking: environmental cues †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Systematic desensitization †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Advertising: sex appeal †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Taste aversion †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Conditioning and the immune system Types of Learning †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Classical Conditioning †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Operant Conditioning †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cognitive and Social Learning Operant Conditioning: Examples †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Tantrums are punished: fewer tantrums †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Tantrums bring attention: more tantrums †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Slot machine pays out: gamble more †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Reward dog for sitting: dog is likely to sit Operant Conditioning †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Thorndike’s puzzle box –  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Law of Effect: actions that have positive outcomes are likely repeated †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Skinner box Operant Conditioning: Principles †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Stimulus-Response †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Reinforcement –  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Positive reinforcement –  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Negative reinforcement Effective Punishment †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Should be –  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Swift –  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Consistent –  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Appropriately aversive †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Challenges –  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Physical punishment may be imitated –  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  May fear the person who punishes †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Most effective when paired with reinforcers Reinforcement †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Primary reinforcers †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Secondary reinforcers †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Behavior modification †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Immediate versus delayed reinforcement Beyond Basic Reinforcement †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Generalization †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Discrimination –  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Discriminative stimulus †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Extinction †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Spontaneous recovery

Enron Corporation Essay -- Business Management History Essays

Enron Corporation Before filing for bankruptcy in 2001, Enron Corporation was one of the largest integrated natural gas and electricity companies in the world. It marketed natural gas liquids worldwide and operated one of the largest natural gas transmission systems in the world, totaling more than 36,000 miles. It was also one of the largest independent developers and producers of electricity in the world, serving both industrial and emerging markets. Timeline Enron began as Northern Natural Gas Company, organized in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1930. The company's founding came just a few months after the stock market crash of 1929, an unusual time to launch a new venture. Several aspects of the Great Depression actually worked in Northern's favor, however. Consumers initially were not enthusiastic about natural gas as a heating fuel, but its low cost led to its acceptance during tough economic times. High unemployment brought the new company a ready supply of cheap labor to build its pipeline system. The 1940s brought changes in Northern's regulation and ownership. The Federal Power Commission, created as a result of the Natural Gas Act of 1938, regulated the natural gas industry's rates and expansion. 1944: Acquires the gas-gathering and transmission lines of Argus Natural Gas Co. 1945: Argus properties are consolidated into a subsidiary called Peoples Natural Gas Co As time went on Northern kept expanding through acquisitions. First in 1967 it made an acquisition with Protane Corporation, a distributor of propane gas in the eastern US and the Carribbean. In 1976, Northern formed Northern Arctic Gas Company, a partner in the proposed Alaskan arctic gas pipeline, and Northern Liquid Fuels International Ltd., a supply and marketing company. 1980: Northern changes its name to InterNorth, Inc. Its attempted hostile takeover of Crouse-Hinds Co., an electrical products manufacturer, is thwarted by Cooper Industries. Northern Overthrust Pipeline Co. and Northern Trailblazer Pipeline Co. are set up to participate in the Trailblazer pipeline. Creates two exploration and production companies, Nortex Gas & Oil and Consolidex Gas and Oil Ltd. 1982: Forms Northern Intrastate Pipeline Co. and Northern Coal Pipeline Co. Establishes InterNorth International, Inc. to oversee non-U.S. operations InterNorth made an acquisition of enormous proportions in 1... ...d then they reported a $ 1 million charge in total. Then there was the project to build a natural gas 900 kilometer pipeline in Mozambique to Gauteng, South Africa which cost $700 million. Enron's contract is now considered overpriced. Nevertheless, Enron must pay for the gas even if it does not take possession of it and Enron has no customers for the gas. I feel that Enron had luck on it’s side for a while and were able to conquer all these different markets for a while. But they wanted too much power and money, much too fast for some of the markets they entered they had to dish out billions of dollars in up front capital investments on hard assets. . These capital investments were not expected to generate significant earnings or cash flow in the short term. This put pressure on Enron’s balance sheet. I would of not tried to expand so rapidly and gave time for my projects, mergers and aquasitions to progress and then expand instead of rushing. I would of not spent so much time and money on contributions to political parties trying to gain deregulation and to stop gov’t oversight. I would of done things properly and legally that way gov’t oversight would of not been a problem.

Ethnicity and Female Equality: A personal Opinion Essay -- Sociology G

Abstract The subject of my essay will be a compilation of facts and opinions on the role of ethnicity and gender on female status in the United States. Equality for females and males is influenced by ones ethnicity, by the media, by stereotypes, and by the myth of equal rights. The research methods that will be used for this essay will be only the personal opinions of the author of this essay. One believes that the findings of this essay will show that ethnicity and media generated stereotypes influence gender roles and that inequality for females is a fact of life. Ethnicity and Female Equality: A Personal Opinion The role of ethnicity plays an important part in our society's view and the status level that is afforded to females. The overall level of female status in America is not as high as males, but this status is even further lowered when a female comes from an ethnic minority. These minority females face a double-edged sword in a society that puts an emphasis on maleness and whiteness. Society is an evolving object and the role of females and minorities has improved steadily throughout our history, but improvement is still needed to make one and all more equal. The role of socialization is in a sense began even before a child is born. Parents anticipate the sexual gender of their child and prepare accordingly. Nurseries are painted blue of pink and either denim or lace is bought. Thus, one sees that even before birth children are stereotyped into gender roles. Parents also, often only want a child to be male and are extremely disappointed if their child is born female. This failure to meet a parents overall urge for a son can have terrible psychological and sociological aspects on a child. The author of ... ...males and males are not equal in this society and probably never will be. There is little that any single individual can do to change this. To be comfortable with one's gender and to live the most gratifying life that is possible females must accept who they are and realize that to a large extent that this is a "male-dominated world" that exists. By accepting this truth females can attain personal growth and power by being what they want and by being able to fulfill the society expected roles that are stereotyped to them. This by no means is a belief that adheres to the popular thought of feminization and equal rights, but it is one that the author of this paper believes has been beneficial to her. It is by accepting one's femininity and role that one can achieve harmony not only with one's self but with the society at large and with the expectations of our ethnicity.

Business Correspondence

Report: Preposition (Manila Paper, 1nch font) Portfolio in BCTRW(Old Magazine) 1st Page:A Prayer from my Heart (5 sentences) 2nd Page:Importance of Correspondence in my Everyday Life †¢Introduction †¢Importance †¢Conclusion(must be connected to introduction) Correspondence a : the agreement of things with one another b : a particular similarity c : a relation between sets in which each member of one set is associated with one or more members of the other — compare function 5a 2 a : communication by letters; also : the letters exchanged : the news, information, or opinion contributed by a correspondent to a newspaper or periodical Examples of CORRESPONDENCE 1. They communicated by telephone and correspondence. 2. E-mail correspondence has become extremely important for modern businesses. 3. The two men began a correspondence that would continue throughout their lives. 4. A book of the author's personal correspondence was published early last year. 5. A formal ton e is always used in business correspondence. . Note the correspondence of each number to a location on the map. 7. Sometimes there is little correspondence between the way a word is spelled and the way it is pronounced in English. 8. Sometimes there are few correspondences between spelling and pronunciation. Is business correspondence still essential in this age of computerization? Yes, it is. Business correspondence is still the principal means used by a business firm to keep in touch with its customers. Is business correspondence still essential in this age of computerization ? Yes, it is.Business correspondence is still the principal means used by a business firm to keep in touch with its customers. What are the principles of good business letter ? A good business letter should have five qualities : (a) conciseness; (b) clarity; (c) completeness; (d) correctness; and (e) courtesy. What about the language of a business letter ? Well, just write simply, in an easy and natural way j ust like you talk with your friends. So, I have to make my business letters sound like a good conversation ? That’s right. To write a business letter is just â€Å"to hold a conversation† by post.By the way, what are the rules of good writing ? In fact, there are a lot of rules to be followed if you want to write good letters. But we may summarize them as follows : 1. Think first of the reader and address yourself to his interests. Tell him or her all he or she wants to know and don’t leave him to guess between the lines. 2. Adopt a tone suited to the occasion and the purpose of the letter 3. Write naturally, as you would talk, using plain and familiar words. 4. Write clearly and to the point. Don’t beat about the bush.Please keep in mind that the most essential point in all business writing is exactness expressed in language that is absolutely clear. 5. Write courteously and make your letter sound friendly and sincere. 6. Avoid wordiness. 7. Avoid commer cial jargon. 8. Write effectively. 9. Avoid monotony by introducing variety. 10. Write to a plan if your letter is long or specially important. 11. Pay special attention to the opening and closing paragraphs first and last impressions leave a special mark on the reader. 12. Check your letters before you send them.

Health care Essay

Leaders are the key people for any organization’s success, for they play an important role in directing and influencing how employees work. Leaders have a lot to do in order to promote healthy behavior by employees for instance in a health organization, leaders need to influence workers in away such that they maintain their healthy behavior at hand. Since health is a very sensitive issue, it needs a lot of concentration as pertains the behaviors of the employees. Leaders need to effect financial incentives to the workforce to encourage health behavior. This incentive tends to upgrade the health of the employee through reduction in the risk that he/she would have faced. This also have an impact on the target and efficiency on the output. For a health organization for instance, workers will produce better result for they are comfortable. There should be provision of tools that encourage safety and wellness. This helps to improve the health of the worker throughout the working period. With general fitness, the worker is healthy at the same time able to behave well when it comes to delivering, urgency and proficiency. Leaders need to involve senior management in promoting emotional health and productivity. Since the management is the one that is much close to the workforce and are the ones implementing strategies, in campaigning for this will make it possible for the out come to be a good healthy behavior from the work force. Leaders need to offer economic incentives for the betterment of the lives of the workers. When it comes to economic wellbeing, one needs to access social amenities with ease. When assisting workers in their workload as providers of their houses through gaining from the economies of scale the health organization gets, workers will access appliances easily thus enabling them to get what they need utmost cheaply. This will make their life well as they have the full diet affordably thus better health. Better health leads to better behavior. Leaders need to educate employees on safety at work. This tends to ensure they get to know how to handle things with care as health organization tend to operate with lots of risky items. With their knowledge on this, they will tend to observe correct protocol with respect thus remaining discipline. With correct protocol follower, they will never be infected thus which means they are adhering to the healthy behavior taught by the responsible body. Health care is a broad field that deals with lives of individuals. For the preparation of interviews, many areas need to be covered for the exact and discrete information to be unveiled. For my analysis, I will consider my interview questions directed to the health care interviewees. It will be categorized into five major items that need to be emphasized on.