Senior Management Analysis of Macklenburg County

Introduction This is an analysis of a senior management work aimed at qualitatively and quantitatively evaluating staff members and their percentage productivity in relation to the case actions performed per month at Macklenburg County. It is meant to display a definite projection of the quality of services provided by the staff and perhaps assist in identifying the loopholes within the workforce.Advertising We will write a custom coursework sample on Senior Management Analysis of Macklenburg County specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is important to note that a comprehensive evaluation of the effectiveness of the available labor plays an integral part in ensuring that the productivity rate is at its standard percentage. Additionally, it ensures that all the relevant parameters are equated to the ultimate productivity of the organization (Rothwell, and Kazanas, 2003). It is, therefore, imperative that correct measures are taken to ensure that a workforce is effectively evaluated. The total Work First caseload for Macklenburg County The department has a total caseload of 34.8%. This amount is derived by summing all the percentage of caseload of the case actions performed per month. It is important to note that this percentage is below the standard productivity percentage expected of a competitive department. The number of staff members, working at 80% productivity, needed to effectively manage this caseload.  Considering the fact that the total Work First caseload is below the expected percentage, it imperative that the management increases the number of staff members so as to reconcile the current percentage with the recommended percentage. There are currently 11 employees in the department. This is an implication that the eleven employees contribute to the 34.8% productivity rate registered in the department. However, when the Work First caseload increases by 8% next year, the total percentage will then r ise to 42.8%. Therefore; If 42.8% productivity = 11 employees 80% productivity =?Advertising Looking for coursework on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More 80*11/42.8=20.6 This implies that the department needs 20.6 employees so as to meet the targeted 80% productivity rate. Since people cannot be counted in terms of decimals, it is right to assume that the total number of employees needed in the department is 21. The number of additional staff that should be requested to attain the benchmarked caseload and what the effect would be on the percentage of individual productivity.  From the calculation above, it can be noted that the total number of employees needed in the department is 21. If there were 11 employees before the evaluation was done, it therefore means that the additional number of employees needed is 10. The department, thus, needs 10 more employees in order to meet its intended 80% productivity r ate.  This information can be presented to the Work First Manager in several ways. However, the most effective and reliable means of presenting this analysis to the manager is through the company’s Browser Software (Rothwell, and Kazanas, 2003). This is because this is an automated system that is most reliable in presenting such information especially when the information will be needed on a later date. Conclusion The system has efficient data backup procedures that enable information to be stored for a relatively long time. In the event of any data loss, the management is able to retrieve the relevant information with no much struggle. I have no special concerns with either the time standards or the benchmarked caseloads. However, the time standard for termination is relatively high. The average time standard of over 0.50 hours may be a cause of alarm to not only the department but also the organization at large (Harnisch, 2008).Advertising We will write a custom cour sework sample on Senior Management Analysis of Macklenburg County specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More References Harnisch, O. (2008). Analysis of senior management training needs in international hotel companies – A field study. München: GRIN Verlag GmbH. Rothwell, W. J., Kazanas, H. C. (2003). Planning and managing human resources: Strategic planning for human resources management. Amherst, Mass: HRD Press. This coursework on Senior Management Analysis of Macklenburg County was written and submitted by user Camryn Campos to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

World War Two and the Decline of Europe essays

World War Two and the Decline of Europe essays Europe will never be like America. Europe is a product of history. America is a product of philosophy. Margaret Thatcher (1925 - ) In the year nineteen hundred, the center of world power inarguably resided in Europe. In fact, for many centuries, many European countries were the heads of vast empires, spanning the globe (and reaping her spoils)for, although spread to the ends of the earth, European nations held firm control of their colonial territories (and the wealth they acquired through them), and enjoyed an influence over the majority of the world's population. World War II changed all of that, and would go on to impact the future of the Western world. What took the nations of Europe centuries to acquire through war, conquest, and treaty, proved to topple exponentially faster than its rise, and the close of the Second World War heralded the end of, not only "the age of empires," but of the age of European supremacy in the world. In fact, by the end of 1990, just forty-five years later, Europe would be virtually unrecognizable from its former self. Physically, the Second World War had a staggering effect on the infrastructure of countless cities. From bombed out buildings, to mined fields, to decimated bridges, roads and vital systems, Europe had to Socially, the toll of untold human suffering weighed down an entire generation with its painfor, unlike the vast number of American war dead, the majority of those killed in Europe were civilianmillions of men, women, and childrenlost to the horrors of the holocaust, horrific bombing Economically, the impact of the War on Europe was immense. Before the War, Europe was one of the richest continents on the earth. Aft ...

Variable pay scheme Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Variable pay scheme - Essay Example Mostly variable pay are given to specific individual or group only while the whole production and processing process involved different level of an organization. This may cause demotivation leading to negative performance. In order to ensure variable pay involves all levels of organization, overseers who are tasked with the assessing of performance should be trained on performance evaluation for the whole organization levels (Peck, 2007). Factors like salaries of different professionals in an organization should be considered before Variable pay is given. Different professionals in a company are paid salaries that vary from those of another profession. Professionals who are paid a lot of salary compared to their counter parts cannot be motivated or demotivated. This is because their value of salary is much more than their partners even when variable pay is added to them. Therefore in a company when comparing two professions e.g. the system engineers and sales person, there is little or no impact when one profession is rewarded because they are different (Hynes, 2002). The role of variable pay in organizations is to promote friendly completion among the workers. Competition in an organization will lead to good performance which will determine the employees variable pay. A steady competition will exist in an organization when employees are well motivated and have friendly environment. However, in some cases variable pay may lead to fierce competition which will cause tension and disrupt working relationship among colleagues. This mainly occurs when employees disclose their variable pay to colleagues. Organization can prevent fierce competition by enforcing strict policies that prohibits discussion of variable pay (Peck, 2007). The role of variable pay is ton enhance good performance in organization. Variable cost is a way of motivating workers to increase their

PROFESSIONAL ETHICS Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

PROFESSIONAL ETHICS - Research Paper Example A person would always be influenced, directly or indirectly, by a system of thought that may is usually universally acceptable. How then did whistle-blowing come about, and how does it affect ethical and moral systems per se? Whistle-blowing is an act wherein a person, normally the employee, is exposed to some grave wrong, illegal work, or unacceptable practice within a company, workplace, or among professionals. Due to the wrong committed, the employee publicly announces the wrong done, thinking of it as the only remaining effective way of helping put a stop to such practice, after all the other means prove to be a failure. In such situation, the person committing the act of exposing the company, or the employee/s thereof, is referred to as whistle-blower/s. As emphasized by McConnell, whistle-blowers expose a past or present wrongdoing that is committed by a company, an organization, or even by a group of medical experts (575). The act of whistle-blowing may be triggered by various reasons, depending on the circumstances of each case, but it all has the same purpose, which is to point an accusatory finger against an organization or company (572) for committing a wrong so grave, that it has to be publicized to the world. As to what degree a wrong done may be considered as worthy of whistle-blowing, that is for the whistle-blowers’ own prerogative. However, despite the fact that it is somehow subjective on the part of the whistle-blower to decide as to whether something is worth exposing, it can be said that the judgment arrived at by the whistle-blower is highly swayed by an ethical system or moral belief that he or she lives by. Benefits A person is generally a moral being. Whatever wrong or evil act a person does is most probably a deviation from the universal precept of what is considered as morally and ethically acceptable for humans. For example, it is morally wrong to kill. Law, jurisprudence, cultural norms, even religion (at least for the theist s), support this general rule. This is a universal moral law that most people would live by. In relation to a whistle-blower’s position, he or she publicly reveals a wrong done by a company or organization, not just because the wrong being done is contrary to acceptable practice within the industry or company mission, or criminal in nature, but more so, because the wrong committed is clearly an inexcusable violation of morally accepted principles. Aside from that, the wicked acts or practices employed produce either mass destruction or negative effects on the affected patients or clients. In this situation, it is irrelevant then if the act or practice is presently being committed or not, what is important is that a grave moral wrong exists that will harm people, whether it concerns a small or huge percentage of the population. Whistle-blowing does not only affect the parties involved, but it has a permanent and long lasting effect on society as well. For instance, whistle-blo wing serves as a reminder to companies and organizations that they cannot always get away with such things. Companies and organizations are always highly encouraged and expected to not just act within the confines of what is considered as acceptable within company regulations and governmental laws, but to act with reverence and respect of universal moral decrees and norms. Also, whistle-blowing incite companies and org

The Relevance of the Capital Asset Pricing Model to a Company Seeking Essay

The Relevance of the Capital Asset Pricing Model to a Company Seeking to Evaluate its Cost of Capital - Essay Example The Capital Asset Pricing Model was devised by William Sharpe to calculate as well as explain â€Å"†¦the expected rate of return on an asset †¦ (that) †¦can be written as the risk-free rate of interest plus the asset’s normalized covariance with the market times the difference between markets expected the rate of return and the risk-free rate† (Milne, 1995, pp. 5-6). Under financial theory CAPM is a model that shows assets returns concerning principle in conjunction with econometric models (Milne, 1995, pp. 5-6), and is represented by the following formula (Burton, 1998, pp. 21-22): CAPM is calculated using the beta as it provides a measurement of a stock's volatility in terms of its movement comparison with the overall stock market (Burton, 1998, pp. 21-22). The above means that when a company’s share price moves in tandem with the market, with the beta of a stock is represented by 1 and a 15% movement indicated as 1.5 (Burton, 1998, pp. 21-22). Foster (1986, p. 337) provides a summary of the two assumptions present in the Capital Asset Pricing Model as represented by â€Å"1. Two statistics, the mean and variance, are sufficient to describe investor preferences over the distribution of future returns on a portfolio. 2. Investors prefer higher expected returns to lower expected returns for a given level of portfolio variance, and prefer lower variance to higher variance of portfolio returns for a given level of expected returns". Corporate finance managers utilize CAPM to determine the estimated discount rate that is connected to a project under consideration (Ferran, 1999, p. 12). In conjunction with the foregoing, CAPM is used as a means to measure the systematic risk present in equity investment projects (Megginson, 1997, Pp. 107-123).  

Research into motivations for mountain biking tourism

Research into motivations for mountain biking tourism The two types of survey taken into consideration were a mail survey and an e-survey. The former is reported to be the most effective method of surveying a membership organisation (Veal 1997). This delivery method was not undertaken though, due to the cost of printing 360 questionnaires and the accompanying letters, as well as purchase of envelopes and stamps. These expenses would increase substantially if reminders were to be sent. Therefore, it was decided that an e-survey would be employed. The advantages of an e-questionnaire included low cost of conducting the survey and the possibility of instant analysis of the collected data (Veal 1997). An additional benefit was the possibility of designing a visually attractive questionnaire. Furthermore, online surveys were selected as they are eco-friendly, owing to the non-use of paper (Survey Monkey 2007), an approach reflecting the basic principles of the Forestry Commission, the administrator of the locations which are a focus of this study. An e-survey is also more advantageous for the respondents as they are allowed to take their time to answer the questions. At the same time, completing a survey online is quicker in comparison with filling out a postal survey (Survey Monkey 2007). The biggest disadvantage can be the general perception of some e-surveys as part of the increasing volume of ‘junk e-mail’, which might play a role in response rates (Veal 1997). The spam and personal data protection concerns were addressed by selecting a legitimate and reputable organisation (IMBA U.K.) to distribute the e-questionnaire. Another disadvantage of a web-based survey, just like a postal one, is its limited administration, which can negatively affect the response rate (Survey Monkey 2007). Further drawbacks of using a web-based survey include technical faults and multiple submissions by the same respondent. Although it was impossible to prevent the former issue, the latter was solved by the use of a tool allowing only one response per computer. 2.3. Survey instrument A two-page, self-administered fully electronic questionnaire was designed using an online survey tool surveymonkey.com. The questionnaire design process offered by Veal (1997) was adopted in the present work. Firstly, literature review was conducted to identify conceptual problems and research questions. Secondly, a list of information required to address the issues as created. Thirdly, questionnaire was selected as a method which would meet the information requirements. The questionnaires used by Green (2003) in a survey on IMBA U.S. members, as well as a study by Cessford (1995) on New Zealand mountain bikers served as a blueprint in the questionnaire design process. The factors examined in the questionnaire can be divided into five groups corresponding to the research objectives: 1. mountain bikers general characteristics (type of mountain biking participated in, level of advancement, frequency of participation); 2. mountain bikers’ demographic and socio-economic characteristics (age, gender, household size, education, occupation and income); 3. the Forestry Commission locations used by mountain bikers (identification of the most popular mountain biking centres in Great Britain); 4. travel patterns of mountain bikers and trip-related factors in decision making (importance of promotional channels and of various destination features in destination choice, spend, means of transport and accommodation used, use of tour operators); 5. the importance of adventure components in mountain biking and the motivations of mountain bikers. The e-questionnaire consisted of 21 questions, 15 of which concerned the respondent’s mountain biking experience, while the remaining 6 their demographics (see Appendix 4). The demographics section was presented on the second page, as inserting all 21 questions on a lengthy single page might discourage respondents from completing the survey. 19 questions were closed, while only 2 open-ended. It was decided that pre-coded questions are a more reasonable option since the questionnaire was respondent-completed and, as reported by Veal (1997), open-ended questions are too time consuming, which can negatively affect response rate. As regards question techniques, 2 kinds of rating scales were employed, namely Likert scale with simple YES/ NO answers, as well as semantic differentials indicating the degree of importance of a particular feature using 5-point scale (1 – not important, 2 – quite important, 3 – important, 4 – very important, 5 – extreme ly important). These two scales were not only easy to construct and administer, but also respondent friendly. Several questions were checklist or multiple choice type, and only 2 were open-ended, though they did not require descriptive answers. The ordering format was based on Veal (1997), who suggested sequencing questions in the following order: easy, relevant and personal. The questions were kept compact and simplified wherever possible, and clarity of layout was assured by using the online survey tool. Introductory remarks specifying the purpose of the survey were included on top of the questionnaire, while confidentiality and anonymity were ensured in remarks preceding the demographic section of the questionnaire. In addition, a thank you page was created at the end of the questionnaire. These measures, coupled with the survey participation request posted on IMBA U.K. forum in advance, were employed to maximise response rate. In order to ensure validity of the questionnaire-based data, ‘dummy’ categories were included. In question 4, listing the Forestry Commission managed mountain biking centres, 3 non-existent locations were added – Mammoth (ENG), Gutter Valley (SCO) and Badger Trail (WAL). In question 8, the same feature was repeated twice under different wording (‘Strong mtb community/ culture’ and ‘Strong mountain biking community/ culture’). This approach is suggested by Veal (1997) as a tool of measuring the degree of error in r esponses. In the pre-testing stage of the questionnaire design, a 21-question draft was e-mailed to 10 members of IMBA UK forum who had earlier declared that they would be interested in completing it. The purpose of the pre-test was to determine whether the instructions and questions were interpreted in a manner which had been intended (Finn et al. 2000). Specifically, wording, sequencing and layout of the questionnaire were to be tested (Veal 1997). Most of those who replied described it as â€Å"easy to complete and not time consuming†. Nevertheless, problems in two questions were indicated. Firstly, extending the list of Scottish mountain biking sites in question 4 was suggested. Upon reviewing the Internet sources, a total of 8 sites were added to the list. Secondly, it was signalled that question 13 asking about an approximate spend per trip was not precise enough. This issue was addressed by specifying the areas of spending that the respondents should consider (travel, food, drink , accommodation).

Tiger Subspecies :: essays research papers

Tiger Subspecies   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I am here writing a report on the sub species of tigers. Many of these tigers will not survive in the next forty years due to the killing that us humans have caused. Tiger sub species have not been as important to us humans as whether or not the species Tiger Panthera tigris can survive either in the wild or in captivity for the next forty years. Nevertheless a great deal of information on the future of the tiger can be learned from a study of subspecies. Which is what my report will be based on.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is amazing to me that people want numbers of tigers. Process is the important aspect. If I say that the number of Sumatra tigers today is between 300 and 400, it doesn't tell one that the 1975 census was 1500. Therefore saying that the Bali tiger, theCaspian tiger, the Javan tiger, the Manchurian tiger, and the Southwest Chinese tiger are now extinct doesn't give you aportrait of the process of extinction. The Javan tiger became extinct in the 1970's in a set aside special national park under full protection.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Politicans and bureaucrats seem to be obsessed with numbers and not trends. Let me illustrate this with tigers. There are frequently requests as to the exact number of tigers, or a tiger subspecies left in the world. That tells you that there are people that care. But there are so little tigers left that we can not even keep track of them. We should look at the trend that the population is taking, rather than the number as a slice in time. Just as you might say of a young member of the Hunt family, that they were very wealthy. A hypothetical individual was 24 years old and had $1,000,000. What isn'tavailable in this one time analysis was that this Hunt inherited $24,000,000 at age 21, has no education nor ever worked. At age 22 Hunt had $9,000,000 and at 23 had $4,000,000. Now instead of saying Hunt was rich, we would say Hunt is in trouble. Tigers are a great deal like Hunt. The estimates of tigers are from the Carnivore Preservation Trust has arrived at their own estimates; they are highly educated guesses:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Bengal tigers probably number fewer than 1000 in India. In majority of that country it is hopelessly fragmented. It is, overall, actively poached. Fewer than 200 exist in Nepal and under 1000 exist in Myammar (Burma). Indochinese tigers are among 500 and 2000. CPT's guess is about 700 amidst heavy poaching. In the early sixties when the South China tiger had a population of Tiger Subspecies :: essays research papers Tiger Subspecies   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I am here writing a report on the sub species of tigers. Many of these tigers will not survive in the next forty years due to the killing that us humans have caused. Tiger sub species have not been as important to us humans as whether or not the species Tiger Panthera tigris can survive either in the wild or in captivity for the next forty years. Nevertheless a great deal of information on the future of the tiger can be learned from a study of subspecies. Which is what my report will be based on.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is amazing to me that people want numbers of tigers. Process is the important aspect. If I say that the number of Sumatra tigers today is between 300 and 400, it doesn't tell one that the 1975 census was 1500. Therefore saying that the Bali tiger, theCaspian tiger, the Javan tiger, the Manchurian tiger, and the Southwest Chinese tiger are now extinct doesn't give you aportrait of the process of extinction. The Javan tiger became extinct in the 1970's in a set aside special national park under full protection.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Politicans and bureaucrats seem to be obsessed with numbers and not trends. Let me illustrate this with tigers. There are frequently requests as to the exact number of tigers, or a tiger subspecies left in the world. That tells you that there are people that care. But there are so little tigers left that we can not even keep track of them. We should look at the trend that the population is taking, rather than the number as a slice in time. Just as you might say of a young member of the Hunt family, that they were very wealthy. A hypothetical individual was 24 years old and had $1,000,000. What isn'tavailable in this one time analysis was that this Hunt inherited $24,000,000 at age 21, has no education nor ever worked. At age 22 Hunt had $9,000,000 and at 23 had $4,000,000. Now instead of saying Hunt was rich, we would say Hunt is in trouble. Tigers are a great deal like Hunt. The estimates of tigers are from the Carnivore Preservation Trust has arrived at their own estimates; they are highly educated guesses:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Bengal tigers probably number fewer than 1000 in India. In majority of that country it is hopelessly fragmented. It is, overall, actively poached. Fewer than 200 exist in Nepal and under 1000 exist in Myammar (Burma). Indochinese tigers are among 500 and 2000. CPT's guess is about 700 amidst heavy poaching. In the early sixties when the South China tiger had a population of

Freedom Road Term Paper Essay

Howard Fast, the author of the book Freedom Road, was born on November 11, 1914 and died at the age of 89 on March 12, 2003. Fast lived a long and adventurous life. A few of the things he did throughout his lifetime were; joining the American Communist party in 1943, serving a prison term in 1950 for refusing to cooperate with the House Committee on Un-American Activities, and his books were purged from American school libraries. On the other hand some of the positive things that happened in his life was that in 1953, he was rewarded the Stalin Peace Prize and in June of 1937 he married his first wife, Bette Cohen. In adjunction with his adventurous lifestyle, Fast spent most of his time writing. He wrote seven works of nonfiction, two autobiographies, fifty-two novels, five short stories one essay, and seven Masao Masuto Mysteries under the Penn name E.V. Cunningham. As well as writing, he created two films based off novels. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Fast) In the book Freedom Road, Howard Fast tells a fictional story based off the true events that occurred during the Constitutional Convention. The beginning of the book does not start the way most books start. This novel starts by talking about the main character, Gideon, as if we are supposed to know who he is. At first, this is confusing but after a couple of pages, you catch on and start to understand a lot easier. The first thing we are told about in the book is how all of the freed men from the small town of Charleston, had left a few weeks back to go vote. However, neither the town nor the men who left knew what voting actually was. Not knowing what voting was, made everyone who stayed in town very nervous and worried, they were not sure whether or not those men would be coming home or not. Therefore, when they men were spotted walking back into town everyone was extremely excited and could not wait to hear all about this voting thing. However, it seemed that none of the men were really talking, until one of them tells the town that they have some big news to share with everyone. Thus far, into the book, we have yet to hear from the main character, and we have actually been reading from his wives point of view. Once the returning men started talking, the book transitions from the wives point of view to Gideon’s, and that is when things start to pick up. We learn that the men’s big news is the fact that Gideon was elected to be a delegate. Because of his prowess in battle, the other ex-slaves looked to him as their leader in peacetime, but he was an uneducated man who felt himself unsuited for leadership. Yet knowing that his people wanted and needed him, he was determined to make himself fit into the pattern their hopes had cut out for him. However, none of them truly knew what a delegate was or what exactly a delegate did. The only thing they really knew was the Gideon would be receiving a letter once all the votes were counted to tell him if he had won the election. Several months go past in the book and nothing happens, no one in the town hears anything about Gideon being elected. Then one day, the postal man comes around and hands Gideon the letter that he had been waiting for. At this point in the book, we find out how afraid he is to go to Charleston because he is a â€Å"nigger.† He feels as though he is not very smart. He does not want to go â€Å"to city full of white houses†¦ full of white folks making fun†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (p. 16-17). So in order to help him overcome that fear Brother Peter tells him the people need a leader and because of how strong Gideon is physically and mentally, he was chosen to represent them. Because of Brother Peter, Gideon decides to go to Charleston. When he arrives in Charles and he realizes that, he has no money and no place to sleep, so he ends up sleeping under a hay barrel for the first night. It is the next morning when Gideon is offered a couple of cents for some physical labor, he reluctantly accepts the job realizing that he has no other option but to. Because of that money he is able to rent a room for the nights he will be at the convention, buy some food, and clothes that will look appropriate for the convention. Moreover, this is when we start getting into the convention. For the first couple of days Gideon was determined not to speak at the convention, in fear of making a fool of himself in front of all the educated white folk. Yet one day he is outraged and just cannot help himself, he gets up and speaks. Nevertheless, he was still embarrassed that he could not find the right words for what he was saying and for the fact that he sounded very uneducated compared to some of the rest. However when he was given some books that taught him how to read and speak properly, he began to speak out more and voice his opinion. To his surprise he was heard, people started to listen to what he was saying, and even siding with him. Fast explains that the Constitutional Convention worked because, though neither black nor poor whites were overly fond of each other, both realized they had a common enemy in a planter group. With the help of Gideon’s voice, and many others they fought against the planter group. The fought for a system of public schools, the abolition of imprisonment for debt, a simple and fair divorce law, a statute making it impossible for a wife’s property to be sold in settlement of her husband’s debts, and a measure for universal suffrage – which, came as close as man had ever come to giving women a break and land. Even though he fought for all of these things, the most important ones for Gideon were fair and equal education, and lan d. Throughout his time at the convention lets his wife slip away from him and stands by while a white northerner helps Gideon’s oldest son, Jeff, through medical school in Scotland; there was no medical school in America free enough from prejudice to accept him. Gideon loses site at what he loves the most in his life, and lets them all slip away because freedom seems more important than family. Some of the themes of this book are love and understanding, vigilance and perseverance, and hope. The reason why I say that a theme is love and understanding is because in the beginning of the book we hear about how his wife has stayed by his side through thick and thin. She waited for him though the war that he willingly signed up to go fight for. She let him go vote because she realized that even though no one knew exactly what it was, it was something of importance to her husband. In addition, though she has just gotten her husband back and did not want him to leave again; she understoo d that this was something that he needed to do. She stood by his side, maybe not physically but mentally, throughout the entirety of the convention. Although this theme is not a main theme in the book, I think that it is a rather important one. The other theme I had mentioned was vigilance and perseverance. I believe these two themes are the main themes of the book, because everyone in this book is persevering in one way or another. Brother Peter insists that Gideon goes to the convention. Everyone at the convention is pushing for exactly what it is that they want written down, and his son is moving to a land unknown to him for an education that he cannot receive where he is. The last theme I had mentioned was hope. I believe that hope is the most predominant theme throughout the book, because every single person has hope. In the beginning, the town and the men who left were hoping that this voting thing was not going to get them killed. Gideon’s wife hoped that he would not leave her again, and when he did, she hoped that he would be okay and that she would get to see him again. The people of the convention all held on to the hope that what they say and what they want will be written down into a law. Then we have Gideon himself, he has hope that he will be able to read, write and give all freed slaves the right to an education. The theme of hope plays repeatedly throughout the story. All of the stories characters played a large role in the book, everyone influenced the book in one way or another, but a few of the characters that stood out to me are Brother Peter, Gideon, and Cardozo. The first character that really stands out to me is Brother Peter. I think the fact that he did not stand up and ask people to vote for him, as a delegate was a selfless act. All of the people in town look up to him and ask him for advice, they would have easily voted for him as they did Gideon, but brother Peter knew that Gideon would have more to learn from being a delegate than he would. Brother Peter also knew that Gideon would have more of a fight in him than he would. I th ink the reason why Brother Peter was so pushy about Gideon going to the convention was that he knew that Gideon would get things done. The other character that stands out to me is Gideon. Gideon starts in the beginning of the book being illiterate, but pushes though the struggle of learning how to read and write by himself. He also struggles with the fact that he is poor and does not measure up to some of the other people in the convention. Gideon fights for education and freedom so much that he lets go of everything that he truly loves. He lets his wife slip away and his son leaves. He forgets that he has people waiting for him back home. Even though I hate that he loses sight of the place he came from and his family, he over comes many struggles and fights to achieve his goals. The other character that stands out to me is Cardozo. Cardozo is the first person at the convention that comes up and talks to Gideon. I like the way Cardozo sees things differently, he is a black man that has been free all his life, got an education, socialized around white people his entire life. Therefore, when he first talks to Gideon he wants him to explain why black people should have en education. Once Gideon explains himself Cardozo understands, and helps Gideon as much as he can. He introduces him to all the right people, he supports him in the convention, and most of all he gave Gideon books that taught him how to read and write. He gave Gideon what he had come to fight for. I think it takes very kindhearted people to stand by someone who cannot even form the words to fight by themselves. Before I actually started reading this story, I thought it was going to be another extremely boring history book, however once I started I could not put it down. The way this story was written was fabulous. The way Fast incorporated Gideon’s thoughts, his writing and speaking was interesting. I loved that the real facts of what happened during that time was not just thrown in our faces, it was mixed into the fictional story that kept you interested. I think the way that we are lead through the past so effortlessly was a fascinating way to keep reader interested. I like the way Fast incorporated all the different kinds of people at the convention. In the story, the laws of freedom, education, and land would not have got through without the black folks and poor white folks being there. I think the way Fast portrayed Gideon, as a strong illiterate freedman was a great way to grab the reader’s attention and walk us through the past in a wonderful way. I think the only thing that Fast is really missing is more of Gideon speaking. Fast does an excellent narration of illiterate folks, but he does not do enough of it. Overall, this book was great, I will most likely be keeping it, and not reselling it so I can re-read it repeatedly.

Bad communication and father/son relationships Essay

â€Å"Exactly what kind of stupid shit have I gotten myself into this time?† I asked my father. â€Å"Don’t worry, it only gets worse †¦ er †¦ better I mean,† he replied. â€Å"Growing up I invariably figured the two of you knew inherently how to raise us, now I question my ability to survive even my pregnant wife’s wrath, much less an incessantly crying baby.† â€Å"Funny you feel that way. Your mother and I raised you despite our ignorance and oddly enough I feel no more qualified now than I did more than twenty years ago.† â€Å"Oh, thanks for that. You know what? I seriously doubt, based on your uplifting words here, that you truly are more qualified.† â€Å"I love you too son,† said my father. â€Å"Now instead of concerning yourself with the future, start thinking about the here and now and get in there with your wife. It’s a right of passage and I’ll be damned if you get to skip out on this one!† Immediately upon conclusion of my not so reassuring conversation with my father I somewhat less than bravely headed back to the room and my once lovely wife now overcome with fear, anger and most importantly rage at seemingly nothing but me. These memories of a day some seven years ago remain vivid in my mind. In fact, it’s amusing what a mind chooses to place into the vault and that which it seems to discard like some Sheik discards used Jaguars. Regardless of what anyone might profess, whatever literature, scripture, propaganda or media might say, childbirth is not, by any means, a beautiful miracle. It is simply a function of biology, and certainly one of nature’s most awful and gut-wrenching sights to behold. I’ve rarely even for a second understood the parents who weave these intricate tales of how they’ve never before witnessed a more perfect baby and how eager to hold and caress  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Johnny† they were the minute he breached the birth canal. Let me for a minute explain, for all of the delusional parents and more importantly for those who are easily manipulated by such tales, that childbirth is not remotely akin to the beauty of a bride on a wedding day, picturesque mountains covered with snow or a fantastic waterfall hidden deep in some jungle. It is certainly far more reminiscent of a triage base that exists in any â€Å"X-files† like movie where recently captured aliens are carved like the Christmas ham with a bit of grade B teenage horror movie screaming mixed in to accent the not so serene surroundings. When I first witnessed my son, Owen, born into this troubled world, I felt a magnificent burst of love that Christ himself could not have invoked. Seconds later however, when the surprisingly slow neurons had traveled from my all too eager optic nerve to what I like to refer to as myself, my brain, a mere millimeters away, that love remained, capped with something new, shock. Thoughts will race through one’s mind in this situation: â€Å"Funny, my head isn’t twice as tall as it is wide,† or â€Å"What exactly is that nurse doing stitching up my wife †¦ down there?† Luckily, for my own sanity these were intermingled like morse code within those of concern, fear, excitement and certainly, love. Suffice to say, the first day with my new child was not a picnic, a miracle, a wonderful package from god, the stork or any other freakish analogy that might be told to children and ignorant soon to be parents alike. It was however, the day that my life was drast ically altered and along with the sickness and utter horror witnessed that day, I gained something new, a pride never experienced before. One that seems to multiply exponentially every week like an algorithm gone awry. Most will tell you that children in their early years are an utter handful. Luckily for my wife and myself this was not the case with Owen. In fact, mere weeks after leaving the hospital we were sleeping nearly an entire night, something many families are devoid of for months if not years. Perhaps more importantly however than my now beautiful son’s penchant for nighttime silence was his daytime demeanor and willingness to learn, in his case siphon, as much knowledge as I could possibly bear to part with. Even before he had grasped a few meager words he was the proverbial hawk watching my every move and taking clues more often than not when least expected. Ever  vigilant to the fact that I was under constant surveillance, my at home demeanor abruptly changed from college student/dock-worker to nearly angelic overnight. With ourselves safely on track, my most daunting task was to prevent Owen’s grandfather from one of his favorite past-times: teaching Owen large words in a creepy manner. Imagine my shock upon picking up my son at his grandparents house only to gaze stunned at my boy eagerly rubbing his tiny hands together in an evil manner and repeating over and over â€Å"My plans are coming to fruition.† â€Å"Skip out on this one?† I said to my father. â€Å"If you know of any way I can achieve that at a point like this I’d love to know.† â€Å"I can think of one way,† Dad replied. â€Å"Close your eyes for a second. I swear to you, if you do, you’ll notice the next thing happening is your child on a bike and that you’ve missed a year, then two.† â€Å"Seriously, I knew you we’re getting a bit long in the tooth, but I never picked you for the nostalgic type. When exactly did you become the card carrying bleeding-heart kind?† Nodding his head playfully with an arrogant hint of understanding that I had yet to grasp he said, â€Å"That’s exactly what I’m talking about. Don’t, for anything, miss the years when they haven’t yet figured out how to smart-off.† Much to my dismay, my father was and is more correct than I could have ever imagined. Like a roulette wheel that races around barely fast enough to obscure the numbers, yet not so fast that you can’t with some small degree of difficulty make out what’s happening, my son was growing up at an alarming rate. His mother and myself, with all of our mistakes now resurrected and at the forefront of our minds, focused on molding our child to withhold the values that we maintained while having the courage to exercise his own individuality. Reminiscing back to the days when being a father terrified me, when instilling a sense of right and wrong in Owen, his mother and I at least attempted to teach him to hold himself with dignity and poise at all times; obeying the rules until they seem to conflict with  some other moral standing. Obviously this wasn’t explained to him in such a manner, but likely through years of examples, lessons at home and luckily at school. Due to the overwhelming maturity and good nature that my son had exhibited up until one fateful spring morning, my shock at that day hopefully is understandable. Owen for the last two years has been attending an esteemed private grade school; one that allows for hardly any deviation from their strict rules and expects as much from the families as the children, generally speaking. Certainly there are more than a few typical suburban gems that consist of a virtually ethereal father who passes in and out of his children’s lives between disgustingly profitable business trips only to spend the mandatory 15 minutes with a soccer-mom wife and unappreciated children before jutting off for the afternoon to an overpriced golf course with several other inconsiderate acquaintances. Thankfully for these families an underpaid nanny gives at least some attention to the children, between hangovers and homeopathy classes. While most often their mother prescribes to the theory that two double-skinny-mocha-lattes with nutmeg in an afternoon at the local gourmet food store with her bo-tox friends is the way to raise a child. Owen, sometimes much to his own disgust, is by no means a valued member of one of those families. He is however an important part of ours, one that we can rely upon for at least an insightful thought and usually a couple good laughs a day. Our tendency to be smitten with Owen is something shared by many who have the never-ending joy of his acquaintance. His school however, in accordance with the bureaucracy required by civilization, deems it necessary to establish a punishment doctrine related to something we’ve rarely experienced: bad behavior. This, put simply, is a system of colored cards ranging from yellow through red, with a few shades of orange that only a flamboyant interior designer would recognize, that are â€Å"pulled† in succession or in the extreme case of some dire transgression, the dreaded â€Å"red† card is pulled bypassing the usual stepped progression; a bad thing indeed. We prefer to, when Owen has the misfortune of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, liken a yellow card to DEFCON-5. While a red card, though inconceivable, would be  DEFCON-1, or full scale nuclear war (at least within the confines of our modest home). As much as I would like my son to be, at least unt il college, some aberration of goodness, he does stray mildly from the line some refer to as the â€Å"straight and narrow.† But, when these situations do arise, they are typically mild and take the form of forgotten homework or lack of attentiveness in class, never, before this spring, were they of the kind we like to attribute to the â€Å"problem† children. â€Å"I’ve pretty much figured that’s why you loved me so much, because of my rapier like wit and willingness to dissect even the most noble of your weakness’,† I said to my father. â€Å"In fact, I know that’s what draws me to you.† â€Å"I loved you so much because you’re Mother made me,† Dad replied. â€Å"I liked you because you never wrecked my car.† â€Å"Not that you know of I suppose,† winking as I said this. â€Å"It never did come to me though why you failed to ask obvious questions when issues did arise. Care to share any insight on this now?† â€Å"What? And ruin the fun for the two of you, I think not.† Then my father paused for a minute as if in some internal debate that could drastically effect the future of mankind. Oddly enough, a single piece of exactly that was at stake at this precise moment. â€Å"Sometimes,† my father continued; â€Å"the best questions are those left unasked. When I knew that you we’re dealing with any problems in an upstanding manner I felt that my work was accomplished years before. What good is a question then?† My wife called me at the office late in the afternoon minutes before I was leaving and began to share with me the details of Owen’s incident. While I was not by any means eager to hear the news, I begged her to wait at least another hour so that I could consider the full weight of his transgression  in peace. When I arrived home from work that evening Owen’s pre-trial detainment was in effect and he was found reading meekly in his room. Unaccustomed to this environment I immediately spat a barrage of questions toward my wife, only to hear in return some flabbergasting news. â€Å"Honey, Miss Finn called today about Owen’s behavior,† my wife began. â€Å"Apparently he received a red card and we might need to meet with the principal.† Shocked, I replied. â€Å"Not that I can’t possibly believe that my son would do any wrong, but, I’m sure he didn’t do it, whatever it is.† â€Å"I wish that we’re true, but I’ve asked him and he did admit to it, at least we have that much going for us.† â€Å"You’ve got to be kidding me,† I continued. â€Å"I’m sure he’s heard that before, but I can’t possibly imagine, in school of all places, him ever even considering mouthing a word like shit.† â€Å"Clearly both he and Miss Finn have told me that he said the â€Å"S† word. I think we truly have been blessed all of these years and that now the dam has burst.† The worries of my day at work suddenly seemed insignificant compared to this new event. After all, my entire persona had been changed for my child. Though both of us used to have a certain affinity for cursing, that was discarded so many years ago. I’m by no means like my boy who seems to perpetually pick the correct path, even if he’s only in second grade, but at least in this aspect I’m largely infallible. Evidently, the crucial issue here is our realization that soon enough he will be surrounded with overwhelming amounts of temptation as he ages. I would prefer to hold on to some semblance of innocence at least through the second grade, hopefully up to the fourth, God willing. The trial was abrupt and to my son’s credit, he did admit his wrongdoing and professed he was simply angry at the ignorance of his school-mates concerning the blatantly obvious difference between a  water poke’mon and an air poke’mon, stating that â€Å"air pokeâ €™mon’s were â€Å"S†.† Perhaps he’s been wound up tight lately, given his schedule of 7 hours of school followed by snacks, playing, naps, and more playing. I guess we should have assumed more responsibility in this matter, however, the jury found him mostly at fault and the sentencing was implemented immediately. In the whole scheme of things this episode turned out to be nominally more than a speed-bump on my child’s path to adulthood. In fact, the grounding was short but the continuing education as to how to present himself was intensified drastically. It was only later, during one of those drawn out humid days of summer that my son taught me a lesson that apparently my father, in all of his wisdom, had never learned. As Owen and I watched an afternoon baseball game, each rooting for the other team though having virtually no investment in either, I was stung by the words suddenly emanating from my son’s mouth. â€Å"Dad, why is it that adults can do and say things that children can’t?† My son said. As I began my blanket argument, searching mentally for something I did or said recently that would invoke such a dreaded question, nothing came to mind. â€Å"We’ll, life’s that way I suppose, someday you’ll understand.† â€Å"Maybe Mom should ground you for the week then and you’ll understand.† â€Å"Perhaps that’s not such a bad idea, can I borrow your room?† I replied, frantically seeking that slip-up and cursing myself to be more aware around my boy. â€Å"No, you constantly say the colors make you dizzy anyway,† he continued. â€Å"But, when I said the â€Å"S† word you told me that’s not how a gentleman speaks. Aren’t you a gentleman? Or are you a lady?† His snickering bought me precious time to recap the past few minutes and what had transpired, and for the life of me I couldn’t recall any such regression in my â€Å"don’t speak like a sailor† policy. â€Å"If I did say that I do apologize, however, I think you’re mistaking, perhaps you misunderstood me,† I said. â€Å"No sir, you said it, and I’m telling Mom.† By now my curiosity had been piqued to a point where I could no longer deny this incident in a Clinton-esque manner. I had to pursue this matter, even though I figured at this juncture it meant certain embarrassment, at the time I thought for my child. â€Å"What exactly did I say that you profess you can’t?† â€Å"I told you, you said the â€Å"S† word and I can’t repeat it, you said so yourself.† â€Å"I seriously doubt that. You’ve never heard me say that word. In fact, if I recall correctly you’re the only one in this household who seems to utter that phrase.† I was beginning to worry now that perhaps there was a point of confusion that I didn’t understand. On some deeper level I was also worried that my son had started to â€Å"smart-off† to me; thus the end to the glory years. â€Å"Maybe you can spell this word for me, so that I know and will never repeat it again,† I said. â€Å"I don’t think that would be a fruitful thing to do, Dad,† Owen said. â€Å"But since you’re the boss of me, at least until Mom comes home, I will.† My worst fears we’re confirmed at this moment, he had prematurely reached the age of self-awareness and independence. Surly, I thought, this must be some god-awful twisted plan implanted into his brain by my mischievous father. As I prepared for the next daunting step in my life, dealing with an individual who was not simply repeating what he was shown and instructed like a cheap pet-store parrot, but one capable of reasonable logical connections and more  terrifyingly one that was good at such things, my son began his personal spelling lesson for Daddy. Owen of course began with the letter â€Å"S.† I, on one level had previously assumed the outcome and was coming to terms with the peculiar cleverness of my child, in addition to my inability to see through his weak scam, yet I let him continue. â€Å"t †¦ u †¦ p †¦ i †¦ d.† â€Å"Most importantly, son, you must listen to your children, especially as they grow,† my father said. â€Å"Yeah, yeah, I figured that. I can only assume that’s why you told me to shut the hell up so often,† I replied. â€Å"I also said distinctly, over and over, to do as I say, not as I do.† In retrospect, these words ring true often to me. I can’t possibly expect to be father of the year anytime soon. I can however learn from my mistakes and hopefully my son in turn will heed his grandfather’s sage-like advice.

Definition Essay on Passion

Definition Essay on Passion Live Not Only for YourselfDo we know what we want in life? Almost everyone wants happiness; a person wants to be successful in all of their endeavors. This is the main goal for just about everyone in this world because getting somewhere in life is the basis of life. We might ask ourselves: how we can achieve this tremendous task? The first step is to show passion. Yes, passion. Generally passion is defined* as a powerful emotion, such as love, and joy. To take that a step further passion means to have desire, to care, and most importantly to do whatever it takes to be successful and gain respect from our peers.If passion means to have desire, what does desire mean? Desire means to want something, to need something. There must be something in our life that we desire. It can be a personal goal; something that we want to accomplish one day.English: Curt Anderson interviews Muhammad AliIf we desire something we show passion towards it, no matter what it is. It is not a coincidence that w hich one desires most, he/she holds precious upon them. For example we would most likely treat a nice sports car much better than an old, rusty, and beat up station wagon. Why? Obviously because we would rather have a sports car that we would enjoy, instead of some old station wagon. We simply desire it more. In this world we have come to expect things from others, and taking those things for granted. Sometimes we judge others, without judging ourselves. As the future of this country and the world we have to be able to realize the true meaning of passion. Everyone has to encourage one another to do better, because everyone is capable of doing something great. We must desire more, we must strive to...

Nutrition for a childs health and welfare Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Nutrition for a childs health and welfare - Essay Example Proper dieting and good nutrition for the age group is ensured by food safety and sanitation, food storage, food preparation, proper food handling and presentation. Safe food for consumption is well accounted for in terms of its stipulated expiry dates when purchasing. In case of purchasing meat ensure that the meat is free from bad or strange oduor/smell this possess a high risk of food poisoning to an individual .Proper food preservation is key: any well maintained and food fit for human consumption, one should ascertain that food especially highly perishable is well preserved in a cool dry place. In addition meat should be separated from fruits and vegetables as this would lead to contamination. Secondly food storage is the delicate point that sees long lasting foods and perishables well-kept before consumption. Basic rules do indicate that perishable foods should be stored in a cool place and even refrigerated to prevent them from going stale. Selecting food products whose labeling clearly indicates the mode of refrigeration for example: keep refrigerated, should be in a refrigerator and cold to touch. Again food storage is backed up by the clean environment at all times. Proper food handling and sanitation is key to healthy food practices. Hygiene should begin from an individual handling the food to the place where the food is being prepared. In case of eggs make sure they are cooked fully i.e. the yolk as well as the whites are firm.

Paper on International Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Paper on International Economics - Essay Example Protectionism, in other words, has survived globalisation and in that survival is both a testimony and concession to the fact that, beyond the globalisation-rhetoric, the state has retained its role as a significant economic player. There is no doubt that globalisation has reduced the role of the state in the economy but, there is equally no doubt that protectionism has survived globalisation and remains one of the more significant of the state's instruments for ensuring the welfare of its domestic market. Following a definition of protectionism and an examination of its pre- and post-globalisation forms and mechanisms, this paper shall argue that despite arguments to the contrary, protectionism often serves fundamental and constructive economic purposes. In general, it is possible to define protectionism as strategies used by a national economy to protect its own goods, industries and businesses from unfair competition or, in some instances, from competition per se. Often criticized by economist and free-trade proponents such as Adam Smith among others, protectionism is not only a logically valid strategy for the protection of domestic economies from such unfair economic competition as could have adverse effects upon infant industries and domestic producers and manufacturers, but it often imposes itself upon decision-makers as the only viable mechanism for the fulfilment of the aforementioned. Indeed, as important as it may be for Lesser Developing and Developing nations, protectionism is as important for Industrialised economies. As Schwartz (2000) succinctly explains, protectionism traditionally functions to protect national economies from all of the virtual destruction of domestic industries, unemployment and inflation (Schwartz, 2000). It does so through the utilisation of a wide array of strategies, ranging from implementation of prohibitions against the entry of certain imports into the domestic economy to the imposition of heavy customs, tariffs and taxes upon specified imports in order to ensure that, upon entry into the domestic market, domestic goods retain a price-competitive edge (Schwartz, 2000). Proceeding from the information presented in the preceding paragraph, it is possible to articulate a definition for protectionism. In brief, protectionism can be defined as a