Great Fire of London

The Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that swept through the central parts of the English city of London, from Sunday, 2 September to Wednesday, 5 September 1666. [1] The fire gutted the medieval City of London inside the old Roman City Wall. It threatened, but did not reach, the aristocratic district of Westminster, Charles II's Palace of Whitehall, and most of the suburban slums. [2] It consumed 13,200 houses, 87 parish churches, St. Paul's Cathedral, and most of the buildings of the City authorities. It is estimated that it destroyed the homes of 70,000 of the City's 80,000 inhabitants. 3] The death toll from the fire is unknown and is traditionally thought to have been small, as only six verified deaths were recorded. This reasoning has recently been challenged on the grounds that the deaths of poor and middle-class people were not recorded anywhere, and that the heat of the fire may have cremated many victims, leaving no recognisable remains. The Great Fire started at the bakery of Thomas Farriner (or Farynor) on Pudding Lane, shortly after midnight on Sunday, 2 September, and it spread rapidly west across the City of London.The use of the major firefighting technique of the time, the creation of firebreaks by means of demolition, was critically delayed due to the indecisiveness of the Lord Mayor of London, Sir Thomas Bloodworth. By the time large-scale demolitions were ordered on Sunday night, the wind had already fanned the bakery fire into a firestorm which defeated such measures. The fire pushed north on Monday into the heart of the City. Order in the streets broke down as rumours arose of suspicious foreigners setting fires.The fears of the homeless focused on the French and Dutch, England's enemies in the ongoing Second Anglo-Dutch War; these substantial immigrant groups became victims of lynchings and street violence. On Tuesday, the fire spread over most of the City, destroying St. Paul's Cathedral and leaping the River Fleet to threat en Charles II's court at Whitehall, while coordinated firefighting efforts were simultaneously mobilising. The battle to quench the fire is considered to have been won by two factors: the strong east winds died down, and the Tower of London garrison used gunpowder to create effective firebreaks to halt further spread eastward.

The Power of Eye Contact

Eye contact and eye expressions are arguably one of the strongest and most intimate forms of non-verbal communication through reading a person’s body language during face-to-face interaction. Eye contact can make or break a job interview or presentation, romantic dates, casual conversations and many other situations. It can show whether a person is feeling sad, happy, confident, excited or scared and so on.Experts say it is unclear whether it is a person’s eyeballs directly portraying the look of certain emotions or if it is the muscles surrounding the eyeball that creates the expression. â€Å"When we make eye contact with another person, we are in some sense giving that person keys to our emotional world† (Ellsberg 6). Research explains that the most distinct expression is the glistening expression of rage in a person’s eyes. It can cause the eyes to become bright, bloodshot and even protruding from the sockets, which Darwin calls an example of serviceab le expression (Ellsberg 15).Serviceable expression is one of the types of principles that Charles Darwin believes is the majority of human body language, the other one being the principle of anti-thesis, which he wrote about in his book The Expressions of Emotions in Man and Animals in 1872. Serviceable expression is natural instinct like reaction that the eyes make to a certain situation. For example, if it is bright or someone is having trouble seeing something, they will squint or if a person is surprised their eyes will widen, making their emotions obvious to others.The other principle is the principle of antithesis which is described by the â€Å"shrug†. This principle is done voluntarily and used to express opposing attitudes. In chapter one of The Power of Eye Contact by Michael Ellsberg, the author explain how many of his friends had a deep, emotional and almost very personal hatred against Bill Clinton, even though they had all never met him. At an event one night, s ome of these friends ended up face-to-face with Clinton and their views of him changed immediately all because of his powerful eye contact.Many say that Bill Clinton not only seduces woman, but everyone he makes eye contact with. He starts off with a handshake and looks deep into the eyes of that person, and when moving on to the next person, he looks back at the previous person â€Å"sealing the deal†. His eye contact is so powerful it can make whoever he is speaking to make them feel as if they are the only two in a room full of people. He can make a person feel that they are almost special to him. Many woman go home afterwards expecting a message r e-mail from Bill because they felt so connected after locking eyes in such a seductive manner. Eye contact is a natural occurrence, though, it is also a skill that can be learned to be improved on in just two weeks, illustrates chapter two. Many people have a fear of eye contact. My own personal experiences proves that some peop le out there are terrified of eye contact with strangers. A few months ago I had been getting work done on my car when the mechanic called me over to speak of some issues and that was when I realized he could not look me in the eyes.He looked everywhere else but at my eyes. When he did make the slightest eye contact with me he immediately looked in the opposite direction like it was an accident or he had did something wrong. It was so bad I could not even focus on what he was saying because I was so confused that maybe something was wrong with him or even the possibility that he might have been blind, that was how bad it was. People may be petrified by eye contact because it makes them feel vulnerable. If they make eye contact with a person then that person maybe be able to tell how they really feel.Some people just want to keep their feelings and emotions to themselves because of the possible risks of being laughed at or embarrassed. Second, others may be afraid of eye contact beca use they have social phobias or anxieties (Ellsberg 36). Psychologists have come up with steps for people to overcome their fear of eye contact. Step one consists of â€Å"eye gazing† with a friend or family member. It consists of sitting a foot or two in front of them and staring them in the eyes in intervals, helping eye contact become more comfortable for you.Next is to walk down a street and look strangers that pass in the eye just long enough to determine their eye color. If the person notices you making eye contact with them, when looking away do not look up or down, but either left or right. If you look down it is perceived as a look of shame or that you are portraying yourself to be a lesser to the other person and that they are better (Ellsberg 40). Step three requires you to hold longer periods of eye contact with strangers like waiters/waitresses or cashiers and clerks to practice making eye contact. Doing this can actually help you and others brighten up your day! Furthermore, the fourth step asks that you make substantial eye contact with family members, friends, co-workers or anyone else you may know. Showing the correct amount of eye contact during conversation shows that the person is actually paying attention to what is being said. Last but not least, take all the skills you have learned and apply them to making substantial eye contact with people you have just met. This can help you develop new experiences with people and a sense of trust with strangers just by making eye contact and reading their expressions.Eye contact is very important when it comes to determining and establishing relationships either with friends or new acquaintances, but it becomes an even more crucial skill when it comes to business, specifically in sales as it is discussed in chapter 5. â€Å"Body language is 80 percent of sales† remarks Victor Cheng, a successful business coach who has been featured on Fox News, MSNBC and even in the Wall Street Journal ( Ellsberg 105). During a business meeting Cheng was excellent at getting answers because he could read the answers to his questions because everyones eye and facial expressions were so obvious.He could read easily whether Jena hated an idea or loved it because her eyes lit right up and posture completely changed. When people say the saying â€Å"I can see it, it’s written all over your face†, this is what they mean. Reading the person is like reading a book because their expressions are so clear. Cheng further explains that eye contact in business helps you understand if the client is trusting and listening to you on the advice or input that’s being given. If eye contact is not made it may be assumed that something may be wrong with the person or that there might be some issues.If a person is trying to sell a product, even if they don’t like it or believe it in, if they act enthusiastic the customer may take that as it’s a good product and buy, thou gh it is hard to fake if its a bad product or service. On the other hand, true enthusiasm and belief in a product or service that is being sold will make it so much easier to sell compared to something that is not of good quality. People can see the difference in the salesperson’s expressions and help complete making the overall sale. When selling something the salesperson also has to be aware of the customers expressions as well.If they are not happy and it is definitely obvious the sale won’t happen, the customer will show overt signs of disinterest such as keeping their arms folded or they are not making eye contact. When making eye contact with a customer you do not want too little eye contact but not too much eye contact. The perfect amount is intermittent. Also, to fully be paying attention, you need to be listening in addition to the eye contact. In a job interview, the person being interviewed is like the product being sold.Good eye contact and expressions must be portrayed along with true interest in the person to be sold. Seeing expressions of confidence, comfort and trust are some of the greatest expressions in a job interview and workplace situation. Chapter 6, How to Wow a Crowd with Eye Contact discusses eye contact in public speaking and presentations. Toastmasters is an organization devoted to helping people learn to perfect public speaking, presentations and communication skills and consists of 250,000 members and 11,000 chapters all throughout the world (Ellsberg 131).Toastmaster holds the Toastmasters World Champion of Public Speaking yearly where there are many competitions and tests that weeds out the weakest to come to one final winner at the end. For some people, I know myself as well, something like Toastmaster is horrifying, having to perfect public speaking in front of large crowds purely for gruesome competition. Many previous champions stress how eye contact is an extremely important aspect of the competition and a key to becoming the best.The secret to creating the best first impression on the audience through eye contact is when the speaker comes on stage, to stand there for a bit and not begin speaking right away. The speaker gives the audience a chance to get a feel for his or her self and look them in the eyes to make each person there feel that they are â€Å"one† with the speaker when direct eye contact is made. This is called â€Å"relational presence†. It allows the audience to judge and connect with the speaker personally. When you begin to speak, share with the audience how you feel. If you are horribly sick, let them know.They will feel closer with you and understand if your speech isn’t the greatest while having even more respect in the end. If feeling overwhelmed in front of a large crown, Author and Speaker Lee Glickstein recommends breaking down the crowd into smaller groups mentally. This was something he decided to do out of fear and then later learned that many skilled speakers use this technique as well. Furthermore, nowadays many people use multimedia tactics to give presentations such as powerpoint presentations. It is a common habit to read straight off the lides which tends to put the audience to sleep, which is the biggest mistake when it comes to visual presentations. To counteract this problem try using eye contact to keep the audience awake by constantly choosing on people rather than just reading. After learning many different techniques and skills to creating strong and powerful eye contact and avoiding finding fear in those situations, it is not even the lessons we learned that really matter, it is inside you that matters. Making eye contact with people lets them see inside you, read you, and understand your emotions.As hard as someone tries, hiding emotions through their facial and eye expressions is nearly impossible. If a person is sad or uncomfortable with themselves, then they will not feel comfortable creating eye co ntact and allowing other people in to understand if they cannot understand themselves. A person must be comfortable and confident with themselves to create the distinct power in the glares that melts people like Bill Clinton has the capability to do. With a look deep into the eyes of Clinton can seduce even men, who had absolute hatred for him beforehand.One ten second glance and a handshake from Clinton emits enough charisma and strength to change a person’s view on someone they have previously strongly disliked. To have the upmost confidence to give a speech or presentation with strong eye contact, whether being close friends, co-workers or even family, it is most important to have practiced and be comfortable with yourself first. It takes belief and trust in yourself to use the skills and techniques to their maximum. Reference: Ellsberg, Michael. The Power of Eye Contact. New York: HarperCollins. 2010. Print.

Question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 9

Question - Essay Example These defined liabilities are the results of the past events that will be turning into future economic outflows from the company, these liabilities successfully meet the standard definition of obligation but their measurement and computation is often observed to be a debatable issue. As the above-discussed liabilities are future expenses for the company, their future value computation may depend upon numerous factors. These liabilities are very sensitive to the rates of interest of the country and other external factors such as government policies, inflation rates, time value of money, and the probable date of maturity. Their date of maturity may change and solely depends upon the clauses and covenants placed upon them in the contracts. The lease commitments are the future payments of the leased item. Only the current liability under the lease agreement contains a true value of the lease payment for the year, the non-current liabilities hold an estimated figure to be paid in the future. The purchase obligation makes an organization to bound into a commitment of purchase of an item in the future date. The market value of the item in the future cannot be defined in the present period; an estimated value is considered in this case as well. In the case of marketable securities, the rates and maturity periods, and markets for the item are estimated based on assumptions. The derivatives also fall into the same category. The nature of these obligations makes it difficult for the company to reflect and present the real and accurate value of these items. Hence, there is a possibility that the liabilities been shown by the companies may differ from their actual worth. Ernst & Young LLP is the audit firm which performs external audit of Apple Inc. and PriceWaterhouseCoopers performs external audit of Dell Inc. The auditors of both

Cross-cultural management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Cross-cultural management - Assignment Example Others have also become economically successful after venturing into business activities. Most of the earlier Lebanese immigrants who came to Australia were Christians though this has changed in recent years with more Muslims immigrating to the country (Mansour, 2010). According to reports, the 2006 Australian census revealed that the number of Lebanese Australians living in the country stood at 125, 564 people. Out of this number, 52.5% of the population were comprised of males whereas the remaining 47.5% were comprised of females. These people are mostly found in the states of Victoria (20%) or New South Wales (75%) (Chapman, 2007). Results, Findings and Discussion There are various concepts that may help in understanding the relationships that exist within the Lebanese groups living within Australia. A few Lebanese Australians stick to the concepts of individualism which imply that they either act on their own or decide on their choices alone (Jamal & Chandab, 2005). According to previous reports, these Lebanese Australians also interact with other members of their community as though they were individuals (Mansour, 2010). On the other hand, the majority of the Lebanese Australians follow the notions of collectivism. They usually stand by the values and principles upheld by the groups they interact with and leave their individual values out of these groups (Aslan, 2009). The concepts of collectivism that are followed by most Lebanese immigrants have many disadvantages for this CALD (Culturally and linguistically diverse) community (Hage, 2002). These concepts do not allow a Lebanese individual to pursue his own desires and they also destroy the group’s ability of making proper ethical judgments. The issues of collectivism among the Lebanese have also been discouraged since they encourage vices like racism among their workers who may be working in culturally diverse organizations. This is mainly because they do not mix with people from other cultures a s they work (Mansour, 2010). The Lebanese Australians, following the concepts of collectivism, think as groups and do not have time to socialize and appreciate the diverse values and beliefs that other cultures have (Hage, 2002). This tendency may eventually reduce the productivity and efficiency of their workers thereby reducing a company’s profitability (Jamal & Chandab, 2005). In Australia, there are many linguistically and culturally diverse communities that work within their organizations. These communities have different values, attitudes and beliefs, which therefore implies that they have many differences among them (Mansour, 2010). The formation of groups by the Lebanese Australians prevents them from socializing with other communities and the lack of communication eventually tends to create animosities between these workers. This is mainly because none of them seems to understand or appreciate the differences that exist in their different cultures or backgrounds (Hag e, 2002). According to previous studies, most of the current crop of Lebanese Australians are very well educated and have professional jobs (Jamal and Chandab, 2005). However, there are other native communities that live within Australia and are not as well educated as they are. In order for the

Operation and sizing of energy storage for wind power plants in a Term Paper

Operation and sizing of energy storage for wind power plants in a market - Term Paper Example Wind energy provides a priceless supplement for the energy sources available conventionally across the world. However, the sporadic nature of wind energy limits the maximum penetration of wind power that can be made available for the networks of electricity (Korpas, Hildrum and Holen 1). Also, since production in wind power experiences significant fluctuations, it becomes difficult for the owners of the wind power plants to sustain against the competition in the emerging markets of electricity. Some of the significant factors in relation to the operation and sizing of energy storage for wind power plants in a market include the impact of the mechanisms of the electricity markets, constraints of the transmission line, and forecast of the accuracy of the wind power. These factors together determine the advantages and disadvantages of the storage of wind power. Considering all these issues, a computer model has been developed to achieve the scheduling and operation of the resources bein g distributed in the market system (Korpas, Hildrum and Holen 1). The present study discusses on the operation and sizing of the energy storage for wind power plants in a market. ... In case of generation of excess electricity, often wastage occurs. Countries like the United Kingdom (UK) have reported huge payments for power that remained unused since the year 2011. The cost of such unused power shifts on to those who pay the taxes. Continuous research is being conducted to determine the causes of a marketplace leading to power wastage. Over the years, greater attention has been drawn on the hydro-electric storage and use of more modern battery and fuel cell systems. Cryogenic energy storage (CES) has been obtained as one of the most effective measures for capture and storage of electricity, the process being highly innovative and new. It is expected that CES will be able to solve the current problems of wind power storage of energy (Lo). Hydro-Storage for Wind Power Energy: It is being researched and suggested that higher rates of pumped hydro storage would benefit the storage of wind power. This process enables storage of energy through water being pumped from a low reservoir to a reservoir located at a higher location. The method is applied in case of excess of energy. In case of wind energy, this is helpful when wind blows hard at the nights. Thus when the energy is needed, the valves of the storage can be opened up and the water can be allowed to run through the wind turbines. This is a process similar to all hydro stations (Richard). Cryogenic energy storage (CES) for Wind Power Energy Storage: As discussed, one of the most prominent problems in regard to the storage of wind power energy is the intermittency of the power, making the issue of energy storage highly critical. Engineers have in the present times focused on cryogenic energy storage where they have established technology trying to create a modular, scalable

Osama Bin Laden - Most Fascinating Figure in The Looming Tower Essay

Osama Bin Laden - Most Fascinating Figure in The Looming Tower - Essay Example Bin Laden was always keen, willing and took the initiative in doing new things. In the book, the author describes Bin Laden as an â€Å"enterprising young Saudi† (Wright, 61). His portrayed a never die attitude and never backed away from any job. He was authoritative from a very young age. He showed the characteristics of a leader at a young age when he looked after his brothers and sisters. The qualities of a leader that he showcased in his adulthood were visible in his childhood and teen ages. One of his childhood companions remembers in the book that his siblings were afraid of Osama more than their father. He said, â€Å"If his stepfather wanted something done, he would tell Osama. His brothers say they didn't fear their father as much as they did Osama† (Wright, 74). Another fascinating aspect of Bin Laden is the fact that in spite of coming from a rich family and going to a western school, he developed an attitude that was against westerns and had a heart for the poor. He felt the sorrow and pain of the less fortunate. He showed his displeasure and frustration towards situations in Palestine and Arab worlds. He became religious and gave up completely on western likes. It was easy for him like any other kid from a similar background to enjoy the perks of the luxurious life style. But his passion for Islam was enormous.

Managing Personal Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Managing Personal - Case Study Example Effective communication is an important tool that has wide ranging influence in the smooth functioning of corporate bodies. It is significant in the administration of the organization and projection of organization's aims and objectives in the eyes of the public and stakeholders and also promotes better understanding of cross cultural values and help resolve conflicts. The change greatly facilitated in creating congenial work atmosphere that motivated and inspired others to improve their performance and achieve organization's goals with more enthusiasm, vigor and creativity. The third important change that he brought into the organization was in the regular performance appraisal that was linked to the compensation. The various offices, located at different geographical locations had wide disparity in the performance appraisal systems that were considerably influenced by the individual and regional interests. The uniform appraisal system ensured that employees across the world had equal opportunity for personal and professional growth. Indeed, the changes were designed to inculcate better ethical imperatives to provide competitive edge in the fast changing global business with long term benefits. The time bound implementation of its strategic goals had hugely improved the overall image and credibility of the organization. Answer 1(b) When Prince had made wide ranging changes in the strategic goals and administrative processes of Citigroup due to falling credibility of its ethical and regulatory control, he had the option of using different change model that could have expedited the solution of its immediate problems. Instead of adopting an integrated approach he might have solely focused on was strong appraisal system and stringent regulation and control system. Answer 1(c) Prince could have followed these model of change primarily because the focused approach would have given him and the organization to overcome the difficult phases of MTS in Europe and Japan fiasco which had greatly affected the credibility of the organization. The effective appraisal system would have ensured early detection of mismanagement so as to avert another Japan like event to corrode organizational image. Stringent regulation and control would have ensured adherence to company's guidelines and values. Most importantly, the process would have expedited the process of getting a clean chit from the U.S. Federal Reserve Board that had barred the company from making any 'significant acquisitions before getting its house in order'. These changes would have resulted in short term gain. Answer 2(a) When Prince took over the stewardship of Citigroup, it was under tremendous pressure from the Federal Regulation Authority and had huge demoralizing repercussions from the event of Japan and MTS. Under his leadership, he created visions and goals and inspired the workforce to work towards achieving them. In the fast changing equation of global business environment, he needed to introduce changes that would inculcate strong organizational culture which would be truly global in essence and encompass values that would cut across cultural divide and local interest. To make a significant difference to the work place, it is important the leaders and managers need to develop and enhance cross cultural relationship that must go beyond the officialdom in order to win the trust of the

Labour law and labour market regulation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Labour law and labour market regulation - Essay Example In the case of Wiltshire County Council v NATFHE and Guy, the court was faced with the question of determining whether a part-time contract was for a fixed period or not. It involved Ms Guy who was employed at s a teacher and attended some teaching lessons but later the course was removed due to reasons such as under subscription amongst others leaving her without employment. When her contract was not renewed she complained of being dismissed unfairly claiming that she was protected by the Employment Protection Act 1978 which in its strict interpretation envisaged that hers was a fixed term contract The appeal court held that her contract was for a fixed term and the contract subsisted even if she had been technically dismissed. Stating that a fixed contract is one in which there was a defined beginning and end. Therefore, basing on the Wiltshire case, Joe can claim unfair dismissal on grounds of discrimination after which the case will be taken to a tribunal for determination This therefore means that there are certain provisions that must be met that include giving the employee the mandatory notice period required in order to terminate the contract and the steps to be followed in the termination process. 2 The employer can only terminate the contract for reasons amongst them non-performance of duties, job elimination and misrepresentation amongst other reasons and must be written in a statement to the employee.3 The employer is therefore required to pay their employees there severance pay or any other form of financial consideration that may be entitled to the employee. The termination of the employment of Joe must not be based on discriminatory reasons and therefore in any sort of remedy sought; the courts of law will determine the reasons for the termination of the employment. If Joe had an individual contract with his employer or was covered by a collective bargaining agreement, his remedies and compensation will be covered under the stipulations of t hat agreement that subsisted before the termination of the contract. In a jurisdiction such as that of the United Kingdom, the courts or the tribunals can hear the cases brought for wrongful termination of the contract of employment. If proven that the contract of employment between Joe and that of his employer was wrongfully terminated, the court has remedies that it can give Joe.4 One remedy available to Joe is that he can be reinstated back to the position or job he held previously before termination of the employment. The courts may also order for monetary compensation to Joe for the wrongful dismissal that will be calculated commensurate with what he previously earned.5 Question 1 (b) Dismissing an employee who has had a long-term history of illness or sickness is one of the major difficult decisions employers have to make when considering terminating the employment of a sick employee in the United Kingdom.6 An employer is entitled to dismiss but fairly an employee who is absen t from duty due to sickness that may be long-term in nature but there is a caveat that they must demonstrate that they have acted in a fair, sensitive manner.7 This means that

Criminological Theory and Sanctions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Criminological Theory and Sanctions - Essay Example Perceived net benefit, therefore, motivates a criminal behavior. Routine activities theory further explains interaction of motivation from perceived net benefits with presence of a vulnerable target and absence of guidance. Occurrence of a crime within these frameworks would therefore define a normal criminal activity and support normal sanction codes but not an occurrence outside frameworks, which should require a different consideration in determining a sanction. A criminal activity in which perceived cost is far above perceived benefits or one that is conducted in full presence of a guardian and on non-vulnerable target identifies factors that may require lesser sanctions. This is because of possible biological, social, and psychological complications into criminal behavior that requires different approaches to prevention of criminal activities based on causes. Remedying behavior caused by genetic problems, for example, require biological initiatives that are not the same for init iatives for social or psychological dependent behavior (Bryant 144-

Topics in the area of international management, marketing Research Proposal

Topics in the area of international management, marketing international strategic decision-making - Research Proposal Example Therefore, organizational culture and power structures have a definite say in defining the image of an organization in the international arena. The important thing is that it is this very image of an organization that constitutes a considerable part of the information required by the international collaborators and competitors. Thus, organizations operating in a globalized scenario, no more afford to be passive or ignorant about the culture and political structures coming within their scope and ambit. To facilitate effective decision-making mechanisms, it is necessary that organizations consciously decide as to what their in house culture and the resultant global perception needs to be. No doubt, such an approach leads to positive outcomes in both local and international avenues. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate and understand how organizational culture and politics influence international strategic decision-making. There is no denying the fact that an organization’s culture and political framework have a direct and conclusive say in the strategic decision-making processes. However, the extent to which organizational culture and power influence international strategic decision-making is a topic that solicits ample scholarly attention and investigation (Nwachukwu et al. 757). Till date, the popular perception has been that though corporate culture and power structures were important factors that aided the understanding of the respective working of individuals and groups employed in an organization, yet such unspoken and intangible parameters scarcely influenced international strategic decision-making (Hunt & Vitell 12). On the contrary, their existed a small but influential group of scholars who held that a formalization of the corporate values and power structures not only defined the roles of the specific employees, but had a direct bearing on the