Essay --

Statement of Purpose I have always found the simplistic pleasure of solving a challenging problem to be most satisfying. The journey of discovering solutions brings its own joys and learning. I aim to pursue a career in research, because it brings with it intellectual challenges and opportunities to innovate. I am, therefore, highly motivated to pursue graduate studies in Computer Science. During my time at IIT Kanpur, where the curriculum offers flexibility in terms of elective courses, I have striven to explore diverse fields through courses and projects. This has led me to explore the areas of Databases, Machine Learning, Data Mining, Game Theory, Speech Recognition, Algorithms and Computer Engineering apart from the stipulated compulsory disciplines that Electrical Engineering has to offer. My first experience of research was in the form of a summer project under Prof. Arnab Bhattacharya at IIT Kanpur in which we worked on finding caching techniques for skylines on probabilistic datasets. A very rewarding experience resulted in us continuing our work in a research course and acted as one of the first stimulants for me to pursue research. During my second year, I was fortunate to have been selected for a 15-day Winter School organized by the Carnegie Mellon University at MS Ramaiah Institute of Technology, Bangalore. It was here that I was introduced to the area of Computer Science that has captured my interest the most – Machine Learning. To be involved in research with some of the premier faculty and researchers was an immensely enriching experience. Prof. Bhiksha Raj (Carnegie Mellon University) and Prof. M. Chikerur (MSRIT) mentored us in developing a feedback and review system for test-based learning. Here, we attempted ... ...arch career. An active research group with experienced advisors and motivated colleagues would help me in gaining maximum from my graduate studies. Searching for such an environment with strong research culture has led me to apply for a PhD at University of California, Los Angeles. My extra-curricular experience has enhanced my written, oral and interpersonal communication skills, while providing opportunities for leadership and self-motivation. I believe that my academic preparation and experience of working in various projects makes me an accomplished and motivated candidate who can contribute to the field of Computer Science. Through my experience of tutoring students (while being a part of Counselling Service, IIT Kanpur) and the enthusiasm to overcome challenges, I hope to add value to my research group. Looking forward to be a part of research group at UCLA.

Fast Food Popularity

Fast food is a huge growth in our country. Fast food restaurants are constantly trying to increase their popularity growth by lowering prices and getting faster food service technology. With this said there is a huge competition between fast food restaurants all around increasing there popularity. There are many key factors to the reasons why popularity of fast food keeps on growing. It is believed that price may be a contributing factor to the increase in popularity of fast food. However, laziness is the main cause.Fast food restaurants can make a whole meal in just minutes unlike making food at home. The time it takes us to buy and cook food, fast food restaurants can make a large group of people food. People these days are becoming lazier because of the amount of inventions people are making and the way everything is becoming less complicated. What makes people lazy, when going to a fast food restaurant instead of cooking, is that they will drive to get there food then wait for it to be cooked and then drive home and eat it.That shows how they are just too lazy to get up and cook their own food. The technology fast food providers are coming out with is making them faster and faster which is also increasing the amount of popularity of each restaurant. The time it takes to get our food is a big factor in the growth of that restaurant. Fast Food restaurants are located almost everywhere you drive in the United States and more. With fast food restaurants pretty much everywhere, it makes them even more popular.There is a bigger selection of fast food restaurants then there are stores to buy food at. Almost every road we drive on has advertisement of a fast food restaurant on a sign. Even television has many advertisements that grab children’s attention as well as others. There are approximately 65 different types of fast food restaurants internationally. That is not including all the Mexican, pizza, ice-cream and so on. With this number of restaurants to c hoose from it makes people have an easy choice of where to go.The price we pay to make food at home don’t compare to a one dollar burger at a Fast Food restaurant. Cheap food is a great way to getting the popularity of a restaurant to grow. People don’t like spending a lot of money on food so they have the choice of a dollar menu at most fast food restaurants. Some people don’t make as much money as others which makes them decide to go the cheap way out by buying fast food instead of having to pay more to get a homemade dinner. Although the meal may not be as healthy as a homemade meal, the price pays off in their mind.Some days we just are too busy to be able to cook so the first thing that comes to mind is Fast Food. People who are lazy sitting at home don’t feel like getting up or doing anything, so they just call a fast food place to deliver food straight to their door. Some people even don’t have the time to make their own lunch in the morning so they just get in there car and go through a drive through. When sitting at home and watching television, people don’t feel like cooking and just go grab something to eat at a fast food restaurant instead.

Into the Wild Essay

You will have 45 minutes to plan and write an essay on the topic assigned below. Before you begin writing, read the passage carefully and plan what you will say. Your essay should be as well-organized and carefully written as you can make it. I think that Chris McCandless was bright and ignorant at the same time. He had no common sense, and he had no business going into Alaska with his Romantic silliness. He made a lot of mistakes based on arrogance. I don’t admire him at all for his courage nor his noble ideas. Really, I think he was just plain crazy. Shaun Callarman Explain Callarman’s argument and discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with his analysis. Support your position, providing reasons and examples from your own experience, observations, or reading. The sample student essays that follow reflect the EPT Scoring Guide’s criteria for their respective scores. Sample student essay with a score of 6: Life: Not an Episode of â€Å"Grizzly Man† Yes, living alone in the wilderness like Thoreau and London sounds exciting, especially if you fake a big part of your adventures or if you can pack up and go home when you get too hungry. Chris McCandless doesn’t have these options, but Shaun Callarman believes that Chris is full of â€Å"Romantic silliness,† and by this statement I think he means that Chris goes into Alaska seeing only the good parts of the wilderness experience. Like Callarman, I believe that Chris has a head full of â€Å"Romantic ideas† and that he lacks â€Å"common sense† although I would not call him â€Å"plain crazy.† When Chris decides to map some part of the Alaskan wilderness that’s already been mapped, he is definately showing â€Å"Romantic silliness.† Callarman is right about this; it doesn’t seem very courageous to me to waste time doing work that someone else has already done! I would want to spend my time doing something more useful. The wilde rness in Alaska is being ruined with oil pipes and spills. Chris could of taken some of his â€Å"noble ideas† and used them to better the area. By spending his energy for a good cause, he would not have seemed so arrogant and ignorant, as Callarman states. It might have  felt romantic to him to draw his own map, but he was staying in a bus, so it seems pretty clear to me that somebody else had been there already. Also, Callarman says that Chris â€Å"made a lot of mistakes base on arrogance.† I agree; Chris does make a lot of errors. For instance, he brings the wrong kind of gun, the wrong kind of clothes, too many books and not enough food. What is the purpose of his reading and his library research in Alaska if he’s not going to be willing to take advise? So yes, Chris’s mistakes maybe coming from an arrogant brain. On the other hand, Chris did show some â€Å"noble ideas,† in contrast to what Callarman states. He tries to keep other people from getting involved with him by not letting them get too close. In addition, he really did kill a moose and not a carabou, as some people made fun of him for doing. Finally, he lives a lot longer out in the wilderness than most people could! Chris is definately a bizarre mix of qualities, as Callarman argues, but now that I think about it Chris is not really as bad as he looks. Being young (high school and college) is suppose to be the time of our lives for Romantic silliness. Aren’t we suppose to be idealists during this time? I would not want my plans and dreams to be called â€Å"arrogant† or â€Å"ignorant,† because they’re impo rtant to me and I want them to come true. All in all, with his bad family life and sketchy role models like London, Chris did not do too bad. I do feel sorry for his parents and sister and friends, but his life is a lesson for all of us to be careful but to follow our dreams as much as we can. Commentary This essay illustrates the EPT Scoring Guide’s criteria for a score of 6. The superior response indicates that the writer is very well prepared to handle college-level reading and writing. The writer offers a concise and accurate explanation of the Callarman quotation and effectively addresses all aspects of the prompt. The essay demonstrates a thorough, critical understanding of the passage, invoking Callarman both directly and indirectly, integrating quoted material smoothly, and using the Callarman quotation to guide the writer’s response. The essay consistently and insightfully negotiates between Callarman and the writer, even to the extent that the writing itself functions to modify the writer’s position as the essay progresses. With a few exceptions (see the second paragraph, for example) the writer uses transitions appropriately and effectively, both within and between  paragraphs, to guide the reader through the essay. The writer offers specific, accura te, and relevant examples (the map, the insufficient clothing and food, too many books) to support the essay’s points. The writer concludes the essay by referring to London again at the end and bringing the essay full circle. The essay’s paragraphs get shorter toward the end as the writer perhaps begins to rush, yet they are generally unified, focused, and well developed. The writer has learned to write in the literary present tense, with only some wavering of verb tense (especially toward the end of the essay). The essay is generally free of errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics, except for minor slips (such as â€Å"definately† and â€Å"maybe† versus â€Å"may be†) that do not interfere with meaning. Sample student essay with a score of 5: Into the Wild Essay Shaun Callarman does not have much good to say about Chris McCandless. He believes that he, â€Å"was bright and ignorant at the same time,† meaning that Chris was smart; just smart enough to get himself killed in Alaska. Callarman also believes that Chris, â€Å"was just plain crazy,† which I think is taking his argument too far. I agree that Chris was foolish and made mistakes based on arrogance, but I don’t think he was crazy. Chris was just a bad combination of brains and stupidity. A college graduate should know enough to prepare for the wilderness. Who goes to a cold and distant place like Alaska with a backpack full of books and a bag of rice? He had enough money to buy the stuff he needed, why not spend some of his savings on a $5 map? His $24,000 would of bought him a lot of equiptment and food. People kept trying to buy him equiptment but each time he denied them. Is this being independent, or is it being stupid? I vote for stupid. Of course, Chris had a lot of problems that contributed to his decision to go into the wild. For example, his parent’s marriage was awful, and his dad’s double life must of been a huge shock. It seems that Chris did a lot of this to spite his parents, like lieing about his identity, ignoring letters from home, and badmouthing his Mom and Dad. There are lots of people like him that feel they have something to prove, so they go out and do something wreckless. Chris didn’t prove anything by going to Alaska, besides that he was an idiot. If he hated his Mom and Dad so much, maybe he should of just  gone somewhere and started a new life, maybe he should of taken his savings and bought a cabin in Alaska and been alone as long as he wanted instead of starving to death in a bus for innocent hikers to find later. If Chris is crazy, then so are a lot of other people, but he seems more foolish and even mean. For example, what about the way he treated the old man Ron? Ron really cared about Chris and he had already lost his entire family, but Chris tried to tell him how to live. After all that, he hit the road again and left Ron behind. This example shows that he only thinks of himself throughout the book, which just makes him like many others, dumb. Callarman lets him off too easy when he calls him â€Å"crazy†. If Chris was crazy, he could of been helped, but I believe he was mostly foolish and angry. He went to Alaska in a temper tantrum to show everyone, but he paid the biggest price in his death. Commentary This essay illustrates the EPT Scoring Guide’s criteria for a score of 5. The clear competence of the essay indicates that this writer is ready to handle college-level reading and writing. The writer provides a reasonable and clear thesis that responds to the prompt. The writer opens with an accurate summary of the Callarman passage, choosing to focus on the idea of whether or not Chris is crazy to develop a well-reasoned response. The writer shows some depth and complexity by attempting to consider opposing viewpoints in the third paragraph, although the logic wavers somewhat. The essay tends to overuse generalities (largely that McClandless was â€Å"dumb† or â€Å"stupid†), and some sections are underdeveloped. However, the writer does provide some specific examples (McClandless’ refusal to obtain equipment, his abandonment of Ron) to back up the essay’s assertions. The writer’s personal voice is lively and consistent throughout the essay. Transitions are occasionally awkward or missing, but the writer generally succeeds at using transitional language to guide the reader through the essay. The writer is able to reiterate the essay’s position in the final paragraph without being overly repetitive. The essay suffers from some errors of expression, such as spelling (â€Å"equiptment,† â€Å"lieing†), usage (â€Å"would of,† â€Å"should of†), mechanics (â€Å"his parent’s marriage†), semicolon use, pronoun confusion (the use of â€Å"he† in the first paragraph), and style (overuse of â€Å"a lot†), but these concerns do not generally detract from meaning. On the strong side,  this writer has learned to use a comma before coordinating conjunctions that connect independent clauses. Sample student essay with a score of 4: Chris McCandless was a risk-taker. He was a young man that wanted to be independent and live his life without anyone telling him what to do. Some people, such as Shaun Callarman, describe him as ignorant and arrogant. Others admire him for his ability to maintain his independence and live under his own control while maintaining his morals. Shaun Callarman says he was â€Å"bright and ignorant at the same time.† He had to have been bright. He read amazingly difficult books and followed their teachings as well. However, aside from calling him bright, Callarman also calls McCandless ignorant. Was McCandless ignorant for following the teachings of these books? No. He was just curious and obviously determined. Callarman states, â€Å"He had no common sense, and he had no business going into Alaska with his Romantic silliness.† I agree with what Callarman says in this passage. Common sense would have told him to bring the necessary supplies with him before attempting to go in to the wilderness of Alaska. I have been taught from a very young age to not go anywhere without my necessities, whether it be money, food, or water. I also have been taught to not go anywhere alone, especially if it is a huge risk. Chris McCandless ignored, or showed absolutely no common sense. I do not however think he was crazy. I do admire him for his ability to retain his morals and live his dreams out to their fullest potential. He took risks and in doing so was able to achieve what he most wanted. Independence. Commentary This essay illustrates the EPT Scoring Guide’s criteria for a score of 4. This adequate response to the topic suggests that the writer should be able to handle college-level reading and writing. The writer demonstrates a generally accurate understanding of the passage, although the writer struggles to understand some of Callarman’s points (i.e., how McCandless could be â€Å"bright and ignorant at the same time†). The essay delivers its thesis in the first sentence; this thesis is succinct and responds to the prompt. The first paragraph is brief but adequately set up, with the question, Was Chris independent or arrogant? posed through logic and transitional language (e.g., â€Å"Some people . . .† in the third sentence,  followed by â€Å"Others . . .† in the fourth). The writer quotes Callarman both directly and indirectly and attempts to incorporate quoted material smoothly with tag phrases, introductions, and other markers, although the quotati ons after the first paragraph are repetitive in terms of structure and logic. The essay as a whole is somewhat simplistic and repetitive. The final paragraph, for example, basically restates the thesis paragraph (first paragraph), and the body paragraphs tend to repeat their points as well. The logic in the essay is uneven, particularly in the third paragraph, where the essay seems to argue against its own thesis when the writer attempts to acknowledge Callarman’s â€Å"Romantic silliness† comment. The writer offers transitional language, although somewhat simplistic, within paragraphs (â€Å"however† is a prominent transition) but does not provide similar guidance for the reader between paragraphs. The examples from the text (reading hard books, leaving without necessities) are relevant but are general and underdeveloped. The essay generally demonstrates control of grammar, usage, and mechanics; in fact, this essay is a prime example of a paper that handles the English language quite competently but that struggles in other areas, such as organization and development. Sample student essay with a sc ore of 3: Chris McCandless was an adventourous man. Chris McCandless wanted to live his life to the fullest. Chris had changed his name to Alex the Supertramp. Alex wanted to live on the ‘road’. So he packed up all his belongings and burned his money. He unfortunaly died hundred and twelve days after he ‘hit the road’. Many people think of him as inspiration. While Others belived he was Crazy. I personally believe that Alex was an inspiration. An man by the name of Shawn Callarman had written a passage about Alex. Callarman writes â€Å"I think that Chris McCandless was bright and ignorant.† Callarman goes on to say that â€Å"I think he was just plain Crazy.† I disagree I believe Alex had a purpose in life. I believe that Alex had taken some time to think about his journey. Alex had a purpose in his life. I believe he wanted to show people how they can have goals and still acheive them. Even though he died on his Journey he left a ‘track’ b ehind. Alex had many pals along the way and he made a difference in their lives. Chris McCandless was an inspiration to me. Many people have their opinions of Chris. Chris’s story could lean  towards both ways. I believe that Chris MaCandless made a difference in a least one person’s life on his Journey. Chris McCandless was Crazy but he was not just a regular man. Chris McCandless was an inspiration to us all. Commentary This essay illustrates the EPT Scoring Guide’s criteria for a score of 3; however, it is a weak 3. Although the essay suggests developing competence, it is flawed in significant ways that suggest the writer needs additional practice before being able to succeed in college-level reading and writing. The writer makes limited use of the passage, focusing solely on the idea of McClandless’s potential craziness. The essay quotes Callarman by implication and without attribution in the final sentence of the first paragraph. It mentions Callarman directly only in the second paragraph by providing two quotations, the first of which is simply dropped in, then left unaddressed. The writer struggles to choose between two potential thesis statements (â€Å"I personally believe that Alex was an inspiration† and â€Å"I believe Alex had a purpose in life†), both contained in the second paragraph and reiterated but not supported elsewhere in the essay. The body paragraphs are a series of assertions that lack effective transitions. The writer has limited control of syntax and vocabulary, using a highly repetitive sentence structure throughout the essay, with constructions of similar length, grammatical structure, and simplicity (e.g., the first three sentences of the first paragraph open with the word â€Å"Chris†). The writer offers examples from the text that are accurate (McClandless’s changing his name, burning the money, making friends along the way), but these examples are often unspecific and are generally underdeveloped and undersupported. The writer struggles to maintain a consistent and appropriate verb tense throughout the essay. The essay suffers from an accumulation of errors, especially errors in spelling (â€Å"unfortuanly† and â€Å"belived†), punctuation (missing commas and misused single quotation marks), and erratic capitalization (â€Å"Others† and â€Å"Crazy†). Sample student essay with a score of 2: Into the Wild Essay Callarman’s argument is that he thinks that McCandless was bright but a the same time ignorant. He tries to said that he was dum by saying he was  ignorant. Also he try to said that McCandless didn’t have no business to go to Alaska. That he made Mistakes based on Pride. That he was just going there because he was Crazy he didn’t know why he was going there. I also agree with him because why he wanted to go to Alaska. Specialy when he didn’t have the right things to live in a place like that. He also was acting crazy that he didn’t even know what he was doing. He even die because he didn’t have no Food to eat. And he was acting weird with his parents and his brother and sister. Callamar made a good opinion about McCandless by saying that because he didn’t act like a normal person. I think he didn’t act like an adult. Specialy when he sent the Letters to his Family and his Friends. I think he did Miss his people he didn’ t wanted to assume he Miss them. He should to stay with his parents and never went to Alaska. McCandless did it wrong because he went to Alaska just because of his Romantic illness. That was not a good reason to just go away and live to another place were he would not live in good conditions. I think he could Forget about his Romantic illness and he could even get another person. But he even kill his own life which is not a good thing. Commentary This essay illustrates the EPT Scoring Guide’s criteria for a score of 2. The serious flaws here indicate that this writer will need considerable additional practice before being able to succeed in college-level reading and writing. This piece provides a good picture of a student whose ESL writing features are profoundly obscuring what would otherwise be a stronger (that is, a 3-level) essay. The writer demonstrates a basic understanding of the passage but focuses on repeating Callarman’s points without establishing a clear direction for the essay. The writer fails to respond to the prompt with a focused thesis. The first sentence of the second paragraph, â€Å"I also agree with him . . . † alludes to a potential thesis that has not yet been offered and that never appears explicitly in the essay. Although the writer attempts four body paragraphs, the paragraphs are not logically linked to one another. The writer attempts in the second paragraph to use transitiona l language to guide the reader through that particular paragraph, but the essay’s organization both within and between paragraphs is left largely to the reader to discern. The essay offers generalizations (â€Å"he was acting weird with his parents†) without providing specific support. The writer  lacks basic control of syntax (see the first sentence of the third paragraph) and vocabulary (â€Å"Romantic illness†), and some statements make no logical or syntactic sense at all (see the third sentence of the second paragraph and the first sentence of the third paragraph). The writer has serious and persistent errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics (spelling, erratic capitalization) that severely interfere with meaning. The problems many English learners have with idioms (â€Å"because why he wanted to go†), verb tenses (â€Å"he tries to said†), and verb forms (â€Å"he even kill his own life†) are pervasive and profoundly obscure meaning. Sample student essay with a score of 1: I sure do agree with Callarmans argument. She is absolutly right McCandless was bright and ignorant. And He defenatly had no common sense, he was one of those weird people you won’t expect. For my observation she gots the same thoughts as I do. I shure think defining terms allows me to cushion my position. The evidence that I will use is that He was writing all his up and down pants. In my point of view I think that McCnadless was avery unique guy. He even did things that no one would do. An example, work everywhere he stop use his name and give out half of his idenity. That is my point and answere for this paragraph. Commentary This essay illustrates the EPT Scoring Guide’s criteria for a score of 1. The fundamental deficiencies of this essay clearly indicate that the writer needs much additional practice in order to be ready to succeed at college-level reading and writing. The writer agrees with the Callarman quotation without demonstrating any understanding of the passage. The writer fails to use the Callarman passage to develop a meaningful response to the prompt. The essay, at approximately 120 words, is seriously underdeveloped; statements of agreement with Callarman make up a considerable portion of the text. The digression about â€Å"cushion[ing] my position† contributes nothing to the minimal text the writer provides. The writer’s reflective statements about purpose are similarly wasted. The only evidence provided by the writer is McCandless’s evasive attitude toward self-identification at work, but even this example is so poorly expressed as to be nearly incoherent. The writer lacks basic control of syntax and vocabulary. The writer has serious and persistent errors in mechanics that severely interfere with meaning. Spelling and verb form errors are pervasive.

Reading Body Language in Poker Essay

Body language is a part of nonverbal language. It includes things like stance, gestures, facial expressions, and even small things that are barely perceptible like a brief shrug of the shoulder or nod of the head. We frequently communicate both bodily and verbally and an estimated 70% of what we communicate may be nonverbal. There have been hundreds of books on body language but not many in poker. So this is a small attempt to put information that I have learnt while learning to read people at a poker table. I started by straight away applying the basic body language reads to a poker table like when a person leans in; it is sign of confidence, hence it translated that the player most likely has good cards. Another classic example is when a person rubs his hands after seeing his cards; this is sign that he is so excited to see the card that he can’t wait to play their cards. In short, a poker table is much like real world scenarios like class room, office, college, etc. When a player at a poker table gives away body language information, it is called a tell. So reading a player for tells is crucial for poker player’s game. Below is the order in which I read people at a poker table: 1. Feet and Legs (Most reliable) 2. Arms and Hands 3. Mouth 4. Eyes 5. Pacifying Behaviours (Least Reliable) Nice Legs! This is the most honest part of the body and can give loads of information. Most people while reading a person start from the top and scan towards the bottom. But believe me the other way round works much better and is far more reliable. Most people go to great lengths to hide what is on their faces but rarely do they focus on their legs. Legs carry so much information that it is relied upon by most pros and ignored by most amateurs in poker. Below are some of the common tells that you can spot at a poker table: * If a person has pointed his feet forward and after he receives his cards turns it away, it is clear sign of disengagement and he no longer wants to be involved in the hand. * If a person is constantly wiggling and bouncing his legs and then suddenly stops and pays attention, this is a sign that the person is about to bluff. * If a person’s feet go from flat to raised position – resting feet flat to raised heels/toes forward means that the person is ready to act. * When a person interlocks his feet, this is sign of nervousness. This means that the person is holding weak or marginal cards. * A variation of the above is after a person bets (a big bet) he wraps his legs around the legs of the chairs or table, it may suggest that he is bluffing. They are restraining themselves because they think other will detect his bluff. * When a player moves his feet positioned in front of his chair to under the chair indicates signs of weakness or bluffing. Let’s Get Our Hands Dirty Hands are an intimate part of poker. They are constantly moving and interacting with the chips and cards on the table, and sometimes even with players. Hands can reveal a lot of information. * Interlacing fingers behind the head is a very strong sign that the player is confident. So if you deciding to bluff don’t try it on this player. * When a player does a hand steeple, this is also another high confidence tell. * Interlacing of fingers and hand wringing is a sign of low confidence. * When a person looks at his cards and his hands tremble or reaching for chips and his hands are trembling, is a sign that he has great cards or as in poker we call it monsters. His hands got scared of the monster! Lips Don’t Lie Mouth are a great reading tool for tells in poker but as you come from the feet to the face, the tells get that much less reliable because players will be a lot more conscious of their tells when it comes to their face. The tells listed below are some of the classic tells in poker however one should tread cautiously when one is applying in a real game. * When a person smiles pulling his lips and there is no movement around his eyes is a classic tell of dishonesty (fake smile). Remember it is very difficult to pull off a full smile when you are unhappy so when you see a full smile with the corners of the eyes involved you can be sure he is honest about his representations on the table. * When a person presses his lips together is an indicator of high stress and low confidence. * Nail biting is another sign of low confidence. * Lip biting is a good indicator of stress and concern. * A subtle tell of lips are lip withdrawal; they indicate that stress is settling in slowly. * Lip licking and biting of objects like pen or chips are signs of pacifying when there is concern. * Tongue jetting out is another tell which indicates that the player got away with something. Eyes Are the Windows to the Soul Eyes are very good barometer of our feelings because we have very little control over them. I rely on eyes as an indicator often in my game. Here are some fool proof tells that I have used before: * When a player blocks his eyes either by closing his lids or blocking it with his fingers or palm or object, it is a sign that he does not want to see what’s coming. * This tell might take some used to getting used to but watching the eyes for dilation or constriction is 100% method to get the information out of your opponent. Remember when we like something our eyes dilate and when we don’t like something it constricts. So if a player is dissatisfied with his cards, his pupils will constrict. * Squinting of eyes indicate high concern. * Lowering of eyebrows is a sign of low confidence. * Arching of eyebrows is a good indication of positive feelings. Pacifying Behaviours These are the least reliable because most of the pacifying behaviours are just indicators of soothing oneself or discomfort at the maximum. Pacifying behaviours are done by players who are bluffing or players who are not. Hence, it must not be used in isolation and using them with other tells is the right way to go. * Touching the neck in the front and the back, exhaling through puffed cheeks and touching the face, forehead rubbing and earlobe pulling, air ventilating to the neck are good signs distress and pacifying. * Women will check the dimple on the neck when they are highly stressed or are fearful. Playing with a necklace or any neck jewelry is indicative of the same. Men will adjust their tie knots. Common Mistakes while Reading People 1. Not establishing baselines This is the most common mistake people do while reading people. Baselines are crucial in the field of body language. A person who usually bites his nails or bites his lips on a poker table will probably do the same, hence, must not be mistaken for weak hand or stress setting or low confidence. Hence, before reading any person a baseline must be established. 2. Reading tells in isolation Another mistake people do reading tells in isolation. You cannot expect a tell to occur in a person nor can you read a tell in isolation like biting lips. It should be congruent with what’s happening on the table and in reaction to what others are doing. In other words, you must ask yourself what was the motivation behind him giving away a particular tell. 3. Reading is not an exact science One of the essential skills in poker is reading your opponent but there are other aspects to the game like game theory, probability which has to be taken to account. Reading should always be used as one of your tools in making your decisions at a poker table. REFERENCES 1. Body Language: How to Read Others Thoughts by Their Gestures. Allan Pease. 1988. Sheldon Press 2. http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-body-language.htm 3. Body Language. Julius Fast (1971). Pocket Books. 4. Unmasking the Face: A Guide to recognizing emotions from Facial Expressions. Paul Ekman and Wallace V. Freisen (2003). 5. Secret of No Limit Holdem: An ultimate guide to all-in texas hold’em poker. Howard Lederer. 6. Read’em and Reap: A Career FBI Agent’s Guide to Decoding Poker Tells. Joe Navarro and Marvin Karlins.

Do corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports provide shareholders Essay - 2

Do corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports provide shareholders and stakeholders with useful information on corporate soci - Essay Example Similarly, disclosure of the information related to these CSR activities have become an important part of the CSR activities of the organizations. Importance of CSR Reports This trend has made its mark due to the lack of reliance on the information which is voluntarily given out by the companies as compared to the real contribution to the society. From the perspectives of academics, there is an accepted theory which widely discusses the reasons which motivates the companies to disclose their CSR information. Majority of the information provided in the CSR reports were previously considered to be the decisions or activities belonging to the private domain of these organizations. The theoretical explanation states that the organizations provide CSR performance related information to general public for satisfying their primary needs and portraying themselves as very responsible members of the society. This legitimacy enables the organizations in pursuing the primary purpose of attaining sustainable profitability which is the most important goal of all the business activities. Although the corporate sector provides huge economic benefits to the society, yet there is an increasing concern regarding the abuse or wastage in terms of utilization of the resources of the society. The society provides higher benefits to the corporate sector. It is due to this reason that it possesses the right to seek information related to the return that these organizations are providing to the society. In brief, the increasing public awareness of the public resources decides the legitimacy of the companies, thereby increasing the requirement of disclosure of CSR information in the community. CSR Reports: Providing Useful Information to the Stakeholders The term ‘corporate social responsibility’ revolves around a number of issues concerning the organizations and their interactions with the society. These issues cover governance, ethics and various other social activities li ke, community development, philanthropy, product safety, human rights, equal opportunities to all employees and other environmental activities. Consideration of the CSR activities, from the aspect of accounting, has necessary linkages with the social reporting (Brennan and Merkl-Davies, 2013). The disclosure related to social and environmental responsibilities of the organizations increase the importance of CSR reports. The social and environmental accounting forms an important part of the CSR reports (Mahoney, et al., 2013; Merkl-Davies and Brennan, 2011). The communication of the environmental and social effects of the organizational activities to the stakeholders increases their reliability towards the transparency of their operational activities (Hooghiemstra, 2000). This extends the requirement as well as performance of accountability of all the organizations. Maintenance and presentation of CSR reports have become one of the global initiatives of the governments where they hav e recognized it to be the standard for sustainability reporting. It has provided a framework which disclosed much substantial and contextual information, rather than just presenting their financial performances. This framework has also ensured the fact that the organizations provide meaningful and appropriate information to the stakeholde

Individual report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

Individual report - Essay Example Online operation has also enabled the Sky PLC to effectively communicate the features and other factors relating to their services to their customers and potential customers. On their website customers can create their own accounts making it easier for customers to access any information that they want regarding the company’s services. Development of a tailored user interface and activities enables Sky to support and enrich its sustainable business practices. The entertainment industry is a difficult industry to penetrate and as much difficult for a company to maintain its hold on the market. Sky faces a lot of competition from equally able companies such as Virgin Atlantic. To keep its hold on the market and more so to maintain its hold of its present customers, it becomes exigent to diversify its marketing techniques and such way is through the use of electronic media, especially the internet (Miletsky 2009 p. 217). The advent of satellite made it possible for Sky to boost its market position. The marketing objectives for Sky have always been to create fresh interest and demand for Sky and to make sure potential customers understand the benefits that come along with using Sky’s products. However, as much as this is necessary or seems necessary in keeping a business going, an extra component of awareness is added to complement this. The campaign and communications have also become an integral part of Sky Digital’s marketing mix embracing public relations (PR), sponsorship and consumer promotions, in-store marketing, branding and direct marketing activities (Whalen 2009 p. 172). Focus on e-marketing has proved to be important in most industries, with the target market carving the direction the company takes. For Sky, the major part of its business is aimed at providing digital content. Their target market is divided depending on the content. For example, films would suit film lovers and couples, home banking would suit busy, career minded people and

Understanding Challenges In The Third Sector Essay - 3

Understanding Challenges In The Third Sector - Essay Example Now besides donations, the organization charges for its services from people who can afford to pay, which enables them to look after poor and destitute people. Large businesses and corporations donate generously to such organizations in the form of cash and kind. They help with the purchase of equipment, construction and contribute whatever is needed for extraordinary circumstances. The public also trust charitable organization and appreciates the work that they are doing. The public also donates in their individual capacities according to what they can afford. Besides cash and kind, many people voluntarily give their time to these organizations, which spares the organization from spending money to hire people for performing these tasks. People also organize walks and other special events such as musical programs, shows or organize dinners for raising funds. All proceeds are all donated to charitable organizations such as St. Elizabeth to meet all its expenses. What I think is that to be successful, charitable organizations need a local as well as an international perspective. The local chapter addresses and looks after communal issues, while their global perspective, reputation and image is looked after by the international wing. In this technological age, the international image is as important as the local image and reputation of the organization. The global recession has left more people without jobs and needing help from charitable organizations. Cost of Medicare have more than tripled in the last decade, and even people who are earning well might not be able to afford medical expenses for their dependents, especially those requiring special care. With the economy in such a bad condition and people without jobs, it is not possible to raise adequate funds from local communities. Charitable organizations have to look outside their localities and sometimes even outside their countries for support for their charitable work. . I know for a fact