Free Essays on Grapevine Communication

The most powerful communication tool in the workplace is the â€Å"grapevine†. If manipulated properly, this form of communication can greatly benefit a company. If ignored, the grapevine can create havoc within an organization. Astute managers have come to realize several aspects concerning the grapevine: The grapevine will never be eliminated, that it circulates information quickly and is oblivious to any damage it creates. One way to combat the potential destructive consequences of the inaccurate information is to take the time to listen to the grapevine instead of ignoring it. Once managers are aware of the content of the grapevine, they can head off potential problems by manipulating further grapevine communications by injecting factual information into the pipeline. This actually serves a dual purpose. It helps to keep managers informed on what issues are important to their employees and also keeps the managers aware of whether or not they are properly providing official information to their employees. In most cases, lack of company provided information is at the root of the problem for employees will often make up their own scenarios. If the grapevine cannot be abolished, an organization must find ways to use it to its advantage. Managers should ask employees to approach them with any rumors. This would be the best way to correct inaccurate information before it becomes harmful. Grapevine conversations are often just another form of gossip and gossip is basically about bonding. Gossiping heightens connectedness between people. A lot of people feel more loved as they gossip. You value me; I value you as we share these secrets. In an office, you often replicate a lot of things that happened in your family. Hours spent in the office often equal or exceed time spent with one’s own family members. This is why things in an office can get intense fast. This tension gives rise to gossip sessions, which helps to s... Free Essays on Grapevine Communication Free Essays on Grapevine Communication The most powerful communication tool in the workplace is the â€Å"grapevine†. If manipulated properly, this form of communication can greatly benefit a company. If ignored, the grapevine can create havoc within an organization. Astute managers have come to realize several aspects concerning the grapevine: The grapevine will never be eliminated, that it circulates information quickly and is oblivious to any damage it creates. One way to combat the potential destructive consequences of the inaccurate information is to take the time to listen to the grapevine instead of ignoring it. Once managers are aware of the content of the grapevine, they can head off potential problems by manipulating further grapevine communications by injecting factual information into the pipeline. This actually serves a dual purpose. It helps to keep managers informed on what issues are important to their employees and also keeps the managers aware of whether or not they are properly providing official information to their employees. In most cases, lack of company provided information is at the root of the problem for employees will often make up their own scenarios. If the grapevine cannot be abolished, an organization must find ways to use it to its advantage. Managers should ask employees to approach them with any rumors. This would be the best way to correct inaccurate information before it becomes harmful. Grapevine conversations are often just another form of gossip and gossip is basically about bonding. Gossiping heightens connectedness between people. A lot of people feel more loved as they gossip. You value me; I value you as we share these secrets. In an office, you often replicate a lot of things that happened in your family. Hours spent in the office often equal or exceed time spent with one’s own family members. This is why things in an office can get intense fast. This tension gives rise to gossip sessions, which helps to s...

Biography of Robert Hanssen, Spy Who Betrayed the FBI

Biography of Robert Hanssen, Spy Who Betrayed the FBI Robert Hanssen is a former FBI agent who sold highly classified material to Russian intelligence agents for decades before he was finally arrested in 2001. His case is considered one of Americas greatest intelligence failures, as Hanssen operated as a mole within the bureaus counterintelligence division, the highly sensitive part of the FBI tasked with tracking foreign spies. Unlike Cold War spies of an earlier era, Hanssen claimed to have no political motivation for selling out his country. At work, he often spoke of his religious faith and conservative values, traits which helped him avoid any suspicion during the years that he was in secret communication with Russian spies. Fast Facts: Robert Hanssen Full Name: Robert Phillip HanssenKnown For: Worked as a mole for Russian spy agencies while serving as an FBI counterintelligence agent. He was arrested in 2001 and sentenced to life without parole in federal prison in 2002Born: April 14, 1944 in Chicago, IllinoisEducation: Knox College and Northwestern University, where he received an MBASpouse: Bernadette Wauck Early Life and Career Robert Phillip Hanssen was born in Chicago, Illinois, on April 18, 1944. His father served on the police force in Chicago and was serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II when Hanssen was born. As Hanssen grew up, his father was reportedly verbally abusive to him, often ranting that he would never succeed in life. After graduating from a public high school, Hanssen attended Knox College in Illinois, studying chemistry and Russian. For a time he planned to become a dentist, but eventually wound up obtaining an MBA and becoming an accountant. He married Bernadette Wauck in 1968 and, influenced by his devout Catholic wife, he converted to Catholicism. After a few years working as an accountant, he decided to enter law enforcement. He worked as a policeman in Chicago for three years and was placed on an elite unit that investigated corruption. He then applied and was accepted into the FBI. He became an agent in 1976, and spent two years working in the Indianapolis, Indiana, field office. Initial Betrayal In 1978, Hanssen was transferred to the FBI office in New York City and was assigned to a counterintelligence post. His job was to help assemble a database of foreign officials posted in New York who, while posing as diplomats, were actually intelligence officers spying on the United States. Many of them were agents of the Soviet intelligence agency, the KGB, or its military counterpart, the GRU. At some point in 1979, Hanssen made a decision to sell American secrets to the Soviets. He visited an office of the Russian governments trading company and offered to spy. Hanssen would later claim that his goal was simply to make some extra money, as living in New York City was putting a financial squeeze on his growing family. He began providing the Soviets with highly valuable material. Hanssen gave them the name of a Russian general, Dimitri Polyakov, who had been providing information to the Americans. Polyakov was carefully watched by the Russians from that point on, and was eventually arrested as a spy and executed in 1988. Robert Hanssens business cards, chalk and thumb tacks, which he used to communicate with his Russian contacts, according to the FBI. FBI.gov In 1980, after his first interactions with the Soviets, Hanssen told his wife what he had done, and she suggested they meet with a Catholic priest. The priest told Hanssen to stop his illegal activities and donate the money he had gotten from the Russians to charity. Hanssen made the donation to a charity affiliated with Mother Teresa, and cut off contact with the Soviets for the next few years. Return to Spying In the early 1980s, Hanssen was transferred to FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C. To his colleagues in the bureau he seemed to be a model agent. He often steered conversations to talk of religion and his very conservative values, which were aligned with the very conservative Catholic organization Opus Dei. Hanssen appeared to be a devoted anti-communist. After working in the FBI division that developed secret listening devices, Hanssen was again placed in a position to track Russian agents operating in the United States. In 1985 he approached the Soviets again and offered valuable secrets. During his second round of dealing with Russian agents, Hanssen was much more cautious. He wrote to them anonymously. While not identifying himself, he was able to gain their trust by initially providing information which the Soviets found both credible and valuable. The Soviets, suspicious of being lured into a trap, demanded to meet him. Hanssen refused. In his communications with the Russians (some of which were eventually made public after his arrest) he insisted on setting the terms of how he would communicate, pass information, and pick up money. His Russian contacts and Hanssen were highly trained in espionage techniques and were able to work together without ever meeting. At one point Hanssen spoke to a Russian agent over a pay phone, but they generally relied on placing signals in public places. For instance, a piece of adhesive tape placed on a sign in a park in Virginia would indicate that a package had been placed in a dead drop location, which was usually under a small footbridge in the park. Undated file photo released by the FBI February 20, 2001 shows a package recovered at the Lewis drop site containing $50,000 cash allegedly left by Russians for FBI Agent Robert Philip Hanssen. FBI / Getty Images A Third Stint of Betrayal When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 Hanssen became much more wary. During the early 1990s, KGB veterans began to approach western intelligence agencies and provide information. Hanssen became alarmed that a Russian with knowledge of his activities would tip off the Americans that a highly placed mole was operating within the FBI and the resultant investigation would lead to him. For years, Hanssen stopped contacting the Russians. But in 1999, while assigned as an FBI liaison with the State Department, he once again began selling American secrets. Hanssen was finally discovered when a former KGB agent contacted American intelligence agents. The Russian had obtained Hanssens KGB file. Realizing the importance of the material, the United States paid $7 million for it. Although his name was not specifically mentioned, evidence in the file pointed to Hanssen, who was put under close surveillance. On February 18, 2001, Hanssen was arrested at a park in northern Virginia after he had placed a package at a dead drop location. The evidence against him was overwhelming, and to avoid the death penalty, Hanssen confessed and agreed to be debriefed by American intelligence officials. During his sessions with investigators, Hanssen claimed his motivation had always been financial. Yet some investigators believed anger about how his father treated him as a child triggered a need to rebel against authority. Friends of Hanssen later came forward and told journalists that Hanssen had exhibited eccentric behavior, which included an obsession with pornography. In May 2002, Hanssen was sentenced to life in prison. News reports at the time of his sentencing said American intelligence agencies were not entirely satisfied with the extent of his cooperation and believed he was holding back information. But the government could not prove he had lied, and wishing to avoid a public trial, the government chose not to void his plea agreement. He was sentenced to life in prison. Robert Hanssen moments after being arrested. Getty Images   Impact of Hanssen Case The Hanssen case was regarded as a low point for the FBI, especially as Hanssen had been so trusted and had committed such betrayals for so many years. In court proceedings the government stated that Hanssen had been paid more than $1.4 million during his spying career, most of which he never actually received, as it was held for him in a Russian bank. The damage Hanssen did was considerable. At least three Russian agents he identified had been executed, and it was suspected that he compromised dozens of intelligence operations. One notable example was the information that the Americans had dug a tunnel under the Russian embassy in Washington to install sophisticated listening devices. Hanssen was incarcerated in a supermax federal prison in Colorado which also houses other notorious inmates, including the Unabomber, one of the Boston Marathon bombers, and a number of organized crime figures. Sources: Hanssen, Robert. Encyclopedia of World Biography, edited by James Craddock, 2nd ed., vol. 36, Gale, 2016, pp. 204-206. Gale Virtual Reference Library,A Search for Answers: Excerpts From the FBI Affidavit in the Case Against Robert Hanssen. New York Times, 22 February 2001, p. A14.Risen, James. Former FBI Agent Gets Life in Prison For Years as a Spy. New York Times, 11 May 2002, p. A1.

Discuss how public sector organisations may respond to change as a Essay

Discuss how public sector organisations may respond to change as a result of changes to legislation and regulation - Essay Example They provide essential social services that cannot be provided by the private sector on grounds such as high capital investment. They also provide services that have little or no profit at all and are thereby shunned by the private sector. Normally public corporations are established on statutory grounds by the parliament. It therefore means that these corporations will normally have a lot of influence from the workings of the government. Public sector corporations are normally instituted to provide services such as health, education, social insurance and transport. Most of their management is comprises of political appointees. Legislations are laws or rules that are enacted by the government through the legislature or parliament. Such enactments are usually made relating to various issues that affect the masses. Public sector organizations are normally expected to respond to any new legislation that affects them. Much legislation has been enacted that affect the management of the pu blic corporations. Legislations affecting the public sector are customarily enacted out of the need to protect the general public from exploitation from these corporations. Exploitations have always been realized from these public corporations inasmuch as they are directly controlled by the government. It arises from the fact that some figures in government are always interested in the affairs of these corporations. As a result they end up influencing their operations most often for their own gains. Response to changes Public corporations are always expected to respond to legislations that are enacted to improve their operations or to bring sanity in the manner in which their operations are run. Most of these corporations were instituted several years back but unfortunately, many years later it is realized that their service delivery is usually below expectations. A comparison of some of these corporations with privately managed enterprises will reveal a lot of striking differences. It therefore begs the analysis of the reasons as to what might be wrong in the affairs of these corporations. It has always been realized that the manner in which some corporations respond to very pertinent legislations is always very slow and wanting. For instance, legislations relating to global warming , dumping of toxins into water bodies and other emerging issues have always raised a lot of questions regarding the slow pace of compliance from these corporations. Just like public enterprises, most of these corporations fall under specific regulatory authorities that are expected to regulate their operations. It has also been realized that that regulating these corporations is not easy as it may seem. Given the nature of their management, their organizational structures and the fact that they are not profit motivated, it makes it very difficult for the regulatory authorities to make them comply with the regulations expected. Most public sector organizations have very complex org anization structures in operation. Decision making in such an organization is not easy. As such it has always been difficult to implement some proposed regulations that are created for a specific purpose. Moreover managing employees in many public corporations is a daunting task. Most of them are protected by their terms of engagement which

The Significance and the Necessity of Ethics and Law in the Field of Research Paper

The Significance and the Necessity of Ethics and Law in the Field of Business - Research Paper Example The presence of the different forms of laws helps in establishing the minimum adequate and satisfactory norms relating to the conduct of behavior. The laws would help in ascertaining that the business organizations are operating in agreement with the laid down specifications so that the interests and the well being of the employees, the society, the environment, the country and the organization on the whole remain protected. This also gives rise to the need of comprehension of the subject matter of business ethics. It aids in making a distinction amid the right as well as the incorrect act. The law could be stated to be fundamentally a codification or rather an institutionalization of the ethical aspects into particular social regulations, legal guidelines and prohibitions. Therefore, the thesis statement for the paper is that legal issues in the present day business context certainly raise ethical concerns which in turn create a derogatory impact upon an organization’s sustai nability in the long run. Analysis of a Legal Issue in the Business World The collapse of the company Enron and the downfall of its auditor Arthur Andersen could be cited as an instance with regard to the violation of legal issues along with unethical practices in the business world. ... The auditor of the company Arthur Andersen was found to be involved with such illegal practices. The revelation of the corruption and the deliberate fraud proved fatal for both the company Enron as well as for Arthur Andersen. The company was compelled to announce itself to be a bankrupt and the subsistence of the ace auditing firm came to an end with the exposure of this scandal. The particular scandal was observed and analyzed to entail both unethical as well as illegal conducts (Healy & Palepu, 2003). The chief problem that arose for the company, Enron was to predict the market worth of its contracts, few of which were for a time period of as long as 20 years. The revenue was predicted or calculated on the base of the current worth of the net cash flows in the coming years. The other significant issue associated with these kinds of predictions was the practicability of the contracts and costs relevant to them. All these issues along with other accounting problems were faced by the company. These gave rise to accounting abnormalities and business malfunctions and ultimately led to the final breakdown of the company (Healy & Palepu, 2003). The Issue The business model of Enron was stated to be quite complicated as it involved a broad range of products from trading functions, physical assets as well as going beyond the national borders. All these factors extended the boundaries of accounting. Enron took the opportunity of exploiting these accounting boundaries to the maximum in controlling its revenues along with its balance sheet so as to depict a favorable performance scenario (Gupta, 2004). However, in this case two matters emerged out to be extremely problematic for the company. The company’s transactions related to trading engaged

Jet Airways Essay Example for Free

Jet Airways Essay Naresh Goyal, who already owned JetAir (Private) Limited (which provided sales and marketing for foreign airlines in India) took advantage of this opportunity by setting up Jet Airways as a fullservice scheduled airline that would give competition to state-owned Indian Airlines. Indian Airlines had enjoyed a monopoly in the domestic market between 1953, when all major Indian air transport providers were nationalised under the Air Corporations Act (1953), and January 1994, when the Air Corporations Act was repealed, following which Jet Airways received scheduled airline status. Jet Airways’ 45 destinations include most of the big cities in India. International destinations include Kathmandu, Colombo, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Londons Heathrow Airport, Bangkok, Brussels and Newark. Jet Airways was the first private airline in India to fly to international destinations. It started international operations in March 2004 between Chennai and Colombo after it had been cleared by the Government of India to operate scheduled services to international destinations. MACRO ENVIRONMENT FACTORS: Economic Economic environment of India and world affects the airline industry to a great extent. Factors like fluctuations in global fuel prices, exchange rates, slowdown etc have varying impact on the way Jet Airways has been operating in this sector. One of the most important aspect that has greatly affected the worlds transportation system is the high fuel price. Besides high taxes, jet fuel prices have become costlier than crude oil prices which have greatly affected the bottom-line for many airlines including Jet Airways. State taxes on ATF available through government agencies vary between 4% and 30%, making the fuel 30% to 50% costlier than the global average. In Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, West Bengal, Maharashtra and Himachal Pradesh the cess is 25% or higher. The three listed airline companies – Jet Airways, Kingfisher and SpiceJet – all of which reported losses in the quarter ending December 2011, blamed rising ATF cost for their bad financial performance. In February 2012, the Centre gave a nod to direct import of ATF on a case-to-case basis But once airlines start importing ATF, traffic at the countrys congested ports is likely to increase, making matters worse for exporters and importers. Airlines will also have to factor in the cost of transporting ATF from the various ports in the country to airports around the country, something which could eventually lead to increase in the ATF cost. Jet Airways in its financial report has also indicated the losses that it has incurred due to rupee depreciation. It has been reported that revenue from exceptional items decreased by 61% from Rs. 18,919 lakhs in Fiscal 2011 to Rs. 7,319 lakhs in Fiscal 2012 mainly on account of depreciation of the Rupee against the Dollar in the current year. Even in the past Jet Airways has experienced slowdown because of global recession. In 2008 during recession, Jet Airways was forced to discontinue the following routes: Ahmedabad–London, Amritsar–London, Bangalore–Brussels and Mumbai–Shanghai– San Francisco. It also had to put an indefinite delay on its expansion plans. Naresh Goyal, Jet Airways promoter is unable to put in more funds via his holding company due to FDI restrictions. He holds 80% in Jet Airways through Tailwinds. He claims NRI status, where 100% ownership is allowed. However, Goyal’s investment is via Tailwinds, which is considered FDI by the Indian government. Tailwinds is registered in the Isle of Man. In India, only 49% FDI investment is permissible in aviation. Airline business is a complicated one and only airlines would be interested in investing domestic carriers. The government is looking at allowing foreign airlines to invest in domestic carriers but there would be no change in FDI cap of 49%. In this 49%, currently foreign airlines are not allowed to participate. So if this change happens then there would be inflow of funds from foreign airlines. The announcement of ECB (External Commercial Borrowing) with a limit $1 billion in the Budget 2012 will also give some relief to debt ridden airline companies. Shareholding Naresh Goyal 80% FII 6. 7% DII 7% Public hold 6. 3% Social The backbone of the airline industry is people. Individuals in the management, technical and crew are responsible for undertaking the task of serving their customers with utmost care and excellence. These individuals are trained and tailored to the industrys needs before they are allowed to work. They need to meet certain standards of service and technical knowledge designed to satisfy the customers. For this reason the players invest millions of dollars to improve the knowledge of their workers. Jet Airways plans to set up a marketing services firm and launch an aviation training academy, with a total investment of Rs 1 crore. The proposal is, however, subjected to regulatory approvals, including those from the Foreign Investment Promotion Board and the Reserve Bank of India. The proposed academy would be based in Mumbai and offer certificate courses in in-flight services, ticket reservation and check-in services, according to a brochure brought out for the institute. Operations in the northeast are guided by the governments Route Dispersal Guidelines (RDG) which entails that all Indian carriers fly to the northeast and other remote parts of the country, more so as a social obligation. After posting a loss of Rs 298 crore in the last quarter, Jet Airways has sought government clearance to scale down its flights to the northeastern region by about half to stem the losses. Technological Technological factors in macroenvironment are the most dramatic forces in changing the market place. They help the business to create new products and harness new opportunities. Jet Airways makes strategic use of the latest technology to interact with passengers at a global level. Its significant presence on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Flickr ensures increase in awareness and reach of the company brand. The companys growth on the social media networking platform has been noteworthy registering an exponential increase in the number of followers and fans on Twitter and Facebook. In the coming year, the Company aims to introduce state-of-the-art mobile applications for Android, iPhone, BlackBerry and Windows mobile phones. These applications will provide passengers with a convenient and seamless option to book tickets, check-in, access their JetPrivilege account etc. using their mobile phones. Additionally, the Company intends to commence the use of 2D Mobile Bar-coded boarding passes for guests who have checked-in for their flights, thus providing a paperless travel experience. Political In India, one can never over-look the political factors which influence each and every industry existing in the country. Like it or not, the political interference has to be present everywhere. Given below are a few of the political factors with respect to the airline industry: The airline industry is very susceptible to changes in the political environment. One instance of Government Policy resulting in great uncertainty is the fact that the Indian Government has not allowed foreign airlines to participate in FDI in aviation as yet. So the airline industry, which is currently facing draught of funds can still not expect foreign players to chip in. International airlines are greatly affected by trade relations that their country has with others. Unless governments of the two countries trade with each other, there could be restrictions of flying into particular area leading to a loss of potential air traffic (e. g. Pakistan India) Political factors can also affect the day-to-day working of the airline industry. For instance, in 2009, Jet Airways announced plans to lay-off 1800 employees that were undergoing probation with the Company. What happened was a PR disaster for the Airline. First the laid off employees suddenly became socialist in their approach and later went a step further managing to politicize the whole matter by seeking support from MNSs Raj Thackeray. Other parties and sundry ministers then followed the suit and jumped into the bandwagon, until the Jet Management had to revert the decision and ask laid off employees to join the duty back. Legal and Regulatory Operating in a cross border network of alliances and partnerships, multinational companies like Jet airways are subject to international and national regulations in terms of assignment of routes and destinations; international aviation regulations; partners legal standing as well as local laws. These constraints not only leave little room for airlines to operate but are also the sources for its highly efficient value chain. Another aspect is industrial relations. Personnel in the airlines industry from pilots to cabin crew to technicians everyone work in the capacity and provisions given by the laws prevalent globally. For this reason, everyone is cognizant of their rights to legal aid if required. Since most of the airline personnel in the world have associations and unions they tend to have an upper hand over management. The management therefore has to comply with their demands if it is within the capacity of the law Not only is this but the airlines also subject to strict safety, hygiene and efficient regulations. Airlines that do not deliver services according to international standards do not only lose out in the competition but are also subjected to aviation penalties. The principal regulatory authority that regulates the civil aviation sector in India is the Director General of Civil Aviation, or DGCA. To operate scheduled services in India, an airline requires an operating permit from the DGCA. This permit is required to be renewed on a year-to-year basis. An airline incorporated in India and operating scheduled services is also required to register all its aircraft with the DGCA, save and except aircraft which are wet leased. On July 10 2012 aviation regulator E K Bharat Bhushan was abruptly removed from his key position in the backdrop of his tough stance against debt-ridden Kingfisher Airlines over its failure to pay salaries to its employees. Newly-appointed chief of the Directorate-General of Civil Aviation Prashant Sukul on 13th July 2012 asked all airlines to strictly adhere to prescribed safety standards. Demographics Indian aviation industry promises huge growth potential due to large and growing middle class population, favorable demographics, rapid economic growth, higher disposable incomes, rising aspirations of the middle class, and overall low penetration levels (less than 3%). Few prominent factors we need to look at from demographics perspective: Working age population India is blessed with a young and growing population. India has amongst the best demographic ratio globally and this would continue to improve over next three to four decades. As compared to children and elderly, a relatively higher percentage of the earning population travels by air to save working hours and for business. The rising proportion of people of working age also implies higher disposable income as pressure on household for the needs of dependent children elderly comes down. Both the above factors along with a growing working age population would lead to higher demand for air travel. Exploding Middle Class McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) predicts that the India’s middle class will reach 583 million from the current 50 million by 2025. With this exploding middle class the demand for air travel is bound to go up in a unidirectional way. Nuclear families increase Increasing VFR (Visiting Friends and Relatives) Travel The traditional ‘joint-family’ system in India is rapidly breaking up. With increasing expenses and with more people migrating to cities for work, people are increasingly opting for nuclear and small families. This trend of smaller families has also bought a change to their lifestyles, with friends relatives visiting more frequently and families taking more vacations – implying greater frequency of travel. Air travel is finding a growing proportion of this additional travel, with smaller families making air travel for the entire family more affordable. Increasing Employment Growing employment means higher disposable income, more business travel and higher opportunity cost of travel time. All these contribute to higher demand for air travel. Increasing Leisure Travel Tourism accounts only for 2. 5% of India’s GDP, versus 6% in Asia Pacific and 5. 3% in China. However this ratio is fast changing with India emerging amongst the fast growing tourism destinations in the world.

Irish Stereotypes Essay -- Ireland Stereotype Irish Culture Essays

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Irish people have been on the receiving end of many racial stereotypes. When they migrated to America because of lack of jobs, poor living conditions, and many other reasons they were treated as the lowest member of the social class. They were given jobs that were thought to be too unsafe for blacks to carry out because the loss of a slave was an out of pocket expense (Kinsella, 2002). But The Irish were not only discriminated against in America, but in their own country as well, and England. And in the book written by Frank McCourt, he really focuses on the Irish stereotypes. But did it affect Frank when he was growing up, and why were the Irish discriminated so much by the use of these stereotypes?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Irish families immigrated to the United States because there were no j...

Country Lovers Essay

A story of forbidden love on a South African farm, one child nothing more than a farm worker, as the other one prepares for boarding school. Both ignorant to the color of their skins, all they knew they were best friends playing together until they grew up and then it was not allowed. But when Paulus turns fifteen and goes to school things start to change he begins to realize the difference between boys and girls, and then the consequences behind his actions, but then it’s too late to turn back. What drew me into this story was the title country lovers, and then the forbidden love on a South African farm I wanted to see what it was about, curios to know if it was about two people of different races falling in love, creating racial relationships in a place that forbid it. And that was exactly what it was, two kids playing together as kids, a boy white and girl black, everyday playing on his father’s farm. What I couldn’t understand was why they were able to play as kids but not be able to socialize when they got older. If it was because of racial boundaries, why not keep them apart even when they are kids, then it wouldn’t be so confusing. The literary term and concept that best describes they way I am feeling about this would be Imagination because it expresses how the author was feeling about racial differences and allows the reader to feel what the author is writing about. I am using the Reader – Response approach to analyze my story because it asks you to connect with the literature, and find a personal link or imaginative entry into a story. And that is what this author makes you do. While reading this story I had a lot of different emotions like why did he change when he went to school, but when he came home he was with thebedi. Even though he met people at school whose family’s was prosperous famer’s? He still was bringing gifts to thebedi, she making gifts for him and both lying about where they came from and why. They had been sneaking around for months, so when she was eighteen and the farmer’s son was nineteen he left for veterinary college, Njabulo’s parents asked Thebedi’s parents to marry their son and they agreed on it, not telling Paulus or Njabulo that she might be pregnant. When the baby was born looked nothing like Njabulo, but he still was going to take care of her as if she was his own. This would be Satire because he should feel anger but instead he is willing to take care of her. My thinking didn’t change because in that time that’s what happens when two different races mix and have children, I just thank god it’s not like that now to the extreme it was then. Because I love people for who they are not because of where they come from. Because of the author’s background growing up in South Africa I can understand why she feels this way, they have different traditions and beliefs. This was a very good story; I enjoyed reading it and feeling what they were going through.

Competition Freaks Essay

According to Dr. Phil, Everybody likes to be a winner, but some people are â€Å"competition freaks† who have to be first, be the best or win at everything they do. This overly competitive nature oftentimes causes tension in their personal relationships. â€Å"Love and competition are oil and water, they do not mix,† Dr. Phil warns. He offers the following advice for competitive people who want to overcome their need to compete, and learn to relax and enjoy what they have. Being competitive in our academic, working and personal lives can be good for achieving success and moving into the ranks of glory and glamour. Competitive attitudes can help you to feel energized, able to take on challenging tasks and ready to achieve many things in life. However, competitive behavior that is not considerate of your well-being or well balanced in its application can take its toll, leading to self destruction and perhaps ostracizing the very people you care about the most. REFERENCE: http://www.drphil.com/articles/article/510 http://www.wikihow.com/Be-Competitive-in-a-Non-Destructive-Way 1. SELFISHNESS B. EFFECTS OF COMPETING 1. NEGATIVE EFFECT 1.1 SELF- HATRED Another risk of burying our competitive feelings is that we may turn them around and use them to feel bad about ourselves. A straightforward competitive thought like, â€Å"I hate that he is so smart and always says the right thing,† may turn into an attack toward our selves like, â€Å"You are so stupid. You never know what to say. He is so much more engaging than you.†Ã‚  When we turn against our competitive feelings, we turn against ourselves. We feel ashamed of who we are and what we want. Instead of seeking to emulate the people we admire, we simply tear ourselves down in relation to them. With so many negative manifestations of suppressing our direct competitive feelings, how can we face them more honestly and make sure to use them in healthy ways? First of all, we have to remember that feeling competitive is not about letting these emotions take over or ruminating in negative thoughts. It’s about accepting our naturally occurring competitive responses, feeling them fully and moving on. We can accept that we have these feelings a lot of the time. We can even have fun with them, letting ourselves have the nastiest thought possible, then letting that thought go. Doing this as an exercise can feel clean, healthy and even refreshing. As illustrated by the above examples, when we suppress our competitive feelings, they have a way of seeping into and influencing our behavior. Yet, each time we acknowledge that we have these thoughts, we can consciously choose how we want to act. We can be much more proactive in becoming the best version of ourselves, both accepting ourselves and evolving, as the motivated (and competitive) individuals that we inherently are. 1.2 JEALOUSY/BEING ENVY Competitive feelings can be full of jealousy. Allowing ourselves to have competitive thoughts will not leave us falling victim to unstoppable fits of envy or suspicion. When we hold back our healthy and natural competitive feelings, we strengthen the negative parts of those feelings –jealousy included. Instead of building a case against someone, we can face the reality of our feelings and adopt a healthier attitude. For example, a guy I know recently revealed to me a thought process he went through at a party with his girlfriend. He noticed that she was happily chatting with other people, including a few men throughout the night. At first he thought, â€Å"She is totally flirting with my friend. Why does she light up around him? Is she more into him than me? I should just dump her before she makes a fool out of me.† At a certain point, he realized that what he was really feeling was competitive. He wanted her to respond to him the way she was responding to other people at the party. His thinking quickly changed to, â€Å"I love when she is fun like this. I want to share that with her.† Instead of listening to  the voice in his head that told him to pull away and act cold to her, he joined her and engaged in joking around with her. By being lighthearted and fun himself, she was naturally drawn to him, and they were both able to feel closer and happier with each other. If he’d acted on his jealous insecurities, rather than admitting he felt competitive, he would have achieved just the opposite. 1.3 SELF-DENIAL One of the worst results of denying our competitive feelings is that it can cause us to reject what we really want in life. Because feelings of desire or jealousy make us uncomfortable, we may pretend that we don’t want whatever we once longed for anymore. If someone we had a crush on goes out with someone else or if a job we interviewed for falls through, we can easily turn against ourselves and become self-denying. Instead of thinking, â€Å"I really wanted that, and I’m furious that I didn’t get it,† we might think, â€Å"I don’t even care. I never really wanted that. I’m not going to put myself out there to embarrass myself again.† When we engage in this pattern, we become increasingly passive. Rather than going after what we desire, we avoid it, all in the interest of denying our â€Å"unacceptable† competitive feelings. REFERENCE: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/compassion-matters/201309/the-benefits-feeling-competitive 2. POSSITIVE EFFECT 2.1 MAKES YOU PERSEVERE When you look at someone ahead of you and you do whatever it takes to catch up to them†¦that is the essence of perseverance. You don’t give up until you are at the top. Without competition, we would have no reason to persevere. We wouldn’t know our limits and how far we can stretch them. The rewards of perseverance are priceless and to experience such rewards, you need a reason, and competition is that reason. 2.2 HELPS ASSESS YOUR STRENGHTS AND WEAKNESSES Following up from my previous point, what you do notice is what you are doing right and what you are doing wrong. With competition, you have a way to measure how well or how poorly you are doing. Knowing what you are good at and what you are not is extremely important, because success is all about accentuating your strengths and hiding your weaknesses. How well you accomplish this determines how far you go. REFERENCE: http://www.ineedmotivation.com/blog/2008/05/7-positives-of-competition/

Free Essays on How Lindy Hop Helped Desegragation

Easing the tensions of segregation one dance step at a time Sing, sing, sing, sing everybody start to sing la dee da dee whoa ho ho now your singin’ with a swing! That wonderful sound that filled from the hot air on summer nights at the legendary Savoy Ballroom, Harlem, New York can still be heard today in ballrooms through out the country. When most people think of the legendary era of Swing that spanned the late 1920’s all the way through the early 1940’s they think of it as nothing more than a form of dance. But in actuality Swing was created to ease the tensions of segregation and hopefully put and end to it! Many people believe that swing had made segregation worse, but in actuality it helped the movement more than it hurt it. During the roaring 20’s, 30’s and 40’s not only were the Afro- Americans dealing with segregation but so were American woman as the woman’s suffrage movement gained more and more backing. Teenagers were also looking for their place within the American sub culture and turned to swing as a happy medium in teenage acceptance. Having partner dancing where both members were on the same footing and echoed gender equality soothed the gender issue. â€Å"Whether they were men or women, young or old, black or white every portion of society found some form of Swing favoritable for their dancing and listening. Which surely helped Swings mission of tolerance and mutual respect,† stated professor Stowe. 1860 – First close couple dancing begins. 1912 – Vernon and Irene Castle make closed couple dancing acceptable. 1920- Arthur Murray, a student of the Castle’s, markets dance lessons by mail. The first Fox Trot lessons cost only a dime. 1927 – Charles Lindberg makes his â€Å"hop† across the Atlantic. Traditional closed couple dancing began in the US after 1860, when America’s youth began moving from the rural environments to the cities looking for employment. (Swingin’ at ... Free Essays on How Lindy Hop Helped Desegragation Free Essays on How Lindy Hop Helped Desegragation Easing the tensions of segregation one dance step at a time Sing, sing, sing, sing everybody start to sing la dee da dee whoa ho ho now your singin’ with a swing! That wonderful sound that filled from the hot air on summer nights at the legendary Savoy Ballroom, Harlem, New York can still be heard today in ballrooms through out the country. When most people think of the legendary era of Swing that spanned the late 1920’s all the way through the early 1940’s they think of it as nothing more than a form of dance. But in actuality Swing was created to ease the tensions of segregation and hopefully put and end to it! Many people believe that swing had made segregation worse, but in actuality it helped the movement more than it hurt it. During the roaring 20’s, 30’s and 40’s not only were the Afro- Americans dealing with segregation but so were American woman as the woman’s suffrage movement gained more and more backing. Teenagers were also looking for their place within the American sub culture and turned to swing as a happy medium in teenage acceptance. Having partner dancing where both members were on the same footing and echoed gender equality soothed the gender issue. â€Å"Whether they were men or women, young or old, black or white every portion of society found some form of Swing favoritable for their dancing and listening. Which surely helped Swings mission of tolerance and mutual respect,† stated professor Stowe. 1860 – First close couple dancing begins. 1912 – Vernon and Irene Castle make closed couple dancing acceptable. 1920- Arthur Murray, a student of the Castle’s, markets dance lessons by mail. The first Fox Trot lessons cost only a dime. 1927 – Charles Lindberg makes his â€Å"hop† across the Atlantic. Traditional closed couple dancing began in the US after 1860, when America’s youth began moving from the rural environments to the cities looking for employment. (Swingin’ at ...

Elvis Gyrates on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1956

Elvis Gyrates on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1956 Experienced showmen such as Ed Sullivan werent sure the world was ready for such wild moves as the slick  Elvis Presley  was offering, but when Elvis proved too popular not to book, Sullivan scheduled him. Elvis made his first appearance on The  Ed Sullivan Show  on September 9, 1956. Getting Booked Elvis Presley had already appeared on other national television shows (such as on Stage Show, The Milton Berle Show, and on the popular The Steve Allen Show) when Ed Sullivan booked Elvis for three shows. Elvis pelvic gyrations during his appearances on these other shows had caused much discussion and concern about the suitability of airing such provocative and sensual movements on television. Although at first Ed Sullivan said he would never want Elvis on his show, Sullivan changed his mind when The Steve Allen Show with Elvis as a guest had about twice as many viewers as Sullivans show that night (they were competing for the same audience since they were in the same time slot). After negotiating with Elvis manager, Ed Sullivan paid Elvis the huge sum of $50,000 for appearing on three of his shows: September 9, 1956, October 28, 1956, and then on January 6, 1957. Sullivan Didnt Host and Elvis Not Actually on Set For Elvis first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show on Sunday night at 8 p.m. on September 9, 1956, Ed Sullivan himself was not able to host since he had recently been in a very serious car accident that left him in the hospital. In his place, Oscar-winning actor Charles Laughton hosted the show. Elvis was also not on location in New York for the show since he was in Los Angeles for the filming of Love Me Tender. Laughton hosted from New York and then when it came time for Elvis appearance, Laughton introduced him and then cut to the stage in Hollywood with Elvis. Elvis Performance Elvis appeared on a stage with large, artistic guitars as decoration. Wearing a plaid jacket and holding his guitar, Elvis thanked Mr. Laughton and the audience and then said,  This is probably the greatest honor that Ive ever had in my life. Theres not much I can say except that hope it makes you feel good and we want to thank you from the bottom of our heart. Elvis then sang, Dont Be Cruel with his four back-up singers (the Jordanaires) followed by Love Me Tender, which was the not-yet-released title track from his new movie. During this second set, Elvis sang Ready Teddy and then ended with a portion of Hound Dog. Throughout Elvis entire performance, viewers could hear girls in the audience screaming, especially when Elvis did his special twitch or swung his hips or swiveled his legs. Elvis appeared to enjoy himself, frequently smiling or even laughing, which made him seem friendly, sweet, and hunky  - depending on who was watching. Censored During Elvis first performance on The Ed Sullivan Show,  the cameras stayed mostly from the waist up during the first half of Elvis appearance, but during the second time he appeared that night, the camera widened out and the TV audience was able to see Elvis gyrations. While many have felt that Elvis was censored by only showing him from the waist up on  The Ed Sullivan Show, that really only happened during Elvis third appearance, on January 6, 1957. For some still unknown reason (although there are a lot of rumors as to why), Sullivan allowed Elvis to only be shown from the waist up during that third and final show. It Was a Breakthrough Performance Elvis appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show was a major success. Over 60 million people, both young and old, watched the show and many people believe it helped bridge the generation gap for Elvis acceptance into the mainstream.

The Habitat and Productivity of the Morel Mushroom Research Paper

The Habitat and Productivity of the Morel Mushroom - Research Paper Example However, our limited understanding of morel productivity, diversity, and ecology hinders such synergistic management. We used genetic, morphological, and ecological data to identify and characterize putative species. Some of these putative species fruited only on burned soils the ?rst spring season following a wild ?re. The other two putative species fruited in non-burned forests, in islands of non-burned soils in burned forests, or the second year following ?re on burned soils. Unbiased landscape-level estimates of genus-level morel productivity (not partitioned by putative species) ranged from 80 to 4350 morels per hectare and from 0.550 to 9.080 kg per ha. Productivity which followed the general trend of wild ?re burned forests, insect-damaged forests and healthy forests management. (Catherine G.Parks) Introduction Morels are species of mushroom called Marcella species. They are edible mushrooms which are highly prized and commercially harvested. In 1992 Oregon, Washington, and Id aho approximately harvested 590 metric tonnes of morels providing harvesters with $ 5.2 million of income (SchlosserW.E.Blatner).Morels often fruit prolifically after fire, tree mortality, or ground disturbance. In montane forests east of the Cascade Range in the Pacific Northwest decades of fire suppression have allowed development of dense, fire-prone stands and also periodic insect epidemics also have caused extensive tree mortality which influence morel crops. (J.K). Â   In east central Ohio, the Morel’s normal growing season is early April to mid May. Further south it will be one to two weeks earlier, to the north a little later. A damp habitat is needed for the Morel’s growth. Too much rain or dry weather is not what the mushroom needs they require normal weather pattern. Temperature plays an important role in the growth of the mushrooms as well, Morel mushroom thrives when daytime temperature are in the 60 and 70 degrees Celsius and nighttime temperatures are n ot lower than 40 degrees Celsius. Identification on the morel There are a list of over 190 kinds of the morel species and subspecific taxa in the genus Morchella. General agreement exists that at least two major groups can be clearly distinguished they include; Black Morel (Morchella elata) Black Morels when cut lengthwise it will be hollow from bottom of stem to top of cap. It looks like a rubber mold prompting comments from non-morel lovers, bottom of the cap is attached to the stem (cap and stock all one piece), cap is full of Ridges and Pits, cap is also longer than the stem which has little bumps both inside and outside, stalk are usually lighter in color. Its ribs darken to gray or black with age. (Kirk P.M (Coord)) Yellow Morel (Morchella esculenta) Yellow Morels also when cut lengthwise are hollow from bottom of stem to top of cap which is attached to the stem, cup is also full of ridges and pits and it is longer than the stem. Its stalk is usually lighter in color (sand, ye llow). Other Morel species are; I. Half-free morels (Morchella semilibera).There cap are usually small in comparison to the stem and may only be a quarter the length of the stem. Cap is also not connected from the bottom to the stem II. Caps or Early morel (Verpa bohemica) and Beefsteak (Gyromitra esculenta).they belongs to False morel and they are poisonous. The poison in false morel is MMH (monmthylhydrazine) whose toxicity may