Federalism in India Essay

India is a big country characterized by cultural, regional, linguistic and geographical diversities. Such a diverse and vast country cannot be administered and ruled from a single centre. Historically, though India was not a federal state, its various regions enjoyed adequate autonomy from central rule. Keeping in view these factors in mind, the Constitution makers of India opted for the federal form of government. Though, the Government of India Act 1935 envisaged a federal set-up for India; federal provisions of the Act were not enforced. Thus, India became a federal polity with the Constitution of India. Federalism is a system of governance in which the powers to legislate is in two levels as Central and subordinate levels. Features of Federalism Federalism in India has a strong bias towards the Union Government. Some unique features of federalism in India are: * There is no equality of state representation. Representation in the Parliament can vary widely from one state to another depending on a number of factors including demography and total land area. * No double citizenship, i.e. no separate citizenship for country and state. * The consent of a state is not required by the Parliament to alter its boundaries. * No state, except Jammu and Kashmir, can draw its own Constitution. * No state has the right to secede. * No division of public services. The main features of Federalism * Provision for more than one form or government to act simultaneously on the same territory and on the same time. * Each government must have their own authority and spheres of power, though they may overlap. * Neither level of government, state or national can abolished the other. Why Federalism is Important? Federalism is important because of the following reasons: * Because of diversity, there is a division in the power of federalism (to legislate in better manner). * For better Administration. * Economic development in cultural diversity, linguistic groups, traditions, customs, natural resources. The concept is taken from U.S.A. in 1776 and at the time of U.S. government independence. How Democracy is linked with Federalism? In a democracy, the involvement of people at state level is more, as the people are free to choose their own representatives, for the people, of the people, by the people. What makes India a Federal Country? India is a vast country with numerous languages, religions and regions. The concept of federalism plays a vital role and the power sharing arrangements plays a crucial role in maintaining unity and harmony in the country. India got its independence in 1947 but it also resulted in painful partition that paved way to the formation of Pakistan. After independence, several princely states became a part of the country and the constitution declared India as a Union States. Despite the fact that the word federalism is not used or implied with Indian Union but it is largely based on the principles of federalism. All the above key features of federalism are well suited to the provisions of the Indian Constitution. The constitution of India provided two tiers of levels of governments â€Å"Central or Union Governments representing the Union of India and the state governments. Later, a third tier or level of federalism was formed and added in the forms of Panchayats and Municipalities. These three different tiers of governments enjoy separate jurisdictions and the constitution provides a three- fold distribution of legislative powers between the Union governments and the state governments. It comprises of three major lists and they are as follows: – 1. Union List: – This list includes subjects of national importance such as defence, foreign affairs, banking, communications and currency. They form as the part of Union list as we need a uniform policy on these important matters throughout the country. Union or Central government can only make laws relating to these above mentioned important subjects. 2. State List: – This list contains subjects of state and local significance and state governments alone can make laws relating to subjects like police, trade, commerce, agriculture and irrigation. 3. Concurrent List: – It can also be termed as co-existing list and includes subjects of common interest to both the Union Government as well as the State Governments. It includes subjects like education, forest, trade unions, marriage, adoption and succession. Both levels of government (Union and State governments) can make laws on these subjects. If their laws conflict with each other then the law made by the Union Government will reign and succeed. How is Federalism practiced? The success of federalism in India cannot be merely attributed to constitutional provisions but to the nature of democratic politics in our country. It ensured that the spirit of federalism, respect for diversity and desire for living together became a common goal in our country. The major reasons in which federalism has succeeded in our country are as follows: – 1. Linguistic states: – The formation of linguistic states was the first major test for democratic politics in India. There were lots of changes in democratic politics of our country from 1947 to 2006. In India, many old states have vanished while many states have been created. Even the names of areas, boundaries and states were changed during this period. In 1947, the year of independence, the boundaries of many old states were changed in order to create new states. It was done to ensure that the people speaking same language should reside in same state. It led to formation of some states that were created not on the basis of language but to recognise differences based on culture, ethnicity or geography. It includes states like Nagaland, Uttarakhand and Jharkhand. There was fear of disintegration by some national leaders in our country when there was demand for the formation of states on the basis of language was raised. Earlier central government resisted linguistic states but the experience has shown that their formation has made country more united and integrated. It made administration procedure easier and opened doors of opportunities for everybody. 2. Language policy: – Our constitution has not given the status of national language to any one language. Language policy proved second major test for India federation and finally Hindi was identified as the official language of the country. Hindi, the official language of country proved to be mother tongue of only 40 percent of India and therefore there were many safeguards to protect other languages. Besides Hindi, constitution recognized 21 another languages as scheduled languages. All the states had their own official language and much of government work took place in the official language of the concerned states. Our leaders adopted a cautious and vigilant attitude in spreading the use of Hindi in India. According to Indian constitution, the usage of English for official use has to be stopped by 1965 but many non-Hindi speaking states resented it violently and wanted to continue with English. In Tamil Nadu, the movement took ugly turn as it turned into violent agitation. Thereafter, Central government responded positively and agreed to continue with usage of English along with Hindi for official purposes. But still Government of India continues to have encouraged the promotion of Hindi in their official policy. It does not mean that central government can impose Hindi on states where people speaks their own regional languages. 3. Centre State Relations: – The concept of federalism was strengthened to large extent by restructuring of centre and state governments relationships. It also largely depends on how the leaders of ruling party follow these arrangements. In India, the same party ruled both at the centre and at the most of the states. It means that the state governments did not exercise their rights as autonomous federal units. There were occasions where the parties at centre and state were different and in such cases central government tried to undermine the powers of state government. In those days, central government misused the constitution to dismiss the state governments that were governed by opposition parties. It undermined the spirit of federalism to large extent. After 1990, there was significant changes as the country saw the rise of regional parties in many states of the country. It was the arrival of the era of coalition governments at the centre. It led to new culture of power sharing and created a respect for the autonomy of state governments. This new trend was supported by a major judgment of Supreme Court that made difficult for Central government to dismiss state governments in an illogical manner. Federal power sharing holds more significance in today’s time than in early years when constitution came into force. Conclusion There are still other subjects that don’t fall in any of these lists. These subjects are computer software that came much after the formation of constitution in India. According to our constitution, Union government has the power to legislate on these left over or untapped subjects. Generally, it is learnt that holding together federations do not give equal power to its constituents so all states in Indian Union does not have identical powers. Jammu and Kashmir has its own constitution and enjoys special status and many provisions of Indian constitution are not applicable in this state. There are some units of Indian Union that enjoys very little power and these are areas which are too small to be recognized as an Independent state and could not merged with any other states. They are referred to as Union Territories and include areas like Chandigarh, Lakshadweep and Delhi, capital city of India. These territories do not have the powers of the state as Union or Central Government runs these areas with their special powers. It is not easy to make changes to the power sharing arrangements of Union and state governments as it has to be passed with both the houses of parliament with at least two-third majority. After its approval from both the houses of parliament, it has to be authorized or ratified by the legislatures of at least half of the total seats. In case of disputes about the division of powers, the High court and Supreme Court makes the decisive decision. Both Union and State governments have the power to raise resources by imposing taxes in order to carry on the government and the tasks allocated to them.

Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin

In â€Å"Black Like Me† by John Howard Griffin identifies how conflict management greatly changes after he undergoes a drastic lifestyle change to discover the truth of how people are categorized by their skin color and not their own character. Griffin undergoes an experiment in order to allow him to study and elaborate on racial boundaries that still exist during the 1950†³s. Griffin, almost immediately realizes segregation and low self-esteem caused by the feeling of being hated due to the color of your skin. The conflict management in the book changes drastically after his pigment is changed and he is no longer part of a privileged white American society, and now he his part of a hated society due to physical differences that make them seem inferior to the dominate race. Griffin†s conflict management style greatly changes after he undergoes his experiment. At the beginning of his journey, he was very aggressive, and took things for granite such as eating in restaurants and using public facilities. After he changes his pigmentation it changes his conflict management due to what he is succumbed to because of the change in the variation of his skin color. The only conflict management skills he had were the ones he learned by watching others who were adapted to the Society. For instance, â€Å"blacks see themselves as inferior to whites because of the society they live in†. For example, † on the bus ride to Mississippi, Griffin encounters a man who black on the outside, and tries to think of himself as part of the white culture and hopes when he dies, the white part of his soul shall go to heaven†. Griffin conflict management is passive in the end only because he is observing and he doesn†t want to draw attention to himself, which might get him into trouble. Griffin†s conflict management is arbitrary because he is no longer what he was before the experiment and knows he is going to have to live like a black male for the rest of his natural life.

Learning Styles Essay

Learning has been going on since the beginning of human kind and is still going on in today’s world. While in the beginning they did not study how they learned they still accomplished many things. Now we study how we learn so that we can hopefully learn more efficiently to accomplish things beyond our wildest dreams. Today I took to learning style quizzes in hopes of learning more about my personal learning styles so that I may improve myself. Today in this essay we will explore learning styles that equate with a preferred bodily sense through which one receives information. The three that are the most popular and explored are visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. Gaining knowledge about things that connect to the real world that we walk in everyday is of great interest to me. In saying that, I chose to pursue a degree in Public Health, because it something I see every day and became very intrigued by. My chose to obtain a degree also came out of wanting to better myself and the people around me. A very important reason that I wanted to acquire my degree is so that I could be more financially capable to providing a comfortable life for my family. Finishing a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Health would also give me a great deal of pride in myself. The two quizzes that I took today were the Felder and Soloman Quiz and the Learning Styles Quiz. They both gave me some good insight to how I learn and suggestions to help me learn more efficiently in any leaning environment. The results from the Felder and Soloman quiz showed me that I was reflective, sensing, verbal, and sequential which seemed to very accurate (Felder & Soloman, n. d. ). As a reflective learner I prefer to think it through quietly, working alone, and taking notes while listening to lectures (Felder & Soloman, n.d. ). Being a Sensor tells me that I tend to enjoy learning about facts to the real world, solving problems with well-established methods, and I am patient with details (Felder & Soloman, n. d. ). Verbal learning is something I have always enjoyed I just get more out of words–written and spoken explanations (Felder & Soloman, n. d. ). Writing out or seeing steps in my head while trying to process information points to sequential learning where the learner tends to follow logical stepwise paths in finding solutions (Felder & Soloman, n. d. ). The learning styles quiz focused on visual, auditory and kinesthetic learning styles which made it very straightforward. After taking this quiz the results showed me to be more of an auditory learner with sixty-four percent. As far as visual and kinesthetic learning both of the percentages were at eighteen percent so I definitely lean towards one method. As an auditory learner you prefer to learn by listening and often recall the words you’ve heard in your mind (Penn State, 2010). This quiz brought to my attention that while taking a written test, I am slow because of speaking to myself as you read (Penn State, 2010). The results of the quizzes that I took were very enlightening to me since I was of the belief that I really did not lean towards one learning style. Felder and Solomans’ quiz was the best out of the two that I experienced today because it was so full of information. I especially like that it gives you helpful tips on how to learn better with the learning styles that you have. Taking the quizzes today helped me better understand my learning style which I know will help me down the line while trying to learn anything. Basically what this essay boils down to is everyone has different ways of learning whether it is auditory, sensing or reflective. Knowing how I learn can be a very helpful tool in my success to completely my degree. Taking a quiz to learn about my learning style proved to be very insightful into my tactics taken while studying. In the end knowledge is power and knowing how to pour it into your mind with understanding is priceless. References: http://www. engr. ncsu. edu/learningstyles/ilsweb. html http://www. howtolearn. com/learning-styles-quiz.

African American Culture Reflection Response Essay

African American Culture Reflection Response - Essay Example African American culture has been growing independently from the standard American culture given craving of African American to hone their traditions, and additionally the racial isolation determination in America. As a result, African American culture has turn out to be a critical piece of American society, though then, for a certain period, it will be an unmistakable culture, which can be separated from it. One of the examples that can be used to understand African American Culture is naming; how they use to name people. African American culture considers names to be regularly have some connection with the same dialect group as other mainstream names found in American culture. The act of embracing neo-African or Islamic names did not pick up prevalence in anticipation of the Civil Rights period. This wilk be the last period. Endeavors to recoup African legacy roused determination of names with more profound social importance. Preceding this, the use of African names, which for two reasons, it was not considered to be pragmatic. First, some African Americans were a few eras expelled from the final predecessor to posses an African name. Moreover, African American practiced naming, which originates before the invention of African names. While trying to come up with their particular names, African American parents’ growth (regarding numbers), beginning in the post-World War II period, started making new names given sounds they discovered satisfying, for example, Marquon, DaShawn, LaTasha, or Shandra.

Civil Engineering Measurement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Civil Engineering Measurement - Essay Example Such earthworks could be for paved areas, for sub-bases, for contiguous filler materials, for surface water channels and for landscape areas. In case of embankments earthworks will be treated as capping tops only while in case of permanent storage it will exclude top soil. For structures below the level of ground, the permanently exposed face below ground level will be considered only. For the case of a foundation the permanently exposed face above ground level down to capping level will be considered. For treated areas the Series Existing Ground Level will be obtained after treatment. The sub soil level will be defined after the removal of the top soil level as per contract specification. Surcharge has been considered as any material put on embankments for loading them. Moreover it has been assumed that one cubic meter removed material is equal to one cubic meter of compacted fill and there is no space for bulking or shrinkage. Another important thing is that excavated materials fro m Series 100 to 500 and Series 700 to 2500 cannot be evaluated according to these designations. For embankments the first 75 mm are not measured but for landscapes the additional fill, deposition and compaction are not measured. The unit of excavation has been delineated as one cubic meter and the total range of measurements for excavation are carried out for the top soil, cuttings, removal of surcharge, structural foundations, foundations for corrugated steel barriers (above and below ground level), new and enlarged water courses, clearing of abandoned water courses, gabion walling, caps for mines, wells, swallow holes etc. and swamps, marshes bogs. It has also been made clear that separate items should be provided for excavation as per Chapter II paragraphs 3 and 4 as well as designated Groups I to IV. Again all measurements are in meters for these groups. In addition the excavation of hard materials has also been designated and the unit of measurement is Hard Material cubic meter while the methods of measurement remain the same as provided above. Separate items have been provided for extra over excavation for hard excavation as Group I and II. The item coverage for soft and hard materials is markedly different and has been defined accordingly. The types of unacceptable materials have also been defined as those that can be processed using mechanical, chemical, hydraulic or other means and the unit of measurement is the cubic meter but measurement can only ensue when required specifically by the contract. Separate items have been provided as per Group I, II and III. In a similar manner the deposition of fill has been designated too and the unit of measurement is cubic meter and separate items have been provided as Group I, II and III. The disposal of material is similar and the unit of measurement is the cubic meter while separate items have been defined under Group I and II. Imported fill is measured in cubic meters too and separate items are designated as G roup I and II. On the other hand, compacted fill is measured in cubic meters and separate items have been designated in Group I, II and III. Moreover for compaction the kinds of voids and gaps that are to be filled are defined as structures, fill on capping, sub base material, road base, fill on bridges, bedding for buried structures and the like. Separate measurement can o

Practice Management and Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Practice Management and Leadership - Essay Example As the essay stresses post-modern thinking has become somewhat lost in it’s the celebration of differences rather than focusing on the searching for commonality. The post modern society is leading to the development of post modern organisational structures which are being used as contrasts to bureaucratic forms of organisation, which were unable to cope with the demands of the post modern condition. From the report it is clear that the post modern organization does not and cannot exist. For example, from a post modern perspective, a contemporary form of organization would put little emphasis on planning and control and would create an essentially chaotic and reactive environment. But this extreme example cannot be allowed to rule in today’s businesses, since most organizations today spend a large amount of their time and money on rationally calculating things like which market to move into, which firm to swallow up, etc. It would be valid to conclude that at this present time we can witness a mixture of modern and post modern forms in most organizations. This way of being can develop into a more open, and pliable organization. But then of course this so called openness can cause many uncertainties. Thus the role of design management has come to embody the ways in which organizations are redesigning themselves in order to free the workers from bureaucratic shackles and bec ome the involved, fluid and connected ‘post modern’ organization.

Ethical Climate Survey Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Ethical Climate Survey - Assignment Example Specifically, the issue facing the organization was related to how it paid teenage employees and serving dangerously unhealthy fast foods to people. It is clear that these actions were unethical because the organization was exploiting the ablest employees who are the teenagers and at the same time, serving products that would potentially harm the customer’s health by becoming obese, which can cause heart disease and ultimately death. Some steps were taken by the admin to eliminate the same and currently, the organization wants to have the employees’ views on the progress so that they can possibly come up with additional strategies based on the outcomes. The establishment of a corporate culture is crucial to the success of the overall organization and requires certain steps to accomplish and realize the anticipated results. The culture defines the behaviors exhibited by the employees in the subject organization. The first step incorporates understanding what is important to the employees so as to incorporate that in the culture to be established. Specifically, the leader should take responsibility in determining what motivates the employees and this step relies heavily on communication where the employees hold a conversation with the leader. Here, the two parties outline what is expected of each other. While the leader communicates the goals, the employees communicate how they would like to benefit from the business and with the business. The second step involves taking action while taking the interests of the employees into consideration. After developing the culture, it is then defined to the involved parties who are then involved in the third step of contributing and providing ideas. This should be considered so as to make them feel responsible for its creation.  

Elements of Rock Music Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Elements of Rock Music - Essay Example Since that time, rock has been into existence and has formed strong influence in the society, especially amongst the youths. Rock gained its popularity following the appealing nature to the white youths or teenagers who considered it a new, fresh, interesting and exciting form of music as opposed to the music of old days that was enjoyed by their grandparents, as well as their parents (Kenny, 39). Relevant to the above, it is of crucial significance to note that there are several elements responsible for making rock music to be as appealing, exciting and interesting as it is today.  Ã‚  Sounds are one of the elements that make rock music as outstanding as it is today. Typical rock music is always associated with four sounds (Scarufi, 25). The first sound in any typical rock music is always the voice. In some situations, rock music always features solo voice. The voice of the singer or soloist who is always associated with rock music is always amplified. This is very important in ma king the voice to become loud. Such loud voice is critical in capturing the audience. The second sound in any typical rock music is always the guitar (Charlton, 29). Bass forms the third sound, and goes together with the guitar. Guitars are always stringed instruments used in producing certain rhythmic sounds. Guitars are always electric, similar to the bass. It is important to note that in rock music, the electric guitar can always assume two different forms. These include distorted forms as well as clean forms.

Computer Technology into Reading Instruction Assignment

Computer Technology into Reading Instruction - Assignment Example The technology has influenced our educational system in a number of ways. While it has served as a means to improve the quality of education, the use of technology has also greatly facilitated a better understanding and developed a mutual respect in the ongoing teacher-pupil relationship. The wide ranging implications of the use of technology in education, has been an ongoing concern of the authorities who have continued to introduce better learning facilities and optimise the learning process leading to quality education. The inclusion of computer technology in the curricula has greatly facilitated the reading, writing and comprehension skills of the students, including those with special need. The essay would be looking at the three major ways of using technology into the reading instruction that improve and improvise the achievement skills of the students: Web quest; PowerPoint; and use of websites and special web pages. While teaching is an important aspect of teachers, the train ing of the teachers is equally relevant. The world is fast changing and therefore it is important for the teachers to keep abreast with the changes that are taking place. The need to learn advanced techniques and teaching methodologies is an essential part of a teacher’s training. The use of technology in teaching has become an integral part of the curricula so knowledge of various technological teaching aids like computers and interactive boards has become vital for teachers. WebQuest is one device that vastly promotes learning process in the classroom.

Briefing note on philosophy article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Briefing note on philosophy article - Essay Example The concept of language ability isn’t realistically explainable in theory divorced from the full model of how the human function is organized. The full model of how the human function is organized is not realistic because we don’t have a clear picture of ourselves as a scientific definition. There are different ways of looking at a definition for natural kinds. In the scientific method, we’re searching for an understandable theory that explains who we are with the known design of the natural sciences. Natural theories focus more on the nature of the function and reasonable goals for that function as opposed to the actual achievement of function. Chomsky asserts that certain linguists postulate that when thinking of words, a picture associated with that word forms in the individual’s mind; however that doesn’t define the word as to meaning for that individual. He further asserts that language use is not able to be subjected to scientific definition or study, and neither can anything be learned from studying the functionality of the brain with regards to how it processes language concepts. Language use is thought to be part of our common sense understanding with a special place in helping to define human life and thought processes. Concrete objects are not subject to scientific theory, rather they have value dependent upon whatever value we give them. The scientific function of the mind acts to perform scientific theory similarly as the language function acts to acquire and use language; through sharpening the focus to enable complete understanding.

Living with Strangers Essay Example for Free

Living with Strangers Essay To top the essence of discomfort off, Hustvedt states that On the subway, I found myself in intimate contact with people I didnt know, my body pressed so tightly against hem, I could smell their hair oils, perfumes and sweat. (p. 1, l. 4-16) This closeness is something that most of us, Hustvedt as well, saves exclusively to boyfriends and close family This exclusiveness only survives because of the Pretend it isnt happening-rule. Throughout the essay Hustvedt takes us down her memory-lane of New York, where she tell us the things that can describe exactly why her view on urban living is how it is. The Pretend it isnt happening-rule seems to be the most visible theme in the essay. To an outsider taking a stance against something that is clearly wrong seems logical, if not almost necessary. Whereas Hustvedt says that in New York that is uncommon and almost illogical behavior, because of the possible outcomes when someone is asked to stop whatever they felt they had the right to do. This is allowed because of the aforementioned rule. To explain her point further Siri Hustvedt exemplifies it for us. Hustvedts husband had witnessed a man stepping on the subway with a lit cigarette, another man confronted him politely by stating that its illegal to smoke on he subway, the smoker had then replied Do you wanna die? To much luck the smoker had to get off the subway at the next stop, which resulted in a quick ending to the affairs, but Hustvedt points out that this couldVe ended much, much worse. Siri Hustvedt almost attempts to Justify the pretend it isnt happening-rule, by showing the dangers ot not pretending. Hustvedt points out that New Yorkers barely even notice that theyre doing it, its such a custom reaction to these situations that in the urban cities youre raised with them Just as youre raised with table manners. To exemplify this Siri Hustvedt mentions her daughter, Sophie, who has adapted to the behavioral pattern already as she feigns deafness when the inevitable stray character comes along and tries a pickup. (p. 2, l. 80-81) and that her daughter has been refining the frozen, blank expression that accompanies the Pretend law. (p. 2, 1. 76-77) In the same example Hustvedt explains that her daughter often gets hit on and some of these admirers are more stray than others. One day Sophie had experienced a man who had been shamelessly staring at her, but when he stepped ff the train and the daughter didnt, the man had thrown himself against the window and yelled l love you at her. Sophie had felt embarrassed and frightened, but the man next to her had commented It looks like you have an admirer. To this Siri Hustvedt explains that His understatement not only defined the comedy inherent in the scene; it lifted my daughter out of the solitary misery that comes from being the object of unwanted attention among strangers. (p. 3, l. 92-94). This example turns the essay towards a new point-of-view, whereas the reader started out ith having a sense of displeasure and discomfort towards urban living, Hustvedt turns the entire essay around in the end where she enlightens us that urban living is not all that bad: Nevertheless, compliments, insults, banter, smiles, and genuine conversations among strangers are part of the citys noise, its stimulus, its charm. (p. 3, l. 102-104) in this quote, Hustvedt points out to us that isnt not only incredibly dull, if urban life only revolved around pretending its not happening, but that is it almost down-right impossible. She also states that because of this rule, those who break it make a turning point to everyday life and its those people who make urban living all the more charming. Siri Hustvedt mentions that Sometimes a brief exchange with an unknown person marks you forever, not because it is profound but because it is uncommonly vivid. (p. 3, l. 112-113) and to end the essay she mentions a moment 20 years earlier in her life, where a homeless man had called her beautiful and asked her to dinner, and when she politely said no, he then had grinned and aid Lunch? This example not only supports her statement that it has indeed marked her forever, but it almost seems like what then wouldVe seemed rather creepy now is a little comical and it probably even lifts her spirit when thinking about it. l, for one, believe that the statement is as true as anything can be. Its not always the deep conversations you have with your family and closest friends that mark you, its the sudden situations; because the yre not forced and that makes them all the more real and therefore deep. I may not live in a true urban city like Copenhagen or New York, but the pretend-rule is everywhere and because of that all of the times that its broken may seem a little odd or even scary at first can make the rest of ones day all the more interesting. A sudden compliment, a smile to a stranger or even a short conversation with someone about why the train is delayed yet again. It gives one time to reflect over the minor things in life and sometimes it may even remind you Just how little you actually are in a good way, of course.

The HR Consultant Essay Example for Free

The HR Consultant Essay Introduction Texas Roadhouse is a chain restaurant throughout the United States. There are approximately 340 locations in over 46 states, and they are quickly expanding. Its menu specializes in steaks and ribs, as well as adding a western atmosphere for guests to enjoy. In the restaurant business, there are many different positions held by a variety of different people. There are cooks, dish washers, bus boys, hostesses, bartenders, servers, and also nightly management. On average each night, there are approximately 19 servers, 6 bus boys, 6 hostesses, 3 bartenders, and large amount of kitchen staff. All of these different positions are crucial in the nightly success of the company. Without any of these positions, the restaurant would not be able to run as smoothly. Objectives of The study In this report we are trying to find out the way to increase efficiency and effectiveness of the restaurant using five models:- 1) Self-Efficacy Model 2) LMX Model 3) Job Characteristics Model 4) Goal Setting Model Strategic Mapping Using Models Self-Efficacy Model The term self-efficacy is used to describe an individual’s perception of how competent they find themselves and their abilities to achieve complex tasks. People with strong self-efficacy are more likely to accept more responsibility and accept more challenging tasks. They also believe that no obstacles can get in the way from stopping them achieve their goals. Individuals with low self-efficacy are more apt to looking as difficult tasks as intimidating and do not believe they that are capable of achieving personal success. Overall, self-efficacy plays an important role in influencing the tasks that people perform and how well they perform them. The most important factor that is impacting through self-efficacy is persistence. This is found important because the higher the person perceives themselves on the scale, the more persistent that they will be with performing a complex task. Analysis and Recommendations as per Self Efficacy model Self-efficacy is something that is important in any organization. However, it is important at Texas Roadhouse to hire individuals who have a High level of self-efficacy so that employee perceives themselves capable of achieving many complex tasks. This could prove to be an issue within the organization because individuals could become bored or feel not challenged by the tasks designated in their position, which could lead to frustration for the employees and employer. Hence, Challenging tasks should be given to such individuals. 1) The individuals with moderate level of self-efficacy provides opportunity for the organization to designate tasks to that are challenging but also still attainable. It is good to hire large no. of employees in this category. There were three individuals who scored close to the lower end of the self-efficacy scale. 2) The individuals with low self-efficacy can pose a problem for Texas Roadhouse as they might hinder the productivity and success of the organization. Hence, in order to ensure more confident and driven individuals, Texas Roadhouse could moderately delegate more difficult tasks to these individuals in order to boost their confidence and the way they perceive themselves. Also, they could provide more positive feedback in their jobs and reinforce that the individual is doing well at their job. 2) Leader-Member Exchange The leader-member exchange (LMX) is a model that suggests that leaders develop different relationships with each of their subordinates through a series of work-related transactions. There are two important groups to consider that a subordinate may fall under depending on which phase they fit into. The in group is defined as a low number of subordinates with high LMX relationships. The second group is known as the out group in which the number of subordinates is large and contains relatively low level LMX relationships. Employees who find themselves in the out-group are likely to face high job turnover. This should be important to all management because high turnover is a very large investment for the organization. The level of LMX has a significant relationship to subordinates satisfaction with their manager. Employees with low-quality LMX are more likely to become dissatisfied, less motivated, and more prone to quitting. Whereas employees with high level LMX are likely to be satisfied with their work, more motivated, and committed to staying and contributing to the organization. LMX has three critical components which are mutual affection, contribution to work activities, and professional respect. When a subordinate has high mutual affection for a superior, the subordinate likes the superior as a person and will often come to the superior’s defense if attacked. High contribution to work activities comes into play when a subordinate goes above and beyond their job description to help the superior out. High Professional Respect is when the superior admires the subordinate’s knowledge and competence of the job. Analysis and Recommendation as per LMX 1) The Texas Roadhouse management does take steps to increase the mutual affection score of its staff else they will likely to enter the realm of the out group which could potentially lead to the employee leaving the organization because Why stay at an organization if you’re not happy with your manager? 2) One way management can increase the mutual affection is to take a more active role and listen to the complaints of the employees and to take the time to establish supportive and trusting relationships with the employees. 3) Another suggestion might be to engage the staff in team building activities and icebreakers. We can conclude that the superiors and managers of Texas Roadhouse are not providing proper support to their staff and needs to make a drastic change soon because the organization as a whole could be affected. 4) Some possible solutions include taking the time to reassess what kind of support is needed for staff. One way to do this is anonymous comment cards. Have all the employees fill out comment cards anonymously and identify specific instances where an employee failed to receive support. This must be down anonymously by the employer because the employee might be unwilling to respond for fear of termination. 5) The manager may have a tendency to interact with other employees in an unprofessional manner. The manager can decrease this perception by keeping to policy or by adjusting his/her interactions in front of employees. 6) Management needs to do a better job of developing better relationships with its employees. Some improvement strategies include the use of assertive communication, appropriate communication openness, and constructive feedback with all of the subordinates. Job Characteristics Model The job characteristics model has to do with the idea of increasing the amounts of five job characteristics: skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy and feedback in a job. Skill variety can be defined as the degree to which a job requires an assortment of skills in order for an employee to carry out the task at hand. Task identity is the extent to which a job requires an employee to complete a task from beginning to end with a visible, tangible outcome. Task significance is the extent to which an employee perceives the job as having an impact on the lives of other individuals, if it makes a difference in society, within or outside of the organization. Autonomy is the level to which a job provides empowerment and discretion to an employee by choosing their own way to complete and schedule a task. Job feedback is the clear information about how effective an employee’s performance is. The different levels of these five job characteristics affect three important psychological states. The first, to experience meaningfulness of the tasks performed, second, to experience personal responsibility for results of the task at hand, and last is the knowledge of the results of task performance. If all three psychological states are positive, strong work motivation based on self-generated rewards is triggered. If they are in the negative zone, meaning the job is not meaningful, lacks responsibility or feedback, the job is incomplete, which does not strongly motivate an employee. This model can be related to Texas Roadhouse since it looks into how well an employee has the opportunity to be motivated to work in the restaurant. It highlights the areas that need work in the restaurant and what the employees enjoy or dislike about working there. It also demonstrates which employees are content with working there for a while and which view it as a stepping stone towards another opp ortunity that has not yet befallen upon them. Analysis and Recommendations as per Job Characteristic Model 1) The model demonstrates a need for change in the structure of Texas Roadhouse in order to increase their employee’s motivation to continue their work there. Generally, there are two main approaches recommended to superiors for designing/redesigning jobs which are vertical loading and the formation of natural work teams. Vertical loading is when tasks that were considered reserved for management level staff are delegated to all employees. It includes the power to set schedules, decide work methods, breaks, and seek solutions to their own problems. Natural work teams combines individual jobs into a unit which are logical and meaningful including geographic location, types of business, organizational, alphabetical or numerical, customer groups. If Texas Roadhouse implemented vertical loading into their structure and gave their employees the opportunity to decide their own breaks and more flexible schedules, it could aid in their desire to maintain their positions at the restaurant. Most of the employees are pretty satisfied with the way things are run at Texas Roadhouse, however, according to the data, one of the biggest issues the employees have with Texas Roadhouse is the lack of variety, out of twenty surveys; eleven scored less than a four on the scale. The employees also feel that they do not have the opportunity to see projects through to completion which affects their task identity characteristic. This can be fixed with a simple solution, which is to allow employees to complete a task before assigning them another. Goal Setting Model Goal setting is a very integral part of any job. Whether you are attempting to better yourself or complete a project, setting goals is one of the most helpful tools to assist you throughout the process. Goal setting can definitely help a business such as Texas Roadhouse in raising their standards for employees which will end up helping the bottom line. The goal setting model that we used for our survey seems to have a big impact on job performance. According to the model, if employees felt good about the goals they set, they were better at their jobs. Five essential pieces must come together in order for the managers to gain benefits of a goal setting program. The first piece is that the person must be knowledgeable about the topic of the specified goal and have the sufficient capacity to attain the goal. The second step is that the person must be committed to the goal, especially if the goal is difficult. The third step is that people need feedback on their goals. According to the text, employees will raise their performance because they are afraid they will have past performance. The forth step is that complex tasks must be broken up into simpler more short term goals so that the goals can be attained. It is stated in the text that employees are more responsive when they know about their progress. The fifth and final piece is to have a situation constraint. One of the most important aspects of a leader is to ensure that employees have the resources to attain their goals and to help eliminate any troubles that may lie in the way. Now to discuss some of the benefits that goal setting can have on performance. One of the consequences of goal setting is that it motivates individuals to achieve high performance. Some of the benefits stem from developing difficult goals. When it comes to Texas Roadhouse, such goal setting can be setting goals for a certain dollar amount each table waited on per person. The benefits can be such as encouraging people to develop action plans to reach a goal, focusing people’s attention on goal-relevant action, and encouraging people to develop action plans to reach these goals. Having such goal setting systems in place, you will have to be able to adequately reward your employees. Such reward systems could be like the high-performance work system which is used to describe a well-established method of motivation with new technology that links pay and performance. This isn’t very easy to do, especially when considering the many factors. Such factors could ask questions such as, do you reward individually or as a team. Analysis and Recommendation as per Goal Setting Model Going through a few of the steps that go into goal setting and based on the results provided from the study, we have developed some recommendations for the restaurant. The first recommendation is to put groups of waiters and hostesses into teams in order to create an atmosphere of meritocracy. When there are teams, it’s easier to have tasks done and team members will have the mentality of â€Å"if I scratch your back you scratch mine.† Going along with more of the recommendations through the analysis of the process of effective goal setting, a proper high performance work reward system must be put into place in order to motivate employees. Our recommendation for the work reward system is a system that rewards waitresses on the amount of money per person that they serve. So for example if a team earns on average $15 per customer and another team earns $20 per customer, we reward the team with the $20 per customer with a bonus on top of their normal tips. To further develop their goals, we can get input for the teams on how they would like to improve the model because it is stated that the more input the employees feel like they are giving, the more they would buy into the program. To improve on that, we would also make the goals a little bit more challenging. For example we could expect a higher dollar amount per customer over last month. For example a ten percent increase could be viable. The last of our recommendations is to give each employee a step by step plan on how to achieve their goals and to give them a monthly review. These recommendations would help Texas Roadhouse by improving their trust between one another, their individual and team goals by giving them more input which leads to more buy-in and lastly, it helps them raise their revenue by setting higher goals for each customer. Works Cited Bernardin, H. John, Joyce E. A. Russell. Human Resource Management: An Experiential Approach. McGraw-Hill Irwin, 2013.

Functions and Importance of Communication

Functions and Importance of Communication Any attempt to emphasise the importance of communication in modern day existence, clichà ©d as it may sound, is bound to be superfluous. In all probability, human life would cease to exist in its present form if communication were to be taken out of the picture. Communication helps humans in a myriad ways, by defining their identities and in satisfying their needs for affection, inclusion, assertion, relaxation and control. It is necessary at all waking hours; during work and at play. It is essential for gaining knowledge and building relationships, for doing daily tasks, and for achieving progress in life. Over the years extensive research, by social scientists and human relations experts, has given rise to an extensive body of literature on the subject. It is the purpose of this essay to take up the issue of communication within organisations and groups; evaluate its functions, and analyse its importance. All organisations, large or small, business, governmental or not for profit, have agendas that could range from the very complex to the extremely simple. Communication is a demanding organisational issue and vitally important to organizational functioning for the execution of these agendas, regardless of size, nature or industry type. Professor Leif Aberg (1998) of the Department of Communication, University of Helsinki states that communication gives these organisations momentum by fulfilling four basic functions, namely (a) supporting core functions, (b) profiling, (c) informing and (d) socialising. While the relative importance and scope of these four functions depends, to a great extent upon the size and nature of individual organisations, all four functions, taken together, undoubtedly account for most of the formal communication that occurs within organisations. Core functions of different organisations could range from manufacturing products to providing services; or as is the case with many governmental bodies, executing administrative work. Core processes, irrespective of their nature, can occur only through effective communication between organisational members. Communication can be top down, bottom up, horizontal or diagonal. Again it can relate to any or more of the issues involved in the carrying out of core functions. Incidences of such communication can occur in multifarious ways and can vary from production instructions given to a machine attendant to the distribution of work schedules by a supervisor or the routing of a customer order to the kitchen of a restaurant. Ineffective communication results in the creation of intra-organisational barriers and stifles efficient operations. Effective communication between the management and the workforce has, as such, become an accepted imperative for organisational excellence, and breakdow ns in this area are inevitably regarded as issues of major concern Profiling comes into play when long term corporate, product, service, or manager profiles are created. These profiles basically relate to crucial strategic choices made by organisations concerning their long term goals and objectives. A long term product or service profile, for example, represents the business strategy of an organisation. It would thus necessarily need to be communicated to all members of the organisations to make them aware about key organisational decisions and road maps. The dissemination of information within an organisation is another key component of organisational communication structure. Very typically, significant amounts of information are regularly processed within an organisation. These can (a) relate to events as well as developments that are internal or external to the organisation, or (b) concern organisational decisions taken at senior levels. Such information may need to be conveyed to members of the establishment. Decisions to communicate this sort of information are usually taken by members of senior management in consultation with communication managers. Recent developments in Internet Communication Technology, for example, could be of interest to all members of a communications company. In such a case, the communications manager might well decide to select and convey information that could be relevant to the employees or which pertains to developments that could well impact the company in the short or medium term. Information about internal decisions could cover a very broad ambit and possibly include details about organisational performance, targets, personnel policies, promotions, increments and the like. It is imperative to ensure that real time business information reaches all ranks and functions in the organization. Considering the bulk of such information, it is thus but appropriate that the majority of communication matters within organisations deal primarily with dissemination of routine information. The last regular function of communication concerns socialisation. Socialisation is primarily a process wherein members of an organisation or group learn to assimilate and internalise the behavioural norms, attitudes, thought processes and work ethics of the parent body. In most cases socialisation occurs when new entrants join organisations and take up their responsibilities. Its need could arise for existing organisational members too if they have to be transferred to different locations or departments. Socialisation is essentially a learning process and could be needed, both at the time of induction of employees into an organisation, or at the time of their induction to work. It is one of the primarily responsibilities of the Human Resources function and normally takes place through training and induction protocols. These protocols are obviously dependent on communication through written, audiovisual, personal interaction, mentoring, or classroom mediums for their actual operation . Apart from these four standard functions, informal communication takes place constantly within organisations and groups and serves to increase social interaction between colleagues and co-workers; thereby helping in building relationships, inculcating feelings of belonging and strengthening organisational loyalty and commitment. The British Army, for example, encourages officers to get together at regimental messes, after the days work, to bond and build relationships of trust, regimental pride, camaraderie, and loyalty towards the country and the Queen. Informal communication takes place, most commonly between people who share the same workplace, as well as within small groups who build relationships in canteens, office gyms and during informal group activity events. While this type of communication is generally outside the administrative control of organisation, most organisational leaders try to ensure that informal communication remains healthy, or rather, that it does not dispar age anybody. Most HR managers feel that informal communication should protect the interests of the organisation and remain free of gender or race abuse. Communication is not thought of any more as a routine and peripheral function. Its role as a driver of organisational success is well accepted and managements are increasingly trying to ensure its optimal use in the shaping and steering of organisations. Richard Luss and Steven Nice (2004) of Watson Wyatt state that communication serves organisations in two major ways. Firstly it drives superior performance by ensuring the following. Employees feel connected to the business and understand how their actions can support it. New employees exhibit solid connections to the company culture starting from their initial days on the job. Communication quickly connects employees to changing business challenges, facilitating faster adjustments to fluctuating market conditions. Management effectively connects with employees through strong leadership during times of organizational change Secondly, it helps in improving business performance by â€Å"(a) building a strong foundation of formal communication structure and processes, which rely on employee feedback and effectively use technology to connect with employees, dealing directly with the strategic issues of change, continuous improvement and business strategy integration and alignment, and (b) by changing employee behavior by inducing changes in managers’ and supervisors’ behavior and by creating a line of sight between employees and customers† (Luss and Nice, 2004) The challenges of modern business and the intense and ever-increasing competition that have become its distinguishing features demand sharp and cutting edge operational efficiencies. The use of excellent communication is proving to be one of the most effective tools in the hands of organisational leadership for routing their companies towards ambitious targets and greater successes. References Aberg, L, (1998), Organisational communication as a strategic resource, Retrieved January 10, 2007 from www.valt.helsinki.fi/staff/aberg/iabclast/ Harris, T. E. (2002). Applied Organizational Communication: Principles and Pragmatics for Future Practice. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Kramer, M. W. (2004). Managing Uncertainty in Organizational Communication. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Luss, R and Nyce, S, (2004), Connecting Organizational Communication to Financial Performance: The Methodology behind the 2003/2004 Communication ROI Study, Retrieved January 10, 2007 from www.ociabc.org/events/presentations/ROI_Study_Methodology.pdf Manning, P. K. (1992). Organizational Communication. New York: Aldine de Gruyter. Tourish, D. Hargie, O. (Eds.). (2004). Key Issues in Organizational Communication. New York: Routledge.

The Outsiders :: essays research papers

The Outsiders Book Review The Outsiders was written by Susan Eloise Hinton. It is one of her most popular books about foolish gang rivalry existing between the Socs, the rich kids from the west side of town, and the Greasers, the poor kids from the east side. Ponyboy Curtis struggles growing up as a poor youth with his two brothers. One night while he is out with Johnny, Ponyboy is attacked by the Socs. Johnny ends up killing one of the Socs. They both flee from the scene before the news gets out. They are caught in a fire and Johnny and Ponyboy become heroes for saving some children. The story has a tragic end for Johnny but Ponyboy realises that he is fortunate, having family and friends that love him The main character in this book is a 14 year old boy named Ponyboy. He lives with his two older brothers, Darry and Sodapop, ever since his parents passed away. He and his brothers belong to a gang called the Greasers, who are from the wrong side of the railroad tracks. They all have long and "tuff" hair; their trademark is the amounts of oil that they put in their hair. They hate the Socs. The Socs have everything, they have great girls, great cars and they think they are superior so they always pick on the Greasers. The most interesting event was when Johnny and Ponyboy were trying to save the little children from the fire. There was a lot of action and showed the courage in the boys. This event marks what a true hero Johnny and Ponyboy are. The main themes are that you shouldn’t judge people by their appearances. Just because you are rich and belong to a tough gang does not mean you are cruel like the other gang members. You shouldn’t carry any harmful weapons and should not escape from the police.

Grandma and Grandpa - My Grandfather, A Man of Respect :: Personal Narrative Profile

My Grandfather – A Man of Respect Winds scratch his hands and his sharp bones deeply assert their lineaments. He stands like a trembling leaf on the branch of an evergreen, and will not fall. (Emmanuel di Pasquale, "Old Man Timochenko") This stanza from Emmanuel di Pasquale's poem "Old Man Timochenko" portrays my grandfather well. My grandfather is a man of respect because he never gave up on life, not even when his friends and family were burned alive on a train traveling from East Punjab to West Punjab during the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947. He immediately understood that emigration from this Hindu dominant country to a Muslim state was important for his family's safety, faith, and future. My grandfather was nineteen years old when he moved from India's Punjab to Pakistan's Punjab; he was able to escape and obtain border passes from high authorities because his father was a wealthy landlord. After three days, he arrived in the city of Lahore with his mother, three brothers, and one sister, but they were shocked when they saw small houses overburdened with people like fish in a tuna can. The biggest misfortune struck when they found out that they were not going to be fully compensated for all the property they had left behind. During this entire incident, my grandfather did not shed a single tear because he knew that this migration was his family's choice, and they had to pay a price for a better life. Throughout his life he valued one thing the most: respect. In fact, he thought of it as a reversible equation; you give respect and you get respect, and that is what he me throughout his lifetime. My grandfather always taught me to respect people regardless of their religion, status, and color. He said that these are man-made boundaries and differences, and in order to socialize in this world, one must learn to accept people in all forms. For example, on the day of Eid-ul-Fitar, a religious day observed by Muslims, my grandfather would embrace his servants, wish them a happy and prosperous year ahead, and give them presents.

lord of the flies :: essays research papers

CHAPTER 7 - SHADOWS AND THE TREES The boys continue their search of the island and moves towards the mountaintop. When they stop to eat, Ralph's mind wanders to other things. He observes the boys and again realizes they have become dirty and unkempt, a state of their freedom which he accepts as normal. Ralph then looks at the vast ocean. It seems as if the sea acts like a barrier, preventing their rescue, keeping them from civilization, and condemning them. Simon joins him and interrupts Ralph's thoughts of home. He tries to calm the leader by assuring him that they will certainly be rescued soon. Later in the day, the hunters are delighted to discover fresh pig droppings. They decide to hunt the pig while searching for the beast. Soon everyone spies the wild boar and wildly gives chase. Ralph joins the madness, excited by the thrill of the adventure, and throws a wooden spear, which hits the boar's snout. Since it is his first hunt, he is delighted at his accuracy and tries to gain the respect and appreciation of the boys. Jack draws the attention away from Ralph by displaying his bloodied arm, wounded by the tusks of the boar. Although the hunt ends with the wild animal escaping, the boys are still filled with excitement. They have a mock play with Robert at the center representing the pig. Jack, Ralph, and the boys perform a savage dance and jab at Robert with the spears almost injuring him seriously. As Robert struggles to get free, the boys chant frenziedly. The desire to hunt and draw blood almost overpowers them, but they manage to bring themselves under control. Ralph uneasily reminds everyone that it has only been a game; but the leader now understands the exhilaration of participating in a hunt. Since it is growing dark, there is a discussion among the boys as to whether they should stay on this side of the mountain and hunt the beast or return to Piggy and the "littluns". They decide to stay, and the kind Simon offers to go off through the forest alone to inform Piggy of the plans. Because it is night, Ralph feels that they should postpone their search until daylight. Jack accuses him of cowardice and Ralph gives in. While the other boys stay behind, Ralph, Jack and Roger begin to climb the mountain, but Ralph still feels it is a foolish

Foundation and Empire 10. The War Ends

Lathan Devers felt definitely uncomfortable, and vaguely resentful. He had received his own decoration and withstood with mute stoicism the turgid oratory of the mayor which accompanied the slip of crimson ribbon. That had ended his share of the ceremonies, but, naturally, formality forced him to remain. And it was formality, chiefly – the type that couldn't allow him to yawn noisily or to swing a foot comfortably onto a chair seat – that made him long to be in space, where he belonged. The Siwennese delegation, with Ducem Barr a lionized member, signed the Convention, and Siwenna became the first province to pass directly from the Empire's political rule to the Foundation's economic one. Five Imperial Ships of the Line – captured when Siwenna rebelled behind the lines of the Empire's Border Fleet – flashed overhead, huge and massive, detonating a roaring salute as they passed over the city. Nothing but drinking, etiquette, and small talk now. A voice called him. It was Forell; the man who, Devers realized coldly, could buy twenty of him with a morning's profits – but a Forell who now crooked a finger at him with genial condescension. He stepped out upon the balcony into the cool night wind, and bowed properly, while scowling into his bristling beard. Barr was there, too; smiling. He said, â€Å"Devers, you'll have to come to my rescue. I'm being accused of modesty, a horrible and thoroughly unnatural crime.† â€Å"Devers,† Forell removed the fat cigar from the side of his mouth when he spoke, â€Å"Lord Barr claims that your trip to Cleon's capital had nothing to do with the recall of Riose.† â€Å"Nothing at all, sir.† Devers was curt. â€Å"We never saw the Emperor. The reports we picked up on our way back concerning the trial, showed it up to be the purest frameup. There was a mess of rigmarole about the general being tied up with subversive interests at the court.† â€Å"And he was innocent?† â€Å"Riose?† interposed Barr. â€Å"Yes! By the Galaxy, yes. Brodrig was a traitor on general principles but was never guilty of the specific accusations brought against him. It was a judicial farce; but a necessary one, a predictable one, an inevitable one.† â€Å"By psychohistorical necessity, I presume.† Forell rolled the phrase sonorously with the humorous ease of long familiarity. â€Å"Exactly.† Barr grew serious. â€Å"It never penetrated earlier, but once it was over and I could†¦ well†¦ look at the answers in the back of the book, the problem became simple. We can see, now, that the social background of the Empire makes wars of conquest impossible for it. Under weak Emperors, it is tom apart by generals competing for a worthless and surely death-bringing throne. Under strong Emperors, the Empire is frozen into a paralytic rigor in which disintegration apparently ceases for the moment, but only at the sacrifice of all possible growth.† Forell growled bluntly through strong puffs, â€Å"You're not clear, Lord Barr.† Barr smiled slowly. â€Å"I suppose so. It's the difficulty of not being trained in psychohistory. Words are a pretty fuzzy substitute for mathematical equations. But let's see now-â€Å" Barr considered, while Forell relaxed, back to railing, and Devers looked into the velvet sky and thought wonderingly of Trantor. Then Barr said, â€Å"You see, sir, you – and Devers – and everyone no doubt, had the idea that beating the Empire meant first prying apart the Emperor and his general. You, and Devers, and everyone else were right – right all the time, as far as the principle of internal disunion was concerned. â€Å"You were wrong, however, in thinking that this internal split was something to be brought about by individual acts, by inspirations of the moment. You tried bribery and lies. You appealed to ambition and to fear. But you got nothing for all your pains. In fact, appearances were worse after each attempt. â€Å"And through all this wild threshing up of tiny ripples, the Seldon tidal wave continued onward, quietly – but quite irresistibly.† Ducem Barr turned away, and looked over the railing at the lights of a rejoicing city. He said, â€Å"There was a dead hand pushing all of us; the mighty general and the great Emperor; my world and your world – the dead hand of Hari Seldon. He knew that a man like Riose would have to fail, since it was his success that brought failure; and the greater the success, the surer the failure.† Forell said dryly, â€Å"I can't say you're getting clearer.† â€Å"A moment,† continued Barr earnestly. â€Å"Look at the situation. A weak general could never have endangered us, obviously. A strong general during the time of a weak Emperor would never have endangered us, either; for he would have turned his arms towards a much more fruitful target. Events have shown that three-fourths of the Emperors of the last two centuries were rebel generals and rebel viceroys before they were Emperors. â€Å"So it is only the combination of strong Emperor and strong general that can harm the Foundation; for a strong Emperor can not be dethroned easily, and a strong general is forced to turn outwards, past the frontiers. â€Å"But, what keeps the Emperor strong? What kept Cleon strong? It's obvious. He is strong, because he permits no strong subjects. A courtier who becomes too rich, or a general who becomes too popular is dangerous. All the recent history of the Empire proves that to any Emperor intelligent enough to be strong. â€Å"Riose won victories, so the Emperor grew suspicious. All the atmosphere of the times forced him to be suspicious. Did Riose refuse a bribe? Very suspicious; ulterior motives. Did his most trusted courtier suddenly favor Riose? Very suspicious; ulterior motives. It wasn't the individual acts that were suspicious. Anything else would have done which is why our individual plots were unnecessary and rather futile. It was the success of Riose that was suspicious. So he was recalled, and accused, condemned, murdered. The Foundation wins again. â€Å"Look, there is not a conceivable combination of events that does not result in the Foundation winning. It was inevitable; whatever Riose did, whatever we did.† The Foundation magnate nodded ponderously. â€Å"So! But what if the Emperor and the general had been the same person. Hey? What then? That's a case you didn't cover, so you haven't proved your point yet.† Barr shrugged. â€Å"I can't prove anything; I haven't the mathematics. But I appeal to your reason. With an Empire in which every aristocrat, every strong man, every pirate can aspire to the Throne – and, as history shows, often successfully – what would happen to even a strong Emperor who preoccupied himself with foreign wars at the extreme end of the Galaxy? How long would he have to remain away from the capital before somebody raised the standards of civil war and forced him home. The social environment of the Empire would make that time short. â€Å"I once told Riose that not all the Empire's strength could swerve the dead hand of Hari Seldon.† â€Å"Good! Good!† Forell was expansively pleased. â€Å"Then you imply the Empire can never threaten us again.† â€Å"It seems to me so,† agreed Barr. â€Å"Frankly, Cleon may not live out the year, and there's going to be a disputed succession almost as a matter of course, which might mean the last civil war for the Empire.† â€Å"Then,† said Forell, â€Å"there are no more enemies.† Barr was thoughtful. â€Å"There's a Second Foundation.† â€Å"At the other end of the Galaxy? Not for centuries.† Devers turned suddenly at this, and his face was dark as he faced Forell. â€Å"There are internal enemies, perhaps.† â€Å"Are there?† asked Forell, coolly. â€Å"Who, for instance?† â€Å"People, for instance, who might like to spread the wealth a bit, and keep it from concentrating too much out of the hands that work for it. See what I mean?† Slowly, Forell's gaze lost its contempt and grew one with the anger of Devers' own.

Hallucinogen and Music Essay

The era of the 1960’s and early 1970’s were the clear reverberations of both mysticism and altruism. It saw the rise of the American subculture known as the â€Å"hippies,† which professes itself through exotic clothing and erotic slogans that are centered on the subversion of the contemporary Western society into a more liberal one. Nonetheless, the influence of hallucinogenic drugs that largely permeated during the same period catapulted the rise of a music genre that is centered on an intensely esthetic entrancement, known as psychedelic music. Because of this, various artists emerged and gained popularity in the said field, further reinforcing the usage of hallucinogenic drugs through their craft. In this respect, this paper sought to analyze how the music of some groups during 1960’s, specifically The Doors, The Beatles and The Jefferson Airplane were affected by the usage of hallucinogens, and the impact that their music had and still have within the society. Hallucinogens: A Background Hallucinogens are diversified groups of drugs that can alter a person’s perception, thoughts and mood. Because it is a heterogeneous group, hallucinogens are noted for their varying chemical structures and mechanism of actions as well as different adverse effects among its users. While many claim that hallucination is the instantaneous effect of using hallucinogen, which are identified as false perception that have no realistic basis, it was stated that most hallucinogens are more likely to change moods and thoughts rather than the actual hallucinations itself (Richards, 2006). The usage of hallucinogens can be traced from the history of many cultures; notably as a means of religious and mystical experiences. Rig Veda, which is the Hindu’s holy book, mentioned the use of â€Å"soma,† a substance that is capable of inducing higher levels of consciousness among its users. It is believed that Soma is derived from the juice of Amanita Mascaria, a hallucinogenic mushroom. Similarly, in pre-Columbian Mexico , the Aztecs were noted to have used â€Å"teotlaqualli,† a paste that is derived from the hallucinogenic flower known as â€Å"ololiuqui,† during their religious ceremonies. Both the Aztec priests and soldiers rub the substance on their skin, and it was though that the teotlaqualli eliminates the feeling of fear and places its users under a proper mental state of service to the Aztec gods. The aboriginal people of Mexico were also noted to have a long history of using â€Å"peyote,† which is mescaline that contains hallucinogens, during religious ceremonies. Likewise, in Salem, Massachusetts, it was proposed that hallucinogen use is the main cause of unlikely behaviors of alleged witches during witch trials (Richards, 2006). The very first synthetic form of hallucinogen known as Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) 25, was discovered in 1938 by Dr. Albert Hoffman in Basel, Switzerland’s Sandoz Laboratories. At that time, Dr. Hoffman was searching for drugs that have medical purposes. He stumbled upon LSD and did not realize that the said drug have mind-altering features. It was in 1943, that Dr. Hoffman accidentally consumed the drug that he realized its mind-altering effects right after he experienced hallucinations. From then on, LSD was widely distributed for medical research. It was also used for psychotherapy; as such the term â€Å"hallucinogenic† is used to describe LSD which implies that it actually causes the symptoms of common mental problems (Levinson, 2002). By 1957, Dr. Humphry Osmond coined the term â€Å"psychedelic† in order to come up with more positive label for drugs that have â€Å"consciousness-expanding† properties, and later on the term LSD emerged. Psychedelic was further used by Timothy Leary and other advocates of LSD during 1960’s in order to market the said drug as a substance of good kind that boost an individual’s inter and intra-personal understanding, gives a heightened feeling of spirituality and increased level of creativity. Leary and his colleagues found their inspiration in promoting LSD in the identity of Aldous Huxley (1954), a British novelist and essayist. Huxley’s book entitled â€Å"The Doors of Inspiration,† was one of the major influences that introduce Leary toward the â€Å"positive† use of LSD. The title of the book was based on William Blake’s (1963) words: â€Å"If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is infinite† (Blake, 1963, p. 14 cited in Levinson, 2002, p. 76). Generally, Huxley’s book chronicled the favorable experiences he encountered in account to mescaline, a psychedelic drug that can be derived from peyote mushrooms (Levinson, 2002). Due to Leary’s strong advocacy, many people were swayed to use LSD. His devised motto â€Å"turn on, tune in, drop out† spurred many young individuals to experiment with the said drug in order to exclude themselves from mainstream society. Likewise, movie stars and entertainers alike lauded the mind-altering effects of LSD; many have even incorporated it within their lifestyle that it has become a significant part in the establishment of the â€Å"hippie† counterculture. Hallucinogen and music: Psychedelic rock During the 1960’s the widespread use of hallucinogens was recognized in account to the belief that ingesting the said substances eventually lead to â€Å"mind expansion. † It was even asserted that, why limit oneself with the experience of life on a banal level when one can experience life in a world where places are new and exciting through the usage of the said chemicals? Due to this, many are swayed by such rhetoric that hallucinogen use has become a trend incorporated in the counterculture lifestyle (Levinson, 2002). Young people tried to exist differently from the conventionality of the society; they rather live in large groups instead of small families; avoiding good paying jobs, and generally looking for excitement instead of becoming obedient and dutiful citizens. Nonetheless, the music of the said era reflected the beliefs and attitudes of the said counterculture; becoming the voice to the new generation that cared less for power money and only wanted to live outside the rules set by ordinary society (Grimbly, 2001). The emergence of psychedelic rock has played a profound role in reinforcing the understanding that hallucinogen use is an inviting activity that promotes the sense of intra and inter-spirituality and becoming one with the environment. Many bands jumped into the bandwagon of the psychedelic era, including The Jefferson Airplane, The Beatles and The Doors which were considered as the forerunners of psychedelic sound. Before proceeding to the discussion of the music of the pertained bands, it is first an imperative to define psychedelic music. Popularly known as â€Å"Psychedelic Rock,† psychedelic music or acid rock emerged during the later parts of the 1960’s in California. It was music created under the influence of mind-altering drugs predominantly the LSD. The main features of this form of music are the â€Å"long improvised instrumental passages,† which are deemed as the replication of the mind-altering effects of LSD, in the context of musicality. Likewise, bands who used this form of music clearly shows their willingness to engage in experimentation through â€Å"effect pedals,† that are responsible for notes distortion from guitars, that range from wailing to sustained percussive sounds (Grimbly, 2001). Such feature is a clear manifestation of the musicians’ inclination with hallucinogen characterized by their profound usage of distortion of notes and experimentation, which metaphorically represents the strong effects of hallucinogen use. The Jefferson Airplane Considered as one of the most important bands during the psychedelic era, The Jefferson Airplane from California experienced a huge commercial success because of their hallucinogen induced music. The music of the said band was noted to have epitomized the drug-taking ethos of the hippies. Their interaction with people during their concert mirrored what was going on at that time. The 1967 album known as â€Å"Surrealistic Pillow† contained one of the most notable psychedelic songs of all time which is â€Å"White Rabbit. † As the term surrealistic indicates, having the experience of disoriented and hallucinatory quality of dreams; it was a clear manifestation of the band’s inclination to hallucinogen use and its impact on ones mind (â€Å"Jefferson Airplane’s White Rabbit,† 2008). â€Å"White Rabbit† has become a full blown cultural phenomenon as it manifested the rampant usage of LSD during the said period. Written by Grace Slick in 1965, â€Å"Whit Rabbit† was influenced by Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland. However, instead of maintaining the classic’s original representation of the characters, Slick infused the song with hippie messages, making the characters appear a shade darker, erasing their innocence, as it was centered on the purportedly induced hallucinations of hallucinogens. From the opening lyrics of the song which indicates: â€Å"One pill makes you larger and one pill makes you small. And the ones that mother gives you don’t do anything at all. Go ask Alice when she’s ten feet tall†¦Ã¢â‚¬ to the end part that states: â€Å"When logic and proportion have fallen sloppy dead. And the White Knight is talking backwards, and the Red Queen’s ‘off with her head! ’ Remember what the dormouse said; ‘feed your head! ’ ‘Feed your head! ’ (Slick, 1965) Jefferson Airplane’s â€Å"White Rabbit† is indeed a transitory song that is wholly interpreted in the realms of Carroll’s classic but in a more hallucinatory light. What adds to the depth of this interpretation is the band’s usage of slow building crescendo, snapping snare drum, strong driving electric guitar that creates the hallucinatory experience of its own (â€Å"Jefferson Airplane’s White Rabbit,† 2008). Because of the vivid representation of hallucinogen used by the Jefferson Airplane, â€Å"White Rabbit’s† influence extended itself in modern music and culture. The song has been covered by more than 100 diverse bands during their acts, and has been featured in popular television shows such as the Simpson’s, the Sopranos. â€Å"White Rabbit† also inspired the creation of the book â€Å"Go Ask Alice† written by an anonymous writer, which chronicled the life of a teenager who died from a drug overdose. Hunter Thompson’s 1972 film â€Å"Fear and loathing in Las Vegas,† featuring a man tripping on bad combination of drugs which are LSD, mescaline, cocaine and alcohol gave rise for the recognition of â€Å"White Rabbit. † Slick’s pharmaceutical prescription advice was also referred to as the definitive rendition of the film â€Å"The Matrix† (1999) during a scene where Morpheus offered Neo a pill and said: â€Å"You take the blue pill—the story ends; you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you believe. You take the red pill—you stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit-hole goes† (cited in â€Å"Jefferson Airplane’s White Rabbit,† 2008, n. p. ). Based from the given perspectives, it is evident that despite Jefferson Airplane’s advocacy for hallucinogen use, they remained as one of the most sought after psychedelic bands that greatly impacted 1960’s and the culture today, as they have become the striking visuals of rebellion that inspired various groups and artists, as well as populace to stand for what they believe. The Doors By far the most influential group to emerge in California is â€Å"The Doors. † Their brief but intensely creative career, where they were able to record some of the greatest masterpieces in music history, has been widely recognized to date. Fronted by self-proclaimed poet Jim Morrison, the Doors was able to establish their name in the field of psychedelic music. From their name â€Å"The Doors,† which is noted to be a tribute for the poetry of William Blake and Aldous Huxley’s psychedelic drug book â€Å"The doors of perception,† the band clearly conveyed their music in the context of â€Å"mind-expansion† accounted to hallucinogen use. In fact, The Doors has been widely recognized for their notoriety in the usage of LSD in most of their performances (Whiteley, 2005). According to Ray Manzarek, the group’s keyboardist, the early days of the band was marked by ingestion of LSD. Due to this, their usage of the said hallucinogen provided them a sense of shared of experiences. Each individual’s tripping specifics developed a sense of bonding for the group, thereby giving them strong emotional feelings for each other, and eventually becoming the symbolic overtone of how they created their music—sexual and inhibition free; which are strong parts of the LSD experience (Mazarek, 1999 cited in Whiteley, 2005). Although, Manzarek and Morrison did not openly discussed the details of their trips with LSD, the shared knowledge that they did have experienced the said drug has become evident within their trance-like music. Their songs reflected LSD use with each members extended solos. Likewise, Morrison’s adaptive character, the â€Å"Lizard King† became the metaphorical representation of the hypnotic powers of the drug that entices the listeners to listen to their music and embrace the wild child within them (Whiteley, 2005). It was also found out that the hallucinogenic experience provided by LSD became the most crucial ingredient for the music of The Doors, as they believe that its use provided access for them to reach the metaphysical. As Manzarek pointed out about the hallucinogenic experience: â€Å"†¦and we were off! Flying on the wings of love†¦ To Nirvana, to the pure land†¦ It was divine. It was expansive and harmonious and beatific in one† (Manzarek, 1999, p. 120 cited in Whiteley, 2005, p. 143). Apparently, they have used their music to express the transcendent moods that can be experienced under the influence of LSD. Songs such as â€Å"Light my fire,† â€Å"People are Strange,† as well as LA woman reflected the way of life The Doors have lived. Nonetheless, â€Å"Riders on the Storm† is said to be the culmination of the earlier hallucinogenic tracks of the band, as it is dark, mystical, and sinister and alienated, further reflecting what it is like to hallucinate (Whiteley, 2005). The music of The Doors continued to fascinate legions of rock fans even after the death of Morrison. During the mid-80’s, the doors’ music was much popular as it has been during 1960’s. Numerous quantities of the band’s original album have been sold, including the reissues and releases of their live materials. By 1991, director Oliver Stone created the movie â€Å"The Doors† which tackled the story of the band. From here, it is easy to point out that the fame of The Doors never ceased despite their inclination to LSD usage (Ruhlmann and Unterberger, 2009). The Beatles The popularity of The Beatles throughout the 1960’s has been well documented. They started out as mainstream band that eventually marked the British invasion in the music industry, and was considered as the reason for the uprising of the women’s sexual revolution. Their ability to popularize trends and the capability of their music to achieve global dissemination, suggested that they are one of the most significant forces in popular music history (Whiteley, 2000). By the year 1967, The Beatles eventually changed pace. From their mainstream music they jumped on to the American psychedelic bandwagon. The release of their album, â€Å"Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club† marked their conversion to the underground music. Such change of pace was considered as a significant factor for the British Psychedelic rock. The Beatles’ change image and emphasis on both love and drugs as expressed in the Sgt. Pepper’s album is said to be in perfect harmony with the 1960’s LSD-influenced mood. The immense popularity of the album notably indicates that the absence of the Beatles during the psychedelic era would have made the British counter culture insignificant. In short, the jump that the Beatles created from mainstream music to psychedelic rock established the British counter culture in the context of cultural themes and music (Whiteley, 2000). â€Å"Lucy in the sky with diamonds,† which was the third track in the album, was considered as the central force behind the British psychedelic rock because it served as the musical metaphor for the hallucinogenic experience. Musically, the song’s gentle beats is working directly towards the pulse rate of the listeners making it slow down, while slow shifting of the harmonies used in the base suggest relaxation that brings the audience into a comfortable dream state. Likewise, the melodic lines of each verse is very trancelike, allowing the audience to become reflective, and also creates a feeling of reassurance. Similarly, the well structured rising and falling phrasing of â€Å"And I love her,† â€Å"For no one,† and â€Å"Yesterday† partnered with exotic timbres and filtered vocal delivery makes the audience a heightened evocative â€Å"good trip. † The Beatles knew the effects of LSD and they have enjoyed the hallucinogenic experience. As such, they use it to their own advantage by inculcating it within their music so as to initiate a heightened sense of awareness. They used psychedelic imagery such as â€Å"tangerine trees† and â€Å"marmalade skies† in order to strongly support the spatial dimension experienced during a hallucinogen trip. Finally, their jump to psychedelic music promised the audience a route where they can have a changed state of consciousness, which is an authentic experience (Whiteley, 2000). Conclusion Based from the data drawn from the study, it is evident that hallucinogen use has become a significant part of the 1960’s history. It affected every aspect of the society which paved way for the development of the counter culture known as the â€Å"hippies. † What further reinforced people to view such drug as an important part of the society was the music that deeply reflects the entrancement that can be attained through the use of hallucinogens. The Jefferson Airplanes, The Doors and The Beatles, were considered as the forerunners of psychedelic music. They reflected the beliefs and attitudes of the counter culture and they became the voice to the new generation that cared less for power money and only wanted to live outside the rules set by ordinary society. In this respect, they were able to establish their own names through their music that has been significant back then, and is still considered as significant to date. References: Grimbly, S (ed. ). (2001). Chapter 3: Rock. The Story of Music Volume 6: From Rock and Pop to Hip-Hop. Danbury , CT : Grolier Educational. â€Å"Jefferson Airplane’s White Rabbit. † (25 November 2008). Dark Party Review. Retrieved April 24, 2009 from http://darkpartyreview. blogspot. com/2008/11/great-tunes- jefferson-airplanes-white. html. Levinson, M. H. (2002). The drug problem: A new view using the general semantics approach. Westport , CT : Greenwood Publishing Group. Richards, M. E. (17 April 2006). Hallucinogens. Emedicine. Retrieved April 24, 2009 from http://emedicine. medscape. com/article/293752-overview. Slick, G. (February 1967). White Rabbit [ Jefferson Airplane]. Surrealistic Pillow [CD]. Nashville , Tennessee : Radio Corporation of America (RCA), 31 October 1966- 06 March 1967. Ruhlmann, W. and Unterberger, R. (2009). All music. Retrieved April 24, 2009 from http://allmusic. com/cg/amg. dll? p=amg&sql=11:wifqxqe5ldhe~T1. Whiteley, S. (2000). Women and popular music: Sexuality, identity and subjectivity. New York, NY: Routledge Whiteley, S. (2005). Too much Too young: Popular music, age and gender. New York, NY: Routledge.

Humanities Baroque Essay

Dramatic religious paintings were being made Literature was being written in a way that it will be memorable. The King James version of the Bible had major impacts on the arts. It was finished in 1611 and was considered to be the most important change in English literature and printing (Ryken). It was set to transform the entire English language and keep the emotional influence. â€Å"The new translation of Scripture preserved the spiritual fervor of the Old Testament Hebrew and the narrative vigor of the New Testament Greek† (Fiero 62). The King James Version was a big part of the Baroque period because it was a piece of literature that had heightened emotional words and could actually be understood correctly by the reader. In Baroque artwork, viewers can visualize the emotional impact the painting has. Everything is in action and the painting is like shot in the middle of what’s going on. In Caravaggio’s The Crucifixion of Saint Peter, everything is painted right in the middle of the crucifixion. Saint Peter is not even up yet but in the middle of getting there. The painting is activated and has complex movements. Gravity has a very powerful pull in this picture as well. Viewers can see the emotion in Saint Peter’s face that he is scared but brave. Caravaggio made sure to tell a story in this painting with emotion since you see a poor, innocent, and homeless looking man being crucified. Everything from the guy’s dirty feet and bottom who hoisting up Saint Peter is basically sticking out to the viewer’s face. The three men do not show there face as they crucify Saint Peter and it adds mystery as to who would do such an act. Everything from the nails in Saint Peter’s hands to the dirt on their feet is very real and descriptive. Light is also emphasized in this painting as well because of the black background. The Baroque period and its artwork gave out real emotion while the action is happening. All the tension in one painting is thrown into the viewers’ faces (Fiero). Music in the Baroque period surrounded itself with rhythm, melody, terraced dynamics, texture, and basses. Composers would express emotions and affection in their music and broke away from the Medieval times by using vocal and instrumental music. A famous composer in the Baroque period was Johann Sebastian Bach. He used to mainly do church music but then developed a more musical potential for the concerto form. The best composed song in his career was called The Art of Fugue. â€Å"A fugue is a polyphonic composition in which a single musical theme is restated in sequential phrases† (Fiero). Baroque music brought in emotions and even listeners who don’t even understand the brilliance composition of Bach, can grow a love for his music just listening to it. The Baroque period brought in emotion to everything like literature, paintings, and music. It forever changed literature and the English language for people to understand it better and are able to be moved by the words in text instead of just reading it.

Basic Business Report

Level 4 pathogens are quite simply, the nastiest causes of disease ever discovered. Scientifically speaking, they are organisms that cause severe diseases to humans and are serious work hazards in the laboratory. They also present high risk of epidemics and there are usually no effective treatments yet discovered.Actual examples include Lassa fever, filoviruses, smallpox, Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever, Russian spring-summer encephalitis, Kyasanur forest. It is important to take not that each of these examples has garnered a huge media following and they usually spill over from medical concerns to socio-political.The Russian spring-summer encephalitis for one has been given global concern due to its research possibilities as a biological weapon. The Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever was known to have claimed hundreds of lives in an epidemic that transpired in the Afghan border in 2001. This means that a docudrama made about level 4 pathogens isn’t just â€Å"egghead stuffâ⠂¬ , the humanitarian side of the topic has great media value, even more so is the political side. If we look prominent television series such as 24 or Pandemic, they both feature fictional presentations of the â€Å"what-ifs† concerning level 4 pathogens.There are also several fictional movies that have garnered success on the genre such as Epidemic (1987), Andromeda Strain (1971) and several others. There are also real-life adaptations which garnered international acclaim such as Lorenzo’s Oil (1993). A docudrama on dangerous viruses can bring a factual spice to the fictional take on the genre. It can spur emotions from amazement the audience with its accurate presentation of just how these viruses are handled by specialized crew and the emotions behind them as they go about their work.Such a film can also bring out real-life fear from the viewers when presented with how dangerous a particular newly discovered strain of Ebola is or how likely a new undetectable viru s can be used as a biological weapon by terrorists. References Biological Weapons: How Big is the Threat? Retrieved April 22, 2007, from Society for General Microbiology Website: http://www. sgm. ac. uk/news/hot_topics/bio_weapons. cfm Disease DVD movies at Video Universe Retrieved April 22, 2007 from Video Universe Website: http://www.cduniverse. com/search/xx/movie/category2/3459/a/Diseases. htm Classification of Viral Pathogens into Hazard Groups Retrieved April 22, 2007 from http://virology-online. com/general/Safety2. htm Willet, E. (1999). Level 4 Labs. Retrieved April 22, 2007, from http://www. edwardwillett. com/Columns/level4labs. htm Butcher, T. (2001) Ebola Style Killer Sweeps Afghan Border. Retrieved April 22, 2007 from Telegraph. co. uk Website: http://www. telegraph. co. uk/news/main. jhtml? xml=/news/2001/10/04/wref04. xml