Jack Horner - Profile of the Famous Paleontologist

Jack Horner - Profile of the Famous Paleontologist Name: Jack Horner Born: 1946 Nationality: American Dinosaurs Named: Maiasaura, Orodromeus About Jack Horner Along with Robert Bakker, Jack Horner is one of the most prominent paleontologists in the United States (the two men served as advisers for the Jurassic Park movies, and Sam Neills character in the original was inspired by Horner). Horners main claim to fame was his discovery, in the 1970’s, of the extensive nesting grounds of a North American hadrosaur, which he named Maiasaura (good mother lizard). These fossilized eggs and burrows gave paleontologists an unusually detailed glimpse of the family life of duck-billed dinosaurs. The author of numerous popular books, Horner has remained at the forefront of paleontological research. In 2005, he discovered a chunk of T. Rex with soft tissue still attached, which was recently analyzed to determine its protein content. And in 2006, he led a team that discovered dozens of nearly intact Psittacosaurus skeletons in the Gobi Desert, shedding some valuable light on the lifestyles of these small, beaked herbivores. Lately, Horner and colleagues have been examining the growth stages of various dinosaurs; one of their more stunning finds is that Triceratops and Torosaurus may well have been the same dinosaur. By the turn of the 21st century, Horner had obtained a reputation as being a bit of an eccentric, always eager (and perhaps a tad over-eager) to overthrow accepted dinosaur theories and hog the limelight. Hes not afraid to challenge his critics head-on, however, and lately has caused even more of a stir with his plan to clone a dinosaur by manipulating the DNA of a living chicken (not a far cry, technically speaking, from the controversial program known as de-extinction).

Leading a Book Club Discussion Session

Leading a Book Club Discussion Session Whether you are an outgoing extrovert or the shy one in the group, you can lead your book club in an engaging discussion by following these few simple steps. What to Do Before the Meeting Read the book.  This may seem obvious, but it is the most important step, so it is worth stating. It is a good idea to plan on finishing the book a little earlier than you might otherwise so that you have time to think about it and prepare before your book club meets. If you get to pick the book, here are some recommendations for engaging books  that are likely to promote discussion. Write down important page numbers (or bookmark in your e-reader).  If there are parts of the book that made an impact on you or that you think may come up in the discussion, write down the page numbers so that you can access the passages easily while preparing and leading your book club discussion. Come up with eight to ten questions about the book.  There are some general book club discussion questions that should work on most books, especially popular selections and bestsellers. Print them out and you are ready to host. You can also come up with your own questions using the tips below as a guide. What to Do During the Meeting Let others answer first.  When you are asking questions, you want to facilitate discussion, not come off as a teacher. By letting others in the book club answer first, you will promote conversation and help everyone feel like their opinions matter. Its important to note that sometimes people may need to think before they answer. Part of being a good leader is being comfortable with silence. Dont feel like you have to jump in if no one answers immediately. If needed, clarify, expand or rephrase the question. Make connections between comments.  If someone gives an answer to question 2 that connects well with question 5, dont feel obligated to ask questions 3 and 4 before moving to 5. You are the leader and you can go in whatever order you want. Even if you go in order, try to find a link between an answer and the next question. By connecting peoples comments to the questions, youll help build momentum in the conversation. Occasionally direct questions toward quiet people.  You dont want to put anyone on the spot, but you want everyone to know their opinions are valued. If you have a few talkative people who always jump right in, directing a question to a specific person may help draw out the quieter people (and give the more animated people a hint that its time to give someone else a turn). Rein in tangents.  Book clubs are popular not only because people like to read, but also because they are great social outlets. A little off topic conversation is fine, but you also want to respect the fact that people have read the book and expect to talk about it. As the facilitator, it is your job to recognize tangents and bring the discussion back to the book. Dont feel obligated to get through all the questions.  The best questions sometimes lead to intense conversations. Thats a good thing! The questions are there simply as a guide. While you will want to get through at least three or four questions, it will be rare that you finish all ten. Respect peoples time by wrapping up the discussion when the meeting time is over rather than pushing on until you finish everything you planned. Wrap up the discussion.  One good way to wrap up a conversation and help people summarize their opinions of the book is to ask each person to rate the book on a scale of one to five. General Tips When writing your own book club discussion questions, avoid questions that are too general, like What did you think of the book? Also, avoid questions that have simple yes or no answers. You want to ask questions that are open-ended and help people talk about themes and how the book relates to deeper issues.Do not make dismissive statements toward other peoples comments. Even if you disagree, take the conversation back to the book rather than saying Thats ridiculous, etc. Making people feel embarrassed or defensive is a sure way to shut down the conversation.

Outsourcing Information Technology Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Outsourcing Information Technology - Case Study Example Information technology has many different fields and departments. BPO has under its wing contact centres, which are a major source of revenue saving for the company and also a major source of revenue for the company that acquired the BPO contract. The benefit of out sourcing the information technology is primarily to save a larger income of the company. This is particularly seen in the countries like United States and other western countries. If a company in US has to get the work done by one employee it has to spend at least not less than $5000 per month but when the same work is out sourced the company will get a more professional and quality work done by experts and also in time. They not only take's care of completing work in time but also supports after the completion of the project till the company requests for support. Out sourcing Information technology is also not an easy job, it requires expertise to allot work to the out sourced company. The company should know how to extract the right work in time. A team of dedicated individuals should be devoting to that work and should always check weather the work assigned in done properly and in time.

Levi's Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR) Essay

Levi's Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR) - Essay Example To perceive business as a mere profit milking enterprise is indeed superficial. In taking this perception into a deeper perspective, brings us to a more substantial and considerable wide array of benefits that is significant for one’s progress and development. In contrary to this, there are some companies who may have had a selfish culture enveloping their business undertaking, that is being one-sided and working for the own and sole advantage of the company. They tend to be biding for the cheaper raw materials, paying less for the workers and providing substandard customer service that would later translate to poor quality of products and services. This is the wrong way of doing business as it sacrifices the satisfaction of the customers who happens to be the core reason for the existence of one’s business. If you want to stay long in the business and build your own identity in the industry, you must take extra good care of these vital stakeholders. Taking all of these into account let us study and analyze the business ways and practices of one of the world’s most renowned brand for centuries now and still counting, the Levi Strauss & Co. Levi Strauss & Co â„ ¢ or simply Levi’s  ® for most of us has been in the industry since 1873. The Levi’s  ® jeans is one of the top-of-the-head brands when it comes to the clothing apparel industry. What makes them outstand for generations one after the other is their constant effort and thirst over continuous improvement and development of their brand. Given such, the company makes sure that whatever the customer’s need, the customer’s gets. Despite of being a large brand recognized internationally and globally, Levi’s  ® has been responsive in giving back to the community. That is, successfully formulating their Corporate Social Responsibility and effectively delivering it to the public in various forms. To concretize this, Levi’s  ® believes that, à ¢â‚¬Å"Our efforts to help solve the most critical issues facing society – HIV/AIDS, equality, worker rights – have been recognized far and wide, as has our commitment to caring for the communities in which we live and work†1. There have been numerous award-giving private and public, local and international organizations that recognized the community efforts given by this company. To tackle one by one these critical issues facing the society today, let us start with HIV/AIDS. Last June 2010, LS&Co. partnered with Grassroot Soccer, a non-profit organization that utilizes the influence of soccer in educating and promoting activities against HIV/AIDS. â€Å"Through a series of interactive discussions and activities, Levi Strauss & Co. employees’ children will gain a better understanding of HIV/AIDS and get a chance to practice the skills necessary for protecting their health as they enter adulthood. Key topics include learning how to make healthy decisions, a void risky behavior, build supportive networks, reduce the stigma and discrimination associated with HIV/AIDS and raise awareness of HIV/AIDS testing and treatment†2. 1 LeviStrauss,†Recognition,† Online, http://www.levistrauss.com/about/recognition March 19, 2011 2 GRSweb, â€Å"GRASSROOT SOCCER PARTNERS WITH LEVI STRAUSS & CO.,† Online, http://www.grassrootsoccer.org/2010/06/24/grassroot-soccer-partners-with-levi-strauss-co-to-combine-soccer-and-hiv-prevention-in-world-cup-camp/ (March 22, 2011) True enough, Levi Strauss & Co. definitely knows how to use influence in a positive

College Education Purpose Essay -- Education University Degree Essays

College Education Purpose Before World War II, attending college was a privilege, usually reserved for the upper class, but, in today’s society scholarships, grants, and loans are available to the average student which has made pursuing a college education a social norm. Norms are usually good, they help keep society run in an organized manner by sharing common rules and values. But, when pursuing a college education becomes a norm, it does more destruction than good. For a lot of students, a major reason for attending college is because their parents tell them it’s the thing to do to become successful in life. These eighteen year olds who had virtually no say in what they wanted to study in high school are now ask â€Å" what is your major?† or better yet â€Å"what do you want to do for the rest of your life?† This is a big question, and most have no idea what they want to do. So, in a state of confusion they instinctively choose to study in a field that will benefit them economically when they graduate. Is this what a higher education means, to go through college fixed on the money? Or, is there a deeper meaning to it all, if so how can it be obtained? These are the sort of questions that need to be asked when considering going to college. To get a sense of what an education was intended for we must look at the ancient Greek society. The philosophers like the Sophist, Socrates, and Plato were a major part of the Greek society and the rest of the world. Take the Sophist for example, these scholars who would, for a fee, travel to give public lectures on such subjects as math, grammar, rhetoric, ethics and science. For the citizens, lectures were not only an educational experience, it was also considered a form of ... ...s, so, basically it is up to us to make that change. Now, I’m not talking about a revolt, at least not in the traditional sense. I suggest jumping the track and exploring what is out there in the world before deciding what you want to do for the rest of your life. This is what I had to figure out for my self. When I was a freshman majoring in business, and I was miserable because I had no interest in the classes I was taking, so I dropped out. I spent the next two years traveling, and somewhere in those two years I realized that photography was what I wanted to pursue. The funny thing was since I was about six I’ve always wanted to be a photographer, but I didn’t realize it because I didn’t stop to really think about what I truly wanted to do. I realize that I’m not going to make the big bucks, which is OK because you can’t put a monetary value on happiness.

Management: Hamburger and Traditional Dishes Essay

Questions 1. What opportunities and threats did McDonald’s face? How did it handle them? What alternatives could it have chosen? Ans: Opportunities: This wonderful phrase echoes around the world 50 million times a day, in 30,000 locations, in multitude of languages, in more than 120 countries around the globe. And this simple thought sums up the reason McDonald’s has become the best known and most popular quick service restaurant around the world, quite a tribute to Ray Kroc, who founded this company nearly 50 years ago with the simple vision expressed by his phrase ‘Take good care of those who work for you, and you will float to greatness on their achievements’ Threats: The threats to McDonald’s domestically are the lack of growth opportunities. The market is well saturated, and it would difficult to achieve double-digit growth. Other concerns are a newfound emphasis on healthier eating. But I feel the key threat to McDonald’s continued success. Because McDonald’s are everywhere, the dining experience is never special. And as Baby Boomers age and become more affluent, it is likely that they will leave behind their fast-food ways, if only to step up to moderately priced restaurants like Olive Garden, KFC and Pizzeria Uno. These chains have the added advantage of serving higher-margin alcoholic drinks. McDonald’s, meanwhile, has to continually battle Burger King and Wendy’s, which leads to an erosion of margins for everyone. Even alliances with toy manufacturers, while popular with consumers, do little for the bottom line because the cost to run these promotions can be quite expensive. How to handle them: McDonald’s faces some difficult challenges, the best solutions for them are: * Key to its future success will be maintaining its core strengths. * Unwavering focus on quality and consistency. * McDonald’s management organized a successful plan and also implement the plan. * McDonalds should provide traditional dishes. * The company could also look into expanding more aggressively abroad where the prospects for significant growth are greater. * McDonalds should distribute free sample in different offices and colleges. Alternatives: * McDonald’s is actively trying to reduce their negative impact on the environment by altering their company policies. * They have the ability to add healthier lines of food. * McDonalds should provide bonus to his employees for better performance. * McDonalds should decrease its prices in that country where per capita is very low. * McDonalds provide traditional dishes to their customers. 3. What is McDonald’s basic philosophy? How does it enforce this philosophy and adapt to different environments? Ans: McDonald’s main philosophy is to be the major player in the food services around the world. It achieves this philosophy by its highly professional management which keeps an eye on everything. Their planning and strategies are more customer driven then advertisement and moreover their food is what gives them edge over others. The management provides food according to the demand of its customer and its environment. For example: for Muslim countries their menu is according to their religious laws, for Japan where burgers are a snack, McDonald’s provide them accordingly. 4. Should McDonald’s expand its menu? If you say no, then why not? If you say yes, what kinds of products should it add? Ans: Yes, According to my view, McDonald’s satisfies the whole concept of fast food. It provides a vast range of edibles starting from different sort of burgers, snacks, different coffees, milkshakes, ice creams, pastas and even pizzas but it also provide some type of traditional dishes so that the people which do not likes these things will enjoy the traditional ones. 5. Why is McDonald’s successful in many countries around the world? Ans: In the present day – we all lead a very hectic lifestyle cramping our lives with endless things to do and accomplish. Gone are the days when meals were cooked and served in households three times a day, instead, the youth live on pre-cooked micro waved meals and fast food. We want food and we want it fast. This was essence for the rise of McDonald’s. Another reason is that McDonald’s management contributed for this huge success. It perform all five managerial skills very well and efficiently. They started from scratch but they are now a great player in food services. Their food, management , advertisement, pucks, highly equipped franchises(having sofas, chairs, Wi-Fi connections, etc) all make them best in the market and they stand out by giving edge now to its competitors in every respect.

What Is the Definition of Texture in Art

Texture is one of seven elements of art. It is used to describe the way a three-dimensional work actually feels when touched. In two-dimensional work, such as painting, it may refer to the  visual feel of a piece. Understanding Texture in Art At its most basic, texture is defined as a tactile quality of an objects surface. It appeals to our sense of touch, which can evoke feelings of pleasure, discomfort, or familiarity. Artists use this knowledge to elicit emotional responses from people who view their work. The reasons for doing so vary greatly, but texture is a fundamental element in many pieces of art. Take rocks, for example. A real rock might feel rough or smooth and it definitely feels hard when touched or picked up. A painter depicting a rock would create the illusions of these qualities through the use of other elements of art such as color, line, and shape. Textures  are described by a whole host of adjectives. Rough and smooth are two of the most common, but they can be further defined. You might also hear words like coarse, bumpy, rugged, fluffy, lumpy, or pebbly when referring to a rough surface. For smooth surfaces, words like polished, velvety, slick, flat, and even can be used. Texture in Three-Dimensional Art Three-dimensional artwork relies on texture and you cannot find a piece of sculpture or pottery that does not include it. Fundamentally, the materials used give a piece of art texture. That may be marble, bronze, clay, metal, or wood, but this sets the foundation for the work feels if it were touched. As the artist develops a piece of work, they can add more texture through technique. One might sand, polish, or buff a surface smooth or they might give it a patina, bleach it, gouge it, or otherwise rough it up. Many times you will see texture used in patterns such a series of intersecting diagonals lines that give a surface a basketweave look. Rectangles staggered in rows offer the texture of a brick pattern and concentric, irregular ellipses may imitate the texture of wood grain. Three-dimensional artists often use a contrast of texture as well. One element of an artwork may be smooth as glass while another element is rough and mangled. This contradiction adds to the impact of the work and can help convey their message just as strongly as a piece made of one uniform texture. Texture in Two-Dimensional Art Artists working in a two-dimensional medium also work with texture and the texture may either be real or implied. Photographers, for instance, almost always work with the reality of texture when creating art. Yet, they can enhance or downplay that through the manipulation of light and angle. In painting, drawing, and printmaking, an artist often implies texture through the use of brushstrokes  lines as seen in crosshatching. When working with the impasto painting technique or with collage, the texture can be very real and dynamic. Watercolor painter Margaret Roseman, said,  I aim for an abstract element of a realistic subject and use texture to add interest and suggest depth.  This sums up the way many two-dimensional artists feel about texture. Texture is something that artists can play with through the manipulation of their medium and materials. For instance, you can draw a rose on a rough textured paper and it wont have the softness of one drawn on a smooth surface. Likewise, some artists use less gesso to prime canvas because they want that texture to show through the paint they apply to it. Texture Is Everywhere As in art, you can see texture everywhere. To begin to correlate reality with the artwork you see or create, take the time to really notice the textures around you. The smooth leather of your chair, the coarse grains of the carpet, and the fluffy softness of the clouds in the sky all invoke feelings. As artists and those who appreciate it, regular exercise in recognizing texture can do wonders for your experience.