Memory Boy Essay Essay Example for Free

Memory Boy Essay Essay The book that I choose to read this 9 week period is called Memory by Will Weaver. The book is based on the lives of a family of 4 people; Miles, Sarah, and their two parents. Memory Boy starts out in the Mid West after a mountain range in Washington erupts and spews ash what seems billions of feet up, and over the entire United Sates like a blanket. The ash is so thick that people have to wear dust masks outside to avoid the risk of breathing it in. Miles and his family finally decide to leave the town that they live in to head northwest. Since the ash is so heavy they can’t drive a car because those are restricted, and people can only use them on certain days to avoid the problem of pollution. So Miles assembles a new vehicle that he calls the Princess. It is a mix between a bicycle and a boat that they must pilot by either peddling, or when there is enough wind they have a sail from a boat to put up. They decide to leave under the curtain of night to avoid being detected by other people who would want to take their vehicle from them. As they make their way North they must face encounters with many obstacles such as road blocks, bandits, hunger, the government, nature, each other, and other hazards. In between telling us about they’re adventure north, Miles, who is the main character tells us the events leading up to their departure, starting with the day that the eruption happened. The novel starts out a peaceful journey by the family but they soon learn that their trip will not be easy and they must work together to survive. Miles is our main character and we watch all the events happen through his point of view. He would be a junior in high school if they still actually went to school. Miles is a smart individual who enjoys doing the job of a mechanic. He built the Princess by himself and is the only one who is about to fix and maintain it throughout the book. He takes a strong leadership role; even his parents look to him to solve the solutions. When the volcano erupted he was only in the 9th grade. So every other chapter he will flashback to his 9th grade year to tell us a story about after the volcano erupted. He often compares his life now to that of his 9th grade year, and how he would have done things different. He used to be disrespectful and would often act out in school to seek attention. He will explain to us how some of the events he tells us about have changed him. Miles sister Sarah is a few years younger than he is. She is a dark and morbid girl; the type that is into vampire, dark music, and dark literature. But even though she seems tough on the outside, but she is actually just hiding how scared she has been throughout this entire ordeal. She secretly looks up to miles even though she would never say so to him. She doesn’t like her father very much because he was always away when she was a child. Miles’s father was a jazz musician in a band before the eruption. He was always on the road with his band, so he wasn’t around much when Miles and Sarah were growing up. Although he seems quite docile at the beginning of the book we soon learn that he is actually quite the leader, and when Miles gets overwhelmed his father is always there to take the lead for awhile. Miles’s mother was the main caretaker of the children so she was always around. At the beginning of the book she kept the family together as a unit, they referred to her as being. The children see their mother as being helpless most of the time. It isn’t until later in the book that she really blooms as a character, and becomes a very useful asset to the group.

The Importance of Arts Education Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Edu

The Importance of Arts Education Jane Alexander, Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), once said, â€Å"Many children are missing out on something which gives their education context, gives their lives depth and meaning, and prepares them to be the future workforce.† This â€Å"something† that she spoke of is music and art education. Unfortunately, she is entirely correct. We are currently seeing in our country a dramatic cut in arts education curriculum in our public schools due to the limited amount of both time and funding. In many cases budget cutbacks mean arts education cutbacks. This limited amount of resources often forces administrators to place a value on the various subject areas. There is always a demand for greater concentration upon the traditional basics: English, math, science, and history. There is also a new focus on computer competency and a renewed focus on the need for foreign language education. Add to this health education, family life educati on, industrial arts education, AIDS education, home economics, physical education, and business education and one begins to wonder where arts education fits in. â€Å"Every student in the nation should have an education in the arts.† This is the opening statement of â€Å"The Value and Quality of Arts Education: A Statement of Principles,† a document from the nation’s ten most important educational organizations. The basic message is that music and art programs in the schools help our kids and communities in real and substantial ways. There is an abundant amount of facts and information that supports this statement. The benefits of arts education can be narrowed down into 4 basic categories: success in developing intelligence, success in ... ...ls. There is so much that can be gained from arts education. It is imperative that music and art education remains in public schools. Because, even though it has been said many times before, the fact remains that the arts enrich us all. @â€Å"Arts education opens doors that help children pass from school in to the world around them – a world of work, culture, intellectual activity, and human involvement. The future of our nation depends on providing our children with a complete education that includes the arts.† –Gerald Ford, former President of the United States of America @â€Å"The arts are about communication, creativity, and cooperation, and, by studying the arts in school, students have the opportunity to build on these skills, enrich their lives and experience the world from a new perspective.† –Bill Clinton, former President of the United States of America

Human Resource Planning Essay

The process that connects an organization’s strategic plan with its human resource needs is called human resource planning. The process ensures that staffing needs are addressed to achieve the organization’s objectives. Human resource planning is important because it helps an organization maintain a competitive edge and retain employees. Human resource planning determines the supply and demand of employees, according to the needs and wants of the business and its customers. The internal and external environment has an impact on the consideration of human resource planning. For instance, internal impacts are promotions, transfers, or firings, and external impacts can be changes in technology, the economy, or the industry. The competence and qualification of current and future employees and their career paths are more factors to consider when developing a human resource plan. These impacts can affect the staffing and human resource planning processes depending on the need s for a company to remain successful. Human resource planning is important and ongoing because of both internal and external environmental changes. Planning and Strategic Development and Implementation Human resource planning is identifying present and future needs of an organization to reach its goals (Obeidat, 2012). Human resource planning also involves predicting the demand and supply for employees, considering the business needs, and strategies for development and employment to meet requirements (Obeidat, 2012). The results will provide an analysis of human resource supply and future demand, which will identify gaps and most likely include staffing. Therefore, having knowledge of the goals and expectations of the company, can identify methods to reach these goals and track its progress. Planning in this manner allows a company to link resources with business performance. The results will identify the required number of qualified and competent candidates and this will help the business meet its goals and objectives. For instance, human resource planning and staffing connect by addressing the company’s direction, skills, knowledge, and abilities needed to follow a certain path. It also assesses the current competencies within the company and the gap between the direction and requirements to succeed. Description of the Staffing Process The eight elements of the staffing process are human resource planning, recruiting, selection, orientation, training and development, performance appraisal, compensation, and employment decisions (Plunkett, Allen, & Attner, 2013). Human resource planning involves assessing current employees, forecasting future demands, and constructing plans to add or transfer employees (Plunkett, Allen, & Attner, 2013). Recruiting involves looking for qualified people within or outside the company for vacant positions (Plunkett, Allen, & Attner, 2013). Selection is interviewing and testing candidates and hiring the best applicant(s). Orientation is when new employees learn about the fellowship. Training and development is when new employees learn their jobs and expand their skills. The performance appraisal is the origination of the touchstones for judging the workplace of employees (Plunkett, Allen, & Attner, 2013). Compensation is generating pay and benefits for each position. Employment decisions include promotions, demotions, transfers, layoffs, and firings (Plunkett, Allen, & Attner, 2013). Elements and Activities The proper planning, recruiting, and selecting of staff is an ongoing process. The hiring process is just the beginning of staffing. The human resource department must retain employees through training and development, performance appraisal, compensation, and employment decisions. The first step in human resource planning is the staffing process. The human resource planning process starts with a job analysis. A job analysis describes the skills, knowledge, and abilities required to perform each position. The job description will include what, how, and why employees perform his or her duties. It specifies minimum acceptable qualifications a candidate must possess to do the job effectively. A human resource inventory comes after the completion of the job analysis. The human resource inventory will categorize the needs and wants of the position. Afterwards, a human resource forecast is created to anticipate future demands for each position based on the plans, goals and objectives of the organization. Last, the forecast and inventory are compared to decide whether staffing needs will come from internal or external candidates. Read more:  Essay on Human Resource Planning Activities and Planning, Development, & Implementation The primary influence in the use of a company’s resources is the mission and vision of the organization. The mission and vision of the business provide the reason for the use of the resource. An effective and efficient business, strategic and business plans specify how its resources are managed and utilized. The most important resources a business must effectively use are: technology to create a product or deliver the service, the finances to pay for the requirements, and the skills and talents used by human beings to complete the job (Soberg, 2011). The business specifies the technology it needs to achieve the mission of the organization. The required technology will depend on the amount of product or service the company wishes to provide. The strategic plans and vision will be a factor in this decision to ensure it aligns with the goals of the company (Sober, 2011). The best fit for the organization and its mission will come down to the industry and what is currently utilize d. The financial aspect of the equation will specify how to produce money, control money, and foresee the revenue and expenses. The budget for a smooth, successful business operation will rely on the need for achievement in regards to the goals and objectives. The decision must include the cost of the entire operations including maintenance. For instance, the expenses cover purchasing, maintaining and adapting technology and compensating employees. The human benefactor is the knowledge, skills, and abilities utilized to generate and carry the product and service. People are an organization’s largest resource because products and services could not be managed, created, or delivered without the knowledge, skills, and abilities of human beings (Soberg, 2011). For example, without any assistance from human beings, technology and money cannot be utilized. The effective use of human resources assist companies in attracting the right employees, expand the knowledge, skills, and abilitie s of these employees, and keep the employees within the organization. Conclusion Human resource planning is the prediction of future business and environmental needs of a given organization. Human resource planning estimates the number of people available to work for future purposes. It strives to identify proper staffing required to perform organizational activities. Human resource planning is an ongoing process which starts with  objectives, move toward an analysis of resources and ends at evaluation of the human resource plan. Human resource planning compares the present and future status of the organization. The results identify what changes are necessary to meet goals. Human resource planning is vital so companies can meet their objectives and gain a competitive edge over its competition. The proper prediction of employment needs is important. An organization must foresee staffing issues beforehand, just as they predict potential threats in the industry that can impact on overall business success. Employee performance is a direct link to the success of the company. Therefore, a company that is not able to achieve goals is the result of workplace failure. Nevertheless, human resource planning is important to ensure the organization does not hire the wrong people or neglect to predict changes in staffing needs. The only way an organization can ensure employees have the skills, knowledge, and abilities the business needs to succeed is by planning for human resource needs. A human resource plan goes hand in hand with the companies plan to determine the resources it needs to achieve the goals. References Obeidat, B.Y. (2012, October). The Relationship between Human Resource Information System (HRIS) Functions and Human Resource Management (HRM) Functionalities. Journal of Management Research, 4(4), . doi:10.5296/jmr.v4i4.2262 Plunkett, W. R., Allen, G. S., & Attner, R.F (2013). Management: Meeting and exceeding customer expectations (10th ed.). Mason, OH : South-Western Cengage Learning. Soberg, A. (2011). The Link Between Strategic Planning and Human Resource Planning. Retrieved from http://www.hrvoice.org/the-link-between-strategic-planning-and-human-resource-planning/

Edgar Allan Poe - Mr. Pessimistic Essay - 1034 Words

Edgar Allan Poe - Mr. Pessimistic Some people always look at the bad side of things instead of the good side. This is called pessimism. Edgar Allan Poe could be recognized as the king of pessimism. He is known for his tales of the mysterious and macabre. His dark and twisted works are filled with pessimism. Poe was a person who had faced many troubling experiences throughout his life. To escape from his saddened world, Poe drank and wrote short stories and poems with a pessimistic outlook. Being a pessimist is what made Poe such a great and creative writer. He brought out his dark side in his work. It seems that all of his stories and poems are laced with pessimism. Pessimism was like Poe’s warm blanket. He had a sad life, which†¦show more content†¦For start the raven is a symbol of mournful and never-ending sadness. â€Å"Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn, It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore† (Poe). It is quite evident that Poe actually tal ks about his beloved Virginia in the poem. He wishes to reunite with her after death, which shows how much he missed her. He also talks of the Balm in Gilead, which is a fictitious place in the Old Testament where there is no suffering. Poe had gone through so much in life that at that point he felt tired and exhausted. He wanted to rest, and be free from pain. Poe also refers to a bust of Pallas above his chamber door. Pallas was the Greek God of Wisdom. The idea that the raven sat on it would lead the narrator to believe that the bird spoke from wisdom. It is also said that Poe had a bust of Pallas over his door when he lived in New York City (Nilsson). Poe also mentions the Plutonium shores, which is referring to Hell. Maybe he felt guilty for not being able to save Virginia. This increased his agony and made him believe that the raven was sent by the devil. There are also a lot of themes in The Raven that relate to Poe’s life. Like he talks about loneliness. â€Å"Other friends have flown before- On the morrow he will leave me as my hopes have flown before† 0(Poe). Poe suffered alot from loneliness and depression, both clinical and chemical. He wasn’t close to his father. All the women he loved ended up dying. HeShow MoreRelatedEssay Biography of Edgar Allan Poe2810 Words   |  12 PagesBiography of Edgar Allan Poe Many authors literary works are often influenced by their own personal life experiences. Among these authors is Edgar Allan Poe, one of the most inventive writers of prose and poetry in the nineteenth century. The juxtaposition of Poes life and work is most evident in the morbid personalities and melancholy themes of his literary compositions, similar to those of his life. Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston, Massachusetts on January 19, 1809. His motherRead MoreThe Character of Sherlock Holmes in Sir Arthur by Conan Doyle1742 Words   |  7 Pagesfour,’ which followed after the ‘A study in Scarlet’ and is most amusing as Miss Morstan receives pearls beyond price and a mysterious message from an anonymous source; she then goes to the famous consulting detective of 221B Baker St., Mr. Sherlock Holmes for advice in how to answer the message. Together with his staunch comrade, Dr. John Watson, Holmes tracks down the secret of the Sign of Four. It is no surprise that the sequels of Sherlock Holmes are etched most Read More11 Types of Essay4025 Words   |  17 Pagessituations† (McCall, pg. 34). For Sartre, this was the best feature of the theater: it was a forum for broadcasting his thoughts. Therefore, The Flies is not about the story being told. Indeed, the classic myth is a medium for Sartre’s clearly dark and pessimistic thoughts to be thrown into the faces of the spectators. Sartre’s play is essentially philosophical and essentially French. It is really an inquiry into individual political responsibility in a world where humans are estranged from one another, andRead MoreWalts Whitmans Vision of America in Leaves of Grass17685 Words   |  71 Pages†©a†©way†©to†©come†©to†©peace†©with†©himself†©and†©the†©world;†©a†©way†©for†©him†©to†© ascertain†©that†©he†©did†©contribute†©to†©what†©he†©felt†©he†©had†©to.†© To†©theâ₠¬ ©reader,†©he†©says†©this†©collection†©of†©poems†©is†©a†©Ã‚ «reminiscent†©memorial »Ã¢â‚¬ ©of†©these†© times†© in†© which†© he†© lived.†© He†© seems†© to†© have†© a†© rather†© pessimistic†© point†© of†© view†© when†© stating†© that,†© because†© he†© wishes†© it†© had†© been†© even†© more†© than†© that.†© Whitman†© wanted†© his†© poems†©to†©be†©passed†©down†©from†©generation†©to†©generation,†©like†©a†©sort†©of†©guide†©for†©people†© that†©would†©tell†©them†©the†©mistakes†©they†©ought†©not†©to†©repeat