The Speech Communication free essay sample

The speech communication, especially oral communication and public speaking are very important and indispensable in our contemporary life. In some situations as you want to talk about the advantages and disadvantages of specific problems, also you want to convince the other not to do something bad influencing to their health or give a speech in special anniversaries, you need know what to do and how to do. Thus, I need to know the basic principles and the way to do a speech in public because I am very bad at oral communication.Generally, my weaknesses are several and exactly I do not have strengths. First of all, because of shying so when I have a presentation before classmate I cannot talk fluently. Although there is a careful preparation at home but the next day when I come to board and talk seemly I forgot and stutter. That leads to I stay in one place and do not do any motion. We will write a custom essay sample on The Speech Communication or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Secondly, for some short prompt questions, I wrote down the answer or imagined it in my head but when spoke out, continue to stutter and let hot that sweat.Eventually, when I stand in front of a group or many people in a room doing a presentation or speech, I feel scared because of my pronunciation, my language which is affected If I perceive scared and certainly It directly influence to my speech. It is hard to change myself but I hope through this course I can Improve my skill to talk, express opinions in front of crowd more confident or at least when doing the presentation in class I do not feel difficult.

Financial Outcomes Paper Essays (1765 words) - Steve Jobs, IOS

Financial Outcomes Paper Essays (1765 words) - Steve Jobs, IOS Financial Outcomes Paper FIN/419 October 26, 2015 Sarah Newton Financial Outcomes Paper Intro: MEGAN TAWES It is with incredibly accurate, reliable, and innovative products from Apple Inc. that has gained the company impressive amounts of revenue. Within the companys third fiscal quarter the revenue is bringing in anywhere between $46 billion and $48 billion, the gross margin capping out anywhere between 38.5 to 39.5 percent and other incomes totaling about $350 million (Rosenstock, 2015). Apple carries an interesting financial strategy, which is to buy back their shares and to continue paying out quarterly dividends. Paying out quarterly dividends, lets face it - in the perfect world, is great however in the real world, deviates that theory in quite a few ways. Apples judgment when it comes to their theory of dividends is meant to signify an unbiased to predictably confident expectation as to the companys future performance. It is imperative to keep innovation going as Apple strives on this aspect, if the company were to create a dud this is jeopardizing to the company as a whole. This i s what leads us to the following proposed financial initiatives; Financial Initiative #2: Ashley Miles- Dividends Dividends are meant to be a great they for shareholders because this is when companies gives out returns on the profit that was made throughout that year. There are three important dividend dates, the distribution date, record date and, the ex-distribution date. These dates tell shareholders when dividends will be distributed (distribution date), list of when shareholders that will receive a payout (record date), and a date for pending transactions to be completed (InvestorGuide, 2013). Apple is paying their shareholders a quarterly dividend but in comparison to other companies it is not nearly the amount as they should. In 2012 Apple made its first dividend payback in almost 17 years. Apple gave out 2.5 billion to shareholders quarterly and has been taken in 10 billion in cash flow quarterly. Now for the shareholder when trying to figure out whether or not to invest one must consider the product and the growth of the company. Jared Cummans from Dividend.com wrote an article in which he compared Apple to other companies. It should be to no surprise that Apple gave the least back to its shareholders while Intel paid 30-40% of its free cash flow and Microsoft paid out 20%. What does that say about Apples growth? Apple doesnt offer a low cost phone and companies like Samsung and Microsoft are killing the competition. How many ways can Apple reinvent the iPhone? Companies are appealing to the consumer when Samsung is creating an android phone that is lower in cost and does the same thing. We believe that profits Apple is buying back from its shareholders should be reinvested in creating a new, low cost products to consumers. This will increase Apples Cash flow which will in return allow for larger payouts for shareholders. Financial Initiative #2: ANGELA BRINNEN- Beats- Positive or Negative Outcome? In todays financial market for a business to have continued growth and remain profitable they have to provide consumers with products and services that benefit their lifestyles. Many consumers have become attached to music services such as iTunes, Spotify and Beats, Apple has seen that the market for this product and service has had a dramatic increase in the last ten years. By paying attention to global consumer trends they were able to acquire a company that related the music to the users choice, not only providing a service but products that enhanced their experience. When Apple decided to purchase Beats Music and Beats Electronics for three billion dollars, they attracted a large amount of attention from the technological industry. The co-founders of Beats, Dr. Dre and Iovine, had a small following of users for their live streaming service and a larger audience for their electronics that are satisfy both fashion and function. There is a problem however, with the acquisition of Beats they expected an increase in market share and that has not been the case. While their overall company shows The tremendous customer demand for our products and services in the March quarter drove revenue growth of 27 percent and EPS growth of 40 percent, ("Apple Reports Record Second Quarter

Conservation of Energy Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Conservation of Energy - Lab Report Example From the graph presented; angle versus time, it is evident that when the angle of displacement is increased, the periodic interval is reduced for a constant length if the string. This proportionality is directly varying. In general, the swinging pendulum portrays a consistency in the changes involving kinetic, potential and gravitational potential energies. This can be summed serially as potential energy to kinetic energy then back to kinetic energy. This is when the pendulum is released from a height above the reference point level. At the instance the bob (mass) is released, it has an initial energy potential in nature. This is followed by gradual changes in the kinetic energies when at the minimum of the reference point; a maximum kinetic energy is attained. At this point, the swinging mass has its maximum velocity v, which is the converse for the point of zero (0) potential energy for the system in question. There are two maxima heights in respect of the reference position for the system. At these points, the system depicts its maxima potential energies which can as well be stated as minimum kinetic energy for the system. A graph of kinetic energy versus time is a sinusoidal curve. This is the same for the case of potential energy. However the two curves are completely out of phase. This is due to the corresponding changes between kinetic to potential energy. This is evident in the total energy curve as a function of time; whose curve is straight. This is a true confirmation of the law of conservation of energy which can also be stated as â€Å"energy can neither be created nor destroyed, but rather conserved.† For the pendulum, the reference level point to measure the y-coordinate location is at the mid-point between the two maxima levels of displacement of the pendulum. At equilibrium, the pendulum is at rest when it is at this point. If the reference level is changed to where the rotary motion is, it would mean the length L is

Downsizing and Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Downsizing and Globalization - Essay Example This paper presents a critique of the globalization and downsizing, and the reasons why organizations engage in these strategies. Downsizing Strategy Downsizing is a management strategy that involves reduction of an organization’s labor force as a result of corporate restructuring that is focused on maintaining competency in a highly competitive environment. Mergers and acquisitions are among the significant drivers for downsizing. For instance, the acquisition of PeopleSoft by Oracle led to a reduction in the number of employees by 5,000 in a bid to increase efficiency in the new organization. PeopleSoft’s revenue had been declining as a result of the economic crises that significantly affected the profitability of UK firms in 2007 (Blackburn, 1999). However, mergers and acquisitions may necessitate downsizing due to duplication of roles among employees from the merging organizations. The dominant organization tends to retain a greater share of its human resources whil e selecting few employees from the other organization, mainly those with specialized skills that may help in maintaining competitiveness (Kothen et al. 1999). Revenue management is focused on maintaining high revenue while keeping costs at the lowest level possible. Downsizing is among the key strategies for revenue management since organizations find it easy to reduce the workforce and utilize the remaining employees maximally. The operating environment is under constant changes that may affect an organization’s profitability if drastic measures are not undertaken. For example, globalization of industries has increased competition as foreign firms establish subsidiaries globally. Local industries in the global economies are faced with challenges with regards to product quality and production costs. For example, Spar (2003) observes that the cost of labor in China is low compared to some developed economies such as US and the UK. Foreign companies have therefore established s ubsidiaries in China where they produce at lower costs and then sell their products to other economies where the cost of labor is high. This trend has significantly affected industries operating in such economies since they have to minimize spending on labor to effectively compete with organizations that have taken advantage of the Chinese labor market. They have been compelled to lay off workers as well as calling for early retirement (McCann et al. 2008). Technological advancements have significantly influenced the need for organizations to downsize. Organizations engage in innovations to maximize production and increase efficiency. However, some innovations reduce labor-intensive work thereby reducing the need for workers. For example automation of processes increases speed and efficiency in production compared to human labor. Moreover, the recurrent expenditures of maintaining human resources are avoided since the machines require an initial capital outlay and occasional mainten ance. Many organizations globally downsized after introducing computers in their processes. This was a significant development that increased efficiency and accuracy in record keeping as well as service delivery to customers (Froud et al. 2000). Efficiency improvement involves reduction of the excess workers that perform tasks which have little contribution to the organization’

Week 4 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Week 4 - Assignment Example The trait theory examines various personal attributes that a person has, and provides a deeper look into how they act, look, think, feel and function in varied circumstances and settings. The theory is used by organizations all over the world to help understand their employees better in their quest to utilize their creativity and specialties. The trait theory expounds the ability that a leader has across several industries. Nardelli’s leadership style was a bit interesting. In some way, he is considered a mastermind because he raised the company’s profits, and reformed the organizational structure. However, the problem arose when his leadership style started to rub shareholders, employees, and customers the wrong way. With his authoritative and militaristic leadership style, employees were not confortable at general meetings. Shareholders were even upset at the way he conducted himself. While he was a CEO at Home Depot, Nardelli embarked on a bellicose plan to centraliz e control in the organization. He often neglected the sense of humility, enthusiasm of his subordinates, as well as care of the shareholders. Nardelli was maniacal about objectives and goals, and ignored the autonomy of others. This was unethical since he did not respect the autonomy of other people. Instead, he treated them as subjects by heavily investing in technology as a way of monitoring everything the top managers were doing (Baack, 2012). All leaders have a room to grow their leadership styles, and should be compassionate towards their employees, but when they refute to adapt to change, and remove salespersons that provided customers with a sense of security while shopping, a problem arises. In terms of performing his duties to help the organization grow, Nardelli did that, but at the expense of reducing the probability of future sales, by reducing the quality of service to its customers. According to the theory

Military Career Of Pericles

Military Career Of Pericles Pericles was born into the first generation able to use the new weapon of the popular vote against the old power of family politics. His father, Xanthippus, a typical member of this generation, almost certainly of an old family, began his political career by a dynastic marriage into the controversial family of the Alcmaeonids. His Alcmaeonid mother, Agariste, provided him with relationships of sharply diminishing political value and her family curse, a religious defilement that was occasionally used against him by his enemies. His familys nobility and wealth allowed him to fully pursue his inclination toward education. He learned music from the masters of the time (Damon or Pythocleides could have been his teacher) and he was considered to have been the first politician to attribute great importance to philosophy. Pericles manner of thought and rhetorical charisma may have been in part products of Anaxagoras emphasis on emotional calm in the face of trouble and skepticism about divine phenomena. His proverbial calmness and self-control are also regarded as products of Anaxagoras influence. Before his death, Pericles friends were concentrated around his bed, enumerating his virtues during peace and underscoring his nine war trophies. Pericles lived during the first two and a half years of the Peloponnesian War and, his death was a disaster for Athens, since his successors were inferior to him; they preferred to incite all the bad habits of the rabble and followed an unstable policy, endeavoring to be popular rather than useful. Military career of Pericles Military achievement For more than 20 years Pericles led many expeditions, mainly naval ones. Being always cautious, he never undertook of his own accord a battle involving much uncertainty and peril and he did not accede to the vain impulses of the citizens. Pericles also tried to minimize the advantages of Sparta by rebuilding the walls of Athens. The strategy of rebuilding the walls radically altered the use of force in Greek international relations. During the Peloponnesian War, Pericles initiated a defensive grand strategy whose aim was the exhaustion of the enemy and the preservation of the status quo. The two basic principles of the Periclean Grand Strategy were the rejection of appeasement (in accordance with which he urged the Athenians not to revoke the Megarian Decree) and the avoidance of overextension. Pericles vehement insistence that there should be no diversionary expeditions may well have resulted from the bitter memory of the Egyptian campaign, which he had allegedly supported. The Athe nians remained true to the larger Periclean strategy of seeking to preserve, not expand, the empire, and did not depart from it until the Sicilian Expedition. Critics of Pericles strategy, however, have been just as numerous as its supporters. A common criticism is that Pericles was always a better politician and orator than strategist. Pericles had not worked out a clear strategy for an effective offensive action that could possible force Thebes or Sparta to stop the war. The Periclean strategy on four counts: first that by rejecting minor concessions it brought about war; second, that it was unforeseen by the enemy and hence lacked credibility; third, that it was too feeble to exploit any opportunities; and fourth, that it depended on Pericles for its execution and thus was bound to be abandoned after his death. Pericles expenditure on his military strategy in the Peloponnesian War to be about 2,000 talents annually, and based on this figure concludes that he would only have enoug h money to keep the war going for three years. The strategy was too defensive and would not succeed. The Athenians lost the war only when they dramatically reversed the Periclean grand strategy that explicitly disdained further conquests. The Periclean strategy was not innovative, but could lead to stagnancy in favor of Athens. Peloponnesian war Pericles and the Athenians incited the war, scrambling to implement their belligerent tactics with a sort of arrogance and a love of strife. The reason for the war was Spartas fear of Athenian power and growth. Prelude to the war Pericles was convinced that the war against Sparta, which could not conceal its envy of Athens pre-eminence, was inevitable if not to be welcomed. Therefore he did not hesitate to send troops to Corcyra to reinforce the Corcyraean fleet, which was fighting against Corinth. In 433 BC the enemy fleets confronted each other at the Battle of Sybota and a year later the Athenians fought Corinthian colonists at the Battle of Potidaea; these two events contributed greatly to Corinths lasting hatred of Athens. The Athenians justification was that the Megarians had cultivated the sacred land consecrated to Demeter and had given refuge to runaway slaves, a behavior which the Athenians considered to be impious. Pericles advised the Athenians not to yield to their opponents demands, since they were militarily stronger. Pericles was not prepared to make unilateral concessions. Consequently, Pericles asked the Spartans to offer a quid pro quo. In exchange for retracting the Megarian Decree, the At henians demanded from Sparta to abandon their practice of periodic expulsion of foreigners from their territory (xenelasia) and to recognize the autonomy of its allied cities, a request implying that Spartas hegemony was also ruthless. Another consideration that may well have influenced Pericles stance was the concern that revolts in the empire might spread if Athens showed herself weak. First year of the war This deputation was not allowed to enter Athens, as Pericles had already passed a resolution according to which no Spartan deputation would be welcomed if the Spartans had previously initiated any hostile military actions. The Spartan army was at this time gathered at Corinth, and, citing this as a hostile action, the Athenians refused to admit their emissaries. Pericles also gave his compatriots some advice on their present affairs and reassured them that, if the enemy did not plunder his farms, he would offer his property to the city. In any case, seeing the pillage of their farms, the Athenians were outraged, and they soon began to indirectly express their discontent towards their leader, who many of them considered to have drawn them into the war. Even when in the face of mounting pressure, Pericles did not give in to the demands for immediate action against the enemy or revise his initial strategy. He also avoided convening the ecclesia, fearing that the populace, outraged by th e unopposed ravaging of their farms, might rashly decide to challenge the vaunted Spartan army in the field. While the Spartan army remained in Attica, Pericles sent a fleet of 100 ships to loot the coasts of the Peloponnese and charged the cavalry to guard the ravaged farms close to the walls of the city. When the enemy retired and the pillaging came to an end, Pericles proposed a decree according to which the authorities of the city should put aside 1,000 talents and 100 ships, in case Athens was attacked by naval forces. Last military operations In 430 BC, the army of Sparta looted Attica for a second time, but Pericles was not daunted and refused to revise his initial strategy. Unwilling to engage the Spartan army in battle, he again led a naval expedition to plunder the coasts of the Peloponnese, this time taking 100 Athenian ships with him. According to Plutarch, just before the sailing of the ships an eclipse of the sun frightened the crews, but Pericles used the astronomical knowledge he had acquired from Anaxagoras to calm them. In the summer of the same year an epidemic broke out and devastated the Athenians. The exact identity of the disease is uncertain, and has been the source of much debate. In any case, the citys plight, caused by the epidemic, triggered a new wave of public uproar, and Pericles was forced to defend himself in an emotional final speech. This is considered to be a monumental oration, revealing Pericles virtues but also his bitterness towards his compatriots ingratitude. Temporarily, he managed to tame the peoples resentment and to ride out the storm, but his internal enemies final bid to undermine him came off; they managed to deprive him of the generalship and to fine him at an amount estimated between 15 and 50 talents. Ancient sources mention Cleon, a rising and dynamic protagonist of the Athenian political scene during the war, as the public prosecutor in Pericles trial. Nevertheless, within just a year, in 429 BC, the Athenians not only forgave Pericles but also re-elected him as strategist. He was reinstated in command of the Athenian army and led all its military operations during 429 BC, having once again under his control the levers of power. Samian war The Samian War was one of the last significant military events before the Peloponnesian War. After Thucydides ostracism, Pericles was re-elected yearly to the generalship, the only office he ever officially occupied, although his influence was so great as to make him the de facto ruler of the state. In 440 BC Samos was at war with Miletus over control of Priene, an ancient city of Ionia on the foot-hills of Mycale. Worsted in the war, the Milesians came to Athens to plead their case against the Samians. When the Athenians ordered the two sides to stop fighting and submit the case to arbitration at Athens, the Samians refused. In a naval battle the Athenians led by Pericles and the other nine generals defeated the forces of Samos and imposed on the island an administration pleasing to them. When the Samians revolted against Athenian rule, Pericles compelled the rebels to capitulate after a tough siege of eight months, which resulted in substantial discontent among the Athenian sailors . Pericles then quelled a revolt in Byzantium and, when he returned to Athens, gave a funeral oration to honor the soldiers who died in the expedition. Between 438-436 BC Pericles led Athens fleet in Pontus and established friendly relations with the Greek cities of the region. Personal attacks Pericles and his friends were never immune from attack, as preeminence in democratic Athens was not equivalent to absolute rule. Just before the eruption of the Peloponnesian war, Pericles and two of his closest associates, Phidias and his companion, Aspasia, faced a series of personal and judicial attacks. Pericles enemies also found a false witness against Phidias, named Menon. Phidias suggested himself as a bald old man, and also inserted a very fine likeness of Pericles fighting with an Amazon. Aspasia, who was noted for her ability as a conversationalist and adviser, was accused of corrupting the women of Athens in order to satisfy Pericles perversions. Beyond these initial prosecutions, the ecclesia attacked Pericles himself by asking him to justify his ostensible profligacy with, and maladministration of, public money. Pericles was so afraid of the oncoming trial that he did not let the Athenians yield to the Lacedaemonians. Pericles deliberately brought on the war to protect his political position at home. Thus, at the start of the Peloponnesian War, Athens found itself in the awkward position of entrusting its future to a leader whose pre-eminence had just been seriously shaken for the first time in over a decade. Political career Entering politics In 472 BC, Pericles presented the Persae of Aeschylus at the Greater Dionysia as a liturgy, demonstrating that he was then one of the wealthier men of Athens. Pericles stood first among the Athenians for forty years. If this was so, Pericles must have taken up a position of leadership by the early 460s BC. Throughout these years he endeavored to protect his privacy and tried to present himself as a model for his fellow citizens. For example, he would often avoid banquets, trying to be frugal. In 463 BC Pericles was the leading prosecutor of Cimon, the leader of the conservative faction, who was accused of neglecting Athens vital interests in Macedon. Although Cimon was acquitted, this confrontation proved that Pericles major political opponent was vulnerable. Political leadership Thucydides was asked by Spartas king, Archidamus, whether he or Pericles was the better fighter, Thucydides answered without any hesitation that Pericles was better, because even when he was defeated, he managed to convince the audience that he had won. Athens was in name a democracy but, in fact, governed by its first citizen. Pericles charisma leaded, convinced and, sometimes manipulated. The fining of Pericles, the accusations against Pericles but instead focuses on Pericles integrity. Pericles made the Athenians slothful, garrulous and avaricious, by starting the system of public fees. The people were first led on by him into allotments of public lands, festival-grants, and distributions of fees for public services, thereby falling into bad habits, and becoming luxurious and wanton under the influence of his public measures, instead of frugal and self-sufficing. Pericles was not carried away by the people, but he was the one guiding the people. According to King, by increasing th e power of the people, the Athenians left themselves with no authoritative leader. During the Peloponnesian War, Pericles dependence on popular support to govern was obvious. Leading Athens Final battle with the conservatives In 444 BC, the conservative and the democratic factions confronted each other in a fierce struggle. The ambitious new leader of the conservatives accused Pericles of profligacy, criticizing the way he spent the money for the ongoing building plan. When Pericles, the leader of the democrats, took the floor, he put the conservatives in the shade. Pericles responded resolutely, proposing to reimburse the city for all the expenses from his private property, under the term that he would make the inscriptions of dedication in his own name. In 442 BC, the Athenian public ostracized for 10 years and Pericles was once again the unchallenged suzerain of the Athenian political arena. Athens rule over its alliance Pericles wanted to stabilize Athens dominance over its alliance and to enforce its pre-eminence in Greece. The final steps in the shift to empire may have been triggered by Athens defeat in Egypt, which challenged the citys dominance in the Aegean and led to the revolt of several allies. Either because of a genuine fear for its safety after the defeat in Egypt and the revolts of the allies, or as a pretext to gain control of the Leagues finances, Athens transferred the treasury of the alliance from Delos to Athens in 454-453 BC. It was from the alliances treasury that Pericles drew the funds necessary to enable his ambitious building plan, centered on the Periclean Acropolis, which included the Propylaea, the Parthenon and the golden statue of Athena, sculpted by Pericles friend, Phidias. The utilization of the alliances treasury, initiated and executed by Pericles, is one of the largest embezzlements in human history; this misappropriation financed. Ideas of Pericles on democracy Rise to democratic leadership Pericles immediately succeeded the assassinated Ephialtes as head of the Democratic Party in 461 is an ancient oversimplification; there were other men of considerable weight in Athens in the next 15 years. In 451 or 450 Pericles carried a law confining Athenian citizenship to those of Athenian parentage on both sides. Pericles was merely forging a low-level political weapon for use against Cimon, who had a foreign mother. The upper classes certainly had no prejudice against foreign marriages; the lower classes may well have had more, and, on the whole, it is possible to view Pericles here as championing exclusivist tendencies against immigrants who might break down the fabric of Athenian society. The law provided even the poorest Athenian girl with a dowry in the form of her citizenship. There was never any disposition on the part of Athenians to restrict economic opportunities for foreigners-who served in the fleet, worked on public buildings, and had freedom of trade and investmen t, with the crucial, but normal, exception of land and houses. Restoring Athens preeminence Pericles now embarked on a policy designed to secure Athens cultural and political leadership in Greece. If peace with Persia did not end the alliance, it may have ended the annual tribute paid to that treasury. Whether to regain this tribute, or simply to assert Athenian leadership, Pericles summoned a conference of all Greek states to consider the questions of rebuilding the Greek temples destroyed by the Persians, the payment of sacrifices due to the gods for salvation, and the freedom of the seas. Sparta would not cooperate, but Pericles continued on the narrower basis of the Athenian alliance. Tribute was to continue, and Athens would draw heavily on the reserves of the alliance for a magnificent building program centered on the Acropolis. Pericles argued that the allies were paying for their defense, and, if that was assured, Athens did not have to account for how the money was actually spent. Pericles was attributed a desire to stimulate economic activity and employment in Ath ens, but these motives may be anachronistic and in actuality may not have influenced the voters very much. Conclusion Pericles was the son of Xanthippus and Agariste. Pericles funded and produced Aeschylus entry into the years dramatic competition. In the 460s the Helots rebelled against the Spartans, who asked for help from Athens. In response to Spartas request for help, Athens leader, Cimon, led troops into Sparta. The Spartans sent them back, probably fearing the effects of their democratic ideas. A descendant of democracys founder Cleisthenes, Pericles came to power in about 460. Pericles was elected strategos for the next 29 years. From about 458-56, Pericles had the Long Walls built between Athens and the Piraeus, a peninsula with three harbors about 4.5 miles from Athens. He also had temples and shrines built to other gods to replace those that had been destroyed by the Persians during the wars. The treasury from the Delian alliance funded the building projects. Among the contributions made by Pericles to the Athenian democracy was the payment of magistrates. In 430, the Spartans and their a llies invaded Attica. Pericles was suspended for the office of strategos. He was found guilty of theft and fined 50 talents. Because Athens still needed him, Pericles was then re-instated, he died in the fall of 429, two and a half years after the Peloponnesian War began. His pattern of behaviour before the Peloponnesian War seems to me to accord with a more general pattern of behaviour in relation to foreign policy, but on this occasion he badly misjudged the consequences; of course he could not have foressen that this would be such a long-lasting and damging conflict, but was it really in the interests of Athens to get involved in hostilities with the Spartans in the first place? Threats might be all very well, to gain as good a postions for Athens as possible, especially as the Spartans were none to keen for any war, but surely the aim should have been to manage things through the acceptance of separate spheres of influence. Perhaps Pericles had been just too successful in the past, and this encouraged him to take a step too far. But I dont think one can condemn his bullishness before the Peloponnesian War while uncritically praising similar behaviour earlier. You refer to the idealization of Pericles. Now was at its height at a time when there was a general admiration for empires, and here was an Athenian Empire which, on a smalller scale, one could put alongside the Roman and later empires. As empires fell out of fashion, historians began to take a more nuanced view of Athenian activities in the age of Pericles, and this must have had some effect on how Pericles has been viewed. I dont know how significant a factor this has been in altering evaluations of him, others may be able to say more. à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¨Ãƒ ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¨Ãƒ ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¨Ãƒ ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚ ´Ãƒ ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ §Ãƒ ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ §Ãƒ ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ §

Emily Dickinson: Transcendentalist Experience Through Imagination :: essays research papers

Emily Dickinson: Transcendentalist Experience Through Imagination   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The early 19th century ideas of transcendentalism, which were introduced by Ralph Emerson and David Thoreau, where man as an individual becomes spiritually consumed with nature and himself through experience are contrasted by Emily Dickinson, who chose to branch off this path by showing that a transcendentalist experience could be achieved through imagination alone. These three monumental writers set the boundaries for this new realm of thought. Although these writers ideas were not similar, they all followed the simple idea that â€Å"the universe is composed of Nature and the Soul† . The male perspective seen through the works of Thoreau and Emerson, where nature â€Å"refers to essences unchanged by man; the air, the river, the leaf† , is revised and satirized by Dickinson's statement that â€Å"Of all the Souls that stand create-, I have elected- One† . Dickinson's works were meant to taunt society by showing how a woman, ironically trapped in her â€Å"natural† surroundings of the home, could obtain as much power, if not more than any male writer. This ironic revisions of ideas is directed at all male transcendentalists and figures in society.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Both Ralph Emerson and David Thoreau used societies stereotype of the true male environment, â€Å"nature†, to draw their power and write from their experiences. Experience was the most important factor to these writers. The ability â€Å"to know it by experience, and be able to give a true account in my next excursion† was the basis of all their writings. â€Å"To get the whole and genuine meanness of it, and publish its meanness to the whole world† was their goal behind all their writings. They did not use their power of writing in order to gain a transcendentalist experience, but rather to record them. Both Emerson and Thoreau chose to contact their true natural surroundings, and experience time alone in the â€Å"woods†. By being â€Å"in solitude†, it brought forth a conciseness that â€Å"all natural objects make a kindred impression, when the mind is open to their influence† .   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mans views of nature being rightfully his, to do with what he wants, is harshly contrasted by Emerson, who feels that â€Å"Nature sais,-He is my creature† . Emerson felt that man, corrupted by society, can over power the fate of over looking his true meaning. Escaping from the wheel of society into â€Å"the woods, is perpetual youth†. By living in the woods, he found that fusing nature with soul, one can accomplish anything.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Emerson felt that nature was an extension of five of his senses, where he could feel the tree moving in the wind as if it was his own body.

A Thousand Splendid Suns: Analysis

Create questions you would ask the author and at least one of the people in the book. Include why you would ask each particular question, and connect the question to a specific event (quote with page #) in the book. If I were to ask questions to the author and characters, they would be about their experiences. The one question I would ask Khaled Hosseini is, All the characters in this book were granted poetic justice, but why not Mariam? Mariam did nothing monstrous to deserve execution; her act of killing Rasheed was done in self-defense and the defense of Laila. Nonetheless, she suffered the shame and punishment from the government under which she lived in. â€Å"Like a compass needle that points north, a man’s accusing finger always finds a woman. Always. You remember that, Mariam. †pg. 364 Even though Mariam’s execution was injustice in my eyes I believe that for Mariam her death sentence was an legitimate end to her life which had legitimate beginnings. Before her death sentence, she recites lines from the Koran asking for mercy and forgiveness which portrays her humbleness and her dedication to loved ones in her life. I would like to ask Mariam why she refused to call witnesses at her trial. Why did she not try to escape with Tariq and Laila? Calling witnesses to her trial could have proved to be beneficial to Mariam; she might not have been sentenced to death but she didn’t even try. â€Å"Remembering the last time she’d signed her name to a document, twenty- seven years before, at Jalil’s table, beneath the watchful gaze of another mullah. pg. 364 There was still a little hope left her, her dreams were to see Laila and Tariq happy and to watch Aziza and Zalmai grow but just like that she gave it all up. Her life had not ended but she still acted as if there was nothing that could be done; she herself gave up her hopes which contrasted her character at the beginning of the book. Lastly, I would like to ask Kh aled why was Laila not given a chance to attend university and complete her secondary education? It is obvious in the early stages of the book that her dream is be educated and educate others so that she can play a women’s worthy role in their society. Her young self is contradicting to what her character becomes. I wonder why after building her family and living in peace she didn’t have the desire to attend university. She had a good opportunity and I feel it would have benefited her and her family a lot. One question I would ask Laila is why she wanted to move back to Kabul? Wasn’t she done with all the suffering and painful memories she endured there? â€Å"†¦Where do we go from here, Tariq? How long do we stay here? This isn’t home. Kabul is†¦Ã¢â‚¬ pg. 390 I realize it was her homeland, she grew up there and the Kabul they left during the war was now half restored; though why would she risk the lives of her family members and their freedom they obtained in Murree. â€Å"It’s a good life, Laila tells herself, a life to be thankful for. It is, in fact, precisely the sort of life she used to dream for herself in her darkest days with Rasheed. †

The Red Badge of Courage - A Literary Critique essays

The Red Badge of Courage - A Literary Critique essays The Red Badge of Courage begins with the Youth (Henry) preparing to leave to war. He has fabulous ideas concocted in his mind about victory and heroism. The Youth soon finds that victory and heroism are a small part in the splendor of war. The Youth's mind soon becomes burdened with thoughts of death and running away from a battle. Sure enough, in the midst of battle, the Youth flees the battlefield. The Youth must learn to deal with the shame he feels on deserting his comrades. When he returns to his camp he lies and says that he was separated during combat and was shot. The Youth is given another chance to fight and prove he is not a coward. As the book progresses, the Youth learns to deal with his shame by feeling honored for being a hero.In the end, the Youth becomes a man. He learns that the most important lessons in life can be seen by opening his eyes. I personally was attracted to the Youth. All his thoughts and wild imagination impressed me. He would describe death as a being that could swallow him whole, and ramble on about wonderful sunsets. The Youth was also a very troubled soul. He worried a lot over things he might do and not the things he would do. For instance, on page 34, he questions others in hope that their answers would comfort him. He feels disassociated from others, "The Youth, considering himself separated from the others..." (p29). Page 35 quotes, "He was a mental outcast." He lacked self -confidence and "continually tried to measure himself by his comrades." (p22). Despite his sorrow, the Youth was creative and compared ideas and objects to other ideas and objects. "The battle was like the grinding of an immense and terrible machine." I believe that the Youth brought the book to life through his life. At times I would find myself thinking, "I've thought that too!" For example on page 127, the Youth announces that his life should be lived to his expectations and not everyone else's. I strongly agree wit...

The Indian Education System Merits Demerits Essays

The Indian Education System Merits Demerits Essays The Indian Education System Merits Demerits Essay The Indian Education System Merits Demerits Essay Essay Topic: Education The Vedas, Puranas, Ayurveda,Yoga, Kautilyas Arthasahtra are only some of the milestones that the traditional Indian knowledge system boasts of. There are evidences of imparting formal education in ancient India under the Gurukul system. Under the Gurukul system, young boys who were passing through the Brahmacharya stage of life had to stay at the Guru or the teachers home and complete their education. Although the ancient system of education has produced many geniuses and still a major area of research. Women and people of lower castes gradually lost their right to educate themselves. The spread of Jainism, Buddhism, Bhakti and Sufi movements did have some liberating effects on the condition of the women. But it is the English language and the reformation movements of the 19th century that had the most liberating effect in pre-independent India. Thus, the Britishers, although rightly criticized for devastating the Indian economy, can also be credited for bringing a revolution in the Indian education system. II. Types of Education There are different types of education in India. Every individual has the right to choose a method (As mentioned below) for his education. Universities play a major role in the lives of students in India. There are universities focusing on the study of medicine, arts and language, journalism, social work, business, commerce, planning, architecture, engineering, and other specialized studies. Most Indian universities teach in English Medium and conduct special language classes for those weak in English. With 343 universities and 17000 colleges, India offers a wide spectrum of courses that are recognized globally. Apart from undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral courses, there are many training and diploma-level institutes and polytechnics that cater to the growing demand for skill-based and vocational education. The quality education that India offers is within the reach of every income-group considering the reasonable fee structure. With 66 distance education institutions functioning in 60 universities besides 11 open universities, India has an enlarged outreach of distance education as well. Present Condition of Education in India:Â  Soon after gaining independence in 1947, making education available to all had become a priority for the government. As discrimination on the basis of caste and gender has been a major impediment in the healthy development of the Indian society, they have been made unlawful by the Indian constitution. The 86th constitutional amendment has also made elementary education a fundamental right for the children between the age group- 6 to 14. According to the 2001 census, the total literacy rate in India is 65. 38%. The female literacy rate is only 54. 16%. The gap between rural and urban literacy rate is also very significant in India. This is evident from the fact that only 59. 4% of rural population are literate as against 80. 3% urban population according to the 2001 census. In order to develop the higher education system, the government had established the University Grants Commission in 1953. The primary role of UGC has been to regulate the standard and spread of higher education in India. There has been a marked progress in the expansion of higher education if we look at the increase of higher educational institutes in India. The higher education system in India comprise of more than17000 colleges, 20 central universities, 217 State Universities, 106 Deemed to Universities and 13 institutes of National importance. This number will soon inflate as the setting up of 30 more central universities, 8 new IITs, 7 IIMs and 5 new Indian Institutes of Science are now proposed. Education System in India: The present education system in India mainly comprises of primary education, secondary education, senior secondary education and higher education. Elementary education consists of eight years of education. Each of secondary and senior secondary education consists of two years of education. Higher education in India starts after passing the higher secondary education or the 12th standard. Depending on the stream, doing graduation in India can take three to five years. Post graduate courses are generally of two to three years of duration. After completing post graduation, scope for doing research in various educational institutes also remains open. Prominent Educational Institutes in India: There are quite a good number of educational institutes in India that can compete with the best educational institutes of the world. The Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), Indian Institutes of Science, National Law Schools, Jawaharlal Nehru University are some such institutes. Education for the Marginalized in India: As education is the means for bringing socio- economic transformation in a society, various measures are being taken to enhance the access of education to the marginalized sections of the society. One such measure is the introduction of the reservation system in the institutes of higher education. Under the present law, 7. 5% seats in the higher educational institutes are reserved for the scheduled tribes, 15% for scheduled castes and 27% for the non creamy layers of the Other Backward Classes (OBCs). Under the Indian constitution, various minority groups can also set up their own educational institutes. Efforts are also being taken to improve the access to higher education among the women of India by setting up various educational institutes exclusively for them or reserving seats in the already existing institutes. The growing acceptance of distance learning courses and expansion of the open university system is also contributing a lot in the democratization of higher education in India. Despite all the efforts to develop the education system in India, access, equity and quality of education in India continue to haunt the policy makers till this date. This has mainly been due to the widespread poverty and various prejudices. The inability to check the drop out rates among the marginalized sections of the population is another cause of worry. However, the renewed emphasis in the education sector in the 11th five year plan and increased expenditure in both primary and higher education can act as palliatives for the Indian education system. Education has become a career necessity in todays business world. College graduation will qualify you for many jobs that would not be available to you any other way. Your career advancement should be easier because some job promotions require a college degree. Education will help you develop your skills in reasoning, tolerance, reflection, and communication. These skills will help you resolve the conflicts and solve crisis that come up in the course of a personal or professional life. Education will also help you understand other peoples viewpoints, and learn how to disagree sensibly. A satisfied life depends upon the rational resolution of conflicts and crises. Of course, these critical skills can be developed without going to college, but the college environment has proven to be a good place to practice, learn and polish skills that will last you a lifetime.

Development of automobile industry in the united states Research Paper

Development of automobile industry in the united states - Research Paper Example May 2011 brought Volkswagen’s manufacturing plant to America. In addition to manufacturing plants, several manufacturers have opened transmission and engine plants that are working in research and development, design, and testing in the United States. The whole automotive industry and dealership amounts to nearly 3.5 percent Gross Domestic Products (GDP) of the United States. By the end of 2012, auto manufacturers and related industries directly employed 786,000 people (SelectUSA). In addition to manufacturers, there is an extensive network of auto parts suppliers who produced $225.2 billion (4 percent of U.S. manufacturing) in shipments during 2012. According to the study conducted by Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association and Information Handling Services, overall automobile industry’s direct employment generation was 3.62 million while indirect influence was the creation of jobs and economic wellbeing in comparison to any other sector (SelectUSA). This research paper examines U.S. automobile industry, its history and development, and finds that it the backbone of manufacturing industry, therefore, plays a vital role in strengthening American economy. During 1900 and 1930, Detroit experienced record growth in comparison to any other city in the United States. The reason behind this unparalleled growth was concentration of auto industry around Detroit, which became the largest industry in the U.S. by 1929(Davis ix). The number of auto firms grew in a gradual manner from 1895 to 1907, reaching at its peak at 82 in 1907. For the next three years, the number of entrants remained high, but after that it dropped sharply. With an average number of 15 firms every year from 1911 to 1922, it fell to only 15 firms from 1923 to 1966. After a few early years, the auto industry’s exit rate was more than 10 percent; moreover, by the year 1910, the number of exit was more than the number of entries. Excluding the two year period from

Human Resource Management Company Changes Essay

Human Resource Management Company Changes - Essay Example The unstructured interview is the most used interview for selecting employees although this is most likely to change, as there is increasing evidence that the other two kinds of interview are a lot better at identifying applicants who are likely to do well on the job. The 'reliability and validity', which Wysocki (2000) refers to, are two standards that are used in the selection process. When an organization is trying to separate the best candidate out of a group of candidates, some sort of rating scale is needed, the people selecting the new employee need to be able rate each candidate numerically, the best way would be to give them a score for each selection method used. When all the candidates have been scored, their scores can be compared and decisions made about who is the best person for the job. "Five generic standards that should be met by any selection method are, (1) reliability, (2) validity, (3) generalisability, (4) utility and (5) legality." (De Cieri H, Kramar R, et al, 2003, p 196) The scores that are given to each candidate need to be reliable, that is free from random error. Reliability is defined by De Cieri and Kramar (2003) as 'the degree to which a measure is free from random error' . ... De Cieri and Kramar (2003), define validity 'as the extent to which performance on the measure is related to performance on the job.' This basically means that the scores of candidates need to be linked to how well they will perform on the job. The closer the link, the more valid the score. Generalisability is defined as "the degree to which the validity of a selection method established in one context extends to other contexts. Utility is the degree to which the information provided by selection methods enhances the bottom-line effectiveness of the organization." (De Cieri H, Kramar R, et al, 2003, p 205). "The final standard that any selection method should adhere to is legality. All selection methods should conform to existing laws and existing legal precedents."(De Cieri H, Kramar R, et al, 2003, p 207). Structured interviews usually have the highest reliability and validity scores when compared with unstructured or semi-structured interviews, making the structured interview the better choice of interview for the organization to use as a selection method. Schmidt and Hunter (1998) created a table rating the validity of different selection methods; the structured interview had a validity of 0.51 whilst the unstructured interview had a validity of 0.38. These numbers are correlation coefficients; a correlation coefficient is "a statistic that measures the degree to which two sets of numbers are related to each other."(De Cieri, H. & Kramar, R., 2003, p 197). This means that the structured interview is better than an unstructured interview at predicting how well a candidate will perform on the job. Other selection methods, which have also improved over the years, are used along with the selection interview, they include; "References, physical ability