History of the Olympic Games Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 3

History of the Olympic Games - Research Paper Example The state-run was the only event for the first 13 Olympic Games, but over time new sporting events were introduced (David 14). The hoplitodrome was a footrace while athletes wore full amours. There was an event where athletes competed in five competition called Pentathlon; that was javelin, sprint, jumping, wrestling and discus throwing. Boxing was later introduced at the 23rd games, and they continued to expand adding more and more games such as chariot racing. In the 37th Olympic Games, the Greek extended the games to a five-day competition. At first, the games were only participated by the Greek citizens only but eventually, the whole Mediterranean region joined in which was then the Roman Empire (Ben 8). The Olympic Games were linked to the religious festivals of Zeus closely but were not part of any rite. They were aimed more on showing the physical qualities and performances done by young people and also to enhance good relationships between Greece and its surrounding allies. The festival was a peaceful event influencing all the war-like cities, even the Sparta was famous for brutal and strict military always waited for the Olympic Games to end before attacking the Greek cities. In the ancient games, women were not allowed to attend the games, only freeborn boys and men could participate and attend. Athletes would take oaths first to observe the rules and standards of the games. The participants did not receive any monetary awards; they paid their expenses. The winners were crowned with olive leaves and paraded like heroes, and they were given a gift after being announced by a Greek judge while spectators cheered. The ceremony took place at the temple of Zeus. The greatest athlete in the ancient games was a wrestler called Milo of Croton who won the boxing competition six times and was said to be the most powerful man then. Many artists were also inspired by the Olympics.

Ethical Considerations Essay Example for Free

Ethical Considerations Essay The conduct of the members of any profession must be of very high standards in professional terms. The Australian Computer Society (ACS) requires very high standards in its Code of Conduct for members so as to be able to earn the credibility as well as the prestige IT professionals deserve. The ACS Code of Conduct does not include many detailed rules as it only focuses on the most essential matters and as such it requires a much broader interpretation. It is mandatory for all members of ACS to comply with the Code of Conduct. The code bears relevance in law in terms of legislation. Awareness of the Code’s requirements by IT professionals is crucial as non-adherence by a member in their field may lead to claims of professional negligence by clients. The regulatory regime of the Internet Censorship Body of Australia gives powers to its subsidiary, the Australian Communications and Media Authority to enforce restriction of Internet Content that is hosted within the country as well as maintaining a black-list of foreign websites by using filtering software. Foreign websites which have or are likely to be refused classification in Australia are target for mandatory filtering in Internet Censorship proposal by the Australian Labor Party-led government since 2008. The import of this proposal is that providers of internet services would be forced to ensure that they block black-listed websites from reaching its customers. Two years later, the policy still awaits enactment as a result of the inexistence of legislation to this effect (Moses 2010). As expected, the proposal for the introduction of mandatory filtering has been met with considerable opposition. Some amount of tension has been generated in Australia. Its opponents have raised various concerns but a few people who are in strong support of the policy welcomed it. In Australia, Internet content is bound by federal as well as state laws on the censorship of internet content. The ACS has an internet filtering body coupled with a taskforce for E-security. The task force provides advice on technical issues and policies concerning internet content and the material that is unsuitable for the viewing by the general society. This provides the basis for the legislation on internet content in Australia. The decision by the Australian government through information minister Senator Stephen Conroy to filter the pages viewed by internet users is consistent with the requirements of the Australian Computer Society (ACS) Code of Conduct and Ethics. The ethical code, in section 4. 1, starts by clearly stating its efforts aimed at advancing the dignity, honor a swell as the effectiveness Information Technology as a profession. It states that in observance of its ethical conduct and high competence standards, every member is supposed to be honest in addition to being forthright and impartial. Members are supposed to be loyal in their service to the community (ACS Code of Ethics 1998). It further states that every member has to put all efforts aimed at increasing the profession’s competence as well its prestige. Every member is required to use the special skill and knowledge they possess towards advancing human welfare. The code of conduct is binding in its requirements. Section NR 4. 3 and section N4. 4 categorically states that the code binds all members with regard to their professional conduct. The implication of this requirement is that once the legislation for the filtering scheme is enacted, all members will have no option other than to oblige. It will automatically take effect because it is backed by both the federal and the state government. This is good news to many parents and school teachers who have always battled delinquent behavior in learners without success. Foreign and unacceptable behaviors on some web pages have been accessed and acquired by minors who are otherwise not supposed to view them and as a result the parents and teachers have been unable to control them (Computerworld Australia 2008). Learning is seriously compromised by the content of these offending websites and filtering them is the only effective solution to ensure that it does not reach the school children. The are some specific internet contents which the government has already outlawed and indeed does filtering. These are the contents that have to do with political parties, euthanasia, video games and racism. On the ethical side of consideration on the government’s decision to filter the content that the public should be allowed to view, this is actually a move in the right direction because left uncontrolled, the public can view anything, just about everything. This automatically leads to moral rot. The advent of the internet has led to a sudden decline in morals in many societies globally and the Australian government is justified in suggesting an ambitious plan to ensure that internet content that is hosted within the country is restricted. It is upon the realization of the dangers posed by overseas websites, more than anything else, that the proposals read out by the information minister were made. It will be of no benefit for the Australian Communications and Media Authority to enforce a restriction on internet content that is hosted from within the country and leave content from outside unchecked as people can always view the pages that thrill them from the foreign websites (The Sydney Morning Herald 2009. It is not surprising that the proposal for mandatory filtering of all internet content whether local or from overseas has been met with mixed reactions (ABC News 2007). The proponents of the filtering of internet content are genuinely concerned that the benefits that these internet pages have are by far outweighed by the harm they bring upon the community, not only in Australia, but in all other countries in the world. The minister was justified in bringing the filtering proposals in his genuine concern to rid the society of the moral rot that, courtesy of unrestricted internet access, has been spreading like the country’s infamous bush fires. The opponents of the proposed legislation on mandatory filtering of both locally hosted and overseas internet pages are on their part justified to object to these requirements in such loud voices as they have. Their objection to this legislation is by a very big percentage motivated by their selfish interest to continue being in the market for all the wrong reasons. Any person or a group of people in business are motivated by the sole interest of making as much profit as they can and as such what they give to their viewers does not matter as much as the profit they stand to get out of it. It gets even worse because they are prepared to go out of their way to give their viewers anything that they view most, bad as it may be (The Digital Liberty Coalition 2008). The ACS code of conduct and ethics in 4. 3 stipulates the values and ideals expected of the members. Members are expected to be professionally responsible and display integrity in their actions. They are supposed to deal with clients and the community, students and employees in a responsible way and with integrity. This requirement is good in terms of ethics and it can minimize the number of obscene and violent web content if adhered to by all internet providers. The general society needs to be protected from some pages whose influence is negative to the society. Section 4. 3. 4 further binds the members of ACS by ensuring social responsibility in their work to the society. It states that all members should make it their duty to ensure that they uplift and improve their clients’ quality of life. This is a big calling but it must be adherered to in order to preserve and improve the lives of all the people they work for. It is unethical for any IT specialist to upload a morally corrupting page on the internet to be viewed by others who would otherwise do a lot better without it. The proposal by the information minister borrows mainly from the ACS code of conduct as it spells out clearly all the rules that IT professionals should follow so that they can preserve the prestige and dignity the profession is supposed to have. This is in section 4. 3. 5 under Information Technology Profession in which every member is expected to promote the integrity of their profession. The members must do their work in respect of the profession and for one another. Section 4. 5. 1 of the ethics code makes it mandatory for all members to preserve continuity in the services of information technology as well as to put information flow in their care. This clearly means that all members are bound by the requirement to strive to ensure that the consumers of their services get only what they are supposed to get. They must give only the useful information to the general public which constitutes their client base. Material that has been refused classification by the regulatory authority should not be uploaded because of the dangers it portents (Electronic Frontiers Australia 2008). The IT profession is a beneficiary of such a move as proposed by the information minister as it would regain its name as a respectable profession and people would have more respect for IT professionals which has of late been declining due to the actions of some unscrupulous IT specialists who have made it their habit to posting pages whose content can not do any good to the society (ABC News 2007). The general society as a whole will be the overall winners from this legislation to the detriment of those who have made it their business by sending to the innocent viewers corruptible web content. The hands of the IT professionals who may harbor ill motives are tied by clause number 4. 6. 5 which clearly states that all members of ACS must bear the responsibility of their work. If any of them posts a page that is in the opinion of the ACS disciplinary board; immoral or unsuitable for viewing by the general public, then their conduct shall be found to be unethical and the appropriate disciplinary action will be carried out on them.

The Social Glue Through Organisational Culture Commerce Essay

The Social Glue Through Organisational Culture Commerce Essay Organizational Culture is defined as the social glue holding the company together. Social scientists call it culture or the underlying set of informal norms and values that govern employee behaviour. But regardless of the name, more and more evidence suggest that it is important, often critically so (Baker, 1980) pg51. Culture consists of three layers values, beliefs and taken for granted assumptions. Many authors still argue over the meaning of organizational culture, authors like (Sirmon Lane, Jul. 2004, p. 310) consider culture to be set beforehand and it dictates the attitudes and behaviours for the organizations members to exhibit, while some authors like Edward schein explain culture as a common insight held by the organizations members; a system of shared meaning and naturally if authors have different opinions on the definition then they will also argue whether culture can be managed, manipulated or cannot be consciously changed. This essay is targeted to understand culture and culture change better. Culture and Change Culture can be both weak and strong; It is usually decided by the top management and sets the tone of the entire organization. A weak culture can be of a young company or if the turnover of key personnel is high. (Baker, 1980, p. 51) . A strong culture can be seen in efficient organizations with positive employee behaviour, with minimal information transmitted in any transaction and the working pattern has a flow, a good culture can also be measured (Deal and Kennedy (1982: 15) cited by (Banish Nawaz, 2003). I feel culture can change the face of an organization, from world leaders to mere survivors. As stated by (Schein, Feburary 1983, p. 14) Culture serves the function of stabilizing the external and internal environment for an organization, it must be taught to new members. If its not carried forward, the new ideas from new members will produce a culture change. To consider a change in culture, if possible, its not as simple as it sounds. Louis V. Gerstner (2002) the CEO for IBM states in (Banish Nawaz, 2003, p. 22) you cant simply give a couple of speeches or write a credo for the company and declare that the new culture has taken hold; you have to create the conditions for transformation, provide incentives and define marketplace realities and goals. In the end management doesnt change culture; management invites the workforce itself to change the culture. The three subdivisions discussed in Managing Organizational Culture by (Ogbonna Harris, 1998) are: (i) Studies which argue that culture can be managed. (ii) Research which claims that culture may be manipulated. Â  (iii) Theory which argues that culture cannot be consciously changed (although natural change is argued to occur frequently). All three seem to be valid and vary from organization to organization. If an Organization has a stable environment then the present culture is perfect, but external conditions can bring the organization to its knees and force it to change its culture. McKinseys well known 7-s framework places culture (mentioned as shared values) into a happy atom mentioned by Peter and Waterman (1982) cited in (Banish Nawaz, 2003) pg 11, this model assumes that effectiveness of the culture of the organization: depends on 2 factors. 1st How strong the culture is, and 2nd how well culture is aligned with the other organs of the body (so called strategy-culture fit) Sub-division Present and Compare The 1st subdivision explains how theorists believe that culture is an organizational variable and can be managed. This article by (Harris Ogbonna, Vol. 27 No. 2,1998, p. 119)researched with retail organizations to understand culture better, the findings were Cultural deviation was considered unwelcome whereas cultural change was viewed as transformational rather than incremental. Managers viewed culture of the organization as a variable which could be managed, and these assumptions allowed the managers to relate organizational culture to organizational effectiveness. (Baker, 1980, p. 54) has provided some evidence that Culture can be managed, He starts the article by saying that manageable culture has a major contribution to a companys success for instance, International Business Machines (IBM) has been successful to actively cultivate and manage culture; he/she also states that the culture is largely responsible for its success for the past 30 years IBM real issue is discussed later in the essay, many other organizations tried to manage culture, (change strategy or business environment) and failed. Some culture clash problems range from diversification (ATT) to acquisition failures (Kennecott), but these are rarely fatal. The author belief in managing culture is supported by the statement that CEO and/or other top managers seem to recognize intuitively what culture they want and need; they create and maintain it by monitoring the existing culture and actively intervening where possible to reduce the gap between the desired and existing cultures. All this has been confirmed by (Schein, Feburary 1983) below, He states managing culture is possible when an understanding for dynamic evolutionary forces which govern how culture grows and changes is achieved. Author (Schein, Feburary 1983) cites (Van Maanen Schein, 1979) writing the passing on of the groups culture is strategically an important process to study If one wants to decipher what the culture is and how it might change He believes that Culture can be managed and as stated earlier, it should be taught to the new employees in order to avoid any cultural change. (Schein, Feburary 1983) states that managing culture till the end is not about controlling its members perceptions, thoughts and feelings but as the process of learning to manage the external and internal environment progresses the culture will get older which would influence our perceptions, thoughts, and feelings, but this all seemed valid until (Schumann Prestwood, 1994) below gave their argument. This article by (Schumann Prestwood, 1994, p. 1) is a brilliant piece of work supporting the argument that culture may be manipulated and explaining how its done . It states that an organizations culture is the ultimate governor of the amount and type of innovation that will take place. The organization therefore must have a way to link its culture to its market. Innovation and change go hand in hand. To compare managing culture and manipulating culture, author (Schumann Prestwood, 1994, p. 3) citing (T. J. Watson, Jr. observed in A Business and Its Beliefs) gives an idea for what happened to organizations that tried to manage culture stating, Out of the top 25 industrial corporations in the United States in 1900, only 2 remain in the selected company today, One retains its original identity; the other is a merger of seven corporations on that final list. Two of those 25 failed. Three others merged and dropped behind. The remaining 12 have continued in business, but each has fallen substantially in its standing. The challenge for organizations today is the transformation of its culture so that organization can endure and grow though current revolution. The author gives an extension of the IBM example above; stating IBM survived the past due to a very successful business model but as the environment shifted, it failed; now IBM is developing a new business model to survive with the top leaders, its fate is discusses later in this subdivision. The only way to change quickly an organization must meet the customer demands, stay technologically competent, effectively deal with competition and respond to the pressures of change both from within and without. This Figure 8 below from (Schumann Prestwood, 1994, p. 10) explains how the existence of a strong organizational culture ensures the resistance of the organization to change. The authors argument is completed with a point that culture must have built into a flexible methodology for change, comprising of components like: A clear and compelling vision, strategic planning for the operation, technology and people, integrative management approaches etc. For those cases where change was not anticipated, a strong but flexible culture will enable a rapid response. (Cameron Quinn, 1999, p. 6) Have also written an exceptional piece of work, their book gives a wide view of how the current literature claims an organization works and how it actually works. Author supports the view point culture can be manipulated. Since its long term, a strategy must be developed for changing it. The article claims that between managing and manipulating culture culture can be managed point of view always leads to the downfall of a company. Out of the largest 100 Companies in the 1900s only 16 are still in existence. Of the firms on Fortune Magazines first list of 500 biggest companies, only 29 firms would still be included. During the last decade, 46 percent of Fortune 500 dropped off the list. Author writes that A musical greeting card that plays Happy Birthday has more computer power than existed in the entire world before 1950. The average watch contains more computing power than existed in the entire world before 1960. Such rapid and dramatic change implies that no organization can remain the same for long and survive. Top companies on the Fortune Magazine failed due to slow, laggard or wrongheaded change efforts. The companies in 1991 spent more money on computing and communications gear than the combined monies spent on industrial, farm, construction equipment etc And in the 1960s, approximately half of the workers in industrialized countries were involved in making things, by the year 2000, it is estimated that no developed country will have more than one eighth of its workforce in the traditional roles of making and moving goods. (Cameron Quinn, 1999, p. 6) Culture looks like its thought of as how things are done around here sometimes it remains undetectable as employees dont realise this practise. The current challenge for an organization is not to determine whether or not to change, but how to change in order to increase organizational effectiveness. (Banish Nawaz, 2003, p. 19) have given further explanation on the IBM issue, during the Great Depression of the 1930s IBM survived the impact and grew as it received a steady income from the business machinery that was leased or rented, at the same time CEO Thomas J. Watson, Jr. (1990) started benefits and vacations for his employees that paid off in 1936 when they started supplying to the US government. IBM remained successful as employees didnt stay at the organization for employment but for security and way of life. IBM was successful in managing its culture until 1980s but a cultural change was desperately needed. In the 1980s IBM got a culture change. Louis V. Gerstner (2002) was appointed the new CEO in 1993 to manipulate change and he states (Banish Nawaz, 2003) Culture isnt just one aspect of the game it is the game Gerstners states Management doesnt change culture, management invites the workforce itself to change the culture. (Cummings Worley, 2009, p. 522) gives some example. Company with a difficult but successful culture change can be Alberto Culver (Manufacturing Skin and Hair Products) where process took 6 to 15 years, in some cases managing culture isnt the answer changing it is, for example the Disney case; when they tried to export the same culture to euro Disney, the European people preferred to drink wine with their meal and Disneys not serving alcohol policy resulted in low attendance for both labour and customers. Four seasons hotel and resort were on the same track but were successful as they just changed their norms, procedures and artefacts to fit with the French culture and keeping their core values same. Managing culture and manipulating culture (despite its drawbacks) are often the only 2 options considered in an organization even by many theorists. The third subdivision below isnt even mentioned as an option to consider. Finally the third sub-division that claims that culture cannot be consciously changed seems a little untrue but well supported, very little information is available for this subdivision According (Ogbonna Harris, 1998, p. 274) this subdivision argues that whilst the culture of organization can and does change, the direction, impact and sustainability of the change cannot be subject to the conscious action of management. (Senior Swailes, 2010) claims that this presents problems for change agents who will perhaps need some external and perhaps unpredictable forces to make it happen. Author (Meek, 1988) writes, what culture cannot be consciously changed actually means, he/she states that Social theorists use the term culture to embrace all that is human within the organization. They emphasize culture, either consciously or unconsciously, in such a way as to blur or hide problems and contradictions inherent in the social structure. Both culture and social structure are abstractions, not tangible entities. The author firmly sticks to the argument that culture cannot be consciously changed and writes that culture can be managed or changed views seem valid because many discipline copy concepts from another discipline which results in concepts becoming a stereotype. Author (Turner 1986) cited by (Meek, 1988) gives the idea that culture is the collectible consciousness of the organization, owned by the management and available to management for manipulation; this is also thought by many authors. Author (Meek, 1988) contradicts this stating that concepts have been copied (as stated above) and theories of organizational culture have their roots in structural-functionalism, but they have been mutated; in the process of application. Culture as a whole cannot be manipulated, turned on and off, although it needs to be recognized that some are in a better position than others to attempt to intentionally influence aspects of it (Meek, 1988). To compare this with the other 2 subdivisions, it seems a little true, but culture may be manipulated subdivision has provided some evidence of such effect. Conclusion To conclude organizations fate depends on the culture, weak or strong and all three subdivisions have been justified beautifully by various author. Managing culture seems genuine with many theorists providing theory on how to avoid any cultural change but 2nd subdivision as the name suggests Research which claims that culture may be manipulated has provided evidence of organizations on how manipulating culture is the only way to survive, the 3rd subdivision seems to be a third side to a two sided coin, where authors explain how various authors have copied and altered studies. All together this essay gives a great idea about culture and its change subdivisions. I personally feel that manipulating culture is the way to go, can managers change an organizations culture? Yes for instance the Euro Disney and Four seasons hotel case and also with the technological advancements and pressure of external factors, no organization can stay the same and survive. Overall this essay comprising of s mall parts has shown a big picture about cultural change.

Essay --

It is clear from the facts it is a case of non-fatal offences against the person. They include assault, battery, assault occasioning actual bodily harm which is sometimes abbreviated as ABH, maliciously wounds or inflicts grievous bodily harm and the last one wounding or causing grievous bodily harm. We will start examining the most serious offences which are committed by Cyril then moving to the least serious offences which are committed by Moby. It is noted that for there to have liability both the elements of actus Reus and mens rea should be present while committing the offences. From the facts of the case, we noted that Cyril threatened to hit Moby and even waved his fist in the air at him. From this point of view Cyril can be liable for assault. Assault is defined as a situation where one person creates fear of harm to another person . For assault to take place there is no need to apply force or make any physical contact with the person. The actus Reus here for assault is that there must be an act and that particular act caused the victim to apprehend the infliction of immediate unlawful force applying the principle set in the case of Fagan v Metropolitan Police Commissioner (1968) . Words spoken are sufficient to be qualified as an assault. This principle is set out in the case of R v Ireland; Burstow . In our case the spoken words of Cyril and the act of raising his fit in the direction of Moby have undoubtedly created fear. It must be noted that it is sufficient that Moby thought that the physical violence was immediate, here applying the case of Smith v Chief Superintendent of Working Police Station . As mentioned above both the elements actus reus and mens rea should be present for an offence, we now come the mens... .... Another offence under which Moby might be convicted is s47 for he stuck Cyril on head causing him to pass out for a few minutes. Applying the case of T v DPP a momentary loss of consciousness is sufficient for s47. This is defined as occasioning actual bodily harm also referred as ABH. There are three elements for actus reus. There must be as assault or battery. We have already established that Moby might be convicted for battery. Another element is occasioning. Under this element we have to prove that the battery caused the actual bodily harm. Establishing the but-for test , Cyril would not have lost his spectacles and blow out if Moby did not stick him. The bruises caused by the yin can be charged under s47 . The mens rea required here is that of battery . As we have already establish the mens rea it is most probably that Moby might be convicted under s47

Storm Born Chapter Twenty-Seven

Traveling in spirit is a lot different than traveling in the body. The body gives you more strength – and more risk – but the spirit can see things beyond normal physical senses. As I rose up and up from the Otherworld, I saw it in all its beauty and power. People and objects were ringed in light, some brighter than others – like Dorian, who shone like a small sun. All around him and the others, the Alder Land glittered with its own aura, an aura that called out to me in a funny way. Leaving it felt strange, like part of me was being abandoned back there. As for me, my soul grew wings as I crossed into the Underworld. I was dark, nearly black, and wore a graceful, avian shape. I was the Dark Swan, my totem, the shape my spirit naturally traversed the worlds in. I hadn't had to use this shape in some time. I'd first developed the ability to move my spirit into the Otherworld wearing a shape nearly identical to my physical presence; I'd later learned to go over entirely in my own body. But this was not the Otherworld, and I needed the protection of my swan shape. The land of death did not like to give back its souls, and the closer I got, the more risk I faced. I could only pray Kiyo hadn't fully entered it yet. Feeling him was easy. My physical body was still close to his, and he and I had enough of a mental and spiritual bond that I could track him. But, as it turned out, he was far ahead of me. Too far. He had crossed the black gate. If I wanted to follow, I would have to enter the land of death in earnest. My return was doubtful. And yet†¦I couldn't just let him go. Not yet. Not when he'd died because of me. Not when he'd still followed, despite my rejection of him. Not after what we'd shared together. Onward I flew, my wings sweeping over currents of power. I saw no gate per se, but I felt when I crossed it. The connection to my physical body trembled, and I knew I had just endangered it. Too much time here, and it would sever altogether. With that knowledge came another sensation as I crossed over, one so sharp and sudden that I might as well have been slapped in the face. It felt like a belly flop into a freezing pool – remarkable considering the soul did not feel physical sensations. Well, at least that was what I'd been taught. I'd never known any shaman who crossed over and survived to tell about it. Once I actually entered the world, I was suddenly awash in tactile feelings. Warmth swirled around, mixed with those streaks of icy cold. For just an instant, I saw a world so beautiful, it made me ache inside. Color and light and wonder. Glimpsing it, I felt my connection to something much greater than myself, something I had never understood in the worlds of the living. I was drowning in it, in that burning bliss that made the euphoria of magic seem trivial. And just for a second, I nearly grasped all the meaning to life and death. Then, in a blink, it was all gone, and I was plunged into darkness. I silently cried out, longing for the return of that beauty. Where had it gone? Why wouldn't it come back? A voice answered me, vaguely female. It spoke in my mind, reverberating through me and my being. This world becomes what you bring to it. What do you bring? The blackness shifted and became solid. I saw no light source, yet I could just barely make out the area in front of me. Ground appeared, cold and dead. Black rocks jutted out at odd angles, sharp and ugly. A chill wrapped me up. My field of vision was limited in that weird illumination. Everything beyond it was unfathomable darkness. In front of me, I made out a deeper blackness, surrounded by a faint gray outline. A doorway or a tunnel. Was this what I was? Had I shaped my surroundings into cold darkness? The voice spoke again: This world is what you make it. Inside the tunnel, I could feel Kiyo. With no more thought, I took flight again, moving forward. The darkness swallowed me once more. Then I emerged into an empty clearing. It looked like I was in a cave, surrounded by that same cold stone. An indeterminable source illuminated the room with stark light. There was no way out. I felt Kiyo ahead still but saw no way to get to him. Behind me, the path I'd come from was gone. And then I wasn't alone anymore. Shapes materialized around me. I recognized almost every one of them. The keres. The fachan. Finn. Some of the yeshin. An assortment of spirits. Countless other monsters. Countless gentry. Every being I had ever banished to this world. They filled almost every inch of space in the enclosure, crowding around me. Their faces were horrible. Twisted reflections of what I used to know. They opened their mouths, screaming their terror and pain, reliving when I had killed or banished them. The group closed in, hands reaching out. They clawed at me, trying to gouge me and scrape away my skin. Skin? The feathers were gone. I stood in my human form, quite ordinary-looking in casual clothes. The hands and faces closed in tighter, and I screamed as the mob tore me apart. Agony shot through every part of me, a terrible and consuming pain. I sank to the floor, trying to ward them off. What will you give us? they seemed to ask as one. What will you give us to let you pass? â€Å"What do you want?† You sent us here without thought. You ripped our essence out of one world and into another. Do you know what that is like? To have your essence torn asunder? â€Å"Show me,† I whispered. They did. It started inside of me. Like a small spark, noticeable only by a faint twinge. Like getting shocked with static electricity. Then it grew, spreading out like a mass of wriggling worms, eating me from the inside out. Only it was more than physical. It was like†¦a spiritual cancer. I could feel everything about me disintegrating. First, all the superficial things. My love of pajamas and Def Leppard. This was followed by the removal of things that identified me, that made me unique: my physical abilities, my shamanic powers, even my newfound magic. Next, my emotional connections were stripped away, making me forget everyone I knew or loved. My parents, Kiyo, Dorian, Tim, Lara†¦they all vanished, their memories blown to the wind. Finally, my base essence disappeared. Me as a physical and mental being. Eugenie Gwen Markham. A woman. Half human, half shining one. It was all gone, and I was nothing. I wanted to scream but had no means of doing so. And then, I was back. I sat huddled in a ball, alone in the cavern. Unfolding myself, I saw that I was whole. My self-knowledge had returned. Still shaking, I looked up and saw that a doorway had appeared. It was a way out, a way toward Kiyo. I walked into the next tunnel, again entering the darkness. When I emerged, I found myself in a cavern exactly like the other. Only this time, I wasn't alone. A man stood on the far side, his back to me as he studied the wall. Sensing my presence, he turned around. He had reddish hair, streaked with silver and just barely touching his shoulders. The features of his face were striking, a square jaw and sharp angles. Handsome in a harsh sort of way. He wore clothes like the gentry, most of him covered by a sweeping cloak as rich as anything Dorian might own. Rich purple velvet. Jewels worked into the edges. A crown sat on his head, made of a gleaming metal too bright to be silver. Platinum, I thought. It was a masterpiece of metalworking, all scalloping and flowing edges, like a circle of entwined clouds. The edges of it met in a small point at the top of his forehead, like a faux widow's peak. Diamonds and amethysts set among the lacy curves glittered in the weird lighting. But it was his eyes that really seized me. They would not hold one color. They shifted, like clouds on a windy day. Azure blue. Silvery gray. Rich violet. â€Å"Hello, Father,† I said. The eyes held at a steady, deep blue as he looked me over. â€Å"You are not what I expected.† â€Å"Sorry.† â€Å"No matter. You will do. In the end, you're only a vessel anyway. Your magic will grow, and those around you will eventually see that what needs to be done is accomplished, once your child is born.† I shook my head. â€Å"I'm not going to have your heir.† â€Å"Then you will not pass. You will die here.† I didn't say anything. Anger hardened his already fierce features, and whatever attractiveness I'd noted before vanished. I remembered my mother's reaction, her pure and unwavering hatred for him. His eyes flickered again, turning from blue to a gray so dark it almost looked black. â€Å"You are a stupid, foolish girl who has no idea what you're doing. The fate of the worlds hinges upon you, and you are too ignorant and too weak to do anything about it. No matter. You are not the only one who can carry on the dream.† â€Å"What, you mean Jasmine?† He nodded. â€Å"She lacks your power and war instincts, but again, she is only a vessel. More important, she is willing. Aeson made sure of that. He visited her years before finally taking her. She knows her duty. She will see it through.† A cold, heavy lump settled in my stomach. I had gone out of my way to avoid pregnancy, but Jasmine would not. She would be seeking it, purposely trying to have Storm King's heir. All my smug contraceptive practices would mean nothing. Storm King read my thoughts. â€Å"Maybe if you were the one, you could control the situation. Maybe it wouldn't be as bad if you were the heir's mother. If your sister is the one, there will be no reprieve.† â€Å"Don't fuck with me just to get your way. It won't work.† The eyes darkened further. â€Å"Whatever you want, then. It makes no difference if you die here and stay with me.† I stared at the far, blank wall, willing the stone to open. Beyond it I could feel Kiyo slipping away from me. My heart – if I had one in this form – beat more rapidly. I closed my eyes. â€Å"What do you want me to do?† Hands reached around from behind me, closing around my waist. â€Å"Submit just once,† Aeson said in my ear. â€Å"Submit just once to me, and you can pass on.† His hands pulled me against him, and I tried to squelch my rising nausea. Some reasonable part of me said it didn't matter. None of this mattered. I wasn't here in body. I couldn't get pregnant. This wasn't actually happening. Yet†¦it seemed so real. And for all intents and purposes, it was. His hands upon me. His breath against my neck. It felt exactly as it would in physical form, as I knew it was intended to. I opened my eyes and saw my father watching me. Beyond him, Kiyo moved farther away. â€Å"All right,† I said, barely recognizing my own voice. Aeson turned me around and kissed me, harsh and bruising, uncaring that my lips stayed inert and did not kiss him back. He pulled me down, putting my back against the sharp planes of the stone. The last thing I saw before all went to blackness was Storm King looking down at me, face cold and uncaring. I closed my eyes, trying to ignore the mental and physical hurt. When I let myself see again, I sat on the ground, palms down against the hard surface. Just like before, I felt no more pain, and I could tell my clothes were whole once more. Another illusion†¦one my body had no memory of but which would stay etched in my mind for some time, I suspected. Standing up, I moved forward, on toward Kiyo. Someone else was waiting for me in the next chamber, a man I'd never seen before. He was slim and small, dressed in scarlet velvet bordering on outlandish. He held a small cloth-wrapped bundle in his hands and paced around nervously. When he caught sight of me, his face brightened with relief. â€Å"There you are, your majesty!† he exclaimed. â€Å"I've been waiting.† â€Å"Waiting for what?† He proffered the bundle before me. â€Å"To give you your crown. You have to put it on.† I eyed the bundle nervously and then looked at the smooth, blank wall between Kiyo and me. â€Å"Is that what I need to do to get through? Put on the crown?† He nodded, shifting from foot to foot. â€Å"Hurry. We're running out of time.† I knew what the crown was for. I knew what Dorian had done outside of Aeson's fortress. Somehow, some way, I had gained the Alder Land. I had become its queen. I sure as hell didn't want it, though. If I made it away from here alive, I'd definitely rectify the problem. But if wearing the crown here was what it took to pacify this next sadistic torment, then I would do it. It was a whole lot easier than everything else I'd been through. â€Å"Fine. Give it to me.† He handed me the bundle. I unwrapped and nearly dropped it when I saw what lay inside. Aeson had worn a gold circlet. Dorian's crown, which he rarely wore, was similarly simple. It resembled a ring of leaves, beaten out in different metals: silver, gold, and copper. Presumably Maiwenn and the rest of the Otherworldly monarchs wore similar items. But this†¦this was not a simple circlet. It was heavy and platinum, an intricate swirl of metal set with diamonds and amethysts. Storm King's crown. Only it was smaller. A bit more delicate. Designed for a woman. â€Å"What is this?† I exclaimed. The man gave me a puzzled look. â€Å"Your crown.† â€Å"This isn't the Alder Land's crown. This is my father's crown.† â€Å"What else would you wear, your majesty?† I tried handing it back to him, but he stepped away from it. â€Å"I don't want it. I won't wear it.† â€Å"You have to. It's the only way.† He looked at me pleadingly, almost like he wanted me to move on to the next stage of this game as much as I did. I didn't need his entreaty. I wanted to move on too. Badly. Badly enough to finally lift the crown up with shaking fingers and rest it on my head. Instantly, I no longer stood in the chamber. I was on a high, cragged peak, overlooking vast sweeping plains. The sky was dark and heavy with clouds, and lightning danced among them. Below, on the plains, armies stretched as far as the eye could see. Armies of gentry and spirits and the myriad creatures living in the Otherworld. The crown felt heavy on my head yet did a poor job of holding down my hair as the wind whipped it around. A gown of indigo velvet embraced my body, and a black and silver fur cloak draped my shoulders. In my left hand, I held my wand, and in the crook of my other arm, I held a baby. It was wrapped up in white blankets, its eyes closed. A fine haze of hair, its color indistinct, swept over its head. I had no idea who its father was – I didn't even know if it was a boy or girl – but some instinctual part of me knew it was mine. Tentatively, I reached out with my fingers and touched that fine hair. It felt like down, like the softest, finest silk imaginable. The baby stirred slightly at the touch, snuggling against me, and something inside of me stirred as well. I jumped as a hand encircled my waist, and a warm body moved next to mine. Dorian. A sword hung at his side, and a new crown sat on his head, more elaborate than his former circle of leaves. It was made of thick gold, heavy with jewels and dazzling to behold. But it wasn't as big as mine. â€Å"They're waiting for your order,† he said. I followed his gaze out to the fields of people and saw that they were all on their knees before me, heads touching the earth. Above them, thunder rumbled as the storm swirled restlessly. â€Å"I don't know what to do,† I told him. â€Å"What you have to do.† As though moving of its own accord, the hand holding my wand rose into the air. The armies rose with it, like I was a puppeteer pulling marionettes to life. A great roar sounded among them, swords banging on shields and magic flaring in salute. One downward motion, and I knew they would march. One motion from me, and I would unleash hell itself. The roar intensified. Dorian's body shifted closer. The baby stirred again. My hand felt heavy and started to fall†¦. I stood alone in the stone chamber. No man. No crown. The doorway had appeared, and I lunged for it. The darkness engulfed me, and I swear the tunnel had grown more narrow than before. Still I moved onward. I could feel Kiyo growing closer and closer. I ran, needing to find him, needing to reach out to him, needing to – And there he was. He lay on a small dais in this new chamber, wearing his human shape. He was on his back, whole and perfect, his hands clasped on his chest like a sleeping fairytale princess. I moved toward him, and a woman moved in front of me. I didn't know how I hadn't seen her before. She had just appeared. I looked at her and squinted, trying to focus, but had trouble. Her appearance kept shifting. One instant she was golden and lovely, honey-blond hair pouring to her ankles. The next she was pale as death, black hair sweeping behind her like a funeral shroud, yet still beautiful in a frightening sort of way. Persephone herself blocked my path, and I knew there was no way I could go through her. â€Å"Let me have him. Please. I've passed all the tests, just like you wanted.† What I wanted? It was the same voice I'd heard before, only now amusement tinged its edges. None of that mattered to me. They were not my tests. This world is what you bring to it. Most of the dead bring guilt or regret. You brought your fears. I peered beyond her to Kiyo, my soul screaming out to his. â€Å"What do you want? What do I need to do to take him?† What makes you think I'll give him to you? He's mine. I received him fairly. The dead do not leave my realm. I racked my brain, turning over every story or myth I'd ever heard. â€Å"What about Orpheus? You let him take Eurydice.† But in the end, she did not leave. He was not strong enough. She stayed. â€Å"You don't need him, especially since I've sent you so many other souls.† Was it truly for me? Or your own ends? â€Å"Does it matter?† Perhaps not. But now I have two more, and I do not have to give them up. â€Å"Then do it as a favor,† I begged. A favor? Her amusement grew. Why would I do that? â€Å"Because I've served you faithfully. And because we're the same. I'm trapped in two worlds too, and I don't think I can get out of that. I'm torn in two forever now.† I touched the butterfly tattoo on my arm, half black and half white. Just like Persephone, who spent half her existence as a goddess of springtime and half as a ruler of death. Just like me, half human and half gentry. Half lover, half killer. In Swan Lake, Odile is the dark swan and Odette is the light swan, yet both are played by the same dancer. She only stared, and I desperately tried to think of something. â€Å"You said this world is what we bring. I brought love too. Doesn't that count for anything?† She considered. That depends. Will you give up your love? Sacrifice it to me? Promise you will stay away from him forever, that you will forsake your love. I stared at Kiyo's inert form, thinking how it would be to never see him again. Something inside of me died at that thought, but I didn't hesitate. â€Å"All right. I agree.† Persephone stared at me a moment, then Kiyo vanished. It is done. â€Å"You sent his soul back? He'll live?† If his body is healed soon, then yes, he'll live. She continued staring at me, and I realized I'd made no such guarantees for my own return. In fact, I could no longer feel that glittering connection to my own body. You are trapped here, she affirmed. â€Å"I know. It's okay. It's worth it.† And I meant it. Kiyo's life meant more than my own. Her blue-to-black-to-blue eyes held me. Then, as improbable as it seemed, she sighed. Go back. Go back to your dual existence. I will see you again someday, and then you will stay. Her fingers touched my forehead, and a searing pain ran through me. My form disappeared in a flurry of feathers and black wings, and I felt myself being pulled out of this world. Just before I left completely, she spoke again. Her voice was tired and maybe just a little sad. Keep your love. I have no use for it anymore. An instant later, I woke up in my physical body, gasping and choking for air as I returned to life.

The Power of Power by James March

He explored factors that Influenced decision making, such as risk orientation, leadership and the ambiguity of the present and the past. March Is also known for the concept of ‘The Power of power. † March wrote â€Å"The Power of Power back in 1966. I believe that the point March is trying to make is quoted at the end of his article stating that â€Å"Power is a disappointing concept. It gives us surprisingly little purchase In reasonable models of complex systems of social choice. † (Classics Text by Sheriffs 2011, pig 318). March requires and can make effective use of such a concept.What March is trying to say is that power is too broad a concept for our empirical understanding at this point and until we can define every variable involved in the exercise of power, power cannot be empirically defined. The Oxford dictionary defines ‘power' as: The ability to make people (or things) do what they would not otherwise have done. Power is often classified into fi ve principal forms: force, persuasion, authority, coercion, and manipulation. March focused on a specific concept of power; which are used in theories that have the following general assumptions: 1.The choice mechanism involves certain basic components (individuals, groups, roles, behaviors, labels, etc. ). 2. Some amount of power is associated with each of these components. . The responsiveness (as measured by some direct empirical observation) of the mechanism to each individual component is monotone increasing with the power associated with the individual component. In the article, March starts out with the question: To what extent is one specific concept of power useful in the empirical analysis of mechanisms for social choice?March proposes the reader to take note of three variations of power to give a better idea of the uses of power that are being focused on. March then goes on to examine six different classes of models of social choice that are generally linked with hat at l east one substantial group of students means by ‘social power. ‘ March begins talking about three approaches by discussing the advantages and limitations of each approach when compared to the study of power used in . Recent efforts.The recent efforts were sought to illustrate the range of possible uses of the concept of power and its empirical capabilities: The three approaches are: experimental studies, community studies, and institutional studies. Experimental Conceptual Basis: The experimental studies of power are generally Newtonian. The studies are ultimately concerned with the power of one individual over another. Generally speaking, the greater the power of the individual, the greater the changes are induced, and the more successful the resistance to change.Procedures: Determine power by some a priori measure or experimental manipulation, use a relatively simple force model to generate hypotheses concerning differences in outcomes from different treatments, and co mpare the observed results with predicted results. Results: 1) This permits us to reject certain kinds of social choice models for certain kinds of situations because it allows us to vary power systematically or arbitrarily in an experimental setting (within limits). ) The effectiveness of a priori measurement is highly variable in producing behavior change. Community Conceptual basis: Typical community studies. Newtonian, two laws that define community study: 1 . Social choice will be a predictable extension of past choices unless power is exerted on the choice†¦ And 2. When power is exerted, the assumes that decisions made by the community are a function of the power exerted on the community by various power holders. The studies are analytical by observing the net effects of decision making by the individual.It's meaningful to aggregate resource power, position power, and skill power into a single variable. Procedures: Ask individuals in the community to rate the power of oth ers in the community or define a model relating power to decisions, observe, and estimate the power of the individual compared to the model. 1) Most people in most communities are essentially powerless. Latent control is rarely exercised. 2) Different individuals are powerful with respect to different things, but there are also general leaders.Institutional Conceptual basis: Systematic attempts to derive quantitative indices of power from n analysis of the structure of the institution to determine the power structure within them. Procedures: Construct an empirical index of power, make assumptions about the relation between the empirical and a priori measures, and test the consistency of the empirical results with the priori measures. Results: Riskier attempted to apply the basic Shapely-Suburb measure to the French assembly but was unsuccessful.The data didn't support the thesis and the approach was abandoned almost entirely. As noted earlier, March moves on to the six types of mode ls to evaluate the insistence of the models with available data and to consider the problem of power associated with them. Chance Models: Choice is random and independent of power. It fails because it relies on stability of power over time and subject matter. It cannot account for power derived from personal attributes. Models can have power manipulated resulting in systematic variations.The models are naive yet hard to completely reject. Basic Force Models: Empirical knowledge is easier to find here but they also assume stability of power and that power exerted equals total power, leaving no room for stored or unused power. Force Activation Models: Assumes that power is a potential for determinative action and that the exercise of power involves some method of activation. Empirical results for these models take you in circles when trying to make predictions. Force Conditioning Models: Assumes that apparent power leads to actual power. Success improves reputation, reputation improve s success. † People have power because they have been observed to have power. Models can't empirically account for connections to power. Force Depletion Models: Assumes that power is a resource, and when exercised, it is depleted. These models are the least useful of the three models. Process Models: Class of social choice systems in which power measurement will be unstable and useless. These models are too simple and an empirical understanding requires more variables.These models are sets of statements about the way in which individual choices are transformed into social choices and are used in hopes of deriving some empirically meaningful predictions. March refers to power as being a major explanatory concept in the study of social choice. He then goes on to say that power is used in studies of relations among nations, community decision making, business behavior, and small roof discussion; partly because it conveys overtones of cynicism of â€Å"Realistic† Realistic is defined as political realism, which refers to politics based on power and practical and material factors.March concludes his article by saying that the power of power depends on the extent to which a predictive model requires and can make effective use of such a concept. This depends on the type of system that is being confronted. March adds that power is probably a useful concept for many short term situations and that power is probably not a useful concept for long run situations involving problems of component overload and under comprehension. In summary, the concept of power has not filled the central role in the study of politics which many pioneers hoped it would.It has proved much easier to believe generally that politics is about power. I read on how March worked with frequently collaborated with Johan P. Olsen. One question I would like to ask is how was the experience of working alongside Olsen? Did you two often bump heads or were you always able to see eye to eye? Was it difficult teaming up against the strong individualism that underlies much political ND sociological theory; especially the view that institutions merely embody existing patterns of interest or group power?Youthfulness:http://www. Youth. Com/watch? Youth Overview: Speech given on September 7, 2011 at Stanford University. Dry. March highlights one of the most dangerous areas of institutional/personal bias drawing only from â€Å"Western constructs† in information-gathering and problem- definition. In an increasingly global and strategically dynamic world, this is suicide for many businesses. Wisped (Classics of Organizational Theory Text by Sheriffs, Tot, Gang 2011). Youthfulness:http://www. Youth. Com/watch?

An Exercise in Ambiguity

An Exercise in Ambiguity An Exercise in Ambiguity An Exercise in Ambiguity By Maeve Maddox I noticed this headline in the list of breaking news on the Yahoo landing page: Â  Sotomayor wins over GOP backers after smooth hearings At first I read the verb wins as the main verb and over GOP backers as a prepositional phrase. Read that way, the meaning of the headline was that Sotomayor had defeated GOP backers in some kind of competition. But I knew that couldnt be right. For one thing, Sotomayor wasnt competing against anyone in the hearings. For another, one doesnt compete against ones backers. So then I decided that what I had in front of me was the phrasal verb win over, meaning persuade, gain ones support. That made a little more sense, but as far I could recall, Sotomayor went into the hearings without any GOP backers. I clicked on the confusing headline to read the story. I found my answer in the lead: WASHINGTON – Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor won her first public pledges of support from Senate Republicans and one prominent GOP opponent, after a smooth performance at her confirmation hearings that has placed her firmly on track to become the high courts first Latina and the first Democratic-named justice in 15 years. Finally, I understood what the headline meant. Sotomayor had acquired some backers from among the Republican senators. The biggest obstacle to understanding for me was the word backers used with the phrasal verb wins over. I could see how she might win backers or win over some Republicans, but not how she could win over backers. If someone is a backer he doesnt need to be won over by the person hes already backing. Not every reader would have boggled at this particular headline as I did. Nevertheless, writers need to be aware of the possibilities for ambiguity that exist with the use of phrasal verbs. Sometimes it is better to replace a phrasal verb with a less ambiguous single verb, especially in writing intended for an audience that includes non-native English speakers. For example, we can put out the cat and put out a light; take out a girl and take out an enemy. Alternatives exist for most phrasal verbs. For example: put the cat outside extinguish a light take a girl on a date kill an enemy You may not always be able to hit on a suitable alternative, but its something to consider when revising a manuscript for clarity. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:What is the Difference Between "These" and "Those"?When to Form a Plural with an Apostrophe5 Keys to Better Sentence Flow

Curent issues essays

Curent issues essays On may 21,2001- the supreme court ruled in a case involving the rights of journalists against the personal rights to privacy, that news organizations cannot be punished for broadcasting information that was passed to them unlawfully. The case began in in 1993, when a conversation between two teacher union officials-Gloria Barnicki and Anthony F. Kane Jr- was intercepted and recorded by an unknown source. One of the officials was using a car phone during the conversation, the union officials made derogatory remarks about some school board members. The tape was sent to a talk show host, who played the tape over and over for his listeners. As a result of the scandal, the two union officials, sued the stations that carried the broadcast. However, the federal district court in Penn, allowed the suit, but the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ruled otherwise, holding that the constitution did not permit liability for disclosing information of public significance when the defendant played no role in the interception. In this case, a couple of principles apply, the first being civil liberties. The two board members appealed to the court with the argument that their right to privacy was being violated. On the other side, there was the radio stations which had the freedom of the press in their side. Last but not least, the judiciary came to play, with the involvement of the federal court as well as the Supreme court. Civil liberties, are rights of the people protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution. Publication of truthful information concerning the private life of a person that would be both highly offensive to a reasonable person and not of legitimate public concern is an invasion of privacy. Liability is often determined by how the information was obtained and its newsworthiness (The First Amendment. H). According to the case being dis ...

Anatomy and physiology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Anatomy and physiology - Essay Example From here lateral lemniscuses column (3rd order neurons) go to the inferior colliculi and superior colliculi that also receives visual impulse and acts as an integration center to carry impulse to the primary auditory cortex of the CNS in the temporal lobe at Brodmann area 41 and 42. The visual pathway was carried from the eyes to the optic nerve to the visual cortex. The afferent auditory neurons from the organ of corti (inner ear) and auditory cortex involves many synapses which are in the brain stem and medial geniculate body of thalamus. The brain stem causes the input for arousal and alertness. The thalamus sorts and relays signals upwards to generate the action in the individual (Purvez, 2012) (Janmey2007).To elicit the visual response signal transduction occurred in the rod cells to convert rhopodpsin into metarhodopsin which activated trasducin. Transducin blocked the sodium ions entry into the rods causing hyperpolarization which caused liberation of inhibitory neurotransmitter release from rods. Thus the inhibition on the bipolar cells was lifted and they got stimulated to release glutamate. Glutamate acted on the ganglion cells and stimulated them that lead to activity in the optic nerve (1st order neurons). The optic nerve is the IInd Cranial nerve a nd criss -cross at the optic chiasm and reaches the lateral geniculate nucleus from where impulse go to the primary visual cortex which is the Brodmann Area 17, 18 and 19 through the optic radiations( 2nd order neurons) Further as the individual was under stress the hypothalamic locus ceruleus system got activated to release nor epinephrine that was responsible for flight or fight response (getting into action) (Purvez, 2012) (Janmey2007). The reaction starts in the amygdala which stimulates hypothalamus, which cause release of ACTH from pituitary on one hand and stimulates

Race Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Race - Essay Example the features of a quadroon in the baby and ultimately abandons his wife and the child only because he thinks Desiree does not have a pure white inheritance: It is also important to note the significant line which defines the entire theme of the story: â€Å"Moreover he no longer loved her, because of the unconscious injury she had brought upon his home and his name (Choplin 664)†. Moreover, the high handed emotional reactions incited by racialism is echoed by poems of yore such as Let America be America Again by Langston Hughes. Strong laments over their fate for being black can be seen in such works: However, the question that still seems to persists is whether the dream of letting â€Å"America be America Again† is now fulfilled. Whether or not the dream of seeing America in its original beauty and Letting â€Å"†¦America be the dream the dreamers dreamed/ Let(ing) it be that great strong land of love/ Where never kings connive nor tyrants scheme† has been fulfilled (Huges 6-8). Perhaps it has. The America that we look at today is the America of diversity, democracy and racial multiplicity. There is perhaps not a single race of this earth that hasn’t walked the street of New York. There is no race that has not had the privilege of calling itself an American. That is because there is no more an identity associated with being an exclusive â€Å"American†. People are African-American, Japanese-American, Chinese-American, Indian-American and numerous others. Whatever country or race we add as prefix to â€Å"American† is an American! The question of apartheid is now almost dead. Being read in the eyes of the world as one of the most diverse civilization of this earth, America is in its best today as far as its wholesome nature of unification and equality is concerned. That is because, there is no culture of this world that America does not have. African is one of them. And any instance of even slight consideration of blacks as primitive to white seems to be a

College - Is it Worth it Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

College - Is it Worth it - Essay Example Shipley is very educated with a doctorate degree, which explains his urge to make people have a wide understanding of the essence of college education in life. This argumentative essay explores college education from both its positive and negative sides (Goldman, 2011). Shipley does not impose a decision on the readers of his article, but advises them to use their time wisely while in college. He says that college can build people or leave them with extreme resentment for the rest of their lives. Moreover, he argues that many people proceed to college just to fulfill the societal expectations. He proceeds to say that though sometimes one may feel wasted after college, she/he may focus on socialization, time management and decision making skills gained while in college (Rampell, 2011). Looking at the whole idea of college education logically, Shipley can be credited for his presentation. He not only looks at education bit of it but also incorporates the social aspect of college experience. Life does not only revolve around education, in fact, it requires one to have very good social skills. College experience gives people a chance to know how to control their lives. Rampell (2011) argues that for an individual to be successful in life, he/she needs both the technical knowledge related to his/her career, as well as decision making and managerial skills. This is mainly gained in college, however to only those who manage this experience wisely. I truly support Shipley’s arguments because they seem very objective. Rampell (2011) concurs that it is true that many students who regret their experience in college are likely those who never set their priorities right while in college. They end up completing their college education without anything much to show of it. As much as you can join college and pursue a field not of your interest, you can always learn to make something good out of it.

Human resources management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Human resources management - Essay Example The human resource officials the mandate to ensure that diversity at the work place is well managed and utilized to achieve organizations goals and objectives(Joshi & Jackson, 2008). Actually, diversity at the work place if utilized well, it will see number of experiences and abilities put in place to solve organizations problems in a myriad ways. Thus, this is likely to bring about services that are much more all-inclusive in the process since almost different groups of customers will be represented in the workforce. A number of issues are associated with the management of diversity for human resource personnel. To begin with, the human resource officer has to ensure that they have attracted different kinds of workers with diversity to apply (Shen, Chanda, D’Netto, & Monga, 2009). The human resource manager has to ensure that description of a job is not discriminatory to any group that may be intending to work in that institution. Instead, it should be designed in a way to show that it welcomes everybody irrespective of his or her race, experience, age or even gender. Secondly one of the issues that manager has to deal with is ensuring that the recruitment process effectively targets the diverse groups. The recruitment process should ensure that it has gotten all the types of people that it needs to achieve its goals and objectives. Lastly, the human resource office has to deal with the potential biasness in the recruitment process. According to Podsiadlowski, Grà ¶schke, Kogler, Springer, & van der Zee,(2013) ignoring diversity has more harm to the organization than good. For instance, the issue can cost an organization a lot of time, efficiency and money. For instance, it will take more time for members of an organization to integrate out the requirements of the human resource office. This would not be the case if the officer understands the differences and

Classroom Observation coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Classroom Observation - Coursework Example He facilitates his reading through the use of charts and graphs that he draws in front of the students with pencil and geometrical tools. He also makes the students go through the exercises given at the end of each chapter. One reading strategy that he should adopt is that he should teach algebraic functions by solving them on the white board and then calling a student from the class to come at the front desk to tell what he has grasped from the solution of the problem. This will make other students ask questions from their classmate which they might hesitate asking from the teacher. Science The science teacher’s lesson plan includes the objectives of the lesson, the materials and technologies used to make the students understand the topic, an anticipatory set, instructional procedure, activities, assessment and homework. The materials that he uses to clarify the topic are textbooks, handouts, visual aid, PowerPoint presentations, pictures, postcards and flashcards. The antici patory set includes encouraging the students to actively participate in the discussion by sharing experiences with them, refreshing their memories and showing them graphics and video clips related to the topic so as to develop their interest. The instructional procedure that he uses includes listing of keywords on handouts and telling the class interesting facts. He conducts individual and group activities and group presentations to help students learn facts through practical work, observation and experimentation. He also makes use of technological tools like multimedia transcripts to equip the students with scientific information through the most modern technology. After reading the lesson, he holds a concluding session to summarize all important points of the discussion. Finally, he gives the students homework to carry out research on their own. One thing that he should do is to assess the students through daily assignments, test papers and quizzes to know if they have learned the ir lessons well. Social Studies The social studies teacher makes use of graphical charts and maps as the most important reading strategy. This way, he helps the students understand the demographic locations of different places in a better way. He reads chapters to the students and then explains them through the use of notes that he prepares before coming to the class. He makes the students learn important dates by making them revise the lesson in the class two or three times. He draws maps on the white board and explains locations. The activities that he uses include distributing worksheets among the students and making groups of them for discussion purposes. He makes the classroom convert into the times which he is teaching, for example, he tells the students to create a fantasy colonial marketplace in the classroom when he is teaching colonial times. This way, he brings the subject to life. Music/Art The music and art teacher conducts special activities that tend to polish the ski lls of students in the field of art. The arts teacher strongly recommends the application of locomotor and non-locomotor skills while teaching dance. In order to teach music, he instructs the students to do exercises that enhance their breath control. He strictly follows the follow the seven-part plan of questions that can produce miraculous results, if applied while teaching arts. W stands for what are the students expected to comprehend, H for how to hold students’

Foundations of Reading Assessment and Intervention Research Paper Term

Foundations of Reading Assessment and Intervention Research - Term Paper Example The key purpose of informal assessments is to match the reader to text. This purpose characterizes the second criterion of the 2010 edition of the International Reading Association Standards for Reading Professional (Gambrell, Morrow, & Pressley, 2007). A broad array of literary works ranging from conventional print, computerized, to online sources define this criterion. Informal assessments seek to make students have the essential reading, writing, and intellectual skills for complicated books. Secondly, informal assessments present an opportunity for teachers to offer responses to their class individually (Reutzel & Cooter, 2011). This opportunity comes about by acquiring information on students’ learning progress. A third purpose of informal assessment is to drive guidelines by removing guesswork and enabling teachers to target precise shortages instead of teaching a whole lesson or unit once again. The perception of print. Teachers sit with students individually, request them to read a print text, and later answer questions about it (DeVries, 2011). The posed questions should follow formats recommended by the informal assessment model or reading criteria. The purpose of formal assessments is to determine the volume of knowledge students have grasped from previous lessons (DeVries, 2011). Formal assessments can present a method of comparing one student to the rest of the class. Teachers can expand this method to comparing their student individually outside the class. The difference between norm-referenced and criterion-referenced assessments is that norm-referenced assessments aim to weigh the amount of knowledge retained by a test subject while criterion-referenced assessments determines the knowledge a test subject knew prior to and after completing a task (Reutzel & Cooter, 2011). One should interpret data reports by comparing the data acquired with the question design and not try to change the data to fit the question

Human resources management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Human resources management - Essay Example The human resource officials the mandate to ensure that diversity at the work place is well managed and utilized to achieve organizations goals and objectives(Joshi & Jackson, 2008). Actually, diversity at the work place if utilized well, it will see number of experiences and abilities put in place to solve organizations problems in a myriad ways. Thus, this is likely to bring about services that are much more all-inclusive in the process since almost different groups of customers will be represented in the workforce. A number of issues are associated with the management of diversity for human resource personnel. To begin with, the human resource officer has to ensure that they have attracted different kinds of workers with diversity to apply (Shen, Chanda, D’Netto, & Monga, 2009). The human resource manager has to ensure that description of a job is not discriminatory to any group that may be intending to work in that institution. Instead, it should be designed in a way to show that it welcomes everybody irrespective of his or her race, experience, age or even gender. Secondly one of the issues that manager has to deal with is ensuring that the recruitment process effectively targets the diverse groups. The recruitment process should ensure that it has gotten all the types of people that it needs to achieve its goals and objectives. Lastly, the human resource office has to deal with the potential biasness in the recruitment process. According to Podsiadlowski, Grà ¶schke, Kogler, Springer, & van der Zee,(2013) ignoring diversity has more harm to the organization than good. For instance, the issue can cost an organization a lot of time, efficiency and money. For instance, it will take more time for members of an organization to integrate out the requirements of the human resource office. This would not be the case if the officer understands the differences and

Foundations of Reading Assessment and Intervention Research Paper Term

Foundations of Reading Assessment and Intervention Research - Term Paper Example The key purpose of informal assessments is to match the reader to text. This purpose characterizes the second criterion of the 2010 edition of the International Reading Association Standards for Reading Professional (Gambrell, Morrow, & Pressley, 2007). A broad array of literary works ranging from conventional print, computerized, to online sources define this criterion. Informal assessments seek to make students have the essential reading, writing, and intellectual skills for complicated books. Secondly, informal assessments present an opportunity for teachers to offer responses to their class individually (Reutzel & Cooter, 2011). This opportunity comes about by acquiring information on students’ learning progress. A third purpose of informal assessment is to drive guidelines by removing guesswork and enabling teachers to target precise shortages instead of teaching a whole lesson or unit once again. The perception of print. Teachers sit with students individually, request them to read a print text, and later answer questions about it (DeVries, 2011). The posed questions should follow formats recommended by the informal assessment model or reading criteria. The purpose of formal assessments is to determine the volume of knowledge students have grasped from previous lessons (DeVries, 2011). Formal assessments can present a method of comparing one student to the rest of the class. Teachers can expand this method to comparing their student individually outside the class. The difference between norm-referenced and criterion-referenced assessments is that norm-referenced assessments aim to weigh the amount of knowledge retained by a test subject while criterion-referenced assessments determines the knowledge a test subject knew prior to and after completing a task (Reutzel & Cooter, 2011). One should interpret data reports by comparing the data acquired with the question design and not try to change the data to fit the question

School Life Essay Example for Free

School Life Essay Then BOOM my alarm clock goes off to wake my brother and I up to get ready for school, but this was all put to the side by our mother coming in to the room telling us that she would have to work a few extra hours. Wake your but up! Is what I yelled to my brother as I had always did he consistently showed himself to be the lazy one who would just breeze through life without a care in the world. He replied back with the bad morning breath, â€Å"Leave, me, alone its only 6:30 school doesn’t start until 7:30. Me as usual I got up pulled him out of bed until he hit the floor then started my routine to get ready for the day’s events. Oh yeah my name is Gerard by the way. I carried myself across the dimly lit hall towards the bathroom. As I flicked on the light switch, I first noticed this hair pick still stuck in the side of my head. I immediately grabbed it and started to fix my hair. As I stand in front of the mirror looking back at my own reflection, wondering why, does school start this early in the morning, I grabbed the toothbrush and toothpaste and began to a make it happen. My brother’s name is Joel, and he could care less of his appearance, because he always thought that he was God’s gift to the ladies. Most of his attire consisted of whatever he felt like grabbing out of the closet or the first thing he could get his hands on. He didn’t care if he was all wrinkled, his excuse was that they’ll be gone throughout the day plus now one would notice them anyway because that’s how he rolled. You would have thought that he just came from summer camp playing rugby with a few of his friends before school started. As he came into the bathroom besides me to wash up and get ready, I could always here him saying thanks for getting me up too, knowing that being the older sibling I couldn’t just let him be late for school besides our mother would have killed me. As I look at the clock I notice that we are right on schedule, its 7:00 and time to wake my sister Latoya, she’s in middle school and does not experience the rush that my brother and I go thru being that the two of us share a room and sometimes wrestle to get around to what we need to be done. The time is now 7:10, and it’s time for us to leave the house headed for school since we live only a quarter of a mile away from the school we can pretty much toss a couple of rocks a few times and we’re there. The only downside is that sometimes we get too complacent living so close to the school that we end up thinking there’s more time and end up cutting it close to getting to class on time or worse being late and end up with detention. As we get to school they are still selling breakfast its usually something simple like garlic cheesy bread or the cinnamon sugar rolls that are so delicious. But we cannot stand in line and enjoy them today because the first school bell rings and that signifies things need to get closed out and you need to put your thinking caps on. As we exited the cafeteria it was 7:25 and the start of the school day and the final bell rings at 1:50. Joel and I always knew that we would see each other at our lunch period odd as it seems I was a senior and he was a sophomore, but hey, that’s how the schedules came out. We couldn’t control the outcomes of what we wanted to do we could always find some sort of time to throw a wise crack at one another.

Management Information Systems for Shipping Company

Management Information Systems for Shipping Company Course Title: Management Information Systems Background of the Enterprise Mediterranean Shipping Company was started in 1970 in Brussels as a tramp operator with only one second-hand ship carrying containers, the Patricia. The following year Rafaela, a much bigger and more modern vessel was added, eventually inaugurating a link Italy-East Africa that has remained a part of the MSC service ever since. Similarly the next years MSC continue the growth with more ships and at the end of 1978, MSC moved from Brussels to Geneva and became a Swiss company. The worldwide network of MC services were added slowly and quietly, but judiciously; with strategically placed hubs. Most of the worldwide success-story of MSC can be traced at this junction because Mr. Aponte the founder of the company was quicker than most to appreciate the benefits of containerization and hubbing. Mediterranean Shipping Company Greece S.A. was founded in 1994 with main shareholders the liner shipping MSC Geneva S.A. and the shipping agent Dimitri Theodorikas. Within a short period of time MSC Greece S.A. attained a leading position in the liner shipping sector in Greece as a result of the gradual connection of Greek ports with the world network of MSC and the continuous upgrade of services of MSC Greece to its customers. In 1997 on the initiative of Dimitris Theodorikas MSC Geneva signed a contract with the Piraeus Port Authority deciding to use the port of Piraeus as its main hub port in the Mediterranean area. This vanguard action opened the door for the globalization of Greek ports. Very soon Piraeus climbed in the worlds top 50 list of container ports with multiple benefits for a wide spectrum of local port related services providers The weekly connection of the basic Hellenic ports (PIRAEUS, THESSALONIKI, HERAKLION, VOLOS) with the globalnetwork of MSC, the continuous upgrade of the fleet of MSC through the incorporation of modern units, and the high quality services provided by our 200 specialized executives, guarantees the high level of qualitative transport services that Hellenic Import and Export enterprises seek to receive . (http://www.mscgreece.com/index.html ) 1. Security/Threats Security has always been a priority concern of IT professionals, especially the Information Officers of Mediterranean Shipping Company who hold ultimate responsibility for their companys computer and internet security. In the years since the internet first came on the scene, the security scenario has undergone rapid changes and developments as threat and counter-threats have been developed and deployed. Recent surveys tend to confirm this perception. While IT security threats continue, the form and nature of these threats may not be what most people expect or even suspect. Â © SANS Institute 2003, as part of the Information Security Reading Room6 2. Global MIS/Risks Global Information Management is a new class of enterprise solution that provides the essential business strategy and tools for enabling a corporation to manage the escalating requirements for local language delivery. Many companies have invested in content management and web management solutions to manage the content creation, approval and publishing processes. Whilst these systems can manage and deliver localized content once it has been created they do not have the capability needed to manage the localization process. Global Information Management solutions augment a companys existing solutions to provide the capability needed to manage the process of taking approved content and localizing it appropriately fora global audience. Effective GIM can dramatically reduce processing time whilst reducing localization costs. 3. Ethics/Social Issues In business today there are many instances of corporations that act from an ethical standard, including the company that I work for. Ethics and Social Responsibility are very important for modern businesses to possess to function productively and profitably. In a world that has been rocked my multiple corporate scandals and environmental disasters, it is essential that companies put forth the effort to regain and maintain the trust of their customers and the public in general hopefully the efforts of organizations. Lucas, H. C.; Jr. Implementation: The Key to Successful Information Systems. New York: Columbia University Press, 1981 . 4. Project Failures A project is usually a one-time effort composed of many interrelated activities, costing a substantial amount of money, and lasting for weeks or years. The management of a project is complicated by the following characteristics. Most projects are unique undertakings, and participants have little prior experience in the area. Uncertainty exists due to the generally long completion times. There can be significant participation of outsiders, which is difficult to control. Extensive interaction may occur among participants. The many interrelated activities make changes in planning and scheduling difficult. Projects often carry high risk but also high profit potential. (http://www.gantthead.com/article.cfm?ID=187449) 5. New Technology Given the right locale and purpose these shipping containers of MSC can provide a viable option for housing people and businesses and the strategy of implementing these shipping containers should not be limited to the finite size of the container itself. The process of threat identification begins with an understanding of the financial institutions environment, including its business strategy, information systems, policies and procedures, human stakeholders (management, employees, customers), and physical resources (facilities, equipment) of the MSC company. Each of these factors will impact potential threat sources, their motivation, method, and consequences. An understanding of threats can best be achieved by grouping them into categories. Three intuitive categories include human, non-human, and mixed threats. Some examples include the following: Human People-based threats can include individuals from inside and outside the shipping company. Hackers These individuals are characterized by their strong interest in computer technology and desire to learn more by playing with systems and testing their capabilities. Often this involves testing systems they do not own. Crackers This group is distinguished from hackers by their more malicious intentions. While claiming a strong interest in technology, their goals tend to be criminal in nature (e.g., theft, destruction, or denial of service to data or systems). In the other part Mediterranean Shipping Company are turning into global concerns. Information technology is an important tool in making this transformation and in designing the international organization. As tariffs fall, you can expect to see firms rapidly moving operations to different parts of the world to take advantage of special competencies and disparities in wage rates. Even a one-person company can have worldwide sales through the Internet. The General Manager of MSC Greece said that information technology is the glue that can hold an international organization together and help coordinate its operations. All of our IT design variables that focus on communications, such as electronic links, technological matrixing, electronic customer/supplier relationships, and virtual components, are available to help manage and coordinate the global firm. Also MSC managers are exposed to new, complex risks more and more frequently and they often can only understand their financial implic ations when its already too late to react. Additionally, regulatory changes and regional legislations are forcing MSC to rethink their approach to risk management. Equally important for the MSC as a worldwide transportation company of goods are the ethical issues as safety and security that concerns the overloading of the vessel, the theft of the goods, the maritime accidents and all the terrorist activities that happening now days. More can be included the air and water pollution of the ships, the excessive consumption of fuels and several times the oil slicks of the shipping industry. MSC Secretary-General, who exchanged Memoranda of Understanding with all companies, said he would like to see the GIA serving as a model for more such alliances, all embracing the goals of corporate social responsibility and addressing the many safety, security and environmental protection issues that characterize todays shipping industry. MSC headquarters aware that the overall purposes of the United Nations are to maintain international peace and security, to develop friendly relations among nations, to co-operate in solving international economic, social, cultural and humanitarian problems and in promoting respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms and to be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations in attaining these ends. As a reminder, heres the list of The Top 10 Reasons Projects Fail: Inadequately trained and/or inexperienced project shipping managers Failure to set and manage expectations Poor leadership at any and all levels Failure to adequately identify, document and track requirements Poor plans and planning processes Poor effort estimation Cultural and ethical misalignment Misalignment between the project team and the business or other organization it serves Inadequate or misused methods Inadequate communication, including progress trackingand reporting Parsons, G. Infonnation Technology: A New Competitive Weapon, Sloan Management Review. (Fall 1983), pp. 55-85. Garud, R.; and H,. C. Lucas, Jr., Virtual Organizations: What You See May Not Be What You Get. New York: Stem School, NYU working paper, 1997. Differently Options to considerate as a Manager In Shipping industry a different option to considerate is selecting proper partners in the current time is a big concern for corporate with other shipping companies. In the container shipping management on the issue of carrier selection, we have to be able to look for information that we might not have been looking for so much in the past. In these circumstances one of the considerations for shippers like managers is to try and anticipate what is going to happen and be sure we select the proper partners. We of course take more interest in the financial situation of the company for whatever information we can obtain to avoid exposure. Financial viability especially has become such a big concern that when shippers and carriers meet to negotiate freight rates and other transportation terms, shipping line representatives themselves volunteer to highlight their financial strength and ability to sustain through the trying times. When we meet with carriers on a face to face basis without as king them first, their opening is to describe what makes them able to survive the crisis as opposed to their competitors. We hear arguments that their activities are much diversified and that containers are only part of it. So after hearing all of this its up to us within a strategic management to make a judgment on it and to see what is more likely to happen. Its not always easy to do but thats what we have to do at this point in time. Shippers fretting over the financial strength of carriers and its collateral impact on their own business may however draw consolation from the recent move by many national governments to bail out companies on the verge of bankruptcy. Recent financial bailouts of shipping companies can be attributed to their corporate or government linkages and affiliations. For example, the Korean shipping industry has benefited from its governments bailout package. Likewise state-backed carriers in China like COSCO and CSCL and Singapore like the APL have received automatic financial assistance. In Hong Kong, OOCL reportedly gained US$2 billion by selling off some of its terminal operations just before the crisis began. A great move was when Piraeus Port Authority and MSC Greece renewed a contract for the movement of containers through the countrys biggest port. The contract was signed by the Piraeus Port Authoritys general director, Hairless Psaraftis, and MSC Greeces chairman, Dimitris Theodorikas. Under the terms of the deal, MSC Greece wills double its annual minimum transit container movement through Piraeus from 100,000 to 200,000 per year. The new five-year contract offers an option for renegotiation of prices, which are charged in euro, after the first two years. The deal with one of the worlds largest shipping companies shows the confidence in the quality of services offered by the port of Piraeus, and is expected to boost the ports growth plans in a time of increasing competition among ports in the Mediterranean seas. (http://www.imo.org/) Conclusion Good performance in ships management translates into high standards in health, safety, quality, and operational efficiency. Extraordinary performance is about outperforming ourselves, by a wide margin and in every respect, and maximizing the benefits for all our company in a fair and balanced way. It means being recognized by our best customers and our principals as a preferred service provider and strategic partner. Extraordinary performance also implies covering longer distances with less energy: increasing the quality while decreasing the cost. Overcoming the ordinary requires innovation and breakthroughs, as well as cohesiveness to the principles in developing the ways that we have to work. Mediterranean shipping companys responsibilities towards society must to incorporate a wide range of commitments: protection for the environment, rewarding workplace and opportunities to their people (both shore-based and seafarers), ethical way of business conduct, and respect for the communi ties in which we deliver our services. References (http://www.mscgreece.com/index.html ) Â © SANS Institute 2003, as part of the Information Security Reading Room6 Lucas, H. C.; Jr. Implementation: The Key to Successful Information Systems. New York: Columbia University Press, 1981 (http://www.gantthead.com/article.cfm?ID=187449) Parsons, G. Infonnation Technology: A New Competitive Weapon, Sloan Management Review. (Fall 1983), pp. 3-14. Garud, R.; and H,. C. Lucas, Jr., Virtual Organizations: What You See May Not Be What You Get. New York: Stem School, NYU working paper, 1997. (http://www.imo.org/)