Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Free Essays on Teenage Suicide

Suicide has been said to be a permanent solution to a temporary problem. It has been estimated for every successful suicide, there is between two hundred to three hundred people who will attempt it (Vannetta 1996). According to statistics provided by National Center for Health Statistics (2000), an average of 30,000 suicide deaths occur in the United States each year. It is estimated that 5,000 of those suicides are committed by teenagers. Suicide happens every 90minutes and is the 2nd leading cause of death among college student and third leading cause of death among youth between ages 15-24. It outnumbers homicides by 5 to 3 and has twice as many deaths as HIV/AIDS. At a ratio of 4:1, more boys than girls are successful at completing suicide; although twice as many girls will attempt suicide. The self may be an important link to why some of the population commits suicide. Self-concept is important in a person’s ability to handle the little changes that threaten the n orms of our individuality. â€Å"The relative strength of contingent and non-contingent components of the self-concept vary by age and sex, thereby, creating varying vulnerabilities to identify threat,† stated Girard (1993 p.555). When committing suicide, boys seek more aggressive means, and as stated earlier, are more successful than girls. Perhaps the avenue of expression each sex takes to attain their respective self-concept is a key to why so many teens attempt or commit suicide within our society. Suicide is a problem that is felt all over the span of the life cycle. Suicide has become the third leading cause of death in the age group of 15 to 24 year olds. In horrifying contrast, the suicide rate of adolescents has tripled since the 1950’s. At present, statistics provided by the National Institute of Mental Health, display male to female ratios as 4:1 Suicide 3 for age group 10 to 14 with a mortality rate of 1.5 per 100,000, 5:1... Free Essays on Teenage Suicide Free Essays on Teenage Suicide Mike Emme, a seventeen year old drove a bright yellow ’67 Ford Mustang. Mike worked really hard to restore his car. Mike being a gifted student was happy, helpful, and had a bright future. Mike being a kind man, he ordered a brand new transmission for his mustang, but he canceled it and bought two used ones from a salvage yard instead, so one of his friends could have his car up and running too. Mike was a very smart man; he learned how to remove a tracheotomy tube from his handicapped niece, he also learned how to sign to her. Mike was a great individual, but his life took a turn for the worse when his girlfriend broke up with him. She told Mike that she was engaged to someone else. One night he got into the front seat of his car and shot himself. Mike had written a note before he shot himself. The note had read, â€Å"I wish I could have learned to hate. Don’t blame yourselves. Mom and dad, I love you. Remember I’ll always be with you.† The note was sig ned, â€Å"love, Mike 11:45pm.† At 11:52 Mike’s parents and his brother came home seven minutes too late to save him. The above story is a summarization of the story (â€Å"For the Love of a Child† in The Third Serving of Chicken Soup for the Soul by Thea Alexander). Teen suicides are becoming a more common social issue than it has been in the past. Everyone knows the old saying that your teen years are the best years of your life. This saying confuses most people to question why a person would want to take their own life? Considering when a teenager hasn’t lived his/her life to the fullest. â€Å"Suicides are the third leading cause of death. Teens have died from suicides more than from cancer, heart disease, HIV, AIDS, birth defects, pneumonia, stroke, and lung disease combined.† (Casey, 93) â€Å"Suicidal behavior first creeps into our statistical tables at around the age of 12 and rises steadily through the teen years and beyond.† (Chiles, 29) It is estimated that 30,000 peop... Free Essays on Teenage Suicide Suicide has been said to be a permanent solution to a temporary problem. It has been estimated for every successful suicide, there is between two hundred to three hundred people who will attempt it (Vannetta 1996). According to statistics provided by National Center for Health Statistics (2000), an average of 30,000 suicide deaths occur in the United States each year. It is estimated that 5,000 of those suicides are committed by teenagers. Suicide happens every 90minutes and is the 2nd leading cause of death among college student and third leading cause of death among youth between ages 15-24. It outnumbers homicides by 5 to 3 and has twice as many deaths as HIV/AIDS. At a ratio of 4:1, more boys than girls are successful at completing suicide; although twice as many girls will attempt suicide. The self may be an important link to why some of the population commits suicide. Self-concept is important in a person’s ability to handle the little changes that threaten the n orms of our individuality. â€Å"The relative strength of contingent and non-contingent components of the self-concept vary by age and sex, thereby, creating varying vulnerabilities to identify threat,† stated Girard (1993 p.555). When committing suicide, boys seek more aggressive means, and as stated earlier, are more successful than girls. Perhaps the avenue of expression each sex takes to attain their respective self-concept is a key to why so many teens attempt or commit suicide within our society. Suicide is a problem that is felt all over the span of the life cycle. Suicide has become the third leading cause of death in the age group of 15 to 24 year olds. In horrifying contrast, the suicide rate of adolescents has tripled since the 1950’s. At present, statistics provided by the National Institute of Mental Health, display male to female ratios as 4:1 Suicide 3 for age group 10 to 14 with a mortality rate of 1.5 per 100,000, 5:1...

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Biography of Samuel Morse, Inventor of the Telegraph

Biography of Samuel Morse, Inventor of the Telegraph Samuel Finley Breese Morse (April 27, 1791–April 2, 1872) is famous as the inventor of the telegraph and Morse Code, but what he really wanted to do was paint. He was a well-established artist when his youthful interest in electronics resurfaced, leading to the communications invention that changed humanity until it was overshadowed by the telephone, radio, television, and, finally, the internet. Fast Facts: Samuel F.B. Morse Known For: Inventor of the telegraphBorn: April 27, 1791 in Charlestown, MassachusettsParents: Jedidiah Morse, Elizabeth Ann Finley BreeseDied: April 2, 1872 in New York, New YorkEducation: Yale College (now Yale University)Spouse(s): Lucretia Pickering Walker, Sarah Elizabeth GriswoldChildren: Susan, Charles, James, Samuel, Cornelia, William, EdwardNotable Quote: What hath God wrought? Early Life and Education Samuel F.B. Morse was born on April 27, 1791, in Charlestown, Massachusetts, the first child of noted geographer and Congregational minister Jedidiah Morse and Elizabeth Ann Finley Breese. His parents were committed to his schooling and the Calvinist faith. His early education at Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, was undistinguished, except for his interest in art. He next enrolled in Yale College (now Yale University) at age 14, where he focused on art but found a new interest in the little-studied subject of electricity. He earned money by painting small portraits of friends, classmates, and teachers before graduating in 1810 with Phi Beta Kappa honors. He returned to Charlestown after college. Despite his wishes to be a painter and encouragement from famed American painter Washington Allston, Morses parents wanted him to be a booksellers apprentice. He became a clerk for Daniel Mallory, his fathers Boston book publisher. Trip to England A year later, Morses parents relented and let him sail to England with Allston. He attended the Royal Academy of Arts in London and received instruction from Pennsylvania-born painter Benjamin West. Morse became friends with poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge, several accomplished painters, and American actor John Howard Payne. He adopted a â€Å"romantic† painting style featuring heroic characters and epic events.  In 1812, his plaster statuette The Dying Hercules won a gold medal at the Adelphi Society of Arts exhibition in London, and his painting of the same subject received critical acclaim at the Royal Academy. Family Morse returned to the U.S. in 1815 and opened an art studio in Boston. The next year, seeking portrait commissions to earn a living, he traveled to New Hampshire and met Lucretia Pickering Walker, 16, in Concord. They soon became engaged. Morse painted some of his most notable work at this time, including portraits of military leader  Marquis de Lafayette  and President  George Washington.   On Sept. 29, 1818, Lucretia Walker and Morse were married in Concord. Morse spent the winter in Charleston, South Carolina, and received many portrait commissions there. The couple spent the rest of the year painting in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. A year later, Morses first child was born. While living with his family in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1821, Morse painted more distinguished individuals, including cotton gin inventor Eli Whitney and dictionary compiler Noah Webster. Morses second child was born in 1823 and his third child arrived two years later, but tragedy followed. One month after the birth of his third child, Lucretia Morse died suddenly at age 25 and was buried in New Haven before he could return. Interest in Electricity Resurfaces In 1827, Columbia College Professor James Freeman Dana presented a series of lectures on electricity and electromagnetism at the New York Athenaeum, where Morse also lectured. Through their friendship, Morse became more familiar with the properties of his earlier interest. In November 1829, leaving his children in the care of relatives, Morse left for a three-year tour of Europe, where he visited friends Lafayette and novelist James Fenimore Cooper, studied art collections, and painted. While raising his family, painting, lecturing on art, and viewing works by the old masters, Morses fascination with electronics and inventions never disappeared. In 1817, he and his brother Sidney patented a human-powered water pump for fire engines that worked but was a commercial failure. Five years later, Morse invented a marble-cutting machine that could carve three-dimensional sculptures, but it couldnt be patented because it infringed on an earlier design. Meanwhile, advances in electronics had been moving the world closer to a device that could send messages over vast distances. In 1825, British physicist and inventor William Sturgeon invented the electromagnet, which would be a key component of the telegraph. Six years later, American scientist Joseph Henry developed a more powerful electromagnet and demonstrated how it could send electric signals over long distances, suggesting the possibility of a device such as the telegraph. In 1832, on his voyage home from Europe, Morse conceived the idea of an electromagnetic telegraph during conversations with another passenger, a doctor who described to Morse European experiments with electromagnetism. Inspired, Morse wrote in his sketchbook ideas for a prototype of an electromagnetic recording telegraph and a dot-and-dash code system that would bear his name. Later that year, Morse was appointed professor of painting and sculpture at the University of the City of New York (now New York University), but he continued to work on the telegraph. Developing the Telegraph In the fall of 1835, Morse built a recording telegraph with a moving paper ribbon and demonstrated it to friends and acquaintances. The next year he demonstrated his prototype to a professor of science at the university. Over the next several years, Morse demonstrated his invention to friends, professors, a House of Representatives committee, President Martin Van Buren, and his cabinet. He took on several partners who helped with the science and financing, but his work also began to attract competitors. On Sept. 28, 1837, Morse began the patent process for the telegraph. By November he was able to send a message through 10 miles of wire arranged on reels in a university lecture room. The next month, after completing the paintings he was working on, Morse set aside his art to devote his full attention to the telegraph. At this point, other men- including the doctor on Morses 1832 return voyage from Europe and several European inventors- were claiming credit for the telegraph. The claims were resolved and in 1840 Morse was granted a U.S. patent for his device. Lines were strung between many cities, and on May 24, 1844, Morse sent his famous message- What hath God wrought?- from the Supreme Court chamber in Washington, D.C., to the B O Railroad Depot in Baltimore, Maryland. By 1849, an estimated 12,000 miles of telegraph lines were being run by 20 American companies in the United States. In 1854, the Supreme Court upheld Morses patent claims, meaning that all U.S. companies using his system had to pay him royalties. On Oct. 24, 1861, Western Union completed the first transcontinental telegraph line to California. After several breaks, a permanent undersea Atlantic Cable was finally laid in 1866. New Family Back in 1847 Morse, already a wealthy man, had bought Locust Grove, an estate overlooking the Hudson River near Poughkeepsie, New York. The next year he married Sarah Elizabeth Griswold, a second cousin 26 years his junior. The couple had four children together. In the 1850s, he built an Italian villa-style mansion on the Locust Grove property and spent his summers there with his large family of children and grandchildren, returning each winter to his brownstone in New York. Death On April 2, 1872, Samuel Morse died in New York. He was buried in Greenwood Cemetery in Brooklyn. Legacy Morses invention changed the world, as it was used by the military during engagements, newspaper reporters filing stories from the field, far-flung businesses, and others. After his death, his fame as the inventor of the telegraph was obscured by other communication devices- the telephone, radio,  television, and the  internet- while his reputation as an artist grew. At one time he didnt want to be remembered as a portrait painter, but his powerful, sensitive portraits have been exhibited throughout the United States. His 1837 telegraph instrument is in the  Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History in Washington,  D.C. His Locust Grove estate is a national historic landmark. Sources Samuel F.B. Morse: American Artist and Inventor. Encyclopedia Britannica.Samuel F.B. Morse: Inventor. Biography.com.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Porgg and Bess date base Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Porgg and Bess date base - Research Paper Example This was very risky at the time as people were vastly nurturing racism at the time and it was very hard for George to convince or gather an audience. Just as expected, the opera did not get a credible response in the United States and this went to an extent of it not receiving recognition as an original opera (Gershwin 11). Summertime is a popular song associated with the opera. The opera is presented in a rather European orchestra manner and this gives it a form of uniqueness as compared to the other operas presented in the United States in those days. The songs’ presentation was in a smooth accord to show the troubles of the blacks and in an effort to bring out the ever-indulging issue of love (Fisher 12). The plot of the opera is very descriptive and clear. This is from the manner in which it presents itself. It talks about a beggar of the black community who survives in the streets by borrowing money from passersby. The beggar is disabled and thus many are the people that have pity on him and ensure that they leave something for the man to purchase food (Standifer 23). The beggar goes by the name Porgy. In the same town, Charleston, South Carolina there is the young woman who goes by the name Bess. Bess lives with her very harsh lover and despite the physical abilities of Porgy, he commits himself to ensuring that Bess gets rescue from that evil man who is also a drug dealer. This is slightly different from the original novel but eventually the play gets in line with the book and the plot does not differ. It is also very imperative to include the detailed synopsis of the opera as a part of the full biography. The major part of the play is the act that begins by the expression of an evening at a particular location known as Catfish Row. In the location, a piano player by the name Jasbo Brown engages in the entertainment of people through his talent. There is the presence of a young mother by the name Clara in attendance. As explained earlier, the oper a involves the playing of the song â€Å"summertime† that is very imperative in the development of the general plot. Clara who sings it as a lullaby to her child does the song provision. The opera portrays the characters in a rather diverse manner. This is one of the reasons as to why it has much acclamation over all the years it has been in the various theatres. The fact that Jasbo Brown is quite successful shows the difference in social status in the society. This is brought out in a manner that he presents his music and the number of fans that he gains by this talent. This brings him more fame and recognition to a point that there are different places that he performs and receives payments. A sharp contrast to the success and the life of Jasbo is the conditions that Porgy lives. The fact that he is disabled does not give him an upper hand in society. Rather, there are the various points in his life that show the struggles that he goes through. Being disabled does not allow him to get any decent job or employment and this leads to him leading a miserable life. In order to survive, Porgy earns food for survival through living off the streets and begging. Drama is also one of the major characteristics of the opera (Gerswin 13). The amount of drama is observed when Robbins, one of the players in the tenement, portrays anger towards his wife for telling him not to exercise his

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

What is the role of women in Things Fall Apart How does Achebe present Essay

What is the role of women in Things Fall Apart How does Achebe present them As subservient As dynamic members of the society - Essay Example managed to get the novel to depict women in a subservient condition as they, along with certain lbo castaway members, readily submit themselves to new religion. Women particularly give in to male orders without question. Such act implies anxiety towards the possible consequence or fate of disobedience instead of a gradual process in which a woman in this case may otherwise find confidence and time to think through better alternatives. Considering the dynamic part which women play in this type of society, diversity in role is spread throughout the novel. As priestesses, of the lbo village, women perform a traditional duty of spiritual leadership. With this role, women like Chika are largely feared (17), having the status believed to have attained the power of her god while the Agbala priestess would never hold back her firm command to Okonkwo. Being able to threaten the tribal chieftain indicates the woman’s portrayal of a figure who has constantly been revered by her subjects. Earth goddess Ani further shows the aspect of power in a significant role of woman as a supreme authority set to rule with judgment of conduct and morality of human deeds. Her power is even magnified through the attitude of the inhabitants who pay tribute by observing the Week of Peace before harvesting their crops believing that the goddess is able to prosper the farms with abundance and good growth (30). Moreover, the sense of connection to nature signifies the woman’s continuous communication of her responsibility such as the mother’s attachment to her child. This role strength is made emphatic when Okonkwo seeks refuge to his mother’s village in the time of great distress during exile (134). Here, the faith is established in the value that women can be much relied upon when desperate or unfortunate situations come. â€Å"The women [who] weeded the farm three times at definite periods in the life of the yam, neither early or late (33).† The line suggests that women may be found

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Human Resources Management Essay Example for Free

Human Resources Management Essay The present state of recession in the IT Industry as a Human Resource Manager how are you going to undertake Human Resource Planning at Macro Level to tide over this crisis? Human capital formation is acknowledged as one of the most potent sources in contributing directly and significantly to economic growth. As a result even the objectives of economic planning and priorities thereof, began to be shifted away from purely growth oriented development strategies to those that recognize and partly remedy the past neglect of such social sectors like population, planning, health, education, housing, social security and other social services. The objectives of HRP at macro level are to ensure that the organisation: a) Obtains and retains the quality and quantity of human resources it needs at the right time and place; and b) Makes optimal utilisation of these resources. Human resource planning is the formal process of linking organizational strategy with human resource practices. It is about perceiving organizational practices as a whole and not piecemeal. In a competitive climate, organizations need to use models and approaches that secure uniqueness of operations along with enhancing organizational capability. Today, the world is going through, a global economic turmoil. This recession affects almost all the fields especially IT field. To overcome the adverse effect of the economic slowdown, we should plan an effective human resource policy at macro level. Human resource plan is designed to pay attention to shaping the priorities of the H R function than on supporting activities relating to the organizations functioning as a whole. The economic crisis of 2008/2009 has touched every industry and profession,  radically altering the hiring landscape. Major layoffs, rising unemployment, and lowered profits have reshaped the way workers are hired and fired, and dramatically highlighted the need to rethink workforce planning. Now, the question lingering over the heads of business leaders everywhere is: What will the successful post-recession business look like? Here, we wanted to find out how what steps they are taking in response to the crisis, how their priorities and practices have changed, and what they predict the HR landscape will look like as the economy recovers. This study is focus on the following objectives: 1.How HR Processes got affected by Recession? 2. What was the Reactions of Recession? 3. What HR steps Companies are taking to prepare for Recovery from Recession? 4. What are the Envision on post-recovery staffing model? 5. What are the Roles of Temporary Workforce? 6. What are Managed Serviced Program its Benefit? First let us brief about Recession. A recession is a contraction phase of the business cycle where significant decline in economic activity lasts more than a few months, which is normally visible in real GDP real income, employment, industrial production, and wholesale-retail sales. The current economic recession has hardly spared any country on earth. Rich countries like USA, UK, Germany, Australia, Japan, and Canada almost all the rich countries have got badly hurt from the recession. So, there is no reason to be surprised to know that Indian economy is also getting hurt from the global economic recession. As a Human resource manager planning is one of the most important sources in contributing the economic growth. To overcome from the recession in IT industry I would like to retain and obtain pure quality of human resources all ways at the right time and at the right place. I ensure that all the resources are utilized properly .I as a human resource manager responsible  for corporate plan along with organizations purpose as the top most priority. The KRA at macro level are: 1- Determine the requirement level in the organization keeping recession in mind. 2- To get the best from the resources available within the organization. 3- Assist productivity bargaining. 4- Evaluate cost of man power in any upcoming new projects coming. 5- Analyze the cost of all the overhead and value associated with it with the function 6- Need to decide whether certain activities need to be sub contracted. 7- Need to provide best training in order to retain talent. 8- Anticipate redundancies. 9- Need to forecast future requirement. 10- Serve as a basis of management development programme The human resource planning is one of the most crucial, complex and continuing managerial function. It is a multi step function with various issues. The issue which needed to cater first are 1- Deciding objective and goal.2- Estimating future organizational structure ,3- Auditing human resources,4-Planning job requirement and job description.5- development of human resource plan. In the recession time in the IT industry it is very important to relate future human resources to future enterprise need so that the return on investment on human gets maximized. The companys human resources mamager is as much an advocate for the organization as it is for the employees. The responsibility to serve the interests and needs of both can be challenging, especially during a recession when it could difficult to sustain both the company and its workforce. The HR issues during a recession demand an even greater commitment to achieving stability for the company and assuring employees that they wont endure the harsh effects of a recession. Strategy Strategic direction is an ongoing discussion between HR and companys  leadership. During a recession, HR Managers involvement in developing the companys strategy should be a priority. Workforce planning, compensation structure and employee satisfaction arent just HR goals theyre organizational goals because the workforce is companys most valuable resource. Sustaining company’s operations and its profitability largely depends on employee productivity. The communication between HR Manager and the companys leadership should be candid, frequent and must include communication with employees about the companys direction. Company Status If the company is recession-proof, meaning it provides necessary products or services, the role of HR manager is to remind employees that the company is forging ahead despite an economic meltdown. As the saying goes, the only sure things in life are death and taxes; therefore, the most recession-proof businesses are likely mortuaries and accounting firms. On the other hand, if the company will be affected by a recession, HR managers role is to assist company leaders in describing the business strategy for staying afloat and keeping employees apprised of the companys status and direction. Employee Communication The employee turnover during a recession could be minimal simply because companies that arent recession-proof are closing, which means there are fewer job market opportunities. Leaving a job with a company that is surviving the recession for another one that might not survive could be a bad decision. Therefore, HRs primary job includes communicating with employees about the companys status, what its doing to be profitable and what it needs the employees to do to ensure the companys survival. This conveys two important messages. It says you care enough about your workforce to keep them informed and you value their contributions in helping the company make it through the recession. Job Security If I am in a position where I need to hire additional staff, ensure that I am not making any cuts to current employees wages. That is likely to make employees wonder if their livelihood is a priority or if the company places more value on input from outsiders. Provide training for employees to take on new responsibilities instead of recruiting an external candidate to do the job. Effective crisis management doesnt mean eliminating training for employees, according to The Boston Consulting Group 2009 survey of HR measures. In fact, the joint survey conducted with the European Association for People Management revealed that more than 30 percent of the companies that scaled back training individual and special training was less effective and demonstrated lower commitment levels during a crisis, such as a recession. Training also conveys the important message that youre investing in your existing staff, training them to work cross-functionally and thereby preparing them for continued e mployment in case their current jobs are eliminated because of the recession. Layoffs If HR must lay off workers, establish a communication strategy that gives employees plenty of notice before the actual layoff. Consult the U.S. Department of Labor Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, WARN, to determine if you meet the criteria for complying with WARN regulations. Ease the blow of unemployment by scheduling the layoff so it doesnt coincide untimely with periods such as the year-end holiday season. HR should offer outplacement services to employees who are forced to seek employment elsewhere. Outplacement services can range from career counseling sessions with experts to resume-writing services or time off from work for interviews. Compensation and Benefits HR might not be able to guarantee that employees will get year-end bonuses or even a wage increase, but HR can help employees figure out ways to increase their take-home pay. When employees have questions about their wages, tax withholding and liability or the cost of benefits, such as health insurance premiums and retirement savings ensure the company can provide answers. An HR benefits specialist can guide employees through the decision-making process by advising them to cut back on, say, charitable contributions that are being deducted from their net pay. The benefits specialist also can  refer employees to resources for managing their finances, such as an employee-assistance program. Summary HR managers reported opting for a wide range of practices to respond to the severe pressures presented by the recession. These practices range from changes to pay and pensions, staffing and HR systems, to changes in working time arrangements. While pay freezes for some or all employees were common, pay cuts too operated in a substantial number of firms. Other pay-related measures adopted include lower pay or salary scales for new entrants, bonus cuts and changes in pension arrangements. In terms of headcount and staffing arrangements, changes were also pronounced in that most firms in the survey experienced redundancy (compulsory and voluntary) for some employees. Freezes on recruitment were also commonly instituted. The effects of the recession on a wide range of business and the subsequent pressures experienced by HR managers, was examined next in chapter four. The HR managers present at the focus groups outlined in detail the ways in which they were required to cut and control employee costs in response to deep and acute commercial pressures. Where participants had been taken up for much of the previous boom years with recruiting and retaining staff, the main hub of activity now for most of the participants was on finding ways to control and reduce pay and headcount. Relative to the difficulties of doing this, other areas of HR practice received less attention, although some firms reported continued recruitment efforts for specific positions or new skills sets. Some firms also took measures such as selective pay rises or promotions to retain valued staff. Others operated formal talent management programmes, though these generally predated the recession. Staff redeployment was presented as a routine measure in responding to the recession in non-union firms, but appeared to be more problematic in unionized firms, where it sometimes cut acros s agreements with unions or lines of demarcation between different jobs.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Sunset Boulevard Revisited :: Essays Papers

Sunset Boulevard Revisited When the film Sunset Boulevard premiered in Hollywood in 1950, the picture caused a riot in the theatre after the feature finished. Director Billy Wilder commented, â€Å"I’ve never seen so many prominent people at once – the word was out that this was a stunner, you see. After the picture ended there were violent reactions, from excitement to pure horror†(May 570). Wilder did whatever he could to keep the plot of Sunset Boulevard a secret outside of the walls of Paramount Studios because of its controversial subject matter. Today, Sunset Boulevard is hailed as one of the best films in motion picture history, so what was so controversial about it that made Hollywood so scared? The answer is that the film dealt with the truth about Hollywood and its stars. It scared people because it portrayed the life of a faded movie star in a realistic way, making members of Hollywood evaluate their careers and life after stardom. However, it was not only the plo t that terrified Hollywood, but also Wilder’s casting of Gloria Swanson and Erich Von Stroheim in two of the leading roles. Both had been film stars of the silent era back in the roaring twenties, but had fallen on hard times after their careers had fizzled. Therefore, the â€Å"stunner† that Wilder talks about is not the plot of Sunset Boulevard, but the terrifying realism demonstrated by the actor’s lives molding the characters they play in the film. The protagonist of the film is Norma Desmond, a washed-up actress who has delusions about reclaiming her fame again. At the end of the film, her sanity snaps when she loses her lover, Joe Gillis, and realizes that she will never return to the stardom that she once knew in her youth. On casting the role of Norma, Wilder knew that enlisting an actress from the early years of cinema would be ideal for the story he wanted to tell, rather than hiring a popular actress from the current Hollywood roster. Wilder discussed Mae West and Mary Pickford for the role, but finally decided on Gloria Swanson. Gloria Swanson had been very famous in the twenties, acting for such names as Sam Wood and Cecil B.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Major League Baseball

1. Briefly, what are the major developments in the history of the labor-management relationship within Major League Baseball?According to Lewicki, Barry & Saunders (2010), the major developments of labor-management relationship within Major League Baseball (MLB) started in the late 1960s and were characterized by the ongoing disputes between the owners and the players that resulted in the following hard bargaining agreements, work stoppages and lockouts: a)1st and 2nd Basic Agreement – was a contract that 1) significantly increased the minimum salary of all the players and 2) established a protocol that players could follow to air their grievances.The agreements came as a response mechanism that was used by U. S. owners who wanted to avoid the competitive pressure that had been created by the Mexican League in terms of U. S player salaries. In 1946, the Mexican Baseball League had begun hiring U. S. players and the U. S owners wanted to avoid a bidding war with the Mexican Lea gue essay writer help. In 1953, the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) was formed to serve as the player’s main bargaining body and in response, the owners formed the Major League Player Relations Committee (PRC) to serve as their main negotiating body. )3rd Basic Agreement – the MLBPA was demanding that the pension fund surplus of $1 million should be used to offset the increased cost of living but the PRC declined to budge. It was evident that both parties could not come to an agreement on how much money the owners should contribute to the player’s pension fund. The players went on strike in 1972 forcing the two sides to compromise on a contribution amount of $500,000. c)4th Basic Agreement – was a contract that 1) annihilated the reserve clause and 2) paved way for free agency.The owners implemented the reserve clause into the players’ contracts to ensure that the players could not offer their skills and services to the highest bi dder. This basically meant that the players could not switch teams and/or make more money elsewhere and dishonoring the clause would cause a player to be blacklisted from the MLB. However, the clause was challenged in 1976 after two players went to arbitration and won, by a 2 to 1 vote, the right to offer their services to the highest bidder thus killing the reserve clause. )5th Basic Agreement – the MLBPA and the PRC could not agree on how a team that was losing a free agent could be compensated thus making the players to go on strike prior to the start of the 1980 season. This forced both parties to agree on studying the free-agent compensation issue for a year after which they would regroup to revisit the issue. In 1981, the players went on strike again after the two parties failed to agree on the terms of free-agent compensation. This forced the parties to eventually reach an agreement stipulating that the team that had lost a player would in return receive a player from the signing team. )6th Basic Agreement – the MLBPA and the PRC would once again butt heads over pension contribution levels that had been agreed on in the 3rd Basic Agreement and the free-agent compensation that was agreed on in the 5th Basic Agreement. However, the two parties reached an agreement within a day to avoid a strike. f)7th Basic Agreement – in 1990, the owners tried to institute another lockout because the lack of a salary cap made it possible for large market teams to attract richer television contracts from local networks and offer players higher salaries.The owners were proposing a revenue sharing program that would mandate the larger market teams to share a portion of their revenue with the smaller market teams. The two parties reached an agreement 32 days later and the revenue sharing issue was put on hold temporarily. g)8th Basic Agreement – the owners realized that competition and financial disparity was hurting their profits while salary arb itration was driving up salary levels. They wanted salary arbitration eliminated, the salary cap introduced, free agency eligibility standards lowered and television revenue split equally with the players.However, the MLBPA rejected these proposals and the players went on strike for 232 days. The 8th Basic Agreement was agreed upon in late 1996 and it introduced the revenue sharing program that was put on hold in the 7th Basic Agreement but did not offer the owners the salary cap they had sought. h)9th Basic Agreement – the Curt Flood Act was passed in 1998 to reduce the chance of future strikes by making it possible for players to sue the owners if labor negotiations stalled. The issue of contraction was also put on hold after owners tried to eliminate competition and financial disparity by contracting/eliminating two teams from the MLB.The 9th Basic Agreement was reached by the two parties to avert another strike and it introduced the luxury tax as a way to slow down the ra te at which the players’ salaries was rising as well as save the upcoming post season. i)10th Basic Agreement – the upcoming negotiations were to take place to due to the 2002 contract that was set to expire at the end of 2006. However, a dark cloud loomed over the upcoming negotiations due to the past history of labor relations in MLB that was characterized by strikes, lockouts, lost revenue from the strikes and lockouts and unfavorable clauses that had been implemented into the players’ contracts.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Cancer Staging and Skilled Helper Model

OVERVIEW OF THE SKILLED HELPER MODEL Gerard Egan described 3 stages in his helping model, which he sees as a â€Å"map that helps . . . in your interactions with clients†. †  Each stage can support the helpee in asking a question of themselves. Stage 1: Current scenario: â€Å"What is here? † †¢ This is about building a trusting relationship with the helpee and helping them to explore and clarify their problem situation. †¢ It deals with what is happening now for the helpee. Stage II: Preferred scenario: â€Å"What do I want here? † †¢ This is about helping the helpee to identify what they want. †¢ It is about identifying what options are open to the helpee. Stage III: Action: â€Å"How might I help this to happen? † †¢ This is about supporting the helpee to look at how they might help themselves. †¢ It is about looking at possible outcomes Note: The stages do not necessarily follow this order – helping relationshi ps do not move in a straight line! Client-centred helping is fluid and flexible – and follows the helpee – perhaps moving in a spiral, round and down. This model is useful in helping us to look at the different ‘stages’ that we might experience with a helpee as our relationship develops. † Egan, G. (1994) The Skilled Helper: a Problem Management Approach toHelping. Pacific Grove: Brooks/Cole Publishing Company (361. 323) Overview of Skilled Helper Model, H Baker, 2009 ———————– Helper Skills: empathy; upr; congruence; making & maintaining contact; reflecting; attending(to behaviour & feeling); clarifying; paraphrasing. Helper Skills: Stage I + identifying themes; focussing; offering alternative perspectives; sharing helper experience/feelings; helping client move to Stage III. Helper Skills: Stage II + facilitate helpee in developing and choosing ways to help self; helping helpee to consider and e valuate their choices.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Free Essays on Animal Farm Character Analysis

In Animal Farm there is an instersting cast of characters. Each character or group of characters has a political representation. However, Orwell is more concerned with political psychology than with individual characters. As Jenni Calder states: â€Å"The allegory is very precise in its use of the major figures and incidents of the Russian Revolution. It expresses quite nakedly and with a complete lack of intellectual argument those aspects of Stalinism that most disturbed Orwell. At the same time the humbleness and warmth of the narrative give an attractive obliqueness without turning the direction of the satire. We can feel compassion for Orwell's creatures in a way that we cannot for Winston Smith, for the stark narrative of 1984 stuns our capacity for reaction. But Animal Farm is equally relentless in its message.† -Jenni Calder, Chronicles of Conscience, 1968 Remember, this is a fable, not a novel. The animals are meant to represent certain types of human beings and ideas, not complex individuals. Some of them are even group characters, without any individual name: "the sheep," "Napoleon's dogs," "the hens." The "main character" of Animal Farm is actually all of the animals taken together as a group. It's what happens to the group as a whole- whether their Rebellion succeeds or fails, and why- that really matters. Still, it is important to notice the distinctions between certain types and individuals. To start with, we have the pigs. The pigs lead the Rebellion from the start and progressively take on the same power and characteristics as the human masters they helped overthrow. They represent corrupted human leaders, in particular, the Bolsheviks, who led the overthrow of the capitalist Russian government, only to become new masters in their turn. Old Major, makes a stirring speech to the animals to help set the Rebellion in motion- t... Free Essays on Animal Farm Character Analysis Free Essays on Animal Farm Character Analysis In Animal Farm there is an instersting cast of characters. Each character or group of characters has a political representation. However, Orwell is more concerned with political psychology than with individual characters. As Jenni Calder states: â€Å"The allegory is very precise in its use of the major figures and incidents of the Russian Revolution. It expresses quite nakedly and with a complete lack of intellectual argument those aspects of Stalinism that most disturbed Orwell. At the same time the humbleness and warmth of the narrative give an attractive obliqueness without turning the direction of the satire. We can feel compassion for Orwell's creatures in a way that we cannot for Winston Smith, for the stark narrative of 1984 stuns our capacity for reaction. But Animal Farm is equally relentless in its message.† -Jenni Calder, Chronicles of Conscience, 1968 Remember, this is a fable, not a novel. The animals are meant to represent certain types of human beings and ideas, not complex individuals. Some of them are even group characters, without any individual name: "the sheep," "Napoleon's dogs," "the hens." The "main character" of Animal Farm is actually all of the animals taken together as a group. It's what happens to the group as a whole- whether their Rebellion succeeds or fails, and why- that really matters. Still, it is important to notice the distinctions between certain types and individuals. To start with, we have the pigs. The pigs lead the Rebellion from the start and progressively take on the same power and characteristics as the human masters they helped overthrow. They represent corrupted human leaders, in particular, the Bolsheviks, who led the overthrow of the capitalist Russian government, only to become new masters in their turn. Old Major, makes a stirring speech to the animals to help set the Rebellion in motion- t...

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Helpful Discussion Questions for The Necklace

Helpful Discussion Questions for 'The Necklace' ​The Necklace is a favorite French short story by  Guy de Maupassant. A tragic piece about vanity, materiality, and pride, its definitely a humbling story that will get rid of any little girl or boys princess complex. Although short, Maupassant packs many themes, symbols, and even a surprise ending into The Necklace. Here are some discussion questions helpful for teachers or anyone looking to talk about the story.   Lets start from the very beginning with the title. By titling his work, The Necklace, Maupassant is immediately notifying readers to pay special attention to this object. What does the necklace symbolize? What theme does the necklace convey?  What other themes exist in the story?   Turning towards the setting, this story takes place in Paris.  Why did Maupassant decide to set this story in Paris? What was the social context of life in Paris at the time, and does it relate to The Necklace? Although Mathilde is at the center of the story, lets consider the other characters as well: Monsier Loisel and Madame Forestier. How do they advance Maupassants ideas? What role do they play in this story? Speaking of characters, do you find the characters likable, or detestable? Does your opinion of the characters change throughout the story? Finally, lets talk about the end. Maupassant is known for springing twist-endings on his readers. Did you think the ending to The Necklace was unexpected? If so, why?   Lets take this discussion beyond just analyzing the story; did you like The Necklace? Would you recommend it to your friends?

Sunday, November 3, 2019

International Commodities Index Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

International Commodities Index - Article Example The supply chain of most products in initiated in the production or manufacturing stage. During this stage engineers and managers make purchase orders to obtain key raw materials needed to create the goods or services. In the power tool industry, two essential raw materials are metals and plastics. Plastics are a raw material which is considered a petroleum derivative. Crude oil and metals are categorized as commodities in the stock market. Their prices are very volatile and fluctuations in price occurred on a daily basis. Good indicators which analyst in the power tool industry must pay close attention to are commodity price indexes. For example, the Rogers International Commodity Index (RICI) aims to be an effective indicator of the price of raw material in the United States and around the world (Rogersrawmaterials, 2007). When the prices go down on these materials it is good idea to realize bulk purchases. Another strategy the can be utilized to lock the price of the commodity is to acquire future contracts. A future contract obligates a trader to sell an asset at an agreed upon price at some point in the future (Bodie & Kane & Marcus, 2002, p.982). Power pools are products which need energy in order to function. The energy industry is another key industry with has a great impact on the power tool industry. The designers of power tools must consider what type of platform will provide energy into the system. Two possible alternatives are battery and electricity power tools. Trends in the capacity and prices of batteries must be considered since the overall cost of the unit rises after the purchase of the batteries. If the power tools depends on electricity the executives of the companies could analyze trends in the electricity market by utilizing regression analyzes in which the monthly price of electricity over the last 10-20 years in particular country or city are inputted into the equation to determine price trends.  

Friday, November 1, 2019

Paul Gauguins illusion In The Paint Where Do We Come From What Are We Essay

Paul Gauguins illusion In The Paint Where Do We Come From What Are We Where Are We Going - Essay Example Paul Gauguin had presumably referred to this soul. In his painting â€Å"WE† does not refer to material world that are unreal and that which our mind personifies.This paper is trying to establish intellectual and philosophical aspect of gauguin’s painting on this ground. The Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture in it’s publication â€Å"Aspects of Vedanta† has said: Sankara is not alone in drawing our attention to the illusory nature of empirical life. Plato, Kant, and Hegel adopt the same view, and in recent times, Bergson, equipped with all the knowledge of modern science, arrives at the same conclusion. The intellect,he says, disguises reality, misrepresents it, and presents to us a static world, †¦ The painting of our topic very much reflects this illusion suffered by the artist, though, it seems, he very much understood that â€Å"real† is different from this illusion. Also, Paul Gauguin relflects the illusion suffered by this world. Ingo F Walther in his book â€Å"Paul Gauguin 1848-1903 The Primitive Sophisticate† has mentioned: The spectrum of human activity encompassed by the painting spans all of life, from birth to death, in all its wondruous diversity. The new-born child lying in the grass, seeing the light of day for the first time, marks one boundary of Gauguin's stage, and the careworn old woman who looks so downcast as she meditates upon the past marks the other. Between the two lies the copious adult world of fears and joys. The exotic idol in the background, and the two people walking (possibly lovers), are there for atmospheric effect, and bridge gap between Man and the natural setting. Gauguin reveals considerable ambition in the way in which he placed some favourite subjects in his panorama - the relaxed reclining nude, the figures sitting lost in the thought, the cult statute. The figures are there to evoke associative meanings, rather to explain or illustrate. Gauguin was not concerned with being understood: rather, he was interpreting life as a great mystery. The world's lack of understanding, which was pushing him towards suicide, was obliquely expressed in his emphasis of the impenetrable and incomprehensible.# Footnotes: **Page 45 and 46 in "Aspects of Vedanta" #Page 80 in "Paul Gauguin 1848-1903 The Primitive Sophisticate" By Ingo F Walther The painting by depicting the various stages of life, in effect has carried the message that life is full of changes and life is nothing but an illusion. Even the animals and birds found in tha painting undergo the changes of life which is an illusion. The blue sky found in the painting is also an illusion. The painting depicts the convulsions of his mind and his yearning to show the world the difference between the 'real' and 'unreal'. The other side of illusion But, interestingly, illusion is having another side. Swami Lokeswarananda in his translation of Mandukya Upanisad has said: Even to