Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Reaction to Gender and Communication in Social Work Education

The differences of communication between male and female gender affect social work education when the 3 areas are concerned: training students for social work, interaction between staff members and interaction between students and faculty members. Communication is one very significant tool in the social work where teaching and developing of relations is concerned. This article explains gender difference from perspective of cross-culture. Men listen to act accordingly and women listen so that they could complete some missing scenario and ask more questions than men. Conversation topics are started by women though concluded finally by men. According to research, women interrupt more and generally males talk more. There are many biological†¦show more content†¦Education of social work can help to achieve it. Women are better off in interviewing and men are good at situations related to administration tasks. Where emotional conditions are involved, men need to develop appropriat e qualities since women already possess them. The courses of policy and management, on the other hand, could better teach women in informal conditions as that are when they are more verbal. A study conducted by Eakins and Eakins regarding different behavior of genders in a meeting showed that it is due to the rank that the differences were linked to, rather than gender. Men took most of the turns and spoke the most whereas women, low ranked, were interrupted the most but spoke less. Another study by Edelsky in 1981 showed that in an organized faculty meeting which involved taking turns, men were more contributing in all discussions whereas in an informal meeting, women were more verbal. According to research, there are many more males in senior and prominent positions in most of the fields of jobs and most women occupy low-rank positions, so the communication differences become more obvious. Therefore, it is according to the situation that women and men differ in communication or due to different cross-culture communication due to which different styles of culture are learnt from the very beginning. Moreover statistics by Lennon in 1994 show that male staff at graduate level was 29.2% and female staff wasShow MoreRelated Communication Patterns of Children During Conflict Essay examples1558 Words   |  7 Pagesis a part of life that children need to use to develop skills on resolving disagreements; conflict is not always bad. Peer conflict, however, can lead to aggressive behavior because of significant emotional and physical harm. Many youth lack the social skills needed to handle their aggravation. Peer conflict communicates joint disagreement or aggression between peers or peer groups. Peer conflict is characterized as conflict between people of equal or similar power also known as friends. TheseRead MoreMulticultural Conflict Can Have A Positive Or Negative Effect On Interpersonal Relations1610 Words   |  7 PagesCulture involves more than the language someone speaks, the food they eat, or the clothes they wear. Different cultural groups can also include nationalities, ethnicities, religions, sexual orientation, and gender. It is through being indifferent that often people with various multicultural differences may begin to experience conflict, as many people continue about their day-to-day activities without regard to the multicultural diversities around them. Intolerance, of course, leads to acts ofRead MoreCultural Sensitivity And The Therapeutic Relationship1361 Words   |  6 Pagesculture. Arnold and Boggs (2016) define culture as a complex social concept, which encompasses socially transmitted communication styles, family customs, political systems, and ethnic identity held by a particular group of people (p. 113). 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The result is a diverse American labor force representing a microcosm of our society - yet one that continues to struggle with its identity. Diversity as a social condition is not new to America. We were founded as a nation of DiversityRead MoreGender, Language, And Interpreting1581 Words   |  7 PagesGender, Language, and Interpreting A sociolinguist study states that communication works on several levels. Messages carry contextualization cues, such as pitch, intonation, and rhythm. Not to mention how word choice and ways of phasing information may affect the message (Tannen, 2005). In using discourse analysis, it has been shown that interpreters are participants within interactions. Interpreters are not invisible and are thus known to contribute to the interaction as communication cooperatorsRead MoreThe Constructions of Gender1094 Words   |  4 PagesConstructions of Gender Authors name Authors institutional affiliation Authors note Constructions of Gender There are many different ways that people understand what their culture prescribes as appropriate behavior for males and females. While there are a variety of ways that people are socialized and acculturated with respect to gender, mass media, in its various forms, is the primary way that people learn how to act as a girl or boy. Mass media is a powerful method of communication, entertainmentRead MoreAutism, Characteristics, And Educational Approaches When Working With An Autistic Individual1687 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction Nowadays, teachers are expected to work with a mixture of students, general education students and exceptional students. â€Å"The physical attributes and/or learning characteristics of exceptional children differ from the norm (either below or above) to such an extent that they require an individualized program of special education and related services to benefit from education† (Heward, 2005, p. 10). This paper will discuss autism, characteristics of autism, and educational approachesRead MoreIn Physical Education There Is A Wide Variety Of Students.1035 Words   |  5 PagesIn physical education there is a wide variety of students. There are the student athletes, student’s who have a moderate level of physical activity, student’s who may be self-conscious, student’s who are overweight, student’s that just don’t care about physical education or school at all. Educators have to find a way to for these students to interact and feel like phy sical education class is a class where everyone can succeed. The Cooperative Learning Model was designed to do just that. This model

Monday, December 23, 2019

Marie Antoinette (2006), Starring Kirsten Dunst, Jamie

Marie Antoinette (2006), starring Kirsten Dunst, Jamie Dornan and Jason Schwartzman, is a fictional movie biopic based on the life of famous French queen and one of the last monarchs before the French Revolution, Marie Antoinette, wife of King Louis XVI. The film’s director, Sofia Coppola, has revealed that she stylized the historical figures in such a way as to make them seem more humanised, and allow viewers to connect with the events, as well as admitting that she did not wish for the film to simply focus on historical fact, stating that â€Å"It is not a lesson of history. It is an interpretation documented, but carried by my desire for covering the subject differently.† Several critics have praised the film as being more of a satire than a†¦show more content†¦The following is an excerpt of Marie Antoinette’s letter to her mother after her wedding, which clearly states Marie’s happiness with France and her love for her husband: â€Å"What wa s really affecting was the tenderness and earnestness of the poor people, who, in spite of the taxes with which they are overwhelmed, were transported with joy at seeing us†¦ Before we withdrew we [Marie and Louis] kissed our hands to the people, which gave them great pleasure.† These letters also describe how Marie felt about the lower class peasants of France, who had treated her with welcome and kindness, before they had shown signs of eventually turning on her after she pushed the country further in debt. Overall, the inclusion of these letters in Marie Antoinette is an accurate representation of Marie’s feelings. Marie Antoinette continued to incur the ire of the French by her lavish lifestyle, which highlighted that the monarchy little understood the needs of their people. Whilst the peasants paid high taxes, Marie Antoinette threw extravagant parties, ordered a constant supply of expensive clothing and often gambled the French’s money away unsuccessfully. In the film, several montage scenes of Marie and other members of nobility accurately depict her attending parties, gambling and behaving in an inappropriate manner. This is an entirely accurate depiction of Marie’s lifestyle. The film also accurately represents that Marie Antoinette having a model farm built - Hameau de la

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Arthur Miller and the American Dream Free Essays

As Voltaire once said, â€Å"Each player must accept the cards life deals him or her: but once they are in hand, he or she alone must decide how to play the cards in order to win the game. † Similarly, my grandfather compares people to decks of cards. He believes that for each person, different cards are missing from the deck, accordingly giving each person different abilities. We will write a custom essay sample on Arthur Miller and the American Dream or any similar topic only for you Order Now In this example, fate is literally in the cards. Though an unsuccessful salesman, Willy Loman’s infallible belief in his dream shows that he never considered the salesman card was â€Å"missing† from his deck. The notion of the American dream falls back on the blind optimism and faith of Americans. In Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller, Willy Loman futilely chases the American dream, which is an unattainable, impossible fantasy to Miller, used to show the blind faith in Americans, and depicted as a character flaw rather than attribute in the protagonists of the play. To begin, the tone of the novel set by Arthur Miller is a critical and cynical attitude towards the idea of the American dream. A widely accepted definition of the American dream is the perception that through hard work, one can achieve a life of personal and material happiness. Moreover, the representation of the American dream in the play is at odds with the general belief that hard work generates success. Willy tells his sons, â€Å"Be liked and you will never want† (33). If this were actually the case, his hard work combined with being well-liked would have been the recipe for personal and materialistic happiness. Though Willy Loman is constantly working, his obsession with the superficial qualities of being liked contrasts with the more tenacious and rewarding understanding of the American dream. Miller shows us just how unbelieving he is in the American dream when he wrote the plot of Death of a Salesman, in which the protagonists chase unattainable desires. Through Miller’s critical take on the American dream, he is trying to portray that Americans are blindly faithful and optimistic; Miller openly criticized such a principle. Happy says on page 23, â€Å"You’re a poet, you know that Biff? You’re a—you’re an idealist! † Making Biff an idealistic, underachieving son of a daydreaming failure adds to the irony of the American dream in the play. Another example of the author’s perspective was the way in which Miller suggests that the idea of the American dream hinders people from enjoying the success they have already achieved, in Willy’s case, having a loving family. The Lomans were optimistic during situations where it was unwarranted; their expectant approach to failure and disappointment is more proof of Arthur Miller’s disapproval of the American Dream. Because Arthur Miller believed the American Dream was chased in vain, he portrayed it as a character flaw rather than an attribute in the protagonists in the play. Willy Loman, the protagonist (as well as his own antagonist), brought himself to his own demise when he could not discern his own life from his Dream. Miller’s antagonistic approach towards the various get-rich-quick dreams Biff, Happy, and Willy entertained also shined through at the impossibility of their execution. His hostility towards facets of the American mentality comes through in the self-destruction of Willy because of his all-consuming dream. For the same reason, Biff’s longing for the symbolically free West showed that Willy instilled his blind faith and materialistic desires in his son’s dream as well. Biff asked Happy with enthusiasm, â€Å"Listen why don’t you come out West with me? † (23). Although intending to come to terms with his own life, Biff’s longing for the West is glorified by his father’s undying faith in his own Dream. Biff and Willy Loman’s dependency on their fantasies show another, more negative, aspect to having dreams. Death of a Salesman is one of the foundational texts describing the American dream. Arthur Miller wrote the play in the mindset of an adversary to the American dream. Death of a Salesman displays Miller’s disapproval for the American dream and blind optimism, and displays chasing a dream as a weakness rather than a strength. In the play, Arthur Miller shows us that although it is important to teach of success, it is equally important to prepare for failure. In a game of cards, you can have all the strategy in the world, but fate is in the draw. How to cite Arthur Miller and the American Dream, Papers

Friday, December 6, 2019

Harmlet Claudius Essay Example For Students

Harmlet Claudius Essay Claudius and HamletClaudius Hamlet, would the inhumane and sick character please step forth. Upon reading the sampling of Hamlet criticisms in John Jumps Hamlet (Selections) I disagreed with a few of the critics, but my analysis was the most different from Wilson Knights interpretation. He labels Hamlet as a sick, cynical, and inhumane prince (Jump, 124) who vitiated a Denmark which was one of healthy and robust life, good-nature, humor, romantic strength, and welfare. In his book, The Wheel of Fire, he continues this line of thought to conclude that Claudius is a good and gentle king, enmeshed by the chain of causality linking him with his crime. And this chain he might, perhaps, have broken except for Hamlet (Jump, 125). Although Knights views of Hamlet and Claudius are almost the extreme opposite of my interpretation, I understand how he developed this interpretation. Hamlet becomes sick and cynical after the death of his father, whom he greatly admired, and the hasty remarriage of his mother to his uncle. Hamlet thinks his father was an excellent king, who loved his mother so much that he may might not beteem the winds of heaven/ Visit her face to roughly (I, ii, 140-141). However, his mother mourned for a little month and then she married a man who was no more like father/ Than to Hercules (I, ii, 153-152). These extraordinary events cause him to launch into a state of melancholy and depression in which he desires that this too too solid flesh would melt (I, ii, 129). In this melancholy, Hamlet loses becomes disenchanted with life, and to him the world seems weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable (I, ii, 133). Later in the most famous of his soliloquys, Hamlet contemplates committing suicide becau se he is troubled by the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune (III, i, 58). His disinterest for life, and his wishes for death are a definite indications of Hamlets sickness. Hamlets sickness is also shown through his strong relationship, bordering on obsession, with his mother. Throughout the play he constantly worries about her, and becomes angry when thinking of her relationship with Claudius. In his first soliloquy, Hamlet becomes enraged when he thinks about her incestuous sheet, and in frustration he makes the irrational generalization that, Frailty, thy name is woman! (I, ii, 146). In the closet scene, Hamlet treats his mother cruelly, and he accuses her of being involved in the plot to kill his father. Once again, he dwells on her enseamd bed/ Stewd in corruption (III, iv, 92-93). In his parting words to Gertrude, Hamlet instructs her to not let the bloat king tempt you again to his bed. (III, iv, 182). He is overly concerned with his mothers relationship with Claudius, and this is just a part of his complex sickness. Wilson Knight also claims that Hamlet is inhumane. This is clearly demonstrated through his relationship with the fair Ophelia. Hamlet originally professes his love for Ophelia during his visitations to her closet, and through the love letter which he writes to her. However, during the nunnery scene, when Ophelia tries to return Hamlets gifts, he retorts I never gave you aught, (III, i, 97) and he goes on to tell her, I loved you not (III, i, 119). Later in this scene he tells Ophelia that she should go to a nunnery. He viciously insults the women whom he said he loved, and this greatly disturbs her. During The Mousetrap, Hamlet once again has no regard for Ophelias feelings, and he mocks her by putting his head in her lap and bantering with her. Hamlet is also responsible for the death of Ophelias father, Polonius. In the closet scene, Hamlet mistook her father for the king, and he fatally stabbed him. Gertrude called this a rash and bloody deed (III, iii, 27). He later shows that h e has no remorse for this inhumane actions when he tells Claudius that Polonius is at supper?ot where he eats, but where he is eaten (IV, ii, 18-20). Hamlets harsh and cruel treatment of Ophelia and his murder of her father lead to the madness which eventually overtook her. She became distraught by Hamlets rejection and the death of her father. This madness caused her to commit suicide by jumping from the bridge. Therefore, Hamlet can be held responsible for her death. If he hadnt treated her in such a cruel manner, her life would not have ended so soon. Hamlet also reveals an inhumane and cynical side at the grave scene. When Laertes proclaims his love for Ophelia and his sorrow for her death, Hamlet rushes from his concealment and jumps into the grave after Laertes. Hamlet insults Laertes when he states, Forty thousand brothers/ Could not, with all their quantity of love,/ Make up my sum (V, i, 234-236). He is so cynical that he doubts that Laertes is sincere, even though there is no proof that Laertes is not being perfectly honest. His concern for his sister was shown when he gives her brotherly advice before he goes away. At the funeral when the priest implies that Ophelia should be buried in ground unsanctified have logd, (V, i, 239) Laertes protests, and he claims that Ophelia shall become a ministering angel (V, i, 251). Hamlet had no right to doubt Laertes and to challenge him at this time of great grief, but Hamlet has become so cynical that he has no regards for Laertes, and he intervenes and causes a fight. Wilson Knight also states that Denmark was place of healthy and robust life, good-nature, humour, romantic strength, and welfare (Jump, 125). The two clowns of act five, scene one display the general welfare of the state. The clowns, as in most Shakespearean plays, are symbols of the common people of the land. When we first encounter the clowns they are discussing the circumstances of Ophelias death, but they soon begin to joke with each other in a merry fashion, and the First Clown tells the Second Clown a joke. Later in the scene, the First Clown engages into his work and he sings an amusing song. This indicates that the common people are relatively satisfied, and they are in the position where they can appreciate humor and find some enjoyment from their lives. Christopher Columbus2 EssayAnother point to counter Knights claim that Hamlet is inhumane is the Princes relationship with the scholar Horatio. Horatio is Hamlets friend from Wittenberg who comes to Elsinore to see Old Hamlets funeral. He is a noble stoic who is by far the most pure character in the play. Horatio is one of the few characters who never tries to deceive anyone, and who doesnt get involved in any crooked plots. Before the Mousetrap, Hamlet calls Horatio as just a man/ As eer conversation copd withal (III, ii, 55-56). This connection between Hamlet and Horatio is so strong that at the end of the play when Hamlet is dying, Horatio is moved to attempt suicide because he is more an antique Roman than a Dane (V, ii, 345). The strong connection between Horatio and Hamlet is important because the pure and wise Horatio would not associate himself with a a sick, cynical, and inhumane prince. This is further evidence which casts doubt upon Knights analysis of Hamlet. Wilson Knight also suggests that the state of Denmark is one of healthy and robust life, good-nature, humor, romantic strength, and welfare. (Jump, 125). However, there are a great deal of textual evidence which indicates that this is an incorrect conclusion. When Bernardo and Francisco are keeping guard, Francisco notes that tis bitter cold,/ And I am sick at heart (I, i, 7-8). The guards are representative of the common people of Denmark, and his comment can be interpreted that the entire state of Denmark is sick at heart due to the recent death of Old Hamlet and Claudius ascension to the thrown. Upon seeing the ghost of Old Hamlet, Horatio comments, This bodes some strange eruption to our state (I, i, 69). Even the scholar who was hesitant to believe in ghosts is now convinced that Denmark is headed for trouble. After the ghost makes his second appearance, Marcellus notes, Something is rotten in the state of Denmark (I, iv, 90). Theses observations in the first act are clear indic ations that Denmark has transformed into a state of chaos. The most glaring weakness of Wilson Knights interpretation of Hamlet is his conclusion that Claudius is a good and gentle king, enmeshed by the chain of causality linking him with his crime (Jump, 125). Knight dismisses the murder of Old Hamlet too easily. As John Jump states, Claudius was no impulsive offender, suddenly acting our of character. He deliberately and treacherously poisoned his mistresss husband, a man who was his brother and his king (Jump, 125). Claudius is saddled with the responsibility for the murder of Old Hamlet, but he does not even consider repenting until the he realizes that Hamlet is planning to seek revenge. However, when he thinks about repent, he wonders May one be pardond and retain the offence? (III, iii, 67). Claudius sees the benefits of repenting, yet he does not want to give up the prizes of his sin. Ultimately, Claudius rises and his thoughts remain below even though his words fly up (III, iii, 98-99). The King is unable to repent because his praye rs are insincere. Is this a good and gentle king? Not only is Claudius unable to repent, but throughout the play he is extremely manipulative of many of the other characters. When Laertes challenges that Claudius is responsible for the madness of his sister and the death of his father, Claudius deftly avoids the situation, and he forms an alliance with Laertes. Claudius suggests that Laertes uses, A sword unbated, and, in a pass of practice/ Requite for your father (IV, vii, 137-138). Cladius further thickens the plot by adding that he will prepare a chalice for the nonce, where on but sipping/ If he by chance escapes venomd stuck,/ purpose may hold there (IV, vii, 159-161). Claudius engineers this vicious plot, and it results in the death of Laertes, Hamlet, and Gertrude. During his reign the kind and gentle King concocted a plot which resulted in the death of three members of the Danish royalty, he murdered his brother, the former King of Denmark, and entered into an incestuous relationship with his brothers wife. While constructing Wilson Knights argument, I gained a full understanding of how he derived his interpretation of the play, and I began to support his interpretation. However, as I began to deconstruct his argument, I realized that there are many weaknesses to his interpretation, and I realized the strengths of my interpretation. This is the challenge of literature. It can be interpreted in so many different manners, and at times the vastly different interpretations can greatly confuse students. It is the students responsibility to take criticisms into consideration, but to derive their own unique interpretation based upon their studies. Shakespeare Essays

Friday, November 29, 2019

Top 5 Reading Tips to Finish a Book Every Day

Every successful person spares some time each day to learn something new and the best way to do this is to read a book. This habit should not be limited only to the school years but in every stage of life one should continue book reading. Remember, a book makes you a better thinker, teacher, leader and most importantly better human. You can say to others please help me write an essay but you can’t say please help me finish a book a day because you have to do it on your own. You have an entire year to finish a book but how good it would be if you could finish a book in a month or even in a day? Seems challenging? Yes it is but we can give you some general tips for speedy reading which will definitely help you finish a book in a day or two.    1: Get Rid of Distraction While Reading When you start reading a book, you must get rid of distraction because this could be your worst enemy as you can’t concentrate. Distraction can be caused by anything like baseless sounds, children with toys, constant notifications on your Smartphone, your friends or even your pets. It simply means you need to find a location where nothing can distract you such as your bedroom, backyard of your house, a park where not too many people visit etc. Some useful speed reading tips are: Keep your books, highlighter, pens and notebook with you Think of having a reading partner with you Keep snacks and water with you and take when feel hungry Avoid listening loud music or your favorite songs as they could distract you Don’t get discouraged or slip from the current topic Don’t panic even if you are reading thrills or horror    2: Listen to the White Noises to Stay Focused Do you know what white noise is? Well, it is a kind of noise which can be produced by mixing sounds from variety of frequencies. We normally hear a large number of sounds and sometimes we don’t even know what they are but when we get them together, we produce white noise and the same white noise can be a great reading help for you especially when you are trying to finish your book in a day.   While you are reading a book, you can use a headphone to listen to the white noises and you will be surprised to see how effective it could be to focus on reading. Some of the places where you can find best white noises are: YouTube Sound cloud MyNoise CalmSound    3: Don’t Let Your Enthusiasm Blow Away When you have to spend too much of your time on a specific task, sometimes, you get mentally tired and your enthusiasm blows away which means you are a dead reader and of course, you would not like to do it. The most effective way to keep your enthusiastic level high is to take small breaks between two reading sessions. If the book that you are reading is interesting and attention grabbing, you will not lose your reading tempo or else you will soon get sick of it. Therefore, you should take small breaks such as having snacks, listening one of your favorite song or looking outside the window for few minutes. But you must not lose your track as you have to read a lot more than you have already done so you must be focused on your target.    4: Give a Try to eBooks for Uninterrupted Reading A large number of people use Facebook, Instagram or other social networking sites in their Smartphone just to pass free time BUT if you wish to take maximum advantage of your time, you would rather read a book either in physical form, soft version or even online. If you are reading a book, you must take it with you wherever you go because you can read online or offline whenever you have free time. If you are traveling in a train, waiting for your bus, standing in a long queue outside the bank to pay your utility bills, you can always read your current book. Some of the best online book reading sites is: eBooks.Com  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Here you can find thousands of fiction and nonfiction books in all popular subjects. GoodReads.com  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ A huge collection of books from popular authors are available to read BookTopia.com  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Another great source to get access to thousands of eBooks, auditobook, DVDs and Magazines. Amazon Kindle Books –  You can also get access Amazon Kindle Books to get amazing reading experience.    5: Try an Audiobook. If you are always moving and don’t have time to stop and read a book, you can use an auditobook as a great alternative to the physical books. The greatest advantage of using audiobooks is that you can do multitasking such as doing your office work, cleaning your room, cooking your lunch or even taking exercise while at the same time listening to an audiobook. Though, it might seem to be a little slower than traditional reading way because sometimes the narrator is slower, yet it could be a great way to do multiple tasks simultaneously.   This new way of gaining tons of information has left the traditional way of reading behind. In fact, you can finish even more books in less time. Some of the best places where you can find audiobooks are: AudioBooks.com Amazon.com Audible.com

Monday, November 25, 2019

Free Essays on Journey To The Land Of Emeralds

The Journey to the Land of Emeralds In order for an author to create a successful piece of children’s literature they must first understand the important aspects of literature that is targeted specifically for children and why those aspects are key. The hero of the story is usually a child (or sometimes an animal) who is on a journey in search of something and the parents are not in the picture for various reasons. These aspects, along with many others, are included so that the piece of literature will appeal to the child and they will be able to connect with the characters. The significance of the journey varies depending on the author’s intentions for the novel and rather they want to add a didactic element to the story or not. Although L. Frank Baum stated in his introduction to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz that the story was â€Å"written solely to pleasure children† of the time, he uses the journey to the city of emeralds as a way to show the growth of each of the four traveling characters (p x ix). The heroin, Dorothy, begins her journey and picks up each of the other three characters at certain times during her journey while she learns the importance of home and family. The beginning of the novel has Dorothy in the very gray and laugh-less prairie of Kansas where she is an orphan living on a farm with her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry, as well as her pet dog Toto. One day her house is swept away in a tornado while Dorothy and Toto were trapped inside due to a failed attempt to reach the cellar in time. The house finally comes to land among the very colorful and lively land of the Munchkins within the Land of Oz where Dorothy soon realizes she is far away from home and doesn’t now how to get back. The rest of her journey is spent trying to get back to Kansas, back to her family. Although the Land of Oz is so great in comparison to the bleakness of Kansas, Dorothy does not wish to remain in Oz. In response to a questions as ... Free Essays on Journey To The Land Of Emeralds Free Essays on Journey To The Land Of Emeralds The Journey to the Land of Emeralds In order for an author to create a successful piece of children’s literature they must first understand the important aspects of literature that is targeted specifically for children and why those aspects are key. The hero of the story is usually a child (or sometimes an animal) who is on a journey in search of something and the parents are not in the picture for various reasons. These aspects, along with many others, are included so that the piece of literature will appeal to the child and they will be able to connect with the characters. The significance of the journey varies depending on the author’s intentions for the novel and rather they want to add a didactic element to the story or not. Although L. Frank Baum stated in his introduction to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz that the story was â€Å"written solely to pleasure children† of the time, he uses the journey to the city of emeralds as a way to show the growth of each of the four traveling characters (p x ix). The heroin, Dorothy, begins her journey and picks up each of the other three characters at certain times during her journey while she learns the importance of home and family. The beginning of the novel has Dorothy in the very gray and laugh-less prairie of Kansas where she is an orphan living on a farm with her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry, as well as her pet dog Toto. One day her house is swept away in a tornado while Dorothy and Toto were trapped inside due to a failed attempt to reach the cellar in time. The house finally comes to land among the very colorful and lively land of the Munchkins within the Land of Oz where Dorothy soon realizes she is far away from home and doesn’t now how to get back. The rest of her journey is spent trying to get back to Kansas, back to her family. Although the Land of Oz is so great in comparison to the bleakness of Kansas, Dorothy does not wish to remain in Oz. In response to a questions as ...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Evaluate feyerabend's argument that society needs to be defended Essay

Evaluate feyerabend's argument that society needs to be defended against science. to what extent does science deserve the specia - Essay Example In these two books, he expresses and defends his ideas on the nature of scientific methods, concluding that there are no ground rules on governing scientific methods. He opposed the idea of having a single rigid scientific process to which all scientific research is carried out with the argument that this would make science predictable thus denying it the opportunity to evolve (Feyerabend 2000). In this study, Feyerabend shows that new findings in science, on which theories are later founded, have enormous influence from past events, theoriesand facts. Scientists researching in a new area of study do not only apply old scientific methods in fresh observations but they also observe the field under study under the mental influence of old theories and already existing facts. To this effect, much of their findings will be subjected towards what they already know in this field, such that their new work appears to marchnew observations to old facts and while improving them to come up with new theories. This process shows high levels of falsification in science, where scientists will do anything to defend their theories and ensure that they fit in with significant facts to avoid dismissal (Feyerabend 2000).With these and other arguments, Feyerabend uses philosophical facts and methods to show reasons why the society should be defended from science. This paper evaluates Feyerabend’s argument that the society should be protected from science, and the degree to which science warrant the special epistemic status it enjoys. The paper achieves its aim by looking at science and society, and then narrows down to the effect of science on eduation and religion. Through this, this essay will cover the need of protecting the society from science and the significance of science in such areas, which warrant its use in them. Science and Society- Scientific Methods Feyerabend developed an anarchistic philosophy of science. Anarchism is a political philosophy in which all forms of state authority are viewed as undesirable and unnecessary. Anarchists advocate for a free society that is based on voluntary participation in activities, and freedom of association between individuals and groups. Anarchism involves opposing the influence of authority and hierarchies that affect human interaction within a society within a state. These societies advocate for a society with no hierarchies and have no influence from state institutions. Feyerand advocated for separation of the state from science in the same manner that religion is detached from the state in the modern world (Feyerabend 2000). He envisioned a society where all traditions have equivalent treatment with equal privileges in accessing attention and central power. The period of the late 90’s was when science was honourable and viewed as a great privilege. Scientific facts were treated with great reverence to the point where individuals sacrifices their traditional and cultural believes Feyerand thou ght that too much credit was given to science in a situation where the society was not fully equipped with enough information and facts on the true nature of science. The society was therefore, exposed to science without proper information on the traditions, theories and functionalities of science. This was done since it was a new

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Affirmative action Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Affirmative action - Research Paper Example its volatile history of 48 years, affirmative action has been both appreciated for better economic opportunities to minorities and scorned at for injustice to the majority community in the name of compensating minorities. The term â€Å"Affirmative Action† was first used by President Kennedy in 1961 for correcting discrimination that prevailed although civil rights laws and constitutional guarantees were in force. The issue resurfaced in a major way in 2003 when the Supreme Court awarded a decision related to affirmative action in universities permitting education institutions to factor race in admissions not to be used mechanically and conservatively. The decision of the highest court has been applauded by one and all. We just cannot ignore the importance of such actions as they impact the whole fabric of society and international community (Brunner, Affirmative Action History). Let’s analyze the contents of the court ruling and identify the issues at stake. The ruling allowed race to be used a criterion to decide university admissions but there was a very thin line of difference in the judges’ opinion on not taking the benefit seamlessly. In two different but parallel cases, Grutter v. Bollinger (case no. 02-0241) involving the University of Michigans law school, the judges voted 5-4 to continue the University of Michigan’s law school affirmative action policy, which advocates minorities cause; and Gratz v. Bollinger (no. 02-0516) involving the undergraduate program, wherein the judges voted 6-3 to expunge the affirmative action policy for undergraduate admissions by giving 20 points to blacks, Hispanics and Native Americans on an admissions rating scale (CNN, 2003). In the case of Grutter v. Bollinger of the university law school wherein Barbara Grutter, a white, couldn’t get admission in 1996 because African-Americans and ethnic minorities had the benefit of point system over the white. In the other case, the court decided against the policy of giving

Monday, November 18, 2019

Book Review of In Labor's Cause Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Book Review of In Labor's Cause - Essay Example In his book "In Labor's Law "Brody's use of comparative analysis and his careful delineation of the unenviable choices facing workers are an important contribution to the rekindled debate over American exceptionalism. The opening two essays (Time and Work during American Industrialism and The Course of American Politics) demonstrate the strengths of the collection well. From the demands of Philadelphia carpenters in 1791 for the ten hour day "They will work from six to six-how absurd!", so remarked the Federal Gazette, for the workers' first collective demand for the ten hour day, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. with two hours off for breakfast and dinner for which there is a record in American history, to the precipitous decline of the UMWA in the 1970s, Brody applies his wit and intelligence to the peculiarities of American labor developments. These extended essays discuss central questions in the field of labor rights from the colonial period to the present. A pioneer in the evolution of the new labor history David Brody has remained loyal to the traditional consents of labor scholarship-the trade union as an institution, the worker-employer relationship, the role of the state- while displaying a keen sensitivity to the broad historical and cultural context in which these developments occurred. In the third and forth essay Brody discusses about shaping the labor movement and the market unionism in America. Brody writes about the U.S. Communist party and their vital role played in organizing workers at a variety of such large firms as General Electric, Allis-Chalmers, and Ford and in the subways of New York City and on the docks of the Pacific Coast. Most Reds stuck to the hard business of building unions for representing workers' rights, and in this process, distinguished themselves as advocates of racial and gender equa lity in a movement that had historically known neither. The influence of Communists in unions became a flagrant liability only with the onset of the Cold War, and it bred mistrust among rank-and-filers during World War II when Communist party labor officials became the most stalwart enforcers of the no-strike pledge. That certainly did not mean that labor leaders ought to have endorsed and abetted nearly every pillar of U.S. policy during the Cold War. Workers were far better off in the capitalist welfare states of Western Europe than in the Socialist beggar regimes of the Soviet block, and U.S. labor officials played a small but useful part in ensuring that the former did not succumb to the latter. But the labor hierarchy under George Meany and his disciples spent far too much time and prestige on even the more defensible aspects of their foreign policy while labors strength at home slowly eroded. And their covert actions in the Third World all but destroyed the idealistic, democra tic reputation American unionism had build up both abroad and at home during its glory days of the 1930s and 1940s. One result was that few liberal or radical activists in the swelling movements of the 1960s took seriously organized labor's claims that it was an agent of social change. For the first time in history

Saturday, November 16, 2019

The Meaning And Purpose Of Life Religion Essay

The Meaning And Purpose Of Life Religion Essay First of all life is the mostly cherished thing in the world, if we can call it a thing, as everything that people have, everything that they feel and experience is life itself. Questions like what is the meaning and the purpose of life are really hard to answer straight away; it takes time to think about it. Moreover it really has been the single ultimate question from the creation of earth and mankind. Every person for a moment or two in his life had to think what is the meaning and purpose of life, why am I here? I think that it is hard for people to believe in any kind of purpose that we have in our lives, as people dont believe in eternal life, why should they believe in the purpose of life? It is true that when a person is young and full of energy he doesnt really bother of thinking about the purpose of life, and what will happen to him after his death, because he forgets about it completely. As people grow older they think of their life more and more, of what they have already done, and what is still missing. Nobody wants to live an empty life, without reaching any goals, something that we would be proud in the end of our life. If people have a purpose of life, they have something that they want to achieve and reach, so it makes the life that much interesting and fuller. It can also show the way how to live for people, serve as a guide in the labyrinth of life. Like the great ancient Roman stoic philosopher Lucius Annaeus Seneca said: Our plans miscarry because they have no aim. When a ma n does not know what harbor he is making for, no wind is the right wind. http://quotationsbook.com/quote/17170/ The great philosopher had a great point there, as people do need to have an aim to have some kind of a target for their life, to reach something. Another important fact of the purpose of life is religious and spiritual side of peoples lives. All in all it was God almighty that created the Earth and mankind, so religion and belief must exist and take a very important part in a persons life. If there were no Creator, if humans were just products and results of an ordinary system, as many in the world today assert, there would be no purpose in life. Each individual human being would strive simply to live their life with as much pleasure and as little pain and suffering as possible. Life should be seen as an eternal process of an endless spiritual discovery and growth: in the beginning stages of earthly life, the individual undergoes a period of training and education which, if it is successful, gives that person the basic intellectual and spiritual tools necessary for living his life successfully. When individuals attain physical maturity in adulthood, they become responsible for their further progress, which now depends entirely their own efforts and skills. Through the daily struggles of material existence, people gradually deepen their understanding of the spiritual principles underlying reality, and this helps them to relate more effectively to themselves, to others, and to God. http://www.allaboutworldview.org/Meaning-Of-Life.htm Yet, different people have different purpose of life. Ones think that self-realization is the purpose of life, others think that it is memories that you leave after you die, and another group of people think that consuming and pleasure is the main purpose and goal of their life. There are still more things on the list of what do people include in the purpose of life, but some are really mistaken. Life can be compared to a school as people always learn in it, and come to this school to educate their souls. And some make an emphasis on the fun and games just like children do, while others put all their attention on the studying, and the meaning of life is so much clearer for them. Education of the soul consists of clear life-style, striving to help others, to reach the set goals, and live in harmony with God, so that people would have as little regrets for himself near the end of his life as possible. Of course we all know, there is no such thing as an ideal life, an all people make mi stakes, and think about the past, wanting to change a lot of things. But that is life, and you have to move on, perhaps trying to make up for the mistakes made in the past by good deeds in the future. http://www.allaboutworldview.org/Meaning-Of-Life.htm But how to rate a life, did people achieve their goal to reach the purpose of their life? The only time that a person can think back on all his deeds, and not do anything more is the moment before his death. The meaning of an activity is graded by the result of the activity itself. That same thing can be said about our life, which meaning we can view after death. If we are lost in our life, and cant find the meaning and purpose of it, we can take a completely different perspective-death. We can look at our life if we would be gone now, that of course sounds creepy but it might open our eyes on many things that are there, and need to be done before we go. As for me, I am still young and questions like purpose of life, death and so on dont really bother me that much. But I do set clear goals for my life, putting them into priorities, from important to less important. And although it is very hard, but I try to put fun into a small box, that needs to be open vary rarely, only after the big boxes are emptied.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Euthanasia Essay - The Controversial Issue of Doctor-Assisted Suicide

The Controversial Issue of Doctor-Assisted Suicide      Ã‚   Imagine youu have just found out you are going to die within three months. Recently the questions have been changed form, "What am I going to do with the rest of my life?" to "When should I kill myself"?   With painful and crippling diseases such as AIDS and cancer, and Alzheimers along with doctors such as Dr. Kavorkian, some people are choosing death over life.   Doctor assisted suicide has been a very controversial subject in the past few years.   Some states such as Oregon have passed laws which allow doctors to prescribe lethal drugs to patients who have less then six months to live.(Henin 1)   Other state have taken the opposite side.   I believe that if you are able to reason and think rationally you should decide whether to live or dir.   If not the people who know you best should make the decision.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   If you are ever in a situation where you now you wil soon die the choice whether or not to kill youself should be your own.   I believe that doctorassisted suicide should not be controlled by the government, but should be apersonal choice based on the individual.   Many people could not imagine living in a hospital bed for the remainder of their lives.   They would rather die with dignity than live out the rest of their lives depandant on others.   The government thinks that they know what is best for the people. If everyone is an individuall, how can the government know what is best for everyone.   I feel that people shold make up thir own minds about what is best for them.   Joshua Haney worote an article on assisted suicide.   He says, "Everyday we make choices tha... ...rite,s "We all di.   Death is a part of life. Death is inevitable.   Why should each of us not have the right to choose when and how we did; and if we are in no position to do so, why shoulld those who know us best not be allowed to help? Why is it considered acceptable for sospital staff to indefinitely postpone death with machines and tubes and potent toxic pharmaceuticals, and not to help people go easily when their time has come?   Wher is the humanity in all this? (Kushner 3)          BIBLIOGRAPHY    Haney, Joshua, "RE: Assisted Suicide,"  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   www.yahoo.com 4/16/96    A. Wilkie Kushner, MB-Reprinted from Letters to the Editor, Gobe & Mail  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   www.yahoo.com    Hendin, Herbert, MD, Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia:   Oregon Tries the Dutch Way,  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Wellness Web, The Patient's Network, www.yahoo.com

Monday, November 11, 2019

An Overview of the Life of John Kennedy

John F. Kennedy was one of the most liked and dedicated presidents of the United States of America. His presidency ran The second of nine children, John Fitzgerald Kennedy was born in a three story wooden house on May 29, 1917; in Brooklyn, Massachusetts. His parents were Joseph P. Kennedy and Rose Joseph Kennedy intended for his sons to receive the finest private school education possible. Johns education started at a private Dexter school in Brookline. During fourth, fifth, and sixth grades John enrolled at Riverdale Country Day School. At the age of thirteen, John entered the Canterbury School in Milford, Connecticut. The spring of 1931, John suffered an attack of appendicitis. He had to stay home and rest for the remainder of the school year. Kennedy†s† parents decided to hire a tutor to help him catch-up during the summer. John passed Math, English, and Latin. When he finally recovered completely, he entered Choate, a fine prep school in Wallingford, Connecticut. When John graduated from Choate, in 1935, he planned to study for a year at Londons School of Economics. Then at eighteen years old, John came down with an illness called Jaundice. In the fall, John joined his friends, Lem Billings and Rip Horton at Princeton University. He later had another attack of Jaundice that forced him to miss school for one semester. Johns father then encouraged his son to enter Harvard University in the fall of 1936. John graduated from Harvard in 1940, with a degree in Political Science. He then entered Stanford University in California. While there he studied Economics and tried his hand at writing. During this time, the war was raging in Europe. John decided to enlist in the Navy on September 22, 1941. He served four years and was ischarged when the war ended in 1945. At 28 years of age, he was heading for a successful career as a newspaperman. His father began pushing him towards another career— Politics — He believed that since Johns older brother was dead, that it was his responsibility to run On January 3, 1947, John took the oath of office as a US Congressman. Later, in 1952, Kennedy decided to run for United States Senate. In 1953†¦. Kennedy decided to marry and wed Jacqueline Lee Bouvier. He was 36 and she was just 24 when they were married in a Roman Catholic ceremony. Later that year, John began suffering terrible back pain. In 1955, he underwent surgery to repair a spinal injury. While recuperating, he wrote a book called, Profile in Courage The book was about American Political leaders who defied the publics opinion to vote according to their consciences. For this work, he received the Pulitzer Prize. He then returned to his political career. Although John barely lost the Democratic Vice-presidential nomination in 1956, his overwhelming re-election as Senator in 1958 helped him towards his goal of becoming a Presidential Candidate. In 1960 John Fitzgerald Kennedy became President of the United States. At 43 years of age, he was the youngest man to ever hold this title. On November 22, 1963 John was 46 years old and just ending his third year as President. He was just planning his campaign to run for a second term as President. On this date, John and his wife, Jackie, flew to Texas to take part in his political tour. After there arrival, they got into the back of an open limousine with Texas Governor, John B. Connally and his wife. About 12:30 Mrs. Connally remarked, â€Å"you certainly can†t say that the people f Dallas haven†t given you a nice welcome,† as people lined up everywhere. Before Kennedy could respond, a shot was fired. From a sixth-floor window. a sudden rifle shot rang out, fatally wounding the president, a second shot hit the Governor, and a third shot struck Kennedy in the back of the head, causing his death. At one p. m. , that same day, reporters rushed from the hospital to spread the horrible news. As a victim of assassination— the President of the United States was dead. The whole country mourned the death of J. F. K. Those who knew him or knew of him will forever remember this wonderful man.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Potential Energy Definition and Formula

Potential Energy Definition and Formula Potential energy is that energy which an object has because of its position. It is called potential energy because it has the potential to be converted into other forms of energy, such as kinetic energy. Potential energy is usually denoted by the capital letter U in equations or sometimes by PE. Potential energy may also refer other forms of stored energy, such as energy from net electrical charge, chemical bonds,  or internal stresses. Potential Energy Examples A ball resting on top of a table has potential energy. This is called gravitational potential energy because its energy the object gains from its vertical position. The more massive an object is, the greater its gravitational potential energy. A drawn bow and a compressed spring also have potential energy. This is elastic potential energy, which results from stretching or compressing an object. For elastic materials, increasing the amount of stretch raises the amount of stored energy. Springs have energy when stretched or compressed. Chemical bonds may also have potential energy, as electrons can move closer or further away from atoms. In an electrical system, potential energy is expressed as voltage. Potential Energy Equations If you lift a  mass  m  by  h  meters, its  potential energy  will be  mgh, where  g  is the acceleration due to gravity. PE mgh For a spring, potential energy is calculated based on Hookes Law, where the force is proportional to the length of stretch or compression (x) and the spring constant (k): F kx Which leads to the equation for elastic potential energy: PE 0.5kx2

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

why canada should legalize pot essays

why canada should legalize pot essays Canadian society has always been raised on the fact that marijuana is evil. It is an outlawed drug only for dropouts, criminals and life failures, with no economic value or reasons for its existence. Recently in Canada, the issue of legalizing this so called gateway drug is being seriously taken into consideration and debated upon by the countries leaders. Canadians began to change their perspective of this plant as they become more informed of its benefits to society. Over the last decade many conservative citizens would never waste their time fighting for the legalization of marijuana but now it is as if Canadians believe this drug is no longer a threat but more a boost to society, and the consequences relating to marijuana are too harsh. Marijuana is an illegal substance and however it could benefit Canadian society if it was legalized. When Canada entered confederation in 1867 marijuana was a legal substance. It was not until the 1923 Opium and Drug act was signed that Canada was a marijuana free country. Throughout the next seventy-seven years this plant was being illegally smoked by many citizens while scientists underwent the studies of its positive characteristics. They discovered that the main chemical in the cannabis plant was THC. THC acts as a medication or treatment for many illnesses. In 2000 Canadians argued the Federal Court over the legalization of marijuana for medicinal purposes and won. It was legalized for medicinal purposes based on the fact that it violated the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms [section 7]. On July 31st, 2002 Canada became the first country to legalize marijuana for medicinal uses. This law was recently changed on October 7th, 2003 when the Ontario Court Appeal (OCA) abused the system and let almost any citizen claim they were in need of marijuana for medicinal purposes w ithout thorough inspection. To solve the problem a new product was created in a Winnipeg lab called ...

Monday, November 4, 2019

Strategic Management of Human Resources Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Strategic Management of Human Resources - Essay Example An important milestone in strategic human resource management has to involve proper integration of â€Å"strategies, people, processes and systems towards achieving the organisational desired goals† (Binder 2006, 12). Moreover, Shuck and Herd (2012) asserted the need for emotional intelligence as one of the leadership competencies in achieving employee engagement towards organisational goals by ensuring employee satisfaction and commitment. An important aspect in the implementation of organisational strategy is that employees need to understand not only how they impact the organisational strategy but also the progress of the organisation towards its goals (Grey, 2013). In other words, considering employees’ behaviours are shaped by organisational strategic policies, ensuring active participation of employees in designing policies as an engagement plan would motivate employees towards meeting the organisational goals as explained by the goal setting theory. Under the goa l setting theory, goals have been found to have a significant impact on employee behaviour and performance in organisations, and gaols setting is a credible way to ensure employee motivation as part of the engagement process (Locke & Lotham, 2002). Besides goal setting being a motivational factor, research has established significant relationships between â€Å"goal setting and organisational profitability† (Rauch 2007, 6).This theory might imply that the input of employees in the smoking ban policy in Grant Pharmaceuticals as a goal and policy would act as a motivation to employees. Employees will feel as part of the organisation and that their opinions in policy formulation counts, a strategic way to improve employee engagement in the organisation. For effective engagement in the company, all employees have to develop a perception of equality in the company. According to the equity theory, for people to be motivated towards productivity, there has

Saturday, November 2, 2019

CSR initiative and its correct perspective Essay

CSR initiative and its correct perspective - Essay Example He has the reputation of being a tough official to deal with and the one who gives quick decisions, if convinced about the merit of the proposal. My project related to the grant of $100000 to a NGO that managed a half-way-home for women inmates released from prisons. The NGO supported them for one year from the date of release or till such time they were assimilated in the society, by assisting them to get proper employment, whichever was earlier. â€Å"I have just one question,† the HRD Manager asked in a firm tone, â€Å"Why should we help the criminals? They were put behind the bars after the due process of law, for having committed crimes. They do not deserve sympathy.† I had anticipated the question. I said, â€Å"Sir, no one is a born criminal. By helping a woman to lead a normal life, we not only help one individual, but save a generation. Dire circumstances make one a criminal and many crimes are committed on the spur of the moment. Crime-free world is in the i nterest of the business establishments.† My project caught his imagination and he sanctioned the grant saying, â€Å"Alright boy, you’re up.† 2. What you do is important in business, but how you do what you do is more important: The showroom of this distributor and the premises where he kept stocks stood devastated.

Thursday, October 31, 2019

World View Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

World View - Essay Example Culture is quite a flexible and fragile phenomenon, a feature which gives it extensive dynamism. Therefore, it changes easily and can be easily lost because it only exists in the minds of people. Culture determines many aspects of the lives of people. It has a strong influence on government, formal language, architecture, and a host of other products of human creativity (O’Neil, 1 – 4). Human culture occurs in three levels. The first one is the collection of cultural traditions that are unique to a society. An example of this is Japanese culture. The second level of culture is a subculture. In societies composed of groups of people who have come from a number of different parts of the world, individuals usually retain their culture, which distinguishes them from the rest of society. The third level of culture is cultural universals, which consists of behavioral patterns that people learn and collectively share all over the world. Examples of cultural traits characterist ic of cultural universals are; the use of gender and age to classify individuals within the society, and the division of labor on a gender basis (O’Neil, 4 – 7). Mythology Mythology is a body of myths possessed by a particular society. A myth is a narrative of a sacred nature that provides an explanation as to why the humankind or the world transformed to become as it is now. Myths usually contain supernatural characters and religious leaders of the society usually endorse them. Myths are part of the culture of a society and, therefore, play a decisive role in shaping that society’s behavioral patterns. This is especially because they substantially influence a society’s religious beliefs.

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Amity Centre for eLearning Essay Example for Free

Amity Centre for eLearning Essay Mr. Sreenivas (55) working as manager in Alfa Chemicals, a large scale industrial establishment engaged in the production of Phosphate and Sulphur. He has 30 years of experience in Alfa Chemicals. He has an excellent track record as Manager Human Resources within the organization. Many times he got best   employer award to performance excellence. His area of expertise in recruitment and selection process, and performance appraisal has been widely acknowledged. The Information Technology division of Alfa Chemicals industry once faced acute shortage of manpower. Mr. Raj, Manager IT division put forward an immediate requirement of 10 employees in the IT division, to HR department, starting from junior level to senior level. As and when Mr. Sreenivas got the letter from Mr. Raj, in his department, he started processing of it. To get it done, he approached many sources. He had gone through the data bank of company and considered 100 resumes for recruitment from it. He also informed the employees and employers of the organization, in their respective departmental notice board, showing the immediate requirement of 10 employees to facilitate the internal recruitment procedures. From the employees and employers of Alfa Chemicals he got around 150 applications with resumes. In addition to that in order to give an opportunity to candidates external to the organization he floated an advertisement in several daily news papers viz., Times of India, Sakal, and Indian Express. From external sources he got around 350 applications. Almost 600 candidates, including internal and external applicants, applied for 10 vacant posts. To ensure the reliability and dependability of the process, Sreenivas made his personal scrutiny at all levels, in the recruitment and selection process. Since the entire department function as a team in HR, all the members trust each other and extended their valuable contribution in the recruitment and selection. The department conducted a preliminary interview in order to made first  screening process and filter the number of applicants. After the first screening process the HR department reduced the number of applicant list from 600 to 500 applicants. He conducted a written test and group discussion and there by further reduces the number of applicants to 300. These 300 candidates then exposed to one hour psychometric test and out of which 50 candidates selected for the final interview. From the final interview, 10 candidates finally selected. The entire process of recruitment and selection took almost 3 months. The selected candidates list then forwarded to the top management for the final approval. HR department informed the candidates that the appointment letters will be sent to those who are selected for the post. Sreenivas approached several time to the top management about to get final approval of list of candidates for the IT department. Sreenivas informed the IT department also that the delay in the final list announcement as the top   management take some more time. He waited almost 4 weeks. But, no reply at all. Mr. Raj, the IT manager every day enquired about the latest information about the final list of the candidates and tentative date of induction. Sreenivas faced the difficulty to make any comment on the subject as there was no information from the top management. HR department had to answer many phone calls from out side and inside the organization, as recruitment involved candidates from inside and outside. The employers and employees of the industry, whose relatives got into the final selection process, became regular visitors of the HR department, asking for the finalist. Sreenivas called a meeting of HR team members and once again made a close verification of the entire process. But he couldnt find any fault in any of the recruitment and selection process. As the time went on he became more suspicious about the delay in the announcement of the result. When the problem becomes so crucial Sreenivas got direction from the top management to meet Mr. Kartik, General Manager, one of the top officials in the organization. Mr.Kartik asked the entire process of recruitment and selection that made on IT professionals. Sreenivas furnished the entire details of the process in a precise report. Mr. Kartik read the entire  report and soon after made a direct comment that the recruitment and selection process that for IT professionals need to be cancelled as he observed some discrepancies in the process made by his department. He further directed Sreenivas that the vacancies have to be filled through contract basis and no permanent vacancies to be made in these positions, for one year. Further he informed Sreenivas that another recruitment process to be done from external candidates applied and no internal application to be entertained. Sreenivas couldnt agree with the Mr. Kiran comment on his departments inefficiency in the recruitment and selection process. For a while he thought about quitting the organization, as he faced a baseless allegation from the top management. Till date there is no black mark in his functional dissemination. On many occasion he helped the industry to find out best possible solutions in order to tackle the many manpower crisis. Sreenivas became so depressed and felt quiet unhappy about the decision taken by the management. Mr. Sreenivas called an urgent meeting of his subordinates and communicated the management decision and directives. He shared with the team members that the management had greater dissatisfaction on the recruitment and selection process done by the department. He enquired that any one made any mistake in the  process. All members denied the probability of any mistake. As there were clear norms and regulations related to each step and there was no dual command, they found no possibility of creeping errors in the selection process. In the meeting he informed his subordinates that the management freezes the appointment process for IT professionals and asked for external recruitment on contract basis. It was shocking news to members. They asked several questions to get a proper clarification from Sreenivas. As Mr. Sreenivas himself unaware of the reasons behind management decision, he informed his subordinate his inability to give a proper reply in this regard. Sreenivas also informed this matter to Mr. Raj. During the evening hours, in the same day, Sreenivas got a call from Mr. George, one of his senior-level Managers, with whom he had friendly and informal relationship. Mr. George asked Srinivas to come to his cabin. As per the call Mr.  Sreenivas met George in his cabin. George enquired about his family and many unofficial matters in the informal interaction. Half an hour later, Mr. George enquired about the recruitment and selection process of IT professionals. He shared with George all those things happened with top management. Leaving aside the informal interaction, George initiated formal discussion with Sreenivas. He told Sreenivas that the selected list of IT professionals consisted two names, Mr. Avdesh and Mr. Praveen, they are the relatives of two trade union leaders of the organization. The management felt that being the relatives of two trade union leaders, in the long run, they could be a threat to organization. It may create an image that the trade unions still have a control over the decision making process in organization. Further, the hold of trade union may expand if this selection process materializes. Mr. Geroge informed Sreenivas that management didnt have any doubt about the dependability and exactness of the recruitment processes that HR departmentr did. George further informed Sreenivas that as per the intimation from top management he called Mr. Sreenivas and briefed about the undercurrents of this episode. The entire news was shocking to Mr. Sreenivas. He didnt know that the management decision had this much of undercurrents. After hearing entire story Sreenivas become so silent and returned to his cabin. While sitting inside his cabin, he made a silent comment that, what a useless effort. Questions 1. What are the undercurrents of selection process in Alfa Chemicals? 2. How management decision justifies management effort in the maintenance of harmonious industrial relation? 3. Do you believe that as HR Manager, Mr. Sreenivas failed to gather direct and indirect information about the candidates? 4. How cancellation of appointment decision that affect the moral of organizational members? 5. How you interpret the dilemma of HR managers have to face in such kind of situations. 6. What would be your decision if you have to face such situation? 7. Do you believe that trade unions have quota in appointments? 8. How the decision affect the reduction of wastages and improvement of resources. 9. Is the decision reflecting management fear towards trade union or inability to develop a congenial industrial relationship within the organization? 10. How you interpret the silence of Mr. Sreenivas?

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Roles of Human Resource Management (HRM)

Roles of Human Resource Management (HRM) The role of the human resources (HR) function has increased considerably in recent years with a number of the HR-related activities being considered as strategic activities. These activities provide for the increased role of the HR function in the management of the business leading to the term strategic HRM (human resources management) which defines the difference in approach and importance of the HR function. The concept of strategic HRM refers to HR activities that facilitate strategic flexibility with the goal of reaching a dynamic fit and adequately answering the requests of the strategy of the organisation and the environment (De Pablos Lytras, 2008, p.50). This implies that the HR activities which could be considered as strategic HRM are the HR activities which directly impact the implementation of the strategy of the organisation including those which impact the strategic direction of the organisation. These activities are best seen through examples of HR activities in organi sations which can be referenced as strategic HRM. The examples presented in this essay include the implementation of relevant training programmes to bring significant enhancement in a firms operational performance, the development of knowledge management in the organisation, and the development of overall talent level in the organisation. Each of these examples is discussed further. The first example is the implementation of relevant training programmes to bring significant enhancement in a firms operational performance. The HR function has as part of its typical mandate the training of staff in an organisation. The development of staff and their continued growth in terms of professional and personal development is one of the main challenges of the HR function particularly in the recent period where increased competition in the market place has demanded greater skills and capabilities from personnel (Kaplan Norton, 2004). For training and development activities to evolve from typical HR functional activities to strategic HRM initiatives, the actions need to have an underlying importance in support of the organisations operational activities. The research of Pandey (2007) is important as it provides some examples in which the actions of the HR function in training and development of personnel were considered to be strategic HRM activities. In this research, the impact on the firm performance was noted with the enhancement of operational efficiencies of the organisations leading to competitive advantage versus other players in the market. The results of the research indicate that the Six Sigma intervention focusing on a case study organisation resulted in processes which are the industrial best practices that synchronise with the socio-cultural system of the organisation and make it the differentiator, which is complemented with its alignment with the organisational way of functioning including the strategic intent of the firm, technical expertise of the workforce and organisational culture which were all integrated in the Six Sigma approach and objective (Pandey, 2007, p.149). Clearly, in the case study of the research, t he training initiative of the case study organisation was considered to be a strategic HRM activity given the impact of the process on the overall approach in the operations of the business. The main limitation of the study was that the scope was limited to one single case study organisation. In addition, the impact was not quantified and the cases study organisation was not identified given confidentiality considerations and it was just referred to as a multinational corporation in the financial services sector. The research of Pandey (2007) did identify a number of other companies which pursued Six Sigma interventions which could be considered as strategic HRM initiatives given the scale of the impact of the actions. Linda (2004, cited in Pandey, 2007) noted that the HR function of Dow Chemical was able to generate US$3.2 million in positive financial impact for the organisation through the Six Sigma intervention initiative. In a separate example, Bhatnagar Sharma (2004, cited in Pandey, 2007) noted that Ford had generated more than US$1 billion in savings from 2000 as a result of the firms Six Sigma intervention implemented by the HR function. In both these cases, the HR function pursued arguably strategic HR initiatives as the actions taken in relation to the training and education of the work force led to improved operational capabilities which enhanced the competitive position of the firms, and also generated significant financial benefits impacting the bottom line of the firms positiv ely. In the hospitality industry, an example of a firm which incorporates strategic HRM in its activities is the Hilton Group which links strategic HRM to its improved business performance and the delivery of the Hilton promise to its clients (Maxwell Lyle, 2002). The second example is in the development of knowledge management in the organisation. This is particularly helpful for organisations where knowledge is critical and is the main competence that differentiates an organisation from other players in the market. An example of a sector in which this is the case is the professional services sector. The research of Teo et al (2008) is important to consider as it noted the HR actions that impact the strategic position of the professional services firms. These were the HR initiatives which impact the skills, knowledge and capabilities of the staff in the organisation with a particular focus on the management of knowledge workers as this directly leads to the increased competitiveness of the professional services firms. It is the development of the human capital and its establishment as the key differentiator for the firms and its competitive advantage that distinguishes this particular action to be considered as strategic HRM. Youndt Snell (2 004) is also an important journal to consider as this shows the increased importance of human capital in the competitive advantage of organisations versus other tangible capital and assets that used to drive the competitiveness of organisations. The impact of human capital and its link to the firms performance has been noted in other research works as well (Teece, 2003; Hill et al, 2003). The limitation in the use of the research of Teo et al (2008) as a case study research for this essay is that it does not provide the specific names of the professional services firms included in the research. The third example is the development of overall talent level in the organisation. The research of Sharma Bhatnagar (2009) showed how the development of a talent management strategy is one of the key strategic HRM actions that have a significant impact on the performance of a firm. The talent management strategy can impact not only the talent level of the individual employees in the organisation but also the leadership in different levels of the organisation. The management of talent and the pipeline is a strategic HRM activity as it impacts the leadership pipeline of the organisation (Cogner Fulmer, 2005). As with the previous two examples, this example of an HR activity leads to improved performance in the organisation. Talent management thus is a driver of the enhanced capability in the organisation and its improved operational and financial performance (Chugh Bhatnagar, 2006). The research works indicated for this example of the development of talent management in an organisation as a strategic HRM action show that this is considered to be a key activity that many organisations pursue. However, the research works have not named the specific organisations utilised in the research works and the case studies consistent with typical confidential studies. Nevertheless, it is clear that talent management is considered to be an important action for organisations and is one activity that is included in the category of strategic HRM initiatives. This is driven by the impact that the initiative has on the performance of the organisation as well as the resulting competitive position of the organisations which are implementing talent management strategies to develop the skills and capabilities of the personnel in the organisation. The talent management includes actions that develop the personnel in the organisation and also attracts and recruits other staff to the org anisation in order to raise the overall talent level that exists in the organisation. The examples are only some of the HR activities that could be considered as strategic HRM. The examples presented are not meant to be exhaustive as there are certainly a number of other actions that can define strategic HRM actions. The examples do show that there are a number of principles that underpin the activities initiated by the HR function in order for these activities to be considered as strategic HRM. The HR activities that are present in an organisation which can be termed strategic HRM activities are those which impact the competitive advantage of the organisation with the HR function driving the development of the initiative and managing the actions related to the initiative. These are also the activities which are part of the typical HRM function but which now involve a strategic aspect in terms of the actions taken particularly as these relate to and support the strategic actions of the organisation. Finally, these are also the activities which generate significant ben efit to the organisation in terms of financial impact or development of skills and capabilities or personal which lead to enhanced competitiveness of the organisation. The examples presented provide an understanding of which HR activities can be part of strategic HRM and which of these activities can be meaningful enough to be considered as part of the concept of strategic HRM. Overall, the main guidance for the actions to be considered as strategic HRM is that the actions of the HR are linked to strategic decision making which impact the firms performance.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Lovers :: Personal Narrative Sex Relationships Essays

Lovers My mother went to Barnard on a full scholarship. She commuted from home, two hours a day on the subway. One night after a Columbia party, she was up a ladder taking down crepe paper when an orange hit her on the back of the head. It thumped to the ground and rolled under a stool, where my father knelt to retrieve it. He tossed the orange across the room to a friend — his intended target — and offered my mother his hand. In my version, she shakes off his attempts to help her down from the ladder. Does not speak to him for months because she’s so offended at being hit on the back of the head with the orange. Looks the other way when he passes on the street. Starts dating his roommate. In my version, the roommate can’t be there for a date they’re supposed to have. He has an emergency to deal with — a death in the family, a last-minute pinball competition at the pizza place, what have you. My father answers her knock with as much grace and charm as he can muster. "Hello," he says. "Are you here to see Bob?" "Yes," she says, stepping cautiously over the threshold. "He isn’t here," my father says. "He had to go to a funeral/pinball semi-final/what-have-you." My mother: "Oh." Of course, she could just step back across the threshold and find another way to spend her evening. But in my version she does not. She sits on the couch, tugging her mini skirt to cover more of her nicely shaped legs. My father brings out a basket of butter crackers and wedges of cheese. They talk about politics, literature. Something. What would my parents discuss during their first conversation? Now, after thirty years of marriage, their communication isn’t even verbal; each speaks through the other’s eyes. But how did they communicate then, when they were still new? Of course, this night kicked off the ravenous affair that would become my parents’ marriage. In my version, they could not keep their eyes (or their hands) off each other. They went everywhere in each others’ company: the dining hall, where my mother sneaked my father in on her meal ticket; the library, where he tossed spitballs into her hair; the movies, where they nuzzled at the back of the room, my father attempting a hand on her thigh, my mother staring straight ahead, her arms and legs rigid.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Learning From Failure: Biosphere Ii Essay

Biosphere II was a project done in Arizona received recognition on 26th September 1991. Eight people; four men and four women were used in the experiment. Biosphere 2 was an air tight structure with its base made of steel pan and surrounded by an above ground structure that was made of glass and steel. Inside the biosphere was all that could be found in the real world. There was a desert, a marsh, a rain forest, a savannah, an agricultural land, an ocean and human Habitat. This was in an effort of creating something close to the earth’s ecosystem. These people were to live on air, water and food produced by plants (Allen & Blake, 2007). The goals of the experiment were to determine the possibility of building an artificial biosphere and the potential of such biosphere surviving. Also incase the biosphere didn’t thrive then the causes would have been established. However, Biosphere II proved to be a great failure which had consumed a lot of resources in its establishment. Trouble started soon as the crew got into biosphere II. First, they experienced a shortage in oxygen supply hindering them from functioning well. The oxygen decreased to low levels such that more of it had to be injected into the system. When the crew were forced to pump in more oxygen into the system in order to sustain them, this indicated that biosphere II was not self reliant. At first they did not figure out what the problem was but they later discovered that was caused by carbon dioxide which had accumulated in the system. The carbon dioxide accumulated at a very high rate especially in the savanna and rain forest regions. This was associated with the presence of high organic matter which the microbes metabolized and in the process consumed a lot of oxygen resulting to high levels of carbon dioxide. It was also expected that the trees would play a very crucial role in regulating amount of carbon dioxide in the air and would have been able to supply the crew with sufficient oxygen through the process of photosynthesis. However, the plants did not seem to accomplish this role instead the level of oxygen kept on decreasing while carbon dioxide kept on increasing a phenomenon that was later discovered to have been caused by concrete that was used to build the biosphere II. Instead of carbon dioxide being used up by plants it reacted with calcium hydroxide a major component of concrete which resulted to formation of water and calcium carbonate. This was confirmed by the scientists after testing the walls and realizing that the inner surface of the walls had calcium carbonate levels which were ten times the level of the outer walls (Alling, Nelson &Silverstone, 1993). While making their selection, the scientists had chosen different species of animals, insects and plants that they thought would survive best in the biosphere II. However, by the end of the project only a few species had managed to survive. The rate of extinction was higher than predicted and most insect species got extinct which had a negative impact on the plants since they were no longer pollinated and thus were unable to propagate themselves. Statistics show that of the 25 species of small vertebrates present in Biosphere II only 6 survived by the end of the mission. However some species were favored by the environment in biosphere II. While others got extinct; ants, cockroaches and katydids flourished together with some plant species such as the morning glory. The morning glory grew vigorously that it almost choked the other plants. The crew had no alternative but invested most of their time working to get food. They experienced a shortage in food supply and faced hunger most of the time. Before the two year period ended the crew had grown 85 percent of the food they consumed and got the remaining15 percent food from their emergency supplies. Since they relied on sunlight which came through the glass to grow food, the winters of 1991 and 1992 affected the amount of food they could grow (Marino, Odum &Thomas, 1999). This proved that the project was incapable of sustaining an ecosystem that was balanced. They also faced various challenges some of which included shortage in clean water. This was as a result of pollution experienced in the water system. Many nutrients accumulated in the water systems therefore polluting it. They had to clean their water using algae mats. Other atmospheric imbalances followed suit where by levels of dinitrogen oxide in the air increased in an alarming rate such that the crew risked brain damage because vitamin B12was synthesized at an extremely slow rate (Allen & Blake, 2007). The experiments shortcomings were also seen when the crew quarreled. The members were supposed to work together as a group in order to bring out the best results but this never happened. Instead they split into groups comprising four members each and got to the point of not talking to each other except when it was necessary to run the biosphere. The lessons that can be learnt from this failed experiment come from the mistakes committed by the scientists. First we learn the importance of taking time to plan whatever we intend to do. Before attempting any thing one should take all measures required for proper functioning of the project. Also another critical factor to consider is the reliability of the materials and equipment to be used in the project (Alling, Nelson &Silverstone, 1993). If proper materials had been used in construction of the biosphere II then the problem of insufficient oxygen could not have occurred. The importance of using qualified personnel also arises. They used an architect who was incompetent this resulted to designing biosphere II with many faults. However what can be learnt from this experiment in general is the importance of relating well with each other. For any thing to succeed then there should be cooperation among people concerned this translates to excellent working conditions which leads to better outcome. References Allen J. & Blake A. (2007) Biosphere 2: the human experiment . New York: Viking publishers. Alling A. , Nelson M. & Silverstone S. (1993) Life under Glass: The Inside Story of Biosphere 2. Oracle: Biosphere Press. Marino B. D. , Odum H. & Thomas M. (1999) Biosphere 2: Research Past and Present Amsterdam: Elsevier publishers.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Elvis Is Still Alive? Essay

For many years there has been many doubts, and controversy about the death of probably the biggest figure of the 20th century, â€Å"The King of Rock N’ Roll†, Elvis Aaron Presley. Many people believe that he still alive and for a lot of reasons in which cannot be blamed for believing so. Elvis Presley is alive and the facts will prove it. After Elvis Presley â€Å"died† on August 16, 1977, there have been numerous alleged sightings of him. Fans have noted alleged discrepancies in the death certificate, reports of a wax dummy in his original coffin and numerous accounts of Presley planning a diversion so he could retire in peace. â€Å"The King† was just 19 years old when he began his career working with Sam Phillips, owner of the legendary Sun Records. Elvis’ first single, â€Å"Heartbreak Hotel†, released in January of 1956 and was a number-one hit. Presley quickly became the face of the newly popular sound of rock and roll for many appeara nces in the network television and successful music records. His gifted voice wasn’t the only thing that made him successful; his unique style of performing was very electrifying and charismatic, that you couldn’t just sit down and watch him perform. By November 1956, he debuted his acting career starring in the movie â€Å"Love Me Tender†. In March 24, 1958, Elvis enlisted into the U.S Army and served for two years and earned the rank of Sergeant. After returning to the United States, Elvis continued his acting career along with his music career and was still on top. On May 1, 1967, Elvis Presley married Priscilla Beaulieu after being together for more than seven years and they had a child on February 1,1968 names Lisa Marie; Presley’s only child. On that same year, â€Å"The King† became very unhappy and frustrated with his career; his movies weren’t being a success like he when started back in the ‘60s and his singles were not even reaching the top 40 in the charts. Something needed to change and thus came the famous 68’ Comeback Special that was aired on television, Elvis’ first live performance since 1961, singing his rock and roll hits from back in late ‘50s and other hit singles during his acting career in which put him back in track and once again he quickly became a hit sensation. After that, Presley went on tour for many years with no resting and on 1973; he performed in the history making concert, Aloha From Hawaii that was broadcast worldwide. This was the first global concert satellite broadcast. During that time, Elvis got divorced from Priscilla and it really affected his life and he started to become very depressed and ill. He was addicted to many drugs that he used to gain energy keep doing his concert, to get some sleep and other needs that he was unable to find. Even though he was getting drugs from the doctors, he abused them with no delicacy what so ever. By the year of 1977 he became the complete opposite of his legendary image; incredibly overweight, he could barely move on stage, energy and charisma complete gone and he even had trouble remembering his songs. On August 16, 1977, The King was declared dead from a heart attack, shorlty after , they reported that his death was because a drug over dose. Firstly, we have an author named Gail Brewer – Giorgio who believed that The King faked his death in which inspired her to write a novel on that time in 1977 called Orion and it was a fictional story about a famous person who faked his own death. After the book was released in just a short time, for some reasons the books were nowhere to be found. A woman told the author that when she went to buy the book, she was told that two men in business suit came and bought all of the books. Gail called New York and explained the situation but she never received a feedback about the problem. So she asked herself in an interview; â€Å"why would someone pay an author $60,000 and not put the books back in the store? It just didn’t made sense†. Meanwhile, an investigator of the Los Angeles Sheriff Police Department had an incredibly similar experience. Monty Nicholson wrote a book called â€Å"The Presley Arrangement† in approximately the same period of time. He said; â€Å"Gail Giorgio and myself, did not even know of one another and yet we wrote the same identical facts surrounding the mystery of Elvis’ alleged death from different independent sources†. His book, just like Gail’s â€Å"Orion†, disappeared from the shelves right after it was published. Was this too much of a coincidence? Friends of Monty tried to order the books and the sellers refused to order the book. Were the fictional stories Orion and The Presley Arrangement too close to the thruth? Also, the Memphis Police officially closed the files of the death of Presley before it was even medically or scientifically possible to determine his death. All of the pictures that were taken in the death scene disappeared along with all the notes written by the medical examiners. Gail and Monty viewed a copy of Elvis Presley’s autopsy report and Monty recalled that the autopsy report was â€Å"two pages long, it lacks any of the significant informat ion that is normally found in an autopsy report. And during the course of any normal investigation, this autopsy report would be incomplete and unacceptable†. In the other hand, many fans said that the body that they saw in the casket did not look like Elvis at all. His nose was too flat, nothing like his long, pointy nose. They also said that the body had sweat on him, and bodies don’t sweat. Even Elvis’s cousin, Gene Smith, did not believe that the body in the casket was Elvis. He also said â€Å"his nose looked a little pug, his right sideburn was sticking out, his hairline looked as it has been half pasted or glued on. His hands looked just as smooth as a newborn baby’s behind you know. He was sweatin’ around his hairline, it could have been sweat, it could have been glue I don’t know but um†¦ I just didn’t believe that it was him†, Said Gene Smith. Even if that body really was him, then, why does the body looks like the young version of him back in 1958? This argument is very convincing when the facts are considered. Elvis’s coffin required several pall bearers because it we ighed 900 pounds. Attendants of the funeral reported that the air around the coffin was rather cool. It is suspected that the coffin contained an air conditioning unit to keep a wax body cool – a wax body that was a replica of the King designed to fool funeral-goers. And how did the Presley family get a 900 pound, custom made coffin ready for a funeral that was held on the day after his death? It takes a lot of time to build such an elaborate coffin. And why have the funeral so quickly? Some speculate that the immediacy was intended to make it as difficult as possible for the people who were Elvis’s biggest fans (heads of fan clubs, etc.) to attend the proceedings. It could be a concern that they might recognize the flaws in the wax replica. Elvis was an 8th degree black belt whose hands were rough with calluses, yet the body in the coffin had hands that were soft and pudgy. The body in the coffin had a pug nose and arched eyebrows (unlike Elvis) and most importantly, one of the sideburns on the â€Å"corpse† was loose and falling off. A hairdresser later reported gluing the sideburn back on the body. Back at Elvis’s home, Graceland, there are some curious facts about Presley’s grave. His second named spelled â€Å"Aaron† on the headstone even though he officially changed his name to one â€Å"a† on his birth certificate and that he was not lying beside his mother which he had an incredible bond with her, it wouldn’t make sense if he wasn’t buried next to her, instead, he was buried next to his father’s and grandmother’s grave and that would not be something that Elvis would have wanted that because back when he was â€Å"alive†. He always mentioned that if he would have died, he would have wanted to be buried beside her mother. Four months later after Elvis was reported dead, Mike Joseph and his family went to Graceland to see where Elvis was left to rest. They spend some time there, took some pictures and returned back home. Now what Joseph didn’t notice in many years was that one of the pictures he took showed a man sitting in a chair looking outside the house at the fans that walked by his headstone. Kodak examined those pictures and said that the pictures are original and were not altered at all. They were taken in sequence, uncut, and the motion number said that it was manufactured in 1977. Elvis Presley was involved in many law enforcement, he had a lot of love for law enforcement. Elvis was connected with the Memphis Police, in Denver, even the L.A.P.D. Elvis was always very interested in Law and Order, and he always wanted to work in the Federal Government. Having his desire of obtaining a Federal Badge, he one day wrote a letter to the president at that time, Richard Nixon, while The King was headed to Washington offering his services as an agent at large because he knew that he had the power and fame to get pretty much everything. So you can tell that he could easily fake a death with the power he had in the Federal Government. Gail Brewer took a copy of Elvis’s letter to Nixon and a copy of his death certificate and by comparing the writings she claims that Elvis wrote his own death certificate (see pictures at the end). Monty Nicholson asked himself that if Elvis faked his death, he would have need money to support himself. So he went to research his question and found out that three months before Elvis died, he cashed in three life insurance policy for two million dollars, shortly after his death there was a private checking account with an excess of one million dollars that mysteriously disappeared and there is still a remaining insurance policy that remains to be cashed. By the years, there were more sightings of The King. Gail Brewer received a phone call from a nurse saying that a man that looked identical to Elvis Presley entered the hospital to visit Muhammad Ali. The King and Ali were very close friends back then. The day Ali left the hospital, a picture was taken, him leaving with three men and the last one on the back was the guy that looked exactly like Elvis, or maybe it is him (see picture at the end). And lastly, the most recent rumor is about a mysterious man named Jon Cotner and many say that he is The King. He sings the same, he looks so much like Elvis and one more important detail and is that he talked like Elvis Presley. There have been many Elvis impersonators over the years, many could mimic his singing, but none can mimic his heart. The way Jon speaks is just too similar like The King did when he made jokes and made a fool out of himself during concerts, one thing I’ve been always sure is that no one could be as cool, smooth and have the swag like Elvis. Just go and listen to a cover song Jon Cotner made and compare it with Elvis’s song, you won’t tell the difference. Try â€Å"Can’t Help Falling In Love† (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtOr2xPOeeg , Jon Cotner’s cover/ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZH9Gw0G52_4 , Elvis Presley’s live version). In the end, Elvis had many reasons to fake his death. Elvis’s life was in danger. He had recently lost $10,000,000 in an airplane/real estate deal with a California based organization called the â€Å"Fraternity† that had links to the Mafia. It is speculated that he corroborated with the government to expose the organized crime ring in exchange for protection – perhaps in the form of a new life and identity compliments of the witness relocation program. Elvis was a prisoner of his own fame. He had many other reasons to leave his life behind. Because of his incredible popularity, he was the recipient of several death threats, and he was concerned about the safety of his wife and daughter. Sometimes when he wanted to leave Graceland, he would send out look-alikes to distract would be followers. Elvis was also known to ride in the trunk of someone else’s car to avoid detection. Once, when he fell ill in Las Vegas, he couldn’t get proper medical attenti on because the hospital was overwhelmed by fans. At the time of his alleged death, Elvis was nearing the end of his career. He was 42, his hair was graying, he was grossly overweight, and his voice was starting to weaken. He was going down hill, and he was too proud to go out with a whimper. He would never want his fans to see him in such an unhealthy condition. Elvis had shown a fascination with death on several occasions. In the days leading up to his alleged death he was reported to have visited funeral homes at odd hours of the night with close friends. Was he doing research? Elvis once faked his death by setting up an elaborate shooting in which would be killer fired blanks at Elvis who had a blood pack which he discharged. It was Elvis’s intention to see how the people closest to him would react to his death. Perhaps what he learned convinced him to do it for real. Also, one of Elvis’ favorite books is the spiritual Autobiography of Yogi. One of the central themes of this book is the relinquishing of one’s wealth and earthly possessions to achieve spiritual oneness. Elvis could do this, as well as address his other concerns of sanity and safety by faking his death and living in exile. Elvis had the means to fake his own death. He is accused of destroying himself with drugs. In reality, Elvis was a pharmaceutical expert. He took a lot of drugs, but he knew what he was doing and was extremely careful. He knew what drugs he could self-administer to create a deathlike state. Further, Elvis’s experience with the martial arts was such that he could slow his heart rate and breathing in order to feign death. Elvis’s manager, Colonel Tom Parker, had once created a new identity for himself. He came to this county as an illegal immigrant from Holland, but through various connections managed to create an elaborate identity complete with a passport, birth certificate, driver’s license, and social security number. He would have known how to give Elvis a second life. In addition to Elvis’s ties to the government through his testimony against the Fraternity, Elvis was known to interact with the President of the United States. He was reported in government documents to use the name John Burrows as an alias when he wanted to travel. Some people believe that Elvis worked for the government as a drug agent. He did, after all have extensive contact with many people in the music business who, as we know, tend to dabble in illegal substance. And, of course, we must allow that Elvis’s connections to the government gave him access to the Witness Relocation Program. Now you can clearly see that Elvis Presley is no doubt alive and is just trying to live in peace and for reasons in which he can’t be blamed; the loss of his mother really made a negative impact in his life, the divorce with Priscilla that what bother this not only was because she was the love of his life but also just because he was â€Å"the great Elvis† and always had it his way, this time he didn’t. He definitely had no intensions what so ever to keep doing tours and continuing his career when he was so full with depression and disappointment. So he took the only escape option he had to find peace without taking his life; faking it. Will we one day see The King come out one day? Or has Elvis left the building forever and stay hidden? In the end, it doesn’t really matter what the news report says, what investigators say or d o. Whether it’s the truth or not, only one man has the power to end all this conspiracy and that is Elvis Presley himself and one day, the truth will be revealed. Elvis Presley’s casket photo Elvis’s misspelled grave stone. Elvis’s letter to Nixon (left) Elvis’s death certificate (right) The man on the background that’s been claimed to be Elvis Presley accompanied by Muhammad Ali. Picture of Jon Cotner (left) and a picture of Jon and Elvis mixed together (right)