Ferdinand Magellan :: essays research papers

Ferdinand Magellan was born in 1480, in a stone farm house in Portugal. His father's name was Dom Ruy Magellan, and his mother's name was Donha Alda De Mesquite. His father was a Portuguese nobleman and owned a large amount of land. He was also a sheriff, an honorary position awarded for distinguished service to the crown.Ferdinand's brother was named Diago De Sousa, a name he took from his wealthy grandmother, his sister was named Isabel Magellan. His family seemed to care about each other and respected one another. His family owned cows, sheep, hogs, and goats and fields of wheat, rye, corn and vineyards full of grapes. Ferdinand and his brother and sister had to help the tenants (people that rented and farmed the land), raise the animals and harvest the crops. Ferdinand went to school at a monastery. Both his parents died when Ferdinand was only ten years old. At the age of twelve, he was sent to live at the court of Queen Leonora and John II of Portugal. His older brother, Diago, had gone to court two years earlier. His cousin, named Francisco Serrano also twelve years old, came at the same time as Ferdinand did. At court Ferdinand learned music, dance, horsemanship and how to handle weapons, in addition to academic subjects such as reading, writing and religion. Also he learned algebra, geometry, astronomy and navigation. After he had worked at court for a few years, he started checking the supplies for the ships going to India. This was work for the India House, run by the monarchy. India house was the agency for overseas trade. Magellan heard reports of new discoveries brought back by returning ships. It was here that Magellan learned practical aspects of navigation from the sailors and by helping outfit the ships he learned about rigging, repairing, armaments and supplies.In 1495, John II died, and his brother-in-law, Duke Manuel became king. Duke Manuel did not like Ferdinand, so even though Ferdinand wanted to sail, it was not until 1505 that he finally got his chance. In 1505 Magellan sailed to India under the leadership of Captain General Almeida, and set up Naval Bases along the way. They set their first base up at Kilwa, and the chief there had promised to be nice to sailors coming through, and said each time sailors came through, he promised to give some gold to the King of Portugal.

The Manovo-Gounda St. Floris National Park

? The Manovo-Gounda St. Floris National Park Most people have never heard of Manovo-Gounda St. Floris National Park, or even know where this particular park is located at. For those who do not know, Manovo-Gounda St. Floris National Park is located in Central Africa Republic, which is located in Central Africa. Central Africa Republic is about the size of France. The climate there is very tropical and can also be semi-humid, which means that the country has an annual rainfall from 950 to 1700mm. Rainfall normally occur during the months of June and last till November. From December to May, the climate is normally hot and dry. The country is also very rich in natural resources. Manovo-Gounda St. Foris National Park was established in 1933 and was name Oubangui-Chari National Park and was located on 13,500ha. The park was renamed Matoumara National Park in 1935. In 1940 the name changed again, this time to St. Floris National Park. The amount of land that the park operated on had increased to 40,000ha. By 1960 the park had tremendously grown and was currently operating on 100,00ha and in 1974 it was operating on 277,000ha. In 1979 the name change once again, but this time it changed to the name that the park is currently operating under which is Manovo-Gounda St. Floris National Park. Currently the area of the park is 1,740,000ha or 4. 2 million acres. Manovo-Gounda St. Floris National Park is home to a variety of faunas and floras. The wildlife animals include animals like the black rhinoceroses, giraffes, cheetahs, leopards, wild dogs, buffalos, elephants, etc. There are at least 57 different types of mammals, over 320 different types of birds, and at least 25 species of raptor all residing within the park. At one time this park was considered on of the most protected park in Central Africa. In 1988, the park was added to the Natural World Heritage Site, because of the diversity of wildlife that existed within the park. In 1997, things had drastically change, and the park was added to the World Heritage in Danger List in 1997, due to the heavy poaching that was going on within the park. This meant that the parkhad to have some of the most important and significant natural habitats of biological diversity, including those containing threatened species which this park had. It had a diversity of wildlife and flora, and a lot of it animals were already on the endanger list. There are other elements that the committee have to look at before deciding if an area, whether natural or cultural is entitle to be listed this list (Protected Area Programme, n. d. ). Some might not know what poaching in, and why it is important to finds ways to put an end to this dangerously practice that is destroying our wildlife. According to Ask. com (n. d), poaching is define as illegally hunting and fishing, and a poacher is define as a person who hunts and fish illegally, without a license. Poacher have no regards to any animals life, especially the ones on the endanger list. One of biggest threat to the Manovo-Gounda St. Floris National Parks comes from Poachers. Most of the poachers come from within Central Africa Republic, but they can also come from other countries and can be heavily armed with automatic weapons. These poachers have killed off at least 80% of this park’s wildlife. Let look at the black rhinoceros. Man is the main threat to these animals, but not for their meat, but for the price a person can receive from their horns. The reason these animals are killed at an alarming rate is because people in China believes that the horns or these animals can help reduced a fever. A black rhino is worth at least $200,000 dead (Black Rhino, n. d. ). Even though these animals are currently on the endanger list, poachers have no respect or any regards for the law. Right now there are only a few black rhino remaining in Manovo-Gounde St. Floris. The elephants population have also decline in this park by 75%, and this is also due to the poachers. As anyone can see, poaching needs to be stop and it up the people to do so. Not just the people of this country, but this issue need to be address so everyone from across the world is aware of what is going on. There need to be human intervention, because if this continue to go on, there will be no more Manovo-Gounda St. Floris National Park. The future of this park depends on everyone. Grazing is another issue. According to Ask. com (n. d. ), grazing is defined as to feed on growing grasses and field. Grazing is illegal and most of grazing that goes on with the park is done during the dry season, where there are a large numbers of cattle moving across the grassland going through the park. When grazing happens, it can destroy the grassland that is intend for the wildlife, and it can also cause the spread of disease from the cattle to the wildlife. Manovo-Gounda-St. Floris National Park, Central African Republic (March 2002), states that in 1997, four staff members were shot, causing the tourism in this park to come to a complete halt. Currently the park only has one manager and one assistant manager along with five guards. In order to keep the Park going, major changes need to be made. Since tourism was a great way for the park to pay for itself there need to be great consideration into making the area and park safe again for tourist. In 1988 there was a $27 million grant made to aid in the controlling of poaching and gazing that is going on within this park. How this money was use in to aid in the poaching and grazing situation is not know. The term biodiversity refers to genes, species (plants and animals), ecosystems, and landscapes, and the ecological and evolutionary processes that allow these elements of biodiversity to persist over time. Manovo-Gounda St. Floris National Park was one of the largest parks in Central Africa, and was home to some of the diversity wildlife in the world. At one time, tourism was a source of maintaining the up keep of the park, but all of this was threaten by poachers and the grazing of the land. Humans have become this park worst enemy. Man has fail to realize that these animals or vital to our existence just like insects and plants are. There is a lot that need to be done in order to maintain the diversity of the Manovo-Gounda St. Floris National Park. Where do we start? We have to start with education. In order for the poachers to stop killing off the diversity of the wildlife, they need to be educated on why the park exist, and what the benefit of the park is to the animals and the citizens of this country. They need to be taught what the consequence is if they continue to destroy all of the wildlife or if these animals seize to exist anymore. Education is the just the beginning, but first the people who are doing the poaching need to be educated in the harm this is doing. The residents of Central Africa Republic also need to be educated and need to know the value of this park. They need to know that once this park becomes safe again and tourism is resumed, then they all will be able to benefit from it. Tourism will bring money to their country, and might even bring new business into the country. New businesses, mean creating jobs. In order to do this, money need to be raised. Once the money is raise, some might wonder what and where the money is going. The money will go towards advertising, education, training, security, the up keep of the park. Action need to be taken today, because tomorrow is too late. The future of this park depends on us, the people. The survival of these animals depends on us. The destruction of wildlife is not just happening in the Manovo-Gounda St. Floris National Park. The poaching of wildlife is happening throughout Africa. In order for children our children to have a chance of seeing elephants, giraffes, rhinoceros, wild dogs, cheetahs, money, and other exotic animals up close, then we need to save this park. Let put the awareness out to the citizens of this country and to other countries as well. The majority of this park wildlife has already been destroyed, what we are waiting on the remaining 15-20% that is left. Let come up with a plan to end the poaching and grazing of this park, we can do it. References Ask. com. (n. d. ). Retrieved September 18, 2007, from http://www. ask. com/reference/dictionary/ahdict/103817/poaching Black Rhino. (n. d. ). Retrieved September 18, 2007, from http://www. botany. uwc. ac. za/Envfacts/Black_Rhino/index. htm Protected Areas Programme. (n. d. ). Retrieved August 26, 2007, from http://www2. wcmc. org. uk/protected_areas/data/wh/manovo. html United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre. (n. d). Manovo-gounda st. franis national park, central africa republic. Retrieved August 26, 2007, from http://www. unep-wcmc. org/sites/wh/manovo. html

Developments in Public Personnel Field

This paper deals with the trends, issues and challenges that are being faced by the public personnel. These trends and issues may be categorized under (1) Management practices; (2) technology; and (3) Economic and Politics. Governments all over the world should learn this time what to do with their public personnel so that they can become more efficient and more effective in the face of all the mentioned challenges. . IntroductionPublic or Civil Service is a big part of the lives of the citizens of a nation whether they want it or not. There are a number of government agencies that require the services of public servants and professionals. These professionals are free from the political affiliations of people who serve in the bureaucracy. There are developments in the society, in the technology and other areas of management that have an impact in the lives of public personnel. This essay explores these new trends, strategies, approaches by looking at different areas that affect the l ives and performance of public personnel.These new trends, issues and emerging practices will be divided into three major categories: management practices, technology and economic situation. The first category deals mainly with the emerging issues in management such as diversity, the rights and benefits of public personnel and how the government is reacting to these trends. Secondly, the technological advancements that impact the work of public personnel will be looked at, carefully noting how these are revolutionizing the way that public personnel do their work. Lastly, the economic developments in the United States and the world will also be noted together with their impact on the lives of workers in the Civil service sector.The government as an employer should take note of these developments and keep up with the times. Oftentimes, however, bureaucracy tends to react too slowly to the changes going on in the world. If this is the case, the public personnel will be disadvantaged. N onetheless, this paper will also put forward several recommendations as to how the plight of public personnel could be improved by the government through the effective and efficient use of resources in their respective organizations.Management PracticesWorkforce DiversityOne of the most important developments in public personnel in the twenty-first century is the increasing recognition of diversity in the operations of public offices and agencies. Such diversity stems from the multicultural fabric of the American society. There are African Americans, Asians, Europeans and Latino in the United States.It is impossible to exclude these people from becoming public personnel if they possess the skills and the educational requirements of serving in the Civil Service. Through the victories won by the Civil Rights movement in the United States in the past forty years or so, the US has come a long way in granting equal rights and opportunities to people of various skin colors.The immigration to the US has also continued in the past few years that the demographic has changed. Through the process of globalization, more and more people from various nations are coming to the United States. Managing a diverse workforce is therefore becoming an imperative for most corporations and multinational companies in the US. This should also be the case with public personnel (Farazmand, 2007).There are a number of benefits that workforce diversity could offer to public offices and agencies. For one, perspectives and viewpoints in the office concerning pressing issues and concerns will be diverse, thus, providing the decision maker with the ability to look at different angles before making important decisions. Without diversity, people will, more or less, look at something from virtually same lenses and perspectives. With diversity, however, there are new perspectives that could enable a broader look at issues plaguing the civil service and the rest of the society.One factor that influ ences the occurrence of diversity in both private and public organizations is the prevalence of migration and mobility of labor. People from diverse backgrounds often find themselves mingling with people from other nationalities (Mavin & Girling, 2000). Diversity, however, is more than just a collection of nationalities within the organization. Rather, there are several sources of diversity that can serve as a point of conflict within the organization—public or private. Managing diversity, therefore, is an art that most public agencies and organizations should be dealt with effectively. These sources of diversity include gender, race, ethnicity, linguistic barriers, sexual preferences and religion.As stipulated in the Constitution and the laws of the United States, these kinds of differences should in no way affect the employment of persons or prevent them from enjoying the privileges accorded to any person within the civil service of the country. The problem, however, is tha t, in a setting such as the public agencies and organizations, there are persons who may have strong feelings, prejudices and biases against any of these sources of diversity and they may condescend to those who are not like them. As such, they might not be able to get along with certain kinds of people in the civil service.Multiculturalism and the prevalence of diversity should be met with effective public personnel management strategies. The management should not be reactive and act as if they are always pacifying people, trouble-shooting problems and ironing out conflicts. Rather, diversity should be managed well by allowing practices and the organizational culture to become attuned to diversity. After all, the labor force has become heterogeneous and there seems to be no way to stop that at this stage (Sippola, 2005).Proactive management of diversity entails understanding the cultural and other differences among different peoples who belong to the organization. This also helps t he management become more attuned to the composition of the public personnel workforce and make the necessary recommendations in terms of managing these personnel.Diversity is one thing that could help the organization thrive in the highly competitive world of the twenty-first century. Through diversity, the perspective of an organization becomes broader and the way in which the organization reaches out to people belonging to different groups.There is an increasing sense of job insecurity in the United States, work hours cannot be completely controlled and the leadership style of managers may sometimes be unsuitable to that of the expectations of the organization. The well-being of the organization should not be compromised (Sparks, Faragher, & Cooper, 2001).The Need for Entrepreneurial LeadershipAnother problem plaguing the bureaucracy and the civil service in general is too much reliance on tried and tested formula without exploring new possible ways of dealing with different prob lems and challenges that the government agencies are facing. Too often, leaders in the government fail to look beyond the proverbial horizon of their respective agencies. As such, what happens is that they rely on previous records, previously successful formula rather than on carefully crafted strategies that address the present situation of their organizations. This is where entrepreneurial leadership comes in.One of the keywords closely associated with entrepreneurship is innovation. This is the continuous pursuit for improvement and looking for new areas to improve the operations of the organization. If this were present in most public agencies, then the personnel can be empowered as they become more effective and efficient in fulfilling their tasks. Unnecessary delays and red tape in the public offices tend to affect the level of innovativeness of public agencies in information technology and other areas of operation (Moon & Bretschneiber, 2002).Entrepreneurship is also closely associated with risk. If managers are willing to engage in risk in the name of innovation, then the organization will become bolder in pursuing entrepreneurship and innovation. When this happens, the followers will emulate the example of the bosses, and they, themselves, will engage in efforts and action that could lead to a more efficient and effective public service organization.Technology  Internet, Web 2.0 and Business ApplicationsThe twenty-first century is marked by break-neck speed of technological breakthroughs and innovation. The world is still reeling from the impact of near instantaneous communication. The possibilities seem to be endless. When one company offers a product, three weeks later, a rival presents another product that is better and usually smaller than the one previously being offered. These technologies are changing the landscape of public personnel management, including the way in which business and office work are being done. These emerging technologies a re outlined in the next discussion.The Internet. The world is very much connected now, thanks to the wonder that is the Internet. With the number of websites all over the world today, the Internet has become a storehouse of articles and knowledge. Through these websites and other features of the Internet, readers and other users are able to check out the most recent breakthroughs in various fields of study in the world. More than that, with a simple click on the mouse, research can be undertaken. This means that workers can do more now that they are connected to the rest of the world (Sullivan & Lewis, 2002).Technology allowing workers to log on to the company intranet even while in a long distance from the office is now available. This is called remote access and makes use of the network of the Internet while putting forward a security means to protect the company from breach and security compromise (Sullivan & Lewis, 2002).Email is another important factor of the internet that has come to the fore of business operations in the past few years. Without email, the world will continue to rely on snail mail, which is a much slower and inefficient means of communication. With email, the sender can directly type in the message on the computer screen, hit the send button and then wait for a few seconds before the receiver opens the email. Another great thing about emails is that they can be used as vehicle of sending over large files over long distances (Sullivan & Lewis, 2011).Voice over internet Protocol. Another interesting feature of the Internet that has recently come to the attention of the world is Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). This significantly lowered the cost of voice communications over the Internet. This feature has been integrated into various instant messaging protocols such as Skype, Windows Messenger, AIM and Yahoo Messenger among others.It is also possible now to hold live video and audio streaming. This has implications in holding video con ferences over vast areas of land and territory. Hence, live video and audio streaming can help public agencies lower the cost of communication as they meet online. The security of information passed over the Internet is another important concern that must be addressed. Hence, the developments in Internet security and anti-virus technologies help users protect the users and the data that they are feeding and manipulating in the Internet. Information is a very important asset, particularly for public agencies that are serving the broader public. Thanks to the efforts of developers and anti-virus companies, most hackers are kept at bay and prevented from wreaking havoc in the systems of public agencies (Jackson & van der Wielen, 1998).The Internet, together with sound IT infrastructure is already installed in most public agencies. This enables the agencies to dispense social services more quickly and more efficiently. Without technology, such social services will be inaccessible to sev eral sectors in the society (Jones & Dages, 2003). Given the many distractions at work, however, more and more managers realize the importance of introducing regulations and control mechanisms concerning the websites that may be accessed by the public personnel at work. While they are at work, if the IT system is open, then they can listen to music while at the same time enjoy the resources for their own personal use.The reality of digital distraction and information overload among workers is also looming over the twenty-first century public personnel. As such, there should be a means of ensuring that only information pertinent to the job of the public personnel are accessed by the workers during the work session. Otherwise, they will be subject to information overload. Information technology at work is a double-edged sword. It can get a lot of things done but if improperly used, it may also be harmful to the productivity and overall performance of an individual worker (Jackson & va n der Wielen, 1998).The twenty-first century has been hailed as the coming of the knowledge economy where the workers are not only dealing with products and services but rather, they are dealing with information, data and knowledge. As such, technology is a prerequisite for the effective functioning of the public personnel in various areas of government and operations of such agencies.Teleworking and Telecommuting in the Public SectorThe advances and breakthroughs in the technology mentioned above paved the way for the emergence of teleworking and telecommuting among the professionals in the United States. There emerged a new brand of professionals who do not have to report to the office of the agency as long as they are doing the job they have agreed to. Although telecommuting is not a new phenomenon, it has been around since the late 1980s. The only difference now is that the technology has made it so much convenient for teleworkers to thrive in the present system (DiMartino and W irth, 1990).As long as a teleworker has access to computer and good internet connection, he may deliver the work he agreed to. There are also a number of telecommuters from other countries who do the work for the public and private sectors in the United States. Another related process being utilized nowadays is outsourcing. Workers and companies outside of the United States establish partnerships with companies in the US so they can handle the operations of some areas of business.With the increasing popularity of outsourcing and telecommuting, the organization should arrive at a sound plan how to manage these kinds of worker. Of primary concern is the growth of teleworkers as professionals in their field and how they get the services that they deserve (Cooper, & Kurland, 2002).Teleworking has a number of impacts on the public personnel. It might be opted by employees who are taking care of a family member at home needing special attention, by a mother who wants to spend more time wi th her kids or by any other professional who simply wants this kind of arrangement. Teleworking is being used in the private sector but it can also be implemented in the public sector.Teleworking may be considered as a really radical departure from the usual mode of working as public personnel. Teleworkers enjoy an immense level of flexibility in terms of fulfilling their role and still pursuing other interests that they want to pursue.Teleworking, however, may be considered as a security breach in an organization that holds sensitive information in its data bank. In addition to this, teleworking introduces a level of uncertainty and difficulty in managing people. This is why, management should look into an acceptable means of accommodating both the usual full-time staff and those who have opted for teleworking.As the public sector start dealing with teleworking, it should carefully look into the pros and cons of the arrangement. Through this, they can maximize the presence of the t eleworker in the organization while at the same time, making sure that its pitfalls are removed or at least minimized.Individual worker is really at the center of the teleworking arrangements. As long as there is an internet connection and computer, the teleworker can deliver his work. If possible, the organization should also undertake psychological tests to ascertain whether a certain employee is ready for the rigors and loneliness of the being a teleworker.Economy and PoliticsGlobalizationBecause of the rapid advances in communication and transportation technologies and the inter-relationships between and among the countries of the world, the nations are being brought closer together in a process known as globalization (Tomlinson, 1999).The changes being brought about by globalization are far-reaching and broad because it targets the politics, economics, culture and other areas of life (Castles, 2001). Globalization can no longer be ignored because it has impinged on important pr ocesses that go on in the society. It is also not just a national issue but a worldwide one. If this process continues, then the world can become a borderless society in which labor and other resources can move freely without a lot of hassle.In the management of public personnel, globalization has also become a real issue that must be dealt with by the bureaucracy. Globalization is also attacking the established authority of the state over a certain territory, such as a nation-state. The role of the state and the government, therefore, is changing under the relentless impact of globalization.The focus of globalization is efficiency, decentralization and the trimming down of the bureaucracy. In terms of public personnel, this means letting go of a lot of employees and retaining only those who process the core processes and who are able to continue the operations of the agencies that will be affected. With globalization, this means that there will be greater decentralization and dereg ulation of power and autonomy (Bevir, Rhodes & Weller, 2003).The government, however, cannot simply do that without major repercussions. There has to be a careful study as to the kind of jobs and personnel that will be retained and which positions will be let go. If possible, will there be roles that can be combined? This way, the government will be able to save money while at the same time ensuring that the processes being looked after by the public personnel will be continued.ConclusionThe twenty-first century world is very dynamic. Technologies are changing very rapidly, the relationships between and among the countries of the world are becoming stronger. Economies are trading more freely and governments are still in charge of running their own respective territories. This is being done with the help of public personnel who are in the bureaucracy and who are continuously serving the needs of the government and of the people they are serving.There are three main areas of concern t hat impact the changes in public personnel. These are in the areas of Management Practices, Technology, and Economics. Of particular interest is the increasing popularity and significance of workplace diversity and the manner in which public organizations should deal with it so that it can maximize its impact and its efficiency. In addition to this, the advances in technology is paving the way for alternative modes of working such as teleworking and telecommuting. Lastly, globalization also has an important impact on the way that public personnel are being treated and how the public sector can generate savings from the process. Reference Bevir, B, Rhodes, RAW, & Weller, P. (2003). Traditions of governance: interpreting the changing role of the public sector. Public Administration, 81 (1), 1-17. Castles, FG. (2001). On political company of recent pubic sector development. Journal of European Social Political Policy, 11 (3), 195-211. Cooper, CD & Kurland, NB (2002). Telecommuting, professional isolation, and employee development in public and private organizations. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 23 (4), 511-532. Daniels, K., Lamond, DA, & Stranden, P. (2000). Managing Telework. New York: CENGAGE Learning. Farazmand, A (2007). Strategic Public Personnel Administration. New York: Greenwood Publishing Group. Jackson, P. and Van der Wielen, J. (1998). Teleworking. Routledge, London. Jones, JW & Dages, KD (2003). Technology Trends in Staffing and Assessment: A Practice Note. International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 11 (2-3), 247-252. Mavin, S. & Girling, G. (2000). What is Managing Diversity and Why Does It Matter? Human Resource Development International, 3 (4), 419-433. Moon, MJ & Breschneiber, S (2002). Does the Perception of Red Tape Constrain IT Innovativeness in Organizations? Unexpected Results from a Simultaneous Equation Model and Implications. Journal of Publication Research and Theory, 12 (2), 273-292. Sippola, A. (2005). HRM of a Diverse Workforce: Challenges of Emerging Cultural Diversity. Proceedings of the 18th Scandinavian Academy of Management (NFF) Conference, Aarhus, Denmark, 18-20 August 2005. Sparks, K., Faragher, B & Cooper, CL (2001). Well-being and occupational health in the 21st century workplace. Journal of Occupational and Organizational. Sullivan, C & Lewis, S. (2002). Home-based Telework, Gender, and the Synchronization of Work and Family: Perspectives of Teleworkers and their Co-residents. Gender, Work and Organization, 8 (2), 123-145. Tomlinson, J. (1999) Globalization and Culture. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Life Is Beautiful (1997) - Movie Review

Life Is Beautiful (1997) - Movie Review When I first heard about the Italian movie Life Is Beautiful (La Vita e Bella), I was shocked to discover that it was a comedy about the Holocaust. The articles that appeared in the papers bespoke of many that found even the concept of the Holocaust portrayed as a comedy to be offensive. Others believed that it belittled the experiences of the Holocaust by inferring that the horrors could be ignored by a simple game. I, too, thought, how could a comedy about the Holocaust possibly be done well? What a fine line the director (Roberto Benigni) was walking when portraying such a horrendous subject as a comedy. Yet I also remembered my feelings to the two volumes of Maus by Art Spiegelman - a story of the Holocaust portrayed in comic-strip format. It was months before I dared read it, and only then because it was assigned reading in one of my college classes. Once I started reading, I couldnt put them down. I thought they were wonderful. I felt the format, surprisingly, added to the books power, rather than distracting from it. So, remembering this experience, I went to see Life Is Beautiful. Act 1: Love Although I had been wary of its format before the movie began, and I even fidgeted in my seat, wondering if I was too far from the screen to read the sub-titles, it took only minutes from the films beginning for me to be smiling as we met Guido (played by Roberto Benigni - also the writer and director). With a brilliant mixture of comedy and romance, Guido used flirtatious random encounters (with a few not so random ones) to meet and woo the school teacher Dora (played by Nicoletta Braschi - Benignis real-life wife), whom he calls Princess (Principessa in Italian). My favorite part of the movie is a masterful, yet hilarious, sequence of events involving a key, time, and a hat - youll understand what I mean when you see the film (I dont want to give too much away before you see it). Guido successfully charms Dora, even though she had been engaged to a fascist official, and gallantly retrieves her while riding on a green painted horse (the green paint on his uncles horse was the first act of anti-Semitism that is shown in the film and really the first time you learn that Guido is Jewish). During Act I, the movie-goer almost forgets he came to see a movie about the Holocaust. All that changes in Act 2. Act 2: The Holocaust The first act successfully creates the characters of Guido and Dora; the second act delves us into the problems of the times. Now Guido and Dora have a young son, Joshua (played by Giorgio Cantarini) who is bright, loved, and doesnt like to take baths. Even when Joshua points out a sign in a window that says Jews are not allowed, Guido makes up a story to protect his son from such discrimination. Soon the life of this warm and funny family is interrupted by deportation. While Dora is away, Guido and Joshua are taken and placed in cattle cars - even here, Guido tries to hide the truth from Joshua. But the truth is plain to the audience - you cry because you know what is really happening and yet smile through your tears at the obvious effort Guido is making to hide his own fears and calm his young son. Dora, who had not been picked up for deportation, chooses to board the train anyway in order to be with her family. When the train unloads at a camp, Guido and Joshua are separated from Dora. It is at this camp that Guido convinces Joshua they are to play a game. The game consists of 1,000 points and the winner gets a real military tank. The rules are made up as time goes on. The only one that is fooled is Joshua, not the audience, nor Guido. The effort and love that emanated from Guido are the messages relayed by the movie - not that the game would save your life. The conditions were real, and though the brutality was not shown as directly as in Schindlers List, it was still very much there. My Opinion In conclusion, I must say that I think Roberto Benigni (the writer, director, and actor) created a masterpiece that touches your heart - not only do your cheeks hurt from smiling/laughing, but your eyes burn from the tears. As Benigni himself stated, ...I am a comedian and my way is not to show directly. Just to evoke. This to me was wonderful, the balance to comedy with the tragedy.* Academy Awards On March 21, 1999, Life Is Beautiful won Academy Awards for . . . Best Actor (Roberto Benigni)Best Foreign Language FilmOriginal Dramatic Score (Nicola Piovani) * Roberto Benigni as quoted in Michael Okwu, Life Is Beautiful Through Roberto Benignis Eyes, CNN 23 Oct. 1998 (http://cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/Movies/9810/23/life.is.beautiful/index.html).

7 Simple Best Practices to Speed Up Your Job Search

7 Simple Best Practices to Speed Up Your Job Search When an individual has spent some time looking for a new work, it can be easy to get into a rut, especially if that perfect job hasn’t come along. Worse yet, the few interviews that came your way did not result in a job offer. There is no reason to panic. Changing your tactics and being more proactive can change your luck and land you that job. 1. Look Over Your ResumeOne mistake made by resume writers is using stock phrases in a resume. Saying things such as â€Å"team leader† sounds good but tells the recruiter nothing about your skills. Making yourself stand out in the crowd is more likely to get your resume noticed. If you are qualified for a job and applied for numerous classified ad jobs but don’t get callbacks for interviews, then the problem may lie with your resume. Gear a resume toward the job you are seeking, highlight your skills and make this information easy to find such as placing this information in short bullet points. Before you send a resume, c heck to make sure your contact information is correct. A surprising number of job applicants are never contacted because they listed an old phone number or email address.2. Improve Your Job SkillsWhile you are waiting for that interview, go over your resume and see if there is anything you can do to make yourself more desirable as an employee in your job niche. Perhaps taking a course to improve your skills may make the difference in whether you are selected. Even if it doesn’t, it adds to your skills and shows that you keep on top of the latest information. This can leave a positive impression on recruiters.3. Work on Interviewing SkillsThe all-important interview can make or break getting a job. Polish your interview skills by practicing in front of friends or family or even in front of a mirror. Remember that you will probably be asked to tell the recruiter about yourself. Keep this response under two minutes and include education, what you accomplished that benefitted you r previous job and how you can be an asset for the current job opening.4. Try NetworkingSometimes, jobs can be found right under your nose. By networking through friends and business acquaintances, you can find job position openings. In addition, you can make a list of companies where you would like to work and submit an application for a current job listing or make inquiries about future job openings.5. Reevaluate Your SearchYou’ve submitted dozens of applications at job search sites and haven’t heard anything back. Maybe you need to reevaluate the way you are conducting your job search and the information you are putting out. This might be the time to ramp up your LinkedIn profile or your personal web page, which gives you plenty of room to list your qualifications, awards and experience. If searching job boards online isn’t helping, maybe it’s time to expand your job hunting by using other means.6. Follow Up on ApplicationsRather than waste time waitin g for a call or email from a recruiter, wait about a week and follow up on your job application. If the interest isn’t there, check it off your list to avoid wasting your time. In addition, recruiters may appreciate that an applicant wants the job badly enough to follow up. This might make a recruiter reconsider your application or bring it to his or her notice when contacting applicants for interviews.7. Take Your Job Search SeriouslySome job seekers simply send in stock resumes and wait for responses. Being proactive when searching for a job is more likely to get you called in for that first interview. Conducting a job search is work in itself and should be treated as seriously as you would a new job. Attention to detail, being proactive and making necessary changes will get you that dream job more quickly.When your job search stalls out, then it is time to re-evaluate, make changes and keep searching. TheJobNetwork helps by doing the searching for you. This service lets yo u list your qualifications and job interests and searches 24-hours a day for appropriate job openings, which it sends to you in the form of alerts. In addition, you can be proactive by searching the jobs yourself. Sign up for job match alert to get your job search going.

Management , society and new forms of work Essay

Management , society and new forms of work - Essay Example As such, Marazzi divided his thoughts on the subject of capital and language in four chapters: the transformation of economy from Post-Fordism to the New Economy, an account of the dot-com crash in 2001, the monetization of surplus value and the current trends, or the War Economy, in the business cycle as economic crisis continues to generate havoc throughout the global economies. The changes in working practices and patterns through the transition from Post-Fordism to the New Economy arose in the late 1980s and were fully established with the flourish of dot.com companies of the 1990s. The period of the dot-com bubble or the Information technology Bubble was marked by the formation of new Internet-based companies that maximized the use of steady commercial growth of the Internet. Several companies invested in ______________________ 1Haiven, M. 2009. In-Credible Wealth and Panic in the â€Å"New Economy†. Criticism. 51 (1): 165. using the e-prefix which increased the confidenc e of stock prices and future profits. Unfortunately, the bubble collapsed in early 2000s as large portion of market capitalization of numerous companies failed or declined dramatically2. With Post-Fordism being agreed as the transformation of the nature of work, the New Economy settles on the importance of finance specifically on the stock market. Marazzi relates work and finance through language by stating, †¦in the New Economy language and communication are structurally and contemporaneously present throughout both the sphere of the production and distribution of goods and services and the sphere of finance, and that it is for this very reason that changes in the world of work and modifications in the financial markets must be seen as two sides of the same coin3. Post-Fordism produces numerous goods and services that are set to the diversification of commercialized values and way of life. However, the centrality of communications and information technology in the United State s and other Western countries has delivered a new breed of expensive managers and technicians. Increased worker participation and elastic work schedules are applied in production to maximize efficiency and flexibility while eroding job security through the employment of contract and outsourced labour4. Finance was first examined by the author, from its beginnings to the concerns of the ______________________ 2Lowenstein, R. 2004. Origins of the Crash: The Great Bubble and its Undoing. Penguin Books. p. 114. 3Marazzi, C. 2008. Capital & Language: From New Economy to War Economy. Semiotext(e). p. 14. 4Holland, J. 2005. Fordism/Post-Fordism. Globalization & Autonomy Glossary. p. 2. http://globalautonomy.ca/global1/servlet/Glossarypdf?id=CO.0021 (Accessed November 9, 2012). financialisation of the economy. He noted that if savings had been focused in household economies before, the New Economy has shifted this habit into using the collective savings and pension schemes of individuals as investments for their financial future. In the past, labour was affected by economic crises through the loss of jobs and the cutback of public spending. However, labour is now directly invested in the performance capital making contemporary financial crises different from past ones. Hence,

Critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Critique - Essay Example By inserting the word, â€Å"Indi’s owner,† the impact would be made smooth and the shift not abrupt. The corrected version would run like this: â€Å"Samantha, Indi’s owner, acknowledges ‘Being a pit bull†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Paragraph 3: The paragraph is too long and hard on the eyes. This should be broken in two. The new paragraph may begin with â€Å"BSL fails to address †¦.† as anyway it begins to explain deeper about BSL - a topic distinct different from the earlier idea being discussed which is dog breed and its general link to BSL. Paragraph 5: â€Å"However, that is an average of less than 20 dog-bite related fatalities per year, presumes accurate reporting of dog breed, and does not take total number of dogs in the breed in the general population into account.† Delete â€Å"is† in â€Å"is an average† and the thought will be clear. Paragraph 9: â€Å"The popularity of particular breeds ebbs and flows, in the 70s Dobermans were popular, in the 80s ‘pit bulls’ were†¦.† Colon instead should be used after the word, â€Å"flows† since a long enumeration begins on the topic of dog breeds by the decades. The outline of the article runs this way. Indi is introduced as champion dog, followed by the negative reputation of Pit Bull Terrier breed and what Indi has to endure for being of this breed. How â€Å"pit bull† breed came into controversy is discussed next, beefed by statistics on dog bites that are not based on breed. BSL (Breed Specific Legislation) is enacted on state-wide level then because of reported dog viciousness. Medical studies on dog bites come next, but these studies do not highlight breed. Statistics on dog-attacks are compared to non-fatal dog bites. From here, BSL being enacted based on breed incidents is described. BSL is hitting the wrong nail, it is argued, and that it is an ineffective response to sensationalized issues. The presumptions of BSL and why it is ineffective are considered. Because there is no decrease in dog attacks despite