Grandmas Passing essays

Grandmas Passing essays Grandma was a frail older woman, in her early 70s, and of small stature. Her skin was of a light brown complexion, wrinkled and ashy. When I sat on her knee, her brittle hands would always gently wrap around my waist. I would kiss her on her cheek, which was always cold for some reason. Grandma always wore dark blue dresses that came down to her ankles and an old pair of black dress shoes everywhere. You know, the ones with no heels that appear as if they are slippers. She was old fashioned, and didnt hesitate to instruct my dad to switch me if I stepped out of line. Grandma was soft-spoken, but firm; I never back-talked her for fear of the painful consequences my dad would inflict on my legs. I remember one time I had acted up; oh I paid for that one. It had just rained, saturating the earth in the back yard beyond capacity. Mud puddles were everywhere; they were enormous filled with dirty grimy water. These mud puddles were everything a kid could dream of; they were irresistible. My cousins and I jumped, stomped, splashed, and rolled in the mud puddles; we had a great time. My grandma had told us kids not to track mud through the house, but I was having too much fun with my cousins to take her seriously. We were chasing each other, and I ran into the house with the mud still caked all over my body. My grandma caught a glimpse of me dashing through the living room when she bellowed for my father. Grandma told him that she had warned me to not track mud through the house, but I had done it anyway. My father came, took one look at the carpet, and instructed me to retrieve the switch. I did as ordered, and subsequently was beaten for my insolence. I had red whelps all over my legs; I never tracked mud through the house again. Mother summoned for Janelle and I to come to her room; from the sound of her voice, we felt she was distressed about something. As we entered her bedroom, we discovered she ...

Pronouncing Words That End in -lm

Pronouncing Words That End in -lm Pronouncing Words That End in -lm Pronouncing Words That End in -lm By Maeve Maddox Not many one-syllable English words end in the letters -lm. Sometimes the l in them is pronounced; sometimes it isnt. Heres a list of the most common -lm words, together with the pronunciation in the phonetic notation given at Answers.com. Many Americans pronounce all of these words with an l. alms [mz] balm [bm] calm [km] elm [Ä•lm] embalm[Ä•m-bm] film [fÄ ­lm] helm [hÄ•lm] palm [pm] psalm [sm] qualm [kwm] realm [rÄ•lm] whelm [hwÄ•lm] These pronunciations all agree with those given in the OED. Additionally, the OED acknowledges U.S. pronunciations with the sound of l for palm, psalm, and qualm. Merriam-Webster uses the symbol ] to indicate a sound that facilitates the placement of variant pronunciation. For example, ï ¿ ¼]mz. This symbol, which seems to indicate an almost l, is used for the first pronunciation given for alms, balm, calm, embalm, palm, psalm, and qualm. The pronunciation with a full l sound is given as an alternate: also ]lm. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Spelling category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Bare or Bear With Me?How Long Should a Paragraph Be?When to use "an"

Using the Plan & Process for Competitive Positioning Essay

Using the Plan & Process for Competitive Positioning - Essay Example The first pitfall involves an ineffective participative structure. Many HCOs make an inclusion of all the people in the organization during the implementation of a strategic plan. However, the top management does not really incorporate the views of other staff members. Therefore, they only have the other staff members physically, but there is a limitation in their participation. In other words, the HCOs do not consider an open communication during the implementation process. In addition, the other staff members feel they are left out in the decision making process and subsequently become discouraged in strategic planning implementation. In addition, the second pitfall is the achievement of a casual consensus rather than a real consensus. A consensus is an agreement reached after the consideration of various conflicting and attaining a compromise. Most HCOs achieve a casual consensus, meaning that after a successful agreement in the setting of goals and objectives, the top management usually implements their own objectives. This makes other employees feel neglected because after all their opinion does not count. The habit of a casual consensus affects most HCOs and has become a culture. The culture does no justice to the implementation of strategic plans; rather they slow the transition process. The first pitfall could be addressed using various techniques. The management of the HCOs could organize various groups of the employees and assign them different roles. This makes every group accountable for their responsibilities and every member must participate in the implementation of strategic planning (Moseley, 2009). The management could also appoint supervisors to monitor and give advice to the groups in the process of implementing the strategic plans. However, the management needs to define clearly the role of such individuals, failure to which

Product Evaluation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Product Evaluation - Essay Example good thing about this product is its added features and benefits such as affordability above all, while ensuring quality, availability of spare parts, customer support and more added values. Starting with affordability, other brands such as those from Apple Incorporated, Sony, Acer and others are becoming expensive because of the higher rating they obtained from customers and third parties. In general this is the bottom line of highly influential marketing activity, which is an integral part of creating significant needs for certain product or service offerings – the essence of advertising or promotion (Boone and Kurtz 482). Once these needs are created, it would now become easy to take control of the price on the part of the producers or manufacturers because of their higher or strong market power (Porter 4). This is evident in the case of Apple brands and others which substantially take hold at the top of the competition even though their prices are relatively higher. The case of Dell is different because it tries to create its market share by ensuring affordability while maintaining high value for customer support and availability of spare parts, which would result further to opportunity for long-term usage (Dell Official Site). All of these based on experience could be justifiable and are substantially met by Dell as it continues to cater price-conscious customers who also want to get something more at remarkably cheaper price. Dell is a good brand of choice among customers who are substantially looking forward to cheaper price but would also want to get something more. This is the area where Dell is making out the most of its market opportunity. It continuously seek to cater market segments where the basic criteria they considered is affordability at high level of functionality and including value-added features such as quality, availability of spare parts, and reliable customer support. In other words, Dell has what it takes to have something more

Religious Discrimination Essay Example for Free

Religious Discrimination Essay Religious discrimination under Title VII as defined by the U. S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) involves treating a person unfavorably because of his or her religious beliefs. The law protects not only people who belong to traditional, organized religions but also others who have sincerely held religious, ethical or moral beliefs. The law forbids discrimination on the basis of religion in any and all aspects of employment. This includes hiring, firing, pay, job assignments, promotions, layoff, training, and benefits. Title VII also prohibits workplace segregation based on religion, such as assigning an employee to a non-customer contact position because of actual or presumed customer preference. Title VII also addresses reasonable accommodation in relation to religion. The law requires that the employer must reasonably accommodate an employee’s religious beliefs or practices, unless doing so would cause more than a minimal burden on the employers business. For example, if an employee needs to be off work on Sunday mornings to regularly attend church services it would be the responsibility of the employer to reasonably attempt to accommodate this need. An accommodation for this could include paying another employee to cover the Sunday morning shift, even if it requires paying overtime. Or the employer could hire an additional employee to be able to cover the shift. Since Title 7 of the United States Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964 there have been several judicial decisions that have molded the way this law in interpreted and applied. The first such court case that I came across was the case of Welsh V. United States which brought into question what types of beliefs can be used to obtain conscientious objector status when being selected to go to war. In this case the prosecutor was convicted of refusing to accept induction into the armed forces; he did claim conscientious objector status but did not base this decision off religion. He did not claim to believe in a deity that would morally keep him from fighting in a war, he instead asserted his own personal moral opposition to any conflict in which people are being killed. He alleged that the sincerity of his belief should qualify him for exemption from military duty under the Universal Military Training and Service Act. The Act allowed only those people whose opposition to the war was based on religious beliefs to be declared conscientious objectors. However in a 5-3 decision the court allowed Welsh to be declared a conscientious objector even though his opposition was not based on religious convictions. The implication this case has on Human Resources Management is that HR personnel must be aware of the broad scope of beliefs that will be protected under Title 7. Whereas before this case only majorly defined religions such as Judaism and Catholicism would be protected you now see religions such as scientology seeking protection under the law. Another relevant case would be Seshadri v. Kasraian which established that an employee bringing a religious discrimination claim does not need to belong to an established church. Another case that has shaped this law and impacted human resource management was Campos v. City of Blue Springs. In April 1996 Campos was hired as a crisis counselor for the Blue Springs Police Department’s Youth Outreach Program (YOU). At the time she did not have the advanced degree as required by the written job description, but her supervisor told her that she would have until February 1997 to obtain her degree and guarantee her position. She was also guaranteed via verbal contract that she would be paid an extra $10,000 per year for support group work, she would be a team leader within three months, and she would be an assistant director within six months of starting her full-time employment. She began working in October 1996, enjoying her job until she disclosed to her supervisor that she observes tenets of Native American Spirituality, not Christianity. Campos claimed that immediately her supervisor’s behavior towards her changed; she was unfriendly and critical, excluded her from employee meetings, and told her that she may not have been a good fit for the job. After failing to show up to work due to attending a mandatory meeting to obtain her dissertation, which was required by her employer, Campos received so much scrutiny from her supervisor that she resigned. After her resignation, Campos filed suit against the City, alleging that she suffered from employment discrimination based upon her religion, sex, and national origin. The charges of sex and national origin discrimination were eliminated, and the case was submitted to the jury on the theory that Campos was constructively discharged because of her religion. On April 13, 2001, the jury awarded Campos $79,200 for back pay and compensatory damages. The district court denied the Citys Motion for Judgment as a Matter of Law, or in the Alternative, for a New Trial, and awarded Camposs attorneys 90,556. 20 in fees and $11,825. 41 in expenses. This case has implications on Human Resources Management today because it establishes that employment decisions cannot be made based on whether or not an employee or potential employee agrees or disagrees with the employers religious views. One relevant business that comes to mind is Chik Fil A and their openly Christian beliefs. Even though they include Christian values in the core content of their mission statement and business plan they know that they cannot make any employment decisions based on religious affiliation. In Eatman V.  United Parcel Service in 2002 the company’s policy of requiring its drivers that had unconventional hairstyles to wear hats was called into question. The plaintiff was required by the company to wear a hat while on the clock because his hairstyle of choice was dreadlocks, a hairstyle where sections of hair are hand-rolled together in tight, interwoven spirals. After putting a lot of thought into the decision, Eatman, who is black, began wearing locks in February 1995 as an outward expression of an internal commitment to his Protestant faith as well as his Nubian belief system. At this same time he also became enlightened about locked hair and its connection to African identity and heritage. The position that his supervisor at UPS took on his hair was that the company uses common sense to determine which hairstyles are not businesslike; he finds ponytails, Mohawks, green hair, carved shapes, and locked hair—short or long—unacceptable. And there were currently 19 other drivers at this particular UPS that were required to wear hats to cover their unconventional hairstyles, including others that had dreadlocks. Even though Eatman claimed that the policy was discriminatory the jury did not rule in his favor. It was ruled that Eatman’s hairstyle was dictated by a personal choice. Nowhere in his religious texts did it dictate in any way that followers of the faith must wear their hair uncovered in dreadlocks. The implications of this case are actually pro employer and pro Human Resource Manager. It shows that not every claim that an employee makes based off of religious need has to be immediately catered to. There are cases where the request can be frivolous and off topic of religion, in which case the employer does not need to go out of their way to make accommodations. Another very interesting court case that I came across was EEOC v. Union Independiete De La Autoridad De Acueductos y Alcantarillados De Puerto Rico. I found this case to be very interesting because it stipulates that employees cannot pick and choose which parts of their religion they wish to follow and which ones they do not. In this case the issue was whether or not a Seventh day Adventist’s objection to union membership was the product of a sincerely held belief. Although the religious foundation of the Seventh day Adventist faith’s opposition to union membership has long been recognized, there was evidence that this employee often acted in a manner inconsistent with his professed religious beliefs. He was divorced, took an oath before a notary upon becoming a public employee, worked five days a week (instead of the six days required by his faith), and there was some evidence that the alleged conflict between his beliefs and union membership was a moving target. This case seemed important because is forces the employee to prove that religion is vital part of their life. It keeps them from claiming that they are Christian for the sole purpose of being off on Christmas, or from claiming that they are Catholic only to be off on Easter. It not only keeps people from faking being religious but it also helps to ensure the sanctity of those who actually are as religious as they claim to be. And the final court case that I found addresses sincerely held beliefs that have not always been there but can conceivably come about. In the case of E. E. O. C. v. Ilona of Hungary, Inc. an employee sincerely believed that she should refrain from working on the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur even though she had not frequently celebrated Jewish holidays in the past. Her rise in faith was brought on by recent family events such as the passing of her mother-in-law and father, the birth of her son, and her husband’s rising faith. The court decided that these were significant enough to have caused a change in lifestyle and that she did believably have a real change of faith. After reviewing all of the cases mentioned above, along with numerous others, I have found that the topic of religion isn’t nearly as â€Å"black and white† as most would assume. There are many grey areas: What constitutes religion, how do you know if someone legitimately believes in their religion, and what aspects of someone’s lifestyle are pertinent to their claimed religion are just a few examples of where courts have to make a decision that will affect the way this topic is viewed for years to come. With the world become more and more diversified every day the topic of religion and all others under title 7 will continue to be tested and pushed to their limits. It is the job of the Human Resources Management team to be on high alert of potential discrimination cases and have all employees properly trained on these matters to ensure it does not happen at their company.

Aging Nurse workforce Essay -- Employment, Nursing Worforce, Retiremen

A variety of conceptual frameworks were used to research the aging nursing workforce. The theoretical model of Organizational and Personal Factors and Outcomes, developed by Schaefer and Moos (1991), was one context used during this review of literature. This framework suggests that the personal system as well as work stressors affect the association between the organizational system and work morale and performance (Atencio, Cohen, & Gorenberg, 2003). This model suggests that the individual system as well as work stressors influence the relationship involving the organizational scheme and work morale and performance. Occupation stressors combined with organizational and individual system factors induce coping responses and the result of retaining the older nurse (Schaefer & Moos, 1991). Another theoretical model used was the Conceptual Model of Intent to Stay by Boyle et al. (1999). This model describes four variables that shape a nurse’s plan to stay in employment. These variables consist of leadership characteristics, nurse characteristics, system characteristics, and work characteristics. The primary concentration for this model was to research the influence that leadership uniqueness has on a nurse’s intention to stay employed versus retiring. The outcomes showed that control over nursing practice, situational stress, and the manager characteristics had implicit effects on older nurse intention to remain employed (Cranley & Tourangeau, 2005). Karasek and Theorell’s Demand-Control Model (1990) was an additional conceptual framework noted in the review of literature on the ageing nursing workforce. This representation implies that intense job strain and decision-making opportunity contributes to work tension and lead... ...parture from the nursing profession or retirement from the line of work. Several key elements have been established throughout the research that lead to theses nurses feeling the need to retire and include: burnout, physical demands, mental health, linkage to the organization, hours worked, organizational culture, work intensity, and fiscal requirements. Organizations are beginning to establish evidence-based strategies in an effort to retain older registered nurses. Human resources are beginning to formulate policies and procedures to meet the needs of these aging nurses, which focus on their safety, stress levels, preferred work setting, schedule, and job satisfaction. The ability to delay retirement of these nurses or creating career paths that help facilitate a transition to a different work setting could help ease the shortage of nurses in the next decade.

A Blind Man Leads the Way

A Blind Man Leads the Way â€Å"Cathedral† by Raymond Carver, describes a couple who is awaiting the arrival of the wife’s blind friend, Robert. The husband is not too fond of a blind man staying in their house and is judgmental about meeting him. It’s not until the family sits down to watch t. v. that the husband gains respect for Robert. A show about cathedrals comes on, and Robert asks him to describe them to him. When Robert and the husband draw the cathedral together with their eyes closed, the husband begins to see what he could not describe with his eyes open. Carver uses the cathedral in the story as a symbol of sight, insisting that the narrator was blinded by prejudice before he met Robert and also as a symbol of teaching, Robert acting as a preacher in a church. The husband is very judgmental and negative toward blind people. He states, â€Å"My idea of blindness came from the movies. In the movies, the blind moved slowly and never laughed. Sometimes they were led by seeing eye dogs† (526). The husband views all blind people as the same and gives them the same respect, which is none. He brings them down to make himself feel better. Carver’s figures close themselves off from their worlds, walling out the threatening forces in their lives even as they wall themselves in and retreat destructively into the claustrophobic inner enclosures of self† (Davis). When the narrator meets Robert and they all sit down for dinner, his opinion about Robert begins to change. He says, â€Å"The blind man had right away located his fo ods, he knew just where everything was on his plate† (531). The husband was in shock that Robert did not need someone to cut up his food and help him eat his meals. He begins to see and appreciate Robert as a person and not just as a blind man. His sight is in full affect when he begins describing the cathedral from the t. v. show. The narrator could see the cathedral, but he could not quite describe what he saw. He and the blind man began to draw the cathedral, and for once the narrator felt like he was the blind and that the blind man was the one who could see. The husband states, â€Å"It’s really something† (537). This is when he can fully see the picture not only of the cathedral, but also the understanding that even the blind can see and understand things with their eyes closed. The narrator comes to understand Robert and learns a lot from him. Robert helps him to open his eyes and become less judgmental of the blind. The husband learns from Robert that you can’t judge a book by its cover, and that sometimes it’s the important things in life that you can’t see that really matter. Cathedrals are holy structures that people go to and receive an understanding of a higher power. In this story Robert is represented by the cathedral being the teacher, and the seeker is the husband. Robert is the one who gives the understanding of what it is like to be blind. Robert teaches the husband along the way by his actions and shows him that being blind is not a disability, but sometimes even a gift. Robert insists they draw a cathedral together and as the husband draws, Robert guides him through the process. Robert states, â€Å"That’s right. That’s good,† he said. â€Å"Sure. You got it bub, I can tell. You didn’t think you could but you can, can’t you† (536)? Robert is guiding the narrator through the process, just as a preacher would guide his church through a service. Robert is guiding the husband step by step, making sure he is getting an understanding of the Cathedral. In the beginning, the narrator was less passionate about Cathedrals, but through Robert’s eyes, he grew found of them. The narrator states, â€Å"The truth is, cathedrals don’t mean anything special to me. Nothing. Cathedrals. They’re something to look at on late-night TV† (535). The narrator viewed cathedrals differently by the end, and they made him feel something he had never felt before. The narrator states, â€Å"My eyes were still closed. I was in my house. I knew that. But I didn’t feel like I was inside anything† (536). At this point the narrator feels outside of everything at the moment and spiritually feels like he is part of something greater. â€Å"As a symbol represents a kind of common humanity and benevolence, and of human patience and fortitude, in the process of â€Å"a-spiring. † Curiously enough it is within the walls of the cathedral that the narrator ultimately ends up† (Nesset). Robert showed the narrator that there is a higher power out there. He did not want to pester the husband by talking to him about religion so he showed him through drawing the cathedral. The narrator felt like he was outside of his own body and felt like he was part of something higher. Robert taught the husband along the way showing him that seeing isn’t believing, but believing is seeing. By this point, the narrator witnessed himself opening up and becoming less judgmental of the situation. â€Å"Only in Cathedral does the reader witness the rare moments of their coming out, and process of opening up in closed-down lives that comes across in both the subjects and events of the stories†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Nesset). Robert was a Christian man, and believes that he showed the narrator that there is a higher power out there, and helped the husband understand that through the cathedral. â€Å"The narrator of â€Å"Cathedral† communicated verbally and non-verbally with Robert, resulting a renewed sense of empathy and a remarkable, almost religious experience† (Champion). The narrator did experience a religious experience through the cathedral, and it made him feel like he was not himself. Through the cathedral, the husband is a changed man. Robert shows and guides him along the way, teaching him that seeing is not everything and that even someone blind can help you to see and understand things you never thought you could describe. In the beginning the husband was very judgmental of Robert and did not want him in his home, and by the end he felt like his life had been missing something and that was the guidance of the cathedral. The sight he encountered as he sat there with Robert and drew the cathedral was like something he had never seen before, and could only be seen with his eyes closed.

Bias Towards Fathers in Children Custody Decisions Essay

Deciding over children custody has always been a divisive, if not an emotionally laden issue. In most cases however, it is not surprising to see that most court decisions tend to award custody disputes in favor of mothers. At first glance, it may seem that court judges see mothers as naturally better parents. And there are not without good reasons to think why this is so. Mothers, by right of mere logic, are the ones who bring children into the world, and are therefore responsible for carrying and birthing them; so it immediately seems that they will naturally do more for children throughout their lives in order to help and care for them, inasmuch as they have already done much of this work months before children even enter the world. But while these reasons are already in themselves truthful, and are thus often taken by judicial courts as sound premises to support custody decisions in favor of mothers, it cannot be denied that there are certain biases towards fathers that are committed in the process. In many court decisions, it seems axiomatic to say that male persons – fathers, that is – are not being given the same amount of esteem and recognition being accorded to female mothers. This paper thus argues that there is an existing bias towards fathers in the court system that determines custody cases. And while there are many observations to support such a claim, it may be good to cite at least three. Bias Towards Fathers in Children Custody Decisions First, it is quite logical to surmise that the general perception about fathers – and the gender role stereotypes that come with such perception – contributes a lot to why mothers are frequently awarded with children’s custody in many court proceedings, specifically during divorce hearings. Men are not now nor have ever been consistently viewed as suitable caregivers. At the very least, they seem not be as nurturing as mothers. Their sole responsibility is to be destined, it seems, to provide for their family, and not to specifically nurture children. Thus, children and their mothers will always have a stronger attachment because mothers spend much more time caring for the children, whereas the father figure is more often seen to be better suited to be a hardworking, confident, and always providing role model. Besides, it has been argued that, on account of their being relatively unattached both physically and emotionally, divorced fathers â€Å"are more likely to be remarried† than their female counterparts (Ambert, 2005). Second, statistical records point to an indisputable fact that decisions favoring maternal custody of children reveal a lopsided trend. According to a report by the Canadian Department of Justice, 75% of divorce cases finalized by a contested hearing resulted in sole maternal custody and only 8% in sole paternal custody (Pulkingham, 1994). Meanwhile, in a more recent finding, it was observed that in both the United States and Canada, mothers were more likely to be awarded with children’s â€Å"physical custody† over fathers. It was moreover said that only 10-12% of children were ordered to live with their fathers; a trend which has been observed for many years now (Ambert, 2005). Present trends seem to always favor mothers. In fact, Maccoby, Depner and Mnookin affirm that while practical norms suggest that fathers must â€Å"remain involved† with children after divorce, many parents are â€Å"not rejecting the idea that children, particularly very young ones, should have their major residence with their mothers† (cited in Hetherington and Arasteh, ed, 1998, p. 112). Third, legal stipulations governing custody disputes also favor mothers more than fathers on account of certain stereotypes as well. One must note that the judicial system was in principle established to look out for the best interests of the innocent as well as those who are unable to secure basic protection of rights for themselves. Who is thus more in need of a judge’s guidance and assistance than the innocent and naive fully dependent beings as children? While men are not to be totally recognized as selfish beings, there are real problems surrounding their reputation. And it seems that their disgraceful track record pointing to how violent can male persons can become compared to female counterparts – at homes and the larger communities alike – is becoming more and more patent. In fact, â€Å"according to the Vancouver Police Department, of the 135 cases of violence and/or intimidation in intimate relations reported to the VPD in the month of July 1996, 88 percent of the suspects were male, and only 12 percent were female† (Richard, 1996). In marriages and relationships alike, it seems that sooner or later, men are far more likely than women to get violent or at least get verbally aggressive and threatening with their partners and spouses. These phenomena surely influence, one way or another, the creation of significant paternal restrictions in dealing with custody disputes. By Way of Conclusion: How Custody Cases Should Be Decided Drawing from the points that the discussions were able to present, this paper concludes with the thought that paternal custody for children evidently suffers from misjudged perspectives involving restrictive gender roles and stereotypes. The factors that were cited all seem to point to this long-known trend. The numbers have been, and I believe will always be in the favour of women – that women out of personal want or societal onus will always feel the urge to be more of the parent and provider for their children. But custody cases should be decided not on account of existing gender role assignment or biased stereotypes against the male gender. On the contrary, custody disputes must be decided upon without any compromise to the equal footing each parent – whether male or female – must be accorded in the process. Both parents must be accorded with equal time for visitation, residence and financial support; inasmuch as both parents are responsible for the well being of their children despite the failure in marital union. Works Cited Ambert, A. (2005). Divorce: Facts, Causes and Consequences. Retrieved 08 July 2008, from http://www. vifamily. ca/library/cft/divorce_05. html#Custody Maccoby, E. , Depner, C. , and Mnookin, R. â€Å"Custody of Children Following Divorce† in Mavis Hetherington and Josephine Arasteh, editors. (1988) Impact of Divorce, Single Parenting and Stepparenting on Children. Hillsdale, NJ, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Pulkingham, J. (1994) â€Å"Contested Custody Claims in Canada†. Canadian Journal of Law and Society, 9, 73-97. Retrieved 08 July 2008, from http://fathersforlife. org/millar/custody. htm. Richard, C. (1996). â€Å"Vancouver Police Department, ‘Violence and Intimidation Against Women in Relationships: January to July 1996’† as compiled by Margaret Denike & Agnes Huang (1998). Myths and Realities of Custody and Access. Retrieved 08 July 2008, from http://www. harbour. sfu. ca/freda/reports/myths. htm.

Free Essays on Kant

Propositions, according to Kant, can also be divided into two other types: empirical and a priori. Empirical propositions depend entirely on sense perception, but a priori propositions have a fundamental validity and are not based on such perception. The difference between these two types of proposition may be illustrated by the empirical â€Å"The house is black† and the a priori â€Å"Two plus two makes four.† Kant's thesis in the Critique is that it is possible to make synthetic a priori judgments. This philosophical position is usually known as transcendentalism. In describing how this type of judgment is possible Kant regarded the objects of the material world as fundamentally unknowable; from the point of view of reason, they serve merely as the raw material from which sensations are formed. Objects of themselves have no existence, and space and time exist only as part of the mind, as â€Å"intuitions† by which perceptions are measured and judged. In addition to these intuitions, Kant stated that a number of a priori concepts, which he called categories, also exist. He divided the categories into four groups: those concerning quantity, which are unity, plurality, and totality; those concerning quality, which are reality, negation, and limitation; those concerning relation, which are substance-and-accident, cause-and-effect, and reciprocity; and those concerning modality, which are possibility, existence, and necessity. The intuitions and the categories can be applied to make judgments about experiences and perceptions, but cannot, according to Kant, be applied to abstract ideas such as freedom and existence without leading to inconsistencies in the form of pairs of contradictory propositions, or â€Å"antinomies,† in which both members of each pair can be proved true. In the Metaphysics of Ethics (1797) Kant described his ethical system, which is based on a belief that the reason is the final authority for morality. Actions of a... Free Essays on Kant Free Essays on Kant Kant objects most of all to the principle that one's own happiness can be the ground of morality. He rejects this possibility because well-being is not always proportionate to virtuous behaviour. "It is a very difficult thing to make a man happy from making him good. Most significantly, Kant renounces happiness as the principle of morality because it obliterates the specific difference between virtue and vices. He argues that Aristotle's precepts of morality can only contain the potential of learning to better calculate these differences. In order to understand how it is possible and necessary to separate virtues and vices categorically, we must show how Kant develops his argument that one must subject oneself to a moral law. Kant argues that Aristotle's doctrine of the mean conflates virtues and vices and hence can provide no practical guide to moral behavior. For Kant, all that Aristotle's doctrine can account for is a worth that is relative to the unique constitution of the observer. Finally, Kant argues that Aristotle's is an example of how the dialectic of reason operates.For Kant, the concept of happiness cannot analytically contain that of the supreme good. Kant's ethical theory, like Aristotle's, begins with an exposition of the properties which a moral agent must posses in order to acquire and exhibit goodness. Aristotle and Kant agree that the ergon of a human being is reason. Kant contrasts persons with things, the difference being that rational beings are designated as persons because their nature indicate that they are ends in themselves. For Kant and Aristotle, the moral agent subordinates inclinations and desires to reason. By analogy, if happiness was the true end of a human then nature would admit of an inconsistency. Happiness could be better attained by instinct than by the weak insight of reason. "Nature would have hit upon a very poor arrangement in appointing the reason of the creature to the executor of this... Free Essays on Kant Galileo's Condemnation As anyone person reads the files from the condemnation of Galileo Galilei they are immediately flabbergasted by the continuity of the church’s corrupted files. Galileo was very different than men in his time; he looked further than the bible. Science has a legitimate of freedom in its own sphere†¦Galileo’s freedom was violated. Even though church was very powerful during Galileo’s life it overused its power to protect its own security. Galileo showed similarities in knowledge compared with the great Roman and Greek philosophers. This had not been apparent for thousands of years throughout the Dark Ages. During the time when Galileo was involved in his studies Galileo visited Rome and the Pope on many occasions. The long hike from his town would often take weeks and would keep him away from his experiments and studies. In 1633 Galileo was finally tried, and found guilty for heresy. Galileo was sentenced to be put under house arrest for the rest of his life after being forced to publicly admit he had made a mistake towards his theories and observations. Galileo feared torture and even the death sentence throughout the whole injunction. As he left the courtroom Galileo spoke: â€Å"And yet it moves.† He couldn’t have put it better. These were his last publicized words. Before Galileo’s trail there were many â€Å"loop-holes† in the church’s case against Galileo. On February 26 1616 Galileo was given a friendly warning stating nothing to do about the injunction or for him to suspend his teachings. Cardinal Bellarmine assured Galileo in writing that he wouldn’t have to stop teaching, and that there was no injunction. The church said that they did tell Galileo to stop his teaching officially but Galileo, a notary or the Dominican fathers never signed the final document. Therefore the document was fraudulent. After this private audience was recorded and then published the report said nothing of t... Free Essays on Kant Propositions, according to Kant, can also be divided into two other types: empirical and a priori. Empirical propositions depend entirely on sense perception, but a priori propositions have a fundamental validity and are not based on such perception. The difference between these two types of proposition may be illustrated by the empirical â€Å"The house is black† and the a priori â€Å"Two plus two makes four.† Kant's thesis in the Critique is that it is possible to make synthetic a priori judgments. This philosophical position is usually known as transcendentalism. In describing how this type of judgment is possible Kant regarded the objects of the material world as fundamentally unknowable; from the point of view of reason, they serve merely as the raw material from which sensations are formed. Objects of themselves have no existence, and space and time exist only as part of the mind, as â€Å"intuitions† by which perceptions are measured and judged. In addition to these intuitions, Kant stated that a number of a priori concepts, which he called categories, also exist. He divided the categories into four groups: those concerning quantity, which are unity, plurality, and totality; those concerning quality, which are reality, negation, and limitation; those concerning relation, which are substance-and-accident, cause-and-effect, and reciprocity; and those concerning modality, which are possibility, existence, and necessity. The intuitions and the categories can be applied to make judgments about experiences and perceptions, but cannot, according to Kant, be applied to abstract ideas such as freedom and existence without leading to inconsistencies in the form of pairs of contradictory propositions, or â€Å"antinomies,† in which both members of each pair can be proved true. In the Metaphysics of Ethics (1797) Kant described his ethical system, which is based on a belief that the reason is the final authority for morality. Actions of a...

Basic Facts about U.S. Territories

Basic Facts about U.S. Territories The United States is the worlds third largest country based on population and land area. It is divided into 50 states but also claims 14 territories around the world. The definition of a territory as it applies to those claimed by the United States are lands that are administered by the United States but are not officially claimed by any of the 50 states or any other world nation. Typically, most of these territories depend on the United States for defense, economic and social support. The following is an alphabetical list of the territories of the United States. For reference, their land area and population (where applicable) have also been included. American Samoa Total Area: 77 square miles (199 sq km) Population: 55,519 (2010 estimate) American Samoa is made up of five islands and two  coral atolls, and is  part of the Samoan Islands chain in the south Pacific Ocean. The  1899 Tripartite Convention divided the Samoan Islands into two parts, between the US. and Germany, after more than a century of battles among the French, English, German and Americans to claim the islands, during with the Samoans fought fiercely. The U.S. occupied its part of Samoa in 1900 and on  July 17, 1911, the US Naval Station Tutuila  was officially renamed American Samoa. Baker Island Total Area: 0.63 square miles (1.64 sq km) Population: Uninhabited Baker Island an atoll just north of the equator in the central Pacific Ocean about 1,920 miles southwest of Honolulu. It became an American territory in 1857. Americans tried to inhabit the island in the 1930s, but when Japan became active in the Pacific during World War II, they were evacuated. The island is named for Michael Baker, who visited the island several times before claiming it in 1855. It was classified as part of Baker Island National Wildlife Refuge in 1974. Guam Total Area: 212 square miles (549 sq km) Population: 175,877 (2008 estimate) Located in the western Pacific Ocean  in the Mariana Islands, Guam became a U.S. possession in 1898, following the Spanish-American War. Its believed that the indigenous people of Guam, the Chamorros, settled on the island roughly 4,000 years ago. The first European to discover Guam was Ferdinand Magellan in 1521. The Japanese occupied Guam in 1941, three days after the attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.  American forces liberated the island on July 21, 1944, which is still commemorated as Liberation Day. Howland Island Total Area: 0.69 square miles (1.8 sq km) Population: Uninhabited Located near Baker Island in the central Pacific, Howland Island comprises the  Howland Island National Wildlife Refuge and is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Its part of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument. The U.S. took possession in 1856. Howland Island was the destination aviator Amelia Earhart was headed for when her plane disappeared in 1937.   Jarvis Island Total Area: 1.74 square miles (4.5 sq km) Population: Uninhabited This uninhabited atoll is in the south Pacific Ocean halfway between Hawaii and the Cook Islands. It was annexed by the U.S. in 1858, and is administered by  the Fish and Wildlife Service as part of the National Wildlife Refuge system.   Kingman Reef Total Area: 0.01 square miles (0.03 sq km) Population: Uninhabited Although it was discovered a few hundred years earlier, Kingman Reef was incorporated by the U.S. in 1922. Its incapable of sustaining plant life, and is considered a maritime hazard, but its location in the Pacific Ocean had strategic value during World War II. Its administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as the  Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument. Midway Islands Total Area: 2.4 square miles (6.2 sq km) Population: There are no permanent inhabitants on the islands but caretakers periodically live on the islands. Midway is nearly at the halfway point between North America and Asia, hence its name. Its the only island in the Hawaiian archipelago which is not part of Hawaii. Its administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The U.S. formally took possession of Midway in 1856.   The Battle of Midway was one of the most important between the Japanese and the U.S. in World War II. In May 1942, the Japanese planned an invasion of Midway Island which would provide a base for attacking Hawaii. But the Americans intercepted and decrypted the Japanese radio transmissions.  On June 4, 1942, U.S. aircraft flying from USS Enterprise, USS Hornet, and USS Yorktown attacked and sunk four Japanese carriers, forcing the Japanese to withdraw. The Battle of Midway marked the turning point of World War II in the Pacific. Navassa Island Total Area: 2 square miles (5.2 sq km) Population: Uninhabited   Located in the Caribbean 35 miles west of Haiti, Navassa Island is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The U.S. claimed possession of Navassa in 1850, although Haiti has disputed this claim. A group of Christopher Columbus crewmen happened on the island in 1504 on their way from Jamaica to Hispanola, but discovered Navassa had no fresh water sources. Northern Mariana Islands Total Area: 184 square miles (477 sq km) Population: 52,344  (2015 estimate) Officially known as the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, this string of 14 islands is in the Micronesia collection of islands in the Pacific Ocean, between Palau, the Philippines and Japan.   The Northern Mariana Islands have a tropical climate, with December through May as the dry season, and July to October the monsoon season. The largest island in the territory, Saipan, is in the Guinness Book of Records for having the worlds most equable temperature, at 80 degrees year round. The Japanese had possession of the Northern Marianas until the U.S. invasion in 1944.   Palmyra Atoll Total Area: 1.56 square miles (4 sq km) Population: Uninhabited Palmyra is an incorporated territory of the U.S., subject to all provisions of the Constitution, but its also an unorganized territory, so theres no Act of Congress on how Palmyra should be governed. Located halfway between Guam and Hawaii, Palmyra has no permanent residents, and is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Puerto Rico Total Area: 3,151 square miles (8,959 sq km) Population: 3, 474,000  (2015 estimate) Puerto Rico is the easternmost island of the Greater Antilles in the Caribbean Sea, about 1,000  miles southeast of Florida and just east of the Dominican Republic and west of the U.S. Virgin Islands. Puerto Rico is a commonwealth, a territory of the U.S. but not a state. Puerto Rico seceded from Spain in  1898, and Puerto Ricans have been citizens of the United States since a law was passed in 1917. Even though they are citizens, Puerto Ricans pay no federal income tax and they can not vote for president. U.S. Virgin Islands Total Area: 136 square miles (349 sq km) Population: 106,405  (2010 estimate) The islands that make up the U.S. Virgin Islands archipelago in the Caribbean  are St. Croix, St. John and St. Thomas, as well as other minor islands. The USVI became a U.S. territory in 1917, after the U.S. signed a treaty with Denmark. The territorys capital is Charlotte Amalie on St. Thomas. The USVI elect a delegate to Congress, and while the delegate can vote in committee, he or she cant participate in floor votes. It has its own state legislator and elects a territorial governor every four years. Wake Islands Total Area: 2.51 square miles (6.5 sq km) Population: 94  (2015 estimate) Wake Island is a coral atoll in the western Pacific Ocean 1,500 miles east of Guam, and 2,300 miles west of Hawaii. Its an unorganized, unincorporated territory is also claimed by the Marshall Islands. It was claimed by the U.S. in 1899, and is administered by the U.S. Air Force.

What Shapes External Competitiveness (Compensation Strategy) Essay

What Shapes External Competitiveness (Compensation Strategy) - Essay Example 2. The degree of competitiveness being intense, increases in product prices would correspond to lowering of revenues, if undertaken. Thus most judicious producers would adopt a wait-and -watch attitude rather than take up indiscreet steps of hiking prices to serve short-term monetary interests Finally, coming to organizational structure, it is believed that whether the business is labour or capital intensive, technology driven or market driven- all contribute towards the kind of wage or compensation strategy that would be enforced. As a usual practice, firms that are reputed, technology driven and well entrenched pay higher than start ups and growing business houses. In the sphere of external competitiveness, that is wage bargaining, there are several factors which make their mark. The â€Å"comparing of compensation rates of one organization with that of its competitors† is what determines compensation strategy. The relevant compensation strategy that needs to be pursued. It is believed that â€Å"the organization’s plan for how compensation decisions on the types and amount of pay are made, based on the interests of the employees and keeping with the organization’s mission and competitive position in the market.† (Compensation and internal & external equity, 2008, para.3). Besides this, the level at which compensation is payable to staff, executive or top management level is also important as is the kind of individual contributions made by employees at these levels. Quality and quantity of performance, work commitment, loyalty for the cause of the organization and the ability to work harmoniously in a Compensation and internal & external equity. (2008).One step Compensation Framework. Retrieved June 17, 2010, from

Costa Coffee and the Coffee Industry in the UK Assignment

Costa Coffee and the Coffee Industry in the UK - Assignment Example The coffee industry in the UK is going through a period of growth and change. While Starbucks is one of the most familiar names in the industry, it is not the biggest or the most successful because Costa Coffee performs better. On a global scale, coffee remains the most popular beverage with approximately two billion cups consumed daily. The U.K alone consumes around 70 million cups of coffee daily (British Coffee Association, 2015). In comparison with several other European nations, the United Kingdom still stands out as one of the few countries that have favored instant coffee at the expense of other fresh coffee beans or fresh ground coffee considered of better quality. Even though consumers remain devoted to their preferred brands, the most important thing is the taste and quality of the instant coffee. Placing premiums on coffees brands is currently motivating instant coffee customers to consider the quality of taste as their preference before buying. In the year 2014, the intro duction of private labels for premium coffee had a positive influence on the status of micro-ground coffee, with customers of low-priced options switching to this brand due to its improved quality (Ukers, 2012). Costa Coffee has taken over the UK coffee industry, and with their unchanging traditional method of roasting their coffee beans slowly, the Bruno & Sergio brothers have served their customers with authentic blends of six Arabica beans to one Robusta in more than five hundred coffee shops globally.