Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Smart Globalization

Smart Globalization SMART GLOBALIZATION This article is very informative on the subject of Internationalization. The article begins with a brief description of a common commercial airing on TV about Whirlpools new washing machine. The add is targeted towards Indians in India who "prize hygiene and purity"‚Â ¦" Whirlpool Corp. is a U.S. based company, but that doesn't mean they can't find new and emerging markets abroad. Before they made the decision to internationalize their product, they had to research and analyze their potential market. By doing this they learned what the consumers in that particular nation/region/society needed.What amazes me is that Whirlpool arranged an integrated network of smaller less efficient factories and companies to distribute/market before deciding to go ahead and start building factories. Going abroad means taking risks. Why not take smart risks.English: Emerging Markets without China and IndiaThe article then goes on about ATT and why their ventures abroad fizzled. They basically fizzled because the old approach of internationalizing was too simple and not in depth enough for today's emerging markets. Companies have changed their outlook on this new concept of Smart Globalization. "Companies are trying to figure out how to build on their strengths as opposed to throwing "‚Â ¦Hail Marry passes in the hope they connect".Products in a new market have to be adapted sometimes. A good example of this is how HP has involved itself in the development of technology in poor nations such as Africa. Before HP could start selling it's product they basically had to integrate the technology that could be available into small villages and communities. They did this by setting up small centers where people could learn more about what was going on in today's hi-tech information age and get a hands on experience. By introducing the technology to these people who never seen a computer before...

Saturday, November 23, 2019

The Slave Boy Experiment in Platos Meno

The Slave Boy Experiment in Plato's 'Meno' One of the most famous passages in all of Platos works- indeed, in all of philosophy- occurs in the middle of the  Meno. Meno asks Socrates if he can prove the truth of his strange claim that all learning is recollection (a claim that Socrates connects to the idea of reincarnation). Socrates responds by calling over a slave boy and, after establishing that he has had no mathematical training, setting him a geometry problem. The Geometry Problem The boy is asked how to double the area of a square. His confident first answer is that you achieve this by doubling the length of the sides. Socrates shows him that this, in fact, creates a square four times larger than the original. The boy then suggests extending the sides by half their length. Socrates points out that this would turn a 2x2 square (area 4) into a 3x3 square (area 9). At this point, the boy gives up and declares himself at a loss. Socrates then guides him by means of simple step-by-step questions to the correct answer, which is to use the diagonal of the original square as the base for the new square. The Soul Immortal According to Socrates, the boys ability to reach the truth and recognize it as such proves that he already had this knowledge within him; the questions he was asked simply stirred it up, making it easier for him to recollect it. He argues, further, that since the boy didnt acquire such knowledge in this life, he must have acquired it at some earlier time; in fact, Socrates says, he must have always known it, which indicates that the soul is immortal. Moreover, what has been shown for geometry also holds for every other branch of knowledge: the soul, in some sense, already possesses the truth about all things. Some of Socrates inferences here are clearly a bit of a stretch. Why should we believe that an innate ability to reason mathematically implies that the soul is immortal? Or that we already possess within us empirical knowledge about such things as the theory of evolution, or the history of Greece? Socrates himself, in fact, acknowledges that he cant be certain about some of his conclusions. Nevertheless, he evidently believes that the demonstration with the slave boy proves something. But does it? And if so, what? One view is that the passage proves that we have innate ideas- a kind of knowledge we are quite literally born with. This doctrine is one of the most disputed in the history of philosophy. Descartes, who was clearly influenced by Plato, defended it. He argues, for instance, that God imprints an idea of Himself on each mind that he creates. Since every human being possesses this idea, faith in God is available to all. And because the idea of God is the idea of an infinitely perfect being, it makes possible other knowledge which depends on the notions of infinity and perfection, notions that we could never arrive at from experience. The doctrine of innate ideas is closely associated with the rationalist philosophies of thinkers like Descartes and Leibniz. It was fiercely attacked by John Locke, the first of the major British empiricists. Book One of Lockes  Essay on Human Understanding  is a famous polemic against the whole doctrine. According to Locke, the mind at birth is a tabula rasa, a blank slate. Everything we eventually know is learned from experience. Since the 17th century (when Descartes and Locke produced their works), the empiricist skepticism regarding innate ideas has generally had the upper hand. Nevertheless, a version of the doctrine was revived by the linguist Noam Chomsky. Chomsky was struck by the remarkable achievement of every child in learning language. Within three years, most children have mastered their native language to such an extent that they can produce an unlimited number of original sentences. This ability goes far beyond what they can have learned simply by listening to what others say: the output exceeds the input. Chomsky argues that what makes this possible is an innate capacity for learning language, a capacity that involves intuitively recognizing what he calls the universal grammar- the deep structure- that all human languages share. A Priori Although the specific doctrine of innate knowledge presented in the  Meno  finds few takers today, the more general view that we know some things a priori- i.e. prior to experience- is still widely held. Mathematics, in particular, is thought to exemplify this sort of knowledge. We dont arrive at theorems in geometry or arithmetic by conducting empirical research; we establish truths of this sort simply by reasoning. Socrates may prove his theorem using a diagram drawn with a stick in the dirt but we understand immediately that the theorem is necessarily and universally true. It applies to all squares, regardless of how big they are, what they are made of, when they exist, or where they exist. Many readers complain that the boy does not really discover how to double the area of a square himself: Socrates guides him to the answer with leading questions. This is true. The boy would probably not have arrived at the answer by himself. But this objection misses the deeper point of the demonstration: the boy is not simply learning a formula that he then repeats without real understanding (the way most of us are doing when we say something like, e mc squared). When he agrees that a certain proposition is true or an inference is valid, he does so because he grasps the truth of the matter for himself. In principle, therefore, he could discover the theorem in question, and many others, just by thinking very hard. And so could we all!

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Public and Private Language by Richard Rodriguez Article - 2

Public and Private Language by Richard Rodriguez - Article Example According to Rodriguez, being familiar with the public language is more advantages to the private language. He notes that lack of public language may deny an individual his/her self esteem; therefore, he emphasizes for a need of bilingual education especially for the persons who do not share the public language with their immediate surroundings. From his personal and family experience, Richard Rodriguez explains how language or confidence of expression in public affects personal confidence, especially in the social life. He perfectly achieves this claim by using different experiences especially his personal experience and the experience his father had once they (his sister, brother, and himself) had perfected the public language. According to Rodriguez, he had no confidence in the classroom nor could he play or associate with neighborhood kids. Since his siblings and Rodriguez could not communicate freely with others, they come home too early and could lock themselves indoors unlike when they had been acquainted with the public language. Additionally, he perfectly rotates the events and they (children of the family) become fluent to the language than their parents. Rodriguez notes that as they became fluent in English to their private language, things started changing in their family as their parents started having difficulties in communicating with them. Hence, their parents especially his father opted to remain silent whenever the public language speakers were in the house. To denote how language affects an individual’s public confidence or individuality, Rodriguez compares his father’s communication and confidence levels when interacting with fallow Spanish and when interacting with the public. Rodriguez states that his father grew quiet in the house, a situation that his mother relates to his father’s childhood life. He notes that his mother explained that both of his father’s â€Å"parents died when he (his father) was eight. H e was raised by an uncle who treated him as little more than a menial servant. He was never encouraged to speak. He grew up alone; a man of few words (Rodriguez 54).† However, Rodriguez emphases that this silence is nothing to do with his father’s childhood experiences, but to the power of language that brings the confidence of communication and interaction with other persons. Rodriguez noted his father was neither shy nor few of words. For instance, Rodriguez says that when his father was using Spanish and interacting with fellow Spanish men, â€Å"he was quickly effusive. Especially when talking with other men, his voice would spark, flicker, flare alive with sounds. In Spanish, he expressed ideas and feelings he rarely revealed in English. With firm Spanish sounds, he conveyed confidence and authority; qualities English could have never revealed in him (Rodriguez 54).† It is worth noting that using the above experience as examples indicate how perfectly Rodrig uez has managed in developing ideas in supporting his theme. It is worth noting that Rodriguez in his article tries to address varied audients both young and old. The only main concern he had is to communicate the power of public language that he wants everybody to develop. However, he also addresses the necessity of sticking to some of the private languages. In different occasions, he did meet or encounter persons who reminded him of his youthful days when he had not been Americanized.

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Stragegic management of human resources Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6500 words

Stragegic management of human resources - Essay Example A customised version of Integrated Management Process (IMP) used by SAB to set the ball rolling relies on the same set of principles, techniques and practices as the case study demonstrates. Evidently, performance depends not only on hard and attenuating work of the personnel, but also on such essential characteristics as competence and ability to learn and develop. Despite the visible simplicity, the problem of effective training and development of employees faced by SAB during the attempt to solidify and further reinforce their market positions was exceptionally complex. A failure to properly, effectively and continuously train and educate the human resources in the right areas of the business, at the right time and at the right cost would have inevitably result in serious inefficiencies, considerable operational difficulties and even collapse of the organisation (Buckle & Caple, 2004). In order to evaluate the programme implemented by SAB one must be aware of the basic theoretical principles an effective programme must rely upon. An effective SHRD programme should be built around three basic theoretical concepts: organizational development change; leadership development; individual, group and organizational learning (Reid, Barrington & Brown, 2004). Although IMP focuses primarily on business planning, communication and performance management processes, the key element of the company's transformation was apparently learning since new skills and attitudes were required. In the past, learning focused primarily on individuals: people worked in large bureaucracies or assembly lines and, consequently, the goal of learning under such circumstances was training of the skills required for their functioning. However, since approximately three decades ago, the focus of learning in organisations began to shift from individuals to groups, and, what was even more important, the meaning underlying the constructs 'learning', 'training' and 'development' transformed dramatically. Scholars started conceiving these constructs as continuous rather than occasional while the purpose and the process of learning were also reformulated and recognised as vital for effective organizational performance (Harrison, 2005). Such continuous perception of learning as the key element of business transformation was probably the main factor of SAB's success: heavy investments in learning and development to support change turned systematic rather than being occasional. The systematic approach toward training, learning and development of employees emphasises such crucial element of the process as continuity while the earlier perspectives often viewed the process as linear and discrete with clearly defined beginning and end (Armstrong, 1996). Systematic approach to organizational development implies clearly identification of what employees should know and how they should act to be effective at a particular job; it also ensures that employees are adequately prepared in terms of the necessary knowledge, skills, and attitudes to fulfil their responsibilities (Kenney & Reid, 1994). Such systematic strategy implemented by SAB helped managers and supervisors get

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Dostoevsky’s Notes from Underground Essay Example for Free

Dostoevsky’s Notes from Underground Essay Fyodor Dostoevsky is one of the most influential authors in world literature. This Russian author had written several remarkable novels including Crime and Punishment, The Idiot and Brothers Karamazov. However, before the aforementioned novels were published, Dostoevsky had already gained critical acclaim and recognition for his work entitled Notes from Underground. This novel explores how the freedom of man is undermined by the atmosphere of rationality that dominated the 17th and 18th centuries. Through the novel’s protagonist, the Underground Man, Dostoevsky illustrates how real freedom is manifested in the defiance of reason. The period called the Enlightenment occurred throughout the 17th and 18th centuries (Marder, Meyer, Wyshak, n. d. ). During this time, reason governed over every endeavor, and was valued above everything else. The period left no room for superstition or foolishness; rationality reigned supreme (Marder, Meyer, Wyshak, n. d. ). Reason was the means in which man and society can develop for the better. European thought was dominated by materialism, liberalism and more importantly, utopianism (Marder, Meyer, Wyshak, n. d. ). All of these movements were established on the belief that reasonable and natural-law theories could establish a perfect society (Emerson, 1992). Perfection was only attainable through the application of reason and the manifestation of â€Å"enlightened self-interest† (Marder, Meyer, Wyshak, n. d. ). The prevalence of reason strongly influenced and inspired Dostoevsky to write Notes from Underground (Marder, Meyer, Wyshak, n. d. ). However, the novel did not convey a message agreeable to the intellectual milieu; instead, it served to criticize its very existence. Notes from Underground is actually a response to another text, entitled What Is to be Done? (Marder, Meyer, Wyshak, n. d. ; Madden, n. d. ). It was written by N. G. Chernyshevsky and was published in 1863. Chernyshevsky was an advocate of â€Å"rational egoism,† a movement which fervently believed that perfection of life could be achieved through rationality and enlightenment (Madden, n. d. ). The â€Å"rational egoists† also upheld principles of natural law (Madden, n. d. ). Dostoevsky disagreed with the belief that rationality and enlightenment were the keys to perfection. He strongly believed that the nature of man was beyond those two elements. He acknowledged man’s capacity for both the rational and the foolish; he even upheld that the irrationality of man was more definite, while the rationality was merely added (Marder, Meyer, Wyshak, n. d. ). Moreover, Dostoevsky was convinced that laws of nature or the principles of reason were not capable of recognizing human individuality, personality, and more importantly, free will (Madden, n. d. ). These beliefs are embedded in the novel, a text which Rozanov considers a critique of reason as a means to perfection (as cited in Marder, Meyer, Wyshak, n. d. ). The novel, in the words of Wasiolek, showed how man can be both rational and irrational, as his actions are the result of the exercise of his own freedom (as cited in Marder, Meyer, Wyshak, n. d. ). Hence, the theme of freedom in the novel is the utmost disregard for reason and natural laws. The protagonist of the novel is the Underground Man, a forty year old man who used to work in civil service (Dostoevsky, 1992). For a protagonist, he is considered an â€Å"anti-hero† (Madden, n. d. ). He is also the antithesis of the time in which he lived; he disagreed with utilitarianism, which prevailed during the 19th century. Utilitarianism was characterized by utilizing â€Å"mathematical formulas and logical proofs† to equate one’s wants with his best interests (Madden, n. d. ). The Underground Man disagrees with this; he attests that man wants to exercise his freedom and could do so regardless if it agrees with his best interests or not. If it is man’s desire to act irrational, he could. Of course, acting irrational is not in anyone’s best interest. However, by being irrational, he was truly able to exercise his freedom. Actions based on desires, instead of reason, enable man to be free. Freedom is thus associated with acting without reason. So in an era where reason dominated, the Underground Man was rather unreasonable. By being unreasonable, he was able to be truly free. In the novel, the Underground Man asserts that science deprives one of freedom. Dostoevsky (1992) writes, â€Å"Science has managed by now to anatomize man to such a degree that we already know that all your wishing, your so-called free will is nothing†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (p. 29). The Underground Man then begins his attack on utilitarianism: If someday they should really discover the formula for all our whims and wishes—I mean, what causes them, what laws they’re governed by, how they develop and where they lead in one case or another†¦in other words, an actual mathematical formula—why, then man will perhaps immediately stop wishing†¦Who wants to wish according to graphs (Dostoevsky, 1992, p. 29)? â€Å"Whims and wishes† in this quotation refers to the desires of man. The principles of utilitarianism are marked by analysis of people’s desires. These desires undergo scrutiny, as to determine if these desires agree with what is best for the people. However, the act of wishing does not involve analysis or scrutiny. One can desire something for no apparent reason. One may wish for something that may prove harmful in the long run. The exercise of freedom is spontaneous and non-regulated. If one has to base his or her desires from the graphs or formulas of science and math, they would no longer fall under the exercise of freedom. If one is to desire based on the graphs or formulas, it would not be an act of freedom any more. This is because there is imposition involved; the desires are imposed upon by the requirements of science or math. In this situation, the desires of man are dictated by the principles of reason. Thus, freedom disappears upon the use of reason. In the words of the Underground Man, â€Å"For if desires are one day brought into complete accord with reason, then we shall reason instead of wishing† (Dostoevsky, 1992, p. 30). The Underground Man continues his argument against utilitarianism by differentiating reason and desires. He states: You see, gentlemen, reason is unquestionably a fine thing, but reason is no more than reason, and it gives fulfillment only to a man’s reasoning capacity, while desires are a manifestation of the whole of life—I mean the whole of human life, both with its reason and with all its itches and scratches (Dostoevsky, 1992, p. 31). In this quotation, the Underground Man affirms that while reason is important, it is not the most important thing. The desires of man, through which freedom can be exercised, have a much wider scope than reason. Therefore, the desires of man cannot be reduced to graphs and tables because it transcends them. The Underground Man uses the piano key as a symbol of how reason curbs man’s freedom: He will insist on clinging precisely to his own fantastic dreams, his most vulgar folly, solely in order to confirm himself that men are still men, and not piano keys, which may be played by the hands of natural laws themselves, but which are threatened by this very playing to be brought to a state where it will no longer be possible to wish a thing outside of graphs and schedules (Dostoevsky, 1992, p. 34). Piano keys are pressed to make a sound in the process of playing the piano. These keys cannot produce sound on their own; they need to be touched and pressed. The analogy between the man and the piano key is what Dostoevsky used to illustrate his point. By measuring man’s desires with the graphs and formulas to determine whether or not it is in their best interests, man becomes a piano key. This is because man comes under the mercy of reason which plays him. To be manipulated by reason is to be bound by its laws; therefore, it is not freedom. The Underground Man believes that humankind values freedom over reason and best interests (Madden, n. d. ). Freedom means acting out of one’s desires or wishes whether or not the act spoken of is irrational or foolish. In the book, the Underground Man manifests his freedom through several examples. He had committed acts contrary to reason, making him a truly free individual. Hence, the Underground Man was successful in escaping the realm of reason he despises. The book starts with the Underground Man’s admission of a pain. He says, â€Å"I think that my liver hurts† (Dostoevsky, 1992, p. 1). Anyone who experiences pain will surely resort to measures to eliminate that pain. This is because pain is suffering, and nobody wants to suffer. In the instance that pain is felt, it is only reasonable that one seeks medical assistance by visiting a doctor. On the contrary, the Underground Man says, â€Å"No, sir, I refuse to see a doctor out of spite† (Dostoevsky, 1992, p. 1). This decision is obviously irrational, because he does not want to see a doctor to deal with the pain. In addition, he does not have a valid reason not to go to the doctor. One would presume that he simply takes pleasure in his own pain. A rational man would find this decision as preposterous, as no one ever enjoyed suffering from pain (Madden, n. d. ). However, what appears to be a manifestation of masochistic tendencies is actually the Underground Man’s exercise of freedom. Reason dictates that when one feels pain, that person should visit the doctor. As was earlier discussed, the Underground Man believes that reason limits freedom, because it only acknowledges the desires that would be in one’s best interests. The tolerance of pain and the derivation of pleasure from it is the Underground Man’s way of breaking free from reason. Surely, it is a foolish thing to do, but he does not want to conform to the dictates of reason. He values his freedom, so he refuses to act according to reason. He is a free man; he could do as he pleased. Even if it is contrary to his best interests in prolonging such agony, he still does it because he wished to do so. By tolerating pain and deriving pleasure from it, he successful avoids the system of reason. According to the Underground Man, â€Å"I know better than anyone else that I will only harm myself by this, and no one else. And yet, if I don’t seek a cure, it is out of spite. My liver hurts? Good, let it hurt still more† (Dostoevsky, 1992, p. 2)! The Underground Man proceeds with his painful endeavor, this time with a toothache. The fourth chapter of the book opens with his laughter: â€Å"Ha-ha-ha! You will find pleasure in a toothache next! And why not? There is pleasure in a toothache ache too† (Dostoevsky, 1992, p. 14). Just like with the liver ache, the Underground Man allows himself to feel the pain of his tooth instead of seeing a dentist. He welcomes the pain, and refuses to seek treatment. A critic of the novel, Mikhaylovsky declares that the Underground Man â€Å"tortures because he wants to, he likes torture. There is neither reason nor purpose here, and, in the opinion of Dostoevksy, they are not at all necessary, for absolute cruelty is interesting† (as cited in Marder, Meyer, Wyshak, n. d. ). Indeed, this is true. The Underground Man does not subject himself to pain for a reason. In fact, he does so to do away with reason. He refrains from seeking medical treatment because he wants to. By indulging in his desire, he exercises complete freedom. Aside from the aforementioned tolerance of pains, the Underground Man had exercised his freedom through irrationality in other ways. He states: I would feel a certain hidden, morbid, nasty little pleasure in the acute awareness that I had once again committed something vile that day, that what had been done could no longer be undone; and I would gnaw and gnaw at myself in silence†¦until the bitterness would finally begin to turn into a kind of shameful, damnable sweetness (Dostoevsky, 1992, p. 7). In this excerpt, the Underground Man expresses how he had realized his evil ways by contemplating what he had done. However, instead of wallowing in guilt, the realization ends up being a source of pleasure. How did the Underground Man manifest his freedom through this? The purveyors of rationality would insist that those who know what is in their best interests would not resort to baseness or frivolity. The Underground Man was aware of vileness of his actions; in a way, he was aware it was not in his best interests. However, he did not feel a sense of guilt. The realization of his action that started with bitterness eventually became that of sweetness. He knew what he had done was bad, but this does not change the fact that he derived pleasure from it. His reaction to such vile deeds set him apart from what reason dictates as proper. Because he did not follow the dictates of reason, he had exercised his own freedom through defiance. Reason makes one feel burdened when one commits a nasty or vile action. It supposes that rational ways should be observed, and a nasty or vile action is never rational. He sights an example when one is forced to apologize for a nasty deed. The Underground Man says: Generally, I could never endure saying, â€Å"Forgive me, Papa, I won’t do it again†Ã¢â‚¬â€and not because I was incapable of saying it, but, on the contrary, perhaps precisely because I was all too capable of it. And how I did it (Dostoevsky, 1992, p. 16)! In this passage, the Underground Man expressed disagreement with repentance. He believes that one should not apologize for doing something. He finds apologies as deceiving; the claim to never do an act considered vile again seems insincere. In our freedom, we are all capable of doing these acts. Regardless if they are rational or irrational, we all have the capacity to act according to our own free will. The claim â€Å"I won’t do it again† is quite fraudulent, as it is quite understood that anyone can do anything, according to their free will. Thus, it is possible for one to exercise freedom and desire something which is not in one’s best interest. According to the Underground Man: And what if his advantage on a given occasion not only may, but must, lie exactly in choosing for himself the harmful rather than the advantageous? And if this is so, if there can be such an occasion, then the entire rule is shattered to smithereens (Dostoevsky, 1992, p. 22). The rule spoken of here is the belief that man would choose what is in his best interests. Again, the exercise of freedom lies in choosing or desiring something regardless of their nature. In the above quotation, the Underground Man affirms that there will be instances wherein man will choose what is harmful, instead of what is useful, to him. The moment such situation arises, the principle of reason will be disproved. The Underground Man does not believe in the principle that man will act according to what is in his best interests. Neither does he believe that man’s desires can be reduced to graphs of science nor formulas of mathematics. The concept of freedom for the Underground Man is that which is contrary to the dictates of reason. He does not acknowledge that man will commit acts that are in tune with his best interests. This would be a violation of his freedom, as the freedom presupposes one’s capacity for both the rational and the irrational. If one chooses to commit an irrational act, he is merely exercising his freedom. Did the Underground Man succeed in escaping the realm of reason he so despised? The answer is yes. His tolerance of pain and derivation of pleasure from suffering were direct defiance to reason. He had rendered himself completely liberated from the atmosphere of rationality. He did and thought as he pleased, whether or not it was in his best interests. Indeed, he had escaped, and is completely free. REFERENCES Dostoevsky, F. (1992). Notes from Underground (M. Ginsburg, Trans. ). New York: Bantam. (Original work published in 1864). Madden, C. (n. d. ). SparkNote on Notes from Underground. Retrieved March 29, 2008, from http://www. sparknotes. com/lit/underground/ Marder, J. , Meyer, M. , Wyshak, F. (n. d. ). Dostoevsky’s Notes from Underground Study Guide. Retrieved March 29, 2008, from http://community. middlebury. edu/~beyer/courses/previous/ru351/novels/UGMan/ugman. html

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Henry David Thoreau - Conservationist, Visionary, and Humanist :: Biography Biographies Essays

Henry David Thoreau - Conservationist, Visionary, and Humanist He spent his life in voluntary poverty, enthralled by the study of nature. Two years, in the prime of his life, were spent living in a shack in the woods near a pond. Who would choose a life like this? Henry David Thoreau did, and he enjoyed it. Who was Henry David Thoreau, what did he do, and what did others think of his work? Henry David Thoreau was born in Concord, Massachusetts on July 12, 1817 ("Thoreau" 96), on his grandmother's farm. Thoreau, who was of French-Huguenot and Scottish-Quaker ancestry, was baptized as David Henry Thoreau, but at the age of twenty he legally changed his name to Henry David. Thoreau was raised with his older sister Helen, older brother John, and younger sister Sophia (Derleth 1) in genteel poverty (The 1995 Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia 1). It quickly became evident that Thoreau was interested in literature and writing. At a young age he began to show interest writing, and he wrote his first essay, "The Seasons," at the tender age of ten, while attending Concord Academy (Derleth 4). In 1833, at the age of sixteen, Henry David was accepted to Harvard University, but his parents could not afford the cost of tuition so his sister, Helen, who had begun to teach, and his aunts offered to help. With the assistance of his family and the beneficiary funds of Harvard he went to Cambridge in August 1833 and entered Harvard on September first. "He [Thoreau] stood close to the top of his class, but he went his own way too much to reach the top" (5). In December 1835, Thoreau decided to leave Harvard and attempt to earn a living by teaching, but that only lasted about a month and a half (8). He returned to college in the fall of 1836 and graduated on August 16, 1837 (12). Thoreau's years at Harvard University gave him one great gift, an introduction to the world of books. Upon his return from college, Thoreau's family found him to be less likely to accept opinions as facts, more argumentative, and inordinately prone to shock people with his own independent and unconventional opinions. During this time he discovered his secret desire to be a poet (Derleth 14), but most of all he wanted to live with freedom to think and act as he wished. Immediately after graduation from Harvard, Henry David applied for a teaching position at the public school in Concord and was accepted. However, he refused to flog children as punishment. He opted instead to

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

How the emotion affects the person Essay

In the modern world, emotions play such a large role in almost everything people do, it is hard to make a decision which will get the most desirable results. It is true, however it is looked upon, that decisions and choices are mainly made by the emotion that the person is feeling towards the topic. A kind person will go join the Peace Corps and help aide the poor and starving, while a person with no pity towards much of anything will not care enough to do something of that nature. Pity is one of the key emotions in making decisions. If someone feels sorry for another individual, they are much more likely to go out of their way to help this person. Whether it is from dropping a few coins into a beggar’s cup, or just helping out a friend, people have to go out of their way because of pity. Pity is more than a simple emotion which can lead people do to things for others, however. It can bring upon new feelings within an individual and help them to achieve a higher level of consc iousness. Decisions are intertwined with everyone in the worlds lives, and if they do not begin to see the reasons behind their decisions, it could have devastating results. Pity towards an individual can have an effect on almost everything in the world. Whether it is bargaining for the price of clothing, to giving money to a poor person, there can be all kinds of changes depending on a person’s circumstance. This, however, is not a good thing because there are always people in the world who do not care about others and can â€Å"con† someone and take advantage of them. Although pity can be good or bad, it is mainly shown as a sign of weakness in a person. It can make someone decide to do irrational things for another and bring them in danger. People say that having a ruthless leader would be bad, but they are wrong because being ruthless does not mean being evil or mean, it just means knowing that feelings cannot get in the way of decisions. Emotions are much more than influences in our decisions, however. They play a key role is almost everything in the world. If there was no emotion in any novels or movies or anything of that nature, how would we be able to enjoy life? Music is basically an extension from our own human emotions, and that is why music can be integrated in much of our situations of life. In movies, it would not sound right if a swinging beat was used in a war scene, or vice  versa. Thus, it is simple to say that emotions do play a role in our lives. The effects of emotions in our lives can vary from person to person, but no matter how hard someone tries, they cannot escape having and feeling these things. Whether it is good or bad, choices are made depending on the emotions involved in the consequences. Pity is one of the major feelings dealt with when faced with a decision about another individual. Are they poor? In need of help? These are both basic questions that are asked to oneself when deciding on what to do in a situation. Although it is impossible to stay out of the grasp of emotions, it is very possible to realize the effects of them, and make decisions based upon the knowledge at hand.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

The Jones Family, Incorporated

THE JONES FAMILY, INCORPORATED Principles of Corporate Finance 6th Edition Richard A. Brealey and Stewart C. Myers The accompanying table summarizes Johnny's NPV calculation. He assumed Marsha would take 25 100-mile trips per year, saving $200, plus $1. 00 per mile, plus a $40 tip on every trip. Operating costs would be $. 45 per mile. The net savings are $295 per trip and $7375 per year.These savings increase with inflation at an assumed rate of 4% per year. It seems that Marsha's horse transporter was a good buy after all: NPV is positive (+ $14,325). MINICASE SOLUTIONS THE JONES FAMILY'S HORSE TRANSPORTER |Year |0 |1 |2 |3 |4 |5 |6 |7 |8 | |1.Investment (plus ending value in | | | | | | | | | | |year 8) |-35,000 | | | | | | | |+15,000 | |2. Insurancea |-1,200 |-1,200 |-1,200 |-1,200 |-1,200 |-1,200 |-1,200 |-1,200 | | |3.Net savings vs. rented | | | | | | | | | | |transporterb | |+7,375 |+7,375 |+7,375 |+7,375 |+7,375 |+7,375 |+7,375 |+7,375 | | | | | | | | | | | | |4.Cash flow |- 36,200 |+6,175 |+6,175 |+6,175 |+6,175 |+6,175 |+6,175 |+6,175 |+21,175 | |5. Adjusted for 4% inflationc | | | | | | | | | | | |-36,200 |+6,422 |+6,679 |+6,946 |+7,224 |+7,513 |+7,813 |+8,126 |+28,979 | |6.Present valued |-36,200 |+5,892 |+5,622 |+5,364 |+5,118 |+4,883 |+4,658 |+4,445 |+14,543 | NPV = + 14,325 a Paid at start of year. b Savings per 100-mile trip: 200 + 100 (1. 00 – . 45) + 40 = $295. For 25 trips per year, annual savings are 295 x 25 = $7375. Here the savings are entered at end of year (or start of the next year). This understates their value: the Jones family would actually begin to save right away. c Savings increase by 4% per year. Year 8 cash inflows from line 4 are multiplied by (1. 04)8. d Line 5 discounted at 9%.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Empathy Essays - Social Psychology, Emotions, Psychopathy

Empathy Essays - Social Psychology, Emotions, Psychopathy Empathy A.) In my view, no one person that I know takes pride in their work, a lot do. I believe that all artists and writers take the most pride in their work. They all work long hard hours, getting paid little or none, and once their masterpiece is completed, they are satisfied. They know that it doesn?t matter if they get paid anything (even though it would help) as long as they take pride in their work and are satisfied with their work. These people will only be happy with perfection and will work months and months if not years on a single piece of what expresses their feelings and pride best. This is the way I would like to grow up, happy with my success and my talent. Although I might not grow up being an artist, I feel that these are basic morals that every successful person should have. Some people are talented but do not take pride in their work and they never really become very successful. To me, these are the people who take the most pride in their work, the ! artists and writers. B.) People that I believe that show the most empathy for others are believe it or not, psychiatrists. It is part of their everyday job putting themselves in someone else?s shoes. They imagine how they would react and feel if they were experiencing how the people that they are counseling are feeling. They also imagine how they would react and what they feel would be the best solution to the problem. This characteristic that they display is a great example of empathy in my mind. It is easy enough to suggest a solution to one?s problem but it takes a hard thinking person to make their mindset the same as the person in need. As I grow up, I hope to acquire this trait. I believe that right now, I do not try to put myself in someone else?s shoes but it is something I am trying to work on. Some people may disagree, but I believe that these are the most empathetic people there are.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

5 New Year’s resolutions for your career in 2019

5 New Year’s resolutions for your career in 2019 ‘Tis the season†¦ to come up with all the ways your life will be better, more healthy, and more profitable next year. In a few weeks, all our best intentions will kick in and we’ll be ready for changes. Some may stick, and some may not, but it’s always good to have a plan. Here are some resolutions you can dedicate yourself to in order to boost your career in 2019.Resolutions to boost your career in the coming yearResolve to be more accountableThe reason so many New Year’s resolutions fail is that although we’re great at coming up with things we need and want to improve, actually getting the work done tends to get lost in the realities of everyday life and routine. If you want to make lasting changes to your professional fortunes in 2019, start by committing to a set of (reasonable) goals. If you lay out your goals and write down the steps you’ll need to take to get there, you’re more likely to stick to them. Setting small goals al ong the way and having the satisfaction of ticking them off makes distant year-long goals seem more attainable and may keep you on the right path.Resolve to take the next step in your career, even if you’re not ready to quitâ€Å"Find a new job† is a pretty common resolution. But if you don’t want to leave your job, job hunting isn’t the only way to move up. Think about what it will take to get a promotion in your current gig. What skills will you need? Start working on those. What does that next step look like? Talk to your boss and let him or her know that you’re looking to take the next step, and discuss your options for taking on more responsibilities, getting more training, or doing whatever you need to do to level up.Resolve to be less stressedWork stress is not only an impediment to your goals, but it can also damage your health and overall happiness. Resolve to find good outlets for work stress. Maybe it’s a new hobby. Maybe itâ€⠄¢s arriving at work half an hour early to have some peaceful time before emails need answering and coworkers start arriving for the day. Whatever would help you feel more calm and centered when things are chaotic, try to build some of it into your routine on a daily basis.Resolve to build your networkYour professional network is one of the best assets you have in your career. It can be a sounding board, or a pipeline to new opportunities. Unfortunately, social media is a double-edged sword here- it makes it easier to add people to your network, but also easier to keep those relationships shallow and stagnant without having to put in much effort.To get the most out of your network, build relationships outside of Facebook likes and LinkedIn notifications. Start with your existing network and think about which relationships you’d like to polish. If you live in the same area as a key contact, have lunch with that person every few months. If you’re distant, drop an email t o get a conversation going.If you want to make your network bigger, set a goal of adding X number of new contacts per month- maybe find friends of friends who work in industries or at companies you’re interested in, or join professional meetups or other communities.Resolve to take more risksOne of the best things you can do, career-wise, is take a chance on new opportunities. This could mean taking on tasks or projects that are new to you, or attempting a new job that’s outside of your comfort zone. That’s not to say you should quit your job tomorrow and go where the job market takes you, but at least be willing to consider making changes outside your routine.The â€Å"new year, new you† novelty and enthusiasm may last about as long as your new January gym routine. However, if you approach them realistically and with commitment, the goals you set for your career now can help set you up for a whole year of successes and learning opportunities.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Poetry and New Criticism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Poetry and New Criticism - Essay Example Poetry and New Criticism For instance, ligh-T, s-KY, be-HIND, and Mount-AIN denote that the first syllable is unstressed while the second syllable is stressed in the words of the poem. The poem is also a tetrameter because the iambic rhythm repeats itself four times in each line of the poem. The poem is both narrative and descriptive. This is because it tells a story and, at the same time, explains the world that surrounded the subjects of the poem. The speaker in this poem explains the situation surrounding the subjects, just the way s/he perceived it. Threshing is rich of assonance. For instance, the - i - sound is repeated in the first stanza three times, that is, l-i-ght, beh-i-nd the mounta-i-n. The sound is also repeated in most of the lines of this poem. Alteration is also evident in the poem Threshing. For example, is like the sun’s shadow, the bread, if there’s bread, the leaves darken a little. To emphasize and stress on an issue or point, the poet has used consonance. For example, in the line, they lie in the shade, waiting, resting; the poet has repeated the consonant sound, -ng to emphasize on the activity that the subjects of the poem were engaged in. also, in the line, beyond the fields, the river’s soundless, motionless, the –ss consonant sound has been repeated to explain the status of environment surrounding the subjects of the poem. ... Also, the explanation of the river’s soundless, motionless scum mottling the surface, symbolizes the oppression. The poem is rich of imagery in that there are similes, metaphors and symbols have been used in the poem. For instance, the light behind the mountain has been liked to the sun’s shadow passing over the earth. Also, the cool environment under the trees has been liked to the flask of water that gets passed around. In the poem, the sun has been personified. In the line, the sun’s moving again, taking the men along, the sun has been given human attributes. For instance it said that the sun moves, and at the same time, it takes men along. This personification stresses emphasizes on the effect that the hot sun has on the subjects of the poem in terms of doing their work, and how it determines their fate because it marks movement in time. There is irony in the poem too. Men are sad to enjoy the hours when the sun is hot and their women are far way, but the wor k has not been done. It is therefore, ironical to enjoy a tie of the day when a lot of work still awaits to be done. Also, the poems states that the flask is put away, the bread, if there is bread, in one of its lines. It is ironical for people to lack bread, yet the main activity revolving in the poem is threshing of wheat. It is expected that with the activity of harvesting wheat, bread is supposed to be available in plenty. Nature has been used by the speaker of the poem to explain the surrounding the subjects of the poem. For instance, the hot weather characterized with the scorching sun emphasizes on the type of environment that the subjects of the poem dwell in, in that point of time. Nature also explains the oppression that the subjects of the poem face. The explanation

Friday, November 1, 2019

School Law and Public Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

School Law and Public Policy - Essay Example The aim of this research paper is to clearly assess the manner in which the policymakers can take the voices of educators under consideration. It is for this purpose that a case has been selected for evaluation. In specific, the paper will present a comparison and contrast of the options including strike by the educators or political action course to get representation in the process of policymaking. In order to backup the comparison, references will be taken from legal clauses, past literature, The purpose of this section of the paper includes a number of past cases where educators have either used the method of strike or political action course to make sure that their representation is taken under consideration. Herein, it should be marked that among the major educational changes that have occurred in different societies of the world, Peru holds a revolutionary approach towards in educational reform as its history. The approach that was undertaken by educational policymakers of Peru was political action course. Following the Education Reform Commission, the military forces applied Universal Diversified Secondary Schooling (ESEPs). The fact remains that the educational policymaking undertook the opinions of the educators under consideration for which a proper assessment method was implied. As a contradiction, the reform could not bring necessary changes and ultimately turned out to be a complete failure (Haddad & Demsky, 2010). Another case that can evaluate in this context is from Jordan where educational policymakers brought change as a result of declining economy. With the help of UNESCO, several educational plans were administered in Jordan. The fact remains that these policymaking processes could not take the role of educators into consideration for which the change was not being assessed as expected. It is