Strategies to Improve Personal Skills

Strategies to Improve Personal Skills POSITIVE ATTITUDE Whatever I want to achieve in this world one thing is very important to understand that before I reach my goal, before I set my goal or before I desire for something, it is very important to have a positive attitude, I have to get rid of the pessimist streak in me which will cause hinder the progress every time if things doesnt go my way. The positive attitude is also applicable when I am dealing with others as most of them are just like me trying to do their best. My attitude will motivate them as well, and will help me too. When I am applying for a work position, I have to research what that employer needs. Then tailor my Attitude and Approach to fit that employer. When I practice this Attitude and Approach, more often than Ill find that by helping them first, theyll be more willing to help me in return. In other words when I present myself to an employer as a person who cares about their needs, an employer is more likely to present me with what I need a job offer. TIME MANAGEMENT A time management skill is my ability to recognize and solve personal time management problems. With good time management skills I am in control of my time and my life, of my stress and energy levels. My make progress at work. I am able to maintain balance between my work, personal, and family lives. Ill have enough flexibility to respond to surprises or new opportunities. AVOID PROCRASTINATION AND LAZINESS A basic definition of procrastination is putting off the things that you should be doing now. This happens with all of us time after time. Yet, what makes a big difference for your success is your ability to recognize procrastination reasons and expressions in their different forms, and to promptly take them under control, before this bad habit steals your opportunities, damages your career and pride, or destroys your relationships. So why do not you do it now? Causes of procrastination Waiting for the right mood Waiting for the right time Lack of clear goals Underestimating the difficulty of the tasks Underestimating the time required to complete the tasks Unclear standards for the task outcomes Feeling as the tasks are imposed on you from outside Too ambiguous task METHODS TO IMPROVE PROFESSIONAL SKILL MULTITASKING I should concentrate on multitasking. Multitasking basically means where i can handle more than one task at the same time efficiently and effectively NETWORKING Networking is an intentional process of developing relationship between individual in order to exchange information, advice, resources, and support. It is a long-term investment conscious, ongoing and reciprocal. Networking is not spontaneous, unplanned or manipulative. DECISION MAKING SKILLS AND TECHNIQUES I should use my decision making skills to solve problems by selecting one course of action from several possible alternatives. Decision making skills are also a key component of time management skills. Decision Making can be hard, almost any decision involves some conflicts or dissatisfaction. The difficult part is to pick one solution where the positive outcome can outweigh possible losses. Avoiding decisions often seems easier. Yet, making my own decisions and accepting the consequences is the only way to stay in control of my time, my success, and my life, if i want to learn more on how to make a decision. TEAM WORK AND TEAM BUILDING ESSENTIALS Team building skills are critical for my effectiveness as a manager or entrepreneur. And even if I am not in a management or leadership role yet, better understanding of team work can make me a more effective employee and give me an extra edge in my corporate office. The other critical element of team work success is that all the team efforts are directed towards the same clear goals, the team goals. This relies heavily on good communication in the team and the harmony in member relationships. Some additional team building ideas, techniques, and tips I can use when managing teams in certain situation. I should make sure that the team goals are totally clear and completely understood and accepted by each team member. Make sure there is complete clarity in who is responsible for what and avoid overlapping authority. Build trust with my team members by spending one-on-one time in an atmosphere of honesty and openness. Allow my office team members build trust and openness between each other in team building activities and events. Give them some opportunities of extra social time with each other in an atmosphere that encourages open communication. Remedies to improve One at a Time: Set aside blocks of time each day to work exclusively on one specific task. With a little practice and organization, I have found that Ill be able to accomplish a lot more during these concentrated time blocks. Prioritize: To avoid procrastination and to make sure that the most important tasks get completed in a timely manner, make a list each day of which tasks need to be addressed. By working on the most important tasks in the priority order I have determine, I have a work list that will help me avoid hopping from task to task. Set Aside Time: If there are tasks i find consistently interrupting my main priorities, put limits on them. For example, break my habit of checking my email throughout the day and set aside a specific time for it in the morning, afternoon and evening. Cut out Interruptions: Reduce the likelihood of any interruptions that can get me sidetracked. If I am at my desk, working on my computer, turn off my instant messenger, lock out my email alerts and let co workers know I am busy. Divide and Conquer

Research methods in early childhood

In this article, it discusses the importance of literacy for kindergartners as portion of ‘school preparedness ‘ readying and the bilingual literacy in Singapore Primary School instruction system. The word ‘literacy ‘ frequently brings to mind â€Å" reading and composing † , but preschool literacy includes much more. Reading is a cardinal accomplishment that can be acquired with the careful planning and direction of skilled instructors. The usage of reading schemes coupled with other lending factors to assist a kid to read.debutLiteracy for PreschoolerThe word ‘literacy ‘ frequently brings to mind â€Å" reading and composing † , but preschool literacy includes much more. In the 2008, Ministry of Education ( MOE ) , Singapore launched the Kindergarten Curriculum Guide ( KCG ) . The KCG is meant to steer preschool instructors in fostering early scholars so that a steadfast foundation can be built to run into the academic demand of the instruction system in Singapore. Under the model, Language and Literacy is one of the chief key cognition and accomplishments to get by all who have graduated from any MOE licensed Kindergarten. The chief strands of linguistic communication and literacy are viz. : speech production, listening, reading and composing.School Readiness in SingaporeSingapore, observing its 45 independent old ages, is a little multicultural state that lacks natural resources. However, it thrives good by the hardworking and resilient citizen together with the inflow of one million foreign endowments and workers to hike its economic system. The so first Prime Minister of Singapore, Mr. Lee Kuan Yew, was the drive force behind to stress the importance of instruction, forcing through the authorization for bilingual literacy with English being the first linguistic communication and a female parent lingua ( Chinese, Malay and Tamil ) being the 2nd linguistic communication in the instruction system. In recent old ages, there has being an increasing accent in ‘school preparedness ‘ which is to fix immature kids for the compulsory primary instruction ( Kirkland, E.S. , 2002 ) . As shown by assorted research consequences, early literacy is the cardinal constituent to accomplish that. The term ‘bilingual ‘ literacy is to depict a individual holding the ability to talk, listen, read and compose in two linguistic communications. In fact, there is an outlook that when a kid turns seven, he is to be comparatively bilingual by being able to grok and utilize English as the first linguistic communication and Mother Tongue ( Chinese, Malay or Tamil ) as the 2nd linguistic communication. William and Lundstrom ( 2007 ) emphasized the demand for careful planning and direction by trained and skilled instructors in order for a kid to emerge as confident talker, hearer, reader and author.Research Question utilizing instance survey attackThe research inquiry for this instan ce survey is â€Å" How is bilingual reading promoted in school for the 4-6 old ages old? † Since 75 % of Singapore ‘s population are Chinese ( Statistics Singapore, 2009 ) , the two linguistic communications for this survey shall be the English and Chinese. The topics in this instance survey are 13 4-6 old ages old kids from the baby's room and kindergarten categories go toing a child care Centre in Singapore taught by three instructors. They are the Chinese Teacher who uses vocals, rimes and word games to learn Chinese linguistic communication ; the English Teacher who uses Thematic Approach to carry on her lesson and the Enrichment Teacher who uses flash cards, phonics and word games to learn reading in English. The end of this instance survey is to uncover how preschool instructors in Singapore facilitate bilingual reading in the linguistic communication and literacy development of immature kids to fix them for their following phase of larning. ‘Despite the unfavorable judgment of instance surveies, it is noted that the chief characteristic of instance survey is really utile and effectual to research and look into real-life context between instructors and kids. By utilizing interview and observation, research workers will be able to hear the ‘voices ‘ of instructors and kids when roll uping informations and findings for the intent of this research survey. As described by Johnson and Onwuegbuzie ( 2004 ) , both quantitative and qualitative informations will be collected to triangulate the consequences in the assorted research methods ‘ ( Ng, E. 2010 ) .literature reappraisalReadingReading under linguistic communication and literacy accomplishments is farther sub-divid ed into assorted constituents such as Book and Print Awareness ; Phonological and Phonemic Awareness ; Word Recognition and Comprehension. The KCG lists a ‘set of cardinal cognition, accomplishments and temperaments purposes to steer pre-school instructors in developing an appropriate course of study that would back up and advance kids ‘s acquisition and development ‘ ( MOE, 2008 ) . This list is meant to steer instructors to supply chances for kids to get the stated cognition, accomplishments and temperaments. For illustration, under reading strand, word acknowledgment is non expected of nursery kids, nevertheless, by the clip the kid is 5 or 6-years old, it is expected that they be able to intermix sounds to read 3-letter-words, read some frequence words, read a scope of words by decrypting or by sight, and read simple sentences. Upon graduation from his kindergarten old ages, the ultimate end for a kid is to be good prepared and equipped with accomplishments to manage the course of study outlook in the primary school old ages in front.Reading is a cardinal accomplishmentIn 1998, the joint-position paper of the National Association for the Education of Young Children ( NAEYC ) and the International Reading Association ( IRA ) , reported that ‘Learning to read and compose is critical to a kid ‘s success in school and later in life ‘ . The Access Center: Bettering Results for All Students K-8 had a similar determination reported that ‘reading is a cardinal accomplishment that defines the academic success or failure of pupils ‘ . During the Emergent and Early Literacy Workshop in Bethesda ( 2000 ) , Dr. Barbara Foorman from the University of Texas, Houston Medical School, reported that '88 per centum of pupils who were hapless readers in first class were hapless readers in 4th class ‘ and '87 per centum of pupils who were good readers in first class were good readers in 4th class ‘ ( National Institute of Health, 2000, 9 ) . These surveies showed a strong co-relation between the academic success of the kid and the ability to read and compose in preschool old ages. To province it boldly – we can about foretell a kid ‘s academic success in life upon his kindergarten graduation twelvemonth. Therefore it has become indispensable and pressing to learn preschool kids to read and compose aptly, enabling them to accomplish today ‘s high criterions of literacy ( NAEYC and IRA, 1998 ) . However, it has besides being reported by experient instructors that the kids they teach today are more diverse in their backgrounds, experiences, and abilities. With this increasing diverseness among immature kids, it is progressively overpowering for instructors to be expected to bring forth a unvarying result for all.Reading is a Erudite SkillReading is a erudite accomplishment and non a biological waking up. The ability to read does non develop of course. It is the result of continual development and acquisition. As emergent reader is invariably emerging, immature kids will go through through different phases of reading accomplishments and will meet different kinds of reading troubles ( Adams and Bruck, 1993 ) . During the workshop by National Institute of Health ( 2000 ) , Nelson, N. of Western Michigan University said that instead than waiting for failure, one preventative precedence is for trained and skilled instructors to fix kids to derive good reading accomplishments with specific types of cognition in reading and composing success during the preschool old ages. The end is to read with eloquence, truth, understanding and enjoyment. IRA and NAEYC ( 1998 ) believe that early childhood instructors need to understand the developmental continuum of reading and authorship and be skilled in a assortment of schemes. They could so do instructional determinations based on their cognition, current research and appropriate outlooks to scaffold kids ‘s acquisiti on.Reading SchemesRecently, schemes for reading have received considerable attending in the professional literature nevertheless it is improbable for any teaching method or attack to be effectual on its ain. An on-going appraisal of kids ‘s cognition and accomplishments will decidedly assist instructors to be after effectual direction ( NAEYC & A ; IRA, 1998 ) . Dr. Rao of National Institute of Education in Singapore defines reading schemes as ‘how readers conceive a undertaking, how they make sense of what they read, and what they do when they do non understand ‘ . Reading schemes as listed by the National Curriculum for England ( 1999 ) are phonemic consciousness and phonics knowledge ; word Recognition and in writing cognition ; grammatical consciousness and most significantly, contextual apprehension. These schemes are meant to learn kids whole scope of reading accomplishments such as cognizing the sound and name the letters of the alphabet, link sound and miss ive forms, able to place and intermix phonemes in words, read on sight high frequence words and other familiar words, acknowledge words with common spelling forms and acknowledge specific parts of words, understand how word orders affects significance, decipher new words, work out the sense of a sentence and focal point on intending derived from the text as a whole. Thereafter, instructor could integrate word games utilizing acquired phonics cognition to do larning more merriment for kids.Phonicss KnowledgeIn the web site of the National Institute for Literacy, it states that ‘Phonics is the relationships between the letters ( characters ) of written linguistic communication and the single sounds ( phonemes ) of spoken linguistic communication. ‘ The end of phonics direction is to assist early readers to acknowledge familiar words accurately and automatically and to â€Å" decrypt † new words. Phonicss instructions need to be systematic and expressed in order to b e effectual. Weaver, C. ( 1994 ) stated some ways instructors can assist kids to develop phonics knowledge such as indicating out interesting forms of oncomings and frosts during shared reading experiences and prosecute kids in activities that reinforce their natural acquisition of the letter/sound relationships. These activities can mask as games to play in category and can be tailored and catered consequently to the assorted age groups. The end is to prosecute kids ‘s head to get phonics knowledge that lead to word acknowledgment accomplishments.Phonicss Word GamesSome illustrations of phonics word games are presenting alphabet sound, kids are to fit get downing sound of the alphabet with the images utilizing chart and cards, or to name things in the environment that begin with a peculiar alphabet. If kids are older, they can play card game similar to the game ‘Snap ‘ where they will snarl at alphabets that begin the corresponding image shown in the Centre. Anoth er illustration of a word game is the fishing game whereby kids will angle out alphabets cards attached with a paper cartridge holder, and a fishing rod with a little magnet attached to the terminal so that kids will take bends to angle the needed alphabet cards. Such games can be played by playgroup kids to angle out the alphabets requested by instructors or it could be scaffold for kindergarten kids to larn basic spelling accomplishments where they will angle out all the alphabets to spell simple words they have learnt.Reading Schemes for Chinese LanguageInterestingly, the reading schemes and word games are non restrictive in larning the English Language. It can be adapted and used by linguistic communication instructors to learn kids other linguistic communications such as the Chinese Language which has its ain set of schemes.E-learningTraditionally, Chinese Language has being taught by pure rote larning for coevalss. With the promotion in engineering, primary schools in Singapor e are undergoing transmutation to recommend learning Chinese Language in a merriment and originative manner. The advanced thought of utilizing the ‘iFlashBook ‘ , an on-line service integrating multimedia, speech acknowledgment engineering and a content-rich library to congratulate the mainstream primary school text editions. Children can electronics learn besides known as ‘elearning ‘ by pull stringsing through the lessons with words being read out to them and their voices recorded as a signifier of feedback. These ebooks are available by through annual subscription fee ( Creative Technology Ltd, Singapore ) .Hanyu PinyinReading Chinese characters with the aid of English alphabets and its phonemes are known as Hanyu Pinyin, the Romanization of the Chinese characters. Hanyu Pinyin was introduced to school about 30 old ages ago to the upper primary onwards. However, it has made a important presence in the Chinese Language course of study such that all Primary one student are merely larning Hanyu Pinyin during their first six month in school. This is to help kids in reading and be able to identify in maps for the electronics resources made available in recent old ages.Chinese Fictional characters in PictureAs ancient Chinese characters are derived from the forms and visual aspects of objects, another advanced and originative thought is to utilize images to picture its form and significance of the words. These images make larning the Chinese characters merriment and easy by merely tie ining them with the existent signifier ( Tan, R. 2004 ) . For illustration, the Chinese Character c? « read as ‘huo ‘ agencies fire has its word image drawn to look like a fire so as to stand for the significance of the word.Lending AreasIn a study done by The Access Center on the scheme to better results for all pupils K-8, research grounds had pointed to three effectual lending factors in order for any environment to better literacy. These fac tors are classroom stuffs, the function of the instructor, and schoolroom design and layout. Another of import factor beyond schoolroom environment is the function of parent ‘s engagement by being active in their kids ‘s acquisition experiences. We will further depict each of these factors presented.a ) Classroom MaterialsResearch grounds has shown that there is a demand to hold knowing choice and usage of stuffs in order to develop an environment to back up literacy accomplishments in immature kids. The usage of signifiers and maps of print aid to function as a foundation from which kids become progressively sensitive to missive forms, names, sounds and words. In the study done by Gunn, Simmons, & A ; Kammeenui, ( 1995 ) to derive apprehension in the map of print, one of the term to specify emergent literacy was the consciousness of the utilizations of print from specific ( eg. doing shopping lists, reading street marks, looking up information ) to general ( eg. geting cognition, conveying instructions, keeping relationships ) .B ) The Role of the TeacherTo back up that, instructors could incorporate phone books, bill of fare, and other written stuffs into pupil drama so that kids will be able to see the connexions between the written word and spoken linguistic communication. For pupils to hold entree to a assortment of resources, instructors are to supply many books in the schoolroom library to keep pupil ‘s involvement and expose them to assorted subjects and thoughts. Teachers could besides supply activities within the schoolroom such as linguistic communication and literacy drama, reading aloud, storybook reading, reading to dolls, composing notes to friends, doing shopping lists, and taking telephone messages. This will let kids to better reading accomplishments and experience joy and power associated with literacy. Seizing these docile minutes and supply developmentally appropriate stuffs and interactions will farther literacy developm ent ( Gunn, Simmons, & A ; Kammeenui, 1995 ) .degree Celsius ) Classroom Design and LayoutThe physical environment of the schoolroom is important for developing literacy growing in kids. Surveies suggested that physical agreement of the schoolroom can advance clip with books ( IRA & A ; NEAYC, 1998 ) such as in the library Centre to hold tonss of comfy infinites for kids to curve up and loosen up with a book ; books are to beautifully expose and be accessible to kids. By supplying marionettes, composing stuffs and listening equipments will promote kids to widen their reading experiences. Place paper, pens, pencils, crayons throughout the room to promote kids to â€Å" compose † . Finally, display kids ‘s work and images.vitamin D ) Parent-Child Mediated Learning Experience ( MLE )Russell, et.al ( 2008 ) reported a important correlativity between parent who have given the ‘affect, focal point, attending, and communicating of a feeling of competency for larning â₠¬Ëœ and their ‘children ‘s optimum public presentation ‘ . It has being noted that the parents today are more educated and intelligent. By reading widely, they have kept themselves abreast with latest engineering and find. Furthermore, most household family are now dual-income and younger twosomes are choosing for smaller household unit with merely one or two kids. This alteration in household construction is get downing to engender a different civilization in modern parents. They are more unfastened to new methodological analysiss and doctrines with the underlying purpose to supply the best for their kids as stated in the front screen of Tony Buzan ‘s â€Å" Brain Child † ( 2003 ) that says â€Å" How Smart Parents Make Smart Kids † . The new strain of parents would travel the excess stat mi to foster their kids. They view it as a wise and shrewd long-run investing in their kids ‘s instruction in order to make their fullest potency in the hereafter. Therefore another important factor that is beyond schoolrooms environment which could develop literacy in kids is the active engagement of parents in their kids ‘s development.DecisionReading is a cardinal accomplishment and is indispensable and pressing to learn preschool kids to read and compose aptly so as to accomplish today ‘s high criterions of literacy. This could be achieved by integrating reading schemes carefully planned and instructed by skilled instructors.

Hercules (Marble statue of a youthful Hercules) - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 4 Words: 1340 Downloads: 3 Date added: 2018/12/28 Category Art Essay Type Research paper Level High school Tags: Ancient Greece Essay Hero Essay Mythology Essay Did you like this example? Antiquated Greek and also Roman legends are known to be polytheistic religions which rose in Western Europe numerous years back. Both of their way of life has faith in indistinguishable divine beings from well as demigods, otherwise called half-divine beings; in any case they have distinctive names to assign them. Maybe the most popular demigod known most remarkably for his superhuman quality is Hercules, the Roman name for the Greek demigod Heracles (Henig and Martin, 2013). Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Hercules (Marble statue of a youthful Hercules)" essay for you Create order The superman-like figure is considerably more prevalent in folklore than specific divine beings and goddesses. After some time, specialists and stone carvers have endeavored to portray Hercules through various sorts of material and physical stances. Albeit every portrayal has its own singularity in the material by which it was made and the position the demigod is holding, all appear to delineate a comparative man. Practically every portrayal of Hercules seems to depict a similar individual: a huge man holding and looking like the highlights of a human however the quality and muscle meaning of something more prominent and far mightier (Warren Falkland 2001). The depiction of Hercules in an unknown sculptors Marble Statue of a Youthful Hercules, an unknown sculptors Marble Statue of a Bearded Hercules, and Francisco de Zurbarans painting Hercules and Cerberus 1634 all combine to show the same half-god through muscle definition and facial appearance (Nichols Marden, 2000). Hercules is known as one of most iconic legends of ancient world. There are many adoptions told about the Hercules tale, ranging as from books, to movies e.g. Hercules released in 1997 by Disney. As a legend Hercules is thought to have been son of mortal Zeus and Alcmene who was the King of Gods. Hercules was greatest of all Greek heroes, was a paragon of masculinity and strength, and was famous for courageous adventures (Henig Martin, 2013). In Greek, he was named Heracles; he is however known by Romans and western world as Hercules. Hercules left on numerous risky undertakings, in which his valor and courage was tried, and of the most celebrated of his enterprises were the twelve works. However these twelve works have no confirmation to propose there is any reality behind them (Nichols Marden, 2000). The twelve works comprised of numerous thorough deeds that no common man could fulfill, for example, Slaying the Menean Lion and the nine headed hydra, and also catching the Cretan Bull. These are only a few cases of the numerous legendary victories Hercules has been applauded for. Hercules is usually known for his quality, bravery, inventiveness, and sexual ability (Warren Falkland 2001). He was the benefactor and defender of Gymnasia and Palaestrae (Nichols Marden, 2000). His notable properties are the lion skin and the club, and he was the watchman of Olympus. After his passing he turned into the lord of legends, sports, competitors, wellbeing, horticulture, richness, exchange, prophets and heavenly defender o f humankind. These awards were once accepted to be valid by the antiquated Greeks; however the cutting edge world denies he was a divine being, and guardian of Olympus (Henig Martin, 2013). Hercules was a multifaceted figure with opposing qualities, which empowered later specialists and essayists to pick and pick how to speak to him (Warren Falkland 2001). This is the reason a large number of the cutting edge portrayals of him differ. However none of these portrayals speak to all reality, and they have all been fictionalized to make an all the more captivating story (Nichols Marden, 2000). Student of historys verbal confrontation with reference to whether Hercules really existed, some trust the stories of Hercules depend on truth, others trust it is all legendary. However present day Historians concur that the stories of Hercules have been over misrepresented and the stories of Hercules are anecdotal (Warren Falkland 2001). This is a direct result of the upgrades of science, which discount the likelihood of the presence of the Ancient Greek Gods, now that lighting and thunder, and other common occasions can be clarified. However this does not undermine Hercules presence. Without a doubt there could have been an overcome and wild warrior named Heracles from antiquated Greece. Almost certainly this warrior slaughtered numerous men and won many fights, however these remarkable genuine victories, would have been over dramatic zed and misrepresented into far-getting legendary experiences to make a decent story (Warren Falkland 2001). This is a hypothesis that backings the claim that Hercules existed, it has been created through examination of old Historians, for example, Tacitus and Aristotles books that Hercules includes in it. With upgrades in science, and absence of proof we can concur that Hercules undertakings are anecdotal. There is no uncertainty he didnt share in his twelve works which included fetes, for example, killing the nine headed hydra, and he clearly did not hold the world on his shoulders. Furthermore, almost certainly that Hercules did not bite the dust and ascend to end up noticeably a divine being, despite the fact that the old Greeks really put stock in Hercules and these legends amid the old circumstances (Warren Falkland 2001). The legend of Hercules becoming alive once again and turning into a divine being, and the religion of the antiquated Greeks can be contrasted with Jesus and Christianity. 33% of the total populace trusts that Jesus was genuine; however there are comparable measures of confirmation to support Hercules was genuine, as there is for Jesus (Henig Martin, 2013). Over time artists and sculptors have attempted to depict Hercules through different types of material and physical poses. Although each depiction has its own individuality in the material by which it was created and the stance the demigod is holding almost all seem to depict a similar man. Almost every depiction of Hercules appears to describe the same person a massive man holding and resembling the features of a human but the strength and muscle definition of something greater and far mightier (Nichols Marden, 2000). The depiction of Hercules in an unknown sculpt to Marble Statue of a Youthful Hercules an un known sculpt or Marble Statue of a Bearded Hercules and Francis code Zurbaran painting Hercules and Cerberus all combine to show the same half god through muscle definition and facial appearance. The story of Hercules tells of a mortal boy born by Zeus king of the god and Alcmene a mortal woman. He walks and talks like a human while with holding the god-like power of strength. Though he is a man he is so far removed from the ordinary that the generic classification hardly contains him (EugeneMWaith1). In order to earn immortality and the respect of the gods upon Mt. Olympus Hercules is faced with many difficult tasks each designed to test his strength courage and desire to become immortal. The completion of twelve humanly impossible labors known as The 12 Labors of Hercules would allow not only for Hercules immortality and passage into Mt. Olympus but for his recognition as the greatest of all the Roman heroes in mythology (Nichols Marden, 2000). Of the twelve excruciating tasks the most difficult and dangerous is by far Hercules final labor capturing Cerberus and bringing him back to earth. Using his strength and agility Hercules drags the three-headed guard dog of the underworld all the way to the earth surface in order to satisfy the requirements of his task. This moment represents Hercules acceptance as an immortal among men finally allowed to ventur e onto Mt. Olympus. In conclusion, the legend of Hercules becoming alive once again and turning into a divine being, and the religion of the antiquated Greeks can be contrasted with Jesus and Christianity. 33% of the cutting edge total populace trusts that Jesus was genuine; however there is a comparable measure of confirmation to help Hercules was genuine, as there is to help Jesus References Henig, Martin. A new cameo from Lincolnshire.The Antiquaries Journal? 50, no. 2 (2013): 338-340. Nichols, Marden. Contexts for the Display of Statues in Classical Antiquity.? Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History? (2000). Warren, Falkland. Notes on Coins found in Cyprus.? The Numismatic Chronicle and Journal of the Numismatic Society11 (1891): 140-151.

How Safe Are Oil and Gas PipelinesNewsletter

Pipelines provide a transportation conduit, above or below ground, for hazardous products at considerably lower cost than alternative means by road or rail. However, can pipelines be considered a safe way to transport these products, including oil and natural gas? Given the current attention on high profile pipeline projects like Keystone XL or Northern Gateway, an overview of oil and gas pipeline safety is timely. There are 2.5 million miles of pipeline crisscrossing the United States, managed by hundreds of separate operators. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) is the federal agency responsible for enforcing regulations related to transportation of hazardous materials by pipeline. Based on publicly available data gathered by the PHMSA, between 1986 and 2013 there were almost 8,000 pipeline incidents (for a mean close to 300 a year), resulting in hundreds of deaths, 2,300 injuries, and $7 billion in damages. These incidents add up to an average of 76,000 barrels of hazardous products a year. The majority of the spilled materials consisted in oil, natural gas liquids (for example propane and butane), and gasoline. Spills can  create significant environmental damage and pose health risks. What Causes Pipeline Incidents? The most common causes of pipeline incidents (35%) involve equipment failure. For example, pipelines are subject to external and internal corrosion, broken valves, failed gaskets, or a poor weld. Another 24% of pipeline incidents are due to rupture caused by excavation activities, when heavy equipment accidentally strikes a pipeline. Overall, pipeline incidents are most common in Texas, California, Oklahoma, and Louisiana, all states with considerable oil and gas industry.   Are Inspection and Fines Effective? A recent study examined pipeline operators who were subject to state and federal inspections, and tried to determine whether these inspections or subsequent fines had an effect on future pipeline safety. The performance of 344 operators was examined for the year 2010. Seventeen percent of the pipeline operators reported a spill, with an average of 2,910 barrels (122,220 gallons) spilled. It turns out that federal inspections or fines do not appear to increase environmental performance, violations and spills are just as likely afterwards. Some Notable Pipeline Incidents February 5, 2000. An aging pipeline failure was the cause of a 192,000-gallon crude oil spill in the  John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge  (Pennsylvania).August 19, 2000. A natural gas pipeline owned by El Paso Natural Gas exploded near  Carlsbad, New Mexico, due to corrosion. Twelve people were killed while camping 600 feet from the blast.October 4, 2001. The iconic Alaskan Pipeline, which is built above ground, was shot by an intoxicated man leading to a 285,000-gallon crude oil spill.November 9, 2004. Due to a faulty pre-construction survey, heavy equipment operators were misinformed about the location of a gasoline pipeline in  Walnut Creek, California. Five workers were killed after a backhoe struck the pipeline.July 26, 2010. Over a period of 17 hours, a 30-inch crude oil pipeline owned by Enbridge Energy leaked well over a million gallons of crude oil into a tributary of the  Kalamazoo River in Michigan. The causes cited include cracks and corrosion. The crude oil or iginated from Alberta’s tar sands. The cleanup costs have surpassed $1 billion.September 9, 2010.  In  San Bruno, California, a PGE natural gas pipeline exploded and leveled 38 homes. There were 8 fatalities and many were injured.February 9, 2011. For decades a history of corrosion problems and design issues plagued the natural gas pipe network in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Several explosions have occurred since 1976, culminating in a 2011 blast that killed 5 people and destroyed 8 homes.March 29, 2013. A pipeline rupture led to a spectacular crude oil spill in a suburban neighborhood in Mayflower, Arkansas. Over 5000 barrels of tar sands bitumen leaked. Sources Stafford, S. 2013. Will Additional Federal Enforcement Improve the Performance of Pipelines in the United States? The College of William and Mary, Department of Economics, Working Paper No. 144. Stover, R. 2014. America’s Dangerous Pipelines. Center for Biological Diversity. Follow Dr. Beaudry: Pinterest | Facebook  | Twitter