Managing Human Resources Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Managing Human Resources - Research Paper Example Lastly, he/she should be able to handle conflict and always have an eye towards how to mediate a given situation amicably. Q2: A human resource director is not only charged with managing the day to day process flow of human resources but also molding and directing the future form that the company wishes to take. This happens in a variety of different ways but most importantly through selecting and testing new prospects to ensure they are an adequate fit for the firm in question. In the given question concerning choosing the correct employee to fill a position as bank teller, the HR manager should look for someone with a customer service background, cheerfulness, ability to handle responsibility, trustworthiness, clean record, and exceptional people skills (Holland, 2012). Q3: With respect to working closely with the business strategy arm of a given institution, this is an integral part of HR’s role and responsibility. Many firms overlook this integral part to their own detriment. HR can work to quickly mirror the goals and strategies that a company lays out for its employees. Human resources can take this responsibility so that each of the internal departments continues to function at peak efficiency; all the while the new goals and metrics can be implemented across the organization at a speed and efficiency that would not have been possible had each of the departments attempted to implement on their own time and in their own way. Ployhart, R. E., Van Iddekinge, C. H., & Mackenzie Jr., W. I. (2011). ACQUIRING AND DEVELOPING HUMAN CAPITAL IN SERVICE CONTEXTS: THE INTERCONNECTEDNESS OF HUMAN CAPITAL RESOURCES. Academy Of Management Journal, 54(2), 353-368.

Analysis on Guy de Maupassant’s The Necklace Essay Example for Free

Analysis on Guy de Maupassant’s The Necklace Essay There is a great deal in keeping and evoking good and rational values. This is the chief lesson of that famous short story titled ‘The Necklace’ written by Guy de Maupassant (1) in the late Eighteenth Century. This short story tells about the proud-turned-tragic life of Madame Mathilde Loisel who dreams of an aristocratic status in life so that she would be able to experience the patrician lifestyle of some of her Parisian female friends. The life of Madame Mathilde Loisel shares a moral story that one has to have the right and proper moral values in order not to be blinded by empty materialism and pompous luxurious lifestyle. This means that there are more valuable intangible things in life that cannot be acquired by money; they can only be obtained by having rational insights and principles in life. These precious things are our human values. Human values cannot be measured by any material or monetary estimation, nor can they be taken away so easily like any commodities in the market. This means that if one possessed the right and rational values, he/she cannot be deceived by any fine and worldly things. But this does not mean that one has to denounce materialism totally. Â  The Necklace (Maupassant 5) centers on the covetous life of Madame Mathilde Loisel who is not satisfied with her middleclass position in life. Her secret sorrow is her not having all the material lavishness she desires around her. She hates the impoverished people who worked their bodies like animal just to eat three times a day. Most of the time, she spends the day thinking herself as a wealthy chatelaine who basks in the praises and admiration of people around her. She wants to be the center of attraction, and the only way to achieve this is to have expensive and luxurious garments and jewelry. Â  Madame Mathilde Loisel’s husband, Monsieur, cannot satisfy her desire in life since the latter’s salary as a clerk in the Ministry of Public Instruction is not enough to even buy her an expensive evening dress for a ballroom party. The night that changed her life forever comes when her husband receives an invitation to an official social gathering at the Ministry. Stricken by her desire to be the center of attraction at the said party, Madame Loisel is troubled because she has no appropriate elegant outfit and ornaments for the party. Luckily, her husband buys her a new dress taken from his own savings, while she borrows a stunning diamond necklace from her friend, Madame Jeanne Forestier. That night, Madame Loisel catches the attention of all the guests and even high-ranking officials because of her beauty. She enjoys the fleeting moment as the center of attraction at the dance party. However, her tragedy begins upon realizing that her diamond necklace is missing. They try to look for the missing necklace but to no avail. Â  Because of her lingering pride, the Loisel couple decides to purchase a matching diamond necklace as replacement for the lost necklace of her friend. The new diamond necklace that worth thirty-four thousand francs costs Madame Loisel her entire inheritance and the couple also incur huge debts. As a result, Monsieur and Madame Loisel have to work extra jobs in order to make both ends meet. After ten years, Madame Loisel is now older, shabbier, and less refined from a decade of physical work. Still proud and appearing tough, Madame Loisel still has the audacity to her old associates that she had once lost a diamond necklace. In the end, she is deeply depressed when she is informed by Madame Forestier that the long lost necklace is just a replication costing not more than five hundred francs. Had it not been for her covetousness and immodest desire for finer things, Madame Loisel would not have suffered her sorry fate. Her story is never new to people during her time, much more to people in this contemporary era. Today most people live beyond their means just to please others, or just to show others that they can afford to buy trendy stuff and hi-tech gadgets like cell phones and gaming gizmos. This only means that one has to have the rational and proper values so as not to be blinded by things of material value. These values may include industry, patience, humility, discipline, contentment, respect for others, and sense of self. People like Madame Loisel lack most of these good, rational qualities. If Madame Loisel only had the right values, she would have been content of what she has. But make no mistake, it is not wrong to desire for material things as long as you have the capacity to obtain them. To a person with proper values, he/she will have to work first before coveting for material objects around him/her. Â  One has to be patient in his/her work. If one wants a particular product displayed in a fashion boutique, he/she has to work hard for it. Having the right values, a person cannot be easily swayed by the tempting material luxuries around him— what he will do is to take it as an inspiration to improve his status in life. Reference: De Maupassant, Guy. The Necklace. Dramatic Publishing,

Judaism :: essays research papers

Early History of Judaism It has been argued that Judaism can be seen not only as a single religion, but as a group of similar religions. It has also been pointed-out that through all the trials and tribulations that Judaism has suffered through, that there have been common themes that have proven omni-pervasive. Any institution with roots as ancient and varied as the religion of the Jews is bound to have a few variations, especially when most of its history takes place in the political and theological hot spot of the Middle East. In this discussion, many facets of Judaism will be examined, primarily in the three temporal subdivisions labeled the Tribal / Pre-Monarchy Period, the Divided Monarchy, and the Hasmonean / Maccabean and Roman Era. Among all the time periods where the religion has been split, these three seem to be the most representative of the forces responsible. As for a common thread seen throughout all Judiasms, the area of focus here is the place associated with the religion : Jerusalem. This topic will be covered in detail first, and then the multiple Judaism arguments will be presented. In this way, it is possible to keep a common focus in mind when reading about all the other situations in which the religion has found itself. A brief conclusion follows the discussion. A Place to Call Home No other religion has ever been so attached to its birthplace as Judaism. Perhaps this is because Jews have been exiled and restricted from this place for most of their history. Jerusalem is not only home to Judaism, but to the Muslim and Christian religions as well. Historically this has made it quite a busy place for the various groups. Jerusalem is where the temple of the Jews once stood; the only place on the whole Earth where one could leave the confines of day to day life and get closer to God. In 586 BCE when the temple was destroyed, no Jew would have denied Jerusalem as being the geographic center of the religion. From that point on, the Jewish people have migrated around the world, but not one of them forgets the fact that Jerusalem is where it all began. It is truly a sacred place, and helps to define what Judaism means to many people; a common thread to run through all the various splinters of the religion and help hold them together. Even today, as the Jewish people have their precious Jerusalem

Chris Rock: Niggas vs. Black People Essay

This paper addresses the identity that is constructed of African-Americans through Rock’s language use of racial speech and taboo language. It also attempts to portray Rock’s function of the skit and the controversial attitudes that arose, including my own. 1. 0 Introduction ‘Sticks and stones may break your bones but words will never hurt you’. Unfortunately for Randall Kennedy this limerick held no connotation that he wished to acknowledge, as he recites his Mother’s words, he finds himself in war with a word, a word that for every African-American is at the core of inflicted pain; Nigger. Kennedy narrates his Mother’s experience during the era of the Jim Crow segregation, ‘I have been called nigger to my face on a couple of occasions by people who sought to convey their racial hatred or contempt for all blacks including me. ’ (Kennedy, 2002) This word for Centuries, although has been at the centre of normalisation and empowerment in recent years, is the definition of prejudice assigned by white supremacists. Racial discourse has changed over the years, the media has been at the frontline of these changes along with the law and democratic societies yet the word nigger still remains a temperamental taboo, its history foreshadows it and no matter what context the word may be used in, its cultural inheritance warrants its preservation. (Kennedy, 2000:3) A man that attempted to manipulate its detrimental meaning was the illustrious comedian Chris Rock. Rock is known for his politically incorrect humour and his fight to tackle racism and his 1996 HBO special, Bring the Pain performance is what give him his contentious status today. ‘Niggas vs. Black people’ is a twist on street culture vs. working class; it is a linguistically controversial skit that portrays how boorish behaviour feeds racial stereotypes while including his own personal assessment of the state of Black America. Rock empowers the word nigger and attempts to change its injurious meaning. The pain this word has caused the African-American community has been an expedient one, compromising the dignity, identity and representation of their race. Rock intends to fight and abolish the pain and with this is calls his performance, ‘Bring the pain’. 2. 0 Laughing Matters The intrusion of laughter is an ideal that is sought after by many comedians; it is the notion of laughter that holds profound significance amongst its audience. It gives society and the individual access to the truth, truths which become identifiable from a different view point, ‘laughter serves as a means to understand both what is found in the world and what is found within the individual. ’ (Gray & Putnam, 2009:18). Without laughter fear would not be defeated and fears of the truth would not be overcome, with this society becomes reliant on laughter, it gives a sense of belonging, understanding and serves as a joint understanding and belief. (Clark, 1996) This idea of the truth is based upon Bahktin’s theoretical view on laughter, as Gray and Putnam (2009: 18) state, ‘Laughter is also a defence mechanism against external realities that contradict our inner truths. ’ These truths and fears are identified with concepts such as, racism, politics and feminism. 2. 1 Encapsulating the audience To capture Daniels’ (1989: 15) phrase when discussing the subjectivity of humour, ‘it’s funny because it makes me laugh’, highlights individual social ideologies, each individual has their own set of attitudes and beliefs and this therefore contributes to the success of an anecdote, whether or not it fits with ideological views is at the core of an audiences’ hilarity. It would be deemed accurate to acknowledge that comedy is maintained and controlled with ideological boundaries in mind however at the same time, the genius of comedy derives down to comedians pushing these boundaries, this disrupts social order and it advocates change and ridicule’s power rather than reinforcing it, which relates back to this notion of identifying our inner truths. According to Daniels (1989: 15), he states that comedy is not achieved through content alone, however when picking apart the history of African-American comedians on black comedy; it is in fact the content alone which becomes a pandemic with the characteristics of the comedians talk that sets off the entire performance. Dating back to the Minstrel era – the pioneers of comedy today, ‘Bert’ Austin Williams took stage to be the first black American to take a lead role on a Broadway stage, Williams first became noticed in Vaudeville as a successful double-act â€Å"Williams & Walker†. Williams and Walker were a success for the black community, their acts were a representation of their race but they entertained white audiences by delivering acts that included content which demeaned their race: using words such as, ‘coon’. At the risk of criticising the African-American race, they still, at the expense of their careers performed for the white audience and their expectations. This stereotype of African-Americans is one that became a collective ritual of rhetoric complaint and occurrence. In 1951, a TV show called ‘Amos ‘n Andy’ came to our screens but was cancelled in 1953 due to complaints from the NAACP (National association for the advancement of coloured people), who acknowledged the programme to be only one representation of black folks. ‘Stereotyping is a process of selective perception by which the complex character of experience is filtered and simplified into fixed categories. ’ (Daniels: 1989) Parallel to these representations of African-American figures in the media, notions cited from Daniels (1989:3) are those of Halls who profoundly highlights, ‘[t]he depiction of blacks in popular media is restricted to a repertoire of basic images – the slave, the native, the entertainer – as only certain traits and characteristics are selected for emphasis. ’ Black people were subjected to the notion that as a cohort they were portrayed to be the same as one another; having no original identity as an African-American as there were no other representations of the black cultural community. Comedians such as Dick Gregory, Richard Pryor, Bill Cosby and Eddie Murphy were just a few of many that fought against these racial negative stereotypes that were portrayed within the media. In 1984 the introduction to ‘The Cosby Show’ was set across our screens. ‘The idea of The Cosby Show which was rejected by ABC, they felt that America was not ready to accept the concept of an intact, black middle-class family. ’ (Crenshaw, A) The Cosby Show declared positive attributes to the black stereotype in opposed to the black sitcoms that came before it. Although the success of The Cosby Show dispelled negative perceptions of the black community the initial idea was thrown, which contributes to racial segregation in American at that time during the 80’s. However, the typical black family perception did change as a result of ‘The Cosby Show’ and opened the doors for many comedians and sitcoms to come. ‘The fresh prince of bell air’ and comedians such as Chappelle and Chris Rock were the start of a new generation of insurgences. 3. 0 Rock’s linguistic segregation ‘Now we’ve got a lot of things, a lot of racism going on in the world right now. Who’s more racist? Black people or white people; black people. You know why, cause we hate black people too! Everything white people don’t like about black people. Black people really don’t like about black people. ’(Rock, 1996) In 1996 Chris Rock took to the stage with his controversial stand-up skit ‘Niggaz vs. Black People’ at the HBO special Bring the pain performance. Like Bill Cosby, Rock too was in attempt to eradicate negative perceptions of the black community but a way in which engages with a diverse group of audiences, to do this he interplayed cultural and linguistic taboos to mock ideological perceptions of African-American identities. Rock’s main aim of the debated skit was to diminish stereotypes that were apparent amongst the American public, this notion from white supremacists that African-American citizens are categorised to be ‘all the same’ was, in Rock’s eyes about to be obliterated. Rock proclaims ‘Nigga’s’ to be in clear detachment from working class African-Americans, whose bad behaviour is giving detrimental negative images towards other ‘black people’, his attempts to deliver vital messages in a comedic format is a portrayal of Rocks adamant intention to not allow a minority of troublesome individuals tarnish the image of the African-American. ‘Every time black people wanna have a good time, ignorant ass niggas fuck it up. ’ (Rock, 1996) His immediate intention is to of course eliminate racism not promote it, however from the view point from an audience member who are a collection of a variety of different races, the question to whether he reached out to all individual members is debatable due to ideological boundaries and beliefs, as discussed in (2. 1). Rock opens the show with Irony, it draws a ‘white’ audience in and takes members of the public by surprise; an African-American man is standing on stage telling his audience that black people are more racist. He has now captured communities of different races, whether that being good or bad he has his audience seized. He identifies his own community and creates a separate identity to others within the ‘black’ community; he takes these remarks made by the media, ideas that are created amongst groups of people and verbally throws it back allowing the power of discourse to be retained within the African-American community. Rock attempts to take on a social discourse, giving the ideology ‘Nigga’ a new contentious status, separating it from working class African-American citizens. In congruence to this, Gray and Putnam (2009:19) states, when referring to Chappelle’s ‘Exploring Niggerdom’, ‘[C]hapelle succeeds in appropriating a terminology that has previously been held in the hands of the whites. By using language for his own purpose, with his own nuances and intentions, Chappelle takes back the power that whites had originally given to that language. ’ The key notion that is represented here is power within language, although Rock attempts to capture this power as Chappelle (2003) successfully did, a small percentage of Rocks audience failed to connect to his language use decorously because of this Rock never performed that skit again. Some critics state that the ‘black’ community was offended while others felt they too had the public authority to say the ‘N’ word. 3. 1 The ‘N’ word; Nigger. ‘There’s black people and there’s niggas and nigga’s have got to go. ’ (Rock, 1996) The term ‘nigger’ is one many do not wish to publically celebrate, it is derived from the Latin word ‘Niger’ and has transformed over Centuries to hold different connotations; throughout history, the term ‘Nigger’ has been a frequent occurrence, its use is, ‘[e]mployed to impose contempt upon [blacks] as an inferior race’(Kennedy, 2002:5) It has even been employed upon children with nursery rhymes, one that may be commonly known is, ‘Eeny-meeny-miney-mo, catch a nigger by the toe, if he hollers; let him go, eeny-meeny-miney-mo. ’ Paradoxically, ‘Nigga’ is a phrase that is now used frequently amongst ‘black’ people, becoming a term of friendly salutation and even empowerment; it is comedians, rappers and hip hop entertainment that have created this discourse. However, what Rock does with the word is give the term a negative perception to emphasise distinctions between social groups regardless of their race. Terms such as, ‘Nigger’, ‘fuck’ and ‘shit’, are commonly known to be censored words, taboo words, words that when used today in a western society become intertwined with concepts of face and politeness. (Goffman, 1967; Brown & Levinson, 1978) Face-saving views of politeness start from this idea that humans are rational agents who are conscious of their language choices. (Brown & Levinson, 1987; Clark, 1996; Grice, 1975; Locher, 2004) Both interacting participants, for example H and S, would have an interest in maintaining each other’s face but often have to commit to face-threatening-acts. (Brown & Levinson, 1987) Face threatening acts can threaten the independence of ‘H’s’ face and the face needs of ‘S’s, (Locher, 2004: 66) in relation to this concept, when Rock uses racist speech and taboo language he puts his own face at risk, which knowingly as a comedian it is a risk that threatens the involvement of their face. When Rock uses commonly heard taboo language, there is a higher chance, as it has been heard before, that the audiences’ face needs are not jeopardised, however when using racial speech, for instance when Rock makes reference to the ‘KKK’, there is a possibility that face needs are threatened, whether that be the African-American community or the white community; it seems Rock knew that his language use would threaten the face needs of some of his audience members as near the end of his performance he exclaims, ‘Man, why you got to say that? †¦ It isn’t us, it’s the media. The media has distorted our image to make us look bad. Why must you come down on us like that brother? It’s not us, it’s the media. ’ (Rock, 1996) Rock in this sense does not blame the media for the corrupt behaviour of what he calls ‘Niggas’, he blames the cohort minority that are giving African-Americans a bad reputation. However to oppose this analogy Van Dijk (1992: 513) brushes upon racism in the press and offers examples to emphasis the ideas that are represented within the ‘black’ community. ‘We have racism too – and that is what is behind the plot. It is not white racism. It is black racism†¦ But who is there to protect the white majority? †¦ Our tolerance is our strength, but we will not allow anyone to turn it into our weaknesses. ’(Sun, 24 October) The black community do have an arguable point when feeling face-threatened by Rocks notion of Black people vs. Niggas, as clear evidence of discrimination is shown within Newspaper articles such as these, but Rock emphasises that it is the unruly, uneducated, minority of black people that are giving the community a bad name, he then puts himself in the shoes of a white person, comedic irony again, by being a part of the KKK and feeling threatened at night when drawing money out ‘at the money machine’. What is so fundamental about the article above is the correlation in language use within Rocks opening performance and the beginning of the article, two very similar introductions with two very different intentions and it may be perceived potentially by some members of Rocks audience that it was interpreted in ways that are incongruence to articles such as these, articles which are in denial of racism. The controversy caused by Rocks excessive use of the word ‘Nigga’ led him to remove the piece from his act; Jay Washington (2012) stated that in a 60 minute interview Rock said, ‘By the way, I’ve never done that joke again, ever, and I probably never will. Cos some people that were racist thought they had license to say nigger. So, I’m done with that routine. ’ 4. 0 Cultural Impact The cultural impact made by Rock’s 1996 performance of Niggas vs. Black people has been an pragmatic one, Barack Obama made reference to his skit in a Father’s Day speech in 2008, it also made television as ‘The office’ did a censored take on the monologue and audience members watching his 1996 performance still will laugh at his Ironic satire sketch. I certainly did, although Rock removed the piece from his act due to ‘overusing’ the word ‘N’ word, his hidden intention was genius. Rock was trying to give this word a new meaning, eradicating its history of contempt, he was trying to stop stereotypes of African-American people and push boundaries of the ideological perceptions within the audience. Rock’s intention was to unveil a hidden truth, a truth that may be covered up by fear but must be defeated with laughter. (2. 0) Why should Rock not use this word and attempt to give it a different connotation, his ancestors were victims of slavery, his parents were victims of discrimination and ridicule why should he not poke fun at true racists by empowering the tern ‘Nigger’ and giving hardworking African-Americans the voice to be disassociated with the word? A reference cited from Gray and Putnam (2009: 23), is a quote that correlates with my notion, Elizabeth Ludwig states, ‘[c]learly, if comedy is an expression of abjection, then it must be an expression of one’s own abjection. ’ I feel Rock exerts his right to use this word, despite its negative media responses. It is true racists that watched this sketch and felt that discrimination against black people was now acceptable, which is a shame because I feel what Rock intended to do was try to educate the thoughts of people who were of different ethnicities and it seems that the minority of these different racial groups let them down. Rocks main purpose was to target minority groups and bring to their attention to antiquated notions of stereotyping. 5. 0 Conclusion Rock is a linguistic comedic prodigy; he faces racism head on and delivers his content in such a confident manner that he encapsulates the audience and brings cathartic laughter from a masochistic inheritance. He draws upon truths, pushes ideological boundaries and empowers racial speech; this language use constructs a distinctive identity of working class African-Americans which is separated from the minority of gang culture which is influenced by bad behavior. Although the term nigger is used in a way that contradicts is ideological meaning and portrays positive perceptions of working class African American citizens, the term can be portrayed differently from different perspectives in the audience. ‘I think people who use the term nigger in their speech should bear the risk that listeners overhearing them will misunderstand their intentions. ’ (Kennedy, 2002:146) The truth about the ‘N’-word is that even as a euphemism the term should still be redundant due to historical context, the way in which the word has been empowered gains nothing but positive attributes however I feel its connotative history foreshadows its use and no matter who attempts to manipulate its meaning its history will always remain. References Brown, P, & Levinson, S. (1987) Politeness. Cambridge: Cambridge U. P. Chung, J. (2002) The Burden of Laughter: Chris Rock fights ignorance his way. In ‘The booth prize essays’ http://bootheprize. stanford. edu/0102/PWR-Chung. pdf Clark, H, H. (2006) Using Language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Crenshaw, A. The Cosby Show changes the way blacks are viewed. http://www. shenet. org/high/hsacaddept/English/ddayton/Documents/Media/Stereotypes/Cosby%20Show%20Article. pdf Daniels, T. (1989) The colour black. British Film institute; London. Goffman, E. (2005) Interaction Ritual: Essays In Face-To-Face Behavior. New Brunswick: N. J. Kennedy, R. (2002) Nigger. Vintage Books: USA. Locher, M, A. (2004) Power and Politeness in Action: Disagreements in Oral Communication. Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co. KG: Berlin. Van Dijk, T. (1992) Discourse and the denial of racism. Sage Publications Ltd. Washington, J. (2012) Comedian Chris Rock sparks controversy with Independence Day tweet. http://educatedinsanity. com/2012/07/06/comedian-chris-rock-sparks-controversy-with-independence-day-tweet/ Wisniewski, K. A. (2009) The comedy of Dave Chappelle: critical essays. McFarland; USA.

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal Chapter 25

Chapter 25 Philip, who was called the new guy, asked that we go to Cana by way of Bethany, as he had a friend there that he wanted to recruit to follow along with us. â€Å"I tried to get him to join with John the Baptist,† Philip said, â€Å"but he wouldn't stand for the eating-locusts, living-in-pits thing. Anyway, he's from Cana, I'm sure he'd love to have a visit home.† As we came into the square of Bethany, Philip called out to a blond kid who was sitting under a fig tree. He was the same yellow-haired kid that Joshua and I had seen when we first passed through Bethany over a year ago. â€Å"Hey, Nathaniel,† Philip called. â€Å"Come join me and my friends on the way to Cana. They're from Nazareth. Joshua here might be the Messiah.† â€Å"Might be?† I said. Nathaniel walked out into the street to look at us, shading his eyes against the sun. He couldn't have been more than sixteen or seventeen. He barely had the fuzz of a beard on his chin. â€Å"Can anything good come out of Nazareth?† he said. â€Å"Joshua, Biff, Bartholomew,† Philip said, â€Å"this is my friend Nathaniel.† â€Å"I know you,† Joshua said. â€Å"I saw you when we last passed through here.† Then, inexplicably, Nathaniel fell to his knees in front of Joshua's camel and said, â€Å"You are truly the Messiah and the Son of God.† Joshua looked at me, then at Philip, then at the kid, prostrating himself on camel's feet. â€Å"Because I've seen you before you believe that I'm the Messiah, even though a minute ago nothing good could come out of Nazareth?† â€Å"Sure, why not?† said Nathaniel. And Josh looked at me again, as if I could explain it. Meanwhile Bartholomew, who was on foot along with his pack of doggie followers (whom he had disturbingly begun to refer to as his â€Å"disciples†), went over to Nathaniel and helped the boy to his feet. â€Å"Stand up, if you're coming with us.† Nathaniel prostrated himself before Bartholomew now. â€Å"You are truly the Messiah and the Son of God.† â€Å"No, I'm not,† Bart said, lifting the kid to his feet. â€Å"He is.† Bart pointed to Joshua. Nathaniel looked to me, for some reason, for confirmation. â€Å"You are truly a babe in the woods,† I said to Nathaniel. â€Å"You don't gamble, do you?† â€Å"Biff!† Joshua said. He shook his head and I shrugged. To Nathaniel he said, â€Å"You're welcome to join us. We share the camels, our food, and what little money we have.† Here Joshua nodded toward Philip, who had been nominated to carry the communal purse because he was good at math. â€Å"Thanks,† said Nathaniel, and he fell in behind us. And thus we became five. â€Å"Josh,† I said in a harsh whisper, â€Å"that kid is as dumb as a stick.† â€Å"He's not dumb, Biff, he just has a talent for belief.† â€Å"Fine,† I said, turning to Philip. â€Å"Don't let the kid anywhere near the money.† As we headed out of the square toward the Mount of Olives, Abel and Crustus, the two old blind guys who'd helped me over Maggie's wall, called out from the gutter. (I'd learned their names after correcting their little gender mistake.) â€Å"Oh son of David, have mercy on us!† Joshua pulled up on the reins of his camel. â€Å"What makes you call me that?† â€Å"You are Joshua of Nazareth, the young preacher who was studying under John?† â€Å"Yes, I am Joshua.† â€Å"We heard the Lord say that you were his son with whom he was well pleased.† â€Å"You heard that?† â€Å"Yes. About five or six weeks ago. Right out of the sky.† â€Å"Dammit, did everyone hear but me?† â€Å"Have mercy on us, Joshua,† said one blind guy. â€Å"Yeah, mercy,† said the other. Then Joshua climbed down from his camel, laid his hands upon the old men's eyes, and said, â€Å"You have faith in the Lord, and you have heard, as evidently everyone in Judea has, that I am his son with whom he is well pleased.† Then he pulled his hands from their faces and the old men looked around. â€Å"Tell me what you see,† Joshua said. The old guys sort of looked around, saying nothing. â€Å"So, tell me what you see.† The blind men looked at each other. â€Å"Something wrong?† Joshua asked. â€Å"You can see, can't you?† â€Å"Well, yeah,† said Abel, â€Å"but I thought there'd be more color.† â€Å"Yeah,† said Crustus, â€Å"it's kind of dull.† I stepped up. â€Å"You're on the edge of the Judean desert, one of the most lifeless, desolate, hostile places on earth, what did you expect?† â€Å"I don't know.† Crustus shrugged. â€Å"More.† â€Å"Yeah, more,† said Abel. â€Å"What color is that?† â€Å"That's brown.† â€Å"How about that one?† â€Å"That would be brown as well.† â€Å"That color over there? Right there?† â€Å"Brown.† â€Å"You're sure that's not mauve.† â€Å"Nope, brown.† â€Å"And – â€Å" â€Å"Brown,† I said. The two former blind guys shrugged and walked off mumbling to each other. â€Å"Excellent healing,† said Nathaniel. â€Å"I for one have never seen a better healing,† said Philip, â€Å"but then, I'm new.† Joshua rode off shaking his head. When we came into Cana we were broke and hungry and more than ready for a feast, at least most of us were. Joshua didn't know about the feast. The wedding was being held in the courtyard of a very large house. We could hear the drums and singers and smell spiced meat cooking as we approached the gates. It was a large wedding and a couple of kids were waiting outside to tend to our camels. They were curly haired, wiry little guys about ten years old; they reminded me of evil versions of Josh and me at that age. â€Å"Sounds like a wedding going on,† Joshua said. â€Å"Park your camel, sir?† said the camel-parking kid. â€Å"It is a wedding,† said Bart. â€Å"I thought we were here to help Maggie.† â€Å"Park your camel, sir?† said the other kid, pulling on the reins of my camel. Joshua looked at me. â€Å"Where is Maggie? You said she was sick?† â€Å"She's in the wedding,† I said, pulling the reins back from the kid. â€Å"You said she was dying.† â€Å"Well, we all are, aren't we? I mean, if you think about it.† I grinned. â€Å"You can't park that camel here, sir.† â€Å"Look, kid, I don't have any money to tip you. Go away.† I hate handing my camel over to the camel-parking kids. It unnerves me. I'm always sure that I'm never going to see it again, or it's going to come back with a tooth missing or an eye poked out. â€Å"So Maggie isn't really dying?† â€Å"Hey, guys,† Maggie said, stepping out of the gate. â€Å"Maggie,† Joshua said, throwing his arms up in surprise. Problem was, he was so intent on looking at her that he forgot to grab on again, and off the camel he went. He hit the ground facedown with a thump and a wheeze. I jumped down from my camel, Bart's dogs barked, Maggie ran to Josh, rolled him over, and cradled his head in her lap while he tried to get his breath back. Philip and Nathaniel waved to people from the wedding who were peeping through the gate to see what all the commotion was about. Before I had a chance to turn, the two kids had leapt up onto our camels and were galloping around the corner off to Nod, or South Dakota, or some other place I didn't know the location of. â€Å"Maggie,† Joshua said. â€Å"You're not sick.† â€Å"That depends,† she said, â€Å"if there's any chance of a laying on of hands.† Joshua smiled and blushed. â€Å"I missed you.† â€Å"Me too,† Maggie said. She kissed Joshua on the lips and held him there until I started to squirm and the other disciples started to clear their throats and bark â€Å"get a room† under their breaths. Maggie stood up and helped Joshua to his feet. â€Å"Come on in, guys,† she said. â€Å"No dogs,† she said to Bart, and the hulking Cynic shrugged and sat down in the street amid his canine disciples. I was craning my neck to see if I could see where our camels had been taken. â€Å"They're going to run those camels into the ground, and I know they won't feed or water them.† â€Å"Who?† asked Maggie. â€Å"Those camel-parking boys.† â€Å"Biff, this is my youngest brother's wedding. He couldn't even afford wine. He didn't hire any camel-parking boys.† Bartholomew stood and rallied his troops. â€Å"I'll find them.† He lumbered off. Inside we feasted on beef and mutton, all manner of fruits and vegetables, bean and nut pastes, cheese and first-pressed olive oil with bread. There was singing and dancing and if it hadn't been for a few old guys in the corner looking very cranky, you'd never have known that there wasn't any wine at the party. When our people danced, they danced in large groups, lines and circles, not couples. There were men's dances and women's dances and very few dances where both could participate, which is why people were staring at Joshua and Maggie as they danced. They were definitely dancing together. I retreated to a corner where I saw Maggie's sister Martha watching as she nibbled at some bread with goat cheese. She was twenty-five, a shorter, sturdier version of Maggie, with the same auburn hair and blue eyes, but with less tendency to laugh. Her husband had divorced her for â€Å"grievous skankage† and now she lived with her older brother Simon in Bethany. I'd gotten to know her when we were little and she took messages to Maggie for me. She offered me a bite of her bread and cheese and I took it. â€Å"She's going to get herself stoned,† Martha said in a slightly bitter, moderately jealous, younger sister tone. â€Å"Jakan is a member of the Sanhedrin.† â€Å"Is he still a bully?† â€Å"Worse, now he's a bully with power. He'd have her stoned, just to prove that he could do it.† â€Å"For dancing? Not even the Pharisees – â€Å" â€Å"If anyone saw her kiss Joshua, then†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"So how are you?† I said, changing the subject. â€Å"I'm living with my brother Simon now.† â€Å"I heard.† â€Å"He's a leper.† â€Å"Look, there's Joshua's mother. I have to go say hello.† â€Å"There's no wine at this wedding,† Mary said. â€Å"I know. Strange, isn't it?† James stood by scowling as I hugged his mother. â€Å"Joshua is here too?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Oh good, I was afraid that you two might have been arrested along with John.† â€Å"Pardon me?† I stepped back and looked to James for explanation. He seemed the more appropriate bearer of bad news. â€Å"You hadn't heard? Herod has thrown John in prison for inciting people to revolt. That's the excuse anyway. It's Herod's wife who wanted John silenced. She was tired of having John's followers refer to her as ‘the slut.'† I patted Mary's shoulder as I stepped away. â€Å"I'll tell Joshua that you're here.† I found Joshua sitting in a far corner of the courtyard playing with some children. One little girl had brought her pet rabbit to the wedding and Joshua was holding it in his lap, petting its ears. â€Å"Biff, come feel how soft this bunny is.† â€Å"Joshua, John has been arrested.† Josh slowly handed the bunny back to the little girl and stood. â€Å"When?† â€Å"I'm not sure. Shortly after we left, I guess.† â€Å"I shouldn't have left him. I didn't even tell him we were leaving.† â€Å"It was bound to happen, Joshua. I told him to lay off Herod, but he wouldn't listen. You couldn't have done anything.† â€Å"I'm the Son of God, I could have done something.† â€Å"Yeah, you could have gone to prison with him. Your mother is here. Go talk to her. She's the one that told me.† As Joshua embraced Mary, she said, â€Å"You've got to do something about this wine situation. Where's the wine?† James tapped Joshua on the shoulder. â€Å"Didn't bring any wine with you from the lush vineyards of Jericho?† (I didn't like hearing sarcasm being used by James against Joshua. I had always thought of my invention as being used for good, or at least against people I didn't like.) Joshua gently pushed his mother away. â€Å"You shall have wine,† he said, then he went off to the side of the house where drinking water was stored in large stone jars. In a few minutes he returned with a pitcher of wine and cups for all of us. A shout went through the party and suddenly everything seemed to step up a level. Pitchers and cups were filled and drained and filled again, and those who had been near the wine jars started declaring a miracle had been performed, that Joshua of Nazareth had turned water into wine. I looked for him, but he was nowhere to be found. Having been free of sin all of his life, Joshua wasn't very good at dealing with guilt, so he had gone off by himself to try to numb the guilt he felt over John's arrest. After a few hours of subterfuge and guile, I was able to get Maggie to sneak out the back gate with me. â€Å"Maggie, come with us. You talked to Joshua. You saw the wine. He's the one.† â€Å"I've always known he was the one, but I can't come with you. I'm married.† â€Å"I thought you were going to be a fisherman.† â€Å"And I thought you were going to be a village idiot.† â€Å"I'm still looking for a village. Look, get Jakan to divorce you.† â€Å"Anything he can divorce me for he can also kill me for. I've seen him pass judgment on people, Biff. I've seen him lead the mobs to the stonings. I'm afraid of him.† â€Å"I learned to make poisons in the East.† I raised my eyebrows and grinned. â€Å"Huh?† â€Å"I'm not going to poison my husband.† I sighed, an exasperated sigh that I'd learned from my mother. â€Å"Then leave him and come away with us, far from Jerusalem where he can't reach you. He'll have to divorce you to save face.† â€Å"Why should I leave, Biff? So I can follow around a man who doesn't want me and wouldn't take me if he did?† I didn't know what to say, I felt like knives were twisting in fresh wounds in my chest. I looked at my sandals and pretended to have something caught in my throat. Maggie stepped up, put her arms around me, and laid her head against my chest. â€Å"I'm sorry,† she said. â€Å"I know.† â€Å"I missed both of you, but I missed just you too.† â€Å"I know.† â€Å"I'm not going to sleep with you.† â€Å"I know.† â€Å"Then please stop rubbing that against me.† â€Å"Sure,† I said. Just then Joshua stumbled through the gate and crashed into us. We were able to catch ourselves and him before anyone fell. The Messiah was holding the little girl's pet bunny, hugging it to his cheek with the big back feet swinging free. He was gloriously drunk. â€Å"Know what?† Josh said. â€Å"I love bunnies. They toil not, neither do they bark. Henceforth and from now on, I decree that whenever something bad happens to me, there shall be bunnies around. So it shall be written. Go ahead Biff, write it down.† He waved to me under the bunny, then turned and started back through the gate. â€Å"Where's the friggin' wine? I got a dry bunny over here!† â€Å"See,† I said to Maggie, â€Å"you don't want to miss out on that. Bunnies!† She laughed. My favorite music. â€Å"I'll get word to you,† she said. â€Å"Where will you be?† â€Å"I have no idea.† â€Å"I'll get word to you.† It was midnight. The party had wound down and the disciples and I were sitting in the street outside of the house. Joshua had passed out and Bartholomew had put a small dog under his head for a pillow. Before he had left, James had made it abundantly clear that we weren't welcome in Nazareth. â€Å"Well?† said Philip. â€Å"I guess we can't go back to John.† â€Å"I'm sorry I didn't find the camels,† Bartholomew said. â€Å"People teased me about my yellow hair,† said Nathaniel. â€Å"I thought you were from Cana,† I said. â€Å"Don't you have family we can stay with?† â€Å"Plague,† said Nathaniel. â€Å"Plague,† we all said, nodding. It happens. â€Å"You'll probably be needing these,† came a voice out of the darkness. We all looked up to see a short but powerfully built man walking out of the darkness, leading our camels. â€Å"The camels,† said Nathaniel. â€Å"My apologies,† said the man, â€Å"my brother's sons brought them home to us in Capernaum. I'm sorry it's taken so long to get them back to you.† I stood and he handed the camel's reins to me. â€Å"They've been fed and watered.† He pointed to Joshua, who was snoring away on his terrier. â€Å"Does he always drink like that?† â€Å"Only when a major prophet has been imprisoned.† The man nodded. â€Å"I heard what he did with the wine. They say he also healed a lame man in Cana this afternoon. Is that true?† We all nodded. â€Å"If you have no place to stay, you can come home with me to Capernaum for a day or two. We owe you at least that for taking your camels.† â€Å"We don't have any money,† I said. â€Å"Then you'll feel right at home,† said the man. â€Å"My name is Andrew.† And so we became six.

The Peculiarities of Writing a Good Laboratory Report

The Peculiarities of Writing a Good Laboratory Report How to Write a Good Lab Report Laboratory research presupposes the implementation and analysis of the particular research, which yields results by means of practical research methods and experimentation in the specifically designed and equipped facility, called a laboratory. In general, the essence of a laboratory practicum lies in thorough examination of different phenomena and laws applying previous scientific experience and theoretical knowledge. Any lab research is comprised of the following procedures: making theoretical calculations; obtaining experimental data; summarizing and analyzing the acquired results in the form of a report. How to Write a Lab Report for College If you are assigned a lab report for the first time, you are probably stressed out, because it is a no mean task that requires much time and efforts to ace it. If you have friends who are assigned the same thing, you are in luck since you can collaborate and help each other out. Even if you are unversed in how to do a lab report, your innate brilliance and info found on the Internet will enable you to complete the assignment correctly and timely. Also, you can reach out to your professor and ask him to provide you with some templates so that you could at least have an insight into the formatting of this type of writing. When there is no one to turn to and the deadline is looming on the horizon, review the tips that we have prepared for students to make the experience of writing a lab report more interesting and easier. First and foremost, lets have a look at the proper structure of lab reports. Title page includes the title of the report as well as other necessary info; At the very beginning, the author defines the aim of the paper and describes the physical phenomenon under consideration. Usually, this section is called an abstract that contains a brief summary of the entire work. Sometimes, the equipment, methods, and materials utilized for the fulfillment of the research are also mentioned in the abstract. The abstract is followed by an introductory paragraph where the main point of the research is stated. All results and measurements from the laboratory register go to the corresponding tables that are immediately followed by a rubric. Depending on the field of knowledge and the purpose of the lab research, the section with calculations includes formulas, figures, and the applied methods of measurement, as well as the evaluation of the role of those factors in the direction of the research. Formulas should be followed by interpretation and subsequent calculations made by means of actual numerical data. Infographics that influence the course of the study and are relevant to the object of the research should be placed as an appendix if they are not included in the main part of the paper. The concluding part revolves around conclusions with regard to all obtained findings and their explanation on the basis of theoretical knowledge. The report should be formatted according to the standard requirements of your school/college/university. Frequently, they provide their own templates that students have to utilize while writing a report. It is recommended to review an exemplary sample of a lab report online, especially if you are planning on completing this assignment with flying colors. This way, you will know for sure how the final version of this type of writing should look like. If you think your choice of the topic is specific enough to influence the way your work is structured, you should definitely search for some examples. This way, you will not need to do additional reading and then toil at rewriting; also you will learn how to write lab reports to suit particular standards. In case you question the quality of the sample you have come across, ask your professor whether it will be ok to stick to the same structure as in the example. Some other constructive pieces of advice to take into account include: Make sure that the flow of information you present is logical and comprehensible; Get rid of ambiguity (it particularly concerns pronouns and progression); The tone of writing should be neutral; avoid the narration in first person; Underline all scientific titles; Adhere to the metric system when mentioning measurements; Spell out numbers less than 10 Ask someone who is knowledgeable about the subject you investigate to read your paper and give feedback on it; The info outlined above should be enough for the successful completion of this type of written assignments. Remember that lab reports do not like procrastination as there are many stages of research that need to be conducted incrementally and with extra attention especially if many calculations are involved. It is crucial to submit a lab report of an excellent quality because the grade you will get for it will affect your general academic performance. If you are in a tight spot and you need to submit a lab report in a couple of days, you can use the assistance of the Pro-Papers.com and stay out of trouble with our outstanding writing services. You can rest assured, because every order you place is taken by professional writers that do their best to deliver an impeccable paper. They write papers according to the requirements provided or proofread them and suggest all possible ways of improving the paper in case yours needs editing. You can also cooperate with the writer who is respons ible for your assignment and let him/her know about additional instructions or corrections via chat. Thus, whenever you have a hard time nailing any type of written assignment, place an order on the Pro-Papers.com and be sure to get a paper that stands out.

How to write a presentation - Emphasis

How to write a presentation How to write a presentation Delivering a memorable and effective presentation to your colleagues or customers is about so much more than pulling together some PowerPoint slides and donning your best suit. You need to inspire your audience, not bludgeon them with jargon and visuals. Robert Ashton provides some handy tips on how to impress. Gordon Brown, in one of his first high-profile public presentations as shadow chancellor, talked in detail about the post neo-classical endogenous growth theory. He was greeted with widespread media derision while the electorate remained bemused and unenthused. Now, 13 years later, and finally on the cusp of being the new Prime Minister, his words on the economy are unquestionably more straightforward and easier on the ear: The task ahead is to build an even stronger economy with even higher standards of living It would be fair to say that Mr Brown has learned a thing or two about giving a presentation. Of course much has been made of his changing style: he smiles more, speaks more openly, looks more relaxed, wears more fashionable clothes. All of these may have improved his presentation style. But giving a decent presentation is about more than wearing the right outfit and developing a more upbeat speaking voice. It is also about the words you use. As Mr Brown said himself in his leadership-bid speech, I have never believed presentation should be a substitute for policy. He may have been referring to politics (while having a little dig at Tony Blair), but we should echo his call for substance to triumph over style in the world of business presentations. Presentation has always been an important part of professional life, but there has been a noticeable trend over the last few years for the focus to be on delivery and appearance rather than content. Mr Brown is not the only one who has been polishing his presentation style. Countless organisations send their staff on presentation skills courses to learn how to improve their public speaking. Not that presentation skills dont count of course they do. But a good presentation depends on much more than simply presenting yourself. A clear voice and a confident manner will never disguise irrelevant, ill-chosen content or over-complicated, inappropriate terminology. And by content, Im not referring to PowerPoint slides. Most of us have had enough of sitting through presentations where we are either bored to tears by slide after slide overloaded with text or dazed by endless graphics whizzing pointlessly across the screen. To be fair, some businesses are starting to realise this. But many have missed the point in their response to the growing disenchantment with PowerPoint. A well-known software company, for example, decided that employees were not engaging with corporate presentations. Its solution was to decree that no presentation should be longer than six slides. The result? Slides with as many words, figures and graphics as possible squeezed in by means of the teeniest illegible font and the narrowest margins. The employees, I imagine, have gained nothing other than future eyesight problems to add to their disengagement. But my real objection to PowerPoint is nothing to do with the number or style of the slides. It is the fact that pulling together the slides seems to have become almost synonymous with writing a presentation. Slides may give you a checklist of points to cover, and sometimes even some worthwhile visual support. But they will never win over your audience. Wise words To engage and inspire an audience you need to appeal to their values. To carry them, you need pace and rhythm. To change minds and influence decisions, you must choose and order your words carefully. In short, you need to plan and write your presentation, not just pull together some slides. Presentations demand a physical style of writing thats tied to your breath, the ability to deliver a telling phrase or sentence and whether you can capture and keep an audiences attention. You need to tell a good story and you need to keep it short and snappy, using simple, evocative words that will immediately strike a chord. You cant afford to leave your audience behind to have them wondering what you meant by something when youve already moved on to something else. Your ideas and values have to register in the moment. Your words need to be both simple and powerful. No matter how accomplished or experienced a public speaker you are, you will rarely get a good response from using technical, philosophical, or intellectual jargon or convoluted language in a presentation. Imagine if Martin Luther King had said: I am in possession of a vision statement for mankind that my four offspring will at some future juncture reside in a nation where they will not be appraised by the pigmentation of their skin but by the nature and substance of their disposition. I am in possession of a vision statement today. Or if John F Kennedy had tried to appeal to peoples national pride with: In addition, therefore, co-habitants of America, do not request of yourselves as to the nature of the obligations your territory should render unto you; request of yourselves as to the nature of the obligations you should render unto your reign of domicile yourselves. Perhaps their undisputed personal magnetism and formidable public speaking skills may have compensated a little for the lacklustre content. But it is their use of simple but carefully-constructed language that has secured their speeches a place in the pages of our history books: I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today. And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country. So next time you have to give a presentation, whether it is to win hearts and minds, flog your products, or simply tell people what you do, forget the PowerPoint slides, the vocal exercises and whether or not your suit is looking a bit out of date. Instead, concentrate on the actual content of what youre going to say and the words that are going to make an impression on your audience. Some hints and tips for writing a good presentation: Syntax: Disentangle your thoughts and arrange the words in your sentences to be simple and logical. Often when theres a lot of information obscuring a main point, syntax becomes far too complex. Jargon: Every profession or industry has its jargon, but only use it if you are speaking to peers and are sure they will understand you. Words: We all have our favourite words that we enjoy using and make us feel confident. As you write, imagine yourself saying the words you use and see if you are comfortable with them. And avoid any words you have trouble saying eg. if you might stumble over statistics, then say figures instead. Sentences: The sentences in a presentation should be shorter than in the typical business document. When you do write a longer sentence, make sure there is a natural break point so you can take a breath. Pace, rhythm and tone: Varying the pace, rhythm and tone of sentences makes both the speaking and listening experience far more enjoyable. Make sure the stress falls on the most important words (eg. To be or not to be; I have a dream); vary the length of sentences; arranging words in pairs and trios (saying things in threes gives a sense of movement, progression and resolution: Going, going, gone). Saying words in pairs gives a more balanced tone (courage and commitment, energy and effort) or sense of tension between the words (war and peace, imports and exports). Analogies: Good analogies can work well in presentations because they paint vivid pictures for the audience. The best way to do it is to use either a simile (It wasnt so much a dinner party, more like feeding time at the zoo) or a metaphor (Shes a dragon of a teacher). Words to avoid: Be careful about using clichs like pushing the envelope, playing hardball and thinking outside the box. And think carefully about any word that ends with -ism, -ise, -based, -gate, -focused and -driven. Alliteration: Big and bold, sleek and shiny, key components. On the page alliteration may look contrived, but it can effectively highlight important phrases in a presentation. Repetition: Repeating words also works well in physical writing. The phrase used by New Labour politicians, Education, education, education, was much stronger (and far more memorable) than something bland like, Were going to make education our priority. Punctuation: Use punctuation to help you deliver your speech. You dont need to have perfect punctuation in your presentation script instead use exclamation marks, underlining and brackets to tell you when to breathe and which words to stress. You can always have another correct version of your script for distribution. Robert Ashton is chief executive of business writing specialists Emphasis. For more information see emphbootstrap.wpengine.com Do you want your team to write persuasive presentations? Have a look at our in-house presentation-writing course.