Wikiash Essays - Northwest Coast Art, Native American Religion

Wikiash Native American literature is, in general, not to my liking. I find that it is very often too far-fetched for even my imagination. Most Native American pieces are more like childrens fairy tales, than serious accounts of Indian history. The tale of the first totem pole was no exception to this generalization. I found the piece very slow and quite far-fetched. However, I enjoyed the piece from a fictional literature standpoint. Wakiash and the First Totem Pole is a story about a man named Wikiash, who has no dance in his tribe and so, decides to go find one. He is taken to a house where he sees animals (who have taken off their animal skin to reveal human bodies underneath) dancing around the place. Wikiash befriends a small mouse and gets her to help him sneak up on the animals in the house, so that he can learn a dance. Eventually, he bursts into the house in the middle of a dance. The animals are so ashamed that he has seen them without their animal skins that they will give him whatever he wants. He chooses to make them teach him some dances. However, he also asks for the house, a totem pole that is out front, and a mask. It was unclear to me why he asked for the latter 3 items, but ultimately he got them and was happy about it. This story shows all the aspects of Native American religious and social beliefs. Firstly, the aspect of the circle of life, which is probably the most important part of Native American religion, is not directly mentioned in the story. I have come to the conclusion, after much reflection to symbolism in the that the animals with their skin off that look like humans, are probably dead people who were reincarnated as animals, or were somehow spiritually connected to each other through the earth and the environment. Other than that, the Circle of Life is not an important part of Wikiash and the First Totem Pole. The story shows the importance of dance in Native American culture. Wikiash was practically an outcast until he learned the dances from the animals, then he was loved by all. It is the Kwakiutl way of life to dance, and its an important part of all their ceremonies, if I understand the symbolism in the story correctly. Overall, the story of Wikiash was an enjoyable story, but, I would not like to read stories like that all the time. The story, on a good note, was lighter on the symbolism and complexly of ideas than other Native American literature that I have read. Despite relatively little symbolism in this story, the ideas and beliefs that the story was trying to portray about dance being important in Kwajiutl daily life was conveyed clearly and well. This story gives the impression of a childrens fairy-tale, rather than a serious representation of Native American mythology and the first totem pole. English Essays

How to Deal With Stress at Work

How to Deal With Stress at Work Work stress is the great equalizer. High salary, low salary, doesn’t matter. The reasons might vary (deadlines, awful boss, workload), but everyone faces stress at some point in his or her career. There’s even a commonality in the source of these stresses: something is off balance. Too much to do, not enough time. Too many demands, not enough space to fulfill them to others’ expectations. Managing the stresses before they turn into performance issues or a huffy resignation letter is key- but how do you do that? Here are some common work stresses:Looming deadlinesToo much to do at onceOffice politicsWork/life balanceJob uncertaintyInsecurity/lack of confidenceFor all of these, it would be great to say that doing more yoga, or incentivizing yourself with personal rewards would solve the problem. However, while those are really excellent coping mechanisms for stress in general, they may not do much to address the underlying problems at work.Instead, take the time to confront the stresses head-on with a series of questions:What is causing this?Identify what’s behind the stress, and be realistic. It may be that you’re mad at your coworker for dropping the ball and leaving you with work, but is he or she really the source of your stress? Or is it that you have too many priorities to begin with, and the dropped ball was just one ball too many?What would my ideal situation be?While envisioning yourself on a beach with beverage of choice in your hand is nice, it’s not really the type of vision that would help here. This means taking a realistic assessment of what would make you less stressed and more fulfilled in your job. Would it be fewer meetings? More time built into your schedule for specific projects? A juggling of priorities with your manager so that you have the space to achieve your best results?Can I take steps to make this closer my ideal situation?Even seemingly un-budgeable stress factors, like hard deadlines or bos ses/colleagues who are just impossible to work with, can have some flexibility. It may be too late to change things for this round of deadline stress, but it’s not too late to come up with a plan for the next round. Maybe you’d like to have more advance notice on something, or maybe your boss would be open to restructuring your workload in the future so that there’s not such a crunch. If the stress is personality-based conflict with colleagues, maybe you can sit down with them to figure out the best way for you to mesh your styles on projects in the future. (Of course, this hinges on your ability to say, â€Å"I’d like to talk about how we can effectively work together on projects like this† instead of â€Å"dude, you’re driving me crazy.†)If not, what do I want to do to prevent this from being my normal?This is the â€Å"deep in your bones† check. If the disconnect between the ideal and the reality is just too big, or if makin g small changes won’t make your job any more fulfilling, it could be time to start looking around for a different job. The stress could be compounded by trying to push through inconvenient gut feelings. Having an exit strategy doesn’t mean you aren’t tough, or can’t hack it at your current job†¦think of it as an insurance policy for your sanity.

Death Penalty Ethics Essay Sample

Death Penalty Ethics Essay Sample Death Penalty Ethics Essay The death penalty has a long history in the society. During older times, the death penalty was used in giving justice to grave crimes which gave the idea that grave crimes definitely cost people their lives. The discourse on death penalty involves different concepts in the society especially ethics and morality. In the context of ethics and morality, capital punishment is never seen as the righteous way to achieve justice. This follows the idea that taking one’s life is equated to devaluing it. Of course, death penalty also exists in a religious context. Throughout history, the Church has been prominent in voicing out its strong opinion against capital punishment. Despite this, history also says the Church has somewhat given the state civil liberties in how justice is practiced. In these juxtaposing concepts, it is seen that the issue of capital punishment is an issue that gathers strong opposing opinions which identifies it as an important moral and ethical problem. The Ethics of Capital Punishment The ethical constraint that lies within capital punishment is the idea of life being taken willfully from an individual. For many, this follows a barbaric form of the justice system just like the â€Å"eye for an eye† concept. Furthermore, in the case of religion, taking a life of another human being is already sin in itself which widens the moral grounding against capital punishment. In short, this form of penalty is not reasonable enough to be considered â€Å"right.† This thinking has developed over present times which produced progressive movements against capital punishment. Many consider that the uproar against capital punishment is mostly ruled by emotions but it is important to know that this is completely fine. The discourse on death will never be technical and emotions can be associated to the functionality of morality in the society. Morality speaks of what is right or wrong, based on our inherent perceptions of the society. Just like with other ethical issues, capital punishment is perceived as unjust because it does not truly bring justice to those who need it. On the other hand, it is only a premature form of vengeance that does not truly satisfy anyone. In light of this, it is important to explore the different underpinnings of capital punishment in the society and how different nations have legalized it despite the continuous retort of several advocacy groups. Capital Punishment in the Society In the United States, some states allow capital punishment as the highest level of crime punishment. This is dedicated to grave crimes such as murder and the likes. For some people, this form of punishment can be considered as a â€Å"grave† or excessive showcase of authoritarian power. It does not give space or reform for change in the society; rather it instills a sense of fear among people that is usually misguided. Aside from this, the idea itself of capital punishment tends to paint a picture of justice which is cut short. Of course, death is not the solution in achieving justice. In nations that approve of capital punishment, their reasoning lies in the idea that through death penalty, people would avoid making crimes that would lead to their death. State ruling also reasons out that through capital punishment, people would fear being involved in great crimes. For experts on crime and psychology, capital punishment may have an effect that is opposed to this belief. Criminals who get involved in grave crimes do not have time thinking of this sort of logic; criminals would be more focused on committing their crimes rather than the repercussions of their actions. Instead, capital punishment in itself can trigger more grave crimes for criminals would see the crimes they commit as their last. Of course, this is only one side of the story and this also proves the multi-faceted orientation of the discourse of capital punishment depending on what context it is situated in. Despite all this, when the discourse is focused on morality, the automatic understanding is tha t the death penalty is unreasonable. Cutting short the life of a criminal may be reasonable to the victims but this is a blinded perception of the justice system. Ultimately, the issue of death penalty continues to raise debates because of how life is connected to what is ethical and death penalty is just one of the many wherein ethics is erased.

Planning functions of management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Planning functions of management - Essay Example However, Nestle usually plans for some period of time. Three to five years are more typical planning horizons. As one of the most important functions of management, planning process is based on stipulated criteria and procedures which have a great impact on planning processes. Criteria such as reduced cost, improved quality, improved sense of direction, better teamwork, and improved service delivery might be used. The timing of any evaluations should also be considered. In Nestle, the plan involves deciding upon how resources will be used to help the organization achieve its strategic goals. It relies more on past records and involves shorter time periods. Present conditions are usually dominant in the planner's mind when the organization initiates a plan and these may be overstressed. Also, many events are obviously unforeseen, but planning can be aided by techniques giving suggested probabilities of events taking place (Bateman, Snell 2004). In Nestle, a special attention is given to product quality and product standards. This policy is important because Nestle produces a wide range of food products from coffee, beverages and ice-cram to infant food and pet food. The responsibility of companies in food industry is to analyze social conditions and possible threats of their products for potential consumers. They should be well aware of regulation changes and should not sell a product which can be injurious to health. In order to meet high standards and quality, Nestle constricts its activities according to legal regulations and requirements stipulated by EU for European countries. Also, planning process include analysis of the macro-environment (e.g., economic trends, inflation, changes in citizen needs, changing demographics, etc.), the government environment (especially changing federalism and state government trends), the competitive environment (the present and potential competition, particularly as related to economic development), the citizen environment (what the service user says), and the organization's internal environment (e.g., is there antiquated technology, high turnover, many people planning to retire soon) (Boone, Kurtz, 1992). Environmental scanning will also identify a variety of factors, both internal and external to Nestle, to be considered as part of the planning process. In fact, one of the benefits of planning is that an organization will gain a better understanding of how environmental scanning should be done and be able to manage more effectively as a result. Factors to be considered as part of the macro-environmental scanning process include social factors such as demographics, financial factors such as interest rates, and political factors such as increasing government deregulation, changing federalism and state government's trends, and regulations (Campbell, 1997). Among the factors to be considered as part of the government environment are the number and locations of other governments, the degree of federal and state government presence, the typical services being provided, and the marketing strategies of other competitive local governments. Ethics and corporate social responsibilities affect all decisions and plans developed and introduced by the company. From the very beginning, Nestle clearly informs customers about threats and possible impact of products. Ethical guidelines and social responsibi

Why is it very important that this world see Jesus as Lord Essay

Why is it very important that this world see Jesus as Lord - Essay Example The scriptures encourage the believers not only to build a personal relationship with Lord Jesus, but also to love him as Lord, with all of one’s heart. In that context, it is really poignant to delve on some scriptural references that prophesied Jesus to be Lord. (Isaiah 7:14) â€Å"Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The Virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel (God with us).† These are the words of prophet Isaiah. These words were written in the period 739-680 B.C. At this time God drove out of Judah, the Assyrian armies that had earlier taken Israel as captive. Here, prophet Isaiah intended to warn the people of Judah against the wrath of God and makes to them a promise that eventually God will comfort his people and will make them strong again. In that context, prophet Isaiah makes many prophesies about Jesus and the coming of the Lord and Savior. It specifically needs to be mentioned here that the word ‘ Immanuel’ used by prophet Isaiah to refer to Jesus means â€Å"God is with us† and hence prophet clearly prophesied that not only will Jesus come to Erath, but that Jesus is truly the Lord. Prophet Isaiah goes on to refer to the coming of Jesus as the Lord and savior of the people. (Isaiah 9:6) â€Å"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.† Here again prophet Isaiah goes on to prophesy that Jesus is the Lord and Savior. Prophesies about Jesus being Lord is continued on in the New Testament. The Gospels many a time mention Jesus as Lord and declare Jesus to be Lord. (John 1:1) â€Å"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.† These are the word from the Gospel of John, written by John, one of the disciples of Jesus. In this Gospel John writes about the period A.D. 26-30, when Jesus taught and performed miracles. The Gospel of John clearly shows to the people that Jesus is Lord. Believing the scriptural evidence that confirms Jesus as Lord, it is the duty of people to totally surrender to Jesus, as one surrenders before one’s Lord. Going by the fact that Jesus is Lord, it is the duty of the believers to live for Him. 2. There exist ample scriptural references that testify beyond doubt that Jesus was the Messiah. For instance, when around 627 B.C., when people of Judah mocked and hated prophet Jeremiah, he prophesied the mercy of God, and the restoration of the people of God, through the coming of Messiah by saying that: (Jeremiah 23:5-6) â€Å"The days are coming, declares the Lord when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The L ORD our Righteousness.† Yet history has stood witness to the fact that time and again people have failed to comprehend Jesus being the Messiah. Jesus himself predicted that He will be rejected by people as a Messiah. In Mark 12 Jesus clearly testifies to this fact. For one, Jesus was rejected by people of Israel because Jesus was quite contrary to what the expected the Messiah to be. They held that the Messiah will uproot the enemies of Israel and not crucified. Many of the people of Israel believed that to be hanged on a tree meant to be cursed by God. (Deuteronomy 21:23) â€Å"You must not leave his body on the tree overnight. Be sure to bury him that

Convergence between GAAP and IFRS Research Paper

Convergence between GAAP and IFRS - Research Paper Example In 2008, FASB reorganized the many accounting principles into only 90 topics. In the same year, the Securities and exchange commission granted a roadmap that would eventually change the US use of the GAAP as accounting rules and adopt the most widely used IFRS rules, by the year 2011 (Bradshaw, 2010). The full adoption of the IFRs was projected to be accomplished by 2014. On the other hand, the history of the IFRS can be traced to 1966 when a proposal was issued to establish a study group consisting of various accounting bodies from England, USA, Canada, and Wales, which would study the possibility of establishing accounting standards that could be universally applied to guide the accounting functions of organizations the world over. In 1967, the Accountants International Study Group, tasked with the responsibility of creating the appetite for change in accounting standards, was created. The body published articles every few months on the need for change until 1973, when Accounting S tandards Committee was formulated to develop accounting standards for international use (Ball, 2006). This was followed by the establishment of the Standing Interpretations Committee to resolve the contentious issues that were arising from the standards crafted by the Accounting Standards Committee. ... By the year 2003, the International Financial Reporting Standards were first published and adopted. In 2005, the European Union adopted the standards and later all the companies in the UK were supposed to present their financial statements using these standards for their financial years commencing January 2005 (Bradshaw, 2010). The current status of the GAAP and IFRS depicts some differences in some of the accounting principles. The differences in their statuses are in terms of the impacts of the accounting standards on the financial statements provided by organizations (Wiley, 2007). Consolidation is the first of this impact where IFRS applies control model while the GAAP prefers the risk and rewards model (Bradshaw, 2010). In the preparation of the statement of income, the IFRS requires that extraordinary items are not segregated while the same are shown below the net income under the GAAP standards. Inventory is another difference currently portrayed by the preparation of the fina ncial statements under the two standards. Under the IFRS, the use of the historical method of managing stock LIFO, where the last item to be bought in the inventory list becomes the first to be sold, is prohibited. Under the GAAP system, however, organizations have a choice between the use of that historical method and the FIFO inventory management system where the first item in the inventory list becomes the first to be sold by a business entity (Ball, 2006). Under the IFRS system, the earnings-per-share calculations do not call for the averaging of the individual interim period, while under the GAAP the computation takes the averages of the individual interim period incremental shares (Bradshaw, 2010). Finally, under the IFRS

Sources of Measurement Error Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sources of Measurement Error - Essay Example Essentially, this combining of theoretical with empirical, permits as well as justifies the use of measurement, and stringent observance of these rules, allows for better and more accurate methods for describing behaviors or in making predictions. These take on their specific meanings through the following and now widely used scales of measurement, namely, nominal ordinal, interval, and ratio. Classifications, which by using a system of numbers, find common consent among scientists. Here then, consensus must come over how these numbers represent different agreed-to values, in order to sensibly group, sort, or differentiate between data. These numbers are ordered: that is, 'one number is greater than, less than, or equal to another number'.i Differences connecting numbers create what is called distance between them, allowing for a scale of measurement, for example, by agreement that zero stands as the origin number, we might simply assign numbers to the above quotation. Thus, it is possible to state clearly and unambiguously that the number value one is less than the number value two, and the number value three is more than the number value two. One factor of abstract models, is their use in designing and performing studies that measure real-world variables