My Mission Statement & Goal Plan Essay Example for Free

My Mission Statement Goal Plan Essay I may not convince the world that I can be the next Nobel Peace Prize winner. I may not persuade people to make me the next Time Magazine’s Person of the Year. Nor do I have any illusions of garnering millions of votes to become the next president of this country. But if I am to be given an opportunity to describe myself, all that I can honestly say is that, I am who I am. Thus, in an attempt to try and take a glimpse in defining the person I always see in front of the mirror, I have come to a resolution that the best thing to do is to find and understand my purpose in life. By doing so, I ponder to ask the question, why do I exist? In other words, my mission in life is quite an irony or for some, it may seem stupid or foolish. Simply put it, my mission in life is to find my mission life. Although many people may think that this statement is hilarious, I will respectfully beg to differ. There are millions of people living aimlessly spending every second of their time in confusion and uncertainty. And for me, this is a frightening reality and to a certain extent, it is a sad one as well. And I admit that I am afraid to be one of them. It is the fear of not knowing where I am, where am I going and what I want to do which has led me to set my life in constantly pursuing the truth behind my existence or purpose in this world. I believe that by doing so, can help me see even just an inch of the incomprehensible reality each person carries with him or her. In light of this, I have aimed to unravel my mission in life through a process of first understanding my short-term goals of knowing who I am and where I stand through the institution that I want to affect and influence my life. Then, I plan to venture into my long-term goals that reflect my dreams and ambitions not just a professional and a son but more importantly, as a person. Thus, in order to know and find one’s purpose in life, a person must first know and find who he is, where he is and where he wants to be. It has been said by Benjamin E. Mays that the tragedy of life does not lie in not reaching a person’s goal, the tragedy lies in having no goals to reach. To me, he makes perfect sense. Somehow, a person who has no goals, dreams or ambitions has nothing to hope for or to look forward to. I thus find it highly imperative to transfer to the University of Southern California as my primary short-goal. I know firsthand that life in this world is often measured by the amount of success, wealth and fame a person possesses. I am familiar with the University of Southern California. I believe that if I am to be given the opportunity to study in such a distinguished institution, such an achievement tells me that I will never find myself wanting to be more successful, wealthier and famous than I already am. Transferring to the University of Southern California reflects a bigger picture of my goal of constant growth and development. In this moment in my life, I know that the best thing to do is to further my knowledge and skills. Entering this institution is the wisest way of preparing myself for what the world will be showing and throwing at me. And I have to confess that I am afraid to take this step. Amidst all that have been happening in my life, I sometimes think that I have made a shadowy acquaintance, and its name is fear. But I have learned not to stand down anymore in the face of adversity. There is always the fear of not being good enough or failing. But I believe that my greatest fear is merely fear itself. And for me to overcome this, I have to keep walking and moving despite being afraid. People will constantly judge and criticize me. I know this and I have learned to live with it. I honestly get affected because I am a sincere person. I dedicate and commit myself to something I really believe in wholeheartedly. My friends and family will attest to this fact. I can guarantee that I am a person of principle with an unwavering confidence and an incomparable determination. I am absolutely confident that I can bring the person that I am to the University of Southern California. By transferring to this university, I have realized that I also have to achieve the goal of convincing other people that I want it and that I deserve it. If this is a business proposal then let me assure everyone that I am good investment. I believe in who I am and what I can do. All that I am asking for is for you to believe in me. In essence, my short-term goals are all about realigning my path not just on a good one, but more importantly, on the right one. My short-term goals can briefly show who I am based on what I have already been through. My short-term goals are the remaining few years before I venture into the real world. Furthermore, my short-term goals portray my desire to take a step and revolutionize who I am right now in becoming someone I hope to be. During the vast reign of the Roman Empire, a great man by the name of Marcus Aurelius Antoninus once said, â€Å"A man’s worth is no greater than the worth of his ambitions. † I somehow feel that ambitions can thoroughly define a person but at the same time, it can also break the person. Somewhere in life’s journey, a person will have to face the â€Å"non-negotiable† realities in their lives. These are the things that tend to be so difficult and even impossible to change. I have thus made my long-term goals into something practical and achievable for me. I have envisioned myself in about less than ten years as someone who runs his own business while also helping my father run his. I find my long-term goals to be realistic and honest. I do not have grand dreams of eradicating poverty or creating some out-of-this-world idea that will save us from global warming. I want to keep my feet firmly on the ground. But this does not mean that my long-term goals are plain, simple and self-serving. As matter of fact, I expect them to be challenging, tricky and risky. Running and having my own business is no walk in the park. In this modern age, the competition is so tight and the stakes are roughly high that being good falls short by a mile. This does not even include the fact that I will also be greatly involved in my father’s business. But I want to take this risk. How can people discover new lands if they cannot lose sight of the shore? If I am to venture into this, I need to be cutting-edge and have an innovative mind. This is why the link between my short-term goals and my long-term goals is very significant. I want to take it step by step without any shortcuts. Each stage in my life is a learning process where I grow and develop myself for my future. Most people describe who they are but what they have. Still, others know who they are by how they are described by other people. I for one believe that what I have and how others perceive me are just parts of who I am as a whole. I believe that the person who best knows who I am is myself. People may see me in terms of things I have or from their own point-of-views. But I can never be half the person that they say I am if I do not know and accept what I think and see that I am. This is why my short-term and long-term goals are all starting points to initiate my true purpose in life. Through these goals, I may somehow find a semblance or clue of what I truly want out of my life. Through these goals, I can find who I am. As Lao Tzu has said, â€Å"Knowing others is wisdom, knowing the self is enlightenment. † Simply put it, through acting upon my goals, I intend to find something that will grab my attention and interest that will make me dedicate my life to it. Some will spend their entire lives looking and searching, while others may spend their lives staring at a distance unable to move and make a difference. In the greater scheme of things, I like to believe that it is not about reaching or achieving that which I have set for myself but rather, it is all about how I get there that really counts. How wonderful it is if I can do the things people say I cannot. This is largely founded on the inescapable reality that obstacles will appear every now and then. As for me, the greatest obstacle and weakness I will ever face are being idealistic and fear, respectively. As mentioned earlier, there is always the constant fear of not being good enough or failing. In addition, although being idealistic is not really a bad thing, it also comes with a heavy baggage. By being idealistic, I tend to ignore the reality presented. There is a fine line separating what is in theory and what is in practice. Somehow and some time, this reality will slap me in the face. There is the need to be practical which I fall short of a lot of times. I do believe that there are three types of people in this world: those who ask what happened, those who watch things happen and those who make things happen. I have stopped asking what happened being blind and deaf to the realities of life. I have stopped watching things happen from the sidelines being apathetic to the things happening right before my very eyes. I have thus decided to change and to make things happen. I try to stop making excuses. I do not need an excuse to live but rather, I need a reason to live. And dedicating my life in search for my purpose is something I believe is worthwhile. It is about time to go beyond myself and offer who I am not what I have. If there is one thing I have learned and will never forget from this class is that achieving my goals or aspirations in life is neither an overnight phenomenon nor a magical trick that can easily be pulled instantly out of the hat. Dedicating myself to something I hold dear is always a process. It is an on-going process of continuous learning, understanding and growth as a student, as a son and as a person. These goals may not happen today, tomorrow, next week or next year. The important thing is that it does not start next year, next month, next week or tomorrow but rather, it starts today.

Employee Satisfaction and Customer Satisfaction Essay Example for Free

Employee Satisfaction and Customer Satisfaction Essay This thesis will be based on my current and previous practical experience combined with the theoretical basis that I have acquired through the modules on Academy business school. I have 8 years of management experience in retail, but in the last 3 years being employed as a personal assistant for my son who was born with a physical disability. 1 October 2012 I have been employed part-time as a sales assistant in the newly opened shoe Tops, located in Aalborg Mall. My point of view in this project will be from the perspective of the owner / management since my prerequisites for this are realistic and that in the future I have ambitions again to get a job at this level. Presentation of TOPS in Aalborg Shopping Eurosko a purchasing cooperative consisting of independent skohandlere working together on purchasing and marketing. These skohandlerer operated under the name TOPS. This cooperation is intended to give members a better overall economy to meet the increasing competition in the retail industry. The shops sells private labels and various brands of Danish suppliers. TOPS products are designed for the average consumer, and the target audience is the whole family. Product labels within private labels are as follows: Ralf Boston, Taxi, Adi, Mary B and Between. The new Tops store in Aalborg shopping center is located in the new extension which has the name Nygade (pink street). This street connects the input A (main entrance at the grocery store) and input B (input opposite Steak Jensen / Nibevej). Shoe store TOPS is funded by Thorkild Hansen, who every day is trade able boss in Aars. It is his daughter Camilla Hansen, store manager / owner of the new store. They both have a history from the hardware store industry. In the shop there is employed a sales manager, a full-time sales assistant and one part-time sales assistant. You are aware that you have to have some hourly paid sales assistants to cover crooked hours. However, one would first look for the urgent need before hiring more. The store is located in North Jutland most attractive retail area in the city south of Aalborg. The competition here is tremendous, from German Deichmann to skokà ¦derne Skoringen and PAW SHOES. Grocery store is also a major competitor, while the overall industry slippage, as retailers fierce competition is to blame in. The hard struggle with the center of Aalborg has been going on ever since opening in 1997, and its just a matter of time before one can proclaim City South and Aalborg Shopping Center as the victor. City Southern and Aalborg Shopping Center is marketplace for all over Gauteng. The clients who come to Aalborg Mall comes with the purpose to spend money. Unlike customers in the city center, where there are many shoppers. Problem Argumentation In a store like TOPS in Aalborg shopping center, there are many challenges for Camilla Hansen. Problem of the project will be based on one of the issues that are most central to the management, namely the motivation of the staff. Why is it such an important issue? One of the things that can explain the motivation question is the aforementioned competition as TOPS face. Is the sales staff not motivated to provide the best service when they meet customers, customers needs are met in one of the competing shoe stores. There are also other elements such as indirect challenge my question about motivation. These I will elaborate on below. The increasing competition in the retail and policies have been elements in the environment that have helped to pave the way for the long opening hours. This development is currently further escalated with the abolition of the Shops Act 1 October 2012. Another challenge is the union HP, which puts pressure on employers to their employees come to work under some decent conditions, with regard to working hours. At the same time include the cost structure in the retail industry, where labor costs and rent are the greatest. Since the wage cost is the only one who in a short time can be changed, it is here, it is very focused. Rationalisation and maximum benefits of the employees are daily challenge in retail. It obviously has not done better after the financial crisis in 2008. The demand for goods has fallen / stagnated and the demand there is, is not the same as before. At the same time discount concepts in many cases prospered due to the crisis. In the wake of these above mentioned elements have TOPS a need for the core of employees who are employed must be highly effective. Performance would with store personnel must be high, even in the long run. Therefore, it is important to achieve a sustained high staff motivation in TOPS. I therefore think it appropriate to make visible how the job should be structured so as to achieve a high intrinsic motivation of the employees. However, one must create a culture that supports the motivation. Succeeded this, then the employees will eventually provide the same high level. Problem Formulation It is a challenge for management that structures the right job design for the team in the shop, so to create a sustained high level of motivation. This will form the basis for the desired high level of performance. I therefore do the following: Explain the job characteristics model, in relation to the employees of Tops in Aalborg Mall. Provide an analysis of the elements to create a high MPS. Find out what basic assumptions that support a high MPS. Make suggestions for how to achieve sustained high MPS. The method Science Theoretical approach The knowledge / theory which I create in the project is based on social constructionism. My new preconception will therefore be formed by the auto poetry system for which the employee is in TOPS. The way in which the theory is formed on the deductive because my curiosity is based on a theoretical model and problem formulation. The method is the hermeneutical spiral, as my practical / theoretical presuppositions will be further developed through a qualitative method (depth interviews). This illustrates thanks to my depth interviews. First I ask my questions, then I ask detailed questions to their answers. This forms a new pre-understanding, which in turn contributes to a deeper level of understanding. This truth can be characterized as being causal explanatory. This provides functional explanations are operationalized through the quantitative method (questionnaire). Thus, I see the questionnaire as a hypothetical method. The hermeneutic process are processed through circular thinking. This theoretical system finally my deeper level of understanding will be provided by exploring patterns of attitudes of the individuals in TOPS. My interest is to see how employees and management mutually influence each other. This I find out each actors share in relation to the questions that my problem formulation contains. Selection of theory: Motivation Theory Motivation Theory is a very broad theoretical area. The models describe the area very differently from simple to concrete and detailed. Overall divided motivation theory for the following two areas: Process Theories Content Theories Process theories are based on the differences that applies to the employees behavior. The theory describes elements to be addressed in order to get employees to acquire a certain behavior. Content theory concentrates on the needs of the employee and that the behavior is the same from person to person. Need fulfillment creates the motivation that causes the employee to perform a particular behavior (Major intrinsic motivation = better sales performance). I have decided that my topic motivation must be based on job characteristics model, which is made by Hackman and Oldham. I do so because it is necessary to take into account the differences in employee behavior. Otherwise, I would not in practice distinguish between kinds of different factors that motivate employees to TOPS. So they just had the same external and internal work environment, to be equally motivated in their work. The theory will form the basis for the solution of the projects problem. At the same time it will be my starting point, to account for the motivation of employees through job design. Job characteristics model is to provide a common understanding of my explanation of how to design the job so that employees acquire the particular behavior (Major intrinsic motivation = better sales performance). Hackman and Oldham job characteristics model This thesis will be based on the version of the book Motivation is written by Helle Hein. This issue compared to the textbook is that there are some minor differences in how the moderators are defined. The model is based on some core job characteristics that form the basis for the ideal job design. Problem definition Question 1 deals with the exposition of the model in relation to the employees of TOPS. Presentation of the model will be done through in-depth interviews with employees. Based on depth interviews I will make a questionnaire to determine the factors that contribute to give a high motivation potential score (question 2). Model moderators will also be involved, as there are some providers elements that affect the fact that not all people react similarly to the job design. There are some barriers as a result of the fact that you do not get the best result, although job design is ideal. The moderators will also be explained through depth interviews (question 1). The model also contains the element of the critical psychological states, which will not be included in my project. This has no direct connection to my problem statement. I assume that when the optimal job design is achieved, as well as fulfillment of the moderators, so it will have a positive outcome (high motivation = good sales performance). Criticism of Hackman and Oldham In the book, motivation is a few points on which job characteristics model are criticized. I will only highlight the criticism points Helle Hein mentions in her book that influence in my project. The factors which constitute the core job characteristics are difficult to understand and distinguish between, for those who have to deal with any questions. This is one reason why I choose depth interview as my method of data collection. Respondent may help to understand the issues, which helps to strengthen the information collected. The theory does not affect factor of social relations. Therefore, I believe that the model has a major weakness in this area. The relationship to ones colleagues is very important in a store like TOPS, where there are not many employees. It is important to feel like part of the community when you show up at work. Failure to do so, and you feel that is a bad mood, you will naturally seek new challenges. This will lead to an ideal job design does not work. Hertzberg theory takes high of social relations, and would have been better in this area. This theory, I squint a little in my statement (question 1). In my hypothesis, I touch on the concept of MPS. Helle Hein questioning whether one using a formula and theory can design the best possible job design to an employee. It is one of the concepts used in my project. Therefore, the same criticisms apply here. Hackman and Oldham theory is developed at the beginning of industrialization in the United States until the 1970s when the authors formulated the theory. As it developed it was the starting point for the theory not the retail industry, which means that in some cases, it will not always fit completely with the fact that I daily find myself in. Cultural Theory Theory scope of the concept of culture has many approaches. Here there are for example Hofstede. This theorist is based on civic culture. He believes that an organizations culture is created on the basis of, for example, the country or region in which it is located in. The theory here is based on a number of opposing elements that help to characterize the culture. An example of this could be that the culture of TOPS will bear the mark of masculinity rather than the feminine. This is because you are very sales and performance oriented. Another theorists is Schein. This theory is built into a funnel model which is divided into 3 layers. The top are artifacts, which is a description of the physical conditions in which an outside person can see with the naked eye. The next layer is the values. This layer describes the employee proved doing to emphasize culture both internally and external. The last layer is called as basic assumptions, the conduct which they unconsciously without even thinking about it. The basic assumption being made by the leader. A third theory is the Deal and Kennedys cultural model. This theory is based on the market to which the organization finds itself in. The theory describes two dimensions, each with their opposing extremes. These being high risk / low risk or timely feedback / slow feedback. Here are TOPS in the dimension which is characterized by low risk and rapid feedback. In trade with each customers risk low if it failed. At the same time you get rapid feedback on sales because you can constantly follow it. Overall, it is appropriate to use the Deal and Kennedy to describe culture as the retail industry is very market specific. This will also be my approach. But to describe the culture internally, I will build on Schein funnel model, because this model is more up rational. At the same time, the shop is starting, and I therefore believe that it is the store manager, who through her actions and attitudes create culture. Furthermore, it is also the one who owns the shop and is the pioneer. In a pioneering company, it is usually the owners attitudes and opinions that characterize the corporate culture.

Mool Mantra of Success

Mool Mantra of Success About Mool Mantra of Success Like the name goes, Mool Mantra of Success, a Hindi language originally means soft, crumbly soil rich in mold or humus. It can also mean earth from or for a grave. Mool Mantra is an Indian god that a number of people patronize for success. As a matter of fact, Mool Mantra is widely believed by Hindus and many devotees have the belief and trust that the system can give them prosperity, peace of mind as well as having the ability to help the practitioner overcome frustration and depression. The recitation of the song, (moola mantra) for about 108 times, is believed to attract showers of lords blessings on all his devotees. Many people have been recorded to have gone to Mool Mantra to get success: a good job, better life partner, Good wealth and health, solving love and relationship problems, and to solve family matters, etc. However, one dangerous thing is that as it gives favor, it can also give dramatic effects to one when the person follows the way it is taught. However, the Kali devi mantras specialist is in charge of assisting individuals to learn the way and the manner to follow it for effectiveness and in order to get the desired outcome as soon as possible. The Importance of Building Relationships up to brand champion in the Customer Relationship Ladder According to Dubois (2017), companies in all industries and of all sizes understand that customers are perhaps their most valuable assets. Improving the overall customer experience is vital for continued success and survival, and always has been. The following according to Dubois (2017), are therefore, some very important ways and needs for building and maintaing a relationship up to brand champion in the customer relationship ladder: 1. Communication Link: Building and maintaining customer relationship in all ramifications helps customers to have a good communication link with one another. According to Okpata (2006: 247), good communication link exists between customers who have good relations approach because it is a vital tool which helps the parties grow ties with one another and remain in touch with the most current trends for rapid market growth. Notably, it is very important to always speak with customers for evaluation of sales. In doing this, there would be need to focus on less financial-driven communication like email, phone or face-to-face interaction. No doubt, if you make your customers feel involved, they will feel as though they actually have a stake in your company, and feel like you care about more than just getting the sale. 2. Rewards: According to Koontz et al (1983:647), individuals can be motivated by properly designing their work environment and praising their performance. Rewarding customers, time to time is really a viable and measurable marketing tool that any businesses can use to retain their customers and grow their business. Its all about recognizing and understanding your customers. As Herzgerg (1968), in the motivation-Hygiene theory would put it, people are highly satisfied when their impacts are recognized and appreciated. Once ones customers are recognized, they tend to offer their patronage over and over and their relationship increases. 3. Enhancing Customer Service: The increase of relationship gives room to effectiveness and efficiency in meeting up with the demand of customers. This is because customers always like to patronize you whenever they know that you will always be able and willing to fix any problem that may arise in their business. In other words, every business man would always like to do business and maintain closeness with the customer that is highly skilled and read to maintain relationship. 4. Starting Small but Emphasizing Human Touch: As Armstrong (2009:887), would put it, it is very important to emphasize mutuality. That is to say that getting the message we are all in this together and that the interests of everybody coincide are very necessary in building customers relationship.   And in return, when customer relations is built, business associates will get to know the names and faces of their regular customers and that will show that the business personnel care. In other words, as a small business, making the extra effort to emphasize face-to-face interaction booms such business as opposed to phone or email. 5. Flexibility: According to Armstrong (2009:886), the concept of social partnership can be put into practice through partnership agreements. A business man therefore, would become flexible, quick and attentive to a customers problems or complaints when there is the existence of customer relations. Such a person would set aside some strategic ideas for dealing with an unhappy customer, and would not waver far from the old mantra that the customer is always right. In addition, Turnbull (2013), stated that theimportance of building relationships up to brand champion in the customer is imperative because it helps one to understandcustomersbrands. Of a truth, one of theimportance of building relationships up to brand champion is that it helps a business man to always clearly understand exactly the brand the customer desires at any moment and supply them on demand. Sometimes, this may involve spending time with the client to ascertain what he/she needs at any moment in time. This is because it is very important to know the brand, customers really want at any giving time. References Armstrong, M. (2009). Armstrongs Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice, India: Replika Press Pvt Ltd. Dictionary.com unabridged (online), from: www.insightstate.com/video/maha_ganapati_mool_mant. Dubois, L. (2017). The Importance of Building Relationships up to brand champion in the Customer Relationship Ladder (online), from: www.Inc.com/guides/2010/08/how_to_build_personal Herzberg, F. (1968). One more time: How do you motivate employees?, Harvard Business Review, 46, 1. Koontz, H., ODonnell, C. and H. Weihrich (1985). Eds. Management, Tokyo: McGraw- Hill. Okpata, F.O. (2006) Bureaucratic Communication and Information Management: Enugu, Jones Communication Publishers. Turnbull, J (2013). The Importance of Client Relationships for an SEO Agency (online), from: www.stateofdigital.com/seo_agency_client_relationships.

families Essay -- essays research papers

The importance of families has been espoused by all since the inception of modern times. Considered by most to be the backbone of America, it is how we socially and culturally indoctrinate our offspring so they are able to become a functional member of society. A lack of a full family is often cited as the reason that children end up as criminals or delinquents. The notion of family being the birthplace of problems is not even something most people could find feasible, which is what makes Barbara Ehrenreicht’s essay â€Å"Are Families Dangerous?† seem a bit out in left field to most readers. But upon closer inspection and reflection into ones own family life, and the lives of those around them, Ehrenreicht’s essay begins to make a lot more sense. It is because of my understanding of values within our culture and my own personal experience with my family that I believe Ehrenreicht’s essay on family is completely true in the ideas that it expresses. Most of us choose only to recall fond memories of our youth when we speak about how great family life is, though the reality of things is that few of us have a perfect youth with our family and it is often peppered with emotional and physical harm. Ehrenreicht hits the nail on the head when she talks about the plight of the wife, many of their problems come not from outside of the house, but within. Turn to any daytime TV show to see the crying and emotional pain that family members cause, whether it be from physical or emotional abuse....

Measurement, Irony and the Grotesque in Gullivers Travels :: Gullivers Travels Essays

Measurement, Irony and the Grotesque in Gulliver's Travels  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Postmodernity is obsessed with the Eighteenth Century. As an example of how our nostalgia for that period manifests itself, Hans Kellner has pointed out that a genre of novels and films set in Eighteenth century has exploded in popularity: Lempriere's Dictionary, Perfume, "The Madness of King George III." We could also point to the ongoing revision of scholarship on the period, of which GEMCS itself is an example. In considering what generates this contemporary fascination I have given some thought to the aesthetic and political issues surrounding the beginnings, and perhaps also the end, of the bourgeois social sphere. A conviction, argued most aggressively by Jean Baudrillard, is beginning to take hold, in and out of the academy, that this sphere, after an almost totalizing expansion, is now in decline. The panic over the loss of the social, whether supportable or not, offers a possible explanation for the contemporary nostalgia for the period in which Swift wrote Gulliver's Travels. In this age of dissolution, what do we see when we look back at the age of our creation? One thing we observe is the development of a peculiar kind of irony which we can't help but distinguish from our experience of this trope in the age of its dominance. The satirical effect of the irony in Gulliver's Travels read by the Postmodern will be precisely what it was not at the time of its production. The historical distance between Eighteenth Century and Contemporary readers can be understood by way of Hayden White's use of the master tropes in "Foucault Decoded." White assigns one of the master tropes to each of the four archeological periods described by Foucault in The Order of Things. In White's system, Foucault's Renaissance was metaphorical, locating truth in similarity. Swift wrote in what Foucault considered the Classical Period, which, for White, had metonymy as its overriding mode of reason, because a new transparency of representation made it possible to organize knowledge by a standard and represent it symbolically on a table. The Modern period was characterized by synecdoche, in that the subject of knowledge, Man, was now included in the study of the world, in a part-whole relationship. Finally, the Contemporary or Postmodern mode is ironic, characterized by a questioning of the foundations of knowledge and a Dionysian disappearance of the subject of that knowledge.

The Glaciers of Yosemite National Park Essay -- Geology

The Glaciers of Yosemite National Park One of nature's most powerful and influential forces is also one of nature's coldest and slowest processes. These great icy rivers are called glaciers and have formed some of the most beautiful scenery on this planet. These enormous frozen bodies of water are often thousands of feet wide and deep and many miles long. They cover millions of acres of land and drastically change the land into beautiful mountains with many amazing features. One of the areas where glaciers have been most influential is in Yosemite National Park in California. Here almost every glacial feature is shown. However, before this information about glaciers in Yosemite was clear, there was the Yosemite Controversy with arguments of different views of how the valley originated. Glaciers are best described in this passage by naturalist John Muir: (Bailey) (Guyton) The work of glaciers, especially the part they have played in sculpturing the face of the earth, is as yet but little understood, because they have so few loving observers willing to remain with them long enough to appreciate them. Water rivers work openly where people dwell, and so does the rain and the dew, and the great salt sea embracing all the world; and even the universal ocean of air, though invisible, yet it speaks aloud in a thousand voices, and explains its modes of working and its power. But glaciers, back in their cold solitudes, work apart from men, exerting their tremendous energies in silence and darkness. Outspread, spirit-like, they brood above the long predestined landscapes, working on unwearied though unmeasured ages, until, in the fullness of time, the mountains and valleys and plains are brought forth, channels furrowed for the rive... ... which shaped the valley even more. Rockfall has shaped the Royal Arches and Mirror Lake. Recently in July of 1996, there was a large rock fall and in January of 1997 the Merced River flooded proving that the geology of Yosemite is a forever changing process that still goes on to this day. (Guyton) Bibliography Bailey, Ronald H. Planet Earth: Glacier. Time-Life Books: Alexandria, 1982. Guyton, Bill. Glaciers of California. University of California Press: Berkeley, 1998. Huber, N. King. The Geologic Story of Yosemite National Park. Yosemite Association: Yosemite National Park, 1989. Lutgens, Fredrick K. and Edward J. Tarbuck. Earth Science. Prentice Hall: Upper Saddle River, 2002. Matthes, Francois E. The Incomparable Valley. University of California Press: Berkeley, 1950. Tierney, Tim. Geology of the Mono Basin. Kutsavi Press: Lee Vining, 1995.

Department of Homeland Security Essay

Returning from a vacation to Germany in February, freelance journalist Bill Hogan was selected for additional screening by customs officials at Dulles International Airport outside Washington. Agents searched his luggage, he said, â€Å"then they told me that they were impounding my laptop. † Shaken by the encounter, Hogan examined his bags and found the agents had also inspected the memory card from his camera. â€Å"It was fortunate that I didn’t use [the laptop] for work,† he said, â€Å"or I would have had to call up all my sources and tell them that the government had just seized their information. † When customs offered to return the computer nearly two weeks later, Hogan had it shipped to his lawyer. How common Hogan’s experience is remains unclear. But an April ruling by the U. S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals found that the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees Customs and Border Protection, does have full authority to search any electronic devices without suspicion in the same way that it can inspect briefcases. Now, businesses and other organizations are pushing back, Congress is investigating, and lawsuits have been filed challenging how the program selects travelers for inspection. The ninth circuit ruling was the result of more than 20 lawsuits involving electronics seized from travelers who were nearly all of Muslim, Middle Eastern, or South Asian descent. Citing the lawsuits, customs officials decline to say how many computers, storage drives, cellphones, and BlackBerrys they have confiscated or what happens to them afterward. Officials declined to testify at a recent Senate hearing, although they wrote in a prepared statement that officers â€Å"have the responsibility to check items such as laptops and other personal electronic devices to ensure that any item brought into the country complies with applicable law and is not a threat to the American public. † But congressional investigators say that copies of drives are sometimes made, meaning customs could be duplicating corporate secrets, legal and financial data, personal E-mails and photographs, along with stored passwords for accounts with companies ranging from Netflix to Bank of America. The practice of storing and duplicating material might be something that both opponents and supporters of seizure could agree to regulate, says Kansas Republican Sen. Sam Brownback, an otherwise staunch supporter of customs’ authority. Larry Cunningham, an assistant district attorney from New York, told the hearing: â€Å"I am aware of no authority that would permit the government, without probable cause to believe it contains contraband, to keep a person’s laptop or to copy the contents of its files. † Whatever the case, the controversial practice has prompted some businesses to change their policies about traveling with corporate information. Many now require employees to access data remotely to avoid confiscations. â€Å"[Seizure] immediately deprives an executive or company of the very data–and revenue–a business trip was intended to create,† says Susan Gurley, head of the Association of Corporate Travel Executives, which is lobbying for greater transparency and government oversight of the confiscations. â€Å"As a businessperson returning to the U. S. , you may find yourself effectively locked out of your electronic office indefinitely. † Indeed, while Hogan’s computer was returned within two weeks, others say they have had theirs held for months. Customs insists that terrorism and child pornography are sufficient justification for electronics searches. And even civil libertarians agree it makes sense for customs to search luggage, which could pose immediate dangers to aircraft and passengers. But, says Marc Rotenberg, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, â€Å"customs officials do not go through briefcases to review and copy paper business records or personal diaries, which is apparently what they are now doing in digital form. These PDA’s don’t have bombs in them. † And then there are the precedents that critics say the program could set. Imagine, they say, if other nations began seizing the laptops of U. S. travelers. â€Å"We wouldn’t be in a position to strongly object,† Rotenberg says. Indeed, U. S. officials have advised visitors to this summer’s Olympics in Beijing that their laptops may be targeted for duplication or bugging by the Chinese. [Illustration] [Picture omitted]: Bill Hogan, who had his laptop seized at an airport, waits for a Senate subcommittee hearing. -CHARLIE ARCHAMBAULT FOR USN&WR