Thursday, December 26, 2019

Kotchians Moral Dilemma - 1652 Words

Kotchian’s Moral Dilemma Carl Kotchian, President of Lockheed Aircraft Corp., was put in a under of series of circumstances which consequently decided the success of his company. When the times seemed dire, Kotchian initially did what any other leader of a business would do, look to cut costs and reduce product failures. However, when this was not enough, Kotchian explored the negotiation of a contract with All Nippon Airlines, Japan’s leading airlines for. Little did Kotchian know, negotiation was much performed much differently in Japan than in the United States, therefore, Marubeni was hired as a representative of Lockheed to manage relations with the Prime Minister ‘s†¦show more content†¦Those who inflicted the most damage had to be the Japanese official’s whose demands for bribes were perpetuated by Kotchian’s inability to deny their requests. By agreeing to pay the bribes, he was reinforcing their corrupted tendencies. Had he been combative of this injustice, J apanese’s tende may have been changed for future businessmen. Although the Japanese were harmed from a moral standpoint, they were not totally harmed by this transaction. Marubeni, for instance, was protected by Kotchian’s decisions. The unforeseen consequence of Kotchian neglecting the final payment would have resulted in a destroyed reputation. Not to mention, the inevitable destruction of his company. Furthermore, the middleman between Kotchian and Marubeni would have been in a conflict had he not correctly conveyed the appropriate demands of the Prime Minister. Thus, we begin to see that through the Utilitarian perspective, that the CEO’s actions were deemed morally permissible for many more than just Lockheed and Kotchian himself. From what has been previously discussed, there has not been a clear distinction of where utility was maximized in this situation. However, when the employees of Lockheed and its suppliers are taken into consideration, the pendulum swings directly in favor of Kotchian. Had he not participated in the bribes, first a deal would likely not have occurred, resulting in the financial crisis that would permanently cripple Lockheed.

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

American Racism Exposed in Poems by Langston Hughes and...

American Racism Exposed in Langston Hughes Let America Be America Again and Sherman Alexies, Capital Punishment The issue of racial discrimination has become societal norm in America. Poems like Langston Hughes Let America Be America Again and Sherman Alexies, Capital Punishment show the injustice that still exists. Both poems speak to the prejudice that is accepted and current in Americas past and present. Alexie and Hughes, both from minority groups, have seen the ugly face of racism. Both poems have many similarities, including the obvious tone of anger. The pieces also have their differences, while Hughes poem speaks from the viewpoint of one of the oppressed; Alexies speaker is just a witness. Both writers†¦show more content†¦He changes from I am not a witness to I am a witness in line 102, Alexie changes to show that two wrongs do not equal one right. I am a witness is Alexies way of saying this is happening and is something that cant be ignored of overlooked. He asks the question, who are we to judge? Who decides someones life is over? Doesnt that make the person making t he judgment just as guilty as the killer? Everyone sins in their lifetime, Alexie says at the end of the poem, ... If any of us stood for days on top of a barren hill during an electrical storm then lightning would eventually strike us and wed have no idea for which of our sins we were reduced to headlines and ash. (Alexie) Alexie was trying to say no matter what, a sin is a sin, the terms in which the sins were committed are meaningless, and the bottom line is that a sin was committed. He is also saying as stated in the Bible, Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.(Matthew Ch.7) Judgment is also a sin so the person passing the judgment is just as guilty as the Indian killer. Prejudice is judgment therefore sinful but yet even some of the most god-fearing people are guilty of committing it. Maybe not intentionally but by allowing racism to continue everyone is accountable. Langston Hughes has become one of the leading, best known African American

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Research Process Understanding of an Issue †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Research Process Understanding of an Issue. Answer: Research Process The research process is a series of steps used to collect and analyze information to enhance understanding of an issue or problem. The research process is made up of multiple and inter-related phases. Precisely, the research process entails seven key stages. The first step is the definition of the research problem. The research problem serves as the focus of the study and gives its purpose. The second phase is the review of the literature. Literature review equips the researcher with existing information on the study topic. The information gathered at this stage enables the researcher to understand the intensity of the problem under study and the existing knowledge gaps. The third phase is the formulation of hypothesis. A hypothesis is a tentative assumption which serves a guide to the researcher by restricting the area of research. After hypothesis formulation, the next stage is the determination of research design. Research design provides the mechanisms for collecting the relevant evidence to test the hypothesis. Importantly, research design limits time and resource wastage during the research process. The fifth stage is the collection of data. The purpose of this step is to provide the information required to answer the research problem. Moreover, it provides the evidence used to support study conclusions and recommendations. This stage is followed by the analysis of the collected data. Data analysis purposes to derive meaningful information from the collected raw data. Additionally, it is important in deriving comparisons and verifying the stipulated study hypothesis. The final stage is the interpretation of the data and writing of the research report. Data interpretation purposes to elaborate the meaning of the analyzed data to the readers and how they relate to outlined study objectives. In this stage, the researcher deduces the meaning of the collected data and how it relates to the hypothesis.

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Knowledge Requirements for a Human Resources Manager

Introduction Five years after graduating, I would like to hold the job of Human Resources Manager in one of the top business organisations in the country.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Knowledge Requirements for a Human Resources Manager specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More A Human Resources Manager (HR manager) plans, directs and coordinates activities of the HR department within an organisation so as to allow it to make maximum use of strategic human resources available (Noe and Winkler 4). In addition, he or she is responsible for effective running of such human resources department functions as employee recruitment and employee compensation. A HR manager also formulates personnel policy as well as ensures compliance by their organisation to corporate and labour laws. Knowledge Requirements for a Human Resources Manager Typically, one requires a degree in nearly any field plus either a postgraduate diploma in Hu man Resources Management, or an MBA in Human Resources Management to qualify as a HR manager. However, those who take a business related bachelor’s degree and who major in human resource management are normally given first preference during selection of HR managers. Work experience is an equally important requirement for one to climb up the human resources management ladder. The formal education should impart the manager with deep knowledge of the following aspects; Management of Human Resources The HR manager should have deep knowledge of principles as well as the procedures involved such process as personnel recruitment, training, and compensation. In addition to these, they should be well informed of personnel information systems and labour relations and negotiation. All of these requirements are sufficiently taught or lectured in introductory as well as advanced human resource management courses which are part of off-the-job management development techniques. The understa nding of them is further enhanced by the learner reading and subsequently attempting to answer HR issues in case studies. Deep Knowledge of the English Language A HR manager is expected to be proficient in both oral and written English.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Coursework and group discussions adequately serve the purpose of enhancing participants’ oral as well as written communication skills. I therefore need to get more involved especially in group discussions to enhance my skills in communication. Customer and Personal Service He or she should be knowledgeable of the principles and processes for providing general as well as personalised customer services; which includes how to achieve satisfactory quality of services, how to conduct an assessment of customer needs, as well as how to carry out an evaluation of customer satisfaction (â€Å"Job descriptionsâ⠂¬  5). The best approach to attain these skills would be through the coaching or guided method of on-the-job-training technique. This way, I would get to experience customer service firsthand and learn customer service etiquette from it. Some off-the-job training techniques such as simulation and role playing would also be helpful in obtaining the above knowledge, but to a lesser extend compared to the guided method. Good Knowledge of General Management as well as Administration A HR manager should be deeply informed about management as well as business tenets involved in such HR functions as HR modelling, distribution of resources, and resources and employee coordination (â€Å"Job Description† 3). Although lectures do impart a significantly large volume of business and management principles, all the above aspects are best learned through the guided/coaching management development methods. Participation in management games, role playing as well as in diagnosing and/or solv ing case study problems also helps in reinforcing in the learner the knowledge pertaining to the aforementioned aspects of HR management. Management or business games would be particularly useful when learning the complicated aspects of human resources management functions as the real life conditions simulated in the exercises are widely dynamic and highly enriching. In addition, these exercises are designed to make use of mathematical models and be played in a computer manipulated environment which serves to sharpen participant’s ability to solve management problems as well as to make HRM decisions in an integrated manner (Laursen and Foss 243). Knowledge of Labour Laws A HR manager should be well versed on the existing labour laws, regulations, court procedures, judicial precedents as well as executive orders, plus how they apply in workplace relations (â€Å"Job Descriptions† 4).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Knowledge Requirements for a Hum an Resources Manager specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Lectures, case studies, and conferences are adequate activities to enable a HR manager learn significantly wide aspects of legal and regulatory issues pertaining to human resource management. In particular, continued participation in case study exercises would be stimulating as it would give me a chance to demonstrate my analytical thinking as well as allow me to defend my critical and judgmental abilities. Also, active participation in case study exercises allows me to learn how to make critical decisions in the context of limited availability of relevant information for making the all-important decisions. Knowledge of Clerical Operations A human resources manager should have deep understanding of procedures involved in clerical as well as administrative jobs together with systems that help in the management of files and records, such as word processing software (â€Å"Job Descri ptions† 4). On-the-job training, particularly job rotation, is the most appropriate approach to learning clerical operations, although a significant amount of knowledge pertaining to clerical duties can be learned through lectures. Job rotation would enable me break down departmental provincialism and instead make me a considerably informed as well as significantly experienced generalist human resource manager. This way, my abilities and talents would also be tested in other management specialities than human resources management. Education and Training A HR manager must have deep understanding of principles as well as approaches to teaching and instruction, curriculum and training design, and evaluation of the impact of training on employee performance (â€Å"Job Description† 4).. All these can adequately be learned through participation in activities such as lectures and management conferences and seminars. Economics and Accounting It is normally required that a HR ma nager have good understanding of fundamental principles of economics in addition to being well aware of basic principles and practices of the accounting function. Also essential good understanding of the operation of financial markets, plus they should be able to interpret as well to conduct informed analysis of financial data (Noe and Winkler 156). Introductory and intermediate courses in human resources courses considerably cover both accounting and economic principles. Job rotation goes a long way to impart knowledge learned in lectures of these courses.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Psychology Deep understanding of human behaviour in relation to employee performance is also highly desirable in an HR manager. Topics covered in introductory courses in organizational behaviour in addition to on-the-job learning of human behaviour are adequate to impart a considerable level of understanding of individual differences amongst employees with respect to their personality, learning and motivation, as well as differences in their ability to perform. Mathematics A HR manager needs to have good skills in performing computations involving arithmetic, calculus, algebra, statistics, as well as good skills for using computer applications available in the market to assist such in computations; such as SPSS and STRATA softwares. On one hand, the mathematic principles involved in this context can be learned adequately in lectures of introductory human resources courses, such as introduction to management mathematics. On the other hand, knowledge of the working of accompanying sof tware programs can best be learned through job rotation in the actual work environment. Skill Requirements for a Human Resources Manager Active Listening, Problem Sensitivity, and Inductive and Deductive Reasoning A HR manager should be able to give workers and potential workers full attention when engaging in a communication with them. They should also portray good skills for diagnosing underlying problems in work processes as well as foresee potential future problems in work areas; otherwise referred to as problem sensitivity skills (Kumar and Sharma 327). Inductive reasoning skills enables a human resources manager to gather bits of information, analyse them, then form general conclusions, principles or rules in regard to work related issues. Deductive reasoning skills, on the other hand, enable them to solve specific work related problems through utilisation of general principles or rules (â€Å"Job description† 6). Coaching is the most appropriate techniques to have the learner acquire skills for active listening as well as problem sensitivity. Both inductive and deductive reasoning skills, on the other hand, can sufficiently be acquired through participation in management games, case studies, problem simulation, and role play. In addition, the two latter skills can as adequately be acquired in the process of performing the actual job tasks as they can be through off-the-job training. Skills for Management of Personnel A HR manager should possess advanced skills for identifying and selecting the best candidates for available jobs, teaching and instructing workers how to do their duties, directing employees and their work, motivating workers, as well as for creating conducive environment for employee career development. Just like in acquisition of knowledge concerning general administration and management, skills for management of personnel are best acquired through on-the-job training and experience in the actual job. Writing and Reading Comprehens ion A HR manager should possess excellent reading as well as writing skills to enable them communicate effectively in work related written communications (Kumar and Sharma 327). Writing case study reports, general course assignments, as well as actual job experience enhances these skills. Speaking and Negotiation Skills The HR function is one of the busiest and critically important interfaces between the existing as well as potential employees and the organization. For this reason, the HR manager should demonstrate advanced skills in oral communication and a similar level of negotiation skills. Group discussions, personal presentations, role play, management games will enhance my speaking skills. Further, role play and coaching would help sharpen my skills for negotiation. Monitoring Skills It is critically important for an HR manager to demonstrate advanced skills for conducting performance evaluation of not only their organisations, its departments and employees, but also of self (Noe and Winkler 316). This enables them to take corrective measures for purposes of making improvements in areas that require such. Both on-the-job and off-the-job management development techniques are equally appropriate for imparting in a HR manager the necessary skills for conducting performance evaluation. Lectures, conferences and seminars teaches a manager or a trainee manager ideally all relevant theories as well as models regarding ways to conduct a proper employee performance evaluation as well as organisational assessment. On their part, on-the-job training techniques place the learner at the centre of the actual monitoring activities thus making them to learn monitoring activities firsthand, besides enabling them to be exposed to up-to-date developments in the human resources management field regarding employee as well as departmental/organisational performance assessment and evaluation. Other critical skills required in a successful HR manager include; Time management skills and skills for understanding social perceptiveness. In respect to these, a HR manager should demonstrate excellent skills for managing worker’s time in addition to managing their own time (â€Å"Job Description† 6). They should also be aware of the reactions of workers and the social perceptiveness that drive them to react to situations in ways in which they do. Participation in role play and business/management games will enhance my time management skills. On its part, engagement in sensitivity/laboratory/T-group training/group dynamics will enhance my skills for understanding social perceptiveness of existing as well as potential employees since it provides learners with increased sensitivity to their own behaviour, as well as sensitivity to how they [managers] are perceived by their subordinates (Kumar and Sharma 328). Further, this method of management development imparts the learner with deeper knowledge of group processes. In sum, its primary objective is to impart trainees with skills for improving their â€Å"quality in human affairs† (Schein and Bennis 37). Conclusion The job description of a human resources manager specifies the necessary requirements that I must attain in order to realize my vision of holding the post of HR manager five years after my graduation. It is absolutely clear that the position requires deep knowledge of human resources principles as well constant development of HR skills in a trainee manager. As such, it is also clearly emerges that both on-the-job and off-the-job management development techniques are critically essential in nearly equal measures to impart in me the knowledge and skills required in a successful human resources manager. Moreover, considerable practical experience accompanied by exemplary performance in HR management duties assigned to me will also play a critical role in ensuring that I achieve my set target. Works Cited â€Å"Job Description and Jobs for ‘Human Resources Manager’†. 2011. Web. https://job-descriptions.careerplanner.com/Human-Resources-Managers.cfm Kumar, Arun and Rachana Sharma. Personnel Management Theory and Practice. 3rd ed. New Delhi: Atlantic, 2001. Print. Noe, Ray A., and Colin Winkler. Employee training and development: For Australia New Zealand. North Ryde, N.S.W.: McGraw-Hill Australia, 2009. Print. Schein, Edgar H., and Warren G. Bennis. Personnel and Organisational Change through Group Methods: The Laboratory Approach. New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1965. Print. Laursen, Keld and Nicolai J. Foss. â€Å"New Human Resources Management Practices, Complementarities and the Impact of Innovation Performance†. Cambridge Journal of Economics, 27 (2003): 243-267. This essay on Knowledge Requirements for a Human Resources Manager was written and submitted by user Aylin Guerra to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Whats a Good TOEIC Speaking and Writing Score

Whats a Good TOEIC Speaking and Writing Score Whats a Good TOEIC Speaking and Writing Score? If youve taken the TOEIC Speaking and Writing Exam, then you may be wondering what a good TOEIC score is. Although many corporations and educational institutions have their own expectations and minimum requirements for TOEIC scores, these descriptors can at least give you an idea of where your TOEIC Speaking and Writing score stands among them. Please remember that the TOEIC Speaking and Writing test is very different from the TOEIC Listening and Reading  exam. Good TOEIC Scores Like the Listening and Reading test, your Speaking and Writing scores are separated into two portions. You can earn anywhere from a 0 – 200 in increments of 10 on each part of the exam, and youll also get a proficiency level on each portion. The Speaking test has 8 proficiency levels, and just to be as confusing as possible, the Writing test has 9. Good TOEIC Score for TOEIC Speaking Speaking Proficiency Levels: Speaking Scaled Score Speaking Proficiency Level 0-30 1 40-50 2 60-70 3 80-100 4 110-120 5 130-150 6 160-180 7 190-200 8 Since you can earn up to a 200, anywhere from a 190 – 200 (or a level 8 proficiency) is considered excellent by most institutions. Most, though, have a proficiency level that they require, so its wise to check out what goals youll need to meet before you test. Heres the description of a Level 8 speaker by ETS, the makers of the TOEIC exam: Typically, test takers at Level 8 can create connected and sustained discourse appropriate to the typical workplace. When they express opinions or respond to complicated requests, their speech is highly intelligible. Their use of basic and complex grammar is good and their use of vocabulary is accurate and precise. Test takers at Level 8 can also use spoken language to answer questions and give basic information. Their pronunciation, intonation, and stress are at all times highly intelligible. Good TOEIC Score for Writing Writing Scaled Score Speaking Proficiency Level 0-30 1 40 2 50-60 3 70-80 4 90-100 5 110-130 6 140-160 7 170-190 8 200 9 Again, since you can earn up to a 200 on the Writing test, anywhere from a 170 – 200 (or a level 8-9 proficiency) is considered excellent by most institutions. Again, though, check the requirements for the institution or workplace to which youre applying to ensure your score meets the minimum.   Heres the descriptor for a Level 9 proficiency by ETS: Typically, test takers at Level 9 can communicate straightforward information effectively and use reasons, examples, or explanations to support an opinion. When using reasons, examples, or explanations to support an opinion, their writing is well-organized and well developed. The use of English is natural, with a variety of sentence structures, appropriate word choice, and is grammatically accurate. When giving straightforward information, asking questions, giving instructions, or making requests, their writing is clear, coherent, and effective.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

The eNotes Blog eNotes Book Club OctoberFinds

Book Club OctoberFinds If you’ve been following our stories on the Instagram, you will have seen us post about our book club a few times. As literature experts, we’re constantly on the hunt for new and interesting stories to read. That’s why five of us decided to create an book club where each week, we discuss a new short story, poem, or essay. For the month of October, we each picked haunting short stories to get us in a spooky, Halloweeny spirit. If you’re looking for reading recommendations, look no further! â€Å"Teatro Grottesco† by Thomas Ligotti Hailed by The Washington Post as â€Å"the best-kept secret in contemporary horror fiction†, Thomas Ligotti arguably deserves this title- although Id prefer it if more people read and discussed his work. Imagine my joy when our reading group agreed to read the titular short story from his collection Teatro Grottesco. â€Å"The first thing I learned was that no one anticipates the arrival of the Teatro.† We quickly realized that the other thing we could not anticipate was the direction our analysis and discussion would take. Despite claims that Ligotti deserves to inherit the horror mantle from Lovecraft, â€Å"Teatro Grottesco† goes profoundly beyond cosmic horror and Eldritch monstrosities to stress the boundaries of our beliefs. The writing is literary, complex, and engaging- it is also frustrating, obtuse, and puzzling. â€Å"In a word, I delighted in the unreality of the Teatro stories. The truth they carried, if any, was immaterial.† At the beginning, we learn that the narrator, a writer of nihilistic prose works, is sharing his own Teatro story. So, what do we make of his claims that the Teatro tales are delightful but their truths are inconsequential? If the truth of the tale is nothing of substance, then what is the point- where is the horror? Make no mistake; several scenes are rightfully disturbing, from a visceral artists painting a moonlit night red to a photographers surreal encounter at the headquarters of T.G. Ventures. However, the horror of these moments only builds to the existential terror eventually revealed. â€Å"You can never anticipate the Teatro- or anything else. You can never know what you are approaching or what is approaching you.† We could not quite conclude just what the Teatro actually is. The story tantalizes, teases, and troubles. Read it carefully, but know that â€Å"The soft black stars have already begun to fill the sky.† - Wes â€Å"The Yellow Sign† by Robert W. Chambers A short story in his larger collection The King in Yellow, I selected â€Å"The Yellow Sign† for us to read because I had previously read a different story in Chambers’s collection, â€Å"The Mask.† I especially enjoyed the hints of mystery threaded throughout the piece. Chambers tells the story, but he doesn’t overtell- a tactic that kept us all wondering. â€Å"When I first saw the watchman his back was toward me.† Although he tells the story with an air of mystery that kept us all guessing, we noticed that Chambers tended to add a few too many extra details to his story. Some of us felt that these details didn’t necessarily add to the story and instead distracted from the â€Å"point† of the short story; this, in turn, led to questions about what’s â€Å"necessary† in a short story and whether or not rules for writing are arbitrary, taking our discussion outside of the realm of the story itself. â€Å"I could tell more, but I cannot see what help it will be to the world. As for me, I am past human help or hope.† â€Å"The Yellow Sign† by Robert W. Chambers is a great short story to read if you want to discuss omens and their place in storytelling. - Kate â€Å"Bog Girl† by Karen Russell After consulting with the oracles on what to read- i.e. Googling â€Å"good spooky short stories for a book club†- I found this short story by Karen Russell, originally published in The New Yorker on June 20, 2016. I wanted to pick a story by a female author I knew no one had read yet with, of course, various threads of interesting discussion to tug on. As I first read the story (and what made me ultimately choose it), I was anticipating what would happen next and was right, oh, about 0% of the time. The narrative was entirely unexpected, and, when compounded with the natural wordsmithing, I assigned it immediately. â€Å"In the Iron Age, these bogs were portals to distant worlds, wilder realms. Gods travelled the bogs. Gods wore crowns of starry asphodels, floating above the purple heather. Now industrial harvesters rode over the drained bogs, combing the earth into even geometries.† Our group particularly enjoyed the feminist themes and commentary on female bodies and personal agency as well as the interesting transitions employed by Russell. â€Å"The girls had matching lunches: lettuce salads, diet candy bars, diet shakes. They were all jealous of how little [the bog girl] ate.† My favorite part of the story is how Russell introduces Cillian’s Uncle Sean. I’ve since added â€Å"smearing† into my personal lexicon to describe such†¦ smearers. (You know the type.) â€Å"He smeared himself throughout their house, his beer rings ghosting over surfaces like fat thumbs on a photograph. His words hung around, too, leaving their brain stain on the air.† There are a lot of avenues of discussion to take with this piece, and we could have very easily talked about it for several more hours. I don’t want to give much more away, but this is a highly recommended, surprising, and well-liked piece for your next book club! - Sam â€Å"Winter† by Walter de la Mare Walter de la Mare is best known as a prolific poet, critic, and anthologist who contributed widely to the world of British letters in the early 20th century. His short stories, though seldom read today, stand among his best work. For our book club, I chose de la Mare’s 1922 story â€Å"Winter,† a sparse, enigmatic tale about a man who walks into a churchyard on a winter’s day and encounters something- or perhaps someone- he cannot explain. At the start of the story, the narrator tells us that â€Å"any event in this world- any human being for that matter- that seems to wear even the faintest cast or warp of strangeness, is apt to leave a disproportionately sharp impression on one’s senses.† The story that follows is both a confrontation with the uncanny and a probing of the mind. The narrator constantly questions his own senses and intuitions as he tries to account for the unaccountable. At the end of the story, the narrator describes the inexplicable being: a beautiful, angelic figure â€Å"in human likeness [but] not of my kind, nor of my reality.† The being looks in terror upon the narrator and his human world- the churchyard filled with its monuments of death- and disappears, returning to the reality whence it came. The narrator is left with both a longing to visit that realm and a deep feeling of distortion, for the ethereal visitor has revealed the rends and frayed edges of our map of reality. In riddling, poetic phrases that accrue like snow on a barren field, de la Mare serves up the best kind of supernatural tale: one which illuminates the mysteries of our world. A perfect read for the darkest season of the year. - Zack â€Å"Especially Heinous: 272 Views of Law Order SVU† by Carmen Maria Machado Every literary mailing list I’m on has been recommending Machado’s collection Her Body and Other Parties for months, so assigning â€Å"Especially Heinous† was a smug way to integrate personal reading with workplace obligations. â€Å"Especially Heinous† is composed of episode summaries for 12 fictional seasons of Law Order: SVU, ranging in length from 4 to over 150 words. Its sentences tend toward staccato rhythms and are objective- even clinical- as they describe events of absurdity and horror. For example, an episode from season one: â€Å"Misleader†: Father Jones has never touched a child, but when he closes his eyes at night, he still remembers his high school girlfriend: her soft thighs, her lined hands, the way she dropped off that roof like a falcon. Featured motifs: sexual violence; fairy-tale tropes (here, a triad of attributes); a haunting image offering neither context nor judgment. (Father Jones returns in season three.) I’m not sure this was a story anyone loved, but it offered a lot to discuss. The episodic structure left metaphors, and sometimes entire plot points, almost entirely up to personal interpretation, alienating some from the narrative. The objectivity of tone resulted in a divided readership: some readers found a lot of humor in the blatant absurdity of Machado’s narrative (the word â€Å"whimsical† was used); for others, that absurdity read as dark and ominous, engaging themes about cultural fixations and sexual violence. While all of us were interested in the story as an exercise in form, its success as a story was still up in the air as we left the table. â€Å"Especially Heinous† is interesting. It’s also hard (and for me, at least, emotionally exhausting) work. I want to go back and read it again, now that I know what I’m getting into, but book clubs, be warned: this is a rough one to unleash on unsuspecting coworkers. - Caitlin

Thursday, November 21, 2019

CLUB IT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

CLUB IT - Essay Example y’s mission will be not only to build a community of muslc lovers by hosting community events, promoting diverse local talent and building and online community and presence. The success of this new mission depends primarily on two related but distinct competitive business strategies: Innovation and differentiation. Ruby’s will differentiate itself from its competition through its focus on three specific musical genres, community building, and live, local music. To do this, it will utilize innovative IT strategies that set it apart before clients even set foot in the club. The new menu at Ruby’s will also reflect this focus , with an emphasis on soul food and Latin dishes, while sticking to a limited, finger-food based selection. The drink menu will be updated with Latin drinks such as mojitos and sangria, while also introducing six popular microbrews and a selection of red and white wine popular with our target clientele demographic. Internet: A major upgrade to the business website is the centerpiece of Ruby’s new competitive strategy. First, the owners have designed a new logo for the new business name, and set up a template for a new website. Look: A video tour and still photos of the newly renovated interior of the club focuses on the dramatic new details and space, however because of our new strategy of emphasizing localness, dancing and community, both the video and still photos of the interior include smiling, happy patrons sipping our distinctive Latin cocktails, wine or foaming microbrews. The new clickable menu includes images of tapas-style appetizers emphasizing Latin and soul themes. Features and Functions: New features and functions of the website emphasize community and local music even before clients enter the venue. First, a detailed calendar includes both live performances and community events with external links to performers’ websites and those of community organizations and business who will host their vents at Ruby’s.