Most Writers of Fiction Do Not Earn Enough Money to Live from Their Writing Essay Example for Free

Most Writers of Fiction Do Not Earn Enough Money to Live from Their Writing Essay Here are some conditions under which a novelist could reasonably expect some government suport. In general terms, if the writer has already proved that he or she can write well, and if the stories produced are stimulating and interesting, then I consider that some financial help might be given. Language quality is difficult to define, but if the writing shows, for example, good grammar, a wide vocabulary, and elegance and imagination, then I can see a valid reason for assisting an author to spend some time free from money problems. Such a writing needs to be encouraged. the entertainment value of a book would be also a factor in deciding whether to provide assistance to an author. Further consideration would include social and educational values expressed in the authors work. However, if the ideas were socially irresponsible, or if the stories contain unnecessary violence or pornography for its own sake, then I would not want to see the author sponsored to write stories which do not benefit society. Other exceptions are the many writers of good books who do not require financial help. Books which proved to be extremely popular, such as the Harry Potter stories, clearly need no subsidy at all because the authors have become rich through their writing. Views on what good quality writing means will vary widely, and so if any author is to be given money for writing, then the decision would have to be made by a committee or panel of judge. An individual opinion would certainly cause disagreement among the reading public.

Jack Merridews Decline in Lord of the Flies Essay -- essays research

Civilization is the force that keeps us all in line. We are taught from an early age that if we break a rule, we are punished. Why? Because that’s how society works. What would happen, though, if we took away society, civilization, and punishment. Would we keep up the rules that had been etched into us since birth and keep living in a civilized manner? In Lord of the Flies, Golding explores this scenario. In his opinion, a person would abandon all ideas of society and revert into a savage, relying on primal instincts to survive. The main character that goes through this is Jack. Throughout the book, Jack goes from being a civilized choir boy to a savage tyrant. In the beginning of the book a plane crashes onto an island and the only survivors are a group of boys in a school choir. Enter Jack: the leader of a small group of choir boys. They call a meeting and decide how things will be run and decide on the rules. Jack seems for them, saying â€Å"We’ll have rules!...Lots of rules and then when anyone breaks ‘em-â€Å"(33). They then vote on a leader. The candidates are Jack and Ralph, and Ralph won. Although he isn’t happy about it, Jack accepts his loss, and decides to try his hand at exploring. While exploring with Ralph and Simon, Jack comes across a wild pig. He draws his knife in order to kill it but finds that he can’t. Something deep inside him says that it’s wrong to kill, â€Å"They knew very well why he hadn’t: because of the enormity of the knife descending and cutting into living flesh, because of the unbearable blood†. In his moment of hesitation the pig runs off, and he puts aw ay the knife. Civilization won this time. Even though his choir group is supposed to be watching the fire and making sure it’s lit, Jack takes ... ... of calls to communicate. He has complete power over the tribe, bending them to his will. He’s become a dictator, savage and brutal. Rules no longer apply to Jack because he’s forgotten the society he comes from. All he cares about now is killing Ralph to take revenge. In his mind, killing is a totally acceptable thing to do. Jack has lost all reason. His plan to kill Jack fails though, when an unexpected rescuer shows up. It is unknown if Jack ever regains his civilized self. It seems unlikely though, given how he is at this point. Civilization is the thing that keeps us in line. We have a system of checks and balances to make sure everyone behaves. If someone does something we believe to be morally wrong the person is punished. Take away civilization and society will go to ruin. People will revert back to their primal selves. Going on instinct and not intellect. Jack Merridew's Decline in Lord of the Flies Essay -- essays research Civilization is the force that keeps us all in line. We are taught from an early age that if we break a rule, we are punished. Why? Because that’s how society works. What would happen, though, if we took away society, civilization, and punishment. Would we keep up the rules that had been etched into us since birth and keep living in a civilized manner? In Lord of the Flies, Golding explores this scenario. In his opinion, a person would abandon all ideas of society and revert into a savage, relying on primal instincts to survive. The main character that goes through this is Jack. Throughout the book, Jack goes from being a civilized choir boy to a savage tyrant. In the beginning of the book a plane crashes onto an island and the only survivors are a group of boys in a school choir. Enter Jack: the leader of a small group of choir boys. They call a meeting and decide how things will be run and decide on the rules. Jack seems for them, saying â€Å"We’ll have rules!...Lots of rules and then when anyone breaks ‘em-â€Å"(33). They then vote on a leader. The candidates are Jack and Ralph, and Ralph won. Although he isn’t happy about it, Jack accepts his loss, and decides to try his hand at exploring. While exploring with Ralph and Simon, Jack comes across a wild pig. He draws his knife in order to kill it but finds that he can’t. Something deep inside him says that it’s wrong to kill, â€Å"They knew very well why he hadn’t: because of the enormity of the knife descending and cutting into living flesh, because of the unbearable blood†. In his moment of hesitation the pig runs off, and he puts aw ay the knife. Civilization won this time. Even though his choir group is supposed to be watching the fire and making sure it’s lit, Jack takes ... ... of calls to communicate. He has complete power over the tribe, bending them to his will. He’s become a dictator, savage and brutal. Rules no longer apply to Jack because he’s forgotten the society he comes from. All he cares about now is killing Ralph to take revenge. In his mind, killing is a totally acceptable thing to do. Jack has lost all reason. His plan to kill Jack fails though, when an unexpected rescuer shows up. It is unknown if Jack ever regains his civilized self. It seems unlikely though, given how he is at this point. Civilization is the thing that keeps us in line. We have a system of checks and balances to make sure everyone behaves. If someone does something we believe to be morally wrong the person is punished. Take away civilization and society will go to ruin. People will revert back to their primal selves. Going on instinct and not intellect.

Job Rotation

Job rotation is the surest way of keeping the employee away from complacency and boredom of routine. It is difficult for an employee to sustain his interest in a given Job for any substantial length of time as humans have the tendency of outgrowing their jobs through the learning and experience that they gain over a period of time. Stimulating human mind through diversity of challenges is a sure way to bring to forefront its creative instincts and in taking the individual and organizational performance to a higher plane.This is where Job rotation can prove to be a handy tool. Job rotation involves the movement of employees through a range of jobs in order to increase interest and motivation. It can also be described as an approach to Management Development where an individual is moved through a schedule of assignments designed to give him/her a breadth of exposure to the entire operation. Job rotation can improve â€Å"multi-skilling† but also involves the need for greater tra ining. In a sense, Job rotation is similar to Job enlargement.This approach widens the activities of a worker by switching him or her around a range of work. For example, an administrative employee might spend part of the week looking after the reception area of a business, dealing with customers and enquiries. Some time might then be spent manning the company telephone switchboard and then inputting data onto a database. Job rotation may offer the advantage of making it easier to cover for absent colleagues, but it may also reduce' productivity as workers are initially unfamiliar with a new task.Job rotation is also practiced to allow qualified employees to gain more insights into the processes of a company, and to reduce boredom and increase job satisfaction through job variation. POTENTIAL OF JOB ROTATION A well planned Job rotation programme in an organization has immense potential of positive impact on job satisfaction/motivation, engagement and finally on retention of employee s. Few of the outcomes of job rotation with respect to the individual are: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢Job enrichment Overall development Intrinsic motivation to perform caused by newer challenges Career development BENEFITS OF JOB ROTATION For an organization, the benefits could include some or all of the following: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Leadership development Aligning competencies with organizational requirements Lower attrition rates Performance improvement driven by unique view points of new people THE PRACTICE OF JOB ROTATION Today, in the industry, Job rotation is viewed â€Å"as just another transfer† rather than as an important tool for implementing HR strategy of the company.Job rotation has become a ritual at best, without any focus on the outcomes that can be achieved through a little planning and implementation effort. Today, Job rotation is a means of punishing poor performers, settling scores arising from organizational politics, or going through pe rcentage rotation scheme, where a certain percentage of employees in a certain area are shifted to pre-designated areas every year. REALIZING THE POTENTIAL OF JOB ROTATION In order to realize the true potential of Job rotation, there must be a planned system in place with the policy taking into account, †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢Organizational interest – employee commitment, attrition rates, specific business issues etc. Eligibility of the employees – qualification, prior experience, aptitude, attitude etc. Nature – mandatory or voluntary Duration Basis of selection etc. In the absence of aspects brought out above, there is every possibility that the seriousness with which Job rotation scheme is implemented in the company may get diluted and become a cause of sagging employee motivation.JOB ROTATIONS AT DIFFERENT LEVELS OF MANAGEMENT At the senior management levels, job rotation – frequently referred to as Management rotation, is tightly link ed with Succession Planning – developing a pool of people capable of stepping into an existing job. Here the goal is to provide learning experiences which facilitate changes in thinking and perspective equivalent to the â€Å"horizon† of the level of the succession planning. For job rotations at this level, it is absolutely necessary that the business problems in various areas are identified. This calls for the active involvement of top management to select most suitable people to be shifted rom their current jobs to tackle the challenges at hand by considering individual attributes already described above. This will not only provide an insight for the future leaders in various aspects of the business but also will enhance their confidence levels as they solve these critical problems for the organization. In many cases, senior managers seem unwilling to risk instability in their units by moving qualified people from jobs where the lower level manager is being successfu l and reflecting positively on the actions of the senior manager.It is however important to note that Job rotation at this level is less frequent as workers who fall under this category are already at the strategic stages and peak of their career. Job rotation at junior and middle level executives may be pivoted around their strengths and attributes and the future roles expected of them. Focus must be on exposure in all related areas of his domain of expertise, so that as they grow to higher rungs of the management, they have an overall experience of their domain.For this level, job rotation has normally one of two purposes: Promotability or Skill Enhancement although at Middle Management, Succession planning also becomes one of the purposes of job rotation. Job rotations for workers must include aspects related to work environment, also along with other individual attributes already explained, so that it adds to his satisfaction derived from balanced distribution of work load, work ing conditions and learning opportunities.Done this way job rotation gets aligned with career development, leadership development and employee satisfaction which would finally result in higher levels of intrinsic motivation among the employees and hence may contribute in retaining talent. WHY IS JOB ROTATION IMPORTANT? Job Rotation is seen as a possible solution to two significant challenges faced by business: (1) Skills shortages [when there is a lack of skilled individuals in the workforce] and Skills gaps [when there is a lack of skills in a company’s existing workforce which may still be found in the labour force as a whole]. (2) Employee motivation

Entertainment and Communication Essay

As an avenue of entertainment and communication, and as a research and reference tool, the internet has had a huge impact on the modern societies of developed nations. At the same time, there is concern that the disadvantages and negative influences may outweigh the benefits to the society. This essay argues that, in the last decade, the advantages of the internet far outweigh the disadvantages. This claim is addressed with the support of current authoritative sources which provide the framework for making such a claim. This essay first explores the effect of the internet on the social structures of family life, and religious and spiritual practice. Subsequently, this essay examines the repercussions of the internet on national cultural identity and multiculturalism. Firstly, in the last ten years, modern family life has been enhanced by developments in technology, and the internet is no exception. The advent of the internet affords parents the opportunity to use the World Wide Web to work from home, removing the need to place pre-school age children in day care centres in the care of strangers and so reinforcing the family unit (Jenkins 2010). However, the benefits of the internet not only have implications for immediate family; members of the extended family can overcome the barriers of time or distance to remain close through such channels as email or social networking sites, for example Facebook. Despite this, Fenech (2007) asserts that the internet has eroded some aspects of family life. Where previous generations may have forsaken dinner conversation in order to watch television together, the practical dimensions of a laptop screen now preclude this act of â€Å"togetherness† (p342). Nevertheless, any avenue that generally allows more opportunity for contact between members of an immediate or extended family has to be seen as advantageous. Moreover, the internet allows a sense of inclusion that goes beyond the family sphere. Secondly, due to the increasing accessibility of the internet in the last ten years, participating in a religion no longer necessarily depends on a person’s ability to attend a place of worship. The virtual ‘congregation’ may offer a person more opportunities of interaction with both the spiritual leader and other devotees by providing facilities such as blogs, chat rooms and video links. Moreover, this creates a sense of belonging to a religious or spiritual community where one may have not existed before, as more and more people commute, work longer hours and, indeed, are required to work on public holidays, which often coincide with religious festivals (Wong 2009). Though Goldstein (2008) ascertains that the flagrant consumerism promoted through such mass media outlets as the internet is responsible for a turn away from religious practices and a rapid decline in religious service attendance, her research focuses solely on, Christianity, Judaism and Islam and is not inclusive of growing sects such as Jews For Jesus and alternative religions such as The Baha’i Faith. Groups such as these use the internet to unite their followers globally (Wong 2009).What is more, the internet is uniting people on a more personal and intimate level. Thirdly, the internet offers the opportunity to maintain cultural ties with one’s country even when living abroad for work purposes. Expatriates can view electronic versions of newspapers, stream and download news, current affairs programmes and local dramas from their country of origin, so keeping in contact with the culture. It could be argued, as Azhad (2008) does, that this process could be facilitated just as easily by print media and DVD recordings being sent through the mail, as would have been the norm a decade ago. Nonetheless, it is the ‘live’ experience of being able to access news from home â€Å"as it happens† that reinforces a national’s ties to the home culture, and simulates a feeling of â€Å"being there† (Olsten 2008 p.6). This connectedness to home alleviates feelings an expatriate might have of dislocation or alienation from their countrymen, as ‘real time’ exposure to the home vernacular creates common reference points, making communication a much smoother process (Wong 2009). Equally, other facilities afforded by the internet, such as Skype, enable someone away from home to still have a presence in the home country as they participate in the celebration of cultural festivals and national holidays, thus reinforcing their commitment  to nationalism in the eyes of their compatriots and tightening the ties that bind. Alternatively, just as the internet serves to strengthen national identity, it can also provide a point of reference for those who live in a multicultural context. Finally, in a globalised world, the last ten years have seen the internet augment a multicultural society by creating a venue to air diverse cultural opinions and to construct diverse cultural identities. Mainstream newspapers, radio and current affairs programmes are representative of a perceived norm and do not reflect the complexity of a multicultural society. In turn, ethnocentric or non-mainstream media reach a narrowly targeted audience and serve to further ghettoize â€Å"the other† (Zadrow 2010 p.11). The internet thus provides the opportunity for any voice to be heard alongside and equally with all other voices in the country, community, or indeed, the world. In this way the internet equips the global citizen with a fluidity they can use to exist and interact both globally and locally, rather than being confined to a fixed and marginalised identity. Notwithstanding the fact that the internet is English based and broadly advocates a western lifestyle, this does not necessarily mean it must lead to a homogenized world. Citing the research of Kennard, Zadrow (2010) maintains that the internet acts as an interactive archive from which an individual can draw all the elements to both create and, more importantly, preserve cultural identity. In conclusion, this essay explored the effect of the internet on people’s lives in the last decade and found that the advantages of the internet far overshadow the disadvantages. It found the internet has had positive effects on family life, allowing the hands on parenting of pre-school children by those parents who are able to use the internet to work from home. In addition, it has reinforced the extended family by harnessing email and social networking sites as a means to stay in direct contact. Furthermore, blogs, chat rooms and video links have offered an alternative to attendance at religious services, which have suffered such rapid decline in recent times. Another positive effect of the internet is its ability to re-assert national identity, particularly for those living abroad, as they retain  remote access to the home culture by being able to download or stream current affairs or local drama. Finally, the internet enhances multiculturalism by offering an alternative to mainstream media representations of the norm to those who identify as ‘the other’. Arguments which support the negative impact of the internet on people’s lives in the 21st century focus on very narrow aspects and fail to acknowledge the broad range of benefits the internet has borne on contemporary society. References Azhad, S 2008, ‘Is digital dumbing us down?’, Journal of Australian Initiative, vol. 20, no.1, pp.5-7, viewed 30 October 2011, via JSTOR. Fenech, P 2007, Western culture: its psyche and the internet, Hobson Press, New York. Goldstein, R 2008, ‘The last person to leave heaven: a study of the impact of new millennium consumerism on traditional religious practices’, Journal of Critical and Cultural Research, vol.2, no.3, pp. 9-18, viewed 30 October 2011. http://www.prb.australasia.com/content/documents/JCCR%23.pdf Jenkins, M 2010, ‘Earn $$$ from your home: the domestic revolution in e-com industry’, Women’s Business Today, vol.8, no.2, pp.120-127, viewed 28 September, via Sage. Olsten, H 2008, ‘Broadsheets online good news for expats’, The Weekend Australian, viewed 2 September 2011, via Newsbank. Wong, Z 2009, ‘Why kneel when you can click!’ paper presented to the 7th International Conference on Digital Religion, Southern Cross University. Lismore, NSW, 28 to 31 July. Zadrow, K 2010, The well in the mirror: theories of subjectivity in the digital age, Elliott McGill Ltd, viewed 28 July 2011, via Ovid eBooks.

Free Essays on Mechanical Ventilator Weaning

The research article I found contained information about ventilator weaning outcomes in infants and children. The research design was quantitative, using a randomized controlled trial. The sample consisted of one hundred eighty-two spontaneously breathing children less than eighteen years old, who had been receiving ventilator support for more than 24 hours and who failed a test for extubation readiness on minimal pressure support. The research was conducted in the pediatric intensive care units of 10 children’s hospitals across North America from November 1999 through April 2001. The Purpose of this research was to evaluate whether weaning protocols are more effective than standard care with no defined protocol and whether a volume support weaning protocol using continuous automated adjustment of pressure support by the ventilator (VSV) is more effective than manual adjustment of pressure support by clinicians. The measurements used to verify extubation readiness included â€Å"checking for spontaneous respiratory effort, having a gag reflex or cough with suctioning, pH of 7.32 to 7.47 on most recent blood gas analysis, positive end expiratory pressure (PEEP) of 7 cm H2o or lower, and fraction of inspired oxygen (Floz) of 0.6 or less† (Randolph,et al,pg.3). The extubation readiness test (ERT) consisted of changing the F2 to 0.5 and decreasing PEEP to 5cm H20. With both setting adjustments, the spo2 had to stay above 95%. This was measured using a pulse oximetry reading. The patients unable to maintain spo2 of 95% or greater were removed from the test. Those who did maintain spo2 at 95%v or above had their ventilator mode changed to PSV and were placed on minimal PSV. Exhaled tidal volumes were measured at the ETT using a CO2SMO Plus monitor with sensors. (Novametrix Medical Systems, Inc.) I think the measurements that were used in the study are reliable and effective. It is appropriate to monitor spo2 levels and exhaled tidal volumes... Free Essays on Mechanical Ventilator Weaning Free Essays on Mechanical Ventilator Weaning The research article I found contained information about ventilator weaning outcomes in infants and children. The research design was quantitative, using a randomized controlled trial. The sample consisted of one hundred eighty-two spontaneously breathing children less than eighteen years old, who had been receiving ventilator support for more than 24 hours and who failed a test for extubation readiness on minimal pressure support. The research was conducted in the pediatric intensive care units of 10 children’s hospitals across North America from November 1999 through April 2001. The Purpose of this research was to evaluate whether weaning protocols are more effective than standard care with no defined protocol and whether a volume support weaning protocol using continuous automated adjustment of pressure support by the ventilator (VSV) is more effective than manual adjustment of pressure support by clinicians. The measurements used to verify extubation readiness included â€Å"checking for spontaneous respiratory effort, having a gag reflex or cough with suctioning, pH of 7.32 to 7.47 on most recent blood gas analysis, positive end expiratory pressure (PEEP) of 7 cm H2o or lower, and fraction of inspired oxygen (Floz) of 0.6 or less† (Randolph,et al,pg.3). The extubation readiness test (ERT) consisted of changing the F2 to 0.5 and decreasing PEEP to 5cm H20. With both setting adjustments, the spo2 had to stay above 95%. This was measured using a pulse oximetry reading. The patients unable to maintain spo2 of 95% or greater were removed from the test. Those who did maintain spo2 at 95%v or above had their ventilator mode changed to PSV and were placed on minimal PSV. Exhaled tidal volumes were measured at the ETT using a CO2SMO Plus monitor with sensors. (Novametrix Medical Systems, Inc.) I think the measurements that were used in the study are reliable and effective. It is appropriate to monitor spo2 levels and exhaled tidal volumes...

The Berlin Conference to Divide Africa

The Berlin Conference to Divide Africa The Berlin Conference was described by Harm J. de Bli in Geography: Realms, Regions, and Concepts: The Berlin Conference was Africas undoing in more ways than one. The colonial powers superimposed their domains on the African continent. By the time independence returned to Africa in 1950, the realm had acquired a legacy of political fragmentation that could neither be eliminated nor made to operate satisfactorily. Purpose of the Berlin Conference In 1884, at the request of Portugal, German chancellor Otto von Bismark called together the major western powers of the world to negotiate questions and end confusion over the control of Africa. Bismark appreciated the opportunity to expand Germanys sphere of influence over Africa and hoped to force Germanys rivals to struggle with one another for territory. At the time of the conference, 80 percent of Africa remained under traditional and local control. What ultimately resulted was a hodgepodge of geometric boundaries that divided Africa into 50 irregular countries. This new map of the continent was superimposed over 1,000 indigenous cultures and regions of Africa. The new countries lacked rhyme or reason and divided coherent groups of people and merged together disparate groups who really did not get along. ThoughtCo / Adrian Mangel Countries Represented at the Berlin Conference Fourteen countries were represented by a plethora of ambassadors when the conference opened in Berlin on November 15, 1884. The countries represented at the time included Austria-Hungary, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden-Norway (unified from 1814 to 1905), Turkey, and the United States of America. Of these 14 nations, France, Germany, Great Britain, and Portugal were the major players in the conference, controlling most of colonial Africa at the time. Berlin Conference Tasks The initial task of the conference was to agree that the Congo River and Niger River mouths and basins would be considered neutral and open to trade. Despite its neutrality, part of the Congo Basin became a personal kingdom for Belgiums King Leopold II. Under his rule, over half of the regions population died. At the time of the conference, only the coastal areas of Africa were colonized by the European powers. At the Berlin Conference, the European colonial powers scrambled to gain control over the interior of the continent. The conference lasted until February 26, 1885 - a three-month period where colonial powers haggled over geometric boundaries in the interior of the continent, disregarding the cultural and linguistic boundaries already established by the indigenous African population. Following the conference, the give and take continued. By 1914, the conference participants had fully divided Africa among themselves into 50 countries. Major colonial holdings included: Great Britain desired a Cape-to-Cairo collection of colonies and almost succeeded through their control of Egypt, Sudan (Anglo-Egyptian Sudan), Uganda, Kenya (British East Africa), South Africa, and Zambia, Zimbabwe (Rhodesia), and Botswana. The British also controlled Nigeria and Ghana (Gold Coast).France took much of western Africa, from Mauritania to Chad (French West Africa), as well as Gabon and the Republic of Congo (French Equatorial Africa).Belgium and King Leopold II controlled the Democratic Republic of Congo (Belgian Congo).Portugal took Mozambique in the east and Angola in the west.Italys holdings were Somalia (Italian Somaliland) and a portion of Ethiopia.Germany took Namibia (German Southwest Africa) and Tanzania (German East Africa).Spain claimed the smallest territory, which was Equatorial Guinea (Rio Muni). Source De Bli, Harm J. Geography: Realms, Regions, and Concepts. Peter O. Muller, Jan Nijman, 16th Edition, Wiley, November 25, 2013.

One of the three topics in the instruction Essay

One of the three topics in the instruction - Essay Example To cope up with these challenges the academic institutions and recruitment authorities should perform their responsibilities. The American Dental Education Association has declared that the healthcare providers have failed to give proper treatment competent to the cultural differences to the minorities which call for a diverse workforce (ADEA, 2005). The healthcare providers especially the dentists should concentrate towards increasing the workplace diversity as it is the first step to strength the relationship between the doctor and patient. The healthcare providers are somewhat successful in serving patients who belong to their own race or culture but when it comes to the minorities it becomes crucial for them to give equal treatment and therefore the workforce must be racially diverse. The Sullivan Commission Report states that 62% of black patients are treated by black dentists and 10.5% of black patients are treated by white dentists (Sullivan Commission on Diversity in the Healthcare Workforce, 2004). This clearly indicates that the health care services are highly affected by the racial differences. Another factor that emphasizes upon the need of workforce diversity is that the patients belonging to different cultures have entirely different beliefs for instance, in among Muslims anyone out of the immediate family cannot touch a woman and these women ask for a female doctor for themselves, for such conditions there should be a healthcare provider who clearly understand the patient’s reservations and can deal with their insecurities. The workplace diversity also minimizes the communication barriers between the patient and doctor. When the doctor communicates in the language of the patient and satisfies him with his concern and knowledge about his background then the patient feels comfortable and easily discusses the