Piri Thomas’ “Alien House” Essay

Throughout the short story Alien Turf, Piri, a little Puerto Rican boy who just moved to an all-Italian neighborhood encounters many obstacles. Piri will face rejection and inadequacy. He gets teased, and beaten up, but still, he stays strong and acts older than he really is. At the end of the story, Piri is encountered with a strong sense of compassion from Rocky, an Italian boy who had previously beaten him up. The boys realized that racism is only skin deep, but each person may be a kind, caring human being. In the beginning of the story, all Rocky saw was a Puerto Rican invading his Italian neighborhood. According to him, only Italians belonged in the neighborhood, and Puerto Ricans, like Piri and his family, should be ultimately banned. Racism is a belief that one race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities. Racial differences may produce an inherent superiority of a particular race. Rocky fully lived by this in the beginning, and even throughout most of the story. What is compassion? According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, compassion is sympathetic consciousness of others’ distress together with a desire to alleviate it. Some other people may see compassion as being sympathetic toward someone or something when they are struggling or having some sort of problem. If this is what compassion means, then Rocky truly showed compassion for Piri at the end of the story. During the last fight that the Italian boys got into with Piri was when everything changed. One of the boys screamed to Piri from down the street, â€Å"You even buying from us paisans, you must wantta be an Italians.† Usually, he would just run away from them, but this day was different. Piri, sticking up for himself, screamed back to them, â€Å"I wouldn’t be a guinea on a motherfucking bet!† Rocky and his gang were shocked that he said this. The boys started fist fighting and Piri hit Tony in the stomach as hard as he could, watching him fall to the ground. Tony grabbed a handful of asphalt and threw it in Piri’s face. Rocky hit Tony in the face, knowing that his friend had crossed the line. Rocky showed compassion by sticking up for Piri. He took Piri’s hand saying,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Comon kind, lemme take you home. Rocky recognized that yes, Piri was a little bit different because he was Puerto Rican, but he was also a human being. He realized that racism is only skin deep, and everybody has feelings. Piri was also touched in this instant. He never would have thought that any of the boys, especially Rocky, the leader of the gang, would ever stick up for him. To his amazement, not only did Rocky yell at his friend, but he also threw a couple of punches at him. Compassion was displayed in this because Rocky new that even though he really didn’t like the fact that there was a little Puerto Rican boy that moved into his neighborhood, he could not dismiss the fact that what his friend did was wrong. He was going to help this little boy out. Rocky experienced a true epiphany during this part of the story. His views about everything were disregarded in that instant when his friend threw the asphalt in Piri’s face. He knew that if they really wanted to, they could have beaten Piri up real bad since he couldn’t see, but Rocky knew that it would not be a fair fight. Rocky also recognized the fact that Piri needed his compassion and care in that instant, and that was exactly what he was going to do.

What +-Motivates Me

Different things motivate me to learn. I can relate to Sara’s story because I am about the same way when it comes to learning or doing something. I need to know I am going to gain something from it. I know that going back to school and getting my degree will better help my me get a better career and will benefit my family in the long run. I see myself making goals and visualizing me with my degree as Chris does with his â€Å"finish line† visual. I always prepare myself for something coming up and slowing me down which it has in the past. Real life experiences have knocked me down more than once and I can justify with Fred’s story on future and past experiences. I have been laid off first because I had no degree in my past and I look back at that and it motivates me a great deal to keep going forward with school. I like to learn new stuff and accept challenges in a new job or learning something new just like Jamie in her story. I think what content that motivates me the most me the most to learn is Practical context. It is hard for me to just go do something without knowing I am going to benefit from it. I am the type that has to have someone push me or set me straight. For example I went on a job interview and they really liked my experience and skills but told me I wasn’t going to work out because they needed someone with a BA degree and told me that once I got so many credits under my belt they would consider me in the future if a spot is available. I have seen several job postings and they want you to have college credits. I know if I get my degree I am going to gain a lot from it and that motivates me to get out there, learn and move forward. Personal context is something I can also relate to motivate me to learn because I always visualize me getting that degree and starting my career as a Social worker or a Parole officer, so when I actually see myself doing this I get motivated and excited to do my classes. If I ever have doubt or think I can’t, I really just visualize how it will be and it helps me.

Term paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Term paper - Essay Example Most of the Hong Kong made films are often criticized for plagiarizing or copying the films of other cinemas such as Hollywood (Pang 74). In the case of the Fist of Fury, Bruce Lee was being accused of â€Å"having no style as style† because the film was generally patterned from the Japanese cinema style (Pang 74). Instead of using the typical Chinese kung fu style, Lee incorporated what he has learned from his â€Å"Jeet Kune Do† training (Zhuo and Cheuk 44; Eleftheriotis and Needham 111) with the use of the Japanese martial arts (Pang 74). In the process of integrating different kung fu style, Lee somehow managed to come up with his own kung fu style. Specifically in the movie Fist of Fury, Bruce Lee played the role of Chen Zhen. As compared to Jackie Chan’s kung fu style, Lee’s kung fu style was more serious as always. This is mainly because the kind of films that Bruce Lee makes are mostly action ones (Mennel 90; You Tube b). Bruce Lee is known for his fast reflex when doing his kung fu movements. This can be seen in the film when he tried to fight on behalf of his co-workers who were engaged in the fight with the top management’s security personnel (You Tube b 45:31). During the actual production, Bruce Lee encountered some communication problem with some of the extra. Back then, Lee had to find somebody to translate his instructions (Black Belt 26). This is probably true because Bruce Lee has been working with people with different cultural background. When doing martial arts film, it is difficult on the part of the actor to control his movements without literally hurting the extra when filming a stunt. To create a more realistic action film, the actors should pay attention to the timing of their actions. Instead of hurting himself from doing kung fu acts, Bruce Lee was the one who is causing more physical injuries and fracture to those extras. For instance, when Bruce Lee had to kick the extra during the set, he had a hard time controlling the force

Windows File System Comparison Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Windows File System Comparison - Essay Example The two main categories of file systems used by different Microsoft Windows operating systems are the File Allocation Table (FAT) and the New Technology File System (NTFS). There are different versions of FAT, which are FAT 12, FAT 16, and FAT 32; while for NTFS, there are NTFS or NTFS 4 and NTFS 5. These file systems have many characteristics in common which will be pointed out in the discussion below. The FAT file system is the one being used by Microsoft DOS and older versions of Microsoft Windows. In fact, any version of Windows can have FAT as its file system. When a volume is formatted and the FAT file system is used, a data structure is created by Windows which is used to record the data blocks on the hard drive that are allocated to each file in order for the files to be retrieved at a latter time. FAT is considered to be a simple file system which makes it an ideal file system format for most memory cards and floppy disks. FAT file system is suggested if the computer has two operating systems installed. FAT file system allows file sharing among different operating systems. That is one advantage of using FAT as the start-up partition even for newer computers that have the latest versions of Microsoft Windows. One of the major limitations of the FAT file system is its ability to handle large files and volumes. ... However, its maximum volume limit is 16 MB which is why this is only commonly used in floppy disks. FAT 16 This file system supports all versions of Microsoft operating systems but only allows a maximum volume size of 2 to 4 GB and maximum files of 65,536. The maximum size a file can have is also 2 GB. The standard FAT 16 version only allows 8 characters in the file name and 3 characters for the extension name; whereas with the extended version, it already allows up to 255 characters. FAT 32 The only operating systems that are supported by this file system are DOS 7.0, Windows 98, ME, 2000, and XP. The volume size limit is increased to 32 GB for all operating systems, but in some cases, up to 2 TB. The maximum number of files that can be on a FAT 32 volume is 4,194,304 with a maximum file size of 4 GB less 2 bytes. New Technology File System (NTFS) As Yousef stated, the New Technology File System or NTFS is: An advanced file system that provides performance, security, reliability, and advanced features that are not found in any version of FAT. For example, NTFS guarantees volume consistency by using standard transaction logging and recovery techniques. If a system fails, NTFS uses its log file and checkpoint information to restore the consistency of the file system. In Windows 2000 and XP, NTFS also provides advanced features such as file and folder permissions, encryption, disk quotas, and compression. (2004) Both versions of NTFS have the maximum volume size limit of 2 TB but there is no limit to the number of files that can be stored in the volume, as well as to the file size. NTFS 4 or plain NTFS started with Windows NT 4.0 and can also support Windows 2000, XP and 2003 Server. NTFS 5 also has support for the same

A STEEPLE analysis of the UK motor car market or the UK supermarket Essay

A STEEPLE analysis of the UK motor car market or the UK supermarket sector - Essay Example In the second part, two examples of human resource management (HRM) in the supermarket sector will be presented, to demonstrate human resource (HR) professionals’ responses to changes in the environmental contexts. Part 1: STEEPLE Analysis of the United Kingdom’s Supermarket Sector STEEPLE is a valuable instrument facilitating the use of appropriate strategy and practices by Human Resource professionals and senior managers, in response to the changing external circumstances impacting organisations. Environmental analysis is considered as the key element in strategic analysis for corporate planning. Several of the external variables identified by the STEEPLE analysis, will present opportuniites, while many will pose threats. Hence, it is necessary to â€Å"distil out of the complexity the key environmental impacts for the purposes of strategic choice† (Kew and Stredwick, 2005, p.205). Strategic choice involves the creation and evaluation of strategic options, and the logical or political selection of strategy, to effectively manage the key drivers of external forces, with a focus on the microeconomic environment. STEEPLE Linkages with UK Supermarket Sector Leading supermarket chains Marks & Spencer and Waitrose founded in 1884 and 1904 respectively, are among the highly successful retail businesses, which have changed organisational strategies with shifts in external drivers related to the STEEPLE concept. Similarly, the four biggest chains in the UK: Tesco, ASDA, Sainsbury and Morrison’s also deal with the same external forces as the smaller retail chains across the country. Among the STEEPLE external forces, changes in Sociocultural factors affects United Kingdom’s supermarkets, with changing demographics found in greater ethnic diversity, and increasing percentage of the elderly population (Datamonitor, 2009), as well as greater health consciousness, product awareness, selectivity and austerity among people. Similarly, techn ological advancements in information and communication support the provision of greater reach (Meneely, Burns and Strugnell, 2009; SAS, 2012), and more efficient service. For example, ASDA Supermarket’s online evolution has led to its highly successful ASDA@Home Website (Khosrowpour, 2006). While consumers acquire increasing power through access to information and the availability of greater choices, retailers’ power declines. â€Å"New technology fuels rise in m-commerce by all age groups and empowers voice of the consumer† (SAS, 2012, p.3). Bryan (2004) reiterates that there is increasing competition for gaining customer loyalty among manufacturers, suppliers and retailers. Waitrose has acquired tremendous customer support due to its minimizing the environmental impacts of its business, while maximizing economic outcomes such as â€Å"better prices for suppliers, better value for consumers† (Warrier, 2010, p.31), as well as social effects such as better conditions and wages. According to Farnham (2010), the economic factors that impact UK supermarkets relate mainly to the microeconomic environment including the product market, the competitive structure and nature of competition. Fair-traded products are preferred by the increasingly well-informed clientele. These are â€Å"

Criminal Justice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Criminal Justice - Essay Example Disparity and Discrimination Disparity and discrimination are two of the most commonly used terms in the criminal justice system. Both terms are often mixed together when they are used in the context of criminal justice system. However, disparity does not always involve the factor of discrimination when it comes to the decisions made by a court. Some people believe that the factor if discrimination does not exist in the criminal justice system. One must understand the difference between disparity and discrimination in order to know whether discrimination actually exists in the criminal justice system or not. The concept of disparity is based on some legal or lawful factors, such as, crime history and mental health of a criminal, whereas, discrimination is based on sex, race, social status, and religion of a criminal. By definition discrimination is an act of favoritism or unfairness based on the race or nationality of the criminals. There are three main forms of discrimination in the criminal justice system, which include institutionalized discrimination, systematic discrimination, and contextual discrimination.

Interview Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Interview Questions - Essay Example I would be looking into valid reasons and even pry on the previous academic records. If previous records indicate that the standard GPA was met (which I assume it was since the student is already a sophomore student and would not have been admitted to the course due to the minimum admission criterion), I would determine the reasons for the apparent decline. Could there be stressful and challenging external factors that could have contributed to the decline other than failure to study or deliberate non- submission of academic requirements? If there are, I would seek the student to submit proof of circumstances that might have contributed to the lack of focus on educational pursuit. Likewise, I would like to know if the student is determined and committed to graduate from the course. If not, I would immediately advise that the student be taken out from the program. If, there is evidence that the student tried hard to attain the standard GPA, but mitigating circumstances that could not have been avoided, I could give the student another chance – provided that the standard GPA would be met next semester. Finally, I would determine what strategies were planned by the student to improve the academic performance in the coming semesters. 2. What role does technology and social media (such as Facebook, instant messaging, video conferencing, blogging, Twitter, podcasts, etc.) have in the adviser/student relationship? How do they help? How do they hinder? In contemporary generation’s academic pursuit, the role that technology and social media plays in the adviser/student relationship is crucial and significant. One strongly believes that both students and educators maintain registered accounts with social networking sites that could be utilized to exchange information, relay academic messages, and be used as a medium for enhancing much needed information, as required from the course. As proven from the research conducted by Lin (2011) and published in the Jo urnal of Online Learning and Teaching, the findings revealed that â€Å"integration of online activities into traditional teacher education courses can shift some of the power, authority, and control from the instructor to the learner while providing the interaction and connection that are central and valuable to traditional classrooms† (p. 99). Thus, technological applications and social media help in fostering a more conducive learning environment by encouraging active interaction and participation of course modules. As emphasized, â€Å"it used technology to increase interaction among students, increase engagement in learning and established a learning community outside of the classroom, while allowing individual contributions to be identified and evaluated† (Lin, 2011, p. 106). On the other hand, these networking sites could also hinder effective academic performance if the adviser or educator fails to provide a more vigilance and pro-active oversight to govern and validate student’s performance. This simply means that educators must have ways and means to discern that it is the students themselves who responded to the required academic requirements. 3. The media landscape is evolving. How do you approach advising a current student to prepare for a job market that is ever changing? As the media landscape was acknowledged to be continually evolving, students who prepare to hunt for job opportunities must exercise

Reading response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Reading response - Essay Example Having been circumcised herself, and by every means an informed person, Fuambai cites research examples that found no fault with the practice. This paper will analyze the reading and why female circumcision is not bad after all, but rather, a positive and highly held custom by those who practice it, in a different land than the pressure groups against it. Fuambai starts her interview by saying she shared a video of the celebrations during her initiation, in which people spoke highly of it. Although some may view it as a submission to male dominance, the participating women were clearly in it because they drew some significance from it. I believe that simply because not all cultures share the same values, some should not be viewed as primitive. The African cultures especially those of the Mande people, believe in the symbolic transitioning of girls into responsible women. To them, the cut signifies the preparedness of girls to become leaders, wives and mothers. Physically, just like t he foreskin covering the penis is removed in male circumcision, the same is done in female circumcision, symbolizing feminization of the girls. ... Although complications are reported, she points out that they do not result from the act of circumcision, but rather the stigma that goes hand in hand with it. Pregnant, circumcised women are reluctant to seek pre natal care because of fear of the way they will be handled by the healthcare providers once they find out they are circumcised. The healthcare providers also lack proper knowledge of the circumcised women’s bodies. I agree with the research carried out in Gambia that concluded that infertility is not rampant among circumcised women. In fact, the rate stood at 10 percent for both circumcised and uncircumcised women. In my opinion, it stands out wrong when such statistics are not made known to the people in the same manner as those that portray the practice in bad light. In a bid to balance the candidates and conductors of the numerous researches carried out, the reading cites one done in Sweden by a Swedish obstetrician. It concluded that no connection was found betwe en prolonged or obstructed labor and circumcision, or genital surgery. On the contrary, the research established that circumcised women bore less risks of complicated birth in comparison with Swedish women who were not circumcised. In this light, I think the pressure groups against female circumcision ought to give more credible reasons and evidence of prolonged or obstructed labor. Arguments against female circumcision have branded it as a means to deny women sexual feelings, desires and enjoyment. Many have likened it to chopping off a man’s penis. I do not believe that this argument presents a strong case because, as stated in the reading, researches

Working With HIV and AIDS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Working With HIV and AIDS - Essay Example Since it was discovered the ARV, therapy has been of exceptional significance to the society at large a lot of campaigns have been done encouraging infected people to use the drug. Patient’s adherence to this therapy has resulted in many lives being saved. Understanding and promoting adherence to antiretroviral medications in people living with HIV/AIDS is of enormous individual and public health significance. ARV has proved to be highly effective in reducing the viral load and associated morbidity of persons living with HIV/AIDS. It has played a significant contribution directly to dramatic declines in the HIV-related mortality. Given this deduction its substantial health benefits, it has subsequently reduced the expenses that would have or else been incurred by the victims and their families for medical bills purposes. It has also become easier and cheaper to access medical services. This factor in one way or another has highly contributed to the eradication of poverty since people living with HIV are still productive and a lot of resources are not being wasted for medical purposes. Despite all these positive facts, however, people using the drug have to change their lives in one way another particularly when it comes to matters of dieting and body exercises. Although computers are essential to the current day to day life I think life would still be impressive without them., Imagining that there would be other means of doing the things we do with a computer life would still continue normally but in a different manner. Supposedly if there was no internet, most probably people would have come up with another way of socializing to replace internet chatting. On the other hand, instead of writing emails letters would still be the main mode of communication for official matters. On the notion that computers have made the world a global village maybe there would other means that would be serving the same purpose.     

Custom Snowboards Inc. Essay Example for Free

Custom Snowboards Inc. Essay The following is a summary report is an analysis of the current financial statements of Custom Snowboards Inc. The company wishes to be considered for an extended long term loan for a European expansion. We have arrived at a selection of key financial statement line items, conducted a risk assessment, and ratios and if the loan is granted, analysis on how to track the progress of the company’s ability to repay the loan. Financial Statement Analysis Income statements and balance sheets were reviewed to summarize the following key points that could impact the loan decision. Horizontal, vertical, trend, and ratio analysis were also reviewed to provide a solid understanding of the financial highlights of Custom Snowboards in the areas of profitability, liquidity, and solvency. Revenue. Revenue includes net sales, cost of goods sold, and gross profit. Gross profit continues to grow at 30.4% with .23%/ $4,900 from year 12 to 13, and .93%/ $19,600 from year 13 to 14. Net sales also showed the same growth at 100%. The company expects continued growth over the next three years and according to the trend analysis, has the ability to do so. This demonstrates the company’s ability to keep overhead under control and maintain constant margin in relation to sales, consistent year after year. The expenses are variable in relation to the sales. Higher gross sales leads to higher operating income available to service debt in the form of interest payments. Operating Expenses. The increase in utilities and other general and admin  expenses should not fluctuate as they are fixed expenses. This should be reviewed to determine if the increase was due to faulty equipment, temporary increase in market costs, or permanent increases. The compensation parts, administration salaries as we as executive compensation increased as well. Overall, the operating income declined from year to year which impacts Custom Snowboards ability to service debt. Net earnings also declined as a result impacting earnings per share. This reflects the company did not manage these expenses well however, Custom Snowboards Inc. has grown as well so the increase could be due to hiring of more employees, or higher quality employees, or awarding those doing well within the company already. This could also impact moral and welfare of employees who become happier and more productive. The trend analysis shows continued growth to balance this bottom line. Assets and Liabilities. Overall, liabilities decreased, assets increased. Although current assets show a decline in year 14, the total assets continue to rise. Cash and cash equivalents have gone up, short-term show a slightly distorted view as the company took out an investment in year 12 which lowered cash and raised investments but then did the opposite as the investment was cashed in. Over the three years, the company shows it had sufficient liquidity to pay current liabilities owed. Increased assets and decreased liabilities shows the company’s ability to pay its long term debt and interest. Current ratio of 7.06 in year 13 and 6.56 in year 14 reiterates the ability to pay debts while maintaining daily operations. This higher current ratio also indicates Custom Snowboards should be taking more risks and investing money back into the company. This loan and consequently the expansion to Europe will deliver exactly that. The company is showing a steady increase in retained earnings as well. Financial Risks The most prevailing financial risks the bank loan officer may take note in is the general and administrative expenses continued increase. The company should review the reasons for the increase as well as the specific area in  which is causing the issue and try to address the issue to lower the expenses. Processes should be developed to eliminate the excess expenses and decrease the risk associated with remaining items. The other risk is the increase in compensation. Maintaining highly qualified and trained staff may be what the company needs. Custom Snowboards will need to ensure employees stay motivated to produce inventory and drive sales. A commissioning program could be implemented in addition to salaries or awards based on performance and higher net sales. Custom Snowboards can minimize risk by continuing to grow sales and reinvesting into the company. Expansion to Europe is one way. Another is to invest money into research and development, and marketing. No increase in research and development happened in the past three years and could prove beneficial to the company. Website create and maintenance can also be used to mitigate risks. A well working website can bring in more sales and possible reduce the compensation budget as employees leave through natural attrition. Another way the company can impact liquidity and mitigate risk is by paying debts on time and as soon as possible. This lowers interest and saves the company money it can be investing in short-term investments. Collecting outstanding debts is also an important way to mitigate risk. Custom Snowboards can maintain its accounts payables increase without increasing portion of long-term debt. The company can mitigate the risk of accounts receivable not paid on time by ensuring products are delivered on time, properly invoiced, and accurate goods. Accounts receivable should be paid under 30 days but accounts payable lengthened to 60. Inventory should remain stable so assets are higher than liabilities. Excess inventory uses capital that should be used in other investments in the company. The company can accurate and strict inventory records to make sure it knows what it has on hand, and what needs to be ordered. Matching billing cycles to production will optimize assets. Building good rapport with vendors and being loyal customers who pay their bills on time could  afford the company certain vendor discounts to lower cost. Ratios Custom Snowboards’ Ratio Analysis was reviewed to determine the company’s ability to repay the principle and interest on the five year loan. The current ratio as discussed previously, shows the company’s ability to pay for its current liabilities, with its current assets. The current ratio shows the company can do just that. Since Custom Snowboards has the ability to pay for its current liabilities 6 times over, that should be a strong indication to the bank that the company has the ability and will pay its short-term loan. The higher number also indicates the company needs to start placing money in profitable investments such as expansion. The acid test ratio, or quick ratio tells the same story as the current ration, without inventory. The debt ratio shows how much of the company’s assets are financed unveiling any hidden debt management issues as well as a long term solvency indicator. In this case, Custom Snowboards debt ratio is a little high with industry standards at about 40%. However, Custom Snowboards’ debt ratio has decreased in year 14 indicating the company is gaining a better handle on its debt management. The average collection period is the amount of days the company waits before payments on received on accounts receivable. Collecting monies creates cash that can be used to make payments on the company’s own debts. Custom Snowboards is receiving payments in 11 days. Winter sports set the bar at a high 32.5 days which shows that Custom Snowboards does a much better job at managing account receivable. Gross profit margin is monies remaining subtracting good sold costs. Gross profit margin pays additional expenses and should not fluctuate. The steady 30.4% shows the bank that Custom Snowboards is consistent and their gross profit is enough to sustain future operations. The operating profit margin includes all expenses. This ratio should be going up as it measures the company’s pricing strategy and operating efficiencies however, Custom Snowboards operating profit margin is declining and will need to be addressed. Net profit margin shows how the company turns revenues into profits from sales. At less than 2%, Custom Snowboards is not doing well in this are either. Winter Sports is well above Custom Snowboards with 5.1%. The bank will not look upon the idea that the company cannot turn sales into profits as a positive. Earnings per share (EPS) indicates profitability for the shareholders. At .10 and .15, Custom Snowboards has proven it can create wealth for its investors. The company is doing better than Winter Sports in this area but should take note of the decline and take steps to ensure this is not a trend. The company’s return on total assets is at 5%. Although dropping from 7.3% the year before, it is still higher than its competitors. As with the earnings per share, Custom Snowboards should take care in ensuring the decline is not a trend. The return on total assets shows the bank that the company can use their assets to create income. Income that can be used to pay loans. The price earnings ratio is the market value of how much an investor is willing to pay for $1 of current earnings, indicating future growth. Custom Snowboards’ price earnings ratio is a higher 30.59 while the competitions is at 29. The bank however, may see the investors were more hesitant in year 14 as the price earnings ratio dropped from 66.22 to 30.59. Finally, times interest ratio measures the company’s ability to pay its interest on debts, pre-tax. Custom Snowboards times interest earned is nearly half Winter Sports 5.10, at 2.65. Failure to pay interest rates could result in financial failure, including bankruptcy. This number indicates that the company can only pay its interest a little over twice  with pre-tax earnings. This leaves little room for error. The bank may see this as a gauge that Custom Snowboards should find ways to increase this number prior to adding more debt.

CPD in Health and Safety Practitioner Roles

CPD in Health and Safety Practitioner Roles Chapter 1 Introduction On the 1st January 1993 six regulations relating to health and safety came into force in Great Britain, these six regulations would ultimately have a major impact on how safety is managed today and would significantly influence the future development of the Safety and Health profession. The regulations themselves were based on European Community Directives, designed to create a common standard of health and safety legislation across all member states. In what has become known to Safety and Health Professionals as the six-pack regulations, it included; The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1992 The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1992 The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 The introduction of these regulations realised a move away from prescriptive legislation, such as the Factories Act 1961, and Railways Shops and Premises Act 1963 which had traditionally â€Å"spelt out in detail what should be done† (HSE, 2003, p.4) to a risk assessment based approach to managing safety and health in the workplace. Importantly the introduction of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (MHSWR) required employers to â€Å"appoint one or more competent persons to assist him in undertaking the measures he needs to take to comply with the requirements and prohibitions imposed upon him by or under the relevant statutory provisions† (HMSO, 1992, p.3). Arguably the MHSWR focused many employers attention on the need to employ Safety and Health Practitioners in some capacity; this in turn heralded a period of unprecedented training and recruitment for such roles. Today the spotlight has turned to the future development of the profession, and the maintenance of individual competence through Continuing Professional Development (CPD). Aims and objectives The aim of this research document is to identify current attitudes towards the increasingly important task of Continuing Professional Development (CPD), for those employed as Safety and Health Practitioners or in professions that further the improvement of workplace safety and health standards. This may be through enforcement such as Environmental Health Officers (EHO), employed by local government or specialised roles such as Occupational Hygienists responsible for measuring workplace noise and dust exposure levels to ensure compliance with legislative standards. For clarity many but not all Safety and Health Practitioners employed to directly manage an organisations safety and health or consultants employed in this field would typically belong to professional bodies such as Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), or the International Institute of Risk and Safety Management (IIRSM). Whereas those employed as EHOs would firstly belong to the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, with perhaps secondary membership of IOSH as they may have elected to specialise in workplace safety and health over food safety. Other specialists that may hold membership of IOSH in addition to their own professional institutes may include Occupational Hygienists (British Occupational Hygiene Society) and Occupational Health Nurse Practitioners (Association of Occupational Health Nurse Practitioners UK). Background With the role of the Safety and Health Practitioner becoming increasingly important to businesses, the profession should rightly seek to, firstly attract and retain the best calibre of recruits to its ranks! For the Safety and Health profession this hasnt always been easy. Caught in what Harrison (2009) describes as the ‘Talent Wars the profession finds itself competing amongst many others that do not have the somewhat negative associations the world of Safety and Health has developed. As a result Safety and Health management has not been the career of choice of many individuals; Kletz argued that; At one time safety was considered a suitable job for one of the less able employees. Those days have largely passed and the standard of safety professionals has improved greatly over the last 20 years but many companies still think that safety is a suitable home for those for those who have a few years to go before retirement. Kletz, 1990, p. 321 One would argue the statement made in 1990 has just as much relevance today. Kletz identified that businesses should look beyond traditional stereotypical boundaries â€Å"perhaps companies will allocate more of their best people to safety and loss prevention when they realise that the right sort of person will not just worry about hard hats and tripping hazards.†(Kletz, 1990, p.321) From the latter part of this statement one conjures up the traditional view of the safety person as being a solitary policeman type figure in the workplace. This outdated view of how Safety and Health Practitioners work still contributes to the negative image of the profession held by certain sections of the national press, a number of which have wasted little time in publicising stories that have more to do with poor or ineffective management than improving actual workplace safety and health? In possibly the most widely carried story; the BBC including many national newspapers reported â€Å"a head teacher has bought safety goggles for his pupils to wear when they play conkers in the playground† (BBC, 2004, p.1). Although the decision to purchase the goggles was taken by the schools headmaster, when it came to reporting the story it became another example of health and safety gone mad! The press on this occasion preferring not to question the lack of any professional advice available to the Headmaster and how he came to his decision in its absence! In return should there be any surprise that the media is held in low esteem by Safety and Health professionals? In a recent reader survey in Health and Safety at Work magazine Safety and Health Practitioners were unanimous in their opinion both the media and risk averse decision makers were responsible for the professions poor image; Table 1 :Whos most to blame for health and safetys poor public image? 1. The media 44% 2. The HSE 2% 3. The safety profession 7% 4. Risk-averse decision-makers 47% HSW, 2008 If the profession is to break this cycle of negative public portrayal one would argue the modern day workplace requires an equally modern and professional Safety and Health Practitioner. One who is not only an expert in his or her field, but also possessing the traits of a diplomat, as well as a management and compliance systems specialist? The development of the modern day safety and health practitioner The introduction of the ‘six pack regulations in 1993 heralded an increase in the need for businesses to either employ dedicated or have access to professionals able to assist management in meeting their Safety and Health responsibilities. Since 1993 recruitment to the profession has been drawn from a vast mix of disciplines, including construction trades such as scaffolders and electricians; production staff and administrators to name just a few. Such a large influx resulted in an increasing the need for initial training and ultimately CPD courses to meet the developing needs of Safety and Health Practitioners. For those first entering the profession a wide range of qualifications currently exist, including the ever popular National Examination Board for Occupational Safety, National General Certificate, promoted by NEBOSH as a first step towards a career in health and safety, accepted by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) â€Å"in meeting the academic requirements for Technician Membership of IOSH† (Tech IOSH) (NEBOSH, 2009, p.2), and National Vocational Qualifications at levels 3 to 5. Further courses such as the NEBOSH Construction Certificate and Diploma are also on offer to prospective candidates and are held in high regard by employers. In addition training providers such as the British Safety Council have for a number of years offered their own awards including a level 6 Diploma award. Many have entered the profession because of transferable skills in areas such as engineering, which may be employed in the many technical aspects of the profession; such as machinery guarding design. However such routes into the profession do not exclude individuals from attaining accredited safety qualifications which are seen as the building blocks for future development. It is important to recognise that such courses provide initial development for individuals either in the early stages of their career or for those wishing to advance their careers. However the increasing drive for professionalism, new legislation technology and increasing movement of Safety and Health Practitioners between different sectors of the economy, has given CPD a critical role in maintaining competence throughout an individuals career. To attract new talent and support professional development opportunities there has been a veritable explosion in the variety and availability of courses accredited by IOSH in safety and health management. Higher education establishments across the United Kingdom increasingly offer courses including; Glamorgan University MSc Safety, Health and Environment Management University of Wales Institute Cardiff MSc Occupational Health and Safety Greenwich University BSc Occupational Safety, Health and Environment For those entering higher education or wishing to pursue a post-graduate degree course the profession has become an increasingly popular choice. It would however be unfair to focus solely on the university sector for the increasing availability of courses. Course providers registered with the National Examination Board for Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH) â€Å"now number 400 course providers across 80 countries† (NEBOSH, 2009, p.2). Similarly IOSH Course providers number over 300 globally who cover a wider range of industries such as construction, healthcare and public and service sectors. They include a diverse range of organisations including further education colleges, and large and small consultancies that have developed in response to increasing demand from businesses. More specialist organisations allied to specific industries, such as the UKs Mines Rescue Service, and local authority Fire and Rescue services have increasingly brought their specialist expertise and training skills to the wider marketplace to deliver either NEBOSH accredited courses or general fire and safety awareness courses. In addition to accredited courses most consultancies and organisations deliver numerous short courses typically of 1 or 2 day duration designed to either refresh and update knowledge or inform attendees of the latest legislative developments and their impact, which contribute towards individuals CPD. The professional safety and health practitioner The spread of industrialisation and the introduction of new technology has brought society many new professions over the last three decades, examples include social workers and information technology specialists, who are now readily accepted professionals in their own right. The challenge for the modern day Safety and Health Practitioner is to gain equal professional acceptance in the workplace and in wider society. This leads one to question our understanding of the words profession and professional in relation to the work of the Safety and Health Practitioner. As already identified poorly researched press reports have in the main presented a poor image of the profession. Secondly our image of professions are often linked with the traditional professions and professionals such as lawyers, pharmacists and accountants, who often work in small practices or partnerships in many cases readily accessible to the public through locally, based high street practices, if and when their services are required. When used the public rightly expect a quality assured service from such professionals, based on up to date knowledge, experience and ethical practices. In light of the growing need for multi-disciplined Safety and Health professionals and the requirement to demonstrate increased professionalism that expected from an organisation whose members are able to attain Chartered status, is the word clearly defined and understood by those of us who promote the concept? What is expected from a profession and professional person in the modern age? Firstly Madden and Mitchell define a profession as; A discrete body of individuals applying advances learning or scientific knowledge and expertise to provide a service to clients and bound together by a membership of a professional body which assumes responsibility for monitoring professional standards and which confers benefits and may impose sanctions on members Madden and Mitchell, 1993, p.8 One would argue this particular definition is heavily weighted to the client (customer) and the governing professional body, essentially missing out the beneficial impact that professions have upon wider society and the advancement of learning in their specific fields of expertise. A much more succinct and publicly recognisable definition of what it is to be a professional is given by McGill and Beaty who argue; The term ‘professional is associated with work which is valued highly in society. The professions lawyers, doctors, social workers, accountants- are highly trained and often highly paid members of society. In this sense the term professional is a kitemark given to those who complete a rigorous and demanding training and then continue to develop their speciality within the profession through further formal training and experience. The professions are characterized by codes of conduct which they require of their members and also a degree of individual autonomy and responsibility for their working practice. McGill and Beaty, 2001, p.184 The recognition of the importance of â€Å"further training, experience and individual autonomy† could almost have been written with the Safety and Health Practitioner in mind. Rapidly evolving health and safety legislation over the last 15-20 years coupled with advancing workplace technology, has introduced the potential for new risks to emerge in the workplace, such as stress. This has required Safety and Health Practitioners to constantly update their knowledge and skills, just as McGill and Beaty suggest. One would also add a further challenge that faces every ‘professional besides the maintenance of technical knowhow and that is maintaining the personal motivation to learn. When referring to learning in this particular context it is not based on short duration learning but the acceptance of lifelong continuous professional development. OHoule (1980) argued the need and commitment to lifelong learning was a reflection of the standing of a profession. Drucker captures the responsibility for learning and the autonomy of the professional in the following quotation; No one can motivate him(sic), he has to motivate himself. No one can direct him, he has to direct himself. Above all no one can supervise him. He is the guardian of his own standards, of his own performance and of his own objectives. He can be productive only if he is responsible for his own job. Drucker, 1973, p.47 Another key driver in the professionals quest for up to date knowledge is todays litigious society. The professional is more than ever being held accountable for his or her actions, and will find themselves increasingly questioned on the validity of the advice they give and to demonstrate competency to practice. Watkins and Drury argued that; The shift away from trusting professionals to do their work properly because they are professionally qualified, towards accountability, has resulted in the need for effective measures of competence, skills and service. This is welcomed by true professionals since it brings with it opportunities to establish more open relationships with customers to enhance personal growth and development. Watkins and Drury, 1995, p.31 A far cry from when the word of the professional in whatever field was accepted without question. The need for Safety and Health Practitioners to develop both their knowledge and professionalism throughout their career is clear. Employers expectations of the profession are high, and rightly so. Failure to develop ones knowledge ultimately brings doubt as to individual competence to practice. This over-riding need to maintain competency demonstrates the importance of CPD for Safety and Health Practitioners, but has such importance been recognised by employers? The mix of new legislation, maintaining competence and customer expectation regarding the delivery of a quality assured service creates a heady mix of priorities in addition to everyday work activities for the Safety and Health Practitioner. Educational researchers such as Field have provided some warning of the impact on continuing professional development that legislation alone can bring; â€Å"Environmental regulations, health and safety legislation and food hygiene regulation all require training to set standards and often generate further training needs as managers and other try to keep abreast of the implication of the latest legislation† (Field, 2000, p.74). Training in this case; creating a perpetual cycle of further training in ever more detail in an attempt to improve job related knowledge. The challenge for Safety and Health Practitioner is recognising the importance of CPD to professionalism and the planning and prioritising of the right mix of learning opportuniti es that develops competence, which as Renkema (2006) argued translates into improved lifetime employability in an ever changing workplace. 2 Literature Review Meeting the challenge of continuing professional development Continuing Professional Development has now become a familiar task for professionals, a point supported by research into professional associations in the UK by the Professional Association Research Network (PARN) at Bristol University who â€Å"found that of the 162 respondents, 62% had developed a CPD policy and programme† (PARN, 2001, p.1). With such a high proportion of institutions actively involved in developing and running CPD programmes, it is important to look at some of the key drivers behind such schemes. CPD for Safety and Health Practitioners has now become a well established activity, with a scheme established as far back as 1992 (IOSH, 2008). In addition to any employer funded training CPD is actively supported by IOSH through a network of monthly branch level meetings and activities that allows members to participate in what are generally free CPD activities. The development of a CPD scheme for IOSH members was integral in the decision to award Chartered status to the profession, which from 2005 has enabled members to attain Chartered Safety and Health Practitioner status after meeting the qualifying criteria set by IOSH. Establishing a CPD scheme is only one part of the equation, ensuring ongoing active participation is another. Like many other professionals Safety and Health Practitioners are faced with numerous demands on their time from either work or their home lives, all too often CPD must be fitted in as and when allowed. Research by Dowsell et al into CPD found that; courses made heavy demands on workers free time; 48 per cent of those interviewed thought their participation in continuing professional development put a strain on their home and family lives and 10 per cent thought it was causing a serious detrimental effect.Dowsell et al conclude that for those in employment, having time to engage in professional development is extremely important. Dowsell et al, 1999. P. 23 One would argue that the difficulties identified are not unique or specific. Safety and Health Practitioners are faced with the â€Å"same pressures as other occupations when considering responses: to changes in technology and knowledge; demands for quality and accountability† (Rapkins, 1995, p.49). IOSH (2008) have long campaigned for CPD to be viewed as an everyday routine activity and not as an additional burden, such a statement could be seen as an attempt to remove some of the everyday concerns that have grown up amongst Safety and Health Practitioners on the subject. This leads one to the question what barriers exist to participation in CPD? Research by Lifelong Learning UK an independent employer led skills council found that trainers in the lifelong learning sector identified specific barriers to CPD. Participants who took part in the research were able to choose more than one option; Table 2: Perceived barriers to CPD Lifelong Learning UK, 2008, p.14 Barriers to CPD are not unique to any one sector or profession. Research by Friedman et al identified the following barriers; Time, cost, and access were the most frequently cited barriers to carrying out CPD. Clearly, time pressures at work, combined with the demands of home and family, make undertaking CPD a difficult task for many, however motivated they may be. Another barrier affecting CPD participation is that professionals are not homogenous. A range of factors such as differences in career stage, preferred learning style, individual ambition affect the likelihood of taking part in CPD. The lower likelihood of older professionals participating in CPD was mentioned because of their comfortable positions or because they regarded themselves as carrying out activities which will achieve the aims of CPD without following a formal CPD programme Friedman et al, 2001, p.6 Employers increasingly need to recognise the benefits of CPD to their businesses and are ideally positioned to offer greater support to overcome the barriers that have been identified, but how should this be achieved? Francis et al (1997) argued for CPD to be linked to longer term business planning, also stating that companies viewed CPD in the narrow confines of cost to the business without looking at longer term benefits. Research by Friedman et al (2001) supported this point and argued for a greater link with company appraisal schemes as a means to encourage participation in CPD whilst at the same time offering an organisational support framework such as time and resources to the individual. Friedmans approach is backed by research by Kingston University Hull (2006) which identified the incorporation of personal development plans into CPD as a key element in the ability of professionals to align professional development needs with those of the employer. Importantly this supposes the act of appraisal is purely centred on personal development and not as Craft (1996) argued used to determine accountability, through audit cultures and numerous regimes relating to satisfying bureaucracy rather as Sachs (2003) argued, satisfying the professional needs of the individual professional. Importantly not all academics share Freidmans approach to CPD. Millar (1991) took the view that professional themselves should carry the burden of time and cost of CPD to advance their careers, to be recouped later through higher salaries. With such divergent views, significant barriers regarding responsibility for resourcing CPD remain to be overcome. To place oneself solely in the hands of the employer to achieve the required CPD criteria invites problems, especially when training is often the first activity to be cut when the corporate purse strings tighten (Adults Learning, 2003). As a result Safety and Health Practitioners risk having CPD activities limited or even curtailed for reasons outside their control. As the profession matures there should be increasing recognition that Safety and Health professionals have to take greater responsibility for their own learning following initial qualification, just as other professions such as teaching have done have done. This may only be achieved through improved planning for and practising a range of informal or formal CPD activities. Failure to develop professional knowledge can have a serious impact upon employers and the individual professional, a point recognised by IOSH â€Å"the outcome of failing to perform at an acceptable level can be critical. It is essential to refresh, maintain and develop the skills needed for competent performance† (Harvey, 2005, p.22). To adopt the mantle of a professional in ones chosen field, then participation in CPD should be ultimately viewed as a necessity and not as an â€Å"optional extra which only the high academic professional would posses, but in fact viewed by many as a necessity and a right to practice safely and effectively† (Davies, 1997, p.5). Harris (2009) supports Daviess view in that becoming professionally qualified should not be seen as the end of learning but in fact the beginning of a career long journey. The rise of continuing professional development Research by Eraut argued that the continual development of professional knowledge is ultimately linked to â€Å"moral probity, service orientation and codes of conduct† (Eraut, 1994, p.2). Erauts comments indicate that professionalism comes at a price in terms of time and dedication. This ultimately manifests itself through the delivery of a professional service to an employer or client, where advice and guidance is based on up to date knowledge and competence to practice. However as an upside Rueschemeyer argued that there were certain benefits associated with the status of a professional; Individually and in association, collectively, the professions ‘strike a bargain with society in which they exchange competence and integrity against the trust of client and community, relative freedom from lay supervision and interference, protection against unqualified competition as well as substantial remuneration and higher social status. Rueschemeyer 1983, p.41 Rueschemeyer comments support the importance of CPD as a vital component in demonstrating to those that use our services that post qualification, the professional has continued to update his or her knowledge. Rueschemeyers comments regarding the relative freedom of the professional must be accompanied by a degree of self discipline, and willingness to participate in CPD; not just for individual benefit but for the advancement of the profession as a whole. Both established Health and Safety professionals and new entrants to the profession could be forgiven for thinking that CPD schemes are a relatively new process in the quest to maintain professional standards! However research by Friedman (2000, p.23) identified that â€Å"CPD in the UK originated in the late 1970s, but was only formally adopted and defined by professional associations from the mid-1980s†. This is supported by Lester who states that it is â€Å"only in the last ten to fifteen years of the twentieth century have professional bodies taken systematic steps to ensure their members continue their development on an ongoing basis† (Lester, 1999, p.2) In the United Kingdom such schemes may now be found across a diverse range of professions including; Nursing, Teaching, Environmental Health, Legal and Occupational Safety Health to name just a few. Common to all CPD schemes is the maintenance of professional and ethical standards set by the respective professional body thereby ensuring public confidence in both the professional and the respective institution. What has driven this apparent explosion of interest in CPD in recent years? Firstly one would argue the current rate of technological change in our society remains significant, forcing a constant revaluation of our knowledge. This particular point is supported by Zia (2004, p.1) who argues; As a result of increase in the rate of evolution of knowledge, technology and industrial organizations, it is shocking to realize that while in the sixties the knowledge acquired in engineering schools remained valid for about fifteen years, today this time span has decreased to about 3 years. That is to say the average period of renewal of engineering knowledge has reached the same duration as that of studies in a school of engineering in Europe. Zia, 2004, p.1 Secondly the recognition by professional institutions of the need to further develop themselves, and in doing so enhance not only the organisations status and that of its members; but as Weightman (1994) argued, professional institutions should also influence the broad range of competencies required to practice effectively. Safety and Health professionals are no longer able to rest on their laurels following initial qualification; and as Friedman (2000) argued, in order to provide professional and competent advice the process of learning must continue after initial training. At the core of all CPD schemes is the need for professionals to embrace the much wider concept of lifelong learning. A phrase all too often used, but what does it mean in practice? Jarvis (2008) describes it as a number of processes that ultimately delivers a continually changing person. Kronkol (2005) viewed CPD as a structured approach to lifelong learning, arguably more comprehensive which involves greater self reflection and critical thinking, which leads one to question if they are one of the same. Some may even view it negatively as the latest in a long line of politically driven statements relating to education (Biesta., 2004). Cropley (1979) argued there were two distinct approaches to lifelong learning: minimalist and maximalist. â€Å"The minimalist approach equates with in service, recurrent formal education and training in what Attewell et al (2005) describes as achieving certificated training. The maximalist approach views it as involving â€Å"a fundamental transforma tion of society as a whole so that society becomes a learning resource† (Cropley, 1979, p.5). Research into lifelong learning by Smith et al supports Cropleys work in that it identifies the almost limitless boundaries for learning and promote the concept that it should include both informal and formal learning. Based on Cropleys comments the current status of lifelong learning in connection with CPD remains somewhat narrowly focused towards the minimalist approach, centred on formal training. One would argue this narrows the professionals view of what might constitute CPD, and creates a dependency culture where CPD should be provided to the professional, usually by the employer, based on narrow concept of traditionally run classroom based learning. Whereas the maximalist view requires the professional to look much more broadly as to where learning opportunities may come from, and seeking out a greater mix of experiential learning opportunities as opposed to the narrowly focused academic or classroom based route to learning. In support of Smith et al, Longworth (2003, p.12) argued that lifelong learning is a much wider concept â€Å"learning means giving ownership of learning to the learner him or herself and not the teacher a

Social Penetration Essay -- Psychology Essays

Social Penetration "Decisions about self-disclosure - whether to reveal one's thoughts, feelings, or past experiences to another person, or the level of intimacy of such disclosure - are part of the everyday life of most persons" (Derlega and Berg, 1987, p. ix). The decisions one makes on the issue of whether or not to self-disclose with others affects not only the types of relationships one will have with others and how they are perceived, but also how well they know themselves. Clearly, self-disclosure plays a major role in the development of close relationships. Irwin Altman and Dalmas Taylor, the theorists behind Social Penetration theory, recognized this fact and designed their theory to illustrate and explain this process of self-disclosure through social penetration. In this paper, I will explain Altman and Taylor's Social Penetration theory and the framework behind it, offer come critiques that have been made about the theory by other communication scholars, and present examples of studies conducted using the ideas of social penetration. To understand the idea of Social Penetration theory, one must first understand the ideas behind it, and more specifically, its framework. The theory focuses around the idea that within every relationship social penetration processes exist. Altman and Taylor (1973) explain that these processes include "verbal exchange, nonverbal use of the body, use of the physical environment, and interpersonal perceptions - all of which are exhibited at different levels of intimacy of encounter" (p. 3). The goal of Social Penetration theory is to describe the "formation, maintenance, and dissolution of close relationships" (Derlega & Berg, 1987, p. 5). According to the theory, the form... ...ocial penetration theory. I used Griffin's text mainly as a source for my critiques of the theory. Jourard, S. M. (1971). Self-disclosure: an experimental analysis of the transparent self. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. This publication is another psychology oriented edition about self-disclosure. I didn't use any information from this book because it was all repetition from the other sources I gathered. I used the other source information because I found it more reputable. Tannen, D. (1986). That's not what I mean! How conversational style makes or breaks relationships. New York, NY: Ballantine. Deborah Tannen, the author, is the theorist behind genderlects. The only information I used from this book was the quote about the differences between how men and women are seasoned to communicate. Nothing else was relevant to my topic.

Where I Rest My Head Essay -- Descriptive Essay, Descriptive Writing

This is the area where I rest my head. I'm not giving in to calling this "home" because home is where the heart is. I live in the "court district" of downtown Los Angeles. With the influx of the Yuppies, however, it is now called the "historic core," We are standing on the corner of Sixth and Broadway. On the south side of the street heading east there are only two office buildings, yet there are many shops. The first is a jewelry shop. Walking past, we find two clothing stores that sell inexpensive women's clothing. There is a nearby market owned by a brother and sister from Iran: Ben and Miriam. When I do purchase there, I often haggle with Ben and he will come down on the price of the item in question. I'm more acquainted with Ben than his sister since he, like me, is something of a jokester. Besides, he is much more honest than his younger sister who is so shrewd she would snatch the nickels from a dead man's eyes! Leaving the market we pass a gated alleyway and a little hole-in-the-wall of a store owned by a Korean family. I normally purchase breath mints and gum there, but that is all. They sell little knick knacks and odds and ends, but their main source of income is alcohol--they sell enough to get a small country drunk. Five more paces and we are at the lobby entrance of a residential building where I have lived since my parole, but that is another essay. As we pass the lobby we come to the Alta Med Health Center, manned by an extremely helpful and pretty woman named Rosa. When I have the time, I drop by to shoot the breeze and trade jokes and anecdotes with her. Right next to the health center is a shoe store owned by an aged Chinese couple, still trying to hold on to their long gone youth. Both dress fashionably y... ...r refurbished goods. Reaching the corner there is a coffee shop, owned by an old Korean woman. When I began my first semester at LATTC I would stop there and grab a cup of Joe. After a few weeks of seeing me on a constant basis, she began to question my coming and going. I explained to her, "I am a student." To which she replied (in broken English), "You good boy". Being diplomatic, I attempted to explain the politics of referring to a grown black man as "boy". Either not understanding or not caring, she chose to continue to refer to me as boy, so I stopped patronizing her shop. This ends our tour through Hell. It's funny. I kind of like this area because it reminds me of New York, but it lacks that "savoir-faire." It's more like "New York meets the third world", or what would have happened had the Spanish, and not the English, taken New Amsterdam from the Dutch.

Dog Soldiers :: essays research papers

Dog Soldiers is a story laced with despair, paranoia, and several other not so fuzzy moods, and this quote from the main character elegantly demonstrates this mood. The tone of the book was a point of interest and displeasure for me, since this was one of my first experiences with total negativity, it was a fun struggle for me to understand the point or the necessity of such an angry mood. At the same time it made me very uncomfortable, sometimes to the point where I would have to stop reading for the day. There is a constant stream of action in this story, which makes it rather difficult to process what's going on as it happens. The story rarely drags and it is written so that it feels very real and alive. Slang terms are used often too, which are also hard to understand. But after the first few chapters it seems that most readers are able to get around this and start enjoying the fast paced style in which the book is written. This style also adds to the mood of panic and paranoia that encompass the entire book as Marge, Hicks, and Converse try to flee with their dope. Marge, Hicks, and Converse are the book's three main characters, and as the plot follows first Converse's activities and then moves back and forth between Hicks and Converse, these two main characters develop into very complicated people. Marge's character isn't delved into as much, but it didn't seem to be that she was usually thinking about much besides the next time she could get high. Some of the things Converse and Hicks did or said still baffle me, just like the characters that are a part of my real life. Because all of the characters are so weak and hurt each other with such frequency and carelessness, I found it hard to like them, but I liked the fact that not many stories center on people of such violent natures. I had to read Dog

Point of View in Toni Cade Bambara’s “The Lesson” Essay

Point of view is an essential element to a reader’s comprehension of a story. The point of view shows how the narrator thinks, speaks, and feels about any particular situation. In Toni Cade Bambara’s â€Å"The Lesson,† the events are told through the eyes of a young uptown girl named Sylvia. The reader gets a limited point of view because the events are told strictly by Sylvia. This fact can influence the reader to see things just as she does. The strong language gives a unfamiliar reader an illustration of how people in the city speak. Bambara does this to show a different kind of life that may be new to the reader and may aid in the comprehension of the street life. The reader gets a sense of Sylvia’s personality in the very beginning of the story as she talks about Miss Moore. Sylvia’s opinion of her is not one of fondness. She says that she hates Miss Moore as much as the â€Å"winos who pissed on our handball walls and stand up on our hallways and stairs so you couldn’t halfway play hide-and-seek† (307). By comparing the hatred to something she enjoys, we see what a kid in the slums does for fun. Sylvia feels that Miss Moore always plans â€Å"boring-ass things for us to do† (307). Miss Moore seems to be different from what Sylvia is use to. Sylvia harps on the fact that Miss Moore is educated. This shows that Sylvia is not use to being around educated people. She dislikes the fact that Miss Moore is a woman with â€Å"nappy hair and proper speech with no makeup†(307). Sylvia continues to describe her as a â€Å"nappy head bitch and her goddamn college degree† and would rather do things that are fun instead of listening to her. Miss Moore attempts to teach the children about the difference of how some people spend money. Sylvia feels insulted and thinks Miss Moore is calling them â€Å"retards† when she asks the group do they know what money is. The first lesson is to figure out how much of a tip they are suppose to leave the cab driver. Sylvia wants to keep the money and jump out of the cab and spend the money on some barbeque. Theft seems to be a common feature within the group. Later, when they are at the store, Sugar asks â€Å"can we steal† (308). Miss Moore shows the kids the prices of several objects and they are amazed at some of the costs. They try to figure out how long they could save up to buy things such as a thirty five-dollar birthday clown. The children think about how thirty-five dollars would be used to buy necessities instead of luxuries. The kids think that only white people would buy the objects that they see. Rosie Giraffe says that â€Å"white folks† are crazy in the way they spend money. This exemplifies the difference in the standard of living from one part of society to another. Ultimately, Bambara wants to show the reader that there is a different view of life through the eyes of someone from the city. The attitude of Sylvia and her friends is an attribute to their surroundings. The lesson that they learn is one that the reader receives also. Bambara shows how some people can spend money on items that seem unimportant to the kids. Sylvia appears to brush off the whole experience by constantly criticizing Miss Moore and thinking negative thoughts of her. In the end, the reader can see that Sylvia has soaked up some of the events and wants to strive to have some of the finer things. The fact that â€Å"ain’t nobody gonna beat me at nuthin† shows that Sylvia is going to be the best of anything she pursues (312). Bambara wants the reader to see that there is another type of lifestyle in the city. It is not to belittle Sylvia and her peers just to show that there is a difference of values. In this novel, that value is the difference of spending money.

The Materials and Appropriation of Tracey Emin

Tracey Karima Emin or better known as Tracey Emin was originally born in London in 1963, she was brought up in Margate with her twin brother Paul by their mother from a very early age (hence the well known nickname, ‘Mad Tracey from Margate’). From a very early age Emin was subjected to sexual abuse, which in turn has been the subject for a substantial amount of her work including sexual nature. Emin attended the Royal College of Art in which she gained an MA in painting. But Emin has described this period in her life as a negative experience, as she felt as though the other students attending the college were far too posh, thus creating an alienated experience. â€Å"Emin has described feeling conspicuously different and alienated from other students. † (Brown, 2006, page 16) Emin is also a member of the Young British Artists group (YBAs) and it is also wildly known that Emin came up with the name for the Stuckism movement in which her boyfriend at the time Billy Childish was a member of. It is believed that the name for this movement came about by Emin claiming that his oeuvre was ‘stuck’. â€Å"Your paintings are stuck, you are stuck! – Stuck! Stuck! Stuck! (That is, stuck in the past for not accepting the YBA approach to art). † http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Tracey_Emin 16/11/2010 So who is Tracey Emin? Is she a painter, print maker, photographer, instalaitionist, film maker, sculptor or writer? I would actually consider Tracey Emin to be all of these professions, including much more, due to the wide variety of her skills. Her work consists of a number of techniques that we, as the viewer, have seen since she has been in the public eye from the early 1990’s. The range of materials Emin has used (and still uses to this very day) is very vast indeed. There are very few artists out there in the world who use such an amount. Instead of just complying with the normal standard of art and just subjecting herself to a limited supply of materials, but then again most contemporary artists tend to think outside the box and do not want to conform to normality. The main piece of Oeuvre that I was to talk analyse is Everyone I Have Ever Slept With 1963-1995 1995, otherwise known as ‘The Tent’ (fig 1 and 2). This was originally shown at the South London Gallery as part of a group show called ‘Minky Manky’, which substantionaly became the turning point in Emins career. In regards to the materials Emin has used, the overall body of this piece is actually a shop brought tent (ready made object), which is the shape of a hexagon. It makes me wonder how Emin came about in deciding that this was the tent to use. I can just imagine Emin visiting a substantial number of retail shops searching for ‘the right tent’. Maybe this tent in particular just had that ‘ju ne se qua’ about it that drew Emin towards using it. She has also introduced more forms of materials such as an old mattress that she has placed inside of the tent with the text ‘with myself, always myself, never forgetting ‘appliqued on the bottom of the mattress in the centre. Inside of this small tent Emin has listed all the names of everyone that she has ever slept with during the time period in the title, 102 in fact. Her use of re- appropriating in regards to the appliques method which also includes the use of materials also used in this piece is something that I will be looking into a little later on. I find this really intriguing, as the use of appliques is quite an old fashioned way of making art these days. For centuries women all over the world had used this technique as a simple way of passing the time, as it was not even considered art in itself, and yet here we have a Young British Artist using this old fashioned method as part of her core work. Emin has even used this very same method in other pieces of her work including ‘Hate and Power can be a Terrible Thing 2004’. Now at first I thought this was an arbitrary shameless exhibition of her past sexual conquests. But when I took the time to look at the pictures of ‘The Tent’ (As it would now be impossible to view this in any art gallery, as it was destroyed in an unfortunate fire at the Saatchi Gallery in 2004), I was able to see that included in those names are members of her family, including her twin brother and also her unborn children i. e. , foetus 1 and 2. As I have already mentioned, that this could have been portrayed as an exhibition of past sexual conquests, Emin claims herself that all of the people she has named within the tent are in fact about intimacy and purely nothing sexual. â€Å"Some I’d had a shag with in bed or against a wall, some I had just slept with, like my Grandma. I used to lay in her bed and hold her hand. We used to listen to the radio together and nod off to sleep. You don’t do that with someone you don’t care about†. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Everyone_I_Have_Ever_Slept_With_1963%E2%80%931995 23/10/10 I know from reading about Tracey Emin regarding this piece that the members of the audience that went to view this piece, have said that when they emerged from he tent they were thinking about their own past lives, including the people they have cared about â€Å"Some observers found the action of climbing inside the tent to read the names strangely intimate. http://news. bbc. co. uk/1/hi/3753541. stm 15/11/2010 This just goes to show that she has deliberately played with our minds to make us instantly think about what she wants us to think about, and that is those we care a great deal about. As Emin has said herself, it’s all about the communication. She has more or less re-appropriated this method and made it her own. Instead of sewing the regular ideals of something traditional such as a quilt or clothes in that matter, that would usually be commissioned using this historical method, she has re-invented this technique and used it for something to express her past sexual experiences through the representations of her own body, not necessarily physically for the viewer to see, but through the senses in ways that Emin portrays by symbolising the names of her past. Could Emin be playing with the Signs and Codes of ‘The Tent’? I honestly believe that she could well be. I feel that she is trying to tell us through When it comes to discussing such signs and codes Ferdinand de Saussure (1857-1913) believed that the signs and codes where a way in which the artists and audience could communicate. â€Å"Saussure believed that all of culture is made up of signs. That is to say, social life is characterised by the circulation and exchange of forms to which convention has been given meaning. A sign for Saussure is simply any device through which human beings communicate to each other†. Ward, 2003, page 83) However all of these names have been Appliqued, are those of family, friends and boyfriends (One of which is her former boyfriend Billy Childish). When I think about the signs and codes Emin has used, I start to wonder, did she do this on purpose? Is she forcing me as a member of the audience to subconsciously think about all of the people that I have ever cared about in my own life? As Emin has stated in the quote above that this piece is about intimacy. I believe that Emin has truly cared about all of these names at some point in her own life, as the time and effort she has taken to create this. The use of appliques, which is the term for sewing fabric directly on top of more fabric, of which she has used to attach all of the 102 names inside. This is in itself is a time consuming process and I believe that this is truly a sign to show that she has put as much effort into creating this Oeuvre as much as she did with the relationships in her life. Tracey Emin also uses representations of the body in a number of her drawings and monoprints. Here she uses the method of monprint as a way of capturing her thoughts and ideas. Usually these thoughts are again to do with her turbulent past. When you look at her drawings such as Suffer Love II, 2009 (fig 3) in which you can only see of what is presumably Emins own body is that of two naked legs erotically spread open wearing high heel shoes , you can see who her influences are e. g. Egon Shiele (fig 4). â€Å"Schiele’s eroticism and emphasis on childhood sexuality took this interest to a moral extreme. His depictions of childhood sexuality are a dangerous theme, and one shared by Emin†. (Brown, 2006, page 29) Here you can see that she is expressing her thoughts entirely just by a simple yet effective drawing. Both of the artist’s drawings are very alike in terms of the irrational lines that express how they must have been feeling at the time they were produced. Although Emins work is mostly of sexual emotions, her work does engage the audience. â€Å"Emin is a storyteller whose subject matter comes from Emin's own rich life. Through the poetry of her honest retelling of unique and intimate life-events Emin establishes a generous dialogue between the viewer and the artist. † http://www. saatchi-gallery. co. uk/artists/tracey_emin. htm 20/10/2010 Although some of her work can be quite controversial. Everybody at some point over the years has heard of Tracey Emin either through television or from reading newspapers and magazines, regarding her radical use of her exploration of her own body and personal past life. Her work is very autobiographical, in which her main source of study is herself, and about her past experiences in which she obviously wants to share with us. I would say that in that situation she must either be very naive or just completely an exhibitionist. At first I was unsure as to why I should write my essay on Tracey Emin, but after researching her, I have come to understand the ‘method in her madness’ so to speak. The way in which your mind starts to think in overdrive in how and why she creates such pieces of oeuvre and why she mostly only concentrates on certain parts of her past. I feel that all she is trying to achieve is basically instead of writing a book on her past life, she is giving us the visual experience instead, as sometime books can literally be boring with their little pictures and overrated text, but Emin takes away the boring text and replaces them with bold, brass exploiting words that make you want to read and want to learn more about her.

Catcher in They Rey – Holdens Contradictory Views of the World

With close reference to pages 183-186 analyse Salinger’s use of language and structure, exploring Holden’s contradictory view of the world. On Page 183 Holden says ‘you could tell the two hot- shots I was with weren’t enjoying it too much. They stayed close as hell to me, and the one that didn’t talk at all practically was holding onto my sleeve’. Holden calls them ‘hot shots’ because they acted phony by bunking school and then lying about there being no school. (P182). Throughout the novel, Holden seems to have a problem with the whole idea of ‘phoniness’, yet at times, he himself acts phony.Holden considers movies to be extremely phony and criticises his brother because he moved to Hollywood. Holden emphasises his hatred for Hollywood and movies throughout the novel. Holden states his problem with phonies on page 184 when he says ‘I’d have this rule that nobody could do anything phony when they visited me. If anybody tried to do anything phony, they couldn’t stay’. He constantly demonstrates the idea that if people are ‘phony’ it’s a bad thing. We see this on pages 72/73 when he is talking about Ernie.He says that Ernie ‘is a terrific snob and he won’t hardly even talk to you unless you’re a big shot or a celebrity or something’. In this sentence, Holden implies that just because Ernie is good at playing the piano he thinks he can treat people badly, as if he is better than them. This seems to be Holden’s main dislike about ‘phoniness’, the fact that people act ‘phony’ because they think they are better than you. This is also shown on page 23 when Holden says that stradlater fixed himself up all the time because he was ‘madly in love with himself.He thought he was the handsomest guy in the whole of West Hemisphere’. He criticises Stradlater’s love for himself because h e sees this as an act of ‘phoniness’. While criticising people due to their ‘phoniness’ throughout the novel, Holden himself acts ‘phony’ on multiple occasions. On pages 48-52, when talking to Ernest Morrow’s mother, he pretends to be a completely different person to himself. He makes up a whole false persona in order to look better in front of Ernest’s mother. His false persona has a different name, and likes Ernest, even though Holden himself doesn’t have a high opinion of him.If somebody else were to do the same thing in front of Holden, he would undoubtedly call them ‘phony’. In chapter 17, when Holden goes on a date with Sally Hayes, he speaks just as posh as Sally does. This is shown when he says ‘swell to see you too’. Again, Holden is putting on a false persona in order for Sally to like him more. Throughout this whole chapter, Holden constantly criticises Sally on the way she speaks and ac ts, yet speaks and acts just like she does. By doing this, Holden is contradicting himself.He doesn’t seem to realise that he is acting just as ‘phony’ ads Sally is. Holden seems to act this way in front of most girls. I think he does this because he sees other guys acting the same way with girls and he naturally copies them because he doesn’t know how else to act. As a result, he contradicts himself often, but he just doesn’t realise this. On page 183, Holden states that the tomb was ‘so nice and peaceful’, yet he goes on to say that ‘you can’t find a place that’s nice and peaceful because there isn’t any’.Again, Holden is contradicting himself, but in a different way. He always seems to radically change his views based on little things. On page 184, he talks about his ideal future living in a cabin away from the world. When talking about how his family could visit him he says that he would let D. B. c ome and visit him for a while if he wanted ‘a nice, quiet place for his writing. ‘ Again he is contradicting himself because he is now saying that there is a place which is nice and peaceful, even though he previously stated that there isn't any.This is a clear example of Holden's unstable state of mind, because he doesn't remember what he previously says and he doesn't seem to have any set views as he is always contradicting himself. Loneliness is a key theme in the novel, and it is represented through Holden's contradictions. On page 184, when talking about his ideal future living alone in a cabin, he says, ‘I'd ask them all to visit me sometime if they wanted to, but I wouldn't insist or anything. ‘ This basically shows Holden's desperation for any type of relationship.Although he wants his family to visit him and keep him company, he doesn't want to admit it and therefore acts like he would invite them round as a favour to them, when really, it would make him feel better. On page 186, Phoebe is angry at Holden and Holden gets upset and feels guilty. this shows that he actually cares for Phoebe, even though he would never admit it. He shows this often throughout the novel when he talks highly about her. This idea is also shown on pages 122-123. Holden is so desperate for company that he just contacts anyone he could think of in order to have company.Even though he criticises these people based on their ‘phoniness', he still wants their company. This reoccurs on page 134. Holden spends all that time criticising Luce, yet ends up practically begging him to stay with him because he is lonely. He even admits his loneliness to Luce . ‘I'm lonesome as hell, no kidding'. This happens a lot during the novel. In chapter 10, Holden meets three girls, who he refers to as ‘pretty ugly' and ‘the three witches'. He spends the majority of the chapter pretending to like them in order to have company, even though he constantly criticises them to us.He constantly complains to us about things that they do, yet at the end of the chapter on page 67 when they say they had to leave, he says that he ‘tried to get them to stick around for a while'. This scene links together the last two points that I mentioned. Holden doesn't actually like the girls, yet he pretends he does so that he can have company. He also creates this false persona that is interested in the three girls. In order to do this, he had to use techniques that he has learnt from other people, even though he describes these other people as ‘phony'.Because he so socially unable, he takes techniques from others. What he doesn't realise is that by using these techniques, he himself is being a ‘phony'. You could say that deep down he knows that he does this a lot, yet he doesn't want to admit it to himself. In conclusion I think that Holden is highly contradictory about everything due to his troubled and confused state of mind. I thin k this is caused by the changes they are taking place in his life, such as getting kicked out of schools a lot and not understanding sexual relationships/feelings.

Harry Potter And The Order Of the Phoenix Essay

J. K. Rowling is the author of the Harry Potter books series that began with the book Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone while Warner Bros. owns the rights to produce the movies based upon the book series. The latest outing of the movie version of the book series is the adventure filled â€Å"Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix†, movie number 5 of a 7 series film outing. Released in the year 2007, the CGI heavy film stars Daniel Radcliffe in the titular role together with Emma Watson and Rupert Grint portraying the highly important support characters of Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley respectively. The now more light colored movie setting, when compared to the previous directorial jobs of Chris Colombus and Alfonso Cuaron, was imagined and crafted by the imagination of first time Harry Potter director David Yates. In order to be able to follow the story as it unfolds throughout the movie, one must be an avid Harry Potter book or movie follower for the storyline of the movie is not for the uninitiated and will leave any viewer without a background in the story series feeling frustrated and left out of some of the seemingly inside jokes being thrown around in the movie (e. g.  Who are you and what have you done with Hermione Granger? ) The film picks up the story from where the prior movie, â€Å"Harry Potter And The Goblet of Fire† left off. Harry is coming to terms with the death of Cedric Diggory at the end of the previous movie while also trying to figure out who he really is as a person. Is he a bad person trying to be good or, as his Godfather Sirius Black told him â€Å"just a good person to whom bad things happen? † All of his personal doubts make him choose isolate himself from even his closest friends because of the way most of the school views him as a liar. As a character, Harry develops like any normal teenage boy. He dabbles in the typical first love, first kiss, and often rebellious streak that his main nemesis, Lord Voldemort, portrayed in the film by the superb British actor Ralphe Fiennes, often takes advantage of. I observed this particular movie to be, in a a way, the coming of age for the students of Hogwart’s School Of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Although the screenplay writer Michael Goldenberg took tremendous amounts of liberties in the retelling of the book, the main plot and lessons from the book still managed to translate well to the big screen. After all, it is no joke trying to translate an 870 page book to the big screen with a running time of almost 3 hours. Die hard fans of the book will probably scream â€Å"Sacrilege! † at the way certain key elements that were perceived in the book, such as the magic mirror Sirius gave to Harry on Christmas Day, or the jinxed DA coins that Hermione gave to the member of their little organization in order to prevent the members from telling about what they were up to in the Room Of Requirement. But I guess that one will realize that all the key elements were retained within in one way or another. The fans will also most likely not appreciate the way certain duties in the book seemed to have gotten reassigned in the movie. For example, in the book, it was a member of the DA who told Prof. Umbridge about where their organization meets, not Cho Chang. What did help the story to move along quite well on film is the total cutting out of the minor subplots in the book that really had no place in the movie version. The real magic of the Harry Potter movie series seems to lie in the way that author J. K.  Rowling has managed to write a book series that mirrors the problems facing teenagers in such a way that the readers and the movie viewers who grew up with the story will be experiencing the same things almost simultaneously in real life. The movie has real lessons to teach, such as standing up and fighting for what one believes in, believing in yourself and accepting the consequences of your actions, and finally, knowing that there is always an easier way out of things but that may not always be the right path to take.

Planning Strategic Organisational Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Planning Strategic Organisational Change - Essay Example This is because the organization banks on the positive developments and growth changes happening on a constant basis. The change is also a response to the organization’s hard line towards its activities which have not been able to turn a new leaf towards its own development over a period of time (Ginzberg, 1957). What one must understand is the basis of growing for the sake of the organizational processes and the attached undertakings that are tied up. This will mean that the change is constructive and has a positive bearing on just about everyone present in the company as well as the processes and activities that are a vital part of the same. This paper discusses the basis of change being an important element within any organization in this day and age, and how it has been able to manifest growth, development and productivity for a long period of time now as has been proven with due research and evidence of study. Moving ahead with the discussion at hand, this change can both be external as well as internal, having either positive and negative ramifications in the long run. This is true in the case of change being a vital agent within the organization’s processes where its implementation is direly required and can have serious consequences in the long term scheme of things. The external change is not that controllable, however it is the internal change that demands a great deal of caution and care. This is because the internal change can have more drastic results than the external change can ever envisage. This is in line with the understanding that the organization must understand the basis of its success through this change which is intrinsic and which shall have a positive bearing on the people as well as the organizational processes, tasks and activities. The strategic organizational change is always internal because it involves processes which have serious and direct effect on the organization’s processes and long term future plans an d initiatives (Sugrue, 1999). This is required as it will enable the top management to decide where it wants to reach and what it wants to achieve within the shortest possible time. What is required here is a collective approach to set things right from the control perspective, which has by now come about with due hard work and dedication on the part of the people who have made the change possible. From a strategic organizational change perspective, it is always significant to note that the best possible results could be achieved when there are sequential steps to take care of the organizational hierarchies and when all of these look after the basis of growth and development for the sake of the company that one is talking about here (Brown, 1996). The change regimes are assisted duly by the role of the top management which gives the final approval for this change to come about in entirety. What one must comprehend here is the fact that change should be permanent and not eyewash alon e. It should manifest itself in such a manner that there is a win-win situation for everyone within the organization. If this does not happen, then this change has not come about and it would be better to implement it in a better way yet again. The strategic efforts within the change regimes are significant because outline the need to remain head-on with the incorporations that have been done over a period of time and which shall be the essence of achieving success in