Everyman & Seventh Seal Comparison

Every November 6th 2012 Comparison Between Dramatic Works Everyman and Seventh Seal The fifteenth century play Everyman explores the journey of a man, who represents the individuals of mankind, who is confronted by the inevitability of his own death. Very similarly, Antonius Block is portrayed during the fourteenth century bubonic plague, and is confronted by death on reoccurring occasions. During the events of the two dramatic pieces, the two protagonists visit many similar and different circumstances while figuring out solutions to their crisis. It is clear that historically, t has had an impact on the outcomes of the play. First of all, it is intended to be clear that morality is inducted as a major aspect of the plays. In Everyman, an ordinary man is made to face his duty in life. His confrontation comes from a dialogue with Death to distinguish if he is ready to die. Of course, â€Å"thou comest when I had thee least in mind,† and he is not ready. Everyman seeks camarader ie on a dangerous journey, but is abandoned by allegorical figures like Goods, Knowledge, Kindred etc. He soon finds out the only thing that remains areGood Deeds, and that is the only important thing to be accepted into the Kingdom of Heaven. In Bergman’s Seventh Seal, Antonius Block is visited by Death in a form of a chess game, which was inspired by the painting,Taby Kyrka. Both plays foreshadow their inevitable death as it is being delayed by the protagonists to provide one last good measure. For instance, Everyman understands he is going to die, he just wanted to provide one last deed to cleanse his soul, and Antonius understands it as well, but he is just delaying it. In the end both provide their promise as Everyman is ready to die, andAntonius knocks over the pieces so Jof and Mia could escape death, as he accepts his own. Secondly, the historical context has had a major role on the development on both plays. In Everyman’s case, it was written in the late 15th century which deals with; the Fall of Constantinople, the 100 years war, and the Great Fall, which would all follow into Christian Humanism. This attitude influenced the Western European society and people started writing more about God, and the human perception on afterlife. Morality in the play is shown to convey a Christian message and shows him rying to save his soul to reach salvation, and promote the sacraments to others. During this time period Christians believed they had some responsibility and control over the afterlife. Catholics were mainly trying to promote what’s important and forget about the superficial items on Earth. On the other hand, Seventh Seal is referred to the Book of Revelation, and it’s stated in the film, â€Å"And when the Lamb had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour† (Revelation 8:1). Seventh Seal was a Swedish film shot in 1957 set during the Black Death and is portrayed in a very cc urate way. The story is mainly supposed to represent four recipes for catastrophe which include death, famine, war, and plague, which is evidently shown throughout the progression of the play. When Antonius is confronted by Death, he challenges him to a chess game to delay the inevitable. This helps represent mans endless conflict with God as we struggle with not important goods. It shows people dying of the plague and people giving themselves up as a way to repent because of their incapability to believe in God Both plays are portraying an overall theme that shows everyone will soon come to their demise, it is mportant that we focus on what is important to achieve salvation, and forget what isn’t to avoid obstacles. We are surrounded by temptations materialistic goods, but that is only temporary happiness. People must strive for overall happiness for the eternal life. Both plays strongly present this in an accurate manner, share a very similar theme, while showing death can appear in different ways. Death does not make its presence known in reality, but it does come to everyone and different fashions randomly, therefore the only things Catholics can do is prepare for judgement.

Justice, Gender, and Affirmative Action Essay

Affirmative action Introduction                   Affirmative action is a policy that is aimed at providing positive measures to remedy effects of past discrimination against members of certain groups (Clayton & Crosby 1992, p.2). One of the areas that suffer underrepresentation of the diverse, underrepresented individuals and minority group in colleges is the laws schools and subsequently in the legal profession. The questioned posed is â€Å"Is affirmative action the best solution to alleviating this crisis or is it the major cause together with other practices that have contributed to these underrepresentation?                   First of all is the admission procedure. Admission selection considers those with a bachelor’s degree for an accredited university or college. Few underrepresented minority students are able to attend college and obtain the relevant qualifications. Moreover, there are disparities in number of applicants and the number who get enrolled. For example in 2000, 74500 individuals submitted their application to ABA- approved school and an estimate of 67% of the total were admitted (ABA/ LSAC Pre-Conference Report, 2005, p, 4). This illustrates a flaw in the acceptance procedure that focus on higher merit in which its well document trend that underrepresented minorities score less on the Law Schools Admission Test (LSAT).                   Secondly the individual state bar exams are a severe impediment. â€Å"While the LSAT remains a reliable predictor of success in law school and the Law School Admission Council (makers of the LSAT), warn against over-reliance on numerical qualifiers alone† (ABA/ LSAC Pre-Conference Report, 2005, p, 5). Raised cut off points detriment the minorities who are disproportionately at the bottom in addition the bars are also misapplied. The percentage of residents in a state should have a proportionate percentage at the law school. The lack of a national bar does also contribute to this issue.                   The above two examples illustrate why affirmative action is needed in leveling admissions. Higher merit and higher cut off points are serving to lock out minority groups from accessing law education. In coming up with a criteria for selection, the selection board should put into consideration performance of minority groups which is at the lower end of the spectrum.                   Terry Eastland suggests that affirmative action promotes discrimination. He argues that there is nothing like positive or negative discrimination. In Higher education for example, when the institution sets a lower grade for color students, the act in itself creates discrimination. These groups of students who will be enrolled under affirmative action are well aware that they are in that position due to their race. It is a negative experience that is not easy to erase. Sometimes attitudes from the majority students will affect the students from the minority. The majority students may not look at the minority as equals.                   Affirmative action leads to stigma. Eastland says that very few people are aware of the abilities and potential of the marginalized groups. In this case they are likely to be less respected and less valued. This can end up psychologically affecting these groups and it can be worsened if they fail to perform. Terry end believes that an environment should an equal working basis. If students have to be enrolled for higher education, it should be based on merit and not race. This will create an equal working environment of mutual relationship.                   Furthermore, Eastland equates ‘Affirmative action’ to ‘lower standards’. The rationale of having a policy that sets asides positions after a normal criterion creates a barrier between quality and less quality. By having this policy, institutions are accepting that results posted from minority groups are of lesser quality and lesser magnitude to that from the majority. Policy makers argue that the minority are affected by certain factors that make them not to equal results of the majority. It then beats logic that it would be easier resolving factors that make minority perform lesser than providing a criterion that guarantee certain results.                   Terry Eastland comments and views in regard to affirmative action tend to disapprove use of affirmative action against underrepresentation based on color. His views do not factor underrepresentation due to gender. However the logic behind his reasons and those of other scholars can equally be equated to affirmative action on gender and sex segregation                   Gender affirmative actions have shown to improve the status of women in the society. In fact advocates for gender affirmative actions have sprung from various women activists and organizations. Women have gained access to representations in legislative organs, various courses in colleges that stereotypically were set for men. However it is urged that continuous paying attention to a group of people will result in then differences becoming more salient than the commonalities among people (Clayton & Crosby 1992, p.11). This statement thus emphasizes Terry Eastland’s arguments against affirmative action.                   To conclude, the benefits of affirmative action are actually visible. Moving forward however, the fundamental principles of affirmative action seem to have been overtaken with time. Putting into consideration Terry Eastland arguments in regard to affirmative action, the negatives of affirmative action outweigh the positives. Affirmative action has led to lower productivity, increased segregation and stigmatization. The call to end affirmative actions thus is justified. References Clayton, Susan D, and Faye J. Crosby. Justice, Gender, and Affirmative Action. Ann Arbor, Mich: Univ. of Michigan Press, 1992. Print. Law Schools Admission Council. Pre Conference Report (2005) Collaborating to Expand the Pipeline. Retrieved from http://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/migrated/op/pipelineconf/PipelinePostReport.authcheckdam.pdf Source document

Boeing

Boeing Essay TheBoeing 700s are very capable of handling duties in the commercial andmilitary world. The Boeing 700s are capable of handling many tasks in thecommercial and military world. With the introduction of the 707 in the latefifties to the most recent 777 in the early nineties the, 700s have dominatedthe commercial world for five decades. They are a line of aircraft that arecapable of handling many roles from basic civilian transport to various militaryneeds. They are the people movers of the 20th century. Each with a largecarrying capacity combined with the range of a jet aircraft they have moved morepeople longer distances than what was once thought possible. Boeing has trulyproduced some of the greatest aircraft in history. The various duties that the700s perform are quite extraordinary. It all started in the fifties. Therewas a growing demand for a commercial airliner that could move a greater numberof people farther and faster. The age of the jet engine still had not reached tocivili an transportation. There was still a fear of the jet because of lack ofreliability, but with the advancement of technology the jet engine now hadbecome more even reliable than the piston engine. The need for a jet enginepowered plane was growing. Airlines still were looking for a plane that couldcross the Atlantic Ocean without a refueling stop. The Lockheed Super Connies, apiston powered plane, were able to cross the Atlantic Ocean with out stopping onthe eastbound leg, but they had to stop in Gander, Newfoundland to refuel on thewestbound leg. The airlines desired a plane that could easily travel theAtlantic with out a stop. The piston engine just wasnt going to do it, thejet engine was the answer to the question. Boeing realized this and moved tolook for a design for a jet powered plane. At first Boeing was looking to modifyexisting aircraft with jet engines to perform the tasks. They quickly realizedthat they needed a whole new aircraft. The Boeing 707 was born. The first Boeing 707 was delivered to Pan America airlines in May of 1958 (Bauer, 218). Salesstarted out slow in fact the 707 almost died many times in its first coupleyears of existence. It wasnt until Boeing modified the 707 by increasing theoverall length, the wing span, and adding more powerful engines did the 707confirm its place in as a commercial transporter. With the new modifications the707 became a very capable aircraft, crossing the Atlantic Ocean became a routineaffair. With the introduction of the 707 transatlantic travel doubled in twoyears (Bauer, 195). Airlines profitability soared due to the new capabilitiesof the 707 presented. The 707 began a new era and improved the way people areflown. The 707 being the first major jet airliner saw many applications andvariations in its lifetime. There were thirteen variations of the 707, theyvaried in capacity, range, and speed (Wright,49). Each variation was designed tomeet a specific needs of an individual airline. Some 707s could carry alarg er capacity of passengers over a shorter distance, were as another variantcould carry fewer passengers over a longer distance. With all of thesevariations the 707 left little room for the Douglas DC-8 which was once thoughto be a major treat to Boeing. The 707 could meet any need of an airline; thisis one reason that made the 707 such a versatile aircraft and why it dominatedthe market. The 707 also saw plenty of action in uniform. Its most usefulapplication came in the way of the KC-135 Stratotanker. It was modified toperform in-flight refueling task for the United States Air Force. The 707 saw ahealthy lifespan as the KC-135, of the 735 units build in the early sixties 550still remain in service today (www.Boeing.com). The 707 also had the veryprivileged role of presidential transport. As Air Force One it started itscareer in 1962 and served seven Presidents. It was only to be replace by one ofits bigger brothers the Boeing 747. Another of one of its more interestingapplications w as that of the Vomet Come a modified KC-135 to make largein-flight arcs to provide a weightless environment to train NASA astronauts. READ: Joe jackson Essay Altogether the 707 and its derivatives saw many varied and interestingapplications. With the 707 fulfilling the needs for a long range jetliner therewas a demand by the airline industry for a short to medium range jet. A jet thatwas designed for short-range use would provide savings over a long-range jet andfaster travel times that were presently completed by prop driven planes. Boeingwent to the drawing boards and came out with the 727. When the 727 finally cameto production it came out with better performance that what was originallyplanned. As throughout Boeings history, its strong, patient, intenseengineering efforts had once more been the key (Bauer, 226). The 727 filledthe duty of short to medium range better than any other aircraft. It showed inthe sales and the 727 became at the time the most selling Boeing aircraft, butthat title would not remain very long. The Boeing 737 became the most sellingcommercial jetliner in the world. To date it has sold 3,158 units and there arest ill more on order (www.Boeing.com). Its primary role is short to medium rangepassenger transport. The 737 were to be a gradual replacement to the 727 and didso quite well, it became known as the Little Giant. The 737 also proved tobe a very rugged aircraft, with a kit add-on to the landing gears it made itpossible for the 737 to land on unimproved runways like a grass field or agravel runway. The 737 also were far superior in its ability to take off fromhigh altitude, short runways. These abilities made the 737 very versatile itcould link many areas that were unable maintain a modern airport that would havea paved runway (Bauer, 250). One key feature to the 737, which made it thesuccess it was, was the decision to make the plane six seats abreast. Douglaswas the main competition in the beginning has a plane that was five seatsabreast. Even with Douglass advantage in speed and range it could never matchthe seat per-mile cost the 737 gave. The single decision, which meant about a17inc h increase of diameter over the DOUGLAS DC-9, meant the success of the 737and the failure of the DC-9. Above: Comparison between the DC-9 and 737cross-sections. With the ruggedness of the 737 it sees several applications forthe Military. Its most widely used application is as a training aid for bothpilots and navigators. Pilots use the USAF designated T-43 737s as a flighttrainer for large cargo and transport aircraft. The 737 is a large aircraft butnot too large aircraft, it provides the perfect stepping stone for pilots intothe huge birds that are present in todays Air Force. It also providesnavigational training. Its wider design offers plenty of room for the traineesand their instructors. One T-43 has about 19 stations for its students (Minton,31). The T-43 provides a very accommodating learning environment for the flightstudents. The largest and most infamous member of the family is the Boeing 747,the Jumbo Jet. This is an aircraft that has changed commercialairliners forever. With its sheer size it put itself in a class of its own. The 747 offer a lower seat per-mile cost and a more efficient way fortransportation than any other aircraft. It can move more people and cargofarther and faster. The 707 brought jet transportation to people. The 747brought jet transportation to the everyday people (Norris and Wagner, 26). 747s have become the backbone of many airlines, in that they handle more peopleand cargo than any of their other planes. 747 not only provides a highlyefficient people mover it has also been a great improvement of cargotransportation. Some modified 747 have a large upward swinging door at the noseof the plane. This door allows for great ease in loading large cargo items. Boeing also offered the option of a side panel door for loading. This was mainlyused in the Combi 747; they were 747 they would transport people and cargoat the same time. The 747 also serve several roles in the Military. Most notablyis in the application of presidential transportation as Air Force One. The 747replace the 707 as Air Force One with great pride. With the increase in room andluxury the President hasnt had a better ride since. The 747 also found itselfthe solution to a rather large problem that is of the transportation of theSpace Shuttle. There really is no other way to transport the large orbiter thanstrapping it onto the top of a 747. NASA bought an ex-American Airlines 747 in1977 and has been using it ever since (Gilchrist, 61). By the late seventies the727 and 737 were showing their age. Boeing was unable to sell newly modifiedversions of the two aircraft and they soon realized that a whole new aircraftwas in need. The new aircraft did not come in the form of a sing le plane but intwo completely different airplanes that would pick up the slack in the short tomedium range jet planes. These planes would be the 757 and the 767. They wouldprove to be very qualified successors to the 727 and the 737 proving themselvesin both the commercial and military world. In fact the 767 came out ofproduction with great performance than what was original planned. Getting itinto service, getting it under our original cost estimates and one day early-Idont know how you can improve on that. And thats due to the great team atBoeing (Bauer, 320). The short to medium range jet had been modernized withincreases in performance of its capacity, speed, and fuel consumption. TheMilitary had their eye on the 767. It was as wide-bodied aircraft similar indimensions to the 737 and the wider body is what the Military saw mostappealing. One of the primary functions the 767 serves is in the AWACS (AirborneWarning and Control System) program. It is a 767 modified with a large cir culardisc on the top. The disc is composed of radars and antennas, it purpose is totarget and track targets from a long range, this information is thencommunicated to fighters on stand by. The body of the plane has a crew and alarge amount of computer equipment used in the process of determining targets. READ: Microsoft Essay SummaryBoeing has some more plans for the 767, Boeing see it a very capable candidatefor a tanker/transport variant that would provide in flight refueling andtransportation duties (www.Boeing.com). The last in the family is the 777, whichwere introduced, in the early nineties. It is a complete new generation ofaircraft with the complete integration of computers. The 777 has two mainvariants presently they are the 777-200 and the 777-300. Their main differenceis length and capacity, the 300 is about 33 feet longer and can hold about 70more passengers than the 200. Both will work to satisfy the different needs ofan airline. A newer version is in the works too. It is the 777-400 planned tohave even greater capacity that what is now present. The 777 should graduallyreplace the 747 as the large capacity long-range jet (www.Boeing.com). The 777are the plane of the future and will have many service roles in the commercialworld. The line of the Boeing 700 aircraft is undeniably a very versatile lineof aircraft. From the beginning they have dominated in commercial jet sales andfor good reason. Boeing has always made their aircraft with the utmost qualityand attention to detail. Boeing will test and test again until they get it rightand that shows in their products. The 700s serve any commercial and militaryneed placed on them. They have made long distant travel a comfort and a pleasureto many. It is hard to imagine what is would be like without Boeing. It is verysafe to say that commercial airline travel would simply not be at the samecaliber we find it today.

Marketing Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Marketing Case Study - Essay Example Some of the most important issues concerned Gap’s segmentation and targeting strategies with view to market size, growth potential and appropriate marketing mix. Gap’s segmentation model is a combination of demographic, psychographic and to some extent geographic characteristics (Etzel et al, 2001). For example the GapKids and babyGap branches target market segments based on their age, whereas Old Navy targets consumers with limited incomes (p. 196) and whole families. Specific market segments, identified by Gap are based on: Income: lower income groups with annual income between $20,000 and $50,000 were initially targeted by Old Navy. This group comprises mostly of teenagers who represent a limited market potential for the company. Apparel products tend to be â€Å"commodity-like† (Datamonitor, 2005), and for most companies differentiation is based on competitive pricing strategies to win market share. In targeting market segments, Gap follows the â€Å"multiple-segment† model (Etzel et al, 2001), meaning that each market segment is targeted with a specific marketing mix. The Gap brand is targeted at the â€Å"20- to 30-year olds† (p. 196) who prefer the classic line of khaki pants and button-down shirts both for business and casual clothes. The positioning of the brand is further completed by the large assortment of colors and sizes for all-cotton apparel. The company’s attempt to reposition the Gap brand into the fashion-oriented segment lead to market share loss, because the company "alienated" (p. 196) their core customers and failed to attract the "fickle" (p. 197) teenage consumers. Repositioning back "to its roots", along with other measures, improved Gap’s market position in 2001. Banana Republic, which was acquired by Gap in 1983 (p. 196) was positioned as an upscale Gap, extending the previous adventurous positioning of the brand. Unlike Gap’s success in specialty clothes

Consumer protection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Consumer protection - Essay Example f acts of parliament have been established to ensure the protection of the consumers and ensure that government agencies follow established standards. The English tort and the English contract law were the first established acts that were established to ensure the consumer protection in the country remain stable. A number of departments have also been established including the department of trade, industry, price, and consumer protection. The establishment of European community’s act of 1972 also enhanced the country’s effort to protect the consumers from illegal and exploitative business practices (Jay & Clarke, 2010). Despite the massive development in consumer protection law in the United Kingdom, the effort to protect consumers from poor processed products and exploitative business practices has met a number of challenges. In this paper, the challenges of the efforts adopted in the United Kingdom to protect the consumers will be discussed. The paper will also highlight the methods that are used by the consumer rights bills to overcome consumer protection challenges (Cartwright, 2008). The consumer rights bill was recently introduced to the United Kingdom parliament for deliberation, enhancement and possible adoption after passing through the House of Lords. This bill is believed to have the power to streamline the consumer protection efforts in the country and update retrogressive consumer protection laws. Based on the consumer rights bill, consumers have core rights, which must be respected by other businesses and legal entities in the country. These include the right to be paid and enjoy goods and services which meets the established standards. Consumers also have the right to fault the products and services they buy and to expect a refund or replacement in the event that the producer is at fault. The consumer rights bill is currently before the House of Lords in the country’s legislature and expected to be ratified and adopted by the country.

Baby Boomers Retiring Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Baby Boomers Retiring - Research Paper Example As baby boomers retire, there will be need for knowledge transfer as they get replaced by new workers. This is because as they retire they are bound to escape with their wealth of experience and knowledge from the workplace. In order to achieve this, there will be need for the establishment of excellent working relationship between the older and the younger workers. This working relationship will ensure that institutional knowledge is maintained as the mature workforce retires according to DeLon (2004). The better the relationship between both existing and incoming workforce, the greater the possibility of knowledge transfer. Consequently, a more influential intergenerational synergy is likely to thrive. The transfer of knowledge can be made easier and possible through mentoring. This is because the younger workers may find it hard to appreciate the credibility, and maintain respect for the talent and skills of the mature workers. Organizational culture can be defined by the differen t generations working within its environment. The presence of baby boomers and the younger workers in organizations, beyond doubt, create generational differences. This generational difference is likely to affect the organizational culture and work environment. ... The sharing of ideas usually depends on the particular generation. As far as the culture of organizational innovation is concerned, the younger workers have a competitive merit as opposed to the older generation as noted by Venneberg and Eversole (2010). The baby boomers are less risk takers in so far as organizational culture is concerned. They prefer maintaining the status quo. How to Replace Baby Boomer Workers There has been a growing concern about the retiring of baby boomers considering that many of the Canada’s organizations have not planned for the retiring workforce. With the continued retirement of baby boomers, there is bound to be a major change in the demographics of the Canadian workforce (Roberts, 2005). As they retire, the younger generation which is quite inexperienced will have to replace them even as many businesses and organizations are likely to remain unprepared for the looming change. Various analysts have stated that businesses in Canada are likely to f ace a shortage of workers for the next ten years as a result of the retirement of baby boomers. Hence, organizations which fail to plan for the replacement of this workforce will end up facing loss of labor skills and expertise that may prove difficult to counterbalance. The issue of how to replace the retiring baby boomers has raised a lot of concern to many employers. Their concern revolves around where to get new employees and the cost of training the new workforce. In order to replace the retirees, organizations might be forced to invest a lot in the training of new workers as noted by Peschard-Sverdrup and Center for Strategic and International Studies (2008). Similarly, organizations might be required to

Discuss the Frankfurt School's analysis of popular culture Essay

Discuss the Frankfurt School's analysis of popular culture - Essay Example Till 19th Century the meaning of the term ‘popular’ was considered to have negative connotations, but now in modern world the word popular means something which is widely known by and is accepted. Popular culture represents not only the elite class but something which is also represented in common people too. High cultural values have been associated with things like music, art, ballroom dancing, opera, and theater etc. and these values are related to them because in the past these activities were only undertaken by those further towards the top of the socio economic ladder, but now the term popular culture is considered versatile, but rather popular culture has become a part of every society and has made its impact everywhere. (litnotes n.d.) Popular culture was not generated within one society but it is actually the growth of ideas and modern thoughts, which ended up with the term pop culture. Popular culture had emerged with many other cultures and has become a part o f the original society. Now to separate these new thoughts and values from actual culture and society is impossible, so we can say that popular culture is actually a growing awareness and interest of people which has become a part of them. Popular culture through media has influenced our way of living. Pop culture is defined by the music we listen to, the programs we watch and the way we dress. The whole society is influenced by things which are shown on their national televisions and what they promote and show. Their culture is influenced by norms and trends which are shown in programs, the type of music, the lyrics, their dressing style and everything which comes on air. Popular culture is also often considered as a trivial and that is why popular culture faces much criticism from non-mainstream groups of people such as religious communities. Countercultural groups are clusters which think that popular culture is superficial and has corrupted the society. Mass media and popular cu lture are two sides of one coin. Mass media has made the greatest impact on reincarnation and modification of culture. Through media existence cultures are gradually modifying. Media programs and advertisements have made a great impact on cultural values of the society. It has influenced our language, interests, festivals and norms. They are overall influenced by the effects of mass media which basically is known as pop culture. The term enculturation is used for the process in which individuals in society learn and absorb cultural traditions. This enculturation has become a part of the society and culture which are valued and practiced by people in the society. (Merriam-Webster, 2007) The pop culture through enculturation is being popularised through different mass media mediums like television, radio, advertisements, newspaper, magazines, live programs and all other things related to mass media and internet as well. Many things have become a part of our lifestyle and are related t o our culture because they are promoted on our local national televisions. If we look at the roots then they haven’t been the part of our actual cultural rituals or norms. The culture is modified by media as media is a greatest source of entertainment and information in today’s world. So many influences of pop culture are the same on different societies. These programs have influenced the mind of the masses and the ideas promoted in them

War or Immigration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

War or Immigration - Essay Example The dialogue may not necessarily be only between the two parties. Each party may bring one or more parties in its support from its side to conduct dialogue with the opposite group of parties. If the dispute gets resolved through the dialogue, nothing like that! War breaks out in the other case. During the war, if any of the party surrenders, the other party should stop the killing right away. After the war, the winning party may confiscate the belongings of the losing party along with the fighters, but the fighters should not be tortured in jails like the conventional practice is. Instead, they should be treated with kindness and should be made to contribute to the winning nation positively. It is better to have them teach the illiterate local prisoners rather than torturing them, which would yield no good. If treated nicely, the winning party assumes great tendency to convince the prisoners to have faith in the winning party and rather become its members than their original

Glimpse of Scriptures of Religions of Indian Origin Essay

Glimpse of Scriptures of Religions of Indian Origin - Essay Example This paper illustrates philosophy and beliefs of Sikhism. No other God but one. Same God is for every person and every religion. The soul passes through the phases of birth and death before reaching to human form. The aim of life is to live an exemplary life so that our soul may merge with God. Every follower of Sikh religion should always remember God and practice living a moral and honest life and should maintain a balance between the obligations of temporal and spiritual. The right path to attain salvation and merging with God does not require rejection of the world or abstaining yourselves from any sexual relations, but by leading a life as a householder, living an honest life and stay away from sins and worldly temptations. Both these most influential beliefs have shaped Asian history. Both of these religions have dominated the majority of Asian regions, especially India and China. They have been around thousands of years. Both Buddhism and Daoism are different in many things, y et share the same original confidence in renascence. Both have its own approach to such belief in the same way both emphasize a different way of life. Buddhism was founded by Siddharta Gautama, he belongs to a royal family and was born as a prince in 624 BC in a place called Lumbini. He was known as Buddha meaning ‘enlightened one’. From the beginning, Buddhism has been embraced to be a philosophy and a religion at the same time. The core values of Buddhism are encapsulated in three things. Daoism (Taoism) was first introduced in China. The main focus of Daoism is on subjects that move around religious and philosophical backgrounds, for example, peace, strength, openness, naturalness, hollowness, the connection between universe and humanity, and inaction or wu wei. Daoism came from the word â€Å"Tao† which means the ‘way’, the power that exists in all life in the world. Therefore the aim of the Daoist’s is to straighten up him with that way.   According to Daoism the soul never dies, it is everlasting and changes to another life till completion of Taoist goals.   

My experience with writing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

My experience with writing - Essay Example An English writer will always prefer writing in English where as a person like me whose native language is Arabic, like to write in Arabic only. It will be difficult for me to write in English or Hindi. Why writers prefer their own native language for writing? Children in my country learn to write at the age of 6. In fact I acquired the writing skill little bit later at the age of 7. My father was an expert in writing newspaper articles and some of my uncles were fond of writing poems. I started writing poems at the age of 14 and one of my teachers has encouraged me a lot in writing poems. I was comfortable in writing poems in Arabic. But it was not easy for me to write the poems in English. One of my poems which were translated to English with the help of one my friends is given below. Writing requires lot of knowledge and also lot of in depth analysis. Since I am comfortable with the Arabic literature available in my country, I will be more interested in writing in Arabic rather than in English. If I want to express my ideas or opinion about a topic then I will get the suitable words from Arabic language only because of my lack of awareness about English language. Of course I agree that since English is an international language, it may have better words or expressive vocabularies than Arabic. But because of my lack of awareness about such big words from English, I may not be able to express my ideas, opinions or suggestions properly in English. Writing in own language provides ample freedom in selecting the words or vocabularies. The meaning of the words must be well understandable to the readers. I am confident of making the Arab people aware of my views through my literature like poems. But I am not sure how other people from a different country or region perceive my language. Though language will never prevent me from expressing my views internationally, I am not sure whether people from other countries will enjoy my

Effective Communication Essay Example for Free

Effective Communication Essay Effective communication is the process of transferring information or thoughts to someone or a group of people by way of speaking, writing or body language. According to â€Å"Livestron.com† (2014), â€Å"Effective communication extends the concept to require that transmitted content is received and understood by someone in the way it was intended. The goals of effective communication include creating a common perception, changing behaviors and acquiring information† (para. 1). It is important that the person receiving the information be able to clearly and concisely understand the information from the sender. The most effective and ineffective techniques for sharing information, techniques that can be applied or modified in a health care work environment and ways in which technology may affect these processes will be discussed in this paper. Effective Communication Techniques Effective communication begins with encoding, or being able to clearly and concisely relay the message so that the receiver will be able to decode the message. Another important part of effective communication is making sure the receiver properly understands the message that was being sent. When considering the context of the communication it improves the effectiveness. Context includes age, religion, sexual orientation and intellectual abilities of the receiver. Body language, or non-verbal communication includes eye contact, facial expressions, posture and position of the hands and arms. When body language is consistent with verbal content it improves understanding, and when body language is inconsistent with verbal content it creates confusion about the message. Emotions can interfere with effective communication. For example: messages maybe negatively affected if the sender is angry. While working in community mental health industry, an individual will be faced with constant changes in the way they communicate with each other, whether it be with the psychiatrist, counselor, patient, drug representative or another health care provider. I found the most used forms of communicating with other people were face-to-face communication, phone, e-mail and faxes. I feel the most effective way of communication is face-to-face because communication signals can provide insight to what is critical in gaining an understanding of other’s perspectives. Ineffective  Ways of Communication Ineffective communication can be any disruption or failure in the communication process. Language is an obvious communication barrier because if a person does not understand the language the communication fails. Another barrier is when a person has an idea but lacks the confidence to speak up the communication process fails. According to â€Å"Chron.com† (2014) â€Å"Removing barriers will increase your odds of communicating effectively. Both senders and receivers should pay attention to others in the process, making eye contact, listening intently and avoiding distractions. By being empathetic, you are imagining what it is like to be in the other person’s situation, which helps the communication process† (para. 5). How These Techniques Can Be Applied or Modified Communication is the key to succeeding and will allow coworkers in a health care environment to work well together. â€Å"A team is a small group of people with complementary skills, who work together to achieve a shared purpose and hold themselves mutually accountable for its accomplishment. Teamwork is the process of people working together to accomplish these goals† (Lombardi, Schermerhorn, Kramer, 2007, p. 91). Team members need to start out slowly in order to accomplish good communication skills. All team members should learn how to work with their team and be able to control any conflicts that might occur. How Technology Affects the Communication Process Technology has impacted the health care field in a positive and rewarding way. For instance, the electronic medical record allows the user to exchange health care information electronically and can help provide a higher quality and safer care for the patients while creating enhancements for the health care organization. The electronic medical record provides up-to-date, accurate information about patient at the point of care which allows quick access to patient records for a more coordination of care. There are so many things that technology has provided the health care industry: MRI’s, CAT Scans, ultrasounds and laparoscopic surgeries. Technology will always bring change and a positive outlook to the health care industry. In conclusion, effective communication helps to better understand a person or situation. It enables us to resolve differences and build trust and respect. This paper covered the most effective and ineffective ways for sharing information and ideas, techniques that can be applied or modified in a health care work environment and how technology impacts the communication process. References: Chron.com. (2014). Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/effective-ineffective-communication-56100.html Lombardi, D.J., Schermerhorn, J.R., Kramer, B. (2007). Managing Teams: Leading and Developing Work Teams that are Efficient, Focused, and Flexible. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley Sons, Inc. Livestrong.com. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.livestrong.com/article/69309-effective-communication/

Ian Lemke - Compare and Contrast Essay Example for Free

Ian Lemke Compare and Contrast Essay Compare Contrast In 1848, Cady Stanton gave her Declaration of Sentiments, pleading for the right to vote and fair treatment to be given to women, which was promised already in 1776. While the country was still young, John Adams wite, Abigail wrote him a letter requesting the rights of women be Included In the document he was having written. This was the Declaration of Independence. 30th of these selections have a common goal: they are being written with the purpose to gain women more rights. Even though they were written with the same purpose in mind, they are very different. The mood and layout of the articles are completely different, not to mention they had completely separate audiences Despite the obvious differences, they both hit home with their intended audiences. Abigail wrote her letter tor her husband alone. Him being a delegate to the First conunental congress, she had hopes In mind that she could give women the rights they deserve, that she could raise the status of women by leaving an impact on the founding document of the country. Using threats of rebellion, she asked him to Remember the ladies, and be more generous and avorable to them than your ancestors. Stanton, author of the Declaration of Sentiments, wanted to influence the opinions and gain support among the public as well as the leading government officials. Not solely expecting to win the tight tor equality, she had hoped she would make enough of an Impact that people would hear her voice and fight for a change in political structure. She fought for a change in the legal status of women. Using powerful statements like Women are civilly dead, as theyre denied voting privileges, and that marriage deprives women of their ndependence, she got a lot of attention and support from all sorts of places. ntortunately, despite their pleads being heard by the nation, it wasnt enough. Theres a big difference between being heard and making a difference, which they regrettably found out. They tried their best, and clearly left their mark on history but It took another 72 years before women were given their basic rights and freedoms. The saddest part is theres still prejudice everywhere you go , all we can do is keep fighting for a positive change and hope it comes soon!

Coca Cola Consists Of Their Company And Bottling Partners Commerce Essay

Coca Cola Consists Of Their Company And Bottling Partners Commerce Essay The Coca-Cola system has more than 16 million customers around the world that sell or serve their products directly to consumers. They keenly focus on enhancing value for the customers and helping them grow their beverage business. They strive to understand each customers business and needs, whether that customer is a sophisticated retailer in a developed market or an owner in an emerging market. HISTORY Coca-Cola was invented in May 1886 by Dr. John S. Pemberton in Atlanta, Georgia. The pharmacist concocted caramel colored syrup in a three legged brass kettle in his backyard. He first distributed Coca-Cola by carrying it in a jug down the street to Jacobs pharmacy. For five cents consumers could enjoy a glass of Coca-Cola at the soda fountain. Dr. Pembertons partner and book keeper, Frank M Robinson, suggested the name Coca-Cola in the unique following script that is famous worldwide today. MISSION STATEMENT The mission statement should be a clear and succinct representation of the enterprises purpose for existence. It should incorporate socially meaningful and measurable criteria addressing concepts such as the moral/ethical position of the enterprise, public image, the target market, products/services, the geographic domain and expectations of growth and profitability. http://www.businessplans.org/Mission.html Coca-Cola Company is the worlds largest seller of liquid, non alcoholic refreshment. Their mission is to maximize state owner value over time. In order to achieve this primary objective of delivering superior investments return to shareowners through consistent increase in sales volume and creating value for all constituents they serve, including their consumers, customers, bottlers and their communities. The Coca-Cola Company creates value by executing a comprehensive business strategy by six key beliefs: Consumer demand drives everything they do. Brand Coca-Cola is the core of their business. They serve consumers a broad selection of the non-alcoholic ready-to-drink beverages throughout the day. They will be the best marketers in the world. They will think and act locally. They will lead as a model corporate citizen. The ultimate objectives of our business strategy are to increase volume, expand their share of worldwide non-alcoholic ready-to-drink beverage sale, maximize their long term cash flows and create economic value added by improving economic profit. They are nearly six billion people in the world who are potential consumers of their Companys products. Ultimately, their success in achieving their mission depends on their ability to add value for their customers. They achieve this when they Place the right products in the right markets at the right time. CULTURE AND ENVIRONMENT Most of the time effective selection is made, for this purpose employee is recruited either on reference basis or through interview, which is followed by background checks to make sure that he is not involved in criminal activities and have good reputation so that he should not create annoyance and problems for the company. The core values of Cokes culture are honesty, integrity, diversity, quality, respect, responsibility and accountability. Coca-Cola employees are oriented properly so that employee should be well aware of the mission of the company and give their best performance in order to let the company achieve its goals. They are made aware of all sorts of companies policies and procedures. . Coca-Cola culture is based on the following: Respect our people Integrity Open communication Committed to winning PLANNING Without a strategy the organization is like a ship without a rudder, going around in circles. Its like a tramp that has no place to go to. Strategic planning, formulation and implementation are core management functions. Although strategic management has been in existence for only a few years its implications have been firmly and strongly rooted in organizations that want to stand in good stead. Among all the varied things that managers have to deal with and act upon, few affect an organizations performance more lastingly than do the task of charting an organizations future course, figuring out the what strategic moves and approaches to undertake, and then orchestrating execution of the chosen strategy as close to perfection as is managerially possible. One of the factors in determining whether the organization performs up to its potential or not is the extent to which the management team performs the strategic goals. Indeed Good strategy and good implementation are the most trustworthy proof of good management Strategy is a very broad term which commonly describes any thinking that looks at the bigger picture. Successful companies are those that focus their efforts strategically. To meet and exceed customer satisfaction, the business team needs to follow an overall organizational strategy. A successful strategy adds value for the targeted customers over the long run by consistently meeting their needs better than the competition does. A strategic plan, then, is the bridge to the future, which an organization uses to lead from what it is to what it envisions it can become. THE CORPORATE OBJECTIVES Coca-Cola vision statement: We will become the best and the biggest anchor bottler in the world COCA COLA has a very flat hierarchy, consisting of just three layers. Thus, the top management handles most of the goals setting and planning activities. The objectives of this company can be classified as: STRATEGIC GOALS: The overall goal of an organization in terms of its market position in the medium or long-term. A strategic goal forms part of an organizations corporate strategy, and should act as a motivating force as well as a measure of performance and achievement for those working in an organization. The strategic goals are considered when company is thinking of the long-term objectives but at coca cola strategic objectives and goals are set up for three years. These strategic goals are decide by the top management .However, they are reviewed every year in the annual meeting to make sure that they are in line with the changing environment. They are: To continue to be an organization providing the quality products to the valuable customers. To select and retain the professional people for the organization. To project an outstanding corporate image. To satisfy the customer through extra ordinary service and an excellent service along with the complete tactical and operational support. TACTICAL GOALS: The top management of the company on an annual basis devises these goals together with the consultation of the lower level employees. Then each departmental director is given these annual tasks that then subdivide it on the quarterly or monthly basis to have a proper check to ensure that these objectives are achieved, mainly through marketing, is the job of the director of each division. For this year, these goals are: To increase the revenues by 20% as compared to last year. To increase the total retail customers by around 10%. To increase the market share by 5%. To reactivate the discontinued customers by 30%. OPERATIONAL GOALS: Operational goals are decided by the top management in consultation with the lower level employees. They are following the concept of management by objectives (MBO). Each employee is assigned its goals and is told what is expected of him and then he is evaluated on the basis of certain rules and regulations followed evenly by the company. For example: a sales man is given following tasks, duties and certain targets: Each salesman has to oversee around 100-125 outlets. The frequency of visits to each outlet depends upon the sales of that particular outlet. Normally, a salesman has to visit a single outlet thrice a week i.e. every alternate day. This means that a salesman visits at least 20-30 outlets per day. The salesman has three basic functions to perform. To find new customers, To retain existing ones, To bring back the discontinued accounts. Each salesman has to bring in at least three new accounts every month. These may either be new customers or the reactivation of the discontinued accounts. Sales manager is made responsible for the performance and achievement of operational goals and is assigned to set certain milestones for the salesman so as to give him proper feedback, which definitely helps the salesman achievement of the above-mentioned goals. DECISION-MAKING Competing in the market place is like a war. You have injuries and casualties, and the best strategy wins. Purposeful selection from among a set of alternatives in light of a given objective. Decision-making is not a separate function of management. In fact, decision-making is intertwined with the other functions, such as Planning, Coordinating, and Controlling. The decision-making process in COCA COLA is centralized. The model used is classical, whereby the top management takes their time while making decisions and explore and evaluate all the possible alternatives before choosing the rationally economic and feasible solution. Programmed decisions are made only by the top management with no consultation what so ever with the line managers while the daily and routine decisions are made by the line managers at the middle level with the prior permission or approval from the general manager. Decisions, which are normally taken at the top management, are related to The package positioning Trade discounts Advertisements Price reductions Distribution While recruiting new employees, we, the top management approves the vacancies and asks the Human Capital Department to conduct the written test and this test normally is conducted for the employees at the lower level. Then prospective applicants are short listed through the interview process. Then the Business and operations manager or general manager personally interviews the employees and then makes the final decision about the selection himself. Hence, the decisions are made on the basis of the inputs provided by the lower level employees and the managers at the middle management level. Top management asks for the suggestions and ideas of his subordinates and then takes the final decision himself. However, the remaining decisions, which are mainly related to the daily operations, are made by the respective managers who are eventually made responsible for the results. The management is very much cooperative and encourage its employees to come up with new ideas related to their duties and the work they do so as to increase the overall efficiency of the organization and eventually increasing the profits. TEAM BUILDING WORK TEAMS Employees especially in the production, sales and marketing department in Coca-Cola work in teams to achieve their goals. CLARIFY RESPONSIBILITY Coca-Cola has very organized HR department and all major disciplinary actions are taken by it. Supervisors usually given oral warnings and written notices are issued by human resource department. DEFINING PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS Employees responsibilities are mentioned in the Job Description and the kind of work expected by them is communicated clearly through appointment letter and by orienting them properly. COMMUNICATE DISCIPLINARY POLICIES, PROCEDURES AND RULES Coca-Cola appointment letter gives all the details of the disciplinary policies and rules. Employee is expected to sign that letter before he joins the organization. Company tells all its employees before hand that if they would violate companys rules and regulations and would engage in any kind of misconduct, immediate disciplinary action would be taken and that this may cause in termination of their services. COLLECT PERFORMANCE DATA In order to start discipline action, company requires proof by the supervisor who thinks that disciplinary action should be taken against some person. For example, if the person has the habit of coming late, then the supervisor is required to give dates on which he arrived late and the time. Usually company verifies the cases of misconduct from various sources and makes sure that the information is correct. ADMINISTERING CORRECTIVE COUNSELING Coca-Cola considers all its employees valuable, if somebody is unable to perform well problems in the meetings that are specially called to administer Corrective Counseling. During these meetings he can give reasons of his bad performance KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS: The key Performance indictors are as follows 1. FINANCIALS/PROFITABILITY Coke pays special attention to the financials as important performance indicator. Coke controls the amount of money being paid out. All bills are reviewed to determine how much is being disbursed and for what purpose. Managerial efficiency is gauged by the financials and profitability of the plants as well as corporate office. 2. QUALITY INDEX Coke follows quality index to maintain quality standards and this is the performance indictor which is strictly adhered to. An independent body is invited to check the quality of the products being manufactured. A market team is brought in and a 95% to 98 % of quality indicates good quality. SALES MONITORING Coke regularly checks as how sales are responding to marketing and promotional efforts. Through these performance indictors Coke measures how an individual or a team is performing. Coke emphasizes that performance indictors play an important role in determining the efficiency of any individual/team. NON-BUREAUCRATIC, OPEN DOOR POLICY The structure is non-bureaucratic and any employee can approach anyone from high level of hierarchy and present his problem or suggestion. This phenomenon is known as the Open door policy. Coke also encourages its key employees to take on important decisions as they feel necessary for the working of their own departments. Job Description A job is a collection of tasks and responsibilities that an employee is responsible to conduct. Jobs have titles. A task is a typically defined as a unit of work, that is, a set of activities needed to produce some result, e.g., vacuuming a carpet, writing a memo, sorting the mail, etc. Complex positions in the organization may include a large number of tasks, which are sometimes referred to as functions. Job descriptions are lists of the general tasks, or functions, and responsibilities of a position. Coke has a very good policy as regards to job description. When a job is advertised it is properly described so that applicants know what the job requirements are. The advertisements properly lay out these descriptions. Applicants selected are those who fulfill the criteria of the given job description. Coke is very cautious when making job descriptions as it wants to induct only those people who are required by the company. Job description is prepared by HR managers and proper care is taken while defining the description of each job so that later when a person is inducted he properly fits the job requirements. MOTIVATION If you want to make things happen the ability to motivate yourself and others is a crucial skill. At work, home, and everywhere in between, people use motivation to get results. Motivation requires a delicate balance of communication, structure, and incentives. When an employee inducts in Coke, he is joining Coke: The Company meaning that it gives him recognition as he is working for a huge multi-billion corporation with huge profit turnover. Associated with Coke not only gives him career break but also excellent learning opportunities. So he becomes more marketable as an employee and thus this is a great motivating factor for him. COKES CULTURE ENVIRONMENT The culture and environmental setup of Coke is also very friendly and as already explained Coke has open door policy as a part of its culture. This culture is also very motivating for employees and thus leads to their higher productivity and they give out their best to their jobs. PARTICIPATIVE MANAGEMENT When Employee feels that he is given adequate authority and responsibility in making key decisions of the organization he feels an important part of the organization. He feels he has a role to play in the organization and feels a part of the bigger picture. His suggestions are valued and efforts are acknowledged. Thus all these factors lead to high motivation in employees. WELL PAY AND FRINGE BENEFITS Coke employees are offered excellent pay scales and job related benefits. The pay and the benefits match their job requirements and their pay scale is also very competitive as compared to other companies. Thus, this is an important factor in motivating employees. JOB PROMOTIONS Each and every employee is given a fair chance to progress in his job. Job promotions based on their performance appraisals are a part of Cokes policy in motivating employees. PAY RAISES, INCENTIVES AND COMMISSIONS Coke employees are given pay raises, incentives and commissions as per their performance, their goal achievement and if they out perform their jobs. All these factors lead to high motivation in Coke employees. CONFLICT RESOLUTION Conflict resolution is part of daily routine in Coke. The conflict could be labor related as well as management related. The labor related matters are dealt by engaging a legal consultant whereas management resolves its own conflicts by sitting down and discussing the problem at hand thoroughly. The management related problems are not turned into open arguments and matters are not made personal, rather they are dealt professionally. The labor related matters are also dealt very professionally. Services of Legal Counsel are engaged in order to resolve matters relating to employees as well as labor as per government regulations. Negotiations are also a part of conflict resolution process. Peaceful resolutions are preferred over heated resolutions of conflicts. Following roles are involved in conflict resolutions: Mediators: Coke utilizes the service of mediators as per the conflict requirements. Consultants: Consultants play an important role in Coke in conflict related matters. Coke engages these consultants so that the conflicts that arise are skillfully managed through communication and analysis. Compensation Plans Group Life Insurance Coca-Cola secures its employees through group life insurance incase of death/disability of any employee. Free Sampling Coca-Cola provides its employees with free samples of its beverages on different festivals etc. Volunteer Separation Scheme(Golden Handshake) Incase of restructuring, if the employees need to be laid-off then Coke gives volunteer separation scheme (golden handshake) with extra benefits over and above their legal dues. Gratuity/Provident Fund Coke gives its employees gratuity/provident fund. Employee Old-Age Benefits When an employee retires, those employees who are secured through employee old-age benefits institution under the current law, 6 % is contributed by the Coke and 1 % is deducted from the employees pay. Performance Development Programs Coke provides its employees with performance development programs. Annual Performance Incentive Plan Monetary awards are given to employees if they perform well and this is done through Cokes annual performance incentive plan. Workers Participation Funds The company maintains workers participation funds so as to share its 5 percent of its profit with its employees. 9. Medical/Hospitalization Coca Cola reimburses its employees medical/health insurance. PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL Performance appraisal is an important part of performance management. In itself it is not performance management, but it is one of the range of tools that can be used to manage performance. http://www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/perfmangmt/appfdbck/perfapp.htm Reviewing Planning Tracking Reflection The Performance Management System End of Cycle Review Continuous progress and development Key Result Areas Objectives Competencies Development Plan Reaching Agreement Tracking Feedback Coaching Mid-year Review wikipedia.org/wiki/Total_quality_management Method Coca-Cola uses Management by Objectives (MBO) method; evaluator is given five to seven areas on which he has to assess the employee. Evaluator is supposed to rate an employee on the job related objectives and he is also supposed to give tracking sources. This part is known as THE WHATS. Evaluator also rates an employee on the key competencies required by the job and critical to the objectives, this part is known as THE HOWS. Evaluator also mentions competencies required for development and development goals. It also focuses on the time frame in which the developmental activities would be implemented and the way these developed competencies /skills/knowledge would be used in achieving performance objectives, this is known as Development Plan. PERFORMANCE RATING There are five areas on which employees are rated: 1. Consistently Exceeds-CE Performance Objectives/ WHATS Employee, whose contribution exceeds the stated objectives in terms of quality and timeliness and performs beyond the scope of the current role/department which benefits the company in a significant way. Competencies Skills and Knowledge/ HOWS Demonstrates well-developed expertise to get outstanding results and consistently role models the above behavior and also coaches others. 2. Meets and Exceeds-ME Performance Objectives/ WHATS Employees who consistently meet the objectives and frequently exceeds objective and adds value beyond the scope of the current role, often benefit Division/Department. Competencies Skills and Knowledge/ HOWS An employee frequently demonstrates an advanced ability in using Competencies Skills and Knowledge in order to achieve and exceeds results. 3. Successfully Meets-SM Performance Objectives/ WHATS Employee, whose contributions consistently meets and occasionally exceeds the objectives, which are based on challenging goals falls in this category. Competencies Skills and Knowledge/ HOWS Employee demonstrates competence and applies skills and knowledge to achieve expected levels of performance. 4. Meets Some-MS Performance Objectives/ WHATS Employee who meets some but not all the objectives and performance, improvement is necessary. Performance is somewhat inconsistent and more than normal direction on job responsibilities and objectives is required. Competencies Skills and Knowledge/ HOWS Demonstrates limited working knowledge of this area, observable gaps exists in applying some critical Competencies Skills and Knowledge areas to achieve expected results. Further coaching and development is required. 5. Fails to Meet-FM Performance Objectives/ WHATS Employee whose contributions frequently do not meet the stated objectives, performance requires frequent monitoring and substantial direction from the manager. Competencies Skills and Knowledge/ HOWS Employee demonstrates very limited ability in this area, significant improvement is required. Coca Cola also uses the following methods: 1. Multi-rater Assessment Coca Cola asks its Employee to nominate the people, who would rate him on his performance. Then the assessment from different people is given a form of summary or key useful and informative points are extracted from these peoples evaluation, this is known as TOOL OF DEVELOPMENT in Coca-Cola. Coca Cola uses STARs as the way to evaluate a person. STARs= Situation-Task-Action- Result 2. Work Standard Approach 3. Critical Incident Technique 4. Essay Appraisal. Exit Interviews Coca-Cola also interviews employees leaving the organization and asks about their opinion about the way performance appraisal is conducted in the company to improve it if required. Purposes of Conducting Performance Appraisal To Assess the employee To develop and improve the employee. Who are the People Involved? People who are involved in this process are Supervisors and Department Heads, also known as Grand Supervisors. Training of people carrying out performance appraisal People, who carry out performance appraisal, are trained by head office and all sites are updated about this process. How Often Performance Appraisal is conducted? Coca-Cola conducts performance appraisal once a year, but from now they are thinking to conduct it after every six months. At Which Level Performance Appraisal Is Conducted? Employees of all management categories undergo process of performance appraisal. For how long it has been Part of Organization? COCA COLA was established three years ago since then performance appraisal is part of this organization. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL OF COCA COLA AND OTHER MULTINATIONALS Performance appraisal conducted in Coca Cola is very thorough as compared to other multinationals. Developmental Plan and Career aspirations Coaching Log, Interim Review, end of cycle review are all part of performance appraisal. CHANGES AND IMPROVEMENT IN PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL PROCESS BY COCA-COLA Coca-Cola is introducing a change in this process. It is planning to conduct performance appraisal twice a year instead of once a year, they are naming this change as mid-year review. Lastly Coca-Cola claims that its employees are satisfied with this process that has also helped the organization. Performance appraisal method is same for new employees (recently joined company) and for old workers (those who are working for many years). Performance appraisal method used by Coca-Cola is same worldwide. TRAINING Coca Cola has its own training specialists and employees are trained usually on need basis. It has huge budget allocated towards training of its employees; it amounts to $200,000 per year. Whether the employee belongs to middle level management or senior level management, training is provided because company believes that it would benefit both the company and the employee in the long run. Employees are usually sent to Europe or Middle East for training. Coca Cola has its In-House Training Head Office in Atlanta, where they have their own training specialists. They also use local training facilities like they often send their employees to LUMS for special courses so that they can update their skills; others include PIMS, CMD, Informatics for computer Courses. Another important source of training is seminars. PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL Performance appraisal is done at the end of the year in Coca-Cola that usually helps in identifying the areas where training can bring improvements. OBSERVATION OF BEHAVIOR Supervisors usually report to the HR department about their employees, those who need training. By watching them performing their work, they can easily identify the problem areas that can be corrected by putting them on training. On the Job Training Job Rotation Job rotation is very commonly used to train the employees in different areas so that they can learn skills that can help in their development. CAREER GROWTH Job Rotation Job rotation is very commonly used to train the employees in different areas so that they can learn skills that can help in their development. Company provides with no additional benefits when employee learn skills other than his original job during Job Rotation because company believes that it is in the benefit of this employee, and its ultimately him who is going to benefit. MENTORING Operational manager in Coca-Cola in consultation with HR department is responsible for mentoring. JOB INSTRUCTION TRAINING Coca-Cola uses Job Instruction Training for middle-level, lower-level management and worker class, supervisors usually gives this training. COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS Coca-Cola very often puts its middle-level managers and lower-level managers on committee assignments so that they can learn. Apprentice Training Supervisors are responsible for apprentice training in Coca-Cola; worker class is trained by this method. EVALUATION AND CONTROL: QC Total Quality Management TQM is a set of management practices throughout the organization, geared to ensure the organization consistently meets or exceeds customer requirements. TQM places strong focus on process measurement and controls as means of continuous improvement http://managementhelp.org/quality/tqm/tqm.htm Coke believes in always motivating to anticipate present and future needs of customers and consumers, to be nimble, dynamic and growing, always in a state of continual evolution. Developing and maintaining an environment, which enables full participation and development of all backgrounds, cultures, styles and views, leveraging the capabilities, insights, and ideas of all member Consumers are given foremost importance. COCA COLA focuses on TQM in order to deliver TCS (Total Consumer Satisfaction). The Company value creativity and risk taking to fulfill this motto. To meet the consumers changing demands, COCA COLA has adaptable and flexible structure. The authority is at the right place. The employees are given empowerment by virtue of which they feel themselves as part of organization: consequently they put all the efforts to prove their worth. Young and junior employees with high potential are entrusted with senior assignments. At COCA COLA risk taking and out of the box thinking is encouraged. New and creative ideas are always welcomed. Top management supports the innovative process and appreciates employees to THINK DIFFERENT and to be INNOVATIVE. The Company is in the process of increasing in its culture the element of the trust, maximum collaboration among individuals and groups, increased sense of organizational ownership, allowing people to exercise self-direction and self-control at work. Decision making at Coca-Cola is very participative due to friendly atmosphere. Anyone can give suggestions without any hesitation. Employees exchange views with each other and recommend the final decision to the senior managers. If any decisi

Science At the Wheel: Driving into the Future of the Environmental Move

Science At the Wheel: Driving into the Future of the Environmental Movement Science has been able to approximate that the human race has existed for only 400,000 years on this 4.56 billion year old planet. Yet in its brief history humanity has had a far greater impact than any other species. Since the dawn of the industrial revolution, the rate and complexity of this impact has only increased. With such profound influence on our environment must come greater responsibility. Scientists, as the leading explorers in this new age of technology, share an important part of this responsibility. Their innovations have shaped the world to be what it is today, and it is their research that will be the foundation for tomorrow. Science provides the vehicle that will drive society into the future. Science explores, observes, and explains the world around us. It both finds and attempts to solve problems with the ultimate goal of benefiting society. The health of the environment is increasingly associated with the well-being of society. Therefore, the problems of industria l and agricultural pollution have to be a priority for the scientist. Science has played a major role in creating this modern problem and therefore must now take the lead in solving it. Having identified the pollution problem initially, scientists more fully understand the extent and severity of this problem. The correlation between cancer and pesticides was identified and continues to be studied by biologists and physicians. It is chemists who have been called to classify the 20,000 Superfund sites and to report on toxic chemicals seeping into homes, schools, and drinking water. Scientists, in general, have studied and stressed the importance of ecosystem diversity... .... Rifkin, Jeremy. "Apocalypse When?" New Scientist. 31 October 1998. Safina, Carl. "To Save the Earth, Scientists Should Join Policy Debates." The Chronicle of Higher Education. 6 November 1998: A80. Satchell, Michael and Betsy Carpenter. "The Disaster That Wasn't." US News and World Report 18 September 1989: 60-69. Soloman, Wendy. "Horsehead subpoenas termed typical tactic." Allentown Morning Call, March 31, 1998. Van Dyne, Larry. "Thank God for the Country Boys; Ten Miles From the White House, Government Scientists Are Working to Bring You a Greener Lawn, Juicier Peaches, Leaner Pork, and Other Wonders." Washingtonian. August 1992. Verrengia, Joseph. "Weapons against pollution? Poplar trees drink up toxins." Seattle Times. (September 30, 1998) http://www.seattletimes.com/news/nation-world/ntml98/altopopl 093098.html. Seattle Times webpage.

Megachurches and Theologies of Consumption :: Religion Christian

Last weekend, while attending Lexington, KY’s Southland Christian Church, I received an invitation to attend a â€Å"Poor Man’s After-Tax Dinner.† Located on a 115-acre plot that occupies a stretch of the rapidly disappearing farmland between Lexington and Jessamine County, Southland will host the gala, which includes a catered meal and a performance by the Dale Adams Band. On the church’s website, an announcement for the event asks, â€Å"Did you have to pay when you filed taxes? This month’s Gathering is designed to help you to forget your IRS woes.†[1] The After-Tax Dinner will minister to those still reeling from the April 15th deadline, and, with any luck, it will foster solidarity among Southland’s flock, the majority of whom are members of the tax bracket whose wallets ache most severely after just having rendered unto Caesar the money that belongs to him. Southland Christian Church, one of several worship centers in the United States that has earned the moniker â€Å"Six Flags over Jesus,† is Lexington’s largest megachurch. With a weekly attendance of 8,000 people and an operating budget that supports a staff of over eighty members, Southland far exceeds most U.S. congregations in terms of financial resources and social clout. In recent years, popular and scholarly studies have attempted to situate the megachurch movement within a broad cultural context. Although the majority of these analyses dispute the precise definition of a megachurch, most distinguish these multiplex sanctuaries from smaller worship communities by using the same criteria—i.e. weekly attendance, campus acreage, annual budget, etc.—that megachurches themselves draw on to represent their own success. [2] However, the essence of a megachurch is not its large buildings, but rather the theology of consumption that informs it s programming.[3] In this way, a megachurch ethos has infiltrated even the smallest congregations in the United States and has helped to solidify Christianity’s inextricable connection to consumer capitalism. To those who see megachurches as symptomatic of a flawed Christianity, market-minded church growth confounds one of the faith’s oldest dualities, the contradiction of living in the world without conforming to its ways, as Paul puts it in Romans 12. Megachurches at once reject â€Å"the world† and participate in it by seeking to win the lost and wow the consumer at the same time.

The American Dream in The Great Gatsby :: essays research papers

The American Dream There is no set definition to be found anywhere of the true meaning of The American Dream. Any hope, dream, or goal which was pursued by anyone in the history of America is on an American Dream.In modern times the accepted dream seems to be 2.5 children, a house with a white picket fence, and a perfect spouse. However, as it is shown through out literature from the early days of America to contemporary times the American Dream is not always so simple a concept. America was originally founded on the dream of freedom.People have freedom to pursue what they want.That is the ideal behind the American Dream. Early stories in American literature are about peoples pursuit of the freedom to worship as they pleased. Another version of the American Dream is the hope that immmigrants had of building a better life for their children than they had, as shown in the book My Antonia. Another is the search for acceptance, which is shown in the book Black Boy. Another is simply the hope to survive, as shown in the book Lord of the Flies. Whatever the dream, the most interesting thing that can be read or written about it is the drive of people to attain it.This is best shown in The Great Gatsby. The Pursuit of the American Dream in The Great Gatsby The Great Gatsby,a novel by F,Scott Fitzgerald,is about the American Dream,and the downfall of the people who try to reach it.The American Dream means something different to different people,but in The Great Gatsby,for Jay Gatsby,the subject of the book,the dream is that through acquiring wealth and power,one can also gain happiness.To reach his idea of what happiness is,Gatsby must go back in time and relive an old dream.To do this,he believes,he must first have wealth and power. Jay Gatsby is a man who does not wish to live in the present because it offers him nothing.He spends the majority of his adult life trying to recapture his past and,eventually,dies in his pursuit of it.The reason he wishes to relive the past is because long ago he had a love affair with the rich Daisy Buchanan,who he fell deeply in love with.However,he knew that they could never get married due to the difference in their economic and social statuses.He wants to marry her,but because of this problem he leaves her to gain wealth and social status in order to reach her standards.

Child Abuse Essay

â€Å"What is child abuse? The term â€Å"child abuse† can be defined as any behavior directed toward a child by a parent, guardian, caregiver, other family member, or other adult, that endangers or impairs a child’s physical or emotional health and development† (National 1). Factors which often contribute to child abuse are alcohol and substance abuse, lack of parenting skills, economic difficulties or poverty, domestic violence and previous victimization (National 1). The consequences of abuse may be mild or severe; disappear after a short period or last a lifetime; and affect the child physically, psychologically, behaviorally, or in some combination of all three ways (Gateway 1). Though all traumatic not all child abuse is the same, there are four different categories that child abuse is classified into, neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, and emotional abuse. Though all are different they all share the dangerous possibilities of having the abused child or children become an abuser themselves in the future. Neglect is the most common form of child abuse, with 59% of the substantiated reports of maltreatment classified as neglect in 2007 (USDHHS 2009). Neglect is very common because it is the simplest form of child abuse, being defined as a pattern of failing to provide for a child’s basic needs, whether it be adequate food, clothing, hygiene, or supervision (Smith and Segal 1). There are many ways to spot neglect in a child like being poorly clothed, looking malnourished, lack of attendance in school, and having medical needs not met or up to date. With neglect being the most common form of abuse among children it is trailed fairly close with physical abuse which is also a highly common form of child abuse. Physical abuse is defined as follows: â€Å"Physical abuse involves physical harm or injury to the child. It may be the result of a deliberate attempt to hurt the child, but not always. It can also result from severe discipline, such as using a belt on a child, or physical punishment that is inappropriate to the child’s age or physical condition. Many physically abusive parents and caregivers insist that their actions are simply forms of discipline—ways to make children learn to behave. But there is a big difference between using physical punishment to discipline and physical abuse. The point of disciplining children is to teach them right from wrong, not to make them live in fear† (Smith and Segal 1). Then comes sexual abuse as yet another form of child abuse. â€Å"Every 2 minutes, someone in the U. S. is sexually assaulted† (RAINN 1). This statistic shows the prevalence in sexual abuse in the United States, though not as common in children as in adults, sexual abuse still affects 44 percent of people under the age of 18 (RAINN 1). This is still almost half of rapes accounted for by a group largely still considered children themselves. Sexual child abuse is defined as: â€Å"Incest, sexual molestation, rape, sodomy, child pornography, exhibitionism and exploitation are terms most often used when describing child sexual abuse. Sexual abuse can be physical — including genital or oral stimulation, fondling and intercourse; non-physical — including indecent exposure, obscene phone calls or â€Å"peeping toms†; and/ or violent — as in rape or other forms of sexually violent behavior† (National 1). Also another scary effect of being sexually abused is that a large percentage of those who sexually abuse children were themselves victims of sexual abuse as children (National 1). Meaning that being sexually abused as a child can possibly lead to future sexual abuse towards another child or children. The final form of child abuse is emotional abuse. This is the least common form of child abuse just because of the fact that it is so hard to prove even though it might be just as likely as the other three forms of abuse. Emotional abuse occurs when a child is verbally assaulted and the withheld of positive emotional support (National 1). Much thought has gone into the idea that â€Å"the abused become abusers† its only logical to think that abuse would be a continuing cycle. â€Å"Abusive parents often have experienced abuse during their own childhoods. It is estimated approximately one-third of abused and neglected children will eventually victimize their own children† (Gateway 1). A victim of abuse is likely to become an abuser due to biological factors, power struggles, and a need to heal. The biggest reason this takes place is because of biological means. This means that when abuse happens it changes something chemically in your body. This was shown when an experiment was done on monkeys who abuse their offspring: â€Å"In earlier research on abuse of infant monkeys, Maestripieri and his colleagues studied females that were switched at birth between abusive and non-abusive mothers. That research showed that the offspring of non-abusive mothers were likely to become abusive themselves if they were raised by abusive mothers† (Nauert 1). After this experiment was done a physical sample was taken from the monkey’s brain and the following results were yielded: â€Å"The team found that infants who became abusive as adults had about 10 to 20 percent less serotonin than did infants who did not become abusive as parents or infants who were not exposed to maternal abuse. The reduced level of serotonin remained constant into adulthood† (Nauert 1). The research also showed that abused females who became abusive mothers in adulthood had lower serotonin in their brains than abused females who did not become abusive parents (Neuert 1). With monkeys and humans having almost the exact same genetic makeup and brain structure it can be inferred that the results would be highly favorable to stay the same had the same test been done on a human being. Someone that was abused as a child might also seek power as It is a search for power and control by becoming an abuser, someone who has been abused can play the role of the more powerful person in the relationship, in an attempt to overcome the powerlessness they felt when they were being abused (Hartney 1). This power they seek gives them the false reality that once they attain it, they will compensate for the power they lost as a child when being abused. But when they find that it doesn’t fill the hole for them they will continue to be abusers themselves to try and compensate creating a never ending search for compensation thus continued abuse toward others. People who have been abused carry a lot of anger about what happened to them, and abusing others can be a way to express that anger (Hartney 1). This further shows an abused person’s need for an outlet for the anger cause by their abuse, usually ending with them continuing the cycle of abuse. It is an attempt to heal by becoming an abuser, a victim of childhood abuse can try to undo the abuse by taking the opposite, seemingly more powerful position. By engaging in a relationship with another abuser, they can try to re-live the relationship with their original abuser in the hope that they can get it right this time (Hartney 1). The abused person from the past can also take the approach of trying to relive the abuse they suffered as a child to try and heal themselves by re enacting the act possibly putting themselves in the position of control. â€Å"Immaturity, the absence of parenting preparation skills, and a lack of understanding of child development often result in the creation of unrealistic expectations for a child’s behavior. When the child fails to meet these expectations, frustration on the part of the parent may erupt in anger toward the child† (Hartney 1). hey can also try to heal themselves by seeking out abuse again because its the only way the know how to feel intimate. With the facts out there it can be reasonably assumed that it is highly likely for a previously abused person to have a high chance to become an abuser themselves, and this can be proven by biological means, taking back power, and trying to relive their abuse in an attempt to heal themselves.

My Information Technology Job Interests

During my research for this paper I have learned quite a bit about myself. This assignment forced me to look at what my strengths and preferences are. Coupled with the information I have learned about the job market, I know have some direction. This paper will explain what I have chosen. My Information Technology Job Interests As a 42 year old married mother of two, I have recognized that my profession as an Administrative Assistant is no longer sufficient. It is lacking in challenge and financial stability. This is all I have ever worked as since I started college in 1984. I was a Computer Science major that never obtained a Bachelor’s degree. Working a full time job, usually as an Administrative Assistant, I deduced two things. One was that programming was too time consuming and the second thing was that I really loved computers. Now that I have children preparing for college I know I need a more acceptable income in order to afford them the type of education they will need to succeed in life. The Information Technology field has many different directions you can choose to take. Which direction should I go? First I needed to find out if the IT field would continue to grow. After checking the Career Cluster publication it stated â€Å"Over 216,000 jobs in Information Support and Services are projected immediately. Expect 21 to 35 percent job growth to 2012. † With this forecast it seems the IT Support field is wide open. There are still many types of Information Support and Services positions. Some of these positions include Computer Support Specialist, Technical Support Specialist, and Help Desk Technicians. Computer support specialists provide technical assistance, support, and advice to customers and other users. This occupational group includes technical support specialists and help-desk technicians. These troubleshooters interpret problems and provide technical support for hardware, software, and systems. They answer telephone calls, analyze problems by using automated diagnostic programs, and resolve recurring difficulties. Support specialists work either within a company that uses computer systems or directly for a computer hardware or software vendor. Increasingly, these specialists work for help-desk or support services firms, for which they provide computer support to clients on a contract basis. Technical support specialists respond to inquiries from their organizations’ computer users and may run automatic diagnostics programs to resolve problems. They also install, modify, clean, and repair computer hardware and software. In addition, they may write training manuals and train computer users in how to use new computer hardware and software. These workers also oversee the daily performance of their company’s computer systems and evaluate how useful software programs are. Help-desk technicians respond to telephone calls and e-mail messages from customers looking for help with computer problems. In responding to these inquiries, help-desk technicians must listen carefully to the customer, ask questions to diagnose the nature of the problem, and then patiently walk the customer through the problem-solving steps. Help-desk technicians deal directly with customer issues and companies value them as a source of feedback on their products. They are consulted for information about what gives customers the most trouble, as well as other customer concerns. Most computer support specialists start out at the help desk. In researching Computer support specials and system administrators I have learned that they normally work in well-lighted, comfortable offices or computer laboratories. They usually work about 40 hours a week, but are sometimes required to provide computer support over extended hours, they may be â€Å"on call† for rotating evening or weekend work. Overtime may be necessary when unexpected technical problems arise. Like other workers who type on a keyboard for long periods, computer support specialists and systems administrators are susceptible to eyestrain, back discomfort, and hand and wrist problems such as carpal tunnel syndrome. Computer support specialists and systems administrators constantly interact with customers and fellow employees as they answer questions and give advice. This is why I feel I would well suited for this field. I have always enjoyed fixing things and helping people solve problems. I tend to be very patient and have always enjoyed teaching. And in considering my family and how important my time is with them the normal hours of work per week make Technical Support and Help Desk Technician my top picks for possible careers. Reference Career Cluster –Focusing Education on the Future – Information Technology http://www.careerclusters.org/resources/ClusterDocuments/itdocuments/brochure.pdf Technology in Action, Introductory 4rd Edition, Author: Evans, Martin and Poatsy, Prentice Hall, Bundled ISBN: 0536073546 U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Computer Support Specialist and System Administrators http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos268.htm#nature

My Grandmothers House by Kamla Das Essay

Kamala Das is one of the best poets in contemporary Indo-Anglian literature. Kamala Das, born in Kerala in 1934, is a bilingual writer. She writes in Malayalam, her mother tongue, under the pseudonym Madhavikkutty. Her poetry is an exploration of the geography of her own mind, and the lyric is an instance of such self-exploration. Through images of repulsion and horror, she brings out the emotional emptiness and sterility of her married life, and the intensity of her misery as a wife who had to submit to her husband whom she found repulsive, and with whom she had no emotional contact at all. She has won many prizes for her work . some of them being the P. E. N. Asian Poetry Prize, Kerala Sahitya Academy Award for fiction, Asian World Prize for literature, Kendra Sahitya Academy Award etc. She was short listed for the Nobel Prize along with Marguerite Yourcenar, Doris Lessing and Nadine Gordimer. On 31 May 2009, aged 75, she died at a hospital in Pune, but has earned considerable respect in recent years. Themes in the Poetry of Kamala Das: The poetry of Kamala Das is a search for the essential woman, and hence the woman persona of her poems plays the various roles of unhappy woman, unhappy wife, mistress to lusty men, reluctant nymphomaniac {A woman with abnormal sexual desires}, silent Devdasi and love-lord Radha. Kamala Das has also been called a poet in the confessional mode. The confessional poets deal with emotional experiences which are generally taboo. There is a ruthless self-analysis and a tone of utter sincerity. E. V.  Ramakrishnan rightly says, â€Å"In her poetry, Kamala has always dealt with private humiliations and sufferings which are the stock themes of confessional poetry. † Reminiscent of the Poet’s Ancestral Home: The poem is a reminiscence {a mental understanding of the poem by people} of the poetess’ grandmother and their ancestral home at Malabar in Kerala. Her memory of love she received from her grandmother is attached with the image of her ancestral home, where she had passed some of the happiest days of her life, and where her old grandmother had showered her love and affection. With the death of her grandmother the house withdrew into silence. When her grandmother died, even the house seemed to share her grief, which is expressed in a very touching manner in the phrase â€Å"the House withdrew†. The house soon was crushed by grief and snakes crawled among books. Her blood became cold like the moon because there was none to love her the way she wanted. She understands that she cannot reclaim the past but she wants to go back home, look once again through its windows and bring back a handful of darkness – sad and painful memories, which she would have made her constant companion, to keep as a reminder of her past happiness. The poet is unable to proceed with her thoughts for sometime as is indicated by the ellipses dots. The poet is now strangled with the intensity of grief. She craves for love like a beggar going from one door to another asking for love in small change. Her need for love and acceptance is not satisfied in marriage and she goes after strangers for love at least in small quantity. But she does not get it even in small change or coins. Her love-hunger remains unsatisfied, and there is a big void, a blank within her, she seeks to fill up with love but to no advantages . The image of the window is a link between the past and the present. It signifies the desire of the poet for a nostalgic peep into her past and resurrects her dreams and desires. The moon is being an emblem of love. The worms on the books seem like snakes at that moment, in comparison to the size of the little girl. The poet also implies that the deserted house is like a desert with reptiles crawling over. The poet now longs to ‘peer’ at a house that was once her own. She has to peek through the ‘blind eyes’ of the windows as the windows are permanently closed. The air is frozen now, as compared to when the grandmother was alive-the surroundings were filled with the warmth of empathy. Kamala Das pleads with us to â€Å"listen† to the â€Å"frozen† air. Neither is the air a visual medium, nor can air cause any displacement because it is â€Å"frozen†. In wild despair, she longs to bring in an â€Å"armful of darkness†. Firstly, that it is not a ‘Handful’ but an armful. Secondly, ‘darkness’ that generally has negative shades to it, has positive effect here of a protective shadow. It also reflects the ‘coziness’ inside the house. This armful of darkness is her essence of craving for her past. Kamala Das was very proud about her grandmother and the love she received. The Ellipsis after the word loved shows how much she grieves at the loss of the person who unconditionally loved her and satisfied her to the core. She was so convinced by the environment, in which she lived, that the loss of it was indigestible, and un-compromisable. She feels so proud of her grandmother and the house in such a way that she wants all the others know how promising and satisfying was the atmosphere at her grandmother’s home. The pronoun ‘I’ here is very emphatic and also melancholic. Sudden and strong in order to tell the world that no one would or could have come across such an admiring part of life the poet had lived and melancholic to let the readers know that she is a great loser and there can be no loser like her in the world. It also echoes her inner reverberations that when her grandmother was alive she was rich with love and after her demise she became bankrupt and started begging at stranger’s door. She dint expect the equal amount of love that she received from her grandmother from the society she was in but only little. Even that little love she was deprived of. This makes it clear that Kamala’s grandmother was a shape of unconditional love. Conclusion: The poem springs from her own disillusionment with her expectation of unconditional love from the one she loves. In the poem, the image of the ancestral home stands for the strong support and unconditional love she received from her grandmother. The imagery is personal and beautifully articulates her plight in a loveless marriage. Thus, the old house was for her a place of symbolic retreat to a world of innocence, purity and simplicity, a place of complete bliss and delight and peace world where love and happiness are still possible. †