The Good Shepherd and the Black Sheep: Paradoxical Irony in “The Lame Shall Enter First”

â€Å"[W]hen thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth† counsels the Bible, thus setting the precedent for all well-meaning members of western society concerning their charitable intentions (Matt. 6. 3). Humanity's motivation to aid others, regardless of the outcome, is oft times spotted by the subtle struggle between selflessness and selfishness. Flannery O'Connor captures this classic conflict between good and evil in Southern Grotesque fashion through her characters, the protagonist Sheppard and his foil, Rufus Johnson, in [comment2] â€Å"The Lame Shall Enter First†. comment3] Challenging the literal paradigm of light and darkness, O'Connor weaves together well crafted characterization, cryptic dialogue, and both biblical and literary allusion in this paradoxical plot and, by way of Sheppard and the antithetical Rufus, blends the black and white of Christian dogma into an ironic grey. The contrast of light and dark begins with the descrip tion and characterization of the apparently angelic [comment4] Sheppard, and continues with the introduction of the obscure and ominous Rufus Johnson. O'Connor is not pretentious in her description and development of either character. Sheppard's white hair and â€Å"halo† are obvious references to his protagonistic status as the story's do-gooder [comment5] (Norton 371). The narrator continues on by lauding his charitable contribution to the community as a counselor and weekend volunteer for â€Å"boys no one else cared about† (372). The reader's only initial clue toward Sheppard's self-righteous mania is his deliberate, guilt-implying sermon towards Norton, his disconcerted and doomed son. It is not, however, until the arrival of the dim, drenched Rufus that seemingly stark white coat of Sheppard loses its untainted radiance. comment6] Johnson is literally cast as the black sheep from the moment he limps into the house in his soaking â€Å"wet black suit† (376). The ultimate personification of evil comes when he is physically compared directly to the perennial villian Adolf Hitler (378). His opaque character is developed as dark as his appearance through his unending ingratitude and spiteful words toward his supposed savior, Sheppard. The ambiguous dialogue between the two main characters continues to blur the line between the traditional literal concept of good versus evil and the author's own Grotesque version. comment7] O'Connor's use of foreshadowing and plot development through dialogue is essential to the work, and is much more obvious upon rereading it. Though Sheppard's works are concrete and compassionate, his words are abstract and empty. His answers to both Norton and Rufus come in rehearsed, logical explanations. [comment8] Sheppard's attempts to animate either child about their future are thwarted by his own uncertainty. The clearest example of this comes from one of the most crucial sections of the story, when Sheppard fails to satisfy Norton's desire to know where his deceased mother is: â€Å"She doesn't exist [. . ] That's all I have to give you, [. . . ] the truth† (383). [comment9] Where the â€Å"good† shepherd fails, the black sheep pr evails. The dark character that Rufus is developed into shows an admirable assurity and for once a faint light flickers from behind the â€Å"black sheen [that] appear[ed] in the boy's eyes† (375) as he describes the existence of heaven and hell to Norton, confirming that the boy's mother is â€Å"saved† (383). Then, in one of the most obvious uses of foreshadowing in the story, Rufus goes on to tell Norton [comment10] that â€Å"Right now you'd go where she is [. . . but if you live long enough, you'll go to hell† (383). Once again Sheppard and his voice of reason seem to grow grayer as he immediately tells Norton to close the window, as if to separate him from the stars and his newly found hope in the existence of his mother (383). Admittedly influenced by her orthodox Christian background (408), O'Connor scatters both biblical and assorted literal allusions throughout her story, creating somewhat of a parody of common Christian themes. The use of Sheppard as the name of the protagonist binds the character to some religious comparison immediately. This is only reinforced when Rufus pronounces bitterly: â€Å"He thinks he's Jesus Christ! † (381) [comment11]Another use of allusion with reference to Sheppard is Rufus' [comment12] crudely accurate accusation of him as a â€Å"big tin Jesus† (395). Like the forlorn tin man from The Wizard of Oz, Rufus' statement argues that Sheppard is just as hollow as that empty, heartless shell of a man, regardless of his outwardly good deeds. Perhaps the most encompassing phrase in the story is O'Connor's allusion to the verse in St. Matthew quoted in the first paragraph. [comment13] Repeated both at the beginning of the story and in his final appearance, Rufus declares that Sheppard â€Å"don't know his left hand from his right! † (377, 395). Clearly O'Connor is alluding to Sheppard's selfish or misguided agenda well illustrated when he tells Norton of his desire to help the orphaned Rufus. Sheppard's publicly done deeds are challenged by Rufus, the unwilling recipient of a well-meaning man going through the motions, yet craving some sort of reward for his actions. The once polarized characters grow ever closer with the equalizing power of reality. â€Å"The Lame Shall Enter First† ends as abruptly as it begins. There is no cathartic victory for the alleged [comment14] â€Å"good shepherd†, only the agony of total defeat. Sheppard's epiphany comes too late and the stark contrast that once distinguished him from the dark object of his alms turns into the faded realization that he is no better than the beleaguered beneficiary. Through O'Connor's strategic literary devices, deft character contrast, and parody of entrenched Christian values, the reader is left to digest and dissect the fact that maybe the entire flock [comment15] isn't worth one black sheep. Between the black and white islands of moral certainty, good and evil, there lies a sea of ironic grey. Works Cited The King James Version. Great Britain: Cambridge UP, 1996. O'Connor, Flannery. â€Å"The Lame Shall Enter First. † The Norton Introduction to Literature. Eds. Jerome Beaty and J. Paul Hunter. 7th ed. New York: Norton, 1998. 371-414.

Macbeth’s changing state of mind Essay

With close reference to three key scenes within the play, explore the dramatic devices that Shakespeare employs to reflect Macbeth’s changing state of mind. Macbeth is another one of Shakespeare’s great tragedies, based on Holinshed’s Chronicles of England, Scotland, and Ireland. It tells us about the fall of the ambitious couple, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Macbeth is the tragic hero, a character who has a fatal (tragic) flaw within himself that he cannot change. He is not a bad person to begin with but he does become evil; he is just too ambitious. Macbeth is a story about the murder of a king by Macbeth, and the revenge of a son (Malcolm), three witches who plot against Macbeth, and Macbeth’s rise and fall. At the time Macbeth was written King James the 6th of Scotland also became King James the 1st of England. He moved from Scotland to London, there became a fashion for all things Scottish. King James’s family tree goes back to Banquo therefore Shakespeare made Banquo innocent to not offend the king. King James was extremely interested in witchcraft; he even wrote a book called Daemonology. To the audience in the 16th century witchcraft was a really big issue and more importantly it was so real for them that it forced English parliament to create laws against it. We don’t realise it but people were absolutely terrified of witches and they believed in them just as much as they believed in God. The main power the witches were supposed to have, was telling the future, another was being able to open locks and sail through the roughest seas in a sieve. We see that witches have a big impact and play a big part in the play Macbeth. This is shown as the first people to enter are the three witches and these witches have a big influence on Macbeths changing state of mind as they drive him on to kill Duncan along with Lady Macbeth and Macbeths own ambition. From the outset we see that Macbeth is a very ambitious and loyal soldier as Duncan announces that he has done well in battle fighting the Norwegians. Duncan gives Macbeth the title â€Å"Thane of Cawdor† as reward for his valour; Shakespeare uses irony here as the first thane of Cawdor betrayed Duncan and Duncan later dies at the sword of trusted Macbeth. In Act 1 scene 7 we see Macbeth reveal a whole series of conflicting thoughts and feelings by talking aloud to the audience, this is called a soliloquy; this section is mainly about his true feelings about committing the murder of King Duncan. Here his state of mind has changed from at the start of the play when he was given the title, but know the witches have told him he will become the King his state of mind is insecure about the next step forward by committing the crime. Macbeth recognises that his intentions are crime when he says the word â€Å"assassination† Macbeth declares that King Duncan has been a very good king â€Å"this Duncan Hath borne his faculties so meek hath been so clear in his great office† and that his murder would therefore not be justified in the eyes of heaven. Macbeth realises King Duncan has done an awful lot for him and realises he should be very grateful. â€Å"He’s here in double trust; First as I am his kinsman and his subject† this is one of his main reasons why he doesn’t want to kill Duncan as he says he is a subject to the King so he should be a loyal servant to him. â€Å"Strong both against the deed; then, as his host, who should against his murderer shut the door† Secondly as host he should protect King Duncan from intruders whilst he is in his care. During the soliloquy Shakespeare uses a lot of alliterations to emphasise Macbeths point â€Å"Trumpet- tongued† and â€Å"naked newborn† The first two lines is where Shakespeare uses a euphemism â€Å"it† to refer to the murder, this shows us that he realises what e is doing is wrong, he also uses repetition to add to the flow and pace of the text, this emphasis how quickly Macbeth is thinking and also shows his confusion and his fear of the murder and this is a good dramatic technique. During lines two to five of the soliloquy we see Shakespeare change the structure as he writes it to appear like a thought process as it is broke and there are lots of uses of commas, this structure shows us that his thought process is confused and erratic with lots of pauses. The sentence â€Å"this blow† relates to the murder as Macbeth won’t say it and this shows the audience he is frightened of committing it. In lines six to seven Shakespeare uses yet another of the many dramatic techniques, here we see him use imagery as Macbeth says â€Å"But here, upon this bank and shoal of time, we’d jump the life to come† here Macbeth is saying that eternity is the sea and his time living is in a sandbank In the sea. He’s worried what will happen after he dies. Will he be punished in the after life? He needs to jump to the next life so he can’t be punished. Throughout the soliloquy the audience are realising that Macbeths conscience is and will get on top of him after the Murder. This links back to Act 1 scene 5 where Lady Macbeth realises she will have to take a leading role and will have to urge him on to kill Duncan as she knows Macbeth will not carry out the deed alone. Directly after Macbeth’s soliloquy Lady Macbeth and Macbeth ask each other a short series of questions about Duncan, â€Å"He has almost supped: why have you left the chamber? Hath he asked for me? Know you not he has? The unanswered questions they both pose highlight the tension of the situation; this shows us how edgy Macbeth feels. Lady Macbeth then has a long speech where Shakespeare uses rhetorical questions to tell Macbeth that she is angry with his change of Mind. Here Macbeth’s state of mind has changed from the beginning the play where he was going to kill Duncan but after his soliloquy where he thought more about it and what Duncan has done for him, his mind has completely changed to the opposite. The audience see that his conscience has got the better of him and how easily swayed he is. By the end of Act 1 scene 7 Macbeths mind has changed again due to his wife, this shows the audience just how emotionally insecure he is. His mind has changed because of Lady Macbeth’s comments as she continues to speak to him in a confident and calculating way. Lady Macbeth says â€Å"how tender ’tis to love the babe that milks me: I would, while it was smiling in my face , have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums, And dashed the brains out, had I so sworn as you Have done this.† This is basically saying that she would have taken her newborn child off her breast and smashed it on its head if Macbeth asks her to do so. This is a very effective use of powerful imagery and is the kind of language that would bring Macbeth to Lady Macbeth’s side. Lady Macbeth has the murder all planned out which shows the audience just how desperate she is to become queen. As we leave Act 1 scene 7 Macbeth is as ready as Lady Macbeth is to kill King Duncan. In Act 2 scene 1 â€Å"is this a dagger I see before me† this hallucination leads him on to kill Duncan. His conscience is getting the better of him. This hallucination is a great dramatic technique as it would be very powerful for the audience to see. Here we see Macbeth is losing his mind a little, and he is still very insecure mentally. At the start of Act 2 scene 2 Shakespeare uses another soliloquy to show Lady Macbeths feelings to the audience, her soliloquy shows her exhilaration and determination as the owl screeching doesn’t frighten her, it is rather taken as a good sign that Duncan will be dead soon. When Macbeth enters Lady Macbeth is overjoyed â€Å"Husband!† as she started to doubt her husband’s capacity to do the deed. In the first few lines there are a lot of questions that Macbeth asks â€Å"I have done the deed. Didst thou not hear a noise?† and â€Å"When?† and â€Å"as I descended?† all these questions make Macbeth seem jumpy. It shows the audience his mind is insecure as they both speak to each other in short jerky sentences which show discomfort. As Act 2 scene 2 carries on we see that Lady Macbeth is still the dominant partner but we know it doesn’t stay this way throughout the play as things change later and the pair’s roles are virtually reversed. Macbeth knows what he has done is evil and is worried by the fact that he couldn’t say Amen â€Å"Listening their fear, I could not say `Amen.'† Macbeth then goes on to say â€Å"sleep no more!† this tells the audience that he is worried everything will change now and that he wont be able to sleep properly again. His behaviour has completely changed from the start of the play where he is considered a â€Å"brave warrior† he is now weak and down and out and this is put across very well by Shakespeare. His state of mind has now changed again after carrying the murder out. Before the murder he was as ready as Lady Macbeth but know his conscience has got on top of him again and we see that he is feeling discomfort. Shakespeare uses more imagery as he says â€Å"great natures second course† this is referring to natures other form (either spending time walking or sleeping) and is the meat of the meal (meaning the second course of a meal) another time in the play where Macbeth reflects on what he has lost or might have lost is in Act 5 scene 3 where he is nervous and slightly concerned but he thinks he is untouchable and is over confident. He is approaching his death here and realises that he is going to die, he can’t do anything, and he says â€Å"hang everyone that talks of fear.† He puts on his armour early, as this is where Macbeth feels safest, where he started his career, we see here that his state of mind has changed again, it has got stronger as his wife’s mind has got weaker, there roles have completely reversed from the beginning of the play. In the same sentence he asks about Lady Macbeth. The doctor says she has got to cure herself, the doctor implies that she needs to go to confession. Here we see him losing his wife and his life and this relates back to Act 2 scene 2. At this point in the play Shakespeare is revealing that Macbeth and Lady Macbeths relationship is very unstable as Lady Macbeth is trying to relieve Macbeth of his guilt. As Macbeth has committed a worse murder as he has killed a king which is called deicide. Act 4 scene 1 opens â€Å"a desolate place near Forres In the middle, a boiling cauldron. Thunder. Enter the three witches† this is a very powerful opening by Shakespeare as it describes the setting of the scene, the â€Å"boiling cauldron† symbolises the burning fires of hell and also that there is trouble brewing,this shows the tension of Macbeths skin. It shows his strange and repulsive thoughts like in the cauldron, and this may be a symbol for Macbeth that this will be where he goes. Also Shakespeare has split the word â€Å"thunder† from â€Å"lightning† this relates to Macbeths and Lady Macbeths relationship being detached and separated. The whole sentence creates an eerie atmosphere. This atmosphere symbolises Macbeths mind at this point as it is mysterious and frightening. The witches refer to Macbeth as â€Å"Something wicked† In conclusion we see that Macbeths mind has changed dramatically throughout the play, at first we see him feeling insecure and after the murder we see him still edgy and jumpy. But when we get further through the play we see his state of mind changes as he feels untouchable but he still feels on edge as in Act 5 scene3 we see him try to comfort himself by repeating the witches’ prophecies as he is told of the approaching armies. At the end of the play we see Macbeth as an evil character, but this isn’t the same at the start, where we see him as more of a hero.

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Sociology Families in a Global Perspective - Essay Example With the distribution of wealth in significantly different ratios across the nation, the family unit within the U.S. maintains different issues, stemming from economic and social circumstances, which directly influence family-related principles. India, a much less Westernized country, faces widespread poverty and dramatic chasms between social classes, despite its rapid growth in industry and radical social change. Indian culture maintains significantly different beliefs than that of United States families, created by economic circumstances and years of cultural values. Indian citizens, based on social status and financial realities, show marked contrast to their Western counterparts. All of these factors will be explored within this project. The United States, and its highly capitalistic economic system, creates an environment where many families tend to be more career-focused, with stern emphasis placed on the quality of higher-level education. However, the level to which education is actively stressed by parents to their children is radically different based on social class. The U.S. maintains a very wide division of classes, consisting of the significantly wealthy, upper middle class, middle class, and the lower working class. Upper middle class citizens, as one example, reflect the majority of this group as being holders of Bachelors and post-graduate degrees in high paying professional fields (Henslin, 2003). The lower working class, in opposite respect, represents the majority of U.S. blue collar workers, who rear their children with little emphasis on career-building. This group is more dominant toward their children, often using physical punishment to ensure child obedience (Henslin). This emphasis on obedience and rigorous punishment is often driven by the fact that blue-collar workers tend to work under controlling managerial environments, which is a mentality passed

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Petty v. Metropolitan Gov't of Nashville & Davidson County Research Paper

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Natural Disasters and Their Effect on the Macro Economy Essay Example for Free

Natural Disasters and Their Effect on the Macro Economy Essay Natural Disasters can have both a positive and negative impact on the local, national and the global economy. However it is rare, but not out of the question, to see the positive impact it may have on an economy. For instance, when disaster struck in Haiti from the 7. 3 magnitude earthquake in 2010, between 200,000-250,000 people were killed. That is 2 percent of the total Haitian population of only 10 million. Comparatively New York City alone totals nearly as much as the entire population of Haiti with about 8. 2 million people (U. S. Census Bureau, 2010). The Inter-American Development Bank estimated that it cost 8.5 billion dollars in damage to Haitis economy. The earthquake caused the countrys gross domestic product (GDP) to contract 5. 1 percent that year. Considering that Haiti’s economy only produced 12 billion dollars in 2008, 8. 5 billion dollars is a huge deficit to the overall production and functionality of their economic and social growth. That is less than a tenth of a percent of U. S. GDP of 14 trillion dollars, but Haiti’s GDP per capita is only 1,300 dollars compared to over 40,000 dollars per person in the U. S. (CIA. gov). With all of this said, Haiti brought in nearly fifteen billion dollars through donations. So although there was catastrophic and disastrous losses to both the social and economic stimulus, on donations alone, Haiti was able to receive three billion dollars more than even their best year in 2008 with only twelve billion dollars. Proposing a theoretical situation, if an earthquake destroyed capital stock but left the labor force intact, the real rental price of capital would increase. The real rental price equals the marginal product of capital and having less capital stock available raises the marginal product of capital and therefore, raises its real rental price. This situation would also make the labor force larger in relation to available capital. Since this would lead to a declining marginal product of labor as workers have less equipment to use, the real wage would decrease as well. Due to rising world population, climate change, and environmental degradation, natural disasters are increasing in frequency. They are also becoming costlier and deadlier, according to Swiss Re, a reinsurance company; the U. S. suffered a cost of 145 billion dollars in 2004, which was up from 65 billion dollars in 2003. In 2009, natural disasters cost insurers about 110 billion dollars. In 2010, the cost was double that, at 218 billion dollars. So as you can see, in the past 10 years there have been jumps nearly doubling the cost that a country suffers to natural disasters from year to year. According to the World Bank, there are several factors that affect a country’s vulnerability to natural disasters: its geographic size, the type of disaster, the strength and structure of its economy, and prevailing socioeconomic conditions. In a globalized economy, all these factors, as well as others, also play into how the world’s finances will be affected. A common belief is that short-term economic hits after a disaster, even those as large as this year’s earthquake and tsunami in Japan or Hurricane Katrina in the U. S. in 2005 are more than offset by the reconstruction boom that follows. However this is only in countries that are large and rich enough to have short-term stabilization to the immediate economic hit. The nature of the disaster and the size of the victim count in an economy are key when determining whether or not natural disasters have a negative impact on macroeconomic growth. So in a country such as Haiti and their disastrous earthquake, although a lot of money was pumped into the economy in order to help in the rebuilding, that does not do much when they are still in need of the proper man power that can produce new development or ideas for rebuilding the structures that were destroyed. Incidences of natural disasters have increased by 30 percent since the 1960s, and risk-modeling companies have raised the likelihood of a Katrina-like event happening once every 20 years, rather than once every 40 years (SKOUFIAS, 2003). Because of the possibility of large natural disasters happening more often as well as more frequent smaller natural disasters occurring, how will the economy be affected? Especially if before the reconstruction both socially and economically is finished from the original disaster, another strikes in the same area. Another problem that is faced with economic downfalls due to natural disasters is how other countries may view the stability of that country. For example, 75 percent of Haiti’s national income came through the export of retail apparel to the United States. If Haiti were to have any kind of smaller disasters before they can properly rebuild their economic and working communities, then other countries will only see them as a reoccurring high-risk investment and will no longer look to invest in Haiti, only deepening their turmoil from an economic stand point. Droughts cannot be forgotten either. 2010 set records as the hottest year in one of the hottest decades in history. Climate change, exacerbated by the effects of El Nino, sparked off a series of global heat waves. In Pakistan, temperatures rose to 128. 3 degrees Fahrenheit on May 26, the highest temperature seen in Asia. Russia was plagued by a series of wildfires, destroying crops and woodland, and blanketing cities in smog. People across Europe had to be hospitalized for heat strokes and dehydration as air-conditioning failed to bring relief. Asia had one of the most severe droughts across the globe. The drought caused an estimated 3. 5 million dollars in immediate damage, both to agriculture and to the country’s hydroelectric sector. There are also other uncounted losses, but still very real costs from the drought: a drought can lower the overall productivity of land due to erosion and topsoil loss. It can reduce the numbers in livestock herds, which most of Asia relies on for everyday living needs as well as economic income. Before the end of the summer, the death toll would rise into the thousands. 15 million people were evacuated, and over a million homes destroyed. Nearly 34 million acres of crops were affected by floodwaters, with at least two million completely destroyed. By August, direct damage from the floods was estimated at $41 billion. This is something that affected the worldwide agricultural need and demand (PreventionWeb, 2010). Proving the destructive power of natural disasters, even in highly developed nations, Hurricane Katrina crushed the gulf coast. Just east of the Bahamas on August 24, 2005 a small, unlikely tropical depression intensified into a tropical storm which was given the name Katrina. This storm slowly made its way to Florida’s southern coast on the 25th where most experts believed the storm would dissipate. Unfortunately, Katrina’s path took it over the everglades allowing it to maintain its category 1 standing that it had acquired before it first made landfall, then entered the Gulf of Mexico. The warm waters of the Gulf fostered the rapid development of Katrina (Kempler 2010). The above image shows Hurricane Katrina at the height of her power. Estimates had Katrina making landfall as a category 4, but thankfully it weakened a bit and before it rolled in as a strong category 3. Katrina became been responsible for an estimated 1,800 deaths, as well as 100 billion dollars total in damages, of which about 60percent were uninsured losses. Some economists would put the total economic loss at around 250 Billion dollars (Amadeo 2011). That made Katrina the most destructive natural disaster ever to hit the United States. With all of Katrina’s destruction, the short term effects on the economy were very evident. Only one year after the disaster the United States, the economy was back to normal. In the first three quarters of 2006 the United States had GDP growth of 5. 6 percent, some of the most rapid growth in recent years (Herman 2006). Even though the nation as a whole made a quick economic recovery after Katrina, locations that were struck directly, like New Orleans, did not make the turnaround quite as rapidly as hoped. The first few months after Katrina the United States economy went into a downward trend. The GDP growth rate dropped from the 4. 2 percent that it had experienced in the first three quarters to 1. 8 percent in the last quarter of 2005. The reason for this impact goes beyond the destruction of property and the primary economic concern; the loss of goods and production capabilities (Herman 2006). Perhaps the most important resource that the gulf region produces is oil. The gulf makes up about 30 percent of America’s oil production and distribution. The effects of Katrina resulted in the destruction of 113 offshore platforms, and nearly 500 oil and gas pipelines (Amadeo 2011). The loss of this production led to a drastic increase in gas prices soaring to over 4 dollars per gallon. This drastic rise in prices created a panic, and people rushed to the gas stations to fill up before prices rose again, creating massive lines and much talk about the gloomy forecast of economic woes come. The only positive result from the increasing gas prices was when the Federal government opened the strategic petrollium reserves. This increase in gasoline prices surprisingly did not have as much of an impact as speculators feared, other than people’s outlook on the situation. There were some effects.mthough mostly food price centered. The three main goods that saw a notable impact were the prices of bananas, rice and sugar (Leibtag 2006). The primary reason for the increase in the rice and sugar prices is because the Louisiana Mississippi area is responsible for 85 percent of the sugar cane production, and 14 percent of the rice production in the United States (Leibtag 2006). The drastic loss in production from that area was softened by short-run increases in the other producers of those crops. This ability to increase short-run production is a factor that contributes to the resiliancy of free-market economies. Though the nationwide effects were not all that staggering, the effects in New Orleans the months following Katrina were devastating. With 80 percent of the city flooded, hundreds of thousands of people were forced to flee the city of New Orleans, many never to return again (Blackburn 2010). This drastic loss in population coupled with the destruction of approximately 200,000 homes and businesses led New Orleans and the surrounding areas into a dire economic situation. In the first few months after Katrina, Louisiana lost 12 percent of the state’s 214,000 jobs (Herman 2006). One result of the loss of jobs was a drastic raise in mortgage delinquancy rates (Herman 2006). This inability to pay is more than likely a contributing factor to the very low rate of return from people who were forced to evacuate their homes by Katrina. Those that did find the resolve to return to stay were in a desperate situation. New Orleans, whose primary industry is tourism, suffered great losses after the storm. They desperately needed to be able to find a way to bring back the American and foreign tourist in order to fuel the creation for more jobs. The drop in tourism is best reflected by the attendance rates in New Orleans famous Mardi-Gras and Jazz Festivals. Both events had roughly a 30 percent drop in attendance from previous years (A year after Katrina, New Orleans desperately seeking tourists 2006). Part of the reason for the delay in the return of the tourism industry is the mass clean-up that had to take place first. Before anyone could return and maintain normal operations, there was still 118 million cubic yards of debris to be cleaned up.(Amadeo 2011) Thanks to efforts by FEMA, the Red Cross and many church ministries across the country, there was much help to be found. However, despite the efforts of all these groups, New Orleans a year after the incident was still working its way very slowly towards full recovery. With the aid that had come into the city, organizations were able to rebuild infrastructure and make great improvements to both education and government. In fact, post Katrina New Orleans has experienced steady growth in almost every way, including education levels, over the last 6 years as shown by the chart below Though it took about a year for it the effects to show and recovery to really make a strong step forward, the relief money that came into New Orleans and the other areas affected by Hurricane Katrina did what the nation was hoping it would; help restore one of Americas cultural and industrial centers. The economic turnaround in New Orleans shows how an initial investment in the form of government aid, insurance claims, and private donations can improve the economy of an area affected by a natural disaster. If this idea can hold to be true with the most costly natural disaster in American history, it should work with other costly natural disasters as well. Though maybe part of New Orleans success lay in the restructuring of their government and school systems in addition to the monetary support. Though the economy of the areas affected improve without bringing down the rest of the nation’s economy, suffering this type of event might not prove to be true in countries with weaker economies. Also, if a disaster like this was to hit a city like Los Angelas or New York, like Irene almost did, it is still speculator to say if there would be similar results. One thing can be said for certain, America’s ability to maintain long term economic growth despite short term impacts, like Katrina shows the resiliency of America as an economic super-power. Other economic super powers, like Japan, are trying to find this same formula for economic recovery. In the case of Japan’s 9.0 magnitude earthquake on March 11, 2011, the loss of clean water, electricity, infrastructure, production lines, financial institutions, and more than 15,000 lives caused what the Prime Minister of Japan called the â€Å"The most difficult crisis for Japan† since World War II. However difficult it has been, people have been recovering from the loss of loved ones, injury, and the general trauma of the disaster. Perhaps the greatest and most uncertain long term effects brewing are the econ omic impacts on the world market. Many large industries and economic functions have been hurt, causing price inflation in those industries throughout the world. Since March 11, 2011, nations around the world have had to adjust their consumption in accordance with the loss of production in Japan. Several car companies, such as Toyota and Honda, had their production of car parts slowed, and electronics producers experienced the same effects (Syed, 2011). This has been felt worldwide. For example, Toshiba, who produces roughly 30 percent of the world’s computer chips that store data in smart phones, cameras, and laptops, closed down several factories due to economic losses and physical damages. Events like this are what caused the average price of a chip with eight gigabytes of memory to rise from 7. 30 dollars to around 10 dollars just three days after the earthquake and tsunami struck (Helft, 2011). Obviously, the price of computer chips is not the only price that has risen. Because computer chips are more expensive, new phones, laptops, televisions, cars, cameras, electronic billboards, and complex machinery will have a rise in price to cover the cost of parts and production. This effect will be felt for months, and maybe even years in an already instable world economy. Many of these products are produced in Japan; the world export market has been greatly affected because of that. Japan’s exports have decreased, causing increased economic uncertainty. The macroeconomic result of this is that investors tend to pull away from the increasing risk of pumping money into Japan and look for safer and smarter industries and nations to try to grow their profits (Kihara, 2011). One of the most fascinating things about today’s economy is that everything is so globally connected. Because of this and the slow in Japanese exports, the United States level of consumption of Japanese goods dove 3.4 percent following the earthquake (Guardian. uk, 2011). If this trend continued throughout the year, then the Japanese economy would have lost 4. 2 billion dollars from 2010 levels of United States consumption alone (State. gov, 2011). The disaster and surrounding effects not only caused a decrease of funds going into Japan, but the economic instability caused by the earthquake was devastating in its timing. Japanese and other Asian stock markets plunged as the news of the disaster spread, and this is coming on the heels of the U. S.stock market falling nearly 2 percent the date before. Not only that, but the earthquake caused struggling European stocks to fall to three month lows (CBSnews. com 2011). This goes to show that natural disasters can cause a myriad of negative factors in an economy, and that a spike in uncertainty can be one of the most demoralizing. That uncertainty does not just surface in the stock markets, but also in global financing. The Japanese currency, the Yen, had a significant surge the day after the massive earthq uake struck (Bloomberg. com, 2011). This is said to be credited to the immediate cleanup, repair, and reconstruction needs that Japan incurred following the damages. The long-term effects of the boost in the value of the Yen are still unknown, but it has made the Yen rise in demand in recent months, despite fluctuations since the initial rise in trading worth (Bernard, 2011). The Yen is currently becoming stable once again, eight months after its spike in March then fall in April. Japan has done well in its recovery considering that the Yen hit recent year record lows in April. This graph shows the trading value of the Yen in the past year (Forexblog.org, 2011). The value of the Yen is not the only financial issue at stake. Japan is one of the major foreign holders of U. S. government and corporation debt. With Japan’s Debt-to-GDP ratio at 200 percent, and massive amounts of government spending looming in the rebuilding of the thousands of buildings and roadways lost, Japan is in great need of more money (CIA. g ov, 2010). Because of this, the current interest rates that U. S. corporations are paying on their international loans could increase in an effort to generate more revenue in Japan (Nanto, 2011). In turn, corporations would not be able to borrow as much money for new capital investment, thus hurting the consumption and job creation in the United States at a time when jobs are greatly needed with unemployment rates near nine percent (BLS. gov, 2011). Jobs are a big issue in Japan too. With many of the more than 15,000 killed and nearly 6,000 injured people being a part of the Japanese work force, and tons of cleanup and construction to be done, companies and the government have had to hire thousands of new workers to satisfy the demand for work (Japanese National Police Agency, 2011). After a brief climb in unemployment because of the direct aftermath of the earthquake, numbers dropped to a recent history record low of 4. 1 percent (Tradingeconomics. com, 2011). Once organization was restored, Japan began to utilize its workforce to combat the challenge of rebuilding cities. It is perhaps a gruesome yet effective means of increasing job demand in a nation when its economy was unsettlingly devastated. Since the record drop in unemployment, Japan has had what could be considered a â€Å"Recovery boom. On November 14, 2011, a news article stated: Gross domestic product grew at an annualized 6 percent in the three months ending Sept. 30, the fastest pace in 1 1/2- years, the Cabinet Office said today in Tokyo. At 543 trillion yen ($7 trillion), economic output was back to levels seen before the March 11 earthquake, the report showed. Japan’s return to growth after three quarters of contraction was driven by companies including Toyota Motor Corp. making up for lost output from the disaster. A sustained rebound will depend on how much reconstruction demand can offset a slowdown in global growth as Europe’s debt crisis damps global confidence and an appreciating yen erodes profits (Sharp, 2011). The fact the Japan is now back to its pre-earthquake GDP level is remarkable. It initiates again the idea of what is known to economists as â€Å"The Broken Window Fallacy. † The theory is that an economy can create jobs and achieve higher employment levels though the destruction of the current goods that exist. However, the destruction comes at a cost of replacement that, in the end, is not going to create a net gain, but will instead create a loss or â€Å"quick-fix† break even because businesses will be stimulated, but run less efficiently in the long run. Only time will tell if Japan’s growth over the last few months is simply a rebound or if the disaster caused a rethinking of how things should be done and built, therefore creating a more efficient, productive Japanese economy. Economists will be watching closely to spot trends. Another disaster that could have the same categories of effects on a much smaller scale is Hurricane Irene. The northeastern U. S. experienced the worst flooding since the existence of many towns and buildings of the region. Since only three months have passed since Irene made landfall on the New England area on August 28, 2011, the long term impact of the estimated 45 billion dollars in losses are still speculative (Morici, 2011). Given the current status of the American economy, any damages of the storm are probably being felt most nationwide right now, if compared to the time table of Japan’s economic fall and rise with respect to the earthquake in March. The U. S. may see a slight drop in unemployment and a rise in capital investment as part of the restoration of Irene’s damages, but most likely, no real growth will come out of it. However, the increase in consumption in order to rebuild the damaged parts of the northeast may spark a rise in consumer confidence, and that is what America desperately needs. A natural disaster in a third world country might bring in more money in aid than that country’s economy could have ever produced on its own, making a very positive economic impact. But, as far as the number go, in a developed nation like the United States or Japan, natural disasters cause little more than a large scale broken window fallacy case study. A hurricane, earthquake, or other disaster can bring forth events that build intangible benefits such as consumer confidence, improved organization of infrastructure, or more efficient ideas, but most real development and confidence comes from ingenuity, not devastation. However, it is hard to argue against the fact that necessity is the mother of invention, or in this case, restructured success. Works Cited

Justification of a Business Plan for Hotel

Justification of a Business Plan for Hotel The Justification of a Business Plan for Rebeccas Hotel Introduction The significance of business plans in all types and sizes of business organizations can never be threaten. The entrepreneurial inquiry puts the entrepreneurs in situations that require judgment. Hence, the need and identification of an approach to address these situations arise (Foss, Foss Klein, 2006, p. 4-5). Such as the justification for business plans as one of the approaches to address business problems, particularly in the event of uncertainties. The use of a business plan is one such approach as it is defined as a formal declaration of what the business wants to achieve. During uncertainties entrepreneurs should find tools to manage them (Sull, 2004, par. 2). Guinipero, Denslow, and Melton (2008) indicated that high propensity risks increase the formality of business plans. A business plan allows the anticipation of risks and improbabilities. A carefully formulated business plan should be able to communicate to stakeholders about the intended direction of the company. Through this, stakeholders should be guided with an understanding of the business situation and subsequently enable them to execute appropriate actions (Honig and Karlson, 2004, p. 30-35). To protect their interests in the business, stakeholders can be guaranteed with action in expectation of favourable business outcomes. The justification for a business plan appears to raise the significance for business successions as they posture challenges. The transition of managerial control frequently simply do not work out (Dalpiaz, Tracey Phillips, 2014, p. 3). Since this paper is based on the succession of a family business, the case study about Rebeccas family business provides insight into the important of business plans even for a small family-run hotel. This paper shall explain the importance of a business plan for Rebeccas case and consequently convince her to undertake the preparation of a business plan. Her case shall be interpret considering the mitigating factors as to why the business plan is necessary. The mitigating factors The retirement of Rebeccas parents had generally prompt the need for a business plan. Nonetheless, the presenting scenario also questions its practicality as their business is started out by her parents, has possibly overcome various business challenges, and is still currently operating, all without a business plan. The need for a business plan is followed by these conditions. Beyond these circumstances, Rebeccas succession to manage the business also presents potential threats. Though Rebeccas work as a kitchen assistant and junior cook despite having those knowledge is useful for the business since the hotel includes a restaurant, but the operation and management of a bar and hotel would require competencies which may not be sufficiently provided by her short time because she went backpacking travel in South-East Asia. Additionally, a three-year backpack travel exposure may not be suitable for Rebecca to develop an understanding of the tourism industry in their locale since the act ivities and opportunities presented in the different locations can be varied. It is important to note the difference in the tourism needs and activities of a travel destination such as the marina compared to the tourism locale Rebecca visited in her three-year adventure. On the other hand, as part of the family, she could have obtained insight into the business operations and her parents management style and business practices. Nevertheless, family-run organizations encounter unique problems due to its inherent nature (Peters Buhalis, 2004; Agyapong Boamah, 2013). Supporting literature shall clarify this in the next section. Even though Kerstin is not a part of this family but because of her relations with Rebecca and also because of her competencies and training, she can be possibly consulted about these consequences. Though small businesses are less likely to hire specialists than large corporations (Wu, Bacon, Hoque, 2014, p. 7), by moral of Rebeccas relationship to her, Kirstens expertise might be confess or at least consulted. It is, however, uncertain that her international exposure at work and the level of training would be suitable for a small family-run hotel. The nature of family-run businesses Family businesses rely on paternalism (Peters Buhalis, 2004, p. 537). Successors operate under the path of their parents especially when the founders are still around. Successors may attempt to introduce new systems and approach which may run contradicting to the family tradition when running the business. But the predecessor may not be able to let go or to completely allow the decision making processes and the management of the enterprise under the new relative-manager. The vision and goals of this relative may be inconsistent with how the parents perceive the business. Likewise, Agyapong and Boamah (2013, p. 533) described family-based relatedness in their study, which appears to produce these problems. The dynamics of family relationships may get in the way of business operations. There may be a cause of separation of the family concerns and business matters, conflicts or inefficiency may be occurred in the business. Family-run businesses are also usually characterized by informal business practices. As a result, these enterprises lack planning or the use of a systematic approach to manage the business especially when problematic activity occur. In the family businesses they commonly use improvisation by the family members (Peters Buhalis, 2004, p. 5), which lead to inconsistencies. There are no product or service standardizations or appropriate consistent controls. The informality of the practice arises from the dynamics of the family relationship. This situation is further entangled by another informal business practice which is inaccurate financial recording that results in financial losses (Peters Buhalis, 2004, p. 6). Family members also make their decisions that tend to be irrational since there appears a lack of information to guide them. In addition, misjudgement of performance indicators also occur and consequently affect the quality of future business decisions. This information could be made consistent, reliable, and more permanent when a proper business plan is created. Succession in family businesses Succession in family businesses is considered an interesting area of research. Studies focus on examining the change which aid or hinder the transfer of power to the succeeding generation, family relationships, and the process (Dalpiaz, Tracey Phillips, 2014, p. 6). A more outstanding evaluation from the studies is the causation approach which indicates that family businesses evolve linearly. In a statistical perspective, the continuity of the family business is related to certain variables which indicate the future state of the business. In the causation approach, a set of goals is identified as one of the factors in which family businesses are described to be established on. However, the goals are recognised to lack systematic process due to the informal nature of family enterprises. Nevertheless, planning, among the other components such as intentionality and resource acquisition, are essential foundations of this approach. Therefore, the continuity of the family business relies on the continuity of establishing plans. However, this time for Rebecca, a conscious formulation and systematic approach for business planning must be used. A few studies shows the reasons why business plans become critically important for family-operated businesses. The studies of Peters and Buhalis (2004) and Agyapong and Boamah (2013) provide important insights into these types of business ownership, particularly in the hotel industry. Both types of research emphasize the need for competitiveness in the industry. Peters and Buhalis (2004) claimed that the competitiveness of destinations is characterized by the domination of small businesses in the tourism and hospitality industry, as such in the case of Austria, the studys research locale. The operations of 240 small family businesses in Austrias tourism destination industry were part of the study in 2003. Research findings suggested that training is an essential element to run family businesses. In addition, a key component of this training includes the development of plans, strategies and the development of conceptualisation of new products or services among other important areas of running the family hotel business. These specific areas are being pick to emphasize the important role of business plans in the small enterprise. This research further indicate the need to develop strategic plans, both as a competitive strategy and advantage for the small family hotels. Growth and future sustainability are indicated to be the likely outcomes when strategic plans are created and then implemented. Meanwhile, Agyapong and Boamah (2013) conduct in their research the effects of business strategies and leadership in family businesses. Family hotel businesses in Ghana were the focus of this study, covering 50 small hotels in the country. The vital findings relevant to this paper is that the use of strategies, which may be provided by business plans, offer the family business the ability to predict problems, to vision the future, and to maintain flexibility. The business environment in Ghana was described to be highly competitive, and thus, the need for well-thought of strategies enable good business performance to survive in a competitive market situation. Furthermore, the unique characteristics of family businesses can be apply in implementing particular business conditions such as cost leadership and differentiation strategies (Agyapong Boamah, 2013, p. 537). In the case of Ghanas family hotel businesses, competitive strategies were purposeful to provide the assertion of survival of the 50 small hotels. Hence, the advantage of the business plan is to help the family business to be competitive in its formation. Another advantage implied in the studies is that the business plan could help support the inherent characteristics of small family businesses. Considering the scope of these two studies and similar competitive situations, those research indicate a broad-applicable situation for small family-run hotels. Alternative studies illustrate the importance of business plans for entrepreneurs in general. Brinckmann, Grichnik and Kapsa (2010, p. 24) cleverly stated in the title of their study Should entrepreneurs plan or just storm the castle? the quote of whether to create a business plan or not. This analysis study specified that planning is beneficial, although that factors such as culture and the newness of the enterprise affect the planning-performance relationship. Relevant to this, the newness of the enterprise may not be a concern for Rebeccas case, since the business has existed during her parents time. Culture appears to be a critical factor as to refer to the norms, values, and relationships within the family. Since this is identified to affect the planning-performance relationship, the guarantee of success for Rebeccas family business is yet to be determined. Besides, another research, Zahrani, Nikmaram and Latifi (2014, p.245) specified the need for developing a strategic plan, which is especially useful for succession planning. It is important for the successor to have the right outlook about the business plans. Furthermore, according to Aronoff and Ward (2014, p. 2), shared opinion help conquer conflicts within the family organizations. It is believed that since visions are reflections of values, shared visions should also result in more unify outcomes for a family business. Visions and values can be clarify when they are justify out rather than assumed. Identifying and specifying them in a business plan should help in making decisions which link to the family expectations. Conclusion Successions in family-run businesses present potential problems. This is further complicated by the inherent features of family-operated enterprises since they lack planning and is characterized by informality which results in inconsistencies, conflict, and lack of control. Research has provided evidence based on the need to develop strategic plans to ensure the future performance of the business. The planning-performance link support needs for business plans as a family-oriented business culture is identified a plausible barrier to the business success. Business plans offer the business successor a means of continuing the business with the appropriate business outlook one that reflects family vision and values. Furthermore, business plans provide a means for avoiding the consequences arising from the inherited nature of family-run enterprises. Studies specific to the hotel industry have also identified that competitive market environments can be survived by developing strategic pla ns. Presented with the benefits of developing strategies and the analysis of Rebeccas situation, Rebecca should be convinced that a means for her successful succession of the family-run hotel is through the development of a business plan. References Agyapong, A. and Boamah, R. (2013). Business strategies and competitive advantage of family hotel businesses in Ghana: The role of strategic leadership. The Journal of Applied Business Research. Volume 29. Number 2. Accessed at: cluteinstitute.com. (Accessed 15 March 2017). Aronoff, C. and Ward, J. (2016). Family business values: How to assure a legacy of continuity and success. New York: Palgrave and MacMillan. Dalpiaz, E., Tracey, P. and Phillips, N. (2014). Succession narratives in family business: The case of Alessi. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice. Accessed at: https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/bitstream/handle/1810/245758/ETP%20Revision%20Final.pdf?sequence=1isAllowed=y. (Accessed 14 March 2017). Foss, Foss, and Klein, (2006). Original and derived judgment: An entrepreneurial theory of economic organization. Organization Studies. Accessed at: https://brage.bibsys.no/xmlui/bitstream/handle/11250/164282/soldp200601.pdf?sequence=1isAllowed=y. (Accessed 15 March 2017). Guinipero, L., Denslow, D., and Melton, H. (2008). Risk propensity, risk perception and business plan formalization: a conceptual investigation. International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management. Volume 8. Issue 4. Accessed at: http://www.inderscienceonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1504/IJEIM.2008.022312. (Accessed 16 March 2017). Honig, B. and Karlson, T. (2004). Institutional forces and the written business plan. Journal of Management. Vol. 30. Issue 1. 29 48. Accessed at: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Benson_Honig/publication/228264253_Institutional_Forces_and_the_Written_Business_Plan/links/54ae9e6a0cf21670b35862b8.pdf. (Accessed 17 March 2017). Peters, M. and Buhalis, D. (2004). Family hotel businesses: Strategic planning and the need for education and training. Department of Strategy and Tourism Management. Center for Tourism and Service Economics. University of Innsbruck. Accessed at: http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/1109/1/fulltext.pdf. (Accessed 14 March 2017). Sull, (2004). Disciplined entrepreneurship. MIT Sloan Management Review. Accessed at http://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/disciplined-entrepreneurship/. (Accessed 15 March 2017). Wu, N., Bacon, N. and Hoque, K. (2014). The adoption of high performance work practices in small businesses: the influence of markets, business characteristics and HR expertise. The International Journal of Human Resource Management. Accessed at: http://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/26446/1/3876_Wu.pdf. (Accessed 16 March 2017). Zahrani, M. Nikmaram, S. and Latifi, M. (2014). Impact of family business characteristics on succession planning: A case study in Tehran industrial towns. Iranian Journal of Management Studies. Vol. 7. No. 2. 243- 257. Accessed at: https://ijms.ut.ac.ir/article_36616_8ced89c13f3bb574ef88de90a9581858.pdf. (Accessed 14 March 2017).

Love Of Life :: essays research papers

Summary for Love of Life:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Love of life started out on a trail with two men being the characters. In the beginning they started out as tired and weak. Each man had a rifle. They came upon a some boulders and the man in back slipped over one and sprained his ankle. Bill staggered on through the milky waters. Bill was gone now. He looked at his watch and could not tell if it was in the end of July or beginning of August. He was still laying in the stream that lead to the Coppermine River. The man got up and started to proceed towards his destiny. He winced with pain and through the pack over his left shoulder to take the pressure off his injured ankle. He picked his way through muskeg to muskeg, and followed the other footsteps along and across the rocky ledges. He thought he was hilucinating when he saw a ship, and the ocean. Every once and a while he would stop. On his journey he came across some bones, bones that looked as if they were chewed up. His hunger pangs did seem as exquisite anym ore. He saw four newly hatched chicks, and he ate them ravenously, thrusting them alive in his mouth. The chase led him across a swampy ground in the bottom valley and he came across some footsteps, they must be Bill's he thought. He began to feel the hallucinations again when he thought he saw a horse, but what was really a bear. He thought to himself here is meat in front of me, I will throw my knife and kill it. But he went on with a new type of fear, not a fear that he would die from starvation but be violently destroyed. Now and again wolves passed along his path, but sheered clear of him. He came across some bones, the wolves had must of made a kill. Next thing he was squatting in moss, sucking at the shreds of life. In the afternoon of the next couple days he found a track of a man not walkin but dragging on all fours.

Christian Influence in Italian Culture Essay -- Christianity Religion

Christian Influence in Italian Culture Things are not always what they appear to be. When one talks about the influence of religion in a culture, the person must carefully define what they mean by "religion". Many times when things are done in the name of Christianity, there are other factors that shape those events. The Crusades could be considered an object of Christian influence, but most would agree that the bloodshed that took place does not complement the message of that religion. Regardless, despite the gray area that exists when one talks about the influence of a religion, an influence still exists. The evidence of Christianity's influence on a society can be seen almost anywhere. This influence can be seen in obvious ways, such as the number of churches on a block, the general morality of the culture, or the presence of Christian social ministries helping the needy. However, it can also be seen in more subtle ways. It can be seen in individuals who, because of their belief, choose to affect the world around them. Despite the existence of a separation between Church and State in most Western countries, any religion can profoundly impact the society at large whether through massive institutions or fervent individual believers. This situation can be seen in the history of Italy. The center of Christianity's largest denomination in Rome undoubtedly has an immense effect on the nation. The presence of Catholicism has led to profound influences on Italian society. The piety of Francis of Assisi in the 13th Century, the politics of the Christian Democrats party during the 20th Century, and the role the Catholic Church continues to play in the 21st Century demonstrate how Christianity has impacted Italy in various ways ... ...ch, a political party, an individual, or anything else.? Any of those can influence a nation. [1] Holmes, George, Florence, Rome and the Origins of the Renaissance, (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1986), 45. [2] Ibid., 46. [3] Brown, Raphael, The Little Flowers of Saint Francis, (New York: Image Books, 1958), 14. [4] Ibid.,16. [5] Henderson, John, Piety and Charity in Late Medieval Florence, (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1994), 21. [6] Ibid., 21. [7] Ibid., 22. [8] Holmes, Florence, Rome and the Origin of the Renaissance, 47. [9] Ginsborg, Paul, A History of Contemporary Italy: Society and Politics 1943-1988, (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2003), 48. [10] Ibid., 50. [11] Ibid., 121. [12] Ibid., 349. [13] Ibid., 1. [14] ?Italy to push for mention of Christianity is new EU blueprint?, http://www.eubusiness.com/afp/031001190812.llwr1tp1.

First time :: essays research papers

The first time event that I remember best is my first time in Blue Water. It was a life altering event for me, and I am thankful for it. I forgot what the most important thing in life was, and I became a bad person and I did bad things, in turn ended me up in jail. I have to admit it at first I was scared so bad I was sick to my stomach. I remember the thoughts that were going through my head. I kept thinking about all the movies I have seen about jail, that just made it worse, and it really bothered me that I would have to get a strip search.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Once I was there, it had a smell that I could never forget; it was a sterile smell but at the same time grungy. I had to strip in front of a guard. He took my clothes and gave me burgundy shirt and sweat pants. After your search they take you to the doctors to look at you and see if you have any problems. Then a guard will take you to the admission house, it was called Trent House. Trent has 18 hour lock up and half an hour outside time. When you are in that house it has very limited privileges, also it has big, thick metal doors that have huge locks on them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When I walked into the range I was scared, but I was trying to look like I wasn’t. When I got out of my room, I had one guy come up and tell me to fight someone, and told me if I didn’t that him and three other guys would jump me. The way people handle things in there is extremely different then the way people do in society. You have to fight for your respect, and that’s all that counts. I found myself not as afraid once you have some respect. Its not exactly like real jail, people don’t get raped or killed, but in a way it is in the fact fighting solves all problems.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When I was transferred to Georgian House I got that feeling in my stomach again, because Georgian held people that have worse crimes and have been there longer. It was the exact same, fight and people won’t bother you. We showered alone, and we only got a little paper cup of shampoo and a little bar of soap.

Bhavnath Temple Essay

Written Analysis and Communication-I Assignment – I Case Analysis â€Å"Bhavnath Temple† Submitted On: Submitted By: 16-07-2010 Arpit Dangayach Section-A Roll No. 101114 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The problem is government’s dilemma to go with lower or higher reservoir capacity. Government’s objective is to provide economic development. It wants to increase agricultural production and generate higher revenues. Option 1, government can go for lower reservoir capacity. Option 2, government can go for higher reservoir capacity. Option 3, government can go for reduced reservoir capacity. Option 1 would save the temple. Revenues would be earned from agriculture and tourism. In option 2, temple would be submerged but higher production and revenues would be there. In option 3, lower production and revenues would be there but support of the villagers will be beneficial for future expansion. Word Count: 107 MAIN REPORT The case has been set in post independence period of India. It talks about the government’s plans for all-around economic development. In the undivided Bombay province a proposal was put forth by the government to build dams across the rivers Lokmata and Sadmata in the northern part of Gujarat. The dams were to have a capacity of 4700 million cu. ft. of water and facilitate irrigation of 92000 acres of land in 3 districts. The control levels of dams were as mentioned in exhibit 1. However construction of the dams would result in submerging of 10500 acres of land belonging to some 20 villages. Therefore the government also had the task of resettlement of the villagers and providing new sources of livelihood, thus adding direct cost to the cost of constructing the dam. But the government was determined about the feasibility of the project. However the control level of the dams would also lead to submergence of the temple of Bhavnath. This was an old temple which was considered highly sacred and connected with Bhrugu Rishi. Also, the temple attracted many tourists at the annual fair. Due to this reason the Government faced stiff opposition from the villagers. The government agreed to take steps to protect the temple. However the final proposal had some changes made like the new control levels as mentioned in exhibit 2, raised capacity i. . 5700 million cu. ft. But this would lead to complete submergence of the temple and was inevitably met with adamant resistance from the people. Bombay was divided in 1960 and Gujarat was formed. The newly formed government was keenly interested in the dam scheme but the opposition still persisted. PROBLEM The central problem is the government’s dilemma to go with Plan I or Plan II. Plan I: The dam would be c onstructed with control levels as in exhibit 1. The capacity would be 4700 million cu. ft. The revenues generated would be Rs. 15. 83 lakhs annually. The temple would be saved from submergence and provided with an all-weather access. Plan II: The dam would be constructed with control levels as in exhibit 2. The capacity would be 5700 million cu. ft and higher revenues would be generated. The temple would be completely submerged. OBJECTIVES †¢ Economic Development: The government wants to go for all-round economic development and thus provide better future prospects for the nation. †¢ Increase in Irrigation Potential: The government wants to bring more area under irrigation and thus earn higher revenues. Resettlement of Villagers: The government has to shift the villagers to a new location and also provide them with source of livelihood. †¢ Protection of Temple: The government would not want to hurt the religious sentiments of the villagers by submerging the temple and thus affect its vote bank. OPTIONS 1. The government can build the dams with reduced control levels as in exhibit 1. The capacity would be 4700 millio n cu. ft and it would facilitate irrigation of 92900 acres of land. This would help generate revenues of Rs. 15. 83 lakhs annually. 2. The government can build the dams with higher control levels as in exhibit 2. The capacity would be 5700 million cu. ft and thus higher revenue generation. 3. The government can opt for slight reduction in the reservoir capacity i. e. below what was initially proposed. As the villagers realise the potential benefits due to the dam, the government can increase the reservoir capacity by expanding laterally. EVALUATION 1. If the government goes with Option 1, it would be able to protect the temple from submerging. This would also respect the religious sentiments of the villagers. Also, the government would be able to cash in on the revenues generated from the tourists arriving at the temple during the annual fair. The vote bank of the government would also be secured. Also there would be lesser shifting of the villagers required. However the reduced dam capacity would mean lower irrigation potential and lower revenues generated. 2. If the government goes with Option 2, it would be able to increase the irrigation potential and thus generate higher revenues. It would also mean better economic development for the village as well as the nation. However, as it would imply submergence of the temple, there would be stiff resistance from the villagers. The government would also have to face the ire of opposition parties. This would in turn hurt their vote bank. Submergence of the temple would also stop the inflow of the revenues generated through tourism. There would also be additional burden on the government for shifting of the villagers and arranging their source of livelihood. 3. If the government goes with Option 3, they would be saving the temple from submergence. There would also be lesser number of villages getting submerged. This would save the government costs of resettlement of the villagers. As there is sufficient irrigation potential, the government can in future increase the irrigation potential by expanding the reservoir laterally. However revenues generated would be less and so would be agricultural production. ACTION PLAN The government should go with Option 1. The dam would facilitate the irrigation of 92900 acres of land and generate annual revenues of Rs. 15. 83 lakhs. The government would also be able to collect the revenues generated from the tourists visiting the temple. This plan would protect the temple from submergence. As a result the government’s action would be viewed in good faith by the villagers as their religious sentiments would be taken care of. This plan will also help the government to stay in power. It would win them the support from nearby villages too.

Productive and Counterproductive Behaviors Paper

Productive and Counterproductive Behaviors in the Workplace Employees within an organization can either contribute positively or negatively towards their employing organization’s overall success and effectiveness. The organizations that ream the most productive behaviors from their employees typically incorporate motivational and leadership activities that encourage these behaviors (Jex & Britt, 2008). This paper will define counterproductive and productive behaviors and describe the impact those behaviors have on job performance and the overall performance of an organization.Counterproductive Behaviors Logic says that employees should want to do well in their jobs. But despite this logic, some employees do not. For various reasons employees will sometimes perform counterproductively towards their employer’s overall goals. Examples of these types of behaviors are ineffective job performance, frequent absence from work, unsafe behavior, turnover, theft, violence, substan ce abuse, and sexual harassment (Jex & Britt, 2008). These types of behaviors can result in high costs for organizations.Detecting Counterproductive Behavior The best way employers can detect counterproductive behavior among employees is to perform routine performance appraisals. There are several methods for performing appraisals, including electronic, production data, and subjective appraisals. Each of these systems has pros and cons to it, and are only marginally effective (Jex & Britt, 2008). The truly best way to detect counterproductive behavior is to interact with employees and monitor their job satisfaction. What Causes Counterproductive Behavior?An employee who does not perform well in his or her job may do so for reasons like lack of ability, interruptions from other employees, or poor task design (Jex & Britt, 2008). As well, poor job performance may result from elements in the organizational climate that provoke poor attitude, or, much less often, because of deep psychia tric problems (Jex & Britt, 2008). Once an employer detects a counterproductive behavior among his or her workforce he or she must try to pinpoint the cause of the behavior. One way of doing this is through the attribution process, in which the mployee’s supervisor would evaluate an employee’s current performance against his or her past performance, his or her performance on specific tasks versus his or her overall performance, and his or her performance compared to other employees. By doing this the supervisor can try to determine the cause of the ineffective behavior and whether it is being caused by internal (lack of ability or motivation, poor attitude, or psychiatric issues) or external (coworkers, poor task design, or lack of tools) factors (Jex & Britt, 2008). Responding to Counterproductive BehaviorOnce a behavior is detected and the cause of the behavior is analyzed, employers must decide how to respond to the behavior. The best first response is to have the e mployee’s manger discuss the counterproductive behavior with the employee in question (Jex & Britt, 2008) and determine whether the behavior can be corrected in order for the employee to retain his or her position. Once the discussion takes place the manager and employee can decide whether further training or coaching would encourage improved behavior or whether an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) would be beneficial (Jex & Britt, 2008).Of course, organizations would be best off to prevent counterproductive behaviors from occurring at all. This can be done by going to the effort and expense of hiring the right employees, possibly by utilizing the tools of selection programs to analyze potential employees skills and personalities. As well, employers should nurture their employees’ skills and abilities to encourage productive job performance. Finally, they should also offer employees frequent feedback and measurement of their performance to help keep them on track with respect to organizational expectations (Jex & Britt, 2008).Productive Behaviors Despite the fact that some employees do not contribute positively to the organizations they work for, most employees try to perform their jobs to the best of their abilities and even go above and beyond their required duties at times. Examples of productive behaviors include positive job performance, organizational citizenship, creativity, and innovation (Jex & Britt, 2008). Assessing Productive Behaviors Organizational psychologists use various models to assess job performance.These models evaluate in-role (technical aspects of a given job) and extra-role (skills that transcend the specific content of a job such as communication skills and being a team player) performance by employees (Jex & Britt, 2008). These assessments allow managers to recognize productive employees and encourage and motivate them to continue in their efforts. Predictors of Productive Behaviors There are several methods that organi zations can use when recruiting employees to predict whether candidates will contribute positively to their organization.These include general cognitive ability, level of job experience, and the personality trait of conscientiousness (Jex & Britt, 2008). By evaluating these predictors, organizations can save themselves time and money by hiring the right people who will contribute to organizational goals without excess coaching, training, or need for reprimand. The Affects of Counterproductive and Productive Behaviors Clearly an organization will be affected by the employees that support it. Employees that contribute positively will help the organization move towards its goals, and, if innovation and creativity are present, possibly even surpass their goals.On the other hand, employees who work counterproductively within an organization, will cost management time and may require additional effort to be spent on reputation management, recruitment, and training (Jex & Britt, 2008). Org anizations would be best served to recruit employees with the most potential to work productively by analyzing their job experience, personality, and cognitive ability before offering an individual a job.References Jex, S. M. , & Britt, T. W. (2008). . Organizational Psychology. A Scientist-Practitioner Approach, Second Edition. Retrieved from https://ecampus. phoenix. edu/classroom/ic/classroom. aspx.

Reaction Paper to Ethics Essay

Ethos – Characteristic way of acting Ethics’ Greek word is ethos. The ethos of man as man is revealed in the following: He is able to distinguish between good and evil, right or wrong, moral and immoral; he feels within himself an obligation to do what is good and to avoid what is evil; and he feels himself accountable for his actions, expecting reward or punishment for them. In our study, ethos refers to those characteristics belonging to man as a rational being endowed with intellect and free-will. It provides the person with knowledge that he may know what to do and how to do it, thus, ethics provides the guides to the performance of an act. In the topic discussed above, I learned that ethos or ethics is important to us, in able for us to become a noble man or noble woman, we need to know what is good and do it and know what is evil and avoid it. We need ethos in our lives to be aware of the result of each action that we do in our everyday lives, if it will result to a good thing which is represented by rewards or it will result to a bad thing which is then represented by punishments or consequences. In our childhood days, we intend to copy the ones who are bigger and older than us, thinking that what they are doing is always right, so we do what they do, because we don’t know how to act yet, we don’t know what is good for us or bad for us back then. Now we’ve grown up and became knowledgeable about what is good and what is evil, but in each day of our everyday life, sometimes forgot that what we have been doing is wrong but seems to be right for us, like lying for the benefit of ourselves to keep us safe from being scolded by our parents, cheating during the quizzes, drinking with our peer groups or circle of friends and a lot more. What I’ve learned in ethics is the ethos: that we are accountable for all our actions and we have an obligation to do things right for us to be able to attain the good life. It gives us awareness for the things we must do and the things we must avoid. We’re not a child anymore, so we know what is good and what is evil, but sometimes, even we know it is bad, we are forced by our own desire to try it. Our curiosity leads us to try things done by common people in our society, then later, we find it good, but deep inside, we feel it is wrong. â€Å"But they did it, so I did it so†, that was the  common alibi. Now, I know that what we’ve done is wrong and we are now expecting punishment for the things we have done. We are now aware and will try to not to do it again. We would not depend on the activity of other people to be our activity too, but rather, we would have a basis in every act that we do, thinking first if it would be good or right for us, or bad f or us. Gerson R. MonteserGeneral Ethics BSIT-CPT IIReaction to Chapter 2 Man must strive for happiness What makes a man happy? Is it riches? Is it gadgets and gizmos? Is it fame? Or is it freedom? So what does make a man happy? I believe that man is a non-contented being, even he said, this is enough, but deep inside of him, he needs more. Man is in a continuous search of things that would make them happy for a long period of time. When a man has this desire to gain an object or an experience that he really loves to have, he will strive for it, he will work for it, and he will do anything to get it. He will set his desire as his goal in life, and he will commit to have it whatever it takes, which is said to be the highest commitment. But, when he achieved his goal in life, he will search for something to have again, and this would result to a never ending desire while he is still here in the earth. Now, the Enlightened One, Gautama Buddha states that man must strive for happiness but happiness can not be attained in this world for it is a state of peace. So, the happiness can be attained by having peace? Is that right? Maybe yes, because Gautama Buddha looks happy and at peace in his monuments, statues, and pictures. So, we have to be in peace in order to achieve true happiness. But how can we achieve peace? In my opinion, you should be contended in material things, and start to be at peace by not worrying for problems that come to our life, instead, be thankful because God gave us another day to live. Problems would never remain a problem, it will just pass in our life like that we are in and obstacle course, and the problems are the obstacle that will add difficulties in our way to success. So, to be at peace, one must be relaxed and just think a problem as a part of life that will make a man stronger than before. If we don’t have problems in  life, we would become a lazy couch potato, we will never do anything because there is nothing to be worried about, so, it’s like we are just the animals here in the earth that doesn’t have any problems. In this lesson, I learned that we must strive for our happiness, and by all means, we must strive to have peace. Some ideas came in thought that Gautama Buddha said happiness is not here on earth, so where can we find happiness? So, this thing comes to my mind, that we can attain true happiness when we are dead. Funny, but it makes sense, because Gautama Buddha added that it is in the states of peace, the happiness must have in the state of peace, and that peace would be when a person is dead, you know, because he would be now rest in peace, funny right? I didn’t know too, so I’m just drawing my own conclusions. Don’t judge me. Well, that’s all. Gerson R. MonteserGeneral Ethics BSIT-CPT IIReaction to Chapter 3 Man does not act without any motive or objective in view I have watched in the television a various number of news about burglary, kidnapping, sexual harassment, rape and slay, illegal drug selling, murder and etc, but the common thing a policeman always try to find out is their motive in doing this so. Motive is the reason why a man does act, and without motive, he has no reason to do the act. In our lesson, this chapter discusses about man and his ends. The definition of an end is both termination and goal of activity. It is that which completes or finishes a thing, and it is that for which the thing is finished. By an end, therefore, we mean the end of an activity or what we call end is the purpose or goal of an act. The only way to give meaning to human existence is to have a goal, the very reason for being and existence. Very well said, the above states all the things that define the man and his end, so what does will it to do with the topic motive? As in my opinion, motive would add to the man’s end, in his will to finish his end, he has to have a motive in doing it, so that, the motive will push his mind to achieve the activity he is trying to end. In my own understanding, activities involving the act of achieving the end is like a man trying to achieve his goal; the reason he work, or the reason he continuous to live is because of his goal that must be achieved to meet  his end. Now, for him to achieve his goal and to meet his end, he must have a great motive or a big reason for all his why’s: why he needs it, why he wants it, and why he must have it. If a person is motivated, and he and his will agrees on that motive, he would be a fierce person, so much eager to achieve something he loves, that no other people could hinder him from achieving his goals, and no one could ever put out the fire that is inside of him that pushes him and making him an indestructible man because nothing stops his way to his end. There was a person here in the earth that demonstrate this kind of motivation and that is Steve Jobs. His doctor said that he would just live in a few weeks because of his severe disease. The doctor added that Steve Jobs must do everything he wants to do before he died. So, Steve Jobs spend all his time in developing apple gadget and his motive is undisputable that he wants to develop a good apple gadget that will be known in the whole wide world. Not knowingly, Steve Jobs live more than the doctor said and he saw how the result he worked hard for and that moment, he accomplished his goal in life, he met his end – the fruit of his motivation. So, that’s what motives do, it pushes someone to do something even it is beyond his abilities. Gerson R. MonteserGeneral Ethics BSIT-CPT IIReaction to Chapter 4 Ignorance – negation of knowledge The absence of intellectual knowledge in man is what we called ignorance. It also means the presence of what is falsely supposed to be knowledge. In my own understanding, it’s the rejection of man to the truth because he doesn’t know what the truth is. Like for example, people becomes ignorant when they feel that they are stupid because other person teach them how to do something. They rejects the knowledge being taught to them, thus, they became ignorant. Ignorant people are proud people, who thinks they are wise but actually they are fool. They seems to be smart in their own ways, neglecting the view of others, they only Lack of education results in ignorance and ignorance finally leads to living in a limited world. People who don’t want to be taught and relies only on what he knows or depends only on their own belief are ignorant. They will defend what they know and will say that it is right even if, in the eyes of others, it is wrong. Thus ignorance is the curse for human beings. They are great hindrances on the path of progress. To achieve the optimum goal, spread of education is must. Without it people are cut off from useful information. Only education can remove the ignorance. After all, education does not hurt but ignorance does. What I’ve learned was that because of ignorance, people kept neglecting the true knowledge they must have, and because of their ignorant thinking, they don’t have any progress at all, their learning is still small and not growing because of their way of thinking that their knowledge is enough and they keep claiming that they know everything and they do not need any teachings from professionals, thus making them a fool of themselves. People in that thinking are boastful and full of pride, always boasting that they know things, pretending to be a professional in every field but they don’t have any basis to prove their statements, they only depend on their own understanding not consulting any other person insights and view. People in the present time is in this situation and the only thing that would be able to put it aside is by means of themselves realizing that their thought and way of thinking is stupidity and nonsense. This could be done by asking him to act what he says to prove if it is true, for if his experience is his best teacher that would teach him the true knowledge about this world. As far as I know, ignorance would not refer only to people with unawareness to knowledge but also people with awareness to knowledge but keep neglecting it. In my conclusion, ignorance could only mean the refusal of a person to knowledge that surely would result to lack of improvement and personal development. Gerson R. MonteserGeneral Ethics BSIT-CPT IIReaction to Chapter 5 Good act may become evil†¦ This caught my attention while I’m reading my module in ethics. I never taught that a good act may become evil, but there is a follow-up phrase, by reason of circumstances. So, a good act may become evil by reason of circumstances and by circumstances we mean, the situation in the present time. As far as I know, this is always been done by people who doesn’t have enough awareness in a particular area he or she currently stay. This good  act that may become evil could be considered as an extrinsic act where the act which is in itself is not evil but is now evil on account of something. I thoroughly searched how a good act may become an evil act and I found out that it becomes evil when you feel you do something good and you are proud of it but in the other side, you’ve just broken a law without further notice. For instance, you saw street children in the sidewalk in Manila, and then, due to your compassionate heart, you gave them coins as your alms to him and you feel great about it. It is good to your side, but it is bad for the community, because you have no assurance that the money you’ve just gave would be spent for food. You gave alms to make you feel better from the pity in your heart; your money, although given with good intentions, just might encourage children to commit crime and make their parents lazy. Children should not beg, they should be in school studying, be with their parents who would take care for them. If you truly wish to do good, you shouldn’t give alms, you should take these children to a good institution that would take care of them, to nurture them and to change their lifestyle. Most of us feel great whenever we encounter these situations, helping others, but some of us are doing this to be known and their hearts are with pride. The true essence of giving is that you never boast to what you did, hence, you give secretly and helping others anonymously. You don’t take credits to what you’ve done because it is a part of your life, to help others, not like those politicians and other government officials that whenever they do projects in helping people, they always put their large name with it stating that it was there project, for the purpose that the people would know that they are good. I learned that not all good are really good; sometimes it becomes bad depending on the circumstances.