Attachment Theory Essay Example for Free

Attachment Theory Essay Hunting and Fishing has been a part of the past and present of America. It plays a vital role in the history. Even in the society today, hunting and fishing contributes a lot in the society. Centuries ago, hunting and fishing are means of survival for the ancient people. But as years pass development began, and the traditional ways of surviving has also developed. The number of hunting and fishing had also decreased. People using hunting and fishing for survival become lesser because of agricultural and industrial development. The purpose of hunting and fishing was also changed, as a survival means to sports. Hunting and fishing was said to be a significant activity in the history and to the society of today. But how does hunting and fishing began? And how it evolved from survival means to a popular sport? Hunting was a way of killing wild animals to obtain something, during the ancient times a person hunts to obtain food, clothing and shelter. It was a necessity during those times; hunting was the primary source of the basic needs of the people. A person hunts to be able to provide the family food, fur and leather for clothing, and hide for shelter. Those times having a good source of the group’s needs makes a strong foundation, it helps a tribe or a group survive. Through the centuries development had occurred and also changed the ways of people, one of these ways is hunting. Hunting gradually lost its purpose as the primary source of food due to agricultural development and manufacturing. But because of the challenge and excitement it offers, people enjoyed hunting and considered it as a past time which later become a sport. Egyptians, Greeks and Romans considered hunting as a sport. For the Greeks, hunting develops a healthy body and well-being. It is not only now that hunting has regulating law, during the 13th century Kublai Khan, a Mongol emperor restrained his subjects from hunting. As well as the Feudal Lords during the 5th-15th century, they restricted the noble people from hunting (it was a popular past time for the nobles). But during the 14th century, the traditional method of hunting was changed when the gunpowder was invented. Instead of using trap, snare, bow and arrow, hunters began to use rifles and shotguns. Rifles and shotguns was easier to use, and has longer range. Though modern methods of hunting was introduced, some hunters still prefer the original weapons used in hunting for the reason that it was more challenging than the modern method. Hunting then became a very popular sport, too popular that it became widely known. But as its popularity arises, the hunted animals became fewer. In 19th century, some of the hunted animals became endangered species. The government to cope with the decreasing number of wildlife regulated the game of hunting. In some state hunting was not allowed anymore, but in some state limitations are set. People are allowed to hunt but during the hunting season only, and there is only a limited amount of animal that can be killed per hunter. Due to the restrictions imposed the number of â€Å"game animals† and endangered species were increased. But this also became a problem; the wild animals became over populated and have to allow hunting again to regulate the amount of the animals. Since then hunting became legal and became a very popular sport. Hunting was considered a recreational activity and increased the tourism of the country. Fishing on the other is the same as hunting; it was known as a source of food. Ancient people use pieces of bones as hooks and the vines as line. The Egyptians, Greeks and Romans are the civilization that already uses fishing during those times. An Egyptian writer even wrote some tips on how to fish. In the 2nd and 3rd century a Macedonian wrote about the use of artificial flies to lure fish. In the 15th century â€Å"sport fishing† was introduced. It was not only become popular in America but also in Europe. When it was introduced as a â€Å"sport fishing†, there was already a written book about how to use a fishing rod, how to tie knots in fishing lines and using artificial lures and flies. Many people become very interested in fishing, and these written books made fishing more popular. The â€Å"sport fishing† was not a popular sport only for men but also for women. The participation of women in the â€Å"sport fishing† increased the people’s interest in it. Some organizations are even built to protect the fish habitats. Just like hunting, fishing also undergone the same evolution the hunting had gone to. Through Fishing the tourism and business of the country was increased. Both hunting and fishing was already a necessity in ancient times, people gained many benefits through these methods. It even becomes a tool for survival. Until now, even though hunting and fishing were already considered as a sport or recreational activity the society still gains many benefits from it. Hunting and fishing helps the government in protecting and conserving the wildlife habitat of the country. Because of the popularity of these two sports, the government managed to gain funds to maintain the wildlife reserve. Through the system imposed, taxes are imposed on the manufacturer of weapons used on these methods and on the fuels. There also hunting and fishing fees, these system helps in regulating the wildlife habitat of the country. It even attracted hunters and fishers to create a private group to protect the fishing and wildlife habitat. Because of the protection and conservation, the country managed to maintain an abundant wildlife habitat and increased the tourism of the country. Whether in past or present, hunting and fishing had really played a vital role in the society. In continues to help the country, first for survival and then became for tourism. Hunting and fishing became a part of the culture of the America. These two sports not only provide pleasure and enjoyment, but also protection to the wildlife habitat. Maintaining these two sports was really a great help, not only for the sake of an individual but for the whole society. Sources: The Legally Structured Role of Hunting and Fishing in the US and Abroad. Available at: www. huntingreport. com. Hunting. Available at: www. encarta. msn. com. â€Å"History of Fishing†. Available at: www. activeangler. com.

Breakfast Food Industry Analysis And Strategic Marketing Essay

Breakfast Food Industry Analysis And Strategic Marketing Essay Breakfast, defined as the first meal of a day, has become a common diet of Americans since the rise of human civilization. 10,000 years ago Neolithic farmers learnt how to cultivate and so they created first a steady food supply. Romans revolutionized the first meal with a cereal version which has dominated the world since with wheat, oats and barley being the main ingredients. Cereal is currently the only major breakfast component in the present worlds and has built an 8 billon dollar industry in the 21st century. In 1890 John Harvey Kellogg single handedly built the first modern breakfast-food industry in greek Michigan. This led to dominion of four big cereal companies namely, Kellogg, General Mills, Post, and Quaker Structure Economic Analysis There are four big cereal companies holding 86.4% and a few small companies holding 13.6% of the market share. Price competition is nonexistent. In 1993 the industry earned a net profit of 6.7% barriers to entry and numerous government attempts to finish it have failed. Cereal industry is at $8 billion any approach that can gain 1% increase is substantial for the companies. Porters Model Rivalry The cereal being highly consolidated market. The dominance 1970 by the four companies to 90% of ready to eat cereal, which has dropped recently the market, is still consolidated Buyer Power Due to the fact that there are only a few major companies, consumers do not have a big impact on the industry because they purchase small quantities of cereal weekly. Hence Cereal Companies are not dependant to their views. Grocery stores are their main threats because they decide who gets shelf space and this is what cereal companies need. Supplier Power There are a few substitutes to cereal thus they give suppliers in cereal industry a lot of power since they are common and do not swing the consumer precedence. Secondly is there is a capability of suppliers merging with these substitute companies. For example sugar companies trying to merge with cereal company. Substitutes In 1970s and 1980s pop Tarts and breakfast bars began to compete with cereals and consumers had more to choose from. Consumers need for a healthy diet led to another substitute i.e. hot cereal Potential Competitors Cereal Companies has so much power due to lack of competition, but there are a few barriers which make this impossible. The cereal company takes advantage of the cost and economics of scale. This stems from advertising, in 1993, 1.3 million of advertisement aired costing 762 million dollars daily .with this amount a new company can create a new cereal. It there for becomes very difficult to compete with these large markets which have also used cartoon characters which have become related to children hence fixing their presence in consumers minds. Technological Environment Technology creates a barrier in that most companies have spent many years developing new products hence this makes it impossible to innovate a new product of cereal . To maintain the crispy of cereal in milk is a technology question that poses as huge barrier. Macro-Economic Environment With the American economy growing, and inflation steady the average person has more purchasing power and consumers are better able to afford cereals. Social Environment Demographics These are very vital in any industry. Currently, 49% of Americans consume cereals in the morning. This shows that the social environment has a major influence. With the increase of the median income from $31,341 in 1970 to $32,264 it suggests that income hasnt increased proportionally. This means that consumers are paying more for breakfast. The economic scenario of both working parents has led to the need of a quick breakfast in order to get their kids to school and get to their own work place. Political and Legal Environment In 1970s, the cereal industry rose to90% from 68% in 1940. This saw the critics come up with strategy of cooperating and creating a monopoly. The Trade commission started to investigate the alleged cooperation but the cereal industry blocked the allegations. In 1970s, there was a delay in handling of profits which went on until early 1980s, and FTC found barriers to break the industry. First a great relationship between manufacturers and congress members and the mass advertising budget, this continued for 15 years. Strategies Competitive strategies of the industry cycle include: low-cost, differentiation, and focusers. However, The cereal industry, uses two of these strategies, low-cost and differentiation. Low Cost Strategies The effective tolls of low cost strategies include use of coupon reduction was used in 1994 by general mills this year they cut it by $175million others have followed suit. The industry has turned to streamline marketing meaning a company marketing a variety of products to reduce marketing cost by using economies of scale the cereal industry also attempted to manufacture low-cost strategy. The companies in this industry use high capital production methods instead of labor intensive methods. This is proved by decreasing the amount of workers and the increasing the capital investments. It is also supported by high levels of value added in between raw materials and the final product Differentiation Strategy Cereal industry uses the strategy of differentiation. A range of name brands are produced aiming different market segments.ie for children and adults being health conscious, this is known as product proliferation that is pursuing a big product line. In the cereal industry, production of new products leads to completion. Now there are over 75 new brand names Pricing Strategies Historically the company has worked with one pricing strategy, this being the price discrimination. But some of the key players now use price competition. Price Discrimination Coupons have been a staple aspect used by cereal companies. They are designed to give consumers a lower price that is if they take time to obtain and use them Price Slashing In 1994 share general millis slashed their prices but with little success. For the cereal industry, price cuts will not be hurting since profits are high TRENDS The cereal business is all about market domination through marketing and promotion budgets causing evolution of four companies barriers to entry and promotional ware has led to market share for small companies unattainable. Consumer Trends Consumers have finally let go the high-priced products opting for private labeled products because they are cheaper. Industries are aware of this problem and are pursuing a better solution Trends in Product Development This is a strategy that will see the improvement of the product. For example, entirely coming up with a new product. New cereal flavor and many more will see to a companys improvement Growth Trends Global expansion as well as operating cost reductions may ensure success and growth in the Companies. Consumers are gaining a similar taste as a result of technology leading to a market growth. Breakfast Cereals in Canada Overview Market Definition The ongoing emphasis on health and wellness as well as on breakfast being the most important meal of the day continued to drive consumer demand. In particular, high fibre has become a growing trend within breakfast cereals due to promotion of the nutritional value of wholegrain by dieticians, government and subsequently The Canadian breakfast cereals market consists of mainly hot cereals and ready-to-eat cereals. The ready-to-eat (RTE) cereal industry is uniquely qualified by a high concentration, a large advertising-to-sales ratio, high price-cost margins and a very aggressive entry of new products. These facts have turned this industry into a concentrated differentiated-products industry where price competition is unanimously cooperative and brand rivalry is left to marketing, product promotion and new product development. Due to this aggressive marketing, rapid development of new products and a certain surge in consumer awareness of natural cereals, the sales of breakfast cereals has grown steadily in recent times with the retail sales figures increasing by 3% last year alone. This translates to about C$ 1.4 billion and a volume of 181,000 tonnes of cereal. During this period, the structure of this industry changed dramatically into a more concentrated market from an earlier largely fragmented state. Market Segments analysis Among adults à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ An equal number of women, 82 percent and men, 79 percent aged 20 years and above eat cereal daily. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Older adults consume cereal more than younger adults. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ More Caucasian, 82 percent adults aged 20 and above eat cereal than do adults from all other races combined. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢19% percent of adults with a 12th grade educational level and below skip breakfast, compared to 15% of those with college education. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ About 75 percent of Canadians earning less than C$25,000 eat breakfast compared to 86 percent earning $75,000 and above. Among Children and Adolescent à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Adolescent Girls are more likely to skip breakfast than boys à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ White children are more likely to eat cereal for breakfast than black or Hispanic children. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Children, 36% consume Whole grain cereals more frequently, followed by snacks, 33%, lunch and dinner, 15% each and brunch, 1%. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Children and adolescents aged two to eighteen years who eat cereals, 30.9 percent, contribute the most to the whole grains diet, followed by corn and other chips at 21.7%, and yeast breads at 18.1%. Strategies To Successfully Market MUESLI In Canada à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Develop an aggressive marketing campaign around the whole grain quality, tasty and a non-traditional breakfast cereal that is MUESLI. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Advocate for an on-the-go MUESLI breakfast option. Suggest enjoyable ways such as portable breakfast for MUESLI consumers together with other fun beverages such as 100 percent fruit juice. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Sell the MUESLI idea to parents and sensitize them on the importance of being good role models for children and teens over the breakfast meal. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Sell the natural whole grains cereal flakes, dried fruit, nuts and pumpkin seeds by education to weight-conscious consumers on their effectiveness in weight management à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Since most of Cereal consumers are children, introduce MUESLI on a marketing gimmick that fruits, nuts and seed may actually sharpen their performance in school. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Since economics is also a major player in cereal statistics, use the platform to launch MUESLI as a new affordable whole grain breakfast option. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Concentrate in the participation of school breakfast programs which may be a very appropriate and cheap market launching pad.

A Show About Nothing :: essays research papers

A Show About Nothing   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the artcle, â€Å"Is Seinfeld the Best Comedy Ever?†, author Jay McInerney agrees with Seinfeld the best comedy on television. Seinfeld is a real life show. The behaviors of Jerry, Kramer, George and Elaine, the failed communication, and the everyday embassassment represent â€Å"nothingness† but a peculiar everyday life. These â€Å"nothingnesses† happen to all of us, but when it is put on TV, people will laugh at these. Besides, the author appreciates the fact that Seinfeld is a New York story but it is filmed in Los Angeles. â€Å"The lumpy texture of life in the city, the random looniness of the street, the idioms and speech inflections of Manhattan, and the claustrophobia of New York apartment living† in the show fascinates the New Yorker as it is so real and funny. Seinfeld takes those little nothings and combines them to create something realistic. Nothingness and reality give the author the reasons to believe that it is the b est comedy ever.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When people consider Seinfeld as a â€Å"show about nothing†. It could be humorous that â€Å"nothingness† can provide such an interesting topic for the comedies of life. In life people care about details and worry about trouble, the little nothings made are soon forgotten. Thus, these â€Å"nothingnesses† are actually fragments of out real life. Seinfeld gathers the nothingness into a show, and it spreads out the idea that everything in the show that actually happens all around us. For example, losing the car in a parking garage, working for an eccentric boss and coping with the trials and tribulations of dating, it is common for a lot of people. And these realities come into the nothingness of Seinfeld.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Seinfeld, the fabulous four characters George, Kramer, Elaine and Jerry share the nothingnesses which life have granted them. George cannot attract thr girl because of his limitiations as a short, bald, fat man. Kramer struggles with the fact that he has not achieved anything in his life yet.. Elaine worries her hold on to a good boyfriend and a good job for long. And Jerry, living with his nothing friends, as well as his own LEX Luthurs which seem to always abstract his plans to find his own Lois Lane and live the life of Superman. The four were cramped in small apartments of New York and live a life of nothingness.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Besides, even the settings in Seinfeld for great adventures appear muchlike nothing.

The Science of Religion :: Spiritual History Bible Papers

The Science of Religion The cover of the latest Newsweek caught my eye as I was running out the door to class: a vaguely futuristic, androgynous ascetic was basking in the glow of an ethereal ray of light, face calm, hands uplifted to receive inspiration. In the center of this enlightening beam, the title professed, "God and the Brain: How We're Wired for Spirituality." Who could resist such an evocative article? I flipped through it - it started with some stuff about how to achieve a spiritual state (by turning off environmental fear and orientation sensors in the brain), proudly confirmed that scientists can now track brain activity of Tibetan Buddhist meditation and Catholic prayers?I was starting to grow bored and skim faster; then my eye caught, "Neurotheology is stalking bigger game than simply affirming that spiritual feelings leave neural footprints?By pinpointing the brain areas involved in spiritual experiences and tracing how such experiences arise, the scientists hope to learn whether anyone can have such experiences, and why spiritual experiences have the qualities they do" (54). The article went on to discuss how certain key religious figures from history are hypothesized to have had temporal-lobe epilepsy, a condition that yields "focused bursts of electrical activity called 'temporal-lobe transients' [which] may yield mystical experiences" (55). In order to test this, neuroscientist Michael Persinger built an electromagnetic helmet to directly stimulate the temporal lobes of the brain. The helmet produced the intended results, encouraging "out-of-body experience" and "a sense of the divine" in its users; thus Persinger concluded that "religious experiences are evoked by mini electrical storms in the temporal lobes, and that such storms can be triggered by anxiety, personal crisis, lack of oxygen, low blood sugar and simple fatigue - suggesting a reason that some people 'find God' in such moments" (55). The article moves on to suggest that people capable of "dissociation" - identified by their creativity, innovative tendencies, open-mindedness, and close in teraction of the conscious and subconscious mind - "may be genetically or temperamentally predisposed to mystical ability" (56). Finally, after boasting that scientists can both monitor and produce "spiritual" experiences in the laboratory, after defining the physical causes of out-of-body experiences and divine inspiration as malfunctions or misinterpretations of the brain, and after claiming a sort of personality-based predestination, the article concedes that "it is likely that [scientists] will never resolve the greatest question of all - namely, whether our brain wiring creates God, or whether God created our brain wiring. The Science of Religion :: Spiritual History Bible Papers The Science of Religion The cover of the latest Newsweek caught my eye as I was running out the door to class: a vaguely futuristic, androgynous ascetic was basking in the glow of an ethereal ray of light, face calm, hands uplifted to receive inspiration. In the center of this enlightening beam, the title professed, "God and the Brain: How We're Wired for Spirituality." Who could resist such an evocative article? I flipped through it - it started with some stuff about how to achieve a spiritual state (by turning off environmental fear and orientation sensors in the brain), proudly confirmed that scientists can now track brain activity of Tibetan Buddhist meditation and Catholic prayers?I was starting to grow bored and skim faster; then my eye caught, "Neurotheology is stalking bigger game than simply affirming that spiritual feelings leave neural footprints?By pinpointing the brain areas involved in spiritual experiences and tracing how such experiences arise, the scientists hope to learn whether anyone can have such experiences, and why spiritual experiences have the qualities they do" (54). The article went on to discuss how certain key religious figures from history are hypothesized to have had temporal-lobe epilepsy, a condition that yields "focused bursts of electrical activity called 'temporal-lobe transients' [which] may yield mystical experiences" (55). In order to test this, neuroscientist Michael Persinger built an electromagnetic helmet to directly stimulate the temporal lobes of the brain. The helmet produced the intended results, encouraging "out-of-body experience" and "a sense of the divine" in its users; thus Persinger concluded that "religious experiences are evoked by mini electrical storms in the temporal lobes, and that such storms can be triggered by anxiety, personal crisis, lack of oxygen, low blood sugar and simple fatigue - suggesting a reason that some people 'find God' in such moments" (55). The article moves on to suggest that people capable of "dissociation" - identified by their creativity, innovative tendencies, open-mindedness, and close in teraction of the conscious and subconscious mind - "may be genetically or temperamentally predisposed to mystical ability" (56). Finally, after boasting that scientists can both monitor and produce "spiritual" experiences in the laboratory, after defining the physical causes of out-of-body experiences and divine inspiration as malfunctions or misinterpretations of the brain, and after claiming a sort of personality-based predestination, the article concedes that "it is likely that [scientists] will never resolve the greatest question of all - namely, whether our brain wiring creates God, or whether God created our brain wiring.

How the microhistories work against and within the apparatus of society

Michel de Certeau, focuses on how practical means remain unconsumed by consumer society; Luce Giard delves into the tactics of resistance and private practices that turn living into a subversive art. Both two theorize the idea of â€Å"making do†, emphasizing on how the microhistories work against and within the apparatus of society. Influenced by Sigmund Freud and Jacques Lacan, Michel de Certeau tends to integrate the theories of conscious and unconscious with his notion of everyday practice, focusing on the interrelation, interaction, interreiteration between the force of strategy and the power of tactic. Certeau’s concept strongly echoes to Foucault’s notion of disciplinary system in modern society, further nourishing it with plebeian energy. In chapter III â€Å"’Making Do’: Uses and Tactics†, he theorizes the productive practice and consumptive activity inherent in repetitive and unconscious everyday life. A strategy, which is linked to institutions and structures of power( producer), according to Certeau, is called â€Å"the calculation( or manipulation) of power relationships that becomes possible as soon as a subject with will and power†¦can be isolated†(35-36), whereas â€Å"a tactic is a calculated action determined by the absence of a proper locus†(36-37), and is used by individuals( consumers) to resist to the dominant order in environment defined by strategies. In chapter VII, â€Å"Walking in the City†, Certeau contends that the city, described as a unified whole by maps is generated by the strategies of governments, corporations, and other institutions. Certeau argues that, everyday life, which works by a process of poaching on the territory of others, though, using the principles, rules, constructions, products established in th... ...ody technique, they ways in which from society to society men know how to use their bodies†(203). Superimposed invention, tradition, and education give the gesture â€Å"a form of efficacy that suits the physical makeup and practical intelligence†(203). Gestures lasts only as long as its utility function, when they die out, â€Å"words sometimes still subsist, in the memory of the bygone past†(208). By examining the new market habits, Giard points out that the gestures and practice of the buying woman have had to be transformed into a new killed ability in order to negotiate with those habits, which construct â€Å"a collective scientific knowledge†(209). Giard concludes that in the age of overmodernization, â€Å"room remains for microinventions†, for people working on their physical activities to make choice among the tools and commodities produced within the social apparatus.

Group Research Paper- Online Platforms Essay

According to Thompson virtual team is any task-focused group that meets without all members necessarily being physically present or working at the same time (Thompson, 2011 p.). According to the article, The Knowledge Advantage of Virtual Teams Processes Supporting Knowledge Synergy, it has been previously argued that virtual teams emerged as a new organizational form of ‘working together apart’. However, their novelty has been attributed to the use of technologically advanced communications rather than to their organizational properties (Ratcheva, 2008). Therefore, we can see the importance of having a good platform the Ford Company Virtual Team Communication. As a team, we review five online platforms of our choice that we believed could be used for Ford Company virtual team to communicate with their worldwide divisions. The team came together and created a grading platform based on the following six criteria: Technology Features Offered, Design and Customization, Security and Access for (Global/Region Capabilities), Viewing and Moving Content, Accessibility and User Friendly. Each criterion was out of five points for a total of 30 possible points. I believe that Ford Company should use the platform because the team considers all possible features when creating the grading platform. We review and discuss what features would be needed in order for a global team to function virtually without any difficulty. The following are the advantages and disadvantages of each of the online platforms that could be used by the virtual team and the team rating of each platform and the reasons for the ratings. Microsoft Outlook According to the official sites of Microsoft, Outlook is a personal information managers and the software is available as a part of the Microsoft Office. The software is used as an email application. It includes a calendar, task manager, contact manager, note taking, a journal, and web browsing (Microsoft Corporation.com/ Outlook). The article, Information overload, explains that Outlook does have powerful features, such as sharing of workgroup calendars, and as it is the standard, you will find add-on programs like NEO a brilliant application that organizes Outlook mailboxes the way they should have been by Microsoft, and makes searching so much easier. However, the article explains that Outlook can also be hazardous for your data because the PST files into which Outlook bundles email, appointments and contacts will corrupt once they grow beyond 2GB. The article explain that it can be repair, but you will lose at least some and if you are unlucky, all of your data. Therefore, Outloo k has it advantages and disadvantages. The Team rate outlook as the least favorite and it received an 18 out of 30 because Microsoft Outlook is great for email, calendar events, and sending documents. There is no chat feature or face-to-face option and it may be hazardous for your data. Since, Ford Motor Company need this platform for it virtual team to communicate with their worldwide divisions the team will need to used some time of chat, face-to-face options therefore Outlook is not the right choice for the company. Facebook According to the official website of Facebook, the company mission is to make the world more open and connected. In addition, the site explain that people use Facebook to stay connected with friends and family, to discover what’s going on in the world, and to share and express what matters to them (Facebook Newsroom Key-Fats, 2013). Facebook Platform enables developers to build social apps that enable people to connect with their friends, whether it is through playing a game, watching a movie, sharing their favorite restaurant, or listening to a song (Facebook Newsroom Platform, 2013). Based on the Team grading platform Facebook received an overall 19 out of 30. The Team found that Facebook is great for communication and maybe sharing documents but the site is not built for professional communication since there seems to always be hackers breaking into the system. Therefore, the team feels that for business communication Facebook cannot be trusted. According to the article, Contextual gaps: privacy issues on Facebook, Facebook present significant privacy issues for their users, the article analyze two of Facebooks’s features, Applications and News Feed Offline, it was found that contextual gaps are at the root of many of the sites’ privacy issues. In addition, the article explains that the application, which nearly invisibly shares not just a users’, but also a user’s friends’ information with third parties, clearly violates standard norms of information flow. Furthermore, the article concluded by saying that many of the privacy issues on Facebook are primarily design issues, which could be ameliorated by a n interface that made the flows of information more transparent to users (Hull, Lipford & Latulipe, 2011). Additionally, this article tiles, Facebook & Your Privacy. (cover story) explains that â€Å"Facebook collects and shares data in ways that the consumer is often unaware, such as third-party applications, links from other web resources, and facial recognition software for shared photographs. Threats posed by Facebook use include threats and harassment by other users, hacking, and monitoring of personal data by employers, college admissions, or insurers† ( 2012). Therefore, the team concluded that Facebook was not a viable option for Ford Motor Company team communication platform. LinkedIn According to the official’s sites of LinkedIn, LinkedIn is the social network for work professionals created by Reid Hoffman in 2002 and currently the network has about 161 million professionals worldwide. In addition, when individuals joined LinkedIn, they get access to people, jobs, news, updates, and insights that help them be great at what you do (LinkedIn about us, 2013). Based on the Team grading platform LinkedIn received an overall 22 out of 30. The reason for this is because LinkedIn is mostly for Job seekers and to connect with other professionals. According to this article, LinkedIn Corporation, The firm operates an online professional network designed to help members find jobs, connect with other professionals, and locate business opportunities (LinkedIn Corporation). Therefore, it does not have all the necessary tools needed for Ford Motor Company team communication. Microsoft SharePoint According to the article, Enhancing Project Management with Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007, Microsoft SharePoint is a technology platform that can be configured and customized to play a number of roles in an organization. The advantages of this platform are numerous because the software provides an environment for project management since a project manager can use the software to manage his team collaboration, control project documents, structure project workflow, manage risks, track project’s progress, or share information with the stakeholders (2010). In addition, as a company grows so does the amount documents the company has, therefore, it become difficult to keep track of the increase documents and their locations. SharePoint defeat this by allowing users to store and share files in a central site. The team rating of Microsoft SharePoint was 25 out of 30 it was the second favorite because of all the features it has. However, it true the software allows users to share documents but there is no interactive feature. Furthermore, the article The Disadvantages of Microsoft SharePoint 2007 as a Document Management System, explains, that â€Å"One of the key features most DMS/CMS systems offer are document level options like redaction and document mark-ups. SharePoint does not provide this functionality as it relies on its Microsoft Office suite for document manipulation† (Steward, 2008). Therefore, we can conclude that some of the key features needed for virtual communication is missing from this platform. Google According to the article, Datamonitor: Google Inc., Google has a wide portfolio of offerings, The company currently offers include search, operating systems and platforms, and enterprise products. It maintains a vast index of websites and other online content, and makes it available through Google.com, the company’s search engine, to anyone with an internet connection. In addition, the company’s application tools allow users to create, share, and communicate user-generated information. Some of Google’s applications products include Google Docs, Google Calendar, Gmail, Google Groups, Google Reader, Orkut, Blogger, Google Sites, and YouTube (2011). Furthermore, the article title, Google Voice, talks about a new software release in 2011 call Google Voice. This device is a hybrid phone/internet service. The article explains that what makes Google Voice worthwhile are all of the extra features namely voice mail, free SMS, free calls to anywhere in the U.S., cheap international calls, custom greetings, conference calling, call history, voice transcription to text, email and SMS notifications, the ability to hear who is calling before you pick up, the ability to block unwanted calls, the ability to record phone calls and store them online, the ability to forward, embed, or download voice mails, and the fact that all of these features are managed through an intuitive, centralized interface styled after Gmail that can be accessed from any computer, any telephone, or any mobile browser (Johnson, 2010). Therefore, the team gave Google 27 out of 30 because Google has a lot of features, the email platform has chat capabilities, share documents, photos, and videos, and requests via calendar. In addition, Google + feature allow video chat, and they all are available on mobile, PC, or tablet. That is the reasons that Google received the highest rating out of the five platforms, because it offers every features a virtual team possibly need. Conclusion Having a good platform for the Ford Company virtual team is very important in order the virtual team to succeed. Therefore, Group 1 has come up with a grading criterion that take under consideration all the features needed for a virtual team to success when it comes to a communication platforms. The group did a throughout evaluation of what is needed when communicating virtually and comes up with five platforms. Then each platforms went through a completely evaluation of the advantages and disadvantages. After a complete evaluation Google platform were found to be the best because of all the features it offer to it customer when it come to virtual communication.

Christian life Essay

Father Henri Nouwen (1932-1996) presents a deeply spiritual and insight book with Reach Out. He presents a Christian approach to living with a systematic form of spiritual life, occurring in three defined steps; loneliness to solitude; hostility to hospitality; and illusion to prayer. Through each step Nouwen encourages a person to question themselves, and to seek an â€Å"ascent† to a higher way of being that achieves unity with God. His presentation of his message however is not an attempt to â€Å"bible bash† the reader, rather he uses the Bible as a filter to draw analogies to his interpretation of a meaningful life. Nouwen’s defined categories distinguishes the stages of the journey of Christian life as he sees it, basically reaching out to; the innermost self, to the rest of humankind; and to God. In itself the book is a beautiful rendition of a way of living that focuses on humankind as a community, and as sharing in their experiences of emotional states. It provides the reader with practical methods to apply change to their lifestyle that will cultivate a greater sense of peace and contentment. The phrasing and choice of words in titles and headings has been carefully considered and in themselves transports the reader to a place of reflection and prayer. The strength of Nouwen’s book is his ability to question his own values, decision-making and actions. He has gone to places of hardship in his experiences of loneliness, hostility and illusion and returned with treasures to share. Nouwen uses the movement between emotional states to provide a systematic process for the living the Christian life, which completes modern day values of systems thought, and critical analysis. However, the writer presents his material also in a highly capitalistic manner, in that emotional states are basically divided into two distinct forms: positive (winning) and negative (losing) and ignores the possibility that each state may not actually be so absolute; a milestone on the continuum of what it is to be human. The dichotomy he sets up may in itself be the cause of internal conflict for people, as Western societies value distinct black and white boxes in which to place information; Nouwen maintains this cultural value in his differentiation of distinct categories, and the application of a model of â€Å"ascent† for emotional states. The book is richly spiritual and helpful in learning to cope with loneliness, anger and misperceptions, and Nouwen’s voice tends to be presented as one of experience, that has gone to the depths of each of these states. His approach implies that all people feel loneliness, illusion or hostility and that â€Å"you like to stay away from†. The Bible describes many experiences of Jesus, prophets and other of the Lord’s people being tested, polished like jewels, or smelted like pure gold and other metals. The message is that if we are not prepared to undergo hardship how can we expect to lose ourselves of that which is not important? Nouwen encourages the reader to cultivate their faith and sense of hope by allowing ourselves to experience a forward movement into a more spiritual and subsequently balanced life. 2. Concrete Responses A Suffocating Loneliness is the title of Chapter One and for me came across as quite visceral terminology. It conjured up feelings of confinement that implies that Nouwen has really been there himself. I imagined the soul suffocating, unable to breathe, speak, communicate, or reach out because it was focused solely on survival. The title made me think about what it is to be alone and to have something happening to you beyond your control; a life threatening experience. Another heading, Between Competition and Togetherness, cam across to me as being very Zen, as the juxtaposition of words threw my mind off its track trying to hold an image of both concepts at once. Not unlike those silhouette pictures of the vase which is a face, or is it the other way around! The phrase further implies that there is a point between the two which each of us are at; though this point is unlikely to be static-given the human experience and we are dynamic beings. Nouwen encourages the reader to find a point of balance between these two concepts, and in my minds eye I saw a see-saw and a set of scales, and wondered to myself whereabouts on the continuum I was today (N. B. , near the competitive edge as I have a game of bingo in an hour). I believe I noticed these words because I have chosen the spiritual life for myself, and live my life to cultivate a sense of personal control as well as acceptance for that which I cannot change, as well as harmony and balance. Like Job and Jonah I let myself be smitten or swallowed by the beast when I perceive it to be the time in my life cycle to let go, fall apart, draw away from others, and to suffer hardship. Like these two men I come through stronger and wiser about myself, my place in this world, and with a deeper meaning of what is important – to keep on going, never give up on one, and to be there for others. I am also a writer and sometime poet and delight in the juxtaposition of words and the images that they provide which take me to places within myself that may have ever undiscovered. And the use of words in new ways helps me to see the world from another perspective, which is always a discovery. 2. Concrete responses A Suffocating Loneliness is the title of Chapter One and for me came across as quite visceral terminology. It conjured up feelings of a time for me when I felt confined by my problems and unable to reach out for concrete help from others – no one seemed to understand where I was, what I was trying to communicate to them. I imagined at the time my soul suffocating, unable to breathe, speak, communicate, or reach out because it was focused solely on survival. The title made me think about those times when I have felt absolutely alone and separated from all others, and that life was completely beyond your control; a life threatening experience. The juxtaposition of words in the chapter heading threw my mind off its track trying to hold an image of both concepts at once. I believe I noticed these words because I have chosen the spiritual life for myself and live my life to cultivate a sense of personal control as well as acceptance for that which I cannot change. Like Job and Jonah I let myself be smitten or swallowed by the beast when I perceive it to be the time in my life cycle to let go, fall apart, draw away from others, and to suffer hardship. Like these two men I come through stronger and wiser about myself, my place in this world, and with a deeper meaning of what’s important – to keep on going, never give up on one, and to be there for others. I have in the past drawn on Bible accounts of suffering and grief to understand the experiences of difficulty I have (do) have. The phrasing of many of the Biblical passages, such as those in Proverbs, are easy to â€Å"write upon one’s heart† and Nouwen’s voice has a similar effect in his blending and weaving of words and phrases. 3. Reflection I wonder why the author portrays loneliness as a negative and unwanted state, particularly as he is a Christian. Many verses in the Bible, in fact the whole book of Job, contends that pain such as that felt in loneliness is necessary to â€Å"remove the dross† form a person’s soul. Going into the crucible of fire, such as the suffering of loneliness may cultivate, is a way that many mystics, monks, prophets and medicine women and men claim is the path to become more the person that â€Å"God†/we want us to be. Loneliness is an emotion, and so by virtue of the Christian teachings that emotion is also God, as our emotions are the flux of hormones, neurotransmitters and bioelectric currents, tangible substances which omnipotent God intrinsically exists within; God is everywhere at once. Also, God created all, so all emotions can be sourced from God; humans are made in his image, suggesting that God has knowledge of what loneliness is. It perplexes me that a state of loneliness is seen by Father Nouwen as the â€Å"bottom rung† in his ascent model; John the Baptist lived in the desert and has been often described as experiencing intense loneliness; Jesus spent 40 days and nights alone in the desert; Moses was alone with his â€Å"crazy† dream of the chosen people, and Mary mother of Jesus and Mary Magdalene suffered deep loneliness many times during their lives. 4. Action I will facilitate a counselee to find more functional ways to experience loneliness and to keep on going and not give up on themselves or humankind. I will also encourage them to consider the concept of living a more spiritual life and achieving a union with God; for me God is the unity of all things (omega and beta) so that I am never truly alone as all is from God and in God. So that loneliness for me is a temporary state when one forgets that we are all interconnected. Alternatively, Nouwen approaches loneliness, hostility and illusion as purely negative states and provides of all things an â€Å"evolutionary† model to explain â€Å"developing from† each state to another state. Firstly, I do not agree with this form of development as it certainly implies ascent from a lesser (primitive) quality to a higher (civilized) quality. Instead I would encourage the counselee to embrace their diversity and variability in experiencing their emotions. Movement away from a particular emotion is illusory, as our emotions are a continuum like a circle or a ring; we can move to another state but all are parallel, none higher or lower than others. I intend to start a reflective journal of my values, interpretations, decision-making and actions to learn more about myself, and to find the balance across my emotional states.