In the Time of the Butterflies By Julia Alvaraz Essay

Organizational Patterns: In the Time of the Butterflies is organized into three parts—Part I, Part II, and Part III. These parts are followed by an Epilogue critical to the story. Each part of the book consists of four chapters, each chapter is told by a different narrator. The narrators are the four Mirabal sisters (aka the butterflies), Dede, Minerva, Maria Teresa, and Patria. As each chapter changes narrators, bits and pieces of the story are revealed as each different personality finds different facts important. Dede, Minerva, and Patria all use a standard narration, but Maria’s narration is related through her journal: she includes drawings, dates, pictures, and more trivial and personal experiences of her days. Maria’s chapters add something a little unique and therefore contribute to the creativity and interest of the story. Narrator: Dede is the leading character as she is the only sister who is not claimed by the martyrdom. The narration begins in second person with Dede in her current time (1994), relating the story of the butterflies by going back in time. Each sister then begins taking her turn, rotating chapters, narrating in first person. With Dede, Minerva, Patria, and Maria all taking a turn by chapter, each girl’s distinct personality and voice adds variety and excitement to the book. The story then does well to validate a large audience who will most likely find some of themselves in a particular sister, or in the sisters combined. Themes: Sacrifice – The central theme of this book is sacrifice; sacrificing oneself for the greater good, for others, and for one’s country. Throughout the entire novel the Mirabal sisters are exemplars of this as they sacrifice of their time, energy, and hearts to help not only the ones they love, but the many strangers about them who are suffering political injustice and violence. Minerva, who becomes a political icon and some sort of a hero because of her fighting spirit and call to action, consistently sacrifices herself in her combat of injustice, and expects the same of those around her. Her sisters follow her lead in sacrificing themselves through her persuasion and passion for what is right. Political Control – The book resonates with political chains and injustice. All people in the Dominican Republic in this time period, the early and middle 1900’s, lived in constant fear of the way they spoke and the way they lived. The dictator of the time—Trujillo—had planted spies and technology within hearing range of most public homes. If for any reason Trujillo was to suspect a person or family of political disloyalty the suspects would disappear, being sent to either prison or their death. Throughout the book superficiality and fear are continually exhibited through the public who are forced to worship and praise a bloodthirsty dictator or fear for their lives. Loyalty – Many different forms of loyalty are addressed in the book through those fighting for freedom and those fighting for power. The Mirabal family displays strong loyalty and love as they do not allow a political system to tear them apart. At all costs they fight for one another and prove the importance of family, devotion, and forgiveness. The opposing side also displays a different kind of loyalty as loyalty is forced through fear. The superficial loyalty of the government stands in stark contrast to the chosen loyalty of friends and family members. Identity – There is a strong sense of identity throughout the book as each Mirabal sisters’ personality and value system is related in the different chapters. There is an obvious struggle in each sister as she must determine who she is, which side she is on, and what she will stand for. Detailed and intimate conflicts are related as each girl interacts with the people around her, and decides the kind of life she will lead. Choosing the course that is best for all and contributes to the greater good, rather than focusing on just the individual, is stressed. Each sister succeeds in finding a strong and accomplishing individuality through the help and encouragement of each other. Regret and inner battles are something each girl deals with immensely as she struggles to choose the right course for herself, and her conscience. High contribution and expectation are placed upon each sister as they succeed in living up to a strong sense of purpose and identity. Setting: The setting of the book takes place in the Dominican Republic. Because the book relates two different time periods as Dede gives the present view and the relation of the story by going back in time, the time periods and situations do change. When Dede goes back in time the years are 1938-1960 where dictator Trujillo has control of the country. In this setting the political unrest and fear of the people are very high. The Mirabals begin as a regular family who then gradually become famous in this time period through their noncompliance with the government and â€Å"radical† political views. Dede also relates her present circumstances in the year 1994 throughout the book. In this this time period the effect and fame of the Mirabals are related as current political icons and martyrs in a now free Dominican Republic. The two different settings accomplish cause and effect. The cause of the Mirabals is related in the first setting and time period of the book, and the effect of their action is displayed in the second and current time period for Dede. Tone: The tone of the book is one of action and enjoyment. As the Mirabal sisters choose a dangerous and outspoken course the book becomes very high spirited. Through many adventures, love stories, relationships, and sorrows, reader is called to a more active lifestyle with high expectation. While the book deals with very dangerous situations ultimately resulting in death, somehow it is also able to keep a tone of love, loyalty, and pleasure through the optimism and energy of the sisters. A tone of willpower definitely comes forth, most highly exemplified through the character of Minerva. Foreshadowing: As the main narrator Dede relates the story of the butterflies through a second person narration as a moment in history, and because she is relating history she knows where the story will go and how it ends. This being the case, there are many moments of foreshadowing through flashbacks as Dede remembers certain parts of the story. Following are a few examples of Dede’s foreshadowing: Chapter 1 -Dede’s garden (year 1994) foreshadows the ending of her sisters, or â€Å"the butterflies†, when she realizes she has accidentally, â€Å"snipped her prize butterfly orchid† (5). -A foreshadowing of the history Dede experienced when she hears a car door slam and jumps, â€Å"Any Dominican of a certain generation would have jumped at that gunshot sound† (5). -Foreshadowed is the inability to freely express oneself in the historical time period to be told, â€Å"Words repeated, distorted, words recreated by those who might bear them a grudge, words stitched to words until they are the winding sheet the family will be buried in when their bodies are found dumped in a ditch, their tongues cut off for speaking too much† (10). The sisters all take part in foreshadowing their future martyrdom as political unrest and their involvement proceed: -Maria comments in her journal early on of her most radical sister Minerva, â€Å"I swear my older sister will be the death of me!† (39) Minerva does end up swaying Maria into the underground fight that ultimately does result in her death. -After the first couple encounters with the dangerous Trujillo, Minerva writes of her family, â€Å"We sit silently, listening to the rain on the thatched roof, a numb, damp, fatalistic feeling among us. Something has started none of us can stop† (116). -As Dede scolds her niece (Minerva’s daughter) at the present time about being on the road at night, she thinks, â€Å"If their mothers had only waited until the next morning to drive back over that deserted mountain road, they might still be alive to scold their own daughters about the dangers of driving at night† (173). -And Minerva as she is feeling the end near, â€Å"Certainly there was something suspicious in his granting us these privileges. But all I felt was numb, resigned, sitting in that stuffy office. Not only was there nothing in the world we could do to save the men, there was nothing in the world we could do to save ourselves either† (283). The sisters are murdered the next month. Affective Issues Related to the Work: Peer Pressure – There are ample amounts of peer pressure as these sisters face a highly energized time where every person must choose a side. Minerva is the sister that gives the most pressure to her other sisters as she works at persuading them to be strong and join her cause. The most inner conflict is seen in the character of Dede as she is torn by what her husband believes and what Minerva believes. Both are fighting for her loyalty. Dede wants to please everyone but finds that it is an impossible task. She is continually swayed back and forth as she battles her conscience about what side she should join. She feels she must be loyal to her husband and his opinion to stay out of the political issues, but then she feels a call morally to join her sister Minerva who is fighting against evil. She never quite finds the solution or a single path to follow, but ends up finding a good in between for herself. This is the more realistic case in most people’s world, and theref ore brings a strong sense of humanness as Dede experiences the power of influence, and the power of inner conscience. Most secondary students are dealing with the same issues and can relate to the pressures of pleasing both ourselves and others. Right and Wrong – There are many examples of people having to choose in quick moments between what is right and wrong. Minerva has an extremely strong sense of what is right and wrong and is continually fighting for fairness and truth. Patria is extremely religious and is guided always by her inner devotion to God. Maria is timid but consistently chooses a good path, and notices in others when they make bad or wrong choices. Dede also fights the same battle within to make choices that are right. All four girls are extremely guided by religion and doing what is right. Their complications and inner struggles are very real and relatable as each person ultimately chooses at some point the path they will choose. There are many good examples in the book of when one needs to stand up for what is right. All secondary students are battling with this same thing in their lives as they make decisions that will affect their character for the rest of their lives, and as they decide whether they will stand for what is right, or for what is wrong. Self Discovery – Because each sister is able to have her turn at narrating, there is a strong sense of self discovery as very personal details of their lives are included. Each girl explains her childhood and the many paths that were before them, and the reasons why they chose the paths they did. The strongest example of self discovery would lie in the character of Patria as she feels an extreme devotion to God as a young child. Because of her extremely large heart and faith she is sent to a religious school where she can be guided in becoming a nun if that is the path she would choose. She is extremely devoted to God and continues to be devoted as she experiences puberty and all things that come with it. Very personally, but not graphically, she relates her desire to be touched as stronger than her desire to become a nun. She chooses to love a man instead of becoming a nun, gets married to her love, and begins having children. She remains extremely faithful religiously and never regrets the path she chooses as she discovers the things she really wants from life. Vocabulary Issues: The book is fairly easy to read on terms of vocabulary; however Spanish is consistently mixed in throughout the book. The story does take place in the Dominican Republic, where the standard language is Spanish, so often Spanish expressions and words are used by the characters. Reader does not need to understand these words to understand the novel by any means, however understanding the few Spanish words would be helpful. It might be nice as a class to either go over the Spanish words together after each reading, or simply have a list typed of all the Spanish used in the book, with English translations for students to refer to as they read. There are a few words that are used repetitively and so should be addressed in the beginning. Males are often referred to as macho—the Spanish word for male. Also the butterflies are referred to as las mariposas—the Spanish word for butterflies. Background Knowledge: Author Julia Alvarez does a fantastic job at explaining the state of political unrest and depicting the power of a government run by a dictator in this historical novel. While background knowledge is not necessary because the book contains good recounting of the history in question with much explanation, background information could still be helpful. One’s interest may be peaked upon learning of the butterflies, the underground political system, Trujillo and his government etc†¦ and their actual role in history. Because the historical facts are so interesting it could be very fun to give a build up lesson or two teaching about dictators and government in general and the power they have successfully gained in the past. Followed by this general outline of government, the specific time period of the book could then be searched and taught about. The characters themselves would be very interesting to study and to learn of in a more historical and brief way before the book is read. This book offers many outside lessons as it deals with actual history, social problems, and real people. Many doors are opened for outside lessons to understand the novel more clearly. Implications for Students of Diversity: This is a great book for students of diversity as it takes place in a different country, with darker colored people, who speak a different language. The book is an experience that the majority of students in the class will be unfamiliar with. Because the majority of minorities in the United States right now are Spanish speakers, this book will be of more interest to them as the characters use Spanish throughout the book and are living in a Spanish culture. It is fun to read this book as a minority because these girls are heroines of a different ethnicity. It would also be helpful to have some of the Spanish speaking students in the class contribute in translating some of the words or explaining the culture for the class if they are acquainted with some of the traditions. This will be a good opportunity for these students of diversity to better acquaint themselves and their background with their classmates. It will also be a good opportunity for the majority of the class to experience and learn about a history and lifestyle other than their own. Gender Issues: Gender issues are addressed strongly throughout the book mainly because the main characters in the story are women. Not only are they women, they are women experiencing the mid 1900’s, they are outspoken, and they are extremely active in areas that women were not usually active in. Minerva time and time again undermines the authority of Trujillo, not just a male but also the leading dictator. The father of the Mirabal girls passionately loves his daughters, but often references to wishing he had sons as they are the preferred gender. Men are shown at their worst often in the story sometimes exuding a feministic tone. Maria continually includes in her journal how she hates men, as she has reason, having seen adultery committed by the men closest to her. Each sister is extremely independent often undermining any kind of authority their husbands â€Å"should† have. The sisters are extremely ahead of their time when it comes to the woman question, and it is referenced again and again throughout the novel. While there are hints of feminism throughout the novel, there is also an extreme devotion of the Mirabal sisters to their father and husbands. Forgiveness plays a key role in the relationships as it should in most relationships, and therefore does not truly exhibit negativity towards men or these relationships. The girls are strong, but still extremely loyal and loving of their male counterparts. The Central Question or Enduring Issue: The central question or enduring issue of this novel would have to do with choice. Each person chooses his or her path. Each person decides their own fate according to what is inside of them, and what the outside circumstances would require. In more of a question form perhaps, when does one act? When does one stand up and manifest who they are? Every person has agency and practices it each day. The Mirabal sisters chose a higher route. They used their agency to battle the fight against evil. They chose to make something of themselves bit by bit in every little decision they made that led to the big decisions in the end. Humans everywhere settle for mediocrity, but a better question might be, when is mediocrity not enough? When does one use his or her agency to accomplish something greater? The battle of right and wrong is everywhere, and the Mirabal sisters chose the path for right. Research Issues/Project Ideas: Because of the historical richness of the novel there are many opportunities for research papers. Students could research the dictator Trujillo, the history of government in the Dominican Republic, the time period, specific characters, the accuracy of the novel in comparison to the facts, the effect of the Mirabal sisters, whether the legend lives on etc†¦ Projects might include expressions of art using the theme of butterflies, or using the different personalities of each sister, characterization in the form of art or a paper on a favorite sister. Other options for papers are available in the form of a compare and contrast essay between the student and a chosen character, or two characters form the novel, a creative writing paper including a new character or an expansion of the chapters on one of the sisters, a paper on a chosen theme or issue, social problems could be studied, feminism could be written about, the relationships between the men and women could be written about etc†¦ The topics go on and on in this novel. Because of its perfect blend of characterization, plot, history, and social issues the opportunities seem endless! Informational/Functional Texts: Wikipedia gives a good intro and brief historical explanation of the book that might be a nice intro: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_the_Time_of_the_Butterflies This site gives a brief introduction to the government, history, and culture of the Dominican Republic to familiarize with the students: http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107475.html This is a good picture of a map to help students see where the Dominican Republic is located and how close it is to the United States: http://www.islandbrides.com/maps/loc_dominican_republic.gif This site gives a wonderful introduction to In the Time of the Butterflies historically, followed by facts about Trujillo’s bloody reign. The facts are both graphic and eye opening as the destruction one man caused is related. This makes the Mirabal sisters even more admirable as the ruthlessness of Trujillo is accessed here: http://gbs.glenbrook.k12.il.us/Academics/gbseng2/ButterfliesAlvarez/trujillobutterflies.htm This is a wonderful site that con tains pictures of the Mirabal sisters, explains their lives, and their martyrdoms. There is also a picture of their murderer available—Trujillo. There is an English and Spanish option to read and learn more about the lives of the heroines: http://www.learntoquestion.com/seevak/groups/2000/sites/mirabal/mainpage.html

Business Function Integration Paper

BUSINESS FUNCTION INTEGRATION PAPER The Business Function Integration Paper is a 2 page paper where students provided insight as to how functional areas of a business or organization integrate to drive firm performance. Students are required to describe how their functional area of study (1) drives firm performance directly, (2) integrates with another functional area to drive firm performance, and (3) determines the success of the other functional area in the business. Tangible examples from current events are required for each point listed above.This assignment will require an understanding of multiple functional areas and how they integrate to determine firm outcomes. Please format the paper as Times New Roman, 10 point font, double spaced, with one inch margins. TRAIT| Fails to Meet Standards| Meets Standards| Exceeds Standards| Score| Properly Defines Functional Area(10 pts. )| Incorrectly defines functional area. | Provides a proper definition of the subject functional area. | Provides a holistic definition of functional area including relevant examples and their application. | Identifies Functional Area Responsibilities(10 pts. )| Identifies few, if any, responsibilities. | Identifies multiple responsibilities. | Identifies a comprehensive integrated set of responsibilities. | | Properly Identifies Linkages toFirm Performance(15 pts. )| Identifies few, if any, linkages with few, if any examples. | Identifies multiple linkages and provides relevant examples. | Identifies multiple linkages, describes their influence on firm performance, and provides relevant examples and their application. | | Identifies Integration withAnother Functional Area(15 pts. | Identifies a single linkage and example with another functional area. | Identifies multiple linkages and examples with another functional area. | Identifies comprehensive integrated linkages including relevant and insightful examples to another functional area. | | Identifies Linkages to Success of Other Fu nctional Areas(15 pts. )| Provides few, if any, instances of how the focal functional area leads to success of another functional area. | Provides multiple instances of how the focal functional area leads to success of another functional area. | Provides multiple comprehensive examples of how he focal functional area leads to success of another functional area. | | Quality of Written Work(35 pts. )| Paper includes multiple issues with respect to grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Paper is not in assignment context. | Paper includes some issues with respect to grammar, spelling, or punctuation. Paper is written to the standard of KSBI. Paper addresses assignment adequately. | Paper includes few, if any, issues with respect to grammar, spelling, or punctuation. Paper is written to the standard of KSBI. Paper offers novel insight into assignment topic area| | Comments| Total Score|

Scientific Management in Mcdonald’s Operation

This is an essay about scientific management in McDonald’s operation, I believe the largest fast food McDonald’s is the most successful model on scientific management. Scientific management is a branch of classical approach; Taylor said scientific management is standardisation which means people in organization should be uniformed by company rules or policy which are some written documents. Scientific management is a very important part in management area, since look at the history of management. People are living in different groups such as school, factory, hospital and company etc. If there is no group to organize people’s life, then our society won’t be developed so far. But only organize people is not enough, we also need to manage those people to do their job more efficient. So scientific management is a system learns from previous experience. The reason we using McDonald’s example in this assignment, because it’s the largest fast food organization in the world and also it the most successful case for scientific management. McDonald’s management system is perfectly following scientific management system from producing to selling, even though McDonald’s brother never studied ‘scientific management’ (Eric, 2001, p. 9). McDonald’s is the largest franchising cooperation in the world, so it must deeply understand the concept ‘copy’ and ‘standardization’. In the rest of the essay I would like to write this topic with indentify four key scientific management concepts, and how th ey applied in McDonald’s case. Also I am going to discuss four critical arguments according to those four concepts. Treat people like a machine is one of the concepts in scientific management. By my own understanding, this concept means letting people to do the same job again and again to maximising organizational profit. As Hawthorne said management system of treating people like a machine will improve the productivity efficiently. ( Campling, J. , Poole, D. , Wiesner, R. , Ang, E. S. , Chan, B. , Tan, W. , & Schermerhorn, J. R. , 2008, p 95). People working in McDonald’s must follow its instruction to do the job, normally one person in one position. People don’t have to move too much steps in their work place. McDonald’s has their own ‘Made for you’ system, which means they make fresh when you order. For example, when custom order a ‘big mac’ combo, people who making buns will toast the bun and pass it on to the person who making burgers, and wrapping it up ready for the custom. People who dose fries will put it into the box, finally people who in the front counter puts all these together for the customer. Everyone in McDonald’s just dose their job and pass it to the next. Each person repeatable does their own job for that shift. So working in McDonald’s doesn’t need too much skill, but a highly repeatable job, and this is the main point of scientific management. Efficient achievement of clear organizational goals is another main concept of scientific management, as Taylor said ‘management should maximum benefits for both employers and employees’ (Campling, J. , Poole, D. , Wiesner, R. , Ang, E. S. , Chan, B. , Tan, W. , & Schermerhorn, J. R. , 2008, p 91 ). Therefore, employer’s benefit is getting maximum profit by minimum cost. Scientific ordering people to do the job is the essential element in scientific management, for example, two people equally to do one project may not do it efficiently. However, if we order one person to do the main part, the other one as the supporter then the result would be more efficient. That is scientific distribution. In another word, the managers need to clearly understand organizational goals and efficiently achieve it no matter what method they use. (John, 1982, p 159). In McDonald’s case, their goal is making maximum burgers in certain time; therefore, scientific management instead of people management is the only way to reach this goal. In New Zealand, more and more 24hrs McDonald’s opened in last 5 years, I remember in 2002, McDonald’s in New Zealand normally open from 7am to 10pm. From 2005, McDonald’s started using ‘Made for you’ system; this is a classical scientific system since employee must follow particular instruction making the food, therefore, this system save 80% waste compare with before. The big saving is also the profits for the organization. In other way, this improves the efficiency of the achievement. Every organization has its own policy and procedures; they are standardising and consisting the company by these policies and procedures. Policy and procedure are some written documents. Organize a small group may use people management, since there is a certain size to limit; however, if only use people management to manage large company like McDonald’s won’t be that easy. Scientific management will be perfectly suit large organization; McDonald’s is the most successful case in the management world. McDonald’s regulate each product in certain cooking time, for example, 3 minutes for fries, chicken patty for 100 seconds, 9 pieces 10:1 patties each grill, and 6 for 4:1 patty. So every crew in McDonald’s learning all these procedures by doing their job. Each of them follows the procedure and supervisor’s instruction to make sure keeping the same standard of McDonald’s all around the world. The result of the costing price dropped with a huge number since people clearly follows the procedure; so today custom can enjoy the same quality of service at any McDonald’s in the world. People like making decision by their feelings, however, intuitions are not always right. So compare with that, systematic analysis is more accurate and efficient in the organization. Systematic analysis is a main and key period of scientific management. The main job is the communication between analyser and customers. Back to McDonald’s case, people who work in marketing department need a research of what’s hot and what’s not of their products, and then they need to get information from customers, frontline employees and some publics. So after analysis the report, they get a proper result much more accurate than just feel from the daily experience. Nothing is perfect, even though scientific management is a great management system it still having some disadvantages in some situations. Treat people like a machine is the classic sign of scientific management, personally I worked as a part timer for McDonald’s for one year, I have to say this management system is great for efficient performance, at the mean time it makes me feel really like a machine not a human. By the way, they pay minimum wages but actually hard works. So I wasn’t enjoy working there at that time, that’s why fast food organization like McDonald’s always has high staff turnover rate; because they don’t treat people properly so young people like us only go there for money and some experience. Made for you† system give mistake rate a big drop, but old employees still missing the old system a lot. Before ‘MFY’ came into McDonald’s, we feel McDonald’s like a big family, we like to asking front counter people how many burger they need, and how many fries we need to prepare; but now it all controlled by computer, there is no communicatio n, no decision making and no interaction at all. Sometimes I found I lost myself, I am just a burger making machine. One key concept of scientific management is copying; repeating work is the main responsibility of workers. It is good on keeping low cost of mistake, but people stay in the same environment and copying same working from the past. This restricts innovation and creativity from both managers and workers. McDonald’s main menu hasn’t been changed for over 30 years; it’s hard for them to create new products. Also it will be a huge cost of getting a new line of new products because each product in McDonald’s has its own production line; such as special machine for buns, regulation on oven size, same size of patties and so on. (Kincheloe, 2002, p. 59). Standardizing is an important element of creating global brand; managing big organization all around the world must keep them on same standard, and then people trust this brand. Customer keeps the company running is the basic concept for any business. Keep good standard is the most important guarantee for the company; however customer may get tired of eating same food in a long term period. Policy and procedure are two key things to keep the standard of the company, good policy and procedure will reduce cost and mistake, but also decrease employees’ skill development and regulate them to know more inside McDonald’s. This could make people unsatisfied with their job. (Pica vet, 2009). Since McDonald’s opens everywhere in the world, each country has different culture and background, too much policy and procedure will restrict their development in certain countries. Systematic analysis is doing well in McDonald’s case; it’s a great idea in management. Things are always good and bad, systematic analysis gets information and after select useful information it makes result. From science point of view, that’s more accurate than experience management. In contrast, people who become manager levels depend on their experience more than the ability of systematic analysis. Business is a real world, it is a real practise. So sometimes manages make decision from their past experience are more efficient. This essay is around scientific management concepts and how it applies in McDonald’s operation. Scientific management is a system using data analysis and build a scientific production line to get maximum profits for both employer and employee. The essay introduced four main concepts of scientific management including: treat people like a hand rather than a people; Focus on efficient achievement on clear goal; standardising through policy and procedures and using scientific analysis rather than intuitions. The final part of the essay I discussed four arguments based on those four concepts, it shows both advantages and disadvantages in real life. Reference Campling, J. , Poole, D. , Wiesner, R. , Ang, E. S. , Chan, B. , Tan, W. , & Schermerhorn, J. R. (2008). Management (3rd Asia-Pacific Ed. ) Milton, Queensland: John Wiley & Sons. Eric, S. 2001). Fast food nation: the dark side of the all American meal. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. John, E. K. (1982). Scientific management, job redesign, and work performance. London; New York: Academic Press. Jonathan, R. t. ( 2005 ). Organization theory and public management. Belmont, Calif: Thomason/ Wadsworth. Kincheloe, J. L. (2002). The sign of the burger: McDonald’s and the cultur e of power. United State: Temple University Press. Picavet, E. (2009). Opportunities and pitfalls for ethical analysis in operations research and the management sciences. Omega; Dec 2009, Vol. 37 Issue 6, p 1121-1131, 11p.

Aircraft maintenance planning procedures Research Paper

Aircraft maintenance planning procedures - Research Paper Example This research will begin with the definition of the technical log as an aircraft document detailing the maintenance status of the aircraft. The document must always be carried whenever the aircraft takes to flight. The document carries information regarding the maintenance performed on the aircraft. Aircraft safety regulations, across the globe, dictate that procedural maintenance should be performed on aircraft within specified periods of time. The operation of undertaking procedural maintenance varies with the classification of aircraft. Upon completion of the maintenance procedure, a record should be kept regarding the activity performed. This record forms the aircraft’s technical log. The record ought to contain all maintenance activities performed on the aircraft. The importance of maintaining this record remains to create a reference point for further maintenance procedures. Through referring to the technical log, an aviation engineer could identify the maintenance proce dures performed on the aircraft. The technical log could essentially assist the maintenance team in assessing and defining the time when an aircraft might require routine maintenance. The information assists operators to predict the usability of an aircraft based on the last known maintenance procedure performed on the aircraft. Â  The certification of technical logs remains the duty of aviation authorities within different countries. These authorities fall under airworthiness authorities recognised internationally. Airworthiness authorities remain the sole certifiers of the information contained in aircrafts’ technical logs. b) How is data recorded, kept where? The data is recorded using automated systems installed within the aircraft. After carrying out maintenance procedures, the engineers undertaking the activities record all function performed on the aircraft. This information remains stored in the technical log. The information recorded indicates the operation undertaken and any new components installed within the aircraft. c) Maintenance schedule: who creates it?, who approves it?, types on maintenance check, flight hours and cycles, work pack, job cards maintenance records. A maintenance schedule could be defined as a timetable for carrying out routine maintenance procedures on aircrafts. Airline operators create the maintenance schedule programmes for their commercial and civil aircrafts, and then present them to the airworthiness authorities for approval (Raoul Castro, p121). Aircraft maintenance checks could be defined as periodic inspections performed on all commercial and civil aircrafts following specified periods of usage. Military aircrafts, however, contain different maintenance programmes specifically designed for special military capabilities. In aircraft maintenance, four types of checks exist namely; check A to D. Checks A and B are light checks while the other two are heavy checks. These checks occur periodically through specified timings. Flight hours could be marked by the number of hours that an aircraft remains in flight. Calculation occurs between the time of taking-off and that of landing. An aircraft cycle could be defined as the taking-off and landing of an aircraft. Each take-off and landing comprises a single cycle (Speciale, p156). Work pack could be defined as a combination of activities to be undertaken by an individual. It forms the basis for supervising a person’s work delivery. A job card, on the other hand, could be defined as a printed card showing details of the duty performed by a person. They clearly define the duties performed by each individual. The documentation detailing the

Blindness in the workforce and and its associated challenges Research Paper

Blindness in the workforce and and its associated challenges - Research Paper Example finition for visual impairment was explicitly qualified as â€Å"difficulty or inability to see words and letters in ordinary newspaper print even when wearing glasses or contact lenses† (The Lighthouse International, 201, par. 3). A collection of other statistics on employment of visually imparied persons are summarized below: Likewise, the average annual earnings of visually impaired people were noted to be lower by as much as 33% when compared with those earned by workers without disabilities ($22,106 versus $32,870) (The Lighthouse International, 2012, par. 5). These figures reveals that visually impaired and legally blind people exhibit lower employment rates and average annual incomes despite laws that protect them from being discriminated and prejudiced in the work setting. The study conducted by Malakpa (2007) has noted different impediments to employment and the challenges met by visually impaired and legally blind people are likewise discussed by Stephens (2007), Papakonstantinou and Papadopoulos (2010), and McCarthy (2003) in separate discourses. The impediments that were noted by Malakpa (2007) for blind and visually impaired people include employers’ fears and doubts on hiring them and the lack of understanding for appropriate support to be accorded to them (Papakonstantinou & Papadopoulos, 2010). As emphasized by Stephens (2007), â€Å"the lack of information employers have about adaptive and assistive technologies and techniques†¦(indicated) that employers ‘feared blindness’† (p. 22). On the points of views of the visually impaired, Malakpa (2007) averred that â€Å"job acquisition for the blind and visually impaired is impeded frequently by a lack of knowledge regarding prospects, possibilities, training options, and procedures for search and application† (p. 55). Thus, impediments are eminent from both the perspectives of the blind applicants and those of the potential employers in terms of accuracy and availability of information that would

Personal Statement for Graduate School Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

For Graduate School - Personal Statement Example The opportunity to assist in the birth process has always been appealing to me. Recently, I have had opportunity to attend the deliveries of three close friends. This experience has reinforced my desire to become a midwife. Perhaps the most personal reason I want to study midwifery stems from the fact that I am currently pregnant and am seeking a midwife. I want to provide competent services to other women as they prepare to deliver their babies. I am hoping to find this for myself. Most of all, I want to continue to have positive clinical experiences as a nurse. My most satisfying clinical experience was caring for a patient that had been in a motorcycle accident. He came in with a serous pelvic fracture that was causing profuse rectal bleeding. I was able to assist this patient throughout the CT scan and several procedures required to keep his blood pressure up. When we took him to interventional radiology as requested, the doors were locked and no one was there to help. At that point, the patient’s life was in my hands. I made the decision to take him directly to his room in the Critical Care center. By the time we were able to get him there, he was just clinging to life. We worked to get him stabilized and he was admitted for the night. This was a satisfying experience because it shoed me that I could make difficult decisions in high-pressure situations. I was commended for making the decision to take him directly to his room instead of waiting at the interventional radiology department. I was actually there for that patient so he could tell me to speak with his wife when she arrived. He said, â€Å"Tell my wife I love her.† I felt great about my performance that day, but was extremely upset to discover the next day that he did not live through the night. Seeing people come into the hospital walking and talking but then never leaving is

What is the role of celebrity endorsement in marketing communication Essay

What is the role of celebrity endorsement in marketing communication - Essay Example Celebrity endorsement is a method of brand communication whereby a celebrity uses his or her popularity and acts as a spokesperson for a particular product. Celebrity endorsements are seen to have a long lasting impact upon minds of consumers. A celebrity is an individual who enjoys public attention and are famous for their achievements. In celebrity endorsement, celebrities use their recognition on behalf of a product and appear alongside it. While choosing celebrities for endorsing products, firms should keep in mind that there must be an adequate match between characteristics of the product, personality of the celebrity and nature of target consumers. It is necessary for the target market to have adequate familiarity with the celebrity endorsing a product. There should be a symbolic match between brand image and that of the celebrity (Nelson, Tunji and Gloria, 2012). For instance, a brand selling sports shoes can endorse its products through a famous sports personality. Companies try to associate qualities of a celebrity with that of the product. Through celebrity endorsements, it becomes easier for consumers to recall ads while viewing the product. In order to gain these kinds of advantages, companies pay huge sums of money to celebrities and align their products and brand with the endorsers (Kansu and Mamuti, 2013). The contract between celebrities and the brand for the purpose of endorsing products are generally made for a considerably long time. Firms that choose celebrity endorsement for their products are not seen to frequently change face of the brand. This helps in establishing stronger identity and brand image. Celebrity endorsements are largely viewed as a long-term strategic decision, which affects brand’s value in the market (Academia.edu, 2013). The individual who endorse a product helps in creating strong perceptions about the brand. When consumers view the

Small Business Management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Small Business Management - Case Study Example purpose to gain wealth. (Now you'll get no down- pump on wealth from this writer. But it's way to over rated. There are greater pleasures besides money and sex. The Dot Com era offered great expectation and nobody wanted to be left out. Mr. Tuzman now says, "Say it truthfully, say it completely and say it first.") (Start-up Journal, P. 1, Wall Street Journal 2006) "We're growing too fast and losing focus." Those statements tell us money alone-in fact money alone tells us success and accomplishment will not come unless the CREATOR has decided it is so, and are willing to persevere until the dream is SO. Capital and knowledge are imperative to succeeding in business.( I preach not here-I tell it from being at the bottom and the top.) The truth is, it's not the end that matters, it is how you do it in between that counts. That you do it right,-in the end, that is the only result which matters. (Enron, 2006.) Small coin games will not give you no happiness at the final rest.Oh, but the glare of capital that overshadows all creation. It's something to behold.. This may be above you understanding, but there is no such thing as failure, only just not enough follow through. I'd be delinquent to tell you otherwise. Mr. Tuzmand is now apparently doing some kind of amends project-has a firm, the Recognition Group, which invests and advises distressed companies. It is admirable when he states that he advises future business relationships of his past failures. (Loftus P. 1) That indeed, is admirable in a world bent on suicide bombings and invading countries. Both have said, Mr. Tuzmand and Herman, they've learned their lesson. Life appears to be on the mend. He goes onto further say, (Loftus P.1) "I'm trying to... But both men now say they have learned their lessons, and they are using them in their latest venture. Mr. Isaza Tuzman, 30, now heads Recognition Group, a New York firm that invests in and advises distressed companies. Mr. Herman, 31, is an affiliate partner with the firm, although he recently took a leave of absence to assist his father's business in New Hampshire. The friends have reconciled since their falling out over Govworks. Recognition Group seeks controlling stakes in distressed companies with less than $150 million in annual revenue. The firm works on behalf of other private-equity firms and workout groups within banks. After all, the messy demise of Govworks.com, an online government-services provider, was chronicled in the 2001 documentary "Startup.com." The film showed a company enriched by $60 million in venture backing growing too fast and losing focus. A low point came when Mr. Isaza Tuzman fired Mr. Herman, his childhood friend and Govworks co-founder. But both men now say they have learned their lessons, and they are using them in their latest venture. Mr. Isaza Tuzman, 30, now heads Recognition Group, a New York firm that invests in and advises distressed companies. Mr.

Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 4

Human Resource Management - Essay Example HRM Defined The concept of Human resource management, generally shortened to HRM or HR, pertains to managing the workforce in an organization. The HRM approach is accountable for attracting, selecting, training, assessing, and rewarding of employees, and supervising the culture and leadership of the business organization as well as guaranteeing adherence to the labor and employee laws at the same time. The practical definition of the term HRM has been provided by various business experts, practitioners and researchers, and one of it examines that human resource management â€Å"represents that part of an organisation’s activities which is concerned with the recruitment, development and management of its employees† (Wall and Wood, 2005, p. 430). Thus, we can assume from these descriptions that, the term is in wide use in the business organizations for the representation of the selection, recruitment, training and appraising practices. The practices of HRM, in theory, mig ht feel like an abstraction. However, in practice, the department is considered as one of the most significant and vital parts of the business organization. According to the researchers and management experts, HRM is a department which assists the business in the process of value creation with the help of a workforce which is managed in strategically. The function of HRM was initially made practical through the performance of transactional work which included the administration of benefits and payroll. However later, with the advent of technological advancement, globalization, further research, and company consolidation, the human resources now centre their focus on taking up the strategic initiatives such as industrial and labor relations, diversity and inclusion, acquisitions, mergers, succession planning, and talent management. History and Development The concept of HRM initially begun with the human relations movement that occurred in the earlier part of 20th century. The major reason for the happening of this movement was the introductions of lean manufacturing in the industry by Frederick Taylor. The widely known Taylorism, at that time, had coined the term "scientific management" which was founded upon struggling to enhance the economic efficiency in manufacturing sector of occupations. Taylor, ultimately initiated one of the various primary inputs, labor, which was utilized by all the business in running their manufacturing processes. This element sparked the researches and investigations into the concept of workforce productivity (Merkle, Judith, 1990). By the next few years, there existed sufficient theoretical evidences in order to enable the organizations undertake to change the landscape of businesses, and adopt HRM functions in the public policy in order to change the employer-employee relationship within the organizational framework. This subject was, then, made official with the term "industrial and labor relations". With the passage of time, t he evolution of the discipline of Human Resource Management continued and kept growing. In the second half of the 20th century, the memberships of unions in the organizations declined sharply, and in the meantime, the workforce management kept expanding on a continuous basis in order to influence its role in the business organizations and their activities. This was the time period when the term "Industrial and labor relations" started being utilized with specific reference to the

Markting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Markting - Essay Example Least useful or appropriate? Your response should be well thought out and insightful. There are many companies in the world which are using the Internet as a medium to expand their business. One of the well renowned companies that is using the Internet to expand its business is Kellogg Company, popularly known as Kellogg’s. The company has its own website to assist its customers and provide the customers with a healthy service. The main vision of the company is to provide its customers with more improved and advanced products. Moreover, the company plans to provide the new products with more nutrition and taste to meet the standard of good quality products. For instance, the company launched products like Frosted Mini-wheat Little Bites, as well as Kellogg’s Raisin Bran, in the month of February 2012. These products were launched in order to satisfy the needs of the customers because it was through customer feedback, which was given on their official website, facilitate d the company to bring the products in the market. Through various social networking websites like Facebook, Kellogg’s has also been able to gather information about the customers’ likes and dislikes. ... The company is able to comprehend customers’ preferences towards a particular product. The website helps in taking decisions related to future product expansion strategy for the company. The customer service and feedback system, which is created on the official website, helps the company to gain knowledge about the customer preferences within a very short span of time. Moreover, the company is able to save a substantial amount of costs by doing a thoroughgoing marketing survey in different regions which would enhance the requirement of cost allocation. All together, the company is able to gather information about the product preferences among the consumers from amongst the large population of the entire world through the use of website (Kellogg Co.). On the other hand, there are few drawbacks while seeking to gather valuable customer related information through website as has been done by Kellogg’s. In this process of gathering information, the company generally would b e receiving individual feedback and not a group feedback from its customers. This can create certain hindrances for the company regarding the kind of strategy to follow. The company might face difficulty while analyzing the feedback from each and every customer. Different customers will have different feedbacks to provide and the company has to shrewdly decide which strategy to follow and which strategy not to follow. In the long run, the company might face difficulties in devising a single profitable strategy. Moreover, this process might be time consuming for the company. Whereas, when the feedbacks come in a group, the company does not have to spend time in deciding what strategy to follow as one single strategy will give the company to earn a lot of profit. The strategy of gathering

Environmental Analysis Essay Example for Free

Environmental Analysis Essay Landfill gas is generated during the decomposition of organic substances in municipal and industrial wastes. Since it is made up of powerful greenhouse gases, primarily methane gas and carbon dioxide, the prevention of escape to atmosphere is desirable and has the added benefit of being utilised as a renewable energy source (Clarke Energy, 2014). One such company focussed on dealing with this issue is Landfill Gas Industries Pty Ltd (L.G.I. Pty Ltd) they are ‘a specialist designer, supplier, installer, and operator of systems that capture, extract and burn gas produced in landfills’ (L. G.I. Pty Ltd, 2014). L.G.I. Pty Ltd has several opportunities that could impact the company’s operations in Australia, such as government regulation, the number of councils and landfills available and the fact that all landfills require a solution to the landfill gas problem. However L.G.I. Pty Ltd also has several threats potentially impacting its operations, for example from large energy generators, large waste companies and opposition to landfill gas. With the continuing pace of global environmental awareness and a general growing consensus about the potential damage of greenhouse gases, the Australian Government may introduction legislation and associated taxation such as the use of carbon credits that are designed punish landfill owners with unabated gas emissions (Department of the Environment, 2011). A company such as L.G.I. Pty Ltd is well placed to install systems that can reduce these emissions and in turn reduce the financial penalties of operating a landfill, many of which are run by local councils and therefore paid for directly by ratepayers. With 565 local government councils in Australia (The Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development, 2014) and each with a need to process its residents’ garbage, many of which themselves operate landfill sites and/or have legacy landfills within their boundaries. Whilst the market has a finite limit there is considerable appeal for councils to adapt such technologies at their landfills and has the potential to generate ‘huge savings for [councils] and the environment’ (Landfill Gas Pty Ltd, 2008). L.G.I. Pty Ltd is committed to take advantage of councils’ needs by having ‘developed successful landfill gas installations on sites of all scales across Australia’ (Landfill Gas Industries Pty Ltd, 2014). Wherever there is a landfill, there is potential dangers aside from the environmental concerns unless mitigation techniques are employed, such as the risk of fire and explosion which for example  occurred in Loscoe, England in 1986 when a nearby house was destroyed (Danish EPA, 2001). There is also the potential of gas migration to occur below the surface and in turn contaminate the groundwater (Environment Protection Authority, 2008). If a landfill site is not suitable for electricity production, gas mitigation is nonetheless desired for safety and hygiene reasons. L.G.I. Pty Ltd ‘manufactures and installs its own range of state of the art flares’ (Landfill Gas Industries Pty Ltd, 2014) allowing the flammable gases to be safely burnt off. Therefore all current and legacy landfill sites are potential business for L.G.I. Pty Ltd The first major threat to L.G.I. Pty Ltd comes from existing large energy generators, such as AGL, Origin and Energy Australia, these 3 companies have a combined market share of over 60% of the energy sector (IBISWorld, 2014). As these companies have the need to supply electricity to their customers they have the desire to source viable and sustainable generation methods, AGL for example already ‘owns and operates several renewable landfill gas and biogas (sewage) generation facilities across Australia’ (AGL, 2014). If these companies decide to expand in this sector and compete for this resource, they could undermine L.G.I. Pty Ltd’s potential simply by means of more efficient access to financial capital required to setup and by the greater potential political bargaining power they possess such as when competing for tenders. Such as with large energy generators, large waste companies also pose a potential threat for L.G.I. Pty Ltd. Many councils utilise outsourced waste collection, processing, recycling and landfill operators to fulfil their needs. Operators such as Veolia and Sita which operate landfills as part of their business must ‘manage odour across [their] landfills in accordance with the Environmental Protection Licence’ (Sita, 2014). These operators have their own equipment and methods for gas mitigation and therefore pose a threat to L.G.I. Pty Ltd if more councils outsource their waste needs to private companies, they in turn aside from environmental requirements have a commercial obligation to seek profit. There is nonetheless opposition to companies that seek to turn landfill gas into electricity, for several reasons such as its relative high costs, local air pollution but namely it suggests that it is acceptable to dump waste at landfill sites rather than pursue waste minimisa tion or recycling initiatives (Shrank, 2011). Veolia states that it ‘encourages waste  minimisation and recycling’ (Veolia, 2014), however if a financial incentive exists if it fails that endeavour then people are right to be sceptical. The threat of a change in public opinion and awareness towards waste disposal could potentially impact L.G.I. Pty Ltd, particularly if they are seen as not encouraging waste minimisation or if their operations produce an unacceptable amount of air pollution. Landfill gas is an unavoidable by-product of our modern society and it possess several risks if left unmanaged to public health and safety. L.G.I. Pty Ltd is well placed to mitigate these risks and also potentially return a financial benefit to its clients, specifically local councils. In terms of opportunities, L.G.I. Pty Ltd faces a finite barrier in terms of number of landfills in Australia, it may seek to export its expertise to markets overseas to pursue further growth. It may also be of benefit to lobby government to encourage further legislation and taxation penalties regarding greenhouse gas emissions, potentially expanding its market. Of the threats facing L.G.I. Pty Ltd, the biggest is represented by existing the large companies in the electricity generating and waste disposal sectors, who invariable have better access to capital and lobbying power to further develop this industry. Finally, public opinion could negatively impact L.G.I. Pty Ltd if they are seen to be exploiting a resource which ideally should be minimised in the first instance. Clarke Energy, (2014). Landfill Gas | Landfill gas generator. [Online] Available at: http://www.clarke-energy.com/gas-type/landfill-gas/ [Accessed 8 Aug. 2014]. Landfill Gas Industries Pty Ltd, (2014). Landfill Gas Industries Renewable Electricity Leaders. [Online] Available at: http://landfillgasindustries.com.au/about-landfill-gas/ [Accessed 8 Aug. 2014]. Department of the Environment, (2011). Capture and combustion of landfill gas. [Online] Available at: http://www.climatechange.gov.au/reducing-carbon/carbon-farming-initiative/methodologies/methodology-determinations/capture-and-combustion-landfill-gas [Accessed 8 Aug. 2014]. The Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development, (2014). Local Government. [Online] Available at: http://www.regional.gov.au/local/index.aspx [Accessed 8 Aug. 2014]. Landfill Gas Pty Ltd, (2008). Landfill Gas Pty Ltd. [online] Available at: http://www.landfillgas.com.au/home.html [Accessed 8 Aug. 2014]. Danish EPA, (2001). Miljstyrelsen. [Online] Available at: http://www2.mst.dk/common/Udgivramme/Frame.asp?pg=http://www2.mst.dk/Udgiv/publikationer/2001/87-7944-831-3/html/kap30.htm [Accessed 8 Aug. 2014]. Environment Protection Authority, (2008). Guidelines for groundwater investigation and monitoring for landfills. [Online] Available at: http://www.epa.sa.gov.au/xstd_files/Waste/Public%20consultation/guidelines_landfill.pdf [Accessed 8 Aug. 2014]. IBISWorld, (2014). Major Companies. [Online] Available at: http://clients1.ibisworld.com.au.ezproxy.lib.swin.edu.au/reports/au/industry/majorcompanies.aspx?entid=2147 [Accessed 8 Aug. 2014]. AGL, (2014). Landfill Gas and Biogas. [Online] Available at: http://www.agl.com.au/about-agl/how-we-source-energy/renewable-energy/landfill-gas-and-biogas [Accessed 8 Aug. 2014]. Sita, (2014). Landfill Gas Management | SITA Australia. [Online] Available at: http://www.sita.com.au/facilitie s/landfills/landfill-gas-management/ [Accessed 8 Aug. 2014]. Shrank, S. (2011). Opposition to Waste-to-Energy: A Waste of Waste?. [Online] Worldwatch Institute. Available at: http://blogs.worldwatch.org/revolt/opposition-to-waste-to-energy-a-waste-of-waste/ [Accessed 8 Aug. 2014]. Veolia, (2014). Recovering Resources from Waste Veolia Australia and New Zealand. [Online] Available at: http://www.veolia.com.au/municipal-residential/recovering-resources-from-waste [Accessed 8 Aug. 2014].

Strategic information system of Meena Bazar Essay Example for Free

Strategic information system of Meena Bazar Essay Acknowledgement After going through a lot of limitation finally I was able to do a fruitful assignment on the strategic information management system of â€Å"Meena Bazar†. I would like to thank our honorable course teacher for her support and proper guideline that helped me a lot make a successful report. Special thanks to the Meena Bazar authority for their infarctions which helped me a lot to be successful in making the report. Acknowledgement After going through a lot of limitation finally I was able to do a fruitful assignment on the strategic information management system of â€Å"Meena Bazar†. I would like to thank our honorable course teacher for her support and proper guideline that helped me a lot make a successful report. Special thanks to the Meena Bazar authority for their infarctions which helped me a lot to be successful in making the report . Also thanks go the Wikipedia and other websites authorities fromwhere found lots of useful information. INTRODUCTION Meena Bazar is a well developed super shopin Dhaka City. It is a retailer of the daily goods includes all thefast moving consumer goodslike household, groceries,stationeries and cosmetics, etc.It offer clean and  friendlyenvironment with a wide rangeof quality products at affordableprices and it has become the primary channel for distribution of foods and other household effects on the consumers. Super shop  is to achieve the leading positionin superstore business of the country through excellence product and servicewith affordable price by implementing proper information technology. Scopes of the shop There are some scopes for the super shop to extend, such as; It is the only one organized super shop in the local market. There is more demand for such business in the local market. It can retail the quality products at the most lowest price in themarket. There is a chance to develop more outlets throughout the city. Thatis because; Demand to super shop is being increased day by day in city. Target Market Their target customers are those in the upper, upper middle and middleclass .It has a longer-term vision to target a customer base and include peoplefrom the lower income group.

Social Media from a Functionalist Perspective

Social Media from a Functionalist Perspective Introduction Late modern society is a network society (Castells, 1997). Devices such as smart phones are portable connect individuals in a complex system of interaction via emails, Facebook, Linkedin, Mumsnet, BlackBerry Messenger which support the functionalist vision. Social media sites are social platforms such as Twitter and Facebook that function for the purpose of enabling the interaction between millions of individuals whenever, wherever and about whatever given subject they wish to communicate. By the end of 2013 Facebook had 1.23 billion subscribers (Sedghi, 2014). This growth amounted to 170 million new subscribers in 2013 alone (Sedghi, 2014). The main use of Facebook is to maintain socially cohesive contact with friends and family which supports the functionalist vision of society (Ofcom, 2011).   It is argued by C. Wright Mills (1956) that society is manipulated into a social order by the one-directional rhetoric of the mass media. In contrast, social media sites are capable of bi- directional interaction with others which is socially cohesive and supports the functionalist vision of society. However, this is not always the case. This paper provides a critical evaluation of the function of social media sites firstly by providing an overview of functionalism and secondly by illustrating how social media both supports and contradicts the functionalist vision of society. Functionalism The positivist approach of structural functionalists involves analysing society from a macro-sociological perspective. They view society as a set of interrelated institutions which form a whole (Abercrombie et al., 2000:145). Such institutions include the family, education, politics, law, the media, organisations, economics and religion (Abercrombie et al., 2000:145). These form the agents of socialization which the shape behaviours that form a public consensus among which they do through constant institutional interaction (Durkheim, 1893:50). Durkheim focused on the consequences of social change between two eras; pre-modern [mechanical] society and industrial [organic] society (Durkheim, 1893).   Pre-modern agrarian society was cohesive, tied by kinship with a collective consciousness of norms, which were constantly reinforced through socialisation and interaction (Durkheim, 1893). The shift from the simplicity of the mechanical society to the complexities of organic society impac ted negatively on kinship and collective values as individuals undertook multiple forms of work in this new mode of production; capitalism (Durkheim, 1893). Durkheims (1893) analysis of organic society extends an analogy originally devised by Spencer (1820–1903) whereby he likens society to the human body insofar as both have interdependent parts that must function for survival (Coser, 1893 [1997]: xvi).   If any organ [institution] malfunctions, the body social [society] becomes unstable (Durkheim, 1893). As such, each organism [individual] has a specialist role within these institutions which it performs for the social good; not least because their own survival depends on it (Durkheim, 1893). Appropriating active social change is not advised because the institutions and the body social will be destabilised causing anomie (Durkheim, 1893). Anomie is a causal factor of social instability as a result of the inequalities in the division of labour as a result of some organisms outperforming others (Durkheim, 1893). This differentiation exacerbated the stratification that formed hierarchies in the new industrial workforce which pola rised rich and poor (Durkheim, 1893). Social Dysfunction In a modern context, anomie also descended on the British inner cities for similar reasons in August 2011 when the dysfunction of the political, legal and educational institutions failed to meet the needs of the body social (Durkheim, 1893). Merton argues that institutional dysfunction which can be the unintentional consequences of latent functions (Merton, 1968:105). In contrast, adaptations to society by institutions are manifest functions which are deliberately applied (Merton, 1968:105). The manifest functions involved (Merton, 1968: 105). As Merton asserts, such functions are targeted towards individuals in diverse statuses, subgroups the larger social system and culture systems such as limiting opportunities to education through welfare reforms for British working class youths (Merton, 1968:106). The response by disaffected youths was the riots that ensued across the UK in 2011 which was orchestrated using the free service BlackBerry Messenger [BBM] (Lewis et al., 2012). BBM is a free service in which one message can be disseminated to hundreds of recipients instantly who then forward the message to the hundreds more (Lewis et al., 2012). The social cohesion resulting from BBM extended to a temporary truce between otherwise rival gangs which is a positive function of interaction (Lewis et al., 2012). The riots came to an abrupt end when BlackBerry disconnected the service thus illustrating how solidarity depends on interaction (Lewis et al., 2012). Twitter was also accused of inciting the riots but it was later proven that the 2.5 million riot-related tweets showed solidarity against the rioters whilst also recruiting individuals to help with the clean-up process which serve the functionalist vision of society (BBC News 2011: [Online]). Similarly, the anomie in Egypt and Tuni sia was corrected by implementing the overthrow of their relative dictators which was mobilised via Facebook (Bouteflika, 2011). The Social System It is also argued that crime is necessary, inevitable and functional because it elicits the solidarity of the law-abiding public whose anger culminates in the public shaming and punishment of the offender (Durkheim, 1893). Crime therefore serves to redefine the moral boundaries which supports the functionalist vision of society (Durkheim, 1893).   Unlike the riots, social stability occurs when all of the component parts are fully functioning producing a system of equilibrium (Parsons, 1951which is contingent upon the strength or weaknesses of the interactive relationships between the institutions (Parsons, 1951: [1999: 84). In this context, Parsons (1951) claims that actors are goal-achieving and have alternate ways of achieving goals such as through education which is universal and equal (1951:130). In contrast, Merton argues that society sets the cultural goals but fails to provide the institutional means to achieve them (1938:100). While Durkheims functionalist vision is positivist in its assumptions that organisms are homogenous, Talcott Parsons theory of The Social System recognised that society comprised of a plurality of individual actors interacting with each other (1951 [1991]: 3). Parsons (1951) argued that the social system is contingent upon a set of four prerequisites which include: adaptation in times of social change due to one of the institutions malfunctioning; goals involves achieving certain goals in society; integration is the reliance that actors will identify with their social group; and latency involves maintaining the foundations of the social system such as through solid family socialisation.   Mumsnet This would never be tolerated by the UKs top parenting site Mumsnet which is an interactive forum run by parents for parents (Mumsnet, 2015: [Online]). Mumsnet offers advice to parents on pregnancy, education, money, and work (Mumsnet, 2015: [Online]). Within these discourses advice ranging from breastfeeding to university education is all designed to educate and optimise how parents raise their utmost for their children (Mumsnet, 2015 [Online]).   In this context, Mumsnet clearly supports the functional vision of society as it interacts with most of the institutional organs of the body social most all of the institutions (Mumsnet, 2015). According to Maxwell and Aggleton, (2013:139) Mumsnet contains symbolic and ritualistic undercurrents that allow the class disparities to surface. For example, Mumsnet has a strict netiquette whereby husbands and children are identified within the posts by individuals as DH [dear husband] DS [dear son] and DD [dear daughter] which denotes ritual whilst imposing middle class values on working class families.   Parsons argues that the primary problems and strains centre on the role of the wife and mother †¦ The easy solution is for her to be completely excluded from the occupational system by confining herself to the role of housewife (1951:128).   However, Mumsnet mothers consider themselves professional mothers who can juggle their work-life balance with ease (2013:139). For example, class disparities are evident in an exchange on Mumsnet between several mothers on children watching TV. For example, We cant all be Mother Earth I wouldnt listen to some of the militant mums on here Being pregnant is no reason to be lazy parent to your toddler How judgey some people can be about a little TV At least the child isnt strapped in a buggy with a packet of crisps and a bottle of coke Nowt wrong with crisps and a bottle of coke Exactly, as long as theyre organic (Maxwell and Aggleton, 2013:138) Such class differentiations are glaringly evident on Mumsnet who sell themselves as professional mothers who are well versed in child rearing (Maxwell and Agglegate, 2013). While functionalists overlook class in their macrosociological analysis, Mumsnet is class led and intimidating it is a site for those mothers who do not fear militant mothers or those labelled as Mother Earth (Maxwell and Agglegate, 2013:139). While in principle the mother and homemaker serves the functionalist vision of society, through rituals and cultural practices, the fact that many Mumsnet mothers are working or unmarried will contradict this vision as being negative to children (Maxwell and Aggleton, 2013). The collective consciousness that perform rituals and totemic symbolisation provides a cauldron of collective effervescence for the religious (Durkheim, 1915: 469). Religion which is the most socially cohesive element of the institutions collective life awakens religious thought (Durkheim, 1915: 469). (Coser, 1915: xx). Evidence of such effervescence surrounds Christmas, weddings Bar Mitzvahs and funerals is displayed on social media sites because religion is an eminently collective thing (Durkheim, 1954: 47). Death is also a ritual and a commodity as people flock to mourn the departed; this collective mourning is replicated via social media (Durkheim, 1954; Bell, 1992). Durkheim argued that all societies were divided by the sacred and the profane; the sacred are the totemic objects that are reserved for religious rituals which are emblematic of the clan or tribe, community or society; this is the case across the globe as all primitive religions adopt   the sacred/profane dichotomy (Durkheim 1915: xx). Sacred totems evoke emotional attachment whereas the profane represents everyday objects that are used routinely (such as social media devices) (Durkheim, 1915: xx). However, such totems are only sacred because individuals deemed them as such (Durkheim, 1915). To this end, Durkheim dismisses the centrality of a God in religion; it is the society itself that is God (19). It could be argued that the online community also worships itself as social media sites are central to society (Preston, 2011: [Online]). For example, in the previous week to the time of writing, the Facebook page Jesus Daily received 26.6m Likes and 3.2m interactions (Facebook, 2015: [Online]). Similarly, In a Facebook post by a Jesuit priest supporting the Supreme Court decision to legalise gay marriage Rev. James Martin asserted that: No issue brings out so much hatred from so many Catholics as homosexuality. Even after over 25 years as a Jesuit, the level of hatred around homosexuality is †¦ unbelievable to me, especially when I think of all of the wonderful LGBT friends I have (cited in Gibson, 2015: [Online]). The Reverends message went viral receiving 18,000 posts,140,000 shares and 400,000 likes on Facebook (Gibson, 2015:[Online]).However, Pope Benedict warned Catholics that human interaction in physical terms was crucial (Preston, 2011: [Online]). Similarly, a Presbyterian reverend urged individuals to experience the physical sensation of water in Baptism [and] hold hands in a service of worship (Preston, 2011: [Online]). This illustrates how religion is mediated in terms of a system of culturally structured and shared symbols (Parsons, 1979:6). Durkheim argues that forbidden, beliefs and practises assists the solidarity to one moral community called a church (Durkheim, 1995:44).   A Church is not simply a priestly brotherhood; it is a moral community (Durkheim, 1995: xxii-xxxii). The anomaly lies in the founder of Jesus Daily,   Aaron Tabor who is actually doctor and finds time to update Jesus Daily with Biblical texts (Preston, 2011: [Online]; Drescher, 2011 ). Similarly, the retw eeting of Pope Francis tweets comes second only to Barak Obama (1954: 47). This is evidence of a shift towards maintaining a less secular online identity which supports the functionalist vision of society for its cohesive qualities.   In contrast however, radical religiosity contradicts the functionalist vision. ISIS uses YouTube to showcase its killing; Twitter to increase its presence and Facebook to radicalise and recruit young British Muslims from a distance because criminals are often the result of instinctive, irresistible feelings that they often spread to the innocent object (Durkheim, 1893:47; Engel, 2015). While Twitter is constantly deleting ISIS accounts, ISIS is more intelligent than terrorists of the past which most definitely contradicts the functionalist vision (Engel, 2015). Conclusion In conclusion it is evident following a critical evaluation of the debates above that social media on the whole supports the functionalist view of society in maintaining to high degree the social stability of the body social. It is evident that rituals are performed constantly and values are reinforced where needed. However, other sites are more philanthropic and patronising of their working class subscribers which contradicts the functionalist vision. Social media has been beneficial to parts of the Arab world by overthrowing oppressive dictators while the social action of British youths served to redraw the moral boundaries.   ISIS contradicts the functionalist vision in its aim to eradicated Christians from Iraq and Syria. Nevertheless, the social cohesion of interacting with family and friends while the rituals that religious beliefs behold do support the functionalist vision of society. Word Count: 2,190 Bibliography BBC News (2012) Social media talks about rioting constructive, BBC News [Online] Available:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/mobile/uk-14657456  (Accessed 16th September 2015) Bell, C. M. (1992). Ritual theory, ritual practice. New York: Oxford University Press. Bouteflika, A. (2011) Twitter, Facebook and YouTubes role in Arab Spring, Social Capital [Online] Available:  https://socialcapital.wordpress.com/2011/01/26/twitter-facebook-and-youtubes-role-in-tunisia-uprising/  (Accessed 16th September 2015) Castells, M. (1999) An introduction to the information age in Mackay, H. OSullivan, T. (eds) The Media Reader: Continuity and Transformation (pp. 398-410). London: Sage Coser, L. (1984) Introduction in Durkheim, E. (1893) Division of Labour in Society (pp. ix-xxv), New York: Free Press Drescher, E. (2011) Five Social Media Trends That Are Reshaping Religion, Religion Dispatches [Online] Available  http://religiondispatches.org/five-social-media-trends-that-are-reshaping-religion/  (Accessed 16th September 2015) Durkheim, E. (1893) Division of Labour in Society, New York: Free Press Durkheim, E. (1995 [1912]) The Elementary Forms of Religious Life. [Translated and with an Introduction by Karen E. Fields.] New York: Free Press Engel, K. (2015) ISIS has mastered a crucial recruiting tactic no terrorist group has ever conquered Business Insider Gibson, D. (2015) A Catholic priests viral Facebook post on gay marriage, and what it means, Religion News Service [Online] Available:  http://davidgibson.religionnews.com/2015/06/29/a-catholic-priests-viral-facebook-post-on-gay-marriage-and-what-it-means/#sthash.G2wzRgMO.dpuf  (Accessed 16th September 2015) Maxwell Aggleton (2013) Privilege, Agency and Affect: Understanding the Production and Effects of Action, Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan Lewis, P. (2012) Reading the Riots, London: Guardian LSE Merton, R.K. (1938) Social Structure and Anomie, American Sociological Review, 3(5): 672-682. Merton R.K. (1968) Social Theory and Social Structure, New York: Free Press Mumsnet (2015) Home Page Mumsnet [Online] Available:  http://www.mumsnet.com/  (Accessed 17th September 2015) Parsons, T. (1951) The Social System, New York: Free Press Parsons, T. (1961) Theories of Society: Foundations of Modern Sociological Theory. New York: Free Press Parsons, T. (2001[1979]) The Structure of Social Action And Contemporary Debates Preston, J. (2011) Facebook Page for Jesus, With Highly Active Fans, New York Times [Online] Available:  http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/05/technology/jesus-daily-on-facebook-nurtures-highly-active-fans.html?_r=0  (Accessed 15th September 2015) Sedghi, A. (2014) Facebook: 10 years of social networking, in numbers, The Guardian [Online] Available:  http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2014/feb/04/facebook-in-numbers-statistics  (Accessed 27th September 2015) Weber, M. (1930 [1904–5]) The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, Oxford, Blackwell. Wright Mills, C. (1956). The Power Elite. Oxford Press

Saratoga Race Course :: essays research papers fc

Saratoga Race course On July 27, 1783, George Washington and his men stood over a bubbling hole, that hole was releasing water that to them was salty and smelled as if it had a high sulfur content. This water would be known as Saratoga mineral water. Saratoga residents baked spring water bread for Washington and his men, with out adding any salt or yeast and yet within a matter of minutes the bread rose. George Washington was considered to be Saratoga’s first visitor or tourist on that day. Almost fifty years before Washington came to this watering hole the Mohawk Indians used the local waters as a cleanser, for medicinal purposes and for drinking (Hotaling 1). George never did buy the land of Saratoga Springs that he had wanted so bad. George was having trouble with real estate deals; he was actually going to buy Saratoga Springs. George had said that Saratoga was the turning point of the revolution. George also new that Saratoga had great mineral water that could lead to industry. George en joyed Saratoga’s environment, people gambling and playing billiard, while women road through on horses (Hotaling, 2-3). Almost one hundred years later the birth of Saratoga racing had begun. In 1863, during the middle of the civil war, the Saratoga association was formed. The Saratoga association was a continuation of Saratoga attractions such as boxing, gambling, and what brought people to famous Saratoga in the first place, its water. In 1863, a racing meet for thoroughbreds marked the beginning of "the oldest race track in America."(Longrigg, 222-223) The race course bears the additional distinction of being the oldest sports facility in the country. With the exception of 1911 and 1912, when the track closed in response to gambling reforms, and 1943-45, when meets were cancelled due to World War II, the track has continued to operate and grow in popularity. Attendance at the famous Travers Day race has been known to double the city's population. Health and Horses are the foundation of Saratoga's History. Without the springs, settlers might easily have passed the region. Mineral water, for drinking and bathing, a European tradition for the health conscious, was the force for the development of the city. The arrival of the railroad in 1831 was a huge boost in tourism. The summer season at Saratoga offered diversions as well: hot air balloon ascensions, hops, balls, Indian encampments, and afternoon carriage rides down Broadway where people and horses were decorated in the latest finery.

Short-story Paper -- essays research papers

SHORT STORY PAPER 'Compare/contrast Faulkner's 'Dry September' with 'A rose for Emily' in terms of writing style and character presentation.'; What is going to be analyzed in this paper are the two short stories by W. Faulkner 'A Rose for Emily' and 'Dry September'. Basically, what is to be performed is a comparison/contrast analysis in terms of the writing style and character presentation. More specifically, I will provide first the information from the story 'A Rose for Emily', concerning writing style and character presentation, and following is going to be the same analysis for the other story 'Dry September'. After the necessary data are provided, there is going to be a comparison/contrast of these data, by also citing passages from the two stories, for making them more understandable. The similarities and differences that exist in the two stories are substantial. Before, the analysis on the stories takes place there are some general points that have to be mentioned that concern other elements of fiction that are as well important. To begin with, the town name that is used in both stories is the same and that is 'Jefferson'. Also both stories are taking place in the old South. And finally, in both of them the main character is a woman, Miss Emily Grierson and Miss Minnie Cooper respectively. The first story that is going to be analyzed is 'A Rose for Emily', and more specifically the analysis is divided in two parts, first I am concerned with the writing style and second with the character presentation. To begin with I have to say that this story is one that keeps the readers' interest undiminished. It has a complex plot and many questions arise when reading through it. Basically what is creating this is the lack of chronological order in the evolution of the facts that are presented. Things become more clear when one places them in the right order. Since the story is taking place in the old South, the choice and use of words indicts us to that region. Furthermore, what is also noticed here is that there are many descriptions(descriptive language) used in the story; 'It was a big, squarish frame house that … an eyesore among eyesores';(431-2). These help to understand more about the surrounding environment and about the appearance, 'They rose when she entered-a sma ll fat woman in black … while the visitors stated their errand';... ... story the descriptions about characters are referring to Emily a lot, and to other people that were close to her like the servant and H. Barron. In 'A Rose for Emily';, I saw that the reader is more like adduced to Emily's actions and emotions, while on the other story the reader has to deal with other people's actions and feelings. Added to this, I have also to say that two big differences concerning the main characters in that Emily's complex personality-in relation with her father and loved one is projected more, while on the other story we have more on Minnie's environment and relationships with other people. Summing up, throughout the analysis of the two stories by W. Faulkner, I spotted many similarities and differences, concerning the two elements of fiction, the writing style and the characters' presentation. Overall, the two stories are really interesting with a strange plot. Faulkner maintains in both stories, the strange feeling of an almost horror stories. He shows the profound wickedness that penetrates the various characters in both of the stories. Bizarre characters, outlandish settings, but more or less the same feelings to the reader, created by William Faulkner.

Essay on Gender and School Violence -- Argumentative Persuasive Topics

  Ã‚  Ã‚   The most recent acts of violence by children have prompted us as a nation to look at the causes and possible solutions to this crisis in our schools. In fact, according to Public Agenda, a national organization that conducts public opinion research on educational issues, school safety was identified as the most important issue affecting schools by those surveyed (Johnson & Immerwahr, 1994/1995). Yet school violence does not exist in a vacuum. It is directly related to the violence in our society. And for many children, particularly those who experience family violence early in their lives, school can often be their only safe haven. In 1992, over three million youngsters were reported to child protection advocates as possible abuse victims (U.S. Department of Justice, 1992). Thus, for many children in our society, schools are often safer than the environment where they live.    Aggression and violence are the direct result of learned behavior. Our society is full of examples of violence and aggression that unfortunately have become a part of our daily lives regardless of where we live, work, or play.    Our children are both the victims and, as seen from last year's headlines, the perpetrators of violent crimes. Although there is a sharp increase in violence among girls and women, females continue to be more often victims than perpetrators of crime in our society. In a Harvard University Violence Against Women class presentation, Nancy Issac and Deborah Prothrow-Stith reported that four million women in the U.S. are severely abused every year by their spouse or partner. And 26 percent of all females who were victims of murder were slain by husbands or boyfriends, while three percent of male victims were killed... ...rns of aggression against children in general, and girls specifically in our society.    Works Cited and Consulted Bachman, R. (1994, January). Violence against women: A national crime victimization survey report. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics. Giroux, H. (1992). Border Crossings. New York: Routledge. Isaac, N., & Prothrow-Stith, D. Violence Against Women class presentation. Harvard University: Harvard School of Public Health. Johnson, J., & Immerwahr, J. (1994/1995, Winter). What Americans expect from the public schools. American Educator, 4-13. Noguera, P. A. (1995, Summer). Preventing and producing violence: A critical analysis of responses to school violence. Harvard Educational Review. 65(2), U.S. Department of Justice. (1992, October). The cycles of violence. Washington, DC: Author. Essay on Gender and School Violence -- Argumentative Persuasive Topics   Ã‚  Ã‚   The most recent acts of violence by children have prompted us as a nation to look at the causes and possible solutions to this crisis in our schools. In fact, according to Public Agenda, a national organization that conducts public opinion research on educational issues, school safety was identified as the most important issue affecting schools by those surveyed (Johnson & Immerwahr, 1994/1995). Yet school violence does not exist in a vacuum. It is directly related to the violence in our society. And for many children, particularly those who experience family violence early in their lives, school can often be their only safe haven. In 1992, over three million youngsters were reported to child protection advocates as possible abuse victims (U.S. Department of Justice, 1992). Thus, for many children in our society, schools are often safer than the environment where they live.    Aggression and violence are the direct result of learned behavior. Our society is full of examples of violence and aggression that unfortunately have become a part of our daily lives regardless of where we live, work, or play.    Our children are both the victims and, as seen from last year's headlines, the perpetrators of violent crimes. Although there is a sharp increase in violence among girls and women, females continue to be more often victims than perpetrators of crime in our society. In a Harvard University Violence Against Women class presentation, Nancy Issac and Deborah Prothrow-Stith reported that four million women in the U.S. are severely abused every year by their spouse or partner. And 26 percent of all females who were victims of murder were slain by husbands or boyfriends, while three percent of male victims were killed... ...rns of aggression against children in general, and girls specifically in our society.    Works Cited and Consulted Bachman, R. (1994, January). Violence against women: A national crime victimization survey report. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics. Giroux, H. (1992). Border Crossings. New York: Routledge. Isaac, N., & Prothrow-Stith, D. Violence Against Women class presentation. Harvard University: Harvard School of Public Health. Johnson, J., & Immerwahr, J. (1994/1995, Winter). What Americans expect from the public schools. American Educator, 4-13. Noguera, P. A. (1995, Summer). Preventing and producing violence: A critical analysis of responses to school violence. Harvard Educational Review. 65(2), U.S. Department of Justice. (1992, October). The cycles of violence. Washington, DC: Author.

Creative Writing: All Around the Corner

Mornings would normally be a 7 o'clock rise, day beginning at 8:30, released at 3:20. Today, being the holidays, I can drag myself away from all this for a blissful lie in. A bliss broken by the ‘bring'ing of the phone. â€Å"Yeah right† I thought to myself. â€Å"Answer, don't answer? Give up my wings, stay in heaven?† The choice being obvious, I returned to my daydreaming. However, the rarity of a phone call for me rather than anyone else in the house made me answer the second time round. What a mistake. It was Katie, the definition of moron, ringing for a ‘chat'. I gave up my warm bed to hear her wining voice wine in my ear. â€Å"Yeah† I said. I could have been agreeing to a heart transplant for all I knew but I thought I'd better show I was still on the other end of the line Unfortunately yes was the wrong answer. It then took me a while of bluffing to find out I'd agreed to go for a drink. Catch up. I no longer felt worthy of my blankets. Sasha was my remedy. The friendship Sasha and I shared could not be described as ‘life long', simply because I only met her 6 months ago when she moved here. However, I don't see how time can predict how good a friends you are. We click, and we have fun, We're there for each other, and we give each other space when needed. Sounds like a great friendship to me. A best friend always knows what you need. In my case, my best knows my great need of the retail variety. All life's troubles can be thrown aside in a good few hours at the shops. â€Å"Wait! How superb.† The frock Sasha was admiring could only be described as a Sasha dress. Only she could pull off such extravagant styles and colours and yet still appear so modest and respectable. It makes you wonder who else buys these things. Maybe there's a bigger population of Sashas out there than first thought. And so we hit the shops. The trick is, not to let them know you have absolutely no money whatsoever. Give the illusion that you have it, you just see no need to spend it. However, the small amount of cash we do posess usually goes on the much-needed hourly revival break. We took the seats unoccupied, partially shared with two mid-thirties women. The gossip they didn't mind sharing with the world was amazing. Law suits, affairs, bribery, all coming from one woman's life. Of course this left the other woman to demonstrate listening techniques far too challenging for an average human being. By the look on her face, she seemed to be thinking of something soothing. Chocolate perhaps. It was hard to have our own conversation while still listening to this woman's life story, and so drank silently, occasionally attempting short conversations to cover the fact that, lets face it, the world is a nosy place. A nudge on my leg from Sasha made my leg really sore, but also made me realise who it was standing behind me. I arrived with Sasha for support. I knew that if Katie showed her real mutant self then I'd need back up. Sasha had said she didn't mind, so if she was lying she should learn to tell the truth. I turned round to Katie. She sat down, taking the place of the really good listener who had now left with her friend. Katie's mouth opened, and my ears shut, if they could do such a thing. Its not even as if my concentration span is normally this small. I began to think, â€Å"which do I really prefer. Galaxy or Cadburys?† â€Å"So how are you all?† Katie's manner can be described as nothing but ‘chirpy'. This was a pointless question from the start. We're obviously still living or else we'd have given drinks a miss. â€Å"Not really been up to much have we Sasha.† Usually the case. Boredom seeps round every corner. What is there to do when you're this age? Your either too old to do what you used to, or too young to move on. Never any money, allowance doesn't go anywhere near far enough. â€Å"Family's been doing my head in at the moment. Acting like I still need the potty training.† Sasha always uses these chats to get her family problems off her chest. â€Å"They just give me no respect. The other day I began to tell them of the trip we may plan. Do you have any idea how tormenting they can be. Yeah, perhaps they do ‘have my best interests at heart' but come on, I can look after myself.† With this I have to agree. I've met Sasha's family, and the independence they give her, though very loving, is invisible, simply because it doesn't exist. It was hard not to notice how Katie, even with her chirpy attitude, had managed to dampen our spirits so much. â€Å"Got the energy for another shop Sash?† I personally didn't have the energy to lift my feet, but I wanted to move on from this subject. I didn't feel the same way about my family. Only last month I became a great grandma. It isn't all bad.