Anti-Consumerism in the Works of Kerouac, Ginsberg, and Roth Essay

Anti-Consumerism in the Works of Kerouac, Ginsberg, and Roth    After World War II, Americans became very concerned with "keeping up with the Joneses." Everyday people were not only interested in fulfilling the American Dream because of the optimistic post-war environment, but also because of the economic emphasis on advertising that found a new outlet daily in highway billboards, radio programs, and that popular new device, the television. With television advertising becoming the new way to show Americans what they did not (and should) have came a wide-eyed and fascinated interest in owning all kinds of things, products, and devices suddenly necessary in every home. One could not only hear about new necessary items, but see them as well. Meanwhile, marketplaces and small shops were being dismantled to create the supermarket, a temple of consumerism where any passerby may walk in and purchase almost anything he or she desires without a thought of their neighbor, who runs the suffering little fruit stand around the corner. The literary rebellion o f the 1960's was concerned, in part, with the desire to break down this growing consumer culture. Not everyone was so easily lulled by the singsong mottoes and jingles of television advertising and the call of the national supermarket. Poets like Allen Ginsberg, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, and Jack Kerouac began struggling, in writing, against the oppression of having. As Buddhists, these writers saw the growing desire to fill whims and wants with items easily purchased as harmful to the ability to transcend suffering (instead of eliminating it). Combining the strategies of Asian Buddhist monks with American transcendentalist theory provided by Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emer... ...e when the rest of the nation was blindly enjoying their television programs and the convenience of the supermarket, these writers made strong statements warning against the love of things. During the 50's and 60's, many middle- and upper-class Americans had worked hard to afford conveniences, but Ginsberg, Kerouac, and Roth would say that it is not enough to "deserve" your participation in the consumerist culture. Rather, they would say the consumerist culture, by nature, is mentally and culturally enslaving and to be avoided when possible for the sake of the integrity of the individual spirit. Works Cited: Allen, Donald (ed.). The New American Poetry 1945-1960. Berkeley, CA: U. of California P. 1960. Kerouac, Jack. The Dharma Bums. New York: Penguin Books. 1958. Roth, Philip. Goodbye, Columbus and Five Short Stories. New York: Modern Library. 1959.

Analyze Two Main Theories of Motivation Namely: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory and Herzberg Two-Factor Theory Essay

INTRODUCTION From as early as the beginning of the 20th Century, corporations began to realize that motivated employees are a strategic necessity in the harshly competitive and fast paced market place. This new understanding or paradigm shift brought to an end the era of coercive, machine-like workplaces where employees were considered to be just another input in the production of goods and services. Hence the reason, there has been substantial research that has been done and is still being carried in the area of employee motivation and there is a general consensus that that employee motivation and company performance are positively related. The concept of motivation has been variably described by many authors, but for the purpose of this analysis, Higgins (1994) definition will be borrowed. He describes motivation as the inner force that drives individuals to accomplish personal and organizational goals. The global economic downturn has had damning effects on companies which have left many employees disengaged and demotivated and yet according to Smith (1994), companies need motivated employees for survival because motivated employees help organizations to survive even in the most turbulent of times. There has therefore never been a time when companies needed motivated employees more than this time. The purpose of this paper therefore is to analyze two main theories of motivation namely: Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory and Herzberg  two-factor theory and how they can be applied by companies to boost workers’ satisfaction and therefore, organizational effectiveness. 2 DEFINITION OF TERMS 1. Organizational Effectiveness: There is no true consensus about the definition of this ubiquitous term. Wikipedia defines it as ‘the concept of how effective an organization is in achieving the outcomes the organization intends to produce’. 2. Employee Engagement: Is the ‘extent to which employees feel passionate about their jobs, are committed to the organization, and put discretionary effort in their work. Passion, commitment, and most importantly, discretionary effort. Engaged employees are motivated to do more than the bare minimum needed in order to keep their jobs’, Custom Insight (2011) 3. Disengagement: has two levels a) Disengaged employees: Disengaged employees don’t have an emotional commitment to their work or their place of employment, according to Entec Corporation, which has conducted employee surveys since 1966. Entec emphasizes that disengaged employees aren’t necessarily bad employees, but they just do what’s necessary to get their jobs done. They typically don’t take part in offering suggestions for improving the workplace. Entec indicates that disengaged employees usually don’t stay at work late if it’s not required, and they don’t give their jobs much thought after they finish a workday. b) Actively disengaged employees: These are the workers who undermine their jobs and employers. Actively disengaged employees can sink employee morale and performance. In such cases, employers should try to determine what’s behind active disengagement to prevent it from getting out of control. 4. Employee satisfaction: Is the extent to which employees are happy or content with their jobs and work environment. 3 MOTIVATION THEORIES: 1. MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS THEORY: In 1943, psychologist Abraham Maslow theorized that people have five basic needs and he further came up with a pyramid that prioritized these needs. His needs-based framework went on to become a model for both personal empowerment and workplace management, and embraces the concept that basic needs must first be satisfied before higher, unselfish goals can be pursued and achieved. Several companies have implemented the ideas of this theory with differing success levels. The theory is delved into below and examples are used to substantiate the analysis. Physiological Needs Maslow identified the core physiological needs to sustain human life as air, water, food and sleep. To perform their jobs, workers require healthy air to breathe, water to keep their systems hydrated, sustenance to fuel their bodies and adequate time to rest and recuperate between shifts, including regularly scheduled breaks. As described in his own book, â€Å"Maslow on Management (1963),† Maslow cites that when deficiencies exist in these four basic requirements for survival, people become incapable of developing any ambition, much less acting on it and achieving their full potential. In regard to a work place, this could mean furnishing a pleasant and comfortable environment for staff to work in. A company that has embraced this idea is MTN Swaziland. Their new state of the art building was not just constructed for aesthetics, but the construction was also a strategic goal with regards to their Employee Value Proposition. The building has ample work space, beautifully furnished staff canteen, gymnasium for the staff, day care center for staff children, golf course and a club house. A survey that was conducted after the relocation to these new premises showed that staff were now happier and were willing to work extra hours as it had become more comfortable for them to do so. 4 According to Dan Romaniak, the communications Manager from Hewlett-Packard’s (HP) Geographic Operations, HP attempts to retain its employees and keep them motivated by offering not only competitive salaries and benefits, but  also perks like flexible time off from work are specific examples of physiological, social and ego needs. They also provide company cars or memberships privileges at country clubs. He further mentioned that HP is also using benefits such as non-cash bonuses or additional paid time off if company goals are met. Others like managers taking employees out to lunch to reward good work or allowing them to use reserve parking spaces for performances above and beyond the norm. By offering attractive benefits and satisfying employee needs, the employers will reap the positive benefit of motivated employees a Safety Needs A safe and secure working environment reduces the threat of physical injury. When workers believe that the level of risk has been minimized and that good health and safety practices are judiciously enforced and monitored by management, they feel more comfortable and are less distracted from performing their tasks and interacting with others. Conscientious safety practices reduce absenteeism as well, which can impact productivity and morale. Security also extends to emotional well being in the workplace. An employer that provides medical benefits contributes to retirement plans and is financially solvent makes workers feel more secure about their jobs and the future. Conley (2010) writes that companies that demonstrate they care for the welfare of their workers create an atmosphere of trust which, in turn, encourages loyalty and decreases st ress. Coca cola is a typical example of a company that has harnessed the power of this theory because they understand that their success depends upon ensuring the safety of their workers. So they integrated the Coca-cola Safety Management System as part of their day to day management. This system incorporates occupational safety, quality, environment and loss prevention into a single framework. It also defines rigorous operational controls. With this in place, the company has employees that are able to work without worrying 5 about safety, thereby focusing all their energy into production. This could explain why coca-cola has remained the world’s number one brand even throughout the economic down turn.nto a single framework. Social Needs Man is a social animal and, accordingly, seeks out companionship, acceptance and  inclusion. Maslow identifies social needs as friendships, peer support and the ability to give and receive love. Podmoroff (2009) observes that the workplace offers an opportunity to be part of a team in which members share their respective knowledge, skills and unique experiences to solve problems in which they have a vested interest. Competitions, focus groups, mentoring, brainstorming sessions, after-work get-togethers and even office potlucks can make employees feel as if they are â€Å"family.† A small company that is nestled at Ezulwini is cognizant of this fact. Bethel Court Hotel has formalized daily devotion which is a crucial element to the staff. There is a special hall that is designated for such purposes. This hall is well taken care of and is well furnished. This crucial component unites the staff and makes them feel like family. Hence the reason, they are always motivated to go the extra mile with regard to their work. Esteem Needs In concert with social needs is the desire to be recognized for personal accomplishments. Maslow divides this portion of his theory into external and internal motivators. External motivators are prizes and awards bestowed for outstanding performance, elevation in status such as a coveted promotion and newfound attention and admiration from others. Internal motivators are the private goals that workers set for themselves such as beating a prior month’s sales figures and the satisfaction of experiencing self-respect for having done the right thing. Silverstein (2008), notes that fairness and consistency in the recognition process are critical. When employees know that their efforts aren’t going unnoticed by management, they take more pride in their work product. In addition, their coworkers see 6  the correlation between responsibility and reward and may endeavor to set the performance bar higher for themselves. Once again, MTN Group of companies makes a good example of how meeting esteem needs through reward and recognition can motivate staff. Their annual bonuses are not shared equally amongst staff, each staff member is rewarded a bonus in accordance with the performance appraisal score. The higher the score, the higher the bonus. Furthermore, individual annual increases are also determined by the performance of individual employees. The effect that  this has is that; throughout the year, the employees work with a mind to deliver set targets because they are aware that delivering or mot delivering has an implication on their pockets. So there is always a drive and motivation to go beyond set goals. Self-Actualization Once the quartet of physiological, safety, social and self-esteem needs are met, Maslow believed that individuals are capable of achieving their true potential and embodying truth, meaning, wisdom and justice in their words and actions. Self-actualization moves them to a higher plateau of understanding as well as a greater empathy for the needs of others. Those who achieve this ultimate state and Maslow himself speculated that it was only 2 percent of the population enjoy a greater autonomy, have a deeper sense of humility and respect for others and a better sense of distinguishing between real and fake. Maslow also tied this to the belief that the journey in whatever form it takes can be more rewarding than the actual destination. Managers can apply this to a practice of appreciating the worth of each of the individuals â€Å"traveling† with them rather than focusing so intently on the end-game that they lose all sight of human emotions. 7 2. HERZBERG’S TWO FACTOR THEORY Herzberg’s work categorized motivation into two factors as described below: a) Hygiene or extrinsic factors: these are based on the need for business to avoid unpleasantness at work. According to Riley (2012) if these are the factors are considered as inadequate by employees, then they cause dissatisfaction at work, riley further makes examples of what hygiene factors are: Company policy and administration Quality of supervision Quality of interpersonal relations Working conditions Feelings of Job security b) Motivator or intrinsic factors: are based on the individual’s need for personal growth. When they exist, motivator factors actively create job satisfaction. Riley (2012) says that if these are effective then they can motivate an individual to achieve above average performance and effort. Motivator factors include: Status Opportunity for advancement Gaining recognition Responsibility Challenging/ stimulating work Sense of personal  achievement and personal growth in a job. Apple is a major user of motivator factors. There is an outstanding creational culture within the organization which Steve Jobs as always argued that it is the main gravitational force that puts all the right and creative people together and motivates them to achieve above expectation. Although Steve Jobs was the centric force of innovation at Apple, employees were still allowed to directly contribute to their jobs by being given responsibility which they are accountable for. This job enrichment is challenging and stimulating staff not to let down their employer, but to always deliver beyond target. This practice also creates a sense of personal achievement 8 Job enlargement, rotation enrichment Another example is from HP; they create an excellent company policies and conditions of work and offer bonus incentives as increasing the hygiene factors for motivation. As a motivator, HP has implemented HP’s Educational Assistance Policy (EAP) which is very helpful for workers who want to go back to school. HP EAP policy states that â€Å"our changing business needs demands a dynamic, flexible workforce in order to maintain our competitive advantage and remain a leader in our industry. In accordance with PH’s employee development philosophy including our commitment to lifelong learning and career selfreliance, the company may provide employees with financial assistance for education relevant to meeting our business needs, Approval of financial assistance will be based on recommendation from the employee’s management and guidance from Human Resources† (HP 2003). The HP EAP can be looked at as a hygiene factor where employment security is tied to competitive realities as well as individual results and performance. Employees are responsible for ensuring that they possess the competencies required in HP’s dynamic environment which will definitely provide the grounds for employee striving to get the into the EAP and therefore getting motivated by higher qualification in the long run. Furthermore, for job posting, HP employees will receive consideration for open posting provided  the competencies the employee possesses are competitive with external talent. Additionally, employees whose jobs have been eliminated or who working where excess capacity exist should have preference in filling open positions provided there is a current and future business need for the competencies the employee possesses and the those competences are competitive. 9 Conclusion Companies cited in this paper are successfully motivating their working through application of the two content theories (Hierarchy of Needs and Two-Factor theories). It is important to note, however, that there is no single content theories which can successfully stand alone as a sole motivator. Each theory has its drawbacks – each one is deficient in one or more ways. Each of the two content theories described above fails to account for individual differences, to link motivation and needs to both satisfaction and performance, or to consider cultural and professional differences† (Schermerhorn et al., 2002, p. 159). Using only one motivational technique is a poor solution; employee needs would remain unfulfilled and, therefore, create low-performing employees. In an effort to promote the ideal model of employee motivation, MTN, Coca-Cola, Bethel Court Hotel, Apple and Hewlett-Packard are efficiently utilizing a combination of motivational strategies in order to consistently and effectively motivate their employees to perform at peak standards for the company. Motivation drives existing talents and develops new areas of interest and expertise.

I’M Not Scared Questions Essay

1. Read Niccolo Ammaniti’s epigraph by Jack London. Why has Ammaniti chosen to begin his novel with his novel with this quote? How does it illuminate what happens in the story? What is the literal and symbolic meaning in the novel about â€Å"falling into darkness†? Niccolo Ammaniti had chosen to start his novel with an epigraph by Jack London, this foreshadows that we’re going to read about a journey of discovering real evil and the loss of innocence. â€Å"He had fallen into darkness† the literal meaning of this part is Michele had fallen into a hole which is dark . The symbolic meaning is, he had stumbled into evil. 2. The novel opens with the scene in which Michele must choose between winning a race and helping his sister Maria. what conflicts and choices does this moment foreshadow? What is revealed about Michele’s character? The novel opens with the scene in which Michele contemplates between winning a race or helping his sister Maria. Michele choices to help his sister, this moment foreshadows the choices Michele must face. When Michele is confronted with Barbara pulling down her pants as a forfeit. Only Michele stands up for Barbara and tells Skull its not right. â€Å"Wait! I came last: I heard my voice saying†. This reveals to the reader that Michele is brave, compassionate and has self-respect. Michele is also very caring and protective of his sister † I didn’t like my sister being there†. 3. How does Ammaniti create and capture the atmosphere of childhood in his novel? What aspects of Michele’s way of seeing himself and the world indictate that he is a child? Ammaniti shows childhood through the eyes of Michele this is evident with the children’s gang’s mischievous and forfeits; this shows their concern and their innocence’s â€Å"Maria, you’ve made me lose the race!† the naive theories of the boy in the hole â€Å"Maybe the boy in the hole was my brother†¦. my sister and me†. Also the belief of ‘Monsters’ ‘Ogres’ and ‘Witches’ show us he is a young innocence child. 4. The novel is written twenty-one years later as Michele reflects back on the events of the summer of 1978. how can we tell this is true? What assumptions can be made in regards to how Michele’s life changes after that summer? The novel is written 21 years later we can tell this true when Michele says â€Å"Even after twenty-two years â€Å". Another indication that this is true is when he digresses about going to the snow.†About ten years later I happened to go skiing on the Gran Sasso†. This digression also suggest that he had left Acqua-Teverse, is better off, other assumptions that can be made are: The parents of the kidnapping would be sent to jail, The children of Acqua-Teverse would be traumatised. 5. Why does Michele identify with Filippo so strongly? Michele’s ability to empathise with Filippo was so strong because they both share the same pain of losing their innocence; Michele finding out his father is the real evil and Filippo been treated inhumanely and kidnapped. Their both young nine year old boys who share the same interests. 6. At one point Michele’s father tells him to â€Å"Stop all this talk about monsters†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Monsters don’t exist. Its men you should be afraid of, not monsters†.(page49) In what ways does the novel itself prove the statement to be true? This statement is ironic coming from Pino Michele’s father â€Å"It’s men you should be afraid of† is wise advice to Michele but he learns its the hard way. Its his father who is the ‘Monster’ that kidnapped Filippo and was prepared to murder Filippo. 7. In the games they play and their behaviour towards one another, how do Michele and his group of friends , compare to the adults in the novel? In what way does Michele possess an integrity that the adults and even the other children lack? The actions and behaviours of the children’s gang is minored more seriously by the adult gang in many ways like the children’s gang: do forfeits to decide the fate compared to the adults gang the solider’s draw to deal with Filippo. The bulling and torment is instigated by Skull this is also minored by the adults with Sergio bulling the rest of the adults. The children impaled a chicken and the adults treated Filippo inhumanely. Michele was the only person to help Barbara when she was tormented by Skull, he was the only one to care about Filippo even when Salvatore was told about him, his reaction was cold and wasn’t compassionate at all about the situation. They treated Filippo inhumanely and Michele was the only one that possess integrity and a kind heart. 8. What motivates the kidnappers? (Sergio, Felice & Pino) How do they betray their own children’s innocence? The motivation of the kidnap by the instigatored by Pino, Sergio and Felice. The reason for Pino is poverty: seeing the north while working as a truck driver this is evident when he bring a gondolas that represents his desire to live a fulfilled and materialistic life for himself and his family â€Å"Let’s go to the north†. He didn’t protect Michele’s and Maria’s innocence he held a child hostage and lost his child’s admiration. Sergio was involved in the kidnapping to fulfil his urge to go to Brazil â€Å"Had emigrated to South America†. Pino betrayed Michele by letting a criminal to slept next to Michele and didn’t protect him from danger. Felice was motivated by boredom he was a young man stuck in a isolation village woman less. He was cruel to Michele’s friend Filippo. 9. When Michele is running in the night to try to find Filippo, he fights off his fear by asking himself what Tiger Jack, a fictional hero, would do (page 196) What is so sad about this self talk? We’re introduced to a young boy Michele who admires his father like a hero . He loved his father, his father was his role model but when he discovers his evil side. Instead of been of his aspiration, the fictional hero Tiger Jack takes over and find him courage. This is so sad because it should have been his father and this shows the relationship is lost. 10. Why does Michele break his oath to his father and visit Filippo?(page 178) What is the â€Å"irresistible† force dragging him towards the hill? Micheles relationship with Filippo seems stronger then the relationship with his father. He should have kept his oath to his father, instead he kept the promise to Filippo this is evidence of that Michele isn’t as naive as he was . Michele was extracted an oath that Michele doesn’t keep. His conscience overrides and the hill is the irresistable force that pulls him to Filippo he saves himself and Filippo. 11. â€Å"I’m Not Scared† ends suddenly and dramatically: often such a climatic moment is followed by an extract in which the story’s loose ends are tied. why had Ammaniti chosen to end the novel this way? Niccolo Ammaniti has chosen to finish the novel at the climatic moment of the story because the reader can imagine the aftermath we have enough information to assump Michele didn’t died and Filippo is saved. When the novel is ended this way its evidence of reflection. In our minds we can fulfil our expectations. 12. Ammaniti’s novel can be described as a â€Å"coming of age story†. At what point does Michele grow up? What â€Å"hardness† about the adult world does he learn? â€Å"I’m Not Scared† is described as a â€Å"coming of age story† Michele loses his innocence and loses his childish ways when he discovers Filippo the boy in the hole he had experienced the truth behind the real world the isolation hadn’t protected him, his parents hadn’t protected him they betrayed him. This experience accelerated his maturity level, he learnt the real evil and ‘Monsters’ ‘Ogres’ ‘Witches’ didn’t exist they weren’t what he should have been afraid of it should been his father that’s what was so hard for Michele to swallow

Dreaming Example

Dreaming Example Dreaming – Article Example Personal Impression about Dreams The psychology of dreams remains a complex phenomenon, as many explanations and debate exist in an attempt to explain the causes, process, meaning and interpretation of dreams. At one point, I have been involved in one or two dreams during my sleep, some of which have been disturbing, fascinating, scaring or confusing. As much as I have tried to interpret and find meaning to my dreams, one challenge always confronts me and this is the fact that I always forget the form and content of my dream upon waking up. Despite the difficulties associated with understanding and interpretation of dreams, many psychologists have performed several studies to determine the reasons why people dream and to determine the meaning of such dreams through dream analysis. In his book, Hobson (1) attempts to answer the obvious questions regarding the causes of dreams, the reasons why dreams appear so strange and why we tend to forget most of our dreams upon waking up. He obse rves that most of the historical studies and interpretations about dreams had focused on the content rather than their inherent forms. Based on the formal analysis, he defines dreaming as a mental activity that occurs while an individual is asleep. He holds the opinion that brain activation during the sleep reflects our concerns regarding our previous experiences and uncertainties in future (9). In attempting to explain why we tend to forget most of our dreams upon waking up, Hobson argues that our cognition changes due to release of chemicals in the brain and selecting deactivation of the brain during sleep and upon waking up (10).According to Hobson(15) psychoanalysis of dream content as proposed by psychologists such as Freud was biased and failed to because it was subjective in nature. This kind of analysis could not provide a clear interpretation of dreams because it involved an exploration of dream on the assumption of disguised symbolism, censorship and metaphors. An objectiv e view to explain the working of dreams according to Hobson is to explore the activation of the brain in sleep (32). This analysis would enable us to derive associations, make connections with our past and be able to predict our future. Work CitedHobson, J. Allan. Dreaming: A Very Short Introduction. New York: Oxford University Press, ` 2002. Print.

Braving the Middle School Book Talk

Braving the Middle School Book Talk When we writers began our quest in the literary world, we held several fantasies.â€Å"My book will sell more than Harry Potter†, â€Å"Johnny Depp will call and beg me to let him produce my book into a movie†, â€Å"Stephen King and I will be on a first name basis† (come on, I can’t be the ONLY one thinking of this!). But then we write, and lo and behold, that status doesn’t come, the fame and money dont come but other things come. Maybe you receive local recognition, an invite to do a book talk at a local book club, or school, or library. After a local newspaper mentioend my locally-published middle grade book, I was approached This is my fourth year of doing book talks to middle grade students, and I have come across some interesting tidbits I thought might help my fellow literary artists out there. Public speaking is a common fear. I used to be the lead singer in a band, and I had to talk, and I was scared to death of it. That was years ago. Of course since then stage fright has multiplied – and then to think, â€Å"You have to talk to kids! They have the attention span of†¦ a gnat!† Well that’s what teachers kept telling me anyway, but†¦ I approached my very first book talk in pretty much the same way I approach my writing. â€Å"Don’t think about it, keep a short outline in your head, step up, do it ignore the outline.† Truly, some people are better off at winging it, but for those of you who aren’t, here’s some advice from someone who has had to stand in front of ‘tweens’ for three years running. 1. Don’t be afraid. These are kids, they don’t work for the I.R.S. 2. You are their entertainment. You being there means they don’t have to do class work. They want you there! 3. Exude the joy of writing to them. They need to see it, feel it, hear it in your presentation or you’re just another grown up, talking. 4. Be prepared. Have samples, teasers, book marks. They love taking that stuff. True it may never make it home, but some of it will. 5. Plan entertaining answers for common question like: a. Are you rich and/or famous? My challenge to this is to let them know that though we can eventually gain a mass of riches, we write for the love of writing. One question I always ask is â€Å"How many of you here like to write?† and it never fails, I get one or two hands go up in a classroom, and they aren’t excited to let their friends know this. So my response is â€Å"That’s great. How many love to read?† More hands go up. â€Å"Well there ya go, you can’t read unless someone is writing, so you couple of writers will be fueling their reading hunger, get started.† b. â€Å"Miss Jones says that when we write, we have to do re-writes. How many times do you have to re-write the same story?† Answer? â€Å"Do you have a favorite song? Do you know it c. â€Å"I can never get ideas, all my ideas come from books I already know.† Answer:   â€Å"Ideas are all around you, just look for them. Writing to me is like a puzzle. It comes in pieces then as you write it puts itself together.† An example I give in every class is this one : â€Å"You know when you go to the grocery store with your mom and the cashier has a name tag ‘My name is Brian, ask me about my dog’. What about Brian’s dog? Well Fluffy died two weeks ago, but Brian has it in his freezer because he loves that dog and just can’t let go – and yes that’s dead dog hair on your Lucky Charms.† It always gets a laugh. Ideas are everywhere, a good exercise is to ask someone what they did over the weekend, and expand from there – and even make it a quick game. â€Å"We went to the zoo.† â€Å"Ahh, ok, so suppose you were at the zoo, and as you walked Basically, the audience wants you to sway them. They need to see the fire to write in you, and you will inspire. I love to share the fact that when I was in middle school I spent almost all of my time drawing comic books – or graphic novels as they like to call them these days – and that I credit my high school English teacher in lighting the fire in me to write. She pulled me aside one day and said â€Å"Why don’t you try writing a short story, I think you could do it.† I did. She liked it, and the rest is history. If you are an author of YA or Middle Grade books, contact the media specialist or lead teacher at your local schools and ask for a chance to speak with the kids. A good time for this is either during the month of November which is NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), or during your local schools National Literacy Week. Either way you can wow them with your literary artistic skill and craft. Make us proud.

The Different Types of Money in an Economy

The Different Types of Money in an Economy While it is true that all money in an economy serves three functions, not all money is created equal. Commodity Money Commodity money is money that would have value even if it were not being used as money. (This is usually referred to as having intrinsic value.) Many people cite gold as an example of commodity money since they assert that gold has intrinsic value aside from its monetary properties. While this is true to some degree; gold does, in fact, have a number of uses, its worth noting that the most often-cited uses of gold are for making money and jewelry rather than for making non-ornamental items. Commodity-Backed Money Commodity-backed money is a slight variation on commodity money. While commodity money uses the commodity itself as currency directly, commodity-backed money is money that can be exchanged on demand for a specific commodity. The gold standard is a good example of the use of commodity-backed money- under the gold standard, people were not literally carrying around gold as cash and trading gold directly for goods and services, but the system worked such that currency holders could trade in their currency for a specified amount of gold. Fiat Money Fiat money is money that has no intrinsic value but that has value as money because a government decreed that it has value for that purpose. While somewhat counterintuitive, a monetary system using fiat money is certainly feasible and is, in fact, used by most countries today. Fiat money is possible because the three functions of money a medium of exchange, a unit of account, and a store of value are fulfilled as long as all people in a society acknowledge that the fiat money is a valid form of currency. Commodity-Backed Money vs. Fiat Money Much political discussion centers around the issue of commodity (or, more precisely, commodity-backed) money versus fiat money, but, in reality, the distinction between the two isnt quite as large as people seem to think, for two reasons. First, one objection to fiat money is the lack of intrinsic value, and opponents of fiat money often claim that a system using fiat money is inherently fragile because fiat money doesnt have a non-money value. While this is a valid concern, one must then wonder how a monetary system backed by gold is significantly different. Given that only a small fraction of the worlds gold supply is used for non-ornamental properties, isnt it the case that gold has value mostly because people believe it has value, much like fiat money? Second, opponents of fiat money claim that the ability for a government to print money without having to back it up with a specific commodity is potentially dangerous. This is also a valid concern to some degree, but one that is not entirely prevented by a commodity-backed money system, since its certainly possible for the government to harvest more of the commodity in order to generate more money or to revalue the currency by changing its trade-in value.

King Report on Corporate Governance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

King Report on Corporate Governance - Essay Example This also calls for a more transparent disclosure by business entities of their established governance practices in their annual reports. Such reporting requirements are not limited only to public companies but even the privates companies are also expected to follow recognized governance policies and report thereon. Several initiatives have been taken to integrate and organize different principles of corporate governance and arrive at a set of definite guidelines. These initiatives were undertaken by various orgnisations and committees including the United Nations Conference of Trade and Development. Some of the other organisations and committees whose reports are used to form the guide lines are: Out of the above reports this paper envisages making a critical review of the King Report 2002 and also makes a comparative analysis of the Kings Report with the The OECD principles on Corporate Governance - 1999. This is the central theme on which the King (II) Report is evolved. The King (II) Report published in the year 2002 was prepared by 'task teams' consisted of representatives from institutional and private investors, civil society regulators, and government officials. This way the report aimed to bring in the view points of all kinds of stakeholders in to the report. "The King II Committee itself was composed of 'leading proponents' of corporate governance as well as 'representatives of significant professional, private and public sector institutions'. Local and international consultation was 'extensive', with the Institute of Directors in Southern Africa providing a 'facilitative role' and secretarial support" (Armstrong et al2005). King (II) contains CODE OF Corporate Practices and Conduct ('the code') and the report's recommendations are applicable to all companies listed in Johannesburg Stock Exchange and several other public and private organizations including certain government organisations. King II Report contains recommendations relating the following six areas of corporate governance: The role and responsibilities of the Board and Directors: The report recommends guidelines for fixing the accountability of the board of directors by redefining the responsibilities of the directors towards all the internal and external stakeholders including the shareholders The aspect of Risk Management: In order to achieve the organisational goal of wealth creation and also to sustain the growth of the company it is important for the board to follow recognized principles of risk management. The function of internal audit: The report identifies the critical role of an internal