The Vampire Diaries: The Fury Chapter Sixteen

December 16, Monday Stefan gave this to me. He's given most of the things in his room away. I said I didn't want it at first, because I didn't know what to do with it. But now I think I have an idea. People are starting to forget already. They're getting the details wrong, and adding things they just imagined. And, most of all, they're making up explanations. Why it wasn't really supernatural, why there's a rational reason for this or that. It's just silly, but there's no way to stop them, especially the adults. They're the worst. They're saying the dogs were hydrophobic or something. The vet's come up with a new name for it, some kind of rabies that's spread by bats. Meredith says that's ironic. I think it's just stupid. The kids are a little better, especially the ones who were at the dance. There are some I think we can rely on, like Sue Carson and Vickie. Vickie's changed so much in the last two days that it's like a miracle. She's not the way she's been for the last two and a half months, but she's not the way she used to be, either. She used to be pretty much of a bimbo, running around with the tough crowd. But now I think she's okay. Even Caroline wasn't so bad today. She didn't talk at the other service, but she talked at this one. She said Elena was the real snow queen, which was kind of cribbing off of Sue's speech from before, but probably the best Caroline could do. It was a nice gesture. Elena looked so peaceful. Not like a wax doll, but as if she were sleeping. I know everybody says that, but it's true. This time, it really is true. But afterward people were talking about â€Å"her remarkable escape from drowning† and stuff like that. And saying she died of an embolism or something. Which is absolutely ridiculous. But that's what gave me the idea. I'm going to get her other diary out of her closet. And then I'm going to ask Mrs. Grimesby to put them in the library, not in a case like Honoria Fell's, but where people can pick them up and read them. Because the truth is in here. This is where the real story is. And I don't want anybody to forget it. I think maybe the kids will remember. I suppose I should put what happened to the rest of the people around here; Elena would want that. Aunt Judith is okay, although she's one of the adults who can't deal with the truth. She needs a rational explanation. She and Robert are going to get married at Christmas. That should be good for Margaret. Margaret's got the right idea. She told me at the service that she's going to go see Elena and her parents someday, but not now, because there were a lot of things she still had to do right here. I don't know what put that idea into her head. She's smart for a four-year-old. Typical, absolutely typical. Everybody else gets the guys. I'm thinking of trying one of my grandmother's rituals, just to see if I'll ever get married at all. There isn't even anybody I want to marry around here. Well, there's Matt. Matt's nice. But right now he's only got one girl on his mind. I don't know if that will ever change. He punched Tyler in the nose after the service today, because Tyler said something off-color about her. Tyler is one person I know will never change, no matter what. He'll always be the mean, obnoxious jerk he is now. But Matt-well, Matt's eyes are awfully blue. And he's got a terrific right hook. Stefan couldn't hit Tyler because he wasn't there. There are still plenty of people in town who think he killed Elena. He must have, they say, because there was nobody else there. Katherine's ashes were scattered all over by the time the rescuers got to the crypt. Stefan says it's because she was so old that she flamed up like that. He says he should have realized the first time, when Katherine pretended to burn, that a young vampire wouldn't turn to ashes that way. She'd just die, like Elena. Only the old ones crumble. Some people-especially Mr. Smallwood and his friends-would probably blame Damon if they could get hold of him. But they can't. He wasn't there when they reached the tomb, because Stefan helped him get away. Stefan won't say where, but I think to someplace in the woods. Vampires must heal fast because today when I met him after the service, Stefan said that Damon had left Fell's Church. He wasn't happy about it; I think Damon didn't tell him. Now the question seems to be: What is Damon doing? Out biting innocent girls? Or is he reformed? I wouldn't lay bets on it either way. Damon was a strange guy. But gorgeous. Definitely gorgeous. Stefan won't say where he's going, either. But I have a sneaking suspicion Damon may get a surprise if he looks behind him. Apparently, Elena made Stefan promise to watch out for him or something. And Stefan takes promises very, very seriously. I wish him luck. But he'll be doing what Elena wanted him to, which I think will make him happy. As happy as he can be here without her. He's wearing her ring on a chain around his neck now. If you think any of this sounds frivolous or as if I don't care about Elena, that just shows how wrong you are. I dare anybody to say that to me. Meredith and I cried all day Saturday, and most of Sunday. And I was so angry I wanted to rip things apart and break them. I kept thinking, why Elena? Why? When there were so many other people who could have died that night. Out of the whole town, she was the only one. Oh, I'm starting to cry again. That's what happens when you think about life being fair. And I can't explain why it isn't. I'd like to go bang on Honoria Fell's tomb and ask her if she can explain, but she wouldn't talk to me. I don't think it's something anybody knows. I loved Elena. And I'm going to miss her terribly. The whole school is. It's like a light that's gone out. Robert says that's what her name means in Latin, â€Å"light.† Now there'll always be a part of me where the light has gone away. I wish I'd been able to say good-bye to her, but Stefan says she sent her love to me. I'm going to try to think of that as a light to take with me. I'd better stop writing now. Stefan's leaving, and Matt and Meredith and Alaric and I are going to see him off. I didn't mean to get so into this; I've never kept a journal myself. But I want people to know the truth about Elena. She wasn't a saint. She wasn't always sweet and good and honest and agreeable. But she was strong and loving and loyal to her friends, and in the end she did the most unselfish thing anybody could do. Meredith says it means she chose light over darkness. I want people to know that so they'll always remember. I always will.

12 Angry Men †Critical Thinkers Essay

In Twelve Angry Men, a young man is on trial for stabbing and killing his father. The movie focuses on twelve randomly selected citizens who are assigned the duty of determining the fate of this 19 year old man. The jury is supposed to examine certain facts and determine the truth based solely on the evidence presented to them in court. It is assumed that the jurors will judge fairly and without personal bias. Basically, the jurors need to use critical thinking during this trial to figure out what evidence is factual and what evidence is false. Throughout the film, some jurors were better at critical thinking than others, some had obstacles to overcome before they could use good critical thinking skills, and yet others became critical thinkers at different points during the movie. Critical thinking played a key role in Twelve Angry Men. In order to be able to think outside the box, one must possess the ability to think unbiaslly, not bring personal issues into play, not be scared to put the ideas and doubts on the table, and to be level headed. The juror who possessed these skills the best and applied them better than his eleven other companions was juror number 8, played by Henry Fonda. At the beginning of the movie, juror 8 was the only one to vote not guilty on the first vote. Fonda’s character plainly stated â€Å"It’s not easy for me to raise my hand and send a boy to die without talking about it first†. This shows that he wanted to examine all the evidence and â€Å"facts† before coming to his decision. As the movie went on, juror 8 kept posing questions like â€Å"could it be possible† and â€Å"could he be wrong† to remind others that about reasonable doubt. Then Fonda’s character helped find holes in two key pieces of evidence, one being the knife used in the murder. The switchblade knife was supposed to one of a kind, but juror 8 takes a knife out of his pocket and jams it into the table next to the knife that was used in the murder. The knives were identical and Fo nda’s character explains that he bought it in the same neighborhood. The second piece of evidence juror 8 found reasonable doubt in was the old man’s testimony. The old claims he heard the killer yell ‘I’ m gonna kill you’, a second later he heard the father’s body fall and he saw the boy running out of the house fifteen seconds after. Juror 8 decided to reenact the scene, paying attention to detail my dragging his foot like the old man, as well as, measuring the distance so that it was accurate. Fonda’s character proved the old man’s story was false because it took thirty-one seconds. Juror 8 payed attention to details, analyzed every detail, put aside his biases, and opened the eyes of the other jurors, this is why he was a great critical thinker. Although there were some good critical thinkers in Twelve Angry Men, there were a few jurors who just couldn’t see outside the box until it was almost too late. Juror 10 seemed to be the most close minded of all his peers, resulting in bad critical thinking. There were instances where this character stereotyped the defendant racially by saying â€Å"those people†,†them†, â€Å"they are born liars† and â€Å"they do not value human life†. Juror 10 also referred to calling the boy ignorant and a slob. This juror not only treated the defendant poorly, but his behavior towards his companions was ignorant. Juror 10 was sarcastic, insensitive, lacking morals, holding grudges, and a l oud mouth. For instance, juror 10 sarcastically says â€Å"you’re a smart fellow aren’t you?† to juror 8 in response to a piece of evidence that had been shredded. All of these characteristics are ones that cloud the mind and do not allow common sense or critical thinking to come into play. There were three individuals that held so much grudhe, anger and aggression that it prevented them from thinking critically. One of these peers was juror 3. He claimed that the defendant was certainly guilty and his reasons for thinking this was completely prejudice. He brought thoughts of anger, resentment and revenge into the jury because his own son left him. For this he thinks and blames all young folks. Another jury who was a bad critical thinker is number 2. He tends to follow the crowd and feels like its an open and closed case. He doesn’t want to see the facts as they are nor does he want to listen to what anyone says. The last juror who bad at thinking critically was 6. Though he gave juror 8 a chance, the reason was because he was too narrow headed to figure out the evidence wase. He couldn’t connect any of the dots nor did he speak up very much in the discussion. Twelve Angry Men had good examples of how the average person uses critical thinking, which is while the process of conversion is occurring? For some reason the light bulb dings on after we listen to others explain their th oughts. Jurors 9, 11 and 7 were like most of us. During the trial juror 9 kept voting guilty until Fonda’s character started talking about the old man’s character and the woman’s eyesight. He voted not guilty after he thought about the old man’s character being alone, never had recognition in life for anything, and he wanted some so the old man lied. Juror 9 had to overcome his own perception of himself being old and not really needed for much in order to be a critical thinker and realize his opinions count too. Like juror 9, juror 7 had to overcome his preoccupation of going to a Yankee’s game. Throughout the film, he kept voting guilty and then after he heard jurors 8 and 10 talk about how the woman wore glasses and she didn’t have them on when she saw the murder. When this happened, juror 7 realized that there was reasonable doubt in the case. This only happens after he voted not guilty just to get to the ball game and Fonda’s character asks him why, which then makes 7 pay attention and think. Juror 11 was an immigrant who was scared and easily swayed by his peers. He had the obstacle of trying to stand up for himself, understand his voice counts and that his mind works just like others. Juror 11 conquered this obstacle when juror 8 was talking about the wound, he realized that the someone taller would have had to been the killer. He also explained to the others that a switchblade is use in an upward motion. Once these characters got over their obstacles, their critical thinking skills helped open holes in the case. All in all, Twelve Angry Men was a great learning tool to what critical thinking is and how to apply. This film taught me that you have to approach decisions in a certain manner. I need to keep an open mind, be level-headed, express my opinions and not judge others. Thinking critically implies that brain power of yours and your peers is needed to get a better understanding of everyday life. Respecting others around you is key. In order to use critical thinking, one must know what it entails.

Outline and discuss the evolution of CSR Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Outline and discuss the evolution of CSR - Essay Example This paper explores the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility, tracing its evolution and how businesses implement it as well as how it affects them. II. Definitions of CSR Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) may be perceived in a variety of ways depending on one’s perspective. One commonly accepted definition is as follows: â€Å"The continuing commitment by business to behave ethically and contribute to economic development while improving the quality of life of the workforce and their families as well as of local community and society at large.† - World Business Council for Sustainable Development, 2005 Another definition created by the European Commission (2003) is: â€Å"Responsible business practices that support the three principles of sustainable development: economic growth and prosperity, social cohesion and equity and environmental integrity and protection.† (p.5) III. Principles of CSR The United Nations is the main promoter of CSR. On December 31, 1999, then Secretary General Kofi Annan declared its principles at the World Economic Forum in Davos (Madrakhimova, 2013): 1. Human Rights – Commercial organizations should maintain support and respect for internationally recognized human rights in the creation of their standards of work. The rights to bargain collectively of workers must be upheld. Forced labour and child labour should be eliminated along with any form of discrimination in the workplace. 2. Ecology – Corporations should be conscious of the prevention of environmental problems and diligent in carrying out a more responsible attitude towards the care of the environment. They need to promote technologies and know-how in the reduction of negative impacts of some systems on the environment. 3. Anti-corruption – Corruption in all forms which include extortion, bribery and red tape must be prevented. 4. Legal responsibility – Legal frameworks bound in the territories where the businesses st and must be enforced. 5. Global responsibility – Compliance with international standards of social responsibility 6. Environmental Responsibility – collaboration of businesses and society in the rational use of natural resources, effective management of the environment and public health from the production of environmentally-friendly products. 7. Cultural and ethical responsibility – Compliance with relevant territorial cultural and ethical customs and traditions as well as moral norms followed by employees and other stakeholders. 8. Philantropic responsibility – support and development of the society and of individual marginal groups through voluntary participation in social programs and social and financial investment. IV. Benefits of CSR In a study of Lithuanian development of CSR practices, Spukiene & Urbonien (2011) report the following internal benefits in adopting CSR practices have been recognized: business sustainability; competitive advantage; e asier compliance with legislation; employee loyalty; attraction and retention of qualified employees; increase in productivity, quality and sales; financial improvement and access to capital; and reduction of costs. External benefits from adopting CSR practices were acknowledged as well: improved image and reputation; preservation of the environment; intangible benefits; contribution to Lithuania?s sustainable development; increased visibility; promotion of solidarity in the community; clients? loyalty; and

Journey to Learn Oneself Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Journey to Learn Oneself - Essay Example Men were free to discuss their conquest in the confines of the group and boast of their prowess. Natural sexual responses and instincts were socially unacceptable and women had difficulty discussing their innermost thoughts and feelings to everyone without the fear of being admonished. A lot of expectations were also burdened on men to discover achievement and success. Diversity among males and females and the recognition of alternative behavior were never recognized. Literature provides a view of these attitudes through emotions, sexual responses and of spiritual belief in two 19th century fiction: "The Awakening and Foster's social commentary, "A Room with a View" on the different responses of men and women in the era at two different worlds. Subjectively, repression of human needs and desire may create a negative impact on an individual which will further be proven literally in these two literatures. Women trapped in loveless relationships pretended nothing amiss despite complaints of husbands routinely, "smoked out he went to bed, and in half a minute (he) was fast asleep"(Chap. III p.1). Every fiber of the body is in rage over neglect yet most women would rather cry themselves to sleep rather than verbally complain. Young Lucy felt the same oppressive binds in her social and emotional state. She felt compelled to enter into a loveless marriage to please the whims of a doting mother and a highly judgmental society that critically appraised women as domestic possessions. Spiritually, young Lucy felt an inter-connective bind with a sovereign power as a member of a Christian church. Usually for religious individuals, religion further supports ones moral convictions that could sometimes withstand despite severe treatment from outside forces. Edna on the other hand whose focus was on her emotional turmoil and sexual inadequacy devoid of any spiritual power to hold on to as a moral p illar to lean on, was unable to tackle her own problems. Men at the same time experienced emotional and sexual inadequacies plagued with repressing their own feelings through a variety of reasons such as inexperience in the part of George Emerson when he has known so few women that could also be related to male androgyny. It is heavily noted that the acceptance of the "third sex" was unheard of during that time. Men were expected to encompass a strong ultra-male image and Mr. Pontellier complained that "he had his hands full with his brokerage business that he could not be in two places at once" (Chap III p 1). Love and sexuality is the driving force in relationships. "You can transmute love, ignore it, muddle it but you can never pull it out of you"(chap.19,p.208). No matter how man tries to suppress the feeling, the basic urge that all humans feel is akin to what Edna related that "It was a flaming torch that kindled desire"(chap.27p.2). Ironically, repression of man's basic desires leaves no room for growth to hurdle with other stimulus that may be encountered in life. Sexual gratification is substantial to the normal functioning of man. Repression of man's basic urge particularly upon social and moral dictation leads to a confused mental state. The conflict with ones own inner desire and society's contempt for actions at polarized ends causes an internal turmoil.

Church and Baroque Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Church and Baroque Art - Essay Example Baroque is an artistic word commonly used in the 17th century describing the art movement, which occurred in the 15th and 16th century. Baroque artwork mainly focused on classism and romanticism. This style of artwork originated in Italy then moved to Europe during the period of protestant reformation and religious upheaval. At that time, money and power was common in Europe; thus, influencing baroque. These resources elaborated and created social standing of prominent luminaries in Europe. Baroque artist specialized in oil painting, sculpture, architecture and music. The main theme of the baroque period was Catholic Church because it supported, permitted and encouraged artistic works that depicted religious imagery. Before the religious upheaval of the 16th century spread across Western Europe, both music and art was common among the churches. However, religious upheaval of the 16th century had numerous impacts on the arts of the sixteenth and seventeenth century. This is because, d uring the Middle Ages, Christian art in Europe flourished. During the period, artworks dominated the churches making the popes to become the patrons of both art and architecture. After the 16th century religious upheaval, the Catholic popes continued to embrace art by encouraging most catholic churches around the world to imitate art forms. However, the protestant churches did not advocate for the cathedral buildings because they did not require huge structures for their simple religious purposes.

Sale of Organs for Transplantation Research Paper

Sale of Organs for Transplantation - Research Paper Example World Health Organization (WHO) may be quoted, that is, â€Å"organ transplantation is often the only treatment for the end state organ failures, such as liver and heart failure. Although end-stage renal disease patients can be treated through other renal replacement therapies, kidney transplantation is generally accepted as the best treatment both for the quality of life and cost-effectiveness†. Thus, the point to be stressed here pertains that organ transplantation is crucial to the success of the field of medicine as chronic illnesses may be cured by virtue of the process. However, as simple as it sounds, there may be issues attached to organ transplantation which act as a deterrence in the process. Firstly, as opposed to a vast array of patients requiring organ transplantation, the donors are fewer in number. Moreover, the sale and purchase of organs involve ethical and moral issues, as a few opponents of organ transplant see the procedure as a violation of the laws of nat ure. Yet, these issues fail to negate the fact that in Western countries, for instance, the US, organ transplantation is being carried out with a striking success rate, where a lot of lives have been saved by virtue of the procedure.  Furthermore, considering the glaring need for increased sources of organs to be donated for critical patients in dire need of transplantation, organ sale has often been regarded as the only viable solution. Proponents of organ sale argue that saving the lives of these patients is crucial in the context, and thus regulating the sale of these organs can effectively contribute towards addressing the issue at hand. (Andre & Velasquez, 2014). On the other hand, those who oppose organ sale contend that one must rely on the Divine power for the decisions of life and resorting to organs` purchase from any kind of sources would be detrimental to the dignity of mankind. Another point of contention in this context is that an individual must be given the right t o choose for himself, regarding the means and resources they intend on exhausting, even if it involves organ transplant (Finn 2000).  In any case, it must be ensured that effective regulation and proper governance is being conducted while ensuring the increase in its supply on a global scale.

Woodrow Wilson Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Woodrow Wilson - Essay Example From the economic perspective, Woodrow Wilson established several successful policy reforms. In 1913, as a part of economic reforms, Underwood tariff has been lowered from 40% to 25% (Clements, 1992). Wilson provided compensation for this decrease in the form of federal income tax, supported with the Sixteenth Amendment to the US Constitution. In addition, Wilson initiated complex reforms supporting farming business in the United States, including programs of educational support and initiatives providing farmers with low-cost long-term mortgages (Clements, 1992). Woodrow Wilson also became famous for his support for small and medium business and enactment of antitrust policies. Recent scholarship has emphasized the importance of ideology in understanding Woodrow Wilson's politics. While Wilson scholars have examined his idealism, few have traces ideological and religious roots of principles that formed his mindset. Practically, during the period of American neutrality from 1914 to 1917, he made numerous public speeches that afford insight into his religious beliefs, their relationship to his understanding of presidential leadership, good government, and especially foreign policy (Knock, 1992). Wilson believed that good leaders used oratory to inform people of important issues and guide them to support the best practices. As the importance of the issue or policy at stake rose, so did the importance of speaking on it. Wilson's speeches reflect what he thought the public need to know to approve his plans and undertakings, and the concepts he used to gain that approval. Wilson continuously stressed his impartiality in the exercise of his duties. As chief executive, he claimed to express the opinion of American citizens, rather than his own. He clarified that he did not confuse the opinion of newspapers editorials and the popular view. "With all due respect to editors of great newspapers, I have to say to them that I never take my opinions of the American people of their editorials" (Link, 32:29). Being president denied him expression of his opinion, as his job required he focus exclusively on the country's interests and not his own. Wilson's stress on national opinion reflected his need to interact with the people beyond the confines of Washington, D.C. As he stated during a Flag Day celebration: "I felt caught up and buoyed along by the great stream of human purpose which seemed to flow in front of me by the stand at the White House, and I shall go away from this meeting, as I came away from that parade, with all the deepest purposes of my heart re newed" (Link, 37:224). Wilson's expressions of his desire for contact with non-politicians and government functionaries reinforced the image he cultivated of a common man elected to serve the people. He regularly described himself as an average man, despite Ph.D., a brief period as a lawyer, and years spent as a college professor and president (Clements, 1992). As a common man, Wilson operated as an associate, servant or helper. He explained the function of both Congress and the President as servants of the people. By arguing that public officials needed to confer with their people

5th street Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

5th street - Essay Example Yet to ensure that these cyclist do not get into accidents especially where the street has intersections, the bike lane has ramps. It serves like the bumps that help to inform the bikers of the intersection and thereby alerting them to reduce their speed. The making of the road and the signposts also help to inform all the road users of the need to keep watch of each other. There are areas, islands that are raised to help prevent accidents from other motorists coming from other lanes, fig a3. This way, it offers simple ways to avoid such clashes. There are signposts along major intersections where more than two lanes intersect. They provide adequate information to both the bikers and the motorists. The sign like the one shown in FIG is a stop sign with details 4-way intersection on the left of the signpost. Along the fifth street, there are special places that are set apart for the elderly and even the parents. Streets have bulb outs, as shown in fig b1 are both effective and efficient for the elderly and for parents with children. The reason is that hey shorten the distance that is taken crossing roads or intersection. Like the one shown in fig b2, it is thereafter followed by a raised seating area for these group of individuals. The reason for such consideration is that this group of individuals are much slower and may require to make several stop overs before getting to their destination. It provides them with sessions of taking breaks and a good place to also read their mail online if they so choose. For children in particular, there are so many considerations that have been put in place to ensure that they are safe. Some of the measures include warning the road users of the speed limit they are to observe. This is the case in fig c1. At such a limit, braking is easier to avoid accidents. Other measures are having sign posts that give warning to road users about the presence of children, especially school children crossing the road. The signs are

Compare and Contrast of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty by James Essay

Compare and Contrast of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty by James Thurber and The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin - Essay Example Even though the genre of both the stories is different, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty takes a humorous look at marriage and The Story of an Hour is more intense, but both deal with the negative aspects of marriage.Besides the main theme of marriage I think the writers also discuss how male and female react differently to situations. If the basic concept is woven around failing marriage then the two protagonists being of different gender provide an understanding as to how the two genders react in the condition. In the next few pages I provide a summary of both the stories and then discuss the two main themes of the stories, gender roles and marriage, under separate headings. Finally a conclusion is provided to the discussion. â€Å"The Secret Life of Walter Mitty† by James Thurber The story deals with the life of Walter Mitty, and old man, who has a dominant wife who bosses around her way while Walter Mitty helplessly listens to her. In order to escape from this reality he li ves in a secret world, a world where he is the boss, he daydreams. In fact he daydreams so often that it is only when somebody else nudges him that he’s brought back to reality. It is interesting to see how he dreams of himself as being a supergenious surgeon or a brave soldier. The writer has used humour to describe the situations however, underneath this humour lies the failure of a person and his inability to do or say anything against a dominant person. It is to be noted that even though it would seem that a dominant wife is the most probable reason for Mitty’s secret life however, the author does suggest that Mitty is the one who follows people cowardly. Despite that marriage can be considered as one of the themes of this story and hence it’s being discussed here. â€Å"The Story of an Hour† by Kate Chopin Here unlike the previous story the protagonist is a woman who apparently has a weak heart. Her husband has died in an accident and her well wisher s are wondering how to break the news to her considering her condition. However, to reader’s surprise the woman is more happy than sad on hearing about her husband’s death. Thus, Kate Chopin too discusses the negative side of marriage. Even her condition can be partly blamed on the marriage and the stress it must have brought on her. She is happy to learn that she might finally be free. She is overjoyed. Even though it seems a little cruel but the author provides a different aspect of human nature. It could be that the protagonist felt nothing for her husband anymore, maybe the burden of marriage and a strained relationship had killed all her feelings. In the end it is learned that her husband had not dies in the accident. However, to everybody’s astonishment the protagonist dies of a heart attack. She finally does get her freedom. Marriage as a theme In our society marriage is the legal certificate that recognizes the existence of a man and a woman as husband a nd wife. However, this institution seems to have its own stresses and responsibilities and writers have now and then discussed the various aspects of this institution. Here we discuss the two stories that bring the negative aspect of the institution to light. Marriage involves understanding your partner in order to carry on the relationship, which is the same with any other relationship. However, when two people live together the sense of mystery is lost and when one of the partners happens to be of dominant nature the other inevitably suffers.

Experiment Essay Example for Free

Experiment Essay The primary focus of experiment 4 was to teach a student the basic solubility rules of salts in aqueous solutions. After developing and using a scheme for the qualitative analysis of three cations in an aqueous mixture, a student would use a centrifuge to identify, precipitate, and separate the three ions in the mixture. After becoming familiar with all three cations, the student would use the scheme again to identify at least two of the cations in an unknown solution. In order to begin the separation process, HCl is added to the mixture of cations to form the precipitates and separate the chlorides of Ag+, Pb2+, and HG22+. It is important not to add too much HCl because an excess would form the soluble complexes of AgCl and PbCl2. After the HCl is added, it is centrifuged to form a solid precipitate that contains all three cations and separate them from the supernatant liquid. Finally, another drop of HCl is added to test for completeness of precipitation and centrifuged again if the solution remains incomplete. To separate the lead (II) ion from the sample of solution, it must be separated from the insoluble Hg2Cl2 and AgCL salts by dissolving it in hot water. Once it has been dissolved from the other two cations, it is centrifuged and the liquid is decanted into another test tube. Once in the other test tube, a drop of 6.0 M acetic acid and two drops of 1.0 M K2CrO4 is added to the saved liquid. If the lead (II) cation is present, a yellow precipitate forms and ensures the presence of that cation. When testing my unknown solution, the lead (II) ion was not present in my solution. To further separate the cations, 1.0 mL of 6 M NH3 is added to the saved precipitate. After adding the ammonia, the mixture is centrifuged and the liquid is once again decanted into another test tube. If a gray or black precipitate forms, this proves the presence of Hg22+. The mercury (I) ion was present in my unknown. Finally, separating the silver ions from the sample solution mixture is accomplished in the prior step when the mercury ion is centrifuged. In order to test for the presence of silver ions, 1 mL of 6M HNO3 is added to the solution from the prior step. The silver precipitates in this acidic solution. If a white precipitate appears, silver is present in the solution. The presence of a white precipitate in the solution proves that there were silver ions in my unknown. By following the scheme for the qualitative analysis, it was simple to separate and test for the presence of the target cations. It was critical to correctly label every one of the liquids to ensure the correct reactions. No other difficulties prevented success in the experiment, but performing the experiment several times would further reinforce the outcome of the experiment.

Isolationism in Metamorphosis

Isolationism in Metamorphosis Isolationism in Metamorphosis and Notes from Underground World Literature: Paper 2 The common theme in both Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka and Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoyevsky is isolationism. Both of these literary works contain different examples of isolationism in order to convey the same concept. Seclusion exists in both novels, resulting in the direct flaw of each of the main characters. The difference that Kafka and Dostoyevsky present in their use of isolationism in Metamorphosis and Notes from Underground is how each character is secluded. Kafka writes about the progressive solitude of one character being forced into isolation by others. On the other hand, Dostoyevskys entire novel is about the Underground Man, who lives all by his lonesome and is forced to look back on his youthful experiences. These frequent occurrences have lead to the Underground Mans solitude. However, in both novels, the end results of the main characters in Metamorphosis and Notes from Underground are similar because both individuals actions lead to their own demise. At the beginning of novel, Metamorphosis, Kafka introduces the main character, Gregor Samsa. After waking up to find himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect, Gregor can only think of the repercussions he will suffer for being late to his job. Gregor works as a traveling sales clerk (Kafka 1). He would have quit a long time ago, but Gregor knows that his family depends on him for the money he makes and, ultimately, their own existence. Without his salary, the Samsa family will not survive. After making futile attempts to put on his clothes and above all eat breakfast (Kafka 7), Gregors boss comes to check on his employee. Reluctantly, Gregor reveals his true identity as an insect. Gregors father forces him to go to his room, more specifically, isolationism, which had merely the fixed idea of driving Gregor back into his room as quickly as possible (Kafka 31). Due to the size and proportion of Gregors new physical appearance, the progression into solitude inflicted a mass ive amount of pain on Gregor. On the other hand, the first part of Notes from Underground, the Underground Man, also the narrator, describes the setting of the novel and defines his own existence. The Underground, the first words the Underground Man describes about himself are, I am a sick man . . . I am an angry man. I am an unattractive man (Dostoyevsky 15). These words tell the reader the ways in which society, from the Underground Mans youth, has destroyed him as an individual. Also, it makes the reader aware of his low self-esteem. The Underground Man, somehow, utilizes his own sorrow to make himself feel better. He believes that his own self-loathing and unkindness have crippled and corrupted his attitude as well as the people around him. Yet, it is apparent that the Underground Man takes will not take the initiative to change. Due to the impact of societal woes, the Underground Man takes comfort in his own pains, like toothaches or liver ailments. The ability for him to control the aching from his illness is a way for the Underground Man to hide from the actual pain from society. He is not proud of the man he has become over the years and scorns himself for his many wrong doings. One thing that is important for the Underground Man to obliterate is his negative approach to life, in order to thrive. However, the journey that he takes to seek optimism disappears because the Underground Man becomes too lethargic and lazy. As isolation approaches in Metamorphosis, Gregor becomes more and more like an insect. His change from human to bug also becomes evident in his choice of food. The meals he once liked are now distasteful and unappealing to him, although milk had been his favorite drink and that was certainly why his sister had set it there for him, indeed it was almost with repulsion that he turned away from the basin and crawled back to the middle of the room (Kafka 32). Because Gregor knows he will no longer be accepted by his family as an insect, he gives up and secludes himself in his room. Throughout the book, there is a part of Gregor that continues to fight for his own freedom because he still wants to seek equality. He has the desire to break away from his solitary state, but no way of caring out his escape. The one thing that continues to fuel Gregor is the music from Gretes, his sisters, violin. Grete does not want her family to neglect Gregor because he has turned into an insect. She belie ves that no matter the shape of his physical features, Gregor will always be her brother. It seems as though Grete does not want to acknowledge or be convinced that her brother is a bug and will never be the same person. However, it is inevitable that Grete will soon abandon her brother. Their separation continues to become progressively more apparent. Gregor continuously is left alone in his room, all by his lonesome. By the end of the novel, Gregor becomes invisible to his own family. One reason Gregor dies is because of the realization that he is nothing more than an insect without a family or a purpose. Once again, he is left in his isolated room to die, alone. In the second part of Notes from Underground, Apropos of the Wet Snow, the Underground Man comes across numerous prostitutes, many soldiers, and a few past schoolmates. However, the Underground Man intentionally alienates himself from these people by not acknowledging their existence. He makes himself appear to be incapable of interacting with these uneducated low lives. It is as if he does not want to make an effort to communicate because he fears his own humiliation. So, instead, he treats them with disgust and fear for his own life. Liza is the whore and the vehicle for Dostoyevskys message of the power of selfless love. She comes to the Underground Mans apartment one night to speak to the Underground Man. Instead of treating Liza with the love she deserves, he continues to insult her, repeatedly. These social acquaintances cause the Underground Man much remorse and regret. And, once Liza leaves his apartment, the Underground Man is left, again, in solitude. Examples of seclusion are used constantly by both Franz Kafka and Fyodor Dostoyevsky to convey the idea of isolationism. In these two novels, the solitary state of both characters leads to their downfall. In both of these examples, isolation leads to the demise of the main characters, Gregor Samsa and the Underground Man, even though the motives and basiss were different. Gregor crawls his own life away because of the pain of being secluded by his own family members. On the contrary, the Underground Man never truly lives his life because of the distain he has for himself and society. The Underground Man hides his personality and beliefs because he fears societys judgment and ridicule. The isolation that both characters endure leads to their own destruction. Works Cited Dostoyevsky, Fyodor. Notes from Underground and The Double. New York: Penguin Books, 1972. Kafka, Franz. The Metamorphosis and Other Stories. New York: Barnes and Noble Classics, 2003.

Laws Restricting the Paparazzi Essay -- Celebrity Photographer Media T

The paparazzi - a fusion of the Italian words papatacci, meaning gnat and razzi meaning the popping of flashbulbs. It is also known as aggressive photography. The word paparazzo was coined by Federico Fellini, the name he gave to a prying society cameraman in his 1959 film "La Dolce Vita". Paparazzi photographers are fueled by large sums of money offered by the tabloid press. They try to catch the rich and famous in unflattering situations. The new breed of journalism grew by leaps and bounds after the Watergate scandal first broke in Washington, DC (Petersen's, 57). At first the paparazzi were an annoying group of photographers who were persistent when trying to get the perfect shot of a celebrity so they could sell the image for large sums of money but as technology became more advanced so did the equipment the paparazzi used - telephoto lenses, hi-tech listening devices, and powerful zoom lenses on video cameras. No major celebrity can avoid them. Emerging from cars, entering glittering parties or trying to take a secluded vacation, the glamour figures of the '90s are hounded mercilessly by the men-and a few women-who wield long lenses and a brazen shamelessness (Maclean, 38). Today, paparazzi's tread on private property, film celebrities during intimate moments, and even go as far as stalking a public figure. Some of these photos can be worth in the millions of dollars. A single photograph of Prince Charles seen together with his mistress Camilla Parker-Bowles is estimated to be worth 5 million English pounds. The prince says he "would love to figure out a way for the proceeds to go to charity" (Newsweek, 95).The prince and his mistress usually arrive and depart at different times in order to avoid the paparazzi when they attend a function together. The prince has been lucky. Almost all well known faces have had run-ins with the paparazzi but many have horror stories to tell. The Screen Actors Guild has been concerned with the paparazzi and how it affects many of it's 100,000 members. "The death of princess Diana was the final straw" according to the SAG president, Richard Masur. He, along with California Senators Diane Feinstein, Barbara Boxer, and three respected constitutional scholars had a meeting to discuss what could be done about the paparazzi. In less than four hours, they came up with the rough wording of S. 2103 (Quill, 27). Before... ...g with the intent to capture audio or video images of a celebrity or crime victim engaging in a personal or family activity. It will allow the celebrity or crime victim to recover damages from the paparazzi and people who employ them (Victorville). According to Andrea Brown, a spokesperson for former governor Pete Wilson, "The governor thought it was important because of safety issues for normal everyday people. These people deserve to conduct their personal lives in private. Technology requires changes in any law. It creates new ways for people to commit crimes." After all the research done on the pro's and con's of new laws that would affect the paparazzi it's easy to see how these laws could affect people on both sides of the issue. Paparazzi photographers have to make a living and the famous deserve their privacy. Celebrities know that with fame comes the loss of privacy but they do not deserve to loss all privacy and not all paparazzi photographers are ruthless, shameless, aggressive people. The laws that came into effect on January 1st, 1999 were only to restrain the most aggressive of photographers. We can only hope that the paparazzi will learn when they've gone too far.

Essay --

â€Å"Research Paper: Winter Dreams† In â€Å"Winter Dreams†, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Dexter’s dream can be related to the American Dream, but Fitzgerald represents it negatively, basically saying that the reality is the American Dream can never be reached. F. Scott Fitzgerald's life is a tragic example of both sides of the American Dream; the joys of young love, wealth and success, and the tragedies associated with excess and failure which shows through in this story (F. Scott). The American Dream is what every American wants to achieve. Which is basically wealth and a good looking spouse. Well this is exactly what Dexter Green wanted from the time he was 14 years old. He starts off working as a caddie at the Sherry Island Golf Club to associate and make connections wit the wealthy people there. â€Å"He wanted not association with glittering things and people, but wanted the glittering things themselves (Fitzgerald). Dexter Green eventually goes to college, and while there makes good investments that makes him wealthy. When Dexter Green meets Judy Jones, he sees that she is the most beautiful ...

Defies Reason through Faith Essay -- Essays Papers

Defies Reason through Faith St. Anthony was born in Lisbon, Portugal in 1195 A.D. He wanted to live his life above himself as to give meaning to his own life. St. Anthony chose to become a member of the Congregation of Canons Regular of St. Augustine at the age of fifteen. At the congregation, he dedicated his life to the practice of piety in the Monastery at Coimbra. While in the congregation, some of his fellow friars went to Morocco to preach the Gospel of Christ. In Morocco, the friars were brutally tortured for their faith. Christian merchants consummated in recovering the friars’ remains and returned in mastery back to Coimbra. When they returned, St. Anthony was seized with an unwavering desire to suffer martyrdom in a like manner. St. Anthony then desired to be sent to the missions in Africa, and his request was fulfilled. After setting foot on African land he was stricken with a grave illness. Although he recovered from the illness, he was still too weak to go on with his missions. After retirin g to the will of God, he boarded a boat back to Portugal. But, a storm drove him to the coast of Sicily, where he joined a group of friars in Italy. Following his mission work in Italy, he then died in 1231 in Vercelli. During St. Anthony’s lifetime, he performed many miracles and several acts of God. One of these miracles included the resurrection of a fallen man and child. An act of God included the loss of his manuscript and praying to God for its return, and another act was proving to a man the truth of the sacrament by using his horse. Through miracles and acts of God, St. Anthony of Padua defies reason through faith.1 2 One of the miracles that St. Anthony performed was bringing a young man back to life. The young man... ... 6 Stoddard, Charles W., The Wonder-Worker of Padua (Rockford: Tan Books and Publishers, Inc., 1971), 56-57. 7 Habig, Marion A., Everyman's saint: Life, Cult, and Virtues of St. Anthony of Padua (Paterson: St. Anthony Guild Press, 1954) 23-24. Bibliography - Cherance, Father Leopold De. St. Anthony of Padua New York: Burns & Oates, Limited, 1895. - Habig, Marion A. Everyman's saint: Life, Cult, and Virtues of St. Anthony of Padua. Patterson: St. Anthony Guild Press, 1954. - "St. Anthony." 26 January 1997. 25 October 1999 http://www.jump.net/~stanthony/tonylife.html>. - Stoddard, Charles W. The Wonder-Worker of Padua Rockford: Tan Books and Publishers, Inc., 1971. - "The Life of St. Anthony of Padua." 25 October 1999 http://www.stanthonyshrine.org/St_Anthony.html>

Market Background

Market segmentation is the process of â€Å"dividing a market into distinct groups of buyers who have distinct needs, characteristics or behavior and who might require separate product or marketing mixes† (Kotler, 2004). Underlying the decision to segment the market is the recognition that a single market is not composed of people with homogenous needs, attitudes amd behavior and therefore requires a different marketing strategy for each group of people. This process helps marketers in identifying opportunities for a new product or product mix by identifying specific needs of a group of consumer marketer (Kinsey, 2005) Market segmentation can be done in many ways. A company with a customer base over a large geographic area can divide its market into various geographic areas. It can also segment the market on the basis of demographic factors such as gender, age, family size or family life cycle stage, profession, education, ethnical background etc. Other techniques include psychographic segmentation is another type of segmentation that is â€Å"based on social class, lifestyle or personality characteristics† and behavioral segmentation that is â€Å"based on the consumer knowledge attitude, use or response to a product† (Kotler, 2004). Other than the geographic segmentation all the other segmentation techniques requires a lot of consumer research with a demographic research on a lesser extent. Whatever segmentation techniques are used the market segments identified must be measurable in terms of size, purchasing power etc, accessible through target marketing, substantial, differentiable so that they should deserve the investment in a separate marketing strategy and actionable that is creating a marketing strategy for it should be practically possible for the company (Kotler, 2004). The task at hand is to segment the beverage market, decide on the target market and then design the most effective product mix for that segment. The beverage under consideration has an ingredient that is perceived to have health advantages. Thus, the drink can be positioned to be a wholesome addition to a healthy diet. The fact that their competitors have limited themselves to athletic males has left most of the market open for new product. The company can market the product to a much larger psychographic segment which is of health conscious consumers. On a secondary level some demographic segmentation can be done where students and young professionals are targeted through relevant marketing strategies that promote the drink as a source of nutrients needed for mental and physical growth necessary to cope with a demanding environment. Also a market strategy can be designed such that it encourages product use n the morning with breakfast. This type of strategy comes in the occasion segmentation as part of the behavior segmentation. With a powerful promotion program the beverage can become a necessary morning drink for all health conscious people. As the product is being promoted as a health drink it should contain appropriate nuitrants and vitamins and fruit extracts whose details should be given on the package. As it is being promoted as a morning drink it should be light and should not have sharp taste or smell. Also along with individual packages it should be available in easy to open packages that contain at least seven servings. Kinsey, J & Yeap, C. (2005). Buyers and Market Segments: Food Marketing Economics. Presented at APEC 4451/5451 lecture at University of Minnesota

Recruiting, Selection, and Training Essay

The company that I researched is WellPoint (aka Anthem Blue Cross & Blue Shield). I would love to have a position as a Human Resource Director within the company. As a Human Resources professional at WellPoint, the goal is to lead their workforce and workplace talent strategies into achieving the purpose statement to convert health care with trusted and caring solutions. WellPoint also develop programs that attract individuals with vision and talent to be the future of their industry. Human Resources professionals at WellPoint concentrate on key areas such as talent management, engagement, and Integration to maximize customer focus and efficiency. Analyze the effectiveness of the company’s recruiting efforts and make recommendations for improvement. The HR professionals have a hard time getting qualified applicants to apply for certain positions. So the first challenge is getting enough people to apply to a particular job. In doing so they are able to prepare not to consider t hose who they deem unfit for the position. It takes a lot of effort to select the applicants that truly qualify for the job. All organizations have to begin with advertising for the position. Other resources used for employment are employee referral, employment agencies, school recruiters, walk-ins, and the internet. To work in human resources, a person must go through an industrial/psychology analysis. WellPoint human resource departments have their own job analysis and all human resource employees must help mangers anticipate and meet changing needs related to gaining deployment, and the utilization of employees. The human resource professionals must estimate the amount and type of employees the organization needs, to keep the business running successfully. Therefore they must hire someone who is qualified to conduct all the important roles as a human resource manager. Human resource departments use multiple aptitude tests to screen potential employees. These tests also determine pay  rates based on these tests. This is due to the quality of demand for a human resource manager. The selection process takes a lot of practice and involves assessing and choosing the right candidates. All selection processes must be legal, technically sound, and must accurately match the people and skills needed f or the position. Analyze the selection process of the company you researched and make recommendations for improvement. The majority of I/O psychologists believe that personality tests are important tools for choosing the right employees. WellPoint and several other big corporations use these tests to measure dimensions of personality and related characteristics. These testing methods are used to foresee insubordinate behaviors, and remove individuals that may cause trouble or hindrance to the organization. WellPoint Corporation has been dedicating numerous amounts of energy into areas such as communication, recognition, and employee retention. They understand that branding the employees doesn’t mean anything if the experience of the individuals does not match. Instead they want to establish higher profits, increased sales, lower turnover, and outstanding customer service to their members. Part of WellPoint’s pre-employment testing includes personality testing and mathematical skills. These tests are based on the individual. Some of these particular measures may be referred to as tempera ments, dispositions, or traits. Also measured in that category are employee reliability, thoroughness, change, trustworthiness, and friendliness. Various personality measures are focused on characterizing people within the standard adult range of functionality while others focus on the identification of psychopathology (Schmidt, Shaffer 2010-2011). The reasons individuals are given a basic math assessment are to measure the accountability for their employees to figure out co-pays and co-insurance amounts are calculated correctly to the claim. WellPoint has spent countless time and money in mastering the art of employee selection, training, and retention. WellPoint has a website for interested candidates to apply for careers within their organization, both online and the corporate offices. During the selection process, candidates are asked to take a variety of assessments that analyze areas ranging from characteristics, skill sets, and basic reading and writing tests. Once a candidate has been selected and has accepted a job offer, there are several types of training encountered within the company. Determine how training and talent management contribute to an  effective labor force of the company you researched. Training is a planned learning experience and it effectively prepares workers for their current and future jobs. Training for human resource managers focuses on the present job industry while development training prepares them for the future growth. Training enhances knowledge and job skills. Methods used to measure the success of the training are performance appraisals. This measures the adequacy of the human resource managers. After their performances are measured their results are discussed with them, and any changes that may need to be made in the training process can be easily detected. These pre-employment tests are used largely in Human Resource and customer service environments for middle paying entry level jobs. Testing is designed to predict proneness for theft and other forms of counterproductive work behavior in job applicants. The organization now proposes quarterly training for employees, and is on the path to training over thousands of new people due to health care reform (wellpoint.com) The whole program is centered on listening to customers, and it recognizes employees who go the extra mile in the name of customer service. Often the new hire will experience on-the-job training, during which he or she will be shown the necessary steps in their assigned tasks. For instance, if a person is assigned to the team and asked to process claims, he or she will be shown how to properly process the claim by the trainer. Other tasks that the new hire will be expected to perform, such as enrolling dependents or ordering ID cards. This training is done in a class room setting environment. Safety courses and other employee training courses are offered periodically. Some of these courses are offered online, while others are done in training sessions within the building. WellPoint corporate employees evaluate the efficiency of nearly every aspect of the training and implementation of new employees. Additional measures are also put in place when a policy or product has changed or a new one has been introduced. The department of Quality Assurance oversees this for their assigned regions. WellPoint takes great care in ensuring that their policies are proficient and products are the best quality. That is why there are several departments in place to oversee these important aspects of the corporations. They include Quality Assurance, Product Development, Legal, Human Resources and Information Services. Another way that WellPoint seeks to improve their employee job satisfaction is career training. A large  majority of WellPoint corporate staff started with the company and took advantage of the leadership training to climb the corporate ladder within the organization. WellPoint takes pride in the training program that the company offers, and this training is held worldwide. They are among many companies who has been certified to grant college credit hours to employees in the training programs. Human Resource managers must be treated ethically like their employees; however there are some cases where they are treated unethically. Human resource managers may face problems involving their employees, promotions, pay, and favoritism. Human resource managers must be very observant of all employees to ensure everyone is treated fairly. It is important that those who qualify for human resource management are the ones hired, not those who look, act, or dress in a certain manner. According to the EEOC, (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission), â€Å"Employers are not prohibited from using personality or integrity tests in the workplace. However, the statute is implicated when: (1) an employer uses tests to intentionally discriminate against minorities or (2) the tests have an adverse impact on minorities and are not job-related for the position in question and c onsistent with business necessity. No cases have found that an employer’s use of personality testing in the workplace resulted in the unequal treatment of protected groups. However, there could be such a cause of action if the tests were used intentionally to exclude members of protected groups. This would usually involve evidence of comparative proof that members of a protected group were treated differently than majority group members. For example, it would obviously be illegal for an employer to test minority applicants, but not majority applicants†. As long as these tests are given in a professional manner, it is not against the law to do such to find out if the individual is the best fit for the job. Employee selection and training will continue to be two of the most important aspects for growing and supporting the workforce for companies in the future. Psychological assessments, such as the ones described in this paper, is one of the many ways that companies can attempt to get the highest quality people and not select people who do not want to be there. While there is speculation of the dependability of using these assessment tools for employee selection and training, the evidence shows that it can be helpful in focusing the time and money into particular areas or people to improve  productivity within the company. WellPoint also uses verbal reasoning, numeracy, spatial awareness battery test. They consist of a number of questions with multiple choice answers, only one of which is right. As a test progresses, the questions may become more difficult, and there are frequently more questions than can comfortably be completed in the time. These tests are designed so that very few people finish the test in the time allowed. The participant’s score is then compared with how other people have done on the test in the past. This enables the selectors to assess reasoning skills in relation to others, and to make judgments about ability to cope with tasks involved in the job. On the flip side, personality inventories are used in order to determine one’s typical reactions and attitudes to a variety of situations. They could be trying to identify how well an individual can get on with others or their normal reaction to stressful situations, or simply their feelings about the kind of people they like to work with (Spector, 2008). Perhaps the biggest challenge related to the use of assessment tools is determining when to use the information obtained to remove an applicant from consideration. References The WellPoint Employee (2008). Retrieved November 13, 2013 from www.wellpoint.com Schmidt, R & Shaffer, D. (2010-2011). Personality Testing in Employment. Retrieved November 12, 2013 from http://library.findlaw.com/1999/Dec/22/130153.html. Spector, P. E. (2008). Industrial and Organizational Psychology (5th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. U.S Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (2011) Title VII of the Civil Right Act of 1964: Employment. Retrieved November 13, 2013 from www.eeoc.gov/laws/statutes/titlevii.cfm Holley, W. H., Jr., Jennings, K. M., Mathis, R. L., & Jackson, J. H. (2012). Employment Labor & Relations. (2nd ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning.

Invictus Essay

Invictus a movie that touches on a lot of issues Nelson Mandela and the South African people faced as a nation. Nelson Mandela was faced with bringing a nation separated due to racial segregation and he accomplished this goal by helping the South African rugby team win the world cup. This movie can be closely related with our class because Nelson Mandela is one of the greatest leaders of all time and too see how he implemented his leadership to help the Rugby is just a fragment to what he actually accomplished. Throughout this movie you can go think about what we learned in class its goes hand and hand. To give a complete analysis to this movie from the prospective of Nelson Mandela being a leader in the sports world in this essay I will explain the different styles of leadership Nelson Mandela implemented, group dynamics, communication, managing difficulties, issues of diversity. All of these where present in this movie and a direct correlation to how Nelson Mandela was a leader in sports. In this movie Nelson Mandela wasn’t the only called upon to be a leader in sports South African rugby Captain Francois Pienaar also played a major role a leading his rugby team through a very difficult season to becoming a great team and family. Without the help of Francois Pienaar I don’t feel as if Nelson Mandela’s plan to unite the nation would have went so smooth. Throughout the movie Nelson Mandela used a couple of different styles of leadership, this shows to be a great leader you have to mix and match different leadership styles. In Mandela’s case being the president of South Africa in the mist of segregation you have to appeal and lead many different types of people, some of the groups don’t respond like the others forcing him to differ from his nitch of democratic leadership. To reach the different kinds of groups he realized he would have to be stern sometimes and be more of a autocratic leader. Nelson Mandela being a South African native faced a very hard decision when he walked into a rally by some of the black population who were against the name of the rugby team and felt very strongly about changing it. Mandela being the leader he was realized the Springbok name was sacred to the Africana (white population) and to bring the nation together the name had to stay. After this decision was clear to  Mandela to keep the Sp ringbok name based off the knowledge he gained while being incarcerated he knew that he was a minority and it would be tuff to get voted. Thus he implemented autocratic leadership style walked into the rally gave them all the background information on the name then told his follower the name will stay. Mandela knew what he was doing would be good in the long run but still asked for the support of his followers and of the rally he had one person that was on his side. Throughout the movie he also was forced to inhibit the Laissez-Faire leadership style against his own will. Bringing a nation together can sometimes become overwhelming and with his strenuous schedule Mandela overworked himself to the point he blacked out. After his accident he was forced to relax and take a back seat for a couple of days. For the period of his recovery he was helpless and had to go with the flow being forced into the laissez-faire leadership style. Nelson Mandela middle name should be democratic, that is how strongly he embraces this leadership style. He just wanted everyone in South Africa to be equal and get along, while trying to accomplish this he took different ideas from co-workers and people of South Africa. A recurring theme in the movie is Nelson Mandela’s wise words to his followers and friends at the most opportune times bringing encouragement, support, wisdom and comfortably. In the beginning of the movie he steps into his presidential chambers where all of the workers were at and began to give them a speech, most of these workers were Africana’s from the previous South African president. Now here comes this black political guy fresh from jail into the presidents office, so most of these workers didn’t plan on staying and didn’t believe in Mandela. He gives them a speech with great compassion and knowledge treated all of them as equals and ends the speech with â€Å" if you guys stay you would be doing me and your country a great service†. Mandela gave all his workers the opportunity to leave but after his great speech he didn’t lose not one worker, this give you and example how strong and powerful his words could be. Communication in my eyes is 10 percent verbal and 90 percent non-verbal, a person can say all the right things but if they don’t give eye contact and have bad body language it can automatically negate everything they just said. Africana’s were really hard on Mandela but he continuously gave them reasons to love and respect him,  when he went to the first Springbok game a fan throw a can at Mandela that barley missed him but he didn’t even flinch. That fan wanted nothing more than for Mandela to react and get out of character but Mandela just ignored it showing them his mental strength. Its easy for a person to react by it takes a real leader to preserve them selves and ignore ignorance. Nelson Mandela was forced to manage difficulties through the whole movie trying to evolve his nation to bring blacks and whites together, enlighten people including his own daughter and help the Springbok win the world cup. What I learned from Mandela about managing difficulties is that sometimes you don’t have to automatically attack the problem head on and sometimes you should just relax and let things fall into place by making strategic moves. When Mandela knew what was best for the nation he made a group of very smart decisions to bring the rugby team back to relevancy and their winning culture. The best example of this was making the Springboks do clinics in near by villages. By inviting Francois Pienaar to tea he installed these values and coached him up to be a better leader to his team so he can also manage difficulties he was going to be facing. Francois Pienaar was faced with manage this difficult team that was ok with losing and not being connected to the rest of th e South Africans. Pienaar followed in Mandela’s footsteps and introduce the team to new things little by little, such as learning the national anthem, bring them to the prison to see what Mandela and others went through. Invictus in a nutshell is about the issue of diversity in South Africa and how a pride for their national team can unite a country. Mandela was facing the issue of diversity his whole life and even spent a period of his life behind bars to fight for it. From his first day in office as the president he had to face the issue of diversity by having a majority of his office workers being white and not knowing if they where going to stay, but thankfully for his enhanced commination skills he persuaded them to stay. Another character that was forced with great issue of diversity was Chester being the only black player on the Springboks had to be tough on him and his team mates fro example when they did the clinics all the kids flocked to Chester and ignored his teammates. Francois Pienaar was faced with issues of  diversity as well like when he tried to teach the players the national anthem by the were very closed at first due to the complexity of the different languages of the black Sou th Africans. In conclusion Invictus was great movie showcasing the leadership of Nelson Mandela and Francois Pienaar both in very different situations but faced with some of the same issues. Mandela was faced with bring the nation together and Pienaar was faced with bring the Springboks together that was like a little nation in its own. The rugby team was like a little nation due to different races, conflicting ideas, and stubbornness to change their ways. Every team is like that and to manage that you have to be a leader in recreational settings to bring a team together and be successful. This movie taught me a couple of life lesson that I will inhibit to my everyday life and pass on to other such ass make strategic moves, really think before making any moves. 1 smart decision is better than 2 dumb reactions.

The Different Between Thai and American Wedding

The word marriage throughout the world has always been a symbol of unity between humans. Marriage represents in many ways the celebration of happiness for all people of different backgrounds, beliefs and cultures. When we look across the globe, we realize that in each place around the world marriages has its own traditional wedding. What are the weddings traditional in two different cultures? For example, Thai and American weddings have customs and traditions that are different in many ways. Initially, in traditional Thai weddings or marriages, an arrange marriage by a matchmaker or money dowries to future in-laws are considered the norm. In American weddings, two people fall in love and then a wedding is planned. In contrast, the Thai groomsmen’s families must give a dowry to the family of the bride. This arrangement is to guarantee a bride’s social and financial future will be protected and secured. Next, within American weddings religion has played the biggest role in how marriages are performed. For instance, Catholic wedding ceremonies are traditionally united in a church or place of worship, or may be married by an ordained priest outside of church. Many Thai people practice Buddhism, and in many Thai traditional wedding ceremonies, they are conducted in the presence of monk. Finally, wedding gifts are also common in both American and Thai weddings. The difference is in the kinds of gifts that are received. In the Thai custom, the bride and groomsman will typically present each other with a small gift and gifts that were given in cash by guests are placed in envelopes and then brought to a wishing well. In the American custom, wedding gifts are a way to help the couples set up their new home together. In conclusion, many people around the world have traditions really different from one culture to another. Nevertheless, marriages are considered a happy and most joyous occasion no matter where you are at in the world.

AnheuserBusch Companies, Inc. 2004 Case Analysis Essay

AnheuserBusch Companies, Inc. 2004 Case Analysis - Essay Example The aim of this analysis was to determine the standing of this company as of 2004. The company was found to be a leader in the market. It has sales exceeding double those of its close competitor in 2003. The profit margin of the company is large, despite the fact that the beer market in America is shrinking. The company was also found to have diversified its activities a great deal, and this is one of the reasons why it maintains such a profit margin. In addition to twelve breweries in the local market, the company also operates theme parks, packaging industries and real estate investment. Anheuser-Busch Companies Inc is one of the largest companies in America. It is also one of the leading breweries both in America and globally. It has its roots in St. Louis. On its conception, it was named Bavarian Brewery. This was back in 1852. Within the years, the company has grown in leaps and bounds, and along the way changed its name to the current one. For the past half a century, Anheuser-Busch has been the market leader in beer sales and production. In the year 2003, its position as the market leader was unaffected by various negative aspects that could have seen its sales decline. These included the declining of the stock market and corporate scandals that rocked it. There was also an increase in the amount of government regulation around this time. This was also the time that saw unprecedented levels of global instability, both economically and politically. Despite all these negative aspects, Anheuser-Busch continued to lead the market. A comparison between the numbers of barrel sales that Anheuser-Busch made in the year 1865 with those sold in 2003 will clearly indicate that the company has really come far. The sales have risen from 8,000 to 127.9 million. The company owned a single brewery at that time, but the number for 2003 was made with a capacity of twelve breweries. Anheuser-Busch has gone through a lot of transformation and other experiences since it was found. It was incorporated in the year 1919. It has become the leader around the world in the production of beer. It has also seen a great deal of technological advancement. This company was the first one that employed the use of

Fundamentals of Macroeconomics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Fundamentals of Macroeconomics - Essay Example GDP is mainly applied in determining the stability of a country’s economy. Calculations of gross domestic product are commonly done using the expenditure method, which adds total consumption, investment, government spending and net exports (Dolan, 2010). Real gross domestic product refers to gross domestic product evaluated based on the prevailing market prices in a given year. Real GDP can also be regarded as inflation corrected gross domestic product. Real GDP has the capability to indicate changes in the price level with a high accuracy compared to nominal gross domestic product (Dolan, 2010). This refers to the gross domestic product figure that has not received any adjustments on inflation. It is also the value of services as well as goods produced in a given country after the final stage of production. Increased purchase of groceries by households is a clear indicator of their improved economic status. This fact enhances growth of existing businesses as well as the emergence of new investments. In such a situation, the government benefits from increased tax collections obtained from value added tax and taxation from investments (Dolan, 2010). This refers to the reduction of the number of people under employment in a given country. The implications of undertaking such a step include negative impacts on the government, households, and businesses. Massive layoff of employees means that a large number of people within a country will have a reduced purchasing power. In such situations, household living standards will come down; businesses will close down due to low purchases, and government’s revenue collection will go down. Economically stable citizens within a country comprise a key pillar of a country’s economy (Dolan, 2010). Revenues generated from taxation are the principal financers of the government budget. Therefore, a decrease in taxes implies that the government will strain in meeting its expenditures. On the other

Marketing Campaign for a Successful Product Launch Essay

Marketing Campaign for a Successful Product Launch - Essay Example In particular, this report focuses on the four promotional tools that were used that are public relation, direct marketing, promotions and advertising. The report seeks to inform the team about the appropriateness of the selected promotional tools in bringing about a successful marketing campaign. It also demonstrates how the selected promotional tools will be fully utilized in devising a creative mix of marketing activities suitable for a successful marketing campaign. 2.0 Introduction The marketing department of Nokia Company was tasked with devising the marketing campaign plan that would be used in ensuring that the two new Nokia brands sell well in South Africa and they proposed that the company utilize advertisements, sales promotion, direct marketing, and public relation as promotional tools (Awad 2004). Promotion is one of the elements in the marketing mix, and just like all the other elements, it deserves a lot of evaluation before being approved by the senior management team of a company (Armstrong & Kotler, 2012). ... The research aimed at establishing and identifying the characteristics of the target audience. This was done through observation and interviews. 4.0 Main Findings The team found out that i. Both Nokia Luminia 920 and 820 will appeal most to young customers who are particularly tech-savvy. ii. The company needs to come out with strategies that will make the prospective customers aware of the new Nokia phone models on the market: Nokia Luminia920 and 820. iii. The company needs to come up with promotional tools that can create interest in prospective customers. iv. The company needs to have promotional tools that will sustain client’s satisfaction during and after sales. It is out of this finding that the team settled on public relation, advertising, direct marketing, and sales promotion as appropriate promotional tool to be used. Armstrong and Kotler (2012) describe advertisement as a promotion technique whereby words, signs, or songs are used to create awareness among the audi ences about the product, service, or an upcoming event. In this case the two Nokia models would be advertised via popular South African radio and television stations, billboard and posters, internet, via popular sites such as face book and twitter. This is guide necessary because the target audience is the youth who are tech survy. Advertisement in this case, would also be appropriate because it will be able to create awareness amongst the mass audience by positioning a product in the mind of the audience and inform them about the advantages of Nokia Lumia 920 and 820 (ibid) . Wood (2010) support the use of advertisement as a promotional tool when he states that advertisements help in boosting consumer’s confidence

Discussion Question 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Discussion Question 3 - Essay Example It is also a good idea to have the questions checked by another person who is thoroughly knowledgeable with the subject of the questions. The day of the test is one of high tension and anxiety. The examinees wait for the time when the test papers will be handed over to them. The atmosphere is charged in silent anticipations. It is a solemn occasion, border on a war-like situation. In my opinion, each step is important as the other. But I would rate the safe keeping of the test paper as the most important step, because with property security the paper might get stolen leaving the entire exercise futile and meaningless. (Basic Steps in Test Construction) Ans. The basic purpose of a question is to elicit answer which meets the expected knowledge level of the student in a particular grade. Having obtained the information in the course of classroom studies and instructions from the pedagogue and also personal efforts comprising homework and revision, the student is expected to grasp and retain the level of knowledge to respond to a certain question. The context plays an important role when interpreting assessment results because it helps the assessor link the question with the correct information necessary for the answer. The context covers all the important aspects of the question such as what, why, where, how, when, and the source, as relevant to the question in particular as applicable to the whole class. Without the context, the question becomes generalized leaving the scope for answer also general and without relevance for the particular class or group. (British Columbia) Q3. Why is it important to pilot test items Ans. Pilot test is done to design the entire curriculum consisting of the information lessons in the text book, together with questions, and the vocabulary level suitable for the students' age group and intelligence. A pilot test is a long drawn-out affair involving time and evaluation by a competent teacher/researcher. The evaluation is carried out by the teacher/researcher after a period of his/her training. The training is rigorous and necessary to brief the teacher about the subject content. Once the training is complete, the teacher begins to conduct a model class with the help of the subject curriculum. The feedbacks received from the students' reactions as a result of the daily instructions by the teacher are noted down by the teacher and preserved for further analysis by another independent evaluator. Even after the evaluation is through, the pilot test is not complete until the principal gives his approval in writing. (CUES - Pilot

Decision-making process in nursing base on scenario. Initial Essay

Decision-making process in nursing base on scenario. Initial presentation of patient and diagnostic fase - Essay Example 2005). When making choices, nurses are obliged to take due care and ensure they discharge their duties in accordance with their professional training and expertise. This experience may have been acquired from work practice or from training (Royal College of Nursing, 2006, p.17). To attain a high degree of joint understanding between the patients, relatives and practitioners, the medical practitioners should establish Ð ° training program to ensure that all the stakeholders are made aware of the prevailing circumstances and the possible consequences of the action taken by the health care practitioners. The healthcare providers must exercise their professional ethics to ensure they act in good faith and in the interests of the patients (Royal College of Nursing, 2006, p.22). The nurses should first assess the problem and then seek for solutions to the emerging issues during the assessment process. The alternative chosen should promise the best outcome and should be as effective as pos sible. The medical practitioner decisions are however influenced by their expertise, the available medical facilities, and the level of acceptance of the consequences of the outcome of the decision taken, as well as willingness of the patient and the relatives to acknowledge those consequences. The nurses have a duty to assess the situation at hand and make decisions concerning the treatment that can be given to the patient. In this case, the patient who is an elderly woman and has a wound on her left limb undergoes many challenges which affect her life in many ways such as inability to move from one place to another (Royal College of Nursing, 2006, p.35). She cannot work for her daily bread since she is unable to move around. She also undergoes a lot of stress because she cannot interact with other people in the society (Jones, 2005). The first thing the nurse has to consider when examining the patient is the family background because this could give them a clue as to what may have caused the wound. Some of the problems are inherited genetically. In case the problem has ever affected one or more of the family members, the medical practitioner can get an avenue for making a conclusion regarding the patient’s condition. Also, patients’ background is likely to point out a situation in the patient’s life which may have contributed to the problem (Lewenson, and Truglio-Londrigan, 2008, p.143). These could include previous surgery wounds which may have resulted in complications for various reasons such as bone fracture during surgery or inflammations sustained during the operation process. The patient has been in this condition for a period of four weeks. Before the practitioners can make a decision regarding the patient’s condition, they should first get information from the patient because this will assist them in making the choice (Royal College of Nursing, 2006, p.26). According to the past records, this patient had similar problem t hree years before its recurrence, and the condition was cured by compression bandaging. The nurses can use this information to interpret the condition which may be affecting the patient. For example the venous ulcers could be treated though compression bandage unlike other types of ulcers such as those caused by depression of diabetes. The health care providers should also carry out physical assessment of the patient. They should examine the skin and the wound

The Business Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Business Environment - Essay Example Sole proprietorship which is also called single proprietorship is the simplest form of a business organization (Horgren et al 2000). In this set up, an individual establishes an organization and run it alone. A married couple who opts to open a small store can also be considered as a sole proprietorship. This type of business organization is seen to be the easiest to establish because it lacks the legal formality and other arrangements since there is only one owner. In terms of accounting, sole proprietorship also requires the simplest procedures. No corporate taxes are paid but the taxes on income are considered personal taxes. However, sole proprietorship is exposed to the difficulty of raising capital from other individuals and financial intermediaries. Also, the owner shoulder all the risks associated in the operations. Partnership is the form of business organization where two or more partners share in the profit which is usually determined by the amount of resources and assets that they share in starting the business (Keown et al 2005). In this set up, the business organization is benefited through the number of people which shares knowledge and skills in running the company. Income taxes are also deducted in the personal taxes paid by each of the partners. However, the number of owners can also become a problem especially in terms of decision making and profit sharing. Corporation is a business organization which has numerous owners all of which are separate entities to the business organization (Fraser and Orniston 2004). It should be noted that owners are insulated from the liabilities of the corporation since they are only liable for the amount that they invested. This form of business organization enjoys the benefit of having more individuals to fund the company’s projects and activities through selling of stocks. Also, stockholders are not necessarily managers of the company which delegates the responsibility to

Personal Development and Planning Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Personal Development and Planning - Coursework Example Let us begin by looking at my pathway choice and how it enables me to my employability skills. Firstly, my studies in global management and marketing have made me to have the right professional attitudes. The two main ways in which my studies in global management and marketing have enabled me to have to develop professional attitude is through enabling me to have ethical sensitivity in in carrying out my various professional duties, and to be able to take initiative and to take action unprompted. Having ethical sensitivity is a very important professional attitude that greatly enhances one’s employability skills. In my pathway choice, for instance, there are various issues that will require me to make sound ethical decisions. For instance in marketing, I should make sure that I have given my customers all the important information that they need before purchasing the products or the services that I sell to them; although revealing honestly some information to the customers about the products that you are advertising or selling may make some customers not to purchase th e products, ethical sensitivity, however, requires one to disclose all the necessary information to the customer. The ethical sensitivity professional attitude, therefore, has greatly enhanced my employability skills because it has enabled me to be able to deal honestly with my customers. Just like ethical sensitivity, having the ability to take initiatives in your career is a very important professional attitude that enhances one’s employability skills. In my career path, for instance, being able to take initiative is a very important skill; this is because, in global management and in marketing, there are many decisions that one will have to make solely, without involving other people- as a manager, one has to be constantly taking initiatives on various issues. For this reason, therefore, my career path of global management and marketing has greatly enhanced my employability

A report on how current provision Essay Example for Free

A report on how current provision Essay Each one of the early years educators has played an important role in setting the foundations that is the basis of the main curriculums and foundation frameworks in schools today. Maria Montessori believed in independence in nurseries and that children should be taught to use their senses first rather than just educating their intellect with subjects such as maths and science. These of course came later in the childrens education but the main focus within her nurseries was to develop observational skills through the environment and learning outdoors, and to provide the children with carefully organised preparatory activities rather than repetition as a means of developing competence in skills. Montessori believed children should be encouraged to take responsibility for their own learning, enabling them to become more independent. The teaching practices of Maria Montessori have been highly influential on current practice as many specialised Montessori nurseries are currently running up and down the country. They promote her curriculum of independency and use many of her approaches to practice such as the idea that the childs freedom, dignity and independence are of paramount importance. In a typical Montessori nursery there is a general atmosphere of children doing things for themselves carefully and competently carrying furniture, setting tables, pouring drinks, washing their hands and following activities which absorb and interest them. This is, in some ways, a very different method to the practices used in government run nurseries etc. as they follow a more standard curriculum where reading and writing are encouraged more formally and learning plans set out at an early age. Some of this practice is reflected within my current placement through the childrens play such as tidying away independently at the end of activities and being responsible for making sure toys are put away before a new activity is begun. In my placement, when the children are told it is tidy up time they know they need to put everything away and must help clear up until the room is tidy. The practitioners join in with the tidying but do not do it for the children, so they are leading by example but are still allowing the children to think for themselves and take responsibility for putting away their own play equipment. During snack time I have also witnessed the children carrying their own chairs through if they are a few chairs short in the hall. This gives the children a sense of independence and is also a good way of developing their gross motor skills and co-ordination. In the key stage 1 classes children are encouraged to pour their own drinks and are given small jobs such as handing out the lunchboxes and folders at lunchtime and the end of the day. These are just a few ways that the children are encouraged to be independent within the school day as well as managing their own hygiene and dressing/undressing independently for a physical education activity. Part of the stepping stones within the foundation stage state that children should be encouraged to dress and undress independently and select and use activities and resources independently, which is exactly what I have witnessed in my previous and current placements. The birth to three matters framework has a similar view on independency as the emotional well-being guidelines for a child focuses on developing healthy independence e. g.activities which provide small steps to be achieved will support all children, including those with disabilities, thus reducing frustration and supporting them to become independent. These clear guidelines from the various frameworks and curriculums undoubtedly show the positive effect Maria Montessori has had on current practice, and that her theories have been widely acknowledged within teaching practice today. Rudolf Steiner set up the Waldorf schools where the main consideration is around practical activities that develop the mind and the imagination. The types of activities that Steiner introduced in his schools were things such as knitting, weaving, playing a musical instrument, woodcarving and painting. These are very much practical based activities and many are still carried on in schools today such as learning to play an instrument. This is seen as an important activity for children in the early years and lessons and clubs for this are seen as mainstream activities. Steiner believed that education should be designed to suit the changing needs of a child as they develop mentally, physically and emotionally. This can be seen in the current practices and provisions as there are different levels and stages of which a child can progress through at their own pace, such as the stepping stones in the birth to three matters and foundation stage curriculum. Each individual child is encouraged within their own abilities to progress with their education and onto the next levels of development and learning within todays practices, and Steiners approach has therefore been influential on many areas of the early years education. His ideas on allowing children to be taught by the same teacher for up to seven years have been adopted in some ways by secondary schools as a class is given the same form tutor for up to five years and then another for two years if they progress to higher education. He believed this was an effective way of giving children stability within schools, and the tutors would almost be like main carers for the children until they left school. Friedrich Froebels kindergarten is the modern day nursery, playgroup or parent and toddlers group. He wanted parents to be fully involved with their childrens learning and play an active role in their childs educational development. This was an important feature of Froebels vision and can be seen in current practices through parent/teacher evenings and the various reports and progress write ups that are sent home to parents from early years settings. The placement I am currently with send home termly reports explaining to parents and carers how their child is doing with regards to education and also to their social, emotional and physical well-being. Froebel believed the role of the mother was to recognise their childs capacity for learning and wanted to encourage the parents to support the children with this, and as you can see from the current approaches to this in early years settings his work has helped to develop the understanding of the importance of the role of a childs family in their learning and nurturing. This is now very much reflected in the governments recent every parent matters agenda. He also believed children learn through structured play at their readiness, in an organised and prepared learning environment. This is similar to the guidelines of the curriculums and frameworks we use today as children are taught through structured activities that are carried out in stimulating environments. The fact that activities and play is structured benefits the teachers immensely as they will always have a clear view of what they need to be teaching the children, and when and where they should be learning specific things. They are also able to plan the day effectively and help each child reach their early learning goals. Structured play benefits the children as they need routine so they know what their day will consist of, and are also able to develop their independent learning skills within a structured, focused and supportive environment. If a childs day has routine or structure to it they are able to feel in control of themselves as they will always know what they are going to be doing, and how much time they have for certain activities. The special materials that Froebel developed to assist his activities were things such as shaped wooden bricks and balls, with which he had a linking set of theories. These types of play resources are used throughout early years settings today. The foundation stage framework states that well planned play is a key way in which children learn with enjoyment and challenge. This clearly shows that Froebel and Isaacss theories have been influential towards current practice and benefit children and teachers through the education policies. I have seen these benefits first hand within my placement. The teachers have the opportunity to plan their lessons and the activities ahead and so are able to plan time for their own personal work and preparation for other lessons into the day, and can inform the children exactly what they will be doing that day, thus giving them a clear, structured routine they can easily follow. Children are able to choose freely within play activities yet each play resource is chosen carefully and all of them can relate to either a certain topic they are doing ect.so the childrens learning of a certain subject can be carried on through their play. The foundation stage curriculum states that well planned play, both indoors and outdoors, is a key way in which young children learn with enjoyment and challenge. Froebels theories have, from this example, been the basis of many of the curriculums ideas on play, and making it structured also allows the teachers to plan and resource a challenging environment that will extend the childrens learning. The curriculum also states that practitioners should be supporting childrens learning through planned play activities, extending and supporting childrens spontaneous play and extending and developing childrens language and communication in their play. Many of these requirements would not be possible if play was not planned or structured, as practitioners would not know what resources the children would be using during the day, and so would not be able to make assessments effectively or develop and extend the childrens learning to their full potential. Froebels theories and early years work mean practitioners and children can benefit from play immensely. Children; in all areas of their development, and practitioners; as it enables them to focus their assessments thus informing future planning to better meet the needs of the children. Margaret McMillan was another early years educator who has inspired and influenced many of the current provisions and practices used today. Her main emphasis was on fresh air, exercise and nourishment, and still influences some aspects of current English nursery practice. Many early years settings regard outdoor play as an important aspect of a childs learning, and gardens and play areas are available for the children at either frequent intervals throughout the day, for a substantial amount of time (as can be seen in the placement I am currently at), or constant access is given. McMillan recognised that imagination is good for society as a whole, an idea that is seen in the educational reforms of the 20th century, and can be clearly seen in the practices within her nurseries today. She believed that children are active learners, meaning they learn whilst doing something (usually playing), a concept that has been brought into current practices as practical activities that involve moving about or using some kind of resource, and especially general play, is now much more emphasised in early years settings than it previously was. Rudolph Steiner also believed that practical play activities were a good developer of the imagination. His Waldorf schools concentrated on activities such as wood-work, knitting and playing musical instruments, which are now mainstream subjects in secondary and primary schools e. g. design technology, which covers all creative areas, and music. Children can develop their creativity, imagination and emotional development through music as well as many other areas of personal learning. Teachers are able to apply their own skills in these creative areas and demonstrate to the children how they can achieve what they are aiming for. By seeing their teachers own personal skill first hand the children will be able to respect and learn from practitioners in a more understanding way. Susan Isaacs was also a believer that play is central to learning, and also that parents/carers are seen as partners, working with teachers and their child to develop and support their childs abilities. This is similar to Froebels theories on parent/teacher relationships in the way that he saw parents as the main educators of young children. This concept is still clearly seen in the practices of early years settings as parents are encouraged to be involved in every aspect of a childs learning, and have the opportunity to work with the teacher in developing their childs abilities. This benefits the children and the parents as both can create a bond with each other through the education of the child, and the parent will be able to understand more fully how their child learns best and how to encourage and support them if they are struggling. Play is still seen as central to learning and parents/carers are seen as partners in helping their child progress through the stepping stones. In my current placement children are given ample time throughout the day to have free play and choose to do whatever interests them. The day is structured (as Froebel believed it should be) so they still have time set aside for number work and writing activities, but are not pushed to complete the more intellectual side of the work as play and active learning are the most emphasised activities throughout the childrens day. This benefits the child in the way that they will have a break from concentrating on the more intellectual side of things and be able to relax, whilst still learning through structured play and various activities. Having the ability to choose will keep them interested in learning about writing and reading as they will feel they are not being forced to learn about them. Friedrich Froebel introduced the idea of structured play and fully involving parents with their childrens learning. His work has been extensively influential on current practice in early years settings today as the basic framework and curriculums that guide children through their learning are based around his ideas about how children should be working with their parents and how carers should be involved in all aspects of their childs learning and development through school, and how children should learn at their own pace and be guided instead of pushed towards their learning goals. The national curriculum states that teachers are required to report  annually to parents on pupils progress through their learning goals. Parents also have a say in whether their children are included in religious education classes and sex education, and are given the right to withdraw their children from it or go to the classes with their children to guide them through it. Secondary and primary schools send home letters to parents informing them when classes such as these will be taking place, and permission slips are enclosed so the school know which children can take part in the classes and which cannot. My current placement sends home a daily report on each child so the parents can see their childs routine for the day including what they played with, how long they slept for, what and how much they ate during the day and generally how they got on. This gives the parents a clear understanding of how their child is getting on in the nursery and allows them to give feedback to the practitioners so they can work together to ensure the child is reaching their full potential in all areas of development. This clearly shows that Froebels ideology of parents being involved in childrens learning has been taken into early years settings today and has had a positive effect on current learning and the guidelines in the curriculum. Parent and toddler groups are also a popular class for parents to attend when their children are young. They allow parents to be fully involved with their childs play, and as children learn most substantially through play this gives the parents a better insight as to how their children learn and what stimulates them most effectively. They can then use this knowledge to help progress their childs learning at home. The foundation stage has the same principles as the national curriculum in the way that parents are encouraged to become involved with their childs learning throughout and to work with the practitioners to extend the childrens learning both in the classroom and at home. According to the foundation stage curriculum, when parents and practitioners work together in early years settings the results have a positive impact on the childs development and learning, therefore each setting should seek to develop an effective partnership with parents. This was one of Froebels main theories  within early years and so current practice has clearly been influenced by this and has expanded on his views to make sure parents, practitioners and children can benefit from his work. Practitioners can listen to any concerns parents have over their childs development and then work with them to find an appropriate solution to the problem. Froebel also recognised the importance of specific training for early childhood teachers. He believed that early years teachers needed more focused training as the early stages of a childs development and education formed the basis of their personalities and eagerness to learn in the future. This may have some contribution to the fact that early years practitioners must undergo specific training in order to become qualified to work in early years settings, such as NNEBs, NVQs and BTECs. My opinion of Froebels work and the research I have done on his theories is that his work has been the most influential on current practice due to the fact that most of his work has been combined with, and been the main basis for many of the guidelines in the curriculums and frameworks used in early years today. The emphasis on active learning is well established within early years settings, but combined with the current guidance from central government upon meeting targets, it is indicated by the inspection of early years settings that play-based learning is not a priority, though the training of practitioners, which Froebel believed was essential, has received considerable attention in recent years, and current practice is now trying to catch up with the ideas Froebel proposed. The role of the mother in childrens learning is not as Froebel expounded due to mothers of young children being encouraged to work rather than stay at home. Teaching and nurturing children in the home is regarded as less effective or desirable than education in more formal, out of home settings, though the parents as partners scheme initiated by the government throughout the curriculums gives parents and practitioners a way of communicating and working together to help the child, so in this way I think his ideas on parents being involved in childrens learning has been responsible for this being put into practice. Friedrich Froebels theories have, in my opinion, been the most influential on early years practitioners, and their approach to practice is guided by many of his ideas and concepts on how children should be learning. His work surrounding the kindergarten (the first form of modern day nursery) produced the framework and theories that practitioners work with and expand on in current practice and so in my opinion his work has had the most effective influence on todays early years educators and their practice, and this evidence suggests his work will continue to be explored and expanded on within the curriculums and frameworks for years to come. Bibliography†¢Bruce T learning through play: babies, toddlers and the foundation years, (2201), Hoddler and Stoughton†¢Tassoni P, BTEC early years (2nd edition), (2006) Heinemann†¢Bruce T, Time to play in early childhood education (1991), Hoddler and Stoughton.