The Sports Taboo †English 1 page Essay

The Sports Taboo – English 1 page Essay Free Online Research Papers The Sports Taboo English 1 page Essay In his essay, â€Å"The Sports Taboo† Malcolm Gladwell writes about blacks and whites and how they compare when in comes to athletic ability. He expresses how it’s all right to talk about medical differences: such as blacks having a higher incidence of hypertension than whites except it’s taboo to talk about racial differences in athletic abilities. Malcolm Gladwell starts out his essay by writing what whites are supposed to be good at and what blacks are supposed to be good at. â€Å"In football, whites play quarterback and blacks play running back; in baseball whites pitch and blacks play the outfield.† (135) He gives all these ideas and reasons as to why blacks seem to have better athletic identity and even he himself appears to believe that if you are white, you stand no chance. On page 136 he says, â€Å"It was as if I saw his whiteness as a degenerative disease, which would eventually claim and cripple him.† I think that in this paragraph, Gladwell demonstrates how stereotypes work and how much they influence your thinking. If this is the case, then the reason you notice less white people excelling in sports could be because they them selves are influenced by the stereotype that they will never be good enough. I agree with Gladwell’s thoughts on stereotyping and how much people are affected by it. He also makes an example of this when comparing boys and girls. Gladwell writes that their differences in math scores could be because society expects boys to do better. This is true because society has a huge influence on people and their thinking. For example: why don’t many girls become engineers and boys become nurses? I think that, after reading the entire essay, Gladwell believes there is more than one factor that contributes to great athletic ability. One of them is genetics. â€Å"According to the medical evidence, African-Americans seem to have, on the average, greater bone mass than do white Americans-a difference that suggests greater muscle mass.† (p137) I totally agree that genes have something to do with it, but it’s not the only factor. Another factor that contributes to athletic ability is effort. Gladwell writes how athletic success depends on the individual and their desire to be the best. I believe that this is the most important factor and if you want something enough, you will put your all into it and try so much more than someone who doesn’t have the will. Gladwell gives a great example at the end of his essay. He describes a time when he was running with two of his buddies and then one day his buddies’ decided to run straight up Signal Hill backwards. â€Å"What I do know is that such questions were irrelevant, because, as I realized, they were willing to go to far greater lengths to develop their talent. They ran up the hill backward. I ran home.† (p144) This finalizes his views that athletic success depends on both, genetics and drive. Research Papers on The Sports Taboo - English 1 page EssayWhere Wild and West MeetBook Review on The Autobiography of Malcolm XTrailblazing by Eric AndersonHonest Iagos Truth through DeceptionComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoStandardized TestingEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenResearch Process Part OneHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Essay19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided Era

3 Essential Steps to Landing a Seasonal Job

3 Essential Steps to Landing a Seasonal Job 1.  Target the Right EmployersYou can start by targeting large, nationwide retailers- Macy’s, Kohls, Walmart, and shipping companies like UPS or FedEx are expected to hire on thousands of extra hands this year.  But  don’t confine your search to the major retailers. Play to your strengths and apply to specialty groceries, caterers, household shops or nearby stores whose products you know well. Enjoying what you’re selling can partially make up for even the longest double shift! There’s some promising news this year: temp job hourly rates at e-commerce companies (anything that delivers, from Best Buy to Amazon) will likely leap from the $9-$11 2014 average up to $15 or more, which is good news for the underemployed.2. Develop Your Technical SkillsAs you start filling out applications and creating a perfect retail resume, brush up on your technical skills- bracing for massive holiday crowds, many companies equip retail employees with iPads or other rem ote tech support devices to meet the needs of customers who mix their in-person and online shopping habits. You don’t want to seem confused if they put a tablet in your hand instead of the usual POS software. Emphasize any customer service experience, as well as organizational or administrative background you’ve had.3. Practice for Your InterviewIf you make it through the initial application process, be ready to wow in your interview. Read articles on different blogs about various interviewing techniques. Remember, employers prioritize reliability (including punctuality- so be early and be prepared), enthusiasm, and a great working attitude. Be flexible about scheduling, willing to take off-hours and pick up extra shifts, and be the best team player you know how to be. Even if they can’t retain you through the regular season, they’ll remember you next fall and you may luck into a recurring seasonal position.Good luck and happy holiday hiring season!

Developing a small business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Developing a small business - Essay Example However, Fair fast food forever gives the customers the imagery that it is a impersonator, always reproduction the food recipe also from coffee bar de carol; further additional, it suffered food quality manage and monetary unsteadiness. Upon the aspects of outside surroundings analysis, the Fair fast food has optimistic condition similar to increasing "Not cooking" youthful couples, economic slump period, food preference of younger and young people, its' ascendant position in Kowloon, and Hong Kong is an good-looking traveling metropolis will make additional opportunities for Fair fast food to expand. However, some outside impediments as usual disaster and keen opposition in catering manufacturing will ominously cumber its growth. If we analyzed then we come to know that the part of informative from meeting and analysis can with no trouble get that the Fair fast food eating place has been productively developing from one opening to 11 outlets nowadays due to their organization attitude that always follows the essential rules similar to mechanization, fast, and Utilization of good resources; further additional, its organization Concent... Introduction Small Business, in the UK business that is separately owned and operated, is not leading in its field of operation and can meet the criteria under criteria about figure of employees, average yearly receipts or other decisive factor as outlined by the UK Small Business Management (www.motorola.com). According to the expert analysis running a one-person business is a original, flexible and demanding way to turn out to be your own superior and chart your own prospect. It is about creating a life, as it is concerning creation a living. It takes bravery, determination and forethought to decide to turn out to be an entrepreneur. From the comparatively secure cocoon of the business world, where paychecks reach your destination frequently, you will be venturing into the unchartered country of business. This account covers the inside that analysis of the Fair fast food eating place is how to productively operate and stay alive in the competitive market as a small business starter. Company Profile This research focused on this truth that the primary Fair fast food eating place was recognized in December 1991 in Chung on Street, Tsuen Wan, registered capital of the occasion was HK$5 millions and the whole amount of the employees was 57. The second eating place was opened five years afterward in 1996 in Fuk Wing Street, Sham Shui Po, the total quantity of the staff at that time has been greater than before to 86. Fair prolonged rapidly since then mounting from 5 restaurants to a sum of 11 in 1998, portion over 10,000 clientele daily. Fair fast food eating place is principally busy in service a chain of fast food restaurants in Hong Kong and the People's Republic of China beneath the

Netflix Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Netflix - Essay Example Bargaining Power of the Buyers The movie rental industry is highly dependent on the buyers similar to that of other industry. Buyers purchase DVD’s or access internet to watch movies of their preferred choices. Contextually, they need to pay for the movies that they desire to watch and in turn, they seek utmost quality for the same. Additionally, having several players offering similar product, buyers are enabled with number of choices to choose from. This raises buyers’ bargaining power (Thompson, n.d.). Bargaining Power of the Suppliers In this industry sector, suppliers have the authority to choose a single dealer through whom they can enhance their bargaining power. However, in order to maximize profit and market share, suppliers are inclined to sell their products to every company, thereby limiting their bargaining power to medium (Thompson, n.d.). Rivalry The cost of entering into this kind of industry is quite reasonable owing to which the competition among the c ompanies are quite high. A few of the competitors in this particular industry l include Blockbuster, internet movies and TV content providers among the prime ones (Thompson, n.d.). Threat of Substitute Products In general, there are no such threats of substitute for this kind of product owing to the reason that movies and TV programs have similar content irrespective of whoever is presented to the viewers. However, piracy and illegal file sharing can be a threat for the products (Thompson, n.d.). Threat of New Entrants Owing to low entry cost, more and more competitors can enter into this kind of business. However, certain big players like Blockbuster and Netflix seems to dominate this industry (Thompson, n.d.). Q. 2. What Forces Is Driving Change In The Movie Rental Industry And Is The Combined Impacts Of These Driving Forces Likely To Be Favorable Or Unfavorable In Term Of Their Effects On Competitive Intensity And Future Industry Profitability? The movie rental industry is driven by certain crucial forces such as advancement of technology, convenience of buyers and cost factors among others. With the advent of technologies like internet, watching movies has become more online than watching in TV through acquiring a hard copy of CD’s or DVD’s. Furthermore, technologies such as smartphone and computer enhance the viewing experiences of the people as they watch movies anytime and anywhere. In addition, it has also been viewed that people feel more convenient and comfortable in watching movies in internet through live streaming rather than buying a CD or DVD of the same from any video library. This not only saves their time but also minimizes cost. These forces are likely to be unfavorable for companies as they would need to shift their focus from renting DVDs or CDs to providing services online. However, this aspect might be profitable for them in the future in terms of attracting huge figure of customers (Thompson, n.d.). Q.3. What Key Factors W ill Determine A Company’s Success in the Industry in the Next 3-5 Years? In order to gain success in this particular industry, companies will require moving in parallel with the changing trends, demands and needs of the customers. Companies in the coming years will need to enhance their market coverage through widespread advertising to gain success in this particular industry. Moreover, they should also need to adopt and execute proper strategies in order to ensure maximum ease of the customers.

Investigating electric potential Essay Example for Free

Investigating electric potential Essay A graph of V against 1/d gives a straight line with positive slope from x=0. 05m. It shows that the electric potential measured by the probe is inversely proportional to the distance of the probe from the surface of the sphere. Discussion:   A voltmeter or a CRO cannot be used to measure the electric potential at a point in the air because both instruments draw a small current to produce a deflection and this will disturb the electric field.   With no flame, the probe may acquire an induced charge and thus affect the field around it, altering the potential at the needle. Therefore, a flame probe is used. It produces positive and negative ions which discharge the needle so that the needle becomes uncharged due to neutralization. Since the needle is now neutralized, its potential is the same as the original potential. Sources of error: When measuring the distance of the probe from the centre of the sphere, a piece of string with a mass attached was dropped from the sphere for locating the zero mark of the meter ruler. This may not be accurate as the sting may not be vertically below the centre of the sphere   Precautions: 1. The wire which connects the needle and the electroscope cannot touch the bench or any other earthed conductor. This is to prevent charge leakage. 2. The charged sphere must be well away from the walls and the bench top as the induced charges on these objects will upset electric field. Conclusion:   Between two parallel plates: the electric potential remains constant at constant distance from the metal plates the electric potential is proportionally to the distance from the earthed plates   Around a charged sphere: the electric potential remains constant at constant distance from the centre of sphere the electric potential is inversely proportionally to the distance from the surface of sphere

Homosexuality: Is It A Choice? (Pro) Essay --

Homosexuality: Is It A Choice? (Pro) The term homosexual originated in 1892, to describe two people of the same gender that were attracted to each other. All though Homosexual behavior between species has been dated back to the beginning of time. Today in the United States based on Population surveys more then eight-million adults alone in the U.S are homosexual. Many people believe that Homosexuality is a scientific, and is no more of a choice then the color of your skin. Crystal Dixon , former Human Resources Administrator of The University of Toledo, who was fired after stating her beliefs in Toledo free press explains that â€Å" Gay is not the new black, Gay is about sex and genitalia, people we call gay make choices about what they do with their genitals, blacks do not make choices about their color of their skin.† That being said homosexuality is a choice, having an attraction to the other gender may be able to be explained by scientific principles, but the people you involve yourself with romantically and/or sexually is your choice. Many people argue that one DNA decides when they are born if they are heterosexual or not. Under this statement homosexuals would be given the same rights as heterosexual's because its not their decision in what gender they prefer. This argument is hardly debatable though because research has shown very little relationship between genetics and homosexuality. Studies have been recently taken, using DNA Microarray technology. These studies have failed to find any gene that may cause homosexuality. Even if there was a gene that caused someone to be homosexual, it would be exterminated rapidly because it wouldn't be able to reproduce. Many people also say homosexuality is caused... ...Can't we just judge them by the type of car they drive?† - Ellen Degeneres Being homosexual is a choice, but the morality of the choice shouldn't effect anyone but the person who made that choice. Works Cited Malory, M. N.p., n. d. 22 Nov 2013. . Gates, G. J.. N.p.. Web. 22 Nov 2013. . Oscar Lopez, R.. N.p.. Web. 22 Nov 2013. . . N.p.. Web. 22 Nov 2013. . Whitehead, N. E., and B. K. Whitehead. N.p.. Web. 22 Nov 2013. .

Employment Law HRM Strategy Essay

Employment law is critical to an organization allowing it to fulfill needs and business ventures applicable to state and federal laws. In this paper we will be discussing the laws that allow and disallow seasonal employees from another country to be able to work in the state of Georgia. In the paragraphs below I will explain to you the reader the scenario listed above, I will set a plan in accordance to the HRM situation, justify my approach to HR management, state the competitive advantage, and describe the situation that may occur from not properly following the appropriate laws. Everyone has the right to work, and there are many opportunities in this country. In order to enjoy these liberties workers need to be documented in order to be legally able to work without consequence to them, and the company that they are occupying a position. Employment law consists in the body of laws and rules regulating civil rights and non-union related conduct in the workplace (Stewart, 2012). Civil rights include a workplace free from discrimination and harassment for people who fit into one of the legally protected class (Stewart, 2012). Conduct law refers to equal and fair pay immigrant and employment at will laws (Stewart, 2012). These laws are the laws that are pertaining to the laws that are corresponding with the situation of seasonal employees from another country. The Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act (MSPA) provides employment-related protections to migrant and seasonal agricultural workers and is administered and enforced by the Wage and Hour Division of the U. S. Department of Labor (DOL,2012). Within the confines of the law I came up with a plan for seasonal workers, first these are the parameters that we must follow. Every non-exempt farm labor contractor, agricultural employer, and agricultural association must: * Disclose the terms and conditions of employment to each migrant worker in writing at the time of recruitment and to each seasonal worker when employment is offered, in writing if requested; * Post information about orker protections at the worksite; * Pay each worker the wages owed when due and provide each with an itemized statement of earnings and deductions; * Ensure that housing, if provided, complies with substantive federal and state safety and health standards; * Ensure that each vehicle, if transportation is provided, meets applicable federal and state safety standards and insurance requirements and that each driver be properly licensed; * Comply with the terms of any working arrangement made with the workers; and * Make and keep payroll records for each employee for three years (DOL. 012) The plan that we will use to manage the situation will be by appointing two or three HR professionals, and a project manager to oversee the project. They will coordinate events as per the MSPA which regulates the seasonal workers. The MSPA requires farm labor contractors, agricultural employers, and agricultural associations, who recruit, solicit, hire, employ, furnish, transport, or house agricultural workers, as well as providers of migrant housing, to meet certain minimum requirements in their dealings with migrant and seasonal agricultural workers (DOL, 2012). Our plan resembles closely to what is already in state as per state, federal and local legislations. Human resource is the greatest asset that any organization possesses and it must ensure that this potential is harnessed to the maximum to contribute positively towards the growth of the organization (Amillionlives, 2010). Every non-exempt farm labor contractor, agricultural and seasonal agricultural association must; disclose the terms and conditions of employment to each migrant worker in writing at the time of recruitment and to each seasonal worker when employment is offered in writing (DOL, 2012). HR management would use this information to aide in writing the offers of employment for the migrant and farm workers. There are many competitive advantages of HRM practices meets the employment laws, typically business are more competitive with a structured HRM practice in place. Having an HRM in place makes it easier to organize employment according to the laws. An effective HRM in a competitive advantage will use information provided from the Department of Labor (DOL), one instance that would be useful in this situation is Employers must provide each migrant and seasonal day-haul worker with a written disclosure at the time of recruitment that describes the terms and conditions of his or her employment. When offering employment, the employer must provide such isclosure to all seasonal workers upon request. The disclosure must be written in the worker’s language. If the HRM is effective they will be able to utilize different commodities of the job in order to provide the service as per employment laws and contract obligations. If the situation of the need for seasonal employees who may be from another country were not to follow proper laws could result in major fines and penalties to the company. Ethics related problems are faced by the organizations whenever there is a practice of using favoritism rather than ability or job performance for managerial decisions regarding employment, promotion, pay and discipline. These problems can be reduced and eliminated by maintaining the highest standards of professional and personal conduct, encouraging employers to make fair and equitable treatment of all. Severe penalties may arise from the state and federal departments for not following proper protocol. Immigration may also be informed of the situation due to the fact that they are dealing with non-citizen workers. In the paragraphs above I have explained to you the reader the scenario of the seasonal workers, provided a plan, justified the approach of HR management, competitive advantage, and provided the consequences that may arise from not following proper laws and protocol.

Economic Development in Urban Areas Essay

Many villagers and small town dwellers want a living in big cities. With some expectations, they make a movement from villages to big cities. This migration from rural areas to big cities is called urbanization. There are two kinds of factors why rural people seek for urban life. The first one is urban pull factor. They dream for higher wages, better housing and utilities, better school and hospital, more jobs opportunity, and more experience that they can get it all from a living in big cities as they think. The second one is urban push factor. We know that most of rural areas people are farmers. There’s not much else to do anymore in the village but wait for harvest time and without higher level of education, availability of media, or facilities that they need, they might be stimulated to move to urban areas. But after they reached what they called their dreamland, most of them must face more problems than what they had when they lived in villages. They will face some problems because of their insufficient abilities, experience, education, and skills those are needed for a good living in big cities. For instance, they can’t provide housing or maybe they can’t find any job. And then they just stranded with the option of staying in cities or coming back home. As the result of urbanization, cities have more problems to overcome such as pollution, overpopulation, drug abuse, congestion, crime, poverty, traffic jam, slum areas, and many more. There must be something to solve these problems. Government and citizens should be involved because taking care of city problems can’t be done entirely by government. The community can be even more successful because it deals directly with problem areas. As the solution to solve those problems government can provide housing, create a new regulation transmigration program, provide skills training program, or start to develop in rural areas. Beside that, citizens can help to succeed government’s programs with giving charity, offering some good job to jobless people, becoming foster parents who subsidize the education fee for underprivileged children, or offering a low cost housing for homeless people. Last of all, urbanization not only impacts a better future than living in a village, but also worse. Villagers must consider about their ability to deal with a living in problem-ridden city before they intend to move to big cities. Economic change has helped lead America into urban crisis for the following reasons. First of all, because urban problems are no longer confined to the inner city, but are regional in nature. The federal government has, also, largely drawn from the urban policy arena, thereby having cities and sates to develop their own solutions to local problems. Furthermore, the economy of cities is no longer organized around a central business district, but is dispersed throughout a metropolitan region. Next, the national economy has experienced a fundamental reorganization and many cities have experienced the direct effects of deindustrialization and disinvestments. Additionally, the fiscal crisis within the public sector is unprecedented and has seriously negative effects for the provision of services at all levels of government. Finally, the nature of work itself has changed within cities as more women enter the labor market; the changing nature of work has affected the urban family in many ways, many of which have direct ramifications for social welfare and family policies. There is a great amount of inequality of income in some cities. Most of those who fall bellow the poverty line is African Americans and Hispanics. This is because they are placed in low paying jobs. As more and more people immigrate into the country, there are less and less jobs to go around. This creates a larger poverty gap. People just coming here to America are placed in very low-income jobs. This is all they can get if they don’t speak any English. For example, here at Rider the cleaning people are all Spanish. They don’t speak any English, and their job is to be the cleaning crew. These are the only types of jobs that these people can get most of the time, and this makes our percentage of people who are in poverty go up. Another problem that is contributing to the urban crisis is the rise of single-parent families and ‘present-orientated’ values. The problem here is that the divorce rate in America is getting higher and higher, and also the amount of children being had out of marriage is greatly increasing also. This creates one parent raising a child. The problem here is that there is no proper care for children in this situation. The parent has too much responsibility. They are to provide for the family, as well as adequately care for their children. When the single parent has to go to work, to get money to pay for a place to live, food, and clothing, there leaves no time to watch and take care of the children, meaning children are left to take care of themselves after school is over and this result in a lot of problems for the communities. These children cause trouble. They are the ones who commit most crimes in an urban environment. This is why in an urban city there is a lot more crime. There are a lot of children left unsupervised for most of the day and night. Another problem is the ethnic tensions that there are in America. There are many things that are wrong with this. The first problem is that because of racism, people are secluded. They are pushed to all live together, because people don’t want to live next to them. This is how a ghetto is started, and slums. All the people of low incomes live in the same neighborhood together. They also contain the high crime rates because these are the people who are also of single parent families and their children are left unsupervised. Another problem with racism is that people are given lower paying jobs because of their race, and also, they aren’t able to have to same amount of experience as other people. They don’t go to as good of schools, and they then might not be able to go to college, so they are stuck. They can only get a low paying job. This creates families to be stuck in poverty for generations, they can never get out, unless with government assistance of some sort. Then this makes the inner cities all full of low-income families, and creates a poverty stricken area that cannot be fixed in any way. If there were more integration within neighborhoods, then we wouldn’t have these areas. Another reason why urban America is in crisis is because of the underground urban economy. This also causes a lot of crime in urban cities. The people in these cities who are poor, and are trying to find a way out, usually try by doing something illegal. A big example of this is drug sale. People start selling drugs to get money. This creates a lot of problems. The selling of illegal materials results in murders, and robberies, to either get the drugs, pay for the drugs, or avoid getting caught selling them. Another example of this is people stealing things, like car parts, and selling it on the black market. All of these illegal acts always result in something that makes the cities look worse and worse to live in. I know that when I go into Little Rock I am really afraid, because I know that there is a really high amount of crime there, and I am always thinking that someone is going to try to shoot me for my car, rob a store that I am in, or something else. Stereotypes of cities are easily created, and this doesn’t help the situation. Also, the advancement in technology has lead many people to be left without jobs. This technology had created more unskilled labor, and putted skilled labor to a minimum. People, who had been specialists at doing certain skilled work, are constantly being replaced by machines that can do the same work faster and cheaper. This creates a huge economy gap. It makes the rich get richer and the poor get poorer, by giving all the money from the profit of sales to the company owners, rather than to employees. So, the people who were already well off, have even more money, and those people who were middle class citizens are now jobless, and can not afford to take care of their families. The problem here is obvious, the more jobs that are lost because people are replaced by machines, the greater the amount of people who become in poverty. The numbers keep increasing. The UNFPA report we are launching today is of great importance and very timely: â€Å"unleashing the potential of urban growth†, as the report’s subtitle indicates, represents the greatest challenge of this century. The diagnosis made in the report is beyond dispute: urbanization is inevitable, but it can also be positive. Furthermore, the report focuses on poverty since it is poor people who will make up a large part of future growth. The report also focuses on the situation of women and young people. Projections suggest that in 2030, 60% of the population will be less than 18 years old. This is a very explosive situation if prevailing development models continue to exclude young people. My own research in various African capitals indicates a clear deterioration in the situation of young people, particularly with respect to access to paid employment. Younger people are taking more time than previous generations to find work and more often find themselves in precarious jobs in the informal sector. A society that does not provide challenging opportunities to its youth is a failed society. The situation is already catastrophic in the cities of the poor regions of the world and it is obvious that young people will not accept being excluded or marginalized. They will resort to alternative means, including violence, to challenge a world that leaves them so little space. I would suggest that this is urbanization’s greatest challenge is giving young people access to decent jobs that match their aspirations. In short, we must recognize the great merit of this report, which identifies the real problems and makes an extremely valid diagnosis.

Definition and Examples of Degree Modifiers in English

Definition and Examples of Degree Modifiers in English In English grammar, a degree modifier is a word (such as very, rather, fairly, quite, somewhat, pretty, sort of, and  kind of) that can precede adjectives and adverbs to indicate the degree or extent to which they apply. Also known as a  degree adverb(ial) and a degree word. The degree modifiers are adverbs that normally modify gradable words and answer the question How? How far? or How much? See Examples and Observations below. Also see: Adverb of EmphasisDowntonerIndirectnessIntensifierModification Modifier and  Premodifier QualifierSubmodifierTotally Overworked WordsVerbal Hedge Examples and Observations The good thing about Camp Catoctin was that it was  pretty small  overall. It was fairly easy to find your way around, even in the dark.(Beth Harbison, Thin, Rich, Pretty. St. Martins Press, 2010) Susie Van Berg was  awfully pretty, and  awfully kind.(Patricia Wentworth, Outrageous Fortune, 1933)Young love is a flame; very pretty, often very hot and fierce, but still only light and flickering. The love of the older and disciplined heart is as coals, deep-burning, unquenchable.(Henry Ward Beecher, Notes from Plymouth Pulpit, 1859)I addressed a question to him but he shook his head without speaking and gave me a  sort of sad smile- a lost world of a smile.(Lawrence Durrell, Tunc, 1968) His uniform was  a little too big, his black shoes a little too shiny, the crease in his troopers hat a little too perfect.(Scott Smith, A Simple Plan. Knopf, 1993) When a man asks himself what is meant by action he proves that he isnt a man of action. Action is a lack of balance. In order to act you must be somewhat insane. A reasonably sensible man is satisfied with thinking.(Georges Clemenceau, 1928) Intensifiers and DowntonersAdverbs of degree describe the extent of a characteristic. They can be used to emphasize that a characteristic is either greater or less than some typical level: Its insulated slightly with polystyrene behind. (CONV) They thoroughly deserved a draw last night. (NEWS)Degree adverbs that increase intensity are called amplifiers or intensifiers. Some of these modify gradable adjectives and indicate degrees on a scale. They include more, very, so, extremely. . . .Degree adverbs which decrease the effect of the modified item are called diminishers or downtoners. As with intensifiers, these adverbs indicate degrees on a scale and are used with gradable adjectives. They include less, slightly, somewhat, rather, and quite (in the sense of to some extent.) . . . Downtoners are related to hedges (like kind of). That is, they indicate that the modified item is not being used precisely. . . .Other degree adverbs that lessen the impact of the modified item are almost, nearly, pretty, and far from.(Douglas Biber, Susan Conrad, and Geoffrey Leech, Longman Grammar of Spoken and Written English. Pearson, 2002) Context Dependency of Degree ModifiersDegree modifiers . . . give specifications of degree concerning  the adjectives they modify. Adverbs such as very, extremely, absolutely  scale  adjectival properties upwards,  whereas other adverbs, such as slightly, a little, somewhat scale adjectival properties downwards. Rather, quite, fairly, and pretty set the qualities that gradable adjectives denote to a moderate level. Along with moderately and relatively, these degree modifiers are known as moderators (Paradis 1997).Like most degree modifiers,  rather, quite, fairly, and  pretty  are typologically unstable because they do not always neatly fit in the functional categories that linguists have assigned them. For example, quite is likely to be interpreted as a maximizer when it modifies an extreme/absolutive adjective (this novel is quite excellent) or a telic/limit/liminal adjective (quite sufficient), but it is likely to be a moderator when it modifies a scalar adjective ( quite big) (Paradis 1997:87). Past research has shown that context dependency  between adverbs and adjectives is not always decisive. It is often impossible to decide whether quite is a maximizer or a moderator. For example, quite is ambiguous when it modifies the adjective different (Allerton 1987:25). . . . Similarly, rather, pretty, and fairly can scale upwards or downwards . . ..(Guillaume Desagulier, Visualizing Distances in a Set of Near-Synonyms: Rather, Quite, Fairly, and Pretty.  Corpus Methods for Semantics: Quantitative Studies in Polysemy and Synonymy, ed. by  Dylan Glynn and Justyna A. Robinson. John Benjamins, 2014) Positioning Degree Modifiers- The word quite [as in the phrase The quite white house] belongs to the word class degree modifier.  A degree modifier is positioned  relative to an adjective, irrespective of the surrounding words, just as the article the is positioned relative to a noun, irrespective of the surrounding words. We can understand this by saying that quite and white are in the same adjective phrase, and that a degree modifier must come at the beginning of an adjective phrase.(Nigel Fabb, Sentence Structure, 2nd ed. Routledge, 2005)- Youre either very modest or  quite stupid. Take your choice.†(May Sarton, Anger, 1982)   The Fixed Class of Degree Words[An] example of words that dont fit neatly into one category or another is degree words. Degree words are traditionally classified as adverbs, but actually behave differently syntactically, always modifying adverbs or adjectives and expressing a degree: very, rather, so, too. This is a relatively fixed class and new members do not enter it frequently.(Kristin Denham and Anne Lobeck, Linguistics for Everyone. Wadsworth, 2010)

20 Facts About Principals Every Teacher Should Know

20 Facts About Principals Every Teacher Should Know Principals and teachers must have an effective working relationship for a school to be successful. Teachers must understand the role of the principal. Every principal is different, but most genuinely want to work with teachers to maximize the overall learning taking place within each classroom. Teachers must have a clear understanding of their principal’s expectations. This understanding has to be both general and specific. Specific facts about principals are individualized and are limited to the unique qualities of a single principal. As a teacher, you have to get to know your own principal to get a decent idea of what they are looking for. General facts about principals encompass the profession as a whole. They are true characteristics about virtually every principal because the job description is generally the same with subtle changes. Teachers should embrace these general and specific facts about their principal. Having this understanding will lead to greater respect and appreciation for your principal. It will foster a cooperative relationship that will benefit everyone in the school including the students whom we are charged to teach. 20. Principals Were Teachers Themselves Once Principals were teachers and/or coaches themselves. We always have that experience on which we can fall back. We relate to teachers because we have been there. We understand how hard your job is, and we respect what you do. 19. It's Not Personal Principals have to prioritize. We are not ignoring you if we cannot immediately help you. We are responsible for every teacher and student in the building. We must evaluate each situation and decide whether it can wait a bit or whether it requires immediate attention. 18. Stress Affects Us, Too Principals get stressed out. Almost everything we deal with is negative in nature. It can wear on us at times. We are usually adept at hiding the stress, but there are times when things build up to the point where you can tell. 17. We Do What Seems Best, Based on the Information Available Principals must make difficult decisions. Decision making is a crucial component of our job. We have to do what we believe is best for our students.  We agonize over the toughest decisions making sure they are well thought out before being finalized. 16. The Words Thank You Mean a Lot Principals appreciate it when you tell us thank you. We like to know when you think we are doing a decent job. Knowing that you genuinely appreciate what we do makes it easier for us to do our jobs. 15. We Want to Hear Your Opinion Principals welcome your feedback. We are continuously looking for ways to improve. We value your perspective. Your feedback can spur us to make significant improvements. We want you to be comfortable enough with us that you can offer suggestions with a take it or leave it approach. 14. We Appreciate Individuality Principals understand individual dynamics. We are the only ones in the building that have a true idea of what goes on in each classroom through observations and evaluations. We embrace different teaching styles and respect individual differences which have proven to be effective. 13. We Want to See Passion Principals loathe those who appear to be slackers and refuse to put in the time necessary to be effective. We want all of our teachers to be hard workers who spend extra time in their classrooms. We want teachers who realize that prep time is just as valuable as the time we actually spend teaching. 12. We Want You to Be Your Best Self Principals want to help you improve as a teacher. We will offer constant constructive criticism. We will challenge you to improve in areas in which you are weak. We will offer you suggestions. We will play devil’s advocate at times. We will encourage you to search continuously for improved ways to teach your content. 11. Our Time is Limited Principals do not have a planning period. We do more than what you realize. We have our hands in just about every facet of the school. There are a lot of reports and paperwork that we must complete. We deal with students, parents, teachers, and pretty much anyone who walks through the doors. Our job is demanding, but we find a way to get it done. 10. We Are Your Boss Principals expect follow through. If we ask you to do something, we expect it to be done. In fact, we expect you to go above and beyond what we have asked. We want you to take ownership in the process, so putting your own spin on a task will impress us as long as you have met our basic requirements. 9. We Are Human Principals make mistakes. We are not perfect. We deal with so much that we will occasionally slip. It is okay to correct us when we are wrong. We want to be held accountable. Accountability is a two way street and we welcome constructive criticism so long as it is done professionally. 8. We Are a Mirror of Your Performance Principals love it when you make us look good. Great teachers are a reflection of us, and likewise bad teachers are a reflection of us. We revel in delight when we hear parents and students offering praise about you.  It provides us reassurance that you are a capable teacher doing an effective job. 7. We Trust the Data Principals use data to make critical decisions. Data driven decision making is a critical component of being a principal. We evaluate data on an almost daily basis. Standardized test scores, district level assessments, report cards, and discipline referrals provide us with valuable insight that we use to make many key decisions. 6. We Expect Professionalism Principals expect you to be professional at all times. We expect you to adhere to reporting times, keep up with grades, dress appropriately, use appropriate language and submit paperwork in a timely manner. These are just a few of the basic generalized requirements that we expect every teacher to follow without any incidents. 5. No One Enjoys Disciplining Students Principals want teachers who handle the bulk of their own discipline problems. It makes our job more difficult and puts us on alert when you continuously refer students to the office. It tells us that you have a classroom management issue and that your students do not respect you. 4. The Job is Our Life Principals attend most extra-curricular activities and do not get the entire summer vacation. We spend an inordinate amount of time away from our family. We are often one of the first to arrive and the last to leave. We spend the entire summer making improvements and transitioning to the next school year. A lot of our most prominent work occurs when no one else is in the building. 3. We Want to Trust You Principals have a hard time delegating because we like to be in total control. We are often control freaks by nature. We appreciate teachers who think similarly to us. We also appreciate teachers willing to take on difficult projects and who prove that we can trust them by doing an outstanding job. 2. Variety is the Spice of Life Principals never want things to get stale. We try to create new programs and test new policies each year. We continuously try to find new ways to motivate students, parents, and teachers. We do not want school to be boring for anyone. We understand that there is always something better, and we strive to make substantial improvements on a yearly basis. 1. We Want the Best for Everyone Principals want every teacher and student to be successful. We want to provide our students with the best teachers who will make the biggest difference. At the same time, we understand that being a great teacher is a process. We want to cultivate that process allowing our teachers the necessary time to become great while trying to provide our students with a quality education throughout the entire process.

Shinto and Oral Religions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Shinto and Oral Religions - Essay Example Kojiki is one of the Japanese literatures that had successfully compiled the Japanese mythology and traditional Ancient of Japan including the Shinto Rituals. (Chamberlain, p. i) On the other hand, Nihongi or Nihon Shoki is one of the oldest classical books that tackled the Japanese history (Aston, p. xv). Similar to Kojiki, Nihon Shoki has a series of compiled myths and oral tradition that occurred back in the 8th century (ibid). Oral religion, based on the word ‘oral’, means that a religious practice of a particular religion has been passed on from one culture to another or from one generation to the next generation verbally. Aside from the Kojiki – the records of ancient matters and the Nihongi or Nihon Shoki – the chronicles of Japan which was written back in AD 712 and AD 720 respectively (Chamberlain, p. I; Sakamoto, p. 31), Shinto can be considered as an oral religion due to the fact that there are no other concrete scripture that can be used as a basis of such religion. Shinto is different from oral traditions because the practice of Shinto takes place in four different ways which including: (1) the Shine Shinto which means worship at a public or private shrine; (2) Folk Shinto which includes divination, shamanic healing, abstinence and other forms of purification customs; (3) Sect Shinto which includes the act of participating in one of the thirteen groups of the 19th century; and (4) the State Shinto which includes the act of participating in festivals as a way of honoring the Japanese emperors (Mosher, pp. 168 – 169). Even though there is a strong similarity between Shinto and oral religion, it remains a fact that Shinto can never be considered as an oral tradition due to the fact that the practice of Shrine Shinto, Folk Shinto, Sect Shinto, and State Shinto is being passed on from one generation to another generation based on the actual