The Absolutely True Diary of a Party Time Indian Essay

In Sherman Alexies novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian, the protagonist, Junior, overcomes many obstacles such as stereotypes, poverty and hopelessness. One of the main obstacles Junior overcomes is stereotypes. Junior is an Indian who lives on a reservation. Indians have many stereotypes that are towards them. For instance one stereotype is that they have no hope. Junior had a conversation with one of his teachers about his future, which involved him switching schools. Junior knew that if he stayed at the reservation high school he won’t be able to make a future for himself. So when his parents got home he asked them who has the most hope, â€Å"’White people, (Alexie45)’† his parents told him at the same time. Even†¦show more content†¦The second obstacle that Junior overcame was poverty. Being an Indian and living on the reservation he grew up with little to no money, and any money they did have his dad drank away. One common thing that Junior heard when he asked his dad for a ride to school in Reardan was, â€Å"’Don’t have enough gas,’ (Alexie70).† Junior never le t the fact that his parents didn’t have any money stop him from going to school. He would either walk or hitchhike his way there even if he would be late. Junior was very determined to get to school to create that future he was dreaming of. He didn’t want the kids at Reardan to think of him as any different as they were. One way he did this was by pretending he had money, â€Å"My parents gave me just enough money so that I could pretend to have more money than I did, (Alexie119).† He knew he was poor, but he didn’t want his friends to know he was too. Junior wanted to be like everyone else and just fit in. He didn’t want the kids to think just because he was poor he couldn’t hang out with them. Eventually his friends discover that he has little money. They didn’t even think about not hanging out with him. They actually offer to help him and give him rides. If anything the fact that they knew more about him made him more popular with them. Junior would walk to school when there was no gas, he would hang out and go places with friends even when they knew he was poor. When Junior lets loose, he becomes a better person an overcomes his poverty withShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Movie The Absolutely True Diary Of A Part Time Indian `` By Sherman Alexie1403 Words   |  6 Pagessingle person out there longs to be part of something bigger than themselves. They don’t want to be alone in such a big place as the earth we live on. They want to feel like they belong. This is exactly how Arnold Spirit Junior (The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian; Sherman Alexie) feels. He has spent his entire life feeling like an outsider. He longs to be a part of something bigger than himself, to be accepted. There are many aspects in life in which one can feel like they belong. ThereRead MoreAlcoholism: An Enemy of the Abandon Essay1034 Words   |  5 Pagestoxic liquid, known as â€Å"Alcohol† has destroyed many lives. For instance, Sherman Alexie, a Native American writer, experiences many sorrows from alcohol. He writes about the sufferings he experienced in his fiction novel, â€Å"The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian† and talks about the struggle in his interviews. In addition to Alexie’s stories, Diane Sawyer, a reporter, investigates a Native American tribe and discovers that alcohol abuse is common in the reservation. Alcoholism is portrayRead MoreChristopher and Junior’s Journey from Home in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon989 Words   |  4 PagesNight-Time by Mark Haddon and Junior, the main character in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexi, face difficult problems through t heir teenage years which they eventually overcome. Christopher, a fourteen year old boy from Great Britain struggles for social acceptance as a result of his autism. He struggles with empathy and understanding nuances in relationships and as a result, dislikes all forms of interaction. In The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, JuniorRead MoreAlcohol Abuse And Alcoholism Is A Big Part Of The Society Essay1410 Words   |  6 PagesAlcohol has been a big part of the society. It is how people socialize whether they are a business meeting, a party, a bar, and many more places and events. They tend to consume alcohol without knowing and questioning how much they have had. A huge amount of the population have not asked themselves this question, â€Å"Do I know what a standard drink is?† According to National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism’s (NIAAA) booklet Rethinking Drinking, â€Å"Many people are surprised to learn what countsRead MorePersonal Essa y : Identity Expository Essay1427 Words   |  6 Pagessome time that my identity was a part of who I was, an unchangeable, connected, jumbled mass of my ideals and preferences. However, after speculation on this topic, and a deep and intimate search within my mind and soul, I have realized it is much, much more. I have searched through my community, my personal life, and the world around me to find answers to this deep and burning question. Furthermore, I have consulted the knowledge of books like The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian to continueRead MoreThe Lone Ranger And Tonto In Heaven By Sherman Alexie978 Words   |  4 PagesA collection of twenty-two stories narrated by different characters, The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven by Sherman Alexie illustrates the lives of modern Native Americans on the Spokane Indian Reservation and their hardships, which include despair, alcoholism, and poverty. Tribal members hold high hopes for the young who have extrao rdinary talent while doubting that they will achieve success and watching them succumb to alcoholism. These stories, while sad and gloomy, are told with humorRead MoreThe Absolutely True Diary Of A Part Time Indian By Sherman Alexie1166 Words   |  5 Pagesyoung adult novel The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian, Sherman Alexie gives his audience characters who react differently when given an education they feel is low quality. Alexie uses Junior, Junior’s parents, and Junior’s sister Mary to show the impact an education can have on one s possibilities for a better life. Because of their lack of a good education, Junior’s parents live without a stable job and weren’t able to realize their dreams. â€Å"we reservation Indians don’t get to realizeRead MorePrejudice And Prejudice By Maya Angelou1824 Words   |  8 PagesAngelou to me perfectly describes the word and definition of prejudice. Prejudice was in all units in this class, in total there was prejudice against Indians, African Americans, and Jews. Prejudice was a huge theme or talking point in all the stories/movies, and it caused adversity for main characters. In The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Junior faced adversity. In To Kill A Mockingbird, Atticus, Jem, Scout, and Tom Robinson all faced adversity. All Jews faced adversity during the HolocaustRead MoreSherman Alexie, Louise Erdrich, And Jim Jarmusch877 Words   |  4 Pageshad a rich and interesting system of religious beliefs were introduced to Christianity during colonization and forced to accept t he teachings of the church. Alexie creates a powerful symbol of forced assimilation in his novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. He writes, â€Å"Then the white kids began arriving for school. They surrounded me† (Alexie, Forney, 56). This excerpt shows white society smothering Native culture, seizing control of a once peaceful environment and adopting a completeRead MoreThe Bullied Indian Valedictorian By Sherman Alexie1177 Words   |  5 PagesBrandon Borrego Professor Flores English 1301 M21 28 Oct. 2015 The Bullied Indian Valedictorian A rough childhood would be an understatement when talking about a minority child’s. Sherman Alexie’s â€Å"Indian Education† illustrates the life of a young Native American boy from early 1st grade, to the final moments he walked down to get his diploma. Along the way we are confronted by challenging suspects who test his patience and character. Being bullied in first grade, Victor tries to gain respect by

Pure Pressure Affects People Of Any Age - 1074 Words

Pure pressure affects people of any age, in a multitude of ways, for a number of reasons. It’s something everyone experiences at some point in their life. How you deal with it is and always will be entirely up to you. Red Flags for Peer Pressure Although peer pressure affects everyone, and I mean everyone, there are times where you are more vulnerable of falling for peer pressure. As we become more independent from our parents we become more prone to falling for peer pressure. This is because as we start to make our own choices we consider the long term effects of our actions less and we usually don’t know what we want most of the times anyways. There are two main features that seem to distinguish teenagers from adults in their decision making, during early adolescence in particular, teenagers are drawn to the immediate rewards of a potential choice and are less attentive to the possible risks. Second, teenagers in general are still learning to control their impulses, to think ahead, and to resist pressure from others.- Laurence Steinberg People who feel the need to fit in, weather it s because of society or themselves, are very prone for following the crowd and giving into peer pressure. When someone is a follower they tend to also have a low self importance making them even more prone. If you have a friend that is a bit of a follower try to help them out and make sure they aren’t making bad choices to gain friends. Trust me those are not the friends someone wouldShow MoreRelatedThe Power of Choice Essay751 Words   |  4 Pagesof choice† laws of life essay. Choices are the decisions we make in life, some are good and others are bad. People make choices every second of everyday. The choices we make will always have an outcome, whether or not it is a positive or negative one. 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The Album begins with the song â€Å"Speak to Me†. The song â€Å"Speak to Me† starts with a heartbeat, which resents a baby in the womb and as the baby gets closer to birth the heart beats faster. The song ends withRead MoreHow Drugs Affects The Mind And Body And How Dangerous Consequences1464 Words   |  6 PagesMDAM was originally created to treat disorders such as depression. But here is where Ecstasy’s popularity fueled the club’s in the late 1980’s, where most people were convinced it was not considered a dangerous drug and was readily available. Its presentation would come in different shapes of pills. Consumers could difference which one was pure and which one was not. Also including consumers could also be tricked. It was not seen as other drugs were. It was actually seen as high class. MDAM bringRead MoreBinge Drinking On College Campuses1536 Words   |  7 Pagesserious consequences. For example, 1,825 college students between the age s of 18 and 24 die each year from alcohol-related unintentional injuries (niaaa.nih.gov).Most alcohol-related injuries and accident are a result of binge drinking. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) defines binge drinking as a pattern of drinking that brings blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels to 0.08 g/dl. â€Å"Although people of all ages, races, and genders participate in binge drinking, it is especiallyRead MoreHow Water Can Affect Your Education Essay1364 Words   |  6 Pagesthing you do in the morning. Brush your teeth? Have a milo? Have a morning run? Or even a shower? To do all of these, you have to have safe clean water without any problems at all. Try to imagine yourself in a position without using any water at all because it s not clean. But these aren’t the only things water can affect too, it can affect your education. Children has to walk 6 hours a day to go to the well and collect water, and because this is an important job a nd takes a long time to finish, thenRead MoreHuman Genome Project1311 Words   |  5 PagesSome of these disorders affect the next generation. But all conditions are not caused by mutations in a single cell. Researches are able to determine whether conditions are genetically inherited by looking through family records and medical history. Some illnesses are caused by a mixture of effects of multiple genes or interactions between genes and the environment. But all illnesses cannot be easily analyzed because the causes are often ambiguous and do not follow any of the inherited patternsRead MoreMotives Behind Genocide : Genocide Negatively Affects Perpetrators By Perpetuating Distorted Thinking About The Self And Others1628 Words   |  7 PagesSarah Hawes Bombard 10, November 2015 Motives behind Genocide â€Å"Genocide negatively affects perpetrators by perpetuating distorted thinking about the self and others, including cognitions that dehumanize those who are targeted† (qtd. in â€Å"Resolution against Genocide†). Genocide causes millions of innocent individuals and families to be tortured and murdered in numerous inhumane ways. The violence that is used in genocide is caused by the false beliefs inside ones mind. Eugenics, socioeconomic statusesRead MoreEssay about Mother Knows Best: Termination of Pregnancy796 Words   |  4 Pagesplethora of reasons for the aborting of a child, including the multiple health risks, the incident of rape/incest, and the underdevelopment of the teenage bodies. Numerous people are uninformed about how unhealthy pregnancies are on women. There are an overabundance of health risks for pregnancies, including high blood pressure, heart disease, kidney problems, autoimmune disorders, infections, diabetes, cancer, and as well as miscarriages. These health risks can cause permanent damage to the mother

Cults free essay sample

A persons thoughts, behaviors and emotions will be manipulated once they have joined a cult; the dangers of cults have become severe over the past years and have caused thousands of deaths due to the influence of cults members and leaders. Cults are able to gain members, due the fact that people in actuality do not know it is a cult they are joining. After joining a cult, some people still do not even understand that they are actually in a cult. Cults are something a person may read about or see on W, but to have the actuality of knowing that a person has joined a group is shocking.It is meeting that an individual would think, that could not happen to them. Over the past decades there have been several horrific events that have caused deaths to hundreds of Americans. The causes of their deaths were the effects of their leaders, who the followers once trusted. In return Jones provided everything necessary to live, even budding nursing homes.Other church members that still worked outside of the church would immediately sign over paychecks to Jones and in return were given a $5 allowance and provided with the needed necessities. The Move In 1 973 an article was published further criticizing Jones actions after 8 members defected and the hunt for their Caribbean missionary post began. Ultimately Jones settled on 3800 acres of jungle in an area of northwestern Guyana. Jones felt Guyana with a government considering mostly black leaders in an area that was small and poor could be easily influenced which would provide him with protection. After 500 members constructed Jamestown a mass migration followed. Most of the members felt in the beginning Jamestown resembled paradise. Of course it wasnt. Once again rumors circulated about the abuse taking place t Jamestown. Capital punishment, children being kept in ply-wood boxes, upside down, and overnight in the torture hole, drugs like sodium pentathlon, vellum, and Demeter being used to control unruly members and possible defectors long-term, and armed guards patrolling the Jamestown boundaries day and night.The beginning of the end- White Nights Jones began taking drugs and preaching paranoid rambling sermons warning his members that agencies like the CIA were conspiring with capitalist pigs to destroy Jamestown and harm them. He started asking members to vote on 4 possible contingency plans 1 . Attempt to flee the Soviet Union 2. Revolutionary suicide 3. Stay and fight or 4. Flee into the jungle. At least twice during the white nights the members chose revolutionary suicide.After the stolen custody dispute in September of 1977 Jones began broadcasting his sermons over loudspeakers placed around the encampment reminding members to hold strong when the time came. One of the many things that stick out for me after watching the documentary is hearing the surviving members of Jamestown talking about is the sound of Jones voice being played 24/7. He even recorded tapes so that the eradication never ceased. Meanwhile a group of concerned family members began campaigning to the US Secretary of State and the Guyana government their concerns.Finally Leo Ryan who represented Californians 1 lath district announced he was planning a visit to Jamestown. Ryan and a group of 18 flew to Jamestown but were initially refused entry. On November 17th Jones succumbed to the pressure and gave Ryan a tour. During the tour a member slipped a note to the party asking for help. After the note and defector were brought to light several members spoke up and voiced their desire to leave as well. Jones roll was begging to crumble. By November 18 the number of defectors had grown so that an additional aircraft was needed.Amongst the group loading on the first plane was a member pretending to be a defector. Larry Layton boarded the plane, pulled a gun from his clothing and began firing. A person aboard the plane was able to disarm him. Within minutes the group standing on the tarmac (including Congressman Ryan) noticed a truck with a group of men pull up. The men jumped from the truck and walked circles around the plane constantly firing their weapons. Several were killed including Ryan who was shot 20 times. The beginning of a nightmare Back at the encampment Jones received and spread work of the Congressmans death.A meeting began which produced a 44 minute tape called the death tape. Before the meeting aides were instructed to prepare Flavor-Aid in a large bin and to lace the drink With cyanide, vellum and Phenomena. On the tape Jones can be heard telling his members die with some dignity and telling mothers not to make their children suffer, to release them and lay next to them with dignity. The 1st to take the poison was Roulette Paul and her 1 year old infant. They seed syringes with the needles removed to squirt the drink into their mouths.Jones himself however chose to die by a self-inflicted gun-shot to the temple. Jones and many of the members were found with handwritten notes next to them. In Jones note he instructed over million dollars be left to the communist party of the USSR. In conclusion Jones Was a very manipulative and evil man who somehow was able to control and destroy thousands of lives. The sheer scale of this even speaks volumes to just how dangerous and controlling cults can be. I cant help to wonder how this many people followed his lead that far, and hope to never find out.

Steinbeck Essays - American Literature, Literature, John Steinbeck

Steinbeck Well in this short report on John Steinbeck I am about to include all of the work that I have done in this class Including my full report on one of his books, a little background on Mr. Steinbeck and many other things, All out of the mind and the computer of Jeremy Slaven. An American author and winner of the 1962 Nobel Prize for literature, John Ernst Steinbeck, Jr., b. Salinas, Calif., Feb. 27, 1902, d. Dec. 20, 1968, based most of his novels on the American experience, often with sympathetic focus on the poor, the eccentric, or the dispossessed. Steinbeck grew up in Salinas Valley, a rich agricultural area of Monterey County and the setting of many of his works, where he learned firsthand of the difficulties of farm laborers. From 1919 to 1925 he studied intermittently at Stanford University but did not receive a degree. His early novels (Cup of Gold, 1929; The Pastures of Heaven, 1932; and To a God Unknown, 1933) aroused little public interest. The latter novel, however, a mystical story of self-sacrifice, is one of Steinbeck's strongest statements about the relationship between people and the land. Steinbeck turned to filmmaking after the film success of The Grapes of Wrath. He wrote impressive screenplays for the Mexican-based The Forgotten Village (1941) and Viva Zapata! (1952), as well as film scripts for his stories The Red Pony (1938) and The Pearl (1947). Another novel and play, The Moon Is Down (1942), about the German invasion of Norway, won critical praise. After World War II, in which he served as a war correspondent, Steinbeck wrote increasingly about social outcasts. Cannery Row (1945) relates the story of a group of vagabonds on the Monterey coast. The Wayward Bus (1947) presents a morality tale about characters who supposedly represent middle-class society. Burning Bright (1950) preached universal brotherhood but was largely unsuccessful. Steinbeck devoted several years to his most ambitious project, East of Eden (1952; film, 1955), which paralleled the history of his mother's family and was an allegorical modernization of the biblical story of Adam. Subsequent novels proved anticlimactic--Sweet Thursday (1954), a sentimental sequel to Cannery Row; The Short Reign of Pippin IV (1957), a burlesque; and The Winter of Our Discontent (1961), a moralistic tale about a decaying Long Island seaport. Steinbeck wrote popular sketches of his travels in Once There Was a War (1958), Travels with Charley (1962), and America and Americans (1966). He spent many of his later years writing a modern version of Thomas Malory's Morte Darthur, which was published, incomplete and posthumously, as The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights (1976). He has remained popular principally, however, for his compassionate portrayal of America's forgotten poor.(griolers) The works of Steinbeck The Grapes of Wrath (1939) by U.S. novelist John Steinbeck is one of the most powerful chronicles in American literature of the Depression of the 1930s. It deals with the Joads, a family that loses its farm through foreclosure and leaves the Oklahoma Dust Bowl for California in the hope of finding work. The eldest generation has the comfort of religion, the next one has a dogged perseverance, but the youngest has little to believe in. Embittered by the brutal exploitation of migrant workers, Tom, who had been jailed for murder and who later kills again, becomes a labor organizer. In this Pulitzer Prize-winning (1940) novel, Steinbeck alternates his narrative with serious discussion of the problems of migrant laborers.(Groliers) Of Mice and Men (1937; film, 1939), a short novel by John Steinbeck set in Salinas, Calif., has been called Steinbeck's most successful work. The novel deals with two migrant workers: Lennie, a physically powerful but mentally retarded giant, and George, his friend and protector. They share the dream of someday buying a farm together. The dream is shattered when Lennie accidentally kills the wife of a rich farmer and is then sought by a lynch mob. He and George tenderly recall their dream just before George shoots Lennie to save him from the crueler death he will inevitably face at the hands of the mob. The book established Steinbeck as a writer of distinction. It was made into a play shortly after publication. These are just a few of his most

Basic Elements of a Data Warehouse essay

Basic Elements of a Data Warehouse essay Basic Elements of a Data Warehouse essay Basic Elements of a Data Warehouse essayDate warehouses are defined as subject-oriented, integrated, time-variant collection of data in support of management decisions. Their architecture is based on relational database management system server functioning as central repository for information data. The central information repository is surrounded by different components designed to make the environment functional, accessible and manageable for both the operational systems and the end user query.Unlike database that is merely a collection of related data and database system, a data warehouse is a collection of large amounts of data from multiple sources and a supporting system optimized for access and designed to support efficient extraction, processing and presentation of data for different purposes. Thus, warehouses are able to store and manage large volumes of data for complex analysis. There are several key components of data warehousing. The first component is operational source systems that hold the transactional data and have little control over the format and content of the data and maintain little historical data. Another component is data staging area that stores data and encompasses a set of process between the operational source systems and the data presentation area. The process is generally called extract-transformation-load, the first step of which is extraction. It presupposes reading and understanding the source data and copying it into the staging area for further transformation. After cleansing the data and doing other relevant manipulations the quality assured data is loaded in a data warehouse. Another essential component of a data warehouse is data presentation area that is a set of integrated data marts. The data is selected according to the business needs, it is atomic, detailed and logically organized as well as finally made available for direct querying. Data marts are sets of summarized and aggregated data that take less time and are cheaper. One more component of a data warehouse is data access tools. All data access tools query the data in the data presentation area and are the software like Cognos 10 and Roambi. Depending on the purpose they can be either elementary or sophisticated. Tools may fall into the following categories: query and reporting tools, online analytical processing tools, application development tools and data mining tools. Every data warehouse has meta data that is used for its maintaining and managing, it helps users to understand content, find data and can be classified into technical meta data and business meta data. The former contains data about warehouse for designers and administrators, while the latter gives users easy access to information. In business data warehousing is used to support management decision making and provide efficient storage, functionality and responsiveness. Moreover, data warehouses are indispensible when an enterprise has to facilitate complex and frequent ad hoc queries, it provides effective query support, gives historical information for analysis, supplements disaster recovery plans etc.Data warehouses merge data from different sources into one database and analyze development over time, they perform integration of disparate data sources. Managers and executives no longer have to make decisions based on limited data. Warehousing offers considerable flexibility in operational systems and simplify the processes of data reporting and analysis. Thus, it improves the efficiency of decision-making. Presently warehousing is still expensive and only successful corporations implement it, however, if data warehouses are designed properly and function adequately, they give a company numerous benefits, generate higher amounts of revenue, provide considerable cost and time savings etc.

Discuss the view that understandings of politics are always based on conceptions of human nature.

Discuss the view that understandings of politics are always based on conceptions of human nature. Understandings of politics have been greatly affected by different conceptions and models of human nature. Examples can be found in political ideologies such as socialism, liberalism and anarchism. Therefore human nature as a debate for discussion is very important.In this essay I will discuss what conceptions of human nature there are and how significant they are in relation to our understandings of politics. I will focus mainly on political ideologies and their different ideas of human nature and behaviour. This is because almost all political doctrines and beliefs are based upon some kind of theory of human naturePolitics in simplistic terms is the relationship between the individual and society because it involves the interaction of human beings among each other. Human nature is what is innate, inborn and natural in human life as opposed to social experience and environment. This is where some divisions occur in conceptions of human nature.Herbert Spencer (27 April 1820 - 8 Decem ber 1903) ...The question arises whether or not human nature is shaped only by biology or society as well (i.e. external forces). There are those who believe that humans can behave in ways that deny or contradict their 'true natures' and those who don't. It is important to note that models of human nature are normative, i.e. assumptions that cannot be scientifically proven such as what is 'human essence.'An important debate about human nature is what makes human 'natural'. Is it given or fixed by birth (biologically and genetically determined) or is it influenced and structured by social experience (i.e. experience of the world and growing up within a social environment). This put simply, is an argument between nature and nurture.Those who advocate the nature argument claim all aspects of human nature can be explained by biology. Charles Darwin, the founder of the theory of evolution, wrote...

Offshoring Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Offshoring - Essay Example The work of Robert Reich focuses on different reasons of growing poor and rich discriminations in the US. This paper identifies various reasons and discuses their further reasons and consequences. It then tries to evaluate some policies which are needed to prevent the unexpected situation of income inequality. And the last paper, Roger LeRoy Miller, Daniel K. Benjamin and Douglass Cecil Northfocuses on the various facts and figures of prevalence of poverty in the US and suggests several policies which are needed to be implemented by the government to restrict the situation. The problem of low income and income inequality mainly arises from offshoring and calls for appropriate policies from the side of the government Blinder: The main purpose of his work is to relate the concept of offshoring with the US labor market and to understand its problems and possible solutions and effects. The key question of this paper is how to prepare the future labor force of US in the face of rapid offs horing of US companies. Over the last few years the demand for labour has shifted from technologically low skilled, less educated people to high skilled and well educated people. This led to income inequalities in the US.Hence, policies were needed to be applied. In the 1990s, the United State Congress has used the policy of raising the minimum wage and has increased the Earned Income Tax Credit (Blinder, 2009, p. 9). With the combination of the tight labour market, these policies have raised disposable income of the average workers and have improved their living conditions. But the basic assumption behind this success was that there was not any labour migration during this time of policy evaluation. The major future challenge for the US is â€Å"offshoring†. In the US, service sector offshoring has not been that much significantly higher; only 1% of the total services jobs have been offshored so far (Blinder, 2009, p. 10). There can be three basic reasons for more increment in the offshoring of services jobs. First, there are more absolute numbers of services jobs compared to that of manufacturing jobs. Second, technological advancements are more related with the growth of services jobs. Hence, recent developments in technologies have caused this difference in the growth paths. And finally, the labor market of India and China are more consistent with the technologies related to services jobs.The author has distinguished between two types of facts that are responsible for offshoring – personal and impersonal reasons. This is the most important information that the author has pointed out and this is the key idea of the whole paper. In this context the author suggested few points that are needed to be considered while preparing the future labor force of the US- putting more emphasis on education of children, focusing on one link (like technology) at a time and differentiating between novel differences with the traditional differences in jobs.One of the possible implications of these policies is that there would be huge income differences, not in terms of educational level, but also in terms of the skills that workers have. But in the future education will not become constrained. For public jobs, increases in the salary scales can work well in this regard. Again, some o the jobs are lacking proper training

System proposal assingment 3 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

System proposal assingment 3 - Assignment Example diagrams. The current Unirec system is a manual system where forms are given to customers to fill their health records and registration forms. Working hours for trainers are manually recorded, the same way as payments. The fittness protocols are written on a paper and the company does not keep personal records of customers. All these are problems which can be captured by the new system that is to be implemented. The new system will do away with unnecessary and excess paper work. It will also give room for expansion by accommodating more data that does not require much physical space for storage. The logical data flow diagrams of the current and new system are shown below An alternative system to this one would be a UniRec fitness management system that has a website where gym information is always available for everyone and people can register for membership online. Members would be able to access the gym staff from wherever they are saving on time and reducing chances of overcrowding and queues at the gym location. Another alternative system would be a gym management system that provides online gym sessions through YouTube videos. These videos are made by the gym instructors and people pay to access the videos remotely. The payments and membership registration details could be stored on a physical or virtual server. In both systems, customers would upload their medical records online, the records get approved by fitness consultants, then the client gets a go-ahead to sign up for training sessions. No paper work would be needed whatsoever. The customers, consultants, fitness trainers and the manager would each have their accounts from which they all see data that is relevant to them. The manager would however be able to see all the data in the system by simply querying the database. The database could be stored in a computer in the gym or on a virtual server over the internet, from which storage space is paid for. The new system will

Marginalization and humiliations Essay Example for Free

Marginalization and humiliations Essay When a group of [people are marginalied, they come together to agitate for their rights. If they are not recognized they turn to violent means to pass their message and also aim at punishing their oppressors. This is exactly the situation in Palestine where suicide bombings has almost become the order of the day as Palestinians advance their cause for the sake of their freedom. In his article titled Understanding Palestinian Terror, Dr. Eyad Sarraj (2002) explains why Palestinians have become suicide bombers. He calls this an uprising against numerous injustices that have been committed against his community. He takes us through a history of injustices starting from the occupation of their territory by Israel. Eyad believes it is out of absolute despair with the authorities that the Palestinians have turned to the violence as a means of getting what they believe is rightfully theirs. He points out that the Palestinians have over and over tried all the means even making resolutions which have not been honored. (Barlow, H 2007) One such resolution is the so called Resolution 194 where Israel was supposed to allow them back to their homeland, but this did not happen. As a result the Palestinians have been refugees on the land which they strongly believe belongs to them. (Saaraj, E 2002) The Palestinians believe they are fighting a noble cause, getting what belongs to them and also as a form of protest for the atrocities that have been meted on them, it is purely a freedom struggle. Their humiliation and marginalization has been motivation for their agitation for freedom. This type of oppression explains their anger against their perpetrators of this torture. They are very bitter that their land was taken and given to foreigners making them stateless. He rhetorically asks whether anyone knows what it feels and means to be under the Israel occupation. It is a very humiliating experience where one ceases to be a human being. One is given a number and every now and then he or she is subjected to a very dehumanizing search by the Israel forces. Belonging to any political organization calls for a sentence that is so harsh. Palestinians are enslaved in their own country making them yearn for revenge. Most of them are in a desperate situation and are willing to go to any length to revenge and also cause suffering to their oppressers. When Hezbollah and Hams groups come calling for the recruits the have people who are already willing o take the chance to fulfilling their passion. . (Saaraj, E 2002) According to Dr. Eyad Sarraj, the key motivator for the Palestinians to suicide bombing is the urge to be free and also see their oppressors suffer as they have subjected them to the years of misery. They have suffered for long under Israel occupation where no one has been spared. Their enslavement has bred so much hatred towards their enemy whom they believe deserves death and destruction. Children has seen it all as their fathers are publicly humiliated by the Israel forces, this only adds more anger to the minds of the young people who are the easy recruits to the movements and carry out most of the suicide bombings. (Saaraj, E 2002) ` Signing of the treaty by Arafat in Washington as Eyad puts it was meant to bring hope in this land, something that did not happen. He points out that all these humiliation and torture has turned Palestinians to apply the most unimagined ways to fight for their right. He adds that these people are not suffering from any psychological disorders which can make them suicidal but rather draw their inspirations from their strong will to be free and enjoy their freedom like anybody else. Through this they are able to avenge the occupation, loss of freedom and oppression. They have gone through all this misery in their whole lives and they can not take it any more. They have lost hope that any peaceful and meaningful settlement will be reached any sooner and the quickly they drive their enemies to the wall the better. They are determined to pay any prize to see to it that those who have killed their families, tortured their people are destroyed and brought to the justice by their own definition. . (Saaraj, E 2002) Nationalism and loyalty Pape believes that ninety five percent of all the suicide attacks that have been carried out in the world are not religiously motivated rather there are other reason behind them. Most of the attacks are to force the modern democracies, United States included to withdraw their forces from the territories they occupy. . (Pape, R 2005), One of these territories is the Arab world where the united states have occupied Iraq; this has led to Al Qaeda to lead a series of attacks to force them to withdraw. Pape points out that this organization central mission is to draw all the western forces from the region they claim to be Islam dominated. He argues that the attacks which were carried out in Madrid and London were not driven by the Islamic fundamentalist hate on Western countries. Though the type of literature coming from the radical Islamist group may suggest that the attacks were religiously motivated Pape tends to disagree quoting the research he has carried out on several suicide bombing over a long period of time. . (Pape, R 2005), Robert Pape has some evidence, he quoting a report released by the British Home Office . In this study, which was carried out in 2004; attitudes of the Muslim were the main area covered. It was found out that there were about two million Muslim in Britain. It was found out that about thirteen per cent of these Muslims inn Britain strongly believed that suicide bombings targeting the western powers and in particular Britain were justified. They are strongly against the presence of British forces in Middle East and the policies propagated by the western powers towards this region are not warranted. Pape observes that military policies against the Arab world are the main triggers of the hate many have against the western countries. . (Pape, R 2005), A Tamil tiger is another example that Pape has used to show that suicide bombers derive their motivation in the quest for freedom. It pure nationalist ideas that have lead these people to believe in their cause and will to go to any point to make sure they force the occupying forces out of the territory which they believe is their own. The Tamil Tiger rebel group has for along time been fighting for their freedom. They want an establishment of state which is separate from Srilanka. They have fought this war delligently; they may not have the mighty weapon which their enemies have at disposal but they believe their biggest asset is the devotion of their fighters to sacrifice their all for their freedom. ( Pape, R 2005),

Adult Learning in Cohort Groups :: Adult Education Cohorts Essays

Adult Learning in Cohort Groups [According to a cohort participant,] cohorts are created not born. They are successful when everyone works collaboratively and collectively on improving their own and others' learning experiences. It takes self-responsibility, patience, courage, humor, commitment, sensitivity, and a lot of hard work to create such an enriching learning experience for everybody. (Nesbit 2001, p. 3) Learning in groups has historical roots in adult education and many adult educators use group learning as an element of their programs (ibid.). Recently, a form of group learning—cohorts—has emerged as an attractive option for administrators, instructors, and participants alike (Fahy 2002). Cohorts are usually defined as groups of students who enroll at the same time and go through a program by taking the same courses at the same time, a process that is sometimes referred to as lock step (e.g., Chairs et al. 2002; Reynolds and Hebert 1998). A cohort is much more than a structure, however (Norris and Barnett 1994). It is "a tight-knit, reliable, common-purpose group" (Drago-Severson et al. 2001, p. 15) that has foundations in group dynamics, adult development, and adult learning theory (ibid.; Nesbit 2001; Norris and Barnett 1994). This Brief highlights findings from research and theory on adult learning cohorts to examine how cohorts are structured or formed and the exp erience of the learning process within cohorts. Recommendations for practice are provided. Forming and Structuring Cohorts A cohort is more than an administrative arrangement. In fact, "to view the [cohort] structure merely as a method of course delivery, a vehicle for socialization, a convenient scheduling design, or as an upbeat, fashionable 'in' approach is to do cohort structure an injustice" (Norris and Barnett 1994, p. 34). Cohorts must be purposefully formed and structured if they are to succeed as environments that foster learning and development. Both individual and group development are important aspects of cohorts (Chairs et al. 2002; Lawrence 1997; Norris and Barnett 1994). Cohort structure should support the personal development of its members within a collaborative, cohesive group environment. Research on cohorts (e.g., Brooks 1998; Chairs et al. 2002; Lawrence 1997; Maher 2001; Norris and Barnett 1994) reveals that successful cohorts balance the needs of the group with those of the individual members by fostering a sense of belonging, creating an environment in which mutual respect flourishes, supporting risk taking, providing a place for critical reflection and the development of shared understanding, and encouraging and sustaining multiple perspectives. Adult Learning in Cohort Groups :: Adult Education Cohorts Essays Adult Learning in Cohort Groups [According to a cohort participant,] cohorts are created not born. They are successful when everyone works collaboratively and collectively on improving their own and others' learning experiences. It takes self-responsibility, patience, courage, humor, commitment, sensitivity, and a lot of hard work to create such an enriching learning experience for everybody. (Nesbit 2001, p. 3) Learning in groups has historical roots in adult education and many adult educators use group learning as an element of their programs (ibid.). Recently, a form of group learning—cohorts—has emerged as an attractive option for administrators, instructors, and participants alike (Fahy 2002). Cohorts are usually defined as groups of students who enroll at the same time and go through a program by taking the same courses at the same time, a process that is sometimes referred to as lock step (e.g., Chairs et al. 2002; Reynolds and Hebert 1998). A cohort is much more than a structure, however (Norris and Barnett 1994). It is "a tight-knit, reliable, common-purpose group" (Drago-Severson et al. 2001, p. 15) that has foundations in group dynamics, adult development, and adult learning theory (ibid.; Nesbit 2001; Norris and Barnett 1994). This Brief highlights findings from research and theory on adult learning cohorts to examine how cohorts are structured or formed and the exp erience of the learning process within cohorts. Recommendations for practice are provided. Forming and Structuring Cohorts A cohort is more than an administrative arrangement. In fact, "to view the [cohort] structure merely as a method of course delivery, a vehicle for socialization, a convenient scheduling design, or as an upbeat, fashionable 'in' approach is to do cohort structure an injustice" (Norris and Barnett 1994, p. 34). Cohorts must be purposefully formed and structured if they are to succeed as environments that foster learning and development. Both individual and group development are important aspects of cohorts (Chairs et al. 2002; Lawrence 1997; Norris and Barnett 1994). Cohort structure should support the personal development of its members within a collaborative, cohesive group environment. Research on cohorts (e.g., Brooks 1998; Chairs et al. 2002; Lawrence 1997; Maher 2001; Norris and Barnett 1994) reveals that successful cohorts balance the needs of the group with those of the individual members by fostering a sense of belonging, creating an environment in which mutual respect flourishes, supporting risk taking, providing a place for critical reflection and the development of shared understanding, and encouraging and sustaining multiple perspectives.

Recognise and Immediate Action to Deal with Any Bullying, Harassment or Oppressive Behaviour According to Thepolicies and Procedures of the Setting

Unit 334 Support Children and Young People’s Health and Safety Task 2 After looking at my schools health and safety policy the school makes reference’s to current legislation and complies with Leicester city council legislation. To show that we understand the health and safety policy and that we will comply with it we have to sign a document. So if we use a chair instead of a ladder to put up a display and fall off the chair and hurt yourself you can’t sue the school or HCC. Task 3 Case Study 1 This would be a good place to visit as some of the children have never been but there are concerns about health and safety and the risk of being in a big open space but to minimise the risk a risk assessment will be done. This will identify the hazards and the control measures to reduce the risk. You would discuss this as a year group to ensure that all staff understand their roles on the trip. A letter will be sent home with the children in your year group to get parental consent if the school doesn’t have a parent signature the child will not be allowed to go on the trip. This letter also has all the information the parents will need to know like places they will be visiting e. g. a museum, butterfly gardens. Also in the letter it will have information such as 1. date the trip will take place 2. What clothing and shoes the children will need to wear. 3. Arrangement for packed lunch and free school meals and what drinks are suitable to take 4. The cost of the trip if any 5. When the trip will return back to school. They will be a slip at the bottom of the letter to return back to the school. For all staff and governors going on the trip they will be given a timetable with what will be happen during the day at set times and where to meet. This will also have the focus of the day. There will be a group list with the timetable which has the name of all staff that are going on the trip and the children they will be looking after and any one on one requirement’s. In the school office there are two lists, one which has all staff and governors going on the trip, there contact details, there emergency contact details, and the other list has all the children going on the trip and there emergency contact details. The school uses a ratio of 1:6 in years 1 &2 and a ratio of 1. 4 in year R against the national recommendation of 1. 8 for an infant school on a trip. All children are given name tags to wear with the schools details just in case they get lost or separated from their group with their names are facing down. Before going on the trip the children are talk to about stranger danger this not done intrusive with the children there are told never to lose sight the adult in there group so their will not need to talk to strangers when on the trip. This is done couple of times during the week as a class and in small groups. Case study 2 Amiria should say to the group of children let’s let the men get on with their work and engage them in an activity away from the fence, if there is enough space, if not she should take them inside. Because she doesn’t know if the men are CRB checked and following the schools child protection policy. Within my work place I support a child with physical needs so I have to be aware of where he is and what he is doing and point out potential risks to make him aware, such as walking across a classroom with toys in his path. In this case I stopped him and asked why that route was not a safe way to walk, I then discussed what could happen and together we chose a safer way to cross the room.

Pros & Cons of Legalizing Marijuana

Pros & Cons of Legalizing Marijuana From Deborah White, former About. com Guide See More About:marijuanaobama policiescivil liberties Photo: John Moore/Getty Images Ads The Arcadia Spine Center www. TheArcadiaSpineCenter. com Specializing in holistic treatment for neck pain, and low back pain Alcohol Abuse Solutions www. AskListenLearn. com Take The Pledge & Say No To Alcohol We'll Help You Achieve Your Goals. Is He Cheating On You? Spokeo. com/Cheating-Spouse-Search 1) Enter His E-Mail Address 2) See Hidden Pics & Social Profiles Now!More US Liberal Politics Ads Marijuana Juvenile Crime Statistics Cons Politics Weed Ads Find a Lawyer – Free www. LegalMatch. com Free, Confidential Lawyer Locator. Save Time – Describe Your Case Now! Free teeth whitening www. arcadiamaindental. com Cosmetic & Family Dentist Arcadia Please call or email for details (Continued from Page 1) Pros (See page one of this article for current developments and milestones in U. S. marijuana history. ) Primary reasons in support of legalizing marijuana are: Social ReasonsProhibition of marijuana is unwarranted government intrusion into individual freedom of choice. Marijuana is no more harmful to a person's health than alcohol or tobacco, which are both legal and widely used, and regulated by the U. S. Food & Drug Administration. Marijuana has proven medical benefits for cancer, AIDS, glaucoma and other patients. Crime and violence, both within the U. S. and at the U. S. -Mexico border, are greatly increased due to illegal selling and buying of marijuana. Legalization would logically end the need for such criminal behavior.Law Enforcement Reasons â€Å"National statistics show 872,000 arrests last year related to marijuana, 775,000 of them for possession, not sale or manufacturing – sparking some critics to suggest that the resources of the criminal justice system, including the crowded state prisons and courts, might be better used elsewhere,† per the San Francis co Chronicle in 2009. Drug busts of youth for marijuana offenses often carry harsh penalties that can cause undue social harm with lifelong consequences. Fiscal Reasons Marijuana is one of America's top-selling agricultural products.One California politician estimates that marijuana sales in his state top $14 billion annually. New tax revenues from legalized marijuana sales could exceed $1 billion just for California. This rich new source of tax revenues nationwide would help lift the U. S. economy out of its worst recession in decades. â€Å"†¦ mainstream pundits like Fox News' Glenn Beck and CNN's Jack Cafferty have publicly questioned the billions spent each year fighting the endless war against drugs,† per the San Francisco Chronicle in 2009.If marijuana was legalized and regulated, an estimated $8 billion would be saved annually in government spending on enforcement, including for the FBI and U. S. -Mexico border security. Cons Primary reasons against legalizing mar ijuana are: Social Reasons Some Americans believe that marijuana ingestion is immoral, and that their moral standards should be required of all Americans. Long-term or abusive use of marijuana can be harmful to a person's health and well-being. Second-hand smoke from marijuana can be harmful to others. Many allege that regular marijuana use can lead to use of harder, more harmful drugs such as heroin and cocaine.Law Enforcement Reasons Some opponents of legalizing marijuana believe that individuals involved in illegal buying and selling of the drug are more likely than average to be involved in other crimes, and that society is safer with marijuana offenders incarcerated. Law enforcement agencies don't want to be construed as supporting drug use. There are no signficant fiscal reasons against U. S. legalization of marijuana. Where It Stands On June 23, 2011, a federal bill to fully legalize marijuana was introduced in the House by Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) and Rep.Barney Frank (D-MA. ) T he bill would remove marijuana from controlled substance classification. Commented Congressman Frank to the Christian Science Monitor, â€Å"Criminally prosecuting adults for making the choice to smoke marijuana is a waste of law enforcement resources and an intrusion on personal freedom. I do not advocate urging people to smoke marijuana, neither do I urge them to drink alcoholic beverages or smoke tobacco, but in none of these cases do I think prohibition enforced by criminal sanctions is good public policy. â€Å"In November 2010, Californians will vote via state referendum whether or not â€Å"Californians over age 21 would be able to possess up to one ounce of marijuana, and grow their own plants on a plot up to 5 feet by 5 feet large. † Additionally, Washington, New Hampshire and Massachusetts state legislatures are slated to vote on marijuana legalization bills in 2010. And more than 20 other states are considering bills to otherwise loosen criminalization of marijua na use and possession. Will President Obama Move to Legalize Medical Marijuana?Esquire magazine reported in December 2008, after Obama's election but before his inauguration, â€Å"Turns out, with several drug-war veterans close to the president-elect's ear, insiders think reform could come in Obama's second term — or sooner. † Certainly, Obama may move to decriminalize marijuana for medical reasons. The San Francisco Chronicle reported in February 2009: â€Å"During one campaign appearance, Obama recalled that his mother had died of cancer and said he saw no difference between doctor-prescribed morphine and marijuana as pain relievers.He told an interviewer in March that it was ‘entirely appropriate' for a state to legalize the medical use of marijuana ‘with the same controls as other drugs prescribed by doctors. ‘† States Could Be Given Jurisdiction Over Marijuana If President Obama does move to support decriminalization of marijuana, look fo r him to do so by granting states the jurisdiction to decide this issue, just as states decide marriage laws for their

Call Center Relocation

Call Center Relocation Introduction It is true that call centers are increasingly becoming important in the current market where brick-and-motar stores are losing their popularity to online stores. For Sekoorb Insurance, it is understandable how important it is to have an efficient workstation that has the capacity of meeting the market demands.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Call Center Relocation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The decision to relocate the call centre from the town centre office to the newly rented out of town office accommodation is a brilliant idea that would not only increase the productivity of the workforce, but also make it easier for the relevant stakeholders to make a visit to the premises of this firm by avoiding the hustle and bustle of the city centre (Charantimanth 2003, p. 89). However, this should be done efficiently and at a lower cost. The ultimate aim of this firm is to ensure that the relocation is d one efficiently, and at a minimum cost possible. The negotiation done by Ron Black with a professional relocation company to cut down the cost from  £325 per head relocated to  £25,000 was very brilliant (Blell 2011, p. 112). However, I believe that we can cut down the cost further by about half this figure if we were to use internal labour to undertake this duty. I believe that relocating the call centre can be done by using internal labour and internal equipments within this firm. I also believe that the current labour, including the technicians, have the capacity to undertake this activity within the weekends and deliver success as would be expected. It is important to note that although the main reason why I propose the use of internal labour is because of the lower costs involved, it is also a fact that internal labour will deliver a better work because this is their facility, and they will feel responsible for every action they take in this process (Kanji 2005, p. 90). The y will therefore, make an attempt to deliver quality result for the tasks assigned to them. The Preparations After comparing the costs associated with the relocation of the call center, I believe that the most efficient and cost effective way of conducting this relocation would be to use the internal labor. Given that the work will be undertaken over the weekend, it is very easy to mobilize this workforce to undertake the activities within these two days in order to ensure that the relocation is complete by Sunday evening ready for use the following day in the morning. The preparations should start as early as possible in order to have everything planned for the weekend. Given the fact that the top management is fully aware and has approved this relocation, the main preparations will involve identifying the right workforce that will be involved in undertaking various activities, the equipment that would be needed, and a program on how each task should be undertaken within the firm.A dvertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In managing this project, the following are some of the preparations I will make in order to ensure that everything works as per the plan.  Information is very important within an organization, irrespective of the position held within an organization (Chandra 2009, p. 89). It makes an employee feel that he or she is of value within the firm. For this reason, I will make a communication to all the relevant offices and staff members informing them of the intended relocation. This communication is not only meant to inform members of this firm of the intended relocation, but also to prepare them for the planned activities that are to be undertaken because they will be part of the relocation (Dressel 2001, p. 71). The communication will be made on Monday morning within the week of relocation. On Tuesday, the main activity will be ident ifying the relevant workforce that would be involved in carrying out various activities on the material day. Eric, the Head House Administrator will play a significant role at this stage. This is because he is the head of the workforce that would be involved in this activity, and that he has experience in supervising a similar activity (Eunson 2012, p. 56). Working closely with Eric, we will identify the relevant workforce that would be needed to undertake various tasks within this project. Eric and I will view all the equipments that would need to be relocated after which, we will be in a position to determine the exact number of employees that would be needed for this task. By Tuesday evening, the names of all the needed workers will be ready. The names will be printed the same day ready for use from Wednesday till Sunday. On Wednesday morning, the entire identified workforce will be informed of the intended work over the weekend and there would be a meeting with them at ten in th e morning the same day. The majority will be those who have been involved in the previous relocations. In this team will also be Ian, the IT technician who will be responsible for reconnecting the computer and telephone equipment. In this session, the employees would be given opportunity to share their experience about the previous relocation and how best they think this work can be more successful this time round. Ian, and any other worker who is part of this project, will be expected to identify all the equipment relevant to his or her task in the project. They will be given the entire afternoon of this day to make this possible.  On Wednesday, all the project members will meet in the morning to discuss on the equipment that would be needed for the project. Every project member will inspect the equipment that would be needed on the material day to confirm that they are in the right condition.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Call Center Relocation speci fically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More On this day, any particular equipment that needs repair will be serviced in order to ensure that they are ready for the task ahead. Eric and I will select team leaders among the project members who will guide other project members in various sections of this project. Ian will be among this group. The group will visit the new premises in order to assess the location and try to figure out how the current call center at the town office will fit into these new premises. A photo of this new premise will be taken.  On Friday, a series of activities will be taken. The first thing in the morning, all the employees working in the play station will be reminded of the intended relocation to a new premise over the weekend. They will be advised to carry home all the personal items they considered very valuable in the evening of the same day (Cheldelin 2008, p. 20). They will also be expected to lock their desk pedestals and take the key home for the purpose of ensuring that the items will remain intact during the process of relocation. All the project members will be grouped according to the tasks to be taken on the two days, and each team will be headed by the team leader. It is on this day that the plan for the new premise will be made. Eric and I will take into consideration the need to ensure that the process is as seamless as possible as is desired by the director of this department. In order to achieve this, a photo of the current call center will be taken while the officers are at work in order to have a clear image of how to fit the systems into the new office. At lunch time, all the call center officers will be requested to vacate their workstations for about five minutes. Another photo of this station will be taken to enhance the planning (Chary 2009, p. 72). This will also help in ensuring that after relocation, the station will be left intact and ready to be used by other officers by Monday morning the following week. In the evening, the entire team will be addressed by Ron Black. It is during this time that Ron will be informed of the planned activities for the following day. The Activities Involved in the Project Timing the Activities The activities in this project are planned to start on Saturday at noon. This is because of a number of reasons. The first reason is the constraint put by Ron, the director of this unit, that the activities cannot be started in the morning based on company policies. The second reason is that traffic movement in the morning hours of Saturdays is always slow. Starting work in the morning would increase the total time spent in undertaking these activities while our intention is to reduce the time. Lastly, upon sharing with Eric on his experience during the last relocation, he informed me that they spent a lot of time on traffic because they started the work in the morning. As a result of this, the employees got tired even before undertaki ng all the duties expected of them.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More On Saturday, the work shall begin at 12.00 and is expected to end at 18.00 hours. On Sunday, the activities shall commence at 8.00 and end at 18.00 in the evening. This breakdown of the work to be carried out is shown in the appendix. Although the official ending time is planned as 18.00 hours, the project plans show that the work may be completed as early as 14.00 hours. The four extra hours might be needed by only a single worker, the IT specialist. Eric and I may spend an extra hour after 14.00 hours inspecting both the call center office at the new premise, and the office at the town center if they meet the expectations of the project. The Activities All the project members are expected to be at their expected work locations by 12.00. The project members will be in three groups as was planned initially. The first group will be the packing team which will make the majority. The second group will be the transport team, and the last group will be the IT connection group. On Saturda y noon when the project commences, the IT officers will help with the relevant disconnections of the telephones and computers. They will witness how these items are packed so that they will have easier time at the new premise when they will be conducting the reconnection (Andrzej Buchaman 2007, p. 62). Their day will then come to an end as they will be expected to report the following day by 10.00. The group responsible for unpacking and packing the equipments would start by moving all the computers and telephone kits into the first van. When all these equipments are safely packed into the first van, the team will come for the desk pedals. I chose to move the entire desk pedestals from the old furniture to the new ones at the new locations, and fit the new pedestals into the old furniture because of two reasons. The first reason was that this would ensure that the contents of desk drawers of the staff would remain intact and safe. The second reason is because the furniture is stand ardized and changing the pedestals would be very possible. Every activity would be done within a specified timeframe, as stated in the appendix, and for this reason, all the project members will be warned against taking this project as a jolly overtime task that can be conducted at their own pace as they previously did in the last relocation that took place in this firm. After packing all the pedestals into the second van, they will be transported to the new premises. The transport officers will then pack the vans ready for unpacking by the second group. The time that the van is expected to take to the new location is also shown in the appendix. Upon arrival at the new office premises, the packing team will remove the items from the two vans to the new office. When all the items are unloaded from the vans, the transport officers will retire and resume work the following day at ten. Given the time constrain, it is only the desk pedestals that would be fitted. All the activities of th e day will come to a close immediately the pedestals are fitted and the new pedestals are packed ready to be transported to the town offices the following day. On Sunday morning, all the project members, except the transport officers, will report to work by 8.00 in the morning. With the directions from the IT officers, the packing officers will arrange all the computers and telephone kits into the cells ready for connection. The timing for this activity is shown in the appendix. When they complete this task, they will move all the new pedestals into the van ready to be transported to the town premises. Ian will be left in this new office to undertake the connection process. The other members will use the second van (others may use the space that will remain in the first van because the pedestals may not use the entire space) and we will go back to the town offices. Upon arrival, the work of transport officers will come to an end immediately. The pedestals will be moved using the lif ts to the second floor of the building. The new pedestals will then be fitted into the old furniture at the town office, a process that is expected to take under half an hour. The town office will be ready for use by the new occupants after some cleaning (which is not under the jurisdiction of this project). When this task is completed, the group shall have completed their task and they would leave for their private activities. According to the estimations, this will be done by 12.00 on Sunday. Eric and I will then move to the new premise to inspect the work done by Ian. It is expected that by 14.00, Ian should have completed his task of reconnection. The four hour allowance would be given to him only when it is confirmed that it is very necessary. Otherwise, everything will be complete and ready for use by 14.00 at a cost half than which would have been charged by the professional replicators. References Andrzej, A Buchaman, A 2007, Organizational Behavior, Prentice Hall, London. Blell, D 2011, Emotional intelligence: For the authentic and diverse workplace, Iuniverse Inc, New York. Chandra, P 2009, Projects Planning, Analysis, Selection, Financing, Implementation, and Review, Tata McGraw Hill, New Delhi. Charantimanth, P 2003, Total Quality Management, The Free Press, New York. Chary, S 2009, Production and Operation management, Gale Research, Detroit. Cheldelin, S 2008, Conflict: From analysis to intervention, Continuum, New York. Dressel, K 2001, Systemic Risk: A New Challenge for Risk Management, OCED, London. Eunson, B 2012, Conflict Management, John Wiley Sons, Hoboken. Kanji, G 2005, Total Quality Management: Proceedings of the First World Congress, John Wiley and Sons, New York. Appendix

CHAVARRIA Surname Meaning and Family History

CHAVARRIA Surname Meaning and Family History The Chavarria surname means new house, originating as a common variation of the surname Echevarria (Basque Extebarria), derived from the elements  exte, meaning house and  barria, meaning new. Its origins are rooted in the Northern Basque region. Alternate Surname Spellings:  ECHAVARRIA, CHAVARRI, CHAVARIA, ECHAVARIA, CHAVARRA, ECHEBERRIA, ECHEBARRIA, ETCHEVERRI, DETCHEVERRY, ECHEBARRI Surname Origin:  Basque, Spanish, French Famous People With the CHAVARRIA  Surname Daniel Chavarrà ­a  - Uruguay-born revolutionary and writer living in CubaJorge Rossi Chavarrà ­a - Costa Rican politician Where Is the CHAVARRIA Surname Most Common? According to surname distribution from  Forebears, Chavarria is the 2,959th most common name in the world- found most prevalently in Mexico. It is most common, however, in countries such as Nicaragua (ranked 27th) and Costa Rica (ranked 35th). Within the United States, the Chavarria surname is most common in states with a large Spanish-speaking population, including New Mexico, Texas, California and Florida. Surname maps from the Instituto Nacional de Estadestica (Spanish Statistics Office) indicate that the Chavarria surname is most frequently found in northeastern Spain, used most frequently by individuals born in the province of Tarragona, followed by Cuenca, Huesca, Teruel and Zaragoza. Genealogy Resources for the Surname CHAVARRIA GenForum: Chavarria: This free genealogy forum includes posts from individuals researching their Chavarria ancestors around the world. Search or browse the archives for posts about your Chavarria ancestors, or join and post your own Chavarria query.FamilySearch - CHAVARRIA Genealogy: Explore over 524,000 results from digitized  historical records and lineage-linked family trees related to the Chavarria surname on this free website hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.GeneaNet - Chavarria  Records: GeneaNet includes archival records, family trees, and other resources for individuals with the Chavarria  surname, with a concentration on records and families from France and other European countries. Resources and Further Reading Cottle, Basil.  Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967.Dorward, David.  Scottish Surnames. Collins Celtic (Pocket edition), 1998.Fucilla, Joseph.  Our Italian Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003.Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges.  A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989.Hanks, Patrick.  Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003.Reaney, P.H.  A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1997.Smith, Elsdon C.  American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.

Organization Strategies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Organization Strategies - Essay Example Key environmental factors are predicted and their influence on the organization looked at and then optimum measures are taken so the organization can benefit from these environmental factors (Mintzberg 1976). Strategy looks at long-term direction and guides short term plans. It is understood at the top and middle levels of the organization. A strategy is as such clear that there is no way delicate. The results are defined; this is involved with the translation of strategies in to realities of the organizational structure, operations, policies and products. This in essence closes the gap between the companies' current position and where it would like to be. At last significant matters are identified and prioritized. Outcomes are positive statements of the changes the company needs to make to it and the results that it must carry out in its environment to fulfill strategic requirements. Outcomes are the steps for an organization towards strategic closure. Organization strategic plans are in general prepared of many interconnected elements; Vision, mission, Values, assessment, goals/objectives, strategy and outcomes. They have also major role in integration of strategic management principles and models. A feasible example of a strategic plan follows: The Vision gives a proposal about the objectives of the organization and broadly capture future services, markets and structures but do not go in to great detail. The Mission statement delineates customers, competitors and markets. It demonstrate a preferred location in a predicted future world" and a "bulls eye or target of the strategy."A mission should not consign a firm to what it must do in order to survive but what it chooses to do in order to thrive. Values are what the company believes to be true; values offer guides for staff on how to act within the company and ethical standards for all the stakeholders. Values set the company independently from its competitors and show the reliability of the organization. Measurements of the organization are the external and the internal forces, which will affect the company in making its mission and vision successful. These can be carried out in an environmental scan, which includes the following components; 1. Internal analysis of the firm 2. Analysis of the firm's industry (task environment) External macro environment (PEST analysis) A SWOT (Strengths/Weaknesses/ Opportunities/Threats) task can also capture the overviews of a business. Outside factors can vary from economic condition to changing technology and competition and are shown as threats and weaknesses. Inside factors can be anything which may belong from assets to liabilities and are usually shown as threats and weaknesses. Then the transition to the future is assessed with regard to industry and competitive environment, general and organization specific environment. PEST stands for political, economic, environmental and technological. The PEST analysis and explain the components of a macro environment within the organization and these can also be converted to fir in with a SWOT analysis. To create competitive advantage for an organization, it is identified that there are three strategies, Cost Leadership, Differentiation and Focus. The suitable standard strategy will make location of the firm to leverage its strengths and defend against the adverse effects of the five forces (Porter 1980). Cost Leadership comprehends

Gaps in Talent Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Gaps in Talent - Assignment Example Two of these include the use of skills testing or audit and training and development. Skills audit or testing basically involves the act of engaging employees in an organized formal test that mostly comes in a pencil and paper format. This is done to test the cognitive abilities of the workers in specific areas of the work that they are supposed to do. Basing on the outcome of such skills audit or test, it is possible to identify major gaps as represented by areas where employees scored lowest marks. With the gaps known, the right steps in terms of filling them through recruitment is then taken. Training and development has also been noted to be a highly preferred technique of identifying gaps in talent when the ambition of the manager is to double the effort of identifying the gaps with the development of lapses (Davenport, Harris & Shapiro, 2010). This is because training and development is used with the original intention of equipping the existing skills and talents of employees. However whiles doing this, it could be seen that there are employees who constantly fail to adapt to specific concepts of human capital development or training. Once such areas of deficiencies are identified, they can be itemized as part of the core gaps in talent that need to be replaced with more suitable candidates. In recent times, another technique that has been used independent of the first two discussed is multisource assessment. This is done by combining the ratings received from supervisors, peers and employees to find areas of strengths and weaknesses associated with the overall output of work and delivery of specific employees. Once this is used, it is aimed at receiving variety of opinions and ideas about a specific aspect of the human resource so as to know if there are gaps in these areas (Silzer & Dowell, 2010). The use of multisource assessment when compared to the first two techniques reveals different lines of strengths or merits. As far as the multisource

Critical Evaluation of an Entrepreneurial Australian Business Essay - 1

Critical Evaluation of an Entrepreneurial Australian Business - Essay Example The company operates in the technology industry which requires innovation at all times so as to remain competitive in the market. The business rather was developed due to the exhaustive manual records hence there was a need for cheaper storage materials for the small businesses. This led to the rise of depot management systems by the company to alleviate the problem and make the businesses more efficient (CAGAN, 2010).However, the industry is characterized by competitive markets where there are free entry and exit. Thus as time goes by the market is concentrated in the provision of the goods and services. The firm plans to increase its management systems so as to upsurge its customer base as to raise more capital that can be used for expansions. The current server that is used by the company is quite small and cannot accommodate the rising demand for the service in data management by different institutions and individuals. The company thus plans to invest in more server space at rela tively affordable cost. The organization also plans to diversify in its activities to surge revenue base which are just the few growth strategies to be implemented.The customer base has since increased since small business who can’t afford the large and expensive management and documentation system ends up in the Betz facility services .this has since increased the market size of the company commanding a substantial share of the market. As a result, sales are greatly improved raising more revenue for the company.

Sulas Wines Essay Example for Free

Sulas Wines Essay Question 1: The Indian wine industry presents some interesting characteristics that can be analysed using the Porter’s five forces framework to understand to what extent it is a profitable one, and why it is attractive or not. Let us get started with Rivalry: here it is important to differentiate between the Indian and the global market. In fact, at the time the case was written, the Indian market was expanding so rapidly (25/30% per year) that business opportunities were flourishing and all the existing participants could easily sell their products without the need to attack others’ customer base. However, if we broaden our point of view to the global industry, rivalry is way fiercer and exports are likely to be a less profitable business than the domestic one. Overall, LOW/MODERATE. Buyers’ power: in this industry, it is incredibly difficult to â€Å"lock in† a solid customer base made of individual consumers that face virtually zero switching costs and have different tastes for wine. Additionally, wholesalers and retailers can exert significant pressure on wine producers for what concerns shelf space and wine selection. Therefore, it seems that buyers’ power is HIGH compared to producers’, thus lowering profitability. Suppliers’ power: if we think in terms of the raw materials needed to produce wine, i. e. grapes and juice, we can state that, being them commodities, these are subject to the seasonal fluctuations in price, quantity and availability typical of agricultural products. In periods of excess supply, high quality grapes could be purchased for lower prices and vice versa. Also, regulatory changes in 2001 reduced both sales taxes and the costs of imported bottling items, thus increasing profitability. However, India has a major issue that turns out to be of crucial importance to farmers and producers, i. e.the lack of stable electricity supply; this could in principle give some bargaining power to suppliers of diesel and generators. Thus, suppliers’ power is LOW/MODERATE. Threat of substitutes: although the Indian government has recently granted several concessions and liberalizations for both sale and consumption of wine, the threat of substitutes is still HIGH, especially for cultural reasons whereby whiskey, for instance, is traditionally preferred by the majority of Indians to wine. However, given the rapid expansion of the industry, there seems to be more than a hope that this mind-set will change in the near future. Barriers to entry: wine is definitely no easy business to start. There are several reasons to justify this point; first of all, as Sula’s case clearly shows, it takes time to obtain the various licenses; also, the knowledge and know-how required are extremely sophisticated and specific; additionally, wineries are capital intensive businesses and the initial investment to set them up is substantial. However, as we can see from the case, the Indian wine industry has benefited from governmental liberalizations that have encouraged many new wineries to enter the business. We can conclude that BTE are MODERATE/HIGH. The Porter analysis provides us with a moderately profitable scenario, in which it is not easy to start a successful business unless the exact skills and capabilities needed are present. In the following answer, these resources will be analysed in the context of Sula’s activity. Question 2: The biggest challenge that Samant faced when he returned to India to produce wine was that of changing the â€Å"alcoholic tastes† of consumers. To do so, he had to rely upon a strategy that would leverage on the core resources and competencies he had brought back from California. Also helped by a specialized consultant friend, Samant meticulously configured his piece if land in order to exploit the good potential of its location; additionally, he successfully realized that an unconventional growing/harvesting schedule had to be adopted if they wanted to take advantage of the seasonal characteristics of the weather, such as monsoons. He managed to earn a solid and valuable reputation, refusing to bribe officers to obtain the necessary licenses and took care of promoting its products, through marketing campaigns and wine tasting events, in the attempt of changing Indians’ culture towards wine. For what concerns the type of wines to start production with, Samant successfully identified those that could best accompany the spicy flavours of the Indian cuisine and, subsequently, he diversified the firm’s portfolio by introducing more varieties of white and red wines. Finally, he has secured the unique and valuable expertise of some of the brightest players in the financial sector, who have enthusiastically joined him in the firm’s activities. This combination of factors have allowed Samant to put Sula’s. Vineyards in a very comfortable position to exploit the huge growth that everyone expects from the Indian wine market; right now, the firm seems to have a competitive advantage to further develop in the near future, if the right strategy will be pursued. Question 3: Looking at the numbers, Sula has been extremely profitable in 2007, with net profits that increased more than six fold since the year before; also, sticking to market forecasts, it seems that an explosive growth has just begun in India, an opportunity that should definitely be exploited. Now that the business is well established and generates a steady stream of revenues, Samant may consider to raise additional debt to finance the long-term challenge of producing premium red wines in a separate winery, something that, if successful, would give Sula’s business a major boost both in sales and in reputation. In the meantime, revenues from national sales would provide the capital necessary to feed the already existing business. Moreover, it could also be worth it to â€Å"attack† the global market with initially lower prices to gain some market share also in Europe and in the U. S.; at first, relationships with touristic targets such as hotels and restaurants would be established and, if this strategy worked out, then Sula would face an ever-growing demand for its products, at least for the next 10 years, that could be met by working together with other local producers of premium wine. The idea of a â€Å"consortium† of Maharashtra firms could be attractive for many reasons, among which a significant increase in bargaining power towards the government when it comes to requesting the necessary improvements of regional infrastructures, such as roads, electricity supplies, etc.

Devil In The White City Essay -- Literary Analysis, Erik Larson

Erik Larson’s book Devil in the White City is full of magic and madness that has shaped the society of the late 19th century that is specific to in Chicago. The issues that have been handled through this time frame that are addressed in this book is that how Chicago was known to be the black city at first, and how the city hoped that hosting the World’s fair would increase their reputation. Secondly, the magic of a man named Daniel Burnham that did put the plans of the world fair in Chicago into life and the obstacles that he had overcame. Next, once the world fair was complete, it has made Chicago â€Å"The White city,† by its dazzling designs and attractions that made it memorable. Then, the madness of H.H. Holmes and how his evil deeds has seemed to undermine the world fair and the things that are going on within it with his murders and treachery that does grip Chicago once his evil deeds have been found out. Finally, the events that happened in the world fai r that relate to the issues that occur in the late ninetieth century within the United States. The city of Chicago was in a desolate condition before it hosted the World Fair. The city of Chicago was nicknamed â€Å"The Black City,† (P.11) before they had hosted the 1893 fair that had brought the city into life. Chicago was a city that was ridden with much crime and death to the point where young women could have been tempted to fall under the dangers of this city. Death was more commonplace then Chicago then other cities at that time because of murders that were so frequent in this city. The author does point out that â€Å"You can step from a curb and be killed by the Chicago Limited† (P.12). That fact even struck fear into the people who were visiting Chicago just to have fun or eve... ...gic of Chicago, but also the darkening madness of H.H. Holmes. This analysis of the book covers the city of Chicago being â€Å"the Black City,† before it hosted the World’s fair. Secondly, the glorious magic of Daniel Burnham did make this fair possible who all of his men that he worked with. Next, the city of Chicago when the fair was going on was a grand sight that people around the world would remember in history. Also, the unfortunate sight of the crimes and evil intention of H.H. Holmes had committed, that does put a black eye upon the fair. Finally, The Fair and how it has related to the historical trends of nineteenth century America. The Devil in the White City is an important novel that does tell of a great historical fair and a crime that has happened within the city of Chicago, the events there during that time period would be an important part in history.

Us/101 Introduction to University Studies

US/101 Introduction to University Studies Policies and Resources Quiz #2 1) If the University servers are down, how will you ensure your assignments are submitted on time? a. Send a copy of the assignment to your inbox or alternate email address as proof that I have attempted to post the assignment on time. In my email, I must state that I was unable to connect to the University of Phoenix server. I must then upload the assignment via the Assignments Link at my earliest opportunity. ) What is expected of students relative to the professionalism (formatting, spelling, proofreading, meeting assignment word-count, etc. ) of their work? b. All work is expected to be professionally presented; all written assignments must be carefully proofread and spell-checked before submitting. All assignments are to be submitted as MS Word documents, Writing in complete sentences. Ensuring that topic sentences are used to organize the document content. Adjusting margins and columns, so the document fit s on the page (left to right) when viewed at 100%.Using a black, standard font face and size, either Times New Roman 12pt or Arial 12pt. The word count guideline is usually given as a range of 150 to 300 words. 3) What resources are available to help students with writing, formatting standards, grammar, punctuation, etc.? c. The Center for Writing Excellence is available to help me with writing, formatting standards, grammar and punctuation. 4) What are the most important points brought out in the University’s Policies regarding Academic Integrity? d.I am required to post a signed copy of the Certificate of Originality available in our Course Materials forum for all written assignments. The University places a high priority on maintaining Academic Integrity and ensuring that proper credit is being given for others’ words and ideas used in the development of my written assignments if an idea or words did not come from my own brain, then those are the ideas of others and they must be cited and referenced. This includes information taken from the textbook.No more than 15% of my written work, whether copied, quoted or paraphrased, should be taken from outside sources at any time 5) What must students do to ensure they are in attendance each week? e. Complete discussions questions and participate in class. My participation is graded separately from my discussion question responses to the initial three out of five discussion questions. Participation is graded on the total number of substantive responses you make to your classmates and whether or not at least 2 substantive responses were posted on each of 4 different days of the week.

Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story Chapter 11~12

Chapter 11 Lather, Rinse, Repent The Animals were humming the wedding march when Tommy walked in the store. Tommy was rattled from the cab ride from Telegraph Hill. Evidently the cabdriver, who had a nervous tic and the habit of screaming, â€Å"The fuckers!† at indeterminate intervals and for no particular reason, felt that if you weren't going to top a hill without all four wheels leaving the ground and land in a shower of sparks, you might as well not top it at all, and, in fact, should avoid it by taking a corner on two wheels and crushing your passengers against the doors. Tommy was sweat-soaked and a little nauseated. â€Å"Here comes the bride,† Troy Lee said. â€Å"Fearless Leader,† Simon said, â€Å"you look like you just left a three-toweler.† Simon measured the success of any social event by the number of towels it took to clean up afterward. â€Å"Was a time in my life,† Simon would say, â€Å"when I only owned one towel and I never had any fun.† â€Å"You're not still pissed at me?† Tommy asked. â€Å"Hell, no,† Simon said. â€Å"I had me a three-toweler myself tonight. Took two choir girls from Our Lady of Perpetual Guilt out in the truck and taught them the fine art of slurping tadpoles.† â€Å"That's disgusting.† â€Å"No, it ain't. I didn't kiss 'em afterward.† Tommy shook his head. â€Å"Is the truck in?† â€Å"Only fourteen hundred cases,† Drew said. â€Å"You'll have plenty of time to plan the wedding.† He held out a stack of bride magazines to Tommy. â€Å"No, thanks,† Tommy said. Drew chucked the magazines behind him and held out a can of whipped cream with his other hand. â€Å"Take the edge off?† â€Å"No, thanks. Can you guys stack the truck? I've got some stuff I want to do.† â€Å"Sure enough,† Simon said. â€Å"Let's go do it.† The crew headed to the stockroom. Clint stayed behind. â€Å"Hey, Tommy,† he said, his head down, looking embarrassed. â€Å"Yeah?† â€Å"A pallet of kosher food came in tonight. You know, getting ready for Hanukkah and everything. And it's supposed to be blessed by a rabbi.† â€Å"Yeah. So?† â€Å"Well, I was wondering if I could say a few words over it. I mean, they're not washed in the Blood or anything, but Christ was Jewish. So†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Knock yourself out, Clint.† â€Å"Thanks,† Clint said. Taken with the Spirit, he scurried off to the stockroom. Tommy went to the news racks by the registers and gathered up an armload of women's magazines. Then, glancing over his shoulder to make sure that none of the Animals was watching, he took them into the office, locked the door, then sat down at the desk and began his research. He was about to move in with a woman for the first time, and he didn't know a thing about women. Maybe Jody wasn't crazy. Maybe they were all that way and he was just ignorant. He flipped quickly through the tables of contents to get an overview of the female mind. There was a pattern here. Cellulite, PMS, and men who don't commit were the enemies. Delightfully light desserts, marriage, and multiple orgasms were the allies. Tommy felt like a spy, as if he should be microfilming the pages under a gooseneck lamp in some back room of a Bavarian castle stronghold, and any minute some woman in SS gear would burst in on him and tell him that she had ways of making him talk. Actually, that last part wouldn't be too bad. Women seemed to have some collective plan, and most of it seemed to involve getting men to do stuff that they didn't want to do. He skimmed an article entitled: â€Å"Tan Lines: Sexy Contrast or Panda Bear Shame? – A Psychologist's View,† then flipped to one entitled: â€Å"Men's Love for Sports Analogies: How to Use Vince Lombardi to Make Him Put the Seat Down.† (â€Å"When one player falls in, the whole team gets a wet butt.†) He read on: â€Å"When it's fourth and ten and Joe Montana decides to go for it, would his linemen tell him that they won't go to the store to get him tampons? I don't think so.† And: â€Å"Of course Richard Petty doesn't want to wear a helmet, but he can't drive without protection either.† By the time Tommy got to the warnings about never using Wilt Chamberlain or Martina Navratilova as examples, he was completely disenchanted. How could you deal with a creature as devious as woman? He turned the page and his heart sank even further. â€Å"Can You Tell Him He's a Lousy Lay?: A Quiz.† Tommy thought, This is exactly the kind of thing that made me stay a virgin until I was eighteen. 1. It's the third date and you're about to have an intimate moment, but when he drops his shorts you notice he's less blessed than you expected. Do you: A: Point and laugh. B: Say, â€Å"Wow! A real man at last.† Then turn and snicker to yourself. C: Say, â€Å"Is that what they mean by microbiology?† D: Just go ahead with it. He might be shamed into making a commitment. And what do you care if all your sons are nicknamed Peewee? 2. You decide to do the dread deed, and just as things are starting to get hot he comes, rolls over, and asks, â€Å"Was it good for you?† You: A: Say, â€Å"God, yes! That was the best seventeen seconds of my life!† B: Say, â€Å"Sure, as good as it gets for me with a man.† C: Put a Certs in your navel and say, â€Å"That's for you, Mr. Bunnyman. You can have it on your way back up, after the job is finished.† D: Smile and throw his car keys out the window. 3. After fumbling in the dark, he thinks he's found the spot. When you tell him that's not it, he forges ahead anyway. You: A: Grab the lamp off the nightstand and beat him with it until he gets off you. B: Grab the lamp off the nightstand and beat him to death with it. C: Grab the lamp off the nightstand, turn it on, and say, â€Å"Would you look where you're at?† D: Wait patiently until he finishes, wishing the whole time that you had a lamp on your nightstand. The phone in the office rang. Tommy closed the magazine. â€Å"Marina Safeway.† â€Å"Tommy, is that you?† Jody asked. â€Å"Yeah, I have on my phone voice.† â€Å"Look, you're registered into room two-twelve at the Van Ness Motel – the corner of Chestnut and Van Ness. There's a key waiting for you in the office. The papers and keys for my car are on the bed. I left some papers for you to take to Transamerica and some money too. I'll meet you at the motel office a little after sunset.† â€Å"What room are you in?† â€Å"I don't think I should say.† â€Å"Why? I'm not going to come in and jump you or anything.† â€Å"It's not that. I just want things to be right.† He took a deep breath. â€Å"Jody?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Is there a lamp on the nightstand in your room?† â€Å"Sure, it's bolted down. Why?† â€Å"No reason,† Tommy said. Suddenly, from the back of the store, the Stones belted out  «Satisfaction » from a boom box cranked to distorted fuzz level. Tommy could hear the Animals chanting, â€Å"Kill the pig!† in the background. â€Å"I've got to go,† he said. â€Å"I'll see you tomorrow night.† â€Å"Okay. Tommy, I had a nice time tonight.† â€Å"Me too,† he said. He hung up and thought: She's evil. Evil, evil, evil. I want to see her naked. Jeff, the failed power forward, burst into the office. â€Å"The truck is stacked, dude. The ski boat is charged! We're talking luau in the produce aisle.† The Clark 250, self-propelled, professional floor-maintenance machine, is a miracle of janitorial design. Approximately the size of a small desk, the Clark 250 sports two rotating scrub disks at the front of the machine, as well as an onboard reservoir that distributes soap and water, and a squeegeed vacuum that sucks it up. It is propelled by two overpowered electric motors that will drive its gum-rubber tires over any flat surface, wet or dry. A single operator, walking behind the Clark 250, can, in less than an hour, scrub four thousand square feet of floor, and buff it to a shine in which he can see his soul, or so the brochure claims. What the brochure neglects to mention is that if the squeegee is retracted and the vacuum turned off, a single operator can slide along behind the Clark 250 on a river of soapy froth. The Animals called the machine the ski boat. When Tommy came around the corner of aisle 14, he saw Simon, shirtless, wearing his cowboy hat, cooking weenies over thirty cans of Sterno on a stainless-steel rack that normally was used to display potato chips. â€Å"I love the smell of napalm in the morning,† Simon said, waving a barbecue fork. â€Å"It smells like victory.† â€Å"Cowabunga!† Drew screamed. He was sliding through two inches of soapsuds behind the ski boat, towing Lash toward a makeshift ramp by a length of clothesline. Lash hit the ramp, went airborne, and flipped in the air with a battle cry of â€Å"Workman's Comp!† Tommy stepped aside as Lash landed on his chest and plowed a drift of suds with his face. Drew powered down the boat. â€Å"Eight-two,† Barry shouted. â€Å"Nine-one,† said Clint. â€Å"Nine-six,† said Drew. â€Å"Quatro-uno,† said Gustavo. â€Å"A four-one from the Mexican judge,† Simon said into his barbecue-fork microphone. â€Å"That's got to hurt his chances for getting into the finals, Bob.† Lash spit out a mouthful of soap and coughed. â€Å"The Mexican judges are always tough,† he said. He wore a beard of suds that made him look like a thin, wet version of Uncle Remus. Tommy helped Lash to his feet. â€Å"Are you okay?† â€Å"He's fine,† Simon said. â€Å"His personal trainer is here.† Simon grabbed a coconut off the shelf and lopped the top off with a huge knife from the meat department. â€Å"Dr. Drew,† he said, holding the coconut out to Drew, who took a pint of rum from his hip pocket and splashed some in the shell. â€Å"Down this,† Simon said, handing the coconut to Lash. â€Å"Kill the pig, partner.† The Animals chanted â€Å"Kill the pig† until Lash had downed the whole drink, coconut milk and rum washing streams though his beard of suds at the corners of his mouth. He stopped to breathe and threw up. â€Å"Nine-two!† Barry shouted. â€Å"Nine-four,† Drew said. â€Å"Six-one,† Simon drawled. â€Å"Penalty points for chunks.† â€Å"Fuego,† Gustavo said. Simon jumped in Gustavo's face. â€Å"Fuego? What fucking number is Fuego? You can be disqualified as a judge, you know?† â€Å"Fuego,† Gustavo said, pointing over Simon's shoulder to the chip rack, where three dozen weenies had burst into flames and were spewing black smoke. The smoke alarm went off with a Klaxon scream, drowning out the Rolling Stones. â€Å"It rings into the fire department,† Drew shouted in Tommy's ear. â€Å"They'll be at the door in a minute. It's your job to head them off, Fearless Leader.† â€Å"Me? Why me?† â€Å"That's why you make the big bucks.† â€Å"Kill that stereo and put out the fire,† Tommy yelled. He turned and was heading for the front door just as Clint came out of the stockroom. â€Å"The kosher stuff is all blessed, and I prayed over some of the gentile food for good measure. You know, Tom, the guys said that you might be getting married, and I'm getting my minister card in the mail soon, so if you need – â€Å" â€Å"Clint,† Tommy interrupted, â€Å"clean-up in the produce aisle.† He went to the front door, unlocked it, and went outside to wait for the fire department. The bay was socked in with fog and the beam from the lighthouse on Alcatraz cut a swath across Fort Mason and the Safeway parking lot. Tommy thought he could make out the figure of someone standing under one of the mercury lights. Someone thin, dressed in dark clothing. A fire truck pulled into the parking lot, siren off, its flashing red lights cutting the fog. As the fire truck's headlights swept across the lot, the dark figure dodged and ran, staying just ahead of the lights. Tommy had never seen anyone run that fast. The thin guy seemed to cover a hundred yards in only a few seconds. A trick of the fog, Tommy thought. Chapter 12 Fashionably Doomed There were five police cars parked at the Van Ness Motel when Tommy got off the bus across the street. He thought: They've come to get me for turning in a false alarm to the fire department. Then he realized that only Jody knew that he was coming to the motel. Pity, he thought, I would have gotten a lot of writing done in prison. He crossed the street and was met at the office door by a uniformed police woman. â€Å"Crime scene, sir. Move along unless registered.† â€Å"Am registered. Need shower,† Tommy said. He'd learned his lesson about saying too much when he had talked to the angry fireman at the store. They didn't want to hear why it happened, they just wanted to be sure that it didn't happen again. â€Å"Name?† the cop said. â€Å"C. Thomas Flood.† â€Å"ID?† Tommy handed her his Indiana driver's license. â€Å"Says ‘Thomas Flood, Junior. No ‘C. ; † ‘C' is pen name. Thomas is writer,† Tommy said. The cop adjusted her baton. â€Å"Are you trying to give me a hard time?† â€Å"No, I just thought you wanted to talk that way. What's going on?† Tommy looked over the cop's shoulder at the motel manager, a tall, balding guy in his forties who was wiping fingerprints off his bulletproof window with a towel, looking as if he was going to start crying any minute. â€Å"Were you in the motel last night, Mr. Flood?† â€Å"No, I just got off work at the Marina Safeway. I'm night-crew leader there.† â€Å"You live in the City then?† The cop raised an eyebrow. â€Å"I've just been here a few days. I'm still looking for a place.† â€Å"Where can we reach you if the detectives need to talk to you?† â€Å"At the store from midnight to eight. But I'm off tonight. I guess I'll be here. What's going on?† The cop turned to the motel manager. â€Å"You have a C. Thomas Flood registered?† The manager nodded and held up a key. â€Å"Room two-twelve,† he said. The cop gave Tommy back his license. â€Å"Get that changed if you're going to stay in the City. You can go to your room, but don't cross any of the yellow tape.† The cop walked out of the office. Tommy turned to the manager. â€Å"What's going on here?† The manager motioned for Tommy to come closer to the window. The manager bent over and whispered through his talk hole: â€Å"The maids found a woman's body in the dumpster this morning – a woman from the neighborhood, not a guest.† â€Å"Murdered?† Tommy whispered. â€Å"Her and her poodle. This looks horrible for the motel. The police are talking to all of the guests as they check out. They knocked on your friend's door, but she didn't answer.† The manager passed Tommy's key through the slot, along with a business card. â€Å"They want her to call the detective at that number when she gets in. Would you give it to her?† â€Å"Sure,† Tommy said. He took the key and stood there trying to think of something to say to relieve the manager's anxiety. â€Å"Uh, sorry about your dumpster,† he said. It didn't work. The manager burst into tears. â€Å"That poor little dog,† he sobbed. On the bed were a stack of official-looking papers, a map of San Francisco, and a thick envelope filled with cash. There was a note clipped to the papers. It said: Dear Tommy, Here's the stuff to get my Honda out of impound. Use some of this cash to pay the fines. I don't know where the impound lot is, but you can ask any policeman. You will have to go to the Transamerica Building to get my last check. (I marked it on the map.) I've left a message on the personnel department's voice mail that you are coming. Good luck finding an apartment. I forgot to mention that you want to avoid getting a place in the Tenderloin (also on map). Sorry I'm being so mysterious. I'll explain everything tonight. Love, Jody Why in the hell was she being so mysterious? He opened the envelope and took out a stack of hundred-dollar bills, counted them, then put them back in the envelope. Four thousand dollars. He had never seen that much money in one place. Where did she get that kind of money? Certainly not filling out claims at an insurance company. Maybe she was a drug dealer. A smuggler. Maybe she embezzled it. Maybe it was all a trap. Maybe when he got to the impound lot to pick up her car, the police would arrest him. She had a lot of nerve signing her note â€Å"Love.† What would the next one say? â€Å"Sorry you have to do hard time in the big house for me. Love, Jody.† But she did sign it that way: â€Å"Love.† What did that mean? Did she mean it, or was it habit? She probably signed all of her letters with â€Å"Love.† Dear Insured, We are sorry but your policy will not pay for your barium enema as it was done for recreational purposes. Love, Jody. Claims Dept†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Maybe not. Maybe she did love him. She must trust him, she had given him four grand. He shoved the money in his back pocket, picked up the papers, and left the room. He ran down the steps to the ground level and tripped over a large black plastic bag full of dead woman. A coroner's deputy caught him by the arm before he fell. â€Å"Easy there, fella,† the deputy said. He was a big, hairy guy in his thirties. â€Å"I'm sorry.† â€Å"It's okay, kid. She's sealed for freshness. My partner went to get the gurney.† Tommy stared at the black bag. He'd only seen one dead person in his life, his grandfather. He hadn't liked it. â€Å"How did it†¦ I mean, was it murder?† â€Å"I'm betting creative suicide. She broke her own neck, drained out her blood, then killed the dog and jumped into the dumpster. The ME's betting murder, though. You pick.† Tommy was horrified. â€Å"Her blood was drained?† â€Å"Are you a reporter?† â€Å"Nope.† â€Å"Yeah, she was about a gallon low, and no visible wounds. The ME had to go into the heart for a blood sample. He was not pleased. He likes things simple – decapitation by cable car, massive gunshot trauma – you know.† Tommy shuddered. â€Å"I'm from Indiana. Stuff like this doesn't happen there.† â€Å"Stuff like this doesn't happen here either, kid.† A tall, thin guy in coroner blues came around the corner pushing a gurney with a small, gray, dead dog on it. He picked up the dog by a rhinestone leash. â€Å"What do I do with this?† he asked the big hairy guy. The dog spun slowly at the end of the leash like a fuzzy Christmas ornament. â€Å"Bag and tag it?† said Big Hairy. â€Å"A dog? That's a new one on me.† â€Å"I don't give a shit. Do what you want.† â€Å"Well,† Tommy interrupted, â€Å"you guys have a good day.† He hurried away to the bus stop. As the bus pulled up he looked back and saw the two coroners tucking the little dog into the woman's body bag. Tommy got off the bus at a coffeehouse near Chinatown where he had seen guys in berets scribbling in notebooks and smoking French cigarettes. If you were looking for a place to sit and stare into the abyss for a while, always look for guys in berets smoking French cigarettes. They were like road signs: â€Å"Existential Crisis, Next Right.† And the incident with the body bag had put Tommy in the mood to contemplate the meaninglessness of life for a few minutes before he started hunting for an apartment. They had treated that poor woman like a piece of meat. People should have been crying and fainting and fighting over her will. It must be some sort of protection mechanism, more of that ability that city people had for ignoring suffering. He ordered a double mocha at the counter. A girl with magenta hair and three nose rings frothed it up while Tommy searched though a stack of used newspapers on the counter, separating the classified sections. When he paid the girl she caught him staring at her nose rings and smiled. â€Å"Thought is death,† she said, handing him the mocha. â€Å"Have a nice day,† Tommy said. He sat down and began flipping though the classifieds. As he read through the apartments for rent, the money in his pocket seemed to shrink. Here was the reason why people seemed so distracted. They were all worrying about making rent. An ad for a furnished loft caught his eye. He was a loft kind of guy. He imagined himself saying, â€Å"No, I can't hang around, I've got to get back to the loft and write.† And, â€Å"Sorry, I left my wallet in the loft.† And writing, â€Å"Dear Mom, I've moved into a spacious loft in fashionable SOMA.† Tommy put the paper down and turned to a beret guy at the next table who was reading a volume of Baudelaire and building up a drift of Disc Bleu butts in the ashtray. â€Å"Excuse me,† Tommy said, â€Å"but I'm new in town. Where would I find fashionable SOMA?† The beret guy looked irritated. â€Å"South of Market,† he said. Then he picked up his book and cigarettes and walked out of the cafe. â€Å"Sorry,† Tommy called after him. Maybe if I had asked him in French†¦ Tommy unfolded the map Jody had left him and found Market Street, then a neighborhood marked â€Å"SOMA.† It wasn't far from where Jody had marked the Transamerica Pyramid. He folded up the map and tore the loft ad out of the classifieds. This was going to be easy. As he prepared to leave, he looked up to see an enormously fat man in a purple velvet robe enter the cafe carrying a leather sample case decorated with silver moons and stars. He sat at a table near Tommy, his bulk spilling over either side of the cane chair, and began removing things from the sample case. Tommy was captivated. The fat man's head was shaved and there was a pentagram tattooed on his scalp. He covered his table with a piece of black satin, then placed a crystal ball on a pedestal of brass dragons in the center. Next he unwrapped a deck of tarot cards from a purple silk scarf and placed them by the crystal ball. Last he removed a sign from the sample case and set it up on the table. It read: â€Å"Madame Natasha. Palmistry, Tarot, Divination. Psychic Readings $5.00. All proceeds go to AIDS research.† Madame Natasha was sitting with his back to Tommy. As Tommy stared at the pentagram tattoo, Madame Natasha turned to him. Tommy looked away quickly. â€Å"I think you need a reading, young man,† Madame Natasha said, his voice high and feminine. Tommy cleared his throat. â€Å"I don't believe in that stuff. Thanks, though.† Madame Natasha closed his eyes as if he were listening to a particularly moving passage of music. When he opened them again he said, â€Å"You're new to the City. A little confused and a little scared. You're an artist of some kind, but you don't make your living that way. And you've recently turned down a proposal of marriage. Am I right?† Tommy dug into his pocket, â€Å"Five dollars?† â€Å"Have a seat,† Madame Natasha said, waving him to a seat at his table. Tommy moved to the seat across from Madame and handed him a five-dollar bill. Madame Natasha picked up his tarot cards and began shuffling. His hands were tiny and delicate; his nails painted black. â€Å"What shall we ask the cards today?† Madame said. â€Å"I've met this girl. I want to know more about her.† Madame Natasha nodded solemnly and began laying the cards out on the table. â€Å"I don't see a woman in your near future.† â€Å"Really?† Madame pointed to a card on the right of the pattern he had laid out. â€Å"No. You see the position of this card? This card rules your relationships.† â€Å"It says ‘Death. ; â€Å"That does not necessarily mean physical death. The Death card can be a card of renewal, signifying a change. I would say that you recently broke up with someone.† â€Å"Nope,† Tommy said. He stared at the stylized picture of the skeleton with the scythe. It seemed to be laughing at him. â€Å"Let's try again,† Madame Natasha said. He gathered the cards, shuffled them, and began laying them out again. Tommy watched the spot where his relationship card would fall. Madame paused, then turned the card. Death. â€Å"Well, well, what a co-in-kee-dink,† Madame Natasha said. â€Å"Try again,† Tommy said. Again Madame shuffled, and again, when he laid down the relationship card, it was Death. â€Å"What does it mean?† Tommy asked. â€Å"It could mean a lot of things, depending on your other suits.† Madame waved to the other cards in the pattern. â€Å"Then what does it mean with the other cards?† â€Å"Honestly?† â€Å"Of course. I want to know.† â€Å"You're fucked.† â€Å"What?† â€Å"As far as relationships?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"You're fucked.† â€Å"What about my writing career?† Madame Natasha consulted the cards again, then, without looking up, said, â€Å"Fucked.† â€Å"I am not. I'm not fucked.† â€Å"Yep. Fucked. It's in the cards. Sorry.† â€Å"I don't believe in this stuff,† Tommy said. â€Å"Nevertheless,† Madame Natasha said. Tommy stood up. â€Å"I have to go find an apartment.† â€Å"Do you want to consult the cards about your new home?† â€Å"No. I don't believe the cards.† â€Å"I could read your palm.† â€Å"Will it cost extra?† â€Å"No, it's included.† â€Å"Okay.† Tommy held out his hand and Madame Natasha cradled it delicately. Tommy looked around to see if anyone was looking, tapped his foot as if he was in a hurry. â€Å"Goodness, you masturbate a lot, don't you?† A guy at a nearby table spit coffee all over his paperback Sartre and looked over. Tommy pulled his hand away. â€Å"No!† â€Å"Now, now, don't lie. Madame Natasha knows.† â€Å"What's that got to do with an apartment?† â€Å"Just checking my accuracy. It's like zeroing out a polygraph.† â€Å"Not a lot,† Tommy said. â€Å"Then I'll have to adjust my reading. I would have rated you a wankmaster of the first degree. It's nothing to be ashamed of. Considering your relationship card, I'd say it's your only option.† â€Å"Well, you're wrong.† â€Å"As you wish. Let me see your palm again.† Tommy surrendered his palm reluctantly. â€Å"Oh, good news at last,† Madame Natasha said. â€Å"You will find an apartment.† â€Å"Good,† Tommy said, pulling his hand back again. â€Å"I've got to go.† â€Å"Don't you want to know about the rats?† â€Å"No.† Tommy turned and headed toward the door. As he reached it he turned and said, â€Å"I'm not fucked.† The Sartre reader looked up from his book and said, â€Å"We all are. We all are.†