Jack Londons Sea Wolf, The Call of the Wild, and White Fang :: Jack London Wolf Wild Fang Essays

Jack London's Sea Wolf, The Call of the Wild, and White Fang   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jack London lived a full life, even though he died at the young age of forty. In his life time he experienced many things, and I believe that these experiences were the catalyst of his novels. Jack London was an oyster pirate, a government patrolman in San Francisco Bay, a sailor and an agrarian reformer, a seal hunter in the North Pacific and a gold prospector in the frozen Klondike, a war correspondent and a prizefighting reporter, a socialist soapbox orator who later became a lecturer at universities, a family man and landowner, and of course a true American writer. A critic by the name of Alfred Kazin once said "that the greatest story London ever wrote was the one he lived."   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  London had a hard life as a child and as a young man, in spite of this London grew to become one of Americas most popular and highly paid authors ever. He was not a baby boomer. This was not just an American thing, London was known around the world for his great adventure stories, that could be enjoyed by all ages. Londons life was diversified and so were his writings. Today, London is mostly known for his "dog stories", The Call of the Wild and White Fang. In addition to those great works London wrote many other stories and novels, all of which were published in the seventeen years that he wrote professionally. Londons writings vary in quality as well as in subject, his from the cheapest and worst kind of pieces to the beautiful works like The Call of the Wild and Sea Wolf. In this literary analysis the focus will be on Londons more well known and enjoyed works.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Londons life defiantly coincides with his writing. Professor Earle Labor attributes London's success as a writer to three different factors: poverty- how London rose from the bottom all the way to the top, wanderlust- the fact that he spent a good portion of his life on the road gave him ample material to write about, and last but not least was, "the omnivorous appetite for reading that gave him his philosophical substance and sense of artistic form."   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  London was a complex individual whose character was made up of apparent contradictions. He was a declared socialist, but above all, a devout individualist. He believed in the politics and economics of socialism and decried the iniquities Of capitalism, but at the same time set out to succeed within that system. Jack London's Sea Wolf, The Call of the Wild, and White Fang :: Jack London Wolf Wild Fang Essays Jack London's Sea Wolf, The Call of the Wild, and White Fang   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jack London lived a full life, even though he died at the young age of forty. In his life time he experienced many things, and I believe that these experiences were the catalyst of his novels. Jack London was an oyster pirate, a government patrolman in San Francisco Bay, a sailor and an agrarian reformer, a seal hunter in the North Pacific and a gold prospector in the frozen Klondike, a war correspondent and a prizefighting reporter, a socialist soapbox orator who later became a lecturer at universities, a family man and landowner, and of course a true American writer. A critic by the name of Alfred Kazin once said "that the greatest story London ever wrote was the one he lived."   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  London had a hard life as a child and as a young man, in spite of this London grew to become one of Americas most popular and highly paid authors ever. He was not a baby boomer. This was not just an American thing, London was known around the world for his great adventure stories, that could be enjoyed by all ages. Londons life was diversified and so were his writings. Today, London is mostly known for his "dog stories", The Call of the Wild and White Fang. In addition to those great works London wrote many other stories and novels, all of which were published in the seventeen years that he wrote professionally. Londons writings vary in quality as well as in subject, his from the cheapest and worst kind of pieces to the beautiful works like The Call of the Wild and Sea Wolf. In this literary analysis the focus will be on Londons more well known and enjoyed works.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Londons life defiantly coincides with his writing. Professor Earle Labor attributes London's success as a writer to three different factors: poverty- how London rose from the bottom all the way to the top, wanderlust- the fact that he spent a good portion of his life on the road gave him ample material to write about, and last but not least was, "the omnivorous appetite for reading that gave him his philosophical substance and sense of artistic form."   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  London was a complex individual whose character was made up of apparent contradictions. He was a declared socialist, but above all, a devout individualist. He believed in the politics and economics of socialism and decried the iniquities Of capitalism, but at the same time set out to succeed within that system.

The Josephine Baker Story Essay -- essays research papers

Josephine Baker was born Freda Josephine Carson in St. Louis, Missouri, on June 3, 1906 to washerwoman, Carrie McDonald, and vaudeville drummer, Eddie Carson. Josephine's father abandoned them shortly after her birth and her mother married a kind but perpetually unemployed man named Arthur Martin. Their family came to include a son and two more daughters. Josephine grew up cleaning houses and babysitting for wealthy white families until she got a job waitressing at The Old Chauffeur's Club when she was 13-years-old. While working there she met a man named Willie Wells whom she had a short marriage with. Josephine never depended on a man for financial support and she never hesitated to leave when a relationship hit its breaking point. Which is why she was married and divorced three more times to an American named Willie Baker in 1921 (whose last name she chose to keep), a Frenchman ,Jean Lion, in 1937 (from whom she attained French citizenship) and a French orchestra leader, Jo Bouillon, in 1947. Josephine toured the United States with The Jones Family Band and The Dixie Steppers in 1919, performing various comical skits. When the troupes split, she tried to advance as a chorus girl for The Dixie Steppers in their production "Shuffle Along". She was turned away because she was "too skinny and too dark." Still determined as ever, she learned the chorus line's routines while working as part of the crew. Therefore, Josephine was the obvious replacement when one of the dancers left. Onstage she rolled her eyes and purposely acted clumsy. The audience loved her comedic touch and Josephine was a box office hit for the rest of the show's run. Josephine traveled to Paris for a new show that proved to be a turning point in her career. Josephine and dance partner Joe Alex captivated the audience with a routine that was new and exotic, and included Josephine boldly dressed in nothing but a feather skirt. Josephine worked the audience into frenzy with her uninhibited movements. She was an overnight sensation. Josephine's immense popularity afforded her a comfortable salary, which she spent mostly on clothes, jewelry and pets. She loved animals and at one time she owned a leopard, a chimpanzee, a pig, a snake, a goat, a parrot, parakeets, fish, three cats and seven dogs. When her routine with Alex got old she moved on and starred in La Folie du ... ...eine. The French government honored her with a 21-gun salute, making Josephine Baker the first American woman buried in France with military honors. Her gravesite is in the Cimetià ©re de Monaco, Monaco. Josephine Baker has continued to intrigue and inspire people throughout the world. In 1991, HBO released The Josephine Baker Story. The movie won two Emmys for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries and Outstanding Art Direction. The movie also picked up one of three Golden Globe nominations. Josephine Baker sashayed onto stage with a comic, yet sensual appeal that took Europe, and eventually the world, by storm. Famous for barely-there dresses and uninhibited dance routines, her exotic beauty generated nicknames such as "Black Venus," "Black Pearl" and "Creole Goddess." Admirers bestowed a plethora of gifts, including diamonds and cars, and she received approximately 1,500 marriage proposals. Josephine Baker was once quoted saying "I love performing. I shall perform until the day I die." She maintained energetic performances and a celebrity status for 50 years before going softly in her sleep, but she did not go softly through life.

Stem Cells in the Treatment of Diabetes Essay -- Diabetes Mellitus Sci

Stem Cells in the Treatment of Diabetes Diabetes mellitus affects 18 million people in the U.S. alone (8.7% of the population) and more than 190 million worldwide. The prevalence of diabetes has increased alarmingly in the past three decades and, corresponding to global dietary and lifestyle trends, is projected to nearly double in the next ten years (1). Although diabetes can be treated, serious complications from improperly managed diabetes are common and can lead to death. Recent reports suggest that one of the most promising potential treatments may come from the use of stem cells, undifferentiated cells that can be coaxed into becoming insulin-producing islet-like cells that reduce diabetes symptoms in mice (2). There is one ethical catch, however: stem cells can be derived from a number of sources, including adult tissues, but the purest source of stem cells with the greatest therapeutic potential is early-stage embryos. The process of deriving stem cells destroys the embryo. Does the human embryo have moral status that would proscribe its destruction, regardless of the potential good that might be achieved? If so, are there still avenues of stem cell research that are both scientifically viable as well as morally permissible? Diabetes is a disease that results from the body's inability to maintain consistent levels of glucose (the main energy source for cells) in the blood. In a healthy individual, blood glucose levels are kept within a certain range by insulin, a hormone that aids the uptake of glucose by cells. The release of insulin in response to blood glucose levels is coordinated by clusters of cells in the pancreas called islets; residing in these islets are the beta cells, the cells that actually produc... ...cell? Journal of Clinical Investment. 111:799-801. 4. Hori, Y. et al. 2002. Growth inhibitors promote differentiation of insulin-producing tissue from embryonic stem cells. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. USA. 99:16105- 16110. 5. Ianus, A. et al. 2003. In vivo derivation of glucose-competent pancreatic endocrine cells from bone marrow without evidence of cell fusion. Journal of Clinical Investment. 111:843-850. 6. Yang, L. et al. 2002. In vitro trans-differentiation of adult hepatic stem cells into pancreatic endocrine hormone-producing cells. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. USA. 99:8078-8083. 7. Meyer, J. June 2000. Human embryonic stem cells and respect for life. Journal of Medical Ethics. 26: 166-170 8. Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Donum Vitae. I:1-5. Boston: St. Paul Editions, 1987.

Parents Need Help Essay

In today’s society parents are faced with a critical parenting question that was not necessary 20 years ago; which video games should I let my children play? Parenting is tough enough without having to deal with a child that gets upset because he cannot play a certain video game that all of his friends are playing. The values that children are raised to believe in are those of their parents, not those of the city, state or country they live in, and those family values are the most important values a child will learn. Some very influential people in our society believe that the government should be able to dictate what a child is or is not allowed to play or watch. Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich believes that â€Å"Parenting is hard work and the state has a compelling interest in helping parents raise their children to be upstanding men and women. † (Whitehead, 2005). Some studies show that these violent and sexually explicit video games provide â€Å"harmful effects ranging from health problems to violent behavior. † (Rutgers University Law – Newark, 2012). The completed studies and comments from government officials have very informative information and hard evidence to support their statement of â€Å"Parents Need Help†. As detailed in many articles and polls, one of the major problems with parents allowing their child to play violent or sexually explicit video games is covered in a 2013 Harris Poll. â€Å"The findings underscore the lack of awareness Americans have about the video game rating system, as well as confusion in the market†, said Mike de Vere, President of Harris Poll. PRNewswire, 2013). If parents took the time to understand the video game rating system like they understand a movie rating, they would be better informed as to what each game consist of. Parents have no problem letting a young child watch an â€Å"R† rated movie that shows violence and sexual activity, but if that same child is showing violent tendencies or sexual behaviors they are quick to blame video games for the behavior. Many American children spend a large amount of time playing video games. As a parent, you may be confused as to whether these games are beneficial or not† (http://www. thefreelibrary. com, 2008). If a parent takes the time to review what each of the video game ratings are and what material will be in the video games along with reemphasizing family values there would be less political emphasis on parenting. There has been violent and sexual behavior from children in a ysfunctional and functional home, but if a parent takes the time to ensure their child understands the difference between fiction (video games), reality (everyday life) and monitors their child’s behavior less of these violent outburst would occur. Movies provide the same access to violence and sexual behavior as video games do but there is no political agenda to ban movies that have a less restrictive rating system than video games. Parents need help restoring parental rights and help in stopping the government from taking over their parenting rights. When the government moves in and takes charge of everything that we as citizens can and cannot do, it provides today’s children with the authority to disobey their parents because the government said something different. If the government wants to help, then they should start applying stricter fines on the video game manufacturers and the stores which sell the video games. Threatening them with a fine and not imposing that fine when a manufacturer or retail store provides content to a minor, is allowing them to continue to profit off of children. Impose the fines and make it a stringent fine, at which point manufacturers and retailers would start adhering to the video game restrictions and responsibility would fall back to the parents of which games their children play. In closing, government officials should concentrate on raising their children and guiding our country instead of worrying about how each individual raises their children. Acts of violence and sexual behavior will still occur whether children are playing video games or not; they see it every day on television shows, cartoons, movies and in the news. Parents need to be more vigilant in monitoring what their children are doing, watching, and playing as well as ensuring that your family morals and values are upheld by each member of the family. If we do not accept the role of a parent then we cannot complain when the government decides what we as a society can and cannot do.

Footballers, Are They Getting Paid Too Much Essay

Dear readers, with your current income, how many years does it take to earn 114,000? Does it take 10 or 25 or 50 years? If you answer 1 day, you must be Cristiano Ronaldo because it is the amount of money he gets DAILY. I bet everyone already knows about how big is the footballer income and moans how it unfair is the life. You maintain the order, defense the motherland, save people by risking yours, developing technology for better future etc., but your income is nowhere near the person whose job is running and kicking the ball. At first thought, you condemn and complain how the system of life sucks so much. But, let’s give it a second thought by assessing if they really worth the money. Let’s take a vote, does the footballers really deserve it? See, the majority says not so I will begin reasoning why they really should get pay cut. Importance in Life Imagine the world without football and football itself never existed even from the very first place. Well no problem, there are still a lot of fun in the world. But how if there are no polices, firefighters, researchers, engineer, or doctor? Misery, misery, and misery. We can survive if there is no football game for a day, a year, or even forever. But, some will not last even an hour if all the doctors in the world commence a strike simultaneously. That explains how insignificant the profession of footballer relative to other jobs. Yes, money is not everything. There are a lot of people with noble heart who works not for money. But come on, you would question about justice when a soldier ,who protect your country with his life, can’t afford his 10,000 child’s cure while in same time Rooney earns 100,000 for the goals he score -which does not affect human life at all-. The common sense is, the more important you are, and the more appreciation you should have. The appreciation is not all about money, but you wonder how many times we say thank you to close and small unnoticed service like the janitor. In contrary, we hail Maradona as if he is a God although we don’t know him and vice versa. We hail Pele for his 1,000 goals although without them the world  is still the same. Where is the logic, world? Unsportmanship Sport teaches us about sportsmanship and fair play, that is what we used to hear back then. Today, the line is completely irrelevant because there is no single match without cheating. Diving, violent tackle, racist insult, indiscipline, those were some viruses which plague football today and sadly they are only a tip of icebergs. The worse is, they still get paid for all the nasty conduct they did and shows the terrible example for all the kids who idolize them. And the worst of all, they are paid using your money. So indirectly, all the money you spent for ticket, merchandise, and television will be the present for all nasty deeds they have done. Or  Bad Attitude The terrible conduct on the pitch is bad, but terrible conduct off the pitch is worse. A public figure should be the good example for people around him, let alone their fans. Just count how many cheating and sexual scandal which involves footballer. We don’t want our kids to follow John Terry’s lead in cheating, do we? And should we see the lads’ goint involves in night life party like Adriano and Ronaldinho just because they are the idol? There are still many unexemplary deeds such as shoplifting, street brawl, or even drug abuse. Once again I must stress how great the influence of the idol could affect their admirer. The admirer could follow the footstep to destruction without even knowing it. Such bad-manner players really do not deserve such big sum of money. That’s all about why the footballers are not deserved for their big money. Now we are entering the grey area where the opinion is still vague and arguable. Poor Background As long as I remember, I only can recall 4 footballers’ names whose family  isn’t poor. They are Kaka, Pirlo, Del Piero and Vialli. Most of the rest come from poor family especially those who come from South America and Africa. For them, sport is their only way to escape from poverty lasso which binds their countries tightly. Frequently, such background makes an easy excuse to grant them the big payment and freedom to have the life they have never experienced without knowing it is the most enjoyable path to destruction. Let’s take Ronaldinho as example. Just when he reached his peak in career, he began to be disoriented. The bright spotlight, money, admiration, luxury, and elite life were beyond his childhood imagination. Then the downfall began. He was tempted to attend flickering night life, spending money without worry of starving at next day, and other luxuries he couldn’t afford back then in Brazil. And why was he tempted to do so? Because he had money. The money pours into his account like torrential rain, an amount which he has never seen before. Well it tells us, however bad is the background, however pitiful is the past experience; overpaid salary is not an excuse to allow footballer earns such big money. Short Career If we talk about the invidual with big revenue, the field which pops out of our mind is athlete and entertainment. Movie star and singer earn more money than any athlete in the world but that is where the logic is distorted once again. The celebrity could still earn money through advanced years while the case isn’t the same for athlete. Al Pacino is currently one of the senior actor and he still could live himself from film industry for 40 years since his debut in tender age. Paul McCartney can still sing and compose the song although he is 70 years old now. How about athlete, in this case footballer? The option is very limited. After entering 30 years old phase, they must already think about the job in next 3 years because it is most likely the club won’t use his service anymore. But the choices are very limited. Usually, after their retirement, they choose the career as football analysis, commentator, or any football staff role. There are a lot of topics that could be drawn from here, but I will focus on financial aspect for now. The entertainer could still get the same payment like they did 20 years ago, but the salary for coach, commentator etc. is smaller by great distance  compare to active player. So, if the entertainers get such big money then footballers also deserve it too even they deserve it more because of career time limitation. No, it is the big no. Admitted, we live in unfair world but it doesn’t mean everything must be unjust. Remember the first point I mentioned in this article. Even the footballer getting such big money is very unfair so they must accept the short career cruelty. Honestly, all the money they get during their career is enough for their rest of lifes if they spend it wisely. And, they already know their playing time is very short from the very first time they choose footballer as occupation. The question is, have they anticipated the retirement day ? Have they invest their money for future instead of buying newest Lamborghini annually ? Have they think the job they would take 10 years ahead instead of thinking which pary they would attend ?. I would say the short career that footballer has is not an excuse to earn such big revenue because they have already seen it coming and they should prepare for it from the very start of career. It seems footballers really do not deserve those chunk of money. But, how if they really do ? How if they really worth those big salary ? There are the reason for it and here are they. Bet of Life When a kid chooses football as his career, he is betting his life on it and the gamble is extremely high risk. This is something any educated people would never experience. For those lucky souls who have good education, he could work in any job regardless of their education background. If you are enginerring student and you realize you are not talented enough, you can still work at different field of job in any company, being a businessman or being an entrepreneur etc and still achieve success, at least you can earn money to feed you and family. But that is the luxury which footballer never have. A lot of kids choose football in expense of their education. And just how many of them could make it to professional level ? For those footballers who can live themselves, congratulation. No matter how small is your team  and your league, you must consider yourselves lucky if you can still live from football because there are millions unfortunate footballers who barely live with football. The elite football player receives a very spotlight, but remember, brighter light means darker shadow. Behind the glamorous light of famous football star, there are many players at the bottom of pyramid desperately reach greater height, let alone the summit where the likes of Messi and Ronaldo belong. This is why the job is very extremely risky. Talent alone is not enough to guarantee you could break through to be professional player. If somehow you are injured, your career is done. If you once do something stupid even if it is in unconsious manner, your career might be over. High talent but always have bad coaches throughout career, you won’t advance any further. You have better talent then Messi Maradona but being overlooked by coach and scout ? Career is done again. Those are only a mere few examples and there are still a lot of stumbling block along the path as a professional player. Imagine the life of failed footballer. They already left school from very young age and they don’t have any other skill except football. So, in order to live, they must do anything to continue their life, including being a criminal. Just imagine how miserable is life if you must live without skill and there is no future certainty. This is the main reason why footballer deserves such high pay. Community Support The logic is simple. If the community does willingly pay big amount of money for football, why does football refuse it ? The best example is Arsenal. Since moving to their new stadium, Arsenal has never won any single trophy. And since their move too, Arsenal has been selling the most expensive seasonal ticket in the world. Funny. The fans still insist buying seasonal ticket, merchandise, TV programme, only to watch their beloved team has no ambition whatsoever to satisty them. The same goes to the rest of fans and their clubs. The supply exists because of demand and vice versa. Footballers earn the money they get from their fans. If the community doesn’t support football anymore, of course the footballers will have their salary cut. But  for now, the community still willingly handing their money for football so, why should the footballers refuse the money ? They are at the most adventegeous side and if the condition goes unchange, they remain will. Conclusion Now, which side are you at? The big salary for footballer, deserve or not deserve? If I were asked and I must answer it, it is the close call and I would answer they deserve it. Partly, I don’t agree the footballers get such high salary and I really support. Their revenue is growing annually yet their professionalism is dwindling. But, if somehow the footballers have their salary cut, imagine the effect on non-elite player. Even now, there are many player who barely survive with salary from football. My solution is, the player must have a good education since their young age. La Masia is one good example for it. They don’t only train football. La Masia knows maybe there are only few men out of hundreds who could make it through professional level. So, they teach other skills beside football in case they fail at it. The method should be applied in every football institution. By giving the preparation for further life, at least they could still earn their life and stay away from world of crime. Hey, it could reduce the criminal number too. Cool. We hope for it too, don’t we? Bibliography en.wikipedia.org/

Causes and Effects of the Salem Witch Trials Essay

1692 in Salem, Massachusetts was a time of fear, allegation, and deceit. It was the time of the Salem witch trials. Family feuds, eccentric personalities, and even keeping dolls in your home were reasons for accusations. Fueled by religious fanatics and young girls screaming for attention, literally, no one was safe from the insanity of the witch-hunt. This paper is intended to discuss the causes of this hysteria, some of the trials that took place during the year 1692, and what finally stopped the madness of the witch-hunt. The Salem witch trials were fueled by many different things, but the beginning of this hysteria can be traced back to a small group of girls in Salem Village. Betty Parris, a nine-year-old girl with poor health, lived with her father Rev. Samuel Parris, who was the local minister, her mother, an invalid, and her cousin, Abigail Williams. Abigail Williams was a twelve-year-old orphan who worked for her keep; she did most of the chores because of Betty’s illness and cared for her aunt. When they were finished with their chores, there was not much for the girls to do; Rev. Parris objected to games because he thought that â€Å"playing was a sign of idleness, and idleness allowed the Devil to work his mischief.† (http://www.salemwitchtrials.com) Reading books was a popular pastime during the winter. Most popular, were Books about fortune telling and prophecy. These were read, unsurprisingly, mostly by young girls and adolescents. Some of the girls who read these books forme d small groups to use the divination techniques that they had read about. Betty, Abigail, and two other girls formed one of these groups and were assisted by the Parris family’s’ black slave, Tituba. (http://www.salemwitchtrials.com) Tituba, who was originally from Barbados, was very knowledgeable about the voodoo religion, and often told the girls stories of voodoo, witchcraft, and demons. Other girls began to join the group to listen to Tituba’s stories and tell their fortunes. Betty and Abigail were disquieted by their fortunes and began to act strangely. They were â€Å"having fits, making strange noises, and contorting their bodies.† (http://www.paralumun.com) Rev. Parris noticed their odd behavior and asked the help of Dr. William Griggs. Dr. Griggs could find nothing wrong with the girls medically, so he said they were bewitched. The girls were asked to name the witches that had bewitched them and they spoke  the names of three women. Tituba, Sarah Osborne, and Sarah Good were all very likely witches. Sarah Osborne had not been to church in over a year, and Sarah Good was homeless and went door to door asking for alms, if turned away empty handed, Sarah Good would mumble words as she left t hat many thought were curses. The cases of the three women were investigated at the Salem Village Meetinghouse. During their questioning, Betty, Abigail, and six of their friends often claimed that the women’s spirits were biting them pinching them or appearing as a small animal or bird. Despite the girls, Sarah Good and Sarah Osborne said they were innocent. Tituba, however, confessed to being a witch. Her confession consisted of â€Å"red rats, talking cats, and a tall man dressed in black. She stated that the man clothed in black made her sign in a book, and that Sarah Good, Sarah Osborne and others, whose names she could not read, had also signed this book.† (http://www.salemwitchtrials.com) Tituba continued, saying that a black dog had threatened her and made her to hurt the girls. She also said that she had â€Å"ridden through the air on a pole to witches meetings with the other two accused.† (http://www.paralumun.com) Then Tituba stated that there were about six other witches and their leader was a tall white-haired man. (http://www.paralumun.com) Tituba’s t hree-day confession confirmed the villager’s beliefs and initiated the Salem witch trials. As the trials gained momentum, no one was safe from accusations; the girls accused people regardless of age, health, or public opinion. Everyone was at risk of being accused, from the very young, such as Dorcas Good, a four-year-old boy who was jailed and put in chains; to the old and well liked, like Rebecca Nurse who was a seventy-one year old lady and was considered kind and generous. Abigail Hobbs was already mentally unstable when she was charged with witchcraft. She confessed and gave the names of nine other witches. The judges accepted her confession instead of dismissing her as insane. On April 21, 1692, Nehemiah Abbot, William and Deliverance Hobbs, Sarah and Edward Bishop, Mary Ester, Mary Black, Sarah Wilds, and Mary English were arrested because of Abigail Hobbs’s accusations. (http://www.paralumun.com) Bridget Bishop had been charged with witchcraft twelve years ago; she had been tried but not convicted. When there was work being done on her cellar, â€Å"poppets † were found in the walls. Some of them  were without heads and they were all stuck with pins. She was tried on June 2, 1692, and hanged June 10, 1692. Rebecca Nurse was tried on June 29, 1692. The jury found Rebecca Nurse not guilty but when they revealed their verdict in her case, the girls â€Å"howled, thrashed about, and rolled around on the floor. With the courtroom in an uproar, the judges asked the jury to reconsider its decision† (http://www.salemwitchtrials.com) Rebecca Nurse was found guilty, and hanged July 19, 1692. Rev. George Burroughs was the former Salem Village minister. He was accused of being the coven leader of all the witches in Massachusetts. (http://www.paralumun.com) The girls also called him the â€Å"Black Minister† and agreed that he was the leader of the Salem Coven. He had been widowed three times, and there was a rumor that he had mistreated his wives. When he was angry, he would sometimes brag about his demonic powers. He was tried on August 5, 1692, found guilty, and hanged on August 19, 1692. When he was being hanged, Rev. Burroughs said the Lord’s Prayer perfectly. The Puritans believed that a wizard could not say the Lord’s Prayer without error. (http://www.salemwitchtrials.com) During the winter of 1692-93, the witch trials began to loose public support. A man named Giles Corey who was accused of witchcraft refused to stand trial and was crushed to death. This, Rev. Burroughs’ prayer, and a letter written by an accused asking â€Å"if it be possible, that no more innocent blood be shed, which undoubtedly cannot be avoided in the way and course you go in.† (http://www.salemwitchtrials.com) This and the fact that the Governors wife had been accused of witchcraft caused the Governor to issue orders to protect those accused of witchcraft and ban the arrest of other suspected witches unless it was necessary on October 12, 1692. People began to ignore the cries of witchcraft and the last trial was held in January of 1693. In May of 1693, the governor ended the witch trials for good when he pardoned all of the remaining accused. With nineteen hanged and one crushed, the Salem witch trials finally ended. (http://www.salemwitchtrials.com) This is how the Salem witch trials began and ended. In my opinion, the Salem witch-hunt was revolting. The destruction of innocent human lives was atrocious. I think that the â€Å"witches† were all in the imaginations of a few girls who wanted attention and power.

Investigating how business works Essay

Philip Markham Ltd is a family firm. It is traditional manufacturers of classic men swear and produces a wide range of exclusive shirts and ties. It also sells a more limited range of trousers, jackets, overcoats and sweaters. Only shirts and ties are manufactured in the factory in Marlington. Other items are obtained by placing orders with specialist manufacturers. Philip Markham aims to manufacture and sell high quality men’s clothing at fair, competitive prices and to all its customers. Objectives are to use high quality fabric for the shirts and customers can select which style of sleeve of collar they prefer, which type of sleeve fastening and even the length of the sleeve. The four functional areas I will be looking at are: – Resources and IT Finance Production Human Resources Resources and IT The company operates from a large factory, which was purchased by Philip Markham in the 1920s. Jack’s father, the great grandson of Philip Markham refurbished it in the 1970s and the offices are quite spacious and pleasant. The company first introduced computers in the 1980s. Kim Fields was appointed in 1992 and the company now has a small-networked computer system. Computers are used for: * Recording purchases and sales * Preparing financial and management accounts * Recording payroll information and calculating salaries and wages each month * Recording orders received from mail order customers analysing these * Keeping a database of all personnel employed by the company * Preparing letters and memos * Sending e-mails between departments. At the time the IT facilities were introduced it has been planned to locate them within the finance function. Finally, however, it was decided that it should be linked to Administration, as it involved all areas of the business. Marsha Webb is currently investigating how IT could help her to monitor manufacturing levels more easily. Finance The ten staff that works in finance are very important to the success of the company’s Philip Markham. Above all they make sure that they receive the money they are owed, they pay employee bills – and you receive your salary each month. They also make sure that each department does not spend more than it has been allocated. Each department has a budget, which is monitored by its administrator and director – as well as by finance – which can give up-to-date information on the level of expenditure at any time. Finance also has the task of preparing all the accounts each year so that they comply with their legal responsibilities to the Inland Revenue. Pete Martin, however, undertakes number-crunching activities on a far more regular basis. He is their management accountant and his responsible for checking that their production levels and sales are on target. He advises all the directors about the current financial health of the company on a weekly basis. Typical job title Function and responsibilities Financial director Giving advice to senior managers on the overall financial policy of the organisation. Overseeing the company budget. In charge of all the finance function in the organisation. Financial manager Managing the finance function and staff. Advising on financial resources. Chief accountant Overseeing the preparation of the final accounts of the organisation. Management accountant Producing continuous financial information for management. Credit controller Advising on credit policies. Ensuring that money owing to company is kept within agreed levels. Chief cashier Responsible for the receipt, safe keeping, banking and accounting of all cash received. Payroll administrator Responsible for overseeing the company payroll and salary/wage section. Wages clerks Assist the payroll administrator in the production of salary and wage details. Ledger clerks Assist the chief accountant in the recording of all financial transaction. Credit control clerks Assist the credit controller in checking the credit status of new customers and existing accounts. Reminding customers of overdue payments. Production In the induction programme Philip Markham show people who visit their Production area and show them all the different operations that are carried out. The layout of the area has been designed to maximise the flow of materials when they are producing shirts, from cutting to finishing. After shirt material has been cut it is clipped with either a blue ticket – for standard shirts – or a red ticket, for customised shirts. Blue ticket items are passed to the machinists who carry out all the main sewing operations. Red ticket items go to a different group of machinists who also carry out the alterations required. The finishers are responsible for adding all the finishing touches – from the buttons to the label – and they will also carry out any special finishing instructions noted on red ticketed items. Quality control is very importance at Philip Markham and each team – cutters, machinists and finishers – is responsible for ensuring that quality is right at every stage of the process. Then the shirts and ties pass to the packing department, which is part of despatch. Shirts used to have to be folded by hand. But now this has been partially mechanised and is much quicker. The shirts are boxed and labelled – it is at this stage that the goods have to be linked to the correct paper work and the dispatchers ensure that each box includes the correct delivery note and advise note for the haulier. Philip Markham subcontracts the delivery of its goods. This works out cheaper than keeping a fleet of vehicles and maintaining them. Also parts of Production are the purchasing staff and the designers. Purchasing is responsible for obtaining the best quality fabrics at the best prices and making sure all of their raw materials are delivered on time. How much to stock, what to stock and for how long are critical decisions. They only have limited storage place and keeping too much cloth in stock is expensive – so they need to maintain good relationships with reliable suppliers. Their designers are also part of the production team. They have a keen eye on fashion and aim to produce new designs each year. This also means choosing new fabrics and new designs, which will appeal to Philip Markham customers. The design team is busy all year and works at least six months ahead – so that the new ranges can be include in their catalogues which are produced each January (for spring and summer wear) and July (for autumn and winter). Design links very closely with Sales and Marketing as we try to incorporate customer feedback and suggestions into their new designs. Typical job title Job role Production director Responsible for the entire production function and its operations. Operations or Works manager Responsible for the production of all goods as scheduled and to the quality required. Purchasing manager Responsible for the acquisition of raw materials. Chief engineer Responsible for all maintenance staff and for scheduling equipment maintenance and recommending modifications. Chief designer Responsible for the design team and the design of the finished products Production planners Plan all production to maximise machine use and staffing, taking account of customer requirements. Production controllers Check production is going to schedule. Quality controllers Check quality is to the required standard. Buyers/order clerks Buy the raw materials required for production. Stores staff Store and monitor stocks of all raw materials and components and issue these as required. Draughtsmen Responsible for the technical design of manufactured equipment. Foremen Supervise the maintenance staff and factory operatives. Despatch clerks Responsible for the despatching the finished goods. Designers Responsible for the actual design of the product. Engineers Responsible for carrying out equipment maintenance. Factory operatives Undertake the production and assembly of manufactured items by machine or by hand. Human Resources Philip Markham would not be successful if it did not have the commitment of its entire staff. In Human resources they focus on the needs of all the staff and try to do all they can to help to recruit the best people they can – and look after them whilst they work there. These are the most important functions of this department. Their legal experts are Mark butler (for employment law) and Kate Parks (for health and safety). The company operates an equal opportunities policy and aims to treat all its employees fairly and equally in all aspects relating to their employment. Administration at Philip Markham is carried within each department, but in HR/admin they coordinate central services, such as the switchboard, reception, mail room, security, cleaning and building maintenance and last – but by no means least – the staff canteen. Janet Gregory and her team run this. Janet is always keen to receive suggestions from staff and feedback on different types of snacks and meals they would like to see on the menu. IT services is also part of their function. Kim is IT services Manager and Graham, her assistance, helps by developing their range of IT applications – when he is not supporting users, answering queries, solving problems and trouble-shooting in general! Philip Markham sees IT as a developing and rapidly growing area because of the benefits it can bring to the company as a whole and staff operations in particular. If you will be a computer user at Philip Markham your staff training on IT will be organised by Graham and if you have any problems with your computer, the number to call is 4080. The larger the organisation is, the more likely to have a several staff working in the Human Resources. For example: – Human resources director who is a senior manager in the organisation and this is more likely to be found at a large manufacturing organisation which employs thousands of workers. A medium company will have human resource manager who overseas a much smaller number of staff. Human resources function is to deal with the employee who works for the company. Wise organisation regard staff as the most important resource. The reason why I think human resources make their employees an important figure in their company is because their employees are well trained, keen to do their best and committed to the aims of the business. Supposed employees of one organisation are not motivated at their work then all the money and best equipment in the world wouldn’t make that organisation successful. The A-Z of Human Resource services – A flavour of what we do A. For application forms, absences and appraisals B. Covers benefits and bonuses C. Concerns contracts of employment, conditions of service, counselling services D. To discuss your development, your rights under discrimination or disability legislation E. All areas relating to your employment, earning, equal opportunities, eye sight tests and exit interviews F. To talk to us about fairness at work G. If you’ve grievance, perhaps H. For holiday entitlement, hours and health I. For illness, interviews and industrial relations J. For job descriptions and job share opportunities K. If you want to improve your knowledge and know how L. For leave of absence, if you need it M. For maternity, medical examinations and mentors N. For notice periods and National Insurance information O. To check on overtime and off-the-job or on-the-job training opportunities P. Perhaps for pay, pensions, probationary periods or paternity leave Q. For qualifications and queries R. For references, recruitment, retirement, resignations and your rights in general S. Search us out for information on salaries, sickness pay, self-certification T. For tax, training, trade union membership, time off U. For understanding your rights, for knowing what is and is not unfair V. For victimisation and vocational training W. For welfare and wages, works council and working conditions X. For extra special attention when you need it Y. For you – a person we like to see Z. For zappy – the way we operate – and zilch – because nothing is too much trouble! Typical job title Function and responsibilities Human resources director Deciding the overall staffing policies of the organisation. Advising senior management. Setting the HR budget. In charge of all the HR functions in the organisation. Human resources manager Managing the HR department and staff, involved with industrial relations and trade union negotiations, implementing the organisation’s HR policies. Recruitment officer Responsible for the recruitment and selection of staff. Training/staff development officer Responsible for training and staff development. Personnel/staffing officer Keeping staff records, monitoring staff welfare. Health and safety officer Overseeing all health and safety matters, accident monitoring and prevention. Security officer General security, responsible for all security staff. HR administrative assistants Administrative work relating to the human resources function. Orpington College Comparing to Philip Markham LTD Management Structure ——— Organisation Chart Academic year 2002/2003 Why have an organisation Structure? * Employees know what job to do. * Who they are responsible for. * What the responsibilities are. * To whom they are responsible. * How the employee links with other members of staff. There is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ organisation structure, as long as it helps people to work efficiently, communicate easily and assists the business to achieve its aims and objectives. Orpington College is a flat structure organisation and Flat structure does not have many layers, which means information is sent quickly; with less complication or misunderstanding; therefore it produces the correct result. Having a Flat structure communication is easier {clear information, understanding} between each layer, therefore when decisions are made, they will be specific to advice/order instructions. It has 13 managers in the College, Chief executive, 3 levels management, span of control between 2 and 4 and 4 top level of management in (guidance &marketing manager – assistance principle, staff & Resources and Clerk to the corporation – assistance principle, finance and information systems – assistance principle, curriculum & Students) Philip Markham is Hierarchical structure is based on distinct chain of commands from Managing director to sales director (according to Philip Markham). Decisions are made at the top and pass down. This kind of organisational is usually based on clearly defined procedures and roles. It has 10 managers in the company, no chief executive, managing director, 5 levels management, span of control between 2 and 4 and 4 top level of management in (financial director – production director – HRM/administration director and marketing and sales director.) Communications at Philip Markham Internal communications Every Monday mourning there is a meeting between Jack Markham and his directors. Minutes of this meeting are produced by Maria Forbes and sent to all staff. Each director holds a weekly team briefing with his/her staff to update them on the latest developments in the organisation. These are unofficial, relatively short affairs, just to keep people informed. There are weekly meetings each Wednesday mourning between Production and Sales/Marketing about sales and production targets. Any problems in production that are affecting orders are also discussed. Internal communications are mainly by memo, e-mail and telephone. All senior staff has pagers as well as those who are regularly away from their desk or may need to be called urgently, e.g. the health, safety and security officer, the manufacturing manager and the buildings supervisor. There is a notice board in Human Resources which contains information on staff events as well as details of job vacancies which are always advertised internally as well as externally. All staff has an annual appraisal interview with their own line manager but regular discussions are also held on individual staff performances and opportunities for staff training and development. External communications External communications are mostly by letter, telephone and fax. Senior sales staffs visit important potential business customers. Existing business customers are contacted by telephone at least once a month as well as being sent promotional material. Private customers are sent routine mailshots by sales and marketing as well as new mail order catalogues, as these are produce. In an organisation with dozens of employees, it is important that each member of staff knows exactly what to do, and how this links up with work carried out by other members of staff. People are therefore grouped into functional areas which relate to their job, so that people doing similar jobs work in the same area. These areas are then linked in an overall structure. In a large organisation we are likely to find more functional areas than in a small or medium-sized one. In this case we may find that there are only a few departments performing a variety of functions. Within a functional. The advantages of Ict upon communication internal and external communication at Cadbury are: * Fast (compared to other methods such as writing a letter) * Can be more accurate (easier to correct errors) * Allows people to use the information quickly and efficient * Can get access to a wide range of information easily * Easy and cheap to store information * Can access information where ever you are in the world (and can communicate with people where ever they are) * Often cheap to access * Quality of information can be better Disadvantages: * Messages can be misunderstood * Can take time to clarify misunderstanding * Chance that messages can be sent to the wrong people * People can be unfamiliar with the system * Employees may need training (costly) * Employees may feel de-motivated/ stressed by new technology * Messages can be held up due to technical problems * Lack of visual communication can hinder the quality of communication * Employees can suffer from information over load Ways to avoid some of these disadvantages are by * Training staff * Use face-to-face communication (maybe through the performance management system) * Make sure employees feel they can get to see their manager * Have technical support * Help employees, by satisfying their social needs e.g. through social club * Make sure employees are only given training that will be useful. Equal Opportunities Legislation and Other Employment Law Equal opportunities has been a legal requirement since the 1970s at Philip Markham yet a large engineering firm recently paid a substantial amount out of court because other female personnel manager was paid à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½10,000 less than a male colleague doing exactly the same job. This situation is under a Sex Discrimination Act 1975 where this act makes it illegal for anyone to be discriminated against on grounds of gender (or gender reassignment) – either directly or indirectly. In a record settlement just before an ET hearing in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in April 2000, Mark Hedley agreed an estimated à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½300,000 compensation from his ex-employers, the cut-price grocery chain ALDI. This is the highest sum awarded to date under Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and it is understood ALDI settled to avoid damaging publicity. Mark Hedley had been prevented from returning to his à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½34,000 store manager job after being diagnosed HIV positive – even though he was fit for work. A report from the Trades Union Congress argues that people of African, Afro-Caribbean and Asian ethnicity don’t get their fair share of promotions at work despite having better qualifications. According to the race issues policy officer at the TUC, black people are less likely to be turned down for a job as ‘held back’ from promotion. People already in work – bring most cases to tribunals not just for being turned down for promotion but also for conditions of work, lack of training and racial abuse. This situation is under The Race Relation Act 1976. This act makes it unlawful for anyone to be discriminated against on grounds of colour, race, nationality or ethnic origin. An increasing number of lawyers are offering a no-win, no-fee service to employees who think they have been unfairly dismissed (The Employment Rights Act 1996). This helps those who don’t belong to a union to obtain free advice. This, plus the fact that the maximum compensation limit an employee can expect from a tribunal has increased to à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½56,000, appears to be the reason for the huge rise in cases. Between July 1998 and 1999 ACAS recorded 136, 000 notifications of industrial tribunals – a 30% increase on the previous year. Since 1986, harassment has been classed as an act of discrimination. It is not only the employee who harasses who is guilty but also the employer if nothing has been done to take ‘reasonable steps’ to stop it. Firms must make it clear that harassment amounts to gross misconduct. The Equal Opportunities Commission received 700 complaints about harassment in 1999. Some cases are settled out of court – Dee Mazurkiewica, a former police detective, won a reported à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½300,000 from Thames Valley police. This was a serious case but smaller settlements – from à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½5 to à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½20,000 – can result from acts of ‘belittling’ – such as making inappropriate or sexist comments or behaving in away that another person finds sexually threatening or insulting.