Original Writing – A Wild Night

Splash. Splash. The sound of the icy water droplets falling from the polished faucet and hitting stone hard sink echoed throughout the minuscule bathroom. The steady beat of the water had more life than the young girl that was sprawled like a sleeping new born across the floor. There was no one around to state how long she had been lying there nor to care that she not eaten for a period so long that her skin had become more citrine than pale. The girl's breathing was synchronised with the dripping and her mind was in state of oblivion. Her charcoal hair enveloped her face and she had her arm stretched over her eyes, which were exhausted from the numerous amount of crying, because she did not feel ready to face reality yet. Have ever tried clear your mind of all attachments to do yoga and failed? Then you were likely to understand why it did not take long for the adolescent to cloud her mind with thoughts again. Julie's heart began to beat at the speed of a hungry puma as her mind's feelings multiplied. Her muscles were frantically quivering as she thought about the penalty of one's action. The girl's lung had started to heave while she gasped because she finally grasped the importance of time. Although her body was already concerned about the low water levels, she had let some tears escape from her swollen eyes. If you have not noticed already: Julie was having another breakdown. It was hard to believe that less than twenty four hours ago, Julie was not a depressed girl but merely a ‘normal' teenager. â€Å"I do not want you to step a foot outside this house with that boy!† Those typical words of a father left the mouth of elderly man. He stood in the doorway of a coral bedroom, which was decorated with posters of male singers and movie posters, to barricade his daughter from the dangers of pubescent boys. His daughter was caught up in the excitement from receiving boys' attention and he knew that it was his job to protect her. No fathers want to loose their children especially at a young age. His small frame hardly allowed him to properly block the room entrance but he gave a stern look and disallowed any doubts of his decision to enter his mind. However, Julie, who took after her father, was determined to take her step to the wild side. She felt that she had grown up to be too obedient and sensible under the watchful eyes of her parents and the time had come to create equilibrium by thrusting herself into the thrilling side of being a teenager. Julie believed that she worked hard all her life and that she deserved to have a taste of what her fellow peers experienced regularly; she wanted to party all night and watch a genuine brawl between a gang of boys. After all, good grades and respect were not the only merits of life. Julie positively did not want the others to use the phrase ‘an apple does not fall far from its tree' to describe her. â€Å"Whatever you say, father.† Julie's reply came with a sigh and a slight roll of eyes, which was a behaviour her father thought she had gained from school, before leaping onto her floral designed bed. Her father was quite taken back by her sudden gesture of succumbing, but he felt convinced that he was able to sway his daughter from starting a life of rebellion. He wanted to believe that his daughter had grown up to be reasonable and resist the temptations of becoming reckless as she knew the terrible aftermath. The father gave a small nod to express his triumph and he hurriedly backed away from his girl's room to leave her at peace. Unfortunately, he failed to notice that his girl's left middle finger was wrapped around the forefinger behind her back, a sign which made her promise as valid as Zeus' promise to Helena about not having any more affairs. Moments after her father had left, Julie ambled to casement. The metal bars shielding the window were the only features that stopped Julie from feeling that her home was a complete prison. She tilted her head forward against the artic cold window, as she was searching for a familiar figure, only to find her patient friend slouching against his Audi. Julie slithered her left forefinger across the chilly window sill. Then, for a brief minute, as a flash of idea entered Julies mind. The corners of her lips curled up. The adolescent lifted her left gradually. She gripped the metal hook of liberty tightly. Julie pushed down and swung the window wide open. She had thrust her head forward to observe the distance of the ground. Freedom. Julie raised her legs and crouched on the window ledge. She was about to leap when she felt her heart hammer against her ribs. New thoughts of doubt about her actions were accumulating in her mind: was she doing the right thing? Should she have just listened to her father? Julie squeezed her eyes tight as a way of blocking the qualms. As she had believed, it was time for her to rebel against her secure life. The teenager leaned forward, so that she could prepare for the pain, and took her leap. Rory took a break from his constant head bobbing to watch in bewilderment as a petite body fell right in front of him. Julie pulled her self up and paused to let the jab of pain to fade. She gently moved the strands of dark face behind her ear and straightened her clothes before limping forward. The boy gazed into Julie's auburn eyes in an awkward stillness and wondered how serious the girl was to experience what he thought was a good time. He had always thought of Julie as a robot; she was always doing her work and remained so courteous. He had offered her peek at an alternative life (his life) as a joke. She had accepted. Rory was awed by what had just happened and at that moment felt a little fear. â€Å"Are we going to go or what?† Julie had sliced the eerie silence between them. â€Å"Yes†¦ Yes! Where should we go?† â€Å"You're the expert, surprise me.† She was anxious at first; she did not know what to expect or if it was right to trust Rory. However, when they arrived at a club, Julie felt she was part of long lost community. The club may have been exceedingly dim and yet humid, but Julie had put aside the difficulty in breathing and vision because she felt welcomed into a society that she was already a part of. Julie was met with expressions of astonishment as faces from her daily life came up to her, but they were soon replaced with expressions of delight. She experienced disappointment as bitter liquor flowed through her throat with a nutty aftertaste. Beer was definitely overrated but it grew onto her. Her body was searing and her skin was damp with all the sweat that was caused from all the energy Julie used from dancing. She felt her ears and cheeks burn and the pungent smell of gasoline as her companion came closer after every song. The rhythmic music blasted louder every second while the faces of the dancers became hazier. Julie did not care that care that she was becoming exhausted or nauseous because she was more grateful that for once, she had felt like one of her fellow peers. It was past midnight when Julie and Rory stumbled out. Julie started giggling to cover her hesitation from staying out too late. They both knew they had carried away but when Rory felt calm, Julie felt a mixture of adrenaline and fear. She had never stayed out that late and the feeling of guilt injected into her because her father would be worried. Julie tried to shuffle towards Rory's car, but it was camouflaged with the coal-black night. She could also feel her knees becoming weak as her legs trembled. Why did she drink so much when she knew the side effects? Rory grabbed the girl as she started to tilt and dragged her into the automobile. He was prepared for those kinds of situation as he was experienced. â€Å"Want to have a little more fun before our little adventure ends?† Rory gave a devious grin as he suggested to the intoxicated girl. It did not matter that Rory was drunk while he was driving to the two friends, all it mattered that the girl got home. Julie rested her face on her fist as she began to feel light headed. His hint annoyed her at first because it felt like his voice was bashing against her head, but then she took an awareness of what he said; she nodded her head in agreement. The more thrills they felt, the more Julie felt she had achieved. â€Å"Let us end this night in a bang!† Rory flashed his teeth with a smile as he put more pressure on his feet. Julie's hair began to flutter as the wind rushed in from the open windows. They both started to feel their heads throb as the car jump from the speed bumps. The roads and houses had started to zoom by at a faster speed. Julie could feel her stomach's content pushing up as she felt the car vibrate against her body. The two teenagers' eyelids were becoming heavier by the second. Julie gave a small smile as they passed a recognizable row of houses at sixty miles per hour before drifting off. Rory's mind became dazed as he identified a distant small figure, which was waving their arms hysterically, in the middle of the street. He tried to put pressure in his right foot to work the brakes but the car only seemed to be going faster. His arms were moving the steering wheel in all directions as he didn't know what to do. The boy gave up and started to buckle his own belt he felt his body rammed forward. The car crashed into an undersized body that had rolled up the bonnet and collide into the front window. The revolting taste of iron and bitter entered his mouth. The last thing his memory contained was the image of an unconscious face similar to Julie's cover with shards of glass. The bonnet and screen were drenched in fresh crimson blood. A ruined car was the least of Rory's troubles as he heard the piercing sirens amplifying. Her father's death had resulted Julie to conceal herself in the hospital's bathroom. She wanted to avoid the sympathy of the nurses because they boosted the guilt and sorrow that filled her soul. Julie wanted to be alone to prepare herself for the emptiness that was to follow. She clasped her hand tightly and questioned quietly why that was happening to her. For when she wanted to feel achievement and exhilaration, she filled with distress and loneliness. Her father did not deserve to be punished for her own insolence. She was mourning in her own place of escape and dreaded what was to happen when will step out. Julie has grasped the idea that actions come with consequences and was her responsibility her life does not get out of control. Regrettably, she learnt that lesson the hard way,

The Roller Skating Rink

The Roller Skating Rink Adolescents like to have a place they can call their own. In the 80’s and early 90’s, teenagers would hang out at the mall, the arcade, or many other spots. When I was a little girl, growing up in a small town, meant you had to travel to the city next door in order to find your weekend excitement. Usually that would be roller skating with your friends at â€Å"Skate World†, while listening to the favorite group of the month. Having never done this as a child, my sister decided one afternoon that she would take me roller skating. I was amazed to find a little world filled with life blooming on a 70 X 160-ft cement slab known as a roller skating rink. As soon as we entered the building which housed the rink, the warm, nostalgia scent of popcorn hit that part of my brain where dusty cobwebbed memories live, memories of my own childhood. We made our way past a group of exuberant teenagers at the snack bar until we reached the skating rink. Skinny, hard benches, made for small butts, lined one wall. We took a seat and scanned the rink. My eyes paused to read a sign; white, block letters on a black background warned, â€Å"Skate At Your Own Risk. As my sister smiled back at me, I paused for a minute and thought, what have I gotten myself into. Meanwhile, two young men swaggered past us: confident, heads held high, eyes focused on their destination. I leaned over, looking down the long row of benches, curious to find out where they were going. Their confidence lagged a bit as they approached a large group of their peers, including several young ladies. All of them exhibited signs of discomfort as the girls crossed their arms over their mature bodies and the boys tried hard not to stare. Suddenly a silent signal sent the entire group to the benches. Pairs of nimble hands laced up skates as quickly as possible, while other hands aided in conversation that only the listener was allowed to hear. I was struck by the intimacy of this scene. They all knew each other well. They had come together in the freedom of this one place to share and explore without the encumbrance of parents, teachers, or any other adult. I sat bolt upright, feeling very uncomfortable as I realized how much I really didn’t fit in. Then as I attempted to recover from my embarrassment, I was suddenly startled by a noise†¦music, perhaps? It must have been music, because I glanced down to find my foot tapping away to a beat long forgotten. Then as if on cue, people from every corner of the room flocked to the rink. The awkwardness their bodies had expressed off the rink had been replaced by a grace not unlike a baby bird. They were clumsy in their approach to flight, but once airborne, they were a soaring sight to behold. After carefully watching, I was mesmerized by the effortlessness of their movements, weaving in and out, endlessly circling. Skates became a blur of color: green, purple, blue, pink, and red–speeding by fast and furious. I felt the rush of wind on my face as I caught the musky scent of cologne mixed with sweat. A swirl of communication was taking place, none of it involving speech. The tactile sense had kicked in: punching and shoving of young lions trying to impress their ladies of choice, bodies brushing by each other, and the gentle touch of hand on arm. A statuesque blond, six inches taller than her partner, slipped. â€Å"Catch me, I’m falling on purpose,† her body language seemed to say. Eye contact was prevalent. Most skaters continually scanned the rink, found the one they were looking for and BAM!!! eyes quickly darted away. This testing of emotional waters went of for several hours; boys and girls trying on relationships of men and women like kids playing dress up in their parents’ clothes. At last, I remembered the sign, â€Å"Skate At Your Own Risk. † At the time, I had worried about broken arms and legs, but as I watched the dance unfold on that skating rink, I realized that these young people risk so much more. The pain and rejection, the fear of making fools of themselves, and the devastation they feel when they believe that they have; makes life for these teenagers a risky business. Perhaps the sign should have read, â€Å"Live At Your Own Risk. †

Ealth care process Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Ealth care process - Essay Example By reviewing the steps and their sequence as to who performs each step, and how efficiently the process works, an organization can often visualize opportunities for improvement. The process mapping tool may also be used to evaluate or redesign a current process. Additional information, including tools and resources to assist an organization that wants to adopt process mapping as an improvement strategy, can be found in the Redesigning a System of Care to Promote QI module. Specific steps are required to deliver optimal health care services. When these steps are tied to pertinent clinical guidelines, then optimal outcomes are achieved. These essential steps are referred to as the critical (or clinical) pathway. The critical pathway steps can be mapped as described above. By mapping the current critical pathway for a particular service, an organization gains a better understanding of what and how care is provided. When an organization compares its map to one that shows optimal care for a service that is congruent with evidence-based guidelines, it sees other opportunities to provide or improve delivered care. In this module, improvement strategies are presented based on what has worked for other health care organizations. Changes are applied throughout an existing critical pathway so it works more effectively. QI strives to enable an organization to achieve the ideal critical pathway, which is one that allows the care team and patient to interact productively and efficiently to achieve optimal health outcomes.

Sports development and the medias Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Sports development and the medias - Assignment Example ce that teachers, facility managers, youth workers, policy developers, coaches, society outreach personnel, health specialists and several others are all said to be involved with sports development. On the other hand, in this professional matrix there is an assorted economy present which entails paid professionals, academics, volunteers, policy developers and practitioners. In the good times, the policy of sports and financial support have been endorsed and encouraged vigorously and in the awful days these aspects have jointly been protected against economising. In-spite of all these, substantial concern prevails among various actors as well as institutions in relation to sports development. The rise of the disagreement and discord crops-up from the challenging discourses, applications and policies. A record in regard to the political nervousness was found from considerable academic investigation among the supporters of privileged progress of sports and the broader group participatio n. Such tensions are evident in the sports history of UK and also in other countries as well (Hylton & Bramham, 2007). Sports development has been stated to be a process with the help of which attention and want to be a part of sport might be instilled in such individuals who are still presently unresponsive to the idea. Media has been known to contribute greatly towards the development of sports. It has been also said that with the help of this process, chances could be provided to those individuals who are presently not a part. It has been defined as the process with the help of which the individuals who are presently a part of the activity or the process might be facilitated to continue doing it with consequential frequency and increased contentment. This would allow the participants at every stage to attain their entire potential. Sports development is the idea of making sure that the ways and arrangements are in their respective positions so as to facilitate individuals to gain

Voter ID-The social, economic,legal and political aspects of Voter ID Research Paper

Voter ID-The social, economic,legal and political aspects of Voter ID laws - Research Paper Example An examination of the Governor Tom Corbett’s speech concerning the enactment of these laws reveals that the governor proposed for the enactment of the laws stating that he signed the bill because he believed that the bill was a scared principle protecting the rights of the citizens. The governor described this as a principle that encouraged the one person one vote issue. It is evident that the governor did believe that the enactment of the laws did put in place simple standards that would protect the integrity of the elections. However, it is evident that some sources argued that the main reason as to why the Corbett might have signed the bill is because he was under the republican led legislature. This was the same case in eight other states, which include; Kansas, Alabama, Tennessee, Carolina, Wisconsin and Texas. Some of the politicians did believe that the enactment of the laws would have prevented fraud related to voter impersonation. However, these were followed with rea ctions from other politicians who believed that voter impersonation fraud was rare in most states (Barnes 29). Other political consequences that accompanied the enactment of voter identification laws included; the reactions from supporters in states such as South Carolina who suggested that; the enactment of the new voter identification laws resulted to the casting of votes even in the names of dead people. However, it is evident that when the states election commission carried out their investigation, no evidence of fraud or clerical errors was obtained. It is believed that such demonstration might have been driven by political factors because even investigations from the courts revealed that nobody had been convicted of voter fraud. The other political consequence that followed the enactment of voter identification laws included reactions from those in the opposition, who believed that the

Compare and contrast 2 stories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Compare and contrast 2 stories - Essay Example Miss Brill and Good Country People expose their characters in a descriptive manner, for the former, the introduction was done by describing the setting, talking about the atmosphere while the latter described one of the main characters, Mrs. Freeman, then going to the other characters. The internal conflict in Miss Brill was shown more pronouncedly in the main character while external conflicts were exhibited by secondary characters. For instance, the thoughts of Miss Brill is revealed which exposes her feelings about another character in the story when she was listening to an old man and woman who have been talking about her glasses, showing how enraged she had been about the woman’s complaints probably reflecting herself, with the statement â€Å" Miss Brill had wanted to shake her†. The other story involved most of the characters in showing the internal and external conflicts, with the passionate characterizations and portrayal of their roles in the story. Mrs. Freem an struggled with her family and their problems laid before her, affecting both her mental, emotional as well as physical beings. Mrs. Hopewell on the other hand faced emotional struggles with her own daughter and Mrs. Freeman while Hulga had her own internal conflicts as the effects of her external conflict that is, her disability. Both stories show a narrator of which both are omniscient, knowing the feelings and thoughts of all the characters. However, Miss Brill is more of a limited omniscient narrator who sees through the mind of the main character in contrast to Good Country People which exposes not only the thoughts and feelings of the main character but of other characters as well. This manner of telling the story brings the reader to picture all the characters in a more detailed fashion which helps to understand the events of the story more clearly. Complications in Miss Brill are shown with the introduction of other characters as viewed in the eyes of the main character as she sits to observe or to the author’s words, ‘watch the play on the stage’. The other story on the contrary becomes complicated with the introduction of the antagonist, the Bible salesman who then takes interest in Hulga. Both stories have not exposed any foreshadowing or clue to how the story would end but plainly presented the events as they happened especially with the story of Miss Brill. Good Country People on the other hand ingeniously saved the conclusion of the story by leaving the exposition of the true character of the antagonist towards the end of the story. Both also have an open plot wherein the conflicts were not resolved at the end of the story but were left for the reader to finish or think of what might be the conclusion of the story. Such method is said to be clever, leaving the reader thinking about the story and not forgetting it in a moment. Miss Brill is about reflections, dreams and lust with the first one shown through the character of M iss Brill who usually spends her Sunday afternoons watching the people at Jardins Publiques, listening to the conversations of those who usually sit at her ‘special seat’ where she observes couples, usually lovers taking their seats there. The reason for her going there was not mentioned in the story but her ‘special seat’ represents her dreams of having a partner, and her sexual desires. Good Country Peop

Why the World Should Turn to Nuclear Energy Research Paper

Why the World Should Turn to Nuclear Energy - Research Paper Example On top of that the demand for fossil fuels will increase along with an increase in the prices and lesser supplies. The only alternative to solve the problem of energy crisis in a manner that it does not affect the environment and also does not result in economic stagnation might be nuclear energy (Wolfe; Pearson and Goodwin). It is gradually being accepted all over the world as an energy efficient and alternative source of fuel. Countries like France generate 75 percent of their power and have cleaner air quality (Walton). Nuclear energy is cheap, safe and produces minimum waste. This paper argues in favor of increasing adoption of nuclear energy to meet future needs. Arguments for Nuclear Energy For most of the developing countries such as France and Japan, and other developing countries such as China and India, nuclear energy has remained a topic of major debates and energy policies. China plans to add 30 nuclear plants by 2020, whereas India plans to generate 25 percent of its ene rgy from nuclear plants. Why the countries have laid emphasis on nuclear energy is summed up below (Holton). Environmental concerns due to rising greenhouse emissions As the worldwide demand for electricity rises, increasing amounts of fossils fuels have been used, and have led to the heightening of carbon emissions and the greenhouse effect. Most countries all over the world have a major concern as to how to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions. Most of the developing countries have increased industrial production and hence the requirement for energy is high. The Kyoto Protocol in 2005 has raised the issue of nuclear energy as an alternative, solar and wind energy being also debated, but the latter two have problems of huge space requirements. Prominent environmentalists have supported nuclear energy and scientists predict that it can reduce the carbon emissions by 25 percent by tripling nuclear generating capacity worldwide (Holton). Low cost of nuclear energy production Due to pot ential climate change, carbon emissions are have been capped and thus become expensive due to imposition of carbon taxes. Alternative carbon free energy is needed, that will be compliant with the emission needs and also cater to the demand. Nuclear power is currently the cheapest, low-carbon option for generating electricity. In the US, hydroelectric power plants are regulated so as to allow salmon fish to regain their habitat, and ability of biomass and geothermal sources producing electricity is limited. Nuclear power will increase the cost competitiveness, and studies my MIT scientists reveal that it can bring the prices down to $5 per 15 tons (Arm). Minimal waste generated by nuclear plants Nuclear waste is radioactive and remains radioactive for a long period of time, and can be potentially dangerous to human health (Dupea and Morley). The advantage in nuclear waste is that it is not directly released into the atmosphere unlike coal and oil emissions. This radioactive waste can be safely buried in underground repositories without harm to the environment. The feasibility of such a disposal technique has been studies and supported by scientists (Wolfe). Another way to even reduce the volume of waste is to generate power by processing this waste to recover unused uranium and other fissile material. This optimizes waste disposal, increasing economic viability and considerably increasing sustainability by not relying on such waste repositories (Arm). Nuclear waste, if reprocessed, is small in volume, and limited uranium supplies can be extended through it. Nuclear waste takes up very little space, and nuclear powers per capita lifetime waste could be fitted into a can of soda

This I Believe Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

This I Believe - Essay Example The managers of the organization must cultivate proper understanding of the science of ergonomics. (Placement of proper men at the proper jobs) Efforts for individual perfection will lead to societal prosperity. Ongoing assessment and remedial measure are necessary for an organization to remain at the top and win the appreciation. When it is necessary to change, the organizational culture must change in keeping with the requirements of time, but when it is not necessary to change, it is necessary not to change. For short terms gains, long term vision of the organization must never be sacrificed. Enhance the merits of the culture, without causing damage to the soul of the organization. This I Believe! This I put into practice! Richard S. Gallagher argues, â€Å"In an organizational setting, the meaning of culture extends to the core beliefs, behaviors, and actions behind its daily business life†¦its values are unspoken, but they exert a powerful influence on the behavior of thos e who choose to be part of that organization.†(4) My organization attaches great importance to ethical and socio-spiritual values that are beneficial for the humankind. The communication received on that misty Monday of the winter stunned us. â€Å"Yours is one of the five organizations shortlisted for the grant. Our Senior Vice-President will visit your Head Office this Friday. He will conduct the final interview and ask you four questions. The duration of the interview is ten minutes and any one nominee from the list of your Managing Committee Members will appear for the interview. â€Å"Incredible! The fate of one time grant of $80,000 will be decided within ten minutes! That too on the basis of 4 questions! An urgent meeting of the 8 Managing Committee Members is convened the same evening and discussion on the startling communication begins. We work for the cause reformation and rehabilitation of the visually challenged persons, and education for the slum children. We ar e in this field for the last two decades. Education to the slum children is free; they are also provided books and clothing, mid-day meals, transportation from their residence to school etc. As for the visually challenged, cottage industry units like manufacturing candle, biscuits etc. have been established and they are given salary as per the government norms. The profits earned are ploughed back to create more employment opportunities for the visually challenged. Not one of the 200 persons doing service on the administrative side, and the teaching staff are compensated monetarily. All of them work on honorary basis, with a mission and not for commission! After prolonged discussion, the onus of facing the interview falls to my lot. I begin preparations for the interview with right earnest and study the past history of the organization from the day of its inception when it is managed by just 4 volunteers. I go through the balance sheets, year-wise achievements, the salient features of the present structures, etc. I do an extensive study of the problems of the visually challenged, their international significance, role of the United Nations Agencies, statistics related to important countries, outstanding achievements of some of the visually challenged, the issues related to slum children etc. My level of preparations in those four days is that of a candidate appearing for the highest Civil Service Examination! My organization must get this grant! How will I face the other Managing Committee Members if we fail to get this grant! †¦..and Friday arrives! Sharp at 9.45 a.m. Mr. James Patterson, the Vice-President of Charity Select Organization arrives with his Secretary. We escort him to the Conference Room of the two-story structure, which is our Head Office. I welcome him with a

Design a Human Resources Plan for the Radiology Dept. of a new Research Paper

Design a Human Resources Plan for the Radiology Dept. of a new small-town hospital - Research Paper Example Performance management focuses on under-performers, but it adapts a positive approach by availing the means for employees to advance their performance or efficiently utilize their abilities. Any organization’s overall performance management system has three sequential stages (Armstrong & Baron, 2005). The first stage is planning this involves determining the behaviors and results that will be expected from every member of the organization. The second step is execution which entails providing feedback, coaching, and guidance during the appraisal period to improve performance. The last step is evaluation which entails identifying and discussing strengths and weaknesses during the appraisal period (Grote, 1996). To map out performance management for the radiology department, the manager requires a sample evaluation to determine the different goals and performance towards achieving each of these goals. In this case the sample evaluation will also provide a means of rating individual performance under the different performance measures. The merit plan determines the score under each of the discussed competences. The merit plan provides the final score and position of the employee based on the predetermined goals (competencies) this is essential in determining follow-up action such as training, promotion or rewards. Employee recognition programs can enhance employee relations by communicating that the organization cares about its employees’ ideas and is willing to reward them for their efforts. WorldatWork and RPI carried out a research on employee recognition programs and underlined that companies which employ the programs retain their best and brightest employees. According to RPI, recognition is one of the most effective ways to reinforce an organization’s culture, support its objectives, and retain top performer. Looking at these proven

Crimes Against the Public Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Crimes Against the Public - Essay Example On most occasions when dialogue does not bear fruit, agitators opt to go rioting thus distracting public peace. In that regard, the following case briefs will shed some light on how various previous cases involving the same were handled. This will guide on how to look at the two happenings that involved offences against the public. Crimes Against the Public Introduction Crimes against the public are those intentional acts and behaviors that tend to disrupt the order in which the members of the public run their daily operations (public order). The Law checks to ensure that minimum standards of decency and civility must be upheld by all individuals as long as they are in public. For that reason, there are set rules and guidelines which must be observed by all members of the public which attract respective penalties upon breach. The following are some case briefs. Case briefs Edward v. South Carolina, 372 U.S. 229 (1963) Facts of the case: A peaceful demonstration was organized by 187 A frican-Americans to South Carolina State House grounds. The protestors divided themselves into small groups as they pushed to convey their grievances against policies of segregation in their state. This process did not disrupt the normal activities of the public and everything ran normally and no property was destroyed. This demonstration was however disrupted by thirty police officers who ordered the protesters to stop or be arrested. The students defied the order and instead chanted songs of freedom and patriotism. This led to their arrest and conviction for disruption of peace. Issues present in the case: Was the arrest of the protestors in violation of their rights and freedoms to express themselves, to gather to push for their grievances as provided for in the First and Fourteenth Amendments? Decision: The court’s ruling was that the arrest violated the marcher’s right of speech, press and assembly. Reasoning: It was held that the arrest and conviction of the marc hers was against their rights. The Court could not clearly identify the crime alleged against the protestors. The evidence provided was insufficient and did not portray acts of violence. Therefore the judge for the case ruled that there was a violation of constitutional rights by arresting the peaceful protestors. Justice Stewart said that the protestors were only exercising the First Amendment rights and that the state was not allowed to criminalize protests against controversial rules. Dissenting opinions: there were no dissenting opinions regarding this case and the court went by the judge’s ruling. Looking at the above cited case, (Edwards v. South Carolina 372 U.S. 229 (1963), 1963) we find that these marchers pushed for their grievances peacefully and did not destroy public property nor blocked traffic. It was because of that that the court regarded their acts as an exercise of constitutional rights. However, it was a different case altogether where two angry students s ent e-mails to Texas government agencies with threats to blow up a building in protest over U.S. involvement in several controversial international issues. The students were arrested and charged with threats to use weapons of mass destruction. In this case, the government did not succeed in convicting the students because the threat to blow up a building was just an expression of their thoughts (U.S. v Wise, 221 F.3d 140 (5th Cir.200), 2000). They would not be convicted because there wasn’

Civil War Essay Example for Free

Civil War Essay A nation in four decades had been multiplied several times its territory, purchase of Louisiana to France, Florida to Spain, the annexation of Texas and the subsequent war with Mexico (1846-1848) ambient. The political states of north and south had been mounded by the interest of the second in their plantations and the conservation of slavery, while the firs inclined towards trade; shipping and financial interests on one side were the debtor farmers, and other creditors’ capitalists. After independence, the first were represented by Democrat Thomas Jefferson and the last by the Federalists under Alexander Hamilton. The congress in Philadelphia in 1787 was the problems faced by the new state, debt, inter-state trade conflicts, war with Mexico, who snatched the Aztec country half of its territory, got to the United States, territories of California and New Mexico social. The civil war was in the United States of America. Eleven Southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America, also known as the Confederacy. Led by Jefferson Davis, the Confederacy fought against the United States (the Union), which was supported by all the free states (where slavery had been abolished) and by five slave states that became known as the border states. The fireman in Bradbury’s world began their version of the fireman job â€Å"around about a thing called the civil war† (54). Captain Beatty, the main antagonist of Fahrenheit 451, and captain of the fire brigade that Guy Montag works for, reasons that the decline of people’s interest in books came about because of photographs which came about during the civil war. the allusion is to the American war of secession from 1861-1865, which is the only civil war of American history. In it, the Northern States were able to defeat the South and to proclaim the abolition of slavery in 1863;

The Development Of Fundamental Movement Skills

The Development Of Fundamental Movement Skills The Development on Fundamental Movement Skills (FMS) during childhood is important for the development of that child as well as them being successful in sport, so they can learn other life skills. (Okely Booth 2004) To understand when Children should start to learn FMS is to understand the long term development model (LTD), knowing this will help indentify when children need to learn which skill by which age. (Balyi, 2004). During the first stage of the LTD is the FUNdametal stage which focuses on children aged 6-9. During this stage the children starts to learn the basic Fundamental movement patterns. Learning these skills is important as they are the building blocks to sport specific, for example kicking is a base in a number of skills in football, If a Child learns these skills it will contribute significantly their future athletic achievements (Balyi, 2004). Once the Child reaches 9 and 11 it is the most important periods of skills development, during this period they are developed enough to learn and complete general overall sports skills (Balyi, 2004). It has been recommended that all Children should of mastered all the basic FMS by the age of 8 (Gallahue and Ozmun, 2006) Jess et al (2004) also reported the importance of FMS stating that they allow children to pass through a proficiency barrier to allow the development of skills in the future. Booth et al (2004) reported that in a random sample of Year 4, Year 6, Year 8 and Year 10 children that less than 40% had mastered all the skills using subjective measures, suggesting that when the children should be learning FMS skills they are not developing them in the correct way There have been a number of studies that have looked on how to measure FMS mastery. The 2 main methods reported are objective and subjective. Objective measures are the result of the skill, i.e. the time taken to run 10 meters or the number of catches. The advantage of using objective measures is it allows a high level inter and intra and Inter-rater reliability over attempts and measurers (Spray 1987). Another important is the tester does not need a high level of knowledge about the skill (Hands Larkin, 1998). The second way to measure FMS is using subjective measures. This is done by using a checklist for each FMS that identifies coaching points that the subject needs to do while completing the skill. Knudson and Morrison (1997) defined subjective measures or qualitative analysis as the systematic observation and introspective judgment of movement and skills for the purpose of improving that skill. The checklist which will be used in this study is The New South Wales Fundamental Movement Skills (NSWFMS) guidelines (2000), this is a resource for primary school children. The advantage of using subjective measures is that it can help identify one point in the skill that is weak. That information can then lead to trying to develop that weakness (Hands, 2000). However the criteria can be read and identified differently by different assessors. In terms of research in the area of what affects FMS movement skills there has been a lot reported in what factors affect FMS ability. It has been reported that Physical Activity level (Fisher et al 2004) has an effect on FMS ability with Children who take part in more physical activity have better FMS skills. There has also been mixed views on the effect of gender on FMS skills, Fisher et al (2004) reported no difference in fundamental scores between boys and girls, however. Okley and Booth (2004) reported that boys did better than girls in the sprinting and the object control skills, which in this study would be the throw and catch, the girls performed better in the rest of the locomoter skills which in this case is the balance. The reason for this difference could be done to what reported that FMS are affected more by the activities done by boys while girls are affected by psychosocial or environmental factors (Cliff 2009). There has been however a small majority of research looking at how age effects FMS. Okely Booth (2004) did one such study looking at using subjective measures and found for certain parts on FMS Skills, Year 3 Children had mastered the skill better than Year 1 Children. For Example only 1.5% of the year 1 boys and 0% of girls completed the hips then shoulders rotate forward coaching point for the throw compared to 13.5% of year 1 boys and 1.7% of year 3 girls. It is also important to note with regards to age that even Children in the same year can be further developed, meaning their body can do more and they may be able to process the FMS in formation easier. It is important to understand this when the analysing results as one Year 6 child could be biologically more developed than another and therefore be able to perform the skill better. (Gallahue and Ozmun 2006). This paper will therefore look at age and specifically the difference between year 1 and 6 children due the lack of research looking at Year 6 Children and the fact it has been reported that all Children should have mastered FMS by Year 8. The study will also use subjective and objective to get a better idea of which children have mastered the skills. The results can be used to see what areas of each skill children are failing to master and then interventions can be designed to improve them as it has been reported that a well-planned and implemented fundamental movement skill intervention in has an effect on childrens motor skills, physical activity levels and will keep the child interested in Physical Education. Section 2 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES AND HYPOTHESIS Aim The Aim of the study is to assess Fundamental Movement Skill (FMS) mastery in primary school children, to examine if there is a relationship between subjective and objective for FMS and to compare mastery of these skills by children in Year 1 and Year 6. Objectives To measure Fundamental Movement Skills in Year 1 and Year 6 children To analysis the skills using the New South Wales Criteria To study the relationship between year groups and the subjective and objective measures Hypothesis The Year 6 children will have high objective and subjective measures for all the FMS than the Year 1 children. Section 3: EXPERIMENTAL METHODS The Children will be tested for 2 hours in a normal PE lesson for 2 separate weeks. Each Child will be asked to wear suitable kit and footwear. The school sports hall where normal PE lessons take place will be used as the testing site once a risk assessment form was completing and checking the sports hall is suitable to complete the testing. These checks will be done before each testing session. Also ethical approval will need to be given before any testing can take place. Also before testing each child will undertake a warm up overseen by a PE Specialist. Subject Population A sample of 30 Children aged 10-11 (year 6) and 30 children ages 5-6 years (year 1) will be recruited for this study from a local primary school in Coventry. Informed consent from the parents will be obtained as well as agreement from the Child as each participant is under the age of 18. Fundamental Movement Skill Measurements Both subjective and objective measures will be measured, with the subjective being taken while the child performs one of the skill trails. The subjective measures will be analysed using The New South Wales Fundamental Movement Skills (NSWFMS) guidelines (2000) (see appendix for criteria). Using Qunitic Software each video will be watched 5 times and notational analysis will be used to measure how many of the skill components have been achieved. This will give an overall percentage of how that Child has mastered the skill. That will compare to the actual result for that skill. The criteria will also be used during the demonstration to allow the children to know all the points that make up the skill, also no feedback will be given after each attempt. Fundamental Movement Skills Each Child will complete 5 fundamental movement skills, (Balance, Kicking, Catching, Throwing and sprinting). A description of what each test involves is shown below. FMS Test Method Balance Subjective Measures For the subjective measures the children will be asked to Stand on their dominant leg, children will be asked to stay as upright and still as possible keeping eyes forwards for 20 seconds, with their other leg bent. Objective Measures The objective measures will involve the children balancing for 20 seconds on a balance board device (Tunturi by MFT, Germany) connected to a laptop, The percentage of time spent on either side (left/right) will be used as the measurement. Each Child will have a practice before being called up/ inputted into the laptop system. Catch Subjective Measures The Children will move their body to become in line with the travelling path of a soft tennis sized ball, a thrown by the researcher and PE specialist in a measured square area of 1m by 1m. Objective Measures The number of successful catches the children make out of 3 will be recorded. Jump Subjective Measures The Children will be asked to start with knees bent and then using their arms for momentum, jump up as high as possible into the air. Objective Measures The Childrens jump height of the jump will measured using Quintic Biomechanics software (Quintic Biomechanics v17 software, Coventry, UK) and recorded in meters. Throw Subjective Measures The Children will throw a small soft ball over-arm, towards a target placed on the sports hall wall. Objective Measures Points will be awarded to determine the precision of the throw. There were three sections, each with different amounts to justify the accuracy of the throw. Sprint Subjective Measures Children will be asked to ran as fast as they could along the 10 m measured track and then joined the back of the queue. The time will be recorded as use as the measure. Objective Measures Children will be ask to sprint as fast as they could down a 10m track, split times will be recorded at 5m and 10m using the SMARTSPEED timing gate system (SMARTSPEED, UK). Any children will also be able to withdraw their assent and not take part even if their parents/guardian has given informed consent, at any time during the testing. Statistical analysis A combination of correlations and ANOVAs will be used to examine the relationship between the objective measures and the subjective measures but also each of the two year groups. Microsoft Excel will be used to produce the graphs and SPSS will be sued for the statistical analysis. Section 4: PROPOSED TIME PLAN Date Action to be completed before deadline 6th December 2010 Complete and hand in Project Proposal 10th 24th January 2011 Go to schools and collect data ready for analysis 27th January 4th February 2011 Complete data collection, produce table of results and complete graphs 4th- 8th February 2011 Complete data analysis 10th- 20th February 2011 Write discussion and put in info from proposal such as Introduction and Methods. 21st February 2011 Check final project with supervisor and compile lab file 23rd- 1st March 2011 Check for any errors in project and print out 2 copies ready for binding 11th March 2011 Hand in 2 copies of the thesis and lab file. 12th March 2011 5th April Revise for Viva Seminar Section Five: REFERANCES Balyi I., Hamilton A. (2004) Long-Term Athlete Development: Trainability in Childhood and Adolescence. Windows of Opportunity. Optimal Trainability.Victoria: National Coaching Institute British Columbia Advanced Training and Performance Ltd. Booth M, Macaskill, P, McLellan L. (1997) NSW Schools Fitness and Physical Activity Survey. Sydney. NSW Department of School Education. Cliff, D, P., Okely, A.D,. Smith, L.M and McKeen, K. Relationships Between Fundamental Movement Skills and Objectively Measured Physical Activity in Preschool Children. Pediatric Exercise Science, 2009, 21, 436-449 Fisher, A., Reilly J.J., Kelly, L.A., Montgomery, C., Williamson, A., Payton, J.Y., Grant, S., (2004) Fundamental Movement Skills and Habitual Physical Activity in Young Children Official Journal of the American College of Sports Medicine. 684-688. Gallahue, D, L and Ozmun, J,C. (2006) 6th edn. Understanding Motor Development: Infants, Children, Adolescents, Adults, USA: McGraw Hill Hands, B. (2000) How can we best measure fundamental movement skills? Health Sciences Conference Papers. Paper 5. Hands, B., Larkin, D. (1998). Australian tests of motor proficiency: What do we have and what do we need? The ACHPER Healthy Lifestyles Journal, 45(4),10-16. Hands, B. Martin, M (2003) Implementing a Fundamental Movement Skill program in an early childhood setting: The childrens perspectives Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles Jess, M., Dewar, K. and Fraser, G. (2004) Basic moves: developing a foundation for lifelong physical activity, British Journal of Teaching in Physical Education 35 (2): 23-7. New South Wales (2000) Move It, Groove It Physical Activity in Primary Schools Summary Report. A NSW Health Physical Activity Demonstration Project (DP 98/1) Okely, A.D Booth, M,L. (2004) Mastery of fundamental movement skills among children in New South Wales: prevalence and sociodemographic distribution Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport 7 (3) 358-372. Spray, J. A. (1987). Recent developments in measurement and possible applications to the measurement of psychomotor behavior. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 58, 203-209. Section 6: APPENDIX

Analysis Of Dantes Inferno English Literature Essay

Analysis Of Dantes Inferno English Literature Essay Dantes Inferno represents a microcosm of society; that is, laymen, clergy, lovers, wagers of war, politicians, and scholars are all collected into one place and punished for their worst and most human attributes. Hell, despite its otherworldly appearance and brutal, ugly nature, is somewhat humanized by the fact that those who are punished come from every country (Dante 3.123) and every walk of life, regardless of age, race, sex, or creed. While Dante Alighieri did not invent the idea of Hell as a place of punishment for the wayward and sinful souls in the afterlife, he did create the most powerful and enduring (Raffa 1) imagining of a concept which has received significant attention in biblical, classical, and medieval works. Dantes Divine Comedy was written sometime between 1308 and 1321 and is considered the supreme work of Italian literature (Norwich 27). It is an epic poem divided into three separate sections: Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven, res pectively. The personal element of the journey through Hell in Dantes Inferno literally explores the descent of one man into sin; through the use of poetic justice, both contemporary and historical figures, and mythological figures, Dante crafts an immediate and enthralling work dealing with the nature of sin and its place in society. The concept of poetic justice is famously explored in Inferno, where it is put to dramatic effect devising appropriate torments for each particular sin (Raffa 3). From Limbo to Treachery, Dante catalogues and documents the punishment of sinners both infamous and beloved, famous and unknown. In every case, the punishment fits the crime in a twisted and malignant fashion after all, the poem does discuss the realm of Satan, the Christian embodiment of evil. The nine circles of Hell described in Inferno are as follows: Limbo, Lust, Gluttony, Avarice and Prodigality, Wrath and Sullenness, Heresy, Violence, Fraud, and Treachery. These nine circles are based off of the idea of the Seven Deadly Sins, with some additions such as Limbo created by Dante. The poem begins with Dante lost in a dark wood, assailed by three beasts he cannot evade, and unable to move straight along (Dante 1.18) the road to salvation, represented by a mountain. A lion, a leopard, and a she-wolf symbolizing pride, envy, and avarice, respectively block Dantes path to the top of the mountain, forcing him to descend into the depths of Hell with Virgil. The entire journey documented in the Divine Comedy is an allegory for mans fall into sin before achieving redemption (represented by Purgatorio) and eventually salvation (represented by Paradiso). Before Dante even enters the gates of Hell, he is introduced to his guide for the first two realms of the afterlife, Inferno and Paradiso. For this role, Dante chose Virgil (70-19 BCE), who lived under the rule of Julius Caesar and later Augustus during Romes transition from a republic into an empire, and is most famous for the Aeneid. Two episodes in Virgils work were of particular interest to Dante. Book IV tells the tale of Aeneas and Dido, the queen of Carthage, who kills herself when Aeneas abandons her to continue his journey and [found] a new civilization in Italy (Raffa 8). Book VI recounts Aeneas journey into Hades to meet the shade of his father and learn of future events in his journey. Many elements in the Aeneid are present in heavily modified form in Dantes Inferno. Many of Dantes mythological elements are based on Book VI of Virgils Aeneid, which recounts Aeneas visit to the underworld. Virgil imbued his version of the underworld with a fluid, dreamlike atmosphere (5 ), while Dante instead strives for greater realism, providing sharply drawn and tangible figures. After passing through the gateway to hell, marked ominously with the words ABANDON EVERY HOPE, WHO ENTER HERE (Dante 3.9), Dante and Virgil witness a realm of miserable people who lived without disgrace and without praise (3.17-35) on the periphery of the Inferno. In this realm, the two poets encounter the souls of those who lived such undistinguished and cowardly lives that they have been cast out by Heaven and refused entry by Hell. These souls are forced to race after a banner which never comes to a stop, and are stung repeatedly by flies and wasps, their blood and tears nourishing the sickening worms (3.69) at their feet. The punishment for these cowardly souls is clear; just as in life they refused to be decisive and act, they now are barred from both eternal paradise and eternal damnation, and chase down a waving banner which they will never be able to reach. Next, Dante and Virgil meet Charon, Hells boatman. In the Aeneid, Charon is the pilot of the vessel that transports shades of the dead across the waters into the underworld. In both works, he is an irritable old man with hair white with years (3.83) who objects to taking a living man (Aeneas, Dante) into the realm of the dead. In each case, the protagonists guide (the Sybil, Virgil) provides Charon the proper credentials, and their journey continues. In Limbo, the guiltless damned, noble non-Christian souls, and those who lived before the time of Christianity are punished. The idea of a place for souls who did not sin; and yet lacked baptism (4.34-35) existed in Christian theology prior to Dante, but his vision is more generous than most. Dante includes unbaptized babies, as well as notable non-Christian adults in his version of Limbo, which bears a resemblance to the Asphodel Meadows, a section of the Greek underworld where indifferent and ordinary souls were sent to live after death. Dante suggests that those in Limbo are being punished for their ignorance of God by being forced to spend the afterlife in a deficient form of Heaven; while certainly not as hellish as the other circles, Limbo is by no means a paradise. Dante encounters the classical poets Homer (eighth or ninth century BCE), Horace (65-8 BCE), Ovid (43 BCE -17 CE), and Lucan (39-65 CE), who welcome back their comrade Virgil and honour Dante and one of their own (Dante 4.79-102). Philosophers Socrates and Aristotle also make appearances in Limbo as the shades of men renowned for their outstanding intellectual achievements. Socrates (born ca. 470 BCE in Athens) was a legendary teacher known for the rigorous method of questioning that characterizes the dialogues of Plato (ca. 428-ca. 347 BCE), who also appears. In addition, one notable non-Christian soul finds himself in Limbo, separated from the rest: Saladin, the distinguished military leader and Egyptian sultan who fought against the crusading armies of Europe yet was admired even by his enemies for his chivalry and magnanimity. Dantes implication is that all virtuous non-Christians find themselves in Limbo. The Lustful are punished in the second circle by being blown about by a hellish hurricane, which never rests wheeling and pounding (5.31-33). Lust, for many of the inhabitants of this circle, led to the sin of adultery and in the cases of Dido, Cleopatra, Helen of Troy, and others a violent death. The violent winds are symbolic of lust, and represent the power it holds in affairs of blind passion and physical love. Lust contains the shades of many famous lovers: Semiramis, Dido, Paris, Achilles, and Tristan, among others. Semiramis was a powerful Assyrian queen alleged to ave been so perverse that she even made incest a legal practice (Raffa 27); Dido, queen of Carthage and widow of Sychaeus, committed suicide after her lover Aeneas abandoned her (Virgil IV); Paris later died during the Trojan war; Achilles was the most formidable (Raffa 27) Greek hero in the war against the Trojans, who was killed by Paris (according to medieval accounts); finally, Tristan was the nephew of king Mark of Cornwall who fell in love in Iseult (Marks fiancee) and was killed by Marks poisoned arrow. Minos, the one who judges and assigns (Dante 5.6) the souls during their descent into Hell, is an amalgam of figures from classical sources, completed with several personal touches from Dante. He is a combination of two figures of the same name, one the grandfather of the other, both rulers of Crete. The elder Minos was admired for his wisdom and the laws of his kingdom. The second Minos imposed a harsh penalty on the Athenians (who had killed his son Androgeos), demanding an annual tribute of fourteen youths (seven boys and seven girls), who were sacrificed to the Minotaur, which appears later in Inferno. Minos long tail which he wraps around himself, that marks the sinners level (Dante 5.11-12) is Dantes invention. Gluttony is punished in the third circle. The souls of the damned lie in a vile, grimy slush brought about by cold, unending, heavy, and accursed rain (6.7-8). These former gluttons lie sightless and heedless of their neighbours, symbolizing their cold, selfish, and empty pursuit of hedonism and empty sensuality. The slush, representative of overindulgence and sensuality, serves to cut one off from both the outside world and from Gods deliverance. Gluttonous individuals of note include a Florentine contemporary of Dantes, identified as Ciacco (pig in Italian). Ciacco speaks to Dante regarding the political conflict in the city of Florence between two rival parties, the White and Black Guelphs, and predicts the defeat of the White Guelphs, Dantes party. This event did indeed occur, and would lead to Dantes own exile in 1302. As the poem is set in the year 1300, before Dantes exile, he uses the events of his own life to illustrate the unique ability of shades in Inferno to predict the future, a theme which is returned to later in the poem. Cerberus, guardian of Gluttony, is similar to the beast of Greek mythology. In the Aeneid, Virgil describes Cerberus the three-headed dog which guards the entrance to the classical underworld as loud, huge, and terrifying. Dantes Cerberus displays similar canine qualities: his three throats produce a deafening bark, and he eagerly devours the fistful of dirt Virgil throws into his mouths like a dog intent on its meal. Cerberus bloodred (6.16) eyes, greasy, black (6.16) beard, and large gut link him to the gluttonous spirits whom he tears, flays, and rends (6.18) with his clawed hands. The Avaricious and the Prodigal are punished together in the fourth circle. Avarice, or greed, is one of the inequities that most incurs Dantes scorn and wrath (Raffa 37). Prodigality is defined as the opposite of Avarice; that is, the trait of excessive spending. Both groups are forced to eternally joust with one another, using cumbersome stone weights as weapons. They call out to each other: Why do you hoard? Why do you squander? (Dante 7.30). Here Dante describes the punishment of both extremes, criticizing excessive desire for and against the possession of material goods using the classical principle of moderation. In the fifth circle, the Wrathful and the Sullen are punished. The wrathful fight each other eternally on the surface of the river Styx, which runs darker than deep purple (7.103), while the sullen lie gurgling beneath the water. Dante describes how the Wrathful combat one another: [They] struck each other not with hands alone, but with their heads and chests and with their feet, and tore each other piecemeal with their teeth (7.112-114). The wrathful are damned to eternally struggle and fight without direction or purpose, while the sullen have withdrawn into a black sulkiness from which they can find joy in neither God nor life. In the fifth circle, Filippo Argenti, a prominent Florentine and a Black Guelph, calls to Dante. A hotheaded character (Raffa 40), little is known regarding Filippo except what transpires in Inferno. He quarrels with Dante, lays his hands upon the boat the poets travel on, and is eventually torn apart by his wrathful cohorts. The two men were political opponents, but Dantes behaviour towards Filippo indicates a more personal grievance. Perhaps he had humiliated Dante in life, or had taken some part of Dantes property after his exile from the city. Phlegyas is the solitary boatman (Dante 8.17) who transports Dante and Virgil in his boat across the Styx, the circle of the wrathful and sullen. He was known in Greek mythology for his impetuous behaviour; in a fit of rage, Phlegyas set fire to the temple of Apollo because the god had raped his daughter Apollo promptly slew him in response. Phlegyas appears in Virgils underworld as an admonition against showing contempt for the gods (Virgil 6.618-620), a role which he reprises in Inferno. Between the fifth and sixth circles lie the walls of Dis, the fortressed city of Lower Hell (Raffa 39). The fallen angels who guard the gates of Dis refuse entry to the two poets, requiring the arrival of a messenger from Heaven to open the gate for them. Dante designates all of Lower Hell circles six through nine, where the most serious of sins are punished as the walled city of Dis, with its grave citizens, its great battalions (Dante 8.69). The first five circles, which exist outside of Dis, are collectively known as Upper Hell, as they are where the lesser sins are punished. With the appearance of the three infernal (9.38) Furies, who threaten to call on Medusa, Virgils credibility and Dantes survival appear to be at risk. Furies were often invoked in Virgils classical world to exact revenge on behalf of offended mortal and gods. Medusas hair was turned into snakes by an angry Minerva after Medusa made love with Neptune in the goddesss temple, and became too horrifying to look at without being turned to stone. Dante describes Medusa as the Queen of never-ending lamentation (9.44). The Furies names evil thought (Allecto), evil words (Tisiphone), and evil deeds (Magaera) (9.45-48) describe the three manifestations of sin, which can turn people to stone by making them obstinate cultivators of earthly things (Raffa 41). Heretics are punished inside the walls of Dis, in a spreading plain of lamentation and atrocious pain (Dante 9.110-111) resembling a cemetery. The sixth circle contains souls trapped and enclosed in fiery tombs for failing to believe in God and the afterlife. Since they did not believe in Hell, the Heretics are punished by being sealed away from it in the most unpleasant possible way inside a flaming sepulchre. Among the tombstones of the sixth circle, Dante encounters more Italian contemporaries. A pair of Epicurian Florentines are disocvered sharing a tomb: Farinata degli Uberti, a Ghibelline; and Cavalcante de Cavalcanti, a fellow Guelph and the father of Guido Cavalcanti, Dantes fellow poet and closest friend. Farinata is an imposing figure, rising out of his inflamed sepulchre from the waist up and seeming to have great contempt for Hell (10.31-36). As the leader of the Ghibellines, Farinata was an enemy to the Guelphs, the party of Dantes ancestors. Farinata declares that his colleagues would have annihilated Florence (10.92), had he not interceded forcefully, an act which has earned him Dantes respect. Cavalcante was an enemy to the Ghibellines, like Dante, and married his son Guido to Farinatas daughter in order to foster peace between the two parties. Dantes best friend, Guido Cavalcanti, was a poet who held the philosophical belief that love is a dark force which leads only to mis ery and death. Therefore, Cavalcantes appearance in Hell might be more a matter of guilt by association to his sons worldview than any kind of reflection on himself. The Minotaur is the guardian and mythological symbol for the seventh circle, Violence. At the sight of Dante and Virgil, the minotaur reacts like one whom fury devastates within (12.15), and his frenzied bucking allows the travellers to proceed unharmed. The Minotaur is a physical manifestation of violence in Inferno: almost every part of the Minotaurs story, from its creation to its demise, contains some form of violence (Raffa 55). The sinners in the seventh circle are divided into three groups: the violent against people and property, the violent against themselves, and the violent against God and nature (Dante 11.28-33). The first group comprised of assassins and murderers, among others are immersed in Phlegethon, a bloodred, boiling (12.101) river of blood and fire, up to a level commensurate with their sins (12.73-75). Because they committed such acts of bloodshed and destruction in their lives, they are punished by being immersed in a river of that which they have spilt. The second group the suicides are transformed into knotted, gnarled (13.5) thorny bushes and trees, which are fed upon by Harpies. These souls have given away their physical bodies through suicide, and are forced to maintain treelike forms. These suffering trees cannot speak until Dante accidentally injures one and causes it to bleed. Dante uses the soul-trees as a metaphor for the state of mind which leads to self-harm and suicide. Fi nally, the third group blasphemers and sodomites reside in a desert of sand, fire and brimstone falling from the sky. The blasphemers lie down upon the sand, the usurers recline, and the sodomites wander seemingly aimlessly in huddling groups, all while being burned by distended flakes of fire (14.28-29). This symbolizes how those who act violently against God and that which God has provided are perpetually unable to find peace and comfort in their lives. Among those immersed in Phlegethon is Alexander the Great, submerged up to his eyebrows in blood. He suffers for his reputation as a cruel, bloodthirsty man who inflicted great harm upon the world and its peoples. In the forest of suicides, Dante hears the tale of Pier delle Vigne, who killed himself after falling out of favour with Emperor Frederick II (Dante 13.64-69). Dante encounters his mentor, Brunetto Latini, among the sodomites. Surprised and touched by this encounter, Dante shows Brunetto great respect and admiration, thus refuting suggestions that the poet Dante placed only his enemies in Hell (15.43-45). The Centaurs are men from the waist up with the lower bodies of horses (Raffa 55) who guard the river Phlegethon. Thousands of centaurs patrol the bank of the river, using bows and arrows to keep damned souls submerged. In classical mythology, Centaurs are best known for their uncouth, violent behaviour. Chiron, leader of the Centaurs, enjoyed a favourable reputation as the sage tutor of both Hercules and Achilles. Pholus and Nessus the Centaurs assigned to escort Dante and Virgil have fully earned their negative reputations, however: Pholus who Virgil describes as full of rage (Dante 12.72) had been killed when a fight broke out during a wedding after he and his fellow centaurs attempted to carry off the bride and several other girls, and Nessus was killed by Hercules with a poison arrow for attempting to rape the heros wife, Deinira, after Hercules entrusted him with carrying her across a river (12.67-69). The penultimate circle as well as the most detailed is Fraud, which Dante describes as a place in Hell made all of stone the colour of crude iron (18.1-2). This circle is divided up into ten smaller pockets: panderers and seducers, flatterers, simonists, sorcerers, barrators, hypocrites, thieves, fraudulent advisers and evil councillors, sowers of discord, and falsifiers. Panderers (pimps) and seducers march eternally in opposite directions, lashed cruelly (18.36) by demons. Just as they used passion and seduction to bend others to their will, they are now themselves driven by hellish demons. Flatterers exploited other people using language, therefore, they are plunged in excrement (18.113), representing the false words they produced. Simonists payed for positions of power within the Catholic Church, and are placed upside-down into holes in the floor, with both soles [of their feet] on fire (9.25). The holes into which their heads are planted resemble baptismal fonts, used in sever al religious rituals a constant reminder of the corrupt nature of their former positions in the church. Sorcerers, astrologers, and false prophets have had their heads twisted toward their haunches (20.13) so that they can not see what is ahead of them. This symbolizes the twisted nature of magic in general specifically, it refers to the use of forbidden means to see into the future. Dante felt particularly unforgiving towards politicians after his exile from Florence, thus, corrupt politicians (barrators) are immersed in a stew of sticky pitch (21.8). Their punishment represents the sticky fingers, corrupt deals, and dark secrets inherent in positions of political power. The hypocrites listlessly walk with lagging steps, in circles, with features tired and defeated (23.59-60), wearing leaden cloaks, representing the falsity behind the appearance of their actions. This falsity literally weighs these souls down and renders any sort of progress impossible. The thieves are pursued an d attacked by lizards and snakes, their bites causing them to undergo various transformations (24-25). Just as they stole in life, their very human identity becomes subject to theft in Hell. Fraudulent advisers and evil councillors are encased within individual pyres. These individuals did not give false advice out of ignorance; rather, Dante refers to rhetoric [used] by talented people for insidious ends (Raffa 99). In life, they caused those whom they advised to do ill without dirtying their own hands now they are punished alone in their fires. The sowers of discord are hacked apart, their bodies dividing as in life they caused division among others. Their wounds are quickly healed, only to have themselves hacked apart again (Dante 28.139-142). Dante considers falsifiers (alchemists, counterfeiters, perjurers, and impersonators) a disease upon society, and their corrupting influence is reflected in their diseased bodies and minds (Raffa 99) in the tenth pouch. In the eighth circle, Dante meets a number of notably fraudulent individuals. Venedico Caccianemico, who sold his own sister to the Marchese dEste, is recognized among the pimps in the first pouch, despite his attempts to avoid detection (Dante 18.40-60). In the fifth ditch, the thief Vanni Fucci is burnt to ashes before being reincarnated; Agnel blends together with a reptilian Cianfa; and Buoso exchanges forms with Francesco. Vanni Fucci was a black Guelph from Pistoia, a town not far from rival Florence; Dante says he knew Vanni as a man of blood and anger (Dante 24.129). Agnel is thought to be Agnello Dei Brunelleschi, a man who joined the white Guelphs Dantes party but then switched to the black faction when they came to power. Both he and Cianfa are renowned for their thievery. Buoso stole while serving in public office, then arranged for Francesco de Cavalcanti to take over and steal on his behalf. In the eighth pit, Ulysses and Diomedes are condemned for the deception of th e Trojan Horse, luring Achilles into the war effort, and stealing a statue of Athena from Troy (26.58-63). Dante encounters the schismatic prophet Muhammad; the poet views Islam as an off-shoot from Christianity, and similarly condemns Ali, Muhammads son-in-law, for the schism between Sunni and Shiite Muslims (28.22-33). The Malebranche (Evil claws in Italian) are the devils of the fifth pocket of circle eight who bring to Hell the shades of corrupt political officials and employees. They are agile, smart, and fierce (Raffa 77), they are armed with long hooks, which they use to keep the shades under the surface of the black pitch (Dante 21.55-57). It is likely that the names Dante coined for individual demons (Bad Dog, Sneering Dragon, Curly Beard, etc.) are based on actual family names of civic leaders in Florence and the surrounding towns. The Giants physically connect circles eight and nine: standing on the floor of circle nine, they tower over the inner ledge of circle eight with the upper halve of their immense bodies. They are archetypal examples of defiant rebels: Nimrod, who attempted to build the Tower of Babel before it was knocked down by God and his people were scattered; Ephialtes, who fought against Jove and the other Olympian gods; and Antaeus, whose relationship with the titans who stormed Mt. Olympus damned him, despite the fact that he was born after his brothers had waged war against the gods. Nimrod has been punished by being forced to speak an incomprehensible language; that is, his language is as strange to others as theirs is to him. Ephialtes, like the rest of the titans who challenged the gods, is immobilized with heavy chains. Antaeus is not given any exceptional punishment, for he is only guilty by association. It is Antaeus who assists Virgil and Dante by lowering them down to the ninth circle , after being enticed by Virgil with the prospect of eternal fame upon Dantes return to the world (31.115-129). The final circle is Treachery, a frozen lake at the centre of Hell, which is divided into four Rounds: Ca?na, Antenora, Ptolomaea, and Judecca. In Ca?na, traitors to their kindred are immersed in ice up to their faces. In Antenora, traitors to political entities are located similarly in the ice. In Ptolomaea, traitors to their guests are punished, lying on their backs in the ice, with only their faces uncovered. In Judecca, the traitors to their lords and benefactors are completely encapsulated in ice, distorted in pain. In the first round of Treachery, Dante encounters Mordred, who attacked his uncle King Arthur and was pierced mortally by Arthurs lance (Dante 32.61-62). In the second round, Count Ugolino pauses from his ceaseless assault upon the head of his rival, Archbishop Ruggieri, to tell Dante how Ruggieri imprisoned and killed him with his children. This story, the longest single episode related by a damned soul in Inferno, serves as Dantes final dramatic representation of mankinds capacity for evil and cruelty. Fra Alberigo, who had his brother killed at a banquet, explains a key conceit of Dantes Inferno: sometimes, a soul falls into Hell before they have actually died. Their earthly bodies are possessed by demons, so what appears to be a walking, living man is actually beyond the point of repentance (33.134-147). Finally, Lucifer the emperor of the despondent kingdom (34.28) lies at the centre of the Inferno. As ugly as he once was beautiful (34.34-36), Lucifer is a wretched contrast with his limited autonomy and mobility. Lucifers three faces (black, yellow, and red) parody the doctrine of the Holy Trinity: three persons (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) in one divine nature the Divine Power, Highest Wisdom, and Primal Love which also created the gates of Hell, and, by extension, the entire realm of eternal damnation. His flapping wings generate the wind that keeps lake at the centre of Hell frozen, while his three mouths chew on the shade-bodies of the three archtraitors Judas, Brutus, and Cassius the gore mixing with tears gushing out of his three sets of eyes (34.53-57). Dantes Inferno heralded a revolution in Christian theology through its innovative use of poetic justice, historical and contemporary figures, and classical mythology. By combining these disparate elements into a single, cohesive poem, Dante effectively changed the way the Western world imagined the afterlife and Hell in particular. By focusing on the details of the scenes and the identities of those whom the fictional Dante converses with, Inferno illustrates a horrifyingly real and immediate vision of Hell, one which has persisted at least in some part to this day. By focusing on the personal journey of one man through the afterlife, the focus of the narrative is shifted onto the reader, who can easily identify with Dante as the first-person narrator. While the circumstances surrounding the creation of the Divine Comedy Dantes exile from Florence, his fall from political grace, and his eventual death soon after the completion of his magnum opus are rather tragic, they all contri bute to Dantes work in a way which colours the text and gives it a personality and passion which is still felt to this day. For seven hundred years, Inferno has elicited strong responses from its readers from fascination to revulsion and everything in between (Raffa 5). Regardless as to the readership, the response to Inferno has been, and will continue to be, anything but apathetic.

How Sweet It Isn’t: The Effects of Global Climate Change On the Maple Sugar Industry :: Essays Papers

How Sweet It Isn’t: The Effects of Global Climate Change On the Maple Sugar Industry Global climate change has been the topic of discussion these days in New England, where spring thaw seems to come earlier each year, prematurely driving hundreds of sugar bush operators from their cabins and into the thickets to tap the sweet nectar of the sugar maple. Times and temperatures are changing for these laborers, and the effects of global climate change on the maple sugar industry have not gone unnoticed. Much of the New England sugar industry has suffered from profit and production decrease, and poor sugar bush health, posing the threat that the tradition of maple sugaring in this region may become obsolete if warming trends continue as they are. The economic, social and ecological effects of global climate change are a cause for concern in New England, compromising the livelihood of an entire culture of loyal maple syrup lovers. The sugar maple (Acer sacharum) has been an icon of New England for centuries, made sacred by the Native Americans who first extracted the sugary lifeblood from the tree. It ignites fall flames throughout the mountains and valleys of New England startling even the most avid â€Å"leaf peepers†, and is a trademark of the landscape, kept under close watch by its neighbors. Throughout the past decade the sugar maple has experienced significant stress from environmental pollution such as acid rain, smog and increased levels of carbon dioxide. In addition to this, rising temperatures and extreme weather patterns have weakened the vitality and richness of the species in its native habitat (Rock, Barrett and Shannon Spencer, 2001). GRAPH The sugar maple is unquestionably the most preferred species for producing maple products, primarily because of their high sugar content. Sugar maple occurs naturally throughout most of the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada The vulnerability of the sugar maple to the effects of global climate change poses a risk not only for the trees, but also for many who make a living in the forest.

Athletes and Anabolic Steroids Essay -- Women Athletics Essays

Women Athletes and Anabolic Steroids I. Introduction Anabolic steroids have been around since the 1930s. While they started out solely for medical purposes, they have now become widely accepted for recreational endeavors and heightened athletic performance. Though highly accepted, they are still very illegal without a written prescription. While they have surpassed their medical uses and found their way into top athletes and body builders, they have also crossed the gender barrier. Men are not the only users anymore. More and more women have felt the effects of anabolic steroids and before you think they are the thing for you maybe you should read this first. I. What are Anabolic Steroids? Anabolic steroids are synthetic substances that mimic the male sex hormones known as androgens. This is where the true name anabolic-androgenic steroid is derived, but for familiarity purposes they are referred to only as anabolic steroids (no purely anabolic agent has ever been synthesized). Specifically, they are synthetically produced to act as the male hormone testosterone. Testosterone has a 17-carbon core, like its replication- the anabolic steroid, and is credited for the promotion of growth of skeletal muscles and the development of male sexual characteristics. It has both androgenic (masculinization) and anabolic (tissue-building) effects in the human body. Functions of testosterone include increased numbers of red blood cells, improved calcium deposition in the bones, muscle enlargement, increased body hair, thickening of vocal chords, and growth and development of the prostate gland (Hickson, Ball, Falduto; 1989). Women have naturally occurring testosterone already present in their bodies, but in such sm... ...g women rape victims. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 40, 273-277 Hickson, R.C., Ball, K.L., Falduto M.T. (1989) Adverse effects of anabolic steroids. Med Toxicol Adverse Drug Exp, 4, 254-271 Hughes, T.K. Jr., Rady, P.L., Smith, E.M. (1998) Potential for the effects of anabolic steroid abuse in the immune and neuroendocrine axis. Journal of Neuroimmunol, 83, 162-167 Malarkey, W.B., Strauss, R.H., Leizman, D.J., Liggett, M., Demers, L.M. (1991) Endocrine effects in female weight lifters who self-administer testosterone and anabolic steroids. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 165, 1385-1390 Strauss, R.H., Liggett, M.T., Lanese, R.R. (1985) Anabolic steroids use and perceived effects in ten weight-trained women athletes. JAMA, 253, 2871-2873 Wu, F.C. (1997) Endocrine aspects of anabolic steroids. Clinical Chemistry, 43, 1289-1292

Autism in the Media Essay -- Media Argumentative Persuasive Argument

Autism in the Media      Ã‚   "Weepinbell, w-e-e-p-i-n-b-e-l-l; Tentacool, t-e-n-t-a-c-o-o-l ; Geodude . . . ," yelled Connor. We were playing his favorite game - identify and spell the names of all 156 Pokà ªmon characters. Connor is a three-year-old boy I worked with as part of the SonRise therapy that his mother organized after he was diagnosed with autism. During my thrice-weekly Connor-directed playtime visits, I entered his world instead of making him enter mine and encouraged eye contact to strengthen Connor's connection with others.    I begin this critique of autism depiction in mass media relating my relationship with Connor because he informs my understanding of autism and colors my critique of media representations. For people who do not know autistic individuals personally, however, perceptions of autism have been shaped, by and large, by character depictions in a series of feature films over the last fifteen years, most notably Rain Man (1988), House of Cards (1993), and Molly (1999). I here examine these three films, each with an autistic main character, to evaluate the image of autism presented to the public and to discuss how that image has changed in the last fifteen years. However, before an analysis of the films, I will briefly overview autism as it is currently diagnosed and treated.    Autism is the label given to a set of behaviors summarized by the International Classification of Disease ICD-10 Handbook as1: 1. Impairment in reciprocal social interaction. 2. Impairment in verbal and non-verbal communication and in imaginative activity. 3. Markedly restricted variety in activities and interests.    Generally, autistic children are first identified by ... ...ons of autism over the last fifteen years reflect popular notions and hopes for cures to psychological disorders. Because mass media representations of autism reach a thousand fold the number of individuals who ready Psychology Review Today and other academic journals, films are an important source of information and a possible forum for advocacy and should be used as such.    Bibliography 1. Frith, U. 1989. Autism; Explaining the Enigma. Cambridge: Basil Blackwell. 2. Hobson, P. 1993. Autism and the Development of Mind. Hillsdale: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. 3. Mesibov, G., Lynn, A. and Klinger, L. 1997. Autism; Understanding the Disorder. New York: Plenum Press 4. Grandin, T. 1995. "An Inside View of Autism." http://www.autism.org/temple/inside.html Feature Films: Rain Man (1989) Molly (1999) House of Cards (1993)

Value Alignment: The Pepsi Company

Organizations need strategic planning to have better possibilities in achieving success. Part of creating a strategic plan that fit an organization is aligning its values with what the organization wants to accomplish and how is achieve. In this paper, Learning Team B uses the Pepsi Company as the organization of topic. Team B will discuss the evolution of personal values as well as the values at the workplace. Also the paper includes how the values of each individual affects actions and behaviors, the alignment of the Pepsi Company values with its plans and actions, and how our values as a team can be reflective in the Pepsi Company.Coke and Pepsi In a family setting, parents teach their children to value certain things whether it is physical or mental. You are taught the difference between what is right and what is wrong. To value something is to determine its worth or regard, such as a life or money and in business, the products and services rendered to the customers. Value expresses what is important to a person. Throughout life people use what they have learned in an effort to shape their communities, schools as well as social organizations creating an environment that has high hopes for a better way of living. Because of the amount of time people spend in the workplace, they should be responsible for setting the tone for the type of behavior displayed throughout the organization. Oftentimes, organizations are held responsible for setting the legal, moral, and ethical codes for the workplace when the employees determine how they will behave. Developing codes of business values and ethics are increasing in businesses and professional associations to ensure ethical standards are consistent throughout the business industry (Pearce & Robinson, 2009). Personal and workplace values should in many ways be the same. A person should value and display the same type of behavior in his personal and business lifestyles. The positive reputation a person demonstrates personally should be displayed as well in the professional arena. Businesses should value their customers, investors, and workers because these are the individuals who help grow organization and keep it competitive in its product market. Everyone has personal values. Those values can be very influential in their actions and behaviors. Some personal values can be excellence, improvement, credibility, individuality, responsibility, respect, loyalty, empathy, courage, wisdom, security, teamwork, and empowerment. There are many other personal values that can drive a person’s actions. Values can have an impact on how an individual make decisions, how he works, how someone reacts to problems, and what products he buys or uses. The Pepsi Company states, â€Å"Our Values & Philosophy are a reflection of the socially and environmentally responsible company we aspire to be. They are the foundation for every business decision we make† (PepsiCo, 2012). Pepsi makes it clear that their values reflectt their decision making. This is how individuals are as well. When a person has the values of loyalty, and respect he will be the type that will buy or use products from whom he knows are fair. This is what many companies strive to find within its customers. Knowing the customers values can be very helpful to a company. Pepsi Company alignment balances it values and its plans and actions. The Pepsi mission statement states â€Å"Our mission is to be the world’s premier consumer Products Company focused on convenient foods and beverages. We seek to produce financial rewards to investors as we provide opportunities for growth and enrichment to our employees, our business partners and the communities in which we operate. And in everything we do, we strive for honesty, fairness and integrity† (PepsiCo Inc. , 2012). As for the Pepsi vision statement states â€Å"PepsiCo responsibility is to continually improve all aspects of the world in which we operate environment, social, economic – creating a better tomorrow than today. † Because Pepsi has designed this statement for their company they stand behind it by offering tasting food nd beverage to its customers all over the world. Pepsi offers a great product but also its offer great opportunities for it employees, business owners, and the rest of the community. In order for Pepsi to meet these values and plans they put in place the guiding principles for their company as well. These six guiding principles are †¢ Care for our customers, our consumers, and the world we live in. †¢ Sell only products we can be proud of. †¢ Speak with truth and candor. †¢ Balance short term and long term. †¢ Win with diversity and inclusion. Respect others and succeed together. ( PepsiCo, 2012) Each of these principles is what makes Pepsi what it is today. Logistics and operations are core to PepsiCo’s success (PepsiCo. , 2012). Employees who share backgrounds, such as a military fit well at PepsiCo, a merit and performance based company with a focus on leadership and teams (PepsiCo Inc. 2012). Chad, one of our teammates can relate with that statement. Because of his prior service it speaks to him because he was a leader in the Army, and he has a level of respect for a company like PepsiCo. At the same time PepsiCo realizes that people are its greatest asset (Durkin, 2012). It is important to us that our personal and workplace values be closely connected to those of the company we work for. The values that PepsiCo strives for are the same values that were ingrained for Chad as a member of the United States Army. It is satisfying to work for a company whose values are aligned with those of an individual. Though our values are aligned, it is most imperative that those values are upheld in PepsiCo’s plans and actions and not just in their words or statements. PepsiCo must ensure to have leaders who hold individuals accountable to the values of the company. Individuals values can determine how actions will be perform. Values show how an individual personality is through his behavior. The Pepsi Company is one of the best in the beverage industry. Its products are popular but also the company values are exceptional. The Pepsi Company provides a great balance between its values, and the impact that causes to its employees and the community. All those are factors that support the creation of a strategic plan effective for the organization. References Durkin, Tom (2012). Profiles of PepsiCo JMO. Retrieved from: http://www.pepsico.com/Careers/Junior-Military-Officers/Profiles.html Pearce, J. A. II, & Robinson, R. B.,(2009). Strategic management: Formulation, implementation, and control. (11thed.). New York, NY. McGraw-Hill. PepsiCo Inc. (2012). Our Mission and Vision. Retrieved from: http://www.pepsico.com/Company/Our-Mission-and-Vision.html PepsiCo Inc. (2012). PepsiCo Values & Philosophy. Retrieved from http://www.pepsico.com/Company/PepsiCo-Values-and-Philosophy.html

A Report to Determine the Benefits of a Good Staff Welfare System

A REPORT TO deposit THE BENEFITS OF A GOOD STAFF upbeat SYSTEM BY MARK ROSS twenty-first October 2012 CONTENTS Introduction1 Executive Summary1 Staff social upbeat and organisational objectives1 Process for esteeming rung wellbeing2 Actions to be walk outn2 communication responsibilities for cater wellbeing3 Recording and maintaining ply eudaimonia systems4 Conclusion4 Bibliography4 i 1. INTRODUCTION 1. 1 This composition has been asked for by my manager to determine the benefits to the federation of good and well integrated rung eudaimonia system.Recent statistics produced by the companies Human Resources incision tell that the levels of unsoundness and absenteeism are intolerably high. 2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2. 1 This describe considers 5 main objectives Discuss the race between faculty welfare and organisational objectives. formulate the process for assessing round welfare. Identify the actions to be interpreted by the manager in visioning with a staff welfare Issue. Describe how to communicate responsibilities for staff welfare to then team. Discuss records that whitethorn be maintained to demonstrate that staff welfare is supported. . Discuss the relationship between staff welfare and organisational objectives. The relationship between staff welfare and organisational objectives brook be flock be a bit of a balancing act lone(prenominal) if on that point are many basic requirements we exclusively expect when we go to endure practiced working conditions / work environment (risk assessments carried out) resort from any kind of harassment e. g. bullying, sexual, racial. unspoilt employee relations with people being hardened with dignity and respect. Equal opportunities. Adequate noesis ableness into the party and ongoing culture.Some of these processs come at a cost and given the underway economic downturn many companies whitethorn want try and make cutbacks in certain areas namely ongoing training which can be exp ensive. If we are able to fancy our staff that we really fretfulness about there interests and personnel outgrowth it has been shown in studies to increase the overall looking at of well-being in the work place, this is prove to increase productivity and reduce pass judgment of unhealthiness and absenteeism which in-turn leads to a positive timbreing on bottom line profits. A study by Dr Kerstin Alfes of Kingston University moving in School found thatKeeping staff happy might not be a high priority for employers in the economic downturn. But a comprehend from Kingston University argues that a contented men can help an organisation to come and can even make the disparity between whether or not a struggling company survives the recession. 1 4. rationalize the process for assessing staff welfare. The process for assessing staff welfare can be achieved in some(prenominal) ways, all are found on an open and honest prey of communication from front-line staff up the ran ge of command using well delineate processs.Making the chain of command clear is in like manner very of the essence(predicate) so staff know the correct orgasm to take and who to contact with any given subject area/grievance. Here are some of the methods we before long progress to in place to assess staff welfare Surveys / Questionnaires. Suggestion Boxs (Anonymous). constant performance re ideas / appraisals. Near-miss and accident reporting. Back to work interviews. All these processs are based on getting an understanding of how the workforce shade at work and improvements that may be needed to make things run smoother. adept process our company hasnt yet substantial fully is a workplace direction scheme.This concept originated in the USA and looks at staff welfare not whole if in the work place but outside it too, it recognises that many problems affecting productivity and welfare are not only work related. This counselling must be confidential and empathetic to the personal require on the individual employee. 5. Identify the actions to be taken by the manager in dealing with a staff welfare bulge out. A manager may deal with staff welfare tax returns in the pursuit ways, closely assessing the information gathered during the treat of a staff welfare issue and as well as looking into other germane(predicate) information is one of the most important step.We need to get to the bottom of the issue and take a balanced view on all the concerns raised. Actions to be taken Following of policies and procedures that are in place. Meetings with those implicated with the specific staff welfare issue. bordering assessment of information gathered. These actions should lead to a good overall picture of the staff welfare issue and allow purpose to take the correct approach in rectifying or putting controlling measures in place to minimize the issue. Often policies and procedures may need to be updated to incorporate things we have learnt from indivi dual issues.This can be seen to be good management cock also as it shows our employees that as a company we are always open to persistent improvement. 2 6. Describe how to communicate responsibilities for staff welfare to the team. Staff welfare responsibilities can be communicated to staff via intelligence agencyletters regular coming upon appraisals Notice boards eg last accident/ contiguous miss currently our company collects info on accident reports/nears misses but it only used as a tool to pass onto higher management and isnt do freely available to staff, In anterior jobs this information has been made public knowledge and published on notice board.I feel this can be used as a good tool to show that were striving to reduce these figures, the same approach could also be taken with sickness and absenteeism. Publishing information such as days lost due to sickness and cost to the company in having to buckle under for overtime to cover time could show how important we take this issue. 7. Discuss records that may be maintained to demonstrate that staff welfare is supported. There are several ways in which records can be maintained to support staff welfare such as 8. Conclusion 9. Bibliography http//www. kingston. ac. uk/pressoffice/news/59/26-01-2010-a-happy-workforce-is-good-for-business. html