The Physical Atmosphere in Faulkner’s Dry September :: Faulkner’s Dry September Essays

The Physical Atmosphere in Faulkner’s Dry September An anonymous patron in the barbershop at the beginning of â€Å"Dry September† makes one of the key statements in the short story: â€Å"It’s this durn weather. . . It’s enough to make a man do anything† (170). The patron sees the heat and drought as having possibly driven a black man to attack or offend a white woman. The idea that the weather has an effect on the townspeople is echoed at the end of the story when McLendon’s wife says, â€Å"I couldn’t sleep. . .The heat; something† (182). In both examples, the climactic conditions and external environment are seen as affecting the town dwellers’ behavior. The physical atmosphere, however, seems to be more a reflection of the emotional atmosphere of the townspeople than the cause of their agitation, as the barbershop patron would have us believe. In particular, the dust that pervades the story can be seen as a reflection of the dried-up, monotonous, and lonely existence of Minn ie Cooper. She lives with two old women, her sick mother and her â€Å"sallow, unflagging† aunt, and Minnie’s days are typically filled with nothing more than eating, napping, and going to shops in town to meet with other women haggling over prices for the fun of it (173). Minnie does not even have genuine friendships to enliven her â€Å"idle and empty† or dry and dusty days (175). Instead of establishing a female camaraderie between characters, Faulkner portrays relations between women as marked by tension and dissimulation; â€Å"one of those bitter inexplicable (to the man mind) amicable enmities which occur between women† (156, Absalom, Absalom!). As Minnie’s presumed friends during girlhood become women, they take pleasure in the fact that Minnie’s transition to womanhood marks the end of her days as a social butterfly; Faulkner calls it the pleasure of â€Å"retaliation† (174). The neighbors she visits on Christmas, women â€Å"friendsâ⠂¬  most likely, revel in the opportunity to tell her of how well her former love-interest is doing without her in Memphis, â€Å"watching with bright, secret eyes her haggard bright face† (175). When Minnie is having a fit of uncontrollable laughter at the end, the women she is with act solicitous and kind, smoothing her hair and saying â€Å"poor girl† to her, but this is shown to be dissimulation—they smooth her hair, not to comfort her, but to look for signs of graying, and between the expressions of compassion spoken in Minnie’s hearing, they speculate furtively over the veracity of her claim (182).

Shakespeare – Do you Agree?

Shakespeare Is considered to have made more contributions to the English language more than any other source. He used 17 677 words of which he created 1 700 words. Assignation Amazement Bloody Bump Critic Eventful Generous Invulnerable Laughable Majestic Road Spark Submerge Suspicious Once more into the breach Break the Ice Clothes make the man Every dog will have his day Fair play Heart of gold Mind's eye The course of true love never did run smooth Wear one's heart on one's sleeve Do You Agree?Has human nature remained the same? What 20th century situations and problems could not be presented in Shakespeare? I believe there are many reasons to believe that Shakespeare is still relevant today, UT that doesn't necessary mean that human nature has remained the same. Today, we are much more accepting of one another than back in the Elizabethan Era. When one does one not socially acceptable in public, we do not banish them or send them to their death.If one does not please us, we do thr ough away their hopes and dreams, and end their career. What we do do is care for one another and give them respect. Sure, our nature for feeling emotions and how they might make us react have remained the same, but that is a natural aspect of being human; we have motions and emotions take effect on us, though how we deal with those emotions and how we treat the others that influence us have changed.There are many 20th century situations and problems that could not be presented in Shakespeare, but not so much as a situation, but how the situation flows out and takes place. We have a more modern way of dealing with conflicts, rather than sending one another to their death. We use our technology and knowledge and our modern laws. I believe that humans are still the same, but in a very different way.

Recruitment, Selection, Performance Appraisal Essay

Recruitment Finding the right people for the job is one challenge all managers and organizations share. While managers may have the ability to redesign or adjust jobs to fit the available people, the usual challenge is the reverse. Thus, a first important step in the recruitment, selection, and placement process is undertaking a job analysis. This helps ensure you know what the employee must know and do (job requirements) and under what circumstances. There are several common mistakes one can make in the recruitment phase, including: †¢Restricting the pool of qualified candidates by using a poor search strategy and/or approach. An example is exclusive reliance on either internal or external recruitment no matter the position or available candidates. Another is failing to include a good array of sources to ensure a strong â€Å"talent pool.† †¢Writing a position description that does not match the job. This happens most frequently when there has been no careful analysis of the job and/or when there is no second level review of the analysis to help ensure accuracy. †¢Writing position postings/advertisements that are overly broad or are inappropriately restrictive. An example is when everything in a posting is â€Å"preferred† or everything is â€Å"required.† For those who are hiring managers the issue of whether to recruit/promote from within (internal recruiting) will likely be a familiar one. There are numerous advantages, including development of â€Å"career ladders† that help with employee retention. Simply put, a career ladder is one that plans and enables advancement up the levels of an organization. Internal recruiting can also help organizations preserve and protect critical knowledge, values, and practices. Transitions can be smoother, with less negative impact on productivity. Look more:  recruitment and selection process essay One thing organizations can and should do when wishing to leverage internal talent is to inventory the knowledge, skills, experiences, interests, and abilities of their employees. When the organization has the needed financial and technology resources, these can captured electronically in a knowledge management or human resource information system (HRIS). Performance appraisals, when done well, can also prove rich and useful sources of information about employee  interests and potential. An exclusive reliance on internal recruiting has its potential disadvantages. One is that there may be no one in the organization who has the knowledge and skills for either new initiatives or those where there is no room for downtime or training. Another is that it may be difficult for the organization to refresh its talent pool and learn by recruiting those with diverse knowledge, experiences, abilities, and perspectives. Selection Selecting the best candidate for a position is both a critical management function and one that can be difficult. It is useful to begin by recognizing that there is no failsafe method of ensuring the right choice is made. Mistakes happen regularly and the consequences for all parties can be enormous. As Bohlander & Snell (2009, p. 254) report the average cost of a mismatch has been estimated at anywhere from $20,000 to $100,000 for intermediate and senior positions. This is just the financial cost and does not consider the frequent emotional and even physical distress bad hiring decisions can have on the candidate, other employees, an organization and manager’s reputation, and beyond. As discussed in the section above, an important first step is to conduct a careful job analysis that provides as much information about what knowledge, skills, abilities, experiences, preferences, etc. will lead to success. Ensuring a good match between important organizational and candidate values is also a critical and sometimes forgotten factor. To illustrate this point, it is useful to envisage a candidate who is seeking an improved quality and balance in his/her personal life walking into an organization with â€Å"Whatever it takes!† posted strategically on the potential supervisor’s door. Cascio (2010) offers a good summary and discussion of the importance of ensuring reliability and validity of the information obtained during the selection and staffing process (see Chapter 7). The goal is to work to ensure sound and consistent judgments/results no matter the people, time, and/or tools used in the selection process. The risk in failing to attend to these concerns is not only a poor selection decision but also a possible legal challenge. You will find the overview on staffing and selection methods (Cascio, Chapter 7) and tools interesting and useful when preparing your week 5 assignm ent. Those who work for small firms might be surprised by the  array of tools and tests in current use. Some, like graphology (Cascio, p. 247), are not generally accepted by U.S. academic experts and others present sufficient problems (eg., polygraphs) they are either not used widely or are not viewed as reliable sources of information (eg., reference checks). Interviews remain an important selection method, with those that use a structured process viewed as most effective and appropriate. Those wanting a smile during your research and writing process should read the â€Å"Top Five Biggest Mistakes Candidates Make During Job Interviews.† And, of course, everyone will want to be sure to avoid illegal questions when conducting employment interviews. This resource serves as a useful reminder of what to avoid: http://employment.findlaw.com/employment/employment-employee-hiring/employment-employee-hiring-overview.html Employee Performance Appraisal Just these words can send a shiver down many if not most people’s spines! Even in modern organizations with well trained and resourced managers, it is safe to say that a large percentage do not like this part of their job and/or feel they do it poorly (on this, see Cascio citing Grensing-Pophal (2001) and Sandberg (2007)). One sad thing about this is that assessment and feedback are so important for improved performance and, ultimately, for creating a workplace where people want to be. Another is that so much is known about what to do and to avoid but this information does not seem to have found its way in a systematic or consumable format into the hands of practicing managers. Cascio provides a summary of what is known from the study of this subject and you can find much more in professional and scholarly management journals in the UMUC electronic databases. Of the numerous things to remember when evaluating the performance of an employee, three are critically important: â₠¬ ¢Evaluate only what is required to do the job †¢Ensure the employee has a written copy of expectations and standards at the beginning of the period when performance will be reviewed †¢Use observable and measurable standards – rely on evidence-based assessment AND maintain records (document †¦ document †¦ document!) (Bohlander & Snell, 2010, p.  369). Time is a frequent enemy of effective performance appraisals. There never seems to be enough of it to plan, prepare, meet, review, write, discuss, and follow up. Thus, it is common to cut corners. An example is waiting until the end of an evaluation cycle to discuss performance for the entire year. Sometimes that discussion never even happens and the entire process is handled as a paper/e-mail transaction. Imagine the message this sends to employees about their relative importance to the organization! Yet most of us who have been managers have probably both had this done to us and do it to others. Also often related to time shortages, managers and employees find themselves at the end of a review cycle with no concrete documentation to support their views. The potential for reliance on recent or certain events is great in such circumstances and this can result in unfair and/or inequitable reviews. Avoiding behavior is also quite common. Surprises are the consequence. Conflict, whether direct or indirect, is likely. A recommended standard is that there should be no surprises in a performance review discussion or document. Sometimes, this happens when those being evaluated are not good listeners but in many more cases, managers have not invested the time needed to plan for and then communicate expectations or provide timely feedback. Depending upon the method and process used, concerns about ensuring fairness and equity can occur and can serve as constraints on a good evaluation process and outcome. Imposed rating quotas and caps can cause this to happen, especially when they are either not known or are announced at the end of an evaluation period. As you systematically and critically analyze your performance assessment systems this week, you will find it useful to review carefully the information Cascio and other sources you find provide, being sure to objectively consider both strengths and possible limitations of the available alternatives. As you will see, there are no prescribed rules about who should be involved in the evaluation process and there is no single method that works for all organizations. People often think a 360-degree appraisal is optimal. If the organization and people are well prepared such a system can be great. If not, it can be, and often has been, a disaster. Speaking of which, there are numerous sources of potential error when conducting an appraisal. Cascio discusses some of them (halo error, contrast error, recency error) (pp. 356 – 357). If you have worked for a while in  different organizations it is quite likely you will have observed some of these in practice. They are both common and often difficult to avoid. Training, increased awareness, and self-management are important in avoiding and/or limiting the possible negative consequences of these rating errors. As Cascio writes, performance appraisal systems MUST have these characteristics: relevance, sensitivity, and reliability and SHOULD also be acceptable and practical (p. 335). A review of this discussion is strongly recommended. In my experience many systems fail on all counts. People are evaluated on factors not directly relevant to their success or that of the organization. It is difficult to differentiate between and among employees using the system and as a result everyone gets rated about the same. Different raters evaluating the same person and behavior arrive at different conclusions and the view of those more senior often prevails. Managers don’t really accept the system. And, finally, the system is so onerous everyone waits until the last possible minute to do this task hoping it will somehow make it more bearable. The three major types of performance assessment used in most organizations are those that focus on the following factors: a) Individual characteristics or traits b) Behaviors c) Results As Cascio explains, there are several methods that organizations and their managers use. You should discover the one that is the closest fit to the method used in your own organization. It is important to recognize that each method has advantages and disadvantages. While organizations may design and employ a hybrid, it is likely behaviors or results will be relatively more important when evaluating performance and determining consequences. It is common to hear arguments in favor of a results-based approach. There are, however, some essential preconditions for this to work. One is an understanding that this does not mean â€Å"results at any cost.† Another is to find a way to recognize those who may have a difficult time demonstrating how what they do on a daily basis contributes directly to organizational goals. This concern applies especially to those at lower levels in an organizational hierarchy. To summarize, designing and conducting effective performance appraisals is something all managers have to do, whether using a  formal or informal method. There are available alternatives and each has its pros and cons. The secrets to success are relatively simple: †¢Begin by establishing a common understanding of what is required to do the job. †¢Establish and carefully communicate expectations and standards for performance. †¢Set performance goals and milestones and monitor and discuss progress throughout the year. †¢Maintain good records.  Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Avoid surprises.   Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Set aside sufficient time to plan and focus on each employee when meeting to discuss performance. †¢Treat employees with respect and remember to engage them in the process and recognize both accomplishments and areas needing improvement. †¢Use appraisal as an opportunity to examine and explore opportunities for future growth and development. †¢In other words, focus primarily on what will happen rather than what has happened. For those who are interested, this is a video that demonstrates what NOT to do during a performance review meeting: http://polaris.umuc.edu/cvu/amba602/home.html And here is one of several examples from the Web of a well organized and implemented appraisal meeting: ________________________________________ References Bohlander, G., & Snell, S. ( 2010). Managing human resources. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. Cascio, W. (2010). Managing human resources: Productivity, quality of work life, profits. NY: McGraw-Hill Irwin. Written by: Christina A. Hannah, Ph.D.

Of Death and Dying essays

Of Death and Dying essays Although for the religious person death can be viewed as a joyful passing from this natural life to an eternal spiritual existence, the subject of death is still not easy to address. Our lives hold so many hopes, dreams, and plans, and when death comes, it means a sure end to all that we had hoped to accomplish, and all that we have done. Relationships will no longer enrich us, and the loved one, although believing to pass on into eternal bliss, often passes through a gateway of pain or disease When we experience a major loss, grief is the normal and natural way our mind and body react. Although everyone grieves differently, a common pattern has been identified of 5 specific stages of the grieving process. Someone experiencing grief moves through this series of emotional stages which include shock, numbness, guilt, anger and denial. Physical responses can accompany these steps in the grieving process. They can include: sleeplessness, inability to eat or concentrate, lack of energy, and lack of interest in activities previously enjoyed. Finally, time always plays an important role in the grieving process. As the days, weeks and months go by, the person who is experiencing loss moves through emotional and physical reactions that normally lead back toward acceptance, healing and getting on with life as fully as possible. Sometimes a person can become emotionally overwhelmed in the grieving process, and stay locked on one of the staged for a prolonged period of time. There is no set time table for this process, and one often completes one step, and after time passes, cycles through the same step when different memories surface regarding the deceased. Serious losses are never easy to deal with, but someone who is having trouble beginning to actively re-engage in life after a few months should consider getting professional help. For example, if continual depression o...

Concentration Definition (Chemistry)

Concentration Definition (Chemistry) In chemistry, the word concentration relates to the components of a mixture or solution. Here is the definition of concentration and a look at different methods used to calculate it. Concentration Definition In chemistry, concentration refers to the amount of a substance per defined space. Another definition is that concentration is the ratio of solute in a solution to either solvent or total solution. Concentration usually is expressed in terms of mass per unit volume. However, the solute concentration may also be expressed in moles or units of volume. Instead of volume, concentration may be per unit mass. While usually applied to chemical solutions, concentration may be calculated for any mixture. Two related terms are concentrated and dilute. Concentrated refers to chemical solutions that have high concentrations of a large amount of solute in the solution. Dilute solutions contains a small amount of solvent compared with the amount of solvent. If a solution is concentrated to the point where no more solute will dissolve in the solvent, it is said to be saturated. Unit Examples of Concentration: g/cm3, kg/l, M, m, N, kg/L How to Calculate Concentration Concentration is determined mathematically by taking the mass, moles, or volume of solute and dividing it by the mass, moles, or volume of the solution (or less commonly, the solvent). Some examples of concentration units and formulas include: Molarity (M) - moles of solute / liters of solution (not solvent!)Mass Concentration (kg/m3 or g/L) - mass of solute / volume of solutionNormality (N) - grams active solute / liters of solutionMolality (m) - moles of solute / mass of solvent (not mass of solution!)Mass Percent (%) - mass solute / mass solution x 100% (mass units are the same unit for both solute and solution)Volume Concentration (no unit) - volume of solute / volume of mixture (same units of volume for each)Number Concentration (1/m3) - number of entities (atoms, molecules, etc.) of a component divided by the total volume of the mixtureVolume Percent (v/v%) - volume solute / volume solution x 100% (solute and solution volumes are in the same units)Mole Fraction (mol/mol) - moles of solute / total moles of species in the mixtureMole Ratio (mol/mol) - moles of solute / total moles of all other species in the mixtureMass Fraction (kg/kg or parts per) - mass of one fraction (could be multiple solutes) / total mass of the mixture Mass Ratio (kg/kg or parts per) - mass of solute / mass of all other constituents in the mixturePPM (parts per million) - a 100 ppm solution is 0.01%. The parts per notation, while still in use, has largely been replaced by mole fraction.PPB (parts per billion) - typically used to express contamination of dilute solutions Some units may be converted from one to another, however, its not always a good idea to convert between units based on the volume of solution to those based on mass of solution (or vice versa) because volume is affected by temperature. Strict Definition of Concentration In the strictest sense, not all means of expressing the composition of a solution or mixture are termed concentration. Some sources only consider mass concentration, molar concentration, number concentration, and volume concentration to be true units of concentration. Concentration Versus Dilution Another common usage of the term concentration refers to how concentrated a solution is. A concentrated solution contains as much solute as it can hold. Chemists often prefer to call such a solution saturated. In contrast, a solution that contains few solute particles is said to be dilute. In order to concentrate a solution, either more solute particles must be added or some solvent must be removed. If the solvent is nonvolatile, a solution may be concentrated by evaporating or boiling off solvent. Dilutions are made by adding solvent to a more concentrated solution. Its common practice to prepare a relatively concentrated solution, called a stock solution, and use it to prepare more dilute solutions. This practice results in better precision than simply mixing up a dilute solution because it can be difficult to obtain an accurate measurement of a tiny amount of solute. Serial dilutions are used to prepare extremely dilute solutions. To prepare a dilution, stock solution is added to a volumetric flask and then diluted with solvent to the mark. Source IUPAC, Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 2nd ed. (the Gold Book) (1997).

EXEGESIS PAPER Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

EXEGESIS PAPER - Essay Example So the words used of the different translations have the same meaning: the speaker or sufferer feels he is abandoned or deserted because of the suffering and anguish. Words used in the first verse instantly provide a description of suffering: anguish, groaning, roaring, and the phrases â€Å"desperately for help†, â€Å"come to my rescue†, â€Å"far from saving me†, all reveal a desperate situation asking for instant help and rescue. Verses 22 and 23 speak of banquet or meeting, assembly, and the phrases â€Å"I will praise you,† â€Å"I will tell of your name to my brothers,† â€Å"glorify him,† â€Å"fear the Lord†, â€Å"praise him, all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him, all ye the seed of Israel†. All these reveal that the sufferer – Jesus Christ – on the cross feels he is comforted and saved by the presence of the Father in him. After the â€Å"abandonment† feeling, there is comfort and joy. Psalm 22 is a collection of songs originally for the Temple of Jerusalem. The Levites had a role in compiling these songs which David composed. As time went by, the psalms were recited or sang as a form of prayer or lamentation. The psalms formed the prayer of ancient Israel, but today they are the foundation of Christian liturgical prayer, used by Christians and the laity alike.1 These are useful prayer when we would like to converse with God, or listen to him instead of talking. Reciting the psalms is a form of listening to him. God whispers to our souls through his songs. Verses 1-21 are prophecies of Jesus’ suffering in Calvary. But it was written a thousand years before it actually happened. This is a great revelation of God – the Scriptures as inspired by the Holy Spirit. Only God can tell an event a thousand years before it happens and with such an unmistakable accuracy.2 The psalm may have been written by David when Saul was

Reflective Log in Social Work Practice (FOUR Reflective Logs 750 Words Essay

Reflective Log in Social Work Practice (FOUR Reflective Logs 750 Words Each) - Essay Example Through my own prerogative, I was able to develop, implement and introduce troubleshooting strategies that made my friend re-consider taking an abortion. These strategies can also be used in other case scenarios. I realised the value and need to equip myself with technical information and methodologies in handling more complex tasks like teenage pregnancy. Young people like me should be aware of such social work concepts to be able to analyse these social problems with young people who are experiencing such concern. I should have approached her boyfriend in a more informal way rather than in an accusing manner, especially in the idea of having an abortion. Being the father of the unborn child, he should be man enough to face his responsibilities. He should have been more supportive in this critical moment of her life. I would call my friend’s parents, who are working abroad, and inform them of their daughter’s current situation. It is possible that my friend is somehow not getting the attention that she needed from her parents so instead relied on the presence of her boyfriend and friends. Although she has friends and guardians to support her, my friend would still need the support of her parents that would assure her that despite what happened they still love and would take care of her and her unborn child. There is a need to have a community-based institution or â€Å"teenage clinic† that could handle the growing need number of local teenage pregnancy. A school nurse, health visitor or youth worker might be able to help give ideas for setting up the clinic. Young people like me should be encouraged and involved in this kind of social work endeavour. There is a need to increase the youth’s awareness on teenage pregnancy. Schools, healthcare institutions and the local government should educate adolescents the effects of teenage pregnancy, means to which it can be avoided and how this issue can be disseminated. Five years ago, my neighbourhood