Monday, September 30, 2019
Debtor Appeal of Boston Essay
1. Case name and citation: In re Boston shipyard Corp. , Debtor Appeal of Boston Shipyard Corp. , No. 89-1144 United States court of Appeals, first Circuit. 886 F. 2d 451 Heard June 7, 1989. Decided September 1989 Before CAMPBELL, Chief Judge Reinhardt and Toruella circuit Judges. Its alleged that the ruling in this case was not fair by the fact that the district court that confirmed the bankruptcy of Boston Shipyard Corporation, BSC in favor of the appellee , the US Military Sealift Command, MSC. 2. Key Facts: BSC entered into agreement with MSC to revamp and repair the USNS Mississinewa (a water vessel) at a final pay of $ 4,997,925. Having been not fully aware, it turned out that the contract required much more in expenses than it was originally estimated. On realizing change in the contract specifications; it filed a change authorization order so that the work could be done with the permission of their client MSC. The orders however accumulated at the MSCââ¬â¢s table such that their delayed resolution resulted to a wide financial implication towards BSC. Till August 1985, BSCââ¬â¢s financial condition had worsened a situation that required the contract partner, MSC to make payments. Failure of MSC to pay BSC led to termination of the contract. The pulling out of the contract by BSC Company was based on the fact that the latter company had been declared bankrupt. Itââ¬â¢s reported that on October 17th due to failure of MSC to compensate BSC, and was terminated by the government (Westââ¬â¢s Federal Reporter, 1990). 3. Legal issues presented before Court: Among the legal issues presented before the court were several factors. That one, BSC as a company pulled out of a contract it had entered into with the US Military Sealift Command, ââ¬Å"MSCâ⬠. The second issue was the fact that the latter, (MSC) had declined to make payments to the contractual partner, (Boston Shipyard Corporation, BSC), to cater for the extra expenses that were not budgeted for by the company. The US Military Sealift Command, MSC was ââ¬Å"supposedâ⬠to cater for these cost overruns in order for BSC to provide its services. 4. Holding of the court: The US government, on February 25th 1986, through the US Bankruptcy Court, filed a proof of claim of $ 9. 2 million in Reprocurement costs. On the other hand, BSC, objecting to the Proof of Claim, filed a counter Proof of Claim, which was meant to convert the terminated contract into one that could benefit the government. Six months down the line, the bankruptcy court on making first hearing, it passed a judgement that favoured the government on the basis that BSC had without excuse withdrawn from the contract. This was further accepted to at the district court, a decision that BSC appeals to. 5. Reasoning (rationale): That a cardinal change is created or comes to exist in a contract when the contractor finds that he or she is required to execute tasks that are materially different from those that were originally bargained for at the start. Such changes are not subject to rectification, and so the judging on this, the government was in breach (Westââ¬â¢s Federal Reporter, 1990). Basing on the fact that this contract was a ââ¬Å"call and inspectâ⬠type, which implied that the vessels had to be opened first and scrutinized before establishing the whole cost to be involved in the contract. BSC may not be justified to abandon or pull out of the contract basing on the change orders written to MSC. Delay in the kick off of a contract is expected in any contractual agreement (Magoba Construction Company vs. United States). Talking of the incapability of BSC to deliver its services due to financial incapacity, one may argue that a contractorââ¬â¢s default may be pardoned if the causes seem to be beyond his control (ruling of Southeastern Airways Corporation vs. United States). However, itââ¬â¢s generally understood that as a contractor who makes and accepts bids from the government or any other individual, he should be having enough funds to support the contract. This is subject to change. Justification of the contractors default may be carried out only if the experienced financial problems were caused by factors beyond the companyââ¬â¢s control or by the company itself (ruling of the case of National Eastern Corporation vs. United States). BSC also argues that the governmentââ¬â¢s delay to pay it some amount of money resulted to it being unable to respond to a contract worth $ 6. 5 million. This is not true. Evidence has, right from the beginning that BSC had a thin financial base before the contract was initiated (Westââ¬â¢s Federal Reporter, 1990) At the same time, no blame was to be put on MSC for having caused any delay or disruption. Hence, conclusively, BSCââ¬â¢s financial incapacitation deterred the take-off of the contract. A different decision on this would make government contracts quite unworkable, and hence contractors would demand refund, and or financial consideration for any cost overruns. References: Westââ¬â¢s Federal Reporter (1990): Cases argued and determined in the United States courts of appeals and Temporary Emergency Court of Appeals, University of California, p. 452
Sunday, September 29, 2019
Did the Indian Mutiny of 1857 Create the British Raj?
Did the Indian Mutiny of 1857 create the British Raj? The Indian Rebellion of 1857, which was also called the Indian Mutiny, or the War of Independence was a turning point in the history of Britain in India. However, whether this lead to the formation of the British Raj, will be explicitly explored in this essay. The East India Company traded in cotton, silk, tea and opium. They won over Bengal after gaining victory in the Battle of Plassey in 1757, under Robert Clive.The East India Company functioned as the military authority in growing sections of India, as well. By 1770, heavy taxation and other policies had left millions of Bengalis deprived. While British soldiers and traders made their fortunes, the Indians starved. Between 1770 and 1773, about 1/3 of the population died from famine. At this time, Indians also were barred from high office in their own land, which meant people like Robert Clive had more opportunities and privileges. The British considered them inherently corrupt and untrustworthy.The Company began to vigorously expand its area of control in India, making it easier for young aristocrats from Britain to exploit its potential. The British felt there were two positive economic benefits provided by the India. It was a captive market for British goods and services, and served defence needs by maintaining a large standing army at no cost to the British taxpayer. Amongst these benefits were the large scale capital investments in railways, canals and irrigation works, shipping and mining; the commercialisation of agriculture and the establishment of an education system in English.This emphasised law and order creating suitable conditions for the growth of industry and enterprise; and the integration of India into the world economy. Conversely, the British Raj are criticised for leaving Indians poorer and more prone to devastating famines; exhorting high taxation in cash from penniless people. Also, draining Indian revenues to pay for an army beyond India's own defence needs and servicing a huge debt. This was the result of the economic power left in British hands. In 1784, the Board of Control was established, this gave British Parliament he right to oversee all aspects of the East India Company. The Governor General managed the Board of Control, he was was appointed by the British Government, this meant that the British had control over the east India Company, giving them the power to impose restrictions on certain prospects. There was a great deal of racial distrust between the British and Indians living in India at the time of the British Raj. Moreover, many Indians despised the English, they felt that they were only concerned about their own Industrial Growth this made them uneasy with the new ââ¬ËAlien Rule'.Many were unhappy with the rapid cultural changes imposed by the British. They worried that Hindu and Muslim would be ââ¬ËChristianized', mainly by the missionaries. There is some truth to these statement, but there were a number of other underlying causes for the rebellion. The Indian soldiers were believed to be under a ââ¬Ëdouble rule', both a military and religious rule, which meant the two often came into conflict, causing them vast problems. One of these problem was the cause of The Great Rebellion.The main reason the Indian Sepoys mutinied against their British commanders was because they had heard that the newly issued rifle cartridges were greased with pig and cow fat, making them unacceptable for both Hindu and Muslim soldiers. This led to a monumental outbreak, as the Muslims and Hindus rebelled ceaselessly. What started as a small conflicting group of Indian soldiers from a single regiment, soon expanded to a vast number of Indian Sepoys fighting for their integrity and freedom.Following the Indian Mutiny, the East India Company was abolished by Act of Parliament and the British crown assumed full rule of India. The British used violence and negotiation to put an end to the Uprising, resorting to merciless tactics to restore order. This created resentment, opportunity for revenge and long-term problems. They used fear to breed control, which was very disorderly. The British dispatched more troops to India and eventually succeeded in putting down the mutiny. Many sepoys who had surrendered were executed by British troops.To ensure that British rule could never be threatened in such a way again the Indian Army was reorganised so that it needed its British components to function effectively. Alternatively, the British should have dealt with this issue in a more political and diplomatic way, instead of as an act of vengeance. The conflicts of 1857 and 1858 were brutal and bloody, The bitter legacy of murder and mutilation of atrocities committed by both sides circulated in newspapers and illustrated magazines in Britain, poisoning relationships for decades.The Government of India act 1935 gave Indian provinces more independence. For the first time direct elections were introduced and the right to vote was increased from seven million to thirty-five million. The British government never actually intended to take control of India, but when British interests were threatened the government had to step in. The embodiment of the new British rule in India was the office of the Viceroy. British rule from the time after the mutiny is often called the Raj.During this period small amount of British officials and troops (about 20,000) ruled over 300 million Indians. This was often seen as evidence that most Indians accepted and even approved of British rule. Undoubtedly, Britain could not have controlled India without the co-operation of Indian princes and local leaders, as well as huge numbers of Indian troops and many others. Moreover, British rule of India was maintained by the fact that Indian society was so divided that it could not unite against the British.In fact, the British encouraged these divisions. The British embarked on a furious policy of ââ¬Å"Divide and Ruleâ⬠, fomenting religious hatred as never before. The better-off classes were educated in English schools. They served in the British army or in the civil service. They effectively joined the British to rule their poorer fellow Indians. For much of the 1800s the average Indian peasant had no more say in the way they were ruled than did the average worker in the United Kingdom.The British view tended to portray British rule as a charitable exercise ââ¬â they suffered India's environment (climate, diseases) and in return they bought India a good government and economic development (railways, irrigation, medicine). On the other hand, Ruling India brought huge benefits to Britain. India's huge population made it an attractive market for British industry. In the 1880s, about 20% of Britain's total exports went to India. By 1910 these exports were worth ? 137 million.India also exported huge quantities of goods to Britain, especially tea, which was drunk or exported on from Britain to other countries. Then there were the human resources. The Indian army was probably Britain's single greatest resource. Around 40% of India's wealth was spent on the army. This army was used by Britain all over the world, including the First and Second World Wars. It was the backbone of the power of the British empire. In 1901, the British viceroy of India, Lord Curzon, said ââ¬ËAs long as we rule India, we are the greatest power in the world.If we lose it we shall straight-away drop to a third rate power'. Overall, I have a mixed opinion on whether that Indian Mutiny of 1857 did actually create the British Raj. They used the same tactics the East India Company used, divide and conquer. They broke India up into small kingdoms and put a native Raj in power over that Kingdom. In this way no Raj had enough power to challenge British Rule. Therefore, I have come to the conclusion that the Indian Mutiny did in fact contribute towards strengthening t he British Raj, yet did not ultimately create it.
Saturday, September 28, 2019
Analysis at the operational level the the presecution of the Allies' Essay
Analysis at the operational level the the presecution of the Allies' defence of Crete in 1941 and identify the enduring lessons - Essay Example Moreover, the leadership, going into the battle already defeated, did not bother to put together a coherent strategy for battle, but, rather, seemed to make it up as they went along. These are all reasons for the defeat, and lessons that were learned. Nevertheless, as the Allies did delay Hitlerââ¬â¢s forces for a few weeks, which, in turn, delayed Hitlerââ¬â¢s invasion of the Soviet Union, which was the turning point of the war, one could say that the battle of Crete set into motion a chain of events that led to Hitlerââ¬â¢s destruction. This paper will examine the reasons why Crete was fought? and how the British tried to defend it? coupled with an analysis of the mistakes made and an analysis of why the battle might not have been so bad after all, as it delayed Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union. Why Germany Wanted Crete and How Germany Got Involved in Greece The Battle for Crete had its roots in a demand by Benito Mussolini, Italyââ¬â¢s fascist dic tator, to Greece to allow an Italian occupation of Greece in October of 1940. When the premier of Greece, John Metaxas, defied this request, the Italians began the invasion of Greece (Woodhouse, 1976, p. 16), a move that would prove to be a ââ¬Å"disasterâ⬠for Mussolini (Heckstall-Smith, A. & Baillie-Grohman, H.T., 1961, p. 15), and would make Mussolini a ââ¬Å"laughingstockâ⬠in Greece (Hart, 1996, p. 87). This move by Mussolini was precipitated by Germany sending soldiers into the Ploesti oilfields, which enraged Mussolini enough for him to launch this invasion (Mazower, 1993, p. 15). The reason that the German action of sending soldiers to Greece so piqued Mussolini was because Mussolini was jealous of Hitler, and felt that he stood in Hitlerââ¬â¢s shadow while Hitler rampaged Europe. While Hitler added Austria, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Hungary, France, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria and Romania to the Third Reich, Mussolini fantasi zed about adding the Mediterranean to the Italian column, while Hitler insulted him by not allowing him access to the fruits of victory. The final insult was Hitlerââ¬â¢s occupation of Romania, a move that was done behind Mussoliniââ¬â¢s back (Kiriakopoulos, 1995, p. xv). This insult to Mussolini was what initially caused the Italian dictator to invade Greece in 1940, as Mussolini stated that, about Hitler invading Rumania without consulting him that he ââ¬Å"shall pay [Hitler] back with his own coin; he shall learn from the newspapers that I have occupied Greece. Thus equilibrium would be restoredâ⬠(Cervi, 1971, p. 60). However, this move was unsuccessful, as Mussoliniââ¬â¢s troops were defeated and pushed back into Albania (Mazower, 1993, p. 15). Hitler was incensed by the Italians failure (Van Creveld, 1973, p. 57), regarding it as ââ¬Å"definitely a regrettable blunderâ⬠(Hinsley, 1951, p. 102), however, as Hitler could not allow his ally to be totally defe ated, he had to launch his own invasion of Greece, which began April 6, 1941 (Kiriakopoulos, 1995, p. xvi). Greece was also important to Germany, as it was seen as a prelude to the Russian campaign (Von der Porten, 1969, p. 109). This campaign proved to be successful (von Mellenthin, 1977, p. 228), as the Middle East,
Friday, September 27, 2019
Letter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Letter - Essay Example I completely agree with your observation that the California public education in the 20th century was at its ââ¬Ëpeaks of excellenceââ¬â¢ and that the public elementary, secondary and higher education institutes in the state showed immense commitment and dedication in offering quality education to many. However, I am also shocked to see the decline of the standard of education in the state towards the end of the 20th century. I also feel that the decline in the educational system is evident in terms of the ââ¬Ëovercrowded classrooms, insufficient books and supplies, inadequate compensation and lay-offsââ¬â¢. It was quite shocking to me when you rightly pointed out that it is not due to any financial problems or recession (because California still owns one sixth of U.S GDP) that the public education sector has suffered so much setbacks. I strongly agree with your argument that even though the state has all the resources and talents to afford quality education, it is becaus e of the political system, anti-tax political culture, wrong configuration of higher education system, and undue budget priorities that it lags behind in the realms of higher education.
Thursday, September 26, 2019
Deconstructivism and Bilbao museum Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Deconstructivism and Bilbao museum - Essay Example The new Guggenheim Museum designed by Frank Gehry which currently stands in Bilbao, Spain, is found to be an incredible piece of proof that exhibits how the theory of Deconstructivism may be exemplified at its finest, at least to the sensible findings of The Timesââ¬â¢ critic Herbert Muschamp. It could well be an exact concretization of the core substance of Deconstructivism as many would expect based on the fundamental working definition. What Muschamp has come to discover as ââ¬ËThe Miracle of Bilbaoââ¬â¢, being the new Guggenheim Museum, is the reason behind the frequency of pilgrimage to the town at the Basque countryââ¬â¢s northeast corner. Muschamp further expresses ââ¬Å"Those who visit Bilbao, however, may come away thinking that art is not entirely remote from matters of life and death.â⬠According to him, it is not Gehryââ¬â¢s structure nor the physical sight of it that causes the miracle to happen but that which bears the capacity of attracting pilgrim s is the ââ¬Å"extravagant optimismâ⬠ââ¬â a positive consequence in the attitude of watching the museum take shape then having a sort of perception that is bound to make an audience pass on a promising impression. Hence, among art intellectuals, a querying testimony of magnificence emerges where one is led to promote with conviction asking ââ¬Å"Have you been to Bilbao?â⬠and equivalently, ââ¬Å"Have you seen the light? Have you seen the future?â⬠Through Gehryââ¬â¢s creation in Bilbao, as featured in Muschampââ¬â¢s discourse, the concept of Destructivism has been materialized via major work which turned out. to be an architectural entity capable of projecting a ââ¬Å"broad range of meaningsâ⬠that may serve to embody ââ¬Å"contemporary social and cultural norms.â⬠By theoretical endeavour, Destructivism challenges the typical objective of methodologists in art who are mostly concerned and accustomed to rely upon the established idea of certa inty or unified thoughts which would necessarily systematize the process of constructing the intended object or piece for which a fixed identity is given (Germizaj 1). Correspondingly, Guggenheim Museum speaks of such truth as Gehry employs ââ¬Å"social fragmentationâ⬠, a sense of fashion in artistry that may seem strange to those who lack poststructuralist orientation or view of exploring socio-cultural meanings by which broad associations occur and criticisms naturally develop out of rich perspectives since ââ¬Ëfragmentsââ¬â¢ are brought across instead of ââ¬Ëunityââ¬â¢ or ââ¬Ëwholenessââ¬â¢ which singularizes interpretation thereof. One looks into Gehryââ¬â¢s work in detail, exterior and interior-wise alike, with a possibility of confessing that while an aspect of his craft reminds of something, the rest entails something else as well, when thorough examination reveals that the parts are actually independent of each other in the context of culture or so ciety being conveyed within
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
Reflective Statement on Career Choosing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
Reflective Statement on Career Choosing - Essay Example Body 1. Theories of career choice and the DOTS model of career decision-making Based on the DOTs model, there are four careers education tasks which have to be accomplished by the student in order to ensure the development of opportunity awareness, self awareness, decision learning, and transition learning. Opportunity awareness refers to the assistance given to students in order to enable understanding of the world they are going to enter, the various opportunities therein, the demands that this world shall make of them, and the rewards offered (Law and Watts, 2003). Self-awareness refers to the assistance given to students in order to give them a better sense of self as individuals with unique qualities. Decision learning refers to assistance offered to students to understand the various ways in which their decisions can be made. Finally, transition learning considers the assistance given to students in order to be more aware of the skills they would need to handle transitions they need to take as grownups (Law and Watts, 2003). In terms of opportunity awareness as a future early years teacher, the DOTs model prompts me to understand the work of an early years teacher and the different opportunities open to me in that field. I also need to reflect on the professional requisites this profession has in order to permit me future entry. I would also consider the different demands that teaching in the early years would bring as well as the rewards it would likely offer. It is also appropriate for me to contemplate on alternatives to teaching or social work based on my degree. In relation to self-awareness, I especially enjoy working with children and my joy in working with them also motivates me to consider this profession in the future. Experience in my current work has also given me the chance to experience teaching children and such experience has motivated me further in contemplating teaching in the early years. In terms of transition learning, I was able to l earn during the semester about writing personal statements, as well as gaining interview skills. I was able to use these skills in taking into account what happens in assessment centres and details to indicate in application letters. 2). The professional and professionalism: Professions are those which consider the kinds of occupation which are understood to mean ââ¬Ëprofessions.ââ¬â¢ There may be major and minor professions or primary and secondary professions and the major professions are those which include business management, with primary professions including senior military officers, police chiefs, judges, and teachers and professors (Lester, 2007). Medicine and law are usually counted as professions as well, including architects, engineers, dentists, teachers, accountants, and veterinarians. Professionals have an implied expertise and knowledge of their professions; and he is also one who commits to the principles of the profession, as well as autonomous thought and ju dgment (Lester, 2007). Professions are also usually recognized by professional bodies as experts in some field of study or skill unique and distinct to their field of practice. Some occupations may be considered professions based on the perspective taken on the subject matter. It is not necessary for a profession to have a professional body. However, such
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
Draper IT(case study) Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words
Draper IT(case study) - Assignment Example Company is investing heavily to remain competitive in the market but the current business needs to revive. The out sourced IT division has been sold to Hardy media solutions eighteen months ago. Hardy's performance and poor services also dissatisfied the previous customers. Due to the problems faced by Drapes, it started developing its ERP system with the view that in future company has to remain competitive in the market place. It has to improve its services, launch new products, which should be cost effective as well as technologically best in the market. Recently company has more business options, which could be explored by the company and to motivate its managers to grab the opportunities, so that performance of the company could be improved. As we already know that the said company draper is medium sized IT company. The company is in the business of providing technological solutions to its clients. It is a fast moving technologically complex and innovative industry dominated by lots of firms with well-developed communication and technological innovations. The firms which cannot be able to keep pace with innovations forced out of the business. So industry has been affected by external environment as well as internal changes. So any analysis or strategy, which could be formed in and around company, must follow the various strategic management paths. Companies must not only developed new businesses, but also carefully prune, harvest or divest tired, old businesses in order to release needed resources and reduce costs. The overall evaluation of a business's strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats is called SWOT Analysis. SWOT analysis consists of an analysis of the external and internal environment. A SWOT analysis summarizes the key issues from the business environment and the strategic capabilities of an organization that are most likely to impact on strategy development. In general, a business unit has to monitor key macro-environment forces (demographic-economic, technological, political-legal and socio-cultural) and microenvironment actors (Customers, Competitors, distributors and suppliers) that affect its ability to earn profit (Johnson, & Scholes, 2002). Then, for each trend or development, management needs to identify the associated marketing opportunities and threats. Each business needs to evaluate its internal strengths and weaknesses in marketing, finance, manufacturing and organizational capabilities. In applying the SWOT Analysis it is necessary to minimize or avoid both weaknesses and threats. Weaknesses should be looked at in order to convert them into strengths. Likewise, threats should be converted into opportunities. Lastly, strengths and opportunities should be matched to optimize the potential of a firm. So applying SWOT analysis on draper engineering Ltd. as discussed above as follows: Strength: Draper Engineering Ltd. is an industry, which is growing and progressing all around world. In present circumstances, IT is an industry, which is an integral part of almost every industry, and human life cannot be thinking of without information technology. So being in an industry, which is growing, and progressing Draper Engineering Ltd. have an inherent strength of the industry as a whole. Draper has sufficient number of clients and market. It is a medium sized company and already has four
Monday, September 23, 2019
Real ID act Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Real ID act - Essay Example The main advantage is security. The Department of Homeland Security gets the power to decide whether the driversââ¬â¢ licenses and ID cards can be used for official purposes or not. If they are not complying with federal antiterrorist standards, the card holders will not have access to airplanes, public places, and the courthouse. This means that the security measures are on their way. Increasing incidents of terrorism these days have given rise to the need of such security so that citizens may be given full protection while they travel, work, or enjoy in the parks. Such a strict check would discourage terrorists and also illegal immigrants (Quinn, 2012). Proponents claim the new cards will not be another form of national ID cards because it is optional for a country to adopt them. They are only meant to benefit the country so that it can sort out illegal persons from its citizens. Hence, it is a matter of national security and privacy which makes the proponents of the Act state t hat it is much needed. We support this fact because a critical analysis makes us believe that American citizens have the right to be informed who lives around them claiming to be a citizen of the country, and that the driversââ¬â¢ licenses contain correct information, and not some aliases, about the card holders. However, the number of critics is more than proponents. Critics claim that the Real ID Act of 2005 is invasive. The issuance of the said cards will make us a surveillance society in which everybody is doubted. The incidents of identity theft will also increase since terrorists and illegal immigrants will use their criminal ways to steal identities. The Act will also increase burden on the tax payers and the immigrants, because of such a high cost being spent on the issuance of these cards. Administrative burden will increase due to expenses. Privacy will be more at stake if driversââ¬â¢ licenses
Sunday, September 22, 2019
External influences affecting the firm and its activities Essay - 1
External influences affecting the firm and its activities - Essay Example itate corresponding change in strategy so as to take into considerations of the emerging risks which may influence the overall development of the business enterprise. These external factors are highly relevant for smooth operations of the business. ââ¬ËThese are characterised by 4Is: issues, institutions, interests and informationââ¬â¢1 (Baron, p2). Non market factors, in emerging markets become all the more crucial because of the sensitive nature of the new market potential and the volatility of the market forces. The socio-political environment coupled with the media and public opinion are become vital factors for the stakeholders interests. The strategic relevance of 4Is is vital to the success of the business operations. Issues, which might clash with the operations and performance of the company, must be addressed urgently. The institutions are defined as bodies which are affected by the issues, which may be local or national in character. Interests are the personal stake of the individual or groups, in the issues. Lastly the information relates to the various facts and fictions of the issues and the actions taken thereon. Some recent external factors, which are having significant impact on the business, the world would be taken up. It is especially true in the contemporary times, when the global economy is going under tremendous turmoil. The recessive trends in the market have become crucial factors that are having varying degree of impact on the businesses across the world. The American economy has been under tremendous strain with its deteriorating job market and dismal performance of its various public private companies. Recession has also been declared in Britain and the effect of such trends could be clearly seen across the globe. The bankruptcy of major financial institutions has resulted in the financial meltdown that has created a serious crisis situation in the global economy. The economic disaster has topped the priority issues (CBS) that need to be
Saturday, September 21, 2019
Dead Poets Society essay Essay Example for Free
Dead Poets Society essay Essay What ideas about discovery are conveyed by Peter Weirââ¬â¢s ââ¬ËDead Poets Societyââ¬â¢ and one other text? The process of discovery has the ability to greatly impact an individual resulting in them having new ideas and perceptions on themselves and others. These ideas differ for all individuals as each has their own experiences and develops from them in unique and personal ways. This is clearly evident in the film ââ¬ËDead Poets Societyââ¬â¢ by Peter Weir as it is a text which significantly focuses on the concept of contrast. Throughout this concept viewers are allowed an in-depth demonstration of the protagonists Neil Perry and Todd Andersonââ¬â¢s negative and positive experiences which have been caused by their strive to achieve individualism after a new English teacher John Keating introduces his pupils to poetry and free thinking attitude. ââ¬ËFireworkââ¬â¢ a song co-written and performed by Katy Perry is also a text which conveys that discovery is a process that can lead to enlightenment and enable one to be more acceptant of who they once they disregard the socially constructed expectations that mass media communicates. Throughout Perter Weirââ¬â¢s ââ¬ËDead Poets Societyââ¬â¢ viewers are able to understand that discovery itself is a process of transformation that can lead to new ideas which in turn have positive effects on an individual. This can be seen in the scene where Professor Keating educates his students the act of conformity. When Keating states its definition as ââ¬Å"the difficulty of maintaining your own beliefs in the face of othersâ⬠the audience are able to identify the contrast between the professor Keating and principal Nolanââ¬â¢s attitudes and values towards educations throughout the mise-en-scene displaying Nolan in a small, dark and mysterious room caged by the large steel poles representing the strict and prestigious nature of the institution. This allows the audience to realise that the students are able to better develop their skills when allowed to be free from the forces of conformity the institution brings. When the students are told to find their ââ¬Å" own walkâ⬠it clear that they do so to achieve becoming their own unique individual. Furthermore, during the ending of the film a full shot is utilised to capture the majority of students standing on their tables portraying the extent to which professor Keating has made an impact on his pupils. Earlier in the film Keating too stood on his table to ââ¬Å"remind himself to look at things in a different wayâ⬠hence it can be said that his student are following in his footsteps allowing the professor to depart fromà the academy without any regret. Even though discovery may lead to new understandings and perceptions these may not result in positive ways but will also have the ability to result in negative outcomes for both individual and those closes by .As a result of Keatingââ¬â¢s newly introduced philosophies, protagonist Neil Perry further endeavours to fulfil his passion and desire to become an actor however does so by forging his fatherââ¬â¢s signature on a consent form that would allow him to perform his act. When Neilââ¬â¢s father objects to him p ursuing his dreams, he is told that he will ââ¬Å"go to Harvard and become a doctorâ⬠. Through the use of the low camera angle looking up towards his father, strong facial expression displaying authority and superiority are apparent. As a result viewers are able to comprehend that Neil is in no position to change or even slightly alter his fatherââ¬â¢s decision. However, when Neilââ¬â¢s mother advises that he ââ¬Å"get some sleepâ⬠a close up of the individuals face presents a mysterious and worrisome smile resulting in the creation of suspense and confusion in the audience. The mise-en-scene displaying a weak and still hand behind a table centimetres away from a gun, viewers are able to reach the tragic conclusion of Neil Perryââ¬â¢s death in a confronting and unexpected way. ââ¬ËFireworkââ¬â¢ a song co-written and performed by Katy Perry is a text which significantly exemplifies the experience of discovering something that has been concealed by of society and in particular the expectations that are constantly forced upon individuals through mass media that must be disregarded to proceed to the new finding. The music video features a number of characters overcoming numerous social issues such as body image, homosexuality, bullying, the effect of conflict between parents on their children and the acceptance of having a medical illness. Throughout the chorus the term ââ¬Å"fireworkâ⬠is used to symbolise the spark inside all individuals that must first be ââ¬Å"ignitedâ⬠or in other words believed in to enable them to achieve their goals and accomplish their dreams. Additionally, fireworks are used as visual metaphors to represent the time when one becomes enlightened and acceptant of who they truly are regardless of what society expects of them. In conclusion, both texts ââ¬ËDead Poets Societyââ¬â¢ by Peter Weir and ââ¬ËFireworkââ¬â¢ by Katy Perry complement each other in the sense that they both successfully provide the audience with diverse concepts and ideas of discovery. Whether they may be negative or positive,à each educates viewers in having varying ideas about the consequences that may be caused by ones decision after they access new, original understandings and perceptions of themselves.
Friday, September 20, 2019
Human Resource Recruitment Case Study
Human Resource Recruitment Case Study Over resent decades, a number of studies have shown a positive relationship between high efficiency human resource management (HRM) policies and practices, and organisational performance (Heynes Fryer, 2000:240). HRM is therefore seemed to be the major factor to differentiate between success and failure of the organisations in todays world. This because it involves in how to manage people who work for the company, and whose roles performance as well as quality could eventually achieve organisations aims and objectives. There are many aspects in HRM, including resourcing, performance and developing, and so on (Torrington, Hall Taylor, 2008). Resourcing is one of the main factor in HRM that consist of planning, recruiting, inducting and bringing a new staff up to the standard of a fully effective worker (Dawson, 1989:28). This essay will focus on the resourcing which includes issues involve in the recruitment. It also contains the case study of Tesco regarding its resourcing strategi es which show how such aspects can help the organisations growth. The concept of HRM It is not easy to define the concept for Human Resource Management as there are two different ways to perceive: personnel management (PM) and HRM (Torrington, Hall Taylor, 2008:6). However, its overview idea is the approach to manage the people who work for the organisation and are related to the success of the business. The firms are also able to gains the competitive advantage by using its people efficiently and effectively in their skills and competencies. Human resources are different from the other resources which work for the organisation because people have thought, emotions, feelings, aspirations and needs, and they have those thing individually as well. Hence, HRM relates to the way in which the organisation interact with its people; for instance, recruiting the suitable people for right positions, providing training and development opportunities, and so on (The Time 100, 2005). The concept of resourcing Although there are many aspects in HRM, the first main activity of human resource department is to search and bring people who are needed in order for business to be successful. These people could be the employees and also people outside the company such as consultants or subcontractors. Nevertheless, no matter which type of their work the working relationship between the business and them is the employment contract which EntrepreneurÃâà ® (2009) defines as An agreement entered into between an employer and an employee at the time the employee is hired that outlines the exact nature of their business relationship, specifically what compensation the employee will receive in exchange for specific work performed. What is more, once the organisation recruits its people, they have to be in the series of activity such as motivation, training, developing and regular feedback that could maintain or improve their performance as well as loyalty to the company (Torrington, Hall Taylor, 2008 :106). Other keys factor of resourcing process including HR planning, recruitment and selection. These are also able to provide the management to have a way to acquire new skills and improve the organisational cultures (Marchington Wilkinson, 2007:157). Recruitment External Recruitment VS Internal Promotion There are two ways for organisation to employ its new staffs whether search for the talent available on the external labour market or to invest within the company to develop existing staffs to fill in the new position (Torrington, Hall Taylor, 2008). These choices have their own advantages and disadvantages which the HR specialists have to analyse and decide before the recruitment. Internal recruitment is less expensive than external one because the company has no need to spend its revenue on the job advertisements or recruitment agencies. The organisation can also ensure that the candidates are familiar with its regulations, environment and culture. In addition, it can act as one of the motivational tools in the organisation strategies to encourage its staff performance as well. On the other hand, the drawback of home grown method is a limited number of candidates in order for the HR manager to choose and it can demotivate some failed candidates when the outside ones are chosen instead. The other type is external recruitment. Although it is more expensive, there is a wide range of candidate and this is able to provide the creation of a diverse workforce (Ibid). Outsiders might also possess specific skills, abilities or characteristics that suit the firm needs (Chen, 2005). In contrast, this way of recruitment drops the promotion opportunities of the insiders and thus adversely affects their incentives (Ibid). As there are pros and cons for both methods, the organisation should therefore consider some factors such as the economy and labour market before setting its recruitment policies. A company could also use either or both ways. However, it should be concerned with the suitable approach that fair enough for all candidates, giving sincere, honest, accuracy and helpful feedback to unsuccessful candidates as an important part of the process. E-Recruitment Since the world has become globalisation, the Internet was used increasingly for recruitment among the companies worldwide. It provides the effective channel to attract the job-seekers faster and more up-to-date than the traditional ways. There are two basis form of Internet recruitment: employers own website and cyber-agencies (Torrington, Hall Taylor, 2008). The companies which have their own website could create the career part for the candidates gain both spending less money and time to the right person. However, the agencies allocate the service that supports the HR people to concentrate on the other aspects and have a wider way to reach the candidates. Consequently, the organisation should be concerned not only use the traditional way of recruitment, but also applies the e-recruitment as a technology to support its development. Case studies Tesco, the biggest private sector employer in the UK, has employed more than 360,000 employees worldwide and it is continually growing every year (The Time 100, 2005). The way to support Tesco to handle the adequate resourcing of the suitable workforce to serve its widen market might be the efficient and effective resourcing strategies. There are three main factors in Tesco resourcing: workforce planning, attracting and recruitment, and selection. Firstly, the workforce planning is the process for analysing the company concerned with the need of workforce in terms of numbers, skills and locations. Tesco uses a workforce planning table to create the approximate demand for new staff. This table allows Tesco flexibility and sufficient time to meet its staff demands and lead the business to achieve its strategic objectives; for example, to open new stores and maintain customer service standards. Another important element is to have clear job descriptions and person specifications. Job description defines what it want people to do in this role while person specification describes the qualification of people in required position. Tesco uses both to help job applicants and post-holders to know what is expected from them. Secondly, Tesco applies both internal staff development and external recruitment methods to fill its vacancies. It is concerned about the staff motivation and uses its practises called talent planning to encourage their internal employees through an annual appraisal scheme. This could therefore lead them to apply for higher position. Furthermore, Tesco avoid the demonization among the staffs who fail the promotion as it provides the privilege such as the longer preparation time. On the other hand, for external recruitment, Tesco invest in advertises vacancies via its website or through vacancy boards in stores. The short lists have an interview followed by some processes at an assessment centre. Lastly, the selection process involves choosing the most suitable candidate from those who apply for a position by keeping the employment laws and regulations. According to figure 1, Tesco also use screening to filter candidates to ensure that those selected for interview have the best fit with the job requirements. An assessment centre is the next step for the candidates and it take place in store and is run by managers. Consequently, an interview is the last step in the process. To summarise, Tesco is an enterprise with many job opportunities from the frontline staff to high level manager. Tesco therefore needs to encourage its growth and development with the right people, skills and behaviours. It shows the organisational structures clearly, and provides obvious job descriptions and person specifications to create easy ways of applying for jobs. These could eventually lead Tesco to have its efficient approach for recruitment and selection, and support its changing demand for employee. Conclusion Tesco case study could demonstrate how resourcing helps the organisation to reach its need of staffs in the right place, with the right skills at the right time. Furthermore, it might be a useful example for another company to analyse and apply to their strategies. Recruitment topic contains the important issues comprise internal and external recruitment, and e-recruitment. These could provide the benefits and drawbacks as well as a variety of channel for recruitment. Resourcing is crucial for a business needs to meet its staff demands and match the position with the right people, and also maintain such valuable workforce. The company should analyse its structure and synergise the factors including workforce planning, recruitment and selection, and so on to set the organisation resourcing strategy. This could result in the efficient and effective resourcing as part of the human resource management.
Thursday, September 19, 2019
Graduation Speech :: Graduation Speech, Commencement Address
Will you be who you were meant to be, or will you be who everyone wants you to be. It is up to you to decide your destination, but it is the events along the way that shape the final outcome. As we sit here at graduation, having suffered and prospered through four years at County High School, it is hard to forget the memories we've shared. At the same time, it is easy to see how the past four years have shaped who we are today and impacted our future forever. Who can forget being a freshman: finally out of middle school, we took on the world in a school of 1,400 that was only suited for 900. We've sat in not only moldy portables but also condemned bleachers, seen rusty water, squished together in the gym to display our spirit and learned what it means to truly work hard. We took the challenge presented to us and chose to succeed in one way or another. Whether on the playing field, in the classroom, with an instrument or in the community, the launching of our high school career began our journey and began the adventure to become our destiny. And who can forget the friendships we've made along the way? Some will last a lifetime, and some will last no longer than tomorrow, but either way, it's okay because we will forever be impacted by it. As a class, we've laughed together, cried together, skipped class, failed tests, aced tests we forgot we were taking and now, we're graduating together. Whatever the event, we did it as a whole. Through all of this, there were the teachers of Arlington High School. Of the finest quality, I doubt anyone would argue they are masters of making us mad and then being our biggest ally. Remember the sodium bomb in chemistry? How about the career search, the I search and the scholarly paper in English? We are now masters at finding the slope of a line courtesy of the math department, and who hasn't had the quadratic formula engrained in their mind? All because of the teachers who have supported us through these past years. Without them, our outcome in life would be dismally different. They taught us to be who we are and proud of it at that. And now - guess what - it's up to us. We are the beholders of tomorrow, and we determine the future.
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
On The Beach At Night Alone By Walt Whitman :: essays research papers
In ââ¬Å"On the Beach at Night Alone,â⬠Walt Whitman develops the idea that everyone has a connection with everything else, including nature. Whitman uses a variety of writing techniques to get his point across. First, the repetition and parallel structure that his poems contain reinforce the connection between everything in nature. The usage of ââ¬Å"Allâ⬠11 times emphasizes the inclusion of everything in the universe. The sentence structure remains the same throughout the poem, without any drastic change; however, the length of the lines in the poem vary. In addition, Whitmanââ¬â¢sââ¬â¢ extravagance with his words further illustrates his idea of the Over-Soul. For example, ââ¬Å"A vast similitude interlocks allâ⬠(4) shows his verbose nature. Whitman does not do directly to the point, but gives every little detail. Most importantly, Whitmanââ¬â¢sââ¬â¢ use of catalogues stands as the most recognizable Whitman characteristic that illustrates his beliefs . These long lists that he uses set the mood of the poem. ââ¬Å"All spheres, grown, ungrown, small, large, suns, moons, planets,â⬠(5) shows the idea that everything is connected in nature. Similarly, ââ¬Å"All nations, colors, barbarisms, civilizations languages.â⬠(10) furthermore emphasize Whitmanââ¬â¢s belief in the Over-Soul. Although Whitman uses a great deal of structural ways to stress his ideas, he also uses many other ways of delivering his ideas. First of all, Whitman portrays himself as a public spokesman of the masses. The tone of the poem is a very loud, informative tone that grabs ones attention. The emphasis placed on the word ââ¬Å"allâ⬠adds to the characterization of Whitman as a powerful speaker. Furthermore, Whitman takes part in his own poem. Participating in his own poem, Whitman moreover illustrates the connection between everything in life. Lastly, Whitman, most of all, celebrates universal brotherhood and democracy.
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
Reader Response: Things Fall Apart
In Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo is a character whose main goal is to be as different from his father as possible. Unoka, Okonkwoââ¬â¢s father was a weak man, he was lazy and owed money to most people in the village. Okonkwo on the other hand, was a man of great success, he was brave and well respected. He also had a temper and was feared by many. ââ¬Å"Okonkwo ruled his household with a heavy hand. His wives, especially the youngest, lived in perpetual fear of his fiery temper, and so did his little childrenâ⬠, (Things Fall Apart, 13). But why was Okonkwo like this? He believed this behaviour made him look fearless and brave in everyoneââ¬â¢s eyes. Okonkwoââ¬â¢s fear of being like his father in any way, was greater than his fear to the gods, his respect for his village and everything else that surrounded him. He also believed his chi dictated his destiny and misfortune, but the misfortune was not due to his chi, but his extreme fear of not being that brave man he wants everyone to see him as, his fear of failing and being more like his father. Okonkwo believed he had a problematic chi, and blamed his misfortune on it. Whenever things went well and he had good fortune his pride was on himself, but when things went wrong he blamed it on his chi. In the next passage he wonders about his son Nwoye: ââ¬Å"Why, he cried in his heart, should he, Okonkwo, of all people, be cursed with such a son? He saw clearly in it the finger of his personal god or Chi. For how else could he explain his great misfortune and exile and now his despicable sonââ¬â¢s behavior? â⬠, (Things Fall Apart, 152). But it is him and his enormous pride who ultimately dictates his destiny. When Okonkwo is informed by Ogbuefi Ezeudu, that the oracle has decreed that Ikemefuna died, he specifically tells Okonkwo not to take part in his death. But on the way to Ikemefunaââ¬â¢s home village, a man attacks him with his machete, and Ikemefuna runs to Okonkwo, but he doesnââ¬â¢t want to look like a weak man in front of others and cuts him down. Since Okonkwo did not take the advice of his elders and participated in Ikemefunaââ¬â¢s death he is considered a sinner in Igbo culture. He is so focused on not being looked as weak that he will rather disobey his beliefs and his tribeââ¬â¢s laws.
Monday, September 16, 2019
English as Second Language
Insight Text Guide Ruth Thomas The Rugmaker of Mazar-e-Sharif Najaf Mazari & Robert Hillman à © Insight Publications 2010 Copyright Insight Publications 2009 First published in 2009 by Insight Publications Pty Ltd ABN 57 005 102 983 219 Glenhuntly Road Elsternwick VIC 3185 Australia Tel: +61 3 9523 0044 Fax: +61 3 9523 2044 Email: [emailà protected] com. au www. insightpublications. com. u Copying for educational purposes The Australian Copyright Act 1968 (the Act) allows a maximum of one chapter or 10% of this book, whichever is the greater, to be copied by any educational institution for its educational purposes provided that the educational institution (or the body that administers it) has given a remuneration notice to Copyright Agency Limited (CAL) under the Act. For details of the CAL licence for educational institutions contact: Copyright Agency Limited Level 19, 157 Liverpool Street Sydney NSW 2000 Tel: +61 2 9394 7600 Fax: +61 2 9394 7601 Email: [emailà protected] com. u Copying for other purposes Except as permitted under the Act (for example, any fair dealing for the purposes of study, research, criticism or review) no part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission. All inquiries should be made to the publisher at the address above. National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry: Thomas, Ruth, 1980ââ¬â Najaf Mazari and Robert Hillmanââ¬â¢s The rugmaker of Mazar-e-Sharif : insight text guide / Ruth Thomas. 1st ed. 9781921411038 (pbk. ) Insight text guide. Bibliography.For secondary school age. Mazari, Najaf, 1971ââ¬â Rugmaker of Mazar-e-Sharif. 325. 2109581 Printed in Australia by Hyde Park Press à © Insight Publications 2010 contents Character map Overview About the author Synopsis Character summaries iv 1 1 2 3 Background & context Genre, structure & language Chapter-by-chapter analysis Characters & relationships Themes, i deas & values Different interpretations Questions & answers Sample answer References & reading 6 11 16 32 40 51 57 65 68 à © Insight Publications 2010 iv CHARACT ARACTER MAP Hakima Najafââ¬â¢s wife, whom he marries when both are 27; stays in Pakistan before joining Najaf in Australia. other of husband and wife admires Maria Najaf and Hakimaââ¬â¢s daughter; a baby when she is taken to Pakistan; travels to Australia with Hakima to be reunited with her father. Gorg Ali Mazari Najafââ¬â¢s eldest brother; killed by a sniper during a battle between the Russians and the mujahedin. brothers father of Abdul Ali Mazari Becomes head of the family after Gorg Ali is killed. respects Najaf Mazari Afghani rugmaker who ? ees con? ict in his homeland and arrives in Australia as a refugee. helps Robin Closest friend in Australia. helps brothers frustrated by Colin Rug dealer; a close friend in Australia.Rosal Ali Mazari Younger, irresponsible brother; killed in a rocket explosion. brothers à © Insight Publications 2010 1 OVERVIEW About the authors Najaf Mazari was born in 1971 in the small village of Shar Shar in northern Afghanistan. At 12 years of age, after his family had moved to the city of Mazar-e-Sharif, Najaf became an apprentice rugmaker ââ¬â an occupation that suited his propensity for both creativity and hard work. Seeing through his apprenticeship and aspiring to make beautiful rugs gave the young Najaf some respite from the horror of the incessant con? ct around him. In 2001, Najaf ? ed Afghanistan. The Taliban had occupied the north of the country and were carrying out genocide against men in Mazar-e-Sharif. Najaf was captured, tortured and narrowly escaped death before his family paid a people smuggler to convey him out of the country. Najaf reluctantly left his family and his beloved homeland, and embarked on a dangerous journey to Australia. He was detained in the Woomera Detention Centre while his application for refugee status was processed. He then settled in Melbourne, where he opened a rug shop.In 2006, Najafââ¬â¢s wife and daughter were given permission by the Australian government to join him in Australia. He was granted Australian citizenship in 2007. The Rugmaker of Mazar-e-Sharif is Najafââ¬â¢s memoir of living with con? ict and of enduring its far-reaching consequences. Melbourne-based ? ction writer and biographer Robert Hillman helps Najaf tell his story. Hillmanââ¬â¢s collaboration with Najaf on The Rugmaker of Mazar-e-Sharif continues his literary preoccupation with the hardships and triumphs of ordinary people caught up in war and political unrest.Hillmanââ¬â¢s 2007 biography, My Life as a Traitor, tells the story of Zarha Ghahramani, a young Iranian woman who was imprisoned, tortured and persecuted after participating in student protests at Tehran University. Hillman, who met Zarha while he was working as a journalist in Iran, supported her through her settlement as a refugee in Australia. His a rticles about refugees have been published in a number of newspapers and magazines, including The New York Times and The Australian. My Life as a Traitor has been published in the United States and the United Kingdom and was nominated for the 2008 Insight Publications 2010 2 Prime Ministerââ¬â¢s Literary Award. Like The Rugmaker of Mazar-e-Sharif, Mazar-e-Sharif My Life as a Traitor contains thoughtful meditations on Zarhaââ¬â¢s culture, which ensures that the book provides something more than a grim and shocking portrayal of war and suffering. Hillmanââ¬â¢s autobiography, The Boy in the Green Suit (2003), a memoir about his own journey through the Middle East as a teenager, won the 2005 National Biography Prize. The text was praised for its artfulness, evocation of restlessness, humour and optimism. His ? ction has also been widely praised.It includes A Life of Days (1988), The Hour of Disguise (1990), Writing Sparrow Hill (1996) and The Deepest Part of the Lake (2001). An experienced teacher and university lecturer, Hillman also writes educational texts for secondary-school audiences. Synopsis Najafââ¬â¢s life begins in the small village of Shar Shar in northern Afghanistan, a place of hilly pastures, sunshine, snow, and bright green grass in spring. Najaf works as a shepherd boy, responsible for protecting the familyââ¬â¢s ? ock from wolves. Going to school comes second to his shepherding duties.When Najaf is eight his father dies and the family (now headed by Najafââ¬â¢s much-loved eldest brother, Gorg Ali) moves north to the city of Mazar-e-Sharif. Gorg Ali arranges an apprenticeship for Najaf when he turns 12 and is no longer, within Afghani culture, a boy; he is a young man ready to learn a trade. Najaf is ? rst apprenticed to a blacksmith, but ? nds the work tedious and deeply unsatisfying. He secretly abandons his job to begin an apprenticeship under a master rugmaker. He quickly comes to love rugmaking and his passion for it offers a sanctuary from the war that rages around him.His work, however, does not shield him from the reality of con? ict. War in? icts terrible personal costs on young Najaf. Gorg Ali is gunned down in a battle between Russian and mujahedin soldiers in Shar Shar. Najafââ¬â¢s younger brother, Rosal Ali, is killed when a mortar shell explodes over the family home in the middle of the night. Najaf is injured in the attack and his apprenticeship jeopardised because the wound to his leg takes many months to heal. Najaf is just 13 when he endures these terrible experiences. à © Insight Publications 2010 3Although he is a civilian and remains staunchly opposed to violence throughout his life, con? ict continues to impact upon Najaf during adulthood. In 1998, the Taliban invade Mazar-e-Sharif. The Taliban massacre men and boys of Najafââ¬â¢s Hazara clan and then capture and torture any survivors they ? nd. Now married with a baby daughter, Najaf is kidnapped and whipped with cables. Howeve r, to his and his familyââ¬â¢s disbelief, he is released. Knowing he will not be so lucky a second time, Najaf escapes Afghanistan, putting his life in the hands of a people smuggler.The dangerous journey takes him through Afghanistan to Pakistan, then on to Indonesia and towards Australia on a condemnable boat. The boat eventually becomes stranded on Ashmore Reef, north of Australia. Najaf, along with other asylum seekers on board, is rescued by the Australian navy and conveyed to Woomera Detention Centre. Here, Najaf endures the ordeal of waiting, his fate resting with immigration of? cials who will decide whether he has valid reason to stay in Australia. After months of detainment, Najaf is granted refugee status. He begins a life in Melbourne and, through hard work and hope, establishes a rug-selling business.More good news comes when Najaf is granted Permanent Residency Status, which not only means he can stay in Australia for good, but also that his wife, Hakima, and daught er, Maria, can move to Australia and join him in Melbourne. Overwhelmed by happiness and appreciation of the seemingly impossible things that have happened, Najaf thanks God for his good fortune and promises to remember and honour those Afghanis who were not able to survive the countryââ¬â¢s violent con? icts. Character summaries Najaf Mazari The central character and narrator. The narrator is in his mid 30s when he tells his story.Najaf is a young boy, teenager and young man in the story. He is less than eight years old when working as a shepherd boy in Shar Shar and about 12 when he begins his rugmaking apprenticeship. à © Insight Publications 2010 4 Gorg Ali Najafââ¬â¢s much admired eldest brother. In keeping with Afghani tradition, Gorg Ali takes over as head of the family when Najafââ¬â¢s father dies. Gorg Ali is a gentle man who believes that ? ghting is senseless and futile. He works as a tinsmith and a beekeeper. Gorg Ali is killed by a stray bullet when he goes to tend the family beehives near Shar Shar. Abdul Ali Najafââ¬â¢s second-eldest brother.When Gorg Ali dies, Abdul Ali becomes the head of the family and bears the ? nancial burden that results from the mortar attack on the familyââ¬â¢s home. Abdul Ali is more hot-headed than Gorg Ali and subjects Najaf to several blows about the head when he discovers Najaf has secretly quit his job as a blacksmith. Abdul Ali is a butcher. Rosal Ali Najafââ¬â¢s younger brother. Rosal Ali is hopelessly irresponsible, mischievous and cheeky. He often provokes Najafââ¬â¢s anger. Najaf, as the older brother, lectures Rosal Ali. Rosal Ali is killed when the Mazarisââ¬â¢ home is destroyed in the mortar attack.Najafââ¬â¢s mother An important member of the Mazari family. Najafââ¬â¢s mother has the ? nal say on her sonââ¬â¢s marriage plans and rules the inside of the house in partnership with the head of the family. In turn, Najaf is respectful to his mother and often acts protectively towards her. Najaf sees his mother (and the rest of his family) on a number of occasions after leaving Afghanistan, when he undertakes rug-buying trips to Pakistan. Hakima Najafââ¬â¢s wife. She is the same age as Najaf; they marry at the age of 27. Hakima stays in Pakistan between 2001, when Najaf ? es Afghanistan, and 2006, when she is granted permission by the Australian government to join Najaf in Australia. à © Insight Publications 2010 5 Maria Najaf and Hakimaââ¬â¢s daughter. Maria is just a baby when Najaf sends her and Hakima to safety in Pakistan. She is reunited with her father ? ve years later. Robin An Australian woman who becomes Najafââ¬â¢s closest friend in Australia. She helps Najaf learn English and holds a party to celebrate his achievements in his new home. Colin A Melbourne rug dealer who helps Najaf with his business. He drives Najaf to the airport to be reunited with Hakima and Maria. à © Insight Publications 2010 BACKGROUND & CONTEXT Con? ict in Afgh anistan Najafââ¬â¢s homeland has a long history of violent and bitter armed con? ict that spans centuries. This is partly due to the regionââ¬â¢s geography. As Najaf says, ââ¬Ëjust look at the location of Afghanistan on a map of Asia and the Middle East, with neighbours and near-neighbours like Russia, Pakistan and Iranââ¬â¢ (p. 34). The area has enormous geographical and strategic signi? cance. Foreign powers, from the ancient Macedonians through to the colonial British and communist Russians, have striven to secure territory or allies there, with little regard for the desires of the local people.Anger towards foreign invaders is evident in Najafââ¬â¢s observation that Afghanistan and Afghanis were ââ¬Ësupposed to ? t into the political strategies of the powerfulââ¬â¢ (p. 35). Afghanis tried to ? ght off invaders, and also fought each other as various tribal and ethnic groups each attempted to stake out their own parcels of territory. In the period from 1973 to 2000, ? ve separate con? icts took place in Afghanistan, including civil wars (armed con? ict between opposing parties within one country) and international wars (armed con? ct between two or more countries). This particularly turbulent period commenced when Mohammad Daoud Khan assumed power in a military coup. Daoud failed to deliver much-needed economic and social reform and was ultimately overthrown in a second coup in 1978. This uprising was led by the Marxist Nur Mohammad Taraki, who implemented a liberal and socialist agenda, replacing religious and traditional laws with secular, Marxist ones. Taraki was soon ousted by Ha? zullah Amin, who was in turn replaced in yet another coup by Babrak Karmal.Najaf recalls that, by the time he was 13, Afghanistan had been ruled by four presidents, all of whom represented the Communist Party (pp. 149ââ¬â50). Karmal was supported by the Russian government, or controlled by it, as Najaf suggests (p. 11), and continued to implement Marxis t reforms. While many people in the cities either approved of these changes or were ambivalent about them, many traditional and conservative Afghanis in villages and rural areas were bitterly opposed. Opposition groups, known as mujahedin (ââ¬Ëholy Muslim warriorââ¬â¢), began to form. The à © Insight Publications 2010
Sunday, September 15, 2019
Practical Demonkeeping Chapter 14-15
14 DINNER Travis parked the Chevy on the street in front of Jenny's house. He turned off the engine and turned to Catch. ââ¬Å"You stay here, you understand. I'll be back in a little while to check on you.â⬠ââ¬Å"Thanks, Dad.â⬠ââ¬Å"Don't play the radio and don't beep the horn. Just wait.â⬠ââ¬Å"I promise. I'll be good.â⬠The demon attempted an innocent grin and failed. ââ¬Å"Keep an eye on that.â⬠Travis pointed to an aluminum suitcase on the backseat. ââ¬Å"Enjoy your date. The car will be fine.â⬠ââ¬Å"What's wrong with you?â⬠ââ¬Å"Nothing,â⬠Catch grinned. ââ¬Å"Why are you being so nice?â⬠ââ¬Å"It's good to see you getting out.â⬠ââ¬Å"You're lying.â⬠ââ¬Å"Travis, I'm crushed.â⬠ââ¬Å"That would be nice,â⬠Travis said. ââ¬Å"Now, don't eat anybody.â⬠ââ¬Å"I just ate last night. I don't even feel hungry. I'll just sit here and meditate.â⬠Travis reached into the inside pocket of his sport coat and pulled out a comic book. ââ¬Å"I got this for you.â⬠He held it out to the demon. ââ¬Å"You can look at it while you wait.â⬠The demon fumbled the comic book away from Travis and spread it out on the seat. ââ¬Å"Cookie Monster! My favorite! Thanks, Travis.â⬠ââ¬Å"See you later.â⬠Travis got out of the car and slammed the door. Catch watched him walk across the yard. ââ¬Å"I already looked at this one, asshole,â⬠he hissed to himself. ââ¬Å"When I get a new master, I will tear your arms off and eat them while you watch.â⬠Travis looked back over his shoulder. Catch waved him on with his best effort at a smile. The doorbell rang precisely at seven. Jenny's reactions went like this: don't answer it, change clothes, answer it and feign sickness, clean the house, redecorate, schedule plastic surgery, change hair color, take a handful of Valium, appeal to the Goddess for divine intervention, stand here and explore the possibilities of paralyzing panic. She opened the door and smiled. ââ¬Å"Hi.â⬠Travis stood there in jeans and a gray herringbone tweed jacket. He was transfixed. ââ¬Å"Travis?â⬠Jenny said. ââ¬Å"You're beautiful,â⬠he said finally. They stood in the doorway, Jenny blushing, Travis staring. Jenny had decided to stick with the black dress. Evidently it had been the right choice. A full minute passed without a word between them. ââ¬Å"Would you like to come in?â⬠ââ¬Å"No.â⬠ââ¬Å"Okay.â⬠She shut the door in his face. Well, that hadn't been so bad. Now she could put on some sweatpants, load the refrigerator onto a tray, and settle down for a night in front of the television. There was a timid knock on the door. Jenny opened it again. ââ¬Å"Sorry, I'm a little nervous,â⬠she said. ââ¬Å"It's all right,â⬠Travis said. ââ¬Å"Shall we go?â⬠ââ¬Å"Sure. I'll get my purse.â⬠She closed the door in his face. There was an uncomfortable silence between them while they drove to the restaurant. Typically, this would be the time for trading life stories, but Jenny had resolved not to talk about her marriage, which closed most of her adult life to conversation, and Travis had resolved not to talk about the demon, which eliminated most of the twentieth century. ââ¬Å"So,â⬠Jenny said, ââ¬Å"do you like Italian food?â⬠ââ¬Å"Yep,â⬠Travis said. They drove in silence the rest of the way to the restaurant. It was a warm night and the Toyota had no air conditioning. Jenny didn't dare roll down the window and risk blowing her hair. She had spent an hour styling and pinning it back so that it fell in long curls to the middle of her back. When she began to perspire, she remembered that she still had two wads of toilet paper tucked under her arms to stop the bleeding from shaving cuts. For the next few minutes all she could think of was getting to a restroom where she could remove the spotted wads. She decided not to mention it. The restaurant, the Old Italian Pasta Factory, was housed in an old creamery building, a remnant of the time when Pine Cove's economy was based on livestock rather than tourism. The concrete floors remained intact, as did the corrugated steel roof. The owners had taken care to preserve the rusticity of the structure, while adding the warmth of a fireplace, soft lighting, and the traditional red-and-white tablecloths of an Italian restaurant. The tables were small but comfortably spaced, and each was decorated with fresh flowers and a candle. The Pasta Factory, it was agreed, was the most romantic restaurant in the area. As soon as the hostess seated them, Jenny excused herself to the restroom. ââ¬Å"Order whatever wine you want,â⬠she said, ââ¬Å"I'm not picky.â⬠ââ¬Å"I don't drink, but if you want someâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ââ¬Å"No, that's fine. It'll be a nice change.â⬠As soon as Jenny left, the waitress ââ¬â an efficient-looking woman in her thirties ââ¬â came to the table. ââ¬Å"Good evening, sir. What can I bring you to drink this evening?â⬠She pulled her order pad out of her pocket in a quick, liquid movement, like a gunslinger drawing a six-shooter. A career waitress, Travis thought. ââ¬Å"I thought I'd wait for the lady to return,â⬠he said. ââ¬Å"Oh, Jenny. She'll have an herbal tea. And you want, let's seeâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ She looked him up and down, crossed-referenced him, pigeonholed him, and announced, ââ¬Å"You'll have some sort of imported beer, right?â⬠ââ¬Å"I don't drink, soâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ââ¬Å"I should have known.â⬠The waitress slapped her forehead as if she'd just caught herself in the middle of a grave error, like serving the salad with plutonium instead of creamy Italian. ââ¬Å"Her husband is a drunk; it's only natural that she'd go out with a nondrinker on the rebound. Can I bring you a mineral water?â⬠ââ¬Å"That would be fine,â⬠Travis said. The waitress's pen scratched, but she did not look at the order pad or lose her ââ¬Å"we aim to pleaseâ⬠smile. ââ¬Å"And would you like some garlic bread while you're waiting?â⬠ââ¬Å"Sure,â⬠Travis said. He watched the waitress walk away. She took small, quick, mechanical steps, and was gone to the kitchen in an instant. Travis wondered why some people seemed to be able to walk faster than he could run. They're professionals, he thought. Jenny took five minutes to get all the toilet paper unstuck from her underarms, and there had been an embarrassing moment when another woman came into the restroom and found her before the mirror with her elbow in the air. When she returned to the table, Travis was staring over a basket of garlic bread. She saw the herbal tea on the table and said, ââ¬Å"How did you know?â⬠ââ¬Å"Psychic, I guess,â⬠he said. ââ¬Å"I ordered garlic bread.â⬠ââ¬Å"Yes,â⬠she said, seating herself. They stared at the garlic bread as if it were a bubbling caldron of hemlock. ââ¬Å"You like garlic bread?â⬠she asked. ââ¬Å"Love it. And you?â⬠ââ¬Å"One of my favorites,â⬠she said. He picked up the basket and offered it to her. ââ¬Å"Have some?â⬠ââ¬Å"Not right now. You go ahead.â⬠ââ¬Å"No thanks, I'm not in the mood.â⬠He put the basket down. The garlic bread lay there between them, steaming with implications. They, of course, must both eat it or neither could. Garlic bread meant garlic breath. There might be a kiss later, maybe more. There was just too damn much intimacy in garlic bread. They sat in silence, reading the menu; she looking for the cheapest entree, which she had no intention of eating; and he, looking for the item that would be the least embarrassing to eat in front of someone. ââ¬Å"What are you going to have?â⬠she asked. ââ¬Å"Not spaghetti,â⬠he snapped. ââ¬Å"Okay.â⬠Jenny had forgotten what dating was like. Although she couldn't remember for sure, she thought that she might have gotten married to avoid ever having to go through this kind of discomfort again. It was like driving with the emergency brake set. She decided to release the brake. ââ¬Å"I'm starved. Pass the garlic bread.â⬠Travis smiled. ââ¬Å"Sure.â⬠He passed it to her, then took a piece for himself. They paused in midbite and eyed each other across the table like two poker players on the bluff. Jenny laughed, spraying crumbs all over the table. The evening was on. ââ¬Å"So, Travis, what do you do?â⬠ââ¬Å"Date married women, evidently.â⬠ââ¬Å"How did you know?â⬠ââ¬Å"The waitress told me.â⬠ââ¬Å"We're separated.â⬠ââ¬Å"Good,â⬠he said, and they both laughed. They ordered, and as dinner progressed they found common ground in the awkwardness of the situation. Jenny told Travis about her marriage and her job. Travis made up a history of working as a traveling insurance salesman with no real ties to home or family. In a frank exchange of truth for lies, they found they liked each other ââ¬â were, in fact, quite taken with one another. They left the restaurant arm in arm, laughing. 15 RACHEL Rachel Henderson lived alone in a small house that lay amid a grove of eucalyptus trees at the edge of the Beer Bar cattle ranch. The house was owned by Jim Beer, a lanky, forty-five-year-old cowboy who lived with his wife and two children in a fourteen-room house his grandfather had built on the far side of the ranch. Rachel had lived on the ranch for five years. She had never paid any rent. Rachel had met Jim Beer in the Head of the Slug Saloon when she first arrived in Pine Cove. Jim had been drinking all day and was feeling the weight of his rugged cowboy charisma when Rachel sat down on the bar stool next to him and put a newspaper on the bar. ââ¬Å"Well, darlin', I'm damned if you're not a fresh wind on a stale pasture. Can I buy you a drink?â⬠The banjo twang in Jim's accent was pure Oklahoma, picked up from the hands that had worked the Beer Bar when Jim was a boy. Jim was the third generation of Beers to work the ranch and would probably be the last. His teenage son, Zane Grey Beer, had decided early on that he would rather ride a surfboard than a horse. That was part of the reason that Jim was drinking away the afternoon at the Slug. That, and the fact that his wife had just purchased a new Mercedes turbo-diesel wagon that cost the annual net income of the Beer Bar Ranch. Rachel unfolded the classified section of the Pine Cove Gazette on the bar. ââ¬Å"Just an orange juice, thanks. I'm house hunting today.â⬠She curled one leg under herself on the bar stool. ââ¬Å"You don't know anybody that has a house for rent, do you?â⬠Jim Beer would look back on that day many times in the years to come, but he could never quite remember what had happened next. What he did remember was driving his pickup down the back road into the ranch with Rachel following behind in an old Volkswagen van. From there his memory was a montage of images: Rachel naked on the small bunk, his turquoise belt buckle hitting the wooden floor with a thud, silk scarves tied around his wrists, Rachel bouncing above him ââ¬â riding him like a bronco ââ¬â climbing back into his pickup after sundown, sore and sweaty, leaning his forehead on the wheel of the truck and thinking about his wife and kids. In the five years since, Jim Beer had never gone near the little house on the far side of the ranch. Every month he penciled the rent collected into a ledger, then deposited cash from his poker fund in the business checking account to cover it. A few of his friends had seen him leave the Head of the Slug with Rachel that afternoon. When they saw him again, they ribbed him, made crude jokes, and asked pointed questions. Jim answered the jibes by pushing his summer Stetson back on his head and saying: ââ¬Å"Boys, all I got to say is that male menopause is a rough trail to ride.â⬠Hank Williams couldn't have sung it any sadder. After Jim left that evening Rachel picked several gray hairs from the bunk's pillow. Around the hairs she carefully tied a single red thread, which she knotted twice. Two knots were enough for the bond she wanted over Jim Beer. She placed the tiny bundle in a babyfood jar, labeled it with a marking pen, and stored it away in a cupboard over the kitchen sink. Now the cupboard was full of jars, each one containing a similar bundle, each bundle tied with a red thread. The number of knots in the thread varied. Three of the bundles were tied with four knots. These contained the hair of men Rachel had loved. Those men were long gone. The rest of Rachel's house was decorated with objects of power: eagle feathers, crystals, pentagrams, and tapestries embroidered with magic symbols. There was no evidence of a past in Rachel's house. Any photos she had of herself had been taken after she arrived in Pine Cove. People who knew Rachel had no clue as to where she had lived or who she had been before she came to town. They knew her as a beautiful, mysterious woman who taught aerobics for a living. Or they knew her as a witch. Her past was an enigma, which was just the way she wanted it. No one knew that Rachel had grown up in Bakersfield, the daughter of an illiterate oil-field worker. They didn't know that she had been a fat, ugly little girl who spent most of her life doing degrading things for disgusting men so that she might receive some sort of acceptance. Butterflies do not wax nostalgic about the time they spent as caterpillars. Rachel had married a crop-duster pilot who was twenty years her senior. She was eighteen at the time. It happened in the front seat of a pickup truck in the parking lot of a roadhouse outside of Visalia, California. The pilot, whose name was Merle Henderson, was still breathing hard and Rachel was washing the foul taste out of her mouth with a lukewarm Budweiser. ââ¬Å"If you do that again, I'll marry you,â⬠Merle gasped. An hour later they were flying over the Mojave desert, heading for Las Vegas in Merle's Cessna 152. Merle came at ten thousand feet. They were married under a neon arch in a ramshackle, concrete-block chapel just off the Vegas strip. They had known each other exactly six hours. Rachel regarded the next eight years of her life as her term on the wheel of abuse. Merle Henderson deposited her in his house trailer by the landing strip and kept her there. He allowed her to visit town once a week to go to the laundromat and the grocery store. The rest of her time was spent waiting on or waiting for Merle and helping him work on his planes. Each morning Merle took off in the crop duster, taking with him the keys to the pickup. Rachel spent the days cleaning up the trailer, eating, and watching television. She grew fatter and Merle began to refer to her as his fat little mama. What little self-esteem she had drained away and was absorbed by Merle's overpowering male ego. Merle had flown helicopter gunships in Vietnam and he still talked about it as the happiest time in his life. When he opened the tanks of insecticide over a field of lettuce, he imagined he was releasing air-to-ground missiles into a Vietnamese village. The Army had sensed a destructive edge in Merle, Vietnam had honed it to razor sharpness, and it had not dulled when he came home. Until he married Rachel, he released his pent-up violence by starting fights in bars and flying with dangerous abandon. With Rachel waiting for him at home, he went to bars less often and released his aggression on her in the form of constant criticism, verbal abuse, and finally, beatings. Rachel bore the abuse as if it were a penance sent down by God for the sin of being a woman. Her mother had endured the same sort of abuse from her father, with the same resignation. It was just the way things worked. Then, one day, while Rachel was waiting at the laundromat for Merle's shirts to dry, a woman approached her. It was the day after a particularly vicious beating and Rachel's face was bruised and swollen. ââ¬Å"It's none of my business,â⬠the woman said. She was tall and stately and in her mid-forties. She had a way about her that frightened Rachel, a presence, but her voice was soft and strong. ââ¬Å"But when you get some time, you might read this.â⬠She held out a pamphlet to Rachel and Rachel took it. The title was The Wheel of Abuse. ââ¬Å"There are some numbers in the back that you can call. Everything will be okay,â⬠the woman said. Rachel thought it a strange thing to say. Everything was okay. But the woman had impressed her, so she read the pamphlet. It talked about human rights and dignity and personal power. It spoke to Rachel about her life in a way that she had never thought possible. The Wheel of Abuse was her life story. How did they know? Mostly it talked about courage to change. She kept the pamphlet and hid it away in a box of tampons under the bathroom sink. It stayed there for two weeks. Until the morning she ran out of coffee. She could hear the sound of Merle's plane disappearing in the distance as she stared into the mirror at the bloody hole where her front teeth used to be. She dug out the pamphlet and called one of the numbers on the back. Within a half hour two women arrived at the trailer. They packed Rachel's belongings and drove her to the shelter. Rachel wanted to leave a note for Merle, but the two women insisted that it was not a good idea. For the next three weeks Rachel lived at the shelter. The women at the shelter cared for her. They gave her food and understanding and affection, and in return they asked only that she acknowledge her own dignity. When she made the call to Merle to tell him where she was, they all stood by her. Merle promised that it would all change. He missed her. He needed her. She returned to the trailer. For a month Merle did not hit her. He did not touch her at all. He didn't even speak to her. The women at the shelter had warned her about this type of abuse: the withdrawal of affection. When she brought it up to Merle one evening while he was eating, he threw a plate in her face. Then he proceeded to give her the worst beating of her life. Afterward he locked her outside the trailer for the night. The trailer was fifteen miles from the nearest neighbor, so Rachel was forced to cower under the front steps to escape the cold. She was not sure she could walk fifteen miles. In the middle of the night Merle opened the door and shouted, ââ¬Å"By the way, I ripped the phone out, so don't waste your time thinking about it.â⬠He slammed and locked the door. When the sun broke in the east, Merle reappeared. Rachel had crawled under the trailer, where he could not reach her. He lifted the plastic skirting and shouted to her, ââ¬Å"Listen, bitch, you'd better be here when I get home or you'll get worse.â⬠Rachel waited in the darkness under the trailer until she heard the biplane roar down the strip. She climbed out and watched the plane climb gradually into the distance. Although it hurt her face, and the cuts on her mouth split open, she couldn't help smiling. She had discovered her personal power. It lay hidden under the trailer in a five-gallon asphalt can, now half full of aviation grade motor oil. A policeman came to the trailer that afternoon. His jaw was set with the stoic resolve of a man who knows he has an unpleasant task to perform and is determined to do it, but when he saw Rachel sitting on the steps of the trailer, the color drained from his face and he ran to her. ââ¬Å"Are you all right?â⬠Rachel could not speak. Garbled sounds bubbled from her broken mouth. The policeman drove her to the hospital in his cruiser. Later, after she had been cleaned up and bandaged, the policeman came to her room and told her about the crash. It seemed that Merle's biplane lost power after a pass over a field. He was unable to climb fast enough to avoid a high-tension tower and flaming bits of Merle were scattered across a field of budding strawberries. Later, at the funeral, Rachel would comment, ââ¬Å"It was how he would have wanted to go.â⬠A few weeks later a man from the Federal Aviation Administration came around the trailer asking questions. Rachel told him that Merle had beat her, then had stormed out to the plane and taken off. The F.A.A. concluded that Merle, in his anger, had forgotten to check out his plane thoroughly before taking off. No one ever suspected Rachel of draining the oil out of the plane.
Forensic Accounting Essay
What types of systems are needed to ensure that all individuals have access to the benefits of our community as well to bring health and effectiveness to an organization or the broader community? There are two systems of process that ensure all individuals have access to the benefits of our community. The first is due process which is the ability of getting noticed and participating in the decisions that affect an individual (Baird, 2011). The second is substantive process which makes sure people know and understand the rules (Baird, 2011). How do we ensure fair treatment, fair administration of rules, fair compensation, fair blame, and ensure due process to allow all opinions to be heard? We can make ethical decisions by creating fair systems for resolution of disputes and policies that state expectations (Baird,2011). We should care for all members and institutions of the community when allocating resources (Baird, 2011). We should give to each member of the community knowing they are a part of the happiness of the entire community. How might the Relationship Lens be misused through abuse of power or personal hubris? Having an excessive pride and arrogance can move us from unintentional ethical wrong doing to intentional wrong doing (Baird, 2011). Cite a recent example in the news. I have an example of hubris in my work place that I will share. Our current CEO has chosen to take his annual bonus when he made the decision to freeze raises and increase the employee cost of health insurance. He does not pay the premiums of his health insurance policy but raised the cost for all employees. He purchased a very expensive piece of equipment costing over $2.5 million in 2011 causing an operating loss for the year. This equipment holds a great deal of prestige for him in the healthcare industry. I have been very disappointed that he has made the decisions he has made with total disregard for all other employees affected. His excessive pride and arrogance has caused him to intentionally act unethically. What types of systems are needed to ensure that all individuals have access to the benefits of our community as well to bring health and effectiveness to an organization or the broader community? Bella and Frederick both use the concept of moral ecology to callus to greater responsibility for the community.Frederick also reminds us that companies and corporations and communities at large have responsibilities toward life ââ¬â conserving values such fairness, unselfishness,and restraint, that both create and sustain human collective life. Judeo-Christian tradition calls us to responsibility for others. Due process is used to achieve our goals, assuring that those without access to power have equal opportunity to thrive. How might the Relationship Lens be misused through abuse of power or personal hubris? Cite a recent example in the news. (If you donââ¬â¢t know the meaning of hubris, look it up and include its definition as you answer this question.) As Timothy Clark noted, ââ¬Å"The ambition to govern oneââ¬â¢s fellow beings tend to view leadership as the pathway to glittering world of personal reward. Another risk that we run as we work is to become authoritarian and paternalistic. Another bias to watch is entrainment,where we are so cut up in work that we forget to ask important key questions. Hubris, excessive pride and arrogance,moves us from unintentional ethical wrongdoing to intentional wrongdoing. Biggest example I can recall is resent war in Iraq,President Bush and VP Chaney failed to show responsibilities as an ethical decision makers. How do you know when you are improperly using your personal power?How do you know when your life is out of balance? How do you bring it back into balance? The focus of the Relationship Lens is always fundamental fairness. Lens is inviting us to live a life in relationship with others in community. If decision maker is not balancing the personal need of individual to community needs, if he or she not subordinates own rights to that of the group. After making the decision one must ask himself questions, analyze decision through different ethic lenses. What improvements could we make on our process of ethical analysis? Did we like the results? What were the problems with the process? What decision we are not comfortable with? As we reflect on the results,we can put strategic for the future and became more ethical in our decisions in other words more ethically mature. We also can improve and bring our self to balanced ethical ground. a. The systems I believe that are needed to ensure access to benefits in our community are education, health, and judicial. An education system is important to help equip individuals with necessary skills that will help them to earn a living and contribute to the well being of their society. A health care system will help to maintain a healthy community by addressing all health needs. Having a judicial system will ensure that justice is dispensed and that fairness and adherence of the laws are followed. b. A Democratic System of Government which is guided by the Constitution can assure fair treatment, fair administration of rules, fair compensation, fair blame, and ensure due process to allow all opinions to be heard. The Constitution is used as a guide by Government to craft legislation, laws and regulations to ensure that there is fairness and justice in society. d. We may know that we are improperly using our personal power when for example we are in a position of leadership or power and use our office to influence others to do things our way. We may realize that our life is out of balance when we become depressed, suicidal, suffer from addition and is easily enraged. We can to my mind bring our life back into balance by doing introspection, and accepting responsibility. What types of systems are needed to ensure that all individuals have access to the benefits of our community as well to bring health and effectiveness to an organization or the broader community. There are several systems that are design to allow access to benefits. These include laws that are used to identify and support individuals who would require such services. If a medical provider or a school employee notices something that might be child abuse or elder abuse, they are required by law to report it. By reporting a possible incident a wide net of services are employed to investigate and perhaps implement services needed by the individual. Laws are also passed to describe who gets and what benefits are available to an individual. Social agencies, organizations and religious groups are often used to educate, locate and provide for the individuals in need. The media in various forms is often used to promote changes or additions to the benefits. A well educated community is the best weapon in the organizations arsenal. How do we ensure fair treatment, fair administration of rules, fair compensation, fair blame and ensure due process to allow all opinions to be heard? It is sometimes very difficult to ensure all of the fairness listed above in the heat of the moment. In order to do so one must step back and remove oneself from the heat of the event. When emotions become to involved it is difficult to implement fairness. This can be seen when the media appears to ââ¬Å"convictâ⬠someone before they are arrested and tried. Laws have been passed to help identify areas that should be address fairly and these include race, age, disability ,and religion. Legislation has also determined a federal minimal wage and passed laws dealing with equal pay for equal work. Labor Unions often campaign for certain employment benefits for its members. The knowledge that a businessââ¬â¢s could be sued for unfairness or prejudice is another protection. Businesses often have a policy Manuel that addresses how they will deal with certain issues. Knowledge of an individuals rights and duties written down gives all sides the knowledge of what is considered right and wrong in that group. . How do you know when you are improperly using your personal power? How do you know when your life is out of balance? How do you bring it back into balance? Self analysis and appraisal is required to obtain this knowledge. Every once in a while one must ask oneself if one is following the right path. Listening to others is a good way to identify if one is improperly using ones power. It doesnââ¬â¢t mean they are always correct but it may point your self reflection in the right direction. Checking ones ethical compass is another. I know when my life is out of balance when I can not be everywhere at once. Work stresses, problems and information should stay there. Family and personal business should not interfere with work or school. When I find myself spending time from one part of my life dealing with another part of my life then I am our of balance. Again one must step back and access what is going on and figure out if it is going to be temporary or long term. One can then figure out a course of action and decide what is needed. Being brave enough to ask for help if needed. à Superwoman is an concept promoted by the media that does exist, rather one needs to make sure one is not overwhelmed. In addition if it is a major project or event sometimes if I break it into pieces it is easier to digest and equilibrium returns. What types of systems are needed to ensure that all individuals have access to the benefits of our community as well to bring health and effectiveness to an organization or the broader community? The types of systems that are need to that all individuals have access to the benefits of our community as well to bring health and effectiveness to an organization or a broader community would be systems such electricity which allows everyone to have access to light, television for allowing the world to come into your place of living, and also the telephone systems that allows individuals to communicate with the world through voice. 2. How do we ensure fair treatment, fair administration of rules, fair compensation, fair blame and ensure due process to allow all opinions to be heard? We ensure fair treatment , fair administration of rules, fair compensation, fair blame and ensure due process to allow all opinions to be heard by establishment organizations such as the Equal Employment opportunity commission(EEOC) for fair treatment. Fair administration of rules would include organizations such as the Federal Trade Commission(FTC) and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration(FMSCA)Fair compensation organizations would include the Department of Labor(DOL). Fair blame and due process would be the Justice system. 3. How do you know when you are improperly using your personal power? How do you know when your life is out of balance? How do you bring it back into balance. Where in truth good choices are not made. Also power is abused, it can result from an imbalance of information education or financial resources, than the other party may not be able to freely choose what I wants to do. When power is out of balance, we often are using the persons as a means to our preferred ends rather than treating the person as an end, a human being with a autonomy and choices in how to live his life. To bring power back into balance is to establish a connection with your inner spirit and knowing the right thing to.
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