My Job, My Education

Electronic mail, instant messages, electronic documents and all other electronic records are a part and parcel of the world we live in today.   These are invaluable assets, if not resources for most organizations nowadays.   Organizations are required to safeguard these assets, given that a large number of electronic documents carry very important information.   Many electronic documents are also required by law, especially after the infamous accounting scandals that captured the headlines in the recent past.My organization, ABC, Inc., develops software products that capture, archive, and store all forms of electronic documentation and provide organizations with the ability to efficiently search and locate these documents on demand, should they be misplaced or deemed lost.   My major responsibilities on the job include designing software and orchestrating the development, quality assurance, and release activities; creating and maintaining the team project file, and managing t he time and resources for an ongoing project; and evaluating the evolving risks and communicating them to the upper management on a regular basis.An organization’s strategy is the foundation for the actions that its employees take to reach its goals.   This strategy must be aligned with the organization’s mission.   My organization’s strategy happens to be quality improvement, which is aligned with its mission to deliver high quality software products to its customers.   As an employee of ABC, Inc., I am proud to have an impact on the organization strategy, given that all the employees of my organization use this strategy as  he foundation of their actions.   In addition, I work on quality assurance, and hence, the impact of my work on the organization strategy may be considered greater than that of many others.My decision-making ability with the organization is also quite high.   After all, I am held responsible for the management of time and resour ces on the project that the entire organization considers extremely important.   What is more, I evaluate risks and communicate them to the upper management.   My organization relies on my evaluations and decisions to a certain extent.My EducationTom Kozicki, Director of Marshall's MBA Career Resource Center at the University of Southern California, has said that â€Å"Regardless of what is going on in the economy, the need for an understanding and mastery of business fundamentals will never change.†Ã‚   Perhaps this need is inherent in us all!In May of 2000, a year before I graduated with Masters in Computer Science, I had to choose between job offers from a start up technology organization and a well known software giant.   I chose the start up company at the time to become its fifth employee!   This decision called for a variety of challenges, including long working hours.   Had I joined the already established and popular software firm with over ten thousand emp loyees and successful processes in place, I would not have faced the challenges that I faced in the new company.The reason why I opted for the start up company was that I felt that I needed to have hands on experience with all pieces and parts of a technology company at the beginning of my career.   This kind of experience was only possible with a new company that would have been willing to trust and initiate me into all of its processes.   I required the kind of attention that the good old software giant could not have allowed me to get.I have never regretted my decision because the company that I joined permitted me to work on almost every aspect of software business.   I grew with my company and gained most necessary skills to start a business venture of my own!One of the most important customers of my company was a Japanese firm by the name of Matsushita Electricals (MEW), deploying my company’s software in almost all Asian countries.   Working closely with this c lient made me understand the Asian work culture besides the growing importance of Asian markets.After I finished my startup experience, I joined a mid-sized organization with software development and testing teams based in India, China, and Japan.   I was fortunate once again, for this time I was able to not only interact with the Asian teams but also to lead an offshore team.Today, I foresee my own career moving in the direction of Asian-American business, initially from a technical lead perspective and ultimately in a leadership role within the software industry, preferably with another start up organization.   This thought process has evolved from my past experiences in the software industry, and my perspective of the evolution and growth of the industry itself.Keeping in view the direction in which my chosen industry is headed, I believe that immense windfall gains and comparative advantages are in store for US-trained/thinking business leaders and managers in the Asian mark ets in the coming years.   I therefore seek to accelerate my career with great enthusiasm, trusting that an MBA degree from XYZ University would provide me with the ramp for my career at the same time as I continue to grow in my organization.I completed my Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering from a reasonably reputed university in India before doing my Masters in Computer Science in the United States.   I know that I bring my rich culture and heritage with myself into the MBA program.   My technical and management experience with Asian and American businesses will certainly be of great help to my colleagues in the program.   What is more, I love to socialize and to share my ideas, enthusiasm and energy with others.   This, I believe, is of additional advantage to all the people I interact with.Bibliography1. MBACareers. â€Å"Up Close and Virtual Interviews with Leading B-School – The Marshall School, University of Southern California.† Available at http://ww w.mbacareers.com (26 January 2006).2.The Mihalik Group. 2005, â€Å"Organization Strategy and Goals.† Available at http://www.themihalikgroup.com/consult_org_strategy.html (26 January 2006).

The Re-Emerging Russian Superpower

The tensions between Russia and Ukraine at the start of the year have generated renewed analytical interest in Russia’s re-emerging position as a superpower, driven chiefly by its actual, or potential, domination of the global supplies of energy. Along with its role as a swing supplier of oil (enabling it to manipulate the balance of power between OPEC and the industrialised consumers), the episode has highlighted Russia’s position as the pre-eminent supplier of gas. Russia controls a third of global proven gas reserves, with Gazprom already becoming the dominant supplier in the EU and Turkey, in addition to Russia’s â€Å"near abroad†, including the energy-hungry Ukraine. However, the drivers of Russia’s potential for becoming an energy superpower are not limited to its own resources. An additional factor is Russia’s near monopoly over the Central Asian export infrastructure, which remains unbroken by the single Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline (in operation since May 2005). Furthermore, it has been pointed out that the continued instability in the Middle East (which some argue has been deepened, rather than reduced, by the US invasion of Iraq) has boosted Russia’s position as the aspiring centre of energy geopolitics. Add to this several other key factors  ­ such as the long-term outlook for high energy prices, the limited ability of the US and EU to diversify their supply sources and Russia’s growing ability to play a China and/or Iran â€Å"card† both in energy and geopolitics  ­ and the picture that emerges is one of a global energy superpower, capable in many ways to counter the might of present-day sole superpower  ­ the United States. Furthermore, there have been significant signs that this re-emerging superpower also means business in the military sphere. Russia has recently commissioned a new generation of missiles (Topol-M), capable of fitting a nuclear warhead and able to evade current US anti-missile defence systems. While not signalling a return to a Cold War style arms race, this development suggests Russia is no longer willing to refrain from a bit of old fashioned sabre rattling, when it feels the need to do so. At the same time, Moscow has notified those who need to know of its determination to protect its vital strategic interests. While not seeking to become the exclusive great power player in the former Soviet Union, Russia has let it be known that it does not regard Western interests in the region as being on par with its own. It will therefore resist Western incursion in the area deemed incompatible with the pursuit of legitimate economic and political objectives. In practice this boils down to the promotion of anti-Russian regimes in the region, through so called â€Å"colour revolutions†. Thus, in an unusual move, Russia’s defence minister, Sergei Ivanov has written in The Wall Street Journal that the Kremlin’s key objective is the prevention of Western-fomented regime changes in Russia’s â€Å"near abroad†  ­ the CIS.

Bone dissection Essay

The skeletal system is made up of cartilage and bone. Both bone and cartilage are connective tissues, that is, they are composed of cells in a matrix with intracellular fibers. Just imagine connective tissue as a gelatin salad with grapes and coconut. The grapes would represent cells, the gelatin the support material for matrix, and the pieces of coconut the intracellular fibers. By changing the amounts of each ingredient and adding extra substances, we can produce a material that is very hard like bone and can withstand weight or softer like cartilage which can be used as a cushioning material. In this exercise, we will examine a fresh raw chicken bone to study bone structure. Materials Note: To complete both experiments, you will need two raw chicken bones. Each experiment requires a separate bone. Fresh chicken leg bone Knife Procedure 1. Carefully remove the skin and muscles from the bone as you do this, note the way that muscles are attached.. 2. Split the bone lengthwise. 3. Examine the bone and locate the following structures: a. Tendon – Examine the attachment of the muscles to bone. In most cases, the long ropelike attachment is a tendon and is composed of dense regular connective tissue. b. Periosteum This thin membrane covers the outside of the bone. c. Articular cartilage Note this thin layer of cartilage covering the epiphysis. d. Marrow cavity This hollow cavity in the diaphysis of the bone is lines with a thin membrane called the endosteum. e. Spongy bone This type of bone is located in the ends or epiphyses of the bone and appears to be open with small spicules or bars. f. Compact bone Makes up the shaft or diaphysis of the bone. Questions 1. How does spongy bone differ from compact bone? What differences did you see in the appearance of the spongy bone and compact bone? What color was the spongy bone? 2. How does cartilage differ from bone? How did each one feel when pierced with the knife? 3. How did the periosteum and endosteum differ in thickness? 4. Was the bone marrow yellow, red, green or blue? 5. What type of cartilage makes up the articular cartilage? 6. How did the articular cartilage differ in appearance from the spongy bone? 7. What color was the tendon? What substance gives it strength? 8. How did the raw bone differ in appearance from the baked bone in the other experiment? Note: Chicken may be contaminated with Salmonella. Wear gloves when possible during handling and wash hands thoroughly at the conclusion of your work!! Note: There are questions that will tell me if you did the dissection as I asked. If you miss these questions, you will receive no credit for the dissection.

ENVM510_M4GradedAssign Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

ENVM510_M4GradedAssign - Assignment Example ned the type of study the next big question is the determination of the study design that has to be employed when carrying out this research on the effects of the antibiotics on patients. The most appropriate study design that will be used when carrying out the research work is the randomized controlled trial (Simon, 2013). The randomized controlled research trail offers an opportunity to carry out experiments that are specific in nature. This is more especially when carrying out clinical trials. Since the objective of the research study is to reduce the level of infections on patients whenever antibiotics are administered on them before surgery, it is therefore prudent that the efficacy of these antibiotics is determined through carrying out of a research study. A randomized controlled trail is therefore the most appropriate research design that should be used whenever the efficacy of a drug is being determined during clinical research experiments. The randomized controlled research trial will also give the researcher an opportunity to collect information regarding the effects of the antibiotics administered (Meinert, 2012). The information gathered may be on the adverse effects of the antibiotics or even the manner in which the patients react to them in general. Either, this study design gives the researcher an opportunity to categorize his patients so that different groups are given different types of antibiotics under similar controlled environment with their effects and efficacy on the patients being determined. The randomized controlled trial is the best research design to employ in this research study. After carrying out a research study on the efficacy of various antibiotics on patients before they undergo surgery for over fifteen years, a new challenge arises of an infection that is resistant to the various antibiotics that have been under study all through. Such a scenario poses a new challenge and threat to the already carried out research work thus

Banning packed lunches Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Banning packed lunches - Research Paper Example According to the article on the website of Mother Nature Network (MNN) which first appeared on April 12 this year, the principal of Little Village Academy in Chicago has made a move to ban packed lunches after seeing kids drinking soda and eating junk foods for their lunch. Considering different factors, this initiative by Carmona may be applauded by other school officials who in turn could implement the same policy. Carmona’s observation of children carrying unhealthy foods and beverages is true. It happens in every school, regardless of the children’s economic status. In fact, it is even true at homes. Many parents nowadays allow their kids to eat whatever they like, without thinking of nutritional value simply because they are not home to see what their children are eating, and they themselves have become engrossed with the fastfood nation. The practice of eating processed foods has become a tradition. Many families rely on cooking processed meat in order to save tim e and energy. However, this practice should be stopped right away in order to ensure the health and safety of our young children. At home, parents should monitor what the kids are eating and teach them to take in only those foods which promote good health. Being the second home, schools should take the initiative to care for children and implement the rule made by Carmona. The moment the parents send their kids to school, they are already delegating the responsibility of taking care of their child to school authorities. This means giving full trust to the principal and teachers to decide for the good of the child. Ensuring that children receive the proper daily nutrition they need is one very important aspect of taking care of children. Such role should be ensured in order to secure children’s future. Considering this, Carmona’s move should be implemented in all schools, hence it is high time for school authorities to consider reviewing the said rule. Carmona’s regulation is nothing new. In fact, it is just a response to the state-wide call for health and nutrition. Many nutrition plans have been made beforehand but they still seem to be inadequate especially when it comes to implementation. For instance, according to the website of the Department of Agriculture, the office, with its program called National School Lunch Program, reimburses students’ meals with nutritious after-school meals such as whole wheat bread, meat, milk, and so on. However, this intervention is not preventive of obesity or eating unhealthy foods. According to the Troiano and Flegal (82), the rate of obesity cases among adolescents progressively rises because of eating junk foods. On this note, parents should be alarmed and do their best to teach their kids how to eat healthy foods. However, instead of promoting healthy eating, parents are the ones who tolerate and teach their kids to eat unhealthy foods by preparing fancy lunches such as nachos, desserts, pac ked with soda or other energy drinks. Recognizing the current problem, Principal Carmona is doing a good job, imposing the banning of packed lunches. If parents cannot satisfy the nutritional needs of their children, this is their chance to give nutritious food without too much effort. With a small amount, kids can take advantage of healthy snacks and lunches composed of fresh fruit, drinks, and potatoes. Served at the school canteen, parents can also be assured that the foods are prepared carefully. Nutrition is also ensured as school officials themselves monitor what the

The Economics of the Just Price Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Economics of the Just Price - Essay Example The aspect of determining price fairness has raised questions since the concept was conceived and has been an element of discussion. An economic solution was developed to determine the constituents of fair prices in accordance to some conditions that must be satisfied. These factors are the clear definition of production factors. The presence of perfect competition within the market and the absence of market failures as a result of economies of scale. When these parameters are considered the prices of commodities with only be affected by eh production costs and profits desired; and hence will be fair to both consumer and producer. This determination of the conditions that define fair prices has aided in the understanding of the elements that can be used to determine a fair price. In the ancient times, there were various factors that caused difficulties in determining a fair price and they were summed by the element of capitalism which was characterised by a lack of proper prices for labour, widespread aversion to payment of loans, and failure to incorporate interest payments into production costs.

Huffman Trucking Knowledge Worker- Terence Essay

Huffman Trucking Knowledge Worker- Terence - Essay Example Its mission clearly states the business’ strategic plans to survive in the logistics market. It motivates employees from every department by reminding them that profit making and competitiveness are the core principles of the firm’s success. Huffman’s facilities have been strategically located to ensure that both services and corporate support have been tactically diversified. Thesis statement: Huffman has outsourced its infrastructure and networks. A knowledge worker through analyzing the systems will come up with different ideas to support the firm and vice versa (Davenport 2013). Huffman has an information system that helps it in running operations between the four branches. The network has ensured the California, New Jersey, Missouri and Ohio facility are connected together. A remote backup site has also been set up to ensure communications between the four stations possible. Huffman offers logistical services meaning the need for constant communication with the fleet due to customer preferences. The information systems structure has made it possible for clients and staff to access information instantly when needed (Peterson and Davie 2012). Corporate communications from the corporate headquarters in Ohio are facilitated by the information systems infrastructure. It connects each and every department that include executive offices, marketing, sales, accounting and human resource. The administration at the corporate office has been provided with high-speed computers and printers depending on the number of employees in each department. The marketing department issues employees with mac-book computers, unlike others with HP to ensure class and a close connection to the public. Huffman’s computers have internal memories of one terabyte to ensure that vast information and data can be stored based on the size of the fleet. Other high-speed specs such as RAM and internal speeds have been emphasized ensuring

The Impact of Creative Advertising on Consumer's Attitudes towards Literature review

The Impact of Creative Advertising on Consumer's Attitudes towards High and Low Involvement Products - Literature review Example In order to explain the difference between the high involvement products and low involvement products, an example between toothpaste and laptop is given (Bajaj, 2001). Here tooth paste is the low involvement products, while the laptop is a high involvement product. Both the products are evaluated on the basis of the benefits that can be received from them (Mintzberg and Waters, 2009). Apart from that, a high involvement product costs considerable more than a low end product (Benner and Sandstrom, 2012). Due to this reason the customer looks for differentiating factors in that particular product, which are not present in other products. The customer looks for specific features in the product that justifies the price paid for that product (Morgan and Linda, 2005). In other words the customer wants to achieve greater differentiation within the particular budget earmarked. In case of low involvement product, the products are more or less the same, offering the same benefits and features at the same cost (Bonaccorsi and Daraio, 2009). Thus, the low involvement products are characterized by less products differentiation. So for this reason the customer can reach to a conclusion easily (Robert, James and Jean, 2004). Creativity in advertising Creativity helps to transform thinking which are strategic in nature into ideas. These ideas then enable the advertisers to create effective communication (Samiee and Roth, 2003). There are mainly three different stages in creativity; create, creation and creative. In order to create, the advertisers need to float a new idea that is unique and different from the other ideas. The new idea is linked to the main purpose. It constitutes the... This report stresses that creativity in advertisements creates the difference in the way customers perceives a low involvement product and a high involvement product. The numerous experiments indicate that creativity in advertisement influences the buying pattern of the goods. The effect of creative advertisement is more on high involvement products than the low involvement products. A customer has to factor in different kinds of variables and information while buying a high involvement product. This article makes a conclusion that the involvement of the customer can be eased and the buying process can be fastened up and smoothed if the customer is made well aware of the product and the way it can be differentiated with other brands. By bringing in creativity in the advertisement the advertiser is in reality serving the same proposal although in an innovative way. The idea of doing the same and usual thing in a different way create lasting impression on the mind of the customer. The customer is able to associate with or recall the product for a longer period of time. The closest memory the customer accesses are long term memory where the information regarding the brand is stored. Creativity advertising helps to create that niche space in memory through connecting with the most basic features a customer looks while making a decision. The basic features are attention, perception, emotion, senses, reasoning, though, language as well as assimilation and recognition.

White Privilege and Male Privilege Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

White Privilege and Male Privilege - Essay Example It is for this reason that privilege may be seen as a special immunity or entitlement that is granted by socioeconomic and political systems to individuals, based on gender, race, creed, ideology, ethnicity or religion. There seems to be a strong correlation between privilege and Protestant work ethic. The correlation is based on the fact that privilege modifies or encourages Protestant work ethic. Particularly, gender-related socioeconomic privilege encourages Protestant work ethics by placing work and responsibility on male shoulders, while the woman is sidestepped. The situation is compounded by a patriarchal society [as was in the case of pre-1950s America] where the forces of production such as capital, land and labor and even opportunities are inordinately in the hands of the male industrialists and capitalists. According to McIntosh, normally, the male industrialists, entrepreneurs and capitalists were white American. Specifically, given that Protestant work ethic stresses that people should be seriously dexterous and taking their social security into their hands, the socioeconomic marginalization of women and non-White Americans has appeared somewhat justifiable, given that white men were the ones appropriating the means of production, accessing opportunities and shouldering responsibilities (McIntosh, 126, 127). In almost the same wavelength, there also seems to be a strong correlation between privilege and the bootstrap myth. Particularly, also known as the meritocracy myth, the bootstrap myth postulates that any person can go to the US with nothing and through the application of virtues such as diligence and upright living; the same could rise into the middle class within three generations. The concept of privilege relates with the bootstrap myth, by compounding it. This is because; those that are socioeconomically advantaged in the society use the bootstrap myth to explain away the reality of socioeconomic disparity that exists between race-based and/ or gender-based social classes. The gravity of the matter immediately above is that the bootstrap myth and the inordinately and unfairly distributed privileges easily conjoin to serve as a tool in the hands of the dominant culture or class. For instance, in the pre-1950s America, Caucasian males used the same to support the idea that the Ame rican society was fair and egalitarian and that race-based or gender-based or ethnic-based discrimination and segregation had been faced out. To this effect, the underdogs such as women and African Americans were underprivileged simply because they were shiftless sluggards. Another way in which the bootstrap myth seems to propound sexist ideas against women is its penchant for overlooking the considerable degree of success that women have made. More than half of women in the US are presently middle class, though this is never mentioned in the bootstrap myth, and thereby helping underscore the suspicion that the theory is always amenable to sexist mindsets. A critical observer will find the bootstrap theory objectionable on the ground that success in America is a culmination of several factors such as education, political rights, knowledge of English, gender-based hiring and promotion practices, growth of the labor market, family support, parents' class and education and internalized sexism and/ or racism. Also, the idea of Protestant work ethic can be seen to be neither supportive nor compatible with the truth on the socioeconomic realities of gender-based discrimination. The Protestant work ethic assumes that diligence and being upright are the chief and sole ingredients of success, while this is not the case. On the contrary, there are other factors that determine

Qualitative Research Problem and Design-Terence Essay - 1

Qualitative Research Problem and Design-Terence - Essay Example In-setting perceptions, interviews and extensive discussions are some of the methods employed in this type of research (Academy of Management, 2011). Criminal activities in most parts of the world are increasing due to some factors which economists and sociologists believe can be controlled (CICITAS CRIME, 2013). For example, the crime rate in the United States is considered to be low as compared other parts of the world but still high. Regions of Africa and South America are the most affected areas with the increasing rates of criminal activities. It is important to look at the causes of these increasing levels of crimes since lives are lost from such criminal activities. Some of the major factors behind increasing crime rates are lack of job opportunities among the youth and urbanization in general. Looking into the effects of these criminal behaviors in our society is also crucial since it would give the community reasons to fight this ill in the society. Finally, a research on how to fight this problem would be necessary (Clear, 2012). A crime is an activity that a person or a group engages in but the law of the land is against. These activities can be acts that affect other people are those that affect just the doers of the activities. The general perspective of criminal behavior looks at all the parties at stake when such an unlawful action is taken (Federal Bureau of Investigations, 2013). The rate of criminal activities in our countries has been on the increases. The number of unlawful activities that government authorities record every year is today higher than the number recorded back in the early 2000s. The size of data about lives lost in the line of handling criminal activities have also become bigger over years to date. The world is now left alert about these increasing criminal rates as the entire generation from the West to the East is affected by the problem (Uniform Crime

Single Life Essay Example for Free

Single Life Essay Group member: Li Ruixuan, Chen Yi, Ai Huanyu, Jin Peiyao, Wu Jindi. Research method: This case talks about Slavery in the chocolate industry. They treat children as slavery, and force them to do hard work. The reason by various factors, we can discuss form systemic, corporate and individual ethical issues. Such as systemic, economic systems should be taken into consideration. Cocoa bean prices had declined, between 1996 and 2000, the price control by the global market but farmers had no control. Farmers turned to slavery to try to cut labour cost for their survival in this situation by the low prices. Slavery on farms is illegal in the Ivory Coast but the law is rarely enforced. But the government from their country has their own situation, a shortage of enforcement officers, the willingness of local officials etc. The case information we found it by some website: http://www.foodispower.org/slavery_chocolate.php http://vision.ucsd.edu/~kbranson/stopchocolateslavery/index.html And we also got some useful information from the book in page 64-67. Division of labour and schedule including presentation preparation: We followed the question below the case from the book to division of labour. Each question was answered by one or two group member, the number decides by question. Presentation follows the report, which part of report you did, then which part of presentation you do. Initial findings: After read the case and discussed, in our view, the situation made by the basic reason of our consumer, like us who buy chocolate from these company. The most of consumers did not know about this situation, they just know something good about chocolate and did not know something bad. Affect global market through our consumer, and made a good plan to solve the situation. Media’s power is great. Some company said if they did not used coco beans from these areas, then it will make these poor areas What a systematic, corporate, an individual and ethical issues raised by this case? The systematic ethical issues raised by this case include economical, political, and legal questions. Let us first look at the economical repercussions. Would it be economically logical not to do any business with these countries? The answer is no, considering close to half of the world’s chocolate is made from the cocoa beans that are grown in the Ivory Coast and Ghana. If we were to refuse to do any business with these countries or the people associated with these countries, the costs of the products may be un-affordable to consumers. As far as political issues, I’m sure we’re not the only country who does business with these other countries, and if we stop doing business with the ivory coast and Ghana the other countries that also do business with them may stop doing business with us. The last systematic issue raised is legal. As stated in the article slavery on the farms is in illegal in the Ivory Coast. Whether it is or how well the laws are enforced is for the most part out of our control. In your view, is the kind of slavery discussed in the case absolutely wrong no matter what, or is it relatively wrong, i.e., if what happens to live in a society like ours that disapproves of slavery? I feel slavery of any kind is wrong whether the society approves or disapproves of it. However, throughout history slavery has been a common practice of most societies across the world. If the young boys in this case had been treated better, for example better working conditions, better sleeping conditions, better living conditions, and better treatment in general would this article ever have appeared? Probably not, I think the major moral issue here is the treatment of the boys. Who shares in the moral responsibility for the slavery occurring in the chocolate industry: African farmers? African governments? American chocolate [continues]

Rabbit-Proof Fence Essay Example for Free

Rabbit-Proof Fence Essay * How do the filmmakers begin the film and engage us in the story and at the beginning of the film what do you think you are seeing at first? The Australian film based on the true story about â€Å"The Stolen Generation† titled â€Å"Rabbit-Proof Fence† begins with a brief written summary about the Australian Aborigines Act of 1931. This historical information is just enough to really grasp the viewer’s curiosity before moving on to what is initially, the unidentifiable aerial footage of the endless desert plains of Australia. This is footage is only further complicated by the voice of an unknown women speaking in an unfamiliar language and the native sounding instruments fading in slowly from the background. At first, I was unsure of the geographical location, thinking it was possibly that of a sandy or muddy beach. It then crossed my mind that perhaps I had mistakenly selected a non-English version of the film which would explain the foreign language, but not the English text at the beginning. It wasn’t until the view included the unmistakably blue sky along the horizon of the desert that the location became completely recognizable and my previous thoughts were extinguished. * What impressions do you gain of life in the desert Aboriginal community?   Living among nothing more than the dry and dusty Australian plains scattered with sagebrush and a few desert trees, the film showed how desolate of a landscape the Aborigines called home. With nothing more than simple huts constructed from small sticks and branches, their homes didn’t appear to provide adequate shelter much less protection from the elements such as the unrelenting heat and sun. It was clear that their lives had been disrupted by â€Å"white† European settlers whom had depleted their lands of natural resources needed for survival, as the community was forced to rely upon government rations for food, water, clothing, etc. As seen in the film, the community rations were distributed to the native people by a â€Å"white† government worker at the Jigalong depot which gave the state every opportunity to evoke complete control over their lives. * Very early in the film, we see the eagle, Molly’s totem, her spirit bird. Her mother tells her the eagle will look after her. When does the bird appear again in the film and why? The eagle first appears in the very beginning of film as Molly stares up to the blue sky watching intently as an eagle circles overhead. Soon joined by her mother, together they both gaze up as her mother speaks to her in native tongue; she explains the meaning of the totem to Molly and its promise for protection and guidance. Then after Molly and her sisters are taken to the settlement, the eagle appears again circling overhead in her dream signaling that the time had come for the girls to make their escape. Finally, after walking over a thousand miles the two remaining sisters collapse from pure exhaustion in the endless desert when again the eagle appears in Molly’s dreams. Awakening her from near death, the eagle seemingly provides the strength and encouragement needed for Molly to contin ue on, with promise of home. Out of curiosity, I did some further research about the totem and the Aboriginal people. In the Aborigine culture each individual family has a totem with different animal symbols on it which represent their descended mythical â€Å"Being of Dreamtime†: the belief in a spiritual connection between land, animal, and man in a time before time. For indigenous aborigines the religious significance of the totem is conceptually similar to the religious significance of the cross for Christians; both carry symbolic meaning representing a spiritual life. * Why do you think that some children just accepted their fate, whereas others were desperate to escape? After being kidnapped from their family and taken to the Moore River Native Settlement, the Aboriginal children were forced to conform to the strict authority of the sisters and Mr. Neville’s staff, including the tracker. The children were warned from the beginning that if they were to attempt an escape they would be tracked and surely brought back to receive the punishments they had deserved. Those who dare attempt were immediately tracked and returned to the settlement where they would be brutally punished in front of their peers by the Mr. Neville or his staff; after which they were then locked up in the isolation room for hours or even days. For the majority of the children the fear of punishment was enough for them to accept their fate and obey the endless rules. Additionally, it seemed that for many of the children the settlement had become their home and they didn’t want to leave. Clearly this was not the case for Molly, and the other girl seen punished in the movie for sneaking out to visit her boyfriend. * What kind of activities were the children involved in to â€Å"civilize and Christianize† them? Once the children arrived at the Moore River Native Settlement they were expected to dress, speak, and behave as instructed by Mr. Neville’s staff. The children were each scrubbed by one of the sister’s before being dressed all alike in plain smocks and shoes. At the start of each meal they were required to stand and all say a uniform prayer before eating. They were required to address their elders by â€Å"Ms. or Mr.† only, able to speak only when spoken to, allowed only to speak in English instead of their native tongue which was commonly referred to as â€Å"jabber†. All the children were forced to attend classes, and church as instructed, as well as daily chores like sweeping, mopping, and sewing. * After their escape, when ever Mollly is asked where she is going, the answer is always the one word: â€Å"home†, what does this mean to Molly? For Molly, the word â€Å"home† is where she belongs, the place where her mom is, the only place she knows, the place she must return to at all costs. Unlike some of the other children who had been made to believe that the settlement was their home, and that they no longer had a mother; Molly knew better, she knew that they still had a mother. For fourteen years, wherever her family was at was â€Å"home† and she dearly longed to be reunited with the family that she loved and she knew loved her. * The girls stumble across a remote farm where they meet Mavis, another Stolen Generations Aboriginal girl who is working as a domestic helper. What evidence is there to suggest that life is very difficult for Mavis? Why was she so keen for the girls to shelter with her for the night? One of the few people that the sisters encountered on their incredibly long journey across the desolate Australian plains was a young woman by the name of Mavis. They came across a homestead where they found Mavis hanging laundry, deciding to stop and take the chance by asking for food. As the girls soon would learn, she too had been kidnapped from her family and brought to the compound where she lived until she was old enough to go to work as a domestic worker for the white family with whom she lived. Immediately upon seeing the girls, Mavis r ecognized the trio as having escaped from Moore River. She instructed the girls to wait in the brush until later that evening when she would bring them food and insist upon them staying with her for the night. That night as the girls lay fast asleep in Mavis’ bed they were woke by the white boss man attempts to crawl into bed with whom he clearly had thought to be only Mavis. After the discovery, Mavis briefly spoke with boss man before pleading with the girls to stay with her for the remainder of night out. Clearly she was fearful that if they left her bed he would return to finish what he had started. Unfortunately, despite her promise, Mavis boss did in fact call the authorities and again the girls were woke, only luckily this time narrowly escaping capture by outwitting the trackers. * Imagine you are Molly aged about thirty and the mother of two children. Tell your children what you learned from your experiences in 1931. First of all, I want to acknowledge that it is impossible for me to comprehend what Molly, or any Aboriginal child endured at the hands of the Western Australian government; I can only do my best to imagine what I would be like after such an experience. As forty four year old Molly with two children, I anticipate that I would be open and honest with my children about the events in my life while doing my absolute best to teach my chil dren about the necessity of forgiveness. I would try to explain that the actions of the Australian government were the result of ignorance and fear. It is our job as parents to prepare our children for the future and to hopefully avoid repeating the mistakes of our past; as such I feel that it would do no good to teach them to be angry or hateful towards the â€Å"white† people, but feel sorry for their ignorance. * Many Aboriginal Australians today are still suffering from the effects of loss of identity and family brought about by the practice of removing Aboriginal children. What do you understand by the word â€Å"reconciliation†? To me personally, the word reconciliation means the act of making something right that has been wronged and I don’t know if the past in instances like this can be made right. After the movie, I went on to view several other pieces about the Stolen Generations and some of the stories were heart breaking to say the least. It is very true that many Aboriginal families are still suffering today; many who have lost every bit of their real heritage as a result. It’s hard to imagine not having any idea where you came from, but it’s even harder to imagine those whose last memory of their mother was her heartbroken face as they were ripped from her arms. To have no idea what became of your people is something I can only begin to imagine. Therefore, I don’t think that there ever will be any reconciliation possible between the government and the Aboriginal people, an apology sure but the wrong will never be able to be right. What I do believe can take place, is for the Australian government to accept responsibility for the mistakes of their predecessor’s against the Aboriginal people and to provide any and all resources that may help this culture heal.

Employee Relations in Trade Unions and HRM

Employee Relations in Trade Unions and HRM Employee relations are critical to the success of the organisation. Good communication channels need to be in place for information flow between employers and employees. This holds true for both small and large organisations. In large organisations, there are legal rules in place to engage employee representatives. Employee representation could be in the form of trade unions, works councils, joint working groups and ad-hoc groups. In small companies, the emphasis is on direct communication between employer and employees. Small firms do not require elaborate representational systems and the legal framework excludes them from laws to consult with worker representatives in some cases. However, regardless of the size of the organisation, it is advisable for employers to have effective systems for providing information and consultations with employees on a periodic basis (ACAS, 2005). This is particularly critical for small companies that are growing at a fast rate and need to have system s in place for employee engagement as is the case with the company under consideration. Employee representation and trade unions One form of employee representation is trade unions. Trade unions are associations of employees. Trade union is an organization of workers that aims to protect and advance the interests of its members (BIS, 2009). Their objective is to sustain and enhance the terms and conditions of work for their members. This is done through collective bargaining with employers. Recognition of the trade union by the company is very important for collective bargaining. Collective bargaining takes place when the trade union negotiates with the employer on behalf of the employees on matters regarding pay and other terms and conditions of employment. Trade unions are of four types: company union, general/industrial union, craft union and white collar union (Cole, 2003). Company union represent the employees in a single company. General or Industrial union represents employees from several companies belonging to the same industry. Craft union represents skilled workers in a specific field. White collar union represent white collar employees e.g., teachers and professors. Trade unions are set up to protect and promote the interests of employees. The existence of a trade union reduces the possibilities of industrial conflict (Dillon, 2009). Trade unions play a vital role in effective communication between management and employees. They provide the support system to ensure that the differences of opinion do not turn into major conflicts. Trade unions play an active role in negotiations between management and workers in times of disagreement. Trade unions not only represent employees to discuss their pay and benefits, but also provide a voice for the employees to be heard on various other aspects of personnel policies. These include selecting employees for lay offs, retrenchment, promotion and transfer. The personnel selection criterion within an organization may not be fair and transparent. The existence of trade unions ensures that workers have a say in the proceedings and their interests are safeguarded (ILO, 1992). From the management perspective, it is beneficial to deal with trade union members who represent all the employees rather than deal with employees individually. This saves time and is cost efficient as conflicts can be resolved in a timely manner. This ensures there is no stoppage of work, thus preventing adverse effects on employee productivity and efficiency. Management will get to know from the trade union about the views of employees on various important aspects of the company polices. They can use this information to make important decisions that affect employees (Gennard Judge, 2005). Becoming a member of a trade union gives employees the confidence that their needs and interests are being protected. This is a source of motivation for workers reducing absenteeism, lower productivity and labour turnover. This ensures that there is optimum utilization of human resources in the organisation. Role of trade unions The role played by trade unions in uniting, protecting and improving the employees has a positive impact on the business. They help management in the recruitment of employees. Trade unions have also started to conduct various training and development activities for the employees. They help in unifying employees coming from diverse social and economic backgrounds by helping them get used to the work conditions in the company. As a result, workers are more aware of the rules and policies in the company. This gives the employees the requisite tools to succeed in their job. With efficient employees, companies can achieve their goals and grow at a faster rate. This will positively impact the economic development of the economy. At times of disagreement and conflict between employers and employees, trade unions play a vital role. They represent all the employees in total. This is called collective bargaining. This makes it easy for management to deal with the trade union members. This helps in building trust and co-operation. The trade union helps in resolving the conflict in a rational manner that is beneficial to both the company and its employees. In such a scenario, the acceptability of the managements decisions by the employees is greater. They have a sense of ownership for the decision-making and therefore will be more committed to achieve the companys objectives. The quality of the decisions may also improve as opinions of employees with the required skills are well represented. The focus is on mutual agreement between management, employees and their representatives for improving employee relations. Trade unions help in fostering co-operation and building industrial relations. HRM practices and trade unions The disadvantages of trade unions to management are they could lead to increase in wages at an indiscriminate rate. This means higher costs for the company. Also, trade unions consider only the requirements of its members. It gives no importance to the views and needs of employees who are not members. When trade unions impose strikes and lock-outs in the company, it causes decrease in productivity and profitability levels. Over the years, the focus in human resource management (HRM) has changed from collectivism to individualism. This means more importance given to engaging employees individually for consultation, communication and resolving conflict. In the individualism management style, the focus is on the views, opinions and needs of each employee. It seeks to bring out the best in every employee in performing their job. In collectivism management style, the company recognizes the importance of having employees views and opinions represented in management decision-making on personnel matters. The HRM approach that strikes a balance between these two management styles will give importance in building and caring for human resources in the organisation. Human resource management is a style of management for managing employee relations in a way that enables employees to perform at their best in the new era of technological changes and globalisation. There are two versions in defining HRM. The hard version adopts a rational method of dealing with employees and aims at aligning organisation strategy and human resource strategy (Bratton Gold, 2001). It views employees as a cost component that needs to be controlled. The soft version views employees as resources. Its emphasis is on grooming, training and developing employees. It works on increasing employee commitment. It looks upon a skilled and committed workforce as an important competitive advantage. Human resource management is a key function in a company, which focuses on selecting, recruiting, training and developing employees, and provide a sense of direction to them. Its main aim is to manage the human resources in an organisation effectively and contribute in achieving its goals. Functions of HRM include planning, selection, recruitment, compensation and benefits, training, performance appraisal and feedback, communication and motivation of human resources in the company. When a company is established and starts operating in a small scale, usually the owner/manager performs the HR functions. As the company grows steadily, a human resource personnel needs to be appointed, who primarily takes care of payroll processing, benefits and HR record-keeping. For the other major HR functions like recruitment and training, managers may need to participate and take the ownership. When a company crosses the 80-100 employees level, a person specializing in HRM needs to come onboard (Math is Jackson, 2007). The role of HRM in a company can be split into three: administrative, operational and strategic. The administrative role is to do with clerical responsibilities like paper work and record keeping. If the role of HR in a company is restricted to only the administrative function, then it serves no purpose both for the employers and employees. In the operational role, HR implements the strategies laid out by the management. It ensures that the plans, policies and strategies of the organisation as laid out by the management are carried out by the employees. In this role, HR acts as a liaison between the employer and employees. In the strategic role, HR plays a key role in formulating policies relating to human resources along with the management. HR contributes to organisational effectiveness and success by ensuring employees is well equipped to perform at their best and contribute significantly to the company (Mathis Jackson, 2007). For the human resource function to be effective in an organisation, the operational and strategic role must be given importance in decision-making. This ensures there is adequate communication between employers and employees. It recognises human resource as a vital component that needs to be groomed and developed for the success of the company. By ensuring employees opinions are voiced and heard on matters affecting them, HRM ensures that employees feel motivated, have a sense of purpose and ownership and contribute to the organisation. Managing employee relations within the organization Organizations today are increasingly exposed to the challenges of managing employee relations and adopt practices that promote a positive work culture. Global competitive pressures have added to the stress levels at workplace and employee satisfaction becomes a critical issue in such conditions. Large organizations with more than 100 employees often find it difficult to address employee issues and concerns. Employee representation through collectivism in the form of trade unions, joint consultation committees or individualistic approach that emphasizes on strategies like personal development plans, performance appraisals and career progression are some of the alternatives available to the organization. Changes in managerial approach are a requirement for organizations to adapt to changing operating and business environment conditions. In traditional organizations, directing involves giving assignments, explaining routines, clarifying policies, and providing feedback on performance (N ickels, 2008). This style of management has been replaced by a more encouraging approach that involves increased participation of the workforce in the decision making process. Employee empowerment strategies and a participative leadership approach are increasingly finding their acceptance within organizations since it promotes organizational efficiency in terms of productivity and performance. Flexible organizational structures that are distinguished by reduced layers of hierarchy are much favoured for their role in improving existing work culture and employee commitment levels. Employee participation and consultative practices within an organization faces distinct challenges from lack of supporting infrastructure that encourage the process of open communication. Potterfield (1999) states that empowerment strategies can be effective only when the organization provides the following four essential ingredients to its staff and that includes information about the organizations performance, rewards based on organizations performance, knowledge that enables the workforce to contribute to organizations performance, and power to make decisions that influence organizational performance. Bargaining with trade unions reflect the need to recognize their existence and this relationship can be fostered in many ways for mutual benefit. Organizations can effectively integrate their strategies to gain advantage from the existence of trade unions through the implementation of employee participation and promoting a healthy work culture that focuses on increased productivity. Organizations are run by various disciplinary standards and frameworks that guide employee behaviour at workplace, frame regulations for disciplinary actions against misbehaviour, and frame the basic rules that should be followed by people within the organization to ensure the smooth functioning and create a healthy work environment. The management is to a large extent responsible for drawing the guidelines and laying the protocols to ensure a proper code of conduct among the employees. People need to know what is expected of them in terms of standards of performance and behaviour (ACAS, 2009). It is not an effective practice to define employee code of conduct and performance levels while imposing restrictions on employee conduct as and when required by employers. The organization must have a pre-defined set of expected behaviour protocols handed out to the employees that conveys a uniform standard of conduct to all employees across all levels and departments within an organization. This is extremely helpful in directing the employees on what actions or steps should be taken next in response to a specific case or situation at the workplace. Such rules and protocols will leave no place for ambiguity or misunderstandings once the company expectations are defined and explained to the workforce. Many companies define a set of procedures for employee grievances and feedback. Such practices are useful in providing assurance to the employees that their problems will be dealt with confidentially and in uniformity with the company procedures. This ensures fair resolution of problems and guides the managers in dealing with conflicts within teams and individuals. The success of any business enterprise in todays operating environment is to a large extent dependent on the human capital resources available. In view of the present economic perspective employee relations play a critical role in deciding the business strategies and profitability position of the company. There are numerous instances when organizational conflicts can create problems with the effectiveness of operations. However, it must be understood that conflicts are an inevitable part of the business environment and organizations adopt different strategies to resolve conflicts arising at workplace. According to the conventional way of doing business conflicts were viewed as a negative and threatening action working against the organizational interests. There has been a radical change in perspectives with changing business dynamics where organizations feel that conflicts can be used to leverage organizational goals and objectives through the use of effective leadership and manageri al strategies. The individual conflict arising in workplace is more evident in the form of personal goals and objectives that clash with the goals of other individuals (Weijun, 2006). A competitive work environment promotes individuals to prove their abilities and go that extra mile to achieve higher goals. Managers and leaders instigate a competitive environment to achieve organizational goals and targets and motivate the employees to perform better. The consequences are realized in the form of increased productivity, market share and profitability. The stakeholders gain from this kind of conflicts arising at workplace. Any changes to the current and existing work procedures are met with stiff resistance from the people involved. Managing conflicts and implementing changes in an organization is a complex task that requires an able leadership that has the capacity to visualize and identify possible barriers or resistance to the planned changes. Ensuring high levels of performance within the organization requires active participation of both management and individuals in the workforce in implementing tasks and objectives (Roberts, 2004). Managers can unlock an individuals ability and willingness to perform at high levels in many ways for instance, by translating long-term goals into step by step plans, clearly stating expectations and holding people accountable (Holbeche, 2005). Training the employees is an effective conflict management strategy. It provides the employees with increased information and knowledge on the impact of organizational policies or programs and thinks in a pre-defined manner t o accept such changes. There are numerous other employee management strategies that can be implemented by the organization to ensure increased performance levels and adherence to quality standards. This includes performance appraisals, team meetings, one-to-one discussion forums, personal development plans and feedback sessions that encourage a healthy exchange of views and suggestions. The organization should outline and explain the step-by-step procedure that needs to be followed by the employees and the managers in fulfilling the objectives of performance appraisals and personal development plans. The managers should be provided with adequate guidelines on the way the system should work, how often the plans need to be reviewed and trained in the ways of conducting effective appraisal sessions. Documentation of each phase of these plans is necessary to provide the managers and employees with improved clarity on the goals decided, action plans drawn, review period and feedback of the session. Improved communication can help in motivating employees, increasing productivity and result in improved customer service. But it needs to be understood that the communication process is not simply conveying the message. It is a two-way process that needs interaction between the two parties. The management and the employees need to interact on how the managerial strategies are going to take shape and what are best possible ways to minimize risks and hurdles in the process. Giving the employees a chance to participate in management decisions not only makes them feel valuable but also ensures their support and enthusiasm in the whole process. Another vital ingredient for successful communication process is consistency. The management policies need to be consistent in their approach to instil trust and confidence in the employees. Conclusion The increase in market competitiveness has resulted in the adoption of strategic plans that focus on employee welfare and development schemes. Collective relationships are now based on relatively more cooperation in which both parties are motivated to add value to the organization (Gennard Judge, 2005, p11). The evolving employment relationships emphasize the success of the enterprise through developing employee trust and commitment, enhancing job satisfaction, employee participation in decision making process, and increasing organizational productivity, profitability and efficiency (Gennard Judge, 2005).

Howard Hughes Essay -- Biographies Biography Hughes Essays

Howard Hughes Howard Robard Hughes was a very inventive, attention getting man. He was an out-spoken entrepreneur who was best known for his hard work and dedication in motion pictures and the aviation industry. His inherited fortune gave him the opportunity to start building on his dreams at an early age. Although Howard remained in the news his entire life he was not always looked on favorably in the public’s eye. In later years his paranoia left him a recluse and in twenty years he had not been seen or photographed by the public. Howard was born on Christmas Eve 1904, in Houston, Texas. He was the only child of Howard Robard Hughes Senior and Alene Gano Hughes. His mother died when he was sixteen and his father died when he was 18. Howard’s childhood wasn’t the greatest but in the end it turned out all right. He was orphaned and inherited $2,000,000 and Hughes Tool Company. His uncle was Hollywood writer Rupert Hughes. Howard took his first airplane ride when he was fourteen years old. Howard Hughes attended private elementary and high school in California and Massachusetts. He attended the Rice Institute in Houston, Texas. He also attended the California Institute of Technology. Howard had a fine education because he attended highly educational schools. His father’s great fortune left Howard very wealthy. After his father’s death he was left an estate worth $871,000, and a patent for a drill. The drill was for oil drilling which made much money. In 19...

King Lear :: essays research papers

King Lear is one of William Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies which involves a common story of three daughters vying for the love of their father. Jane Smiley parallels the story of King Lear in her novel A Thousand Acres. Though this novel is derived from the roots of King Lear and the basic plot is similar, the reader’s reaction to each work of literature varies greatly. One may wonder why the reader’s perspective on the play King Lear changes so drastically after reading the novel A Thousand Acres. A couple of the reasons include the pieces of literature being told from two different view points and how the paralleling characters in the two works assume roles than are unexpected and seem unlike the comparable characters in the other piece of literature. However, Scott Holstad states the reason for the differing responses best by saying, â€Å"Smiley is successful because she fills in so many of the gaps left open in the play. She gives us new and different perspectives† (Holstad 1). King Lear is a most unusual play in that it only deals with the present and neglects the past and the future. The reader is not informed about an earlier time period in the play. The play opens up with Lear immediately choosing to, â€Å"express our darker purpose† (I, i, 35). There is no mention of any of the three daughters’ childhood. In contrast, Smiley makes a point of adding description to her novel. She constantly describes the three girls’ childhood, their ancestors, and other memories from the past. In the beginning of the novel, Ginny elaborates upon her great-grandparents and, â€Å"when they came the first time to Zebulon County, in the spring of 1890, and saw that half the land they had already bought was under two feet of water† (Smiley 14). Ginny also remembers when she used to take care of Caroline, â€Å"I had such hope for her, such a strong sense that when we sent her out, in whatever capacity, she would perform well, with enthusiasm and confidence that were mysteriously hers alone† (Smiley 262). The description of the past is the most powerful part in A Thousand Acres. It reveals hidden roots that shape and define behaviors of the characters. This hidden knowledge and exposure of secrets is exemplified in Edgar’s line in King Lear, â€Å"In nothing am I chang’d But in my garments† (IV, vi, 9-10). It tells the reader that although things may appear to be a certain way, reality will prove them to be different. The major difference between King Lear and A Thousand Acres is that the past comes

The Necklace :: Character analysis, Loisel

In the short story â€Å"The Necklace†, the main character, Loisel, is a woman who dreams of greater things in her life. She is married to a poor clerk who tries his best to make her happy no matter what. In an attempt to try to bring happiness to his wife, he manages to get two invitations to a very classy ball, but even in light of this Loisel is still unhappy. Even when she gets a new dress she is still unhappy. This lasts until her husband suggests she borrows some jewelry from a friend, and upon doing so she is finally happy. Once the ball is over, and they reach home, Loisel has the horrible realization that she has lost the necklace, and after ten years of hard labor and suffering, they pay off debts incurred to get a replacement. The central idea of this story is how something small can have a life changing effect on our and others life’s. This idea is presented through internal and external conflicts, third person omniscient point of view, and the round-dynamic character of Loisel. The third person limited omniscient point-of-view is prevalent throughout this short story in the way that the author lets the reader only see into the main character’s thoughts. Loisel is revealed to the reader as being unhappy with her life and wishing for fancier things. â€Å"She suffered ceaselessly, feeling herself born for all the delicacies and all the luxuries.† (de Maupassant 887) When her husband tries to fancy things up, â€Å"she thought of dainty dinners, of shining silverware, of tapestry which peopled the walls†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (de Maupassant 887) As the story goes on her point of view changes, as she â€Å"now knew the horrible existence of the needy. She took her part, moreover all of a sudden, with heroism.† (de Maupassant 891) Having the accountability to know that the â€Å"dreadful debt must be paid.† (de Maupassant 891 ) This point-of-view is used to help the reader gain more insight to how Loisel’s whole mindset is changed throughout her struggle to pay off their debts. Maupassant only reveals the thoughts and feelings of these this main character leaving all the others as flat characters. Loisel is a round-dynamic character in that Maupassant shows how she thought she was born in the wrong â€Å"station†. â€Å"She dressed plainly because she could not dress well, but she was as unhappy as though she had really fallen from her proper station.

Filipino Fashion Essay

Just when you think that Filipinas do not know how to strut on the catwalk, Filipinas do not just have the passion to wear designed clothes; Filipinas are natural fashionistas. Tracing its origins, Filipinos had long since been very innovative and creative in the kind of clothes that they wear. The early settlers wore bahag, a loincloth commonly used by Filipino men before the European colonizers arrived. This is mostly used by indigenous tribes in the mountains, and until now, is still used in the Cordilllera Mountain. But this is not being looked down upon as a lowly garment as it is made of well-chosen materials, woven in intricate designs that are unique with each individual wearing it. The Barong Tagalog and Baro’t Saya are the country’s national costume. The barong is made of a variety of fabrics like the pià ±a fabric, jusi, and banana fabric. This is worn by men during official and special personal occasions. Nowadays, the barong has now been modernized with the polo barong, â€Å"gusot-mayaman† (â€Å"gusot† means â€Å"wrinkled† and â€Å"mayaman† means â€Å"wealthy†), linen barongs and shirt-jack barongs. Barong Tagalog The baro’t saya is the national dress and is worn by women. This is characterized by having a huge paà ±uelo or shawl around the shoulders, and the terno, having the butterfly sleeves popularized by former First Lady Imelda Marcos. As the years passed, the influence of the West and the influence of the East on local fashion has made Filipino fashion an ecclectic one. Some of the popular Filipino fashion designers we have today include Mich Dulce, Rafe Totengco, and Monique Lhuillier.

Diversion Program Essay

No particular scheme can pay for the assortment of diversion programs required to successfully interject in the imprisonment and detention of individuals with recurring conditions. Most specifically, when an assortment of methods is overstretched in its efforts to identify a favorable diversion resource, every proposed process typically declares funding deficiency to its fellow method, thus initiating the bureaucratic back and forth in constructing the crucial choice of services for the diversion planning. Ultimately, every projected diversion program must convey the resources that will be accessible for mutual endeavors. Additionally, resources should not be limited to quantifiable dollars, but contain workforce time, space and the agreement in changing policies and procedures that preclude amalgamation and efficient diversion programs. Uncompromising and rigid state and federal funding issues offer many hurdles to the vital assimilation of amenities offered towards individuals with substance use conditions and mental health disorders who are implicated in the criminal justice system. For decades, jail diversion programs have been looked upon as a humanitarian resolution for individuals with mental disorders, in diverting individuals from prison to community-based mental health treatment thus benefiting the public, criminal justice system, and the individual. In general, money from categorical funding has been focused towards suppliers, particularized populations, and facilities with no known cohesive approach in providing and funding services needed for individuals with re-occurring disorders who could be diverted from incarceration. Specific traits of civic service organizations signify that an incremental budgeting process suits comfortably to the overall public funding structure of diversion programs. States, cities and towns, are frequently multifaceted, large and satisfy an assortment of tasks in diverse policies within its regions. Resolutions can, nevertheless, occasionally be decided instantly; allowing acceptance in the dissemination of most expenditures thus concentrating on abnormalities from the present arrangement. At time, the existing social service background is scarcely beneficial to funding costly systems amalgamation plans and prison diversion programs. Customarily taxpayers’ feelings have endorsed an increased disbursement of limited public capitals to supply and construct  additional prisons more willingly than providing community-based treatment facilities or diversion programs that could aid individuals within the public sector. Community-Based Organizations (Non-Profit) Diversion Programs have been an integrate part of Community-Based Organizations, as it benefits juveniles in obtaining physical, communal, emotional, and academic success while developing their behavior and lifestyle. In recent years, the disturbing growth of juvenile apprehension has produced a concern, as this increase has caused individuals to consider programs that may deter youths from being part of the juvenile court system. Today, efforts have been made to invest in diversion program by the notion that these programs may have the ability to reduce recidivism, control overpopulation in prison and provide youth with alternative methods of rehabilitation. Most recently, the State of Ohio has implemented many intervention and diversion programs to intervene and divert youth. The â€Å"Youth Men and Women for Change (YMWFC)† and the â€Å"Peace in the Hood Program† are two prominent programs within communities of Ohio. In 2006, The YMWFC program was created by Mr. Sha wn Mahone Sr. with the purpose of providing youth with organized and educational training to transform their lives. Upon reviewing juvenile delinquency statistics, Mr. Mahone began to realize many juveniles were not reaching their full potential due to lack of direction, support, and discipline (YMWFC, 2006). The program is based on the belief that youth can transform their lives in becoming a useful participant of the general public with the proper tools, resources and understanding. Another program that has been instrumental within the community operated out of Cleveland, Ohio developed by Brother Samad and Omar Ali-Bey in the 1990’s (The Peace in the Hood, n.d.). The project he program was inspired as another way of addressing the serious problems that face the youth in our communities. Peace in the Hood continues its involvement in Ohio and the nation as a founding member of the International Council for Urban Peace, Justice and Empowerment (Peace in the Hood, n.d.). Bond Issuance and Grants Towards the conclusion of the year, budget numbers are linked with concrete outcomes and a pretentious genuine-budget variance contrast is designed. Variance outcomes are typically used for revising monetary amounts for the next planning and budgeting cycle, and also for very simple departmental performance tracking. This innovative methodology to budget analysis and utilization are several paces forward of the modern methods. For instance, a legislative project to advance the communal well-being of women in an isolated region can aid in clarifying the performance-oriented methodology. Diversion Programs can typically be organized by long-term strategies, based on the government’s decision on objectives, activities and the requirement to accomplish its goal. Let’s say, a practical way of enhancing social welfare of women in a rural area could involve rising the levels of literacy of women within the area. Cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness studies could be included in the budget planning to assist in comparing the efficiency of exploring what programs could be utilized to raise the levels of literacy that will allow policymakers to achieve the largest possible result for a given level of funding. Unfortunately, the problem in recognizing effective programs is a lack of regularity in exactly how forecasters review the research, as it difficult to equate programs. Dissimilar reviewers frequently come to diverse assumptions about â€Å"what does and does not work.† Quite often they may create a diverse list of â€Å"recognized† and â€Å"auspicious† diversion programs for the reason that they focused in on unalike consequences or since they applied uncommon principles in assessing the programs. Certain reviews may purely recap the material enclosed in certain research, thus grouping each evaluation collectively in arriving to a conclusion about certain approaches or strategies that they may have defined. Such assessments are exceedingly biased, with no typical rule for selecting the evaluation or how the results should be interpreted. The bottom line is cutting diversion funding is an unreliable tactic to budget difficulties that exacerbate society’s problems, which will include long-term public safety consequences and the potential for taxpayers to shoulder the additional burden of costly prison and jail construction. Multi-Level Government Financing The U.S. Code Section 290bb–38 authorizes one-hundred twenty-five million dollars towards Indian tribes, states, and political subdivisions of states, tribal organizations functioning openly or via contracts with non-profit bodies or other public, to acquire and employ programs to divert individuals with mental illness from the criminal justice system to community-based services. The regulation goal is to ensure the collaboration of the various agencies and organizations working towards ensuring all U.S. citizens enjoy healthy and fruitful lives. Through these combined efforts, prearranged, obtainable resources can be taken full advantage thus providing the greatest assistance for every community. In the United States, they have what they called the â€Å"Second Chance Act† program which is aimed towards the reduction of recidivism among inmates. This program was proposed by a bilateral party with the House of Representatives which offered regional and state government the assets in developing transient services to inmates who will be released back into society. â€Å"The FY-14 Budget submitted by the President including a one-hundred fifteen million sustained support for the Second Chance Act program. This signifies a significant federal venture in evidence-centered strategy to enhance community protection and lessen recidivism by approving capital in the management and expansion of reentry amenities, such as mentoring, substance abuse treatment, and employment training. So far, approximately six-hundred grants have been given across the District of Columbia and forty-nine states (President’s Budget Proposes Continued Funding for Second Chance Act and Justice Reinvestment Initiative. (n.d.).† The Second Chance Act is a good first step that will provide a directional approach to a better understanding what works to increase public safety, reduce crime, and lower the recidivism rate. No matter what, prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and jobs are the cures to incarceration. It is vital for adolescence to obtain help via some diversion method than authoritarian reprimand so they can acquire proper manners thus becoming a useful participant of society. Not all of the programs will be effective for all children, as such it is imperative to pair the adolescence to the applicable program. As shown, the state of Ohio compromises of  several programs that operates in a different way thus providing a dissimilar atmosphere. If youths continue to be in trouble and come across police force, the courts will regulate which program will help the youth. Studies show that Diversionary Programs is much less costly than sending a case through court. In addition, diversion gives the defendant an opportunity to compensate victims, by means of restitution orders and community service (Diversion Programs: Avoid Conviction & Trial, 2014). Activity-based budgeting is a tactic established from activity-based assessment managed in the private sector. Rather than assuming that overheads are correlated to the measurements of service or production, the procedure attempts to recognize what impels costs by connecting overheads to activities. Must every program be assessed on an equivalent foundation? â€Å"Various studies take into account merely savings within the criminal justice system, while others deem this matter more extensive; as costs should be encompassed and savings are just savings no matter where in government they arise (M. R. Gold, 1996).† This broader approach requires collecting data reflecting the effect of an intervention on all government spending. For example, the â€Å"David Olds’ Nurse Home Visiting Program,† is not solely a cost-effective as a delinquency-prevention program, however, when crime-reduction benefits both the child and mother are collective with condensed school expenses and welfare aid exceed costs by several orders of magnitude (Karoly, L. A. (1998).† Consequently, the criminal justice system has trailed fields such as medicine, engineering, environmental protection, public health, and in efforts to monetize benefits. Victim analyses offer objectively estimate of direct out-of-pocket expenditures which includes; the cost of misplaced or broken property, lost wages and medical expenses. These direct costs, nevertheless, are only a minor portion of the complete expenditures to victims levied by criminalities against individuals. The question is how to measure the indirect costs of security expenditures, controlled lifestyle, pain and suffering which can be somewhat large for some more severe criminalities. References Diversion Programs: Avoid Conviction & Trial | Nolo.com. (n.d.). Nolo.com. Retrieved April 27, 2014, from http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/diversion-programs.html Farrington, D. P., & Welsh, B. (2007). Saving children from a life of crime: early risk factors and effective interventions. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Gold, M. R. (1996). Cost-effectiveness in health and medicine. New York: Oxford University Press Peace In The Hood. (n.d.). Peace In The Hood. Retrieved April 25, 2014, from http://www.peaceinthehood.com/default.asp Karoly, L. A. (1998). Investing in our children what we know and don’t know about the costs and benefits of early childhood interventions. Santa Monica, Calif.: Rand President’s Budget Proposes Continued Funding for Second Chance Act and Justice Reinvestment Initiative. (n.d.). CSG Justice Center. Retrieved April 29, 2014, from http://csgjusticecenter.org/jc/presidents-budget-proposes-continued-funding-for-second-chance-act-and-justice-reinvestment-initiative/ Cook, Philip J., and Jens Ludwig. Gun Violence: The Real Costs. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2000. Print. Young Men and Women for Change. (n.d.). Young Men and Women for Change. Retrieved April 26, 2014, from http://youngmenandwomenforchange.com/history.html

Piano and Drums Poem Analysis Essay

In Gabriel Okara’s poem, â€Å"Piano and Drums†, Okara expresses his feelings and thoughts of a primitive society in contrast to a western society. Being an African himself, and having studied in a western society, the poem reflects the confusion in his emotions as well as the loss of self-identity. The title of the poem itself, â€Å"Piano and Drums† displays a sense of dissimilarity and contrast as the instruments are so unalike in terms of sophistication. Throughout the entire poem, Okara incorporates the instruments to further express, through music, how the speaker is feeling. By using well-structured stanzas and poetic devices such as imagery, symbolism, sensory detail, personification, and diction, Okara is able to immerse the readers into the difficulties of cultural conflict and the confusion of a person in the midst of the two contrasting societies. Some of the most important poetic devices utilized in this poem by Okara are imagery and symbolism. Throughout the progression of the poem, there is a constant use of images to assist in displaying Okara’s conflicting emotions about the two separate worlds. The title of the poem, â€Å"Piano and Drums† clearly displays the symbols that are used in the poem. In expressing views of his native culture compared to Western culture, Okara uses the â€Å"jungle drums† (2) to represent the African culture and does the same with the â€Å"wailing piano† (17) to represent Western culture. These symbols are used particularly because of the complexity of the instruments. Being such a simply crafted instrument, with just a resonance chamber and animal skin, the jungle drums are a good symbol to signify the African life. On the contrary, with the piano being such a complex instrument with many components assembling it together to create more variety of sound, it is distinct that it embodies the Western lifestyle. In consideration of these symbols, the speaker implements more imagery to further display the contrast between the two symbols and emphasize the disorientation the speaker is enduring. Therefore, in order to execute his use of imagery successfully, he proceeds further by making a clear contrast between the images of a sophisticated society in contrast to a primitive society. For example, beginning the poem with, â€Å"when at break of day at a riverside† (1) the speaker is able to communicate to the readers that there is a sense of a beginning of a natural life. It also shows that the speaker is trying to convey that there is new civilization, as in the past, rivers have been the starting point of a developing civilization. In the same stanza, the speaker displays raw images of the jungle drums being like â€Å"bleeding flesh† (4). By implementing such primeval pictures, the poet is aiding the readers to make a connection between the drums and the rawness of the instrument and where it originates. Additionally, in the first stanza, there is reference to predator-like animals; for example, the â€Å"panther ready to pounce† (6), the â€Å"leopard snarling about to leap† (7), and the â€Å"hunters crouch[ed] with spears poised† (8). All these predatory images of wild animals are symbols to portray instinctive, primal behaviour which show the aspects of African culture that focus on survival and a natural lifestyle. Furthermore, the poet continues the idea of the drums symbolizing African culture in the second stanza through implementing more imagery. An example in this stanza is of the â€Å"blood rippl[ing], turn[ing] torrent† (9). This image of blood flowing and turning into streams refers back to the raw, primitive tone of the poem as the image of blood makes readers infer hunting and survival. In the next lines of the stanza, Okara includes an image of the speaker â€Å"in [his] mother’s lap a suckling† (11). This image of a mother feeding her young is extremely naturalistic and shows the ingenuousness of African life as well as the simplistic way of life. However, readers are particularly able to use this image to surmise that the speakers comfort lies in his mother’s lap and his motherland. Despite the primitiveness and rawness, the speaker reminisces on his childhood and the security of being with his mother. This idea of missing his homeland is further sustained in the image of â€Å"simple/paths with no innovations† (12/13). The choice of the word â€Å"simple† describes the ease the speaker feels in his homeland as there are no complex advancements or difficulties to deal with. Also, the simple paths are concomitant with the Africans’ primary focus on basic survival as staying alive is their only concern in life. The speaker feels â€Å"fashioned with the naked/warmth† (14/15) which is another example of the unsophisticated, primordial style of African culture as the image shows a bare person. Yet, even though they are unclothed, they still feel the warmth of their body suggesting their healthiness and livingness which is the most important to them. In complete contrast, the third stanza portrays the piano as a symbol to exemplify Western culture as being sophisticated, complex, and intricate which is also portrayed through additional images. However, despite the usual thinking of sophistication being praised, the speaker, in this case, puts Western culture in a negative light which is presented through the music of the piano. When first introducing the piano, it is described as a â€Å"wailing piano† (17) which gives the readers an image of a disturbing, crying baby that is an annoyance to the ears. This is in contrast to the speaker’s views of the â€Å"mystic† sound of the drums which the speaker views as a simple, but magical instrument. Also, the fact that the piano is playing a â€Å"solo† (18) displays the independence, individuality, and the selfishness of the people in the Western world. In addition, the â€Å"far-away lands/and new horizons† (20/21) illustrate the distance at which the speaker feels he is with the Western society. As the speaker feels so close to his roots and his native land, the Western society is foreign to him and, therefore, feels far away and distant. The new horizons just further emphasize the alienation he feels to be in that sort of culture where there are constant innovations and discoveries being made. This isolation is also expressed through the image of the speaker being â€Å"lost in the labyrinth† (23). Once again, the complexity of the labyrinth reflects onto the speaker’s view of the complexity of the Western world. However, as he feels lost in the labyrinth, it shows that he is not fitting into the society and feels uncomfortable. This especially contrasts with the comfort he feels in his mother’s lap in the second stanza. To add, in the last line, the word â€Å"daggerpoint† (25) strikes out to readers as the image of the dagger is strong. Even though the speaker displays the violence of the African natives, readers get the sense of the speaker viewing the Western society to be more violent in the sense that African’s kill animals to stay alive, but Western people use violence against other human beings which is unacceptable. Although, because of the primitive lifestyle, it seems to be that the African’s are more violent, in actuality, the speaker believes that Western people are more predatorial. To conclude, Okara uses imagery and symbolism to express the speaker’s feelings towards African culture in comparison to Western culture. Another important poetic device that Okara integrates into his poem, â€Å"Piano and Drums† is sensory detail, and in particular, sound. The use of sound helps to develop the images, but to also express musically, the emotions he feels in regard to then two contrasting cultures. For instance, in the first stanza, the speaker hears the sound of â€Å"jungle drums telegraphing/the mystic rhythm, urgent† (2/3). The use of the sound coincides with the use of imagery yet the sound of the drums and the â€Å"mystic rhythm† lures the readers into the poem and assists them in hearing the rawness of the drums and also sets a jungle-like atmosphere to the poem. To show the contrast, this â€Å"mystic† sound that lures the readers in, contrasts with the speaker’s interpretation of the sound of the â€Å"wailing piano solo†. â€Å"Wailing† already gives a negative image of the sound, and throughout the whole stanza, all the readers can think about is the annoying sound of the piano. The sounds that the piano makes are elaborated with â€Å"coaxing diminuendo, counterpoint,/crescendo. † (22/23). When the diminuendo occurs, the word â€Å"coaxing† allows for the readers hear the piano at a distance yet when the counterpoint enters, the other melody interferes and becomes more confusing to the ears. Just when the confusion intensifies, the crescendo makes the piano get louder and harsher to bear. All of the sounds combined and the melodies playing at different times is bewildering to the speaker and essentially causes him to feel â€Å"lost†. This relates to the idea that the Western society is too complex for the speaker to handle and, thus, with everything that is happening at once, the speaker cannot handle it. As a result, the Western culture is not viewed in high regards to the speaker which is translated to the reader through the sounds. Lastly, in the final stanza, the clash of the piano and the drums is revealed through the line â€Å"the mystic rhythm of jungle drums and concerto† (28/29). When the two sounds are placed next to each other, it sounds like a cluster of noise which explains why the speaker feels â€Å"lost in the morning mist† (26). The percussion of the drums and the melody of the piano concerto are such contrasting sounds that it is evident that the speaker wants to distinguish the difference between the two cultures. Therefore, through the usage of sounds in the poem, Okara helps to establish the speaker’s feelings towards the two different cultures. Not only is sensory detail an important literary device, but personification in â€Å"Piano and Drums† helps to express the speaker’s attitude and feelings towards the African culture and the Western culture. The first example of personification is â€Å"groping hearts/in green leaves† (15/16) which is soon followed by â€Å"wild flowers pulsing† (16). The idea of the groping hearts show how united the African natives are with nature and life around them. By personifying the heart, it makes it come alive and truly connects to life and shows the primary concern for the Africans – survival. Just after the reference to the heart with the green leaves, the roles switch and this time the flowers are pulsing. This further accentuates the extent to which nature and life collaborate in the lives of the Africans which demonstrates the great significance and preciousness of their lives. On the other hand, the personification of the â€Å"tear-furrowed concerto† (19) exhibits a different effect on the readers. The concerto, or the sound produced by the piano, is given the characteristic of being crumpled in tears. It is compared to a human face that is crying and leaving wrinkles. This negative image expresses to the readers that the piano is miserable and suppressed. Once again, the reference to the piano is put in a negative light and made to look despondent. Another personification of the piano is the â€Å"wailing piano† (17). It is compared to a hysterical, loud cry which again shows the suppressed and unhappy state that it is feeling. Perhaps the speaker feels as though the Western culture is unable to â€Å"bleed† out and be close to nature, so they are deprived from the rawness of life and, consequently, feels sad. Evidently, the use of personification in this poem, stresses the difference between the two cultures as well as the way in which the speaker feels about it. In final analysis, through the use of the poetic devices: imagery, symbolism, sensory detail, personification, and diction, the concept of the piano and drums being two separate cultures was emphasized and contrasted throughout the poem to show the conflict between cultures as well as the feelings of disorientation a person dealing with both would feel. In the end, it was clear that the speaker is still baffled and confused as to how he would accept both cultures and make it so that there is no conflict between the two. Yet, the sense of isolation and separation is distinct in the speaker as he endures a journey through two cultures that are on opposite poles of each other. Despite the sadness and confusion in the poem, the readers feel that they can empathize well with the speaker because of the well-detailed portrayal of the speaker’s emotions, particularly the piano and the drums. Word count: 2,094

Grapes of Wrath (Sin&Virtue) Essay

Through out John Steinbeck’s controversial novel, The Grapes of Wrath, the protagonist are faced with a daunting idea; that there is no ‘good’ and ‘bad’ forces in the world. Grapes of Wrath was published in an era filled with discrimination, hate, and fear directed at the fleeing â€Å"Okies†; in the early 1930’s the midwestern states where decimated by a foreseen but still devastating Dust Bowl. The reader joins the main characters, the Joad family, as they travel across the country hoping for work in a foreign state; California. Through out their trip they seem to come to believe that â€Å"there ain’t no sin and there ain’t no virtue† just people doing what people do. Yet the more they seem to believe this, the more the reader begins to see that there is in-fact a drastic flaw in their ideology. People do do horrible and good things, but those are what prove that Sin and Virtue do exist. The Joad family are, as a whole, virtuous. Although they sin frequently in during the course of the novel, they are not unscrupulous people. They prove throughout the novel that you can still be virtuous and be a sinner, that these two things do exist. When Tom Joad attacks a man for killing Jim Casey he â€Å"bust[s] his head†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (pg. 532), and although his action of killing the man may not be virtuous, the fact that he was trying to defend a friend was. Another character that is virtuous, although he doesn’t believe in virtue or sin, is Jim Casey. He takes the blame when a man talks back to a police officer, in order to save the Joads when Tom helps the man. (p.g. 362) And for all that virtue the reader witnesses by the dirty, dubiousâ€Å"Okies†, sin is still seen in the good upstanding citizens of this novel. Steinbeck portrays the Migrant farmers as a bath of misunderstood wanderers, while describing the local citizens as hostile assailants. The police always seem to be out to get the farmers, and the the average man and woman turn their back’s on their struggles. Strikes are constantly being broken that could help the farmers survive, and the lack of support migrants receive in this time period cripple any chance the â€Å"Okies† have at feeding their families and surviving their ordeal. At government run camps, created to help the abused farmers, local towns try to destroy the camps that they believe are killing their livelihood. Most people sin in this book simply by the way the treat the non-natives, ignoring their fellow man in their time of need. And while men like the kind truck driver, buying candy for poor children, can be found they are extremely rare. The idea that sin and virtue don’t exist is truly ridiculous. Both can be found in every aspect of life, and are deeply rooted in the core of this book. John Steinbeck uses the characters arguments of the lack of theses things to expose the truth. That all actions are based from sin and virtue.