Is Trucking the Best Job for You

Is Trucking the Best Job for You Do you ever fantasize about quitting your job and finding a career on the open road, with just your thoughts and the radio to keep you company? If so, you’re not alone- and it may not be as far-fetched a career plan as you might think. Growing OpportunitiesMuch of the U.S. economy depends on goods finding their way to warehouses and stores all over the country- and in many cases, those goods are transported by long-haul tractor-trailer truck drivers. Fast delivery is becoming a major selling point for online retailers like Amazon and big-box stores like Wal-Mart and Target, which makes professional truckers an  important part of satisfying customer expectations.Truck drivers are a crucial part of an ever-expanding supply chain: by 2022, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the demand for heavy and tractor-trailer drivers will grow by as much as 11%.The LegworkThere are hurdles to a career in trucking- as tempting as it sounds, you can’t just show up, stan dard driver’s license in hand, and expect to drive a big rig to Ohio. All states require a specific Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) to operate heavy trucks and tractor-trailers. Additionally, most trucking companies require a high school degree and completion of a professional truck-driving training program.There are also personal considerations. Are you willing to be away from home for days or weeks at a time? Do you have the time-management skills to meet rigorous delivery schedules in all weather, on holidays, or on your birthday? Being a truck driver requires a strong personal commitment as well as a professional one.Hitting the RoadLet’s say you’ve met all these requirements, made the necessary choices, and received the right training and recommendations. You’re ready to pack up your faithful dog and your toothbrush, and seek a trucking job. What’s the best way to do that?You may want to start by researching which trucking companies m eet your goals and your comfort level. Regional trucking companies may be able to offer you jobs closer to home. National trucking companies tend to have the broadest reach and the most access to available trucking jobs.You should also consider whether the company will hire a rookie driver right out of the gate- many companies want their new drivers to have 3 months to a year of driving time before they’ll consider hiring. This may sound discouraging to start (how do I get experience if no one will hire me without experience?), but it’s common in most career paths to start at the bottom by creating/locating opportunities and working your way up.The Money QuestionPerhaps the most important part of any job search is understanding what your salary will be- and can be. Like other fields, trucking offers its lowest salaries to drivers just starting out, especially if you don’t have the driving experience yet. However, you should know that while many industries have a wide gap between starting employees and long-time veterans, truck drivers have a pretty even field once you’re in it.The average starting pay for a truck driver is $13.81/hour, compared to an average of $18.37/hour (approximately $38,200/year) for all drivers. This kind of parity is often a reason people choose to get started in the trucking industry- your pay is not significantly less than more experienced colleagues’.If you’re seeking a career that can be challenging and fulfilling while paying the bills and letting you travel, trucking  could just be the right choice for you. And if you have the ability to find Zen even in the most obnoxious traffic jams, all the better!

Correct Spelling Is Profitable for Online Businesses

Correct Spelling Is Profitable for Online Businesses In his book on the history of English spelling, Oxford English professor Simon Horobin offers this economic argument for the value of correct spelling: Charles Duncombe, an entrepreneur with various online business interests, has suggested that spelling errors on a website can lead directly to a loss of custom, potentially causing online businesses huge losses in revenue (BBC News , 11 July 2011). This is because spelling mistakes are seen by consumers as a warning sign that a website might be fraudulent, leading shoppers to switch to a rival website in preference. Duncombe measured the revenue per visitor to one of his websites, discovering that it doubled once a spelling mistake had been corrected.Responding to these claims, Professor William Dutton, director of the Internet Institute at Oxford University, endorsed these conclusions, noting that, while there is greater tolerance of spelling errors in certain areas of the Internet, such as in email or on Facebook, commercial sites with spelling errors raise concerns over credibility. Online consumers concerns about spelling mistakes on websites are understandable, given that poor s pelling is specifically highlighted in advice on detecting potentially fraudulent email, so called phishing. . . .So the message is clear: good spelling is vital if you want to run a profitable online retail company, or be a successful email spammer.( Does Spelling Matter? Oxford University Press, 2013) To make sure that your writing isnt littered with spelling errors, follow our Top 10 Proofreading Tips. Dont depend on your spellchecker to handle all the work. Many so-called spelling errors are actually mistakes in word choice- such as the use of  your for youre  or role  for ​roll. A good number of the words in our Glossary of Commonly Confused Words are homophones like these, and your spellchecker simply isnt clever enough to keep their meanings straight. As Horobin states in his introduction, hes not out to reform English spelling (a futile exercise in any case) but to argue for the importance of retaining it as a testimony to the richness of our linguistic heritage and a connection with our literary past. I recommend Horobins book to anyone interested in learning more about the origins of English spelling and its often eccentric conventions. More About English Spelling Writers on English SpellingFour Spelling RulesTop 20 Spelling MnemonicsThe Futility of Spelling Reform

Theatre Performance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Theatre Performance - Essay Example The first difficulty I faced preparing the monologue was to learn the words by heart. In order to perform well, I needed to know it perfectly not to forget it even when I would be nervous or lost. I had to force myself to learn the text and it took some time to make sure that I would not fail. There were some lines that were the most difficult for me. I missed them many times when I practiced alone and with a friend and it made me frustrated because my performance was awful when I stopped and tried to recollect everything. I turned out that learning the text was not the most difficult part of my preparations. I had to perform; accordingly, I needed to focus on emotions, mimics and actions related to my role. Staging was hard because I had to keep everything natural but persuasive. It was complicated to find the right balance between these two options. I did not want to look indifferent on the stage; at the same time, I was afraid that I would exaggerate everything and spoil my role. Moreover, I had to do everything is a set time frame. Performance contained a sequence of actions that had to happen in the right time and place. I could not improvise or change anything. It was stressful at first, but it added a better organization to my performance. Staging was particularly hard because I performed the role of a man and I had to control my voice all the time not to sound feminine. This required the control of every word I said. Even all exclamations had to be more male. The switch from Harry to Handy Baker was not easy and I spent much time training it. I had a hoarse voice because my vocal cords were not used to such a pressure. Due to this fact I had to make pauses and relax to minimise the effect of my role on my ordinary voice. The issue of confidence came next. I was very nervous when I thought about public performance of the monologue.  

Leadership within Non-Profits (Identify a Non-Profit) Essay

Leadership within Non-Profits (Identify a Non-Profit) - Essay Example The volunteers govern the American Red Cross. It is located in Washington. Bonnie McElveen- Hunter is the board of governors’ chairperson Gail J. McGovern is the current American red cross president. Leadership in the American Red cross aims at attracting sufficient funds or capital and making sound strategies. Due to this, the organization has strong leaders that aim to these goals (Jones 35). The leaders in the American Red Cross use transformational skills, which is about thinking and understanding the problem in an organization. It is also about thinking, understanding, and setting the goals for employees. The goals set are challenging but workers can achieve them through hard work. This is important because without the challenging goals, employees or workers would not be motivated to extend their full effort to work. This achievement of challenging goals helps the leader to develop his leadership qualities and makes him better equipped to achieve hard tasks. For instance, American Red Cross leadership has set out a fierce campaign to encourage people to donate blood and funds. This is done through the creation of awareness among the people both domestically and internationally. The American Red Cross process and distribute the collected blood. Transformational leadership at American Red Cross facilitates and redefines people’s vision and mission (Robbins 77). It also renews people’s commitment and restructures their systems to accomplish a certain goal. Thus, a mutual relationship stimulates and elevates follower to become leaders. In addition, it may also convert leaders to become moral agents. Transformational leadership should therefore be grounded on moral foundation. For example, when disaster strikes the American Red Cross provides food, health, and shelter to ensure that victims have basic human needs and to enable the get back to the way things were (Jones 41-44). Leadership at the American Red Cross aims at

Parental Involvement Essay Example for Free

Parental Involvement Essay The goal of positive and productive family and community involvement is on every school improvement list, but few schools have implemented comprehensive programs of partnership. Research suggests that this goal is an important one to reach because families and communities contribute to childrens learning, development, and school success at every grade level. Studies are accumulating that show that well-designed programs of partnership are important for helping all families support their childrens education in elementary, middle, and high schools. That is, if schools plan and implement comprehensive programs of partnership, then many more families respond, including those who would not become involved on their own. Three questions need to be addressed to help educators move from believing in the importance of family and community involvement to conducting effective programs of partnership: What is a comprehensive program of school, family, and community partnerships? How do family and community partnerships link to other aspects of successful schools? How can all schools develop and sustain productive programs of partnerships? Components of a Comprehensive Program of Partnerships A framework of six types of involvement guides schools in establishing full and productive programs of school-family-community partnerships. This section summarizes the six types of involvement and discusses a few sample practices that are being implemented in schools across the country that are working to improve and increase family and community connections. Also noted are some of the challenges that all schools must overcome to create successful partnerships, along with examples of results that can be expected from each type of involvement for students, families, and educators. Comprehensive programs of partnerships include activities for all six types of involvement. Because there are many activities to choose from, elementary, middle, and high schools can tailor their programs of partnerships by selecting activities that match specific school goals and the interests and needs of students and families. Type 1–Parenting. Type 1 activities are conducted to help families strengthen parenting skills, understand child and adolescent development, and set home conditions to support learning at each school level. Type 1 activities also enable families to provide information to schools so that educators understand families backgrounds, cultures, and goals for their children. Sample practices. Among Type 1 activities, elementary, middle, and high schools may conduct workshops for parents; provide short, clear summaries of important information on parenting; and organize opportunities for parents to exchange ideas with other parents, educators, and community experts on topics of child and adolescent development. Topics may include health, nutrition, discipline, guidance, peer pressure, preventing drug abuse, and planning for the future. Type 1 activities also provide families with information on what to expect and how to prepare for students transitions from pre-school to elementary school, elementary to middle school, and middle to high school. Additional topics for successful parenting may concern family roles and responsibilities in student attendance, college planning, and other topics that are important for student success in school. Schools also may offer parents General Educational Development (GED) programs, family support sessions, family computer classes, and other learning and social opportunities for parents and for students. To ensure that families provide valuable information to the schools, teachers may ask parents at the start of each school year or periodically to share insights about their childrens strengths, talents, interests, needs, and goals. Challenges. One challenge for successful Type 1 activities is to get information from workshops to parents who cannot come to meetings and workshops at the school building. This may be done with videos, tape recordings, summaries, newsletters, cable broadcasts, phone calls, and other print and nonprint communications. Another Type 1 challenge is to design procedures that enable all families to share information easily and as needed about their children with teachers, counselors, and others. Results expected. If useful information flows to and from families about child and adolescent development, parents will increase their confidence about parenting, students will be more aware of parents continuing guidance, and teachers will better understand their students families. For example, if practices are targeted to help families send their children to school every day and on time, then student attendance will improve and lateness will decrease. If families are part of their childrens transitions to elementary, middle, and high school, then more students will adjust well to their new schools, and more parents will remain involved across the grades. Type 2–Communicating. Type 2 activities increase school-to-home and home-to-school communications about school programs and student progress through notices, memos, conferences, report cards, newsletters, telephone calls, e-mail and computerized messages, the Internet, open houses, and other traditional and innovative communications. Sample practices. Among many Type 2 activities, elementary, middle, and high schools may provide parents with clear information on each teachers criteria for report card grades; how to interpret interim progress reports; and, as necessary, how to work with students to improve grades or behavior. Type 2 activities include parent-teacher conferences; parent-teacher-student conferences; or student-led conferences with parents and teachers. Student involvement in conferences helps youngsters take personal responsibility for learning. Activities may be designed to improve school and student newsletters by including student work, a feature column for parents questions, calendars of important events, and parent response forms. Many schools are beginning to use e-mail, voice mail, and websites to encourage two-way communication between families and teachers, counselors, and administrators. Challenges. One challenge for successful Type 2 activities is to make communications clear and understandable for all families, including parents who have less formal education or who do not read English well, so that all families can understand and respond to the information they receive. Other Type 2 challenges are to know which families are and are not receiving and understanding the communications in order to design ways to reach all families; develop effective two-way channels of communication so that families can easily contact and respond to educators; and make sure that students understand their roles as couriers and interpreters in facilitating school and family connections. Results expected. If communications are clear and useful, and if two-way channels are easily accessed, then school-to-home and home-to-school interactions will increase; more families will understand school programs, follow their childrens progress, guide students to maintain or improve their grades, and attend parent-teacher conferences. Specifically, if computerized phone lines are used to communicate information about homework, more families will know more about their childrens daily assignments. If newsletters include respond-andreply forms, more families will send ideas, questions, and comments to teachers and administrators about school programs and activities. Type 3–Volunteering. Type 3 activities are designed to improve recruitment, training, and schedules to involve parents and others as volunteers and as audiences at the school or in other locations to support students and school programs. Sample practices. Among many Type 3 activities, schools may collect information on family members talents, occupations, interests, and availability to serve as volunteers. These important human resources may help enrich students subject classes; improve career explorations; serve as language translators; monitor attendance and call parents of absent students; conduct parent patrols and morning greeters to increase school safety; and organize and improve activities such as clothing and uniform exchanges, school stores, and fairs. Schools may organize volunteers to serve as home-room parents, neighborhood representatives, and sports and club contacts and may establish telephone trees to help parents communicate with each other about school programs and events. Schools may establish a corps of volunteers to offer a wel-come wagon of information about the school to students and families who enroll during the school year. Schools also may create opportunities for mentors, coaches, tutors, and leaders of after-school programs to ensure that students have experiences that build and expand their skills and talents and that keep them safe and supervised after school. Some Type 3 activities may be conducted in a parent room or family center at the school where parents obtain information, conduct volunteer work, and meet with other parents. Challenges. Challenges for successful Type 3 activities are to recruit volunteers widely so that parents and other family members feel welcome; make hours flexible for parents and other volunteers who work during the school day; provide needed training; and enable volunteers to contribute productively to the school, classroom, and after-school programs. Volunteers will be better integrated in school programs if there is a coordinator who is responsible for matching volunteers available times and skills with the needs of teachers, administrators, and students. Another Type 3 challenge is to change the definition of volunteer to mean anyone who supports school goals or students learning at any time and in any place. This includes parents and family members who voluntarily come to school as audiences for students sports events, assemblies, and musical or drama presentations, and for other events that support students work. It also includes volunteers who work for the school at home, through their businesses, or in the community. A related challenge is to help students understand how volunteers help their school and to encourage students to interact with volunteers who can assist them with their work and activities. Results expected. If tasks are well designed, and if schedules and locations for volunteers are varied, more parents, family members, and others in the community will assist elementary, middle, and high schools and support students as members of audiences. More families will feel comfortable with the school and staff; more students will talk and interact with varied adults; and more teachers will be aware of and use the time, talents, and resources of parents and others in the community to improve school programs and activities. Specifically, if volunteers serve as attendance monitors, more families will assist students to improve attendance. If volunteers conduct a hall patrol or are active in other locations, school safety will increase and student behavior problems will decrease because of a better student–adult ratio. If volunteers are well-trained as tutors in particular subjects, student tutees will improve their skills in those subjects; and if volunteers discuss careers, students will be more aware of their options for the future. Type 4–Learning at home. Type 4 activities involve families with their children in academic learning activities at home that are coordinated with students classwork and that contribute to student success in school. These include interactive homework, goal-setting for academic subjects, and other curricular-linked activities and decisions about courses and programs. Sample practices. Among many Type 4 activities, elementary, middle, and high schools may provide information to students and to parents about the skills needed to pass each class, course, or grade level and about each teachers homework policies. Schools also may implement activities that can help families encourage, praise, guide, and monitor their childrens work by using interactive homework strategies; student-teacher-family contracts for long-term projects; summer home-learning packets; student-led at-home conferences with parents on portfolios or folders of writing samples or work in other subjects; goal-setting activities for improving or maintaining good report card grades in all subjects; and other approaches that keep students and families talking about schoolwork at home. Family fun and learning nights are often used as a starting point to help parents and students focus on curricular-related topics and family interactions. These meetings require parents to come to the school building. A systematic approach to increasing academic conversations at home is found in the Teachers Involve Parents in Schoolwork (TIPS) interactive homework for the elementary and middle grades. Challenges. One challenge for successful Type 4 activities is to implement a regular schedule of interactive homework that requires students to take responsibility for discussing important things they are learning, interviewing family members, recording reactions, and sharing their work and ideas at home. Another Type 4 challenge is to create a schedule of activities that involve families regularly and systematically with students on short-term and long-term goal-setting for attendance, achievement, behavior, talent development, and plans for college or careers. Results expected. If Type 4 activities are well designed and implemented, student homework completion, report card grades, and test scores in specific subjects will improve; and more families will know what their children are learning in class and how to monitor, support, and discuss homework. More students should complete required course credits, select advanced courses, and take college entrance tests. Students and teachers will be more aware of families interest in students work. Type 5–Decision-making. Type 5 activities include families in developing schools mission statements and in designing, reviewing, and improving school policies that affect children and families. Family members become active participants on school improvement teams, committees, PTA/PTO or other parent organizations, Title I and other councils, and advocacy groups. Sample practices. Among Type 5 activities, elementary, middle, and high schools may organize and maintain an active parent association and include family representatives on all committees for school improvement (e.g., curriculum, safety, supplies and equipment, partnerships, fund-raising, postsecondary college planning, career development). In particular, along with teachers, administrators, students, and others from the community, parents must be members of the Action Team for Partnerships, which plans and conducts family and community involvement activities linked to school improvement goals. Schools may offer parents and teachers training in leadership, decision-making, policy advocacy, and collaboration. Type 5 activities help to identify and provide information desired by families about school policies, course offerings, student placements and groups, special services, tests and assessments, annual test results for students, and annual evaluations of school programs. Challenges. One challenge for successful Type 5 activities in all schools is to ensure that leadership roles are filled by parent representatives from all of the major race and ethnic groups, socioeconomic groups, and neighborhoods that are present in the school. A related challenge is to help parent leaders serve as effective representatives by obtaining information from and providing information to all parents about school issues and decisions. At the high school level, a particular challenge is to include student representatives along with parents in decisionmaking groups and in leadership positions. An ongoing challenge is to help parents, teachers, and students who serve on an Action Team for Partnerships or other committees learn to trust, respect, and listen to each other as they collaborate to reach common goals for school improvement. Results expected. If Type 5 activities are well implemented in elementary, middle, and high schools, more families will have input into decisions that affect the quality of their childrens education; students will increase their awareness that families and students have a say in school policies; and teachers will increase their understanding of family perspectives on policies and programs for improving the school. Type 6–Collaborating with the community. Type 6 activities draw upon and coordinate the work and resources of community businesses; cultural, civic, and religious organizations; senior citizen groups; colleges and universities; governmental agencies; and other associations in order to strengthen school programs, family practices, and student learning and development. Other Type 6 activities enable students, staff, and families to contribute their services to the community. Sample practices. Among many Type 6 activities, elementary, middle, and high schools may inform students and families about the availability of community programs and resources, such as after-school recreation, tutorial programs, health services, cultural events, service opportunities, and summer programs. This includes the need to assist students and families to gain access to community resources and programs. Some schools work with local businesses to organize gold card discounts as incentives for students to improve attendance and report card grades. Collaborations with community businesses, groups, and agencies also strengthen the other five types of involvement. Examples include enhancing Type 1 activities by conducting parent education workshops for families at community or business locations; increasing Type 2 activities by communicating about school events on the local radio or television stations, and at churches, clinics, and supermarkets; soliciting volunteers from businesses and the community to strengthen Type 3 activities; enriching Type 4 activities by offering students learning opportunities with artists, scientists, writers, mathematicians, and others whose careers link to the school curriculum; and including community members on Type 5 decision-making councils and committees. Challenges. One challenge for successful Type 6 activities is to solve problems associated with community-school collaborations, such as turf problems of who is responsible for funding, leading, and supervising cooperative activities. The initial enthusiasm and decisions for school-community partnerships must be followed by actions that sustain productive collaborations over the long term. Another Type 6 challenge is to recognize and link students valuable learning experiences in the community to the school curricula, including lessons that build on students nonschool skills and talents, their club and volunteer work, and, in high school, their part-time jobs. A major challenge is to inform and involve families in community-related activities that students conduct. Related challenges are to help students understand how community partners help their school and to engage students, themselves, as volunteers and in service-learning in their own schools, in other schools, and in the community. Results expected. Well-implemented Type 6 activities will increase the knowledge that families, students, and schools have about the resources and programs in their community that could help them reach important goals. Well-designed community connections will increase student access to and participation in community programs. Coordinated community services could help many students and their families prevent health, social, and educational problems or solve problems before they become too serious. Type 6 activities also should support and enrich school curricular and extracurricular programs. Summary. The six types of involvement create a comprehensive program of partnerships in elementary, middle, and high schools, but the implementation challenges for each type of involvement must be met in order for programs to be effective. The quality of the design and content of the involvement activities directly affect the expected results. Not every practice that involves families will result in higher student achievement test scores. Rather, practices for each type of involvement can be selected to help students, families, and teachers reach specific goals and results. The examples above include only a few of hundreds of suggestions that can help elementary, middle, and high schools develop strong programs of partnerships. How Partnerships Link to Other Aspects of Successful Schools Good schools have qualified and talented teachers and administrators, high expectations that all students will succeed, rigorous curricula, engaging instruction, responsive and useful tests and assessments, strong guidance for every student, and effective school, family, and community partnerships. In good schools, these elements combine to promote students learning and to create a school climate that is welcoming, safe, caring, stimulating, and joyful for all students, educators, and families.

The Utopian Solution in The Tempest Essay -- Tempest essays

  Ã‚  Ã‚   The entrance of The Tempest into theatres between 1610 and 1611, signifies a possible correlation between Shakespeare's play and the colonization of the ideal New World. Before analyzing the courtly order and utopian theme in The Tempest, it is important to understand the politics and culture of the court in the early 17th century. The society that Shakespeare emerges from plays an important role in the themes portrayed in The Tempest, because it leads to the utopian solution to the political and class conflict.   Ã‚  Ã‚   The definitions of politics and culture have changed drastically since the 17th century in Great Britain. The freedom of Americans to play an active role in politics and government greatly contrasts the role of the English during the time of The Tempest. Shakespeare lived in a time of government sovereignty, where the role of the people in politics was dependent upon their social (class) status. In "Political Culture," David Harris Sacks asserts that, "the 'sovereignty of state,' consisting solely in governmental powers, is understood to be a feature of a commonwealth, not the commonwealth as a whole" (Sacks 118-19). The lack of involvement of the majority of the commonwealth supports a problematic issue that the role of the people in government was dependent upon their social class, which presented an obvious inequality amongst the political system. The problems facing the commonwealth and the government lead to conformity and complacency amongst the people, but Shakesp eare had writing to overcome the ceiling on social class. Shakespeare's plays, specifically The Tempest, test the boundaries of politics and class order and tend to portray Shakespeare crossing from a conformist to a humanist. Shakespeare us... ...   Ã‚  Ã‚   David Scott Kastan. Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishers Ltd., 1999. 100-116. Gervinus, G.G. "A review of The Tempest." Shakespeare Commentaries. (1877):787-800. Rpt.     Ã‚  Ã‚   Scott. 304-307. More, Sir Thomas. "Utopia." The Longman Anthology of British Literature. Vol 1. Ed. David     Ã‚  Ã‚   Damrosch. New York: Addison-Wesley Educational Publishers Inc., 1999. 637-706. Platt, Peter. "Shakespeare and Rhetorical Culture." A Companion to Shakespeare. Ed. David     Ã‚  Ã‚   Scott Kastan. Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishers Ltd., 1999.   277-296. Sacks, David Harris. "Political Culture." A Companion to Shakespeare. Ed. David Scott     Ã‚  Ã‚   Kastan. Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishers Ltd., 1999. 100-116. Snider, Denton J. "A review of The Tempest." The Shakespearian Drama a Commentary:   Ã‚  Ã‚   The Comedies. (1890). Rpt. Scott. 320-324.   

Corporate Ethics Failure †A Critical Analysis Essay

Arthur Andersen, in 1913 established a corporate entity that for decades provided a benchmark for auditing and consulting in the accounting industry. From the onset Mr. Andersen worked to build a foundation for his company representative of the principles of excellence in the technical and ethical aspects of his new company. His ethical model focused on Utilitarianism, the greatest amount of good for the greatest amount of people. In the late 1940’s after the founder passed away, newly appointed CEO, Senior Partner Leonard Spacek, further exhibited his leadership and commitment to ethical practices by helping to establish the Accounting Principles Board, their prinmary responsibilities being to set industry accounting and ethical standards. This is a direct reflection on the commitment Arthur Andersons executive staff place on the company’s belief in performing their practice in an honest and trustworthy manner. Spacek was so revered that former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volker once refered to as Spacek’s tenure as a time when Arther Andersen was the â€Å"Gold Standard â€Å" for the accounting industry. See more: how to write a critical analysis outline These standards built a reputation in the accounting community which led to tremendous success. Honesty and integrity were trademarks of the company that concentrated on quality, leadership and developing its personnel to be experts in every aspect of the accounting industry . As the business began to grow, Arthur Andersen eventually became a leader in the financial industry, employing as much as 77,000 accounting professionals in 84 countries. A reflection on the many positive aspects of Arthur Andersen, its commitment to the many ethical principles it championed, both in its own corporate structure and that of the accounting community. In this writers opinion, with such metrics in place, it is amazing that such a large entity could implode and collapse. However, if one understands the importance of ethical behavior and the impact of lost trust, the analysis is not difficult. The problems encountered at Arthur Anderson were the result of inappropriate ethical behavior which resulted from compromises of their own ethical standards. These began as small issues for various clients that over time grew creating a slippery slope from which Arthur Andersen could not recover. Corporate enterprises are funded by investors, stockholders and consumers. Likewise, their activities, both internal and external, also affect investor, stockholder, stakeholder and consumer. All depend on the financial health and viability of the company to support their individual interests. The responsibility of the SEC is to verify financial wellbeing and provide a tool for which potential investors and stock buyers can fairly judge the risks involved as they decide which company their money should support. Auditors share the responsibility the provide analysis of the the financial condition while looking for errors in the bookkeeping/ accounting of the company’s financial position. The auditor’s responsibility is to correct or balance any errors thus preventing a misleading view of the true financial strength of the company. If this view is compromised by providing or allowing false data to exist, the company’s position is weakened, investors are led under false pretenses, placing their investments at risk. The SEC depends on a complete, thorough and truthful analysis from an auditor to verify the financial status providing security for those desiring to invest or provide financial support. Arthur Andersen’s problems began precisely as mentioned earlier, when executives began to Behave unethically in a manner against the principles on which the company was founded. It is important to note that while Arthur Anderson employed good business ethics, the company flourished. As it began to compromise it’s integrity the long term consequences eventually to appear. The Enron collapse represents just one of many cases where mistakes were made and hidden. For Arther Andersen, in business almost 90 years, the destruction of Enron documents to prevent the SEC from gaining access to incriminating evidence shows how corrupt the accounting firm had become. While millions of dollars in revenue for Arthur Andersen were at stake, the viability of the company depended on the reputation it garnered. The demise of the company resulted from the dishonest tactics it employed to remain in power. As of June , 2002, the company had laid off 7,000 employees, and lost more that 650 of it’s 2,300 public audit clients with the layoff of thousands pending. The slippery slope to extinction had begun. http://money.cnn.com/2002/06/13/news/andersen_verdict/ In the article â€Å"12 Ethical Principles for Business Executives† by the Josephson Institute, published on December 17, 2010, stated that â€Å" language establishing standards or rules describing the kind of behavior an ethical person should and should not engage in, are ethical principles.† More specifically they are specified as â€Å"Honesty, Integrity, Promise keeping and Trusworthiness, Loyalty, Fairness, Concern for Others, Law Abiding, Commitment to Others, Leadership, Reputation, Morale and Accountability.† http://josephsoninstitute.org/business/blog/2010/12/12-ethical-principles-for-business-executives/ The founder, Arthur Andersen, embodied these principles to the point that he personally reimbursed a client for an accounting mistake made under his watch. While a disclaimer on the part of Arthur Andersen guards against minor mistakes in the accounting audit/ review, it seems this created a gray area that was taken advantage of. Also, management should have developed a zero tolerance mechanism to maintain an ethical culture dedicated to preventing inappropriate behavior. Policy should have mandated regularly documented training on business ethics, and the importance of its implementation as the auditing process ensued. Any issues should have been to the client with reconciliation mandantory prior to an Audit Opinion being submitted. The indictment of Arthur Andersen and subsequent trial provided proof the Audit Opinion and review of Enrons balance sheet and financial statements were submitted with the intention to skew the true condition of the company’s true fiscal condition, thus deceiving the shareholders, board of directors, potential investors and stakeholders. An overview of the measures in place to safeguard against inappropriate accounting behavior provide an insite to the items that were violated during Enron and Arthur Andersens quest to bilk investors share holders of millions. â€Å" These safety measures included Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), Generally Accepted Auditing Standards (GAAS), Statements on Auditing Standards (SAS), and all professional ethics. The use of GAAP by accountants is standard protocol. An accountant follows these principles as a matter of daily routine. According to several accounting texts, GAAP is identified as a â€Å"dynamic set of both broad and specific guidelines that companies should follow when measuring and reporting the information in their financial statements.†Ã¢â‚¬  http://faculty.mckendree.edu/scholars/2004/stinson.htm The article â€Å"7 Principles of Admirable Business Ethics† presents seven additional principles which complement ethical behavior. Those are â€Å"Be trustful, keep and open mind, meet obligations, have clear documents, become community involved, maintain accounting control and be respectful. http://sbinformation.about.com/od/bestpractices/a/businessethics.htm In conclusion, legal analyst’s formulate the opinion that â€Å"executives at Arthur Andersen and Enron did not set out to have a positive impact on the accounting industry or any industry. They set out to make as much money for themselves as quickly as possible. They were willing to do whatever it took to make that money. These thoughtless acts and greed led both companies to an eventual downfall in bankruptcy.† The subsequent prosecution of these firms has produced new controls which should serve to prevent this type of financial disaster. Most notably the Sarbanes-Oxley Act which includes requiring companies to reevaluate its internal audit procedures and makes sure the accounting practices either â€Å"meet or exceed the expectations of the auditors.† http://faculty.mckendree.edu/scholars/2004/stinson.htm Statement Regarding Professional Conduct: â€Å"This assignment is my own work. Any assistance I received in its preparation is acknowledged within the assignment in accordance wth academic practice. If I used data, ideas, words, diagrams, pictures, or other information from any source, I have cited the source(s). I understand that copying text word for word from other sources without placing it in quotation marks is considered plagiarism and not acceptable even if I cite the source where the material was copied from. I certify that this assignment was prepared specifically for this class and has not been submitted in whole or in part, to any other class at Walsh or elseware.†

Belonging speech Essay

It is with a kind of fear that I begin to write the story of my life. I have, as it were, a superstitious hesitation in lifting the veil that clings about my childhood like a golden mist. The task of writing an autobiography is a difficult one. When I try to classify my earliest impressions, I find that a fact and fancy look alike across the years that link the past with the present. A few impressions stand out vividly from the first few years from my life but â€Å"the shadows of disappointments and getting hurt are on the rest†. Besides, many of the joys and sorrows of childhood have lost their poignancy; and many incidents of vital importance have been forgotten in the excitement of great memories. In order, therefore, not to be tedious I shall try to present in a series of sketches only the episodes that seem to me the most interesting and important. I was born on June 2, 2000, at the San Juan De Dios Hospital, a hospital in the town of Pasay. The family on my father’s side are natives of China, who settled in the Philippines. My grandfather, Roberto arrived at the shores of Leyte and finally settled there. I have been told that he visited his brother to trade goods twice a year, and my grandmother has in her possession many of the letters to his family, which gave charming and vivid accounts of these trips. My father, Alvin , is a chef in Sydney, and my mother, Norilyn , was of the same age. Her family has lived in Nueva Ecija, Philippines, for many years. I lived, up to the time my mother and father started having issues, in a cosy two-storey house consisting of two big bedrooms and a moderately- sized one in which the maids slept. We also had a garden at the front porch which consisted of orchids, sampaguitas and ylang-ylang. The beginning of my life was simple and much like every other little life. I came, I saw, I conquered, as the first baby in the family always does. There was the usual amount of discussion as to a name for me. My father suggested the name Korina Sanchez, the name of news reporter he idolized, not everyone agreed to his suggestion. My mother solved the problem by finding a name for me in the university graduates catalogue from the newspaper, Celine. To make up to my father, she decided to give me a second name, Kaye, my paternal grandmother’s name. I am told that while I was still a toddler I showed many signs of an eager and confident nature. Everything that I saw other people do I insisted upon imitating. At six months I could say, â€Å"Mama, Papa† and one day I attracted everyone’s attention by saying â€Å"Te, Te, Te† which probably meant Ate (Big Sister). They tell me I walked the day I was a year old. My mother had just taken me out of the bath-tub and was holding me in her lap, when I was suddenly attracted by the flickeri ng shadows of leaves that danced in the sunlight on the smooth floor. I slipped from my mother’s lap and almost ran toward them. The urge gone, I fell down and cried for her to take me up in her arms. These happy days did not last long. One summer season, rich in fruit and orchids, sped by and left their gifts on the feet of an eager child; the rainy season has finally come. One rainy evening, I turned as white as sheet and as cold as ice. My parents soon rushed me to the hospital. The doctor diagnosed me of pneumonia and asthma. They thought I would not live, but with extensive care and the help of antibiotics I fought through it. I fancy I still have confused recollections of that illness. I especially remember the tenderness with which my mother tried to soothe me in my waking hours of fret and pain, and the agony and the bewilderment with which I awoke after tossing and turning in my sleep. Gradually, the pain faded away and I got better. During the first few years of my life, I had caught glimpses of people,a luminous sky, trees, flowers and my neighbourhood. If we have once seen, â€Å"the day is ours, and what the day has shown.† The Start of my Journey to the Outside World During the years that I grew up, things gradually changed. I grew and learned more about my life, seeing the world in a whole new perspective. My mother taught me everything that I know of. My hands felt every object, communicated with other people and observed every motion, and in this way I learned to know many things. A shake of the head meant â€Å"No† and a nod â€Å"Yes†, a pull meant â€Å"Come† and a push â€Å"Go†. I also learned new words such as bread, ice cream and book. My mother, moreover, succeeded in making me understand a great deal. I always knew when she wished me to bring her something, and I would run upstairs or anywhere else she indicated. Many accidents of those early years are fixed in my memory, isolated, but clear and distinct, making the sense of that silent, aimless daily life more intense. One day, I was staying at my grandmother’s house. We were eating lunch at that time, rice and chicken adobo with a glass of Coca Cola, whilst eating, I accidentally spilled my cup. To teach me a lesson, my grandmother didn’t give any more servings of the soft drink. At that time, the Coca Cola bottles were still made of glass. After we finished, she stood up and went to wash the dishes. Being the mischievous little girl I was, I quickly tiptoed to the refrigerator and took the bottle out. At that moment, a thought overcame me and I began to furiously shake the bottle up and down with my chubby little hands. Due to the little water droplets that covered the bottle, it slipped from my grasp. Glass shards flew everywhere and I was bombarded with cuts and my grandmother’s sermon. That accident is still vivid in my memory and it also made a scar that I still carry as of this day. When I was about five years old, we moved from the two-storey house to a town house consisting of three floors where I stayed from preschool up until Year5. The family consisted of my mother, my father and me. My earliest recollection of my father is making m way through great drifts of newspapers to his side and finding him alone, holding a sheet of paper before his face. I was greatly puzzled to know what he was doing. I imitated this action, even wearing his reading glasses, thinking they might help solve the mystery. But I did not find out the secret for several years. Then I learned what those papers were, and that my father was looking for jobs to go to another country. My father was most loving and indulgent, devoted to his home, seldom leaving us. Alas, certain circumstances happen that calls for desperate measures. My father was accepted to become a chef in either the U.S.A. or Australia. After much consideration, he left us to start a new career. I’ve never seen him all throughout the rest of my childhood and school years. He called us, me and my mum, at least once a month. I missed him dearly hoping he would be there every time I get something right or make my mum proud. Early Education and an unforgettable trip Meanwhile the desire to express myself grew. The words and body language I’ve learned became less and less adequate, and my failures taught me not to make the same mistakes all over again. My mother taught me more to quench my thirst for knowledge and even gave me my first book. After that occurrence, I gradually became a bookworm. On my birthdays, I received books as gifts from my relatives. At that moment, things changed. I grew to love books more than playing like my peers. I grew up in a town house neighbourhood. There weren’t any children in my neighbourhood, hence my independence. It was lonely at first but my books and my grandma kept me company. To help me, my mom started to teach me the alphabet. At first, it was hard but practice makes perfect. Every afternoon, she would then ask me to recite the whole alphabet and after a few weeks, until I finally perfected it. My mother is a very persistent and studious woman. She has always persuaded me to study ever since my second birthday. I still remember those days when I didn’t study enough or was too lazy to say it orally; I would be locked out of the house until I learn it. Ever since that day, I strive to be the best I can be. Then, one day, things took a turn for the better. My uncle, Eduardo Lim, who was currently residing in Johannesburg, South Africa, gave my mom a job opportunity. Things went and papers were filed soon after. A couple of months later we were on board the Qatar Airlines and zooming to get my first glimpse of my new home. Upon arrival, we were escorted to big mansion where my uncle lived. It was lavish and with high security. There were also three canine dogs. After the introductions and formalities, my uncle doted on me and soon after enrolled me to a preschool. My mom used to tell me that when I was a toddler, I used to greet people all the time. And if I get the chan ce, maybe, steal a peck on the cheek or a hug; as a child, I was a cheeky little monkey and was always getting into trouble. There was the time when I made a peanut butter sandwich without anyone’s knowledge and ate it with the dogs that were taller than me. It was all fun then, but everything comes to an end. After two summers, my mother decided to go back to the Philippines to start my education. In the Philippines, school starts at June and ends in March. Our holidays consisted of Christmas , New Year, The Day of the Dead and the two- month long one(March-June). Upon our arrival on May 2005, my mom perused me even more to study harder and so I did. My mom enrolled me to St. Stephen’s High school to start my education. It is a Christian Chinese School. I managed to get top marks on my entrance exam. There was a disadvantage though, the school was really far. To remedy this problem, I need to wake up at 4:00 am. It was really tiring but it was worth the effort. I met new friends, learned new stuff and boosted my stamina to a whole new level. In this school, everyone is competitive to rise above the rest. Rivalries and Competitions are normal in this school, especially with mothers. Here, there are no top classes or anything of that matter. Everyone and I mean every single student has at least one tutor. My tutoring sessions lasted for 5 hours a day during my stay there. Finally the year has finished, and I reaped my rewards. I stayed under their tutelage for two years, striving to be the best. Hence my schools motto, â€Å"We are the best, among the rest†. For the first year, I received awards for being the fourth place in my entire year. For the second though, through excessive studying and my mother’s perusal, I finally managed to grasp the concept of being at the top. Due to certain circumstances, I moved schools. I cried with my best friend that day, when I received the news. She was the closest friend I ever had at that time, and it breaks my heart to part with her. Alas, life goes on I recall many eve nts that happened soon after. I did nothing but explore and learn the name of every object that I saw; and the more I handled things and learned their names and uses, the more joyous and confident grew my sense of kinship with the rest of the world. When the time came for my first day of grade school, I had my first lessons in Science and History. I learned how the sun and the rain make to grow out of the ground every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, how birds build their nest, my country’s past, how the deer, the lion, the squirrel and every other creature finds food and shelter. As my knowledge of things grew I felt more and more the delight of the world I was in. Moving on & still going strong Being a new girl in a whole new different school has been a scary concept for me. My mother opted for a new approach to my schooling. She enrolled me to Malate Catholic School where I had been studying for about a third of my life. The concept of being a new girl is that you tend to be at the bottom class. Hence, my first day wasbeing at the bottom class. The very next day, though, I was immediately told to collect my things because I was moving to the top class due to some sort of intellectual reason. I studied long and hard, maybe trying to prove myself. In this school, they calculate your ranking by term. In the first quarter, I rose to be the fourth placer, being the demise of some people who had Malate Catholic School as their Alma Mater from the start. The commencement of grade school has always one-of-a-kind experience for me. It started a series of events that I will forever treasure. Year II The start of Year II started pretty much like nay year. I studied hard, vied for top marks and gave the teachers incentive. I managed to ace every single subject, my teacher told me to go to the Department of Education to get acceleration. I received top marks for the end of the year test just as I hoped and went to get the acceleration test soon after. After much anticipation, I received my marks and it said that I am able to move up to Year4 or Year5. My mother chose the Year 4 option after much consideration. The following year changed my whole life. Year IV I met new friends, teachers and classmates. My whole class were pretty much older than me by a year. One day, my friends started teasing me that I wouldn’t be able to beat their top one from Year 3 but I studied long and hard with my mother’s guidance to prove them wrong. In the end of the school year, I became the top one, president of three clubs (maths, science and GSP), won all the academic competitions in flying colours. My inspiration for that year was my teacher’s quote, â€Å"I doesn’t matter how much you learn from this year. What matters are the lessons you learn from your mistakes.† Year V At the start of the school year, my teacher opted to choose me for presidency in the Student Council Board Members. I had to campaign this year to commence the election for the following year. My team gave out chocolates and other incentives to secure our place in the election. It was a really fun experience but in the end it was all for naught. It was then that my father went back to the Philippines. Ha came bringing with him the tidings of the past and his plan for a better future. We were to migrate to Australia the month I finished Year 5. At first I was devastated, everything that I worked so hard for; my academics, competitions and clubs; all for the grand finale of a graduation; gone down the drain of broken dreams. I had always dreamed of having my dad beside me on my graduation day, filled with pride for all of my achievements and I was most certainly not expecting this. It was all a turn for the worst, my worst nightmare came true, my hopes on getting a scholarship crushed before my eyes. It was all too much to bear, but things took an unexpected turn. My mother found out that she was pregnant with my brother. There was a lot of rejoicing for the impending wait for the first male child. Gradually, the time came for her to give birth. The Big Surprise At precisely 4 am on the 29th of January, my brother, Samuel, was born. He was a cute little bugger with two dimples that were to die for. Everyone fawned over him and being an only child for more than a decade, I felt left out. Gradually, I became more and more distant from my mother because she spent her undivided attention to my brother. It triggered my jealousy then and there. I grew to love and hate him at the same time till the most awaited day arrived.. Finally, after much anticipation, I am finally leaving the past I worked so hard to create with the help of my mother and start on a new slate. I packed my bags, went to the airport with my mother and boarded the plane in time for a long flight. At approximately 10:00 pm, 4th of April 2012, we arrived at the Sydney International Airport. My father came and escorted us to my new home. We drove off and I watched the change of scenery as it passed me by. I observed a quiet and vast landscape with trees and pigeons hovering above m head. It was a complete contrast to the hustle and bustle in my old neighbourhood. My First Day of High School The commencement of a new chapter of my life began that day. I was a naive little girl and a nervous wreck that day. I was going to be introduced to a foreign environment with no idea of what to expect whatsoever. I did my morning duties and went to school. My mother assured me that I need not to be afraid and so with an eager feeling I had my first glimpse of my new school, Canterbury Girl’s High school. At first, I felt left out because most of my classmates have already settled in and being a new girl I was pretty much a loner. To solve the problem, Mr. Anderson introduced me to Minh Doan who eventually became my friend. The concept of rollcall gave me a lot of confusion because it was the first time I have heard of the term. I finally settled in with high spirits for the following day. Friendships & Alliances â€Å"Friends may come and friends may leave but they are our friends and we will love them forever.† Over time, I met people and friendships were created. Their personalities were all different but I trust & love them all the same. Chenhui is the organized and responsible one. You can rely on her when anything needs to be done or for advice when you need one. Stephanie is the logical one and sleepyhead. She tends to sleep due to sleep deprivation from previous nights but when it comes to answering a test she will be on a roll. There’s Linda the temperamental and idle one. She’s the most carefree one among the five of us because she doesn’t care that much about schoolwork and be sure not to be near her when she gets angry. Kezang is the patient thinker. She holds us together through and through with her patience and intellectual skills. In my outer circle, I also found people who I can have intellectual conversations, verbal sparring and enjoyment with. Anna is the one with mathematical skills and the strongest one. She solves mathematical problems with ease and never backs done a challenge when it comes to testing her strength. Nabila and Jill are the ones who I can have intellectual conversations with. They know and feel my passion for books especially if it is about Harry Potter. For every act of discipline comes a troublemaker, Tina Gavin. She breaks rules occasionally within her line of reason but amidst all her mischievous ways she has a soft side that she reveals to people she knows she can trust. She adds the spice and arguments that greatly entertains the class but has certain consequences much to the teacher’s chagrin. I love my friends and I would wish for nothing more. They have helped go through my hectic schedule, the stress of schoolwork and even helping me leave the shell of the person I used to be. My education started at Canterbury Girls’ High School on the year 2012 without knowing the adventures tha t will expand my knowledge of everyday life and how to â€Å"seize the day†. My own perspective of the way things are changed from that day onwards. I have learned about The Aboriginal perspective and their way of life. Mathematics became a form of innovation with complicated calculations involved. Events also happened among the staff of great importance. Ms.Salakas and Ms. Hunter were both betrothed in Year 7. Teachers came and went while imparting with me the most valuable treasure; knowledge, something that cannot be taken away from me. Mr. Sim, Ms.Moodie and Mr.Kazzi taught me maths in varying methods and for some reason they all seem to have a humorous flair that never ceased to make me laugh. Ms. Barry, Ms. Slattery and Ms.Magoffin widened my vocabulary and eventually made me verbose or eloquent; or so that is what my friends thought. Ms.Salakas taught me Incan history packed with fun-filled activities without any heavy burden but it was Mr. Robertson who pioneered my knowledge in Aboriginal History. He made every lesson fun and interesting. There was this one time where we had to improvise with aluminium foil for our topic about chivalry. We had a goodbye party for him to conclude the year and to thank him for all the memories and laughter forever etched in our hearts. I suppose there were also the times when some of my teachers get angry due the class’ antics but in the end it was all for our benefit. They all made me laugh once in a while imparting knowledge, skills and experiences that were invaluable. I could never thank them enough for teaching me and guiding me on things I do not understand. Another Twist in the story In the middle of Year 8, earth-shattering news came. My mother was pregnant for the second time. At precisely, 6:00 am, the 13th of September 2013 Elizabeth Nicole was introduced to this world. We were 13 years apart. It seemed ironic at that time because it she was also born on a Friday the 13th. She was the cutest little thing at 7 months. I took turns on taking care of her during the holidays, it was hard and being an amateur made it even more difficult. My babysitting schedule was both informative and interesting. I learned new life skills which can help me when I start my own family in the probable future. The start of Year 9 opened up a new door for possibilities and surprises. New Subjects such as History Elective and Work Education had been introduced. I had new teachers, some familiar and others unfamiliar. Year 9 has been stressful compared to the previous years with a huge amount of workload. Luckily, my family and friends support all the way. A Way to pass Time For as long as I could remember, I have alwaysbeen an indoor person. It was all because of my mother’s over protectiveness when I was still the only child. My love and passion for books started when I was nine years old. My cousin, Lirashen introduced me to the series of Percy Jackson and the Olympians. It was a highly suspenseful and captivating series that bound me to read it over and over again. Over time, I have read the Artemis Fowl, The Nicholas Flamel series and much more. My love for volleyball started during the summer holiday of 2008 when my cousin from Canada visited us. She taught me the basic skills of volleyball and the gist of it. Jennifer was the most extraordinary player I have ever seen. She moves with easy grace combined with her exceptional skill. From that day onwards, I have shared her love and passion for the sport and plays volleyball to this day. My Hope for a Better Future â€Å"Our future can be determined by us and us alone. Ever since I was little I have always dreamed of being a doctor. My desire only grew when I went to grade school as my knowledge about the subject broadens.I am still unsure about my plans about the future but I have vague recollections of my plans from the previous years. My parents have been always telling to pursue a medical degree, and if possible an orthopaedic doctor. Now that I am in Year 9, I want to pursue a career in medicine. In my perspective, people cannot plan for an exact result; there would always be obstacles in the way no matter what. â€Å"Great Expectations lead to Disappointments†, my mother once told me. My father on the contrary told me that, it does not matter how great your expectations are as long as you persevere and have faith that you will go through every obstacle that comes in your way no matter what happens. My Life My life has been a series of winding paths and inevitable occurrences. Who would have thought that after a decade of waiting that there would still be a possibility of me having a sibling? Miracles have happened in my life in the most surprising circumstances and for that I am thankful. I have met people who helped me see the world in a whole new perspective. I made mistakes it h past but that is all part of growing up. I travelled across the world from Africa to Asia witnessing cultural perspectives unfolding before my eyes. Stereotypes were blurred as I discovered that every person is unique in their own way. Life can be relentless and cruel at times but in the end lessons are learnt. I don’t regret a single day of my life as I divulge trough hardships and laughter. I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul. My family helped through my ups and downs. They made life worth living for and I don’t know what I would do without them. Belonging, what is it? I believe belonging is when you can say that you are a part of something, when you have a group or a club or even a lifestyle that other people share. In short, I believe that a sense of belonging can be found in the things or people that have shared the same experiences, both good and bad, because we can identify ourselves in those people. Today we will be exploring this idea of belonging in two texts; one is the of poems â€Å"Feliks Skrzynecki† and â€Å"St Patrick’s College†, by Polish-born Australian poet, Peter Skrzynecki, and the other text is the 2012 movie â€Å"Wreck it Ralph†, directed by Rich Moore. The poems â€Å"St Patricks College† and â€Å"Feliks Skrzynecki† both deal with the notion of self-isolation and an inability to relate to the people that surround a persona. In both poems, we can assume that the persona is Peter Skrzynecki himself. In â€Å"Feliks Skrzynecki† he talks about how he could never relate to his father and his father’s friends when they would reminisce of their lives in Poland. He feels a sense of distance between himself and his parents’ culture that, as he says in the poem, he â€Å"inherited unknowingly†. In the poem â€Å"In the folk museum†, dissociation from a culture is also portrayed, but this time it is about the persona’s lack of connection to the Australian culture. The persona describes the things he sees in the museum as if they are foreign and unknown to him, so much so that he has to read the names of the objects to know what they are. A reason why the poet doesn’t feel he can relate may be because he doesn’t share the same experiences and doesn’t have the same traditions and customs that other people, both his Eastern European parents had and his Australian culture, would have shared. He can’t relate, or reminisce, or appreciate either of his two cultures, because he has never known enough about them to have an emotional attachment, and it is this lack of attachment that prevents him fr om feeling a sense of inclusion. The sense of exclusion from a group is also present in the film â€Å"Wreck It Ralph†. Ralph, who was the â€Å"bad guy† in an arcade game, was constantly ostracised from the rest of the characters in the game. He lived on a pile of bricks far away from everyone else. He, like Peter Skrzynecki, was often segregated from everyone else, except in the film, the exclusion was  intentional. In the same way Skrzynecki couldn’t help not being able to relate to his father, Ralph couldn’t help but break things, and the more he broke things, the more he would be distanced from the others in the game. He would have felt helpless and isolated, and his hunger to belong with everyone else is what made him escape his game in search of a medal to prove with worth. In one scene of the movie, Ralph is seen attending a â€Å"Bad-Anon†, a support group for the villains in the arcade games. Here he is able to communicate his ideas and feelings to people who feel the same and go through the same things. Ralph can identify himself in the support group because they all share the same experiences. This act of comradery indicates that Ralph does in fact know how to connect to others, but that his problem is that there is simply no-one for him to establish that friendship with. Another protagonist in the film, Vanellope, also suffers from isolation and exclusion. When she meets Ralph, she expects him to exclude her as other people do, but upon learning that he too is a rejected outcast, she reaches out to him and they become friends. This is a good example of how past experiences influence where we feel we belong. Their bond strengthens as the plot progresses, and as both Ralph and Vanellope grow closer and closer, their personalities grow and they develop trait that they didn’t have before they had friends. Vanellope gains a sense of assertiveness, and Ralph learns to respect and consider people’s feelings. The characters in both the poems and the film both show the concept of not belonging. It is a theme that appears in art and modern media constantly, and portrays the idea that our experiences, both good and bad, influence who or where we feel we belong. We all root for the ones that overcome obstacles and win battles despite having disadvantages. We all root for the underdog; because we, as an audience, identify ourselves in them; because we have all, at one point or another, felt the same.

Confederation Poets of Canada

Confederation Poets of Canada Confederation Poets of Canada Confederation changed life for Canadians, both politically and culturally. Canadian poetry reflected pride in the new country and its diverse landscapes. During this time, four poets rose to prominence for writing that extolled the natural beauty and pastoral culture of Canada. The literary critic and commentator Malcolm Ross dubbed them the Confederation Poets because they were all born in the 1860s when Canadian Confederation occurred. Bliss Carman Bliss Carman was born in 1861 in Fredericton, New Brunswick. After attending the University of New Brunswick, he wrote numerous poems, essays, and commentaries. He earned his income solely from writing and received the greatest international recognition of the Confederation Poets. His collection includes Vagabondia, Behind the Arras, and The Pipes of Pan. Archibald Lampman Lampman was born in 1861 and considered the Keats of Canada. He was renowned for poetry about nature. His works include Lyrics of Earth, Alcyone and Other Poems, and Amonth the Millet and Other Poems. Charles G.D. Roberts Charles Roberts is known as the â€Å"Father of Canadian Poetry.† He was born in 1860 in Douglas, New Brunswick, where he was homeschooled and was first published at the age of 12. He lived in the U.S. at one point and served in the Canadian military. His works include Orion and Other Poems, The Book of The Native, and The Vagrant of Time. Duncan Campbell Scott Duncan Scott was born in Ottawa and entered a life of civil service. During his free time, he wrote both prose and poetry. He received numerous writing awards throughout his lifetime and was named to the Royal Society of Canada. His poetry includes The Magic House and Other Poems, Labor and The Angel,and Via Borelius. Canadian Poetry is a Great Topic for Essays The poets of Canada are a great topic for history, literature, or writing class essays. No matter what topic you choose, can provide proofreading services to help give your writing the best possible presentation. We also offer writing and research services. Contact us at 800-573-0840 to see how we can help advance your academic success.

Harriet Martineauâ€Biography and Works

Harriet Martineau- Biography and Works Born in 1802 in England, Harriet Martineau is considered to be one of the earliest sociologists, a self-taught expert in political economic theory  who wrote prolifically throughout her career about the relationship between politics, economics, morals, and social life. Her intellectual work was grounded in a staunchly moral perspective that was influenced by her Unitarian faith (although she would later become an atheist). She spoke out against slavery and was fiercely critical as well of the inequality and injustice faced by girls, women, and the working poor. As one of the first women journalists of the era, she also worked as a translator, speechwriter, and novelist. Her acclaimed fiction invited readers to consider the pressing social issues of the day.  She was known for her keen ability to explain complicated ideas in an easy-to-understand manner, presenting many of her theories about politics, economics, and society in the form of appealing and accessible stories. Early Life   Harriet Martineau was born in 1802 in Norwich, England. She was the sixth of eight children born to Elizabeth Rankin and Thomas Martineau. Thomas owned a textile mill, and Elizabeth was the daughter of a sugar refiner and grocer, making the family economically stable and wealthier than most British families at the time. The Martineaus were descendants of French Huguenots who fled Catholic France for Protestant England. They were practicing  Unitarians  and instilled the importance of education and critical thinking in all of their children. However, Elizabeth was also a strict believer  in traditional gender roles, so while the Martineau boys went to college, the girls did not and were expected to learn domestic work instead. This would prove to be a formative life experience for Harriet, who bucked all traditional gender expectations and wrote extensively about gender inequality. Self-Education, Intellectual Development, and Work Martineau was a voracious reader from a young age,  was well read in  Thomas Malthus  by the time she was 15, and had already become a political economist at that age, by her own recollection. She wrote and published her first written work, â€Å"On Female Education,† in 1821 as an anonymous author. This piece was a critique of her own educational experience  and how it was formally stopped when she reached adulthood. When her father’s business failed in 1829, she decided to earn a living for her family  and became a working writer. She wrote for the  Monthly Repository, a Unitarian publication, and published her first commissioned volume,  Illustrations of Political Economy, funded by publisher Charles Fox, in 1832. These illustrations were a monthly series that ran for two years, in which Martineau critiqued the politics and economic practices of the day by presenting illustrated tellings of the ideas of Malthus,  John Stuart Mill,  David Ricardo, and  Adam Smith. The series was designed as a tutorial for the general reading audience. Martineau won prizes for some of her essays, and the series sold more copies than did the work of Dickens at the time. Martineau argued that tariffs in early American society only benefited the rich and hurt the working classes both in the U.S. and in Britain. She also advocated for the Whig Poor Law reforms, which shifted assistance to the British poor from cash donations to the workhouse model. In her early years as a writer, she advocated for free market economic principles in keeping with the philosophy of Adam Smith. Later in her career, however, she advocated for government action to stem inequality and injustice, and is remembered by some as a social reformer due to her belief in the progressive evolution of society. Martineau broke with Unitarianism in 1831 and adopted the philosophical position of freethinking, whose adherents seek truth based on reason, logic, and empiricism, rather the dictates of authority figures, tradition, or religious dogma. This shift resonates with her reverence for  August Comtes positivistic sociology and her belief in progress. In 1832 Martineau moved to London, where she circulated among leading British intellectuals and writers, including Malthus, Mill,  George Eliot,  Elizabeth Barrett Browning, and Thomas Carlyle. From there she continued to write her political economy series until 1834. Travels Within the United States When the series was completed,  Martineau traveled to the U.S. to study the young nation’s political  economy and moral structure, much as  Alexis de Tocqueville  had done. While there, she became acquainted with  Transcendentalists  and abolitionists, and with those involved in education for girls and woman. She later published  Society in America,  Retrospect of Western Travel,  and  How to Observe Morals and Manners- considered her first publication based on sociological research- in which she not only criticized the state of education for women but also expressed her support for the abolition of slavery due to its immorality and economic inefficiency as well as its impact on the working classes in the U.S. and in Britain. As an abolitionist, Martineau sold embroidery in order to donate to the cause and also worked as the English correspondent for the  American Anti-Slavery Standard  through the end of the American Civil War. Contributions to Sociology Martineau’s key contribution to the field of sociology was her assertion that when studying society, one must focus on all aspects of it. She emphasized the importance of examining political, religious, and social institutions. By studying society in this way, she felt, one could deduce why inequality existed, particularly that faced by girls and women. In her writings, she brought an early feminist perspective to bear on issues such as race relations, religious life, marriage, children, and home (she herself never married or had children). Her social theoretical perspective was often focused on the moral stance of a populace and how it did or did not correspond to the social, economic, and political relations of its society. Martineau measured progress in society by three standards: the status of those who hold the least power in society, popular views of authority and autonomy, and access to resources that allow the realization of autonomy and moral action. She won numerous awards for her writing  and though controversial, was a rare example of a successful and popular working woman writer of the Victorian era. She published over 50 books and over 2,000 articles in her lifetime. Her translation into English and revision of  Auguste Comte’s  foundational sociological text,  Cours de Philosophie Positive, was received so well by readers and by Comte himself that he had Martineau’s English version translated back to French. Period of Illness and Impact on Her Work Between 1839 and 1845, Martineau became housebound due to a uterine tumor. She moved out of London to a more peaceful location for the duration of her illness. She continued to write extensively during this time but due to her recent experiences shifted her focus to medical topics. She published Life in the Sickroom, which challenged the domination/submission relationship between doctors and their patients- and was viciously criticized by the medical establishment for doing so. Travels in North Africa and the Middle East In 1846, her health restored, Martineau embarked on a tour of Egypt, Palestine, and Syria. She focused her analytic lens on religious ideas and customs and observed that religious doctrine was increasingly vague as it evolved. This led her to conclude, in her written work based on this trip- Eastern Life, Present and Past- that humanity was evolving toward atheism, which she framed as rational, positivist progress. The atheistic nature of her later writing, as well as her advocacy for mesmerism, which she believed cured her tumor and the other ailments she had suffered, caused deep divisions between her and some of her friends. Later Years and Death In her later years, Martineau contributed to the Daily News and the radical leftist Westminster Review. She remained politically active, advocating for women’s rights during the 1850s and 60s. She supported the Married Women’s Property Bill, the licensing of prostitution and legal regulation of customers, and women’s suffrage. She died in 1876 near Ambleside, Westmorland, in England, and her autobiography was published posthumously in 1877. Martineaus Legacy Martineau’s sweeping contributions to social thought are more often than not overlooked within the canon of classical sociological theory, though her work was widely lauded in its day, and preceded that of  Ãƒâ€°mile Durkheim  and  Max Weber. Founded in 1994 by Unitarians in Norwich and with support from Manchester College, Oxford, The Martineau Society in England holds an annual conference in her honor. Much of her written work is in the public domain and available for free at the Online Library of Liberty, and many of her letters are available  to the public via the British National Archives. Selected Bibliography Illustrations of Taxation, 5 volumes, published by Charles Fox, 1832-4Illustrations of Political Economy, 9 volumes, published by Charles Fox, 1832-4Society in America, 3 volumes, Saunders and Otley, 1837Retrospect of Western Travel, Saunders and Otley, 1838How to Observe Morals and Manners, Charles Knights and Co., 1838Deerbrook, London, 1839Life in the Sickroom, 1844Eastern Life, Present and Past, 3 volumes, Edward Moxon, 1848Household Education, 1848The Positive Philosophy of Auguste Comte, 2 volumes, 1853Harriet Martineau’s Autobiography, 2 volumes, posthumous publication, 1877

Trusts-UK legal system,fuduciaries Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Trusts-UK legal system,fuduciaries - Essay Example Dean, the company’s solicitor agreed with Anna that she would negotiate the purchase, receiving 5% of the final purchase figure. Anna negotiated the purchase price at  £1million. Anna and Dean were also responsible for the renegotiation of the company’s key ingredient (Citsalp) supplier, Kipling Ltd. Kipling Ltd requested  £50,000 in advance and  £2,500 per month for the exclusivity of the supply, and the company could not afford this. Anna and Dean put together the money themselves and negotiate with Kipling Ltd purchase the supply and its exclusivity. They then offer the company exclusivity of supply of Citsalp at  £25,000 in advance and  £2,750 per month. [Kipling are happy with this]. Anna decides to sell her shares and retire as director, selling her shares in Gealette Ltd to Beauty Trust for  £20,000 below the market value. The new product is delayed and causes Gealette Ltd significant losses, and it is on the verge of folding. Gealette Ltd’s shares are almost worthless. The nature of a person in decision making decides the success rate in any business enterprise. At times, being aggressive in decision making helps and during some times, it may fail if the organization falters in strategic decisions. Trustee is a person who administers a trust. At the same time, a trustee is considered as a fiduciary and he or she owes the highest duty under the law to protect trust property from unreasonable loss for the trusts beneficiaries. In cases of mismanagement of trust property by trustee, he or she would be held liable for the extent of loss incurred. Anna in the present cases study has undergone the similar experience. Being a trustee of a beauty trust, she has some reasonable rights in representing the trust in several national and international forums. She analysed that the purchase of shares in company â€Å"Gealette† would certainly benefit the trust and accordingly the beauty trust purchased