Willa Cather Essays - Willa Cather, Edith Lewis, My Ntonia

Willa Cather There are few female authors that have had an impact on literature as great as that of Willa Cather. Not only was she an exquisite author, but she broke through into writing during a time when few female authors were successful. Her life, which was directly influential to her writing, was of a simple nature. However, she was able to over come a drab, mundane life, and turn her experiences into stories that would be enjoyed by many generations. Willa Siebert Cather was born in her maternal grandmother's home in 1873 in the western region of Virginia (Robinson). Cather's name was originally Willela (after her father's younger sister who died as a child), but the family always called her "Willie." They did this because as a child Willa altered her name in the family Bible and insisted that she was named after her uncle William Sibert Boak (Woodress). In the spring of 1883, when Willa was nine, the Cathers moved to a farm near Red Cloud, Nebraska. Cather described her thoughts of this land to an interviewer. She said, "As we drove further and further out into the country , I felt a good deal as we had come to the end of everything." (Cather quoted in Woodress). They came to Nebraska by train because the journey by wagon would have been long and tiring. Cather's first home in the state of Nebraska was with her Grandfather. (Robinson). "Its most characteristic feature which she described faithfully in My Antonia was a basement kitchen and dining room." (Robinson) However, a year later the Cather's left the farm to live in the town of Red Cloud, so the children could attend school. Red Cloud was a town of 2,500 people. The people of Red Cloud played an important part in the life and work of Willa Cather. There were many people in the town who inspired her and "she sought interesting adults wherever she could find them." (Woodress). Two of Red Cloud's doctors became friends with Willa, and sometimes let her come along on their calls. Cather also medically experimented on animals with a set of medical instruments, this upset and disgusted some of the citizens of Red Cloud. (Robinson). In high school Willa Cather had greatest ambition was to become a doctor, a profession in which few women excelled. Cather graduated from high-school in June of 1890, at the age of sixteen (Woodress). She was the only student of the three who graduated who intended to pursue college. She would enter the University of Nebraska at Lincoln the following September (Robinson). Cather was also inspired by the actors and actresses who came to perform at the town's Opera House. The children of Red Cloud would put on their own shows where Willa seemed to be an adequate actress, but she always played a boy (Robinson). This was a great surprise because at the time, many women did not perform. Rather younger boys would play the female roles in a play. She expressed a vast dislike for skirts and dresses (Woodress) and later when she attended the University of Nebraska she continued to dress in a boyish manner (Daiches). She wore suspenders, starched shirts and insisted while in college to continue trying out for the male roles in college theater (Woodress). Cather went to Lincoln with the intent of studying science. She was very interested in botany, astronomy and chemistry (Woodress). However, the event that changed her heart toward writing occurred in March of 1891. A professor of Cather's assigned an essay to be written, and the professor was so impressed with Cather's work that without telling her, he sent it to the Journal, the towns paper. He also sent it to a literary magazine for students called The Hesperian (Robinson). Cather opened the Sunday paper to find her essay in print and from that time on she forgot about medicine and concentrated on writing (Woodress). Throughout her college years Cather continued to write for the Journal and took any chance to earn money writing for the paper. Even if that meant putting aside her school work to do it. In the two years she wrote for the Journal she produced over 300 pieces, many of which were essays (Woodress). Cather became the Journal's drama critic and she quickly made a name for herself. "Her work showed a maturity and poise not expected in so young a critic, and her knowledge of drama and literature, continental and classic, as well as English was extensive" (Robinson). During her last

Mister and Master

Mister and Master Mister and Master Mister and Master By Mark Nichol Yes, mister and master are related, the one originally being a variant of the other. They, and a number of compounds and some associated terms, all derive from the Latin verb magistrare, which means â€Å"subjugate.† Master, which entered the English language from the Old French verb maistrier, came to also mean â€Å"learn all about,† â€Å"become adept at,† or â€Å"overcome.† (It also applies to creating something from which copies will be made.) The Latin noun magister, meaning â€Å"chief† or â€Å"teacher,† led to the use of the word- again, its spelling influenced by the Old French form- to mean â€Å"one in authority.† It now pertains to someone who is or was an exemplar of an artistic or scientific field; a ruler, owner, or employer; a victor or one who has control; a male teacher or an expert artisan or worker; one who has earned a master’s degree; or a commander of a merchant vessel or, formerly, a specialist in navigation aboard a naval sailing ship (see Captain vs. Master). It also refers to devices or mechanisms that control others, or to an original from which copies can be made. Finally, it is a title of respect, though little used today. As an adjective, master means â€Å"excellent† or â€Å"skilled,† or â€Å"dominant† or â€Å"predominant,† or pertains to objects from which others are copied. The adjectives masterful and masterly mean â€Å"indicative of a master,† though some writers prefer to make a distinction between them so that the former is reserved for the sense of â€Å"domineering,† but in prevailing usage they are interchangeable. The adverbial form of the former is masterfully, and masterly also functions as an adverb. The condition of being a master (in the sense of being in control) is mastery. Compound words in which master is the first element (and in which the word’s function is adjectival) include mastermind, meaning â€Å"creative or intellectual organizer† (the word, which at times has a criminal connotation, is also used as a verb in all senses); masterpiece and masterwork, which both describe a crowning creative achievement; and masterstroke, which refers to a clever or otherwise impressive effort or performance. Compounds in which master is the second element (and in which the word functions as a noun) are more common; among them are headmaster (â€Å"head teacher†), postmaster (â€Å"head of a post office†), and taskmaster (â€Å"overbearing boss†). A grandmaster is someone who has achieved the highest level of skill in chess, though in fiction the term also applies to experts in other pursuits, such as martial arts, and as an open compound it pertains to a leadership role in Freemasonry or in a chivalric order. Another compound that has developed additional senses is ringmaster; originally, it referred to the master of ceremonies- abbreviated MC, and emcee is an alternative spelling- who introduces circus performers as they enter the ring. Later, by extension, it acquired the sense of anyone who manages or orchestrates a performance or presentation. Words that retain the middle syllable of the Latin term include magistrate, meaning â€Å"judge,† and the adjectival magisterial, which (like its variant, magistral) pertains to the legal context but also has the neutral sense of â€Å"authoritative† and the pejorative connotation of â€Å"overbearing.† (The similar-sounding majesty is distantly related, from magnus, meaning â€Å"strong.†) Other words derived from magistrare include maestro, from the Italian word for master, referring to music conductors, directors, or composers, and â€Å"maà ®tre d’,† a truncation of maà ®tre d’hà ´tel, meaning â€Å"master of the house† and referring to a restaurant host, as well as mistral, which describes a cold Mediterranean wind. Mister developed as a variation on the use of master as a title, and, like the original, which it superseded in popular use as society became more egalitarian, it has faded from use. (Mister has also been used as a term of direct address when a man’s name is not known to the speaker.) The female equivalent is mistress, which has served as a title of deference, a designation for a governess or teacher, or a euphemism for â€Å"lover†; the dominant sense now is â€Å"female lover of a married man.† (Such social titles and their variations and connotations will be detailed in a later post.) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:7 English Grammar Rules You Should Know75 Idioms and Expressions That Include â€Å"Break†Writing Styles (with Examples)

Gardasil Critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Gardasil Critique - Essay Example But is Gardasil all that it is cracked up to be After all, even when vaccinated, there is still a 30% incidence of cervical cancer. Not to mention, it has been reported that the vaccine will not protect against or treat infections in women who have already had infections with HPV -16, -18, -6, and/or -11. FDA Administrator Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach said the vaccine will have "a dramatic effect" on the health of women around the world. This vaccine is supposed to have a lot of side effects as well. Few incidents in the past have raised few concerns regarding this vaccine. As of 22 May 2007, 7 Victorian schoolgirls from Sacred Heart Girls' College were briefly hospitalized after receiving an injection of the Gardasil vaccine and were taken to the Monash Medical Centre. One was temporarily paralysed. Health authorities do not believe that these are directly related to the vaccine. Talking about major concerns, the first concern is that Gardasil may result in an increased number of cases of a cancer precursor among patients who are already infected by one of the four targeted HPV types when they're given the vaccine; and whose immune systems haven't eliminated the virus from their bodies, the AP reported. Secondly, any advantage provided by the vaccine in protecting against the four targeted HPV types could be offset by infection by the numerous other HPV types that aren't affected by the

In what way might The Verb to Kill by Luisa Valenzuela be a political Essay

In what way might The Verb to Kill by Luisa Valenzuela be a political allegory - Essay Example It demonstrates how politicians get riches from the poor people, give empty promises and will always come back ‘with a different story for the poor to give them the votes. The verb to kill therefore demonstrates the capitalism of our politicians who are for selfish gains at the expenses of the lives of the electorates. â€Å"The verb to Kill† is a metaphor for the dehumanizing nature of the politicians. In this story, the poor girls who are also the narrators are eaten away or consumed by the daily lifestyle of the old man who is the protagonist. In this perspective, the writer of this article demonstrated how the individuals are â€Å"consumed† by the powerful politicians and leaders. The concept of consumption has been used in this story as a metaphor or allegory in the store to represent the high level of exploitation that these individuals are experiencing. When the writer of this article portrays the girls as being eaten by the daily life of the old man, the writer of this article outlines the kind of activities of the old man that are not beneficial to the young girls. This is unfortunate despite the fact that the young girls play an important role in the story and are very kind towards the man. The main narrator in â€Å"the verb to kill† asserts that their neighbor, the old man is a â€Å"degenerate murderer† and hence is fascinated by the kind of life style that they perceive this old man is leading. They also assert that the old man may not just be a rapist but also someone who eats â€Å"that last breath† (Valenzuela). In this perspective, the narrator claims here that the actions of the old man and his daily activities consume them. In this text, the idea of consumption has been used severally in the text from the beginning through to the end. The idea of consumption here therefore represents the nature of the old man and the notion of destruction and absorption of the girls by the old man neighbor. This is a llegory for the nature of some politicians who play politics just for their own benefits even if it means overlooking the morals and the norms of the society. It also represents the immoral nature of the politicians and the political game in general which demands for the politicians to leave different lives and compromise their morality at the expense of the society and those whom there are close to. The narrators have also demonstrated the fear for the idea of the old man rather than his reality. The idea of consumption and the presentation of the man as vampire are two causes of worry for the poor girls. This is a phenomenon that is common across the worlds’ politicians and their subjects. In politics people do not win because of what they are but because what the ideas they present to the people. The ideas that politicians often presents to the electorate as well as their past deed play an important role in their success. The electorates are often afraid of the idea and no t the person. This explains why the narrators fear this man’s idea and not his reality as their neighbor and an old man. The action of by the girls also demonstrates how they do not care about the old animals though they complain about the old man because of the nature of vampire. In this story, it is observable that there are three levels of individuals in the society. The top most individuals represented by the old man, the middle represented by the

Managerial Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Managerial Leadership - Essay Example In the development of a proper individual authentic journey report, there are several different tools of enquiry that can effectively be used. In writing this paper, an auto ethnographical approach has been utilized. Autoethnography provides the user with a basic platform whereby the writer is the main subject of the general enquiry and as such, the tool will prove to be invaluable in the writing of this paper. Authentic Leadership Report Introduction Background of the Report As the age of materialism gradually grids to a halt, the entire concept behind the authenticity of leadership has in recent times been receiving significant amounts of general attention as more and more people continue in the search for what exactly makes people happy and provides meaning especially to their work lives. People are nowadays seeking to try and establish more meaning in their everyday lives. The general concept of â€Å"meaning† and â€Å"authenticity† can be deemed as appearing to be almost the same. However, it due to the efforts of the major philosophical movement that is commonly referred to as existentialism that has consistently been carefully studying the concept of authenticity over a time-period spanning many centuries that we are now able to better understand what exactly is authenticity in addition to developing an exact connection as regards to its relationship to the general concept of meaning. By taking the time to conduct this authentic leadership report on my own person, I hope to be able to further develop my own capabilities as an authentic leader by carefully establishing all my authentic leadership qualities as well as working hard to ensure that I improve on those qualities that I note to be impeding my growth as an authentic leader in today’s modern society. I believe that as an authentic leader, I will be more able to work towards changing the general society’s common misconception that most leaders and especially those who a re in high positions within government and some of the large private corporations are invariably inauthentic. Report Aims and Objectives The prime aim of going through this journey of writing this authentic journey report was to try and establish what exactly were the main highlights of my life that invariably served to help me in my growth as an authentic leader in addition to playing a key role in defining my authentic leadership footprints. The world is steadily recovering from the recent global economic recession that was seen to affect many countries around the world. Although some of the country’s have successfully managed to rebuild their shattered economies, some countries in Europe such as Spain and Greece as still struggling with the effects of these recession a factor that has caused them to try and

Tuition Fees In England

Tuition Fees In England English universities are well-known throughout the world for their excellence. Yet, in less than twenty years, Higher Education was reformed. Before 1988, Local Education Authorities was in charge of Higher Education, its funding, its functioning, and of students grants of its area. The adoption of the 1988 Education Act under Margaret Thatchers government marked the beginning of long series of reforms. The last to date made the headline news because of the students manifestations which followed from the bill. Indeed from 1998 to nowadays, the issue deals with the tuition fees a fee paid for instruction its legitimacy and its price. This issue is largely controversial even within the Labour party. Why such shift for prestigious Higher Education system? How the Higher Education was reformed? Why did students manifestations follow from the bill? To figure it out, we are going to focus at first on the creation of a new system in order to then analyse the rising of tuitions fees and the students protest and finally we are going to analyse the new students hardships. The creation of a new system a cost sharing system 1998 : Turning point 1998 marked a turning point in the history of English education the Local Education Authorities no longer covered the student scholar fees (ten years before, in 1988) and the students were then involved in the payment of fees for their study. Indeed, in 1996 the government commissioned a report on the funding of the Higher Education that is to say, how Higher Education should develop to meet the needs of the UK over the next 20 years. The National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education was chaired by Sir Ronald Dearing Chancellor of the University of Nottingham. The report was published in 1997 and it stated that more than  £2 billion would be needed to adapt the Higher Education to the new demands (increasing numbers of students) and needs. The solution proposed was made up with a hundred recommendations. The most important one was the participation of the student on the payment of their own study. The report praised the introduction of the means-tested tuition fees based on familys income. The 1998 Teaching and Higher Education Act was the governmental response to this report. It was enacted under Tony Blairs government. It introduced the means tested tuition fees as follows: Student whose family income was inferior to  £23,000 per year would not pay tuition fees. Student whose family income was situated between  £23,000 and  £35,000 would pay a percentage fees in function of their means. The tuition fees would be  £1,000 per academic year. By setting this mean testing system, 1/3 of students would not have to pay tuition fees. Yet, the maintenance grants (grants to help students with the living costs) would be replaced by maintenance loans. Students would begin to pay off their loans when they would work and earn at least  £10,000 per year. It met little active opposition from students. But this act created debate within the Labour party itself, some members of the party were strict opponent to the end of the Free Higher Education. Reason of introduction of tuition fees But why did the government need to implement such a system? The major reason was the lack of funding in Higher Education. In less than 20 years the Higher Education shifted from an elite system to a mass system. Indeed, the number of students going to university rose from 6% to around 33% between 1962 and 1996. So, universities have to adapt their infrastructures, equipment, and by consequence they needed money. Moreover, the aim of the government was to make it more accessible for all students from all backgrounds with the introduction of mean testing tuition fees. Creation of top up fees In 2004 another measure would be adopted by the Labour Party. Despite the former act which created the tuition fees up to  £1,000, Tony Blairs government concluded that the funding of Higher Education was not enough. In this sense, the Labour Party proposed another act in 2004, The Higher Education Act. It enabled universities to set their own tuition fees depending on their own needs of funding: it was called top up fees. It could go up to  £3,000 per academic year. These tuition fees could be pay at the end of the degree, it would take the form of a loan student would pay off this loan when he would have a job and earn more than  £15,000 per year. The debt would be written off after 25 years. Another feature was the reintroduction of the maintenance grants in order to help the poorest students (yet students could win private bursaries through the universities competitive). The main objections of the opponents were the expensive fees which created pressure upon students, and they estimated the variable fees as the form of privatisation of Higher Education. Those measures were a first step to higher education reform. The government was going to take further measures in the forthcoming years. Tuition fees rising and students protest The investigation By November 2009, Gordon Browns government launched a new investigation on Higher Education; it would be a review on fees and university funding. It was chaired by Lord Browne of Madingley and composed of some Vice-Chancellor of Universities such as David Eastwood and Julia King. The Independent Review of The Higher Education Funding and Finance was published on October 2010. It established few principles such as more investment for Higher Education, fair access to all, affordable payments, same treatment for part-time students as full-time students, and underlined that no one should have to pay loans until they start to work. In order to respect those principles, the major proposals were the following ones: Universities could charge any fees it seemed necessary, there would be no cap the up-front fees were removed and replaced by tuition fees loans No means testing maintenance loans and additional financial support for poorest families (under  £60,000) which would be paid back only when the graduate would have an income of at least  £21,000 per year. If the graduates work stops whatever the reason the repayment stops. The debts would be written off after 30 years. The government proposal Meanwhile, the government passed from a labour government to a coalition one with the election of David Cameron as Prime Minister and Nick Clegg as Deputy Prime Minister in May 2010. The government proposal to the Browne Report responded on November 2010 and it included several features. The main one was the rejection of the Brownes proposal to remove the tuition fees cap, and government proposed to cap the tuition fees to  £9,000 per year. As for loans, government aligned itself with the Browne recommendations by declaring that students would begin to pay off once they would earn between  £15,000 and  £21,000. The MPs had to vote if they agreed or not on this proposal by December. The new elected Liberal Democrat had been pledged to the National Union of Students to not increase the tuition fees before being elected. Once the report was published, Nick Clegg, leader of Liberal Democrats, claimed that the Browne Report could be fair and sustainable. While the coalition government allowed the Liberal Democrats to abstain the vote on this issue, Nick Clegg wrote to his MPs I am painfully aware of the pledge we all made to voters on tuition fees ahead of the general election. Departing from that pledge will be one of the most difficult decisions of my political career. He was going to break his pledge. This bill sparked off some waves of demonstrations throughout the entire country. Students riots On November, 10th, students began to demonstrate against the government bill, and showed their anger towards the expensive rate of fees. It was organized by the National Union of Students (NUS) and the University and College Union (UCU) prior to the government vote in order to convince MPs to not vote in favour of the bill. Those demonstrations took place in several cities such as Cambridge, Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ but the most important one set up in London. The march in London was composed of more than 50,000 persons, but was overshadowed by violence. Indeed, the demonstration turned into a violent riot when some demonstrators began to attack the headquarters of the Conservative Party breaking some windows and burning some Nick Cleggs and David Camerons effigies on the roof of the building. David Cameron answered to the media that he would not change his mind on this bill and denounced the extreme violence of this riot. Another march was organized on November 2010, 24th by the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts (NCAFC). Taking into consideration the event of November, 10th the Metropolitan Police deployed more than 1,000 policemen throughout London. This time, this protest turned into a violent clash between policemen and protesters. On December, 9th, date of the governmental vote, another protest happened in Trafalgar Square. More than clashes between policemen and rioters, this time some protestors attacked a Royal car transporting Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall. The couple was not injured by the attack. To understand why this protest turned into a violent riot, one has to understand the impact of such a measure on students lifestyle. New students hardships Students indebted All those changes in less than 20 years largely impacted students lifestyle. The tuitions fees are extremely expensive, and could be a curb on students choice to go or not at university. Students have to choose between being in debt or to abandon the idea of studying. This is an important feature to take into account especially for the poorest students. According to The push universities guide (a British organisation which informs students on higher education), the average student debts could hit  £53,000 for the students starting their course in 2012. For those who started courses in 2011, it was estimated at  £26,100. The largest students indebted are the Londoners. It is easily understandable considering the expensive cost of living in the city. For example, a student who wants to pass a degree will have to pay  £27,000 just to have access to universities (if the university charges  £9,000), then will be in debt of more than  £28,000 (the inflation has to be taken into account). If the graduate begins to work and has an income of  £19,000, it is estimated that the student will pay off during 30 years before the debt would be written off. So, the student would have paid back around 67% of his debt. If the graduate has an income of  £25,000, he will pay off his debt during 18 years. The internal government figures reveal that only one quarter of students will be able to pay off their debt. Therefore, the majority of indebted student will never be able to pay off their loans. If the estimation turns to be accurate, it would underline a huge issue in the created system (millions of pounds would be lost) as well as the inefficiency of the measure taken. Several difficulties Students have to cope with others difficulties such as the need for a job. The number of full-time students with jobs rose by 54% in the last 10 years stated the Trades Union Congress in 2006. Most of students have to take part time jobs in order to survive because their families cannot afford the cost of the student life and because the maintenance loans do not offer enough money. 61 % of the students who have a part time job come from family with poor background. The average hours of a part time job for a student are 14 hours per week. Such an amount of hours have clearly an impact on their studies: they often miss classes, lectures, which lead to poorer attainments than the others students. Furthermore, those students have less leisure time, less social life than the other students. This phenomenon is not very different from France but the majority of students do not have the financial pressure of beginning their life with such an amount of loans. Moreover, by creating such a financial pressure, the students choice about his job would depend on this income (in order to be able to repay his debt and to afford a high standard of living). Some jobs might be abandoned by the graduates because of their salaries, and could create a new societal problem. Another feature is that students could not give up after a year to reorientate towards another course of study an academic year can cost up to  £9,000 to choose a wrong course of study can be very expensive. To sum up, Higher Education underwent some mains shifts by the last decades, and the end is not yet in sight. Tuitions fees are still a burning issue. Indeed the reforms come into force only this year, in September 2012, that is the reason why we cannot analyse yet the real impact on the society and also there are only estimations. But some shortcomings already appear such as the inefficiency of the Student Loan system, which could lead to another social problem: if the majority of students would not be able to pay off their debts, who would reimburse it? Moreover, after the breaking pledge of Nick Clegg on the rising of tuition fees he recognized and apologized publicly in the media only on September 2012 the deputy prime minister went down in the opinion polls. Sources http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storycode=409011 http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2010/nov/10/student-protest-fees-violent http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuition_fees_in_the_United_Kingdom http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/only-a-quarter-of-all-graduates-will-pay-off-loans-2158168.html http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/5302082.stm http://www.3s4.org.uk/drivers/changing-student-lifestyle http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2004/jan/27/tuitionfees.students http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/8057871/Grants-loans-and-tuition-fees-a-timeline-of-how-university-funding-has-evolved.html http://www.ifs.org.uk/wps/wp1004.pdf http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-11954333 http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2010/nov/24/student-school-pupils-protests-walkout http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-11877034

Occupational Stress and Health Essay example -- Business Management St

Occupational Stress and Health Introduction In recent years, occupational stress and health have gained considerable importance to people in all forms life. Keeping in mind, the excessive work load, amount of time spent at work and the recent changes that are affecting the nature of work, it is not surprising that work stress today is increasing (Szymanski, 1999). Stress can be caused due to a number of reasons and in many ways and those things are known as stressors which may vary from person to person. According to the United States National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (1999), job stress can be defined as the harmful physical and emotional responses that occur when the requirements of the job do not match the capabilities, resources, or needs of the worker. It can also lead to poor health and even injury. http://www.ilo.org/public/english/protection/safework/stress/whatis.htm People should be made more aware about the symptoms of stress and try to precautionary measures before it affect their lives. Stress at work can affect people both mentally and physically. Excessively high levels of stress need to be controlled in order to avoid these health related problems. A number of things can be done by employees and employers to prevent workplace stress. Also, there are a number of stress management techniques that can be used by people to ensure that they lead a stress free life. Job related stressors should be identified and dealt with so that an organisation and its employees can operate efficiently and effectively. Identifying stressors at work The list of potential stressors is limitless. There may be times when these are actually of use to us, creating simply a pressure s... ...herwise, when unplanned things happen, it’ll cause you just as much stress as trying to work without a plan. References & Bibliography International labour organisation – safe work program http://www.ilo.org/public/english/protection/safework/stress/whatis.htm Kendall, E., Murphee, P., O’Neill, V. & Bursnall, S. (2000). A report to the workers’ compensation and rehabilitation commission (Western Australia).Occupational Stress: Factors that contribute to its occurrence and effective management. Centre for Human services (Griffith University). http://www.workcover.wa.gov.au National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/stresswk.html Szymanski, E. M. (1999). Disability, job stress, the changing nature of careers, and the career resilience portfolio. Rehabilitation Counselling Bulletin. 42, pp 279-284.

Alice Munro the Found Boat Essay

At the end of Bell Street, McKay Street, Mayo Street, there was the Flood. It was the Wawanash River, which every spring overflowed its banks. Some springs, say one in every five, it covered the roads on that side of town and washed over the fields, creating a shallow choppy take. Light reflected off the water made every- thing bright and cold, as it is in a lakeside town, and woke or revived in people certain vague hopes of disaster. Mostly during the late afternoon and early evening, there were people straggling out to took at it, and discuss whether it was still rising, and whether this time it might invade the town. In general, those under fifteen and over sixty-five were most certain that it would. Eva and Carol rode out on their bicycles. They left the road-it was the end of Mayo Street, past any houses- and rode right into a field, over a wire fence entirely flattened by the weight of the winter’s snow. They coasted a little way before the long grass stopped them, then left their bicycles lying down and went to the water. ‘We have to find a log and ride on it,† Eva said. ‘Jesus, we’ll freeze our legs off. ‘Jesus, we’ll freeze our legs off’ said one of the boys who were there too at the water’s edge. He spoke in a sour whine, the way boys imitated girls although it was nothing like the way girls talked. These boys-there were three of them- were all in the same class as Eva and Carol at school and were known to them by name (their names being Frank, Bud and Clayton), but Eva and Carol, who had seen and recognized them from the road, had not spoken to them or looked at them or, even yet, given any sign of knowing they were there. The boys seemed to be trying to make a raft, from lumber they had salvaged from the water. Eva and Carol took off their shoes and socks and waded in. The water was so cold it sent pain up their legs, like blue electric sparks shooting through their veins, but they went on, putting their skirts high, tight behind and bunched so they could hold them in front. ‘Look at the fat-assed ducks in wading. ‘ ‘Fat-assed f****. † Eva and Carol, of course, gave no sign of hearing this. They laid hold of a log and climbed on, taking a couple of boards floating in the water for addles. There were always things floating around in the Flood-branches, fence-rails, logs, road signs, old lumber; sometimes boilers, washtubs, pots and pans, or even a car seat or stuffed chair, as if somewhere the Flood had got into a dump. They paddled away from shore, heading out into the cold take. The water was perfectly clear, they could see the brown grass swimming along the bottom. Suppose it was the sea, thought Eva. She thought of drowned cities and countries. Atlantis. Suppose they were riding in a Viking boat-Viking boats on the Atlantic were more frail and narrow than this log on the Flood-and they had miles of clear sea beneath them, then a spired city, intact as a jewel irretrievable on the ocean floor. This is a Viking boat,† she said. ‘I am the carving on the front. † She stuck her chest out and stretched her neck, trying to make a curve, and she made a face, putting out her tongue. Then she turned and for the first time took notice of the boys. ‘Hey, you sucks! † she yelled at them. ‘You’d be scared to come out here, this water is ten feet deep! â€Å"Liar,’ they answered without interest, and she was. They steered the log around a row of trees, avoiding floating barbed wire, and got into a little bay created by a natural hollow of the land. Where the bay was now, there would be a pond full of frogs later in the spring, and by the middle of summer there would be no water visible at all, just a low tangle of reeds and bushes, green, to show that mud was still wet around their roots. Larger bushes, willows, grew around the steep bank of this pond and were still partly out of the water. Eva and Carol let the log ride in. They saw a place where something was caught. It was a boat, or part of one. An old rowboat with most of one side ripped out, the board that had been the seat just dangling. It was pushed up among the branches, lying on what would have been its side, if it had a side, the prow caught high. Their idea came to them without consultation, at the same time: ‘You guys! Hey, you guys! † ‘We found you a boat! † â€Å"Stop building your stupid raft and come and took at the boat! ‘ What surprised them in the first place was that the boys really did come, scrambling overland, half running, half sliding down the bank, wanting to see. ‘Hey, where? ‘ ‘Where is it, I don’t see no boat. â€Å" What surprised them in the second place was that when the boys did actually see what boat was meant, this old flood-smashed wreck held up in the branches, they did not understand that they had been footed, that a joke had been played on them. They did not show a moment’s disappointment, but seemed as pleased at the discovery as if the boat had been whole and new. They were already barefoot, because they had been wading in the water to get lumber, and they waded in here without a stop, surrounding the boat and appraising it and paying no attention even of an insulting kind to Eva and Carol who bobbed up and down on their log. Eva and Carol had to call to them. ‘How do you think you’re going to get it off.? ‘ â€Å"It won’t float anyway. ‘ ‘What makes you think it will float? ‘ ‘It’ll sink. Glub-blub-blub, you’ll all be drownded. † The boys did not answer, because they were too busy walking around the boat, pulling at it in a testing way to see how it could be got off with the least possible damage. Frank, who was the most literate, talkative and inept of the three, began referring to the boat as she, an affectation which Eva and Carol acknowledged with fish-mouths of contempt. ‘She’s caught two places. You got to be careful not to tear a hole in her bottom. She’s heavier than you’d think. ‘ It was Clayton who climbed up and freed the boat, and Bud, a tall fat boy, who got the weight of it on his back to turn it into the water so that they could half float, half carry it to shore. All this took some time. Eva and Carol abandoned their log and waded out of the water. They walked overland to get their shoes and socks and bicycles. They did not need to come back this way but they came. They stood at the top of the hill, leaning on their bicycles. They did not go on home, but they did not sit down and frankly watch, either. They stood more or less facing each other, but glancing down at the water and at the boys struggling with the boat, as if they had just halted for a moment out of curiosity, and staying longer than they intended, to see what came of this unpromising project. About nine o’clock, or when it was nearly dark-dark to people inside the houses, but not quite dark outside-they all returned to town, going along Mayo Street in a sort of procession. Frank and Bud and Clayton came carrying the boat, upside-down, and Eva and Carol walked behind, wheeling their bicycles. The boys’ heads were almost hidden in the darkness of the overturned boat, with its smell of soaked wood, cold swampy water. The girls could took ahead and see the street lights in their tin reflectors, a necklace of lights climbing Mayo Street, reaching all the way up to the standpipe. They turned onto Burns Street heading for Clayton’s house, the nearest house belonging to any of them. nis was not the way home for Eva or for Carol either, but they followed along. The boys were perhaps too busy carrying the boat to tell them to go away. Some younger children were still out playing, playing hopscotch on the sidewalk though they could hardly see. At this time of year the bare sidewalk was still such a novelty and delight. These children cleared out of the way and watched the boat 90 by with unwilling respect; they shouted questions after it, wanting to know where it came from and what was going to be done with it. No one answered them. Eva and Carol as well as the boys refused to answer or even took at them. The five of them entered Clayton’s yard. ‘Me boys shifted weight, as if they were going to put the boat down. You better take it round to the back where nobody can see it,’ Carol said. That was the first thing any of them had said since they came into town. The boys said nothing but went on, following a mud path between Clayton’s house and a leaning board fence. They let the boat down in the back yard. â€Å"It’s a stolen boat, you know,† said Eva, mainly for the effect. ‘It must’ve belonged to somebody. You stole it. † ‘You was the ones who stole it then,† Bud said, short of breath. ‘It was you seen it first. † -It was you took it. † ‘It was all of us then. If one of us gets in trouble then all of us does. ‘Are you going to tell anybody on them? † said Carol as she and Eva rode home, along the streets which were dark between the lights now and potholed from winter. â€Å"It’s up to you. I won’t if you won’t. † â€Å"I won’t if you won’t† They rode in silence, relinquishing something, but not discontented. The board fence in Clayton’s back yard had every so often a post which sup, ported it, or tried to, and it was on these posts that Eva and Carol spent several evenings sitting, jauntily but not very comfortably. Or else they just leaned against the fence while the boys worked on the boat. During the first couple of evenings neighborhood children attracted by the sound of hammering tried to get into the yard to see what was going on, but Eva and Carol blocked their way. â€Å"Who said you could come in here? † ‘Just us can come in this yard. † These evenings were getting longer, the air milder. Skipping was starting on the sidewalks. Further along the street there was a row of hard maples that had been tapped. Children drank the sap as fast as it could drip into the buckets. The old man and woman who owned the trees, and who hoped to make syrup, came running out of the house making noises as if they were trying to scare away crows. Finally, every spring, the old man would come out on his porch and fire his shot- gun into the air, and then the thieving would stop. None of those working on the boat bothered about stealing sap, though all had done so last year. The lumber to repair the boat was picked up here and there, along back lanes. At this time of year things were lying around-old boards and branches, sodden mitts, spoons Hung out with the dishwater, lids of pudding pots that had been set in the snow to cool, all the debris that can sift through and survive winter. The tools came from Clayton’s cellar-left over, presumably, from the time when his father was alive- and though they had nobody to advise them the boys seemed to figure out more or less the manner in which boats are built, or rebuilt. Frank was the one who showed up with diagrams from books and Popular Mechanics magazines. Clayton looked at these diagrams and listened to Frank read the instructions and then went ahead and decided in his own way what was to be done. Bud was best at sawing. Eva and Carol watched everything from the fence and offered criticism and thought up names. Me names for the boat that they thought of were: Water Lily, Sea Horse, Flood Queen, and Caro-Eve, after them because they had found it. The boys did not say which, if any, of these names they found satisfactory. The boat had to be tarred. Clayton heated up a pot of tar on the kitchen stove and brought it out and painted slowly, his thorough way, sitting astride the overturned boat. The other boys were sawing a board to make a new seat. As Clayton worked, the tar cooled and thickened so that finally he could not move the brush any more. He turned to Eva and held out the pot and said, ‘You ran go in and heat this on the stove. ‘ Eva took the pot and went up the back steps. The kitchen seemed black after outside, but it must be light enough to see in, because there was Clayton’s mother standing at the ironing board, ironing. She did that for a living, took in wash and ironing. ‘Please may I put the tar pot on the stove? † said Eva, who had been brought up to talk politely to parents, even wash-and-iron ladies, and who for some reason especially wanted to make a good impression on Clayton’s mother. You’ll have to poke up the fire then,’ said Clayton’s mother, as if she doubted whether Eva would know how to do that. But Eva could see now, and she picked up the lid with the stove-lifter, and took the poker and poked up a flame. She stirred the tar as it softened. She felt privileged. Then and later. Before she went to sleep a picture of Clayton came to her mind; she saw him sitting astride the boat, tar painting, with such concentration, delicacy, absorption. She thought of him speaking to her, out of his isolation, in such an ordinary peaceful taking-for- granted voice. On the twenty-fourth of May, a school holiday in the middle of the week, the boat was carried out of town, a long way now, off the road over fields and fences that had been repaired, to where the river flowed between its normal banks. Eva and Carol, as well as the boys, took turns carrying it. It was launched in the water from a cow-trampled spot between willow bushes that were fresh out in leaf. The boys went first. They yelled with triumph when the boat did float, when it rode amazingly down the river current. The boat was painted black, and green inside, with yellow seats, and a strip of yellow all the way around the outside. There was no name on it, after all. The boys could not imagine that it needed any name to keep it separate from the other boats in the world. Eva and Carol ran along the bank, carrying bags full of peanut butter-and- jam sandwiches, pickles, bananas, chocolate cake, potato chips, graham crackers stuck together with corn syrup and five bottles of pop to be cooled in the river water. The bottles bumped against their legs. They yelled for a turn. ‘If they don’t let us they’re bastards,† Carol said, and they yelled together, ‘We found it! We found it! The boys did not answer, but after a while they brought the boat in, and Carol and Eva came crashing, panting down the bank. ‘Does it leak? ‘ ‘It don’t leak yet. † ‘We forgot a bailing can,’ waited Carol, but nevertheless she got in, with Eva, and Frank pushed them off, crying, ‘Here’s to a Watery Grave! ‘ And the thing about being in a boat was that it was not solidly bobbing, like a log, but was cupped in the water, so that riding in it was not like being on some- thing in the water, but like being in the water itself. Soon they were ll going out in the boat in mixed-up turns, two boys and a girt, two girls and a boy, a girl and a boy, until things were so confused it was impossible to tell whose turn came next, and nobody cared anyway. They went down the river -those who weren’t riding, running along the bank to keep up. They passed under two bridges, one iron, one cement. Once they saw a big carp just resting, it seemed to smile at them, in the bridge-shaded water. They did not know how far they had gone on the river, but things had changed- the water had got shallower, and the land flatter. Across an open field they saw a building that looked like a house, abandoned. They dragged the boat up on the bank and tied it and set out across the field. ‘That’s the old station,’ Frank said. ‘That’s Pedder Station. ‘ The others had heard this name but he was the one who knew, because his father was the station agent in town. He said that this was a station on a branch line that had been tom up, and that there had been a sawmill here, but a long time ago. Inside the station it was dark, cool. All the windows were broken. Glass lay in shards and in fairly big pieces on the door. They walked around finding the larger pieces of glass and tramping on them, smashing them, it was like cracking ice on puddles. Some partitions were still in place, you could see where the ticket window had been. There was a bench lying on its side. People had been here, it looked as if people came here all the time, though it was so far from anywhere. Beer bottles and pop bottles were lying around, also cigarette packages, gum and candy wrappers, the paper from a loaf of bread. The walls were covered with dim and fresh pencil and chalk writings and carved with knives.

Catalase Lab Report

Investigating the effect of different environmental factors on the reaction of liver and hydrogen peroxide Table of Contents 1 Design3 1. 1 Variables3 1. 2 Safety and Environment3 2 Data Collection and Analysis3 2. 1 Collected Raw Data3 2. 2 Qualitative data5 2. 3 Processed Data5 2. 4 Graph on test tube 25 2. 5 Graph on test tube 36 2. 6 Errors6 3. Conclusion and Evaluation6 3. 1. Conclusion6 3. 2. Evaluation7 3. 2. 1. Random Errors7 3. 2. 2. Systematic Errors7 3. 3. Improvements7 Design Look to sheet titled: ‘Investigating the action of the enzyme catalase' 1 1. 1 Variables The independent variables are the acids used, the dependant variables the height of the bubbles formed and the control variables the test tubes used. 2 1. 2 Safety and Environment The safety and environmental precautions for this lab are quite strict. Wear safety goggles and a lab coat to avoid getting any acid on your person, and dispose of the acids in a sink with plenty of water. Collect the used liver samples and dispose of accordingly. 2 Data Collection and Analysis 1 2. 1 Collected Raw Data |Test tube |Height of bubbles (cm) | | | | |pH | | |30s | 30s |60s |90s |120s |150s |180s |210s |240s |270s |300s | |1 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 | |2 |12,9 |13 |14,1 |13,3 |11,7 |10,4 |9,3 |6,7 |5,5 |5 | |3 |14,2 |10,8 |8,4 |6,9 |5,5 |7,5 |3,3 |3 |2,8 |2,7 | |4 |1,9 |1,9 |1,8 |1,4 |1,3 |1,3 |0,4 |0,2 |0,1 |0,1 | |5 |0,2 |0,2 |0,2 |0,1 |0,1 |0,1 |0,1 |0,1 |0,1 |0,1 | |6 |0,5 |0,6 |0,9 |1 |1,4 |1,6 |1,8 |2 |1,3 |1,4 | | 2 2. 4 Graph on test tube 2 3 4 2. 5 Graph on test tube 3 As can be seen from the two above graphs, test tube 3, which had the exact same conditions as test tueb 2 except for the surface area of the liver, had a much more vigourous reaction, due to the increased surface area of the crushed liver. 2. 6 Errors The only piece of equipment that is to be considered in error calculations is the ruler used which had an uncertainty of approx. Â ±0,2 cm. 3. Conclusion and Evaluation 3. 1. Conclusion The experiment was meant to create an artificial catalase reaction between the enzymes in the liver sample and hydrogen peroxide. The sample in test tube 2 reacted with the hydrogen peroxide and produced oxygen bubbles at a somewhat steady pace, while the sample in test tube 3 reacted vigorously at first and then slowed down as most of the enzyme had been used up. 3. 2. Evaluation 3. 2. 1. Random Errors The liver was quite hard to get into perfect ? cm3 cubes, as it tended to get squished when the knife was pressed down, making the sample larger lengthwise, but smaller height-wise. Also when the reaction was very rigorous, the oxygen bubbles sometimes lifted the liver out of the hydrogen peroxide, causing it to stop reacting with the hydrogen peroxide. While not a major issue, sometimes the time at which the results were checked were not exactly at the designated 30 second intervals, due to many things going on at once. 3. 2. 2. Systematic Errors The ruler we were using was quite old and dirty, with some of the finer millimeter markings rubbed off or obscured, leading to readings that were not as accurate as they could have been. The molarity of the chemicals used can also be put into question. 3. 3. Improvements The liver could be frozen or in some other way petrified to make the cutting easier and more precise. The liver should be checked constantly and adjusted back down with a glass rod if necessary. Enough time should be allocated to ensure that the experiment can be done in a calm and orderly fashion to avoid any oversights in the time taking. Clean and clear rulers should be used to measure the bubbles. The molarity of the chemicals should be checked with titration or some other form of double checking the molarity.

Turman Show Essay essays

Turman Show Essay essays Paradise Lost : The Truman Show Cristof's creation and the Garden of Eden parallel on many accounts and throughout both the simalarities and difference became quite clear . The two worlds had many elements of utopian thought which makes both worlds perfect . Furthermore , that element , utopianism , would make anyone want to leave because through reality Throughout "The Truman Show ," and The Garden of Eden there were many elements that had simlarities between the two worlds of utopia . In the Truman Show and The Garden of Eden we saw that there was no violence , no crime, no hatred , no destruction . An example of how The Truman Show had no elements of crime , hatred or violence was whenever something bad happend , it was all an act that seconds later was cleaned up . For example , when Truman went to see what was beyond there was traffic . Second later in the same place , there was none . In the Garden of Eden , the reason for no violence , destruction and hatred was simply because that there was only Adam and Eve . Adam and Ever were alone , no one to influence them .... so they thought . Another example of similarities was how Seanhaven was the perfect living environment . Seahaven had everything that anyone that doesn't know about the outside world would want such as : places to go to let out frustrations , places to enjoy themselves but more importantly they made believe that it was reality . The Garden of Eden has many of the same environmental facts as Seahaven such as the fact that everything that Adam and Eve needed they received simply because everything was provided . Adam and Eve needed nothing more then to kill or take what they needed from the society which in every way was perfect . The final part that had many similar elements between "The Truman Show ," and The Garden of Eden was the fact that both Seahaven and The Garden of Ede...

Managing Human Resources Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Managing Human Resources - Coursework Example man resource management has changed its role from primarily administrative to a more influencing and facilitating position with an aim of adopting a commercial approach to HRM. Human Resources Management is business today is the hardest duty of a manager as coordination of capabilities of humans is central to the business’s achievement of the set goals. However, HR manager is faced with challenges as humans are constantly in conflict with their psychology, assumptions, aspirations and attitudes. HRM involves activities such as development strategies, employee training, coordination of employee benefits, performance management and recruiting and hiring employees (Tichy, Fombrum and Devanna, 1982). Although both human resource management and personal management are concepts involved with management of human labor in an organization, there are notable differences between the two concepts. Personal management is a traditional style while HRM is the new and modern version. Personal management is more inclined to focus on labor relations, employee welfare and personnel administration as opposed to motivation and sustainability and acquisition and development of human resources. During the 1990s when the concept of HRM took root in organizations, the two concepts were interchangeably used to mean the same things. However, social and economic development in the structure of organizations since 1990s have seen the evolution of HRM in order to cope with the needs of the ever changing business environment. Key areas of distinction between HRM and personal management can be examined in relation to leadership and management roles, contract of employment, job design and pay policy and the nature of relations. HRM has been described as a concept that takes two different forms; hard and soft HRM. The soft model is concerned with the humans and their self-direction with a view of emphasizing centrally on self- regulating behavior, trust and commitment. On the other hand, the

Multiple Regression Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Multiple Regression - Essay Example We use a State-wide data set that includes a record of property crimes rates (CRIMES) as well as a record on per capita income (PINCOME), school dropout rates (DROPOUT), precipitation amounts (PRECIP), percentage of public aid recipients (PUBAID), population density (DENSITY), public aid for families with kids in terms of dollars received (KIDS), percentage of unemployed workers (UNEMPLOY), percentage of population living in urban areas. The methodology that we use is that of multiple regression analysis to obtain the magnitude and signs of the coefficients and t and F-tests obtain whether the respective coefficients are significant, individually, or jointly. The regression equation we estimate is the following: (1) Results In this section we present the results of the analysis. Table 1 presents the results of the estimation of equation (1). Table 1: Results of simple OLS regression, all variables included Before interpreting the coefficients we look at the individual and joint signi ficances of the estimated coefficients. From the upper right hand panel we find that F(8, 41) = 11.43 and prob>F =0.000. Recall that the null hypothesis of the f-test is that all coefficients are jointly zero. From the computed statistic and the associated p-value we reject the null hypothesis. Thus, at least one of the parameters is non-zero. Now, from the lower panel in table 1 looking at the 3rd column (t-values) and the 4th column (p values) we can identify which coefficients are significantly different from zero. The null hypothesis of the t-test is that the coefficient in question is equal to zero while the alternative hypothesis is that it is non-zero. Recall that the 5% critical value for the two-sided t-test is 1.96. Looking at the elements from column 3 and 4, we find that only the variables DROPOUT, DENSITY and and URBAN are associated with coefficients that are statistically significantly different from zero. We fail to find evidence in the data that suggests that the nu ll hypothesis is false for the rest of the coefficients as well as the intercept. The upper right hand corner also presents the R-squared and the adjusted R-squared values which show that the fit is decent (anything greater than 50% on these scales is considered decent). In table 2 below, we take a look at whether our results may have been affected by the presence of multi-collnearity. The t-tests of significance showed that there were two significant coefficients and this was further confirmed by the f-test. If multicollinearity is present to any worrisome degree, typically, although the f-test rejects the null, we fail to identify any statistically significant coefficients in the t-test. Thus, there is little evidence of multi-collinearity. Additionally, we also look at the VIFs in table 2 below. Observe that the mean VIF is only 2.46 and the VIF for PINCOME is a bit large (although significantly smaller than 10, the standard indicator of severe and worrisome multicollinearity). T able 2: Testing for presence of multi-colinearity, VIFs Now, we rerun the regression incorporating only the significant variables in the specification. The model is specified as follows: The results of this regression are presented in table 3. Table 3: Results of OLS estimation including only the significant variables Observe first from the table above that the signs and the significances of the included variables remain the same. That is