Colosseum

The Colosseum is so important to society today, because not only is it a major accomplishment for architecture, with the styles and techniques that were used, It also had a major effect on our athletics that we have today. The Colosseum was such a huge achievement for not only Rome but also other countries like our very own United States of America, because it had an everlasting impact on our society today. The Colosseum was so important to Rome in terms of entertainment and athletics.The sound waves of gladiatorial battles, naval clashes, and savage beast wars urrounded the Colosseum, amplifying the crowds' intensity and excitement to a whole new level. It was such a dangerous area that a lower wall with a railing was surmounted around the arena (Colosseum 1). The Colosseum is located in Rome, Italy, originally called the Amphitheatrum Flavianum. The Colosseum is a symbol of Rome's power and is one of the world's greatest wonders. The structure is composed of travertine blocks, a br oken down marble rock, forming an ellipse 1,719 feet in circumference and 159 feet in height, with an area 282 feet by 177 feet.Soaring four tories high, arcades with pillars of Doric form the first three stories, as well as Ionic and Corinthian orders, meaning that all three were combined to form a new design. The Doric order being typically used for temples and is the simplest of the three, Ionic was a stockier look that was used usually for small buildings, then Corinthian was the â€Å"leafy' look that you would typically see at the top and bottoms of pillars. The interior of the building had three sections of marble seats for roughly 50,000 spectators.Beneath the sand were hidden passageways for the Gladiators preparing or battle and some were areas for the beast to remain until they were called upon (Titus Flavius Vespasianus 1). Fans adored Gladiators because they were strong and courageous, they were aware of the consequence, if they did not perform well, being death (Lendo n 1). Though many gladiators did die in the arena clashing with another gladiator for respect and possibly even a little fame, most died from the nonfatal wounds that would get infected.For some time the gladiatorial combat was on the rise and then began to fade away, this was around the time the Visigoths invaded Rome in 410. This then set the Empire on a decline resulting in very little money for the gladiator games. There is no mention of the games in the surviving records after the 430's. The Colosseum however was not deserted. Such massive buildings were far too valuable to be left alone. Builders hauled away the Colosseums stones to repair other structures or to build new buildings, such as churches and public spaces (Lendon 2).When looking at athletics today, there are similarities to the Colosseum. The Stadiums or arenas that are used today all reflect the basic principles of the Colosseum. Sports such as football, basketball, soccer, and track, all consist of an â€Å"aren a† where dominate athletes will participate in showcasing their elite and overpowering athletic abilities, competiting either as a team or individually to be the best. Surrounding that â€Å"arena† can compare the Colosseum's idea of an appropriate spectators view was given but at a price, exactly like our society today.It you nad t money you could afford the best seat in the stadium, and if you didn't, you had to settle for a seat that didn't have nearly as good of a view. It is apparent more space as provided for the spectators, because for the sake of being able to entertain a large crowd. Within a stadium are important areas to an athlete, in Rome these areas were passageways within the bottom layer of the Colosseum and the gladiators would be training and working on their combat skills and preparing for their battle (Lugli 1).A more common comparison would be a football stadium in which there are training rooms for the athletes and the locker room where all of the pre-game preparation is done. The athletes put all of their focus on the training, because the sport has major importance to them. The Colosseum impacted more than athletics, but also the Architecture that we see today is still being used and the ideas are being improved. When you look at the Colosseum you can see columns, arches, and other detailed designs within in the walls. Much like the Romans, Americans tend to salvage the good remains of buildings so that they can be used elsewhere.Today there are many buildings that have the same type of construction. Two examples being The White House and the Washington Capitol Building, two buildings represent power much like the Colosseum, both buildings consisting of the similar style columns and arches. You could sit here and try and convince yourself that there are differences between these buildings and the Colosseum, like it not being a similar shape but its not about that, the main importance would be how the structure is being held up and that would be with the strong, sturdy pillars that carry the image of power.This idea has been carried on through schools, Police departments, Courts, and even some banks have had similar structures. All of these buildings symbolize a lot of power over people for their own individual reasons. Though many will debate that perhaps the Colosseum is no longer important to ociety, It can be studied not only for its fascinating architecture but it can be used as a reminder of the sports that we have today and where our modern sports evolved from.The building itself is fascinating in the way it was put together with the lack of technology back then. Today something like that could be built faster and could be even more stable and perhaps more unique. The designs and the arches used could be even more developed and its look could be more eccentric, but acquiring the travertine block was difficult during this era, which adds to the significance of this marvelous building.

Comparison of the flood and the survey

â€Å"Mankind often underestimates the power of nature† Compare ‘The Flood' and ‘A Survey in the light of this statement ‘A survey and ‘The Flood' are two poems which both use linguistic, rhythmic, structural and vocal tools to label the power of pure nature. They differ in many ways yet both, when delved into and studied, appear to agree that mankind does misjudge nature's power. The titles themselves of these two poems indicate an underlying meaning.For example, ‘The Flood' highlights that the focus of this poem is something we might consider as fairly ordinary, but John Clare thinks it is in fact fascinating enough to write a lengthy oem about. ‘A Survey rather than ‘The Survey indicates that what happens in this poem happens again and again; a theme which continues throughout this poem. The voice is 3rd person and impersonal and the tone of it is very lyrical, suggesting to us a ‘campfire song feel, which again displays that this is something that happens repeatedly and continually.In contrast to this, ‘The Flood', instead of a tone of lyrical mythology, has a personal voice and tone of immediacy. The constant imagery provided makes the reader feel as if they were there, instead of Just being told an ‘old ives tale', like the mood of ‘A Survey. Interestingly, both poems contain a mix of past and present tense. This could suggest continuity in both, and the idea that nature, although both are describing a specific event in the past, is always present, and therefore is very powerful as it cannot be overcome. Each poem uses structure and punctuation very cleverly, but in different ways.For example, in â€Å"The Flood†, each line uses iambic pentameter and everything has a rhyme – everything has a word somewhere that rhymes with it. The verses are 14 lines, similar to a sonnet, and the ast verse is even a perfect sonnet that rhymes correctly and finishes with a rhyming couple t. Like a river, it seems chaotic and long, but it technically obeys rhythmic rules. This could suggest to us that everything in nature has a purpose, and nature has its own balance, Just like the theme of ‘A Survey. This could be seen to agree with the statement as the sheer power of nature really comes through here.Contrariwise, Stafford uses rhyme differently. In every verse there is half and imperfect rhyme, but in the verse that talks about the field boot crew – the epresentation of mankind interference'- there is one perfect rhyme; â€Å"crew' and â€Å"two†. This proposes the notion that the â€Å"field boot crew' have tried to force a perfect rhyme upon nature, but it quickly disintegrates into the fact that nature's own natural rhythm, represented by the constant rhythm, works by itself and doesn't need man's interference as it is powerful enough itself.Each stanza in ‘A Survey fascinatingly ends with a full stop, not keeping in the theme of cont inuity the poem has so far displayed. This could be because Stafford wanted to keep within the lyrical form of he poem. Differently, ‘The Flood' incorporates hardly any punctuation save some dashes and a full stop at the end. This again indicates an idea that nature will never end or be stopped, and is more powerful than man. The language is very different in the two poems. One is extravagant and descriptive whereas the other is, although narrative too, less vivid.However, one thing very prominent in ‘A Survey is the contrasts and Juxtaposition used. In the first verse even, Juxtaposition is very obviously used; â€Å"crammed witn hysterical water† tollowed by â€Å"hushed by placid sands†. Another example is the description of the wildcats- or the agents of nature- balancing out the wildness of the land; on one hand the animals are described with â€Å"intricate lines of fur†, â€Å"finesse† and â€Å"tentative paw[s]†, then the sun an d mountains are said to â€Å"rake[s]†¦ buck and scream† and the ridges are described to have â€Å"hackles†.This image of balance follows the theme of the rest of the poem. Contrast is used in a different way in ‘The Flood', perhaps to indicate a dissimilar meaning. The start and end of ‘The Flood' is very chaotic; verbs like â€Å"dashing†¦ ]arred†¦ plunging†¦ oars† are used to imitate the feel of a rushing river. However, the middle verse has a completely different atmosphere due to the language used. â€Å"The feather dances flutters† and â€Å"danced it o'er the waves† bring a different picture of calm.This could represent those small areas of calm sometimes found in bedlam. On the other hand ‘The Flood' can be seen as similar to ‘A Survey because it also highlights the sense of nature's own balance. Personification is used incredibly effectively, especially in the last verse, â€Å"other monsters r ise† is particularly effective as it is strong magery, and describing the flood itself as â€Å"restless†, a human emotion. This puts across the idea that nature has a life of its own like everybody else. Personification is also used to the same effect in â€Å"A Survey'.

Diddy - Dirty Money - Coming Home ft. Skylar Grey Essay

Diddy - Dirty Money - Coming Home ft. Skylar Grey - Essay Example It tells the story of a person who has made many mistakes in life and has under gone various difficulties in life, and at the end of the day, he realizes that he needs a fresh star to hi life. The person is thus left with the choice of going back home to rebuild his life and start all over a new. The song captures this troubled past of the singer when she sings, â€Å"Let the rain wash away all the pain of yesterday. I know my kingdom awaits and they have forgiven my mistakes.† This clearly brings out the major theme of the song as forgiveness and the need to move on after under going a turbulent period in ones life. The song also talks about repentance and the need to forgive past mistakes. This is illustrated in the song where the singer asks his children to forgive him for not being there for them when they needed him most. He asks them to forgive him as he acknowledges that he was wrong. He blames this on his fame and fortunes that have led him to develop an alternative personality that is expected of him as a superstar, and this leads him to forget of his role as a father and husband. This is illustrated in the song when he raps, â€Å"Its easy to be Puff, but its harder to be Sean. If the twins asked me why I did not marry their mom, how would I respond?† he thus acknowledges that a new day begins by a new dawn, and that it was time he returned home to his loved ones to make up for the lost time and the mistakes that he may have made when he was away. The singer thus recognizes that a house is not a home, and he thus chooses to go back to his family to create a home. The song is meant to give hope to someone who is depressed in alls situation he or she is going through. It gives encouragement to the suppressed and points out that help is coming so no should ever give in life. It also encourages people to overcome their problems and seek to become

MBA FOR managing operration and information Essay

MBA FOR managing operration and information - Essay Example A significant advantage of the three-tiered model is that the business processing is done on a centrally controlled machine. This provides for increased security and in some case makes it possible to change the business processing logic in the middleware without making changes to the client. Three-tiered architectures also provide better scalability and significant performance advantages for more complex applications, as MIT IS (2000) recommends. EPS includes one high-productive backend relational database server and a "middleware" server in each office, so number of "middleware" servers equals to six (the number of NHS offices). Communications between database server and "middleware" servers are provided via Internet using tunnelled TCP-IP channels. This technology provides high level of security and reliability and at the same time it allows to use widely spread Internet connections. "Middleware" server is an application server, which runs software providing business logic of EPS. Also the server maintains website of appropriate NHS’s office, so people can receive public information about prescriptions and their treatment history via Internet. Middleware server software also receives queries from client desktops from the NHS’s office, transfers them to database server and then delivers results of the queries to corresponding client desktop. There are a number of client desktops in each office connected to "middleware" server via client applications through local area network (LAN). In this way high-speed connection to the application server is achieved. Client software with appropriate user interface is launched on every client desktop. Doctors and patients can connect to the EPS through thin clients. A thin client is a computer (client) in client-server architecture networks, which has little or no application logic, so it has to depend primarily on the central server for processing activities. Therefore using standardized client software such

University of Queensland Admissions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

University of Queensland Admissions - Essay Example In addition, as a third year student undertaking the real estate option, this is the opportune time for me to go on an exchange program to UQ because of the unique real estate classes like REDE3202 being offered that attracts considerable international investments. Furthermore, I will have the opportunity to learn and experience the upward swing of the current real estate curve in Australia. The benefits of taking the real estate and business classes abroad would be significant in the fact that I would be able to learn them in an English speaking global perspective, which is where I plan to utilize my real estate degree in the future. In addition to the business offerings, I can fulfill my required elective credits through the various unique and interesting UQ course offerings such as the marine biology of Australia. Overall, the University of Queensland offers the best academic environment and is the perfect fit to keep my academic progress in line. Professionally, University of Que ensland and Australia, in general, holds major opportunity for me to pursue international business connections and develop myself as a business executive. This is because I plan to immerse myself as much as possible into the business world to meet new people and develop connections, but most importantly to gain experience in an international business culture. I believe this global perspective will greatly enhance how I view and manage business and what I can apply back in my home country Canada.

DEEP Blue Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

DEEP Blue - Essay Example Until the 1870s numerous African-American immigrant workers as well as wanderers, who were mostly male, crossed the South. The unidentified bluesman that Handy portrayed most probably travelled from one plantation to the next across the Delta, with a guitar in search of work. This allegation of mobility widened the American scenery and extended the African-American practice; consequently, â€Å"setting the arena for the development of the country blues.† A lot can be learnt concerning the association between migration and formation of identity by evaluating the purpose of the blues, particularly Muddy Waters’ recordings. It took place in the turbulent period of changeover in the history of African-American. For the bluesman, Waters assembled the society, invoked up secure spaces between the strange urban landscapes, and helped those who accompanied him from the Delta in reorganizing their home, their past, and their personality (Palmer 72). His lyrics brightly dealt with the matters that tackled both the pre-migrant as well as post-migrant mind. According to Houston A. Baker, the blues â€Å"comprise a mixture that seems forever to have been in movement in America- for all time becoming, transforming, shaping, and dislocating the strange incidents of Africans in the fresh World.† Baker’s exclusive explanation entails then, that the blues tune that enclosed the Delta in the twentieth century indicated the African-American country experience even as the blues that cheered up Chicago’s South area after the migration indicated the African-American city experience. Jones backs this thought, asserting, â€Å"The most significant Negro music of any period will be a precise manifestation of who the Negro is. It will be a portrayal of the American Negro at that a given time.† A number of historians query the legality of the blues that drifted to the urban North.

Legal advice to Bruce on his emergency leaves Essay

Legal advice to Bruce on his emergency leaves - Essay Example Legal Position Every employee has a right to emergency leave to take care of dependants across many labor law jurisdictions. Public and private employees have equal access to time allowance in order to take care of their dependants, usually in form of unpaid emergency leaves. According to Miller (2012, p. 419), the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of 1993 was enacted to provide protection to employees who require emergency leaves to take care of family or medical needs. The Act provides for emergency leave allowances of up to 12 weeks per year for general employment environment, which is accordingly extended in certain types of reasons for the dependant’s emergency need. For instance, if the dependant needs care following an injury while on a military duty, the Act provides for emergency leave of up to twenty six weeks a year. Under the details provided in the case facts, it is not clear what the cause is for the illness that Mary suffers from. The bottom line, however, is that Bruce as an employee is entitled to a certain amount of time for emergency medical attention for his wife. Within the restrictions under the Act for the number of weeks allowed within a twelve months working period, the question of how procedural Bruce was in taking leave may be the cause of the stand-off as opposed to whether he had a claim (McFarlane 2012, para4). It is not clear how many days Bruce took the emergency leaves as well as the reason for the illness that his wife suffered from. As explained above, there are certain causes of Mary’s sickness that could extend the days allowance. The size of the organization in which Bruce works may also bring the consideration of the length of time that he has claimed for emergency leaves into perspective. Ordinarily, the duration of the leave within the twelve month period is dictated by the size of the employee base, which is assumed to be 50 employees (Hunter 2009, p183). However, certain states do not have reservations in the limit of number of employees in the organization in order for the emergency leave to be allowed. It is only logical for the employees to be allowed to take an emergency leave if there is enough cover during the absence, presumably from the pool of colleagues. The danger to life of the dependant may, however, compel the situation to be stretched to accommodate emergency leaves. In order to qualify for an emergency leave, the employee must satisfy the basic requirements of an emergency under the Act. According to the case facts, Bruce’s relationship with Mary qualifies to access an emergency leave on family grounds. Perhaps more definitions of marital status and relationship would require visitation, but the low threshold on cohabitation may dispel such doubts. In case the employer requires proof of entitlement, Bruce will have to provide some form of evidence to support the argument that Mary is his wife (Hunter 2009, p24). Although certain circumstances may make it imp ossible to prove such a relationship immediately, the requirement of evidence reasonable under the circumstances is a sufficient proof. Legal Advice Bruce’s position in this case is that though he is entitled to a medical emergency leave for his spouse’s care, there are limitations in the allowable number of days. The sickness of Bruce’s wife is reportedly a lengthy one, stretching to over 15 years. However, it is not verifiable how many days

HR contributes at SYSCO Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

HR contributes at SYSCO - Case Study Example The same human resource initiative play a key role in improving work place safety, as well as save on the amounts of compensation that employees ask for. The market driven approach also has administrative roles in the preservation of entrepreneurial independence. This is concerning the issue of maintaining freedom in regional operation offices where practices can be â€Å"sold† to the offices. This can be done by convincing the managers and members of staff to adopt the said practices by evaluating the usefulness and suitability, as well as conflicts with standard operational standard in a region. Factors in human resource management influencing employee compensation include the use of survey data. This cuts back compensation claims by up to 30%. This is through interventions by human resource strategists to increase safety. In terms of employee turnover, it can be increased by applying programs and services based on data collected from managers and employees through surveys. This way output increases and cuts costs use in employee recruitment and training. In addition, the use of incentives and employee retention increased employee turnover, which in turn, translates to customer satisfaction. This works together with the experienced employees with better knowledge of operations and products of SYSCO thus improved employee

Corean Healthcare System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Corean Healthcare System - Essay Example Just like in most of the western world, women in South Korea have monthly OBGYN visits. Sonograms are also part of the routine. Along with the routine checkups and sonograms that women undergo are certain foods that Koreans believe to be beneficial for prenatal care. For instance, pregnant women are strongly encouraged to eat only foods that are fresh, some of which are uncooked. In addition to these practices, women are also encouraged to relax and think about nothing negative. Koreans believe that doing all of these things will promote the health of the baby.During the labor and delivery process, the mother-in-law was traditionally the only one present. Now, however, other family members can be present. Women are to endure the delivery process in a manner that is quiet. They are not to shout loud. They are to just endure the pain. When the woman has gone through with labor and delivery, she is to come home and relax. Only the immediate family is allowed to visit the mother and baby, until the baby is one month old. To continue to maintain health after pregnancy, it is advised to consume seaweed soup twice a day for the first two weeks after giving birth (Korean National Statistical Office-Women's Lives Through Statistics). Nutrition As far as maintaining optimal health and nutrition is concerned, Koreans prefer to utilize natural methods. Some of the natural methods they make use of are getting plenty of fresh air, taking walks, and using traditional Oriental health practices as a means of preventing illness, such as the use of a fomentation bath or sauna to promote blood circulation (Shin et al, 2004). Other long standing traditions are observed, as well. For instance, traditions to show respect for parents and ancestors are observed routinely. In addition to this, there are traditions that are practiced in regards to the birth of the child, as well as on the child's first birthday to promote long life and happiness (Vogler, 2005). Korea offers a great variety of hearty and healthy dishes. Kimchi (fermented spicy cabbage) is the most popular, as it is eaten and enjoyed by almost everyone in Korea. Koreans are practically vegetarians; however, several dishes can be found that contain a wide variety of seafood's, as well as different meats. Many noodle and soup dishes are favorite among Koreans, and the variety of courses varies, depending on the class of people. Lower class individuals typically eat a meal that consists of three courses, while royalty will typically eat twelve (Shin et al, 2004). Since the introduction of western way of life into Korea, such as the eating habits and the westernized fast-food restaurants, obesity is on the rise. The South Korean media uses educational materials to

Management Philosophy Essay Example for Free

Management Philosophy Essay Diversity trainer through the National Multi-Cultural Institute (NMCI) which is based out of Washington DC. Bahaudin worked as a manager, an Internal Consultant, Trainer, and Teacher at the Education and Training Development Department of Human Resources with Publix Super Markets Inc. for sixteen years. Bahaudin has been a visitor or speaker on conferences in the United States of America, Vietnam, Malaysia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Brazil, Jamaica, Bahamas, St. Lucia, Thailand, Myanmar (Burma), Grenada, and several other Caribbean countries. Bahaudin was born in Khoshie of Logar and raised in Kabul of Afghanistan. Bahaudin finished his high school degree and higher education in the United States. Management Philosophy: Some of Bahaudin’s favorite management concepts, which he has used in practice, happen to be Self-fulfilling Prophecy, Theory Y View of Motivation, Management by Objective and Management by Walking Around. Managers are likely to get exactly what they expect from themselves and their employees. Bahaudin believes that most people want to do a good job, especially when they are given the right tools, educational developments and performance opportunities. He prefers leading people and managing systems. Bahaudin likes to clarify his overall objectives, set realistic goals and then work to achieve them in a realistic timeframe. According to Bahaudin, the journey of working toward the achievement of one’s goals itself can certainly be one way to happiness. As they say, happiness is the way. Bahaudin truly believes that happiness is a journey, and not a destination. Happiness is the progressive realization of worthwhile and predetermined goals. So, set your goals and, as someone said, then â€Å"work like you dont need money; study like you are a noble prize winner; love like youve never been hurt; and dance like no ones watching. Have a positive attitude and, when possible, make a difference in at least one person’s life. Remember, if you can perceive and believe a better state of being, then you are very likely to achieve it as well. Overall, learn as much as you can; stretch yourself as far as possible, but not beyond; never settle for less than your capabilities; aim for total integrity; and be the best that you can be! As an effective manager and leader, may you have the hindsight to know where you have been; the foresight to know where you are going; and the insight to know when you are about to go too far.

Rules And Procedures Of Bosco Plastics Commerce Essay

Rules And Procedures Of Bosco Plastics Commerce Essay I surely believe that his activity of decentralization can effect on company significantly. His first step was amazing, to analyze what is wrong, what he has to do to solve the problems, why the company research output and manufacturing productivity had steadily declined. After he had found the problems he started decentralization. I think decentralization of rules is a first step for recovering Bosco Plastic. It is because the previous one was made wrong, unplanned and haphazardly. Moreover the rules and procedures of the company was the same for every employees and time table for them was too flexible. For example labor could come whenever they wanted between 8:00 and 10:00 and leave after 9 hours. It is uncommon for company which has 400 employees. Time table has to be strongly made individually or divided into groups. There are must be the time when labor has to arrive and the time when they leave. This touches also breaks. The time table of employees directly connected with prod uctivity. By the way the situation on developing area was also even worse . There were not excellent conditions for engineers and chemist. The punching machine was broken and even if there was opportunity to make something new it was too difficult to put on production. To sum up, to make decentralization better Jill can make a research and analyze the situation more carefully. It is very important to make rules with the help of supervisors, managers and employees. 1.1 Compare and contrast different organizational structures and cultures Organizational structure is a common principles on which the organizations management structure is built and the process controlled. That means organizational structure illustrates schematic interaction between different labors. There is always a need for a people in the business to know who is in charge, what is their role and who turn to if there is any problem. All of these questions could be answered by organizational structure. It is important to know that different firms have structured differently. A structure of enterprise relies on the organizations strategy and objectives. Types of organizational structures:C:Usersà Ã‚ Ãƒ Ã‚ °Ãƒ Ã‚ ²Ãƒâ€˜Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒâ€˜Ã†â€™Ãƒ Ã‚ ·DesktopOBob.jpg Line organizational structure (figure 1) is the simplest hierarchical management structure, also known as a bureaucratic. Line structure consists of chief and several subordinate employees, large companies can also have up to 3 to 4 or more levels of hierarchy. Fifure 1 Source (http://www.bscdesigner.com/setting-up-balanced-scorecard-concept-for-business-hierarchy.htm) Functional Structure is described in figure 2. As we see from the name the main idea of the structure is to divide company into several specialized group, ie each controller is specialized in the implementation of specific activities or departments. Each group has own responsibilities, duty and they are not connected directly. For example financial controller is not able to influence to customer service. However customer service manager can influence to planning manager because planning manager is one of the department of customer service.. C:Usersà Ã‚ Ãƒ Ã‚ °Ãƒ Ã‚ ²Ãƒâ€˜Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒâ€˜Ã†â€™Ãƒ Ã‚ ·DesktopOB790550803004.png This structure is best suited for firms which produce standardized goods or services at low cost and large volumes. Product Based Structure C:Usersà Ã‚ Ãƒ Ã‚ °Ãƒ Ã‚ ²Ãƒâ€˜Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒâ€˜Ã†â€™Ãƒ Ã‚ ·DesktopOBdesign5.gif In this type of structure firms divided by products, projects or geography. This allows a company to have a particular focus on specific items in its business operations. Each group concentrated on own product or serve. This method is now gaining ground in large enterprises, which are expanding the range of products, where the other method would only complicate the structure of the organization. Source(http://www.revisionguru.co.uk/business/design.htm) The Divisional structure .This type of structure is more complicated rather than product based or functional. In the structure company is split up into several self contained business units which are called division, each of which operates as a profit center. Division may engage in production of specific types of products, work in a particular area or on a particular market.C:Usersà Ã‚ Ãƒ Ã‚ °Ãƒ Ã‚ ²Ãƒâ€˜Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒâ€˜Ã†â€™Ãƒ Ã‚ ·DesktopOBDivision.png Source(http://www.bscdesigner.com/setting-up-balanced-scorecard-concept-for-business-hierarchy.htm) Matrix structure is a most complicated organizational structure. Matrix one is combination of two different structures usually line and functional structure. In matrix structure, knowledge and skills of the talented employees could be shared between the functional departments and the project management teams, as needed. In this organization structure, usually employees have two managers to whom they may have to report. Which manager is more powerful-it depends on the type of matrix structure.C:Usersà Ã‚ Ãƒ Ã‚ °Ãƒ Ã‚ ²Ãƒâ€˜Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒâ€˜Ã†â€™Ãƒ Ã‚ ·DesktopOBOrganization Structure3.jpgSource(http://sameh.wordpress.com/2006/05/13/a7/) Organizational culture is a coordinate system that helps employees build their behavior both inside the company and outside of it. This is what unites them values, business philosophy, which includes the mission, vision, general purpose, beliefs and habits. It is an atmosphere which is formed within the group, the rules that a novice should learn to be accepted by the team, norms and traditions that occur over time in the team. Charles Handys organizational culture types. Power a culture that is dominated by the head of the organization has a strong influence over the people. These organizations have a simple structure, few rules and procedures but with well -understood, implicit codes on how to behave and work. They are authoritarian, tightly controlled workers. This type of culture can quickly respond to changing situations, make decisions quickly and organize their implementation. The big disadvantage of power culture is the size of the organization. Therefore, it can be effective only for relatively small firms. The success of the organization with the power culture is entirely determined by abilities and qualifications of head of organization Role in this case members activities are formalized and standardized in details. It is the culture of the bureaucratic type, based on official capacity, a clear system of rules and regulations, the distribution of rights, duties and responsibilities of the members of the organization, which ensures its effective existence for a long time. However, the effectiveness of the role culture firstly depends on the rational division of work and responsibility, and not on individual personalities. Task culture culture, which focuses on successful execution of tasks or projects. The effectiveness of the organization mostrly connected with a high professionalism of employees and cooperative group. Task culture tries to connect the appropriate resources and appropriate staff at the right level and to enable them to do the job well. This culture is characterized by: a high degree of autonomy, evaluation the job by results, informal working relationships within the group, mutual respect based on personal skills.C:Usersà Ã‚ Ãƒ Ã‚ °Ãƒ Ã‚ ²Ãƒâ€˜Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒâ€˜Ã†â€™Ãƒ Ã‚ ·DesktopOBelle-smart-fig-2 (1).jpg Person a culture in which the central point is the individual. The culture exist primarily to serve and help their members. Power in such an organization is based on proximity to resources, professionalism and ability to negotiate. It is only a coordinating nature. Examples of person culture can be law firms, small consulting firms, unions, journalists and architects, etc. Source (http://www.ivoryresearch.com/elle-smart.php) 1.2 What kinds of rules and procedures do you think the department managers will come up with? Which departments will be more formalised? Why? Firstly I want to notice that Jill Thomson made an excellent decision to ask department managers to create new rules and procedures to their area. The first great changing I think will touch the entire procedures. Also the rules will be not the same in whole each department will have different rules. Except this time table for employees will be not flexible as it was. For example employees will not able to come wherever they want between 8:00 and 10 am. Managers have to create time table for each member or divide them for several groups as it shown in the table and breaks as well. # Group Day In Break out 1 A Mon,thue,sat 09:00 13:30-14:30 18:00 2 B Thur.Sun.Wen 11:00 14:30-15:30 20:00 3 Developing department Mon-friday 10:00 14:00 15:00 19:00 4 Mostly changes need in developing department as the company is an innovation company which is produces toys. The sale depends on new product the more new products the more the sale. So the profit directly connected with this department. Jill has to mansion it and pays attention to this department more. First of all the punching machine has to be changed. Also the going down to the local dime store must be returned. Moreover the implementation new toys should be simpler. Supervisors and Managers should give monthly statement about their stuff and work. 1.2 Explain how the relationship between an organisations structure and culture can impact on the performance of the business. Organizational structure can be compared to a foundation of management system, which is built to ensure that all the processes taking place in company implemented in a time and accurately. Thats why there is the enormous attention from leaders of organizations, focusing on the principles and methods of building structures of the organization, the selection of types and species, the study of trends and assessment of relevant tasks of the organization it shows the urgency and importance of the topic in the current conditions. The structure of the organization includes all of the tools that is carried out: -Distribution of activities between the components of the Organization; -Coordination of the activities of these components. Indeed, without the structures employees would simply be unmanageable crowd, or, at best, a set of independent groups, not an organization. Structure one of the main characteristics of the organization regardless of whether it is a tennis club or charity, workers cooperative or a multinational corporation. The main characteristics of the organizational structure is divided into sections (departments, sectors, etc.), as well as accountability and subordination. But there are other features (for example, information systems and numerous procedures for coordination) , which cannot be shown in this scheme. Organizational culture is something for which people have become members of the organization, how are relations between them, what rules and principles of life they share, what they think is good and what is bad, and a lot more of what relates to the values à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹of and norms. This not only differentiates one organization from another, but also significantly determines the success of the operation and survival of the organization in the long term. As the culture plays a very important role in the life of the organization, it should be the subject of attention from management. Management is not only consistent organizational culture and is highly dependent on it, but may in turn have an impact on the formation and development of organizational culture. To do this, managers must be able to analyze the organizational culture and influence on its formation and the change in the desired direction. Organizational culture creates internal, spiritual core of the company, promotes team building, creates a sense of awareness among the staff and responsibility for their work. The organizational culture of the team improves and solves problems as personal development of staff and the development of the organization. It is a prerequisite for the formation of stable and efficient working team, a clear vision of the mission of the organization. 1.3 What risks will the company face if it establishes different procedures for different areas? Explain your reasons by analysing the merits and demerits of organic and mechanistic structures with regard to changes proposed by Jill Thompson. I think that the company will not face serious problems with it , because in my opinion Thompson does not want hugely changes , he tries to put the company on right way. First of all if we consider this situation by changing organization structure from organic to mechanistic one we have to know what are they. Mechanistic Organic Individual specialization: Employees work separately and specialize in one task Joint Specialization: Employees work together and   coordinate tasks Simple integrating mechanisms: Hierarchy of authority well-defined Complex integrating mechanisms: task forces and teams are primary integrating mechanisms Centralization: Decision-making kept as high as possible. Most communication is vertical. Decentralization: Authority to control tasks is delegated. Most communication lateral Standardization: Extensive use made of rules Standard Operating Procedures Mutual Adjustment: Face-to-face contact for coordination. Work process tends to be unpredictable Much written communication Much verbal communication Informal status in org based on size of   empire Informal status based on perceived   brilliance Organization is a network of positions,   corresponding to tasks. Typically each   person corresponds to one task Organization is network of persons or teams. People work in different capacities simultaneously and over time Source (http://www.analytictech.com/mb021/organic_vs_mechanistic_structure.htm) The previous structure was mechanic structure. This structure characterized by using formal rules and procedures. In this case all employees of the company must act strictly according to the instructions and do not deviate from them. So in Bosco Plastic all employees had the same rules and procedures. However organic one is not formal, rules can be changed, better adapted to rapid changes in external conditions and the emergence of new technologies. Also employees are treated as certain patterns of behavior, so the emphasis is on motivation, various very complex systems of remuneration and bonuses, benefits package and so on. If youre a good worker and executes corporate or production levels, will give you a bonus to the salary, health insurance, pensions, canteen, cellular pool with a gym. Mostly Bosco looked like a mechanic one in my opinion. The company did not pay attention to employees. The big problem will touch I think supervisors and managers because they will have more duties and responsibilities. For example they have to find different approaches to each employee. Employees will face problems as well. They have to change their habits which they used. Sometimes there are will be misunderstanding but the changings need to this company. 1.3 Discuss the factors which influence individual behaviour at work. According to Michael Mattson and John Ivancevich, the most factors that impact on individual differences in behavioral  patterns  are abilities and skills, perception, demographic factors, attitudes and  personality. Personality usually refers to uniqueness of each person and personal features that make him or her differ from other people. In fact, personality is based on predictability how a person will act or react under different circumstances .Thus, personality affects other people in an organization through interaction. Sometimes mix of different characters can lead to conflict between two or more people which afterwards may decrease effectiveness of team. That is why, leaders of groups should provide teammates with quizzes that can identify their personality. After that people with the same personal features will be work in one group in order to avoid misunderstanding. Perception is the cognitive process by which a person interprets the environment. It is a process of awareness of what is happening around us, through selection of interpretation of information from the external environment. It is a way of forming ideas about themselves and the world. Perception is a filter which helps to analyze information before it will have an impact on people. Everyone is an artist that paints a picture in their minds of the world, which reflected his personal vision of reality. Because of individual differences in preferences, personal qualities, values and interests people often see the same things differently. Managers should take into account the differences in perception. Attitudes and values are main factors that influence individual behavior. Actually, personal attitudes are an integral part within the organization that can influence on positive and negative behavior. Brooks (2003) states that, attitudes based on direct experiences can be very strong and very hard to break. First of all, an attitude includes some emotional elements such as mood, beliefs, opinions and other aspects. In addition there are four types of attitudes such as: organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), job satisfaction, job involvement and organizational commitment (Brooks, 2003). Many people prove that attitudes are not entrenched in our character as deeply as values. For instance, values give us a sense to understand what is good and bad or right and wrong (Brooks, 2003). Besides this, values in organization can create and develop specific corporate culture. Consequently, certain established values will differentiate organizations from their competitors. According to Rock each and Ball-Rockeach (1989) values can be terminal and instrumental. Basically, terminal values are based on peace, security, partnership and other elements. Whereas, instrumental values expressed in a form of behaviour in order to achieve these terminal values. On the other hand, attitudes and values can lead to conflict between individuals and groups. Thus, it will be difficult to establish a certain culture within the organization. Abilities and Skills: Ability is a physical capacity of an individual to do something. Skill can be termed as the ability to act in a way that accepts a person to perform well. Ability and Skills have great impact on the  individual behavior  and performance. An employee can perform well in the company if his skills and abilities are matched with the  job  requirement. The managers are of great relevance in matching the skills and abilities of the employees with the specific  job  requirement.

Summary of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn :: Huck Finn American Literature Essays

Summary of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn The narrator (later identified as Huckleberry Finn) begins Chapter One by stating that the reader may know of him from another book, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by "Mr. Mark Twain," but it "ain't t no matter" if you have not. According to Huck, Twain mostly told the truth, with some "stretchers" thrown in, though everyone--except Tom's Aunt Polly, the widow, and maybe Mary--lies once in a while. The other book ended with Tom and Huckleberry finding the gold some robbers had hidden in a cave. They got six thousand dollars apiece, which Judge Thatcher put in trust, so that they each got a dollar a day from interest. The Widow Douglas adopted and tried to "civilise" Huck. But Huck couldn't stand it so he threw on his old rags and ran away. But he went back when Tom Sawyer told him he could join his new band of robbers if he would return to the Widow "and be respectable." The Widow lamented over her failure with Huck, tried to stuff him into cramped clothing, and before every meal had to "grumble" over the food before they could eat it. She tried to teach him about Moses, until Huck found out he was dead and lost interest. Meanwhile, she would not let him smoke; typically, she disapproved of it because she had never tried it, but approved of snuff since she used it herself. Her slim sister who wears glasses, Miss Watson, tried to give him spelling lessons. Meanwhile, Huck was going stir-crazy, made especially restless by the sisters' constant reminders to improve his behavior. When Miss Watson told him about the "bad place," Hell, he burst out that he would like to go there, as a change of scenery. Secretly, Huck really does not see the point in going to "the good place" and resolved then not to bother trying to get there. When Huck asked, Miss Watson told him there was no chance Tom Sawyer would end up in Heaven. Huck was glad "because I wanted him and me to be together." One night, after Miss Watson's prayer session with him and the slaves, Huck goes to bed feeling "so lonesome I wished I was dead." He gets shivers hearing the sounds of nature through his window. Huck accidentally flicks a spider into a candle, and is frightened by the bad omen.

Mother Theresa :: essays papers

Mother Theresa We all have our own heroes, people we admire and respect, people who made an impact on our life, that made us look at the world with a different eye, Mother Teresa is definitely the one for me. Although the world is full of good people, great humanitarians that really care, people who donate billions of dollars, people who raise their voice to make a difference, Mother Teresa stands out in the crowd, she is unique. "It is not how much we do, but how much love we put in the doing. It is not how much we give, but how much love we put in the giving." She dedicated every day of her adult life caring for "The dying, the crippled, the mentally ill, the unwanted, the unloved" and she loved every minute of it because she was loving, she was cleaning, feeding "Jesus in disguise." Yes, she fed them, sheltered them, cleaned their wounds, but what is more important is that she made them feel good, loved, and wanted. She gave them back their dignity that poverty had taken away from them and even if they died, they died with a smile on their face knowing that somebody loves them and somebody cares for them. "Speak tenderly to them. Let there be kindness in your face, in your eyes, in your smile, in the warmth of your greeting. Always have a cheerful smile. Don't only give your care, but give your heart as well." Agreeing or disagreeing with her on abortion, population control, divorce, or how she raised the money should not shadow Mother Teresa's life-long contribution and dedication to the poor and humanity. To criticize someone, It's really easy... I suggest: stop criticizing her and do it better than she did. II. Body A. Mother Teresa's Life Mother Teresa was born August 27, 1910, in Skopje, Macedonia, as Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu from Albanian parents: Nikolle and Drandafille Bojaxhiu. Her father was a successful and well known contractor, her mother was a housewife. She was the youngest of three children. Mother Teresa's family was a devoted catholic family. They prayed every evening and went to church almost everyday. It was her family's generosity, care for the poor and the less fortunate that made a great impact on young Mother Teresa's life. By the age of 12, she had made up her mind, she realized that her vocation was aiding the poor. At age 18, she then decided to become a nun, and traveled to Dublin, Ireland, to join the Sisters of Loretto. After about a year in Ireland, she then leaves to join the Loretto

Sleeping Late Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Life is so busy sometimes we don’t get enough sleep. Some days our bodies need more sleep than others. Some people like to sleep in after a busy week at work, or a long night of partying. Others feel that sleeping in can help them relieve some stress. Trying a few of these trips may help you to sleep in.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In order to sleep in longer, you should plan ahead for the weather. For example, when the weather is going to be hot and muggy, crank up the air conditioner. When your body gets too hot, you will wake up. Just keeping your body cool will help you feel more relaxed so you can get those few extra hours of rest. If the weather forecast calls for a steady rain crack open the windows so the rhythm of the soothing rain drops help you fall into a deeper more relaxed sleep.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another important part of sleeping in is a dark room. When too much light breaks into the room, you might have trouble falling or staying asleep. Light makes it easier to stay awake, thus making it harder for you to stop thinking. If you have curtains, close them almost all the way. Roll mini-blinds with the blades in the upward direction, because if they are rolled down when the sun comes up, too much light will come in. As the sleeper you want some light in the room, just a lot.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hunger will also prevent you from sleeping in. Near your bed keep a few handy items. I...

Case 20 : Aurora Textile Company

Case 20: Aurora Textile Company GROUP QUESTIONS Learning Objectives: 1. The basics of incremental-cash-flow analysis: identifying the cash flows relevant to a capital-investment decision 2. The construction of a side-by-side discounted-cash-flow analysis for a replacement decision 3. How to adapt the NPV decision rule to a troubled industry 4. The recognition that a reduced investment horizon is a significant consequence of financial distress 5. The importance of sensitivity analysis to a capital-investment decision Case Questions 1. How has Aurora Textile performed over the past four years?Be prepared to provide financial ratios that present a clear picture of Aurora’s financial condition. From 1999 through 2002, the financial performance of Aurora was unattractive and disheartening. This could be attributed to the business risks that arose from the intense competition that characterizes the industry in which Aurora operates. Absent an industry benchmark or comparable with wh ich to gauge the performance of Aurora, we utilized a trend analysis of the period 1999 through 2002. With 1999 as a reference point, we noticed that all measures of profitability have worsened.On a cumulative annual basis, net sales have been declining by 15%, while profit margins and ROA were always in the negative (see exhibit 1). While raw material cost as a percentage of net sales have been declining, the cost of conversion is escalating and affecting the bottom-line (see exhibit 1). It is obvious that Aurora needs to manage its expenses to generate profits from sales. While on the surface, the liquidity measures have improved (see exhibit 1), it is doubtful that the company has the ability to meet its current obligations with just cash and cash equivalents on hand.This is partially due to the fact that many of the firm’s current assets are predominantly account receivables and inventories. While it is true that the firm, its competitors, and the industry are continuing to lose money, an effective cost-control strategy – i. e. a strategy that improves profit margins, reduces operating costs, and appropriately manages inventory and account receivables will be crucial for Aurora to remain sustainable. 2. List the factors affecting the textile industry. What do you think is the state of the industry in the United States?How should you incorporate the state of the textile industry into your analysis? Why should anyone invest money in the industry? 3. What are the relevant cash flows for the Zinser investment? Using a 10% WACC and assuming a 36% tax rate, what do you get as the NPV for the project? What are the value drivers in your analysis? What do you estimate as the cost per pound for customer returns under the Zinser alternative? (Hint: for a replacement decision, analysts often find it helpful to prepare two sets of cash flows and two NPVs—one for the status quo and one for the new machine. Status Quo In the first year of the project , we calculated net sales assuming the current 500,000 pounds per week production level at a $1. 0235 selling price per pound (52-week year). After the first 3 year, we assume sales will grow by 2% in volume and 1% in price. Material and conversion costs will not change, but will increase at a pace of 1%. SG&A costs are equal to 7% of net sales so will adjust accordingly. Change in inventory is cash spent so it should be considered when calculating cash flows.In our analysis we calculated inventory by dividing COGS by the number of days in a year and then multiplying by the number of days of inventory held, 30 days in the status quo scenario. The current equipment will be depreciated using the straight-line method with zero salvage value. The current book value of the machine is $800,000 and the depreciation expense is $200,000 for the next four years. Using these assumptions, keeping all else constant, in a 10-year horizon the NPV of the Hunter Plant is about $8. 1 million (see exh ibit 2). New Project – Invest in Zinser Machine Aurora Textile Company also has the option of investing in a new Zinser machine for the Hunter Plant. The main difference between investing in the Zinser machine and maintaining the status quo is an initial investment of $8. 25 million and the receipt of $608,000 in after-tax sales proceeds from selling the existing machine. Additionally, there is an initial $50,000 ($32,000 after-tax) cost for training employees, but this cost is only incurred once (see exhibit 3).In their first year using the Zinser machine there will be a 5% decrease in sales volume, but selling price will increase 10%. Material costs per pound will be the same as the status quo, but conversion costs will decrease to $0. 4077 per pound per year due to lower power, maintenance and return costs. Days of inventory held will also drop to about 20 days. All other assumptions are the same as the status quo. In this scenario, the NPV of the Hunter Plant is about $15 . 87million if Aurora invests in the new Zisner machine (see exhibit 3). Incremental Cash Flows – The Net Effect of the New ProjectWhen looking at the incremental cash flows for the new project, replacing the old machine with the Zinser machine is a good investment. The NPV of the investment is $6. 33 million and the IRR is 28%, much higher than the 10% hurdle rate (see exhibit 4). While all the assumptions made could affect the NPV of the project, the major concern that could erode the value of the project is whether Aurora can survive for 10 years. In our early termination analysis (see exhibit 5), if we ignore the salvage value the time horizon breakeven point of incremental NPV is between 4 and 5 years, about 4. years. However, even if Aurora shuts down, the earlier they terminate, the higher the salvage value of the Zinser machine will be. Therefore, the time period to breakeven might be less than 4 years. If the Zinser machine can be sold for its 50% book value at early termination, it only needs 2 years for the project to add value to the Aurora Textile Company. 4. How sensitive is the economic life of the Zinser investment to its value to investors? In other words, if the company survives the entire 10 years, what is the NPV of the project?What if the company can survive only four years, what is the NPV of the project? For our sensitivity analysis, the main things we focused on were production levels and price. Here is a chart representing the IRRs for certain production levels and prices. Our production level estimates were based on the fact that we don’t know how the market will react with increased foreign competition. The textile growth rate we used for our most likely model is the domestic rate of growth, not the world growth rate.We don’t know if letting foreign competitors into the market would significantly shift the industry out of America or if it will keep a constant growth (at 2%). Our price estimates were based on the new WTO mandate that is going into effect in 2005. With the tariffs and quotas on the textile industry being lifted, there will be a significant growth in the amount of textile goods imported into America. Even though the cost may be high to transport these goods into the states 5. What would be your recommendation to the Board of Directors?Specifically would it be better to invest in the Zinser or to pay a dividend to the shareholders. Be sure to explain the primary reasons that justify your recommended course of action. The U. S. textile industry is going through a tumultuous time, and most companies are experiencing losses. Therefore, it would seem like an odd time to invest more money into the company. However, as the industry evolves Aurora Textile Company needs to innovate to stay competitive. The industry is moving toward demand for a higher quality product, and Aurora cannot afford to fall behind.The Zinser machine will help Aurora meet this demand. If the project were accep ted, the Zinser machine would replace the current machine in the Hunter Plant. Because the other three Aurora plants would not be affected by this decision, we compared the cash flows of only the Hunter plant with the new machine and without. The NPV of the Hunter Plant is about $15. 86 million if Aurora invests in the Zisner machine, and only $8. 91 million without the investment. In addition, when looking at the incremental cash flows of the investment, the NPV is $6. 6 million and the IRR is 28%, much higher than the 10% hurdle rate. Taking all of this into consideration Aurora should invest in the project. In addition to accepting this project, falling spot prices for cotton could be beneficial to Aurora Textile Company in the future. However, the company also needs to implement other strategies to improve their profit margins, including reducing operating costs and appropriately managing inventory and account receivables. These changes will help Aurora move in the right directi on to ensure that they are not forced to shut down operations in the foreseeable future

The Return: Shadow Souls Chapter 4

â€Å"You're shaking. Let me do it alone,† Meredith said, putting a hand on Bonnie's shoulder as they stood together in front of Caroline Forbes's house. Bonnie started to lean into the pressure, but made herself stop. It was humiliating to be shaking so obviously on a Virginia morning in late July. It was humiliating to be treated like a child, too. But Meredith, who was only six months older, looked more adult than usual today. Her dark hair was pulled back, so that her eyes looked very large and her olive-skinned face with its high cheekbones was shown to its best advantage. She could practically be my babysitter, Bonnie thought dejectedly. Meredith had high heels on, too, instead of her usual flats. Bonnie felt smaller and younger than ever in comparison. She ran a hand through her strawberry-blond curls, trying to fluff them up a precious half inch higher. â€Å"I'm not scared. I'm c-cold,† Bonnie said with all the dignity she could muster. â€Å"I know. You feel something coming from there, don't you?† Meredith nodded at the house before them. Bonnie looked sideways at it and then back at Meredith. Suddenly Meredith's adultness was more comforting than annoying. But before she looked at Caroline's house again she blurted, â€Å"What's with the spike heels?† â€Å"Oh,† Meredith said, glancing down. â€Å"Just practical thinking. If anything tries to grab my ankle this time, it gets this.† She stamped and there was a satisfying clack from the sidewalk. Bonnie almost smiled. â€Å"Did you bring your brass knuckles, too?† â€Å"I don't need them; I'll knock Caroline out again barehanded if she tries anything. But quit changing the subject. I can do this alone.† Bonnie finally let herself put her own small hand on Meredith's slim, long-fingered one. She squeezed. â€Å"I know you can. But I'm the one who should. It was me she invited over.† â€Å"Yes,† Meredith said, with a slight, elegant curl of her lip. â€Å"She's always known where to stick in the knife. Well, whatever happens, Caroline's brought it on herself. First we try to help her, for her sake and ours. Then we try to make her get help. After that – â€Å" â€Å"After that,† Bonnie said sadly, â€Å"there's no telling.† She looked at Caroline's house again. It looked†¦skewed†¦in some way, as if she were seeing it through a distorting mirror. Besides that, it had a bad aura: black slashed across an ugly shade of gray-green. Bonnie had never seen a house with so much energy before. And it was cold, this energy, like the breath out of a meat locker. Bonnie felt as if it would suck out her own life-force and turn it into ice, if it got the chance. She let Meredith ring the doorbell. It had a slight echo to it, and when Mrs. Forbes answered, her voice seemed to echo slightly, as well. The inside of the house still had that funhouse mirror look to it, Bonnie thought, but even stranger was the feel. If she shut her eyes she would imagine herself in a much larger place, where the floor slanted sharply down. â€Å"You came to see Caroline,† Mrs. Forbes said. Her appearance shocked Bonnie. Caroline's mother looked like an old woman, with gray hair and a pinched white face. â€Å"She's up in her room. I'll show you,† Caroline's mother said. â€Å"But Mrs. Forbes, we know where – † Meredith broke off when Bonnie put a hand on her arm. The faded, shrunken woman was leading the way. She had almost no aura at all, Bonnie realized, and was stricken to the heart. She'd known Caroline and her parents for so long – how could their relationships have come to this? I won't call Caroline names, no matter what she does, Bonnie vowed silently. No matter what. Even†¦yes, even after what she's done to Matt. I'll try to remember something good about her. But it was difficult to think at all in this house, much less to think of anything good. Bonnie knew the staircase was going up; she could see each step above her. But all her other senses told her she was going down. It was a horrifying feeling that made her dizzy: this sharp slant downward as she watched her feet climb. There was also a smell, strange and pungent, of rotten eggs. It was a reeking, rotten odor that you tasted in the air. Caroline's door was shut, and in front of it, lying on the floor, was a plate of food with a fork and carving knife on it. Mrs. Forbes hurried ahead of Bonnie and Meredith and quickly snatched up the plate, opened the door opposite Caroline's, and placed it in there, shutting the door behind her. But just before it disappeared, Bonnie thought she saw movement in the heap of food on the fine bone china. â€Å"She'll barely speak to me,† Mrs. Forbes said in the same empty voice she'd used before. â€Å"But she did say that she was expecting you.† She hurried past them, leaving them alone in the corridor. The smell of rotten eggs – no, of sulfur, Bonnie realized, was very strong. Sulfur – she recognized the smell from last year's chemistry class. But how did such a horrible smell get into Mrs. Forbes's elegant house? Bonnie turned to Meredith to ask, but Meredith was already shaking her head. Bonnie knew that expression. Don't say anything. Bonnie gulped, wiped her watering eyes, and watched Meredith turn the handle of Caroline's door. The room was dark. Enough light shone from the hallway to show that Caroline's curtains had been reinforced by opaque bedspreads nailed over them. No one was in or on the bed. â€Å"Come in! And shut that door fast!† It was Caroline's voice, with Caroline's typical waspishness. A flood of relief swept over Bonnie. The voice wasn't a male bass that shook the room, or a howl, it was Caroline-in-a-bad-mood. She stepped into the dimness before her.

Three major Sociology theories

There are three major sociology theories known as functionalism, conflict theory, and interactionist perspective. Symbolic interactionism is the use of symbols and is face-to-face interaction. Functionalism has to do with relationships between the parts of society and how the aspects of society are adaptive. The last, conflict theory is the competition of scarce resources and how the elite control the poor and week. The symbolic interactionist perspective which is known as symbolic interactionism directs sociologist to consider the symbols and details of everyday life, what these symbols mean, and how people interact with each other(1).George H. Mead Introduced this perspective to American sociology in the 1920s. According to this theory people attach meaning to symbols. An example of symbols are wedding bands, vows of life-long commitment, a white bridal dress, a wedding cake, a church ceremony, and flowers and music. These are all examples of symbols explain in the theory. Symbolic interactionist may miss the larger issue of society by focusing too closely on the â€Å"trees. † An example would be focusing too strongly on the size of the diamond in the wedding ring rather than the â€Å"forest,† which would be the quality of marriage.The functionalist perspective, known as functionalism, is when each aspect of society is interdependent and contributes to society’s functioning as a whole. This was brought to sociology by Emile Durkheim. The government, or state, provides the education for the children in the family, which in turn pays taxes on which the state depends to keep itself running. Functionalists believe that society is held together by social consensus, or cohesion, in which members of the society agree upon, and work together to achieve, what is best for society as a whole.Durkheim suggested that social consensus takes two different forms, mechanical solidarity and organic solidarity. Mechanical solidarity is a form of social co hesion that arises when people in a society maintain similar values and beliefs and engage in similar types of work. Organic solidarity is a form of social cohesion that arises when the people in a society are interdependent, but hold to carrying values and beliefs and engage in varying types of work.Karl Marx was the originated the conflict perspective, which focuses on the negative, conflicted, and ever-changing nature of society. Unlike functionalists who defend the status quo, encourage social change, and believe rich and powerful people force social order on the poor and the weak. Conflict theorists find social conflict between and groups in which the potential for inequality exists: racial, gender, religious, political, economic, and so on.This constant competition between groups forms the basis for the ever-changing nature of society. I agree most with interactionist perspective because it fits me and what I believe. I believe at looking at the big picture not little stuff in the way. It is important to concentrate on the bigger picture. They are all good theories and each are made for different people I’m sure people agree and disagree with all the theories but that doesn’t mean they aren’t good in their own way.

Family Narratives About Child Obesity Essay

A growing interest in psychological approaches to the treatment of childhood obesity has led to an â€Å"increased demand for insights into the psychological drives related to the development of obesity† and to the motivation in families with obese children (pg 183). Reports suggest that childhood obesity affects both the physical and the psychological health of the child, and the family is the main cause. There is very little research done on how to prevent childhood obesity. Children undergoing treatment for obesity are dependent on both the family’s practical (socio-economical and lifestyle) and psychological (emotions and attitude) support. Thus, the purpose of this research was to â€Å"elucidate aspects of the family’s interactions and its understanding of who has a weight problem, of whom the family feels ought to change their health-related behavior (diet and exercise)† (pg. 188) METHOD Participants From November 2001 to November 2005, 100 families with obese children participated in the treatment project. The families were to include a 10 to 12-year old child whose weight was more than 40% above the weight-to-height ratio for children, and the family was willing to participate for one and a half years in treatment. Children were referred from school nurses, teachers or practitioners. Each family participated in a one-hour introductory interview, with only 53 of the interviews actually being completed. Procedure There were three analyses that were comprised for the research: qualitative (family narratives), one for the families’ socio-demographic condition, and the third was the â€Å"ways in which the various narratives are represented in families from different socio-demographic backgrounds† (pg. 192). During the interview, participants responded to questions: â€Å"What does your family think are the causes to the child being overweight? Why do you (the child) want to lose weight (What is the motivation)? Who is going to change anything concerning the eating habits in the family? What is the education of the mother/father?† (pg. 199) Finally an analysis of the relationship between the described narratives and the three educational categories was carried out, based on their percentile distribution in the sample. RESULTS In the first part of the analysis attention was directed to whether or not a family mentioned causal factors that may have influenced the child’s weight development (internally). Factors claimed by a family as influencing the development of excess weight that are clearly causal explanations were diet, exercise, and psychology (comfort eating, boredom, etc.). â€Å"Almost all families (91%) stated that they had played a part in the development of their children’s obesity. Many of the parents (59% of the mothers and 22% of the fathers) had experience in trying to lose weight by dieting† (pg 201). The dietary factors specified by families as having played a part in the development of the child’s obesity was overeating unhealthy food. The second part was the external influences: The family claimed to have had no influence on the development of their child’s obesity. Narratives belonging to this area of research fall into three categories: genetics, previous illness, and incomprehensible (the family had no clue as to why their child was obese.). All families had a short-term perspective on motivation for wanting to change their child’s weight development. Most of the families who also had a long-term perspective on motivation belonged to the two groups with the highest educational level. ‘More than three-quarters of the families (78%) believed their child’s overweight to be a family problem and that the whole family must participate in lifestyle modification† (pg 204). Half of the families (54%) felt that the child must assume responsibility of exercising. DISCUSSION It is suggest that more studies be conducted, mainly due to the fact that most of the families that were studied had relatively short educations. Contrary to expectations, there was no association between the parents believing that they had no influence on their child’s weight development and their feeling that it was the child alone who must act and change its behavior.

Middle East Agreements Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Middle East Agreements - Essay Example The major players in these agreements as stated by Goldschmidt were the British, Arabs, French, and Zionist. The British appear are a common force in the separate agreements (Goldschmidt and Davidson, 2009). These agreements were signed with the motivation being the different regional interests presented by the parties signing the agreements. Goldschmidt and Davidson try to address the cause of Arab bitterness. The Arab nations have always appeared to be divided. Muslim Arabs support for the Ottoman Empire was to protect Islamism. Christian Arab nationalist while under the Ottoman Empire did not mind who ruled them, but this changed when they were under the rule of Tanzimat reformers. The Maronites benefited from French protection in the 19th century, whereas the Russians offered protection for the Greek orthodox Syrians. The American and French missionaries were the first to spread their influence over in Syria. The Americans in trying to solve the issue on education in Syria did in fluence the rise for the need for nationalism in the Arab nations. The idea of nationalism was initially not for the whole of Arab, but it targeted the independence of Lebanon. However, it is evident that graduates of the American university of Beirut spread the concept of Arab nationalism among the Christian and Muslim speakers of Arabic (Goldschmidt and Davidson, 2009). The revolt by Arabs was because of their need to be free to decide on their interests such as leadership preferences as well as religious issues, which was controlled by the young Turks. The call for a Muslim holy war against Britain Russia and France did cause unrest in the Middle East. The British serving in Egypt and Sudan had to formulate a plan to counter the pan Islamic proclamation. According to Esposito, a call for holy war is a practice common to Islamists. Esposito explains that a jihad to Islam is a defensive struggle (Esposito, 2011). A call by the sultans of the Ottoman Empire for a holy war was in an effort to expand the Ottoman Empire. The British had to build allies in revolting against the Ottoman Empire. The British ended up signing three war agreements, which have presented controversial issues in the leadership, in Middle East. The three war agreements are controversial in the sense that, the Arabs under the leadership of Hussein believed they would gain their independence having guaranteed Britain a victory against the Ottoman Empire. However, in the Balfour agreement Britain’s promise an Arab land Palestine to the Zionist upon its victorious win against ottoman rule. The French, on the other hand, knew that when they allied with Britain and won the war they would divide Middle East into spheres of influence. The Hussein McMahon correspondence represents a debatable aspect of the British involvement in the Middle East. The two leaders exchanged eight letters that negotiated the conditions under which Husain would encourage Arabs to rebel against the Ottoman Empire. The revolt was also a plan to enter the First World War by supporting the allies, the British. The terms of the letters were that, after the war, British was to declare the independence of the Arab areas namely Syria Jordan Israel Iraq west bank Gaza and Saudi Arabia. Hussein did lead the Arabs revolt, but at the end of the war, the Arabs were disappointed due to the disagreement between the McMahon and Hussein over the

Family study Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Family study - Assignment Example Because I think it is more effective to understand the otherness of two groups, knowing how to adapt us in a better way. In addition, we should aspire to multiculturalism because the society could be more splendid and interesting with more diversity and we could know more about different cultures.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When I came to America, I met a lot of great friends here. Mike is an ABC (American Born in China) boy, his father is from Chinese and his mother is an American. I heard about some interesting thing in his family. He thought his family is very special with two total opposite cultures. The advantages are he could speak both two languages though he could not write down the Chinese letters. In addition, he learned two different cultures and use two thinking model to look upon things. However, this structure of family also influence him and there are some disadvantages, such as his parents always have a culture clash and have different attitudes when they face the same thing. He told me that sometimes he felt very confused about his parents’ thinking and had no idea which one was better.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To my surprise, the research shows there is no difference in developmental outcomes when children rose by same-sex couples. I thought they would have higher gay trends due to the influence of their parents, but it was actually my bias. However, comparing with children who grow up in heterosexual families, children who are from gay couples families are treated differently. They have less rights and unfair treatments in the society today, such as they have no rights to visit parents in hospital or do not have spousal health insurance coverage. The most important thing is, children from gay family might live in the environment with societal stigma, which could cause mental harm to them. Response: I agree with what is researched and mentioned in the article. The reason behind my agreement is

Levi Strauss & Company Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Levi Strauss & Company - Case Study Example This approach is not static by nature and its frameworks usually comprise of feedback loop so as to evaluate or monitor performance. In this particular study different strategic frameworks shall be included and applied on Levi Strauss & Company. This brand is known to be number one amongst cloth manufacturing company. The company was founded by Levi Strauss in 1853. Over the years, Levi Strauss & Company has brought forth certain changes as per changing market trends. It markets and manufactures non-work and casual work sportswear and jeans. Their products have been able to achieve high levels of customer satisfaction and are presently known for greater degree of comfort. In earlier years Levi’s jeans was considered to be a staple product for every teenager. The company in the present scenario has lost its close connection with customer’s hidden demand. There has been continuous struggle from company’s perspective in context of achieving right combination of stra tegies. Current mission statement of the firm will be analyzed along with some proposed recommendations. There are certain theoretical frameworks included in this study like CPM, EFE, IFE, Space Matrix, Grand Strategy Matrix and QSPM. All these models will be evaluated with respect to widespread operations performed by Levi Strauss Company. The company is externally surrounded by many competitors who have retained their brand image from past many years. In this case the major strategic challenge for the firm is to reformulate their brand image and sustain it for many years. It is indeed a challenge to keep blue jeans within their famous jeans sector. There would be four major aspects of the firm which shall be monitored like marketing, production, financial position and company culture. In overall context the firm has to adopt market oriented approach so as to remain competitive in the market place. Levi Strauss & Company was initially founded in 1853 and later in 1860 the famous Levi’s

The new proposed lease Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The new proposed lease - Research Paper Example The liabilities and assets are indicated on balance sheet and the assets are depreciated (Ellis & Peppin, 2007). The lease obligations are amortized over the passage of as debt. However, according to the new lease accounting rules, the assets and liabilities are not expressed in the balance sheet and payments of lease are calculated in accordance with the straight-line method. In particular, the operating leases are treated as liabilities and assets in the off-balance sheet (Narayananswamy, 2008; Ellis & Peppin, 2007). The new standard for lease accounting has changed the way in which leases are maintained for the accounting purposes. The changes behind the theory are depicted by FASB. These changes are made in order to help the companies recognize their assets and liabilities from the leases. The changes are expected to improve the existing lease requirements. According to the new lease accounting strategy, a particular lessee should consider net present value (NPV) of the lease pay ments as the liability. It should also identify the right to employ the asset, which represents the payments of lease that are attributable over the time period of lease (Narayananswamy, 2008). Type A: Â  This lease aims at identifying front-load expenses that are expressed in the income statement. It deals with most of the lease assets other than properties that are owned by the lessee i.e. vehicle and equipment and vehicles. This type of leases is predicted to cover an important part of the useful life of the asset or present value (PV) of lease payments. The PV of the lease payments effectively identifies the fair value of underlying assets. Type A leaseholders recognizes the right-to-use asset and lease liability that are measured as PV of the lease payments in future. The leaseholders should also evaluate the relaxation that is obtained from discount on lease liability. The interests are calculated separately from that of amortization of

Leadership in organizations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Leadership in organizations - Essay Example Secondly, it provides an insight into their leadership approach towards individuals and teams. Thirdly, aspects of effective and strategic leadership for change as well as team development and management remain considered in analyzing the company’s leadership style of the two managers. Lastly, a personal judgment on the management styles and recommendations of this case study group would be incorporated in the report. Report on the Leadership Style of Mountain West Company Introduction Leadership styles include autocratic, bureaucratic, laissez-faire and democratic. Democratic leaders believe that staffs can be led while autocratic leaders believe in pushing staffs. Autocratic, democratic and laissez-faire leaders exercise low, moderate and high delegation respectively whereas bureaucratic leaders believe in equal delegation for all staffs. Autocratic leader makes decisions and declares them or sells decisions whereas laissez-faire leaders define limits and ask staffs to make decisions or permit staffs to function within defined limits. Additionally, democratic leaders may present ideas and invite questions, present tentative decisions subject to change or could as well present problems to staffs to obtain suggestions and thereby make decisions. However, bureaucratic leaders apply any style in decision making depending on the staffs and the present situation. Evelyn demonstrates democratic leadership while James demonstrates autocratic leadership. Analysis and evaluation of the both leadership styles For several years, Mountain West employed various aspects in the operations of the call centre that gave the company a competitive edge over and above their direct competitors in the industry. Under the management of Evelyn, she ensured the allocation of regular breaks to the staffs of the department. As well, various training opportunities and trainings remained available to the staffs in facilitating an up to date acquisition of knowledge regarding custome r service techniques, different products and problem solving skills. Moreover, Evelyn having taken into account her vast experience at the department and the pressure related to the work made provisions for flexible working schedules for the call centre staffs. Furthermore, the team at the customer service department incorporated their operations to integrate customers’ needs. This encouraged staffs to take adequate time in understanding and resolving customers’ problems. This would also be attributed to the ability of Evelyn to foster organizational needs in their activities at the department as they felt part of the company irrespective of their low pay (Lussier & Achua 2009, pp. 404-407). By contrast, a young manager becomes employed following Evelyn’s retirement to manage the customer service department. The senior management perceives the appointment of James to the reduced and controlled costs of the department. With the mindset of attaining the mark, Jame s increased the number of calls per hour for each staff as well as cutting back on the number of training the department received. Under James’ management, performance would be measured in terms of efficient scheduling though not reflecting flexibility and speed. In the face of these changes, the costs of the depa

ACE Principles and How the Principles if Used Properly can Positively Assignment

ACE Principles and How the Principles if Used Properly can Positively Affect Quality in an Organizations Products and Services - Assignment Example In this system, there would be a built-in process of integration of various functional areas of an organization to the quality processes and systems. The principle of internal marketing emphasizes on achieving motivation of the employees through appropriate training, support, and reward systems, so the service to the external customers becomes very satisfactory. Kotler indicated that the principles of internal marketing look forward to accomplish the highest degree of customer satisfaction possible, and it is only possible through employees delivering quality service. The philosophy of total quality management takes the approach of integration of all functions and processes across the organization to achieve continuous improvement of quality. It has been indicated that the total quality management is a process of integrated functions within an organization in order to achieve continuous improvement of quality and services, where customer focus, defect prevention, performance measurem ent, and continuous improvement are inherent.It has been indicated that enhancement of organizational performance is actually closely related to the soft aspects of quality management practices... Thus it is an important question what would be the ideal parameters and indicators of employee performance which can generate customer satisfaction and at the same time maintains quality. It has been demonstrated that a system approach for operations may lead to this goal in the most efficient manner. This therefore involves a management approach to achieve quality where identification, understanding, and managing the interrelated processes as a system may contribute to the efficiency in achieving the objectives of the organization. In this manner, the management would involve integration and alignment of the processes that will best achieve the desired results. Ability to focus the effort on the key processes would generate confidence about effectiveness, efficiency, and effectiveness of the organization. If quality management means a system approach of operation of continual improvement, the system needs to be structured with the objectives of the organization in mind, and the processes must be aligned in the most effective and efficient way. It is also important that the system must demonstrate a universal understanding of the interrelations and interdependencies a mong the different processes within that system. A structured approach is indicated since it integrates the processes. The employees thus armed with a better understanding of the common objectives may develop a sense to eliminate the barriers in cross-functional areas, so there is a harmony between different roles and responsibilities. A system approach may also help developing a more comprehensive understanding of organizational capabilities, and thus a definition of specific activities within a system and its operations

Discussion Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 6

Discussion Questions - Essay Example Islamic teachings of early Islam inclined towards the social ideals of a settled life in preference to the nomadic way of life of the troublesome Arab nomads. The great importance that Prophet Muhammad placed on a settled way of life (hijra), and the abandonment of the nomadic way of life in the process of embracing Islam formed the basis of this means to subdue the troublesome Arab nomads. According to Donner (1981), this enabled the early Islamic elites to draw support from these religious teachings in their attempts to subdue the potentially troublesome Arab nomads, as can be seen from this quote, when supplies were requested for the troublesome Arab nomads, â€Å"by God, I will not supply you until I have supplied the settled people [ahl al-ha-dira]†. (1) The early Islamic elites denied the troublesome Arab nomads’ high positions of power in the political set up, and in the army chain of command, even if their loyalty was not in doubt, as the second means to control the Arab nomads. This ostracizing of the nomadic tribes meant that in the eyes of the ruling elite, they were not fit to occupy such seats of power. This meant that only the settled people occupied these seats of power, and removed the possibility of the Arab nomads being able to use these seats of power to incite action on behalf of the Arab nomads. (1) The tax pattern that was introduced by the early Islamic elites in the opinion of Donner (1981), sought to ostracize the Arab nomads. While the Muslims leading a settled way of life had to pay alms or zakat, and the non-Muslims leading a settled way of life tribute, or tax called jizya, the nomadic tribes had to pay a tax called sadaqa. This differentiation suggests that though the nomadic Arabs, who had embraced the religion of Islam were not considered to the settled Muslimsm and could be extended to mean that they were not Muslims in the true sense. (1) The final means employed by the early Islamic elite in subduing the

The Gaza Strip Essay Example for Free

The Gaza Strip Essay The Gaza Strip is a territory on the Eastern Coast of the Mediterranean Sea, which borders Egypt on the southwest and borders Israel on the north and east. The population size of the Gaza strip is 1.7 billion people. The population in the Gaza Strip is predominately Muslim. Around the year 1949 the Gaza Strip was controlled by Egypt. In the six day war in 1967 Israel took control of the Gaza strip. Later on in 2005 Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip. Since 2007 Hamas controls the Gaza Strip. Even though neither Palestine nor Israel had control of the Gaza Strip, this territory has always had a fight for power. In 1948 the Gaza Strip was an all-Palestine government which was established by the Arab league in September of 1948. In 1967 Palestine had no longer had any control over the Gaza Strip. The Israel-Egypt Armistice Agreement of 24 February 1949 separated Egypt and Israeli forces. This boundary is still the present day boundary between Israel and the Gaza Strip. Both sides did declare that the boundary was not an international boundary. The Palestine government was ended because it was accused of being more faà §ade for Egyptian control with independent funding or influence. Through the years Israel and Palestine had both had many conflicts with each other over control of the land. Even though there is a lot of constant conflict in the Gaza Strip, it has the seventh highest population growth in the world. The yearly growth of the Gaza Strip is 3.2%.

The Vicissitude of Faith in Night by Elie Wiesel Essay Example for Free

The Vicissitude of Faith in Night by Elie Wiesel Essay The Vicissitude of Faith in Night When we’re young and we have a toy or a play thing, we get angry if that thing is taken away from us; we throw a tantrum. This is because the toy retains our focus and interest, and then it’s just ripped away. Elie Wiesel was prematurely ripped from his world of family and faith, forced to the infamous concentration camp of Auschwitz to wither away along with the burned remains of his past and hopes. The drastic change from Wiesel’s rendition of his experiences during the Holocaust, Night, portrays many themes throughout the entirety of its pages, with one of the most prominent themes being Elie’s own faith and its vicissitude over time, of which is seen in the early years of his life where he was devout to his religion, to the train ride and arrival at Auschwitz where he begs God to help, ending in the death of his God as the children are hung, and the total rejection of a God altogether. As a child, before the Holocaust, Wiesel was a fervent and dedicated Jew. Early in the pages of Night, Wiesel recalls a question that his father had asked him. â€Å" ‘Why do you pray? ’ he asked me, after a moment. Why did I pray? A strange question. Why did I live? Why did I breathe? † (Wiesel 2). Wiesel’s life is centered around his religion; he finds it completely abstruse for his father to question his praying, because praying is what he does. Praying, faith, Judaism; all these things are his toys. Wiesel doesn’t just worship to worship, he worships because that is the thing he gets to play with. Imagine if these toys were taken away from him? These are just any toys, these toys are essential to his sanity and well-being. He compares his faith and prayer to his breathing. Not only does he need them, but losing them would be a debility that Wiesel isn’t sure he can face. Despite the necessity to retain this, they ignore the warnings and threats that the Nazis pose, and he and his family remain almost blissfully ignorant of the fact that there is the threat of their toys being ripped away and everything they know languishing into little more than a memory. This threat is sitting right in their front yard, and they have no idea of the vicissitude that will come and change their lives when the threat walks onto the porch, rolls up its sleeves, and knocks on the door. â€Å"Anguish. German soliders— with their steel helmets, and their emblem, the death’s hand. † (Wiesel 7). Everybody had denied it, but there they were. The Germans had come to Elie’s home of Sighet despite everyone’s belief. The Germans seemed nice at first, but this view would be ephemeral. The Germans first housed themselves inside the homes of the Jews, but this soon cascaded into constantly forcing them to give up their valuables, pushing them away from their homes until one day they were loaded onto the train and all Elie had left were the clothes on his back, his family, and God. The events leading up to his arrival were periods where he begged for God. He begged to God, whom he had dedicated his life, to save him and his family from the abrasive fist of the concentration camp. Once at the reception center, this is where he the game changes. When he watches the people around him pray for their lives, he just wonders â€Å"Why? † Why should he bless His name, when He has gone mute? In just a few short weeks, everything that he ever based his life on he questioned and went against. This changes his view on the world entirely. He now knows that God, the one who has always been beside him, can turn away from the torture of millions of people like it were nothing. He went from wholeheartedly giving his life to God, to eventually abjuring him altogether and getting angry at him. This is totally different for him; he’d never felt any distain for him until then. This shatters him, but at least his God is still there; still existent even though he looks away from the destruction. Unfortunately, this can’t last long. Wiesel had endured a lot during his time in concentration camps. Knowing that his God had turned his back on him was painful; without God the conditions made him extremely vulnerable and blighted. The Germans were persistent in crushing every one of them. They were determined to teach those who stepped out of line a lesson, and give an example of punishments to everyone else. And so, thusly, there were hangings. And, at one of these hangings was a child, who had been accused of something by the Germans and was thusly hanged. You can tell that all of Wiesel’s hope in God is lost when he says, â€Å" ‘Where is He? Here He is— He is hanging here on this gallows†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ † (Wiesel 62). Whilst everyone is looking for God, he already knows where he is. He is dead; he has been hanged just like everyone else. Before, he just rejected his God. God was just a figure who had ignored him in a time of need. But when he witnessed those hangings, he realized that God had not turned his back on him. God had tried to enter and was murdered. The safety of God and the sanctuary that comes with it was dead inside all of them. It was not God who had turned his back; it was the Germans who had forced him away. Wiesel went through many treacherous experiences during his time in concentration camps, but one of the worst was the change in is faith. Judaism used to be his world, he used to dedicate his life to it. It says early on in the book that every day he would study the Talmud in the first half of the day, and then he would go to the synagogue in the other half. One day, this was all ripped away from him. He used to be faithful, but soon afterwards he was left with the dawning realization that the God he was begging for help would no longer listen. He wouldn’t listen because his God couldn’t listen anymore. The Nazis made sure that anything having to do with Judaism was punished and murdered, and that goes for his God too. His toy was faith, the God that lay inside him where he could go for hope. But the Nazis took it away from him. At first, it would seem as if God had betrayed him. This was not the case, God had not betrayed him. The God that he held inside him, the God he loved and lived with and the God who had always been there had been beaten out of him and killed. This toy was a piece of him he can never have back. All because someone came up, took it, and crushed it. The toy became broken, and just like that, so did Wiesel.