Coping Methods in the Things They Carried Essay - 875 Words

1. How does O’Brien use The Things They Carried to cope with the psychological impact of his experience in the war? In â€Å"The Things They Carried† Tim O’Brien uses this story as a coping mechanism; to tell part of his stories and others that are fiction from the Vietnamese War. This is shown by using a fictions character’s voice, deeper meaning in what soldier’s carried, motivation in decision making, telling a war story, becoming a new person and the outcome of a war in one person. Tim O’ Brien uses a psychological approach to tell his sorrows, and some happiness from his stories from the war. Each part, each story is supposed to represent a deeper meaning on how O’Brien dealt, and will deal with his past. In war, a way to†¦show more content†¦20) O’Brien tells how these young men were drafted which were constantly in fear, they wished to be there obliviously but war takes up all of one’s attention; it played a big role in their life, changing their tactics, personality and becoming a new person. O’Brien uses this to show the stressful moments in war where one has pressure to be alive and in this case to fit in with everyone else and feel part of something, in a lonely place such as the war. Telling a war story will be changed for everyone depending on their experience and the different wars they been to. In The Thing They Carried telling a true war story is different because O’Brien says that it needs to be a heroic and noble and very specific â€Å"In any war story, but especially a true one, it’s difficult to separate what happened from what seems to happen. What seems to happen becomes its own happening and has to be told that way. The angles of vision are skewed† (pg.67-68) it shows how O’Brien wants to impress the audience with his stories that makes one wonder if it is real or not. He wants to sound heroic which makes part of the purpose of the story, his sideShow MoreRelatedThings They Carried – Coping Mechanisms:1529 Words   |  7 PagesThe Things They Carried –Coping Mechanisms to Survive During the Vietnam war, soldiers were not exposed to the traditional coping mechanisms of our American society, as illustrated in Tim Obrien s The Things They Carried. These men were forced to discover and invent new ways to deal with the pressures of war, using only their resources while in the Vietnamese jungle. It was not possible for any soldier to carry many items or burdens with them, but if something was a necessity, a way wasRead MoreThe Effect Of War On Economy1547 Words   |  7 Pagesother. War has been an important factor in creating states and empires throughout history and, equally so, in destroying them. While one may argue the positive effects of war on economy, the miseries it brings to human life can’t be denied. Wars are carried out on the battlefield by armies comprised of soldiers of the contending nations. Irrespective of which side they are on, soldiers bear the most punitive impact of war. Soldiers stay under constant threat to their lives in war zone. They don’t notRead MoreThe Things They Carried By Tim O Brien903 Words   |  4 Pagesveterans come back with on their back. That is what drives the purpose of the book in â€Å"The things they carried†. Tim O’Brien wrote this book in way that shows how war can be part of the soldier for the rest of their life. Coming home veterans have to deal with individual sufferings, but the emotional baggage the soldiers bring also effect the people around them. The characters in the book the â€Å"The things they carried† portray this very well. ​Once soldiers are home, they deal with a lot of mental distressRead MoreUnhealthy Ways Of Deal With Emotional Trauma Essay1656 Words   |  7 PagesLiliana Magnanimo 8/13/15 Unhealthy Ways to Deal with Emotional Trauma Author Michael Connelly once said, â€Å"You can t patch a wounded soul with a Band-Aid.† Nowhere is this unfortunate truth more apparent than in Tim O’Brien’s novel The Things They Carried. O’Brien’s book illustrates how several characters attempt to cope with the lasting trauma they sustained as soldiers in the Vietnam War. Lieutenant Jimmy Cross deals with the stress of being a leader by losing himself in fantasies about a girlRead MoreResidential Schools Were Government Endorsed Schools For Aboriginal Children1749 Words   |  7 Pagesschools did not have a positive parental figure to learn parenting skills from. The past students of the residential schools did not know how to effectively discipline their children without the use of abuse or support them in coping with trauma without using self-destructive methods. Children in residential schools were not given the support and encouragement needed to grow and develop into a well-rounded person. The education they were given was not focused on academics, but on wiping out IndigenousRead MoreThis Essay Will Demonstrate My Knowledge and Understanding of the Contribution to Qualitative Research to Psychology Through the Discussion of Published Qualitative Research.1748 Words   |  7 Pagespercentages etc. Quantitative research compels a drop of phenomena to numbers for statistical analysis. This type of research is mostly interested in adding the number of incidents, the size, or amount of connections between individuals, objects or things, rather than interpreting a person’s social experience. The process of measurement is central to quantitative research because it provides the fundamental connection between empirical observation and mathematical expression of quantitative relationshipsRead MoreIndigenous Coping Mechanism For Combating D isaster Essay1478 Words   |  6 PagesIndigenous Coping Mechanism for Combating Disaster in Bangladesh Abstract: The study has been conducted based on broad objective of exploring indigenous coping mechanisms for combating disaster at Koyra upazila of Khulna and Patharghata upazila of Barguna district in Bangladesh. For attaining broad objective the study focuses some important objectives that include revealing indigenous perception about disaster, exploring indigenous coping mechanisms, revealing Governmental and NGOs mechanisms andRead MoreThe Things They Carried By Tim O Brien892 Words   |  4 PagesThe Vietnam War was a long, exhausting, and traumatic experience for all of the soldiers and those who came with them. The Things They Carried, by Tim O Brien illustrates the different affects the war had on a variety of people: Jacqueline Navarra Rhoads, a former nurse during the Vietnam war, demonstrates these effects within her own memoir in the book, The Forgotten Veterans. Both sources exemplify many tribulations, while sharing a common thread of suffering from mental unpredicta bility. DesensitizationRead MoreReflecting On The Residential School System1509 Words   |  7 Pagesand being able to not simply move on from what happened but accept and grow from the terrible circumstances, become a better person because of it and teach others to never repeat these unbelievable happenings. Rather than turn to an unhealthy coping method, which is all too familiar and what unfortunately happens instead. Sadly this vicious cycle is due to the shortage of elders because of the cultural genocide we call residential schools. It is so important to spread elder’s knowledge, because weRead MoreThe Role Of Psychological Assessment On Counseling And Clinical Practice1675 Words   |  7 Pagesself-care skills, community function, etc. Moreover, assessment addresses the resources and the nature of support in the client s family, family, and client s functioning. Most psychological assessments are comprehensive and more preferable if carried out over time. Typically, these evaluations promote the development of individual care plans and educational plans (Hunsley Mash, 2011). Further, it is integral in development of a treatment plan for patients that some form of assessment be made

The Host Chapter 48 Detained Free Essays

string(22) " panic from my voice\." The red and blue lights swirled in time with the siren’s cry. Before the souls had come to this place, these lights and sounds had had only one meaning. The law, the keepers of the peace, the punishers of offenders. We will write a custom essay sample on The Host Chapter 48: Detained or any similar topic only for you Order Now Now, again, the flashing colors and angry noise had only one meaning. A very similar meaning. Still the keepers of the peace. Still the punishers. Seekers. It wasn’t as common a sight or sound as it had been before. The police force was only needed to help in cases of accidents or other emergencies, not to enforce laws. Most civil servants didn’t have vehicles with sirens, unless the vehicle was an ambulance or a fire truck. This low, sleek car behind us was not for any accident. This was a vehicle made for pursuit. I’d never seen anything quite like it before, but I knew exactly what it meant. Jared was frozen, his foot still pushing down on the gas pedal. I could see that he was trying to find a solution, a way to outrun them in this decrepit van or a way to evade them-to hide our wide white profile in the low, gaunt brush of the desert-without leading them back to the rest. Without giving everyone away. We were so close to the others now. They slumbered, unaware†¦ When he gave up after two seconds of frantic thought, he exhaled. â€Å"I’m so sorry, Wanda,† he whispered. â€Å"I blew it.† â€Å"Jared?† He reached for my hand and eased up on the gas. The car started to slow. â€Å"Got your pill?† he choked. â€Å"Yes,† I whispered. â€Å"Can Mel hear me?† Yes. The thought was a sob. â€Å"Yes.† My voice only barely escaped being a sob, too. â€Å"I love you, Mel. Sorry.† â€Å"She loves you. More than anything.† A short, aching silence. â€Å"Wanda, I†¦ I care about you, too. You’re a good person, Wanda. You deserve better than what I’ve given you. Better than this.† He had something small, much too small to be so deadly, between his fingers. â€Å"Wait,† I gasped. He could not die. â€Å"Wanda, we can’t take the chance. We can’t outrun them, not in this. If we try to run, a thousand of them will swarm after us. Think of Jamie.† The van was slowing, drifting to the shoulder. â€Å"Give me one try,† I begged. I fumbled quickly for the pill in my pocket. I pinched it between my thumb and forefinger and held it up. â€Å"Let me try to lie us out of this. I’ll swallow it right away if anything goes wrong.† â€Å"You’ll never lie your way past a Seeker!† â€Å"Let me try. Quick!† I pulled off my seat belt and crouched be-side him, unfastening his. â€Å"Switch with me. Fast, before they’re close enough to see.† â€Å"Wanda -â€Å" â€Å"One try. Hurry!† He was the best at split-second decisions. Smooth and fast, he was out of the driver’s seat and over my crouched body. I rolled up into his seat while he took mine. â€Å"Seat belt,† I ordered tersely. â€Å"Close your eyes. Turn your head away.† He did as I said. It was too dark to see it, but his new soft pink scar would be visible from this angle. I strapped my seat belt on and then leaned my head back. Lying with my body, that was the key. It was simply a matter of the right movements. Imitation. Like the actors on the TV program, only better. Like a human. â€Å"Help me, Mel,† I murmured. I can’t help you be a better soul, Wanda. But you can do this. Save him. I know you can. A better soul. I only had to be myself. It was late. I was tired. I wouldn’t have to act that part. I let my eyelids droop, let my body sag against the seat. Chagrin. I could do chagrin. I could feel it now. My mouth turned down into a sheepish grimace. The Seekers’ car did not park behind us, the way I could feel Mel expected. It stopped across the road, on the shoulder, facing the wrong way for that lane’s traffic flow. A dazzling light exploded through the window of the other car. I blinked into it, raising my hand to shade my face with deliberate slowness. Faintly, past the glare of the spotlight, I saw the gleam of my eyes bounce against the road as I looked down. A car door slammed. One set of footsteps made a pattern of low thuds as someone crossed the pavement. There was no sound of dirt or rocks, so the Seeker had emerged from the passenger side. Two of them, at least, but only one coming to interrogate me. This was a good sign, a sign of comfort and confidence. My glowing eyes were a talisman. A compass that could not fail-like the North Star, undoubtable. Lying with my body was not the key. Telling the truth with it was enough. I had something in common with the human baby in the park: nothing like me had ever existed before. The Seeker’s body blocked the light, and I could see again. It was a man. Probably middle-aged-his features conflicted with one another, making it hard to tell; his hair was all white, but his face was smooth and unwrinkled. He wore a T-shirt and shorts, a blocky gun clearly visible on his hip. One hand rested on the butt of the weapon. In his other hand was a dark flashlight. He didn’t turn it on. â€Å"Having a problem, miss?† he said when he was a few feet away. â€Å"You were going much too fast for safety.† His eyes were restless. They swiftly appraised my expression-which was, hopefully, sleepy-and then ran along the length of the van, darted into the darkness behind us, flashed forward to the stretch of highway ahead, lit by our headlights, and came back to my face. They repeated the course another time. He was anxious. This knowledge made my palms sweaty, but I tried to keep the panic from my voice. You read "The Host Chapter 48: Detained" in category "Essay examples" â€Å"I’m so sorry,† I apologized in a loud whisper. I glanced at Jared, as if checking to see whether our words had woken him. â€Å"I think†¦ well, I think I might have fallen asleep. I didn’t realize I was so tired.† I tried to smile remorsefully. I could tell I sounded stiff, like the too-careful actors on the television. The Seeker’s eyes traced their route again, this time lingering on Jared. My heart jumped painfully against the inside of my ribs. I pinched the pill tighter. â€Å"It was irresponsible for me to drive for so long without sleep,† I said quickly, trying again to smile a little. â€Å"I thought we could make it to Phoenix before I would need rest. I’m very sorry.† â€Å"What’s your name, miss?† His voice was not harsh, but neither was it warm. He kept it low, though, following my cue. â€Å"Leaves Above,† I said, using the name from the last hotel. Would he want to check my story? I might need someplace to refer him to. â€Å"Upside-down Flower?† he guessed. His eyes flickered around their course. â€Å"Yes, I was.† â€Å"My partner, too. Were you on the island?† â€Å"No,† I said quickly. â€Å"The mainland. Between the great rivers.† He nodded, perhaps a little disappointed. â€Å"Should I go back to Tucson?† I asked. â€Å"I think I’m quite awake now. Or maybe I should take a nap right here first -â€Å" â€Å"No!† he interrupted me in a louder voice. I jumped, startled, and the little pill slipped from my fingers. It dropped to the metal floor with a faintly audible clink. I felt the blood drain from my face as though a plug had been pulled. â€Å"Didn’t mean to startle you,† he apologized quickly, his eyes repeating their restless circle. â€Å"But you shouldn’t linger here.† â€Å"Why?† I managed to whisper. My fingers twitched anxiously at the empty air. â€Å"There was a†¦ disappearance recently.† â€Å"I don’t understand. A disappearance?† â€Å"It could have been an accident†¦ but there might be†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He hesitated, unwilling to say the word. â€Å"Humans may be in this area.† â€Å"Humans?† I squeaked, too loud. He heard the fear in my voice and interpreted it the only way he could. â€Å"There’s no proof of that, Leaves Above. No sightings or anything. Don’t be anxious. But you should proceed on to Phoenix without unnecessary delay.† â€Å"Of course. Or maybe Tucson? That would be closer.† â€Å"There’s no danger. You can continue with your plans.† â€Å"If you’re sure, Seeker†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I’m quite sure. Just don’t go wandering off into the desert, Flower.† He smiled. The expression warmed his face, making it kind. Just like all the other souls I’d dealt with. He wasn’t anxious about me, but for me. He wasn’t listening for lies. And he probably wouldn’t recognize them if he was. Just another soul. â€Å"I wasn’t planning on it.† I smiled back at him. â€Å"I’ll be more careful. I know I couldn’t fall asleep now.† I glanced at the desert out Jared’s window with a wary expression, so the Seeker would think that fear was making me alert. My expression tensed into a taut mask as I caught sight of a pair of lights reflected in the side mirror. Jared’s spine stiffened at the same time, but he held his pose. It looked too tight. My eyes darted back to the Seeker’s face. â€Å"I can help with that,† he said, still smiling but looking down now as he fumbled to remove something from his pocket. He hadn’t seen the change in my face. I tried to control the muscles in my cheeks, to make them relax, but I couldn’t concentrate hard enough to make it happen. In the rearview mirror, the headlights got closer. â€Å"You should not use this often,† the Seeker went on, searching the other pocket now. â€Å"It’s not harmful, of course, or the Healers wouldn’t have us give it out. But if you use it frequently, it will alter your sleep cycles†¦ Ah, here it is. Awake.† The lights slowed as they approached. Just drive by, I begged in my head. Don’t stop, don’t stop, don’t stop. Let it be Kyle at the wheel, Melanie added, thinking the words like a prayer. Don’t stop. Just drive. Don’t stop. Just drive. â€Å"Miss?† I blinked, trying to focus. â€Å"Um, Awake?† â€Å"Just inhale this, Leaves Above.† He had a thin white aerosol can in his hand. He sprayed a puff of mist into the air in front of my face. I leaned forward obediently and took a sniff, my eyes darting to the mirror at the same time. â€Å"It’s grapefruit scented,† the Seeker said. â€Å"Nice, don’t you think?† â€Å"Very nice.† My brain was suddenly sharp, focused. The big moving truck slowed and then idled on the road be-hind us. No! Mel and I shouted together. I searched the dark floor for one half second, hoping against hope that the little pill would be visible. I couldn’t even make out my feet. The Seeker glanced absently at the truck and then waved it forward. I looked back at the truck, too, a forced smile on my face. I couldn’t see who was driving. My eyes reflected the headlights, shot out faint beams of their own. The truck hesitated. The Seeker waved again, more broadly this time. â€Å"Go ahead,† he muttered to himself. Drive! Drive! Drive! Beside me, Jared’s hand was clenched in a fist. Slowly, the big truck shuddered into first gear and then inched forward through the space between the Seeker’s vehicle and ours. The Seeker’s spotlight outlined two silhouettes, two black profiles, both facing straight forward. The one in the driver’s seat had a crooked nose. Mel and I both exhaled in relief. â€Å"How do you feel?† â€Å"Alert,† I told the Seeker. â€Å"It will wear off in about four hours.† â€Å"Thank you.† The Seeker chuckled. â€Å"Thank you, Leaves Above. When we saw you racing down the road, we thought we might have humans on our hands. I was sweating, but not from the heat!† I shuddered. â€Å"Don’t worry. You’ll be perfectly fine. If you’d like, we can follow you to Phoenix.† â€Å"I’m just fine. You don’t need to trouble yourself.† â€Å"It was nice to meet you. I’ll be pleased when my shift is over, so that I can go home and tell my partner I met another green-first Flower. She’ll be so excited.† â€Å"Um†¦ tell her, Brightest sun, longest day’ for me,† I said, giving him the Earthly translation of the common greeting and farewell on the Flower Planet. â€Å"Certainly. Have a pleasant journey.† â€Å"And you have a pleasant night.† He stepped back, and the spotlight hit my eyes again. I blinked furiously. â€Å"Cut it, Hank,† the Seeker said, shading his eyes as he turned to walk toward the car. The night turned black again, and I forced another smile toward the invisible Seeker named Hank. I started the engine with shaking hands. The Seekers were faster. The little black car with the incongruous light bar atop it purred to life. It executed a sharp U-turn, and then the taillights were all I could see. They disappeared quickly into the night. I pulled back onto the road. My heart pumped the blood through my veins in hard little bursts. I could feel the fierce pulse throbbing through to my fingertips. â€Å"They’re gone,† I whispered through my suddenly chattering teeth. I heard Jared swallow. â€Å"That was†¦ close,† he said. â€Å"I thought Kyle was going to stop.† â€Å"Me, too.† Neither of us could speak above a whisper. â€Å"The Seeker bought it.† His teeth were still clenched in anxiety. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"I wouldn’t have. Your acting hasn’t improved much.† I shrugged. My body was so rigid, it all moved together. â€Å"They can’t not believe me. What I am†¦ well, it’s something impossible. Something that shouldn’t exist.† â€Å"Something unbelievable,† he agreed. â€Å"Something wonderful.† His praise thawed some of the ice in my stomach, in my veins. â€Å"Seekers aren’t all that different from the rest of them,† I murmured to myself. â€Å"Nothing to be especially afraid of.† He shook his head back and forth slowly. â€Å"There really isn’t anything you can’t do, is there?† I wasn’t sure how to respond to that. â€Å"Having you with us is going to change everything,† he continued under his breath, talking to himself now. I could feel how his words made Melanie sad, but she was not angry this time. She was resigned. You can help them. You can protect them better than I could. She sighed. The slow-moving taillights did not frighten me when they appeared on the road ahead. They were familiar, a relief. I sped up-just a little, still a few miles below the limit-to pass them. Jared pulled a flashlight out of the glove compartment. I understood what he was doing: reassurance. He held the light to his own eyes as we passed the cab of the truck. I looked past him, through the other window. Kyle nodded once at Jared and took a deep breath. Ian was leaning anxiously around him, his eyes focused on me. I waved once, and he grimaced. We were getting close to our hidden exit. â€Å"Should I go all the way to Phoenix?† Jared thought about it. â€Å"No. They might see us on the way back and stop us again. I don’t think they’re following. They’re focused on the road.† â€Å"No, they won’t follow.† I was sure of this. â€Å"Let’s go home, then.† â€Å"Home,† I agreed wholeheartedly. We killed the lights, and so did Kyle behind us. We would take both vehicles right to the caves and unload quickly so they could be hidden before morning. The little overhang by the entrance would not hide them from view. I rolled my eyes as I thought of the way into and out of the caves. The big mystery I hadn’t been able to solve for myself. Jeb was so tricky. Tricky-just like the directions he’d given Mel, the lines he’d carved onto the back of her photo album. They didn’t lead to his cave hideout at all. No, instead they made the person following them parade back and forth in front of his secret place, giving him ample opportunity to decide whether or not to extend an invitation inside. â€Å"What do you think happened?† Jared asked, interrupting my thoughts. â€Å"What do you mean?† â€Å"The recent disappearance the Seeker mentioned.† I stared ahead blankly. â€Å"Wouldn’t that be me?† â€Å"I don’t think you would count as recent, Wanda. Besides, they weren’t watching the freeway before we left. That’s new. They’re looking for us. Here.† His eyes narrowed, while mine widened. â€Å"What have they been doing?† Jared suddenly exploded, slapping his hand loudly against the dashboard. I jumped. â€Å"You think Jeb and the others did something?† He didn’t answer me; he just stared out across the star-bright desert with furious eyes. I didn’t understand. Why would the Seekers be looking for humans just because someone had disappeared in the desert? Accidents did happen. Why would they jump to that particular conclusion? And why was Jared angry? Our family in the caves wouldn’t do anything to draw attention to themselves. They knew better than that. They wouldn’t go outside unless there was an emergency of some kind. Or something they felt was urgent. Necessary. Had Doc and Jeb been taking advantage of my absence? Jeb had only agreed to stop slaughtering people and souls while I was under the same roof. Was this their compromise? â€Å"You okay?† Jared asked. My throat was too thick to answer. I shook my head. Tears streamed down my cheeks and fell from my chin to my lap. â€Å"Maybe I’d better drive.† I shook my head again. I could see well enough. He didn’t argue with me. I was still crying silently when we got to the little mountain that hid our vast cave system. It was actually just a hill-an insignificant outcropping of volcanic rock, like so many others, sparsely decorated with spindly creosote and flat-bladed prickly pears. The thousands of tiny vents were invisible, lost in the jumble of loose purple rocks. Somewhere, smoke would be rising, black on black. I got out of the van and leaned against the door, wiping my eyes. Jared came to stand beside me. He hesitated, then put a hand on my shoulder. â€Å"Sorry. I didn’t know they were planning this. I had no idea. They shouldn’t have†¦Ã¢â‚¬  But he only thought that because they’d somehow gotten caught. The moving truck rumbled to a stop behind us. Two doors slammed shut, and then feet were running toward us. â€Å"What happened?† Kyle demanded, there first. Ian was right behind him. He took one look at my expression, at the tears still running down my cheeks, at Jared’s hand on my shoulder, and then rushed forward and threw his arms around me. He pulled me into his chest. I didn’t know why this made me cry harder. I clung to him while my tears leaked onto his shirt. â€Å"It’s okay. You did great. It’s over.† â€Å"Seeker’s not the problem, Ian,† Jared said, voice strained, his hand still touching me, though he had to lean forward to preserve that point of contact. â€Å"Huh?† â€Å"They were watching the road for a reason. Sounds like Doc’s been†¦ working in our absence.† I shuddered, and for a moment, it seemed like I could taste silver blood in the back of my throat. â€Å"Why, those -!† Ian’s fury robbed him of speech. He couldn’t finish his sentence. â€Å"Nice,† Kyle said in a disgusted tone. â€Å"Idiots. We’re gone for a few weeks, and they’ve got the Seekers on patrol. They could have just asked us to -â€Å" â€Å"Shut up, Kyle,† Jared said harshly. â€Å"That’s neither here nor there at the moment. We’ve got to get this all unloaded fast. Who knows how many are watching for us? Let’s grab a load and then get some more hands.† I shook Ian off so that I could help. The tears did not stop running. Ian stayed close to my side, taking the heavy flat of canned soup I picked up and replacing it with a big but light box of pasta. We started down the steep pathway in, Jared leading. The utter blackness did not bother me. I still didn’t know this path well, but it wasn’t difficult. Straight down, then straight up. We were halfway there when a familiar voice called out from a distance. It echoed down the tunnel, fracturing. â€Å"They’re back†¦ ack†¦ back!† Jamie was shouting. I tried to dry my tears on my shoulder, but I couldn’t get them all. A blue light approached, bouncing as the carrier ran. Then Jamie bounded into view. His face threw me. I was trying to compose myself to greet him, assuming he would be joyful and not wanting to upset him. But Jamie was already upset. His face was white and tense, his eyes rimmed in red. His dirty cheeks had rivulets through the dust there, tracks made by tears. â€Å"Jamie?† Jared and I said together, dropping our boxes to the floor. Jamie ran straight for me and threw his arms around my waist. â€Å"Oh, Wanda! Oh, Jared!† he sobbed. â€Å"Wes is dead! He’s dead! The Seeker killed him!† How to cite The Host Chapter 48: Detained, Essay examples

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters free essay sample

This one of the reason why are the Green Mountain coffees is different from those of other specialty coffee companies. On the other hand, Keurig also gives Green Mountain access to the office and one-cup segment. iii. High Distribution GMCR flushes nitrogen into its packaged coffee and employ one-way value bag packaging technology that provides a minimum shelf life of six months for the company coffee as customer is able to retain the freshness of the coffee in the package. This in turn, allows GMCR to expand it’s distribution, without any worries about compromised quality. v. Socially Responsible Business Practices GMCR is a supporter of social and environmental causes, and being listed in the â€Å"100 Best Corporate Citizens† and â€Å"The World’s Most Socially Responsible Companies† lists. This acts as a bonus to the company’s outlook and reputation. v. Widely Available GMCR’s products are widely available in the market. Assume that in China the only way to get Green Mountain Coffee is via their website. Based on this assumption, how well does Green Mountain provide the consumer with form, time, place and ownership utility? (40 marks) 2. Give a few examples for each of the following types of competition faced by Green Mountain: direct competition, and competition among substitute goods. (20 marks) 3. Describe how two major economic factor changes might affect Green Mountain’s marketing decisions. Explain each fully. (20 marks) 4. Discuss and explain whether Green Mountain has fulfilled each of the four levels of the social responsibility pyramid. (20 marks)

The international politics of democracy promotion Essay Example For Students

The international politics of democracy promotion Essay Whilst the paper does not attempt to single out one motive as the barely concealed hidden agenda, it does recognise that there is a clear distinction between motives for promoting democracy for the self -perpetuating value of democracy itself and motives for promoting democracy based purely on the self-interest of the West. As seen from the discussion above, the latter seem to be in more abundance. The paper is not directly condemning this, it is recognised that, especially after September 11th, western security is threatened and this issue needs to be addressed. However, as the title of this paper suggests these hidden agendas are barely concealed, and while few may believe that democracy promotion is based on morally motivated principles, many believe this not to be the case, including the recipient countries. Again, this paper is not attempting to paint these recipient countries as victims of Western hypocrisy. Yet, it cannot be denied that there is a great deal of hypocrisy behind the democracy promotion agenda and this could badly affect the outcomes of democracy promotion. We will write a custom essay on The international politics of democracy promotion specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now This, whether you support democracy as a valuable concept itself, or whether you are aiming to achieve security, economic prosperity etc. through democracy, is generally not a good outcome. Sanctioning countries for not being sufficiently democratic and abusing human rights, whilst praising another which does exactly the same but is a strategic ally will lead to less desire for countries to become truly democratic, and lead unsavoury regimes to lean more towards a democratic farce, whilst atrocities go on behind the scenes. Democratic transitions are rarely stable events, and it is extremely hard to consolidate a democracy, not being truly dedicated to promoting democracy, but rather preoccupied with maintaining Western security and economic interests in the region will not provide the political support and assistance that emerging democracies really need in order to continue their transitions. In order for the world to continue truly democratising and for existing young democracies to become solid, the West need to seriously reappraise their barely concealed hidden agendas and realise that some of their motives such as maintaining business as usual and maintaining solid bases for transnational capital are in direct conflict with promoting democracy and that in order to achieve Western security, it is essential that democracy be promoted wholeheartedly and without hypocrisy. 1 Richard Youngs, The European Union and the Promotion of Democracy, (Oxford University Press: Oxford, 2000), p. 1 2 G. R. Olsen, Promotion of Democracy as a Foreign Policy Instrument of Europe: Limits to International Idealism, Democractization, (Vol. 7, No. 2 ,2000), p. 142-143 3 Ibid. p. 143 4 Ibid. 5 G. John Ikenberry, Americas Liberal Grand Strategy: Democracy and National Security in the Post-war Era. , p. 111 6 G. John Ikenberry, Why Export Democracy?: The Hidden Grand Strategy of American Foreign Policy, The Wilson Quarterly, (Vol 23, No. 2 (Spring, 1999) http://www. mtholyoke. edu/acad/intrel/exdem. html (visited: 02/02/2002) 7 Ibid. 8 R. Youngs, The European Union and the Promotion of Democracy, p. 12 9 R. Youngs, The European Union and the Promotion of Democracy, p. 12 10 Larry Diamond, Promoting Democracy, Foreign Policy, (No. 87, 1992), p. 28 11 G. R. Olsen, Promotion of Democracy as a Foreign Policy Instrument of Europe: Limits to International Idealism, p.143 12 Ibid. p. 144 13 Ibid. 14 Ibid. , p. 155 15 Ibid. 16 Larry Diamond, Promoting Democracy, p. 44 17 Ibid. 18 Milan Markovic, Whats Democracy Got to do With It? , Pundit Magazine, http://www. punditmag. com/articles/democracy. html (visited: 07/02/2002) 19 Ibid. 20 Ibid. 21 Ibid. 22 G. R. Olsen, Promotion of Democracy as a Foreign Policy Instrument of Europe: Limits to International Idealism, p. 160 23 Ibid. 24 Ibid. p. 161 25 Ibid. , p. 162 26 William I. Robinson, Promoting Polyarchy Globalisation, U. S. .u79a25a744b3b52447644c8d692002d01 , .u79a25a744b3b52447644c8d692002d01 .postImageUrl , .u79a25a744b3b52447644c8d692002d01 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u79a25a744b3b52447644c8d692002d01 , .u79a25a744b3b52447644c8d692002d01:hover , .u79a25a744b3b52447644c8d692002d01:visited , .u79a25a744b3b52447644c8d692002d01:active { border:0!important; } .u79a25a744b3b52447644c8d692002d01 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u79a25a744b3b52447644c8d692002d01 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u79a25a744b3b52447644c8d692002d01:active , .u79a25a744b3b52447644c8d692002d01:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u79a25a744b3b52447644c8d692002d01 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u79a25a744b3b52447644c8d692002d01 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u79a25a744b3b52447644c8d692002d01 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u79a25a744b3b52447644c8d692002d01 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u79a25a744b3b52447644c8d692002d01:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u79a25a744b3b52447644c8d692002d01 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u79a25a744b3b52447644c8d692002d01 .u79a25a744b3b52447644c8d692002d01-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u79a25a744b3b52447644c8d692002d01:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The Triumphant Reconstruction EssayIntervention and Hegemony, (Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, 1996), p. 318-319 27 Ibid. , p. 321-322 28 Robinson, Poyarchy, Globalisation, U. S. Intervention and Hegemony, p. 344 29 Olsen, p. 144 30 Ibid. p. 154 31 Ibid. p. 144 32 Edward Newman, Democracy Assistance: Motives, Impacts and Limitations, http://www. incore. ulst. ac. uk/newman. html (visited 02/02/2002) 33Edited by Peter Burnell, Democracy Assistance-International Co-operation for Democratization, (Frank Cass Publishers: London, 2000), p. 47 34 Ibid. p. 44 35 Ibid. p. 47.

Politics, Religion, and Reform essays

Politics, Religion, and Reform essays Andrew Jackson does not deserve to be ranked among Americas greatest presidents. Although many people do think he deserves to be one of the greats, I feel differently. He was extremely contradictory of himself, and based his actions on personal feelings, rather than what was best for the country. Jackson accomplished some positive things, but the majority of his actions were not done for the good of the country. When Jackson first entered office, nobody really knew his stance on many major issues. This was partially due to the fanfare, and mudslinging present during the campaign, but also partially due to the contradictory messages he was sending. In Tennessee he aggressively pursued wealth and opposed legislation for relief of debtors, but he understood what brought him to office, and decided to express the will of the majority, in order to stay in office. When in the Army, Jackson had defeated a battle against the Creek Indians, The Battle of Horseshoe Bend, in 1814. Because of the Indians defeat, he felt that the Indians were weak. When Jefferson made it to the presidency, he felt there was no need to negotiate with weak people, so he passed the Indian Removal Act, so he could just move them off their land. Jacksons support of the federal support for internal improvements bill and protective tariffs set of the sectional controversy, that may in fact have added to the push toward the civil war. The south had much fewer canals and roads, and they had fewer plans to build more. Because of this, southerners were against paying tax money to build roads they would never drive on. Jackson, whose firmest political roots were in the south felt that federal support of internal improvements was, a lavish giveaway program prone to corruption. In 1830 he vetoed a bill to provide federal support for a road in Kentucky between Maysville and Lexington. The veto of the road bill was done alm...

Expert Interview with Andy Greenberg About Recruiting and Hiring

Expert Interview with Andy Greenberg About Recruiting and Hiring Andy Greenberg, CEO and president of The Recruiting Division, took the time to talk with us about his company, recruiting and hiring trends. With 17 years of experience in the field of recruiting, Andy has valuable, insightful information to offer. Heading The Recruiting Division, Andy works closely with clients and candidates to consistently find the best for the best. Here he shares a bit about that process.What’s different about The Recruiting Division that makes it so successful?We extend the capabilities of a contract recruiter with a unique solution that is team-based and on-demand. The result is a more flexible, scalable and cost-effective way of engaging a contract recruiter. What are three attributes that employers want to see in a job candidate?Intellectual curiosityPassionFlexibilityHow about three qualities they’d rather not see?InflexibilityArroganceInability or unwillingness to bring something extra to the roleWhat do you look for in a job candidate?Abilit y to self-assess, meaning that they are able to understand and articulate their strengths, weaknesses, boundaries and their own internal brandPassion!Ability to convincingly articulate why and how their background, skills and experience will translate into success for the positionWhy is it key for companies to have good relationships with recruiters like you to find the best team?Contract recruiters like those here at The Recruiting Division are able to act as a fully accountable, seamless extension of a client’s team, since we are not motivated or paid by placement fees or commissions, nor are we bound by the typical contingency-based agency model that necessitates alignment with candidates as opposed to HR and hiring managers.Are you seeing any particular hiring trends lately? If so, please tell us a bit about them.Although the economy has certainly improved, employers are still very cautious in their hiring and are willing to wait for candidates that meet all of the criter ia on their list.There is still strong demand for information technology and sales professionals, and we are also seeing an increase in temporary hiring as a result of the Affordable Care Act. Another interesting trend is a growing number of companies that are bringing jobs back to the United States after frustrations with offshoring.From a recruiting perspective, we are seeing a huge interest in social recruiting. Besides LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook, there are a host of social aggregation and deep web mining tools that recruiters are flocking to, including SwoopTalent, Gild, TalentBin, Talenthook and HiringSolved.Why is timeliness so important in the hiring process?That’s a double-edged sword. On the one hand, there is a cost associated with a company not being able to achieve its goals due to a lack of manpower. But on the other hand, there is also a cost associated with rushing the hiring process and hiring sub-par employees. We are all doing our best in the search for the holy grail of hiring top talent as quickly as possible.How do you go about finding the top talent to place?For starters, make sure that your recruiters themselves are top talent. Think about it – it takes top talent to be able recognize top talent.Those who know me know that I love to arm my recruiters to the teeth with lots of cool tools like the ones mentioned above. That said, I am the first to admit that a great recruiter can work their magic simply by using LinkedIn and nothing else. The key to LinkedIn is learning how to target the right people and then message them softly and professionally. Your goal should be to achieve a response rate of at least 30%. And anything less than 20% means that you are spamming and not doing relationship-sourcing.Also make sure that you know your company’s brand and can articulate it effectively throughout the entire sourcing and vetting process. Candidates that are in demand know that they have choices, and they are looking fo r employers with a compatible brand, mission and values.Along with company branding, do your best to provide a great candidate experience. Candidates are sharing their interview experiences on social media sites like Glassdoor and Vault, and your ability to attract top talent can be either enhanced or stymied by your reputation on social media.

Should companies engage in Corporate Social Responsibility programs Essay

Should companies engage in Corporate Social Responsibility programs Why or why not - Essay Example All the efforts of the companies meant for this purpose meet the merit of bringing up positive results as they reflect on improved concerns for environment and the public as a whole. The essence of CSR is growingly promising as the world market turns rapidly competitive with the inevitability of consideration for global communities in the wake of emergence of multinational companies in corporate business. Whether companies should engage in corporate social responsibility programs is a one-sided debate in which there can possibly be no opposition. In recent years, many CEOs and heads of major corporate business groups identify that ‘a strong CSR program is an inevitable thing’ for achieving effective business leadership (â€Å"Corporate social responsibility..†). However, it is a challenge before many companies to meet the global social responsibilities on par with the struggle for excellence in achieving the traditional goal of economic profit. In this regard, according to a thought of Lawrence and Weber, social responsibility requires companies to balance the benefit to be gained against the costs of achieving those benefits (46). As such, the managers of the organizations are responsible for meeting the desired fields of credit for both the owners of the business and the consumers of the product of the company without letting the firm any decrease in its profitability. From every angle, the stability of a company is guaranteed by the willingness of its employees to offer optimum worth to it. It is also undoubted that they chose to work in a company that claims high regards of social reputation. As Lawrence and Weber point out, social reputation is a major intangible asset that adds to the organization’s wealth (53). With days passing, the thought of business giants changed from merely making profit to being committed to social responsibilities as the majority of world population wanted their basic needs to be attended by the rich. As a result of the

Leasing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Leasing - Essay Example This is a long term purchase where the price value should be substantially lower than the market value which determines the amount to be recorded. c. During the first year of the lease, Lani is expected to incur expenses that equals or exceeds at least 90 per cent of the fair value of the property that is leased. Basically, these expenses are determined by the value of the property at inception of the lease and this value is agreed by both the lessee and lessor. d. Lani should report the lease transaction on its December 31, 2006, balance sheet as an acquisition of an asset. Virtually, a lease agreement transfers ownership of property to the lessee and this should be reflected on the balance sheet as purchase of assets which adds property value to the company. 2a. The criteria that must be met by Doherty Company to classify it as a capital lease is that it must transfer substantially all of the benefits and risks of the ownership of property to the lessee. If the agreement transfers the property rights to the lessee, then it will be classified as a capital leases given that it will be an acquisition of the property by the lessee. In this particular case, Doherty Company should transfer ownership to the lessee in order for it to classify it as a capital lease. b. In order for Lambert Company to classify the lease as a sales-type, it must be able to realise a profit from the lease or be able to determine if it is making a loss. In actual fact, Lambert Company as the lessor must be better positioned to generate some revenue that can contribute to the profit margins of the organisation. Lambert Company can classify this lease as direct financing lease if it does not record any profit from the lease. It will be widely viewed as a lending institution. c. The main difference between a sales type lease and a direct financing lease is that the main reason behind a sales lease is to realise profits while direct financing is not primarily concerned with profits but just r evenue generation. Therefore, the purpose of the lease and the goals to be achieved are the major factors that make a distinction between the two. However, accounting steps for these two types of leases are just the same. Part 2 During the contemporary period, it can be noted that companies continue to acquire property to improve their operations. Leasing is an alternative means of acquiring long-term assets to be used by business firms (Schroeder, Clark & Cathey, 2005). Leases provide for the right for use of the property by the lessees since they are given the obligation to make a series of payments over a long period of time. As such, leases are similar to long-term debt which enables the lessee to utilise off-balance sheet financing. This paper therefore is mainly concerned with explaining the meaning of debt and equity financing in relation to lease verses purchase options. According to wisegeek, â€Å"debt financing is a way of raising some funds to generate working capital f or the organisation which can be used to fund special projects.† In this regard, the issuer may issue bonds or other debt instruments that can be used as a means of financing the debt associated with the project. Debt financing has a clear start and end

Human Resources - how individuals are managed within an organisation Essay Example for Free

Human Resources how individuals are managed within an organisation Essay Introduction People are an extremely important resource for any organisation. To be a successful business you need to employ staff with the right qualifications skills and experience. The employees of an organisation are collectively known as its human resources, in many organisations, both public and private, the human resources department is also known as the personnel department. However, the difference in name reflects a shift in emphasis from a purely recruitment and welfare role to a greater concern about how to maximise the performance of staff. Human resource management is also an integral part of many job roles. There are many duties performed by a typical human resources department. These duties include drawing up and implementing equal opportunities and health and safety policies, staff consultation, negotiation, appraisal and staff development, as well as training, recruitment and selection of staff. They are the most important resource in the production of goods ands services. Many aspects of the employer-employee relationship are covered by legislation. However, employers are recognising increasingly that good human resource management practice, which goes beyond the letter of the law, can generate benefits for both the organisation and the individual. The role of human resources Human resource management involves managing a range of roles relating to people employed by a business including: Recruitment The personnel department must advertise accordingly and try to attract the best candidates for the job, and the recruit the best applicants. If the wrong person is recruited, and then finds the job boring or too difficult, then the business will not get the most out of its human resources. Also where employees need to be flexible and autonomous and where direct control over employees is difficult, recruitment is becoming more and more important. To make sure the best person is chosen, personnel departments must be clear about: * What the job entails * What qualities the job requires * What rewards is needed to retain and motivate employees. There are many stages of recruiting, they are: 1. Analyse what the job entails and decide what sort of person is needed. 2. Decide how the vacancy is to be advertised or announced. 3. The selection process needs to be planned and conducted in such a way as to ensure that the best candidate is successful. Training involves employees being taught new skills or improving skills they have already have. Why might a business train its employees? It is argued that a well-trained work force has certain benefits for a business. * Well-trained workers should be more productive. This will help the business to achieve its overall objectives such as increasing profits. * It should help to create a more flexible work force. If a business needs to increase production, workers then have to be trained in new tasks. * New machinery or production processes can be introduced more effectively, if the staff are trained. * It should lead to increased job satisfaction to employees. Well-motivated workers are more likely to be more productive. * It should reduce accidents and injuries if employees are trained in health and safety procedures. * It may improve the image of the company. * It can improve employees chances of promotion. How does a firm know if training is required? One method might be to use the job description to find the skills and knowledge needed to do the job. If the employees skills do not match up with the ones in the job description, then there is a need for re-training. Employees can also be asked about areas where they are not quite as confident, and think may need a little work on. This should make them more committed to training. Training needs are found at different levels within a business. Training is often divided into on-the-job-training and off-the-job-training. On-the-job-training takes place when employees are trained while they are carrying out an activity, often at their place of work. Off-the-job training takes place away from the job, at a different location. It may involve the employee being released for periods of time to attend courses at colleges or other institutions. This is by far the most popular form of training. One vital key task of HRM is to keep up to date with employment legislation (UK and EU) and to remain alert to the implications of such legislation for the firm and the workers. The main aim of such legislation is to ensure that employees rights are protected. Basic rights include: * Employees must receive a written statement of terms and conditions of employment within 13 weeks of starting work. * They must be paid the same as other people who carry out identical or similar jobs. * Working conditions must be safe and healthy. * Workers cannot be dismissed unfairly. * Employers must not discriminate against any member of staff. Employees have basic rights to: * They are expected to comply with the terms of their contract. * To do jobs with care and skill, to the acceptable standard. * Observe health and safety regulations. * Not to damage the firms property. There are many other responsibilities that then form the basis of the contract of employment. The contract is formed as soon as the employer offers a person a job and they accept it. Motivation at work For many years firms have given financial rewards in an attempt to motivate employees and improve productivity. However in the last 2 or 3 decades firms have realised that: * the chance to earn more money may not be an effective motivator * financial incentive schemes are difficult to operate * individual reward schemes may no longer be effective as production has become organised into group tasks * other factors may be more important in motivating employees If other factors are more important than pay in motivating workers, it is important for firms to identify them. Only then can a business make sure its work force is motivated. Team work The Swedish car firm Volvo is a well-known example of a company that has effectively introduced teamwork. In both its plants at Kalmar and Uddevalla, it set up production in teams of 8-10 highly skilled workers. The teams decided between themselves how the work was to be distributed and how to solve problems as they arise. It is arguable whether these practices lead to an increase in productivity, but the company firmly believes this method of organisation was better than an assembly line system a similar system is used at Honda UK but with four person teams. If the firm is always changing due to the market, which is causing it to either, expand or de-layer. Then they will have to change the work force accordingly. The case study that I will be looking at is a position as a secretary for Ratcliffe College. P1- Recruitment One of the most important responsibilities of Human resource function is recruitment and selection. The costs of recruitment, training and retaining employees are high, but the costs of selecting the wrong people or losing key members of staff can be even higher. The processes of recruitment and selection must always relate the requirement for skilled staff to the business needs of the organisation. It is also essential that potential candidates be treated fairly. When vacancies arise because existing staff move to other jobs, retire or have to leave work because of illness. Some vacancies occur because the organisation expands or is restructured. Before the organisation advertises a post, it needs to decide whether there is a real need for the position to be filled. It might consider the following alternatives: * Amalgamating one job with another * Giving existing staff overtime * Recruiting temporary staff * Increasing the use of technology or machinery * Once an organisation decides that a vacancy exists, the recruitment process begins. Internal recruitment Internal recruitment strengthens employees commitment to the company, for example Kelloggs have stated the following in their recruitment policy handbook: * Offer the job to an existing employee, as a promotion or transfer * Advertise internally, if suitable candidate is likely to available internally * Advertise externally if no suitable candidate is likely to exist internally(and display notice internally to the effect that the advertisement is appearing) Except in special cases, all vacancies should be advertised internally before external recruitment methods are used. There are a number of advantages to advertising jobs inside the business. * It gives employees within the company a chance to develop their career * There may be a shorter induction period as the employee is likely to be familiar with the company * Employers will know more about internal candidates abilities. This should reduce the risk of employing the wrong person * Internal recruitment may be quicker and less expensive than recruiting from outside the business. However, there are also disadvantages. * Internal advertising limits the number of applicants * External candidates might have been better quality * Another vacancy will be created which might have to be filled * If having investigated ways of filling the vacancy internally the business still does not appoint, then it must find ways to obtain candidates externally. External recruitment There are many ways of attracting candidates from outside the company. The choice of method often depends on the type of vacancy and the type of employee a business wants. Each method has its own benefits and problem, although it could be argued that the overall advantages of external advertising are the opposite of the disadvantages of internal advertising, for example, there is a wider number of applicants. Commercial employment agencies, these are companies that specialise in recruiting and selection. They usually provide a shortlist of candidates for a company to interview, but can also provide temporary workers. For example HMS, Alfred Marks and Kelly Accountancy Personnel. The advantage of commercial agencies is that they are experienced in providing certain types of worker, such as secretaries and clerical staff. They also minimise the administration for the employer involved in recruiting staff. Their main drawback is that they tend to produce staff that only stay in a job for a short time. Another problem for the business is the cost of paying fees to the agency. Recruitment and selection P2-Personnel Specification The first step is to prepare a job description. Before writing a job description, the job itself has to be analysed. This will identify the skills needed to perform the job and will also allow management to consider the overall effectiveness of the post and whether any changes are necessary. Clear job descriptions form the basis for preparing advertisements and for drawing up person specifications. Once individuals are in the post, job descriptions allow them to know exactly what their roles are, and what is expected of them. Before writing a job description, the job itself has to be analysed. This will identify the skills needed to perform the job and will also allow management to consider the overall effectiveness of the post and whether any changes are necessary. Clear job descriptions form the basis for preparing advertisements and for drawing up person specifications. Once individuals are in a post, job description allow them to know exactly what their roles are, and what is expected of them. When preparing a job description, it is important that the business to look to: * Describe the job accurately- if you overstate or understate the requirements of the job, you will be less likely to attract suitable applicants * Avoid discriminatory descriptions wording that implies one sex is preferable to another is unfair, illegal and unnecessarily restricts the number of people you are able to choose from. Below is an example of a job description, advertised in the local paper, for my case study. Ratcliffe College Job title School secretary Department: Administration, including Bursary Location Ratcliffe College, Ratcliffe-on-the-Wreake Salary à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½15,000- 20,000 Requirements for the job: * Enthusiastic, sociable, hard working person. * Taking care of any paper work regarding the school, and answering calls throughout the day on any matter. * Computer skills and experience of working in an office. General information * The hours per day would from 9am-5pm, 5 days a week. * There is a team of six people who deal with the administration of the school; this includes the bursar, the head masters secretary and the four secretaries. The profile of the best person to fill a job is a vital reference document to use during the selection process. It helps eliminate unsuitable candidates, guides interviewers and allows selectors to compare candidates objectively. The following are the key areas in drawing up a person specification: * Knowledge and understanding required for the job * Skills and abilities required for the job * Experience required for the job * Educational requirements The following shows a person specification: To fill the receptionist post we are looking for people with most of the following qualifications: 1. GCSEs in Maths and English, additional qualifications such as computer skills required. 2. The applicant must have had previous experience in an office environment 3. Must be computer literate, and able to use a photocopier. 4. Must have an outgoing, friendly personality, and able to communicate efficiently with students and fellow members of staff alike. Most importantly, they must be able to answer the telephone and help with any enquiries. When preparing person specifications, there are several pitfalls to be avoided. * Asking for higher qualifications than are needed, it runs the risk of passing over less-qualified staff who are likely to become frustrated in positions that fail to extend their abilities * Asking for someone with particular or extensive experience, an individual with the right aptitudes, skills and temperament may be a quick learner * Stipulating particular age requirements, tasks that are traditionally regarded as junior can often be done as well, if not better, by older staff. Similar, jobs that have been regarded as the preserve of more mature employees may be performed by able, qualified and highly motivated young people. * Defining narrow physical requirements, these must only be specified where the requirement is genuine and essential. Remember that the specification of physical attributes can lead to direct or indirect discrimination. * Basing your specification on someone who is already doing the job, no matter how good that person might be, he or she is a unique individual and no one else will be a perfect replacement. The newcomer will bring his or her own personality, values and skills. P3-Reviewing Applications Miss Puddleduck- she seems to be able to get on with people and handle situations, as we can see this from her working as a carer in an Elderly Home. She is the eldest to apply for the job and has a good amount of previous experience, which give her the skills needed, like office and computer work. Seems to be a hard work and has good communication skills, and also she has worked with children before so is a strong candidate. From her CV I see that she has three young children, This may cause a problem, as she has a live-in child minder. Mr Langer- Mr Langer sent in an application form with exceptional exam results both from GCSE and A level. He gave some job experience which all showed experience but nothing that was relevant to the job description. His letter of application was very short with not much detail. Being as he hadnt any experience in secretarial duties then I would have thought that he would have tried to impress me through the letter of application. This didnt happen but because of his good exam results I offered him an interview hoping he would have something to offer the company. Mr Langers CV was average, he had typed it out so that it looked neat, and it was set well but the contented which he needed to impress me wasnt there. Mr Langer was a very intellectual young man by the language which he had used on his recruitment forms and his given exam results but unfortunately he didnt have the relevant experience to offer this post. Miss Hill- the weakest candidate looking from her application form, but she seems to be enthusiastic over the job, but from her CV she says she likes socialising, which may be a downfall as she may need to come in any day of the week. Miss Hill has no previous experience. From the CV her GCSE grades are not excellent, however, she has passed English and maths, and has computer skills. I am not sure how well she can communicate with people of different ages, as I have no evidence that she can. However, as she is young she may find it easier to communicate with the student, but she must be able to communicate effectively with the adults as well. She also has a young child, so she may know how to get on with the younger generation in the school Miss Hill has a young child, which could mean that she will need time off work to look after it. She states that her mum could look after the child at the weekends if necessary, however, her mum may not be available in the week if the child is unable to go to playgroup. So it may cause difficulties in the future, as she may have difficulties finding someone to look after the child or she may have to take days off. P4-Contract of employment Once a business has selected an employee, the successful candidates must be appointed. Once appointed. Employees are entitled to a Contract of Employment. This is an agreement between the employer and the employee under which each has certain obligations. It is binding to both parties in the agreement, the employer and the employee. This means that it is unlawful to break the terms and conditions in the contract without the other party agreeing. As soon as an employee starts work, and therefore demonstrates that she accepts the terms offered by the employer, the contract comes into existence. It is sometimes a written contract, although a verbal agreement or implied agreements are also contracts of employment. The employment Right Act, 1996 requires employers to give employees taken on for one month or more a written statement within two months of appointment. This written statement sets out the terms and conditions in the contract. Some common features shown in the written statement are: * The names of the employer and the name of the employee * The date on which the employment is to begin * The job title * The terms and conditions of employment * Remuneration and pay interval; * Hours of work; * Entitlement to sick leave and pay (if any) * Pensions; * Period of notice for employer and employee; * Disciplinary and Grievance procedures. Certain employment protection rights cover employees that are appointed by a business. Government legislation makes it a duty of employers to safeguard these rights. They fall into a number of areas. * Discrimination. Employees cannot be discriminated against on grounds of gender, race or disability. So, for example, a business cannot refuse to appoint a candidate for a job only because that person is female. * Pay. Employees must be paid the same rate as other employees doing the same job, a similar job or a job with equal demands. They also have the right to itemised pay statements and not to have pay deducted for unlawful reasons. Other conditions which may be included are: the need for medical examinations, working from different locations, the right to search employees, the need for confidentiality and the need to obey the specific rules of the organisation. If the employer fails to provide a written statement of the main terms and conditions of employment, an employee could exercise his or her legal right to ask an industrial tribunal to decide what ought to have been in the written statement. This is then imposed upon the employer. Employers with more than twenty employees are also obliged to ensure that every employee has a copy of the disciplinary and grievance procedures. Employers have always wanted workers to be as flexible as possible. In the past this has meant paying overtime for extra hours worked, or higher rates for shift work. Faced with competition, businesses attempted to use their existing employees more efficiently. Sometimes this could benefit the employee. An example of a situation in Adams is a single woman with a child was able to work between the hours of 9 am to 3 p.m. each day while her child is at school. Working flexible hours could mean an employee may take time off for personal reasons and still work their required number of hours a week. Training would also be given to workers so they become multi -skilled able to switch from one job to another if needed. This example of job rotation may perhaps lead to the employee being more motivated. From a firms point of view, an employee that can change jobs may prevent the need to have temporary workers to cover for illness etc. and so reduce labour costs. An example of this is the workstyle initiative at Adams, where team working has been introduced so that workers can change from one process to another and do the work of others in the team if necessary. In 1985 John Atkinson and the Institute of Manpower Studies developed the idea of the flexible firm. They suggested that businesses have a core and a periphery. As a result of increasing competition, firms have attempted to make the workforce as flexible as possible, to increase productivity, reduce costs and react more quickly to change. The business would try to motivate core workers, giving them job security, and employ periphery workers only when needed. Increasingly employers looked to make plans that allow a business to respond to changes. For example, if a large unexpected order arrives, a business will need workers that can get it out on time. Using a flexible workforce enables a business to react effectively to changes that take place outside the business. Examples of workers that are used by a business includes: * Part time employees. * Temporary employees to deal with increases in demand. * Workers on zero hours contracts who are employed by the business but only work and are paid when both the business and the employee agree. * Workers who work to annualised hours contracts, where they work a certain number of hours over a year rather than in a week. * Workers who bank time, by not working when demand is slack but being asked to work that time at a later date. * Office temporary workers to cover for illness. * Self-employed workers. * Job sharing, where two workers are employed to do a full time job that in the past have been carried out by the one person. P5-My Performance in the Interview Before the interview 1. The interviewer should check that the interview arrangements are satisfactory: * Is the seating adequate? * Is the lighting satisfactory? * Is the room quiet or private? * Has it been ensured that the interview will not be disrupted? * Has access for candidates with a physical disability been checked? 2. Check through the job description and the person specification. 3. Read the application forms again, not any special questions or queries. 4. Write down the agreed questions that every candidate will have to answer, so they can make comparisons of each interviewee, this could including: * Why did you apply for this job? * Why did you apply to this organisation? 5. At the beginning of the interview every candidate should be welcomed by name and invited to sit down. 6. Begin the interview with an open or easy question, which should help the interviewees to relax. 7. The interviewer should always stay calm and uninvolved and be ready to listen 8. Keep observing the candidates. Watch for body language signal such as: * The way they sit * Arm and hand movements * Eye movements and eye contact * Voice 9. At the end of the interview the interviewer should: * Thank the candidate * Find out if the candidate has any questions or wants to add anything; * Find out when the candidate could start work; * Ask whether the candidate still wants the job * Tell the candidate how and when they will be told the result of the interview After the Interview 1. The candidates should leave feeling that they have had a fair hearing. An interviewer can ask either open or closed questions. * Open questions cannot be answered with a simple yes or no. Answering them allows individuals to express their opinions and to talk at length. Here are some examples of open-ended questions. What did you enjoy most about a particular job? Which skills do you think would be most useful in this post? How do you plan to achieve that? * Closed questions require a simple yes or no answer. It will always be necessary to ask a few closed questions, but their use should be restricted. Closed questions do not allow the candidate to talk freely, and they can make the interview somewhat stilted, with the interviewer doing most of the talking. When I was the interviewer I asked open ended questions, which allowed me to find out more about the candidate personality as well as there attitude to work. However from my colleagues point of view I was told that I was to laid back towards the candidate and to disorganise, this was because I had not gone through the CVs and the application form. This could have meant that I missed some vital information about the candidates. Also I did not write any information down about each candidate, which meant that I could not remember what the candidates where like. Which meant that I could analyse and compare the candidates. As an interviewee I was confident going for the position, willing to answer the questions, with no problems. But in doing this I had not research the position enough, as I had a lack of information about the school. Knowing this would of help me to put across my views on how I would of achieved the job successfully, and showed that I was interested in the job. I feel that during the interviews I fulfilled most of these criteria. The seating was adequate; there were two seats for the interviewers and one doe the candidate. However, there was a desk in between, it would have been better to try and create a more relaxed atmosphere, by either not having the desk at all, or sitting to one side of the desk. I was familiar with the job description and person specification, and had already prepared certain questions for each candidate. I had prepared a sheet with the questions that I was going to ask all of the candidates, a copy of this can be found in the appendix. I welcomed all the candidates by name and shucked there hand, and tried to make them feel welcome. Throughout the interview I used a variety of open and closed questions. I should have used more open than closed questions to allow the candidate to talk more. This would be one aspect I would have to change in future interviews. I thought of some follow up questions, however, could have thought of some more. I observed the candidates several times throughout the interview, which gave me a good idea of their overall body language. At the end of the interview, I allowed the candidates to ask questions, found out when they could start work, and told them when they would hear of the result. I didnt tell them how they would hear of the result, and I forgot to ask then if they were still interested in the job. After the interview I made some brief notes on the way the candidate had reacted during the interview. All these documents remained private between myself and the other interviewer M4-Local Labour Market Employment by sector Leicestershire TEC Area % East midlands % Great Britain % Agriculture Fishing 1,500 0.4 6,900 0.4 71,000 0.3 Energy Water 5,000 1.2 17,600 1.1 214,700 1.0 Manufacturing 116,700 29.4 418,700 25.8 4,060,000 18.0 Construction 13.300 3.3 70,700 4.4 987,900 4.4 Distribution, Hotels restaurants 80,000 20.1 354,800 5.0 1,319,400 5.9 Transport communication 22,000 5.5 81,100 5.0 1,319,400 5.9 Banking, finance Insurance, etc. 58,600 14.8 230,200 14.2 4,183,700 18.6 Public administration, Education Health 85,900 21.6 378,700 23.3 5,496,600 24.4 Other services 14,000 3.5 65,700 4.0 1,068,900 4.7 Total 397,000 100.0 1,623,800 100.0 22,534,900 100.0 The labour market is split up into three different labour sectors: 1. Primary these are businesses that are involved in extracting natural resources from the environment. Examples are the first two rows of the table. 2. Secondary businesses convert the raw materials from the primary sector into a form that can be used by customers. The third and fourth rows on the table are examples of this sector. 3. Tertiary Organisations provide services. The reminding rows are businesses in the tertiary sector. * Manufacturing contributes nearly 30% to GDP and employs some 27% of the workforce, goods produced range from textiles clothing through aerospace engines. However, manufacturing output within the region is forecast to fall by approximately 0.5% in 1999 before recovering in 2000. * Service Sector employment is growing faster than at the national level, but the service sector is still relatively under-represented. IT related employment, in particular, continues to expand. * Agriculture the East Midlands accounts for 10% of UK agricultural output, and employs 45,000 people across the region, rising to nearly one in five of the workforce in some areas. * Unemployment the regional claimant rate has been below the UK rate and currently stands at 3.9% compared to the UK 4.4% for May 1999. Current situation prospects Within the East Midlands, growth in services was estimated to have been stronger than the UK as a whole during 1998. However, the region saw a sharp slowdown in business services growth, reflecting the dependence of the sector on local manufacturing. Manufacturing output declined significantly during 1998, due to deterioration in both domestic and export demand, and a strong pound. Manufacturing output within the region is forecast to continue to decline during 1999, before recovering in 2000. Subdued performance is also expected in retailing distribution, and in transport communications. Overall regional GDP is expected to rise only slightly by 0.3% during 1999, with employment levels expected to remain static. Short-term changes in the GDP by sector (% per year) Manufacturing Services Other All services Fin. Bus. Services 1998 1999 2000 1998 1999 2000 1998 1999 2000 1998 1999 2000 E.M. 0.3 0.3 -3.1 1.5 0.2 1.2 4.9 2.2 1.9 6.8 -0.7 -1.9 UK -0.2 -0.2 -3.2 1.3 0.6 0.5 2.5 1.5 1.4 1.6 -1.4 -1.9 Inward investment The region has seen inward investment in manufacturing over recent years. In the first half of 1998 the East Midlands won 16 inward investment projects, which created a total of 2,240 jobs. Approximately 50% of the projects came from the USA. Other inward investment projects within the region include Toyota, the Japanese car manufacturer, which has expanded its plant at Burnaston in Derbyshire at a cost of à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½200m in order to build a second car model, the Corolla. The region has also been successful in attracting call centres, despite competition. In the future as direct banking and insurance services increase, further investment opportunities are likely to arise for the region. The East Midlands success in attracting inward investment can be explained by its central location, good infrastructure links with the rest of the country, relatively low land prices, and the quality of its workforce. Leicestershires Industrial Profile Leicestershires industrial structure has experienced a long period of change and this change is seen to continue. The manufacturing industry consists of textiles and clothing, electronic engineering, mechanical engineering, food processing, printing and publishing, and pharmaceuticals. In Leicestershire 26% of the population are employed in this sector compared with 19% nationally. The most important manufacturing industry group, in terms of output, remains other manufacturing which includes textiles and food manufacturing, currently accounting for half of all manufacturing output. The fastest growing sector was national transport and communications, with an average annual growth of 9.6% since 1992. This growth largely reflects the advantages of Leicestershire as a central location for distribution Industrial sectors Leicestershire TEC area Leicestershire county Leicester city Rutland 1999 Employee estimates Number % Number % Number % Number % Agriculture Fishing 3,100 0.8 2,700 1.2 0 0 400 3.5 Energy Water 9,200 2.3 5,600 2.4 3,200 2.1 400 3.5 Manufacturing 102,600 26.0 64,300 28.1 36,300 23.8 2,000 17.4 Construction 14900 3.8 10,000 4.4 4,300 2.8 600 5.2 Distribution, Hotels restaurants 83,000 21.1 51,100 22.3 29,200 19.1 2,700 23.5 Transport communication 23,100 5.9 16,100 7.0 6,500 4.3 500 4.3 Banking, finance Insurance, etc. 54,800 13.9 28,100 12.3 25,600 16.8 1,100 9.6 Public administration, Education Health 85,900 21.8 41,900 18.3 40,600 26.6 3,400 39.6 Other services 16,600 4.2 9,300 4.1 6,900 4.5 400 3.5 Total employees 393,200 100.0 229,100 100.0 152,600 100.0 11,500 100.0 M5 Analysing the recruitment documents I think I should have spaced out the application form a bit better and left more room for the forenames and surnames. On the application form I didnt put a space for sex, this should have been entered, as some people may see it as not giving equal opportunities. I think that it is of a good size, and the font is neither too small nor too large, however, if there had been more spaces left, then it may have been easier to read. There is not a final section asking for a supporting statement. This does not give the applicant opportunity to sell themselves. I should have put some spaces in the Employment History section for reason for leaving the job, and also how long they had been at their last job for. This would have given me some indication on how willing they are. Also if I had left space at the end of the form, there would have been space for the candidates to sell themselves, also giving me more information to base my questions on at the interview. There should have also been more space for them to fill in information about their education. In the references section there should be space to show what relationship the person given as a reference is to the candidate. As it is important for companies to enforce equal opportunities I should have had a section in the application form asking if they had a disability, what their ethnic origin is and also what colour they consider themselves (black, white, other, mixed). This should be an optional section; however, I should have included it. I also provided a sheet for the candidates to fill in just before the interview. This is where extra information could be gathered, and if any details have changed since they filled in the application form, then I could be notified of them. The appraisal documents: during the interview I made some basic notes of the candidates performance. These notes included how well they answered the questions, and their body language. I also gave them marks for their body language, their language and how appropriate it was, and how confident they were (1 being the best, and 5 the worst) In my personnel specification, I should have said more about the job so that they know more about the job and what jobs would be involved in the position. Also how to handle parents and children. Also in the job description, I should stated more about what the jobs would be involved with, like handling children from the ages of 5-18, so they need to be patient sometimes and also authoritative. M6-Strengths Weaknesses Mrs Jemima Puddleduck Her letter of application was most impressive. It was typed, set out correctly, and lots of good language was used. The recruitment documents that we received from Mrs Jemima Puddleduck showed that she was a well-educated young lady, showing she had studied both GCSEs, and A levels with excellent grades, and also well qualified. The only factor, which made me a little unsure of her, was that she had children, which I felt it might cause some difficulty about the hours she could work. Plus a degree in sports management. It was a very encouraging letter, outlining her strengths and weaknesses, and also stating any previous relevant work experience as well as any other experience to show her enthusiasm for work. Her experiences in jobs show us a very caring girl and she has taken part in work experience in very useful places. Mrs Jemima Puddleduck sent me a very short but detailed letter of application it was in written form very neat and well set out. Her work experiences have given her experience of what this position requires and I feel she would be an excellent candidate for this job. Mr Brett Langer The documents that were given to us by Brett Langer shows that he is ma very hard working person, we know this by looking at his GCSEs and A Levels. So he should then have the basic skills available to do the job successfully, with A grades in Maths and English in his GCSEs. My impression also was that he may be a little well qualified for the job, nonetheless a very promising candidate. It showed that he had some previous job experience, however, he had never worked in an office before. From the letter of application he seemed to be an all round person, being able to get on with people. We can also see this from his past work experience as a Waiter and Employee at McDonalds, this showing he should be able to get on with any sort of person and situations. The only problem is that he is going to be working on a temporary basis as hes looking for a job in the business sector, so he will only be working here until he finds a job in the business industry. Miss Tracy Hill Miss Hill is the youngest candidate applying for the position as Secretary. The recruitment documents, which we received from Miss Tracy Hill, she seems to be a nice girl but lack the personnel skills and personality for the job. There are concerns on how sociable she is, and how this may affect her work, as she may have to come in on a Saturday or Sunday. She has the basic skills to do the job with having GCSEs in IT, Maths and English. She also has no work experience in any field. She is the weakest candidate for the job, but we have decided to give her a chance to prove us wrong in the interview. Jemima Puddleduck questions 1. Will you be able to come in if there was an emergency? 2. Do you think you be able to handle the children when if they get rowdy? 3. Why have you decided to leave your present job? 4. How long would it take to hand in your notice at your present job? 5. How come you havent decided to go into the sports industry? Brett Langer questions 1. Do you know how to use the basics of computer software? 2. How long do you think you would work here? 3. Will you be able to come in if there was an emergency? 4. Do you think you be able to handle the children when if they get rowdy? 5. Do you think you would get along with the different age groups that go to the school? Tracy Hill question 1. Why did you leave school after your GCSEs? 2. Why havent you got any work experience? 3. Would it be a problem with the hours you work with a child? 4. Who will look after the child? 5. Will you be able to come in if there was an emergency? 6. Do you think you be able to handle the children when they get rowdy? M7-My performance in the Interviews To start off with I was shy, I was not sure how they would react to me, but as the interviews went on my interviewing technique improved and I started to settle down. I found that I didnt really help them to relax and settle down, which made them nervous and allowed them t make mistakes, as they didnt know how to react to me. After settling down I became confident enough to ask the candidate questions about the job and putting them in situations and asking how they would handle a particular situation. Due to this I became to laid back, I was showing poor body language; for example my arms were crossed. I also acted to casual with the candidate; I was told this from my colleagues who were also interviewing the candidate. Due to me being confident and laid back, I asked the candidate opened ended questions, which enabled my colleagues and I to get to know the candidate more intimately and what there personality was like. I also found that I was too disorganised for the interview, compared to my colleagues who where ready for the interview, as they had questions readily decided to ask the candidate. Which didnt show a good impression on the candidate and made me look silly. I also had not gone through the candidates information, which gave me a disadvantage, as I did not ask the relevant information for the job. Which lead to me not writing any information about the candidate, so it made it difficult on which candidate to pick for the job. I think that I also should have changed the tone of voice more, as I felt the candidate was finding the interview was getting to boring. Improvements 1. I should appear to be relaxed from the beginning of the interview so that they can give their best performances through out the interview. 2. I shouldnt act laid back whilst interviewing the candidate. As this gives a bad impression to the interviewee, about the way things are running in the company. 3. I should look through the application documents before I interview the candidate to have some kind of information about the candidate and question to find out more about their personality. 4. It would be more fairer to all the candidates if I took notes on each applicant, so that I can offer the job to the best person, so that I can compare them with there good and bad points and offer the job to the best person. M8 Our own design of a Contract of employment 1. Name of employer:_________________________________ 2. Name of employee:________________________________ 3. Job title: . 4. Salary: . 5. Start date: 6. Pay rate:.. 7. Amount of hours that must be completed in one week:. 8. Leave, you are entitled todays-paid holiday per annum in addition to statutory holidays. The leave is to taken at a time convenient to the employer. 9. Sick pay and allowances: .. 10. Amount of holiday entitlement: . 11. What notice is needed when you want to finish that job:.. to ensure flexibility within our workforce, you will at times be expected to work extra hours as required, but you will normally be given advanced notice of times. 12. Grievance Procedures, if you wish to raise any grievance relating to your employment, you should do so in accordance with the grievance procedure shown in the employee information binder, which can be obtained from the Personal office. 13. Pension scheme, details of the contributory company pension scheme, for which you are eligible, may be obtained from the personnel office. 14. Discipline Rules, the company rules form part of your conditions of employment. These are shown in the Employee Information Binder and it is your responsibility to familiarise yourself with these and observe them at all times.

Geosynchronous Orbits :: essays research papers

Geosynchronous Orbits + Geostationary Orbits<a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=pcZ8g7DjAzA&offerid=6424&type=2&subid=0&url=http%253A//search.borders.com/fcgi-bin/db2www/search/search.d2w/Details%253F%2526mediaType%253DBook%2526prodID%253D3805147" >Webster's Dictionary<IMG border=0 alt=icon width=1 height=1 src="http://ad.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/show?id=pcZ8g7DjAzA&bids=6424&type=2&subid=0" > defines a Geostationary orbit as of, relating to, or being a satellite that travels above Earth's equator from west to east at an altitude of approximately 35,900 kilometers (22,300 miles) and at a speed matching that of Earth's rotation, thus remaining stationary in relation to Earth. 2. Of, relating to, or being the orbit of such a satellite. In plain English, a satellite matches the earth's rotation making it seemingly hover over one spot of the globe enabling coverage of half the earth's surface. Three such satellit es, appropriately spaced longitudinally, have worldwide coverage except for relatively small areas over the poles. Three main classes are typically placed into a GSO: Communications, missile early warning, and navigational satellites. The uses are unlimited ranging from commercial use to weather forecasts! The GSO originated in the mid-1970's. The U.S. Air Force designed a two-stage interim upper stage (later renamed inertial upper stage, or IUS) to carry satellites weighing as much as 5,000 pounds (2,300 kg) from the shuttle to Geostationary orbit, and a three-stage version for boosting NASA' s space probes from the shuttle into interplanetary trajectories. IUS development problems, however, prompted NASA in the early 1980' s to design a widebody version of the Centaur upper stage to replace the three-stage IUS.In its first use (1983) aboard the shuttle, the IUS's second-stage nozzle burned through and left the first Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS-1) in a useless orbit. Gr ound controllers were able to use the satellite's onboard thrusters to put it in the proper Geostationary orbit over a period of weeks, but the IUS was grounded until the nozzle problem was resolved.

The Great Gatsby Argument Essay

Viren Kumar Mrs. Parato AP Language and Composition March 2, 2013 Society’s Shadow Goals, objectives, targets, and ambitions are incentives that drive one to emerge from their comfort zone. Each individual, rich or poor, isolated or active, normal or abnormal, has a way to communicate with others and act in society based on personality. Most people want to be accepted by others to fit into society and be â€Å"normal†. There is always one person who has a different perspective than everyone else's and is uniquely considered an â€Å"outcast†.In the novel, The Great Gatsby, author F. Scott Fitzgerald portrays Jay Gatsby as an isolationist that is compelled to play ambiguous roles in society to obtain the green light across the channel, which in effect causes Gatsby to be placed in a nerve-racking situation. Society is a big influence on Gatsby and his actions. He is first introduced by Miss Baker. â€Å"[Nick] decided to call to him. Miss Baker had mentioned him at dinner, and that would do for an introduction† (Fitzgerald 20).Nick Caraway is a parallel with society because he is influenced by the thoughts and ideas of others that structure society. Since Miss Baker mentions Gatsby over dinner, Gatsby is seen as an interesting topic that needs to be explored. Jay, being an isolationist that he is, tries to hide himself from society by displaying motions hinting to people like Nick: â€Å"But [Nick] didn’t call to him, for he gave a sudden intimation that he was content to be alone† (20).Gatsby makes a â€Å"sudden intimation†, and it seems that Gatsby knows there is someone watching him and observing his every action, and in attempts to isolate himself and avoid being â€Å"[called] out to†, he makes a subtle allusion to the fact he wants to be left to himself (20). Thus society forces Gatsby to make the movement he makes by gossip and communication. Society’s observations in this passage will show t o define many of Gatsby’s actions as the novel progresses. People have secrets in their life that can determine who they truly are; Gatsby has his own that are the power that compels him to act the way he does.Gatsby is carefully observed, and as he involuntarily â€Å"glanced seaward – and distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and far way, that might have been the end of a dock†(Fitzgerald 21). Gatsby stares at a distant green light, which implies a special connection between the two. Considering â€Å"he stretched out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way† and that Gatsby â€Å"was trembling† his secret relation with the green light must be special because one does not tremble for any reason (Fitzgerald 21).There is an emotional bonding that may date back a long time. His yearning for the light—†stretched out his arms†Ã¢â‚¬â€is foreshadowing for the rest of the story where he struggles to obtain t his light (21). An obvious tension between the relationship of Gatsby and the mysterious light is visible from the â€Å"trembling†, and this tension creates the ambiguousness in Gatsby’s role in the novel (21). Fitzgerald uses figurative language to introduce the protagonist, which exemplifies Gatsby’s mysterious appearance to emphasize his perplexing personality.As Nick is outside his home after a night with the Buchanan’s, a strange yet familiar silhouette appears just on the other side of his yard, in his neighbor’s yard. â€Å"The silhouette of a moving cat wavered across the moonlight† (Fitzgerald 20). This cat, in turn, is actually Jay Gatsby. Although, the comparison that Fitzgerald makes with Gatsby and the cat does serve as a tool to analyze his characteristics. Felines tend to walk in a stealthy manner at night, and they are very cautious about being watched. The comparison indicates that Gatsby was trying to be wary of his surrou ndings.Gatsby may be the figure, but noticing that there is no adjective on the noun, â€Å"figure†, whereas throughout the rest of the passage there are many adjectives to describe his surroundings, this anomaly provides Gatsby as a figure the appearance of an inexplicable figure (20). With his â€Å"hands in his pockets†, this signifies a sign of secrecy to illustrate his complex personality (20). Gatsby may have wanted to protect some secrets about the green light. Gatsby’s method of an introduction is an explanation of the ambiguous role he is going to play and the uncomfortable nature of his future situation.The Great Gatsby is a novel that depicts the role of Gatsby as one of an isolationist that is forced into an ambiguous role in society. Through misinterpretations of his actions, he is thought to have a misleading identity. As society observes the fascinating movements of Gatsby in his yard, the motions that Gatsby performs communicate thoughts of isola tion to society, but later on in the passage, motions such as the stretching out of the trembling arms, represent predictions of society pulling Gatsby into societal problems and issues.