Miranda Lambert Essay

Although most will probably say someone close to them is inspiring, like their mother, grandmother, sister. In my opinion, they are your family, and you will always love and be inspired by them. Therefore I decided to write this on how a singer is inspiring to me. Her name is Miranda Lambert. Almost none of my friends have even heard of her. I guess because maybe she’s a country singer and they don’t really like country music? Who knows, but she is quite an amazing person. She grew up in a small town in Texas. â€Å"Not having money toughened me up a bit, but I’ll always be grateful. Texas people are really strong in their roots. I started writing and playing guitar at 17. I’ve always loved music, and my dad is a singer-songwriter. † Miranda once said. She was influenced personally by her father to take an interest in music. Her music is wonderful, and she has a beautiful voice. She writes almost all of her own songs, and they are full of meaning. For example a hit song of hers, ‘Gunpowder and Lead’, is about women and how they should not take any shit from any one, let alone a man who hits them. I’m even sitting here writing this, listening to her music. I mean not all of her songs have such a deep meaning, but they all are certainly songs you can just sit back, and rock out too. I’m in love with it, and such a huge fan. In my eyes, Miranda is unlike any star. She isn’t a skinny, overrated, prissy little bitch who is only popular for one song, or how pretty they are. Miranda isn’t even that main-stream, but still does what she loves. When she was a teen, she was on a show kind of like American Idol that got her career started. She went to Nashville, and came back to Texas almost immediately because she hated the â€Å"pop† sound of music, and wanted to stay original, and straight up country. She’s a country-rock girl, with meat on her bones, a strong head on her shoulders, and doesn’t take shit from anyone, and will speak up if she has too. I mean, I don’t know the woman personally, but she sure comes off as this way, and it rocks! Oh and who wouldn’t be inspired by her! She is only engaged in my opinon, to the best man in country music, Blake Shelton! Ha Ha. Well, anyways, I saw her in concert a few months ago, and it was outstanding. I was so close, and as crazy as it seems, I think she made eye contact with me at one point! I sound so cheesy, but she is a real role model for me. She is so successful in life, and just acts herself at all times. â€Å"There are a million blonde chicks who can sing. I’ve always wanted to be different. This quote, straight from Miranda’s mouth, has inspired me a lot. I know I cannot sing what so ever, and I’m not blonde, but I want to be different, and for the most part I am. I am my own person, and I hope I can continue to be true to myself, and not let anyone tell me otherwise. I’m not here to please anyone, or do what they want, I’m here to please myself, and do what I like, and what makes me happy. And Miranda is a great example of this. This is why Country Singer, Miranda Lambert inspires me.

Baby P, Health And Social

Peter Connelly also known as â€Å"Baby p† was killed on the 3rd august 2007 at the age of 1, by his stepdad Steven Barker. Baby P had suffered multiple injuries over the previous 8 months resulting in his death. In this piece of writing I will be investing who I think is to blame for Baby P’s death. The social services are to blame for the death of baby P because they were aware of the situation baby P was in and placed him on the at risk register. He went to live with a family friend because the GP spotted that he had bruises on his face and chest and mentioned it to the social services, and the mother was arrested.Tracey had suffered with post-natal depression and this is when the social services should have taken into account that she suffered from it and should have put it on her file and looked into it more. Haringey council had suspended two social workers for the misconduct in the case of baby peter. Social services had visited the home over 60 times and didnâ⠂¬â„¢t notice anything wrong, and didn’t take anything into account. However after watching panorama I learned that the mother had told the social services about the new man in her life but this was never mentioned to the police. The childminder phoned up the social worker to say that she could no  longer care for peter and the other sibling because of peters scalp infection and their head lice problems.The social worker phones Tracey and expressed their concern and that the infection was taking too long to clear up and that Tracey should take them to the GP as soon as possible. The police are to blame because they didn’t investigate when the GP said about his bruises. The metropolitan police did not do their job properly because they didn’t investigate the injuries and the staff at the schools where baby P’s brothers and sisters attended were not told by the police about the baby P’s circumstances or injuries.Police enquiries knew that at the ti me of peters death, the mum’s boyfriend, the lodger and is 15 year old girlfriend had been staying at her home since July 2007. The strategy meeting was attended by a social worker and a detective constable from the Metropolitan police. There was a clear concern about peters welfare and a decision was made that he could not return to the family home until the police investigation and enquires had been completed. The notes of the meeting showed that parents of peter had separated and that the mother had a ‘friend’ who was never left alone with the children.On the 13th December, both the social worker and police officer made a joint visit to the school to interview the two older children. Neither the school nor the health services had concern about their physical safety. During the visit to the hospital the police officer interview Tracey under caution, she told the officer multiple times that she didn’t know where the bruises were coming from and came up wi th explanations for where the bruises were from and she denied that she or her mother was responsible.Also on the 19th December the police arrested Tracey and peters grandmother, during their interview neither gave any explanations of how the injuries occurred but gave some possible causes previously. The police agreed that peter could go home once his mother had made alternative arrangements for the dogs The GP had failed peter because they didn’t take note of his abuse properly they made a few phone calls there and now but never fully reported it or tried to help peter.Jerome Ikwueke admitted having seen peter on numerous occasions, he disputes the claim he neglected his professional duty to look after the child. However he did complain about the bruising also Tracey spoke to Dr. Ikwueke saying that peter had grab marks on him and once again the GP ignored the warning sign. On 26th of July, the SW phoned Tracey after she visited the GP, according to Tracey the GP was unable to prescribe more antibiotics, and he was not concerned and thought that Peter had an allergic reaction the head lice treatment.The GP recognised the need for concern but did nothing about it because he thought that others would do something, and the child was being seen at the Child Development Centre in a few days. Haringey council failed baby P massively because they didn’t check if the mother had a boyfriend. Maria Ward fully aware he was on the council’s children at-risk list in them 6 months she was supposed to be looking after him there was a 4 month backlog of notes on his case. She was supposed to make announced and unannounced visits at least every two weeks but the general social care council found that she went 22 days without any contact at all.Maria Ward had no actual idea of where peter was for four days, she accepted his mothers excuse that they were in cricklewood caring for a ‘sick uncle’. If Miss. Ward hadn’t missed these unannou nced visits then she could have got a picture of what was happening and nothing crucial could have been missed. All Haringey had to say was sorry, which is not enough and will always carry the guilt of allowing such a vulnerable child to be abused and neglected when they could of done something about it.Also the paediatrician could have saved his life if she would have noticed his broken back, it was her last appointment of the day and instead of checking him thoroughly she just gave him a pass and didn’t bother examining him properly. If she would have taken her time, she could have saved peters life instead once again another service failed him. She stated that she couldn’t examine him properly because he was miserable and cranky and acted like a young child with a cold. She also added that he was sitting unsupported and there was no reason to suspect anything.On the other hand, a total of 19 doctors and health workers examined baby P on a total of 33 occasions in th e eight months before his death. Three of the doctors raised concern to the police that his injuries had been non accidental but the Crown Prosecution Service, which had received a report from Haringey social services supporting the boy's mother, decided there was not enough evidence to charge her. Her opinion was that the injuries were non-accidental in nature.This was very concerning for a nine month old baby; peter was  eventually registered on both physical abuse and neglect list. Tracey Connelly, peters mother was to blame because she knew what was happening and didn’t do anything about it. In 2009 she was charged and imprisoned for 6 years for allowing her son’s death. Tracey was born in 1981. When her parents split in 1984, their relationship was known to be violent, and both her and her brother witnessed domestic violence. Tracey classed her stepdad as her biological dad and when he died unexpectedly her brother had came to live with Tracey and his mum.He had been struggling with ‘challenging’ behaviour and was violent at school and towards his sister and also started offending, at the age of 10 she was placed on the child protection register under neglect. After having one of her children she suffered with post-natal depression and couldn’t cope with small children, when she visited the GP in 2005 and they referred her to the PCMHW, there had been concerns that she would suffer with post-natal depression but was not diagnosed.In September 2006, Tracey took peter to the surgery with a cough and nappy rash. The GP complained that baby P bruised easily, and that she might be accused of hurting him at this time peter was only 6 months old. Peter had visited the surgery and hospital at least 3 times that year on one occasion he went to the surgery with a head swelling and his mother stated that he fell down the stairs and got the swelling from that, the GP told her that he was going to refer peter to hospital.At the Whit tington Hospital a number of bruises were seen on peters body and was then documented on a body map. Peter was discharged from hospital on 15th December to the care of Tracey’s friend. On 5th march, the school nurse had called social works saying that they had observed Tracey and had witnessed her shouting at one of peters siblings and slapping their cheek, she was told she had to attend a parenting programme. However the social worker said that the mother and peter had a very strong relationship.In January 2007 Tracey attended their visit core meeting with peter alongside her and then the next interview happened on the 24th of Jan and agreed that if the injuries were non-accidental, it was not clear who the predator was. The family friend should have said something to police or the social worker when she noticed the abuse instead she kept quite. When peter was staying with her she noticed that he had bruises on his testes and claimed that they were from the hospital staff wh en they were doing a scan.The bruise on his buttocks had vanished. The family friend and peters mother agreed to a contract to find a childminder to assist with the childcare during the day, on June the 5th the family friend and peters mother met the team manager to sign a written agreement to the effect that Tracey and Peter would not be left alone together, there should also be a childminder for Peter and one of the other children on particular days.Jason Owen (the lodger) and his 15 year old girlfriend knew abuse was going on, they were arrested but only the Jason was charged, Jason who is a crack-cocaine addict, and a convicted arsonist who was accused of a raping a girl of 11, should have never been allowed to stay with the family but the social workers didn’t do any background checks on him. Jason was a very sick, twisted and psychotic person, he tortured his grandmother when he was growing up and did it again when she was 82, so she would change her will. The grandma o f Peter could have stopped the abuse from happening; she did take Peter into care for a few weeks.When peter was crying and scared he ran up to her and she just ignored him and walked away. She was scared of Steven and she saw some of the abuse attacks but did nothing about it. She should have known what it was like as she was abused by her dad when she was younger and was raped by a stranger; instead she ignored it and let Peter suffer. Steven Barker was definitely to blame because he was the one who carried the abuse out; he beat Peter constantly and made him petrified. Steven who was devoted to his Rottweiler Kaiser, treated Peter like an animal, teaching him to obey commands on how to sit, lie down, and if not, face the consequences.He took pleasure in regularly using the child as a punch bag and was said to have forced the boy to perform â€Å"Seig Heil† salutes as part of his fixation with the Nazis. He was obsessed with knives, martial arts weapons and kept a cross-bow as well as collection of Swastika memorabilia. He used to stride around his home in combat gear. As a child he enjoyed hurting animals and tortured guinea pigs and frogs – skinning the latter before breaking their legs. He kept two pet snakes at Tracey Connelly's home and fed them dead chicks, mice and rabbits.His fascination with causing pain to animals saw him prosecuted for that very obsession by the RSPCA. The social services never looked into Stevens’s background and if they would have done this procedure then maybe they would of taken peters abuse a lot more into consideration and would of taken him into care for re-homing. In my opinion, I think everyone who was involved with Peter’s death is to blame. If Haringey council would of taken action a lot more sooner this would of never happened, if the social workers looked into everyone’s background and found out the crucial things this would of not happened, that goes for the police as well.If the pa ediatrician would of cared to look Peter over, they would have found more injuries and then action would have been taken. Everyone in this case is to blame even if they didn’t do the abuse. The mother is a poor excuse of a human being; she let her child be beaten to death and all she had to say is I’m sorry, that is not good enough! More action should of be done to prevent this and hopefully in the future we will have more skilled people to run these crucial business and maybe they will stop another child from being abused.

Answering questions

This theory states that attention can be divided into two separate states, wherein one can attend to two things or stimuli at the same time, without sacrificing the quality of attention given to either of the two stimuli (Reisberg, 2001). Thus to the comedian, one can continue listening to the radio and at the same time look for the house number, and it perfectly makes sense to him that a person can do both of it since it does not really require an intense concentration. However, a case in point is that looking for a house number in a long row of houses may be quite a challenging task, one that requires concentration and selective attention. Yes, it can be said that keeping the radio on would not make any difference but to those who prefer to look closely and to be able to do so safely would naturally turn their radios off. Just imagine yourself driving slowly in a street you are unfamiliar with and keeping the radio on would mask the noise of incoming traffic or even pedestrians. Besides, when a person is involved in one task, like looking for a house, then one instinctively attends to it and disregards the other sounds, sights and disturbances in the immediate environment. Divided attention is very real, we engage it once in a while especially if we multi-task but we could do so in a limited period, for example think of how you can possibly manage to entertain questions from an officemate at your table and at the same time talk to someone on the phone, you could do both for a maximum of 2 minutes, but eventually one stimuli takes greater attention and we must give our full attention to it. On the other hand, with training, anybody can make use of divided attention, but its contributions and benefits in engaging in it remains to be seen since much research has to be done in this area. 2-B. Based on what you have learned about perception and attention, do you think it’s safe for people to talk on cellular phones while they are driving? Learning about how we perceive the world around us gives us a better way of understanding how intricate the human mind is and how even a faculty that we often take for granted can have a profound impact in our daily lives. Perception refers to a complex process of how we receive a stimuli, how our brain process the stimuli, and how our mind tells us what to do and how to react to the stimuli (Reisberg, 2001). It can be said that a disruption of any of the lines of our perception may have adverse consequences; sometimes it can be bizarre, like when a person cannot recognize the face of love one but instead are able to say that they look like a family member. Taking our study of perception into our daily activities, a debated issue like â€Å"is it safe to talk on the cell phone while driving† is better explained. I still believe that it is not safe to talk on the cellular phones while driving. Driving already entails a number of processes and is quite demanding of our attention, like when you are in the freeway, one has to be conscious of incoming traffic, cars at you back, the speed limit of the highway, and even looking out for possible mishaps in the road, on top of which, the driver must be conscious of the cars fuel level, brake fluid and tire conditions. So how could anybody be able to talk on the phone while driving? Talking on the phone also demands attention; we have to perceive and process what the other person is saying, and to even think of the appropriate response to what they are saying. Theories on perception have stated that our mind works overtime just to process and be able to respond to external stimuli, and that each part of the brain is involve in different ways just to come up with the correct processing of information (Reisberg, 2001), like being able to recognize faces of family members. Perceptual illusions demonstrate that what we see may not be true or real, hence while driving we may not be able to accurately tell how far we are from the car ahead of us or how near we are to the railings without our full concentration. Reports have shown that many people die on the road or in car accidents than any disease. Perceptual overload occurs when we drive and talk on the phone, based on previous researches (Reisberg, 2001), perceptual overload makes us incorrectly perceive our surroundings and hence we may see what is not there, or we may not see what is really there. When we overload our senses it would mean that one part of the brain or our faculties might be sacrificed to compensate for the attention we give to another stimulus. And in an activity like driving which in itself is a high-risk behavior, we need complete control of our faculties, thus talking on the cell phone is not advisable. 2-C. Write a 200 word summary and critical analysis on Rayner’s article. Discuss what the article is basically about, its strong and weak points, how convincing (or unconvincing) you find its arguments, and how it might be followed up (e.g., if you think the article suggests any promising, new ideas for future research, describe what they are and how they might best be pursued.) The article â€Å"Eye Movements in Reading: Recent Developments† by Keith Rayner (1993) presents the latest development in the study of eye movement in the reading process. The strength of the article is that it gives a background of what has been discovered so far in the field of study, the article argues that studying eye movement is important for it help build theory and also used to infer perceptual and cognitive processes during reading thus the objective of the article. It also presents a number of theories that have used new methods in studying eye movement. What was weak about the article was that it was not able to connect how the new methods of studying would contrite to a better understanding of the cognitive processes that occur during reading. The article basically was not convincing when the author says that much remains to be seen when researchers realize how interesting a research data eye movement can be. The article does not arouse this interest and simply goes on to say that eye movement is a natural consequence of reading, which contradicts his claims earlier in the introduction part. The article was also too technical for the average reader even if the reader is interested in eye movement. References Rayner, K. (1993). Eye movements in reading: Recent developments. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 2 (3): 81-85 Reisberg, D. (2001). Cognition: Exploring the science of the Mind, 2nd ed. New York: W.W. Norton Company, Inc.

Individual Reflective Report 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Individual Reflective Report 2 - Essay Example This game prepaid card would allow the gamers to enhance their gaming experience as by such prepaid card, the hurdles such as lag and delays would be eliminated. Along with such facility, the Chinese player could purchase this card in any foreign country. With such an interesting prepaid card, the Chinese gamer could enjoy a lot of advantages. One of such benefits is the purchase of cards in any foreign country. Since Chinese internet banking process requires a lot of legal formalities and the process requires high payment, this prepaid card could be purchased with the use of VISA card. Since this card would allow the gamers to enhance their online gaming experience without any delays and lags, it would attract lots of gamers to purchase such card. The most attracted gamers would be Chinese to such cards as these individuals are quite faithful to the game they play. The major concern for this company is its competitors in the market. Garena is one such competitor that allows the game rs to experience online gaming with the rest of the world. Garena has over hundreds and thousands of online gamers online. To differentiate Garena from its competitors in the market, the management has aimed to focus on the cost that the customers would pay. Acquiring gold membership at Garena requires high cost but once gold membership is purchased, prepaid cards are available at low cost as compared to others in the market and this would be the uniqueness of the company. With such a strategy to attract customers, honesty and reliability would be the core advantages upon which the customers would prefer such card system over other competitors in the market. In order to enhance the customer’s engagement, staff with knowledge about the games and its terminologies would be hired. This would allow the company to interact with the customers from time to time. The company would also focus on building relationship with the customers so that the customers remain loyal over the years . To further expand the business, the aim of the company would be on â€Å"click and mortar† type of business. By designing a website for the company, Garena would be able to bring in more gamers from all around the globe but the company would not just stop at designing a website, it will also have stores in the world to provide the gamers with prepaid gaming card. Supplier would not be a problem for the company as it has been observed that there are thousands of stores that provide the gamers with accessories throughout the world. By creating links with the suppliers in the world, the company would be able to sell game prepaid cards. Summary of Group’s Business Idea The group business idea is to provide the Chinese gamers with gaming prepaid card that would provide them with the access to unlimited online gaming without any jerks or delays. Since most of the gamers are quite loyal and faithful to the game they play, they want that game to be free from any delays or ti meouts. Strengths The strengths of this gaming card would be its low cost and availability. Since the company aims to design its own website along with an introduction of gaming store, the availability of the prepaid gaming card would be out of question. Since this would be the only available card that would require less time and documentation, it would rapidly sell in the market. Weakness The weakness of the business idea would be the lack of awareness level in gamers regarding the prepaid gaming card. Promotion and advertisement for the company’

Eating Disorders and the Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Eating Disorders and the Media - Essay Example not comprehend the fact that eating more and that too at odd times can literally break down the metabolism rate in their bodies and force them to lie on the bed every now and then. Being sick also comes under the heading of one of the aftereffects of eating and eating more. Fortunately enough, there are now some particular ways and means which look to tell children and grown ups about their proper intake of food during different periods of the day with specification of calorie levels, which in more ways than one is a step in the right direction. In the world of present times, human beings are experiencing a change within their lives. They have become busy and time for them passes in a whisker. The modern society has changed and so has the way in which people eat. The fast food culture has taken up their lives. There are a number of good restaurants to choose from - so people can go out and have good meals as and when they wish to. (Peterson, 2005) However all of this requires a clear thinking approach as to whether fast food is indeed good for the human body or not? There are a lot of franchise restaurants for getting fast foods when one does not have the time to eat enough and more than that cook for his own self. Everybody knows that foods are very important for getting energy to activate the human body, but one should know that how food culture influences the family linkages, friendships, emotions as well as the pertinent personalities. The media in the form of television, newspapers and magazines provides role models that teach women to value beauty and thinness over strength of character. While men are influenced by their role models to succeed academically and excel in all areas, we are expected to maintain a beautiful appearance, i.e. a thin, sexy body. Many of these role models are not only weak and thin, essentially, they lose their personalities and become objects and images for the pleasure of others. Used to be, you could turn on the television and

Aspect of Contract and Tort in Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Aspect of Contract and Tort in Business - Essay Example The second part of the report will also outline the effect of exemption clauses in attempting to exclude contractual liability. A) What is a contract? A contract comes into existence when two or more people agree to a certain course of conduct (Hofman. 1999). The law gets involved where one party does not carry out his contractual obligations. However, not every agreement is a contract given that in order for it to be binding in law, it must comply with a number of essentials. A contract is based on agreement and in order to express this agreement, there must be among other things an offer and acceptance. Thus, legal systems that follow the English system also require some form of consideration before the contract is binding. Therefore, the General Manager of Budgburys should bear in mind that his organisation offers products which are acceptable. According to Harvey v Facey [1893] AC552, every contract consists of an offer made by one party and accepted by the other. Thus, an offer is an invitation to enter into a binding agreement (Gibson, 1988). Elements of a contract in business From the definition above, it can be noted that not every agreement is therefore a contract (Gibson, 1988). In order for the agreement to be binding in law, it must comply with with a number of essentials. ... Implied prohibition occurs when statute without expressly prohibiting an act provides a penalty for the performance of the act. It has to be observed that in business, contracts under the credit agreement must be in writing and contain certain prescribed matter (Gibson, 1988). Impliedly prohibited contracts include the sale of liquor without a valid licence. The essential in the formation of the contract is the aspect of consideration. There is need to consider the capacity of the person involved in a contract to acquire legal duties. As such contracts involving minors, drunk persons as well as mentally ill persons are considered as void. Another essential tenet of the formation of a valid contract is that the parties must communicate their intentions to each other. Hofman (1999) posits to the effect that if a reasonable offeree believes that there has been an offer, the law will likely to agree given the cornerstone of contract law theory is that contracts should protect reasonable reliance. Whether written or agreed verbally, a contract is binding and it is a reflection of what has been agreed by two parties involved. This is reflected in the case of Watermeyer v Murray 1911 AD 61 at 70. As such, if a person makes an offer without realising it but reasonable people would rely on it, then the offeror is bound. The golden rule in this case is that the offeror must not make offers which he may not be able to fulfil given that these can negatively impact on his business. Another important aspect that must be taken into consideration by Mr Budgburys is the aspect of acceptance. In this case, acceptance shows consent which is an essential part in the formation of a valid contract. Once the offer

Animal Habitat Destruction in Seattle Research Paper

Animal Habitat Destruction in Seattle - Research Paper Example The seaport city has approximately 85 square miles on undeveloped areas that have predominantly native vegetation that provides favorable habitat for wildlife. Even though the city is developed, the available network of habitat provides a significant support for the wildlife species especially the threatened species such as bald eagle and Chinook salmon (Jacob, 2012). The increased habitat destruction has resulted into establishment of Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation lands that is responsible for ensuring that the city’s habitat is maintained in the natural way (Pierce, 2003). According to American Lung Association, Seattle area is among the dirtiest areas in terms of fine particle pollution. These include microscopic dust, chemicals, diesel exhaust, aerosols, and metals. The aim of this paper is to discuss the Seattle animal habitat destruction by touching on the reasons that lead to habitat destruction, the impact of habitat destruction and most important the solu tions of it. As the human population around Seattle region increase, the demand for fish and other forms of food varieties has increased. For example, salmon, which is the cultural icon in the area, has been used as the source of food resulting to their decrease (Arbault and Sastrapradja, 1995). Thus, the demand for food has been one of the causes of decrease in the number of animals. Seattle is a developed city that has various business activities and production facilities. As a result, there is extensive ocean water pollution due to the chemicals produced from the factories. Water pollution in Seattle region originates from human activities within the streets of the city that produce wastes that are carried to the ocean. Other pollutants that directly affect fish species in Seattle include pesticides and petrochemicals including gas and oil. Additionally, the nitrogen, phosphorus and animal waste cause algae blooms. Once they develop, the blooms occupy patches of the

A Study on Martin Luther King Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

A Study on Martin Luther King - Essay Example Martin Luther King combined leadership, activism and clerical duties in his life time. He had a pivotal role in the civil rights progress, in United States, and globally. He advanced his civil rights crusade through nonviolence as mentored by Mohandas Gandhi. Martin Luther King is a national icon in modern American history because of his leadership style, policy and strategic thinking. In his activities, he advanced principles of strategy. His historical significance goes beyond his civil rights crusade or clerical work. He represented black leadership absent at the time in America. During this period, black leaders whether accommodative or reformists had minimum influence on power. These black leaders acted as power brokers for the white leaders or as spokesmen; they never expressed or acted on their own. However, Martin Luther King had his leadership rested on religious establishments that went beyond the church to a constituency that tagged him because of his strategy and ideology . He differed from the times, conventional leaders because of his independence from political machinery and institutional constraints. He addressed broader issues than race and the racial injustices (Barber, 2011, p. 52). Martin Luther King exemplified talented and strategic thinking, and leadership on both a national and international scale. In all his actions, he carefully advanced his strategic principles, and they all paid off. Growing Up and Early Influence Martin Luther King, born on 15th January 1929, grew up in Atlanta Georgia. The son of Martin Luther King Sr. and Alberta Williams King, he had a younger brother and an elder sister. King devoted much of his time in the church choir, where he sang with the choir during the opening of the movie Gone with the Wind. During his early age, king had intelligence and the will to question. He did not believe in things easily without getting all the information required to make a conclusion (Kavaloski, & Kavaloski, 2011, p. 25). Most striking was his skepticism of the resurrection of Jesus at the age of 13. He afterwards noted the inescapable truths in the Bible. This led him to join the seminary at a tender age. He attended Booker T Washington High School, but as a precocious student, he jumped ninth and twelfth grade. He joined the Morehouse College where he graduated with a Degree in sociology. During his seminarian years, King’s educator and theologian Howard Thurman immensely influenced his life. Thurman crucially mentored him as seen by their closeness. The success of Mahatma Gandhi nonviolent resistance inspired King to nonviolence in the movement. He had a commitment to the American civil rights struggle. The oppression that the minority faced played a significant role as well in influencing his thinking. The rich and wealthy had all the powers to do anything they wanted while oppressing the poor. King observed that using nonviolence offered him a strategy to push for the oppressed human dignity a nd justice, and also fight for their civil rights (Barber, 2011, p. 53). King’s society was plagued by racial discrimination, segregation and poverty. He disliked the society’s social state and decided to fight for their justice. The society’s inequality also pushed him to study sociology and theology because he wanted to help socially (Carson, 2005, p. 8). Achievements, Challenges and Great Moments In his lifetime, Martin Luther King had many achievements. He secured the progress of civil rights in U.S, and before his assassination the U.S Congress passed the

Alphonsus Church Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Alphonsus Church - Research Paper Example The historical back ground of St. Alphonsus Catholic Church dates back to 1861 when Archbishop Peter Richard Kenrick made an invitation to the Redemptorists to construct a permanent home in St. Louis. Following the invitation, the Redemptorists bought three and one-half acres of land at Grand and Cook Avenues, and Father Francis Xavier Seelos paid a visit to the construction site of the future of St. Alphonsus â€Å"Rock† Church who was still in St. Louis in a parish mission preaching. On May 1st 1867, ground was broken for the church and on November 3rd the same year the cornerstone was put up in and blessed by the Rev. Joseph Melchers who was then the vicar general of the archdiocese. In 1887 the 22nd date of November, Rev. Augustus Tolton – the first African-American Roman Catholic priest – visited the St. Alphonsus â€Å"Rock† Church and met the Redemptorist Community then offered a mass which was meant for the School of Sisters on Notre Dame in their convent chapel within the church compound. Between the years 1887 to 2006 several invents that included the expansion of the activities of the church and alteration of the priests, clergy, deacons and pastors occurred. On 16th of August 2007, lightning struck the roof of the church resulting into a five alarm fire forcing the parish to celebrate their mass in the gym thereafter. This same year ( 2007) it was recommended that the church be closed to the fear of its structural deficiencies that in other words risked the lives of those who worshiped in it. This move was due to the concerns of human rights and need for worshippers safety that were considered as very important. Since then, worries have on people as if the church could be restored. Among the individuals who crucially expressed their concerns were the former parishioners of the church such as Terry Pittman, veteran harbor pilot and the current chairperson of the Sydney Ports Corporation who also had a better understanding of the historical building materials that had been used in the construction of the church.

Pyramus and Thisby Essay Example for Free

Pyramus and Thisby Essay In spite of that, Bottom considers his acting to be remarkable, so remarkable that he thinks he can play all the characters of Pyramus and Thisby. I will roar you as gently as any sucking dove; I will roar you an twere any nightingale. Bottom feels that he is fully capable of playing the role of a gentle, charming Thisby, and even that of a monstrously horrifying lion. This characteristic of his is very effective in generating hilarity as he very naively presumes that he alone can handle the production of Pyramus and Thisby. Contrarily, his performance as Pyramus alone is rather alarming. Now die, die, die, die, die. Bottom tries exceedingly hard to convince the audience of Pyramus death. The word die is repeated four times, implying how incessantly Bottom tries to assure the onlookers that he is unquestionably dead. This initiates some final mirth on Bottoms foolishly absurd identity. Bottoms transformation into a donkey is another very amusing part of the play. What makes this idiosyncrasy all the more entertaining is his nescience about it throughout the play. I see their knavery. This to make an ass of me, to fright me, if they could. Bottom never realises the radical change he has undergone and very potently amplifies the hilarity of the comedy since he leads all his actions normally, never comprehending how abnormal he looks. Also very effective in this dialogue of Bottoms is the usage of the word ass as a pun. He is completely unaware that at the precise moment that he is uttering the dialogue, an ass is literally what he looks. His declaration of the other workmen making an ass of him is also humorous since his name Bottom already signifies his existence as an ass. Furthermore, is the levity of Bottoms romance with Titania. Unfamiliar with the fairies, Bottom is far from apprehending why Titania confesses love for him. Methinks mistress, you should have little reason for that. And yet, to say the truth, reason and love keep little company together now-a-days. Bottoms statement is greatly suited to the moment, not only to describe his situation but also that of the four lovers. Like Lysanders immortal line, The course of true love never did run smooth, Bottoms opinion goes well with the obstacles and complications that have developed in the play. Despite that, it does not stop the ridiculousness of his and Titanias liaison from augmenting the humour of the Elizabethan comedy. O how I love thee! How I dote on thee! Titanias love for Bottom is entirely unreasonable. Being the queen of the fairies, she has one of the highest ranks in the play, while Bottom being a workman, has the lowest. The fairies also consider themselves to be of a much higher position than mere human beings. In the face of this, Titania loses both mind and body to an ass-headed and ugly Bottom, a low class workman. This efficiently illuminates the impediments that the love juice can bring about and the thoughtlessness that attaches itself to all that encounter it. The central figure of this Elizabethan comedy is Puck, the mischievous sprite. He conducts all the melodrama of the play; all the confusion, all the mischief, begins with him. What, a play toward! Ill be an auditor, An actor too perhaps, if I see cause. Even before watching any of the drama, Puck has plans to play a part in it. Apart from being Master of Revels to Oberon, Puck forms a schedule of his own; he always satisfies his interests and curiosities. This makes the audience more cognisant of the trickery and complexities going on in the play. Not being related to either the fairies or the lovers, the mechanicals have no reason to be a target of Pucks pranks. Correspondingly, his involvement in the disruption of their rehearsals proves how he has his independent diversions. The roles and traits of Theseus, Hippolyta and Philostrate are rather similar to those of Oberon, Titania and Puck. In theatrical performances of A Midsummer Nights Dream, the actors playing the roles of Theseus, Hippolyta and Philostrate often tend to play the roles of Oberon, Titania and Puck, respectively. In relation to this, Philostrate and Puck have analogous characteristics as Master of Revels. At the beginning of the play, Theseus tells Philostrate to spread celebration and joy of the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. Stir up the Athenian youth to merriments, Awake the pert and nimble spirit of mirth, Midsummers Eve was traditionally a time for celebrating with decoration, greenery and a sense of magic. Philostrate obeys the orders of Theseus as Puck obeys Oberon. Puck enters the play as a reflection of Philostrate, spreading magic and havoc with a mischievous side to all his intentions. Notwithstanding, Puck does make a critical mistake amidst his effervescent pranks. The highlight of the play is Pucks misunderstanding of Lysander for Demetrius. Did you not tell me that I should know the man By the Athenian garments he had on? Puck makes an easy error with the love juice. Asked to recognise Demetrius by his attire, he mistakes Lysander for him. This is sure to instigate some tension on the audiences part as they realise that something confusing can happen with the application of the love juice to the wrong person. It also potently marks an Elizabethan comedy because it opens the second phase of the play, where chaos is at its peak. The love juice is the key element of this romantic comedy. Love and friendship turn to hatred in a moment, and vice versa. Injurious Hermia, most ungrateful maid, Have you conspired, have you with these contrived, To bait me with this foul derision? Helena accuses Hermia of deliberately setting up Lysander and Demetrius love for her, to mock her and humiliate her. The love juice has unconditionally distorted the relationships amongst the four lovers. The purpose and positions of love and hatred have interchanged. The circumstances change over in a moment and later, go back to normal in the bat of an eye. This efficiently improves the prospect of a dream. The onlookers will themselves be forced to wonder if all that had happened was real, or just an illusion. Despite the fact that love and companionship instantaneously transfigure into repugnance, all the anger and vexation lacks asperity. Get you gone, you dwarf, You minimus, of hindering knot-grass made, You bead, you acorn. The bitterness amongst the lovers tends to be somewhat mild reflecting that past love has suddenly changed into enmity. The insults, although vociferated under strain and anxiety, do not come across as seriously as they are interpreted amongst the lovers. This helps in enriching the humour. The words dwarf, bead and acorn are tiny, pleasant things that have been used as objects of offence. Construed seriously amidst the characters, these insults are catalysts to laughter from the viewers as they hardly initiate any anger or humiliation. When the plays focus returns to the centre of civilisation in Athens, there is harmony, peace and the order of matrimony for all couples. Marriage itself is one of the chief traits of an Elizabethan comedy. During the Elizabethan era, comedies customarily followed the pattern of order and peace at the beginning, followed by extreme chaos, and ending in harmony with a marriage to mark the return of order. It can hence be concluded that A Midsummer Nights Dream is a thoroughgoing Elizabethan comedy. Yet, throughout the play, the lovers and their love is made fun of. Cupid is a knavish lad, All the love and its intricacies, the anxiety, loss, sorrow, bereavement and broken hearts are the exquisite ingredients of a first-rate tragedy. Nonetheless, A Midsummer Nights Dream is intentionally developed as a romantic comedy, with the disruptive elements to mark its midst. The viewers can efficiently see all the arcane aspects of love and devotion, and at the same time, enjoy the humour of romance. The ending of the play is greatly suited to finish off the confusion and misunderstandings of the past. In the epilogue, the actor playing the role of Puck steps out of character to accost the viewers. That you have but slumbered here No more yielding but a dream, The audience is addressed with an apology for any unsatisfactory or offending presentations. This helps in ending the show on a merry and cordial note. The mention of a dream creates the perfect theme for the epilogue; it relates back to the situations of the four lovers where complexities and discords were passed off as a dream. In my opinion, William Shakespeare has been tremendously successful in portraying this play as Elizabethan comedy. I liked the structure of order at the beginning, followed by despair and disorder and an ending with marriage to restore happiness for all. A Midsummer Nights Dream is by far the best play of William Shakespeare that I have read. I have loved the storyline and the humour as well the legendary characters.

Psychological Well-being and Job Performance Relationship

Psychological Well-being and Job Performance Relationship Introduction Psychological conceptions and treatments of well-being are a prominent feature of psychological literature particularly in relation to mental health from a social-psychological point of view. The fundamental questions asked in this area are arguably concerned with the way and means of understanding the psychological reactions of individuals to the stresses and challenges of modern day life activities, (Bradburn, 1969). With work being one of the major activities of life it is reasonable to surmise work will have a significant impact on mental health and that vice versa mental health will have a significant impact on a person’s performance and experience of work. With the diversity of criteria which can be used to judge mental health the psychological aspects to mental health have become increasingly important associated in human resource management literature as well organisational behaviour research because of the suggested strong relationship between an individual’s p sychological condition and job performance. Researchers such as David and Smeeding (1985) and more recently Wright and Cropanzano (2004) argue that psychological well-being in terms of happiness contributes to maximising both personal health as well as job performance in terms of organisational productivity. It is reasonable to believe that such a consideration of mental health has valuable implications in managing human resources. With links to employee motivation and job performance management and from an organisational perspective the theoretical framework offered by mental health provides a useful tool in understanding an organisation’s behaviour through reference to the psychological well-being of individuals within the organisational context. In one way then considering for example staff retention which is a key element of organisational strategies since human resources have been viewed recently as one of the most important resources for any organisation, (Torrington, Hall and Taylor (2002). Furthermore happy employees tend to be more productive and contribute more in creation and innovation activities which are crucial activities for organisations given the competitive realities of the modern business world, (Wright and Cropanzano, 2004). However currently there is no gener al agreement about the best way to measure, assess and/or evaluate people’s psychological states. Terms such as self-esteem, self adjustment in dealing with work stress have critical influences on the level of well-being. Social support at work related to psychological well-being may be said to affect productivity of employees which itself is argued to have positive effects on job control, lower job depression and generate higher productivity. Nevertheless the extent to which social support contributes to better performance remains unclear due to the complexities of psychological reactions and the processes comprising them. Discussion An important perspective on well-being originates from the social-psychological perspective which focuses on viewing well-being in both an individual and social sense. One means of conceptualising well-being is in an individual psychological manner where the subject is linked with economic models in that individuals make rational responses in changing their behaviour due to changing prices and incomes. Another traditional aspect of the subjective activity of well-being focuses on the measurement of well-being for social policy purposes which historically has been concerned with tax return, pensions, use of health care resources and work environment affairs, (David Smeeding, 1985). From this point of view there are vital implications in the sense of the psychological subject in human resource management and studies dealing with organisational behaviour since people as the essential elements performing tasks in these contexts. For example the recent broaden-and-build model has been de signed to provide relevant evidence towards explaining the possible interactive role of physiological well-being (PWB) associated with job satisfaction and job performance which demonstrates significant relationships to employee performance, (Wright and Cropanzano, 2004). This is to say illustrating the strength of the correlation between the happier an employee feeling with the more productive they are in their everyday job performance. Based on this viewpoint then human resource management approaches have aimed at building management models which draw from and benefit from PWB in order to improve an organisation’s performance in terms of quality and quantity. A principal point of consideration in this then is the environment in which people are working in as detrimental work environments pose potential health risks to individuals. Health risks can be seen in terms of the physical harm done to people’s bodies but also as having negative influences in a psychological manner including depression and stress which results in poor job performance and lowered productivity. Thus PWB suggests that a better and healthier working environment will be able to make employee feels more comfortable and happier through health gains in harm avoidance in the work place. In HRM literature environment not only includes physical environments such as machinery, organisational structure but also intangible contexts like orga nisational culture and leadership styles and these are equally as important in terms of employee well-being. Therefore Beardwell, Holden and Claydon (2004) argue that appropriate organisational structures in terms of physical power distance as well as intangible distance such as leadership style are important in contributing to employees job performance. Research suggests that long power distances result in staff at lower levels within an organisation feeling powerless and vulnerable with the consequences being they suffer stress at work since there is a lack of opportunity in expressing themselves within the decision making processes affecting them, (Hersey, Blanchard Johnson, 2001). Additionally the corporate environment in terms of employment contracts themselves a process of socio-economic exchange often in national contexts is particularly crucial as it defines formalised arrangements between employee and the organisation employing, (Clark, 2004). Contracts between employee and employer determine the terms and conditions of employment like security and health issues related to the job and contractual employment rights. Clark (2004) points out that the relationship between employees and management teams not only impacts on corporate performance but also influences how successful and organisation is at retaining its workforce. While Wright and Cropanzano (2004) concentrate on the psychological meaning of well-being in contributing to better job performance David and Smeeding (1985) propose that significant attention be paid to well-being from an economic perspective. Economic elements such as changing prices compared to incomes then are proposed as affecting people’s behaviours and psychological reactions. For instance research has demonstrated that higher income individuals are more likely than lower income individuals to report themselves as enjoying higher levels of happiness, (David and Smeeding, 1985). It hence is unsurprising to note that traditional human resource management approaches view performance management as enhancing individual performance by assessing past performance and rewarding improvements in terms of tangible economic benefits, (Walker, 1992). Jacques (1962) claims that every employee displays strong feeling towards to the level of payment in that such payments correspond to t he perceived values attached to the performance of tasks associated with the job. This economic model closely reflects psychological conceptions in that when employees feel they are underpaid job performance will suffer in terms of productivity and efficiency. Wright and Cropanzano’s model suggests that fair payment contributes to the happiness level of staff however it is vital to mention that the expectation of employee namely the subjectivity of well-being largely indicates different attitudes towards fairness. This is to say the employee who is paid comparably higher than others due to higher levels of education and vocational skill might feel unhappy because the pay level is still lower than the expected level. This is similar with subjective accounts of poverty of the unemployed being more a negative experience than poverty as a student dependent on their ability to adjust the reality of situations with their expectations. This corresponds with David and Smeeding’s (1985) framework on the subjectivity of well-being as a personalised experience. Recent research carried out by Gregg and Wadsworth (1999) illustrated that a good number of employee departures was due to either poorly managed expectations or ineffective induc tions into positions. This is an important point in considering psychological well-being and individual productivity as well as organisational performance illustrating that tangible economic benefits or objective conditions attached to jobs may be perceived in many different ways as a result of individual subjectivity. Wright and Hobfoll’s (2004) work linked with Wright and Cropanzano’s (2004) research in demonstrating that psychological well-being has both positive and negative influences on job performance. One such concept is that of employee burnout which refers to emotional and/or physical exhaustion and reduced personal accomplishment amongst sufferers. Employees tend to feel dissatisfied due to poor task completion and personal achievement in turn. Past experiences of failure in dealing with customers for example is suggested as being one prime means of reducing motivational attitudes towards work. With people being considered as the most important resource in contributing to organisational performance then human resource management has itself been put in a critical position in strategic decision making processes. Aspects of managing human resources have become involved in a wide range of issues such as recruitment and retention related to development, reward and relationship m anagement of employees are arguably the basic HRM functions. The process of retention of workforces lays the foundation for obtaining suitably qualified employees in order to contribute in the most effective manner to achieving corporate goals in a cost-effective manner, (Foot Hook, 1999). The relationship to these HR principles of the thesis of psychological well-being in one ways shows clearly that motivation in the employee retention process as well as better performance is a principal factor determining organisational success in these areas. Also from an individual’s perspective burnout as suggested by research tends to result in ineffectiveness and failure in job performance due to a lack of energy levels in an emotional and physical sense. This leads to stress which in turn can cause ill-health both physical and mental. Similarly from the organisation’s perspective innovation levels tends to decrease which as has been argued is important in maintaining competiti ve position for companies operating in intensively competitive industries, (Maslach Jackson, 1986; Lee Ashforth, 1996). Based on this analysis and discussion of psychological well being it would appear that a useful measure is to examine the various approaches used to improve job performance and productivity at personal and organisational levels. People are motivated by different things dependent on different individual value systems and expectations. As such in order to increase well being levels among employees organisations attempt to create better working environments relying on supportive corporate cultures, effective leadership styles and the provision of accessible communication channels. An awareness that motivation does not necessarily flow from positive salary arrangements alone is necessary as often such is considered as the most effective tool in rewarding and motivating employees. Instead potential career development opportunities for employees, employee friendly working environments and supportive management methods exert strong influences on feelings of well-being among employees. For example positive rewards in a tangible way and intangible confirmations related to good performance should encourage employees to repeat the same activities since the rewarding of successful behaviour contributes to employee’s levels of self esteem. In many ways then it is fair to say that psychological processes and subjective feelings and experiences remain complex phenomena and would seem to be influenced by a range of factors such as national cultures and the effects of reference groups like families and peer groups in for example expected income levels and job status, (Mullins, 2005). The measurement of psychological well-being contributing to better performance is conditionally true yet it must be acknowledged that the methods used in research such as by Wright and Cropanzano’s (2004) exhibit and are limited by the potential problems related to subjective reactions and perceptions of job performance by employees. Conclusion Models and theories of psychological well-being are established topics in Psychology which is held as being closely linked with conceptualisations of mental health and the mental well being of individuals. The variety of psychological reactions of individuals to stress and daily life can all result in feeling of happiness, mental health or illness depending on situational factors which has effects on people’s performance at work. As a result then psychological conceptions of well-being are widely used in considering the relationship between well-being and job performance in an organisational context. Studies have demonstrated the positive effects of employee well-being on their job performance in terms of better productivity yet due to the complex psychological processes which are involved in the condition of well-being there is still a lack of definitive evidence in demonstrating to what extent psychological well-being contributes to better job performance. Such evidence is d ifficult to produce for example bearing in mind complicated human behavioural patterns and experiences in relation to work. Linked to this definitions of happiness remain unclear and is an area which requires further research along with further explorations of the reasons feeling of satisfaction and happiness with work increases productivity. However it is fair to say that better health levels in terms of psychological well being influences people in terms of motivation and attitudes toward work as well as their capacity and ability to work. The reduction of employee sickness whether major or minor due to poor working conditions and the impact this has on organisational performance is one aspect any organisation should seek to reduce and minimise as a strategic goal. References Beardwell, I., Holden, L. Claydon, T. (2004) Human Resource Management: A Contemporary Approach 4th edition, FT Prentice Hall, London UK. Bradburn, N.M. (1969) The Structure of Psychological Well-Being, Aldine Publishing Company, Chicago. David, M. Smeeding T. (1985) Introduction, in David, M. Smeeding, T. (eds) Horizontal Equity, Uncertainty, and Economic Well-Being, National Bureau of Economic Research, Studies in Income and Wealth, Vol. 50. Foot, M. Hook, C. (1999) Introducing Human Resource Management 2nd edition, Pearson Education Limited, UK. Gregg, P. Wadsworth, J. (1999) Job Tenure 1995-98 in Gregg, P. Wadsworth (eds) The State of Working Britain, Manchester University Press, UK. Hersey, P., Blanchard, K.H. Johnson, D. (2001) Management of Organizational Behavior: Leading Human Resources, Prentice Hall, USA. Jacques, C. (1962) Objective Measures for Pay Differentials, Harvard Business Review, January-February. Lee, R.T. Ashforth, B.E. (1996) A Meta-analytic Examination of the Correlates of the Three Dimensions of Job Burnout, Journal of Applied Psychology, Vol. 81. Maslach, C. Jackson, S.E. (1986) Maslach Burnout Inventory 2nd edition, Consulting Psychologists Press, USA. Mullins, L.J. (2005) Management and Organisational Behaviour 7th edition, FT Prentice Hall, Harlow UK. Park, K., Wilson, M.G. Lee, M.S. (2004) Effects of Social Support at Work on Depression and Organisational Productivity, American Journal of Health Behaviour, Vol. 28 Issue 5. Torrington, D., Hall, L. Taylor, S. (2002) Human Resource Management, FT Prentice Hall, Harlow UK Walker, K.W. (1992) Human Resource Strategy, McGraw-Hill, New York USA. Wright, T.A. Cropanzano, R. (2004) The Role of Psychological Well-Being in Job Performance: a Fresh Look at an Age-Old Quest, Organizational Dynamics, Vol.33 Issue 4. Wright, T.A. Hobfoll, S.E. (2004) Commitment, Psychological Well-Being, and Job Performance: An Examination of Conservation of Resources Theory and Job Burnout, Journal of Business and Management, Winter Vol.9 Issue 4.

Water Biomes :: Environment Ecology

Water Biomes Marshland is covered with grasses, reeds, sedges, and cattails. These plants all have their roots in soil covered or saturated with water and its leaves held above water.Marshes may be freshwater or salt. Freshwater marshes develop along the shallow edges of lakes and slow-moving rivers, forming when ponds and lakes become filled with sediment. Salt marshes occur on coastal tidal flats. Inland salt marshes occupy the edges of lakes. They affect the supply of nutrients, the movement of water, and the type and deposition of sediment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Salt marshes are best developed on the Atlantic coasts of North America and Europe. In eastern North America the low marsh is dominated by a single species, salt-marsh cordgrass. The high marsh consists of a short cordgrass called hay, spike grass, and glasswort. Glasswort is the dominant plant of Pacific Coast salt marshes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Freshwater marshes provide nesting and wintering habitats for waterfowl and shorebirds, muskrats, frogs, and many aquatic insects. Salt marshes are wintering grounds for snow geese and ducks, a nesting habitat for herons and rails, and a source of nutrients for estuarine waters. Marshes are important in flood control, in sustaining high-water tables, and as settling basins to reduce pollution downstream. Despite their great environmental value, marshes are continually being destroyed by drainage and filling.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Marine Life, plants and animals of the sea, from the high-tide mark along the shore to the depths of the ocean. These organisms fall into three major groups: the benthos, plants such as kelp and animals such as brittle stars that live on or depend on the bottom; the nekton, swimming animals such as fishes and whales that move independently of water currents; and plankton, various small to microscopic organisms that are carried along by the currents.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Shore Life, the essentially marine organisms that inhabit the region bounded on one side by the height of the extreme high tide and on the other by the height of the extreme low tide. Within these boundaries organisms face a severe environment imposed by the rise and fall of tides. For up to half of a 24-hour period, the environment is marine; the rest of the time it is exposed, with terrestrial extremes in temperature and the drying effects of wind and sun.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Life on rocky shores, best developed on northern coasts, is separated into distinct zones that reflect the length of time each zone is exposed. At the highest position on the rocks is the black zone, marked by blue-green algae. This transition area between land and the marine environment is flooded only during the high spring. Below the black zone lies the white zone, where

Dickinsons I Felt a Funeral, in My Brain Essay -- Dickinsons I Felt

Thomas Higginson changing Dickinson's words. An interpretive paper on, "I Felt a Funeral, in My Brain Emily's Version I felt a Funeral, in my Brain, And Mourners to and fro Kept treading--treading--till it seemed That Sense was breaking through. And when they all were seated, A Service, like a Drum. Kept beating--beating--till I thought My Mind was going numb. And then I heard them lift a Box And creak across my Soul With those same Boots of Lead, again, Then Space--began to toll, As all the Heavens were a Bell, And Being, but an Ear, And I, and Silence, some strange Race Wrecked, solitary, here. And then a Plank in Reason, broke, And I dropped down, and down. And hit a World, at every plunge, And Finished knowing--then-- After Higginson's Alterations I Felt A Funeral in my Brain I felt a funeral, in my brain, And mourners to and fro Kept treading, treading, till it seemed That sense was breaking through. And when they all were seated, A service, like a drum Kept beating, beating, till I thought My mind was going numb. And then I hea...

Hearing Hushed Emotions: A Subtle Symphony of Diction in “Peter Quince

Hearing Hushed Emotions: A Subtle Symphony of Diction in â€Å"Peter Quince at the Clavier† â€Å"Music is feeling, then, not sound,† writes Wallace Stevens in his poem â€Å"Peter Quince at the Clavier,† beginning to establish music as the connection between physical and spiritual. Music-related terminology fills the poem, which Stevens composes like a piece of music, with four movements and varying rhythms that echo one another. The rhythms and terminology Stevens employs dually reflect the subjects he writes about, a dynamic that embodies the link between music and emotion in the poem. The language of music develops silent emotions; when hearts quietly jump or stomachs secretly turn, â€Å"a cymbal crashe[s], / and roaring horns.† In this overly-theatrical development of clandestine, unperformed emotions, the poem fashions its unique mixture of mocking and irony with regards to its subjects. In the poem, therefore, music acts as a link between the outwardly physical and the furtively emotional; similarly, the musical diction of the poem w orks as a channel between the subjects, their muted sentiments, and the acoustically ironic message the poem conveys about those subjects and their feelings. In the third stanza of the poem, the speaker comments that â€Å"thinking . . . is music,† which reminds him of the â€Å"strain waked† in the elderly men who eagerly watch young Susanna bathe in her garden in The Book of Susanna in the Apocrypha. Stevens’s use of â€Å"strain,† which means â€Å"physical exertion,† a â€Å"prevailing quality or characteristic,† and a â€Å"passage of musical expression,† initiates the plotting of musically-connotative words in the poem. The trio of connotations forges the link between the emotions of the subjects and the sound ... ...eption of her behavior. In offering a musical voice to Susanna’s hushed emotions, the poem taps out the subtle rhythm of human iniquity that pulses not simply in the ultimate culprits, as in a more traditional, good-guys-versus-bad-guys telling of the story, but also in the ones who receive the â€Å"constant sacrament of praise.† The musical language in the poem thus acts as an equalizer: though each person contributes a different instrumental sound, all people contribute equally to the broader composition, comprised of notes which in many ways sound more similar than cursory listening may suggest. Works Cited Dictionary.com. Lexico Publishing Group. 16 April 2004. . Stevens, Wallace. â€Å"Peter Quince at the Clavier.† An Introduction to Poetry. Eds. Dana Gioia and X.J. Kennedy. 10th ed. San Francisco: Longman, 2002. 526.

Human Landscapes from My Country by Nazim Hikmet Essay

Introduction In the Epic novel, Human Landscapes from My Country, Nazim Hikmet used the comparison between technology and nature very often. The imagery of technology that is portrayed in this novel seems to clash with nature. Through the use of many different images such as the train and plane, Hikmet seems to portray technology as the antagonist of nature. These imageries suggest how technology would destroy and would annihilate nature with its surroundings as technology progresses. However, after a closer reading into the novel, Hikmet actually suggest that technology as a positive aspect that will ultimately improve human lives. Perhaps sacrifices and mistakes are necessary as these are natural occurrences that are expected to happen as technology progresses. Although the cost of technology may seem to be dreadful, it is a necessary step for the better future of human lives. Literature Contemporary history on a panoramic scale is taken up in Human Landscapes, which was written during the author’s prison years but was only published several years after his death. Beginning with the project for an epic study of Turkish history during the twentieth century, at intervals the poet’s narrative also turns to major events in adjoining regions, notably naval action of World War II in the Mediterranean and the work of Soviet forces against Nazi invaders. His commentary on the Turkish War of Independence (1919-1922) stands in stark contrast to the heroic national themes repeatedly invoked by other writers of that period. In Hikmet’s view, it would seem that the people as a whole contributed to final victory but only through an inchoate mass rising that did not also lead to a social revolution. Indeed, many passages suggest that class differences remained acute but were altered by Turkey’s changed status in the world economy. There are a number of brief sketches of individual lives, both from the wealthy and from the lower orders, often to state unpleasant truths about the people’s living situation. Some characters, it is recorded, died of disease at early ages; farmers retained their land but lost all means of production. Many of the personages are war veterans from one conflict or another. There is much attention to dates, but not in the sense of commemorating events with patriotic connotations; important occurrences in individual lives are accorded the same emphasis as major developments in the nation’s history. There is also a fair amount of random, seemingly senseless violence: Family quarrels lead to murder; after a man kills his wife, children use the head as a ball in a macabre game. A wrenching, gripping scene records the lynching of a Turk who had collaborated with the British occupation forces. There are some sardonic religious references which call to mind folk superstitions; in some later passages, Turks of a pro-German inclination speculate about whether Adolph Hitler could be a Muslim. Leading Turkish statesmen and thinkers figure as portraits on the walls of business offices; the memories associated with them are quirky bits of characterization that are far from flattering. The work as a whole darts about and circumambulates historical epochs as they affected different, indeed opposing, social classes. After nearly fifteen years of national independence, homeless and desperately hungry men are to be found outside a newspaper office; if wealthy businessmen cannot turn a profit in some branches of the export trade, because of government restrictions, they move readily to other sectors where their fortunes can be augmented. Some of them end up dealing with both the Allied and the Axis powers during World War II. The incidence of suicide on either side of the class divide is fairly high; among the poor, childbirth is difficult, painful, and sometimes ends in tragedy. Although this exercise in historical realism, based on the author’s own observations of Turkish life, does not seem to hold out any immediate hopes for a better future, the poet’s descriptions of nature and simple joys serve to leaven an otherwise grim and unsentimental saga (Des Pres, 7-25). Written in free verse and employing such cinematographic techniques as flashbacks, pans, zooms, dissolves, and jump cuts, Human Landscapes from My Country combines the economy of poetry with the rapid-fire imagery of motion pictures. Hikmet traces the fortunes of men and women in love and war — from prostitutes, politicians, and captains of industry to housewives, political prisoners, and peasants — and gives voice to social strata unheard from in a heroic context until the twentieth century. To Hikmet, every life is a human-interest story worth telling, and his is a cast of hundreds. This panoramic view of Turkish society during World War II, when the fate of the world hung in the balance, highlights the compelling variety of human experience, never letting us forget that, for better or worse, the fate of the world is in our hands. Hikmet’s unabashed communist politics, for which he languished in prison or exile most of his adult life, are reflected in vignettes of idealized â€Å"Ivans† of soldierly valor and of real-life heroes, â€Å"Tanya† the teenaged Russian revolutionary and the Nazi-martyred journalist Gabriel Peri. Still, the poet’s most profound sympathies lie with the poor man striving to sustain himself and his family in pursuit of a fleeting happiness. Living out prolonged confinement for political activities, dreaming of his wife and child as blindness threatens and days become years, unbowed Halil recalls the poet’s own situation, a cynosure of what an entire culture was forced to endure. Ultimately Hikmet’s art suggests spaciousness, a grandeur in the details of poor people seeking just to breathe while events portend an invidious recurrence of suffering for love, ambition, misfortune–for living. Finally available complete in English, Hikmet’s hauntingly eloquent masterpiece never flags. Human civilization and technology has grown in a fast pace but are we happy? Hikmet said that he feels life is more comfortable. Nobody said that life has become happier. We found that technology which has been developed to make life easier has in fact made life complicated and busier. He said that unlike the past, now he can travel from place to place in few minutes/hours but life has become busier. Communication has improved, technology has taken place in our lives but effective communication between people has decreased. We were all alarmed to face this fact that better technology doesn’t mean happiness. So is technology, instead of liberating us, holding us back? Some later segments of this work are essentially similar to portions of The Moscow Symphony and Other Poems, an imaginative lyrical reconstruction of German-Soviet fighting which in the first instance was probably based upon news stories that Hikmet received in prison. After allowance for the different languages, it may be argued that some passages would do credit to a Soviet wartime poet: the anxiety of the war’s first year, the vast human drama of armies locked in combat, and the camaraderie of soldiers brought together in common struggle are evoked in brisk, telling lines. This novel in verse, written during one long prison sentence in the 1940s, reflects the emotional and physical torments the poet experienced. More gritty than lyrical, it is powerfully plainspoken: â€Å"But Selim was no Communist/ He didn’t even know what communism was/ †¦ But the cops thought different/ They laid Selim on the floor. And when Selim got up/ he couldn’t step on his feet/ They laid Selim on the floor/ And when Selim got up/ he couldn’t see. † Hikmet’s writing is poetry under siege, and the blunt heroism of his characters makes them more Marxist ideals than believable human beings. The poetic element may not survive well in translation, but the content and context make this a lastingly fascinating work. Works Cited Des Pres, Terrence. â€Å"Poetry and Politics: The Example of Nazim Hikmet. † Parnassus: Poetry in Review 6, no. 2 (1978): 7-25.

Cause and Effect of School Bullying Essay

In today’s society bullying is playing a big roll in schools. A ratio of 1:3 student have committed suicide or committed some kind of crime due to the act of being bullied. The kids who are being bullied are not only victims but the kids who are doing the bullying are victims also. If they are bullying they are having some type of problems at home. Not only that they have insecurities issues of some kind. This sometimes causes them to pick on people that have lower self-esteem issues than they have. Maybe this kids is overweight or maybe they wear glasses or even sometime they pick on people now a days from having slight mental illnesses. Bullying don’t always affect the kid it also affects the family. But it doesn’t always end in bad things in cases such as mines. On a personal note being a victim of bullying’ it did give me self-esteem issues. But those self-esteem issues became much bigger then my problems and I overcame them. I was bullied all throughout elementary, middle, and high school but only in the 9th grade. They talked about my legs, they talked about my chest, they talked about my teeth, pretty much anything they can talk about on me it was done. Was even just picked on and told that I was an ugly little girl. It had me down but when maturity hit for me those same guys and girls started to like me more. The biggest tease of them all was having short hair. It only encouraged me more to bring out my true beauty. So like said before bullying has cause me to be more open about everything even my sexuality which back then I was teased about but now I embrace being a lesbian. I think that only strong minded people can actually do some of the things I have done after being bullied. Now today I have grown beautifully and very successful if I must say. My past may hinder me a slight bit but there are still methods of me overcoming them. Based on my research if a student is lacking any types of family support, the effects can be more devastating. In some cases some kids that are affects by any type of traumatic events may disassociate themselves from the traumatic situation and absorb themselves in bad behavior. Sometimes they think that this negative attention is a good thing to help secure themselves. Something like when most kids mis-behave when their parents get divorces (Zigler, 2002). The only way they can cope is by doing wrong. Many kids who are affected by bullying can have their develop mental processes and some part of their brain affected by the events. In a recent survey of 1. 965 students between 7th and 12 grade 48% have reported being harassed in some kind of way by other students. (Anderson, 2011)

The Problem with the American Health Care System

The American health care system is under duress. Some people praise the US medical system because of the availability of state-of -the-art treatments while some criticize because of the many loopholes of the system and problems with insurance. Because of loopholes in the insurance system and the high price of getting medical treatment in the country, many ordinary American folk do not get basic health while only the high-income earners can handle high medical costs.Despite of the existence of government health insurance, American citizens still feel the need to buy insurance from public firms since the government insurance system does not cover much of the medical needs of the people. Before analyzing the American health care system, it is first important to have a clear view of the system and the problems with it. The American health care system is made up of both public and private insurers but the unique part of this system is that the private sector remains dominant over the publ ic sector.Statistics indicate that 62 percent of non-elderly Americans receive insurance receive from their employers in the private sector while 5 percent purchased their own insurance from private insurance companies. A small 15 percent rely on government insurance systems such as Medicare and Medicaid. Those who do not have any form of insurance account for 15 percent of the total. Public Health Insurance is mainly provided by Medicare and Medicaid (Chua, 2006). Medicare covers people at age 65 and above including some disabled people.It is a government single-payer program which is funded by tax collections, a payroll tax and paid premiums. It is funded together by the federal and state government. Medicare covers hospital services, physician services, and medical drug benefits but over the years, weaknesses have been spotted in this insurance system such as it includes an incomplete coverage for nursing facilities as well as an insufficient preventive care coverage. It also doe s not provide for dental, hearing and vision health care.Because of the lack of services, the elderly folk that avail of Medicare are forced to get insurance plans from private companies, and thus, many of the old folk spend 22 percent of their income for providing their personal health care needs not covered by government health insurance (Chua, 2006). Medicaid on the other hand is an insurance program specifically provided for the disabled and for low income earners. It is stated under federal law that states must provide medical care to the very poor pregnant women, children, elderly, disabled, and parents.Adults that have no children receive no coverage from Medicaid as well as poor people that have a higher income that make them unqualified for Medicaid benefits but states have the freedom to alter eligibility levels. Just like Medicare, Medicaid receives funding from taxes. Medicaid has many good benefits but many of those who have availed of this insurance program find it dif ficult to look for health care providers that accept Medicaid because of a rather low reimbursement rate (Chua, 2006).According to the data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the US spends the highest on health care among the member countries in the OECD. In 2003, US health care costs accounted for 15 percent of the country's GDP while the average for all OECD countries only figured at 8. 6 percent. Among all OECD countries, the US also incurs the most spending on health care per capita with $5,635 which is more than double the OECD average of $2,307. From 1999 to 2003, per capita spending on health care increases by an average of 4.6 percent every year which is at par with the OECD average of 4. 5 percent per year. In most countries from the OECD, health care funding is usually provided by the government except for the US, Mexico, and Korea in which the private sector dominate the health care industry. Only 44 percent of health care spending is provided by the government in the US setting while the average government funding for health care in the OECD is at 72 percent. The US also has the highest health spending from private institutions at 37 percent.The US also lags behind on physician per population averages, nurse per population averages and hospital beds per population averages (Chua, 2006). These comparative data shows that the US has indeed been putting much budget into health but despite of this, the US has been performing poorly in providing the health care needs of its people. This may be traced from higher costs of health care since private institutions are more focused on profit. As of 2004, government pending on health care rose to 16 percent, in comparison, this is more of what is being spent on food.The rising costs of medical treatment stems from new medical technology. This results in a division of the population that may be referred to as â€Å"insiders† and â€Å"outsiders†. Insiders are t hose that have good insurance while outsiders are those that have little or no insurance. The insiders receive the best medical treatment regardless of the cost while the outsiders receive very little treatment that they should have been accorded. To quantify, one study indicated that those people with no insurance have a 70 percent more likelihood to die from colorectal cancer within a time span of three years (Krugman and Wells, 2006).The only way advanced medical technology can be provided to all people and not only to the financially capable is through health insurance but it would be difficult for private insurance companies to provide such a need because of the problem of adverse selection. Hence, healthy people would have to pay less premiums for insurance since they are not likely to accumulate large medical spending while those unhealthy people that are expected to accumulate large spending on medical treatment and hospital bills will have to pay higher premiums (Krugman an d Wells, 2006).The insurance company would quickly find that because its clientele was tilted toward those with high medical costs, its actual costs per customer were much higher than those of the average member of the population. So it would have to raise premiums to cover those higher costs. However, this would disproportionately drive off its healthier customers, leaving it with an even less healthy customer base, requiring a further rise in premiums, and so on. Krugman and Wells, 2006Insurance companies have learned how to deal with this problem using risk assessment with the aid of a careful screening process. This results in rejecting or charging more premiums for applicants that are more likely to incur higher treatment costs. This practice bars many of those who are greatly in need of insurance from getting one. If ever a person is allowed to get an insurance despite of the conditions, the premiums would be very high (Krugman and Wells, 2006). Insurance is important for heal th care since it will affect the health of people.With the presence of insurance, the people will have a better grasp of preventive care. A study by The Urban Institute indicated that about 50 percent of children that did not have any health insurance did not have a medical checkup in 2003, whereas only 26 percent of insured children did not have a checkup (National Coalition on Health Care, 2008). This shows that people are most likely to pursue early medical treatment in the presence of an insurance policy. People who are uninsured also pay before receiving any medical treatment except during emergencies.If they are unable to pay, they will be denied medical treatment. In the presence of insurance, a person will not be denied medical treatment because the insurance will readily pay for it (National Coalition on Health Care, 2008). Instead of eliminating expenses, lack of insurance policies only results in more spending for the government since the governments pays for the health e xpenses of those people who are unable to pay for the medical treatment they received in the absence of a health insurance.Also, data indicates that hospital accumulate $34 billion of unpaid health care every year while $37 billion is paid by private and public payers for the uninsured while $26 is paid from out-of-pocket for the people who did not avail of any insurance policy for some reason (National Coalition on Health Care, 2008). The number of uninsured people is steadily increasing due to the complexities involved in getting insurance but the highest driving factor is the high premiums. Job instability and other changes such divorce, retirement, self-employment, etc.are also reasons why people do not avail of insurance (National Coalition on Health Care, 2008). Addressing health care is very important for any country especially for a developed nation that has a high population like the US. The presidential candidates both have proposed health care policies as a part of their agenda. These policies may be viewed from their websites and they both put addressing insurance problems the top health care issues as well reducing the cost of basic health services.The reason why health care is too costly in the US may partly be because doctors are more highly paid but a better reason would be because much of health care payments are done by private insurance institutions. This results in more expenses since people pay more premiums just to get the better benefits of a private insurance system and since these private institutions are business entities, premiums are higher for higher risks of expensive medical treatment. For the government, profit would never be an issue.What the two presidential candidates, Barrack Obama and Hillary Clinton are proposing just might work. They are proposing a new health care insurance system that promises affordable premiums and good benefits under the government. If implemented properly and with scrutiny, these plans might be a wa y to uplift the country's health care system since it promises more coverage while providing friendlier premiums. Shifting from government insurance that provides good benefits would be the ultimate answer to the rising costs of medical treatment.It is notable more and more people are getting medical aid from Medicare or Medicaid but this does not stop people from getting another health insurance at a private institution since government funded insurance does not provide all the medical needs of the people. The government should provide insurance policies that are will provide for most or all of the medical needs of the people at friendly-priced premiums. This way, the health care system will improve. References Chua, Kao-Ping. 10 February 2006. Overview of the U. S. Health Care System. Retrieved May 26, 2008, from http://www. amsa.org/uhc/HealthCareSystemOverview. pdf Krugman, Paul & Wells, Robin. 23 March 2006. The Health Care Crisis and What to Do About It. The New York Review of Books, 53,5. Retrieved may 26, 2008, from http://www. nybooks. com/articles/18802 National Coalition on Health Care. 2008. Health Insurance Coverage. Retrieved May 26, 2008, from http://www. nchc. org/facts/coverage. shtml Plan for a Healthy America. Retrieved May 26, 2008, from http://www. barackobama. com/issues/healthcare/ American Health Choices Plan. Retrieved May 26, 2008, from http://www. hillary clinton. com/feature/healthcareplan/summary. aspx

Soft Skills

What is softskills? Soft skill is the ability required and expected from persons for finding a suitable job, its maintenance and promotion. Softskills is an important facet of life. It is essential in all spheres of life. Be it an interview or dealing with the project leader or working out a solution with a team or writing a report, getting across the point effectively is what matters. The success of an endeavour hinges on the ability to communicate effectively in today's fast paced life, everyone is asked to do more with less.In such a scenario effective communication holds the key. Effectively communication centers round the usage of words, speed of delivery of words, pitch modulation and body language. Using the right tools to communicate the right messages at the right time can salvage a crises and motivate people to work towards success. Truly said, communication works but for those who work at it. In the existing globalization scenario, most of the Information Technology, I.T E nabled Services, management institutes, public and private sector, multi-national Companies, Union Public Service Commission, and State Public Service Commission are search for a right and suitable fresher for executive posts. Whatever be the recruiting criteria that I. T, ITES, industry giants had in their agenda, once this was clear a first class degree would not serve the purpose, the candidate have to satisfy the skill sets that the companies were looking for. And unanimously, the skills set that they were looking for Softskills.The immediate results of developing good communication skills are: 1. Ability to Listen effectively 2. Ability to send Clear Messages 3. To win confidence and respect of peers, employers 4. Impressive non-verbal behaviour Scope of softskills development It is very important to develop softskills because it enables you to: * To handle interpersonal relations * To take appropriate decisions * To communicate effectively * To have good impression and impact to gain professional development Types of Softskills 1. Verbal Communication skills * Softskills form the corner stone of soft skills Every human being has to essentially ; effectively communicate with others * Effective communication is the hallmark of one's education * The ability to speak fluently using the right word in the right order is an good communication * Message using appropriate vocabulary and syntax form effective communication 2. Body language Non verbal language * Face is the index of the mind and it clearly displays the persons   interest * Body language presents to the audience what we feel & think about the particular matter * Body language (e. , arms crossed, standing, sitting, relaxed) * Emotion of the sender & receiver (e. g, speaking clearly, enthusiastic) 3. Written communication Skills * Writing evaluates a person's proficiency indications, spelling grammar etc†¦ * Errors committed while writing circulars, reports ; agenda considerably spoil the image of the writer * Good visual presentation using graphics, color, balanced design layout- adds so much to written communication. * Keep handouts and other written materials for your presentation 4. Presentation Skills Presentation skills include planning, preparation ; delivery of the message.Making a formal speech is also one form of presentation. Presentation skills can be broadly categorized into physical oral, ; electronics. * Success in life depends on presenting ideas in an appropriate manners * Look at the eyes of audience ; speak in a natural, conversational voice * Appropriate voice will make the presentation effective and interesting * Ask for feed back from your audience about your presentation ; change accordingly * In presentation especially, stop occasionally to ask the audience understand what you have said . Team Work * People of either gender, different age groups, qualification, status ; skills work as a team with a common objective of accomplishing the task * The s uccess of any organization largely depends on in the coordinated efforts of its employees * It mainly refers to the agreeableness ; co-operation among the team members 6. Professional ethics * Professional ethics is the need of the hour in India * When a person is at the work spot, he must think of his work only * He must put his heart ; soul into the work Each employee is a organic part of the organization ; must strive to contribute his mite to the successful functioning of the organization 7. Interpersonal Skills Man is a social animal ; his success in life largely depends on his relationship ; interaction with others We must respect the views ; sentiments of others. When we want to differ their views, we must very politely give hints to them without wondering their feelings 8. Time ; Stress Management Prioritize the work ; schedule your time accordingly * Impotent work should be allotted more time ; taken up first * Listening to classical music ; practicing Yoga will considerabl y reduce the physical,emotional ; mental stress of an individual 9. Leadership Softskills Leaders, executives ; managers need to be very clear about what they expect from others * Trust your self * Keep smiling * Share ; stay together * Always learn new things * Accept responsibility for your self ; your actions * Look at problems ; challenges * Be grateful always * Love your selfSo if you want to improve upon your softskills, this is the best time to go ahead. Start now, Start well Soft skills is a sociological term relating to a person's â€Å"EQ† (Emotional Intelligence Quotient), the cluster of personality traits, social graces, communication, language, personal habits, friendliness, and optimism that characterize relationships with other people. [1] Soft skills complement hard skills (part of a person's IQ), which are the occupational requirements of a job and many other activities. Soft skills are personal attributes that enhance an individual's interactions, job perfor mance and career prospects.Unlike hard skills, which are about a person's skill set and ability to perform a certain type of task or activity, soft skills relate to a person's ability to interact effectively with coworkers and customers and are broadly applicable both in and outside the workplace. A person's soft skill EQ is an important part of their individual contribution to the success of an organization. Particularly those organizations dealing with customers face-to-face are generally more successful, if they train their staff to use these skills.Screening or training for personal habits or traits such as dependability and conscientiousness can yield significant return on investment for an organization. [2] For this reason, soft skills are increasingly sought out by employers in addition to standard qualifications. It has been suggested that in a number of professions soft skills may be more important over the long term than occupational skills. The legal profession is one exa mple where the ability to deal with people effectively and politely, more than their mere occupational skills, can determine the professional success of a lawyer. 3] Soft Skills are behavioral competencies. Also known as Interpersonal Skills, or people skills, they include proficiencies such as communication skills, conflict resolution and negotiation, personal effectiveness, creative problem solving, strategic thinking, team building, influencing skills and selling skills, to name a few Meaning Critical thinking clarifies goals, examines assumptions, discerns hidden values, evaluates evidence, accomplishes actions, and assesses conclusions. â€Å"Critical† as used in the expression â€Å"critical thinking† connotes involving skillful judgment as to truth, merit, etc. Critical† in this context does not mean â€Å"disapproval† or â€Å"negative. † There are many positive uses of critical thinking, for example formulating a workable solution to a comp lex personal problem, deliberating as a group about what course of action to take, or analyzing the assumptions and the quality of the methods used in scientifically arriving at a reasonable level of confidence about a given hypothesis. To add further clarification on what is meant by thinking critically, Richard Paul (1995) articulated critical thinking as either weak or strong.The weak-sense critical thinker is a highly skilled but selfishly motivated pseudo-intellectual who works to advance one's personal agenda without seriously considering the ethical consequences and implications. Conceived as such, the weak-sense critical thinker is often highly skilled but uses those skills selectively so as to pursue unjust and selfish ends (Paul, 1995). Conversely, the strong-sense critical thinker skillfully enters into the logic of problems and issues to see the problem for what it is without egocentric and/or socio-centric bias.Thus conceived, the strong-sense mind seeks to actively, sy stematically, reflectively, and fair-mindedly construct insight with sensitivity to expose and address the many obstacles that compromise high quality thought and learning. Using strong critical thinking we might evaluate an argument, for example, as worthy of acceptance because it is valid and based on true premises. Upon reflection, a speaker may be evaluated as a credible source of knowledge on a given topic.Critical thinking can occur whenever one judges, decides, or solves a problem; in general, whenever one must figure out what to believe or what to do, and do so in a reasonable and reflective way. Reading, writing, speaking, and listening can all be done critically or uncritically. Critical thinking is crucial to becoming a close reader and a substantive writer. Expressed in most general terms, critical thinking is â€Å"a way of taking up the problems of life. â€Å"[10] Skills The list of core critical thinking skills includes observation, interpretation, analysis, infere nce, evaluation, explanation, and meta-cognition.There is a reasonable level of consensus among experts that an individual or group engaged in strong critical thinking gives due consideration to establish: * Evidence through observation * Context * Relevant criteria for making the judgment well * Applicable methods or techniques for forming the judgment * Applicable theoretical constructs for understanding the problem and the question at hand In addition to possessing strong critical-thinking skills, one must be disposed to engage problems and decisions using those skills.Critical thinking employs not only logic but broad intellectual criteria such as clarity, credibility, accuracy, precision, relevance, depth, breadth, significance, and fairness. Habits or traits of mind The habits of mind that characterize a person strongly disposed toward critical thinking include a desire to follow reason and evidence wherever they may lead, a systematic approach to problem solving, inquisitiven ess, even-handedness, and confidence in reasoning. [16] When individuals possess intellectual skills alone, without the intellectual traits of mind, weak sense critical thinking results.Fair-minded or strong sense critical thinking requires intellectual humility, empathy, integrity, perseverance, courage, autonomy, confidence in reason, and other intellectual traits. Thus, critical thinking without essential intellectual traits often results in clever, but manipulative and often unethical or subjective thought. The clients have indicated that, after  inspecting the progress of the project they have outsourced, they would like to meet  the team members working on it. Why? To select one team member for a stint onsite — something  almost every software engineer  aspires for.Ravi has been one of the most active members in the project and has done a wonderful job. He is technically brilliant, but has some concerns: * Will he able to communicate his performance to the clien t in an impressive manner so that he is chosen? * Why do his team mates not prefer to come to him for solutions and go to less capable people instead? * His project manager doesn't seem to be very warm towards him either, although he does drop in those occasional mails appreciating his work.Here is a  typical scenario in an IT company; or for that matter, any organisation where interpersonal communication is involved. Or, like in Ravi's case, where an employee suffers from  a lack of interpersonal skills. Are technical/ job-related skills enough? Technical and job-related skills are a  must, but they are NOT sufficient when it comes to progressing up the ladder. With the traditional paternalistic style of leadership becoming passe, professional managers expect their teams to be proactive and communicate openly. â€Å"Soft skills are very important in business.It is essential to be technically sound, but one should also have the ability to convey the idea to the masses in the simplest possible manner,† says  Mayurkumar Gadewar, an ERP consultant with Pricewaterhouse Coopers. With the  boom in outsourcing taking root across industries, many  professionals and subject matter experts directly deal with their clients on a regular basis. Their approachability and people skills are what ultimately sustain the contract their employers have bagged. â€Å"Planning is necessary but execution is also equally important.And it takes soft skills to execute any idea because it involves dealing with people directly,†Ã‚  says Gadewar. 6 soft skills for every hard-nosed professional Behavioural training experts say there are several soft skills are required in these circumstances. Some of them  include: i. Interpersonal skills ii. Team spirit iii. Social grace iv. Business etiquette v. Negotiation skills vi. Behavioural traits such as attitude, motivation and time management Do you have these? If your answer is yes, good for you. But if your answer is no, then you know it is time to approach either a  training organisation or a training  consultant.Will formal training enhance your soft skills? There is a lot of argument in the industry as to whether it is possible to enhance soft skills in a few hours of training, especially when one considers the fact that  a person has lived with those traits all his life. To this, the answer is harsh but real — a professional who wants to do well in his/ her career does not really have a choice. In the initial years of your career, your  technical abilities are important to get good assignments. However, when it comes to growing in an organisation, it is your  personality that matters, more so in large organisations where several people with imilar technical expertise will compete for a promotion. Training on soft skills becomes all the more relevant in a country like India where the education system does not delve into personality development. â€Å"Soft skills training is essential because we do not have it in our academic curricula. Therefore, corporate houses have to take up the task of grooming employees who are the link between the company and the external world, so that they are able to present themselves better, † says Sumeet Mehta, an equity research analyst with Fortis Securities Ltd.Be your own trainer! While organisations are definitely investing in augmenting their staff's people skills, here are some inputs for professionals and students who would like to initiate the process themselves: i. Be a part of team activities It could be  either as a part of your church choir, or an NGO, or your local youth circle. Observe your own behaviour in the group and how you relate to others. ii. Ask  family members or close friends to write down your best and worst traits. Ideally, have at least four to five people do this for you.Evaluate the common traits all of them have mentioned. Thus, you can be aware of your strengths and work improvin g your weaknesses. iii. How well do you manage your time? Think. Can you do more in life? Or is your day too crammed with activities? Effective time management is very essential in the corporate world. iv. Introspect on how you react to feedback. In organisations, people skills mostly come into the picture when there is feedback given — be it for an idea, an executed project or a presentation. You are judged by the way you respond to feedback.Do you get defensive? Do you insist you were right? Do you meekly accept criticism? Remember, people tend to be judged and stereotyped according to their responses. You will, too. v. How good are you at critiquing? While responding to feedback is one side of the coin, giving feedback is the other side. Are you aggressive? Pessimistic? Do you believe in constructive criticism? Or prefer to be the yes-man? vi. Live consciously Any organisation is manned by people, therefore soft skills are all about how you deal with people and present you rself.Though it may be easier said than done, soft skills can be enhanced simply by being aware of oneself and living consciously. Rukmini Iyer is a corporate trainer and instructional designer. She  writes regularly on business etiquette, communication, language enhancement  and grooming. Definition soft skills Soft skills are personal attributes that enhance an individual's interactions, job performance and career prospects. Unlike hard skills, which are about a person's skill set and ability to perform a certain type of task or activity, soft skills are interpersonal and broadly applicable.Soft skills are often described by using terms often associated with personality traits, such as: * optimism * common sense * responsibility * a sense of humor * integrity and abilities that can be practiced (but require the individual to genuinely like other people) such as: * empathy * teamwork * leadership * communication * good manners * negotiation * sociability * the ability to teach. It's often said that hard skills will get you an interview but you need soft skills to get (and keep) the job. Definition Emotional intelligence (EI) is the area of cognitive ability involving traits nd social skills that facilitate interpersonal behavior. Intelligence can be broadly defined as the capacity for goal-oriented adaptive behavior; emotional intelligence focuses on the aspects of intelligence that govern self-knowledge and social adaptation. The term first appeared in 1985, in Wayne Payne's doctoral thesis, A study of emotion: Developing emotional intelligence. Payne's thesis centered on the idea that society's historical repression of emotion is the source of wide-scale problems such as addiction, depression, illness, religious conflict, violence and war.Daniel Goleman, a psychologist and behavioral science journalist, later popularized the term and developed related concepts in his influential book, Emotional Intelligence (1995). In Working with Emotional Intelligence (1998), Goleman explored the function of EI on the job. According to Goleman, emotional intelligence is the largest single predictor of success in the workplace. Goleman and others have developed the concept of a testable EQ (emotional intelligence quotient) counterpart to the IQ (intelligence quotient).In contrast to the focus on academically-oriented skills, such as mathematical ability, that are evaluated in an IQ test, an EQ test focuses more on the individual's capacity to deal effectively with others. To that end, it evaluates traits and abilities such as self-awareness and empathy, which are sometimes referred to as soft skills. Goleman describes emotional intelligence as â€Å"managing feelings so that they are expressed appropriately and effectively, enabling people to work together smoothly toward their common goals. † According to Goleman, the four major skills that make up emotional intelligence are: * Self-Awareness Self-Management * Social Awareness * Relations hip Management. The Importance of Soft skills When it comes to skills in employment, the first line of emphasis is typically towards abilities, training and knowledge of specific skill sets. These are referred to as hard skills. Soft skills are often overlooked, but they also play an important role in day-to-day operations. Small business owners should place equal importance on hard and soft skills during the hiring process for new employees. In addition, current employees should be encouraged to develop soft skills if they are lacking in this area. Drive/Work EthicThis is a difficult skill to quantify, but employees will typically either display a strong work ethic and the drive to complete tasks, or they won't. While a work ethic is largely an innate skill, it can be learned with proper training and motivation. Some employees may be able to develop a stronger work ethic with incentive based pay or monetary rewards such as bonuses if they reach a certain goal. Communication Skills Communication skills are the most important soft skills for an employee. The ability to communicate through the spoken and written word is a necessity in nearly every industry and in every workplace.Communication skills can be learned and improved with the right training. It may take time for employees to learn effective communication skills, particularly if they have a naturally shy disposition. In this case, a course on public speaking can work wonders. The techniques learned by speaking to a large crowd can be adapted for daily communications and these lessons are typically good confidence builders for employees. Teamwork The ability to work well within a team is another important soft skill. Some employees may naturally feel comfortable working within a group, while others may have problems and prefer to work alone.It is necessary to spot these personality types ahead of time for proper group formation. Every team should have a diverse set of personalities that mesh together as a cohesive whole. Team building exercises can be very beneficial in helping employees develop this skill. Decision Making and Problem Solving Being able to make quick decisions, think on their feet, and solve simple problems are important employee traits. Even simple problems such as a copier being out of toner can grind an office to a halt if no one displays these simple skills.At least one employee needs to have the ability to take charge of a situation and guide the others through if they have difficulty. The employees who display these decision making skills are often excellent candidates for promotion to management level. Importance of Soft Skills in Our Life Most of us feel that if we have good technical knowledge & skills we will achieve success. Hence; not many try to learn soft skills. This presentation brings out the importance of soft skills in our life. It shows that without soft skills, it will be difficult for us to achieve progress & be successful