Report On Soils And Their Management - 1318 Words

Week 8: Soils and Their Management (21 April 2016) This week topic is about soil, with three presenters; Richard Greene, Julia Jasonsmith and Craig Strong. Ricard start his presentation with Carbon in soil, while Julia was focused on contamination in soil, finally Craig discussed about dust observation in Australia. The first presenter talk about carbon sequestration and the capturing carbon using trees and how the Carbon concentration decreased from soils. He also explained about how carbon credit works for Australian farmers. Further, the Soil Carbon Matrix Method (Keith, H., et al, ND) was explained in terms of soil assessment to increase soil quality by carbon sequestration. Julia Jasonsmith talked about contamination in soil, and†¦show more content†¦The reason why dust should be trace because agricultural dust could be seen as indicators for soil quality and wind erosion in Australia is major threat for soil asset. Further, the pace of soil eroding is faster than its forming pace. The method on dust monitoring in Australia is Dust Watch with community based science (DW-CBS). This method is affiliation program from community, scientist and government. The lesson that I get from this topic is soil management could work if we have basic data on soil quality and it could help traditional farmers to manage their land. In my hometown, agriculture was manage traditionally and the farmers not using fertilizer because the soil is fertile and they used ancient techniques to manage their land. However, if we can combine the traditional way and modern technique such as soil carbon matrix method it could help to increase the quality of soil and will help the farmers to increase their agriculture products. Week 9: Energy (28 April 2016) Presentation by Dr Kyle Catchpole and Professor Ken Baldwin this week is focused on energy. Dr Kyle Catchpole start with renewable energy and she mentions about the potency of renewable energy in Australia such as wind turbine, and solar energy. In recent year renewable energy are cheaper due to the improvement of technology. The second presenter talks about future energy in Australia and the world, he stated that spectrum of energy

Essay on The Turn of the Screw by Henry James - 721 Words

The Turn of the Screw This novel was, surprisingly, interesting. The intensely complex and intricate (if not confusing!) sentences, upon first thought, made me expect an experience of complete, utter, and total confusion; however, they served not only to keep my interest in the novel – for I had to concentrate to grasp the full, rich meaning of his thoughts – but also to create in me a sense of enjoyment, that of being enriched with the experiences of the main character so that my life and that characters became inseparable, only it occurred not only with the main character, but with the entire plot at once – all characters, all scenes (to which I shall come late), all conversations... everything. I have never seen a man so able to†¦show more content†¦The same is true of Flora. Her childish innocence and elderly cunning create an ambiguous character that is capable of existing. (Is that not an ambiguity of its’ own?) As far as completely realistic and believable chara cters – those capable of existing outside the mind and conception of readers – can be examined, a list of them would be short in the superlative. The governess would be the most sane and believable of them all, unless one considers the idea that she is able to see spirits that haunt only the children (is she possessed as well?). Mrs. Grose is the next most believable character. Her only shortcoming in that respect is her simple-minded naà ¯vetà © and her subjection to suggestion. One is forced to wonder if this character has any will or desire to call her own, or if she was born, raised, and hired only to follow the instruction and logic of others. The simple fact that she was illiterate would seem to agree with the idea. Enough about characters... I want now to speak of setting. There was none. James never described a setting with any significant degree of detail. A window would be looked through, and the reader would discover at the same time who was doing the looking, and the fact that the window existed at all. Even though this causes some abrupt double-takes of the mind, if you will, when something new is mentioned that simply does not fit into the setting originally conceived of by the reader. Either the scene becomesShow MoreRelatedThe Turn Of The Screw By Henry James1479 Words   |  6 PagesI. Henry James’s â€Å"The Turn of the Screw† a young Governess is hired by a wealthy man who is the uncle to two children that live in Bly, the estate and setting in which the story takes place. In the ghastly tale by James, the Governess begins to notice things that are out of place. The old manor is home to a host of souls that have perished previous to her arrival, which leaves the gover ness on edge as she becomes more and more aware of the odd happenings in Bly. The story focuses on the hauntingRead MoreThe Turn Of The Screw By Henry James1379 Words   |  6 Pages A Screw Loose During the course of the novella, â€Å"The Turn of the Screw†, by Henry James, the governess continuously encounters ghosts that seemingly only appear to her. As the story progresses, the governess starts postulating a relationship between Miles, Flora, and the supposed corruptive ghosts. However, due to the fact that the ghosts are not seen when others are present at the time of the sightings indicate that they fail to exist. Moreover, through the evidence presented in the text, theRead MoreThe Turn Of The Screw By Henry James2418 Words   |  10 PagesThroughout the Turn of the Screw, by Henry James, we are introduced to four main characters; the Governess, Mrs. Grose, Miles, and Flora. Other minor characters in the book are Miss Jessel, Peter Quint, and the children’s Uncle. I think Henry James portrays each of these characters in a certain mysterious and ambiguous way, and this is what helps catch the reader’s attention. Some people believe that Henry James wants the reader to infer that the entire story was just a hallucination that the GovernessRead MoreThe Turn Of The Screw By Henry James1029 Words   |  5 PagesMichael Walker Mr. Murray Intro to Fiction March 25, 2015 Turn of the Screw There are numerous approaches to view The Turn of the Screw, by Henry James. From being in class talking about the book I seen that there was distinctive comprehension of the book. The Turn of the Screw is a typical representation of the contention in the middle of great and fiendishness. I will translate the phantoms of Peter Quint and Miss Jessel as insidious powers. I perceive that the phantom just seem to the tutorRead MoreThe Turn Of The Screw By Henry James993 Words   |  4 Pagesthat are not even there. This causes one to doubt the very nature of things and can even explain why it is that things such as ‘second thoughts’ or ‘fear’ crosses the mind. Henry James, the author of The Turn of the Screw, uses these â€Å"defects of the mind† to destroy the barrier between reality and fiction. The Turn of the Screw exists in a reality that is retold more than once and in many instances, it depicts the twisted perception of a protagonist with an overa ctive imagination and even goes asRead MoreThe Turn Of The Screw By Henry James1219 Words   |  5 PagesThe Turn of the Screw by Henry James (2010) is designed to have many interpretations in terms of its characters, chain of events and its narration. Many people believe the main idea of this narrative is whether it is apparitionist or non-apparitionist. They question the Governess’s ability to see ghosts. However, this paper will demonstrate that this narrative is in essence a love story regardless of supernatural events. Through the analysis of the frame, it is easy to accept that the Turn of theRead MoreThe Turn Of The Screw By Henry James1077 Words   |  5 Pagesthat has power over them. Henry James wrote â€Å"The Turn of the Screw† during the Victorian Era; the Victorians which was known as the age of children. The idea of innocence was place on a child at an early age. Books that were publish in the Era of Victorian that focus on youth of a child. Children are supposed to enjoy life and being joy into it. They were the pictures of innocence but Miles and Flora had painted themselves differently. In Henry James’ â€Å"The Turn of the Screw†, the young children areRead MoreTurn Of The Screw By Henry James1012 Words   |  5 PagesTurn of the Screw by Henry James is a psychological case study of the narrator, the Governess, who is emotionally unstable with phantasms of the living which are merely illusions of her psychotic mind. The governess’s illusive mind leads to her obsession with becoming the heroine of Miles and Flora who she suspects are on the verge of corruption due to the supernatural activity of Miss Jessel and Peter Quint. However, her excessive obsession to become the heroine only leads to a major downfall becauseRead MoreThe Turn Of The Screw By Henry James1992 Words   |  8 PagesHenry James called his short story, â€Å"The Turn of the Screw,† a â€Å"fairytale†. He also said that the story wasn’t supposed to mean nothing more than a little ghost story. It doesn’t matter what he originally intended, James’ â€Å"The Turn of the Screw† is a main topic of debates when it comes to literacy. They all have that one question: Are the ghosts real or is it just the governess’ imagination of twisted apparitions and illusions. There are critics who have come up with their own arguments with a lotRead MoreHenry James’ the Turn of the Screw Essay861 Words   |  4 PagesHenry James’ The Turn of the Screw is written with one clear and true ending where Miles dies and the readers are left to guess the rest for themselves. Or is it? Right from the prologue, a reader may assume that Miles and Douglas are indeed the same person, but when the reader sees, â€Å"and his little heart, dispossessed, had stopped.† P.403 one dismisses that theory as lost, but it isn’t. Perhaps one ignore the idea because of many unclea r allusions to discrepancies. James’ use of deliberate vagueness

Sari in Art History Free Essays

The sari is an unstitched strip of cloth which resembles the classic Indian women’s fashion, it is usually made of soft cloth such as cotton and silk. The sari is available in many colors, and art work may be present to give the sari a more unique look. However, regardless of the abundance of colors and styles of the sari, a black sari never existed, even during the most unpleasant event, such as funerals, the Indian women wear a simple white sari to resemble sadness, and the red sari is assigned a symbol of happiness. We will write a custom essay sample on Sari in Art History or any similar topic only for you Order Now Sari is worn in many different ways, but the most common way is to wrap it around the waist with one end over the shoulder. Indian women usually wear a choli or ravika, which is an Indian blouse, to cover up parts of their body that might be exposed due to wearing the sari the way they do. The way in which a sari is wrapped depends on which region in Indian one is in, or the sari wearer is originally from: The Western, the Eastern, the North-east and the Himalayans, the Eastern Deccan, the South and the Western Deccan (Lynton 532). The sari is typically created and given its different art forms in these aspects: Loom, dyeing, spinning, printing (Lynton 532). In fact, one can say that the art of a sari, in its completed form, that is after it has been spun, dyed and weaved on the loom, is that it tells a very distinct story (thus the different ways of wearing the garment in the different regions—and as stated above, white is used for funerals and red saris are used to resemble and express the happiness of the wearer). The Sari gave the Indian women that attractive fashion style which made women, even foreigners to the Indian culture, wears the sari as a different, unique, and stylish outfit. Although the Sari might look simple, and available to all women in the Indian subcontinent, its price can vary significantly depending on many factors, the fabric used, the amount of art work involved, and embedded jewelry such as pearls, and even Swarovski crystals in the modern saris. The higher end saris will be worn by the upper class women to represent their rank and status, and Indian women are known also to wear fine jewelry to complement their piece of art saris. The sari is a rather erotic garment –for nothing holds the garment in place excepting how the material is wrapped around the wearer’s body. The sari is such a symbol of India that the women have grown to make their identities through the wearing of a sari. The sari is a nostalgic garment that breeds itself as a cultural icon of Indian that at once defines the women as well as their status. A woman wearing a sari is immediately recognized as Indian – thereby cementing the sari as a symbol of nationalism for these women of Indian as well as traditionalists (Menon 11). The sari is at once a traditionalist garment as well as a sexually alluring one. The fabrics that are used in making a sari are typically of silk – thus, the woman wearing the sari is constantly covered in this smooth fabric that is very pleasing to the touch. Some silks are spun so light that it feels as though the wearer is not wearing anything – this of course is appealing to the opposite sex if not for the wearer. The sari itself is beautifully accentuates the woman’s body – her curves and her movements give a hushed rustle as she walks and the way in which the silk is spun allows the light to cascade over the garment giving a glimpse of the figure beneath its folds. It is no wonder that the sari is such a sought after icon of a country and why it is being adapted to other countries. Thus, the garment is twofold in its inclusion in Indian society – it accentuates the female form but perhaps it also stifles a woman’s sense of individuality. There is no doubt that the sari – outside of the Indian tradition has a definite erotic effect, whether intended or not. Despite that the sari covers up most of the woman’s figure it is in the subtler nuisances of the fabric’s design that allow for a re-configuring of that garment’s use outside of the traditionalist’s mode of thinking. Although much of the world is becoming westernized – that is to say that much of the world is becoming more accustomed to wearing American fashion (i. e. Jimmy Choo, punk, etc. that wearing a sari in Indian or outside of the country, many women would be seen as old fashioned or as traditionalists, â€Å"As a symbol of Indian-ness itself, it represents not a compact nationality so much as an aspiration what Khilnani has called the idea of India which people struggle to live up to as worthy inheritors of a great and ancient culture, an India that transcends regions and diversity to reconstitute itself at a highe r plane. As a result and as one fashion commentator perceptively put it, to violate the integrity of the sari is akin to burning the American flag† (Menon 12). However, there may also be another reason that Indian women wear a sari – perhaps there is little else in a traditionalist culture that is available for them to wear or anything that they would be allowed to wear. Perhaps other culture’s fashion (progressive fashion) is seen as unsuitable for an Indian woman to wear – thus, the garment, while being a major source of history is also in a way effective with women’s rights and the lack of them in this part of the mindset of Indian culture (Menon 11). The reverse of this is that certain women in Indian culture use the sari in order to express how in control of themselves they are by the way in which they wear the garment. Working women will wear their garment differently than women who tend to a house and family and do not work outside of the home. Either sentiment may be true but what is most assuredly true is that the sari can be worn with pride or not depending on the wearer, â€Å"This elevated sari has an advanced capacity for good and for bad. Perhaps the single most common comment we heard about the sari is that it makes a woman the most beautiful she could ever become†¦In a society where power itself is generally thought of as having a female aspect, in the for of shakti, the sari simultaneously augments combines and ‘totalises’ the possibilities of aesthetic beauty, female mastery, sexuality and the cult of the maternal† (Banerjee 236). Thus, the sari may in fact give a subtle indication of power by the wearer depending on the ancient traditions on how it is made, the symbols on it, and especially the way in which it is worn. In either case the sari may be considered a work of art in itself for the way in which it must be weaved or loomed, dyed, and the type of material used to place the dyes upon if not the way in which it is also worn. All of these components of the garment add up to a subtly sexy and erotic material that despite covering up its wearer makes her the more sensual for it; for the sari is a garment that places its emphasis on the way in which it moves, it glides around the wearer in traditional form. How to cite Sari in Art History, Papers

Report on Working with work-life balance and Leading People

Question: Discuss about a Report on Working with and leading people? Answer: Introduction Recruitment planning and process is done by the human resource management of the company. The process is planned as per the requirements of the company. Procedure followed for recruitment has being discussed in this report. Job description and legal regulatory process has to be defined as this would help in selecting the best method that would be useful in introducing the best recruitment process. The process followed for recruitment has to be reported to the management. This would help in reducing the operational expenses related to the recruitment process. Recruitment process Recruitment procedure Recruitment procedure can be adopted and implemented by the human resource department of the company after evaluating the job description. Vacancy plan highlights the human requirements for the company, along with the number of candidates required for task execution. Recruitment plan includes analysing the posting period and evaluating the posting goals. Job description highlights the specific requirements of the candidates who would be recruited for the job. Selection of candidates through interview, screening and testing process are some of the steps that are followed by the human resource department of the company (Dess and Shaw, 2001). The job specification needs to mention the skills, qualification, and experience possessed by the candidate. This helps in selecting the right type of candidate who will be suitable for the job. While planning for the interview process, it is necessary to highlight the requirements for the job, as this will help in implementing the right type of recruitment plan. Legal regulatory, and ethical consideration to recruitment and selection process The process adopted by the human rescore department managers has to be clear, reliable and effective. This will encourage the management to recruit suitable candidate who can handed the job requirements in the right manner. Legal regulatory factors include communicating with the new employees the benefits or other factors that needs to be followed by the members. This is associated with the benefits that will be provided to the staffs, legal implications or actions that would be taken against the employees for breach of contract, type of employment, and other factors (Miyake, 2002). Ethical consideration includes following the principles that has been developed by the organization. While recruiting and selection process for the staffs, ethical factors considered are respecting people, handling issues associated with insecurity of jobs, and following the legislative requirements. The process and the methods followed by the managers will be clearly defined as this will help in improving the performance (Kaplan, Norton, 2004). Report for selecting process followed The selection process proposed to be adopted by the management or the HR department has to be planned. This would help in achieving the desired target, without losing time and efforts on the same. At first the method expected to be followed for recruitment has to be communicated with the managers. It can be done directly by the managers or indirectly through agencies. This would help in selecting the best candidates who would be able to help in improving the performance of the company. Selection process needs to define the criterias that would be analysed for recruiting the staffs. Some of the factors that are checked while analysing the ability of the staffs includes qualification, knowledge of the members, and experience. These are the process followed for streamlining the suitable candidates for the job (Whitmell Associates, 2004). Contribution as recruitment manager As a recruitment manager, it is necessary to draft and implement an effective selection process that will help in recruiting suitable candidates. The time period and the process necessary to be followed for the task execution have to be communicated with the members. This helps in executing the task in the right manner. Recruitment of the staffs from external factors is an expensive task. The members have to do the right things as this will help in selecting the best candidates. Job requirements from different departments have to be analysed. This is done through job description method. Members can be selected after considering the requirements for the job. Expectations of the management and other factors have to be interacted with the new members. This will help in improving the relationship between the management and the new members. The manager has to ensure that the decided steps and process are effectively followed by the human resource department. Strategy prepared for selection and recruitment is implemented while conducting the interview process (Walker, 2009). Leadership Skills and attributes required for leadership Skilled and effective leadership skills help the managers to overcome the underlying challenges at the workplace. Some of the skills and attributes required for task performances are Communication leaders need to adopt uninterrupted and precise communication method. It is essential to hear the views of other individual, as it helps in handing the challenges associated with communication (Gompers et al., 2003). Organizing The tasks assigned to the team members has to be organized. This would mitigate the challenges that exist at the workplace. Fair process Team members have to be treated equally, and for this fair method have to be adopted by the leaders. Integrity This is viewed as the respect of the individuals towards the objectives that has been designed by the management. Task performances are quite important as it helps in achieving the desired task in the right manner. Negotiator Disputes and disagreements has to be sorted out by the leader, who assume an important position in the company. Differences between management and leadership The process of leadership and management has to go hand-in-hand. There is a vast difference between both the terms. Management draft the plan to execute the job, and organize different factors that are associated with the task performance. Leaders and leadership skills on the other hand, motivate the team members to work towards the goal achievement. Management of the company are the administrators, who are entrusted with the task of expecting the performance oriented task for the company. Important decisions about the business execution and the process expected to be introduced for executing the tasks are drafted and introduced by the management (Quigley, 2007). Leaders on the other hand communicate the job requirements with the team members, and ensure that the task in done in the right manner. Differences between the groups of individuals and the members are effectively handled by the managers or leaders. This is an important factor, which ensures the management to do right things for improving the business performance (Jordan et al., 2008). Leadership style of Mr Worthy and MS Hogan Mr Worthy followed autocratic method of leadership style. The leader reviewed the work performed by the staffs of the company, by analysing the report that was provide day the manager. Decision about the management process and the strategic changes were introduced after evaluating the contents presented in the report. There was no coordination and communication between the manager and the staffs of the company. Jobs and its requirement were mentioned to the members. Performance of the members was regularly checked and corrective measures were taken to implement necessary business related changes (Turknett et al., 2005). MS Hogan followed participate style of leadership. In this method, the leader communicated with the staffs to analyse the challenges faced while performing the tasks. Team members were permitted to discuss the issue, for which a solution had to be found. The manager believed in creating an effective management process, which would encourage the staffs to improve the business performance. Motivation MS Hogan was an active leader, who would communicate with the members of the company. The process was followed to find the challenges and introduce an effective method through which the production activities can be improved. However, it was equally important to motive the staffs working for the company. In order to encourage the members and encourage to achieve the objectives for the company, the below mentioned steps has to be followed- Introduce an effective incentive payment method Organize reward system for facilitating best performing staffs of the company Create positive and practice work culture, why would encourage the staffs to work towards the goal achievement Analyse the challenges faced by the members, and introduce the best process for overpowering the issue. Motivated staffs of the company tend to increase the business performance, which was one of the important factors that would contribute towards the growth of the business (Turknett Leadership Group, 2005). Team work Benefits of team work Teamwork improves the business performance, and mitigates the differences that exist between the members. Team leaders encourage the staffs of the company to work towards the goal achievement which is one of the important factors through which the business objectives for the company can be achieved. The method adopted and implemented for increasing the business performance is an important factor as it helps the management to work on the challenges that can affect the business performance. Some of the benefits associated with the team work are Improved morale Team members can develop and follow great moral values, which is necessary for the conduct of the business activities. Positive attitude of the team members would encourage the staffs to undertake the challenging tasks that exist at the workplace (Alexandra et al., 2009). Improved flexibility Flexible team members are trained to undertake different challenging tasks that could affect the business objectives. Team members are aware of the task that needs to be done for achieving the desired goals. The tasks are evaluated and corrective measures are implemented for increasing the performance (Chang et al., 2004). Innovation The members of the team work on developing innovative methods for task execution. This is required for the smooth conduct of the business activities. The challenges and other factors associated with the task performance can be overpowered by implementing effective changes within the system. The goals and the team performance can be allocated to the team members. Immediate action for increasing the business performance and overpowering the challenges can be introduced by the management. Difference between the member and the team leader The members of the team are responsible for performing the tasks that has been allocated by the management and the team leader. While performing the tasks, the challenges faced for improving the production activities can be communicated with the leaders. Team members can share knowledge and the process through which the quality of the task performance can be improved (Christina, Gursoy, 2009). This is one of the important factors that would help in achieving the desired task that has been highlighted by the management. Team members can be a part of the decision making process, but are not entrusted with the responsibility to make decision on behalf of the leaders and the management. Members of the company are expected to work together and overpower the challenges that can affect the business performance. Team leader is responsible for drafting plans for task performance. The leader has to manage the team and ensure that different tasks are performed as it was extended by the members. The challenges or issues existing between the team members have to be mitigated by the managers. This is done by introducing improved techniques that would help in overpowering the challenges that exists at the workplace. It is the responsibility of the leader to ensure that the right process is followed for task execution (Chen et al., 2006). Effectiveness of the team to achieve the goals Management of the company prepare business goals, which is communicated with the leaders and the staffs. Task allocation and control process is done by the leaders. As a team, the members are responsible for performing the tasks that has been allocated by the management. The steps expected to be followed by the members has to be informed to the managers. This would help in increasing the quality of task performance and adopting the best strategies for increasing the business performance. The goal of the company is to increase the value of customer satisfaction. This can be done by introducing the changes that are essential for handling the customer requirements and implementing the right process, through which the changes can be implemented. The changes have to be designed and implemented by the management in an effective manner. Different tasks expected to be performed by the managers and the team has to be planned. This will help in achieving the goals that has been drafted by the management (Barry, 2000). HR Factors involved in planning and monitoring the work performance The tasks have to be allocated to the members of the team. This has to be done after analysing the strengths and weakness of the team members. Effective training process can be introduced by the management. This would help the team members to adopt the best strategies that will improve the business performance. The objective of the company is it improves customer satisfaction. Different factors affecting the quality of customer services within the company have to be analysed. This will help in implementing the challenges that can affect the business performance. Some of the planning and monitoring process included for analysing the challenges faced while expecting the tasks is as follows Highlight the changes that are expected to be implemented by the company for increasing the performance (Hughes, 2007). Include individual performance evaluation process, through which the required changes within the performance can be implemented Implement effective changes that will help the members to adopt the best process that will be useful in increasing the performance. Plan to analyse development needs of the individuals The plan for analysing and developing the individual needs of the employees or the team members is an important factor. Such a task is performed by the managers and the leaders of the company. Through this method, the expectations and preferences of the employees of the company are analysed. This helps in adapting and implementing an effective strategy that would help in increasing the business performance (Lassad Lakhal, Federico, 2008). Analysis for the individual performance incudes analysing the needs and preferences of the employees Develop different methods and process through which the tasks of analysing the needs of the clients can be evaluated. Introduce the right process, that would help in improving the business performance The plan is to introduce an effective system for analysing the performance of the company. Individual developmental plan has to be related to the goals and objectives outlined by the company. The methods expected to be followed for achieving the targeted goals has to be associated with the process that will be followed for achieving the desired task. The plan and the method have to be communicated with the members. This will help in increasing the coordination between the staffs and the management of the company (Patricia, Jay, 2007). Assessment process The assessment process adopted and implemented by the management is to increase the team performance and productivity for the company. In this process, the steps expected to be followed for achieving the desired task and the methods through which the members would be encouraged to work towards the goal achievement has to be discussed (Park, 2009). The steps and the process expected to be followed for the conduct of the assessment method has to be interacted with the members. Changes are introduced in order to encourage the members to adopt the best strategies that will help in increasing the business performance. The assessment process can be prepared to be evaluated on a monthly basis, as this will enable the management and the leaders to analyse the challenges that can affect the performance. Necessary changes within the assessment process can be introduced after evaluating the challenges involved with the method. This will help the management to adopt the best and reliable methods through which the required changes can be introduced within the company (Lyons, F.H., Ben-Ora, 2002). Conclusion The manager of the company play an important role in simplifying the task related to recruitment. In this process, the importance of the team work and the process that needs to be followed for improving the business performance has to be defined. The managers of the company have to motivate the staffs, as this will increase the business performance for the company. Strategies prepared and followed by the management differ, depending upon the requirements of the company. References Alexandra Beauregard, T., Henry, C. L. Making the link between work-life balance practices and organizational performance. Human Resource Management Review, 19, 922, (2009) Barry H. (2000). The relative compensation of Part-time and Full-time workers: The role of worker and job skills. Employment Policies Institute, July 2000 Chang, J.C., Ou, C.S. and Wu, A. Compensation strategy and organizational performance: Evidence from the banking industry in an emerging economy. Advances in Management Accounting, 12, 137-150, (2004). Chen, H.M., Hsieh, Y.H. Key trends of the Total Reward System in the 21st Century. Compensation and Benefits Review, 38(6), 64, (2006). Christina, G.C., Gursoy, D. Employee satisfaction, customer satisfaction, and financial performance: An empirical examination. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 28, 245253, (2009). Dess G. and Shaw D. Voluntary turnover, social capital, and Organizational performance, Academy of Management Review, 26(3): 446-456 (2001). Gompers, Paul A., Ishii, Joy L., Metrick, Andrew. Corporate Governance and Equity Prices. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 118, 107-155. (2003). Hughes, F. J., Simpson, M., and Padmore, J. Inherent limitations in using financial ratio analysis to assess small and medium sized company performance. Unpublished working papers, The Management School, University of Sheffield, no. 2007.01, (2007). Jordan, Brad, Leonard, Shelly, Lyden, Brendan McDonald, Ryan. Application Software Industry: Quality of Earnings Analysis. Unpublished paper Jacksonville, Jacksonville University, pp 1-20. (2008) Kaplan R, Norton P. Measuring the Strategic Readiness of Intangible Assets, Harvard Business Review 82(2): 52-64, (2004) Lassad Lakhal, Federico Pasin. The direct and indirect impact of product quality on financial performance: A causal model. Total Quality Management Business Excellence, 19(10), 10871099, (2008) Lyons, F.H., Ben-Ora, D. Total rewards strategy: The best foundation of pay for performance. Compensation and Benefits Review, 34(2), 34, (2002). Miyake D. Implementing Strategy with the Balanced Scorecard: An Introduction to the Strategy-Focused Organization, DM Review (2002) Park, S.W, Jack, J. Bauer, Arbuckle, N.B. Growth motivation attenuates the self-serving attribution. Journal of Research in Personality, 43, 914-917, (2009). Patricia, K.Z., Jay, R.S. Designing pay and rewards in professional services companies. Compensation Benefits Review 39(55), 55-62, (2007). Quigley, James H. Trust An Essential Asset: Creating Individual and Corporate Value, The Raytheon Lectureship in Business Ethics. (Waltham: Bentley College, 2007), pp. 1- 24, (2007) Turknett, Robert L., Turknett, Carolyn N. Decent People Decent Company: How to Lead with Character at Work and in Life. Mountain View, CA: Davies-Black Publishing, (2005). Turknett Leadership Group. The leadership Character Model online. Retrieved from https://www.leadershipcharacter.com/model.php. 2005. Walker J. Human Resource Planning, New York: McGraw-Hill Book Co., P95, (2009). Whitmell Associates. Workforce and Succession Planning in the Libraries of the Australian Technology Network, Preparing for Demographic Change. Ontario, Canada, (2004).

The Good Earth Essays (129 words) - The Good Earth, Wang

The Good Earth At the beginining of the story Wang was going to get married to this slave. He was Taking care of the old man and had to even get him ready for the wedding. They got married and now she takes care of the old man for him. They had severel of kids and then there were this drought that came by and made them move away to make a living. Wang had to sell a daughter and then they was able to go back to there home. there he bought lots of land pand had bunch of money and everybody knew about it. At the end Wang wife died and he offered to give everything up to buy medicine to help her but she refused. Book Reports

Favorite House Styles in the USA

Favorite House Styles in the USA Cape Cod and Ranch style houses were once the rage, but Americas tastes have changed over the past decade. Here are todays favorite house styles, according to our Dream House Survey. Mind you, this survey isnt scientific, but the results suggest some interesting trends. Readers are choosing homes homes with cozy details and a romantic flavor. Do you agree? 1. Craftsman Bungalow House Style Homey bungalows with low-pitched roofs and exposed rafters took America by storm in the early 1900s... and then faded from favor after 1930. But perhaps the style is making a comeback. Craftsman and Arts Crafts homes and bungalow homes were the most popular pick in our Dream House survey. 2. Tudor and English Country House Styles Scoring a close second in our Dream House Survey, this cozy style with half-timber details is reminiscent of Medieval English cottages and manor homes. Readers who responded to our survey were drawn to the small, diamond-paned windows and exposed wood framing found in many Tudor Revival homes. 3. Victorian Queen Anne House Styles Victorian is not actually a style, but a period in history, and Victorian architecture comes in many forms. There are the austere stick style homes, the fanciful Gothic Revival cottages,  and the majestic Italianates. But when people discuss Victorian architecture, they are often thinking of Americas so-called Queen Anne  style an elaborate, rather feminine, fashion with lavish details such as towers, wrap-around porches, bay windows, and elaborate trim. Queen Anne ranks number three in our survey, falling behind the more restrained Craftsman and Tudor styles. 4. Georgian Colonial House Styles Symmetrical, orderly Georgian houses became a prominent Colonial house style. Today, Georgian Colonial Revival is a model often imitated for elegant new homes. 5. Prairie House Styles Frank Lloyd Wright pioneered this style in Chicago at the turn of the century. Low-pitched hipped roofs give Prairie style  homes the appearance of hugging the earth, and the square, often symmetrical lines suggest strength and homespun values. 6. Dreams for the Future Borrowing ideas from the past, modern-day styles take on many shapes. One imaginative reader said that he dreamed of owning a home designed for desert living. The floors, he said, would be polished concrete. Air conditioning and heat will duct through the cement slab up through sand-filled interior walls, he wrote. Sounds very modern. Desert Modern. 7. Homes for Right Now Dream houses dont have to be big. In fact. sometimes our deepest passions come in small packages. One man from Ohio has created his own dream house. The 150-year-old cottage has no electricity, so hand tools and elbow grease were used to paint the shutters, sand the floors, and decorate the rooms with an admittedly eccentric style. A quirky man with dogged independence, he writes, This was meant to be fun, not some job to be instantly done. We cant argue with that. More Top Picks A few more questions: Out of all the styles to choose from, whats your favorite? Why do you love it? Here are responses:   High Victorian: Queen Anne, Second Empire, and the like are a showcase of fine craftsmanship not likely to be seen on such a grand scale again. I own an original foursquare. While I appreciate the nice woodwork, its too rectilinear.I like Colonial Revival and Ranch homes, but I also like Foursquare houses because that is what my grandparents had.Arts and Crafts: As a design enthusiast, my favorite style is Arts Crafts. Its wide and low pitched roofs, use of natural materials, earth-toned color schemes, and overall craftsmanship makes the Arts Crafts style hard to ignore and almost impossible to duplicate today. Morris, Greene, Stickley (Sears Roebuck) and, to a great extent, Wright owe much of what they did for architecture in this country, to the East (Asia if Im not mistaken). From Bungalow to Craftsman to Prairie, you will find very, very few people who are NOT taken with the Arts Crafts style.Tidewater: I love the tidewater houses. The wrap-around porches are efficient ventil ation systems. Living in the South, we are able to enjoy a lot of porch weather! Tropical Architecture: This is not a very recognized style but I love it because it addresses issues of the humid climate.Dutch Colonial: I like the dutch colonial revival with the gambrel roof, and also the standard colonial revival..Give Me a Ranch: I love the classic Raised Ranch. The home can be small in square footage but has potential to be designed in such a way that it feels bigger.Federalist Style House: The look of size is impressive in itself but the appearance of sturdiness and durability says home. Even Katrina couldnt blow this house down.Greek Revival: Greek Revival is American architecture at its besta style that is distinctly American for Americans. Chaste and classical, while formal and informal, yet beautiful and timeless are just a few of its many attractive qualities.Spanish: I absolutely love the Spanish-Mediterranean-Pueblo-Missionary type houses. They have a beautiful tropical warm appearance with a comfortable at home feel. Its like living a dream.

Economic Distribution Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Economic Distribution - Assignment Example oping countries, such as China, which find themselves in the midst of a transition phenomenon marked by a significant shift from a predominantly labor intensive agricultural economy with considerable industrial and services sectors to a more industrialized one, must ensure that such rural urban migration is not obstructed by regressive policies, and is in fact preferably encouraged. The critical problem discussed in this article is the high rates of abortion in India. Medical termination of pregnancy is one of the most discordant and poignant concerns faced by Indian policymakers in recent times, a fact which is highly disturbing yet barely unanticipated, particularly if viewed against India’s cultural background which tilts largely in favor of a male child. Policy makers must therefore strive to implement stringent measures to make such clinical facilities effective, safe, affordable and easily accessible to the citizens. Appropriate steps must be taken to ensure availability of health insurance covers, expand the accessibility and availability of contraceptives, develop and implement policies to cover women from economically poor backgrounds, safeguard the feasibility of the national family planning health center system, and take measures specifically directed at poor women and teenagers, where the incidences of unwanted pregnancies and lack of availab ility of medical facilities are the

The Changes in Employment Law Introduced by the Equality Act 2010 Essay

The Changes in Employment Law Introduced by the Equality Act 2010 - Essay Example The paper discusses the changes on the employment law as a result of introduction of the Equality Act 2010. Equal Pay The Equal Pay Act of 1970 prohibits discrimination in pay between men and women. The Act emphasizes equal pay for equal work. Despite the act being in place gender wage gap continues to rise and women are segregated in low paying service sector jobs such as education and health. However, the claimant pursuing this allegation should be able to proof that the difference in pay is as a result of discriminatory act by the employer. To proof this, there needs to be a comparator of opposite sex performing similar work in the establishment or in a similar establishment offering same terms and conditions of employment (Kelly et al. 2011). The Act gave employers right to secrecy in remunerations thereby preventing employees from getting information as to whether they are being discriminated thus making it hard to claim unequal pay discrimination. The Equality Act 2010 however makes some changes which removed the clauses on secrecy. Employees are thus free to get information regarding remuneration. It also made it unlawful for employers to prohibit employees from discussing pay. The Act requires organizations with 250 or more employees to publish pay differences for males and females (Directgov, 2011). The Act also enables claimants to make a claim even if there is no comparator. This implies that employers need to be very cautious when offering terms of payment to avoid discrimination allegations. It has also to publish pay differences to avoid paying fines. This may affect performance related pay as those performing equal work need to be paid similar wages. While Equal Pay Act incorporates equality clause in all contracts, Equality Act incorporates sex equality in the contract (Kelly et al. 2011, p. 465). Sex Discrimination Treating one less favourably on the grounds of sex is prohibited in the Sex Discrimination Act of 1975 (Kelly et al. 2011). The act also prohibits harassment based on sex and victimization as a result of giving evidence on sex discrimination cases or for filing a complaint based on sex. The Employment Equality (sex discrimination) Regulations 2005 require a claimant to proof they were discriminated because of their sex by use of a comparator hence according to Clarke (2006), discrimination laws emphasize on differences between complainant and comparator rather than the disadvantage the complainant has experienced (161). The Equality Act has extended the associative and perceptive discrimination based on sex. It is therefore unlawful to treat someone less favourably because of having an association with a person of a particular sex or because of being perceived as belonging to a particular sex. Disability Discrimination The Disability Discrimination Act of 1995 prohibits unfair treatment on the grounds of being disabled. It prohibits direct discrimination and disability related discrimination whereby one is disc riminated due to reasons associated to disability such as sickness. However, the employer can discriminate if the nature of activities does not allow hiring a disabled person, if costs involved are high or as a result of genuine

Dispersed Team Dynamics Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Dispersed Team Dynamics - Term Paper Example It may be good for dispersed teams to hire external consultants to develop improved leadership in the virtual team environment. Such consultants are likely well aware of the digital technologies rather than face to face communication and team building methods to promote virtual team leadership. Buono (2004, p.144) reflects that the team leader can use the consultant’s expertise and experience to foster knowledge/information sharing in the workgroup environment. It is evident that the use of advanced technologies and hiring of external management consultants would incur additional costs for organizations. In case of digital communication networks and other technologies, the organization needs to spend further for maintenance and updation purposes, and this situation may increase the overall operating costs of the business. In addition, the company may have to raise additional funds to finance face to face orientation meetings and other workshop programs designed to improve inte rpersonal communication among the team members. Although the virtual team development requires such additional investments, this initial spending would benefit organizations to improve the performance efficiency of teams and to increase the operating revenues in the long run. To be more specific, when mutual trust and communicative relationships are improved in the virtual team environment, the team members tend to engage more actively in their work tasks, and this situation may increase the overall employee productivity.

Museum of Fine Arts in Houston | Reflection

Museum of Fine Arts in Houston | Reflection Cultural Response This cultural response essay will discuss my trip to the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston. I will be describing my favorite works of art, compare two pieces of art by Do Ho Suh, and then describe my experience at the museum. The first part of the museum that I visited was the Audrey Jones Beck building on level 1. The exhibit was the Antiquities and American Art 1800-1970. I saw art given by Ima Hogg, Jackson Pollock, Severin Roesen, Louis Comfort Tiffany and Christian Edward Bottcher. I have visited the Hogg Plantation and being able to see the furniture and art that was given by Mrs. Hogg from her home was very interesting. The first piece of art that caught my attention was in section 107 of this level. It was called the Victorian Bouquet by the artist Severin Roesen in circa 1850-1855. Roesen was an American artist but was born in Germany in 1815. The media of the artwork is oil on canvas. The Victorian Bouquet features a wide variety of exquisite flowers and fruit. It revives the 17th century Dutch tradition of still-life portraits and paintings. The painting celebrates wealth, life, and aesthetic and physical comfort. It contains roses, poppies, morning glories, peonies, tulips, forget-me-nots, car nations, lilies, irises, peaches, raspberries, pomegranates, and a glass of wine among other things. Roesen provides a feast for the senses. What I love most about this work is how vivid, realistic, and beautiful he made the flowers and contents of the picture. The bright and rich colors chosen in contrast to the black background really create a beautiful scene. The second artwork that I was impressed with was created by Louis Comfort Tiffany, who created the Tiffany lamps. This piece was in the same building but in section 109. He was an American artist and developed Tiffany Studios in 1900. The name of the piece is A Wooden Landscape in Three Panels created around 1905. The medium is glass, copper-foil, and lead. A Wooden Landscape is far more complex than any stained glass windows I have seen, which are usually put together like a puzzle. Usually they are layered together in multiple pieces with glass, one on top of the other. This is just like a painter layered his paint of a canvas. Tiffany used subtle choices of color in this artwork which changes with the variations of light that it has been exposed to. Like a living landscape, this artwork changes in appearance responding to the light surrounding it. The thing that caught my attention about this artwork was the size. Its overall size is 7.2 x 11 feet. Another thing that I liked about this artwork was that it was stained glass. I love stained glass windows and how Tiffany did this was gorgeous. My dad has collected Tiffany lamps and so when I saw this artwork I recognized the styling and technique quickly. The Third portrait I found was in the same building as the other two but in section 113. The artist who created the work was Christian Edward Bottcher. Bottcher was a German artist who lived from 1818 to 1889. The name of the artwork was Summer Night on the Rhine which was created in 1862. The medium of the work was oil paint on canvas. It contained medieval castles, picturesque towns, friends gathered under a beautiful tree, and a vineyard sloping down the side of a hill. The Rhine valley is an extremely romantic scene which was captured perfectly in this artwork where there is an exciting, charming, and nostalgic get-together. Laughter and happiness spill from the canvas and it makes you want to be a part of the celebration. The moonlight sets the perfect shadowing and colors to reflect the mood of the painting. What I found to be charming about this scene is how all 15 or so men are trying to court the women and are giving them flowers. It is almost like an extremely large match-m aker party. Another fun thing about this picture is where the party is taking place. You can quickly tell that they are all from the upper class because of their dress and the castle that they are beside, but the party is under a big tree with a table underneath. A chandelier is tied to a limb of a tree with rope. This is a very exquisite oil painting and I sat and wondered at its detail for a very long while. In the Caroline Wiess Law building, 2nd floor, gallery 200, I found the works of Do Ho Suh, a Korean artist living in America. The first piece I found was called Fallen Star 1/5 which is 131 x 145 x 120 inches. It was created in 2008-2009 and is made up of ABS (plastic), basswood, beech, ceramic, enamel paint, glass, honeycomb board, lacquer paint, latex paint, LED lights, pinewood, plywood, resin, spruce, styrene, polycarbonate sheets and polyvinyl chloride sheets. The second piece of art created by Suh is called Home within a Home which was created in 2009. The dimensions of this piece are 131 x 145 x300 inches. It was created with resin. Do Ho Suh began using nylon and silk to create full size representations of his childhood home in Korea and his first American Apartment, a historical building in Providence, Rhode Island. The translucent quality of these materials creates the blurred line between the past and present, inside and outside. Fallen Star 1/5 is an autobiographical rep resentation of Suhs journey from Korea to the U.S. The artwork shows us a traditional Korean scholars house that has crashed into the building that housed his first American apartment. Each object in the house has been hand made by Suh. He made the house and its contents as realistic as possible to create the effect of being lived in and something the viewer can relate to. Home within a Home is a continuation of the piece Fallen Star. In the earlier work, the two buildings were very much separate entities but in Home within a Home, the Korean house and the apartment building have become a part of the same entity, growing and forming together as one. Suhs artwork is not trying to convey the idea of a violent collision between cultures, but rather about how they coexist together. He said maybe If you start to move things around, maybe the Korean house loses its identity, sort of blends in with the American style-or the other way around. I would love to build a house like this because it raises very interesting questions. Are you in a Korean house or an American house? Thats a constant question to myself (MFAH description of artwork). Both pieces of art symbolize the destroyed Old Korea coming together with the merging New Korea and America. Both pieces of art are easy to compare because of their connection that was created by the artist. Both represent the story and journey of Do Ho Suh. They both show what home means to him and how he puts importance on his culture. The only big difference between the pieces is the materials used and the fact that Fallen Star they are two different houses, and in Home within a Home they are put together and morphing into one house. My favorite out of the two is Fallen Star 1/5 because of how realistic it was. It took him 2 years to create this masterpiece and it is so amazing. I love how each room is made to look lived in and creates this warm, at home atmosphere. On the outside of the building he uses an old style of architect ure that I love and it was put together very intricately. There was a woman who was giving a tour to a middle school group and she described the artwork to them by comparing it to The Wizard of Oz. She did this because of how the Korean home is crashed into the apartment building. I thought this was humorous and helped the children relate more to the painting, Were not in Kansas anymore! The one thing I found interesting about Home within a Home was the material used, resin. Just gazing at the piece, you could see right through it and could see every detail of the staircases, hallways, windows, and the roof of the Korean house while still being very detailed on the outside. Both pieces by Do Ho Suh were very interesting and thought provoking. I would recommend any of my class mates to go see them both as soon as possible. My experience at the Museum was very enjoyable and I hope to go there again very soon. I drove there with my mom which created a good bonding time and made the experience even better for me. When we first entered Houston I was actually confused about which building the Museum was a part of and we ended up in the parking garage of the Houston Museum of Natural Science, oops! Once we figured out where we actually needed to be, the right museum, we walked into the first room and were warmly greeted by the two women up front. I had a small, fun conversation with them both and they were extremely interested in my assignment and asked me about it and what I planned to do. Once they looked over my assignment sheet they informed me that my entrance into the museum would be free of charge. That was extremely nice of them to put that much importance into learning and reward students that way! As my mom and I wandered aimlessly around the building taking in all there was to see, all of the empl oyees greeted us and smiled. I noticed quickly that all of them were from different countries, mostly Asia and one man was even from Africa. While my mom and I walked around, we get turned around and confused as to where we were and every single employee we asked to help us was extremely kind. I have already recommended many of my friends to go visit this museum. The pieces of art I saw were amazing and I love that an establishment like this is as close to me as Houston. This trip was a great experience but unfortunately I did not have the time to stay and see all of the pieces and so I hope to go again very soon.

Politics, Propaganda, and Hate Essay -- What is Politics?

Politics, Propaganda, and Hate Propaganda is very important issue in our society. The word "propaganda" however, has a very negative connotation. This may happen because people tend to associate it with "the enormous campaigns that were waged by Hitler and Stalin,' (Delwiche 2002). Now propaganda has a different face. It may not be as obvious as but it is used regurlarly by politicians, companies and others who are interested in influencing our behaviour. "Propaganda is the control of opinion by significant symbols influence", (Laswell, as cited in Chadwick). There are seven types of propaganda devices. These have been categorized into a few groups by the Institute of Propaganda Analysis (IPA): Name Calling, Glittering Generality, Transfer, Testimonial, Plain folks, Card stacking and Bandwagon. Using these devices, propaganda can be successful (serve it's objective). "The work of the propaganda (is to influence) large scale and "group conscious, (" it is not directed at individuals. It is directed through many media which can include "leaflets, posters, TV broadcasts or radio broadcasts," (Wikipedia). Verbal statements are the most common way propaganda occurs. It often involves the distortion or manipulation of facts but not always. Propaganda isn't only spread through words, often actions, gestures of even image manipulation can be the cause. It involves anything that may provide an affected version of the truth, even stereotypes. Propaganda can employs prejudice to perpetuate stereotypes and those stereotypes have a direct effect on the propaganda. This turns into a endless cycle. Hatred is the cause for extreme cases of propaganda. These prejudices create stereotypes that then become common belief. "Two thousand... ...prejudices that a society harbours cause the hate and propaganda. This causes the prejudices to be reconfirmed and further developed into stereotypes. Now the cycle begins again. Bibliography Chadwick, W. Public Relations and Propaganda. Online at: , consulted on 03/25/04. Delwich, A (2002). Propaganda - Anti American propaganda from Afghanistan. Online at: , consulted on 03/20/04. Delwich, A (2002). Propaganda - Why think about propaganda?. Online at: . Mustafa, N (2004). "Please, No Phone Calls". Time: Special report, V. 163, No. 13, p. 9. Wikipedia encyclopedia (2004). Online at: , consulted on: 03/29/04.

Conflict: Government and Policy Team

Case Study3 : The Poisoned Chalice: By Matthew Mcdonald, University of New South Wales Joseph had been a team leader for two years and felt he was ready to take the next step in his public service career. He had begun his career as a graduate trainee in the Department of Agriculture after completing a double degree in commerce and environmental science. After his traineeship he was offered permanency as a policy officer, eventually rising to the post of team leader. As a team leader Joseph felt he had gained the trust and respect of his four staff member and had learnt the basic skills of being a manager.Joseph applied for various management positions within his own department without success. Undeterred, he applied for a position in another government department responsible for environment and heritage and was successful. The role involved taking over the position of manager of a â€Å"Taskforce† that had been set up five months previously. The taskforce was made up of 10 tea m members responsible for developing and implementing a set of government policies and programs designed to assist primary producers to manage better the environmental threats to their land.Joseph couldn’t have been happier with his new promotion and he looked forward to applying what he had learned as a team leader to the challenges of his new post. The taskforce itself was divided into two teams. The first team- â€Å"the policy team† was responsible for developing policies in consultation with the minister’s office that would underpin the programs to be eventually rolled put all over the country. This team was made up of highly experienced member. The second team- â€Å"the implementation team† was responsible for implementing the policies developed by the policy team.The job of the implementation team was to deal with the logistic of implementing the programs and working with the numerous stakeholders involved. For Joseph, everything started put well in his new position. He gradually got to know each of the team members, who seemed skilled and competent in each of their roles. He also began to understand better the job that the taskforce was required to do. However, as the days turned into weeks some major problems in the taskforce began to appear.The first major problem was that other sections within the department were unhelpful and difficult to deal with when he made requests of them or sought to initiate collaborations. When he asked his staff why this was the case, the most common response was that the department had â€Å"had it in† for the taskforce as posing a threat to their own positions. The bad blood between the taskforce and the rest of the department made Joseph’s position vary difficult because he and his staff were heavily reliant on other areas of the department for their expertise, advice and assistance in order to manage the project successfully.The second major problem was the taskforce itself, Joseph began to realize that the two teams were highly antagonistic towards each other. This was evident in taskforce meetings, where there was an obvious hostility between them. Joseph also discovered that very little had been achieved since the taskforce was setup, and found that it was now well behind the government’s schedule. However, the full implications of Joseph’s predicament became apparent only after a revealing conversation with Alison, a junior member of the implementation team, while working back late one evening.Alison told Joseph that the previous manager of the taskforce, John, had left the position because of the problems associated with it, everything had started out well; however, then the policy team had begun to treat the implementation team as inferior because the implementation team members were younger in age, were less experienced and had made a major blunder in the first few weeks by getting a national farmers’ union offside. After thi s blunder the policy team had begun to refer to the implementation team as ‘the idiots’.The policy team had also taken a superior attitude towards members of other sections within the department because of their close relationship with the minister’s office. This problem came to a head after a chain of emails had been leaked to the rest of the department by a member of the implementation team, who had inadvertently received them, in the emails, members of the policy team had made disparaging remarks about people from other section with whom they had been working, this had created a furors in the department.As a result, a number of formal complaints about members of the policy team had been made. Instead of dealing with this and the other problem associated with the taskforce, the previous manager, John, had closeted himself away in his office, hoping they would go away. Realizing that events were starting to get out of control, John’s manager. Max, had ste pped in to try and sort out the situation. He had done this by speaking with all of the taskforce members both individually and as a group.This had made a difference for a short time: however, the antagonism between the two teams in the taskforce had eventually returned, and it had seemed the nothing could be done to repair the damage inflicted by the leaking of the emails. It was at this point that John had resigned. Due to the taint that hung over the taskforce, no one in the department had been willing to apply for the now vacant position of taskforce manager. After speaking with Alison, Joseph realized he had been handed a â€Å"poisoned chalice† that nobody else wanted.He became very worried that the taskforce would not meet the departments’ and the government’s objectives and timelines, and the he would be blamed for its failure, adversely affecting his long-term career and future promotion prospects. Discussion Questions 1. Using the â€Å"model of confl ict processes†, identify the sources of conflict between the policy team and the implementation team. 2. Were Max’s actions appropriate in this situation? If so, why? If not, what should he have done instead? 3. What actions should Joseph take to ensure that the taskforce meets the government’s objectives and timelines?

Free Essays on My Favourite Pair Of Shoes

When most of the people want to buy shoes they usually enter a shop, find a pair they like and, if the price is acceptable for them, buy it. But there is also another group for whom buying shoes is worse than a visit to hell. Unfortunately, I belong to the second one. For me it is almost impossible to find the pair I would visually like and that, at the same time, would be comfortable. I would usually wander through the shops for days and find nothing that would satisfy me. Very often I would loose hope and buy anything that at least seems fitting and then solemnly regret it. I thought it would be the same with this pair but I could not have been more wrong. When I first saw them on a shelf I did not pay much attention to them. There was nothing eye catching in them, just a plain pair of black sandals. At first I did not want even to try them on. Eventually, having checked all the pairs in the shop, I asked the shop assistant to show them to me. I was really surprised when I took the shoe into my hand. The pair that looked terribly heavy on the shelf was in fact very light. My surprise was even greater when I put these shoes on. Naturally, after all my bad experience with footwear, I expected all the worse. I was extremely astonished when I discovered that the two leather belts crossing each other at the instep, which I suspected of being tight and pressing the foot, were very comfortable. When I walked around, although their construction seemed very fragile as it consisted only of three stripes, two at the instep and one around the ankle, they kept firmly at foot. Their red lining looked very extravagant but it perfectly underlined th eir sports character. To be honest, thanks to their simple but elegant flat heeled design they looked as good with shorts or jeans as with nice summer dress. When I decided to buy them I still was not sure whether I was right, though there was nothing I could hang my doubt upon. Fortunately, all my ... Free Essays on My Favourite Pair Of Shoes Free Essays on My Favourite Pair Of Shoes When most of the people want to buy shoes they usually enter a shop, find a pair they like and, if the price is acceptable for them, buy it. But there is also another group for whom buying shoes is worse than a visit to hell. Unfortunately, I belong to the second one. For me it is almost impossible to find the pair I would visually like and that, at the same time, would be comfortable. I would usually wander through the shops for days and find nothing that would satisfy me. Very often I would loose hope and buy anything that at least seems fitting and then solemnly regret it. I thought it would be the same with this pair but I could not have been more wrong. When I first saw them on a shelf I did not pay much attention to them. There was nothing eye catching in them, just a plain pair of black sandals. At first I did not want even to try them on. Eventually, having checked all the pairs in the shop, I asked the shop assistant to show them to me. I was really surprised when I took the shoe into my hand. The pair that looked terribly heavy on the shelf was in fact very light. My surprise was even greater when I put these shoes on. Naturally, after all my bad experience with footwear, I expected all the worse. I was extremely astonished when I discovered that the two leather belts crossing each other at the instep, which I suspected of being tight and pressing the foot, were very comfortable. When I walked around, although their construction seemed very fragile as it consisted only of three stripes, two at the instep and one around the ankle, they kept firmly at foot. Their red lining looked very extravagant but it perfectly underlined th eir sports character. To be honest, thanks to their simple but elegant flat heeled design they looked as good with shorts or jeans as with nice summer dress. When I decided to buy them I still was not sure whether I was right, though there was nothing I could hang my doubt upon. Fortunately, all my ...

Botany of desire essays

Botany of desire essays In the Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan chapter one The Apple and chapter four The potato emphasizes on how humans have taken stand in trying to control nature by the use of technology such as genetic engineering. The dream of controlling the seed of plants such as apples and potato's to satisfy the human desire for perfection. A process that goes farther back then genetic engineering, it goes back to farmers and simply planting a seed. The way Johnny Appleseed planted apples in the new world and the Europeans introduced the potato to the Irish. America's desire for sweet, beautiful apples and for long french fries is leading us towards an agricultural disaster in the future. As ambitious scientist strive to convince the world that altering foods by using technology such as genetic engineering will benefit human kind, public opinion or environmentalists such as Pollan argue that they pose a threat to human kind and the planet. Human have tried to alter their environment ever since the beginning of time to make their lives easier by growing their own food. A world were technology is the answer to almost everything and humans have committed to rely on science to solve the problems that science itself has caused. For instance foods like the New leaf potato, created by Monsanto, that have natural insecticide built into their genes to protect themselves from insects and disease without the help of pesticides. The New Leaf potato has Bt to create a toxin that kills the Colorado potato beetle. What will happen when these beetles develop a resistant to this insecticide? It will become useless, and scientist will have to fix that problem by developing a stron ger insecticide that could cause dangers to human health.Organic growers use this because its natural, but after insects grow resistant to it , they will know longer be able to protect there crops. One could suggest to go completely organic. It could be done ...

Enacting a Corporation in the State of Florida Research Paper

Enacting a Corporation in the State of Florida - Research Paper Example These laws are intended to cater for the needs of the people and constitution of Florida. After graduating from college, starting a business corporation would be a great idea to earn a clean living. This essay will discuss the procedures and requirements one is supposed to abide by when enacting a corporation in the state of Florida after graduating from college. As a new investor, it is essential to know the types of corporations allowed in Florida. One type includes a general profit corporation which is owned by stockholders. Another type is Close Florida Corporation which is limited to between 30 and 50 stockholders. The director of the close corporation is required to offer shares to existing stockholders before selling them to new ones. Another type of corporation is a Florida limited liability company, a form of business structure from Latin America and Europe. There are many business opportunities for fresh college graduates. Starting a lucrative business is one such opportuni ty that many college graduates can venture into. Many fresh college graduates have brilliant business ideas. However, these ideas only materialize for the few who are willing to endure the strain that come with initiating a new business (Strauss, 2003). Starting a new corporation requires some information to be created about the business venture. The first and most prominent is the name of the corporation. A name can either be inviting or repelling to potential clients (Strauss, 2003). The name of a corporation needs to be unique and not in use by any other registered body. The name of a corporation uniquely identifies and differentiates it from many other businesses that already exist. ‘Newline Corporation’ has been chosen as the most suitable name for the business that is being set up in Florida. This is because the name is not in use by any other business and it signifies a new development that is coming up in an already existing industry (Barnet & Ronald, 1974). The next step is to create a filing receipt system. This allows constant follow up of any purchases or payments that have been made. It also creates accountability in the use of capital and resources (Kamoroff, 2000). Knowing the amount of money that has been spent at each stage and on what enables an individual to plan for the remaining tasks. It can also be helpful in time management and in evaluating the progress made in starting up the business. A filing receipt system can be used to determine if it is in line with the specification on when the corporation should be up and running (Beerel, 1993). A filing system enables an individual to easily retrieve information whenever it is required. The filing system consists of both manual and automated systems that are labeled under the month and years of their receivership. The most current files should be put at the top. It is crucial to keep a record of the receipts due to tax purposes. Some kinds of receipts that will need to be kept sa fe include unpaid invoices, business receipts, vender statements and client product receipts (Beerel, 1993). At the end of each year, the receipts need to be purged and filed with taxes. An article of incorporation is sometimes referred to as a certificate of incorporation. It must fulfill information as permitted by set laws. A form is required to be filled and filed by the secretary of state (Corporations in General, 1964). This form includes information about the name of

Effects of No Income Tax Policy on Dubai's Economy Essay

Effects of No Income Tax Policy on Dubai's Economy - Essay Example "Dubai has changed dramatically over the last three decades, becoming a major business center with a more dynamic and diversified economy. Dubai enjoys a strategic location and serves as the biggest re-exporting center in the Middle East. The city now has thriving manufacturing, finance, information technology, big choice of Dubai property and tourism sectors and is home to numerous multinational companies such as AT&T, General Motors, Heinz, IBM, Shell, and Sony."1 In Dubai there are no personal taxes other than import duties (mostly at rates up to 10%), a 5% residential tax assessed on rental value, and a 5% tax on hotel services and entertainment.1 Being an oil-rich country, the government is not dependent on direct taxation as a source of its revenue and thus, there is no income tax. This attracts not only petty businessmen but multinationals too to invest in trading opportunities in the country. It has been noted that while tourism has grown exponentially in the last ten yeas, p eople are also looking forward to investing in property in Dubai. Since investing anywhere else in the world would attract taxes from the government: both direct and indirect, both during purchase and sale of land; foreign nationals, especially western Europeans are attracted to Dubai as an investment center. The government has made huge investments in hotels, leisure and recreational facilities to attract a large number of tourists, who might later be interested in buying property. This would attract people not only for business but also for buying property and migrating to Dubai. For an economy that was primarily dependent on its oil reserves, this would be a boon. With more and more investment in both people and land by foreign companies and high net worth individuals, the economy is all set to grow. Manufacturing industries have been set up in sectors like beverages, chemicals, paper, pharmaceuticals and rubber. As the diversity of the population grows, so would the needs and a necessity to increase economic activity. Thus, the no income tax policy followed by the Dubai government has benefited the economy immensely. Can other gulf states emulate this policy Is it feasible Yes or No Other gulf states can emulate this policy to a certain extent. While most countries like Oman and Saudi Arabia are already following a No Income tax policy, there are certain restrictions on investment in property by foreign nationals. Not all governments might be as open to change as the government in Dubai. There could be a small fear lurking in the minds of the authorities of being overpowered or misused by vested interests. Investment in land by a foreign national is allowed only in partnership with a local company or individual in some gulf countries. This might have been followed to safeguard the interests of the local population. "Free capital movements raise concerns about the loss of national sovereignty and other possible adverse consequences. Foreign direct investment ("FDI") even more so than other types of capital flows has historically given rise to such concerns, since it may involve a controlling stake by multinational corporations over which domestic authorities, it is feared, have little power."2 "Islamic law goes into great detail about family, inheritance, foundations, property rights and obligations, and public law operates along with rules of usage

Water Provision Methods (Saudi Arabia) Research Paper

Water Provision Methods (Saudi Arabia) - Research Paper Example Water plays a crucial role in the quality of life of the inhabitants, but it is also an important requirement for economic prosperity, for example in a growing industry and in the agricultural sector. Together, both variables will cause a further increase in water demand in Saudi Arabia, which cannot be covered completely through ground water resources as well as the inexistent river systems or lakes (Al-Zahrani & Baig, 2011.p.604). Given the pressing industrial and domestic requirements Saudi Arabia must come up with a reliable and sustainable means of supplying water to its growing population. One of the notable undertakings is the Kingdom’s efforts to sea water desalination. Desalination plants are installed at the coast and water is carried by huge pipeline systems to the major consumption centers in the up-country (Jeffreys, 2011.p.299). The country cannot rely on surface water due to low precipitation and high evaporation rates, this makes surface water scarce. The other option is ground water which comes from the water table statistics indicate that the country draws 45% of its water supply from the water table. This makes Saudi Arabia number one in the world in terms of groundwater withdrawals. Much of this is taken from fossil aquifers, which are not replenished by rainfall or underground water flows (Jeffreys, 2011.p.299). ... There are few chances of expanding production and in real terms, in arid environments the recharge is not significant (Jeffreys, 2011.p.299). Although the cost of well head water is low, the main costs lie in the transfer costs, as in pipelines and pumping stations (Al-Zahrani & Baig, 2011.p.605). The principal aquifers are known, as are some of the areal changes, which affect the porosity, permeability, and transmissivity of the aquifer. Few areas remain which could significantly supplement the aquifer supply (Alsharhan, 2001.p. 138). Water importing might be a sound alternative but is laden with numerous uncertainties and the flow and supply is not solely dependent on Saudi’s decisions and factors. Desalination Desalination of sea water and brackish groundwater is the main alternative adopted in the Kingdom and one that is likely to serve the Kingdom well into the future. At the moment, there are about 32 plants in the Kingdom and plans remain underway to construct additiona l plants to supplement the growing demand of clean water. At the moment, the Kingdom is constructing a megaproject, Ras Al-Khair, which will be the largest desalination plant in the world and is expected to produce 1,037,000m3 of water daily (Al-Zahrani & Baig, 2011.p.604). The biggest challenge in the desalination process is the constant input of energy which the Kingdom has in abundance, but something the Saudi government is also increasingly conscious of using wisely. Desalination already accounts for more than half of the kingdom’s domestic oil consumption, and the demand for water and electricity co-production is growing by 8 percent every year (Ibp USA, International Business Publications, USA 2009.p.126). This is a challenge as oil will always be a precious commodity, and

Before The Great Depression Essay Example for Free

Before The Great Depression Essay After the First World War, the United States entered into a period of relative prosperity. Actual GDP of the country exceeded potential GDP by about 15%. Almost all industries experienced high growth rates, as demand for every major product almost doubled in a span of 10 years. Financial institutions too enjoyed some measure of growth during this period. The available credit both to businesses and private individuals rose by 40% in a span of 6 years. Real wages increased by about 5% in two years. Agricultural products were exported to many countries at a relatively high price (especially in Europe). In general, the economy of the United States was all but in a state of growth. Much of the prosperity gained from this time period was due to the policies of the Republican government, specifically to the secretary of commerce, Herbert Hoover. With his direction, some of the implemented policies were as follows: 1) Creation of powerful ties between the government and businesses. It was the intention of the Republican administration to improve its relationship with businesses as a means of maintaining economic stability; 2) Formalizing trade relationships with other countries such as the USSR. With the guidance of Hoover, formalization of trade relationship would eliminate wastage in export production and increase efficiency in the import sector of the US economy; 3) Subsidization of infant industries. Some of the infant industries in the country were heavily subsidized for almost 10 years. Afterwhich, these industries were expected to adapt to competition in the foreign market; 4) And, increased funding for social welfare. During the administrations of Harding and Hoover, funding for social welfare and health infrastructure were increased. This measure though was a means to increase Republican support in the 1928 elections (in which the Democrats won). The First World War had a lasting impact on the foreign policy of the United States. When the British prime minister and the French premier asked President Wilson to allow the United States as a major member of the League of Nations, the latter reluctantly agreed. In truth, many of the Americans at that time were not very eager to intervene in the affairs of other nations, as it might involve the United States into another major war. Here was the birth of isolationism. From the Wilson administration to that of Roosevelt before the Japanese attack of Pearl Harbor, the country remained indifferent with the affairs of Europe. The idea of isolationism was simple. If a country were to avoid a major war, then it must not intervene in the state of affairs of other countries (except when it was attacked). This was not the whole story. Many Americans felt that it was more rational to direct the energies of the country towards economic development rather than impinge on the sovereignty of other countries. The prosperity which the United States enjoyed for almost a decade was temporary. Early in 1927, there were signs that the economy was on its dead end. Production increased at a decreasing rate. Financial institutions invested much of their capital to risky assets. Industries which were heavily subsidized showed no improvements. Unemployment rate increased by about 5%. The United States began to experience the difficulties of having a trade deficit. Foreign borrowers of the United States failed to pay their loans. There was also a significant decline in consumption and a significant increase in savings. All these factors led to the Crash of 1929 which allowed Roosevelt to be elected as president of the country. Here, the period of the Great Depression began. Reference Morison, Samuel Eliot. 1964. The Oxford History of the American People. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

American Immigration Essay -- United States History Historical Essays

American Immigration During the early 1900’s a vast amount of people both immigrated and migrated to the United States in search of money, better jobs, new lives, etc. Yet, the people who immigrated and migrated to the United States were each a part of different cultures: from Italian to German, French to Jewish, Irish to African American (American Cities/New York/African American/Intergroup Relations/Color Lines). New York City was a prime location for the immigrants and migrants of the time to create their new lives. They joked that â€Å"The Jews own New York, the Irish run it and the Negroes enjoy it† (American Cities/New York/African American/Intergroup Relations/Color Lines). The single line clearly shows how each group, Jewish, Italian, and African American, had distinct experiences from one another. Although they had experiences that were different, the immigrants and migrants all experienced some of the same feelings, being in a new place, being discriminated against and being alone. After immigrating and migrating to the United States, Eastern European Jews, Italians, and African Americans had experiences that were unique as well as similar to each other.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first experience of immigrants and migrants was the area of neighborhood they chose to live in. In New York, African Americans migrated primarily to Harlem, yet were scattered in different neighborhoods. This was an ideal location for African Americans, since â€Å"most people in New York were so busy they hadn’t time to spend hating other people† (American Cities/New York/African American/Intergroup Relations/Color Lines). Although most of the New Yorkers did not discriminate, there was still a portion of the population that contained Southern whites, who felt that the African Americans were taking over the white neighborhoods (American Cities/New York/African American/Intergroup Relations/Color Lines). Within these neighborhoods was where the African Americans encountered prejudice and persecution (Global View/Arrival/Northern Train Stations/letters/The Exodus During the World War). Although the African Americans moved north to escape the effec ts of slavery, the prejudices still followed them to New York, where being spread across the city did not help.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Italians and the Eastern European Jews, on the other hand, immigrated to New York â€Å"as part of a larger family, kin or vi... ...merican ideals to prove that.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Eastern European Jews, Italians and African Americans had experiences, which allowed the groups to connect and feel as one group, immigrating and migrating to find a better life, and also separated them from one another. Through the neighborhoods they lived in, the organizations and churches they began, the jobs they worked in, and accepting American ideals as their own, the immigrants were similar in their experiences. The African Americans experienced more prejudices due to their race then the Italians or the Jews. This, overall, affected their way of life and experiences in America, while the Italians and Jews led fairly typical American lives. This same problem of forcing American Ideals upon immigrants to prevent discrimination is still an issue today. Should the only way for immigrants and migrants to live enjoyable lives are to conform to American ideals and morals, or should each individual be allowed the choice to be different and not undergo assumptions made by the American Citizens? People should be treated equally whether they choose to assimilate or continue to follow their culture. This is the land of the free home of the brave.

Ozone Season Just Ahead :: essays research papers

With ozone season just around the corner, big cities everywhere are getting worried about low visibility and magnified allergies. The season begins Monday, May 1st and extends through September 30th. Jilayne Jordan, Spokesperson for the Georgia Department of Transportation says that, Elderly people, kids with asthma or allergies and people who exercise outdoors that when there’s a smog alert day, it’s extremely hard on the lungs. Mark Ressler, Senior Meteorologist at The Weather Channel, says weather can worsen the problem. The stagnant conditions of summer can make it worse. You get into the same pattern where the air mass isn’t changing. You build up air matter day to day. You get those steely-gray skies and visibility goes down,† he said. That means large cities including Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, and Atlanta are prime targets. Atlanta, in particular, is facing a backlash not just from the environment but from the government as well. According to Jo rdan, the Federal government has frozen transportation funds because the southern city is not in compliance with current air quality standards, set by the Environmental Protection Agency. We didn’t address it when we first realized and now we’re paying the price,† said Jordan. The reason, big cities are so vulnerable to ozone season is a simple matter of numbers. Jordan says that It’s becoming a problem where there are a lot of people and a lot of cars. Industries are a problem to. With so many residents suffering from allergies, the conditions can be very uncomfortable. Strategies designed to improve the atmosphere by reducing emissions include carpooling, traveling at non-peak hours, combining trips, biking or walking, and topping off gas tanks after dark. One of the biggest contributors to poor air quality is the building of roads and the use of cars. So if an area cannot comply with the health-based air quality regulations, the government isn’t going to provide funds to continue to build roads that will just worsen the problem,† said Beth Osborne, Policy Analyst for the Southern Governors’ Association.

English Short Story on Belonging

It was Raoul, and I wished for him to go away. He knocked again then stuck his head around the door. ‘How are you? ’ he asked with concern. Anger overcame me. ‘For god’s sakes, they can’t send me away because of a headache. But if you think I look suspicious why don’t you report me yourself, after all, you become their lackey more and more each day,’ I retorted, staring him down. He paled, ‘Keep your voice down, people outside might hear’, he shut the door behind him and stepped in the room. I tried to force myself to be calm. What is it that you want? ’ I asked him coldly. I knew I was over reacting but I didn’t care, he was the only one who I could take my anger out on, though by looking at his darkening expression I could see it was becoming increasingly dangerous to do so. I had a habit of pushing the people who tried to get close to me away. It started out as an accident but now I just generally didnâ€⠄¢t want to talk to people, I avoided them as much as possible. ‘Maybe you don’t care about being taken but I do, caution is the only thing that has kept us safe thus far. No thanks to you,’ he added. ‘A headache is nothing, but you know how little things are blown out of proportion. It is a short step from a whisper of gossip to being sent to the government’s so called â€Å"refuge†. ’ ‘You have been made a supervisor’, I said flatly and now his face flushed. A look of pride mixed with shame passed across his face. ‘How could you’, I asked, hurt. I know that we had never been close since being taken but he was still my brother, but for some reason I couldn’t bring myself to tell him that I did love him in my own way. He must have assumed that I wanted nothing to do with him. He raised his fist and shook it in my face, ‘you will not ruin this for me, you may be my sister but it is my obligation to this facility to denounce you. ’ ‘You wouldn’t dare denounce me. ’ I said. ‘Your own fate would be ruined if it was known that you had a psycho as your sister, they would drag you to the â€Å"refuge† along with me. So don’t pretend you care for me. ’ A look of hate passed over his face before he turned and headed out of my room. When he had gone I was still filled with tension. We used to be so close when we were younger, a dutiful son and I the wandering daughter, loved dearly by our parents. But that was all destroyed when the government took my mother to the â€Å"refuge† and my father had followed to rescue her but he never came home. Then a week after my parents disappeared, a man in a suit came, looking all important with his hat and briefcase. My brother only opened the front door to let him in because he had information regarding our parents. He told us that they were taken by the government for resisting the system and that we would never see them again. And that my brother and I were to be taken to a government institution for orphans like us. I was only 8 years old at the time. Raoul was 12. This was of course where we were now, having no choice but to accompany the staunch looking businessman in his stiff dark suit. Inside the facility was a school and factory. We orphans were made to mass produce objects the government needed. My mother was accused of, by one of her close friends, being a person with special abilities, much like a witch. However, they were mental abilities which gave her the power to read thoughts and emotions. But I, unknown to anyone but my brother, had inherited her abilities and more. I could Put thoughts into the minds of others and make them act on it, as well as being able to read thoughts and emotions. These abilities only came to me recently, exactly after I turned 16 three months ago and soon I was to be tested again by the probing machines, which tested any for any possible signs these abilities manifesting. I had recently been suffering from major headaches, rendering me senseless and immobile, and it was these that were causing me to be under suspicion. In this institute, it was dangerous to be seen talking to others because close friendships were not allowed. Though it wasn’t hard for me to avoid making friends, I stayed clear of making friends, preferring not to open myself up to another but rather keeping everything bottled up inside. Pretty soon after I arrived here, the others learned that I wanted nothing to do with anyone so I was left to myself. I once heard a girl comment on my lack of social skills, the other girl she spoke to just said that it was thought I suffered from severe depression. A simple hello could be considered as forming an alliance between the children that might lead to future trouble. In this place, suspicion was like a physical plague. Not that I had any trouble avoiding talking to others; I avoided it as much as possible, never being able to enjoy interacting like normal people, unable to communicate my feelings and desires through physical touch or talk. I asked an instructor why we were here once and he told me simply that we orphans didn’t belong with normal people because of who and what our amilies had been. And that if we were to leave the institute, society would shun us or pretend that we did not exist. I looked back to the times when I was living at home, I had a few friends, not many due to my shyness, but we did everything together, wandered the village, roamed the areas and playing games every chance we could. Thinking about them now, they probably wouldn’t remember me and if I were to show up one day in my old home, they pr obably wouldn’t greet me warmly or at all. Most likely I would be avoided like a bad smell. That fact alone is one of the reasons I dislike making friends, alienating myself from them because I’m scared of being hurt. The instructors thought my headaches were a result of working with dangerous substances, and when I cried out in the night in pain, they heard about it from the whisperers, those of us orphans who told the instructors about anything suspicious to give them a good name. They had been asking me suspicious questions and I new it was only a matter of time before they linked the headaches to my mental abilities as these were known symptoms. And now I had to worry about my brother dragging me along to these instructors himself! I knew it wouldn’t be long before I was discovered and sent away to the â€Å"refuge†, another government facility specifically designed to house people like me. But everyone knew that the name is hollow, that there is no refuge but existing in its place is an experimental research jailhouse for the abnormal people like me. The government wanted to figure us out and use us to their own advantage. Not for the first time did I feel cold and alone, knowing there was no one who I could confide my worries or fears too, no one who could comfort me or give me support, no one that could understand me. I just wanted to belong to someone or something. Resigned to my fate, slowly, remembering better days in my parents loving arms, I silently cried myself into sleep. I woke up to my bedcovers being roughly pulled off. As far as I could tell from the darkness, it was well before 6am when I had to wake up and get ready for the day. Someone turned on the light and I was blinded by its sudden brightness. My eyes adjusted to the light as I blinked away sleep. Two instructors and my brother were standing next to my bed. ‘Get up, you are to be taken to the testing room,’ said the instructor closest to the door. I looked at my brother questioningly but he wouldn’t meet my eye. I wasn’t scared like I thought I would be as I walked barefoot down the cold bare corridor, I felt numb, like all my senses and emotions were shut away into a box inside my mind. I tried to sense thoughts or feelings of the three accompanying me but I only received a similar numbness as to what I was experiencing. It was as if they had done this kind of thing so many times that they were immune to any thoughts about it. We stopped in front of the door leading to the room, I had been in this room a number of times, like all the other orphans in the vicinity, and it was unchanged from my previous visits. The bright harshly lit white-walled room consisted of a plain synthetic chair with a small square table holding a computer. I was lead through a glass door to the right of the desk, into another section that contained the CT scanner machine. The CT scanner was what would scan my brain looking for abnormally functioning brainwaves. The supervisor roughly grabbed my arm, painfully strapping it. After which he injected a large syringe filled with purple die into my protruding vein. Although painless, the intensity of this experience made me feel rather light-headed. I wished there was someone who cared enough about me to save me, or to give me a reason to resist and attempt escape. But there was no one. They put a tight brace upon my head to prevent any movement of the head, which would disrupt the scanning process. Then earmuffs were placed over the brace and onto my ears to drown out the intensely loud buzzing of the machine in action. I felt like I was in a kind of trance as they lead me to the machine, there was complete silence throughout the whole process. The last time a word had been uttered was back in my bed-chamber. Oh how I longed to be back in my small, hard bed, and for what was happening to be nothing more than just another nightmare.