History, Genocide, Social Intolerance and Bigotry Essay

Lessons of history have been correctly utilized in a sense that the eventualities and circumstances in the past served as a learning experience for a better future. History served as a reminder on how to uphold the positive undertakings and set aside those which only causes strife. On the other hand, it can be used incorrectly in such a way that oppressed people may tend to see their gloomy past as a reason to revolt and take up arms. Moreover, utilizing history as a predictive instrument has observable limitations in a sense that the eventualities in the past does not necessarily manifests in the future, although it may influence it. On the contrary, history basically serves as a reference point to which critical judgment and better analysis of certain circumstances in the present and the future could be applied. In relation to that, observing the massive killings happening around the world, like acts of genocide could be defined as a deliberate attempt of any group to eliminate and annihilate a certain ethnic group in a belief that cleansing a whole group will also abolish oppression and conflict. According to Gregory Stanton of Genocide Watch, there are actually stages that ultimately leads to genocide. The eight stages are as follows: Classification, or the stage wherein individuals start to cluster the people with the â€Å"us and them† method; Symbolization, where people practices labelling and name calling; Dehumanization, wherein certain groups perceive others not worthy to be considered human beings; Organization, or the establishment of a structured group like militias; Polarization, which divides the group apart because of the works of extremists; Preparation, or the drawing out of death lists and threats; Extermination, or the mass killings and ethnic cleansing stage; and Denial, wherein the perpetrators makes a lot of effort in covering up their inhumane acts and intimidates their witnesses (Stanton, 1996). Some acts of genocide is reported to have been institutionalized and sanctioned by the government like the Janjaweed militia of the Darfur crisis. These Janjaweed forces are believed to be supported by the government because it is through this powerful group that the oil from the Darfur region could be accessed since they threaten the people with acts of violence (Koerner, 2005). Having dominion over the oil industry in Darfur would allow economic growth and stability. For its political implication, the government continually supports the undertakings of the Janjaweeds because they continue to uphold the purpose of their creation which is to destroy the African tribes who were believed to be supporting insurgent groups against the government (Reeves, 2005). In line with that, a possible foundation of social intolerance resides in the people’s fear of the unknown wherein they are uncertain in accepting other people’s perspectives apart from theirs, fearing the implications it may have on them. Another basis of social intolerance and bigotry are the people’s lack of openness to communicate to other people and a feeling of superiority over individuals who are not â€Å"like† them or have similar ideologies. References Koerner, B. (2005). Who are the Janjaweed. Retrieved June 5, 2008, from http://www. slate. com/id/2104210/. Reeves, E. (2005). Genocide in Darfur-How the Horror Began. Retrieved June 5, 2008, from http://www. sudantribune. com/article. php3? id_article=11445. Stanton, G. (1996). The Eight Stages of Genocide. Retrieved June 5, 2008, from http://www. genocidewatch. org/8stages. htm.

Eliminating Genetically Modified Foods Essay

What comes to mind when reading the words genetic modification or Bacillus thurigiensis (abbreviated Bt)? I envision laboratories and science experiments, when in reality these words are related to the food we eat every day. What most Americans do not know is the threat that genetically modified food presents to our communities. PLU should do everything in its power to ensure that its students and faculty members are not exposed to genetically modified foods and crops that have been â€Å"protected† through the usage of Bt that has been artificially incorporated into crops, at least while eating on campus. We also need to educate those individuals about the truths of genetic modification and how it can potentially harm the lives of our generation and those to come. After all, PLU’s slogan is â€Å"educating for lives of thoughtful inquiry, service, leadership and care – for other people for their communities and for the earth. † If we can raise awareness of genetic modification on campus, we can help spread the importance of eliminating it to the rest of our community. Researchers have recently found that genetically modified foods have more baggage than advertised, baggage such as the risk of formation of allergies, exposure to toxins in herbicides, and a significant reduction in nutritional value. The genetic modification of crops began in the 1980s and has been growing in popularity ever since. In 1994, researchers successfully genetically modified tomatoes for human consumption. The genetic modification involved deleting a gene which produced the enzyme polygalacturonase which helps in fruit softening. This meant that the tomatoes could ripen on the vine but not spoil by the time they reached the store (â€Å"Tomatoes†). Tomatoes are no longer genetically modified, but are instead made to postpone ripening when the green tomato is picked; they are then taken to a processing plant and â€Å"artificially gassed with ethylene until they are the rosy-red skin tones of a ripe tomato† (Estabrook p. x). Seeing the words gassed and ethylene in the same context as human consumption seems concerning. Unfortunately, many Americans are unaware of how their food has been treated when they are consuming it. Some produce is â€Å"too good to be true† because they seem perfect, without a blemish or bruise, not to mention free from flavor. But, I now know that this is due to gasses that act as a sort of make-up. The tomatoes in PLU’s commons are unsatisfactory in taste, but impeccable in terms of looks. This leads me to think that PLU is purchasing out of season, gassed tomatoes that are bred to be green, as opposed to better quality organically grown produce. This brings nutritional value into question. In a study conducted by the U. S. Department of Agriculture, â€Å"100 grams of fresh tomato today has 30 percent less vitamin C, 30 percent less thiamin, 19 percent less niacin, and 62 percent less calcium than it did in the 1960s,† not to mention fourteen times as much sodium (Estabrook p. x). Who would have thought that an individual’s sky rocketing levels of sodium was not only from McDonalds french fries, but also from what they thought of as a healthy alternative, a tomato bought from the grocery store. Parents are unknowingly buying these tomatoes with the intention of feeding their children something healthy, but in reality they are being undermined by the U. S. Agricultural System. What really is genetic modification? It can be defined as: â€Å"organisms that have had specific changes introduced into their DNA by genetic engineering techniques† (Genetically Modified). According to Assistant Professor Romey Haberle, these types of â€Å"genetic engineering techniques† include the usage of either a gene gun or a natural vector, which sounds just as bad as the ethylene gas previously stated. A gene gun is just that, a gun. Its purpose is to inject cells with specific genetic information into plants or other cells. Natural vector is the usage of DNA cells as a means of transportation into a plant’s cells. The DNA cells contain other specific and modified cells that are foreign to the plant in which it is being injected. These two types of genetic engineering are used to produce specific plants that can have special immunities to certain insecticides, or even to alter the crops’ general composition. Guns and natural vectors are the most common ways of studying and performing genetic modification in today’s agricultural world. â€Å"Bacillus thurigiensis (Bt) is an insecticide with unusual properties that make it useful for pest control in certain situations† (W. S. Cranshaw). An insecticide is a poison designed for insects. In the past it was usually sprayed over fields in an effort to reduce the amount of crops lost to insects. There has recently been in increase in the amount of crops that have this toxin genetically modified to into its DNA, making it impossible to wash off or get rid of. Unfortunately, the crops resist the effects but the toxin is still present on crops as they grow and are picked. Bt works by â€Å"producing proteins that react with the cells of the gut lining within insects†¦these proteins then paralyze the digestive system, and the infected insect stops feeding within hours† (W. S. Cranshaw). In short, Bt causes the insect to die from starvation since their digestive tract is unable to digest. This makes me question the safety of using this product within proximity of humans since it specifically attacks the gut lining of the digestive system. An unfortunate incident with Bt in the Philippines almost caused 100 members of a community to become ill. A crop within close proximity to their area of living had been sprayed with Bt. This crop was then pollinated, filling the air with pollen. The town’s people began to show symptoms of headaches, dizziness, extreme stomach pain, vomiting, chest pains, fever, and allergies plus respiratory, intestinal and skin reactions. Trying to get to the root of the problem, blood tests proved that 39 of the victims showed an anti-body response to the Bt-toxin. This means that the Bt toxin had traveled from the crops to their internal systems. Other villagers also encountered animal deaths from the same problems (Lendman p. 7). This shows that Bt is not suitable for human consumption or human contact. My concern is that PLU will purchase and serve food that has this same toxin present. Yes, the chances of this happening are rare, but we can eliminate the risk altogether by purchasing non-genetically modified produce that has not been exposed to the Bt toxin. PLU’s dining services do a great job of offering fresh and healthy foods for all meals of the day. Each menu is clearly labeled as to whether its food is all natural – grown without fertilizers or pesticides, locally grown, vegan – free from all animal products, vegetarian, or organic. However, organic is rarely seen. The most common labels seen are the locally grown and all natural labels, but it is usually only next to the grilled or sliced chicken breast. PLU should make an effort to move away from genetically modified foods and begin advertising the elimination of engineered foods on the menus. We could do this by allotting more of our food budget to buying organically grown food. We know that to be labeled as â€Å"organic† a farm has to adapt to specific regulations such as not utilizing pesticides or other harmful preservatives and of course, to stay away from genetically modified seeds or plants. I believe that most PLU students are aware of the benefits of organically grown produce but I do not think they are educated as to the benefits of eating non-genetically modified foods. PLU recently had food and water seminars, these seminars present a perfect opportunity to speak and educate about the negatives of eating genetically modified food in order to educate them to help others and make the right decisions for our earth. Most PLU students are interested in the environment and doing what we can to ensure sustainability, this includes the usage of harmful pesticides to our environment. By eating organic we can make a small impact in reducing the amount of non-organic produce bought and distributed. We also reduce the possibility of consuming these same pesticides that pose a threat to our atmosphere by avoiding them all together. By educating the students at PLU about the potential hazards that genetically modified food can present we can influence and encourage the right decisions to be made, the decision of going organic and avoiding genetic modification at all costs. The controversy of golden rice is one that has caused much disagreement within the world of genetic modification. Golden rice is a genetically engineered grain that is being used to â€Å"help fight vitamin A deficiency in the developing world, a disease that contributes to the deaths of 8 million young children in the world† (Ronald). Although this statistic demonstrates the drastic improvement of the overall health in the most underdeveloped parts of the world, it fails to include the â€Å"massive changes in the natural functioning of a plants DNA. Native genes can be mutated, deleted, permanently turned on or off and the inserted gene can become truncated, fragmented, mixed with other genes, inverted or multiplied, and the GM protein it produces may have unintended characteristics† (Lendman p. 2) that could compromise the health of the individual or community consuming it. Researchers have failed to imply the potential harmful effects on gut function, liver function, kidney function, the immune system, endocrine system, blood composition, allergic response and even the potential to cause cancer because of the mutilated DNA that is being ingested by our bodies every time we eat genetically modified foods. Researchers are so quick to glorify the one added nutrient to golden rice that they forget, or rather choose to not advertise the adverse and undesired side effects that could come from eating rice that has a complex and unnatural DNA. Yes, vitamin A deficiency is a real and prominent problem in today’s underdeveloped nations, but solving the problem with genetically altered â€Å"golden rice† presents the risks of forming allergies, being exposed to toxins such as pesticides, and ultimately causing cancer. Instead of investing most of our resources and money into genetically modifying vitamin A into rice, we could donate it to charities that provide food to those underdeveloped countries that are impoverished and are in need of proper nutrition. Allergies seem to be more and more common in today’s society. I too, have been directly impacted. One of my best friends from my junior high and high school years has a deathly peanut and soybean allergy. She constantly carries around an epinephrine auto-injector, abbreviated â€Å"epi-pen,† that she is required to use if she comes into contact with any kind of nut. We find ourselves constantly reading labels and isolating what she can and cannot eat, a practice which is tedious and inconvenient. Her soybean allergy is not as prevalent as her peanut allergy, but it is still concerning. She had an experience of eating an ice cream popsicle, in which she took two bites and her lips started to swell with red hives. Even after carefully analyzing the ingredient list, she still had a reaction to some kind of soybean that had been present within one of the ingredients. Soybeans are present in many foods, and 93% of the soybeans used in the U. S.are genetically modified (â€Å"Genetically Modified†). They are created to withstand herbicides used to kill weeds. This means that 93% of the soybeans used in food across America have the herbicides glyphosate or glufosinate within them since they are modified to resist the harmful effects that the weeds encounter when they are sprayed with a herbicide, the same herbicide that is designed to kill insects and weeds. Our bodies are not meant to ingest these harmful herbicides, so some children react adversely to soybeans that have been genetically altered. Nut allergies seem to be the most common allergy in today’s communities. â€Å"From 1997 to 2007, the prevalence of reported food allergy increased 18% among children under age 18† (Prevalence). This increase in food allergies seems to directly mimic the pattern of genetically modified food’s rise in popularity. Is this comparison ironic? I do not think so. PLU’s ability to specifically mark the types of allergens present in each meal is very important to the rising of today’s allergies that so many young adults are affected by. â€Å"As of 2012 there are many outgoing court cases and FDA investigation into genetically modified foods† (Genetically Modified). There is obviously a concern for the welfare of our communities and the production of genetically modified foods, and PLU should take into consideration the recent increase in food allergies in children, the push for organically grown food, the lost nutrition, and the potential for cancer development. By educating the minds of PLU students about the harmful effects genetically modified food presents to society we can promote for lives of thoughtful inquiry, service, leadership and care both for others and for our planet. These contributors all add up to one conclusion: the reduction or elimination of genetically modified food in our diets. I do not want to pick up the baggage that genetically modified food carries, do you? Works Cited Cranshaw, W. S. â€Å"Bacillus Thuringiensis. † Colorado State University Extension. Dec. 2008. Web. 23 Mar. 2012. . Estabrook, Barry. Tomatoland: How Modern Industrial Agriculture Destroyed Our Most Alluring Fruit. Kansas City: Andrews McMeel, 2011. Print. â€Å"Genetically Modified Food. † 20 Mar. 2012. Web. 23 Mar. 2012. . Lendman, Stephen. â€Å"GlobalResearch.ca – Centre for Research on Globalization. † GlobalResearch. ca. 22 Feb. 2008. Web. 23 Mar. 2012. . â€Å"Prevalence of Food Allergies in Today’s World. † 23 Mar. 2012. Web. 23 Mar. 2012. . Ronald, Pamela. â€Å"What If Organic Farmers Joined Forces with Genetic Engineers? † July 2008: 35-38. Web. 19 Mar. 2012. â€Å"Tomatoes. † GMO Compass. 27 Nov. 2006. Web. 17 Apr. 2012. .

Across the Universe †All you need is love Essay

â€Å"Across the Universe† is a musical film based on 34 compositions by the legendary rock’n’roll quartet – the Beatles. The movie is called after the same name song of the band, â€Å"Across the Universe†, which was released in 1969 and later as one of tracks of a charity album â€Å"No One is Going to Change Our World† at the label â€Å"Apple†. The plot has nothing to do with the Beatles’ members life. However the pictured in the movie events represent many characteristics of their era being set in the 60’s and revolve around the songs which match up a lot of great scenes. All main characters bear the names derived from its original lyrics: dwarfed in life Lucy (â€Å"Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds†), ambitious Jude (â€Å"Hey Jude†), an amateur singer Sadie (â€Å"Sexy Sadie†), a good-for-nothing Max (â€Å"Maxwell’s Silver Hammer†), Prudence (â€Å"Dear Prudence†) etc. The first 45 minutes is hyper and let us meet the characters. It doesn’t really rely on plot, like most musicals, it relies more on character development. Jude moves to the USA in purpose to find his father. On arrival he accidentally meets Max who becomes his friend in a short time. Together the boys go to New York where they are joined by Max’s sister Lucy (she has just lost her boyfriend killed on the battlefield). They quickly find out that the dream of living independently and enjoying their lives as an adults has its own difficulties. The second act is different: Vietnam War, psychedelic trips caused by taking LSD, free love flavoured with rock’n’roll – that is the very scenery of the romantic and at the same time tragic storyline. In the third act we actually get to see the characters solve their problems, it deals a lot more with our feelings towards music and war. Across the Universe† is actually much different from most musicals. Where most musicals rely on either joy, emotion, or war, it relies on all three. There are some moments where you actually feel like you want to get up and dance. The music here is absolutely amazing. No seriously. It’s amazing. The cast members (and read how I say cast members and not vocalists) sang all of these songs and did such a great job that if I even had a choice, I would actually had to say that some of their versions of songs were better than the actual Beatles. Speaking about the strongest moments I would distinguish one perfect example of telling a story through the song that has profound significance to me and too intense for words – the scene where Jude paints a tore and nailed to the canvas bleeding strawberry during â€Å"Strawberry Fields Forever† being sang. The berry as a symbol of love, streams of blood as a symbol of war and death, flashing faces of the characters in the background and paint-made blood all over the screen – it’s all in red, the color of lust and destruction. While watching the movie I felt different emotions: laughter, happiness, excitement but also sadness, fear and anger. What I’ve got from â€Å"Across the Universe† is more than a film, it is an experience in itself. It could be any kind of experience — a fun and very different experience, or a deeply emotional and sensual experience. For me, it was more of the second. When â€Å"Hey Jude† played near end of the movie I had run out of tears. It felt like I knew all the characters forever but when the two hours and ten minutes were over I was dying to see more. I am actually planning on seeing this again and again.

Reflection Memo Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reflection Memo - Personal Statement Example Such a degree of usefulness has left internet usage among children and young people open to various abuses and problematic scenarios. That is because the digital world that comprises the internet remains largely unsupervised by parents and teachers. Thus exposing children to certain dangers on the world wide web that could be avoided with proper guidance from parental and authority figures in the childs life. Using various methods of research and survey that include the qualitative and quantitative research methods, I came across fact based information and numerical data that supported my thesis that although the internet can act as an all around teacher and baby sitter, it also places the innocence of a child in danger because of the predators and bullies that lurk within the system. Children and young adults are not always equipped to handle such situations which can bring about emotional trauma and moral questions from the young users. Therefore the age bracket of these users require My field work and studies have shown that parents and educators are aware of the problems that exist when young people have internet access. As such, they have come up with ways and means to limit the childs exposure to the internet. Parents have done this by limiting the chillds time on the computer and restricting the browsing habits of the child through the use of specific site blocking software which is loaded into the computer. Some parents though, opt to join their children when they browse the internet instead so that they can visually see and personally restict the access of the child. Such a practice also allowed the parent to talk to the child about why certain websites are offensive. Thankfully, most educators and parents whom approached for my data gathering were quite accomodating and helpful thus making my field work and data collection easier and more accurate. In the end, I discovered that the parents and educators have only limited

Democracy is the Best Form of Government Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Democracy is the Best Form of Government - Essay Example In a democratic government, the people are allowed to engage in free market and free enterprise. They can choose which type of industry or business they can engage to earn a living. Moreover, people are allowed to own personal and real properties without limitation. The other important rights granted by any constitutional government are the freedom of the press, of speech, of assembly and to form associations. People can publish or broadcast in the media their advocacy and opinions without fear of reprisal or incarceration by authorities and government agents. They can speak against the government and even criticize the appointed and elected leaders of the country. The citizens can also form organizations and associations for whatever purpose, except that of overthrowing the government or fomenting terror, fear or criminal acts. Democracy is not the best kind of government for the people because it is lax in monitoring how people exercise their rights. The people can engage in any business including the buying and selling of guns and ammunitions. It is not uncommon in a democratic country for ordinary citizens to own a gun and go on a rampage shooting that kills many innocent civilians. In the US, this type of incident happens even inside school campuses (Girl Critical, pars. 32-33; van Wagtendonk, par. 1). The citizens are allowed to form any organization that can present a harmless front but with a malicious motivation, such as sowing terror among the people.

Fantasy Genre Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Fantasy Genre - Essay Example But in the process, Ulrich loses his life and the responsibility of freeing the village from clutches of the dragon falls on the shoulders of the inexperienced Galen. But the determined Galen, helped by a brave princess, Valerian, eventually succeeds in terminating existence of the dragon. But that is not before the story takes some twists and turns, before the evil force (dragon) is vanquished. The film, which went on to be just an average success, included some extremely violent sequences scaring the young viewers. (1) There is no hesitation whatsoever in emphatically stating that this movie belongs to the genre of fantasy, and there indeed are highly valid reasons for stating so. The most striking of all reasons is attributable to the fact that the entire story of the movie revolves around the rampaging dragon. And dragons are nothing but figments of human imagination and fantasy. Next, the movie also encompasses things such as sorcerers and the manner in which youngsters aspiring to become like them (sorcerers) undergo training. Obviously, all these elements are also included only in tales resulting from fantasy. In addition, aspects such as appeasing evil entities by means of human sacrifice, talismans offering protection, among others, are typical of movies pertaining to this genre. (1) At this point, it would be very much appropriate in briefly focusing on some quotes from this movie. For, the same would help not just in having a further understanding of the central characters, but also add weight to the fact that â€Å"Dragon Slayer† is an out-and-out fantasy film. At one point in the movie, Valerian asks Ulrich â€Å"Are you afraid of dragons?† In reply, he says â€Å"No. In fact, if it weren't for sorcerers, there wouldn't be any dragons. Once, the skies were dotted with them. Magnificent horned backs, leathern wings... soaring... and their hot-breathed wind. Oh, I know this creature of yours... Vermithrax Pejorative. Look at these scal es, these ridges. When a dragon gets this old, it knows nothing but pain, constant pain. It grows decrepit... crippled... pitiful. Spiteful!† This conversation between the two characters subtly stresses on a point: during the imaginary times to which some of the fantasy films refer to, sighting dragons was not uncommon and people were highly scared of these creatures. Here, it can again be understood that this movie has elements that resulted from just the imagination of people, a fantasy. (2) In the story, when Galen stops a princess from being offered in sacrifice to the dragon, the wizard, Tyrian, says â€Å"I knew I'd find you here. Well, I'm not as sentimental as his majesty. The kingdom, everyone of us, needs this sacrifice. If you intend to interfere, you'll have to kill me.† Galen responds to that with the words â€Å"I've plenty of reasons to kill you that have nothing to do with this sacrifice.† This particular exchange of words emphasizes on the extent to which superstitions such as human sacrifices were followed by some primitive cults. It is not just that. The reply of Galen is a reflection of his commitment to eliminating the evil forces and saving the good people. (2) As the movie is slowly drawing to an end, Valerian expresses her worry to Galen in this way: â€Å"It's a shield. I made it. Might keep the fire off of you, might not. You know, you're an idiot. You're going to die tonight. You'll be ripped, limb from limb. This is the last time I'll ever speak to you!†

Separation of Church and State Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Separation of Church and State - Essay Example This strategy is applied by those who are as eager to separate church and state, as those who seek to integrate them more tightly. One of the other primary issues that is raised in this debate is the rather practical one as to whether or not church and state are really separated at all. It is suggested that the notions of political liberalism, democracy, and the founding principles of modern states are based implicitly on moral codes and mores derived from religious institutions. Thus, religion and government are not inseparable a priori. The second type of argument given in this vein offers that the increase in the number and percentage of religious practices which exist here in the United States, mandates a level of management if not expressly establishment from Federal, State and local governments. The number of individuals who claim a religious affiliation that is neither Christian, Jewish, nor non-affiliated has risen from 7% to 20% in the past 30 years (Walker 1). While it migh t be the case that such diversity is to be lauded, the legal intricacies that must be navigated to ensure that these various religious practices have the "free exercise" guaranteed to them by the Constitution while simultaneously maintaining supposed "neutrality" on the relative merits of any individual religion (or non-religion for that matter) has become fraught with inconsistencies and difficulties. In this paper I will briefly highlight and discuss some of these difficulties, ideological and practical, philosophical and historical, that have made this issue such an integral part of the national debate for decades. Thomas Jefferson, a founding father and author of the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom, was indeed so partial to this document, that the drafting of this document along with his drafting of the Declaration of Independence and the founding of the University of Virginia, were the only three accomplishments he wished to have listed on his epitaph (Owen 496). The document itself is divided into three sections; the first section lays out the incoherence and troubles that compulsory adherence, or support of a religion would create. While Jefferson and other founding fathers were perhaps committed to disestablishment and free exercise, very few of them were "neutral" on the topic of religion altogether. Even from the text of this legal statute, religiosity, if not explicitly religion is evident in the nature and language of the text as can be seen from the beginning of the statute: "Whereas Almighty God hath created the mind free; that all attempts to influence it by temporal puni shments or burthens [sic], or by civil incapacitations, tend only to beget habits of hypocrisy and meanness, and are a departure from the plan of the Holy author of our religion" (Nancy 13). Thomas Jefferson was undeniably "a believer," with all of the connotations and implications that that phrase implies. Thus, when we consider what modern or contemporary concepts are part and parcel of the phrase "separation of church and state" our language today differs in a much more secular direction than Jefferson's "wall" might initially have entailed. Another formative document that reveals the early history and potential mindset of some of the founding framers' view of Church and its role in the state derive from an early Treaty signed

Self-Reflection Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Self-Reflection Paper - Essay Example Therefore, there is a need for quantitative problem solving skills for the managers. The QRB course aims to do that. Careers in finance and accounting depend on the managers and the employees employing the latest in trend forecasting and other kinds of analysis to fit the models at hand. Accounting, in particular depends a lot on the ability to do number crunching. Thus, finance and accounting need advanced mathematical skills to succeed. Economics is all about numbers and the way in which one reports the same in annualized GDP numbers, growth forecasts or other such forecasting methods. A quantitative approach and learning quantitative methods are thus useful for any student planning to make a career in these fields. My taking the QRB course has benefited me as it has refreshed my understanding of econometrics and use of ratios and trying to understand financial statements. It has given me an opportunity to revisit and learn new things from the module. I hope to apply these concepts when I study further and in my career. The theoretical framework that I have learned has meshed with the statistical side of the problem solving model and in this respect the QRB course has come in handy. I have learnt the details that go into the numbers and am now confident of taking further courses in Economics, Finance and Accounting that have a need for these skills. I intend to take as many courses as possible in these

Assugnment # 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Assugnment # 2 - Essay Example For instance, the processor chip was from Intel and the operating system called DOS (Disc Operating System) was from Microsoft. In 1985, the new CEO John F. Akers focused more on improved its memory storage, mathematics, and a lot of expansion in computing capabilities (20). During this time, the IBM token-ring local area network that allowed sharing of personal computer devices such as the printers and files, exchange information, therefore laying the foundation for networking. The IMB PC has developed greatly to the modern computer devices currently in use today, for example, the tablets developed from the same technology (Singh 41). Most of the features are similar although the today’s gadgets have a high processing speed and a big memory in addition to being portable. Nowadays the computer has several functions including television services and other audio and video players to provide entertainment. The 1980 computers still provided similar functions such as games, word processing, and television. Today’s IBM personal computers have many features and can accommodate several programs to help in their functionalities such as photo editing, video editing, and many others. Development of the personal computers is one of the best technologies that the world has seen because of it application in various fields such as health, education, and banking among

Separation of Ownership and Control in the US and EU and its Essay

Separation of Ownership and Control in the US and EU and its Implications - Essay Example It is seen that a weak owner leads to a strong manager where agency problem arises due to entrenched managers and dispersed shareholding. Conflict of interests is an important aspect that corporate governance addresses to. The separation of ownership that is the shareholders and control that is the management gives rise to agency issues. This separation is usually seen in firms where the shareholding is dispersed. Agency conflicts arise when the ideal situation isn’t achieved and the managers prefer their interest over shareholder’s interest. Agent principal relationship is governed by the agency costs that the principal incurs to align the interest of his agent with that of his own. Corporate governance deals with the minimization of the conflict of interests in the organization. Proper incentives linkage to the remuneration can help prevent the conflict of interests and align the interests of managers and shareholders. Stock option plans can be a good way to make inte rests common because the managers become the shareholders and put in the efforts to increase the wealth of the shareholders. Another option could be the board of directors, as they have the power to dictate decisions in the organization and control the company, they can serve as a solution to align the interest of both. Stock options have proved to be quite efficient it the linked remunerations to the shareholder's interest can also induce the managers to act dishonestly and adopt a short-term behavior because of quarterly disclosures.  

Future Plan Essay Example for Free

Future Plan Essay Hi, my name is Alberto Bazan. I am eighteen years of age. This year, two-thousand-thirteen Im going tom graduate from Alief Hastings High School. Im going to enroll in a community college in fall for my basic course, and later transfer into a university. My majoring plan is to become a Petroleum engineer. Now that I have some type of experience in the oil field, where I started working after I turned eighteen. The important question is : why am I deciding to go to college? First of all, like some people in this world; love making. So I decided to first choose a career I would like, and would make good amount of money. Second reason is because without knowledge, Im not going to have open opportunities for high-payed jobs. Last but not least; I comprehend that college is very important at this point of our lifetime, because it would help my future in where I can live life without worries of not having the knowledge and skills to get a job. Now in days it is not easy obtaining any job where you can live without worries. From my point of view, I personally think Im not a person to be in school. So therefor, my experience in college can be very harsh at times. I might have ups and downs though out my future career. I know for sure Im going to struggle throughout college, but Im not going to give up in achieving my goals, and to finish my major. Thats why Im going to college!

Skinner and his Contributions to Psychology Essay Example for Free

Skinner and his Contributions to Psychology Essay Burrhus Fredric Skinner is an American psychologist and behaviorist. He has made many contributions to psychology and most are still used today. They are used to treat some phobias and addictive behaviors in humans. He also thought of radical behaviorism which is his own philosophy of science. Skinner believes that the best way to understand behavior is to look at the causes of an action and its consequences. He believes that behaviors are depending on what happens after the response this is what Skinner calls Operant conditioning. Skinner invented the Operant conditioning chamber which is known as the Skinner box. The Skinner box was invented to study animals such as rats. This box contained a lever and food or water which they will receive as a reward if they press the lever. Skinner also used the box to study superstitious behaviors by the response of animals. Burrhus Fredric Skinner also had ideas on reinforcement. Skinner had ideas that positive reinforcement provides a consequent that is rewarding. It can modify behavior longer then punishment because it is rewarding. Negative reinforcement strengthens behavior because it stops or removes an unpleasant experience. Punishment is the opposite of reinforcement because it weakens or eliminates the response. Punishment can work by directly applying an unpleasant stimulus or removing a rewarding stimulus. His contributions to psychology have made an impact on the world. His theories on positive and negative reinforcement as well as punishment are used in schools, workplaces and many other aspects of life itself. Unlike any other psychologist Burrhus Fredric Skinner had his own way of thinking. Reference http://www.simplypsychology.org/operant-conditioning.html http://www.nndb.com/people/297/000022231/ Understanding Psychology, Ninth Edition, by Charles G. Morris and Albert A. Maisto. Published by Prentice Hall. Copyright  © 2010 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Literature Review: Play Work in Education

Literature Review: Play Work in Education Weisberg, D. S., Kittredge, A. K., Hirsh-Pasek, K., Golinkoff, R. M., Klahr, D. (2015). Making play work for education. Phi Delta Kappan, 96(8), 8-13. doi:10.1177/0031721715583955 The article encapsulates that in comparison to other forms of play, guided play is the most effective in enhancing the learning skills of children from a range of ages. Guided play incorporates play into education without compromising learning goals or suppressing childrens exploration, as its blend of child-directed play within an adult-initiated environment enables them to become in control of their own learning. This allows them to develop autonomy by forming their own decisions in regards to their upcoming actions and gaining skills to attain information. The balance between freedom and structure in guided-play is more effective than direct teaching or free play, as adults harness a childs appeal to play in the service of learning through scaffolding their actions. This in turn promotes the acceleration of long-term development and encourages better learning outcomes. Weisberg et al have utilised evidence to strengthen their claims and formulate a convincing argument to readers. The citations displayedenable readers to access the resources cited to confirm if the evidence is accurate and to investigate and delve deeper into the topic. This provides the opportunity for readers to gain a deeper understanding of the authors claim, which makes their argument more convincing. The multiple citations also suggest that the authors engaged in an in-depth research, depicting that they share a thorough understanding of play, creating a convincing argument. The citations further suggest that other academic scholars share the same perspective about guided-play as Weisberg et al, making the article more potent. Additionally, multiple examples of studies strengthen the claim of the authors as they provide evidence of how ideas translate into practice. For example, one of the studies provided portrayed that children engaging in guided-play outperformed those who engaged in free-play, whilst learning vocabulary (Dickinson et al., 2013), thus validating the argument of the authors. Moreover, the use of direct quotations emphasise the point of the authors in a concise manner whilst providing strong supporting evidence, making a stronger claim. Majority of the arguments presented are highly convincing as the findings used to support them do not have alternative explanations. However, few cases within the article can be interpreted in another manner, weakening the authors claim. For example Weisberg (2015) claims that the relationship between learning and play is intrinsically linked through guided play. Although factual, this finding could also support a different argument such as the link between learning and free-play, as all play acts as a catalyst of learning. A comparison of the article to alternative readings enables the audience to articulate the strength of the claims made by Weisberg et al. Both Barblett (2010) and Weisberg et al (2015) propose the significance of adults preparing different environments in which child-initiated play can take place. Barblett (2010) explores how creating an intellectual environment prompts children to question activities they are partaking in, which extends their knowledge. This relates to Weisbergs notion of scaffolding, which like an intellectual environment, enables children to assimilate information at their own pace. Weisberg also suggests the importance of preparing a physical environment as it assists children in self-directed exploration and learning. Likewise, Barblett conveys that physical environments provoke and encourage children to engage in exploration and learning during play. Additionally, Brock (2013) exhibits the importance of adults creating rich learning environments as they enable children to fulfil their learning potential. Weisberg and others (2015) explore the significance of children becoming the driving force of their upcoming actions as well as what they desire to explore and how. This is similar to Goldschmeid (1987) theory of heuristic play as it involves self-exploration, which like Weisbergs concept, enables children to become in control of their upcoming actions and decide how they want to utilise the object. Furthermore, Weisberg et al (2015) suggest that elements of guided-play accompanied by direct teaching was the most productive strategy for children to learn. Including direct-teaching in guided-play diminishes the sense of child-directed play, thus becoming unenjoyable. This is supported by (Fisher, 2002) who claims that when adults continually drive learning experiences, golden opportunities for learning are missed. Moreover, Weisbergs perspective differs to Follaris (2013) concept of project work as children are in control of their learning process as they investigate areas of their own choosing. As a result, children are able to formulate concepts and engage in creative thinking which is essential for learning. Like Follari, Touhill (2012) presents the importance of project work as it enables children to exercise their growing sense of agency and autonomy and promote inquiry, curiosity and exploration.

Martin Luther King :: essays research papers

April 12, 2005   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  According to Lewis, Martin Luther King, JR’s goals and tactics can be divided into two periods, before Selma and after. The first period is distinguished by a decade of pioneering protest tactics in use to accomplish conventional citizenship rights for Afro-Americans. The second, less than three tumultuous years, was a time of nontraditional tactics in search of progressively more fundamental goals for the larger society. The first was moderately triumphant, but its accomplishment highlighted what yet lingered to be done before the poor, the powerless, and the racially disadvantaged could begin to attain equality of opportunity in America (Lewis, 245).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The second period was distinct by comparative disappointment, and its heritage was the foresight of political power and economic welfare upon the poor, the powerless, and the racially disadvantaged. In the first period, King and his allies brought about the beginning of the violated community. In the second, the distant prospect of their adored society disappeared at Memphis. The magnitude of the decade ending with Selma was in the extensive repercussion of the protest (Lewis, 245).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Martin Luther King, JR was chosen as leader for the Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA) over many other civil rights activists. Not only was he probably the best person to lead their boycott, but he was the person â€Å"best suited to become the leader of the larger struggle for racial rights† (Lewis, 246) . For the Montgomery’s Afro-Americans, in order to resist successfully, it must be nonviolent and passive.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1956, King, along with several allies, entered a public bus in front of his house. It was the start of community harmony. Inspired by King’s personal courage, despite â€Å"jeopardized jobs, intimidation by the Ku Klux Klan, and harassment by the police and bombsâ€Å" (Lewis, 246). A city regulation was called upon to ban organized taxi transport of bus boycotters. With money raised in the vicinity and from gradually increasing donations from national labor, libertarian, and religious organizations, the MIA bought many vehicles. The city wanted and got an accusation of King and more than eight other MIA members for planning to intervene with standard business activity. Sentencing by the Montgomery court and appeal to the federal courts followed. Just as MIA leaders awaited the expected unfavorable decision from the municipal court on November 13, â€Å"the U.S. Supreme Court decreed Alabama’s state and local laws enforcing segregation on buses unconstitutional† (Lewis, 246) .

The Versatile, and Loved Cherry Tree :: Botany

The Versatile, and Loved Cherry Tree People all across the world enjoy cherries for their sweet flavor in pies, candies, and pastries. They have become one of the most widely cultivated fruits in the world. As reported by the Columbia Encyclopedia Online (2000), they can be found in home orchards all across the country. However, the cherry tree has many uses. Some varieties are valued for their beautiful flowers, others for the wood that can be made into high quality furniture. Whatever the variety or use, the cherry tree is an important plant in today's society. The cherry tree traces its origins back to the east. The earliest signs of cherry trees come from the area around Asia Minor, Persia, and Transcaucasia (www.botany.com, 2000). To this area of the world, the cherry tree has become almost a sacred plant, with many varieties of flowering cherry trees being cultivated into various forms all valued for their flowers. This has become so popular in the east that in Japan they have even instituted a national holiday around the time that the trees begin to blossom (The Columbia Encyclopedia Online, 2000). Cherry trees were introduced to Europe through both natural processes and human interaction. By 73 BC, the cherry tree had been introduced to most of southern and central Europe with the help of the Romans. Soon after, the plants started to appear in Great Britain, where they were able to flourish (MS Encarta Online, 2000). Now there are species of cherry trees all over the Northern Hemisphere with species and varieties that have adapted so well to the different environments that today you can find varieties of cherry tree in almost any region, from California to Japan, that have developed unique and prized characteristics (Encyclopedia Britannica, 1999). Cherry trees, like many fruit bearing trees, are members of the rose family. The scientific name for the family is Rosaceae. Cherries are in the genus Prunus along with apricots, peaches, and plums (The Columbia Encyclopedia Online, 2000). Cherry trees come in hundreds of varieties, but are derived from only a few species. There are two main species valued for their fruit, a couple of species are known for producing high quality wood or are grown as ornamentals. All species of cherry tree have varieties that are prized for their beautiful and aromatic flowers (www.botany.com, 2000). One of the cherries that bear edible fruit is known scientifically as Prunus avium.

Cyberporn Essay - California and Lewd Matter to a Minor Over the Internet :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

California and Lewd Matter to a Minor Over the Internet On August 3, 2000, the California Court of Appeals for the First Appellate District, Division Five, affirmed the conviction of defendant on two counts of attempting to distribute or exhibit lewd matter to a minor via the Internet.(People) This essay explores the development of this verdict. The Court rejected defendant's Commerce Clause and First Amendment challenges to Cal. Pen. Code  §Ã‚ § 288.2(b) which makes it a crime for every person "who, with knowledge that a person is a minor, knowingly distributes, sends, causes to be sent, exhibits, or offers to distribute or exhibit by electronic mail, the Internet ..., to a minor with the intent of arousing, appealing to, or gratifying the lust or passions or sexual desires of that person or of a minor, and with the intent, or for the purpose of seducing a minor, is guilty of a public offense and shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison or in a county jail. A person convicted of a second and any subsequent conviction for a violation of this section is guilty of a felony."(Ibid) Pursuant to an undercover investigation on the Internet, defendant initiated two "instant messages" with a detective posing as a 14 year old boy. During the electronic conversations, defendant sent photographs, made an offer to engage in specific sexual acts and invited the boy to meet him at his house. The Court held Section 288.2(b) did not violate the Commerce Clause because "no legitimate commerce would be burdened by penalizing the transmission of harmful sexual material to known minors in order to seduce them."(Ibid) Rejecting defendant's argument that the statute subjects Internet users to inconsistent regulations, the Appeals Court distinguished the instant statute from the law challenged in American Libraries Ass'n. v. Pataki, 969 F. Supp. 160 (S.D.N.Y. 1997).(American) The Pataki Court held the New York statute violated the Commerce Clause because "The nature of the Internet, like that of rail and highway traffic, requires a 'cohesive national scheme of regulation so that users are reasonably able to determine their obligations.'" Absent national regulations, according to Pataki, Internet users would be subject to inconsistent local statutes regulating the content of their communications. The California Appeals Court found determinative the "knowledge" and "intent" elements missing from the New York statute, but present in Section 288.

Promote Positive Outcomes with Children and Young People Essay

The social factors that can affect the way in which a child or young person develop are firstly peoples views within society especially for disabled people they are pre judges and discriminated against because of their disability because of this they are being marginalised from society and excluded from such things like social events. Young person that are in the care system can be affected as they are not having consistency within their life at any one time. Other social factors can be poor social skills such as bad reading or writing especially if these skills are not identified as young person needing help young person will not develop to their full potential. attitudes to others is a social skill that can affect young person achieving this can be a result of other family members with disability or for young person who have come from bad backgrounds i. e domestic violence or drug use. Economic factors that could affect the way in which young person and young people develop is poverty, many families who have good stable homes are suffering with the economy and it is hard for people to lead healthy life’s and afford good housing accommodation, healthy foods and good health. Other factors could be injustice. Cultural factors that affect young people and young person could be the attitude of their parents this is not always the case but in some families with strong religious beliefs it is hard for them to do things outside the family home. This can result in lack of social development. Disability can impact on the life of a child firstly because of discrimination. within society young person get discrimianted against because there disability this could be by not been included within groups of young person because of their disability. this happens often in society because young people or young person do not understand what disability is at a young age. The result of this discrimination happening could be that the child or young erson could get depressed and have low self esteem, from not been included. The lack of oppurtunites avaliable for disabled people could effect disabled or young peoples lifes this could be no disabled access which acts as a barrier for the disabled people when they are trying to lead normal lifes. When disabled people cant use public facilities as mentioned above it also gives them a barrier to choice and they cant choose to do things which are not avaliable for them. ositive attitududes to young young person are important with disabilities it shows that they are focusing primaraliary on the child as a human being and by them not being disabled. this impacts on the disabled person leading a normal life as possible and minimises the effect of their disability. Praising young people is a good way to build up their confidance and sefl-asteem no matter how big or small their achevements are. eople with learing difficulties can also prevent them being fully independent as they will always need some kind of help and support whether that be with money or decision making. this could result in a lake of job oppurtunities in the future Eqaulity means that everyone is treated equally. By treating young person equally they can achieve the every child matters five outcomes which are stay safe, enjoy and achieve, be healthy, make a positive contribution and echieve economic well bieng. We are alos promoting the individuals rigths by treating individuals equal. we must respect the childs choices and fairness. and we must respond to their choices in following what they wish to do and responding to their needs. We can promote equality within the workplace by following policies and procedures, challenging discrimination that happens by following procedures, improving participation for example including young people in activities outside the home and school example youth/sports clubs. romoting digintiy and respect can promote equality and invloving the young people in their own planning and delivery of services for example person centred planning – doing activities the child wishes to do. Diversity means that all young person must mix together no matter what their culture is. within our home young person are all diverse and all come from different backgrounds and religion we must respect individuals no matter what they belive. othere examples of being diverse are, culture nationality, ability, ethnic orogin, gender age, beliefs, sexual orienation and social class. Ee can support diversity by valuing these differences and acting on and promoting them within the workplace. Our young people do learn about different back grounds and cultures during education and have done themed lunches. Also my key child is christian as are his family he chooses not to go to church however since the loss of his mum he does go to the catherderal on special occasions i. e. Mum’s birthday, Christmas and he will light a candel for his mum.

Slashes in culture Essay

Three plays that explore clashes between cultures are Wole Soyinka’s â€Å"Death and the King’s Horseman,† Tony Kushner’s â€Å"Angels in America,† and Anna Deavere Smith’s â€Å"Fires in the Mirror. † In general, these three plays depict and illustrate how conflicts between two cultures arise due to differences in beliefs and practices, among others. However, while these plays are similar in that they depict conflicts between cultures, they also show these clashes differently from one another. In â€Å"Death and the King’s Horseman,† the plot is mainly set in Nigeria at a time when the country was still a British colony. The focus is on Elesin, the horseman of the Yoruba tribe Chief. Since the chief died, Elesin must follow Yoruba tradition and commit a ritual suicide as his spirit is highly important in helping the Chief’s soul to pass through the afterlife. Otherwise, the Chief’s spirit will wander the earth forever and bring misfortune to the Yoruba people. The play sets the tone for a clash between culture when the British ruler of the Nigerian colony, Mr. Pikings intervenes and prevents Elesin from taking part in the ritual suicide at the very last minute. Basically, Mr. Pikings viewed the ritual as barbaric and illegal under British laws. Since the suicide ritual is integral to the Yoruba tribe, the people were thrown into pandemonium, which eventually resulted in Elesin’s son Olunde, commiting suicide in order to restore honor to his family and restore order to the tribe. Ultimately, Elesin commits suicide himself in order to compensate for the consequences of his actions. Evidently, in the play â€Å"Death and the King’s Horseman,† the clash between two cultures is vividly illustrated in the differences in customs and traditions between the Nigerian tribe Yoruba and their British colonizers. On the side of the Nigerians, a tradition of committing ritual suicide is necessary for the maintenance of order among the tribe while on the side of the British, the said ritual is considered brutal and illegal. Meaning to say, the Nigerian people, being a colony of Britain, had no choice but to follow the rule of their superiors. The difference between the practices of the two cultures resulted not only in two deaths in the Yoruba tribe but chaos among the tribe. On the other hand, in the play â€Å"Angels in America,† the conflict between two cultures is mainly shown in the different sexual orientations of the characters. Generally, most of the play’s characters are gays. Although it is not shown that gays are mistreated in the play, it is the relationships between the characters and their issues with themselves that depict the clashes between cultures. For one, most of the characters in the play are afraid of revealing their sexual orientation. This indicates that homosexuality is not fully accepted in the play’s society, which creates a virtual clash between gays and straights. This is evidenced by one scene in which Roy Cohn, a straight-male and top-class lawyer in the play, was enraged upon finding out that Joe Pitt, one of this best subordinates, is a gay. One notable symbol that play utilizes is Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). In the play, Prior Walter and Roy contract AIDS. After discovering their illness, they suddenly feel isolated from the world as evidenced by events in their life—Prior is left by his lover Louis Ironson and Roy is disbarred as a lawyer. Roy, who is not a gay, is also shown to be in denial of his illness and claims that he has liver cancer instead of AIDS. He also believes that AIDS is only associated with gays, which symbolizes another form of clash between two cultures. In short, in the play, two cultures are virtually presented: Roy represents the straight group of men who hates anything associated with homosexuality such as AIDS while Prior represents the gays. Although homosexuality is not a true culture per se, its various practices such as the sexual intercourse between two men, among others, has enabled it to become more or less a culture of its own. Another form of clash between two cultures shown in the play is the social prejudice against or blacks. In the play, the blacks are epitomized by Belize, who is a registered nurse who cares for Prior and Roy. However, Roy, being the racist that he is, treated Belize with the same disdain and dislike he has for gays. In short, it can then be said that the central conflict between the two cultures in the play revolves around the characters differences in sexuality or sexual preferences and practices. Finally, in the play â€Å"Fires in the Mirror,† the chief conflict between cultures is the clash between the Jews and the blacks or African-Americans. The conflict is traced to an accident in which a Jew lost control of his vehicle and ran over a seven-year old black child named Gavin Cato. This caused tension between Jews and the blacks in a place called Crown Heights, which eventually resulted in violence, riots, and the murder of Yankel Rosenbaum, who is a Jew. Notably, the play is not a straight-forward type wherein scenes are played out by people with different roles. Rather, it consists of monologues by 26 different characters that witnessed or saw the Crown Heights, with each providing their own perspective or view of the conflict between the cultures. These various perspectives fuse to form a multi-faceted and deep account of the tension between the Jews and Blacks and also form the central conflict of the play. Basically, the 26 characters that had monologues belong to different races and cultures. Meaning to say, in their accounts of the events of in Crown Heights, their opinions and comments are most likely biased depending on which race or culture they belong to or which side they are on. For example, the Anonymous Young Man # 2, one of the 26 characters in the play, claimed that all blacks are only rappers, athletes, or murderers and robbers. Likewise, Sonny Carson, an activist on the side of the Jews, commented that the Jews were second to the police in showing their hatred for blacks. On the other hand, Reverend Al Sharpton, an advocate of black civil rights openly criticized the discrimination against African-Americans by the Jews. Carmel Cato, the father of the murdered black boy, also lambasted the social prejudice against blacks and claimed that the Jews were running the show. Meaning to say, the conflict between the two cultures in the play is illustrated through a battle between the Jews and the blacks, which was started by a car accident that killed a boy. However, it is evident that even the white race, such as members of the police, favored the Jews over the blacks, which added further tension in the already growing conflict between the two cultures. It can then be argued that this play showed a very superficial difference in cultures. Over-all, the three plays differ in their depiction of cultural diversity and conflicts between cultures in terms of the nature of the conflict and the source of the clashes. In â€Å"Death and the King’s Horseman,† the tensions between cultures were spawned by differences in traditions and practices. On one side, these practices are considered sacred while on the other, they are viewed as primitive and illegal. In â€Å"Angels in America,† the conflict between cultures arises from differences in sexuality or sexual orientation. It mainly involved one side freely accepting his homosexual nature and another side utterly despising everything associated to being gay. Lastly, in â€Å"Fire in the Mirror,† the clash between the two cultures was rooted from a single accident that could have been easily resolved but was instead worsened by stereotypes and racial advocates. Evidently, â€Å"Death and the King’s Horseman† showed a classic form of culture conflict while â€Å"Angels in America† depicted a conflict between sub-cultures. On the other hand, â€Å"Fires in the Mirror† showed a more personal and superficial side of a clash between cultures.

Key aspects of legislation Essay

Summarise key aspects of legislation, regulatory requirements and codes of practice relating to own role and responsibilities. (7.1.1) The BTEC PTLLS award is necessary before a person can teach at a Further Education institution such as Aylesbury College. To support this qualification Lifelong Learning UK has published a new set of overarching professional standards 1 that any teachers in this sector will need to adhere to. This describes in generic terms, the skills knowledge and attributes for those that perform roles in this sector. It is disconcerting to hear that the qualification will soon be replaced following the Lingfield review. Other areas of legislation, that is important in the teaching context is the Health and Safety at Work act 1974, which states how all employers and employees need to take responsibility for their own safety needs. Key legislation that also needs to be considered for the learning environment is the Data Protection Act 1998. The collection and analysis of personal data is intrinsic to any learning institution and this act defines UK law on the processing of data on identifiable living people. It is the main piece of legislation that governs the protection of personal data in the UK and in practice it provides a way for individuals to control information about themselves. It is not just in the IT area but for all systems and paperwork when dealing with personal data, within the IT area it is especially important to consider when teaching the design of systems security and access procedures. Another area relevant to teaching IT are the Display Screen Regulations 1992/2002 which is an amendment to the Health and Safety act, this requires all employers who require their employees to use display screens to ensure that the seating position and lighting is properly adjusted and that the employee can take regular breaks from the screen. Other blanket legislation that applies in the workplace but not specifically to a learning institution are: * Race Relations Act 2000. * Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and 2005 (DDA). * Equality Act 2010. This brought together the numerous array of Acts and Regulations, which formed the basis of anti-discrimination law in Great Britain. This was, primarily, the Equal Pay Act 1970, the Sex Discrimination Act 1975, the Race Relations Act 1976, the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and three major statutory instruments protecting discrimination in  employment on grounds of religion or belief, sexual orientation and age. Regulations more specific to the teaching environment are the following: * Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001. The act required education providers to make reasonable provisions to ensure people with disabilities or special needs were provided with the same opportunities as those who were not disabled. * Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. A key point here is that only about 10% of any published document can be copied and circulated for educational purposes before copyright is infringed. * IfL Code of Practice for Teachers (2008). This is a straightforward code of practice for teachers to gives boundaries on their professional integrity, behaviour etc. * Safer practice, safer learning (2007) – responsibilities for safeguarding vulnerable adults in the learning and skills sector – published by NIACE and DES. Analyse own responsibilities for promoting equality and valuing diversity. (7.1.2) In the class discussion on this topic, we discussed that equality is not treating everyone the same, it is rather treating everyone as unique to enable them as far as possible to have equal opportunities to learn, this is what myself as a teacher will have to work to achieve. Promoting equality should remove discrimination in all of the areas covered by the Equality act. Bullying, harassment and victimization are also considered as equality and diversity issues. Diversity aims to recognise, respect and value people’s differences, and their ability to contribute. A teacher should aim to help them reach their full potential by promoting an inclusive culture for all students (and staff). Equality and diversity is becoming more important in all aspects of our lives and work for a number of reasons. Where I was previously working, the employees were recruited globally and could be posted anywhere, they were selected because they showed potential. Inclusivity and diversity was heavily promoted as it was recognised that having a diverse workforce enhanced the company commercially. People with different backgrounds bring different approaches to solving problems or commercial negotiations which is reflected in the company’s performance. In a college, recognising, embracing and valuing difference will lead to improvements for everyone, including: * A more vibrant staff and student  population; * A better working and studying environment; * Attracting and retaining the very best staff and students; As a teacher I can promote equality and diversity by: * Treating all learners fairly. * Creating an inclusive culture for all learners. * Ensuring equal access to opportunities to enable learners to fully participate in the learning process. * Enabling the learners to develop to their full potential. * Equipping learners with the skills to challenge inequality and discrimination in their work/study environment * Making certain that any learning materials do not discriminate against any individuals or groups * Ensuring sure policies, procedures and processes don’t discriminate It was discussed in class that equality can be promoted in different ways, such as discussing privately with a student if they have problems with dyslexia, which could be helped by the simple use of different coloured backgrounds to the powerpoints or handouts. A teacher must be aware of continually promoting inclusivity in all the course material and class discussions, some actions that can be positive are for instance, prior to the class, check the names, ages and any other details of the learners and if possible try to find photos or material that will hopefully be more relevant to their background. Although this shouldn’t be done to such an extreme to alienate others, it’s a fine balance. Also it is good to make sure that different types of learners are covered in the lesson plan by differentiating for learning styles. This also helps to keep the lesson interesting as one form of lesson delivery could get fairly dull. One key point would be to be careful of my language, jokes about stereotypes and casual comments could easily cause alienation. It is also necessary to have a plan on how to deal with inappropriate remarks and behaviour by the learners. Within a college there will also be other internal organisations available to meet the potential needs of learners such as : * Student services / welfare / financial aid / student support * Careers services / advice and guidance * Learning mentors / teaching assistants * Learning difficulties and disabilities assessment and support * International office for overseas learners * Chaplaincy or medical services including sexual and mental health Tutors will be the main point of contact for anything for a learner so it is important to understand how to get in touch with the various people working in the roles for my organisation. Evaluate your own responsibilities in lifelong learning (7.1.3) In class we discussed the role and responsibilities of a tutor in lifelong learning, a number of key roles were identified, such as a tutor needs to be knowledgeable about the subject, but not necessarily an expert, they need to be confident and communicate their points well, they need to be well organised with planned lessons and good timekeeping. The tutor must set an example with their behaviour, and direct the learners, but in further education, as opposed to compulsory education, you will not be acting as a leader and counsellor, rather a facilitator. Of key importance is establishing a contract with the learners at the start of the course, so that they understand the boundaries that are set and what my expectations of them are. In the FE sector this is more important with young adults (16-18 years) than in adult education. Bearing in mind that all learners will be slightly different and work at different levels and may have different needs, it is important for me as a tutor to understand this and if necessary give additional help and guidance as required. Without regurgitating the full list of responsibilities, some key ones to additionally pick out are: * Keeping up to date with developments in the core subject as well as keeping up to date with any new teaching guidelines or changes to the curriculum. * Encouraging the learners to progress and develop their careers by giving constructive feedback. * Continually reflect on my teaching performance and evaluate each session taught and change if necessary. Review own role and responsibilities in identifying and meeting the needs of learners. (7.1.4) A key responsibility would be to get to know the learners in the class as individuals, and to understand their different abilities and learning styles. The techniques already used in the first lesson would be a  very good start, such as the learning styles questionnaire (although interpretation of the results is very subjective.), the basic skills testing, and the group introductions. The group introductions and the personal interview prior to starting the course was a way of understanding the motivation of the learners, and why they are undertaking the training. With this knowledge the tutor can aim to ensure that the lesson delivery is varied to suit the different needs of the learners and give personal help if necessary. These activities are part of the ‘Identifying Needs’ stage of the Teaching and Leaning Cycle and are documented by Gravells 2, although she has the roles and responsibilities a little confused. As the course progresses, the tutors understanding of the needs of the individual learners will become clearer as they get to know them, changes and adjustments can be made to the lesson delivery. This is an application of Kolb’s Reflective Cycle, to put it simply – Planning, Doing, Reviewing, Learning and back to planning. References 1 Lifelong Learning UK (LLUK) New overarching professional standards for teachers, tutors and trainers in the lifelong learning sector. 2 Gravells, A., (2011) Preparing to teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector Websites www.excellencegateway.org www.ptllsresource.co.uk http://www.manchester.ac.uk/aboutus/equalityanddiversity/

Human Resource Management Assignment

ASSIGNMENT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT SHEET FOR SUBMISSION OF ASSESSMENT Serial No: 40074724 Please note: 1. Assignments must be submitted on or before the date due. 2. Students must ensure that they are not guilty of plagiarism which is, essentially, referring to the words/ideas of others without acknowledgment. Students must comply with the statement below. | Students Declaration The attached assignment is my own work, and has never been submitted for assessment on any other course before.Proper referencing has been made to all sources: published or unpublished works and the ideas of other persons. (Student’s Signature) Yasas Kalubowila Full Name of Student Mr. Kalubowila Prathibha YasasDate submitted _14 Jan 2012_ Programme _BA (Hons) – Business Management (Singapore) Course Code _39604BH______ Name of Module/subject _Human Resource Management Class ____1__________ ——————————————â €”—- Assignment Title/Reference no. (if applicable) _HRM 08701 (Part 2) ————————————————-Teacher – Dr Allen / Mr Jeffrey Tan___ ___________________________________________________________________________ For Office Use| You are required to develop a two-day induction training course for Baristas (Day 1 should focus on company induction and Day 2 on job specific induction). The course is designed for all new baristas, and will be delivered to groups of 12-16 people. Write a report which includes a) The overall aim and specific learning objectives for the course. Aim of the CourseAccording to Armstrong (2009), employees are far more likely to resign during the initial months after joining the organization. The main aim of this induction program is to welcome our new colleagues in to Cafe Co. family and to get them to understand their role within the organiz ation. This will help them to settle into their jobs more easily and at the same time this will aid the staff to add value to the company which will help the management to align with the company goals and achieve competitive advantage in the long run.In any training program, the learning objective has to be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timely (Armstrong, 2006, p506) in order to archive the training goals 1. Understanding the organization and t * History * Understanding Vision, Mission & Value Statement * Basic conditions of Employment ( Working hours, leaves, holidays, insurance schemes, ) * Organizational Structure 2. Working Culture * Effective team Management * Improve leadership qualities * Getting to know the line managers 3. Product Knowledge * Varieties of coffee and preparation methods Food Menu & Beverage Menu 4. Customer service * Importance of customer service * Standard operation procedures (SOP) * Handling a customer complain * Customer appreciation Wo rd Count 170 b) An explanation of how this training program will improve the performance of employees. * Give an understanding about the company history, short term and long term goals * Company’s vision, mission and value statement * Allow the trainees to embrace company culture and understand the rules and regulations * Get to know the management staff and the environment so he trainees will not feel cornered * Understand the food and beverages which will be sold together with coffee * Learning the coffee mixtures and varieties of coffee beans in order to give a good impression to the customers * Build a friendly attitude toward work and improve on customer service to attract new customers * Understand the sequence of service to give a smooth operation in service and decrease time lags Word Count 110 Day| Time| Venue| Description| Media| Remarks| 1| 8. 30 am– 9. 5am| Training Room Foyer | Breakfast & Registration | N/A| The participant will be given with course mater ials, Employee Handbook and other necessary documentation. | | 9. 15am -9. 30am| Training Room`| Welcome speech| N/A| The managing Director of Cafe & Co will deliver the welcome speech. | | 9. 30 am- 10. 15 am | Training Room`| Introduction to Cafe Co. | ProjectorVideo on Cafe Co. | The video will show and elaborate on Cafe. Co History and the current standing. -History -Current Standing in the market| | 10. 15am – 10. 0 am| Training Room Foyer| Morning Coffee Break | N/A| Buffet Spread with refreshments| | 10. 30 am-11. 30 am| Training Room | Our Business and Our Goals| Video, PowerPoint Presentation & Speech| With aid of the Employee Handbook, the trainer will go through ,Company vision ,Mission,Value statement ,Goals – Long term and Short term| | 11. 30 am- 12. 00 Noon| Open area | Leadership icebreaker game| N/A| Trainees are divided into two groups to play the game â€Å"Magic Shoes†. Refer Appendix 1| | 12 Noon – 1. 30pm| Restaurant | Lunch| N/A| Th e Group will be taken for the lunch at a restaurant nearby| | 1. 0pm – 2. 30pm| Training Room | Employment Conditions| Presentation & Speech| The HR manager will brief on the Employment Condition and benefits given by the company * Annual Leave * Absent Reporting * Hours of work * Overtime payments * Contract| | 2. 30pm -2. 45pm| Training Room| Q & A| 2 wireless microphone, Facilitator| The Employees are to ask questions to clarify any doubts they have regarding the contract and the conditions| | 2. 45pm -3. 15 pm| Training Room | Organizational Structure and Career advancement opportunities | PowerPoint presentation| The HR Manager will ntroduce the top management and the company hierarchy. Job advancement opportunities and examples of the individuals who started as baristas which had advancements in their careers | | 3. 30pm – 3. 45pm | Training Room Foyer| Afternoon Coffee Break | N/A| Buffet Spread with refreshments| | 3. 45pm – 5. 00pm| Training Room| Intro duction to Cafe Co. Products | PowerPoint Presentation,Video Clips | The Employees will get to see the line of products which Cafe Co. offering. | | 5. 00pm | End of Day 1| Day| Time| Venue| Description| Media| Remarks| 2| 8. 30 am– 9. 0am| Cafe Co. Outlet| Breakfast| N/A| Buffet Spread with refreshments| | 9. 00am -10. 30am| Cafe Co. Outlet| Food Hygiene and Safety Requirements | PowerPoint Presentation, Demonstration| The trainer will go through the food hygiene & safety requirements. -Food preparation -Handling of equipments -Fire safety-Fire Extinguishers-Fire Drill | | 10. 30 am –11. 00am| Cafe Co. Outlet| Customer Service | PowerPoint Presentation| Trainer will give a presentation,-Importance of the customers-How to attract new customers -Customer appreciation -Customer Loyalty| | 11. 0am-12. 00 Noon| Cafe Co. Outlet| Handling Customer Complains| N/A| Role Play in groups of 3 to 4 -Each group is given a scenario -The trainer will assess them in handling the situa tion -Remarks from the trainer | | 12. 00 Noon- 1. 30pm| Cafe Co. Outlet| Lunch Meeting with the Line managers | N/A| Buffet Lunch-The Line Managers will go around and talk with the Trainees during the Lunch | | 1. 30pm-3. 00pm| Cafe Co. Outlet| Standard Operational Procedure of Cafe Co. | Demonstration and PracticalCutleries, Cutleries | The Trainer will Demonstrate the service sequence. Welcoming the Guest-Locating a table-Offering the Menu-Taking Orders-Serving -Attending to various requests from the guest -Table Settings (Cutleries)| | 3. 00pm -4. 45pm| Cafe Co. Outlet| Coffee Preparation Methods followed by Coffee Break| Coffee Machine, Coffee Cups, Sample Food in the Menu,| The Trainer will Demonstrate how to make Different Coffee Mixtures-Each Group will try to make their own Coffee-All the food items in the menu will be served during this session. -The trainer will emphasize on the importance of product knowledge. | | 4. 45 pm – 5. 5pm| Cafe Co. Outlet| Course Summery , Evaluation and Closing Address | PowerPoint Presentation, Evaluation Forms, Facilitator| The Trainer will give the Closing address and will leave the premises where the facilitator will conduct the Evaluations | | 5. 15pm| End of the Induction Program| Word Count 613 a) Explain the training methods and media you would suggest for delivering each part of the program, justifying your choices. (1000 words) Learning Styles Before planning a training program it is impotent for the trainers to understand different styles of learners.According to Honey & Mumford, there are four styles of learning; they are activists, reflectors, theorists and pragmatists (Gray, Cundell, Hay and O’neill, 2004) Honey and Mumford also suggested that the use of the senses (hear, see, feel, smell & taste) can enhance the learners learning experience. Figure 1 -They need models, facts and concepts to engage in learning -like to understand theories behind actions -Involves themselves in new experiences. -Willingness to take Risks -Have an open mind -people who learn by Doing Practical approach -like to put what they learn in to practice -Experimenting -like to try out new ideas -Learn by observing and thinking -takes time to come to conclusion -they avoid leaping in like to watch in the side lines Training Methods Choosing the correct training method to deliver the training is very important for both the trainer and the trainee. There are lots of factors to consider when choosing a method. Some of them are: Audience age, level of education, learning style of the trainees, budget, trainer’s skills and training style.Training Method | Description| Advantages | Drawbacks | Where did we use? | Why did we use? | Lesson/Instructions| The trainer will deliver the lesson to a group of people | Ideal for smaller groups. Can archive transfer of information easilyCan make the learning experience more interesting with the use of the right media. | Cannot handle Larger groupsVery trainer centered Standard of the training depends too much on the trainer| Most of the activities on the first day was more based on this method of training -Our Business and Our Goals -Employment Conditions Organizational Structures and Career Advancement Opportunities-Food hygiene and Safety requirements | This is the most common method of transferring the information out to an audience. Even though this can be bit monotonous, using of a mixture of media like videos can make the learning experience more effective. The topics like business and our goals, employment conditions and etc are very straight forwards topics which can use lessons to deliver.Seeing, Hearing | Demonstration | The trainer will demonstrate a task in front of the trainees. How to Fold a NapkinHow to prepare an espresso | Aids understanding and retention Stimulates learners interest Can give learners a model to follow| Must be accurate and relevant to learnersExamples require lengthy prep timeMay be difficult for all t o see| Standard Operational Procedure of Cafe Co. Coffee Preparation Methods| By Looking at the demonstration they will get an idea on how things are carried out.Also by giving them an opportunity to practice the above demonstrations will increase the effectiveness of the training Researches suggests, by using kinesthetic learning will increase the results in learning outcomes (teaching Mineralogy, 2011) Seeing, Feeling and tasting | Training video| These videos can be specially designed for training purposes or it can be normal media which can be taken from the web| Easier to understandImages and motion pictures can be recalled easily than words and phrases | Production cost can be high for training videos| Our business and our goals. Introduction to cafe. o| It is interesting to see something than listening to someone for few hours. Easier to capture the attention of the trainees. Seeing,| Role play| Trainees act out characters assigned to them. Information regarding the situation is provided to the trainees by the trainer. | Focus on interpersonal responses The more meaningful the exercise, the higher the level of participant focus and intensity | Outcomes depend on the emotional (and subjective) reactions of the other trainees. | Handling Customer Complains| Role playing can be a very interesting way to see how a person reacts to a certain situation.But the scenarios has to be well prepared and the trainer must always facilitate to keep the trainees from derailing away from the desired learning objectives We used this method in order to prepare the trainees or the future employees to handle difficult situations with no hesitation. Furthermore they will be well prepared to face different types of customers with different attitudes and to handle the complains well. Feeling| Games| This is to improve the decision making and sense making capabilities of the trainees. | Build a fun and enthusiastic atmosphere in the training program.Improve the critical thinkin g skills of the learnersTime management and team building skillsBring out the leadership qualities of the participants. | Time consuming. Competition might arouse the conflict among the participants| Leadership Icebreaker Game| The game â€Å"Magic shoe† is used to choose a leader within the group. This will improve the team dynamics and at the same time it will build a unity among the team members. This will benefit the participants in enhancing their decision making skills and consequently improve their time management skills as well.Word Count 904| e) Outline your evaluation strategy for the course. (250 words) Evaluation can be defined as a way of assessing or judging the value of a piece of work (Tufo, 2002). It is the systematic assessment of the worth or merit of some object (Trochim, 2006). The evaluation of this induction program is based on kirkpatrick’s 4 levels of evaluation model. Figure 2 shows the 4 levels of learning and the how it effect the participan ts. Figure 2 Level 1 (Reaction) – This is used to understand how the trainees or the participants felt about the program. Happy sheets’ and feedback forms will be given to the trainees soon after the induction program is over in order to identify the effectiveness of course delivering methods. For long term evaluation, customer satisfaction surveys and employee performance evaluations will be conducted every three months. Level 2 (Learning) – Learning evaluation can be identified as the measurement of the increase in knowledge before and after the program (Chapman, 2009). Observations will be conducted after the induction program on how the new employees handle the coffee machines and equipment.Furthermore a questioner will be given to the new employees to identify the improvement regarding the product knowledge. Level 3 (Behavior) – In one month time follow up surveys will be conducted to both employees and managers in order to identify whether the emplo yees are applying the things which they have learned during the induction program. Also customer service feedback forms will be given to the customers after one month time to find the improvement and the application of knowledge. Level 4 (Results) – Measuring the performance of the company in increase or decrease of sales.Daily sales level followed by monthly sales level. In period of 3- months’ time measure the increase or decrease in product quality and the customer feedback. Consequently by evaluating the effect on company profit will give a broad description on how the induction program has an impact on the business in long run. Word count 311 Reference 1. Armstrong, M. (2006). Handbook of HRM practices, 10th Edition, London, Kogen Page. 2. Armstrong, M. (2009). Handbook of HRM practices, 11th Edition, London, Kogen Page 3. Chapman, A. (2009).Kirkpatrick’s learning and training evaluation theory. Business balls. [Online]. Available at: http://www. businessba lls. com/kirkpatricklearningevaluationmodel. htm . [Accessed: 12th Jan 2012] 4. Fleming,N. ,and Mills,C. ,(1992). Kinesthetic Learning. Teaching Mineralogy. [Online]. Available at:http://serc. carleton. edu/NAGTWorkshops/mineralogy/xtlsymmetry/kinesthetics. html [Accessed: 14th Jan 2012] 5. Gray,D. Cundell,S. Hay, D. O’neil, J. (2004) Learning through the Workplace 7th Edition, Cheltenhan, Nelson Thornes LTD. . Leadership games. (2012). Leadership games for groups. Leadership games. [Online]. Available at: http://leadershipgames. org/ . [Accessed: 14th Jan 2012] 7. Trochim,M. K. W. ,(2006). Introduction to Evaluation. Research methods Knowledge base. [Online]. Available at: http://www. socialresearchmethods. net/kb/intreval. php . [Accessed: 15th Jan 2012] 8. Tufo,S. (2002). What is evaluation?. Evaluation trust. [Online]. Available at: http://www. evaluationtrust. org/ . [Accessed: 15th Jan 2012] Appendix 1 Magic ShoesMake 2 lines on the ground at least 8 feet apart and have the participants break into 2 groups, with each team having one pair of â€Å"magic shoes. † Instruct the team to gather behind one of the lines and have them cross the lava (the ground they are crossing) with only one person at a time using the â€Å"magic shoes† to be able to walk across the lava safely. Each team will be challenged to select a leader who would plan the strategy on how to have the entire team cross without being burned (Leadership games,2012). Section D – Student reflective statementPlease complete the questions below and submit with you assessment on Friday 15th January 2012. Please note that this is worth 5% of your assessment mark and should be approximately 500 words. What have you learnt in the process of completing your assignment? Human Resource Management (HRM) can use as a powerful force to archive organizational goals. But I feel that in the Singapore Context these practices are not carried out effectively. Especially local firms, t hey name the department as HR department but they only do administrative work. Basic things like Recruiting and selection.I feel that they need to focus more on things like HR Development and training in a strategic level. This will give the company an edge in the competition. All in all it gave me lot of insights on to the role of a HR manager and the importance of him or her in the top management to make decision making easier. What helped or hindered you progress? My work experience as a manager helped me in doing this assignment. Lot of the things mentioned in this module is similar to what I do at work. But the tough part is searching for relevant materials and resources and giving references was slowing down my progress.Nevertheless by reading the course materials and the lecture slides gave me a broad understanding regarding Human resource management and also how to build the induction program effectively. But time management was a difficult task for me as I have work during week days and weekends as well. Therefore it hindered my progress and resulted in rushing through the assignment. For each section please reflect on whether you are satisfied with you submission and if not, why not? Considering the overall work, I am contended and happy because with all the time barriers I managed to finish it on time.But because of the given word counts I had to limit my thoughts and findings which was not satisfactory. Furthermore I have doubts in my referencing method and the amount of references I used because I was unable to attend to the special class where the lecturer conducted in regarding referencing. What actions will you take as a result of what you have learnt while doing this assessment? I am working in a small company which has close to 25 employees in the whole Singapore branch which is the head office for all the other branches in Malaysia, Indonesia, India and Thailand.Last week I was in Indonesia for one of the training sessions which they were co nducting for some of their trainers (We are dealing with Schools). And I was very happy how they conducted their training. It was a well detailed and well structured. After the training they had the training program I took some feedback from the trainees and they were very good. On the other hand the training which we conduct here in Singapore is very informal sessions which don’t really follow any standard. So with the help of my knowledge I am going to change the training structure of our company and standardize for all the other countries as well.

The Stupidest Angel Chapter 22

Chapter 22 A PERFECT LONESOME CHRISTMAS The archangel Raziel hovered outside the Santa Rosa Chapel's big cathedral window, looking through a small pane of pink glass that formed Saint Rosa's cheek. He smiled at his handiwork, then beat his great wings and flew off to find some chocolate to sustain him on his trip home. Life is messy. Would that every puzzle piece fell into place, every word was kind, every accident happy, but such is not the case. Life is messy. People, generally, suck. This year, however, the Lonesome Christmas party in Pine Cove was coming off with clarified joy, an infectious goodwill, and a general harmony of spirit that shone in the guests with a smooth, high polish – a no-mess affair. â€Å"Theo,† Molly said, â€Å"can you grab the other lasagna pans out of the back.† She was carrying two of the long stainless-steel pans herself, and she was careful to bend at the knees as she set them down on the buffet table to keep the back of her short cocktail dress in the realm of decency. It was a plunging neckline LBD (little black dress) she'd borrowed from Lena just for the party – the first low-cut thing she'd worn in years. â€Å"We could have barbecued after all,† Theo said. â€Å"I told you fucksticks that the storm would turn south,† Mavis Sand growled as she sawed the end off a baguette like the moyl at a titanic bris. (Some people's goodwill shines differently than others'.) Molly set down her lasagna and turned around into the arms of her praying mantis of a husband. â€Å"Whoa, sailor, Warrior Babe's got work to do.† â€Å"I just wanted to tell you,† Theo said, â€Å"before everyone gets here, that you look absolutely stunning.† Molly brushed her hand across her neckline. â€Å"Scars don't do that, do they? They don't just disappear overnight like that, right?† â€Å"Doesn't matter to me,† Theo said. â€Å"Never mattered. Wait until you see what I got you for Christmas.† Molly kissed him on the chin. â€Å"I love you, even if you have mutant tendencies; now free me, Lena needs help with the salad.† â€Å"No, I don't,† said Lena, coming out of the back room carrying a huge salad bowl. Tucker Case followed close behind with a stainless caddie of dressings. â€Å"Oh, Theo,† Lena said, â€Å"I hope you don't mind, but Dale is going to come by in his Santa suit tonight.† â€Å"I thought you guys were in combat,† Theo said. â€Å"We were, but he surprised me a couple of nights ago when I was stealing some of his Christmas trees, and was just losing his temper when Tucker happened along and popped him in the nose.† Tucker Case grinned. â€Å"I'm a pilot, we're used to handling tense situations.† â€Å"Anyway,† Lena continued, â€Å"Dale was drunk. He started crying, getting maudlin, talking about how he was having trouble with his new girlfriend, saying how he hated that everyone saw him as the evil developer, so I invited him here. Thought maybe if he could do something nice for the kids, it would make him feel better.† â€Å"No problem,† Theo said. â€Å"I'm glad you two are getting along.† â€Å"Hey, Theo!† yelled Joshua Barker as he ran across the chapel floor toward them. â€Å"Mom says Santa will be at the party.† â€Å"A quick appearance, Josh, then he has to get on his route,† Theo said. He looked up to see Emily Barker and her boyfriend/husband/whatever Brian Henderson coming across the room. Brian was wearing a red Star Fleet Command shirt. â€Å"Merry Christmas, Theo,† Emily said. Theo hugged Emily and shook Brian's hand. â€Å"Theo, have you seen Gabe Fenton?† Brian asked. â€Å"I wanted to show him the shirt, I think he'll get a kick out of it. You know, nerd solidarity.† â€Å"He was here a little bit ago, Brian, but then Val Riordan arrived and they were talking. I haven't seen them for a while.† â€Å"Maybe they went for a walk. Beautiful evening, isn't it?† â€Å"Isn't it,† said Molly, coming to Theo's side. â€Å"He said he was good with weather,† said the Narrator. â€Å"Shhhhhhh,† said Molly. â€Å"Pardon?† Brian said. Out behind the chapel, the dead were feeling festive as well. â€Å"He's going to do her right here in the graveyard,† said Marty in the Morning. â€Å"Who would have thought a shrink could moan like that. A little carnal scream therapy, huh, doc?† â€Å"No way,† said Bess Leander. â€Å"She's wearing Armani, she's not going to mess up that outfit.† â€Å"You're right,† said Jimmy Antalvo. â€Å"They'll just suck face and take the party home for makeup sex. But how do you know she's wearing Armani?† â€Å"You know what?† said Bess. â€Å"I have no idea. Just a feeling, I guess.† â€Å"I do hope they sing ‘Good King Wenceslas, † said Esther, the schoolteacher. â€Å"I just love that song.† â€Å"Has anyone seen the biologist's dreadful dog?† asked Malcolm Cowley, the dead book dealer. â€Å"Last year the beast urinated on my headstone three times.† â€Å"He was sniffing around a minute ago,† said Marty in the Morning, â€Å"but he went inside when they started to bring the food out.† Inside, Skinner was sitting under the Christmas tree, looking at the strangest creature he'd ever seen. It was hanging from the lower branches, but it didn't look like a squirrel, or smell like food; in fact, it had a face that looked like another dog. Skinner whimpered and sniffed the air. If it was a dog, where was its butt? How could he say hello if he couldn't sniff its butt? He took a tentative step back to study the thing. â€Å"What are you looking at?† said Roberto.