Personal Effectiveness for Assistance Program - myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about thePersonal Effectiveness for Assistance Program. Answer: The meeting was conducted with the manager in order to discuss the different health challenges that were being faced by all the employees of the MacVille Company. There was a large scale absenteeism that was gradually increasing in the company. These absent rates were increasing mainly due to the health related issues. If no steps or remedy measures are taken immediately then the absent rates will keep on increasing and this in turn will hamper the total production of the company (Joyce et al 2016). Hence, several health training sessions must be arranged by the company under the Employee Assistance program scheme. This will enable the company to make an evaluation of the different kinds of issues that are being faced by the employees. This will be the identification step. After the identification, there will be the planning and implementation phase, where different programs related to health issues will be set up for the employees and; lastly the evaluation and feedback phase in ord er to get an idea about the experience of the employees and about the success of program. The timeframe allotted for this process will be 12 months. Objectives The main objectives of the program were to set up various heath safeties and well being sessions for the employees so that they can participate in it and get rid of all their health issues (Giese and Cook 2014). This will help in identifying and mitigating the health issue that is being faced by all the employees at the workplace that is at Mac Ville. The objective was to carry on a health, nutrition and well being survey for all the employees (Shrestha et al 2016). Their medical tests were also conducted including the BMI and cholesterol tests as well. This was done so that the employees can attend the programs and manage their health issues. Progress of program The entire program was more or less successful. There was a positive reaction available from almost all the employees. The number of employees interested in the services of a health coach increased from 15% to 24%. As per the employee feedback and the survey most of the programs were attended by all the employees as they were interested and also got positive results. Dealing with obesity was one of the targets of this scheme. The employees who were diagnosed to be obese attended the session and also lost weight under the Macvilles biggest loser program. However some employees could not participate due to the time managementproblem. Feedback The employee feedback was more or less positive. The employees were really interested in all the health sessions. The stress management workshop and the Macvilles biggest loser were attended by a large number of employees as it proved quite beneficial to them. However the employees found it tough to agree to the QUIT campaign as they did not want to quit their lunch break for these sessions. Moreover, employees found it tough to part take in the early morning walk as they could not get shower and breakfast on time. The corporate fund raising walk was also not attended by many because of lack of proper information and awareness (Richard 2014). Some modifications that can be made are particularly in the time management. The fund that is to be allotted right at the beginning of the year must be done taking into consideration all the needs and requirements of the employees. There must be a well developed communication system developed so that the employees can be informed about the time and date of the programs so that they do not miss it. The scheduling of the QUIT campaign must be done keeping in mind the lunch break of employees. Separate time slots must be allotted for these sessions. Employees do need some refreshments in the midst of the long working hour. So, it must not be done during break time. The early morning walk is to be scheduled at such a time so that the employees can at least get their breakfast before joining in. Proper arrangement is to be made regarding the timings of the campaigns so as not to hamper the eating or resting time of the employees. It has to be kept in mind that these sessions are for the e mployee betterment so it must be done as per their convenience. References Giese, K.K. and Cook, P.F., 2014. Reducing obesity among employees of a manufacturing plant: translating the Diabetes Prevention Program to the workplace. Workplace health safety, 62(4), pp.136-141. Joyce, S., Modini, M., Christensen, H., Mykletun, A., Bryant, R., Mitchell, P.B. and Harvey, S.B., 2016. Workplace interventions for common mental disorders: a systematic meta-review. Psychological medicine, 46(4), pp.683-697. Richard, M.A., 2014. Employee assistance programs: Wellness/enhancement programming. Charles C Thomas Publisher. Shrestha, N., Pedisic, Z., Neil-Sztramko, S., Kukkonen-Harjula, K.T. and Hermans, V., 2016. The Impact of obesity in the workplace: A review of contributing factors, consequences and potential solutions. Current obesity reports, 5(3), pp.344-360.

Russia in Wto free essay sample

Affaires Master of International Business Essay â€Å"Russian Federation in WTO: Advantages and disadvantages† Written by student Alexandra S. Gudimova MIB group Moscow 2013 Content Introduction3 Russian Federation in WTO: advantages4 Russian Federation in WTO: disadvantages6 Controversial issues8 Market access for goods — tariff and quota commitments8 Conclusion9 References11 Introduction Russian Federation an integral part of the global community. Defining the individual path of economic and political development, of our country however cannot remain aloof from the processes taking place around. The modern world is dictating its terms, and any State has the right to decide whether to accept them or not. And if State takes, it has to be unconditionally or amended at the features of the development. Russias accession to the WTO, to which country was going neither more nor less than 18 years, is just such a step considering the basic situation of world economic processes, Russia could not take them entirely due to a number of national characteristics. We will write a custom essay sample on Russia in Wto or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In addition, Russian Federation on its way to join the World Trade Organization faced many obstacles both political and economic, and also social issues. There was even an attempt to hold a referendum against the entry of Russia into the WTO; however, this attempt has not succeeded. So, August 22, 2012 can be considered the starting point of a new stage of development of the Russian Federation it became an official member of the WTO one hundred and fifty sixth member of the WTO (156-th). It accessed on favorable terms. Among the Big Twenty Russian Federation entered the WTO the last. However, nowadays the controversy on that subject does not cease. In this essay I try to understand what kind of benefits our country will gain as a result of this move and will clarify if there are any minuses of Russias accession to the World Trade Organization. The World Trade Organization was established in 1994 and is the successor to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), which, in turn, has existed since 1947. Nowadays    the organization controls about 97% of world trade. The main objectives of the WTO are the liberalization of international trade, contribution to the economic growth in member countries and hence the increase of welfare of their citizens. In order to make decisions of such serious problems documents have been developed within the structure and, of course, their implementation should be mandatory by all members of WTO. Undoubtedly, Russias accession to the WTO is not synonymous with its bright economic future, because every process has both positive and negative sides. Russian Federation in WTO: advantages 1) Improving the image of the country as an equal participant in world trade. Reducing barriers to international trade market. Free access to established international dispute resolution schemes in the field of trade (there is special Commission for the settlement of disputes in WTO). More opportunities for Russian investors to participate in the economies of the countries members of the WTO. 2) Increase in competition in the financial sector as a result it could be the reduction of loan rates for households and for small and medium-sized businesses. 3) The modernization of the national economy in accordance with the requirements of the nowadays stage of development of trade and economic relations. Many Russian producers will be forced to pay special attention to the quality of their products in order to provide it with high competitiveness otherwise it will be impossible to enter the world market. 4) Reduction of fees. As a result the number of imported goods will become cheaper (for instance: medicines, foods, clothes, IT-products, etc. ). Definitely from this reduction will benefit only consumers, however Russian producers may lose. There will be also a decline in export duties, which will lead to the fact that Russian exports will also increase. From that decline will benefit mainly natural resource industries. Foreign companies will be more active in the Russian market and will enhance competition. As a result Russian goods will also become cheaper. 6) Entrance into the WTO is a major step for our country. The Russian foreign economic activity will become more predictable and stable. As a result, it can be expected an increase in the number of foreign investment. Also, probably, the ruble will become less volatile. 7) The transparency of trade laws of WTO members. Certainly, it is always easier to build trade and economic relations with a clear understanding of the positions of the parties, without any pitfalls. There will be a support for trade and economic interests in the process of adoption of new legislation in the field of international trade. Independent experts claim: * Accession to the WTO is positive for the Russian economy, as it assumes the improvement of the investment climate in the country and the potential attraction of the new technologies in the economy. The increase in the volume of foreign investments as a result of Russias accession to the WTO could amount at least a few percent of GDP, while the reduction of fees under agreements (import and export) will be only 430 billion rubles or 0.8% of GDP. Russia’s Accession of WTO Membership is also positive for the Russian budget, according to, forecasts; the growth of foreign trade will grow in the coming years at around 10% annually, so it can be quite optimistic about the prospects for the federal budget and the state treasury income growth. The expert believes that the main beneficiaries of Russias accession to the W TO will be Iron industry (ferrous and non-ferrous metals), oil and gas industries, chemical and consumer sector and the transport sector, etc. The main benefit of joining the WTO will be felt by exporters, as it will be easier for them to operate, since membership in the organization eliminates the possibility of the introduction of protective duties on exported Russian products. This will help to make more profitable export-oriented industries with high added value, which will improve the structure of the Russian economy and will help to reduce dependence on oil and gas exports. Russian Federation in WTO: disadvantages 1)   Many Russian companies will be unable to compete. As a result there will be a loss of jobs; the number of unemployed will increase. Particularly serious consequences will be in single-industry city, where because of the bankruptcy of city-forming enterprise can arise a social explosion. 2) The reduction of import duties could lead to the fact that a number of goods would be unprofitable to produce in Russia. The greatest risk is for the agricultural sector (both crop and livestock). 3) Reduction of import duties may have a negative impact on the domestic auto industry the influx of second-hand imported cars is a direct threat to Russian automakers. (Example: The customs duty for import of used vehicles, until recently, was more than 40 000 Euros. After Russias accession to the WTO, it will fall by more than 4 times). 4) Reduction of export duties will lead to further budget deficit, which will be paid by the emission of government bonds. This may lead to an increase in public debt, with all its further consequences. 5) . The Russian economy will lose considerable flexibility in the foreign trade. For example, Russia will not be able so zealously protect our car industry, which is now in the hothouse conditions, and in times of drought will not be able to set an embargo on agricultural products, as it was in 2010. It will be more difficult for Russian Federation to get rid of dependence on raw materials. Independent experts claim: * Analysts argue that there are few industries in Russia which will gain disadvantages of joining the WTO, but for the most vulnerable among them (in particular agriculture, production of cars, machinery, and light industry) it has been able to get longer transition periods for 5-7 years. This will allow to these industries to prepare more effectively for accession to the WTO. These industries will suffer from the fact that there will be a large number of the more interesting goods to buyers in terms of the price and quality, accordingly, some domestic companies in these sectors will lose a large volume of sales, revenue and profit due to increased competition. * However, it is likely when analyzing the IRR (internal rate of return) of the project to establish its own production or to start importing some goods; entrepreneurs come to the conclusion that net import is more interesting and profitable. In this case, none of the Russian ruble will receive from this membership in WTO. There will be only losses as the reduction of fees would kill domestic producers, which immediately causes the growth of unemployment and social collapse, and even a revolutionary situation. * What will happen to Russia can be seen by examining what has happened to the other countries that joined the WTO, the economy of which were as unprepared as Russias. For example, in the Ukraine, which joined the WTO in May 2008, came the crisis in automobile industry (-57% in 2009) and the decline of some sectors of agriculture. For example, there was the decrease in the production of flour (-10% in 2009 and -13% in 2011. ), in bakery products (-8% in 2009 and -9% in 2011. ), in dairy products  (-8% in 2009 and -10% in 2011. ). Fell sharply the production of beef, veal and pork (-21% in 2009 and -12% in 2011. ). Controversial issues In addition to positive and negative aspects of Russias WTO accession there are still some controversial issues. These include the gradual disappearance of one-company towns (single-industry city). Another controversial fact is that the WTO obligates Russia to purchase genetic engineering products (GMO products). For this reason Russia may gradually turn into a region, which will be full of genetically modified foods, because the agreement between the participating countries does not enable to thoroughly examine all imported goods, given the fact that trade relations between the WTO members are built primarily on trust. Therefore, these facts can create insurmountable problems for the food security of the population, and it is a very significant disadvantage. Another question is: will foreign direct investment be attracted into Russia in order to satisfy the domestic demand or it will be more preferable to import from China and the Eurozone? Market access for goods — tariff and quota commitments As part of the accession, Russia concluded 30 bilateral agreements on market access for services and 57 on market access for goods. Below is some information from the site of WTO. On average, the final legally binding tariff ceiling for the Russian Federation will be 7.  8% compared with a 2011  average of 10% for all products: * The average tariff ceiling for agriculture products will be 10. 8%, lower than the current average   of 13. 2% * The ceiling average for manufactured goods will be 7. 3% vs. the 9. 5% average today on manufactured imports. Russia has agreed to lower its tariffs on a wide range of products. Average duties after full implementation of tariff reductions will be:    * 14. 9% for dairy products (current applied tariff 19. 8%) * 7.  1% for oilseeds, fats and oils (current applied tariff 9. 0%) * 5. 2% for chemicals (current applied tariff 6. 5%) * 12. 0% for automobiles (current applied tariff 15. 5%) * 6. 2% for electrical machinery (current applied tariff 8. 4%) * 8. 0% for wood and paper (current applied tariff 13. 4%) Conclusion WTO membership is a great opportunity for Russia to improve its economic and business environment and gain more political strength and power over other countries in the international arena. However, the drawbacks brought up by membership may be too significant to ignore under the current situation even if all the benefits are considered together. The world is now changing very rapidly, and globalization is taking place everywhere, therefore joining the WTO looks inevitable for Russia to improve its economy. Such improvements could make Russia look more attractive to investors with resolution of the issues concerning property rights and gas prices, as well as the unraveling of trade conflicts with former independent Soviet republics. Experts indicate different time frame in which should the first results of the Russian accession to the World Trade Organization appear. According to forecasts, on average the adaptation of the national economy will take 6-7 years. It seems that during this time the controversy around this issue will die down and then flare up with renewed vigor. In the long run, the WTO membership should be very beneficial for Russia. It will create a much more favorable business environment in Russia. For example, the WTO membership will improve the legal system and enhance the legal environment for business in Russia; hence, it will positively affect the business investment climate in Russian markets. There are certain industries that will receive more benefits than others with Russia’s WTO accession. Those are telecommunications, metallurgy, footwear, garments, electronics, and strong alcoholic beverages; however, other industries will be facing increased competition and struggle to survive in sectors such as pharmaceuticals, furniture, the insurance industry, retail, and certain parts of the chemical  industry. Some regions of Russia will be sensitive to the changes in tariff policies, especially those with a high share of industries depending on high import share. The overall result of WTO membership accession should be beneficial for Russia. It will bring reduction of tariffs and quotas, reform young service industry, which is still under development and needs a lot of government protection. However, it will shack up the labor intensive industry sectors and raise the unemployment rate, which in the long run will go down with the market situation eventually balancing out.

Diminish, Decline, and Dwindle

Diminish, Decline, and Dwindle Diminish, Decline, and Dwindle Diminish, Decline, and Dwindle By Maeve Maddox A reader asks, Can you please post an article on the correct usage of the words diminish, decline, and dwindle?  I believe diminish is used with uncountable nouns such as the light diminishes, decline is used with abstract and uncountable nouns such as â€Å"decline in quality† or â€Å"decline in performance,† and dwindle is used only with countable nouns such as â€Å"the population of tigers has dwindled.† This question, so intellectual and logic-seeking, made me aware in striking fashion how differently speakers approach language. Were I debating which of the three verbs to use- diminish, decline, or dwindle- I would weigh their distinctive emotive qualities, never giving a thought to whether they refer to countable or non-countable nouns. As it happens, all three of these verbs may be used with countable or uncountable nouns when the intended meaning is â€Å"to lessen† or â€Å"to become smaller.† Deciding which to choose depends upon context and the connotation wanted. Diminish descends from a Latin verb meaning â€Å"to cut small. Ancient Latin had the verb diminuere, â€Å"to break into small pieces, and diminuere, â€Å"to make smaller, to reduce in size.† Decline derives from Latin declinare, â€Å"to turn or bend away or aside from the straight course.† Dwindle derives from dwine, an archaic English verb meaning, â€Å"to waste or pine away.† That all three are used interchangeably in modern English is illustrated by the following examples from the Web: As populations age and revenues diminish, government and private pension funds around the world are facing insolvency. Nevada and Strip gaming revenues decline in February Chicago food fest struggles as revenues dwindle Diminish conveys a lessening of the strength or quality of something. Its most common use is with uncountable nouns: Are we getting more stupid? Researchers claim our intelligence is diminishing as we no longer need it to survive Researchers have some new insights into how power  diminishes  a persons capacity for  empathy. Our smartphones supply endless possibilities for entertainment, but a new study shows they can diminish the quality of users time away from work or school. Decline connotes a gradual diminishing, like something moving down a slope. We had watched our children decline, fall into drug and alcohol abuse, fail to perform at school, lose jobs, abandon relationships, become unable to function in the family or society, and we hadn’t known why.   Agriculture is  declining day by day. The six monthshad been for me a sorrowful waiting game of watching [my mother] decline and wondering which day would be her last. Dwindle suggests a gradual diminution into nothingness or something close to it. A novel’s plot might dwindle to a disappointing close. A dying battery causes a flashlight’s illumination to dwindle. The liquid in the â€Å"Drink Me† vial causes Alice to dwindle in size. An excellent photographic visualization of dwindling is what the Wicked Witch of the West does when Dorothy throws water on her in The Wizard of Oz. A quotation that I associate with the word dwindle is the line that concludes Millamant’s monologue to her fiancà © Mirabell in Congreve’s Way of the World. After listing the freedoms she enjoyed as an unmarried woman as conditions (articles) that he must agree to if he wants her to go through with the marriage, she concludes with this statement: These articles subscribed, if I continue to endure you a little longer, I may by degrees dwindle into a wife. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Arrive To vs. Arrive At41 Words That Are Better Than GoodTrooper or Trouper?

No More Mistakes With This Grammar Cheat Sheet

No More Mistakes With This Grammar Cheat Sheet The cold, hard truth is that the autocorrect feature on your phone and the spelling and grammar checks in your word processing software arent enough to guarantee error-free writing. And text speak never cuts it in academic and professional settings or in serious personal circumstances. Even if your class or major is unrelated to English, strong writing skills are crucial in any endeavor or career. Use this grammar cheat sheet to check yourself, and make a note of any weak spots you have or things you tend to forget or mix up. Keep a physical or digital sticky note on your computer, and glance at it any time you sit down to write. Homophones Its, Its The bird is flapping its wings. (correct; possession) Its a beautiful day to watch birds. (correct; contraction of it + is) Their, There, Theyre Their party was a bit loud. (correct; possession) Im glad I wasnt there. (correct; adverb) Theyre going to get in trouble one of these days. (correct; contraction of they + are) Then, Than First, put on your socks; then, put on your shoes. (correct; sense of time/order) You are taller than I realized. (correct; comparison) Yore, Your, Youre The movie special effects of yore used no CGI. (correct; time in the past) Your taste in movies is a bit odd. (correct; possession) Youre really into those black-and-white films. (correct; contraction of you + are) Word Usage Bring, Take Please bring me my phone. (correct; from another location to your current location) I always take my phone to class. (correct; from your current location to another location) Everyday, Every Day My workouts are an everyday thing. (correct; adjective only) I work out every day. (correct; adverb phrase) I, Me, Myself I am the queen. (correct; subject) Bill and I are friends. (correct; compound subject) Give me my crown. (correct; object) The fight for the throne is between Bill and me. (correct; compound object) I call myself Queen of the Universe. (correct; reflexive verb) It was just him and myself. (incorrect) It was just him and me. (correct) Lay, Lie Lay your head on the pillow and rest. (correct; transitive verb) Lie here and rest. (correct; intransitive verb) Loose, Lose I must have lost weight, because my pants are loose. (correct; adjective) I would like to lose a bit more weight. (correct; verb) Nor, Or He is neither a man nor a child. (correct; negative) That is either a small rat or a large mouse. (correct; positive) That, Which I read the book that you recommended. (correct; specifies one book of many) I read the book, which happened to be very expensive. (correct; refers specifically to a certain book) Weather, Whether Have you checked the weather report today? (correct) I dont know whether I should take an umbrella or not. (correct) Who, Whom Who are you? (correct) Do you know who he is? (correct) Who are you talking to? (incorrect but very common) Whom are you talking to? (correct) Punctuation Apostrophe () shes (correct; contraction of she + is) wouldnt (correct; contraction of would + not) Bobs book (correct; the book of Bob) the Olsens home (correct; the home of the Olsens) the members choice (correct; the choice of a certain member) the members choice (correct; the choice of more than one member) I visited the Olsens. (incorrect; apostrophe not used in plurals) I visited the Olsens. (correct) Colon (:) My mother told me to buy milk, eggs, and bread. (correct; language flows and does not need the colon) My mother told me to buy just the essentials: milk, eggs, and bread. (correct; stop before list requires the colon) I told her one thing: I need money. (correct; phrase or clause after colon explains phrase or clause before colon) Comma (,) Im with him, hes with her. (incorrect; comma splice between two complete sentences) Im with him, and hes with her. (correct; conjunction added) Im with him; hes with her. (correct; alternative if you do not add a conjunction; see Semicolon) Hyphen (-) I hate three eyed monsters. (incorrect depending on intended meaning; sounds like I hate eyed monsters and there are three of them) I hate three-eyed monsters. (correct; I hate monsters with three eyes) Remembering these grammar rules takes a bit of self-discipline. (correct) Semicolon (;) Lets go to the movies, its not too late. (incorrect; comma splice) Lets go to the movies; its not too late. (correct; semicolon separates two sentences) Of course, this cheat sheet cant cover everything you need to know about English. Massive style guides are published for professional copywriter and editors. But hopefully, this helpful article will steer you in the right direction.

Evaluation Research, Research Analysis And Ex Post Factor Essay

Evaluation Research, Research Analysis And Ex Post Factor Hypothesizing - Essay Example Evaluation research, factors that makes formulation of the problem difficult and suggested solutions The role of research in science involves collection of data on a given topic in order to establish existing properties of the data to aid ‘decision-making’ processes. In evaluation research, data collection and analysis aims at establishing preference on an item. A number of difficulties, through controversies, however, have continually been raised with respect to formulation of problems in evaluation research. The reasons for such difficulties are their induced dilemma on a researcher with respect to formulation of research problem. The first factor that makes formulation of the problem difficult is existence of different theories with respect to time, within the research’s outline, when the problem is supposed to be formulated. While formulating the problem prior to the research allows for identification of information gap through exploration of existing literatu re, some experts believe that it restricts a researcher’s objectivity in research. An evaluation researcher may therefore not know whether to ‘pre-establish’ a research problem or to let problems emerge from the research process (Hunter and Brewer, 2006). The relevance of a research problem in determining the scope of a research such as research design and methods also identifies a number of difficulties in formulation of problem in evaluation research. Available resources for a research initiative together with expected cost of completing different research initiatives for example restrict a researcher’s options, in formulating the research problem, to a scope whose methodology will meet the available finances. Existing ideologies and availability of resources are therefore some of the factors that make formulation of a problem difficult for an evaluation researcher (Maxfield and Babbie, 2011). The problems can however be solved by a researcher’s s ubjective reasoning based a number of factors. One of the possible suggestions to solving the dilemma on problem formulation is reliance on a person’s experience with respect to the appropriate time, within the research’s timeline, when a problem should be developed. The researcher’s experience should also solve the difficulty of whether the problem should be developed, prior to a research, or should emanate from the research process as opposed to being determined by the researcher. Another suggestion to handling the issue is the dependence on existing literature on a similar evaluation research topic to guide a researcher on formulation of the problem. Similarly, reliance on theories also offers directions to an evaluation researcher on development of research problem (Vedyadhara, n.d.). Topics of evaluation research Evaluation research is a widely scoped type of research that aims at developing solutions to social problems or developing a plan for solving soci al issues. Consequently, it has diverse topics within the social framework. One of its topics is the â€Å"cost benefit studies† of social problems (Babbie, 2012, p. 361). The cost benefit studies evaluate existence of relationships between economic investment in social initiatives and the possible benefits from such initiatives. The topic for example researches and projects both inputs and outputs in a social venture to justify an initiative. An example of an evaluation research in cost benefit is an initiative to determine the significance of investing a given amount of resources in an anti drug campaign. In the research, the aim would be to determine the involved cost of the campaign and possible benefits, both social and economic, which can be derived from the

Apostle Pauls view of the Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Apostle Pauls view of the Law - Essay Example His Hebrew name was Saul and while still a Pharisee he persecuted the Christians. He was a person of prominence in the holy city of Jerusalem and had supervised the stoning of a Christian named, Stephen. As Paul himself says in Gal. 1.13 and also in Gal. 1.23, â€Å"I was violently persecuting the church of God and was trying to destroy it†. After the incident of murdering Stephen, Paul asked permission from the religious authorities to go to Damascus and persecute the Christians there. On his way to Damascus he had a vision of the Christ rising from the dead, and this vision made him temporarily blind. It was a pivotal moment in Sauls life and it changed the course of both, his life and the history of the world. On reaching Damascus still blind, Saul was treated by Ananias, and later baptized to Paul and Christianity by the same person. On changing religion, now he became the persecuted and had to flee to save himself from the Jews. St. Paul as he was known later was one of t he earliest Christian missionaries along with St. Peter and his fellow apostle, James. St. Paul is credited with writing the thirteen epistles in the New Testament though now speculation has arisen as to whether he is the actual author of six out of the credited thirteen. Amidst all the authors of the New Testament Paul is the most influential one of all. Pauls view of the law as we can see from the gospels written in the form of letters to the Galatians and the Romans is the most controversial part in the studies on New Testament. It has also been said that the two letters written to Galatians and Romans contradict each other in context to the laws, as Paul changed his views while writing them. However a closer look into the two letters reveal that they complement each other while Paul talks about the Law and there is nothing to show his contradictory talk on it. Other academicians speculate that there was no study or understanding of the Laws by Paul, he just responded

History of the Violin and Bow Essay Example for Free

History of the Violin and Bow Essay Stringed instruments such as the violin and its accompanying variations have been used in music for thousands of years. The first officially recorded use of the violin was during medieval European times. The earliest form of the violin was referred to as a Fiddle and the person playing it was termed as a Fiddler. During the 15th century though, the violins began taking on a new shape and began to carve its own history in music. The evolution of the violin continued into the 16th century when it developed what was to become its final look and shape. It is this artistic representation of a violin that we still recognize and use in our present time. An Italian from Cremona named Andrea Amati, is recognized as the founder of the most famous violin making school. The violin making school is not a structure per se but more of a school of thought and characterization. It was during this time that an explosion in violin making reached as far as Europe even as Cremona remained as the home of the best violin makers in the world. The most famous of these violin making families are the Amati, Guarneri, Antonio Stradivari, Rugerri, and Bergonzi. In the music world, the finest musicians openly acknowledge the Stradivari and Guarneri violins to be the best violins ever made over the past 150 years. The Violin is a member of the string instrument family and is capable of producing a 3 octave sound range when played by skilled musicians. The sound a violin creates depends on a number of factors, the most important of which are the type of wood used to produce the body of the instrument and the type of metal strings used.. It is usually 14 inches in length and uses metal strings tightened to various degrees on tuning pegs, to produce its exceptional sound quality. A typical violin is composed of the following parts: Chin rest, F-hole, strings, tuning pegs, scroll, tailpiece, fine tuners, bridge, belly, fingerboard, neck, and back plate. The sound is produced by the instrumentalists skimming a bow over the metal strings. Violins are usually constructed to withstand the 17 pounds of downward force that is regularly applied to the 4 metal strings. But just like any stringed instrument, the Violin in itself will fail to make sweet music for the listeners if not strummed with a bow. The bow is the instrument by which a Violinist makes his instrument sing. His expertise in the use of the bow produces the violins varying tones and pitches. How a bow is shaped and the different parts that form the bow all work together to form the best bow for violin playing. A bow is most often described as an arc shaped piece of wood that has a flat horsehair piece stretched and tensioned across the wood. The tips of the bow are pointed on one end and rounded on the other. Although the violin enjoyed various incarnations as it gained popularity and was played by chamber and orchestra musicians, the violin bow did not keep up with these changes. This led to a total redesign that resulted in what is known as the modern bow. The modern bow is believed to have first made its appearance in France during the 19th century at the hands of the Tourte family. The Tourte family is considered by the violin historians to be the bow maker equivalent of the Stradivari family in violin making. The modern bow has more tension and resistance and uses Pemarnbuco wood as wood stick. Sometimes, makers will add subtle modifications to the bow in the hopes of producing a more handy and usable bow. Admittedly, not much has changed in the 150 year history of the bow. The violin and bow can be thought of in terms of milk and cookies or coffee with cream. One always enhances the best aspects of the other in order to produce a very significant experience for the person whose auditory and sensory perceptions participate in the resulting enjoyable final product of the merging of the 2 instruments. Work Cited Psarianos, Peter. (2007). Violin Bow. How Products Are Made. Retrieved October 14, 2007 from http://www. madehow. com/Volume-2/Violin-Bow. html. Skinner, Matthew. (N. A. ). The Violin and It’s History. Retrieved, October 13, 2007 from http://www. nelson. planet. org. nz/~matthew/cbt. html Sprenger, Christoph Sprenger, Raffael. (N. A. ). The History of the Violin. Retrieved October 13, 2007 from http://www. sprengerviolins. com/e/violin_history. htm.