Moral or Immoral Essay -- Martin Luther King Essays

Good or Immoral In Martin Luther King Jr.’s exposition, A Letter from Birmingham Jail he looks at the issues of Moral acts refrains Immoral acts. This paper was written because of a letter some pastors had composed after an immediate activity walk Dr. Lord had partaken in. In their letter the priests had adulated the neighborhood cops and media for the peaceful and quiet way in which the circumstance was dealt with. It was this commendation that incited Dr King to compose: â€Å"I have attempted to clarify that it isn't right to utilize improper intends to achieve moral finishes. However, presently I should confirm that it is similarly as off-base or maybe much more in this way, to utilize moral intends to safeguard shameless ends.† The start of this announcement alludes to utilizing savagery to get the outcome that you believe you merit. The second part to this announcement alludes to making the best choice to guarantee that a bad form will win. It is this issue of good stanzas corrupt that Doctor King bases. The main case of the profound quality issue Dr. Ruler raises is an equitable law, sections an out of line law. In his paper Dr King portrays to his perusers the contrast between the two. â€Å"A just law is a man-made code that squares with the ethical law or the law of God. A low law is a code that is out of concordance with the ethical law. Here Doctor King is guarding his conviction that there is an ethical issue in certain laws. He shields his announcement by giving a case of Germany during the Nazi standard. Lord talks about what Hit...

Free Essays on Is There A Moral Obligation To The Law

The possibility that there is an ethical commitment to the law has been a thought that’s been confused. The main motivation behind why we feel as though this is genuine is on the grounds that since we ethically decipher the law, at that point we believe we ought to normally have an ethical commitment to obey it. In the event that we didn’t have that ethical commitment, at that point we would, as some would might suspect, sell out ourselves and the very individuals to whom we endowed to realize harmony in our regular day to day existences. In any case, who’s to state that those individuals are to be confided in planning The Law, nobody can say. How are we to realize that those individuals are fit for delivering a lot of laws that we can ethically comply with and feel great doing as such. Laws have been battled against since the get-go, for instance: as abolitionists helped runaway slaves before the American Civil War. Bondage was a lot of acknowledged back then, however on the off chance that you helped a runaway slave, at that point you were to serve the outcomes of the law. Presently would you be able to stay there and reveal to me that it was ethically off-base to do this and to ethically defy the law? Obviously not, we’ve been battling against servitude for a considerable length of time, and the law had constantly made it lawful, thank god subjection today is non-existent. Another issue that our general public today has confronted is the levelness of fetus removal. Should it or ought not be allowable in our general public. This has been a major debate till today, a few states have made it legitimate and have disposed of the thought since it is so questionable in light of the fact that nobody can make sense of the profound quality of the issue. How does the accepting of advantages offer ascent to a duty to respond? If I somehow happened to give you a present for no evident explanation at all without your insight, okay have a commitment to do likewise? The response to this would have to no. Why Melanie Millan would it be advisable for you to? You didn’t request it and didn’t advise that individual to get it for you. For what reason should the granting of advantages legitimize a commitment of gratitu... Free Essays on Is There A Moral Obligation To The Law Free Essays on Is There A Moral Obligation To The Law The possibility that there is an ethical commitment to the law has been a thought that’s been confounded. The main motivation behind why we feel as though this is genuine is on the grounds that since we ethically decipher the law, at that point we believe we ought to normally have an ethical commitment to obey it. In the event that we didn’t have that ethical commitment, at that point we would, as some would might suspect, double-cross ourselves and the very individuals to whom we endowed to achieve harmony in our regular daily existences. However, who’s to state that those individuals are to be confided in figuring The Law, nobody can say. How are we to realize that those individuals are fit for creating a lot of laws that we can ethically comply with and feel good doing as such. Laws have been battled against since the very beginning, for instance: as abolitionists supported runaway slaves before the American Civil War. Servitude was a lot of acknowledged back then, however on the off chance that you supported a runaway slave, at that point you were to serve the results of the law. Presently would you be able to stay there and disclose to me that it was ethically off-base to do this and to ethically resist the law? Obviously not, we’ve been battling against bondage for a considerable length of time, and the law had constantly made it legitimate, thank god subjugation today is non-existent. Another issue that our general public today has confronted is the levelness of fetus removal. Should it or ought not be reasonable in our general public. This has been a major discussion till today, a few states have made it lawful and have disposed of the thought since it is so disputable in light of the fact that nobody can make sense of the ethical quality of the issue. How does the getting of advantages offer ascent to an obligation to respond? If I somehow managed to give you a present for no evident explanation at all without your insight, okay have a commitment to do likewise? The response to this would have to no. Why Melanie Millan would it be a good idea for you to? You didn’t request it and didn’t advise that individual to get it for you. For what reason should the granting of advantages legitimize a commitment of gratitu...

The Starving Students Guide to Cooking For Yourself

The Starving Student’s Guide to Cooking For Yourself Motivation In my last post, I mentioned that I came to MIT never having cooked before in my life, and immediately chose a cook-for-yourself dorm.  A few people asked me to elaborate about what non-meal-plan life is like. So here, by popular demand (okay, like 6 prefrosh contacted me.  My standards for popular demand are low), is a basic guide for those newbies who want to start cooking at MIT. Motivation The most basic meal plan available to freshmen (The Basic 14)*  costs $3915 per year, or $130 per week; thats around $12 per dinner and $6.60 per breakfast.  Its also use-it-or-lose-it  ; that means that if you skip breakfast (which you inevitably will do over the course of a semester), that days dinner effectively now costs you $18.60.  That also means that if, say, you want to go out with friends to a restaurant for dinner instead of eating at the dining hall, you can effectively tack on $12 to the price of your restaurant meal. This isnt even taking into account lunch, which the basic meal plan doesnt cover. You can do better than that.  Cook for yourself, eat tastier (and healthier) food, and save money.  A weeks groceries costs me around $60, and thats because I like seafood and steak.  You could easily get your grocery bill below $50 per week if youre willing to forgo fancier meals.  Either way, thats a savings of at least $70 per week, or $1050 per semester.  Or, in more relatable teenager-money-terms, thats the equivalent of a new Macbook Air per semester. What about time?  It takes me around 20 minutes total a day to cook dinner and clean dishes.  That means for every hour of cooking, youre saving $30.   Plus, youre learning a fairly valuable life skill. Motivated yet? *theres an Any 14 meal plan available, but it also costs $515 more per year Gear Youll need: a chefs pan (I prefer it to a regular frying pan because its deeper and can hold more sauce, etc), a saucepan (for cooking pasta/rice), a chefs knife, a paring knife, and a spatula.  Total one-time cost if you get those things off Amazon (Ive linked to the stuff I have): around $95.  If your dorm has communal cookware, your costs will be lower (I prefer having my own pan people dont tend to be very gentle with nonstick pans). Optional but recommended: a honing steel to maintain your knifes edge.  Working with a dull knife is not fun (and pretty dangerous).   Groceries Most people get groceries at Shaws; its a few blocks up Massachusetts Ave.  I build my weekly grocery list around proteins; so for dinner I might have chicken 2 days a week, pork 2 days a week, shrimp 2 days a week, and steak once a week.  Generally, in order of increasing cost: chicken, pork, shrimp=steak. For veggies, Im lazy so I usually get a box of baby spinach or romaine lettuce.  No cutting involved just rinse the leaves and throw em into the pan.  Also: mushrooms, onions, potatoes, tomatoes. For carbs, I usually get pasta because its fast and easy and I like Italian food.  Rice takes longer and is harder to get right on the stovetop. Basil and garlic are easy ways to add flavor. Easy Recipes The USDA recommends cooking chicken to 165 °F, eggs and ground meat to 160 °F, beef and pork to 145 °F. This, of course, means very little to the starving student without a food thermometer.  As a rule of thumb: cook chicken and ground meat until its cooked through.  Cook pork until theres a touch of pink left.  Cook steak however rare you want it; I prefer rare to medium rare.  Please dont cook your steak until its well done.  You might as well be chewing leather at that point. And that would make me sad. Also, I cook everything on high-ish heat, because Im too impatient to wait for food to cook.  If youve got more time you probably should cook on lower heat; its gentler on your pan. Omelette (~7 min total) For breakfast, I keep it simple (read: am too groggy to cook anything fancy).  Just throw some eggs into the frying pan, along with whatever veggies youve got.  I like mushrooms, onions, bell peppers, and tomatoes.  If youve got basil (pronounced bah-sil, by the way. silly yanks always get it wrong), chiffonade it  and add it, because basil makes everything better.  Add some turkey ham if you want. 1. Chop up veggies (or chop them beforehand to save time).  Add some olive oil to your pan and throw the veggies in, stirring for a minute or so.  Dont season or beat your eggs yet. 1a. Put some toast in the toaster, if you like some carbs with breakfast. 2. Now add your unbeaten eggs to the pan, and immediately start scrambling them in the pan.  This results in a nice fluffy egg (props to Gordon Ramsay for that tip. beating your eggs too early tends to make them a bit watery). 3. When the eggs are still a bit runny, take the pan off the heat.  Theres enough residual heat in the pan to finish cooking the eggs.  Pop the toast out of the toaster. Done. Steak (~6 min cooking time; requires just a little preparation the night before) For when you want to be a little fancy, get a New York strip steak (by the way the meal plans so expensive that you could cook a NY strip steak every night and still save money.  Just sayin.).  For other times, get lesser cuts of beef.  Just make sure the steaks at least an inch thick; any thinner and itll be difficult to avoid overcooking it. 1. The night before, season your steak liberally with salt, pat the salt into the steak, and put the steak back in the fridge (trust me on this.  MIT alum J. Kenji López-Alt has done a lot of experimenting). 2. Take your steak out of the fridge at least 45 minutes before cooking.  If you cook it immediately after taking it out of the fridge, it wont heat evenly.  Season liberally with pepper. 3. Get your pan hot, hot, hot.  Add some vegetable oil (dont use virgin olive oil it cant handle the high heat.  Regular olive oil is what I use). 4. Lay the steak down into the pan, and.dont touch it.  Seriously, dont touch it; you want the surface to develop a nice seared crust, and moving the steak around will mess with that.  After ~3 minutes (for an inch-thick steak), flip it over, and cook another 3 minutes.  Around two minutes into the second side, add a bit of butter and crushed garlic to the pan, and then tilt the pan until your steak is basting in that buttery garlicy goodness. (these cooking times are for medium-rare steak.  for medium, add a minute or so to each side.  dont even think about well done). 5. When the steaks done to your liking (use the hand test to check doneness), take it out of the pan and let it rest for 5 minutes before cutting. 6. Cut and serve.  Sparkling apple cider goes well with steak. Done. Shrimp Scampi (~10 min total) Fun fact: scampi is a type of large shrimp.  So shrimp scampi means shrimp shrimp. Shrimp scampi is one of those great last-minute meals that tastes pretty fancy.  All you need is some (peeled and deveined) shrimp, butter, 3 cloves of garlic, half an onion, a lime, and some chicken stock.  I like my scampi with angel hair pasta. 1. Boil water for your pasta.  (I always forget this step and end up cooking everything before the pasta is ready.  So dont forget.  Sorry for being so bossy.) 2. Melt 2 tbsp of butter and a little olive oil in your pan.  Add onions and garlic, stirring for a minute or so until it smells really good. 3. Add shrimp, stirring for a few minutes until both sides are cooked.  Squeeze in lime juice, add half a cup of chicken broth, salt and pepper to taste. 4. Add angel hair pasta to boiling water.  When al dente, drain and add pasta to skillet.  Toss. 5. Add basil to be fancy. 6. Attempt and fail to do Gordon Ramsay pose because you cant keep a straight face. 7. Take goofy group photo after cooking. Done.  Have fun cooking, guys!  If youre looking for some cooking inspiration, Gordon Ramsays show  The F Word has some great videos on YouTube.  Im also a big fan of The Pioneer Woman.

Equiano s Narrative Of The Captivity And Restoration Of...

What would you do if you were taken by people you did know, and were held captive for ransom for 11 weeks or were sold into the slave trade at the age of 10? These events happened to two people from different countries, and at completely different points in time. Both narratives show journeys of hardship â€Å"A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson† and â€Å"The Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano or Gustavus Vassa, the African†. Mary Rowlandson’s story is about her journey through an 11 week period in which she was held captive by Native Americans during the King Philip s war, she was taken in exchange for ransom, as they needed money. Olaudah Equiano’s narrative is about an 11 year old African boy who was†¦show more content†¦this part of her story why she was worse off than Equiano. Rowlandson during the start of her captivity, is shown to be treated horribly. Equiano on the other hand, was treated like an equal at the start of his captivity. â€Å"The next day I was washed and perfumed, and when mealtime came I was led into the presence of my mistress, and ate and drank before her and her son. This filled me with astonishment; and I could scare help expressing my surprise that the young gentlemen should suffer me, who was bound, to eat with him who was free†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Equiano 60). While staying at the house, Equiano was treated respectfully by his mistress and her family. He ate with them at mealtime, also eating and drinking before the son, because of a custom they believed. It gave Equiano hope, he finally began thinking that he was going to be apart of the family. As he was treated like an equal there. It gave him motivation to overcome all of the obstacles in his life. So he could finally have the life he deserves. I believe that due to the facts present, Equiano was treated much better than Rowlandson. He was treated as an equal and it seemed that he was soon going to bec ame part of the family. Rowlandson on the other hand, had to accept the death of her youngest daughter, and wasn t even present at her burial. Paragraph 2: choices The choices of Equiano and Rowlandson were acutely different. Equiano’s choices were to help others, whileShow MoreRelatedA Narrative Of Captivity By Mary Rowlandson Essay962 Words   |  4 PagesA Narrative of Captivity by Mary Rowlandson and The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano by Olaudah Equiano are captivity narratives in which the two narrators share their individual stories of being abruptly kidnapped and enslaved. Equiano was an black 11 year old boy who was stolen from his home by African slave traders in 1756. Rowlandson, a 39 year old Puritan woman, was taken in 1675, during King Philip’s War, after Indians raided her town. Although the two authors are both kidnappedRead MoreA Narrative Of The Life Of Olaudah Equiano1246 Words   |  5 PagesCaptivity narratives were popular with readers in both America and the European continent during the era of North and South American discovery and colonization. They related the experiences of whites being enslaved by Native Americans and of Africans being enslaved by whites. Two captivity narratives that were widely read during the time are A Narrative of the Capture and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson by Mary Rowlandson and The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano by OlaudahRead MoreThe Tribe Not Only Kidnapped Mary Rowlandson1263 Words   |  6 Pagesset flames to Rowlandson’s life. The tribe not only kidnapped Mary Rowlandson, but her three kids as well. This tragedy is what inspired Rowlandson to start writing and becoming a famous known American author. The beginning of Mary White Rowlandson’s life started in the year of 1637. She was born in Somerset England. A little ways down the road of her life, Rowlandson’s parents brought her to the Massachusetts colonies. In fact, Mary Rowlandson’s father was known to be one of the wealthiest menRead MoreBrief Survey of American Literature3339 Words   |  14 PagesNative American oral literature / oral tradition - European explorers’ letters, diaries, reports, etc., such as Christopher Columbus’s letters about his voyage to the â€Å"New world†. - Anglo (New England) settlers’ books, sermons, journals, narratives, and poetry Native American / American Indian oral literature / oral tradition creation storiesï ¼Ë†Ã¨ µ ·Ã¦ º Ã§ ¥Å¾Ã¨ ¯ Ã¯ ¼â€° trickster talesï ¼Ë†Ã¦  ¶Ã¤ ½Å"å‰ §Ã¨â‚¬â€¦Ã¤ ¼  Ã¥ ¥â€¡Ã¯ ¼â€° rituals / ceremoniesï ¼Ë†Ã¥â€¦ ¸Ã¤ » ªÃ¯ ¼â€° songs / chantsï ¼Ë†Ã¦â€º ²Ã¨ ¯ Ã¯ ¼â€° Anglo Settlers’ Writings Highly religious and pragmatic - John

Jean Piaget s Theory Of Psychology And Human Intelligence

Abstract Jean Piaget was a developmental psychologist who had a heavy emphasis on children for his study. From this, he developed his Cognitive Theory which consists of three elements: schemas (building blocks of knowledge), adaptation (equilibrium, assimilation, and accommodation), and the four stages of development (sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, formal operational). Through this, we are able to learn of how children develop from adolescence to adulthood. Jean Piaget Jean Piaget’s Biography Jean Piaget, born on August 9, 1896, was an influential experimenter and theorist. His main interests were in the studies of developmental psychology and human intelligence. Although Piaget exhibited his interests in those†¦show more content†¦As a psychoanalysis and working in the field of pathological psychology, his job was to assist individuals in finding out who they are, or in other words, find their purpose for their living, and to find their illnesses (if they otherwise posses one). His godfather, Samuel Cornut, who is also known as the Swiss scholar, influenced Piaget. As an adolescent, Cornut influenced him to become interested in the fields of philosophy and epistemology. Not only was he interested in these fields, but he also possessed a variety of other interests such mechanics, birds, fossils, and seashells. Remarkably, he became an active scholar at such a young age. This is an obvious trait that was transferred from his mother’s intelligent skill. From this, it gave Piaget many potentials and opportunities he can utilize for his future. In the young age of ten, he has already published his first paper. Later on the years, he schooled in the University of Neuchatel in which he received his Ph. D in science at the age of 22. A year later, he finally decided to leave his hometown and moved to Valais, which is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland. There, he utilized a method called Lipps’ Statistical in conjunction with biometric studies. This was to find the function of altitude with the variability of land mollusks, such as the snail and slug. Later in the autumn, he traveled to Paris where he studied for pathological

Qwea Free Essays

ACCOUNTANCY 301 ACCOUNTING MEASUREMENT DISCLOSURE FALL 2011 COURSE SYLLABUS Po-Chang Chen University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 434 Wohlers Hall pchen28@illinois. edu 217-333-4527 Syllabus Content Content Course Overview Objectives Course Materials Prerequisite Learning (Teaching) Philosophy Getting Help Class Procedures Assessment Written Assignments Balanced Scorecard Project Measurement Project Examinations Professionalism Potential Extra Credit Opportunities Potential Course Problems Special Accommodations Preliminary Course Calendar Page No. 1 1 1 2 2 3 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 6 7 Important Note: Changes to the syllabus will be announced in class and posted to the website. We will write a custom essay sample on Qwea or any similar topic only for you Order Now Students are responsible for checking the web regularly ACCY301 Course Syllabus—Po-Chang Chen Course Overview Objectives ACCY301 provides an introduction to measurement and reporting of organizational performance for strategic and operational purposes with a focus on a variety of financial and non-financial performance measures suitable for both internal and external decision-making. The course will help you develop the accounting knowledge and a variety of professional skills and attitudes through inclass interactions, projects, and a series of labs. More specifically, the course is designed to achieve the following objectives: 1. To demonstrate the role of accounting as an information system that measures business value creation and supports economic decision-making. 2. To develop your understanding of the conceptual foundation of accounting measurement. 3. To develop your knowledge and skills to prepare and interpret information in financial statements by helping you learn how to analyze business activities and make accounting choices. For instance, you are expected to be able to understand the consequences of accounting choices for assets such as inventory, PPE, and intangible assets. 4. To demonstrate the role of subjective judgments in accounting measurement and disclosure and lead you to critically think about ethics issues in the accounting profession and accountants’ responsibility in society. 5. To develop your ability to use accounting as a business language to communicate effectively. 6. To foster team spirit among you and develop your ability to work well in teams. Course Materials 1. Revsine, Collins, Johnson and Mittelstaedt, Financial Reporting Analysis, 5th Edition (McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2011); 2. Course packet of readings published by XanEdu (available at TIS Bookstore); 3. FASB publications downloadable from the FASB website (http://www. fasb. org/); 4. Other readings in required readings folders on the Compass course website, including FASB pronouncements required for the course; 5. Cases and individual assignments in a folder on the Compass course website; 6. Other supplemental materials in designated folders on the Compass course website. Prerequisite You must have completed ACCY 201 and 202 (or the equivalent), and must have completed or be concurrently enrolled in ACCY 302 if you are an Accountancy major. Concurrent enrollment is strongly recommended for non-Accountancy majors. Learning (Teaching) Philosophy Learning is a process of construction. That is, knowledge is a state of understanding in the mind of the individual knower and must be constructed by each individual through iterative processes of experimentation (application) and reflection on the outcomes of such experimentation. Thus, learning is a process involving interaction among students and between students and the instructor. To achieve efficient and effective learning, I will strive to provide: 1. Personal concern for your education and development as a professional, 1 ACCY301 Course Syllabus—Po-Chang Chen 2. Fair and honest learning environment, 3. Openness to your ideas and opinions, and 4. Personal commitment to excellence in scholarship. Correspondingly, I expect the following from you as my student: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Thorough preparation of assignments (both reading and written) for each class, Class attendance and active class participation, Active participation in and contribution to group projects, Fairness and honesty, Openness to the ideas and opinions of others, and Personal commitment to excellence in scholarship. Getting Help If you have any questions regarding the course, you can get help either from me or from my TAs during our office hours or by appointment. If you wish to set up an appointment with me, please send me an email at pchen28@illinois. edu suggesting three possible 30-minute time slots we could meet. Please avoid Mondays and Wednesdays from 12pm to 4pm, as these are my teaching time slots. I will confirm the time and date of the appointment via email. My contact information: Po-Chang Chen Office: 434 Wohlers Hall Phone: 217-333-4527 Office Hours: Monday and Wednesday 4pm –5pm Teaching Assistants: Office hours location: BIF 2056 or BIF 2062 Ben Ger Email: ger2@illinois. edu Office hours: Thursday 2pm-3:30pm Michelle Erb Email: merb2@illinois. du Office hours: Tuesday 2pm-3:30pm Class Procedures The class format includes a mixture of lecture, group activities, and class discussions of assignments. The assigned cases, problems and activities represent practical illustrations and applications of the concepts presented in the readings. Cases, problems and activities are meant to stimulate inductive reasoning – the re flective reasoning from observations and particulars to concepts and theory that we can utilize more generally. That is, knowledge that we can use in situations other than the specific situation in which it arises. The inductive risk, however, is that such knowledge is only probable and thus, contains an element of falsity. Student Groups I will assign students to four- or five- person groups. These groups are assigned for the entire term and group members should sit together in class. Each assigned group should accomplish the assignments designated as group assignments. The assigned groups also should accomplish 2 ACCY301 Course Syllabus—Po-Chang Chen the balanced scorecard and measurement projects. Class Preparation and Participation I encourage students to prepare for class within their assigned groups. Appropriate class preparation is both an individual and a group responsibility. I may call on either groups or individuals to present assignment solutions and contribute to class discussion of the issues and problems contained in the assignment. The keys to successful problem- and case-based learning are preparation, attendance, participation, and attitude. While I encourage preparation within study groups, each student is responsible for daily preparation and participation in class when called on. I seek to engage the class in a mixture of activities. During class discussion you should discuss, challenge, and criticize ideas. You should express your thoughts and defend your beliefs using reason and logic. Assessment The course grade is determined based on the following components. Assigned points (percentage) Professionalism Assignment write-ups Group write-ups1 (25 points each for best four) Individual write-ups (20 points each for two) Balanced Scorecard and Measurement project (12% report, 4% presentation)2 Three examinations (15% each midterm, 20% final exam) Lab participation and assignments4 Total 1 2 00 (10%) 140 (14%) 100 40 160 (16%) 500 (50%) 100 (10%) 1000 (100%) For group assignments, 75% content and 25% grammar and style. For the report, 75% content and 25% grammar and style. For the presentation, 25% content and 75% presentation skills. 4 Lab participation and assignments grade is 100% based on the lab grades from the lab instructor. I scale the distribution of major elements of the course (see below) to the grading scale below. Overall course grade also employs the same grading scale. †¢ 100 to 96. 67% of possible points = A+; †¢ 96. 66% to 93. 33% = A; †¢ 93. 32% to 90. 00% = A–; †¢ 89. 9% to 86. 67% = B+; †¢ 86. 66% to 83. 33% = B; †¢ 83. 32% to 80. 00% = B–; †¢ 79. 99% to 76. 67% = C+; and so forth. 3 ACCY301 Course Syllabus—Po-Chang Chen Written Assignments All written assignments should be handed in at the beginning of class on the case due day. Papers deemed late are subject to a score of zero. Group-based assignments: There are five group-based written assignments. All group-based written assignments are graded for both content and communications. For communications grading, you are encouraged to seek help from the Department’s communications graders before submitting your work. Written and oral communications support is available through the Department of Accountancy. Please refer to the following website for the support information: http://www. business. illinois. edu/accountancy/programs/communications/. For the final grade assessment, one group-based assignment that has the lowest combined grade of content and communications will be dropped. Note that any written assignment that has a grade of zero due to no submission or late submission is not considered for grade. You should prepare all group-based written assignments in compliance with the following guidelines: 1. Unless otherwise specified, assignment write-ups should be in memo format (see both ACCY Memo Guidelines and Project Discovery Communications Handbook on the course website for additional guidance). 2. You should type the assignment using 12-point Times New Roman font, with double spacing and one-inch margins on all sides. 3. Unless otherwise specified, your memo should not exceed five pages of text including any attached or embedded tables, graphs and exhibits. 4. Unless otherwise specified, you should submit two (2) copies of the assignment, one for content grading and the other for communications grading. If in addition, you would like to use the memo and attachments to refer to during the day’s discussion, bring a third copy to class. Individual-based assignments: There are two individual-based cases that involve primarily numerical analyses and short answers. The individual-based cases are graded for accounting content only. Therefore, you do not need to prepare them in memo format. You should submit one copy of each individual assignment. Balanced Scorecard Project In this project, you will choose an extracurricular organization to which one or more of your group members belong. You will then design a Balanced Scorecard for the organization chosen by your group. More details of this project can be found in the Balanced Scorecard Project Guidelines on the course website at a later point of time. The outputs of your efforts will be (1) a written report and (2) a presentation to the class of your balanced scorecard design. Th e Balanced Scorecard Project Guidelines will also contain additional information about the written report and the class presentation.. Measurement Project In this project, I will assign a company and a specific reporting period f o r yo u r gr o u p to evaluate. You should download the company’s annual report from its website. In addition, groups should use other reports and information disclosed by the company, and/or other entities, in 4 ACCY301 Course Syllabus—Po-Chang Chen conducting its research of the company. Groups will research their assigned company using the research and analysis guidance in the Measurement Project Guidelines on the course website. The outputs of your research and analysis efforts will be (1) a written measurement project report and (2) a presentation to the class of the most important results of your research. The Measurement Project Guidelines will also contain additional information about the written reports and the class presentations.. Examinations There are two midterm exams and one final exam for this course. The two midterm exams are non-cumulative. The final exam is comprehensive (cumulative). Each exam will include multiple choice questions, short essay (one or two paragraph) responses, and problems. All examinations are closed-book and closed-notes. Professionalism As a student preparing to enter the profession of accountancy, you have a responsibility to conduct yourself in a professional manner. Fulfilling this responsibility helps to prepare you for the obligations you will assume as a professional accountant. The IFAC fundamental principles of professionalism are adopted in this course as a guide to our conduct in the accountancy measurement and disclosure course. Please refer to the Professionalism Contract and Professionalism Evaluation Report Guidelines for more details. Potential Extra Credit Opportunities You will have opportunities to earn potential extra credit by participating in professional learning or service activities. Please refer to the Professionalism Evaluation Report Guidelines for details about those extra credit opportunities. Potential Course Problems Academic Integrity The Business Faculty at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign expects students who are preparing to enter the business profession to exhibit the same qualities of honesty, integrity, responsibility, and respect for others that society demands from business professionals. The primary responsibility for complying with the standards of academic integrity rests with each individual student and with the student body as a whole. By your enrollment in this course, you pledge on your honor that: 1. You will neither give nor receive unauthorized assistance on any academic or related professional assignment or activity. 2. You agree that all provisions of the UIUC Student Code related to student conduct and academic integrity bind all students matriculating to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. 3. You acknowledge that you have the obligation to report apparent violations of academic integrity and the Student Code in a non-anonymous manner to the course instructor or the Head of the Department. Missing Classes and Examinations and Failing to Turn In Assignments I expect students to attend classes. Midterm examinations are in scheduled class times and thus, the only acceptable reasons for missing an exam are sickness and other extenuating circumstances. You 5 ACCY301 Course Syllabus—Po-Chang Chen must provide me with adequate documentation of your reason for missing an exam. There are no make-ups for failing to turn in an assignment by its due date or missing an exam for other than an acceptable reason. In the case of a conflict with the final exam (defined as three university course exams scheduled within a twenty-four hour period, or two university course exams scheduled at the same time), I will arrange for a make-up exam only when approved by the department. A conflict exam approval form can be found on the course Compass website close to the final date. No make-up exams will be given for conflicts that arise from travel plans. You will need to provide documentation to support the conflict; the staff in the Department of Accountancy will then verify the conflict and you will be notified of your eligibility. You will not be allowed to take the conflict final exam if your request is denied by the Department of Accountancy. The instructor will request the Dean of the College to drop any student from the course who: †¢ Misses both midterm exams, for whatever reasons; †¢ Misses too many classes, particularly in sequence; †¢ Fails to contribute adequately to group assignments (i. e. , class presentations, case writeups and measurement project research and reports). Group Conflicts and Problems Group members should attempt to resolve all conflicts and problems among themselves in a timely manner. If such resolution is not satisfactory, group members should consult immediately with the course instructor. In any event, groups should not allow problems to continue beyond a one-week period. At the end of the semester, students will evaluate each fellow group member’s cooperation and contribution to group assignments. Such evaluations will be included as part of the Professionalism element of course grades. Grading Dispute While TAs and I make every effort to grade all of your work accurately, grading errors can occur. If you believe there is an error, you may request a regarding of the assignment or exam. Be aware, however, that grading errors can occur in both directions – errors can make grades too high as well as too low. Therefore, if you request a re-grading, your entire assignment or exam will be regarded, and all grading errors will be corrected. By requesting a re-grade, you accept the possibility that your grade may go either up or down as a result. To request a re-grade, you must submit a written request to me within one week from the class period in which the assignment or exam was first returned to students. The request must be accompanied by the graded original and must state the area of dispute, your recommendation for change in grade, and an explanation or justification for your recommendation. Special Accommodations If you have a condition, such as a physical or learning disability, which will make it difficult for you to carry out the work as I have outlined it or which will require academic accommodations, please notify your Teaching Assistant or me during the first week of the course and we will strive to accommodate. 6 ACCY301 Course Syllabus—Po-Chang Chen Preliminary Course Calendar Date 1 Topic Readings Before Each Session COMP: Course syllabus Assignment Due Mon 22-Aug Course introduction 2 Framework for Accounting Measurement and Disclosure Revsine et al. , Ch 1 Economic and Institutional Setting for Financial Reporting Objectives economics TIS: Sunder, Ch 1 Introduction to the Theory of Wed 24-Aug of accounting Accounting and Control (skim) FASB: SFAC 8 Ch 1 Objectives of Financial Reporting by Businesses (skim pg 1-14; use as reference) (Compass) Mon 29-Aug Accounting measurement FASB: SFAC 8 Ch 3 Qualitative Characteristics of Useful Accounting TIS: Brown, An Accountant’s Measurement Primer (pp. 1- 8) COMP: IMA Statement, Value Chain Analysis for Assessing Competitive Advantage; TIS: Porter, What is Strategy? Labor Day No Class! Case day TIS: Kaplan Norton, Transforming the Balanced Internal performance measurement Scorecard from Performance Measurement to Strategic Management: Part I Revsine et al. , Ch 2 Accrual Accounting and Income Determination Financial statements 1 FASB: SFAC 6 Elements of Financial Statements (skim, use as reference) Group Case 1 3 4 Wed 31-Aug Business strategy and accounting Mon Wed 5-Sep 7-Sep 5 6 Mon 12-Sep 7 Wed 14-Sep 7 ACCY301 Course Syllabus—Po-Chang Chen 8 Mon 19-Sep Financial statements 2 Revsine et al. , Ch 4 Structure of the Balance Sheet and Statement of Cash Flows FASB: SFAC 5, Recognition Measurement in Financial Statements (skim, use as reference) (on Compass) FASB: FAS 157, Fair Value Measurement (para. 1-39) Group Case 2 9 Wed 21-Sep Recognition and measurement Recognition and Measurement – Selected Events/Transactions 10 Mon 26-Sep Revenue recognition-1 Revsine et al. Ch 2 Accrual Accounting Income Determination (re-read) FASB: Research revenue recognition in FASB Codification Revsine et al. , Ch 3 Additional Topics in Income Determination (pp. 137- 156) Group Case 3 11 Wed 28-Sep 12 Mon 13 Wed 3-Oct 5-Oct Revenue recognition-2 Case day Midterm Exam 1 Accounts receivable doubtful accounts Trade notes receivable Case day and usefulness of accounting estimates Retail inventories and cost flow assumptions BSC Presentation Day Manufacturing inventories Case day Midterm Exam 2 4 Mon 10-Oct 15 Wed 12-Oct 16 Mon 17-Oct 17 Wed 19-Oct 18 Mon 24-Oct 19 Wed 26-Oct 20 Mon 31-Oct 21 Wed 2-Nov Revsine et al. , Ch 8 Receivables (pp. 411-421) Revsine et al. , Ch 8 Receivables (pp. 421-436) TIS: Brown, Time Value of Money TIS: Lundholm, Reporting on the Past Revsine et al. , Ch 9 Inventories (pp. 481-507) BSC project presentation and report Revsine et al. , Ch 9 Inventories (pp. 476- 481) TIS: Maher et al. , Ch 3 Activity-Based Management Group Case 5 Group Case 4 8 ACCY301 Course Syllabus—Po-Chang Chen 22 Mon 7-Nov Fixed assets 23 Wed 9-Nov Intangible assets Revsine et al. , Ch 10 Long-Lived Assets Depreciation (pp. 545-558; pp. 563 -576) Revsine et al. , Ch 10 Long-Lived Assets Depreciation (pp. 558- 563) Individual Case 1 TIS: Siegel Borgia, The Measurement and Recognition of Intangible Assets Revsine et al. , Ch 4 Structure of the Balance Sheet and Statement of Cash Flows (re-read pp. 196-207) Revsine et al. , Ch 17, Statement of Cash Flows Revsine et al. , Ch 5 Essentials of Financial Statement Analysis (pp. 267-271) TIS: Bergevin, Ch 11 Advanced Cash Flow Analysis Thanksgiving Break. No Class! 4 Mon 14-Nov Statement of cash flows – I 25 Wed 16-Nov Statement of cash flows -II Mon 21-Nov Wed 23-Nov 26 Mon 28-Nov Statement of cash flows case and Final exam review Individual Case 2 27 Wed 30-Nov Measurement Project Presentation 28 Mon 2-Dec Measurement Project Presentation Final Exam Measurement Project Report 29 Wed 7-Dec TBD Readings legend: TIS – Measurement and Disclosure course packet from XanEdu Revsine et al. – Revsine, Collins, Johnson Mittelstaedt textbook, 5th edition COMP – â€Å"Required readings† folder on Compass website FASB – Financial Accounting Standards Board website 9 How to cite Qwea, Papers

Our Town free essay sample

The name of the play is called, Our Town 2. The author is Thornton Wilder 3. SFSU Department of Theatre Arts 4. Little Theatre 5. Watched the play on March 17th, at 2:00pm 6. Ticket price cost $12. 00, purchased through online website 7. Sat in Row D, Seat 2. Front right section of theatre 8. Shared experience with a classmate, both agreed it was a great play that involved the quality of life. III. Plot The play, Our Town, is defined as a playwright, which involved physical action and representing the externals of human behavior. The play in general contains little action in order to support the theme of the play, which is narrated by the, Stage Manager. The inciting incident in the play is when George Gibbs falls in love with Emily Webb and then get married. The major conflicts of the play consists of those living in Grovers Corner and not appreciating life. Another conflict is when Emily dies, she wants to return to her previous life, and ignoring the consequences given by the dead. We will write a custom essay sample on Our Town or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Our Towns climactic incident would be Emilys death after childbirth and joining her relatives/friends in the cemetery, she then relives her original life and realizes how precious life is and cannot take it for granted. ( Act III). The denouement of the play is when Emily realizes that the dead were right about the living. She begs to come back to the gravesite after experiencing the living is quite depressing. IV. Theme The meaning of the play is to cherish every moment we have on earth, not taking life for granted because we are not granted a second chance in life. V. Characters The protagonist is the small group of people who live in Grovers Corner that take life for granted, but are also their own antagonist, casually going about life and not appreciating the small things life offers. The Stage Manager, can be labeled as a narrator, someone who orchestrates the play before each scene. He can also be labeled as a protagonist, who speaks directly to the audience and at times can have a contemplative tone and also takes part in a few scenes throughout the play. Simon Stimson can be labeled as a foil, a troubled alcoholic who lives in Grovers Corner who ends up committing suicide, someone who is troubled and doesnt care about the quality of life. (Act II). VI. Literary Quality or Diction The language used in Our Town is dialogue, which runs pretty smoothly throughout the play. There is also a use of poetic imagery which allows the audience to picture what the character is emphasizing, when speaking. The play did have a lot of different figures of speech, ranging from an older version of our language and resembling language used in the early 20th century. VII. Music and Musicality The Stage manager, although not labeled as a type of music, he introduced each scene which a clear voice and dialogue, being able to understand what he says, gives the audience a sense of what is coming next. (Act 1, Scene 1). The clear voices and emotions for each character really helped me understand what the overall feeling toward each scene was. VIII. Spectacle The staging format for Our Town was a bit odd, with no fourth wall in the play, being able to visualize the important parts of the play is important to me so this was a first. The designing of the background during each scene, the sound of characters, lighting, and costumes used in the play really emphasized the overall quality. The sound designs was another aspect of the play, which I thought played a huge impact. Being able to know what type of emotion each scene is representing. For example, Emily dying after childbirth was a huge part of the play, the sound and emotion during that scene made it very sad. ( Act III). In Our Town, the play emphasized great scenery throughout the play, as well as, costume designs. Thanks to Allison Mortimer and Sara Pruter, It showed great detail to the structure of the play, allowing the audience to fully grasp the vibe of the play from beginning to end. Using certain shapes of materials and color helped the audience understand the scenery of the play, being able to understand what time period this took place. The lighting through the play was great, being able to clearly see in detail for each scene. For example, when the Stage manager introduces the people in Grovers Corner, is was clear and easy to see what type of life style they live. Grisel Torres did an excellent job with the angles, colors, and shadows throughout the play, really emphasizing the emotion and lighting for each scene. Allison Mortimer, the costume designer, did a good job figuring out what each character should wear and allowing the audience to decide which class each character fits in society. The costumes looked like they were somewhat middle class and even looked vintage at times. I wasnt sure if they were recreated or not. Changing costumes for different scenes made it easier to understand the aspect of the scene and allowing the audience to understand what will happen. IX. Convention The Stage Manager, which is known to the narrator, also shows up in many different scenes as a character. For example, he comes into a scene as Mr. Morgan the drugstore owner who serves ice cream to Emily and George. The play had a lot of objects that were not presently there, the characters did their best trying to symbolize what it would be like using those objects. An example, would be Mr. Morgan ( Stage manager ) pretending to make ice cream for Emily and George, in which, the ice cream is not really there, just using imaginary objects. X. Acting and Directing The actor playing George Gibbs had to emphasize his emotions for love and marriage in the play. George who is a baseball star that lives his life in the dark. George is then haunted when Emily dies and is confused on how to live his life without her. The emotions the actor had to convey was excellent, remembering that hes acting as a character in the play, not as himself. Danny Ford, who played George had to use his emotions and thought to emphasize the quality of the character. Actors acting from the outside have to learn from different sources, being able to practice their behavior and emotions for certain characters they will play. Even learning technical things will help incorporate their skills into becoming a better character within the play. Xi. Outstanding Moment I think the most outstanding moment in the play is when after Emily dies from childbirth, she then joins the dead souls in the cemetery,(Our Town) . She returns to relive a day in her past, which makes her realize how life is fragile and those living take it for granted. It showed that people need to appreciate life and love every moment of it, because tomorrow is not guaranteed. XII. The Event as Theatre Indeed, Our Town is defined as a theatre. Since Act 1 (Our Town), it was evident that this was a play defined as a theatre, with its costume design, with the work of art. People impersonating characters in the play, changing their emotions, tone, and dialect. Performance was also involved in this play, for example, The Stage manager, speaking to the audience, delivering the message of the scene. The people acted like they would in real life, but as the character in the play. XIII. Summary After watching Our Town I learned that life is fragile and you need to appreciate life everyday because tomorrow is never promised. Life experiences and choices that we make everyday will determine our future. Our Towns major parts is when George and Emily get married and then Emily dies after giving birth, which is the low point of the play. When Emily was alive she didnt appreciate life as much. She visits the dead and wants to go back to the real world, but she then realizes she doesnt want to go back after reliving a day in her past. This shows how you cannot take life for granted and you need to enjoy everyday like its your last. Appreciating what you have and always expand your horizons.

Free Essays on South V. West

CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM The campaign finance system is corrupted. Spending is out of control, and there are various loopholes in federal campaign finance law. Money buys access and influence, which effectively causes the majority of Americans to have no real capacity to influence public policy. State and federal legislation is needed to fight corruption and unjust influence, to ensure the public’s right to know where a candidate’s money comes from, to enable all candidates to compete equitably in elections, and to allow maximum citizen participation in the political process. Rock the Vote believes that the McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance Reform Bill, in its current state, should be the first piece of legislation signed into law in 2001. Bolder approaches could include: reducing the duration of political campaigns; requiring television and radio stations to air campaign advertising free of charge as a condition for maintaining their broadcast licenses; barring campaign advertising from the ai rwaves altogether; or placing strict limits on the amounts of money that can be spent by candidates and any and all of their supporters. Rock the Vote supports passing comprehensive legislation for meaningful campaign finance reform. The Mccain-Feingold bill proposes to end the soft money system by prohibiting candidates and national political parties from raising soft money. Soft money is a financial contribution intended to be used for issues advertising that dies not advocate on behalf of, or against, a specific candidate. Political parties currently use the legality of soft-money donations as a loophole in current campaign finance law, finding ways to channel this money into candidates' campaigns. The McCain-Feingold bill prohibits state political parties from spending soft money on activities which affect federal elections, The Current practice of raising unlimited soft money cont... Free Essays on South V. West Free Essays on South V. West CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM The campaign finance system is corrupted. Spending is out of control, and there are various loopholes in federal campaign finance law. Money buys access and influence, which effectively causes the majority of Americans to have no real capacity to influence public policy. State and federal legislation is needed to fight corruption and unjust influence, to ensure the public’s right to know where a candidate’s money comes from, to enable all candidates to compete equitably in elections, and to allow maximum citizen participation in the political process. Rock the Vote believes that the McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance Reform Bill, in its current state, should be the first piece of legislation signed into law in 2001. Bolder approaches could include: reducing the duration of political campaigns; requiring television and radio stations to air campaign advertising free of charge as a condition for maintaining their broadcast licenses; barring campaign advertising from the ai rwaves altogether; or placing strict limits on the amounts of money that can be spent by candidates and any and all of their supporters. Rock the Vote supports passing comprehensive legislation for meaningful campaign finance reform. The Mccain-Feingold bill proposes to end the soft money system by prohibiting candidates and national political parties from raising soft money. Soft money is a financial contribution intended to be used for issues advertising that dies not advocate on behalf of, or against, a specific candidate. Political parties currently use the legality of soft-money donations as a loophole in current campaign finance law, finding ways to channel this money into candidates' campaigns. The McCain-Feingold bill prohibits state political parties from spending soft money on activities which affect federal elections, The Current practice of raising unlimited soft money cont...

Salary Negotiation Skills for Women Close the Pay Gap! Part 2

Salary Negotiation Skills for Women Close the Pay Gap! Part 2 Salary Negotiation Skills for Women: Close the Pay Gap! Part 2 Last week, I wrote about the importance of salary negotiation skills for women in my article, Salary Negotiation for Women. In it, I drew from information presented in a webinar by Professor Deborah Ellis that emphasized how salary negotiation skills can help close the gender pay gap. I promised last week to share more about specific salary negotiation skills. Following are some of the issues you might run into and how salary negotiation skills can help you address them. What if you’re asked about your prior salary or salary expectations at any point in your job search? Some employers try to get you to state a number before they do, which is in no way a good thing for you. A low number sets you up to be underpaid by some organizations, and a high number sets you up to be eliminated from consideration. Knowing how to answer the salary expectation question is hugely important for women so that they get paid fairly, not based on a previously too-low salary. Here’s how Professor Ellis recommends responding if you’re asked about your salary expectations or previous salary: If you’re in California, Massachusetts, Delaware, or Oregon, or in the cities of New York City and Philadelphia, you can explain that there are laws stating you are not required to answer it. These laws are a great step toward ending pay discrimination. For instance, say, â€Å"I’m sure that if you decide I’m the best candidate for the job, we can agree on an appropriate salary for the position.† Or ask them â€Å"What is the range that you’re thinking of for the position?† Show them you’ve done your research. Say, â€Å"I’ve done some research and understand that the range for this position is $X to $Y. I trust you will offer a fair salary based on industry standards.† If you must state a number, state a range. Or ask for a number at the top of the range you’ve researched, and explain you’re hoping for that salary but are willing to negotiate. Once you get an offer, here are Professor Ellis’s tips on how to negotiate effectively: Do not initiate a salary negotiation conversation before you get a job offer. Do not ask in your initial phone interview about salary, benefits, or working from home. Wait until you’ve been offered a position before you bring up any of these issues. Otherwise you will be seen as immature at best, and greedy at worst. You won’t get a second interview. Be prepared. Before you step into a negotiation, calculate your target, your ask, and your bottom line. Gather as many objective facts as possible, including the salaries of others. There are two main ways to do your research: Surf the web. Use salary.com, glassdoor.com, and industry-specific websites. Ask your networks (including LinkedIn!). If you’re a woman, ask your colleagues what a man would ask to be paid for this job. If you want to work from home, find out ahead of time whether other people in similar positions have worked from home. Ask for up to 20% over your target. And don’t accept anything below your bottom line. Negotiate the total package just salary–keep salary and benefits, title, scope of responsibility, travel, flexibility, and resources to accomplish your job on the table. Asking for more than one thing allows you to trade off. Keep in mind that some benefits might be non-negotiable, and do not push on those. Note: If you’re asking for multiple things, let the employer know at the beginning of the conversation- and ask them in what order they would like to address those things. Understand and leverage the concept of anchoring. Here’s how anchoring works: The first number anyone says is the number that everyone will remember. So don’t say a low number first or you’ll be stuck with a low number! Start with a high number and then anything else will sound smaller. If you have another offer, that’s a great benchmark and bargaining point. Always be conversational and pleasant while you’re advising a potential employer of other offers! Identify employer’s interests. For more good advice on this strategy, read Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In, by Roger Fisher, William Ury, and Bruce Patton. Ask for time to consider an offer if you need it. If a company wants you, they’ll be willing to wait- whether that’s overnight or even a week or two, depending on the situation. Practice with peers or a professional interview coach- and then go negotiate! How can I learn more about salary negotiation and salary negotiation for women? Here are some great resources suggested by Professor Ellis: AAUW, American Association of University Women Babcock Laschever, Ask For It: How Women Can Use the Power of Negotiation to Get What They Really Want (2009) Babcock Laschever, Women Don’t Ask: The High Cost of Avoiding Negotiation- and Positive Strategies for Change (2007) Roger Fisher, William Ury, Bruce Patton, Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In (1991) If you are a woman (or a man) with an upcoming interview, try using some of these salary negotiation skills, strategies and tactics. I’d love to hear the results!

Human resources system for employee self-self of royal mail Essay

Human resources system for employee self-self of royal mail - Essay Example It offers several services through these subsidiaries, which include parcel delivery system, postal mail services, general logistic system, and general services related to post (Russell, 2005 p45). Royal Mail focuses on delivering letters and packages to all part of the world. Currently, this company has 14,300 post office branches and 113,000 post boxes throughout the UK, which collect packages, letters and parcels from over 87,000 individuals and businesses. These commodities are collected through a diverse collection and transportation network that includes 33,000 bicycles and 30,000 vehicles (Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons Committee: Trade and Industry, 2006 p23). This paper provides strengths and weaknesses (internal analysis) of Royal Mail’s human resource management system for employees, and recommendation that should be adopted to improve its human resource management system and employees’ performances and efficiencies. Strengths The highly skilled and hard working employees, who are regularly motivated by the financial resources and efficient management, form the key strengths of Royal Mail. The company’s employees are offered improved new range of training and assured performance related pays (Plunkett, 2009 p76). Some of the Royal Mail’s employees are regarded as the company’s valuable assets. ... esource management system, and they include: the present contracts were renewed, and new standardized contracts were awarded to the employees; the newly introduced techniques and machinery help the employees achieve a world class standard performance, the newly revised Pension scheme plans were going to be directed to those employees in the Royal Mail pension plan (Russell, 2005 p58); the new plan for early retirement and temporary redundancy were going to be implemented with an immediate effect, and the minimum wages and working hours were also revised. The Royal Mail’s human resource management also puts employees’ safety in the forefront of the priority list. In order to motivate its staff members, this company has improved its working condition, stress relief exercise, self appraisal process, first aid facilities, and changes employees’ job duties over some time. The HRM has also included increments and promotions into the new plan. The Royal Mail has also de veloped a new method of dealing with the Trade Union. The trade union has been given a vital position in the company’s management activities. The union has also been requested to help employees to conform to the Organizational rules and regulations, and achieve sustainable competitive advantage (Chancery House, 2008 p26). An effective system of communication between the HRM and the trade union was also developed. Weaknesses There have been frequent complaints from customers regarding missing parcels and letters in some Royal Mail’s retail outlets. Careful investigation revealed that some of the company’s staff members have been involved in a series of mail theft over the past few years (Brooks, 2003 p118). This has reduced the Royal Mails reputation and prestige before it esteemed customers. This

The Invasion of Privacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Invasion of Privacy - Essay Example The invasion of privacy is always a very serious and sensitive matter. But, then again, Cobb’s team is not made to appear in good light with regards to their job which is why there are severe dangers to their profession. But with permission, accessing of thoughts (although far from the fictitious modus operandi of Cobb and team) is used by psychologists for therapeutic purposes in order to unburden their patient’s subconscious and give them better internal peace. The Inception concept could also likewise be used in the same light but, as they say, with great power comes great responsibility. Such technology is fatal in the wrong hands, and this would be alarming if is popularly used. As evident in the movie, although Fischer is put in the villain spotlight, it is disturbing to consider how they can manipulate him into destroying a whole business conglomerate only for the benefit of another businessman. This clearly depicts that because of their drive fueled by selfish m otives and intentions, they blatantly disregard the damage that they could have inflicted on their victim, be it moral or any other. It is also noteworthy how the victims are very much vulnerable and susceptible to these kinds of intrusions. By implanting an idea deep into the subconscious, the probability would dictate that on several occasions such implanted idea might result in a negative interpretation by the host. This can pose several psychologically damaging issues to the Fischer and might even result to the instability of his personality. Cobb and his team were also insensitive enough to destroy relationships of the host to other people. Though they were proud to state that they might have cured the relationship with his father, it was not a primal intention, and even if so, they are playing god by toying with the affairs and manipulating the actions of their victim. Freud’s theory of the unconscious states that there are three different levels might operate. These ar e the conscious, preconscious, and the unconscious (Clarke 208). The film also works in this premise when they operated with their victim. Subscribing to Freud’s theory of the unconscious, it states that the id represents the passion of the human being and is entirety unconscious (Ocay 14). This is thus what Cobb and his team targeted to incept with. They harnessed the vulnerability of their victim’s relationship with his father and his commitment to continue his father’s legacy. This is the id, and this is the passion of the host that they manipulated into thinking their own bidding. 2) Mill raised the question as to whether one would prefer to be a pig satisfied or a Socrates dissatisfied? In this regards elaborate upon his views? Mill employs the concept of Utilitarianism, which is also known as the Greatest Happiness Principle (Mills 4). Happiness is defined as the presence of intended pleasure and the absence of pain. Therefore, the key elements of happines s are the presence of the quality of pleasure and the lack of pain, and some other pleasures are enacted in order to even avoid pain. Mill argues that some pleasures might be instinctually better than others but only independently so. By acting on our personal selfish pleasures, we can be easily satisfied. By only settling on these pleasures Mill likens an individual to that of a pig.  

Anne Stevensons The Marriage: An Analysis

Anne Stevensons The Marriage: An Analysis Anne Stevenson’s poem, â€Å"The Marriage,† is a playful, subtle and profound description of the differences between men and women, and the difficulties inherent in such, specifically in regards to the unification of the sexes, both physically, spiritually and in terms of societal conventions (thus the title). By portraying these difficulties in pure physical terms – as a couple trying to come together to rest comfortably in bed – Stevenson is able to build a vivid and surprisingly comprehensive and universal depiction of marriage. The poem is from the point of view of the wife, perhaps the author herself, who is trying to figure out a way to position her body against her husband’s so the two will be able to rest snugly at night. With both of them facing the same direction, she in front, he in back, they are nearly successful, but only: †¦if her backbone Cuts exactly into his rib cage And only if his knees Dock exactly under her knees And all four Agree on a common angle Thus positioned – provided their bodies willingly correspond – the husband and wife have achieved unification, or, at the very least, a modicum of comfort. But this is a small victory, or even a false one, for as the narrator continues: All would be well If only They could face each other In three lines, Stevenson has perfectly summed up what plagues marriages, old and new alike: that men and women are inherently different. Not that one is superior and the other inferior – she seems to prescribe to the â€Å"separate but equal† doctrine that is the norm in her homeland of American and her adopted country of England – but that they are uniquely separate entities. Men and women think differently, act differently, and are proportioned differently. And any kind of union between the two, any form of coming-together, is marked my problems. The poet is also asserting that in order for this to occur, a compromise must be enacted. And in any kind of compromise, some things are won (the couple â€Å"fit†) and some are lost (they are not facing each other). While the partners have achieved a level of comfort and intimacy, with her backbone nicely fitting into his rib cage, and his knees docking perfectly under hers, they have lost a major component of such, as they cannot look at one another. Stevenson’s vision of compromise is universal, and does not apply to merely physical situations. The implications correspond to any aspect of a relationship, including, for example, where a couple chooses to settle (one likes the city, one likes the country, so they move to the suburbs), to how they raise their kids (one is a fan of television, one isn’t, so the child watches a minimum amount), to how they spend their money (one likes extravagant things, one prefers simple things, so they buy items that are moderately priced). In all of these situations, both parties are content in that they have achieved satisfaction. While neither got everything they were asking for, each partner got enough (presumably, at least) to remain content. This â€Å"partial victory† is the crux of a successful relationship. But Stevenson is not finished. She goes on with her physical description of the pair, who meet: Nose to neck Chest to scapula Groin to rump And yet, even though the situation is still not ideal – they are unable to face each other, after all – in even this there is a silver lining: They look, at least As if they were going In the same direction While this is merely a small caveat – notice her use of the phrase â€Å"they look, at least,† as if this is merely the appearance of agreement – even so, it is something. And this small something, again, this tiny â€Å"victory† is often enough to make all the difference. Stevenson is celebrating the small moments of daily life and the small â€Å"victories† that are won through compromise. Are the couple, or, in fact, are any man and woman perfectly matched? No. Are there differences between the two that will never be breached? Certainly. But does this mean that one cannot work with this other to achieve some form of balance, even if it is not perfect? Of course not. And, at least in the poet’s mind, this transcendence of differences makes it even more special. In Stevenson’s world, a husband and wife half-consciously groping for each other in the middle of the night is as important as any other compromise made between the sexes. A man moves halfway across the world to be with the woman he loves. A woman changes her religion to be with the man she loves. Both are noble and tremendous acts, but are just as heroic as the couple fumbling in bed. Love, marriage, etc., is both gigantic and intimate, and every act of coming together is important. But let us quickly go back to these words: They look, at least As if they were going In the same direction This passage holds another meaning, that of the fact that the couple is actually not going in the same direction, but only appear to be. Stevenson is saying that looks are deceiving, and while the pair seems to be in agreement, they are in reality far from it. This is a reinforcement of her belief that the sexes are different, and even when they don’t seem to be (a husband and wife both like the same television program, for example, but he enjoys it for the action, she for the sexy leading man), in truth their agendas and perceptions are widely divergent, more than ever. To demonstrate her view of marriage, Stevenson adopts a casual, easy, free verse style, one that is relaxed and light. The words are simple and straightforward, and the situation is commonplace and routine. Underneath, of course, it is a different story, as the subject matter – the differences between the sexes, and how these differences can be overcome – is neither easy nor commonplace. And while she uses the couple’s awkward brushing of body parts to personify this subtext, even this is muted. However, her choice of illustration is highly effective, and she doesn’t need to cloud the issue with excessive metaphor or lofty language. In fact, her technique actually apes her point of view. The mundane act of a man and woman trying to sleep comfortably together is profound, as it not only acts as a representation for the larger compromises that couples must make, but is on its own special and meaningful. By keeping it simple, Stevenson demonstrates the comple x and universal. Anne Stevenson, unlike the never-married Emily Dickinson and Elizabeth Bishop (who she is often compared to), has been wed four times. Since 1987 she has been with the Darwin scholar Peter Lucas, and no doubt in those seventeen years she has learned a thing or two about compromise. Her poem â€Å"Marriage† perfectly captures the disparities between men and women, and the contortions that must be performed to unify the two. Marriage, relationships, love, etc., are wondrous, unique things, as are men and women themselves, but they are also universal. Couples must compromise to survive, sometimes in big ways, sometimes in small ones. But all of these compromises are significant, and all of them make us human. Stevenson’s poem, like marriage itself, is both incredibly simple and tremendously complicated. Her basic, straightforward words could not be more profound. Bibliography Hickling, Alfred. â€Å"Border Crossings.† The Guardian Unlimited. 2 Oct. 2004. Stevenson, Anne. Poems 1955-2005. Northumberland: Bloodaxe Books, 2005.

Hong Kong Education Essay

The pre-school education voucher scheme was launched by the government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in September 2007. The scheme was meant to introduce reforms in education in efforts to promote good early childhood education as the foundation for a child’s lifelong learning (Education Department, 2000). Based on this scheme, every parent who has a child aged between 3 and 6 years should be given a voucher worth $13,000 every year (HKU Faculty of Education, 2008). Out of the $13,000, $10,000 can be used by the parents to pay tuition fees in the kindergartens. The remaining $ 3000 should then be used for the professional development of the teachers in pre-school institutions. The pre-school education voucher should be used under certain conditions. These conditions are, that the voucher should not be used for generating profit, pre-school institutions such as kindergartens must make sure their accounts are open for inspection, the school must attain the set Education Bureau benchmarks within 5 years based on the pre-school quality of education, and tuition fees need to be under $24,000 for half day and $42,000 for full day programs per student, per annum. Due to the restrictions that accompany the pre-school education voucher scheme in Hong Kong, stakeholders in the education sector have shown concern for the impact of the imposed restrictions. This has resulted to a debate that has involved the government and the stakeholders. Since its introduction in the 2007/2008 years, the voucher scheme has been very important for parents with children attending kindergartens. The scheme has provided parents with direct fee subsidy and this has eased their financial burden. It is estimated that a total of 820 kindergartens which represents 85 per cent of the total number of kindergartens in Hong Kong have joined the scheme. In addition, 117,000 pupils are enjoying the benefits from the pre-school education voucher scheme fee subsidy. Since 1997, pre-school institutions in Hong Kong experienced reforms that considered internal effectiveness in schools to be important (Vickers, 2003). According to the Hong Kong government, the implementation of the voucher scheme is an indication of its commitment and support to pre-school education. In addition, the schemes are a positive response to the demands that have been made by the kindergarten principals and teachers. This has become possible through the financial support that the schemes provide for the professional development of the teachers and the principals. It is very important to note that the primary objective of the pre-school education voucher scheme in Hong Kong is to provide parents with direct fee subsidy. It is estimated that over 80 percent of the total number of kindergarten teachers have managed to obtain the Certificate of Early Childhood Education(C (ECE)). Some teachers have enrolled in the courses or have managed to obtain qualifications equivalent to (C (ECE)). To evaluate whether the voucher scheme has been successful in achieving its objectives, the Education Bureau (EDB) in Hong Kong continues to conduct Quality Review studies. By May 2009, the Education Bureau is estimated to have conducted survey on more than 320 kindergartens. The government of Hong Kong acknowledges that pre school teachers experience pressure at work and they need to develop in their profession. The scheme is considered to be one of the ways through which the teachers’ professional development can be promoted. Impact of the Pre-school education voucher scheme on teacher’s professional development Teachers at pre-school institutions have shown their full commitment and dedication to education in Hong Kong . One of the ways through which the pre-school education voucher scheme has impacted positively on the teacher’s professional development is by trying to reduce the workload of the teachers and the principals. Since one of the primary objectives of the scheme is to promote professional development of the teachers, the Education Bureau has continued to enhance communication between the school administration, teachers and other stakeholders in the sector (Andrew, 2008). This has resulted to efficient and continuous implementation of programs that are aimed at improving the teachers’ professional development. The quality review mechanism that has been adopted by the Education Bureau ensures that school self evaluation is done to encourage continuous improvement in education and the teachers professional development. Teachers have been concerned about the pressure at work that results from the quality review done by the Education Bureau as well as the work load at school. However, the quality reviews that are supported due to the implementation of the pre-school education voucher scheme have promoted professional collaboration between teachers. Pre-school education in Hong Kong has for a long time been provided by the private sector and non-profit making institutions. This demands that all pre-school institutions such as kindergartens to be well placed in a manner that the market forces are used to determine the teachers’ salaries at discretion. The launch of the pre-school voucher schemes has increased financial resources for the kindergartens and schools’ management activities (Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, 2007). In addition, these resources have been used to finance efforts that aim at providing a working environment that attracts and retains qualified and well performing teachers. The financial resources injected by the voucher scheme have also been very vital in facilitating the payment of good salaries to the teachers. These benefits have acted as a motivation for the teachers to improve their skills and abilities hence their professional development (The Education Bureau, 2009). The Hong Kong government has reaffirmed its commitment in promoting high quality education at the pre-school level by encouraging schools or kindergartens to provide the teachers with qualification allowances. Research studies that have been conducted to determine the impact of pre-school voucher schemes in Hong Kong show that over 52 per cent of parents, principals and teachers agree that the scheme is a fair policy that promotes excellence in early childhood education. The teachers satisfaction with the scheme has been due to the opportunities the schemes have offered to them to improve their professional skills. Teachers consider the voucher scheme to have a positive influence on the schools and their staff. By improving the quality of education offered at the kindergarten, it has become necessary for teachers qualifications to be improved. This has played an important role in the teachers’ professional development. A large number of parents with children in pre-school institutions assert that the schemes have promoted the qualifications of the teachers as well as the improvement made on the school facilities. The schemes have encouraged teachers to pursue higher education or to undertake more education courses. At the pre-school level, extra curricular activities are very critical for children development and learning (Sweeting, 1990). Teachers compliment learning in class by extra curriculum activities. By participating in the coordination and implementation of extra curricular programs in school, the teachers’ ability to lead and teach is improved. The voucher scheme has increased financial resources to be spent for the extra curricular activities in school. By being involved in the activities, the teachers’ professional ability to use the activities in educating the children is improved. By September 2008, about 30% of teachers at the pre-school level had enrolled and attained good qualifications after enrolling for (C (ECE)) courses which are recommended and supported by the Education Bureau. The pre-school principals who are also teachers have had an opportunity to pursue higher education . For example, about 61 per cent or a large number of principals have been enrolled to undertake the Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood Education (B Ed (ECE). A program to certify the qualification of the principals were put into place in January 2008 . By March 2009, about 300 principals who served in the pre-schools had taken a certification course. For continuous professional development in the teachers, many kindergartens have adopted teacher development subsidy (TDC) to offer the teachers’ school based training programs. The pre-school education voucher scheme provides support services that are offered to develop language skills, cognitive abilities and physical development in children. Teachers gain from this by being engaged in creating a good learning environment, proper children learning, portfolio planning as well as curriculum planning and organization. Being engaged in these activities has been vital in improving the professional skills of the teachers when it comes to planning for good learning at school (Bray and Koo, 2005). The Hong Kong Education Bureau participates in promoting the teachers professional development under the voucher scheme by commissioning a professional training course for their principals. By improving the principals’ leadership and management skills, the teachers are able to get good guidance and effective leadership that relate to the teacher’s work (Ranson, 2003). The principal training course is characterized by an offshore programme and provides an on-spot consultative visit to the principal who participates in the course. About 130 principals are estimated to join the training programme. The principals have given positive feedback about the benefits of the programmes. To support the implementation of the pre-school curriculum revised guide, the Education Bureau organizes professional development programmes which relate to school based curriculum knowledge, leadership, curriculum management and pedagogical knowledge in various areas of learning. This effort has promoted the professional development of the teachers through capacity building. Transparency in pre-school institutions has been promoted by the requirements set by the Education Bureau when it comes to the management of the financial resources . The resources provided by the scheme promote the smooth running of the schools, good remuneration for the teachers and provide a good learning environment. These have gone a long way to increase accountability of the principals and the teachers and this has motivated teachers to embrace good values that are important in professional development. Some of the questions that have been raised about pre-school voucher schemes in Hong Kong is whether the schemes can minimize the overall work pressure on the teachers and improve the staff ratio. The pre –school education voucher schemes have promoted professional upgrading for both the principals and the teachers. For those who serve at PEVs-NPM-KGs, a teacher development subsidy is provided in each voucher. The subsidy is utilized for teacher training and development courses. Furthermore, the teachers and the principals who serve in non PEVs-NMP-KGs can claim a reimbursement from the Education Bureau to cater for up to 50 percent of the fees for a degree or diploma course that has been approved in early childhood education. By the year 2011/2012, all teachers serving at pre-school level are expected to have obtained a certificate in Early Childhood Education (LegCo panel on education, 2009). This together with the demand by the scheme that all kindergarten principals who are appointed from 2009 to have a BEd (ECE) have encouraged teachers to pursue higher education. In addition, the requirement for principals to have a one year post qualification experience and a certification course has encouraged principals and teachers to get engaged in professional development activities and programs. All kindergartens under the scheme have put into place measures that ensure there is continuous professional development by providing school based training programmes under the teacher development subsidy program. Areas of school work that are covered include children’s’ development, learning and teaching, management and organization, and children and school culture support. The quality reviews carried out by the Education Bureau assists the teachers to invest their energy and time in professional development as a way of promoting sustainable school improvement. For example, local non-profit making schools starting 2012-2013 will be able to redeem the education voucher if they are able to meet the prescribed standards of the Quality Review framework (Education Department, 2007). The requirements specified in the Education ordinance (Cap 279) ensures that teachers’ professional development can occur when they meet the set educational standards. The first batch pf 130 Quality Review planned visits began in the 2007-2008 school year (Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, 2008b) and an increase in ratio of graduate teachers in 2008/2009 has raised the professional standards and status of the teachers. The Quality Review Framework promotes transparency and accountability in schools which promotes a culture that is good for professional development of teachers. The Hong Kong government is committed and dedicated to the improvements made in education and the professional development of teachers. The development and implementation of the Pre-school Education Voucher Scheme in Hong Kong is one of the ways through which the government has managed to improve the quality of education and to promote professional development in teachers and principals. High quality education at the pre-school level can be attributed to the pre-school education voucher scheme, classroom inspection and quality reviews in schools. In conclusion, the pre-school education voucher scheme has been promoted through the 2007/08 school year Training Activity, Teacher Development plan for 2008/09 school year, Four-year Teacher Development plan and the professional upgrading of Kindergarten principals and teachers.

Techne A True Art, Craft, or Discipline in Rhetoric

In philosophy and classical rhetoric, techne is a true art, craft, or discipline. The plural form is technai. Its often translated as craft or art in the sense of being a learned skill that is then applied or activated in some way. Definition and Context Techne, says Stephen Halliwell, was the standard Greek word both for a practical skill and for the systematic knowledge or experience which underlies it (Aristotles Poetics, 1998). It differs from a similar concept, episteme, in that it is concerned with applied expertise (making or doing something) as opposed to passive understanding or musing. Unlike Plato, Aristotle regarded rhetoric as a techne: not only a skill for communicating effectively but a coherent system for analyzing and classifying speeches. See Examples and Observations below. Also see: ArgumentArtistic ProofsEpistemeHeuristicPraxisProofRhetorical CanonsSophistrySophistsWhat Is Rhetoric? EtymologyFrom the Greek, art or craftsmanship. The English words technical and technology are cognates of the Greek word techne. Pronunciation: TEK-nay Alternate Spellings: technà © Examples and Observations [R]hetoric is techne in the fullest sense: the activity it performs is not only cognitive but also transformative and practical as well. It does not limit itself to conveying neutral, sterilized facts (that would be docere), but its aim is to carry away the audience; to produce an effect on them; to mold them; to leave them different as a result of its impact.(Renato Barilli, Rhetoric. Trans. by Giuliana Menozzi. University of Minnesota Press, 1989)In fact, techne and ars referred less to a class of objects than to the human ability to make and perform ... the issue is not about the presence or absence of a word but about the interpretation of a body of evidence, and I believe there is massive evidence that the ancient Greeks and Romans had no category of fine art. (Larry Shiner, The Invention of Art. University of Chicago Press, 2001)Logon Techne as Argument SkillsThat both Plato and Aristotle use the expression logon techne as an equivalent to rhetorike to refer to the art of speec h has led scholars such as W.K.C. Guthrie to project the same usage back to the fifth century [BC]: The rhetorical art was also known [among the Sophists] as the art of the logoi (1971, 177). However, the expression logon techne appears very rarely in the fifth century, and when it does, it has a broader meaning than Rhetoric. . . . The sophistic tract Dissoi Logoi or Dialexeis (hereafter Dialexeis) explicitly refers to logon techne, but in that context the skill is described as distinct from the abilities to plead ones court-cases correctly and to make popular speeches. Thomas M. Robinson aptly translates logon techne in this passage as argument-skills. Accordingly, if logon techne in Dialexeis is the art that is the object of Platos critique, it is clearly much broader than what would later be defined as Rhetoric.(Edward Schiappa, The Beginnings of Rhetorical Theory in Classical Greece. Yale University Press, 1999)Platos Phaedrus[I]n the Phaedrus, Plato suggests that the ability t o adapt arguments to various types of people is central to a true art or techne of rhetoric. The speaker must discover the kind of speech that matches each type of nature.(James A. Herrick, The History and Theory of Rhetoric, 3rd ed. Pearson, 2005)Aristotles Rhetoric- The Rhetoric is the earliest extant example of a complete techne, or art, of rhetoric. Aristotles major contribution to rhetoric was his systematic and thorough treatment of invention--the art of finding the available arguments in a given case. . . . While Aristotle may have borrowed some of these proofs from other rhetoricians, he was the first to combine them into a systematic treatment of available argumentative strategies.(Sharon Crowley and Debra Hawhee, Ancient Rhetorics for Contemporary Students, 3rd ed. Pearson, 2004)- The early sophists used techne to describe the knowledge they purveyed; Protagoras described his instruction as a political techne; Isocrates, Aristotles contemporary, also referred to his instru ction as a logon techne, or art of discourse. After Platos bifurcation of techne into the true and the sham, however, Aristotles classification of art in the domain of productive knowledge was one of the last and most serious treatments of techne as a model of knowledge.(Janet M. Atwill, Rhetoric Reclaimed: Aristotle and the Liberal Arts Tradition. Cornell University Press, 1998)