Technology and beck's concept of world risk society Essay

Technology and beck's concept of world risk society - Essay Example Using this definition as the starting point, we get the subsequent argument that ‘Systemic events’ showed that industrial societies were generating hazards ‘that they could not control’ (Beck, 1999, 51, 44, 72). ‘Compounded risk’ had become the new meta-norm in a networked society (Daniell, 2000, 18). Hence, the thinking here is that the world is spinning out of control with people in the grip of â€Å"blind and impersonal† forces that they can neither control nor comprehend. In this context (Obama, 2006), the development of contraceptive pills and their widespread use has to be seen as a valiant effort at providing â€Å"space† to the marginalized (ethnic minorities, women) as a means of empowering them and providing them with reproductive choices. Ulrich Beck’s World Risk Society (1999) was a sociological meditation on the interlinked forces of ‘globalization, individualization, gender revolution, underemployment, and global risks (as ecological crisis and the crash of global financial markets)’ (Beck, 2000, 2). Beck examined the ‘risk calculus’ concept, the power dynamics and sociology of risk (why groups profit from ‘manufactured uncertainty’), the ‘sub-politics’ of global dissent (anti-globalist and environmental campaigns), and how reflexive modernity uses conjecture in response to crises. Beck’s work was essentially a treatise on the chaos that the processes that we shall talk about subsequently were unleashing on the world. In this context, Beck was in consonance with other social scientists that foresaw a dystopian vision for humanity and tried to warn us to the inherent dangers. In such a bleak scenario, it is worthwhile to consider the fact that the development of contraceptive pills is indeed a bright spot in an otherwise anarchical situation. For instance, Kaplan in his book The

The Religion of Paul the Apostle by John Ashton Essay Example for Free

The Religion of Paul the Apostle by John Ashton Essay This book is the outcome of the author’s conviction that an important way of understanding Saint Paul has been neglected. He mentions the idea expressed in 1888 by Hermann Gunkel, that Paul’s life experiences are the key to understanding his teaching about the spirit. On page 198 Ashton quotes Heinrich Weinel as saying :-   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Whenever the early church speaks of spirit and spirits it is always a matter of a perception based on frequent occurrences of real experiences. We see therefore that this book is much more an attempt to explain Paul’s experiences than yet another examination of his theology. The blurb on the back of this unusual book says in the author’s own words :- Paul did, I think, found a religion, and this book is largely concerned   with the question of how he came to do so. Besides being a study of comparative religion it is also proffered as a contribution towards the   history of early Christianity. Some would argue with that definition – it seems to remove Christ from the picture and also the work of other evangelists. Paul has such a prominent position in the New Testament not necessarily because he was more important than other evangelists, but because, in Luke, he had such an excellent biographer. A look at the Bible references in the back of the book reveals how many times Paul’s life or words are referenced in comparison to the relatively few references taken from the gospels and the Old Testament. The book is very concerned with definitions, in particular with the difference between   religion – defined as experience, and theology – defined as the thinking that comes as a result of that experience. This is a scholarly work as can be seen immediately from the background of the author and the number of works by other scholars that he has consulted .John Ashton was formerly a lecturer in New Testament Studies at Oxford University. He had previously taught at the universities of London, St Andrews and Edinburgh. At the time of writing this book ( 2000) he was Emeritus Fellow of Wolfson College, also in Oxford. He is best known for writing about John’s gospel – ‘Understanding the Fourth Gospel’, ‘Approaches to the Fourth Gospel’ etc ‘The religion of Saint Paul the Apostle’ was originally a series of 8 lectures which the author had been asked to give at Oxford University in 1998. These were the annual ‘Wilde Lectures in Natural and Comparative Religion’, founded under a trust deed in 1908. The nature of the lectures has changed over the years   as Ashton explains. Once upon a time they sought to distinguish the higher religions from the lower, but this second part of the description was dropped in 1969, probably in an attempt not to appear racist or judgmental. He uses material both from Paul himself, but also from contemporaries of his from both Jewish and Hellenistic, i.e. pagan, backgrounds. Ashton describes how from the 1880’s onwards there had been attempts to study the New Testament as objectively as one might study any other historical sources, but also goes on to say that the people were concerned were actually theologians rather than historians and were in the main Christians. It is however a subject t upon which it is very difficult to remain objective whatever one’s background as believer, atheist, agnostic or member of another religion.   Ashton’s main argument in this work is that Paul’s personal mystical experiences, especially the events on the Damascus road recorded by Luke in Acts 9, may be of more importance than the somewhat unsystematic theology of his letters. The book seeks to show how important aspects of Paul’s life and ministry should be seen in the light of his religious experience. He quotes Schweitzer who said of Paul’s mysticism that it ‘marks the last stage of the battle fought by the idea of resurrection to establish its place in eschatology’. He examines closely what he sees as shamanistic elements of Paul, both in his teaching and his letters and mentions how, from the1880’s onwards there have been those who have sought to prove that Paul was greatly influenced by pagan mystery religions which abounded at the time giving as an example his theology of baptism which it could be argued was very similar to that of the re-enactions of the death and rebirth of various gods such as Attis,   a Phrygian god of vegetation and Adonis,   a Greek deity. These ideas would be familiar to Paul, bought up as he was in a world where Greek influence was important, but his main influence   must have been his Jewish background, although Ashton believes that Paul’s religion was rather more than a mere modification of Judaism. On page 135 Ashton describes baptism as practised in the churches that Paul founded as being no more than a token when compared to the rites of passage practised in other religions of the time. Some would disagree with this minimalisation of what they see as an important part of Christian ritual, and in many churches it is only undertaken after a period of instruction which may be quite prolonged. Ashton says that the starting point for Paul’s thinking on the subject comes not from his knowledge of baptismal practices in Judaism, but was a result of his dramatic death life experience on the Damascus road and the subsequent resurrection to a new life in Damascus.   In chapter 7 he explains the part that the spirit world played in ancient times – anything that could not be explained was deemed to be the work of spirits and gods – for good or ill. Mention is made of how demons were believed to be behind and to explain all sorts of happenings that deviated from the norm such as storms, plagues, riots, unhappy love affairs and much more. Paul does not mention demons much, though he does refer to what he sees as his one great adversary – Satan. Ashton explains the role of the spirit both in Paul’s life and in that of his converts. He also examines the role of Christ himself in a passage which he realises may cause offence as it is entitled ‘Jesus the Shaman’.   In order to mitigate any offence he states that shamanism was not the most important aspect of Jesus’ ministry, but says that Jesus’ life as a wandering healer fits in with shamanistic practices even more than does the work of Paul. He claims that Jesus was not unique in this quoting several sources. There is detailed reference to the various words used to describe Jesus’ actions in ‘muzzling’ evil spirits. This, Ashton says, merely places Christ alongside other exorcists of the time. The difference was how he did it according to Mark chapter 3 v 11 and 12 where we are told that â€Å" Whenever the evil spirits saw him they fell down before him and cried out ‘You are the Son of God’.† On page 69, still discussing the shamanism of Christ, Ashton reminds us that in all three synoptic gospels the two incidents of the baptism of Christ and the temptation in the wilderness are recorded in that order and   he admits that for the purposes of his argument it would be better if they had been   recorded in the reverse order which would have fitted in better with the usual shamanistic experience of struggle followed by call or empowerment but a t least the two are associated.   Although in chapter 2, entitled ‘Paul the Enigma’ the question is asked ‘Was Paul a shaman?’ the answer is quickly given ‘Not really’. A shaman is a member of a tribal society who acts as a medium between the natural world and the spiritual one. A shaman is limited in his influence and also his periods of spirit filled ecstasy are limited and transitory. He uses magic to control events in the natural world, whether for good as in healing, or for bad as in curses. Paul did use his powers to control nature as when on the isle of Malta ( Acts 27) to cure many people, but it was available widely and not used in a negative way. Yet the author insists that some of Paul’s practices were shamanistic in nature and quotes the example of a picture of Paul struck blind from ‘Trà ¨s Riches Heures du Duc de Berry.’ Under the picture are the words ‘The inspired priest or shaman is usually called to his vocation   by a traumatic experience.’ Ashton sees the role of the shaman in two parts – the shaman’s personal experience and his ability to persuade other people of his exceptional gifts. This latter aspect is described as the social aspect. Ashton quotes at length from a Japanese work on the subject which states that a shaman is one who receives a gift from the spirit world. Usually this is from one spirit who becomes a companion or guide and after receiving the gift the shaman may experience a period of hysteria afterwards which results in illness. The process involves a complete change of character, perhaps like that described at the time of Paul’s meeting with the risen Christ. Whatever happened to Paul he himself saw it as a vision and a call – see Galatians 1. On page 243 Ashton mentions the finding of the documents now known as the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947. One of these ‘Songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice’ was finally published only in 1985. He states that as early as 1971 John Bowker had put forward the proposition that Paul’s vision took place while he was engaged in a period of merkabah mysticism as mentioned in the scroll. He then mentions the doctoral thesis published in 1980 by Seyoon Kim ‘The Origin’s of Paul’s Gospel† which seems able to prove a link between Ezekiel 1, a key passage in the study of such mystic practises, and the verse in the Second letter to the Corinthians   ( 4 v 6) where it says ‘For God who said â€Å"Let light shine out of darkness† made his light shine in our hearts’. Ashton further argues that Paul’s ability to discuss spiritual matters is important in understanding the continuing popularity of his writings. The aim is to define Paul – a convert, a prophet, a mystic, an apostle, a charismatic, a shaman. Whichever definition one prefers Ashton argues that Paul acted as he did because of the set of circumstances in which he found himself. In chapter 4, entitled ‘Paul the Mystic’ Ashton is concerned with Paul’s mystical experiences, especially the rapture which he described in 2 Corinthian 12 as being carried up to the third heaven. The trances in which visions like these occur were well known in Judaism, but as Ashton points out, are a feature of shamanistic activities throughout the world. Despite this Ashton admits on his final page that any observable resemblances between Paul’s life and features of shamanism are coincidence only. Another aspect of the book is the examination of why, according to Ashton, Paul generally seemed to prefer to speak to Gentile audiences rather than the Jews of whom he was one, and, alongside this, there is an examination of Paul’s attitude to traditional Judaism, which it is possible he never officially renounced. See 2nd Corinthians 11 v 22 ‘Are they Hebrew? So am I’   Ã‚  Ashton seems fascinated with the idea of the symbiosis of Judaism and its younger offspring Christianity as when Paul spent three weeks at Thessalonica explaining how Jesus had to die and rise again, using the Jewish scriptures to do so.( Acts 17 v 1-4). Christians today read Paul’s words after 2000 years of the church developing his ideas into what we call Christian theology, something that was not in place before Paul – says Ashton, but he pays little attention to the theology of Christ found in the gospels. Ashton believed that Paul was a religious thinker in the sense that his thoughts were reflection upon his experiences rather than a pure theologian. In his introduction Ashton discusses various previous ways of looking at Paul and his influence i.e. a studies of his conversion and subsequent work in founding and building Christian communities; those who aim to present a systematic account of his thinking; Paul’s psychology and finally those who seek to put his work in a historical or/and sociological perspective. He concludes that none of these approaches quite fits his purpose, without stating precisely what his purpose is at this point. Chapter 2 describes Paul as an enigma – a puzzle. He questions how much shamanistic practices, already present in Judaism back until the time of the Judges, affected Paul. Ashton quotes passages from I Samuel describing prophets and seers, a translation which Ashton believes to be wrong. and quotes much later passages, in Isaiah and Jeremiah where the practices of mediums and so on were condemned e.g. Isaiah 8 v 19. Like many others of Christ’s followers Paul was an exorcist and a prophet. On page 36 Ashton concludes that there is no evidence that Paul picked up shamanistic practices from another   shaman, unless, as some such as Andrew Wilson believe, he did meet Christ in life and copied his practices. Among the many works quoted is Karl Barth’s commentary on Romans in which Ashton says that Barth deplores any attempt to describe Paul as a religious figure. Also mentioned is   J. Louis Martyn who aims in his commentary to dispel the idea that Paul was in any way anti-Jewish. Barth in particular splits religion absolutely from theology, but although it is possible to study the subject in a totally objective way, just as one might study chemistry, I do not feel that this is true of Paul. His theology sprang very definitely from his personal experience of the Saviour and the Holy Spirit working within him. Ashton also tries to explain the huge success of Paul’s message in bringing about change in the lives of both individual’s and communities. On page 234, in a chapter entitled ‘Paul the Possessed’ Ashton quotes Paul’s words in his letter to the Galatian church , Galatians 4   v14, where he describes how, despite his physical difficulties, he was welcomed ‘as if I were an angel of God’ i.e. as a messenger directly from God.   George Bertram is quoted as saying that this passage is the key to Paul’s own understanding of his role.    ‘He is entitled   to speak in this way’ says Bertram , ‘because Christ is manifested in him, in his body, in his missionary work’. On page 236 Evans-Pritchard’s statement about how, when a man is seized by a spirit, the event may be a temporary one, is quoted. Evans-Pritchard went on to say that if it is a permanent possession, the person becomes a prophet capable of healing, of exorcism and having foresight into events. The presence of the Holy Spirit was the ruling factor in Paul’s life. Consider for instance his words in Romans 8 v 14 -16:-‘Those who are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God ‘ and ‘the Spirit itself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children’. Yet this is the same Paul who described himself in 1st Timothy as ‘the worst of sinners.’ (I Tim. 1 v 16). How great the change must have been. If we take Luke’s word in Acts 28 where he describes how Paul, right up until what may have been the end of his life, continued to teach and preach and quoted Isaiah who spoke about how the Holy Spirit spoke the truth, then in Paul’s case the change that occurred on the Damascus road was very permanent and influenced all that he both did and said.   Professor Ashton claims on page 162, in a chapter concerned with the apostleship of Paul, that Luke, as biographer, has no interest in the question that intrigues him. The story Luke is telling is that of how Christ, rejected by the Jews, was proclaimed to the Gentiles. Luke was eager to show how Paul used scripture to make his point. Ashton describes Paul, on page 162, as the chief witness and as such he was not reluctant to use spiritual power to do so.( I Corinthians 2 v 5) Just as Luke uses the phrase ‘in the power of the spirit’ to describe how Jesus returned to Galilee, Paul uses the same phrase to describe his own activity. Luke also tells us that Christ gave the apostles power and how Paul manifested similar power. Ashton mentions the passage in 2nd Corinthians 12 v 12 that he feels is the key to Paul’s ability to gain a hearing and also to convince –‘The things that mark an apostle – signs, wonders and miracles – were done among you with great perseverance.’ The people were convinced because his words had authority behind them – an authority he claimed came from the Messiah himself. Ashton mentions the work of Ramsey MacMullen in describing how religious fairs would convince people to join pagan religions. Their senses would be assaulted by all kinds of wonders. Ashton claims that Paul’s career begun in a similar way as a wonder worker and, although Luke tells us that Paul preached the word it seems likely that it was his spiritual acts that were the first attraction and only later did promises of salvation and forgiveness take root. Ashton concludes his unusual book by saying that he is a historian, and having looked at Paul using history and comparative anthropology as an alternative to the work of theologians, he hopes that if the book is noticed at all it will show that the way of the theologian is not the only way to come to an understanding of Paul the Apostle. This is not an easy book to either read or review. Not because it is difficult to follow the arguments, whether or not one agrees with them, but because it is so easy to get sidetracked along paths that one has not perhaps explored before such as the influence of Jewish mysticism on the early church or what other commentators say about a passage  Ã‚   such as that in Ezekiel chapter 1. Bu t if it rouses interest in this subject it has done its job even if the author is rather divident to whether or not or not he has proved his point.       Bibliography and Works Cited Ashton, John, Approaches to the Fourth Gospel ( Oxford University Press, Oxford 1994) Ashton, John, The Religion of Paul the Apostle ( Yale University Press, New Haven and London, 2000) Ashton, John, Understanding the Fourth Gospel (Clarendon Paperbacks, Oxford, 1994) Bertram,G. ,Paulus Christophoys:Ein anthropologisches Problem des Neuen Testaments in Stromata: Festgabe des akademischen Verreins zu Giessen im Schmalkaldener Kartell anlà ¤ÃƒÅ¸lich seines 50. Stiftungstages ( Leipzig 1930) Bible, New International Version ( Hodder and Stoughton, London 1998) Bowker,J. ‘Merkabah’ Visions and Visions of Paul, ( JSS 16 1971) Evans-Pritchard, E.E. Nuer Religion,( Oxford 1956). Gunkel, H. Die Wirkungen des heiligen Geistes nach der populà ¤ren Anschuung der apostolischen Zeit und der Lehre des apostels Paulus ( Gà ¶ttingen 1888) Kim,S., The Origin of Paul’s Gospel, ( Berlin 1984). Ramsey,W.M., The Bearing of Recent discoveries on the Trustworthiness of the New Testament,( London 1915) Schweitzer,A.   Geschichte der paulinnischen Forschung von der Reformation bis auf die Gergenwart.( Tà ¼bingen 191) Trà ¨s Riches Heures du Duc de Berry http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/rh/1.html ( accessed 12th January 2008). Weinel,H., Die Wirkungen des Geistes und der Geister im nachapostolischen Zeitaler bis zum Irenà ¤us ( Friburg i.B/Liepzig/Tà ¼bingen 1899) Wilson,A.N. Paul  :the Mind of the Apostle, ( London 1997).

CIA’s 50 Years of Corrupt Drug Trafficking :: Argumentative Persuasive Papers

CIA’s 50 Years of Corrupt Drug Trafficking The CIA’s 50-year history of smuggling drugs into America is generating hatred for the United States throughout the world. Like Pontius Pilate, CIA washes their hands of the human tragedies and the corruption of government offices. They do this by remaining and by refusing to recognize the evidence, supporting corruption. For the past 50 years, the CIA has abused its power by deliberately drugging and corrupting America; and therefore should be prosecuted. According to the constitution, the people for the people originally created the government to be a group of elect â€Å"organizers† (not controllers) employed. One can say the CIA is a mutated part of the US government. The CIA was created when a Wall Street lawyer and banker wrote The National Security Act of 1947. Clark Clifford was the man who brought the CIA backed drug bank BCCI into the United States. CIA heroin trafficking moved in the 1960’s and 1970’s from the Turkey-Marseilles connection to the Asian connection. For decades until the 1950s, Asian government supported the opium trade, because money was flowing in as long as the opium was flowing out. By the early 1960s, the mountain areas of Southeast Asia produced most of the world's opium. In the early 1950’s in Southeast Asia, the CIA organized the Nationalist Chinese army to start a war against Communist China. This Chinese army became the opium distributors of the â€Å"Golden Triangle† (parts of Burma, Thailand and Laos). The â€Å"Golden Triangle† has the most abundance of opium and heroin in the world. In order to smuggle drugs, the CIA’s main airline, Air America, flew drugs all over Southeast Asia. (Robbins 154) From the early 1950’s to early 1970’s during U.S. military involvement in Laos, Indochina, opium and heroin were flown by â€Å"Air America† into many countries, including Vietnam. As a result of CIA’s drug smuggling, Southeast Asia became the source of 70% of the world’s opium and heroin. South Vietnam was completely corrupted by a heroin trade that came from Laos, thanks to the CIA. The Hmong culture in Laos provided 30,000 men for the CIA's secret Laotian army. But in the process, opium production took over Hmong culture. To support the Hmong economy, the CIA's â€Å"Air America† transported raw opium out of the Laotian hills to the labs. By mid-1971, Army medical officers estimated that fifteen percent of American GIs were addicted (Stich 142).

Wine Industry Financial Analysis Essay -- GCSE Business Marketing Cour

Wine Industry Financial Analysis DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS Canandaigua Brands, Inc. (formerly Canandaigua Wine Company, Inc.) is a producer and supplier of wine and an importer and producer of beer and distilled spirits in the United States. It maintains a portfolio of over 130 national and regional brands of beverage alcohol which are distributed by over 850 wholesalers throughout the United States and selected international markets. Its beverage alcohol brands are marketed in three general categories: wine, beer and distilled spirits. Brands include: Paul Masson, Manischewitz, Monte Alban, Almaden, Barton’s Gin and Corona Beer. MANAGEMENT PERFORMANCE Management performance is good. Canandaigua’s return on assets is better than the industry standard for 1998, and just under the industry standard in 1997. The company’s management has been able to improve the company’s ROA by almost doubling net income from the prior year. Management has in the past done a good job of utilizing its assets, and by the latest results is doing an even better job. Canandaigua’s gross margin(25.62) is less than the industry standard(43.80%). It appears that the company’s production costs are greater than others in the industry. Profit margin(6.78%) is greater than the industry standard(6.64%) in 1998. Canandaigua is very good at controlling selling & general administrative expenses. Higher sales in 1998 resulted primarily from additional beer sales, largely Corona Beer sales, additional table wine sales and additional spirits sales. The company has increased its return on common stockholder’s equity(12.84%), compared to the industry stan dard of 10.89%. Canandaigua does a fair job of controlling borrowing. Interest expense was reduced by ... ...ompany’s operating cycle is very lengthy. Although, assuming most payables are due net 30, Mondavi appears to pay their bills on an average of 3.8 days early. LONG-TERM LENDORS From a lendor’s perspective, Mondavi appears very strong in its ability to repay long-term debt and interest despite having a debt to asset ratio 35% below the industry average. Mondavi has a very low probability of bankruptcy with or without the market cap being considered. Accordingly, Mondavi would be a good candidate for a general line of credit from lendors. INVESTORS Mondavi’s stock appears to be over valued by approximately 100% compared to 1997 and 1998’s per share market value. According to the EPS ratio, such over valuation appears to be consistent from ’97 to ’98, according to the EPS ratio. Therefore, it seems that investors would be hesitant to purchase Mondavi’s stock.

The Master of Zen

In â€Å"The mystery of Zen† the character is bewildered by the Zen master’s strange connection between him and the bow and arrow. Brought to light by this story, we experience the incredible connection between a sport, a man, and how the he uses his instinct to bring them together. Zen is a type of meditation intended to create a total togetherness with the body and mind. As part of this togetherness, the bow and arrow would be considered an extension to the body as made one with the mind. This technique involves the communication with both abiotic and biotic mass to create peace or balance with ones surroundings. As an action is performed the master delves into a trance as he immediately responds to his environment in a fluid manner. The same view that is made to build this connection can also be used in other sports to reach excellence. Boxing is a sport that can be used as an example of the influence Zen can play on a not so peaceful sport. As in life, the most important fight you can win is the battle to resist mental defeat; this sport becomes a way of life. There are a few mental disciplines or practices the mind must follow to achieve success in and out of the ring. In order to gain a hold on one’s own style of boxing, there must first be effort that results in a good physical core and stamina. This means one needs to dedicate time and effort to build strength before one enters the ring. One’s goal is to have achieved an athletic physique and mentally satisfying accomplishment that one aims for. However, the greater underlying achievement is the subconsciously built benefit which is time management. Creating a working system that one eventually follows almost as second nature. This first step to becoming a boxer is essentially the layout for any future endeavors. Although the tasks might be different, the key ingredient to having a successful anything is consistency. This step brought me closer to reality. It helped me accept the fact that success is determined by how hard one is willing to work at something to be good at it. I found out starting up that boxing helped build a good work ethic, and gave me energy to open up time in my day to build a solid schedule for work, play, and school. The leading cause to this improvement was my hunger for building a foundation for a sport I was interested in. The second step I had to go through was learning combinations. This meant training my hands to move with my weight so I wouldn’t lose balance through the combination. Variations of light to heavy punches with timed duck and weaves meant I would need to go against my naturally unbalance motion to create a fluid and balanced form to stay on track. Prior to this training my body would prepare itself to go through at most a minute of intense motions I believed was exceptional. However, these new movements were far more complicated and went on for five or so minutes. My body would naturally cringe from having to duck from right to left as I had only taught my body to move from left to right. My answer to the issue was taking very deep breaths during my pick and weaves to decrease tension and slow my heart rate down. After two weeks of intense training I had noticed my breathing intervals were further apart. I would take a deep breath by grasping as much energy as I could and then let it all go. I also noticed that I was more focused and alert at work and school. Boxing helped me be more patient and calm while making decisions to accomplish objectives throughout the day. The answer wasn’t as simple as attacking the objective. A plan would have to be made and I would have to following through with it in order to win. This suited well for me because I learned to treat the obstacle somewhat like a match, as I would plan possibilities and measure the cost of taking one versus the other. Maybe I got into boxing in the first place because I knew it might clear my mind at work. Majority of the time, I had the responsibility to make executive decisions. Sometimes I would be answering two phone calls while dealing with customers and making arrangements for shipments all at the same time. To say the least, being patient and making a plan worked best. I would take a break from boxing from time to time and still use the patience I learned from it to make the best decisions at work. After sparing a dozen matches and a dedicated routine, I began to look at my surroundings differently. The average boxer has a particular style that he constantly works on to reach the peak of perfection. Some might have slightly different variations of the way they work but they are all essentially just cycles. My reaction time was fast and I was in good shape the only thing I was missing was intuition. When pushed to the brink in later rounds I would use the connection with my surroundings to change tactics. In business and school there is the ninety nine percent which is the effort you make to do well and there is that one percent that is intuition. The feeling that the decision made was the right one. It’s like that no worries type of feeling one gets after making a risky ecision, almost like a humble form of over confidence. The measurement of cost and benefit and then there’s that last nudge that tells you to make it happen. It’s fluent, as though you are one with that shipment that predictions say is too much for the margin. Knowing that when your body finally ducks under that over hand right, your own uppercut will connect with devastating force. Going thr ough these experiences helped me understand how to use the benefits of intuition on a deeper level. The practices and fundamentals of boxing transcend to what makes a hard working person. Adversity that needs to be overcome is answered with consistent practice of this sport. Many of the obstacles that one would run into in the business world and at school are confronted in different forms. The simple ground work of boxing is a universal map of how someone can approach and prepare for future endeavors. The connection that is strung tight with body and mind is important for attempting to accomplish anything. Relying on the self to make decisions sometimes without the resources necessary to make logical decisions requires this self-understanding and togetherness that can only be utilized by expressing the self.

Should Ministry of Education Review its Corporal Punishment essays

Should Ministry of Education Review its Corporal Punishment essays The media has reported that a Principal who slapped a female student with a soft cover book was demoted. We were told that the Principal did the act, which is against the spirit of corporal punishment, in a fit of anger. According to the Ministry of Education, the solely form of corporal punishment that is acceptable is canning, where another disciplinary teacher must bear witness to prevent accusations of abuse by the student. However, canning is only imposed upon male students while female students are punished through other methods such as detention. Even though it seems that the Principal has to bear full responsibility for having slapped the student, violating the Ministry of Educations rules, it is an unknown what prompted the principal to do what he knows is wrong. Hence, before we condemn the Principal, we should consider the situation again. All naughty students who go against the school rules, behave defiantly, including female students as well, gives problems to teachers. However, the punishments meant for female students seem to be ineffective. Others might even deem it as the Ministry of Education is over-protecting the female students. As such, should the Ministry of Education review its corporal punishment policy? The Ministry of Educations corporal punishment policy has the propensity of stereotyping the boys to be naughtier than girls are. It also brings about the old fashion perception that girls are more vulnerable than boys are, and thus, the cane is spared upon the females. Nonetheless, I denounce such perception of girls being more vulnerable as we are currently living in the 21st century where there is equality in gender. Girls have claimed that they are able to do whatever the boys are capable of and even excel the boys. So should the corporal punishment not be imposed upon girls? We ought to take into consideration that some female students are as naughty and can get even naughtier th ...

The eNotes Blog Feats of Greatness, Feet of Clay Authors, Flaws, and the People Behind theStories

Feats of Greatness, Feet of Clay Authors, Flaws, and the People Behind theStories (Orson Scott Card poses at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, in 2008.  Wikimedia Commons/ Nihonjoe) Just because someones a member of an ethnic minority doesnt mean theyre not a nasty small-minded little jerk.† ~ Terry Pratchett, from  Feet of Clay   There is a reason I frequently shy away from reading biographies:   people suck.   Even the  best people  suck.   If you want to go on admiring someone, dont know them personally.   The art, of course, speaks for itself.   It need not be burdened by the shortcomings of its creator.   But (at least for me) it is difficult to separate the two once you know.   You cannot, as the saying goes,  unsee  something. Today, a lot of people, including myself, were surprised to learn that beloved science fiction writer Orson Scott Card (Enders Game)  is an anti-gay activist, and has been for a very long time.   In 2008, he wrote that marriage has only one definition, and any government that attempts to change it is my mortal enemy. I will act to destroy that government and bring it down.    Responding to the Supreme Court decision on the topic of gay marriage, Card told  Entertainment Weekly  Ã‚  it will be interesting to see whether the victorious proponents of gay marriage will show tolerance toward those who disagreed with them when the issue was still in dispute. Hmmmm. interesting that someone who is against tolerance wants to see how people with tolerance respond. I dont like knowing this about the author.   I wish I did not know it. I do not like knowing that two of my favorite history writers,   Stephen Ambrose (Band of Brothers),  and Doris Kearns Goodwin (The Fitzgeralds and the Kennedys)  have both plagiarized large portions of their work. I really dont like knowing that Harold Bloom  (The Anxiety of Influence)  Ã‚  probably had sexually inappropriate contact with one of his graduate students, the now-widely published feminist author Naomi Wolf (The   Beauty Myth).   For those of you who dont know, Bloom closely resembles Jabba the Hutt and Wolf (boy, would she hate  this)  Princess Leia in the gold bikini.   Talk about something you cant unsee. Spolier alert:   The list is endless.   I dont care to know that Bing Crosby beat his children. One of my friends recently told me she was on a flight with Game of Thrones actor Peter Dinklage and that he was a drunken ass to the flight attendants.   Dang. Of course, I will still read books written by people I find problematic and watch movies starring   real-life jerks.   But, for me, those authors and actors never again can hold quite the same place in my heart. And that makes me sad.

The Difference Between Perpetrate and Perpetuate

The Difference Between Perpetrate and Perpetuate If you are having trouble understand the differences between perpetrate and perpetuate, youre not the only one. These verbs are commonly confused. The  verb perpetrate means to commit, carry out, or bring about. The verb perpetuate means to prolong the existence of or to cause to last indefinitely. Examples of the Two Words The link between  perpetuate  and  perpetual  suggests the long-term association of the first word. Similarly, the connection between  perpetrate  and  perpetrator  helps to clarify the meaning of that verb.(Philip Gooden,  Whos Whose: A No-Nonsense Guide to Easily Confused Words. Bloomsbury, 2004)This whole baby thing baffles me. I mean you have it, you raise it, you inevitably screw it up, it resents you, feels guilty for resenting you and then it has a baby, which only perpetuates the vicious cycle.(Demi Moore as Samantha Albertson in Now and Then, 1995)The blogger attempted to  perpetrate  a fraud on his readers.Every business that leaves the city helps to  perpetuate  a cycle of rising unemployment, diminishing city services, and increased crime. Test Your Knowledge (a) My office computer was used to _____ a crime.(b) The children decided to _____ the memory of their father by publishing his biography. Answers to Practice Exercises (a) My office computer was used to  perpetrate  a crime.(b) The children decided to  perpetuate  the memory of their father by publishing his biography.

Compare and Contrast two different architectural structures that have Essay

Compare and Contrast two different architectural structures that have similarities and differences - Essay Example The dome covers the 3025 m2 of the base and has a height of around 35 meters. The dome is decorated with tall spires and lotus design providing a blend of Persian architecture with Hindustani decorative element (DuTemple).i The spheres of the Sydney Opera House which form the roof of the structure are the most extravagant attribute of the building. The spheres depict the earliest advancements in structural engineering as the irregular shape of each sphere was subjected to numerous asymmetrical forces (Shofner). The amazing appearance of the spheres was achieved by covering them with glossy white and matte-cream colored tiles imported from Sweden. ii Although there is an evident difference between the ways the two structures appear, but the roof designs in the form of domes and spheres have marked similarities as well; both the structures have curved roofs with a pleasant white appearance. The marble domes of Taj Mahal were constructed using the traditional Mughal construction technique with massive brick scaffolding, whereas precast concrete members were used to construct the spheres of Opera House. The exterior and much of the interior of Taj Mahal has been decorated with gemstones embedded in bronze. Large calligraphy panelsiii run from ground up to the arches and Islamic calligraphic inscriptions have been manually inscribed on the stone panels with astonishing precision.iv The magnificent arches and the intricate jalis are the other outstanding features of the interior.v Interior of Taj Mahal is an exemplary piece of work of Mughal architecture, similarly the interior of Sydney Opera House with its plain and topaz tinted glass, birch plywood and aluminum panelsvi is a perfect depiction of modern architecture in which prime importance is given to the function of the building (Murray). Wood cladding has been used in much of the interior of the Opera House in order to

American history Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

American history - Assignment Example struction was more focused on the civil rights amendment while the presidential plan seemed to divide the people even more especially those from the south. Both plans however were similar in the context of solving a political problem because they wanted to restore the political state and reducing other instances of war. The presidential plan was also harsh and more discriminating and was different from Lincoln’s plan. There was more discrimination to the southern elites and the wealthy from that place but was more lenient to the people of the black origin. Definitely this was a similarity of the presidential plan with that of the congressional reconstruction since it also did not recognize the southern elites as well. The congressional reconstruction was also different with the president’s plan because it considered civil rights. The president’s plan was only concerned with property to only those who paid loyalty to the emancipation. The Knights of Labor (KOL) began as a secret and underworld society that was composed of tailors in Philadelphia, and this was in 1869. The American Federation of Labor (AFL) was aimed at life improvement employees in the US. Both the organizations were similar in the sense that they all advocated for workers’ rights, and this was done through strikes and boycotts. Both organizations were asking for the support of the American government. They were different however because Knights of Labor (KOL) was made of tailors while the American Federation of Labor (AFL) was made of laborers from various sectors. Another difference also was that The Knights of Labor (KOL) organization was secret while the American Federation of Labor (AFL) was public. It was until in 1886 when the KOL leader, Powderly publicly advocated the removal of child labor, equal pay for equal and also political reforms (Vincent, 80). The Knights of Labor (KOL) and the American Federation of Labor (AFL) had voluntary membership and the workers were free to

The Greater Freedom Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Greater Freedom - Essay Example To address the intricacies arising from the freedom of expression, several considerations will be put in place. To begin with, the influence of the political class on judicial proceedings will be limited or completely prohibited. In China, Woodman (2015) asserts that the freedom of expression is accorded selectively depending on the social standing or due to the subjectivity of a powerful political figure. The judiciary is thus not autonomous, and prevalence of justice is sabotaged. Secondly, the government will be held accountable through democratic platforms. Margaritis (2013) illustrates how Greece protects the presidency against criticism by all means regardless of the position of the country. The author postulates that such provisions ought to be overturned to allow critics to express their opinions about the leadership of their country legally. Lack of questioning or critique of the government breeds corruption and other dubious deals whose burden and effects are borne by the c itizens. At the very least, these two approaches and foreign precedents are fundamental in strengthening the freedom of expression.Also, it will be beneficial to carry over the First Amendments into the new nation. This is because the amendments were made at a time when the United States was experiencing a lot of turbulence due to the then government’s discrimination against those who defied its rulings no matter how weird they were. It was during this period that the people were allowed to be affiliated with their religious groups of choice.

How the organization communicates with prospective and current Case Study

How the organization communicates with prospective and current customers - Case Study Example The use of digital media made Coca Cola to deviate from the traditional strategies that would promote the product such as developing new products or extending the existing brands. Marketing is an important aspect of creating a strong brand while helping to reach out to the existing and potential customers. Every marketing strategy faces three uncertainties that are supposed to be weighed before engaging; the fear of failure, the return on investment and the fear of the unknown. Investing resources in the digital media for marketing brings forth all these uncertainties. However, these uncertainties can be assumed based on the advantages that come with the digital media. First, learning from failure can help device workable strategies in the digital space. Second, the digital media exhibits a very rapid growth while the marketers get to understand it better day by day. Finally, digital media is less expensive, therefore, learning from it especially on optimizing the return on investment is worthy. Coca Cola opted to ‘go digital’, and take advantage of the huge online traffic. This was done through a simple social concept that encouraged customers to exhibit brand loyalty while encouraging others to join the wagon. In the summer of 2011, they devised the ‘Share a Coke Campaign’ (Coca Cola, 2013). It began with the customers creating a can for a special friend and then finding their names and having a coke bottle bearing the name to developing customized coke bottles with people’s names. This campaign has gone global and it is still in progress after it demonstrated that it can facilitate the strengthening of the brand as well as increment in the sales volume. The campaign was focused on increasing the consumption of Coke during the summer of 2011 while bringing an appeal on the strength of the brand. Despite Coca Cola being known as a strong brand, they needed to

Bailey Corporation Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Bailey Corporation - Case Study Example Capital structure represents the proportion in which various long-term capital components are employed. The capital decisions have been recognized as the most important decisions affecting the successful working of any firm. This is due to the fact that the capital structure affects the cost of capital, net profit, earnings per share, dividends payout ratio and liquidity position of the firm. These variables coupled with a number of other factors determine the value of a firm. Therefore capital structure is a very important determinant of the value of a firm. There are different forms of financial securities offered by a company in order to secure the required funds from the investors. The most common method of raising long term finance is the issue of common stock. The common stocks of a corporation do not carry any special rights in terms of payment of dividend as compared to preferred stock. Preferred stocks carry a specific percentage of return on the investments by the preferred stock holders. In addition the preferred stock holders stand in priority to the common stock holders in getting a distribution of the assets of a corporation in the event of its winding up. In some instances the preferred stock holders also carry special voting rights as distinguished from the common stock holders. Convertible securities are bonds or preferred stocks that are convertible into a specified number of shares of common stock at the option of the stock holder. This is yet another of form financial security being offered by the corporations to secure the long term investment of the stock holders. The convertible security provides the convertible holder a fixed return in the form of interest or dividend and also the option to exchange a bond or preferred stock for common stock. Warrants and derivatives are a relatively long term option to purchase common stock at a specified exercise price over a specified period of time. Warrants are used to obtain a lower interest rate and to raise funds when the firm is considered as having a marginal credit risk. Warrants are also issued to compensate the underwriters and venture capitalists at the time of founding a company in return for their services or as commission payable to them. (Chapter 22) Bailey Corporation Case a) Number of Shares Outstanding 1,800,000 New shares Issued 800,000 Total Number of Shares 2,600,000 Retained Earnings $ 7,580,000 Earnings per Share after the Offering $ 2.92 (7,580,000/2,600,000) Assumed price earnings 12 Initial Price per share 12 * 2.92 $ 35.04 b) Total proceeds 800,000 * $ 35.04 $ 28,032,000 Less: Underwriting spread @ 5% $ 1,401,600 Less: Out of Pocket Expenses 300,000 Total Cost $ 1,701,600 Net Proceeds $ 26,330,400 c) Current Earnings $ 7,580,000 Number of original outstanding stock 1,800,000 EPS on original stock outstanding $ 4.21 ($ 7,580,000/1,800,000) Return needed for achieving

How the organization communicates with prospective and current Case Study

How the organization communicates with prospective and current customers - Case Study Example The use of digital media made Coca Cola to deviate from the traditional strategies that would promote the product such as developing new products or extending the existing brands. Marketing is an important aspect of creating a strong brand while helping to reach out to the existing and potential customers. Every marketing strategy faces three uncertainties that are supposed to be weighed before engaging; the fear of failure, the return on investment and the fear of the unknown. Investing resources in the digital media for marketing brings forth all these uncertainties. However, these uncertainties can be assumed based on the advantages that come with the digital media. First, learning from failure can help device workable strategies in the digital space. Second, the digital media exhibits a very rapid growth while the marketers get to understand it better day by day. Finally, digital media is less expensive, therefore, learning from it especially on optimizing the return on investment is worthy. Coca Cola opted to ‘go digital’, and take advantage of the huge online traffic. This was done through a simple social concept that encouraged customers to exhibit brand loyalty while encouraging others to join the wagon. In the summer of 2011, they devised the ‘Share a Coke Campaign’ (Coca Cola, 2013). It began with the customers creating a can for a special friend and then finding their names and having a coke bottle bearing the name to developing customized coke bottles with people’s names. This campaign has gone global and it is still in progress after it demonstrated that it can facilitate the strengthening of the brand as well as increment in the sales volume. The campaign was focused on increasing the consumption of Coke during the summer of 2011 while bringing an appeal on the strength of the brand. Despite Coca Cola being known as a strong brand, they needed to

Cost Accounting Proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cost Accounting Proposal - Essay Example Such things as raw materials would not be included on the balance sheet because it is non-existent. Some intangibles might be included as well. Another area of consideration is the income statement, which would include such items as expenses, marketing, net income, purchases, and beginning and end inventory. Monitoring and measuring capacity utilization and productivity levels on a continuous basis will ensure streamlined operations, resulting in an increase of return of investment for the parent company. Efficient operational activities lessen the total costs that must be allocated to the final product, increasing overall profitability and growth potential for the newly formed online business unit. There are various cost allocation methods that one could use to allocate cost. Three methods commonly used are the direct method, the step method and the reciprocal method. The direct method focuses on charging cost of support service departments to internal customers. This method does not make allocations among support-service departments. A disadvantage of this method is it does not take into account that the services that one department may provide support to another and cause higher cost allocations to the production department.

Function proposal Essay Example for Free

Function proposal Essay Thank you for your enquiry to hold a private function at aqua dining. A dinner is on a Sunday night only from 6.30pm11.30pm. We cater for both a 3 course sit down style or cocktail style event. The sit down menu allows your guests on the day or night to choose their meal from 3 entrà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½es, mains and desserts. Both styles of functions can cater for all dietary needs whether they are vegan, vegetarian, coeliac, an allergy to seafood or just plain eaters. The current menus and beverage package are attached. The beverages, which are included within the package price, are served through out the duration of the function. To ensure the use of fresh seasonal produce the menus are subject to change. We have a list of preferred suppliers which can assist you in organising AV, flowers, chair covers, music and photography. We can set up your specific requirements for your use during your function at no additional cost. The price for a sit down function for 50 guests is $3700 $5500 (inclusive of room hire and beverage) with additional guests being $100 each. The price for a cocktail style event for 50 guests is $2500 $3350(inclusive of room hire and beverage) with additional guests being $80 each. Childrens meals (12 years and under) and service meals are $40 each. To make a booking we require a deposit of $1500 with the balance due 14 days prior to your function. A tentative booking will not be held without a deposit. Payments can be made by cheque, cash or credit card (credit card payments incur a 23% fee). Please note that this price is for functions held during 2008. The prices may be subject to change in 2009. Bookings cancelled within 3 months of the booking date incur loss of full deposit. The deposit less 10% will be refunded if the booking is cancelled 3 months or more prior to the booking date. If the booking is transferred more than a month prior to the date 10% of the deposit is withheld. If the transfer is less then a month prior to the booking 50% of the deposit is withheld. For further information or to make a booking contact our function manager Jo Beshara on 02 9999 1234 or email [emailprotected] Regards Meredith Armstrong General Manager 1. Venue Room Options and Cost (include GST) Corporate functions are welcome to create a room plan suited to your specific requirements. Patrons are of course encouraged to come down regularly and get a feel for the room prior to the event. The followings are suitable room for 50 guests. All packages include venue hire, in house tables chairs, table linen, glasses, crockery, cutlery and background music. If you want to discuss more how we can help make your event perfect, please call our Functions Coordinator Room One The Chandler Room With its ceiling mounted projector, hot red lounges and access to the roof top Zen garden, The Media Room is available for that event when you want it a little more casual and intimate. It is also the perfect room for sit down dinner of up to 50 people. * Room Hire $350 * Function Duration area reserved till midnight. After midnight the area will be open to the public * Room Facilities direct access to designated smoking area, bar area, male/female bathrooms, projector, audio visual, built in screen, built in microphones, speaker system dance floor if required * View river View Room Two The Grange Room The Green Room is a smaller more intimate boardroom with its floor to ceiling windows boasting expansive views that can be used for smaller parties, intimate dining of up to 50 people or corporately for meetings. * Room Hire $250 * Function Duration area reserved till midnight. After midnight the area will be open to the public * Room Facilities male/female bathrooms, bar area, audio visual, wall screen dance floor if required * View garden View 2. Floor Plan Banquet style is most suited for fund raising function. A large conference can be arranged in smaller groups seated around round or rectangular tables where group and workshop activities can be performed through the conference. The banquet style also encourages attendees to network with their immediate group at the conference. Room One The Chandler Room 1,200 sq. ft, 30 x 40, not include foyer area (A) (B) Room Two The Grange Room 1,100 sq. ft., 22 x 50, not include foyer area (A) (B) 3. Menu Suggestions and Cost 3.1 Set Menu Options (include GST) The following is a sample of a set dinner menu available for fund raising functions. Costs may vary depending on the type of menu selected. Gluten Free, Dairy Free and Vegetarian Options are also available on request. All Set Menus are subject to availability of the freshest seasonal produce and may change if not available. Set Menu One $34.95 per person Please choose from one of the following Entrà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½e * Spicy marinated calamari rings, lightly crumbed served on a salad of roquette leaves, spanish onion parmesan cheese accompanied with lemon citrus caper aioli * Grilled Turkish bread brushed with garlic olive oil, served with a selection of inhouse dips Main * Grilled Atlantic salmon on wild mushroom soba noodle salad, topped with wasabi hollandaise sauce, served with lemon * Oven-baked chicken supreme filled with semi-dried tomato basil cream cheese topped with tomato avocado salsa, served with petit salad chips Set Menu Two $44.95 per person Please choose from one of the following Entrà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½e * Spicy marinated calamari rings, lightly crumbed served on a salad of roquette leaves, spanish onion parmesan cheese accompanied with lemon citrus caper aioli * Grilled Turkish bread brushed with garlic olive oil and served with a selection of inhouse dips Main * Grilled Atlantic salmon on wild mushroom soba noodle salad, topped with wasabi hollandaise sauce, served with lemon * Oven-baked chicken supreme filled with semi-dried tomato basil cream cheese topped with tomato avocado salsa served with petit salad and chips * Eye fillet served with caesar salad chips with your choice of sauces Dessert * Flourless chocolate cake with double cream strawberries * Sticky date pudding with rum raisin ice cream * Pavlova with fresh fruit, chantilly cream and passion fruit pulp Set Menu Three $54.95 per person Served alternatively Entrà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½e * Spicy marinated calamari rings, lightly crumbed served on a salad of roquette leaves, spanish onion parmesan cheese accompanied with lemon and citrus caper aioli * Tapas plate for one with roasted marinated vegetables, smoked salmon, marinated mussels fingers if Turkish bread European delicacies served with a selection of dips spreads * Plate of 6 natural oysters served on rock salt with lemon to taste Main * Grilled Atlantic salmon on wild mushroom soba noodle salad, topped with wasabi hollandaise sauce, served with lemon * Oven-baked chicken supreme filled with semi-dried tomato basil cream * Cheese topped with tomato avocado salsa ,served with petit salad chips * Fillet mignon grilled to a smoky flavour, served with caesar salad chips with your choice of sauces Dessert * Flourless chocolate cake with double cream strawberries * Sticky date pudding with rum raisin ice cream * Pavlova with fresh fruit, chantilly cream and passion fruit Pulp Vegetarian Options available with all Set Menus Entrà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½e * Pesto bocconcini pizza bread * Chickpea battered vegetables served with accompanying dipping sauces Main * Slow roasted pumpkin baby spinach salad with pine nuts, artichoke hearts roasted capsicum with balsamic dressing * Flat field mushrooms topped with pesto, fetta cheese, semi-dried tomato basil, served with petit salad chickpea vegetable stack Note: All appropriate staffing is also included in the package price. 3.2 Cocktail Style Options (include GST) The following is a sample of cocktail style menu available for fund raising functions. Costs may vary depending on what you selected for canapà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s. Gluten free, dairy free and vegetarian options are also available on request. Please inform us first. All dishes are subject to availability of the freshest seasonal produce and may change if not available. Cocktail Style One $35 per person Your selection of 3 hot 3 cold canapà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s Cocktail Style Two $42 per person Your selection of 4 hot 4 cold canapà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s Cocktail Style Three $48 per person Your selection of 5 hot 5 cold canapà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s + 1 substantial item Cold Canapà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s * Caramelised apple blue cheese crustini * Rare roast beef horseradish en croute * Smoked salmon wasabi cream cup * Chicken smokey paprika mayo fingers * Roasted eggplant fetta cigars * Greek spanokopita * Turkish bread with dhakka virgin olive oil * Sesame, shallot lime seared prawn in a spoon Hot Canapà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s * Thai chicken filo wrap * Long prawn wonton * Fetta roast pumpkin pie * Buttermilk chive pancakes * Indian vegetable Pakoras * Double smoked bacon cheese quiche * Tandoori chicken goujons * Breaded Italian style whiting fillets Substantial items (served in noodle boxes) Cold * Chicken caeser salad * Grilled Mediterranean vegetable salad Hot * Chicken harissa, pappadum fruit chutney * Singapore noodles Asian greens 4. Beverage Suggestions and Cost 4.1 Beverage Packages (include GST) For the duration of your 5 hours function unlimited consumption, these are different great option for a beverage that gives your guests to test two types of wines and non-alcohol drinks (juice, soft drink, coffee tea). Also, our staff will refresh your drinks if your guests desire. You may like to continue with waiter service of drinks or we can arrange a bar area for later. Our drinks are as follows. Please choose 1 white 1 red wine from each beverage packages. Standard Beverage Package $35 per person * Stephen John N.V. Blanc de Blanc, Clare Valley SA * Willow Bridge Chardonnay, Geographe WA * Willow Bridge Sauvignon Blanc Semillon, Geographe WA * Willow Bridge Cabernet Merlot, Geographe WA * Willow Bridge Shiraz, Geographe WA * Hahn Premium Light, XXXX Gold, Tooheys Extra Dry + soft drink juice Deluxe Beverage Package $50 per person * Miceili Methode Champenoise, Mornington Peninsula VIC * Shottesbrooke Sauvignon Blanc, McLaren Vale SA * Shottesbrooke Chardonnay, McLaren Vale SA * Shottesbrooke Cabernet, McLaren Vale SA * Shottesbrooke Merlot, McLaren Vale SA * Hahn Premium Light, XXXX Gold, Tooheys Extra Dry + soft drink juice Note: To upgrade beers to Crown Lager Coronas add an extra $8.00pp. All appropriate staffing is also included in the package price. 4.2 Cocktails List (include GST) Cocktails are an additional price per guest as they are not included in the beverage package. Please choose a maximum of 2 cocktails to be served to your guests. In addition, fruit juices, coffee, tea, soft drinks and sparkling water will be available. Bellini Cocktails $10 per person * Peach Bellini * Lychee Bellini * Apricot Bellini Fresh fruit puree, Fruit liquor, Prosecco Long Cocktails $12 per person * Long Island Ice Tea Gin, Vodka, White rum, Cointreau, Tequila, Cola * Aqua Ice Tea Gin, Vodka, White rum, Cointreau, Blue curacao, Lemonade * Lynchburg Lemonade Jack Daniels, Lemon juice, Sugar, Lemonade Sour Cocktails $12 per person * Vodka Sours Fresh Lime, Sugar, Vodka * Whiskey Sours Fresh Lime, Sugar, Whiskey * Pisco Sours Fresh Lime, Sugar, Pisco Note: All appropriate staffing is also included in the package price. 5. Running Sheet Timing details is a very important aspect of running a function. Determining the appropriate times for the different stages of the function will ensure the food and beverage and technical arrangements can be timed and coordinated to coincide with the function timing requirements. Set menu function: Guests Arrival 6:30pm Pre-dinner Drinks 6:45pm Seated for dinner 7:05pm Entrà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½es Served 7:15pm Speeches Presentations 7:50pm Mains Served 8:30pm Entertainments 9:30pm Desserts/Drinks 10:00pm Coffee 10:30pm Departure 11:30pm Cocktail function: Guests Arrival 6:30pm Pre-drinks 6:50pm Seated for dinner 7:10pm Cold canapà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s Served 7:20pm Speeches Presentations 7:50pm Hot canapà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s Served 8:30pm Entertainments (DJ,dance) 9:30pm Departure 11:30pm Note: The drinks provide through whole cocktail function. 6. Preferred suppliers à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Event Services Andrew Dudley 0422 206 353 www.eggnspoon.com.au à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Music Entertainment Bethanie Tobin 02 9419 4200 www.nhmentertainment.com.au à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Flowers and Table decorations Ria Gradon 0403 798 598 www.pollenflowers.net à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Chair covers Edna Reed 02 9871 1599 [emailprotected] à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Photography Graham Monroe 02 9960 4600

Implications of Casual Dress At Work

Implications of Casual Dress At Work Contents (Jump to) 1. Abstract 2. Introduction Professional dress Casual dressing at work 3. Literature Review Background/history Definition of casual wear Business casual A brief history of the Bank of America The role played by clothing The origins of casual dressing Consequences of casual wear Positive consequences Negative consequences 4. Methods of analysis Methods of collecting data Results of analysis 5. Conclusion and recommendations 6. References 1. ABSTRACT This paper seeks to establish the effects and implications of getting casual within the work environment of Bank of America. The Bank of America being the largest bank (by assets), it is known for its high levels of professionalism and its workers formal dress code. This paper will therefore discuss the banks service delivery to its clients while at the same time highlighting the aspects of effects of possible causal approaches that may be employed by the bank employees in discharging their duties. This discussion will be done systematically with special emphasis on different sections that will comprise of a table of content, introduction, literature review, method of analysis, results of analysis, the conclusions and recommendations made, a list of the references used in the collection of the information and finally a list appendices showing the additional material used in this discussion. 2. INTRODUCTION The Bank of America Corporation is based in charlotte which is in North Carolina, it is considered to be one of the largest financial institutions that offer financial services, it is also considered to be the largest bank in the assets category (it ahs the highest asset value).The bank is also the largest commercial bank by deposits. It is also ranked as the second largest bank on the basis of market capitalization in the United States. The bank (company) is known to hold about 12.2% of the total U.S deposits. It also holds the number one position of underwriting the global high yield debt, it is considered to be the third largest underwriter of global equity. The Bank plays a very important and critical role as an adviser to the global mergers and acquisition (it is therefore placed at the ninth position as an adviser on global mergers and acquisitions. The total numbers of clients served by the Bank of America originate from more than 150 countries from across the world. It has the highest percentage of relation with the U.S Fortune 500 companies (this percentage stands at 99%).Its relation with the fortune Global 500 stands at 83% (of these companies).The bank is a very important component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) and also an influential member of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).The bank demonstrated its ability to weather the 2007 credit crisis and emerged as the healthiest financial institution during that period. It later plunged in market value after incurring heavy losses as a result of purchasing the Merrill Lynch. The 2009 first quarter profits were valued at 4.2 billion with 3.7 billion having originated from the Merrill Lynch. Professional dress Before engaging in an informative discussion on the possible impacts of casual dressing at the work place or any other associated aspects of casual attitude in the work environment, it is important to understand the concept of professional dressing and its significance in the professional world of business. Professional dressing has a lot of significance especially in the Financial sector (which the Bank of America is part of).There is great significance that is attached to the color of the professional dress, this is largely due to the different meanings expressed by the different type of colours.For example, deep and dark colors are associated with wealth.Nuetral and the basic colors are most appropriate for business attire. In the Bank of America most senior managers dress in Dark colored suits which is a symbol of authority, the dark colors also symbolize power. Blue is a color that conveys dignity. Green has been labeled as a very inappropriate color for a male suit; this is because it is a common color for many hotel uniforms has cannot live up to the status demanded by the professional world. Gray is a common color that represents success and trustworthiness. The female employees have realized that the black color is an important and is able to complement many of their professional dresses. They therefore need to choose their clothes carefully based on solid colors that can easily blend with as many colors as possible. Female employees can always soften the basic colors for their professional dresses like brown and black by adding jewel tones, these usually demonstrates their confidence and energy, which is much needed by customers they serve in the professional environment of Bank of America. The corporate and professional standards must be respected during the selection of the Professional dresses; the color of these dresses is a key factor to making a good a selection. The type of fabric is also a factor in the selection process simply because it is symbolic (For example the natural fibers like linen, wool, cotton and silk are a symbol of status. The most preferred type of fabric for both male and female employees in the Bank include 100% pure wool. It is the most appropriate fabric for the professional dresses, followed by cotton. The likes of suede, leather, velvet and satin are fabrics that are inappropriate for professional dresses. There have been different interpretations for the meaning of professional dressing in America (different states have their interpretations, for example the Texas and some Western states believe that a business man can wear polished cowboy boots and their business suits and remain professional).Florida and California has a more casual dre ssing standard compared to New York. There are States that have remained very conservative with their dressing style (meaning they tend to dress professionally more often than not) these states include D.C, Atlanta, Boston, and Chicago).It is common knowledge that professional dressing has its important significance, in the sense that it builds confidence of the employees and also helps to build a professional environment within the Bank environment which is a plus to the image of the Bank of America. It necessary that the customers or the Bank clients constantly feel that they are dealing with professionals who will at all tomes give them professional advice to help them protect the investments and also give them sound financial advice. It is interesting that professional dressing helps to build this environment. A good professional image for the male employees within the bank is to ensure that they wear good quality suits that are solid and have dark colors. These suits should be complimented with good quality ties. They need to maintain a conservative way of dressing, simply because Bank of America as explained in this introduction is an international bank and has clients all over the world and therefore employees within the American Branch have a high potential of serving customers from all over the world and must remain professional if they are to handle such customers who constantly need assurance that the bank is professional and has safely kept their deposits. Casual dressing at work The major possible causes of the emerging trend of the casual dressing trend in the financial sector with specific interest in the Bank of America include; the need to return to a state of elegance as a new approach of expressing professionalism and slow but progressive change from the formal dress code. This paper will therefore will address the history or origin of the casual dressing and its possible consequences within the Bank of America. Some of the casual dressing trends also adopted by other banking institutions or businesses include the casual Fridays and the dress-down days. 3. LITERATURE REVIEWBackground/history This section of the paper will focus on the corporate history of the bank in an attempt to trace the reasons for the Banks dress code policy in relation to the type of customers or clients that they serve. It must be noted that the term ‘getting casual at work does not specifically refer to the dressing code but can be broadly discussed in the context of the employee behavior within the bank; this behavior could also be referred to as being informal be it in the hierarchal level or towards the delivery of services to customers. The Bank of America does not really have an extremely strict type of dress code but insists on smart business casual or any other dressing style that excludes jeans-shirts or in appropriate dressing, suits are not very common within the Bank(this is with reference to the junior employees who are not part of the management team). There are different types of casual dressing which include: Smart casual, Business Casual and sports wear. The most commonly used casual dressing style is the business casual followed by the smart casual. Definition of the casual wears Smart casual: This type of dress code is loosely defined and is very distinct compared to the business casual. The only challenge is that its definition is not very precise and many confuse the term smart casual with the term business casual, this definition of smart casual contains dress trousers even though other definitions include jean trousers. It also includes long sleeve dress shirt, loafers, tie (is optional), a belt, a sport coat. For female employees this could mean a skirt (either long or short), a fashionable belt, a jacket, a sweater that complements the dress that the employee has worn. The women are free to wear jewelry that compliments there type of dressing. It must be noted that this type of dressing is mostly appropriate in academic circles that majorly involves events where the said expert or professional speaks in front of an audience during lectures. Business casual This is a dress code that emerged in many white collar jobs in a number of western countries; this trend emerged in the early 1970 when there was the energy crisis. During this period the government had decided to raise the thermostat setting which then led to many managers authorizing their employees to do way with ties and jackets. The popularity of the business casual had surpassed the business formal attire wear. There are different definitions with regard to the business casual wear, meaning there is no generally accepted definition for this kind of wear, every organization defines this type of wear according to their interpretation which is majorly structured to suit the objectives or the interest of the organization. A definition given by the New York Times cites job search engine Monster.com states that a business casual wear means dressing professionally and looking neat while at the same time remaining pulled together. Business casual for female employees comprises of a ski rt of reasonable length or even full length pants of non jeans material. This can be complimented with a top. The business casual wear for men is considered as a combination of a collard shirt, belt and shoes (e.g. loafers) with socks. The neck ties and cufflinks are generally not recommended for business casual wear. A brief corporate history of the Bank of America Amadeo Giannini founded the Bank of Italy in the year 1904 in San Francisco. The main function of this bank was to cater to immigrants. Amadeo was brought up by the Fava family; this happened after his lost his father, who was shot trying to collect a debt. Opportunity knocked at Amedeos door step when the San Francisco earthquake struck in the year 1906.He was able to rescue all his funds from the banks building which was ruined. He then used the rescued funds to loan out to individuals who were willing to rebuild. He got his fortunes in the later year after all his debtors paid up their loans. He used his money to start the bank of America and Italy in the year 1922 (this was in Italy where he had bought Banca dellItalia Meridionale which had been established in the year 1918).In the year 1927 Amadeo consolidated his Bank of Italy which already had 101 branches with the Liberty bank of America which had 175 branches. This resulted into the Bank of Italy National TrustSavings Association which had a capital of $30,000,000 and had resources worth $115,000,000.It was later in 1928 that he merged with Bank of America Los Angeles, he later renamed his Bank of Italy to Bank of America in the year 1930.The Merger was completed in the year 19 29 and resulted into BANK OF AMERICA. The role played by the Clothing There is great importance pegged to the dressing style in the corporate world and this includes the Bank of America. It is common for executives within the bank to be associated with Business suits which usually symbolize the executive status. This simply means that the dressing styles acts as a code of differentiating the employees within the bank. In cases where the corporate body has a corporate uniform, there is increased ease of employee identification by the customers (this greatly helps to promote the corporate image).Since there is never a second chance to make a lasting impression to the customers, it is important for the employees to realize that the appropriate clothing for a given role within the bank can help improve the image of that employee within that role or even potentially help the employee win other roles within the bank. There is an interesting fact about clothing and the role it plays in placing individuals within a given social order. It is undeniable that there are different social orders that exist within the Bank of America, and these social orders are characterized by the dressing styles that are adopted by the employees (this usually happens whether they are aware or not).It is advisable for the employees to identify the type of role that they want to play and then dress the part. Status is another role played by the type of clothing chosen by a bank employee. A museum specialist called Barbara Dickstein argued that clothing was the major thing that represented an individual as opposed to the jewelry they might own. Wallach also stated in the year 1991 that clothing was a way of stating the status, the role of an individual in life and his social position.Role of clothing (examples). Blue velvet represented or symbolized the French nobilities (this was in the seventeenth century).The European court officials in the past wore clothes that were royal blue and purple in color. In Germany, clothing that were red in color were only designated to the members of the upper class. The ‘casual revolution begun in the year 1990, it was noted that during this period many employees including the company Managers were slowly adopting this emerging trend of casual wear. Apart from bank of America the trend was largely noticeable in downtown financial districts, businesses and corporate rooms in America. The characteristic of the trend is that employees would be casually dressed but look very presentable at the same time. As mentioned in the introduction there are different types of casual wear, the most common being the business wear (It is a very interesting dressing style in the sense that it allows the employee to feel comfortable while at the same maintaining his or h er professional image (examples include cotton shins,sweaters,and khaki pants. Care must be taken during the selection of the casual wear, simply because some of them are in appropriate for an office environment. Many employees have ignored the fact that casual does not imply that one should dress in a sloppy manner, examples of inappropriate casual wear include sleeveless shirts, tank tops and sports wear. It is appropriate for the female employees to avoid clothes that are revealing as these fall under inappropriate dressing. The main reason given by many accounting firms like Delloite and Touche and KPMG is that the casual wears affect the professional image of these professional companies that are always expected by their clients to maintain a corporate and professional image. John Molloy who authored the book ‘Dress for Success mentioned in his book that ‘Rulers of the Corporate and Political America wear suits-always have and always will, There are some large American companies that have also embraced the concept of casual dressing, examples of these companies include General motors and the Ford (they have come up with casual dress policies that cover the entire week as shown by Rothenberg, 1995.Another notable example is the Chrysler car company, where the employees at the headquarters are to dress as they please, twice in a week, there is a possibility of this trend completely taking over the dressing policy of the company. The customer expectation is an indispensable factor when it comes to choosing the most appropriate type of dressing. The management team of the Bank of America strongly believes that the dress code could affect the perception of the customers towards the company e.g. inappropriate or unprofessional dressing badly dents the professional image of the company. The Human Resource Manager of Price Water House Coopers (Pat Cooper believes that â€Å"Appropriate dress reflects good judgment and clients feel someone who has good judgment will give good advise† (walker, 1993).There is need for clear dress policy within the bank to assist with the definition of the casual wear that is acceptable to the customers and the bank ultimately. The different origins of casual dressing The current trend of casual wear within the Bank cannot be traced to one particular origin but can be attributed to the egalitarian movement in the business and industrial environment in the early 1980.This also brought with it the idea of empowerment and teamwork which aimed at reducing the distinctions that resulted from class. The dress codes are greatly influenced by the customer and employee demands. The bank only recommends very casual dressing for those events that are considered charitable. Consequences of Casual wear Positive consequences This section of the paper will explore the different aspects of casual wear with respect to their impact on employee behavior towards customers and even the Bank management team. It can be argued that appropriate casual dressing brings with it positive consequences. These positive consequences benefit both the employer and the employee. If the management team of Bank of America would dress more casually then they would be more comfortable and therefore look approachable to the other employees and this could in a great way boost interaction with the management team which could result into sharing of ideas that would otherwise not be shared.There is a growing popular realization that companies can immensely gain from more comfortable and flexible employees, it is an interesting fact that casual wear usually creates a more relaxed environment thus making the employees to have sense of freedom. If this kind of environment was enhanced through positive control, then the productivity level of employees within the Bank of America can be improved greatly. The casual ware also has its secondary impact in the clothing industry. The emerging trend of casual wear has led to an increased sales volume for many casual wear clothing firms; hence they have experienced positive growth in terms of profit margins. The fashion firms have also engaged in extensive campaigns to encourage the firms to adopt the casual wear for their employees. Departmental stores like Jacobsons have realized that they can promote the trend and in turn boost their sales volume in the long run. They have opted to taking the campaign to the door steps of these financial institutions or Banking corporations by giving them free seminars on the type of casual dressing that can be adopted. Negative impacts of casual dressing It is undeniable that the business casual wear and many other types of casual wear which were popular in the early 1990 have sent shock industry across the financial institutions that had adopted them. The focus of this paper will be on the negative impacts of this casual on the Bank of America. The discussion will therefore capture both aspects of the term of ‘getting casual at work. The aspects in this case will refer to the business casual dresses used by the employees and the casual attitude adopted by the employees towards discharging their duties. The current statistics show that this formerly popular trend is on the decline after the Bank realized that this particular type of dressing was projecting an image that was perceived by the Bank customers as unprofessional therefore eroding the confidence of the customers in the bank. The issue that alarmed the Bank is the statistics that showed that employees who dressed more casually at work tended to be more casual at the place of work in the sense that they discharged their duties more casually. This meant serious implications for the Bank. The casual attire was the largest contributor to the damaging of the corporate image, it also led to casual interaction among the employees for example it encouraged slacking off in the work productivity. The employees tended to joke more frequently, engage in non productive discussions through comments that encouraged flirtatious behavior thus creating an environment that could encourage sexual harassment within the work place. This directly meant that the bank could potentially lose skilled employees through court cases and court penalties. It also posed the risk of dragging the Banks image into these court cases (this could dent the banks image).It also led to the loss of manpower hours. Evidence from a survey conducted by a law firm further supports this fact. There survey which was conducted in 1,000 companies revealed that 50% of these companies had noticed an increase in absenteeism and tardiness after implementing a casual dress policy.30% of these companies also realized that flirtatious behavior had risen. Another challenge that faced the casual dress was the fact that there was no clear definition of what casual business attire should entail. Many employees interpreted the casual wear as what they usually put on at home (some even walked around in the office without shoes. This had the potential of making the work environment not conducive. Molloys research showed that women who were trying to get ahead in the corporate world found it increasing challenging to be taken seriously when they were casually dressed. The business casual wear in the bank sent a strong subtextual message to the customers who interpreted the message to mean that the Bank employees were going to handle their financial needs including their hard earned moneys in a very casual manner. This signal sent to the customers was not the message the Bank would at any one point wish to send to its clients and customers, hence casual wear sends a contrary message to what the bank wishes to send to its clients and customers. A critical review of the casual dressing policy reveals that the policy has more disadvantages than the advantages the Bank would want to achieve at the end of the day. Hence the Bank has become very skeptical of the proposed advantages the business casual wear would bring to the Bank environment. The bank bases its argument on the far reaching effects the casual wear would have on its customers who are the Banks number one priority. 4. METHODS OF ANALYSIS The following techniques were used in the analysis of data and information that was collected in this research paper: Case study, this involved conducting inquiries in order to investigate the phenomenon of ‘getting casual at work within its real life context, this was done on purpose because the boundary between the phenomenon and the context was not very evident. It involved the extensive use of qualitative data that was drawn from interviews and observations. It therefore was used to draw a clear understanding of the concept of getting casual at work. It involved the examination of surveys that were conducted in companies that had the casual wear policies and its main focus was on the Bank of America. The second technique used was the Experimental Design, which is an investigative technique that provided maximum control. It enabled the relationship between the casual attitude and dressing at the work place and its possible impacts to the Bank of America in terms of employee productivity and customer relation, to be isolated and then measure accurately in a carefully controlled experimental environment (where there is the experiment and the control) Methods of collecting Data The type of data that was collected in this case was qualitative data which was structured; this kind of data was produced through closed questions. This involved the use of questionnaires, which made the process of data analysis easier and more efficient. The questionnaires were administered to the employees, customers, and even managers of the Bank of America. It important to note that the questionnaires can only allow the prescribe questions and restricted responses. The design of the questionnaire was largely influenced by the type of data analysis. Interviews were also used to collect the data, in this particular case the structured interview approach was used to get information directly from the bank employees, customers and managers. Results of Analysis These will presented through the use of charts and graphical tables 5. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS This paper has demonstrated that ‘getting casual at work poses a potential threat to the image of the Bank of America and can therefore the casual wear can not be adopted as a possible dress code for the bank, this is largely due to the fact that the disadvantages the casual wear holds outweighs the advantages of this concept of ‘getting casual at work. It is important for the bank employees to maintain a professional image by maintaining or putting on professionally recognized dresses. The female employee can dress in the upper class type of business wear that are mostly of natural fibers and respect cultural standards. 6. REFERENCES Button, G. (1995, November 6). No bathrobes, please. FORBES, 130. Davies, R. (1992, September). Managing by listening. Nations Business, 6. Himelstein, L. (1996, April 1). Levis vs. the dress code Business Week, 57. Rothenberg, A. (1995, June). What to wear? Wards Auto World, 32-33.

Description of the at-risk student Essay examples -- essays papers

Description of the at-risk student Across the United States, there are certain factors that predict a student’s likelihood of becoming at-risk for failure. Benard says that, â€Å"Social science research has defined poverty, a social problem, as the factor most likely to put a person at-risk for ... school failure†(1997). Since there were 12.1 million children living in poverty in the United States in 2002, according to the census, the at-risk rates for students is just as high. Poverty is not the only risk factor, however. Children raised by a single parent are twice as likely to drop out as those raised by two parents. Also, black and Hispanic children, children with poorly educated mothers, students with poor health and nutrition, and students in a poorly funded school are more likely to drop out of school (Natriello 2002). Although some of these factors are interrelated, they increase the number of at risk students in the United States. Along with these environmental risk factors for failure a re situational factors. Students who have to change schools frequently have higher failure rates than those who stay in one school (Natriello 2002). Students with a poor academic history and those students with history of poor behavior have lower risk of graduation, along with students who teachers perceive as uninterested and poorly motivated (U.S. Dept. of Ed. 1994). The risk factors for failure in school are all closely related, and all contribute to the 35-40% of students in the United States who are at-risk (Natriello 2002). Students at risk are often difficult for teachers to deal with, so over time educators have developed different strategies for teaching these students. Management of at-risk students in the past ... ...students/atrisk/at400.htm Newspaper Articles (no author) (June 17, 2003). â€Å"Officials to Assist Students at Risk of Failing High School.† The Cambridge Reporter. Retrieved on November 3, 2003 from Lexis-Nexis Database. Schacter, Ronald (2003, October). Growing Minority Leadership.www.techlearning.com. Retrieved October 5, 2003 from Lexis-Nexis. Stuart, Bob (June 7, 2003). â€Å"Virginia Governor Targets Students at Risk for Failing†. The News Virginian. Retrieved on November 3, 2003 from Lexis-Nexis Database. Natriello, Gary (2002). Students at Risk. In D.L. Levinson, P.W. Cookson, Jr., A.R. Sadovnik (Eds.), Education and Sociology: An Encyclopedia. New York: Routledge Falmer National Center for Educational Statistics. Retrieved on November 15, 2003 from nces.ed.gov. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on November 15, 2003 from www.census.gov

Friends or Lovers :: Love Letters Dating Email Relationships

Dear Chase, I'm not quite sure where to begin; I know this past week has been a mess, both our faults, I'm not just directing it towards you. I have had ten million things running through my mind the past few days, and I am going to try and get a few of them out right now. For one, I do cherish your friendship, like I said in one of my messages, you and I have shared things and conversations about our lives, our families that I would never with anyone else. The main reason for that is because I trust you, and you listen to me, as I do to you. I can say that I have had some of the most wonderful times with you that I have ever had in my entire life. I had told you before that when you talk I hold onto every word that comes out of your mouth and it's like they are engraved in the back of my mind forever. I don't know why you have that affect on me; maybe it's the fact that we have become such good friends. To be quite honest with you, I don't trust people very easily as you very well know, and I could probably say the same for you. I think that is why I did let that wall down and let you into my life and my heart, because I felt safe. Let me ask you, why do I feel like building it back up? Let me explain what I want in my life. I want someone to share my laughter and my fears, someone to listen and be there when I feel like the world is crashing down on me. I want to give that same courtesy back to them in return. I don't want someone standing at my door waiting for me to get home, or around constantly, because that drives me absolutely crazy. I do think that since you and I have spent so much time together that I have become a little dependant on you, and wanting to talk to you. That doesn't necessarily mean seeing you every day, or a three-hour phone call, but just the reassurance to know that you are in fact still there. Is that too much for you? It sometimes feels like you only call when you know I am upset because you haven't called. You hardly ever call just because you want to.

“Animal Farm”: Compare and Contrast Essay

Napoleon and Snowball, from the book Animal Farm by George Orwell, share many similar and different character traits when compared together. While Napoleon maybe cheating at cards, Snowball is hard at work developing a plan for a windmill to minimize animal work. Snowball could be talking away with his many speeches while Napoleon is trying his very best at training the puppy dogs to the rank of guard dog. Snowball and Napoleon, having their own similarities and differences, both seem to fight an endless war of being the best. Napoleon and Snowball share their characteristics in many ways including intelligence, how convincing both pigs are, and leadership traits. First, Napoleon and Snowball both have similar intelligence traits. For example, both Napoleon and Snowball could read and write perfectly. Snowball had written all the windmill plans with careful thinking and use of time. Napoleon, however, had used his knowledge to write a fake letter said to be written by Snowball to have agreed to be a secret agent to the Foxwood Farm. Napoleon knew that the other animals could not read very well and so by making his letter, no one could prove the letter was false except for the pigs that knew very well what Napoleon did. In addition, both Napoleon and Snowball were the most active in the speeches and the planning. Both pigs wanted to establish a social and economic system and be the leader of the farm. Furthermore, both pigs were smart to confuse the animals the animals in order to get their way. They used the same excuse of † Do you want Jones and his men to come back?!?† The animals, however, were too stupid to think for themselves, thus letting the two pigs get what they wanted. Second, the two animals were very convincing to the other animals. To illustrate, Snowball said that if a windmill was built, electricity could be used. There would be heat and hot and cold water. Work would also be cut down to three days per week. This, obviously a great deal, convinced the animals very easily that they wanted a windmill. Also, Napoleon convinced the animals very easily when he blamed all the farms troubles on Snowball. Napoleon said Snowball was a traitor and was working for Foxwood farms.  Napoleon said he even had â€Å"proof† of secret documentations that Snowball was working for Foxwood. Moreover, both animals knew that convincing the animals would easy. The animals usually found themselves agreeing with the animal currently talking. Third, both Napoleon and Snowball had matching leadership traits. For instance, Snowball was in charge of educating the animals. All the animals got some kind of a degree although the hens and sheep only got to the letter A. † The reading and writing classes, however, were a great success. By autumn almost every animal on the farm was literate in some degree† pg. 49. Additionally, the two pigs fought for the leadership place. Snowball believed in animalism and tried to make all animals equal. Napoleon, however, didn’t want animalism. He wanted a dictatorship. Finally, both of the pigs were greedy in a way. It was Snowball who declared that all apples and milk was to be in with the mash of the pigs. Napoleon also ordered that the barley field for beer be reserved to the pigs only. On the other hand, Napoleon and Snowball both had differences too. The two characters from Animal Farm had differences in the way both characters wanted to rule, how Napoleon and Snowball worked, and how both characters enforced the â€Å"law†. First, the way Napoleon and Snowball wanted to rule was very different. For example, Napoleon wanted a dictatorship government where he could rule the entire farm for his own greedy self. Napoleon wanted to control the farm so that his needs were met but as for the other animals, Napoleon didn’t care for them. Napoleon had also abolished the song Beasts of England because it symbolized freedom and democracy (in this case animalism) and was the exact opposite of what Napoleon wanted. The song that replaced it, however, was a new song called Comrade Napoleon. In addition, Snowball was for Animalism, which was freedom and equally treated animals. Snowball was more into Old Major’s dream. Old Major was an old boar who had dreamed of a time where all animals would be free and treated equally. Snowball wished to achieve Old Major’s dream. Furthermore, Snowball ruled the farm by inspiring the other animals to do work. He made speeches convincing animals to do the work on the farm. Napoleon, however, did not make speeches or try to convince the animals a lot. Napoleon had a secret  Ã¢â‚¬Å"police† force consisting of seven fierce dogs. Napoleon had used these dogs to chase away Snowball from the farm and kill any animal that opposed his rule. Second, Napoleon and Snowball worked differently too. To illustrate, Napoleon was a rather lazy person. Napoleon had Squealer, another pig, to do all his speeches for him. Squealer worked to spread propaganda around the farm (pigeons were used to spread propaganda and news outside of farm territory) about deaths and how Snowball terrorized the farm. â€Å"Bravery is not enough'† said Squealer. â€Å"loyalty and obedience are more important. And as to the Battle of the Cowshed, I believe the time will come when we shall find that Snowball’s part in it was much exaggerated†¦Ã¢â‚¬  pg. 70. Napoleon took credit for every good idea and claims he thought of it first. Whenever something unfortunate happens, Napoleon always blamed Snowball. Also, Snowball planned much more than Napoleon. Snowball originally designed the windmill plans and made convincing speeches. Snowball never did blame anything that went wrong on some other animal unlike Napoleon. Moreover, both Napoleon and Snowball tried to disagree on each other’s ideas. Both of them wanted to be the top but only in a different way. Third, Both Napoleon and Snowball have differences on how they enforced the â€Å"law†. For instance, Snowball convinced animals to do work while Napoleon stopped all rations to any of the animals that opposed any order. Additionally, Napoleon had a secret â€Å"police† or dog force. All traitors got their necks ripped off by the dogs. Finally, Napoleon wanted to rule all but with Snowball, Napoleon could not achieve full power. So Napoleon chased Snowball away used the seven dogs and then went on to become leader. In conclusion, whether Snowball is working away on the windmill or Napoleon is killing animals that opposed him, the two characters compare and contrast very well. Both characters work very hard†¦ in different ways that is. And finally soon and late the day is coming, tyrant man shall be o’erthrown, and the fruitful fields of England shall be trod by beasts alone†¦