Search for Truth in Edgar Lee Masters

Oftentimes, the poems that are related â€Å"speak† to one another and give the reader efferent perspectives on the same issue. By doing this, the poetic elements of the related poems act to change and contribute to the themes of each other. â€Å"Benjamin Panties† and â€Å"Mrs.. Benjamin Panties† are two poems In the anthology that, when read individually, seem to have separate themes, but when read together speak to each other in an â€Å"argument and response† manner. Through an explication of the two poems, it can be seen that Benjamin Panther and Mrs..Benjamin Panther both feel betrayed, but their differing perspectives change the reader's Initial Impression of sympathy for both characters to one of questioning for truth. The form of the two poems Is free verse In that there Is no strict rhyme or meter. This style Is very beneficial In getting the themes of the two poems across In a very effective way. Free verse works well In getting these themes ac ross because the poet Is not as â€Å"trapped† In a specific form.This develops the themes of the two poems In a much more relatable manner since both poems deal with problems that most people can relate to such as friendship, betrayal, marriage, and loneliness. Adding to this discussion of Masters' style of writing, Emilio Tolerated states that â€Å"halls lines stir up a very human otter, made up of conciseness, hardness, and classic rhythms; he Is clear-sighted, sometimes satirical, always brilliant and direct† (Talented 46).This Is a very Insightful critique, especially In his assertion that Masters' delivery Is very human and direct because this allows the average reader to get Into the mind of the characters and genuinely relate to their themes. In â€Å"Benjamin Panther† the theme Is that companionship Is necessary to live a happy life, even If It Is with a dog, especially when you have a miserable relationship with your wife and there Is no one else to t urn to. On the other hand, the theme of â€Å"Mrs..Benjamin Panther† Is that you cannot always trust people based on what they say and how people perceive them, and It Is wrong to Judge because sometimes seemingly Irrational decisions have a listened explanation. Free verse â€Å"Benjamin Panties† helps to develop the sincerity to his relationship with his dog, Nigh, and shows how he has become indifferent to the world. The free verse acts almost like a letter to the reader trying to express the struggles he faced at the end of his life. This is not to imply that there are not some intentional stresses in the poems.For example, Benjamin Panties says â€Å"our story is lost in silence. Go by, mad world! † (â€Å"B. P. † 12). There is definitely a stress on this last phrase which is important to his argument because it makes his assertion much more resonant and memorable. â€Å"Mrs.. Benjamin Panties† is also written in free verse in what appears to be an outright reply to Benjamin poem. She is very candidly expressing the problems she has with her husband, problems that she notes many people do not see from the surface.This helps to bring up a connected theme among the two poems which is that marriage is more complicated than it seems on the surface and requires insight into the situation of the husband and wife to understand the true nature of a relationship. While the order of these two poems, in the anthology, may not seem that important, it can be very helpful in discerning how the themes speak to each other, and how they are shaped in the reader's mind. It is no coincidence that â€Å"Benjamin Panties† is the first poem because it introduces this character as being someone completely without a human friend and who has given up on life.The line â€Å"our story is lost in silence. Go by, mad world! † (â€Å"B. P. † 12) is very important in showing that Benjamin did not feel that people understood his de speration and that his story is often lost. This leads directly into â€Å"Mrs.. Benjamin Panties† where she contradicts most everything her husband has asserted in the previous poem and says â€Å"all the men loved him/and most of the women pitied him! † (â€Å"M. B. P. † 3-4). Mrs.. Panties is very effectively calling Benjamin argument into question by saying that these concerns for him are false and unjustified.Initially, Benjamin poem seems very sad and the reader takes pity with him until reading the next poem. What Masters has done so well is in setting up the second poem while the previous one is still in the reader's mind. This acts to alter Benjamin theme room one of solitude that is uncontrolled to one of solitude that is brought on by himself as a result of not appreciating his wife. The occurrence of a very similar idea found in both poems, but with different implications, prove to cause conflict among their individual themes.In both poems there is a brief mention of alcohol, but the context in which both are used are completely different. Benjamin Panties says â€Å"†¦ L was alone/with Nigh for partner, bed- fellow, comrade in drink† (â€Å"B. P. † 4-5), which implies that the only friend he had to drink with was his dog, and, once again, makes the reader feel sorry for him. On the other hand, Mrs.. Benjamin Panties points out that she â€Å"loathe(s) the smell of whiskey and onions† (â€Å"M. B. P. † 6), which shows that she saw the alcohol as one of the problems that pulled her and her husband apart.While this may not seem important to the connection of the two poems, it is very significant because it shows that Benjamin fall from glory into solitude could be of his own making. On the other hand, the issue of alcohol in Benjamin poem could alter Mrs.. Pannier's theme because the argument could be made that Mrs.. Panties drove her husband to alcohol because of her failure o be a good wife and constant companion. So, in a very interesting way this mention of alcohol creates a sense of ambiguity in both poems and gets the reader to question to r an Mrs..Pannier's argument, while contributing to the reader's interpretation of both of the themes. In these two poems, Masters uses devices of sound and poetic diction very effectively to set the tone and advance the arguments of the poems. In â€Å"Benjamin Panties† there is both alliteration and a hyperbole in the line â€Å"then she, who survives me, snared my soul with a snare which bled me to death† (â€Å"B. P. † 7-8). A line very similar to this is found in â€Å"Mrs.. Benjamin Panties† as she is Justifying her reasons for being a seemingly bad wife.This constant repetition of the hard â€Å"s† sound turns the alliteration into onomatopoeia that sounds almost like a snake hissing when the poem is read aloud. This sets the very somber tone of the poem which is reflected by Benjamin solitud e and â€Å"loss of soul† which he blames on his wife. In addition to setting this tone, the fact that Benjamin uses these negative words in direct reference to his wife strengthens his argument in the eyes of the reader because they now associate this snakelike sound and deathly scene with the fife's cold attitude towards her husband.An example of how poetic diction helps set tone can be seen in the word â€Å"dingy' used in both poems to express the room Benjamin was forced to live in by his wife. The word implies a very unclean and nasty environment and is used near the end of both poems to leave the reader with a sense of the unclean nature of their relationship. It is significant that the same adjective is used to describe the room in both poems because it implies for Benjamin how bad his life has become, and for Mrs.. Panties how disgusted she was with him to force him to live in such a place.There is a very unique example of irony found in the two poems, which is brou ght out when they are directly compared. Both Mr.. And Mrs.. Panties make mention of the law in their poems, but in very different ways. Benjamin Panties mentions at the very beginning of his poem that he is an attorney at law. This shows that Mr.. Panties has a good education and a clear understanding of the law. Mrs.. Panties also directly mentions the law but in reference to their marriage by stating â€Å"the only man with whom the law and morality/permit you to have the marital relation/is the very man that fills you with disgust† (â€Å"M.B. P. † 13-15). What comes across as ironic in this cross- reference is that Mrs.. Panties names both law and morality as the reasons why she cannot escape the unhappy marriage. Since Mr.. Panties is a lawyer, he can be seen as a man who upholds the law and has to maintain a certain level of moral integrity in his profession. Mrs.. Pannier's assertion against the law and morality could, in fact, be another way of associating bla me to her husband for her being trapped in a bad marriage.Masters' background had a lot to do with the types of poems and themes he dealt with in Spoon River Anthology. Literary critic Stephen Cushman says that Masters â€Å"was cursed with the need to search all his life for the love his mother failed to give him and doomed not to recognize genuine love, since he had been deprived of it in the most fundamental stages of his existence, and we can concur in his Judgment that such a fate would ultimately play itself out in a life involving many women and many wanderings until, his physical energies exhausted, he would end old and alone. (Cushman 162). This description of Masters helps a great deal in giving a deeper meaning as to why he wrote so many poems about unhappy marriages that ended in loneliness. Since he did not experience much love early in his life, these themes to loneliness and blame taunt in the Panniers could be a way tort him to express how he felt. It is very import ant to see that there are other sets of poems in Spoon River Anthology that speak to each other about unhappy marriages through differing perspectives.In the poems â€Å"Lie McGee† and â€Å"Fletcher McGee,† this husband and wife both tell of how one made the other's life miserable. Lie claims that Fletcher took her youth and beauty in life, while Fletcher claims that Lie drained the life out of him during her life and continued to haunt him after her death. Another pair of poems that display this theme of an unhappy marriage and leave the reader to question who is telling the truth is â€Å"Rose Parallel† and â€Å"Mrs.. Parallel. † Rose wants out of his marriage and attempts to get out if by disappearing for a year, but Mrs..Parakeet refuses to get a divorce. Both sets of poems are very similar to the Panniers in the sense that nobody in these marriages can escape their unhappiness in life, and all of them ultimately die very upset with their spouses. T he unhappy marriage of the Panniers does not stand alone in the small town of Spoon River in vying the reader different perspectives on unsuccessful marriages. While Spoon River Anthology contains many pairs of poems that â€Å"speak† to each other, â€Å"Benjamin Panties† and â€Å"Mrs..Benjamin Panties† are two that significantly change the meaning of each other's themes. Standing alone, each poem invokes sympathy in the reader because Benjamin has no human friends and his wife feels trapped in a miserable marriage. Analyzing these two poems together brings out a connected theme among the poems that both Mr.. And Mrs.. Panties feel betrayed, but their differing perspectives change the reader's initial impression and force them to either choose one character's argument or find some middle ground in their quest for the truth.

Generational Diversity Scenarios in the for-Profit and Nonprofit Sectors

In reading both scenarios the generational differences are very clear. In the first situation with Stan and Alex at the Davis Agency the biggest difference was the technological advances that could be under taken to improve process to deal with the client’s needs. Now Stan being an old timer is having a very difficult time trying any new ideas that cut him out of the loop. Even though Alex conferred with Connor (who was very satisfied) on his way of doing a project Stan felt as if Alex was being insubordinate so wrote him up. Unfortunately, when dealing with older individuals that are unwilling to change you will come to an impasse and not be able to best address which way is different or haw the way things are done can be combined in an effort to satisfy both sides. Now in the second scenario you have three different individuals handling a community effort. While all three try to include older members and younger members there always seems to be someone who leaves feeling that their issues or suggestions have fallen on deaf ears. Now Rick is the one who just doesn’t really care about either side he is a busy man and wants the meetings to go without many interruptions from anyone. This way of approaching the planning of this event leaves all that is involved to try and push their ideas through and walk away feeling as if nothing has been accomplished. While Molly teds to try and find out what is on everyone’s mind she tends to alienate the younger generation whereas they feel their input is not needed. Being that the older residents have been there so long they believe they should have the most input with know the most history. Unfortunately, Barbara follows the same type of meeting style as Molly although the meetings never stay on task and nothing seems to be accomplished. In both of these scenarios the older generation feels put off by the younger generation. In addition, it is as if the older individuals feel that they have lived a long life and can’t gain any viable or solid information from the younger generation sustaining that they may actually have something valuable to provide. While looking at the issues both of these scenarios faced one must wonder what things brought forth conflict. Age and length of time within the organization played the biggest part in these conflicts. On both sides the older generation felt that the younger generation was stepping on their toes and disregarding them as unimportant and unknowledgeable. Having been with a company for some 10+ years one tends to get complacent and knows that the way they have been doing things has worked for so long why try something new. In either scenario it would have benefited both organizations to take a look at how processes could be improved by going viral (out on the World Wide Web). Cutting out some of the face to face meetings would allow more time in recruiting client’s (at the Davis Agency) and cutting down on meetings (within the Bay Street Friends). The technological advances while the older generation is afraid that something will go amiss they have to consider their clients and the people they are serving. The numerous people that one is able to reach with the advances would allow business to multiply as well as the number of donations. When dealing with generational diversity and issues one has to always approach with caution. There are various different impacts when it comes to terminating an employee, due to the laws in place and the EEOC one must be sure that the reasons for terminating any employee do not have to do with Race, Age, Sex, or Religion. A company could get into very serious trouble for firing someone due to their age. I believe in the scenario of Stan and Alex the age difference is a problem in the way of thinking and dealing with clients. When Stan wrote Alex up for insubordination it was not because Alex didn’t perform his job exceedingly and abundantly well it was that he circumvented Stan’s procedure to be included and see the project. Now one could say that Alex over steeped his bounds yet we must remember that Connor (now running the company) felt that this was the best way to meet the client’s needs and was very impressed. Both of the scenarios made very valid points for the Veterans and Gen-Xer’s yet they failed to find a common ground that both sides can agree on when trying to generate business or donations. Veteran’s can try to learn from the Gen-Xer’s by not discounting what they say and the Gen-Xer’s can try some empathy with veterans. In addition, the Gen-Xer’s shouldn’t be so quick to discount the veteran’s and what they know, there are some valuable lessons to be learned from the older generation. Although, the older generation has some very valuable input they must be willing to change with the times and allow growth whether it be for profit or nonprofit. The only way either sector can be successful is to utilize the input from both sides and come up with a collaborative effort that each side can be satisfied with.

Multinational Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Multinational - Case Study Example This shows he is serious and a bit strict when it comes to business (Krause & Piske, 2007). During the team meeting, he notices that there is an argument between Mueller and Yuen Yu yet he does nothing. It was not their first time to have this disagreement, and he could see that it had affected Yuen Yu in a big way. He thought that the conflict would be solved over time, and he did not take note that they were arguing in front of their boss. Relationship between co-workers and their boss affects the discharge of duties. Those in the higher authority can overrule an order given by the juniour staff. This can be noted by the chinese colleagues following a direct order from Koch, who is of a higher rank. As a leader, Koch uses his authority to bring sanity to members during a crisis. However, his position could be misused to influence selfish interests in the company. A good working relationship between Koch and Koenig could foster respect between them, thereby bring development of good ideas (Krause & Piske, 2007). Q3: Communication, language, and expression; teamwork is a collective effort, and all players have to understand the direction of the discussion. Misinterpretation can be kept to a minimum if everybody aims for clarity. Avoid the feeling of superiority. One part of the team with a similar culture or homogeneity attempts to dominate the team process and overrule the rest of the team. One may try to swing decisions towards the direction they are comfortable with. This can cause the development of a multinational personnel selection system environment for the rest of the team leading to a poor contribution. Here the Germans are feeling superior to the Asians, which is noted by the Germans being against the points the Asians rise directly. There should be some motivators and expectations from the job that indicate the things that make someone stick to the business and team environment. The motivators can be in monetary state, incentives

Prescription Drug Costs in Primary and Secondary Care UK Dissertation

Prescription Drug Costs in Primary and Secondary Care UK - Dissertation Example the negative value of the mean indicates that generally, the NHS drug tariff prices for the generic drugs are substantially higher than the prevailing retail market price for the branded drugs. The results of the paired samples t-test also showed that there were no significant difference on the costs of generic drugs based on the prices indicated in the NHS drug tariff and the prevailing retail market prices for the branded drugs. This result is absurd because in majority of the drugs considered in this t-test, the generic prices are generally higher than the branded medicines. This finding, however corroborates the results of Kanavos (2007) that the NHS is reimbursing the pharmacies significantly higher than the actual acquisition cost dispensed by the pharmacies. 16 Table 5. Distribution of Branded NHS Drugs with no Generic Equivalent 17 Table 6. Distribution of Generic NHS Drugs with no Branded Equivalent 17 4.4. Comparison of free prescriptions between England and Wales 23 4.5. T he issue of over-prescribing by UK General Practitioners 26 4.7. Wastage of prescription drugs 31 5.0. Results and Implications 33 5.1. Summary of findings 33 5.2. Implications for health care 35 While over-prescribing of drugs appear to be forced choices by physicians who are limited to prescribing only drugs approved for inclusion in the designated PCT formularies, the ramifications of the practice are brought to bear not only on the national coffers, but also on the risk of patients’ illness progressing in severity either because they are overwhelmed of the multiplicity of their medications or simply choose not to adhere to the regimen for whatever reason. Overprescribing also leads to drug wastage. Another implication of overprescribing is becoming more dangerous for large populations... Any drug has its own benefit – risk ratio. As enunciated by Brekenbridge. It is high time that people realise that medication is not all on the benefit side, as â€Å"there is no such thing as a free lunch with drugs† (Brekenbridge, as cited in Laurance, 2011. Drugs need to be taken as instructed, no more, no less. Over-prescribing is definitely out of the question. It should be all academic at this point that over-prescribing catalyses many repercussions, including higher risk of more serious illness, drug wastage, draining the NHS budget, illegal drug trade, and worst, morbidity and mortality. In this regard, continuing professional education for doctors, especially in drug pharmacology should be a fixed installation in the human resources development programme of NHS. Meanwhile, generic substitution seem to be a promising option for doctors to help save on drug expenditures. However, block decisions for generic substitution of branded medication should not be resorte d to. This matter is not a one-size fits all. Decisions should always be evidenced-based and done with the best interest of patients in mind. While there are cases where generic drugs are comparable in efficacy with their branded precursors, there are also generic drugs which compare poorly with branded medicines. Physicians who prescribe generics should always be on the lookout for non-performing substitutes.

Significance of Community College Faculty Development Programs Research Paper

Significance of Community College Faculty Development Programs - Research Paper Example Such is the philosophy behind faculty development. Colleges and universities encourage their faculty to engage in studies so they are well-equipped with the knowledge and skills to teach their students, who are mostly young adults who just graduated from high school, or even older adults who choose to keep on pursuing further studies. This paper aims to review, critique, and highlight the practical, and the scholarly significance of faculty development. Specifically, the review documents how faculty development impacts the duties, responsibilities and assigned tasks of faculty members, specifically in two-year colleges. II. Definition of Faculty Development In reviewing the literature, various definitions of faculty development are offered. One is by Nelson (1983): â€Å"Faculty development is any activity that is â€Å"designed to improve faculty performance in all aspects of their professional lives – as scholars, advisers, academic leaders, and contributors to institution al decisions† (p. 70). This definition identifies the roles that the faculty members take on when they assume their positions in their college or university. The roles enumerated reflect heavy responsibilities that require intelligence and skill. Sullivan (1983) agrees with Nelson’s definition in claiming faculty development’s concern in advancing the knowledge in one’s subject matter and mastering one’s own craft as it relates to teaching. Elbe & McKeachie (1985) follow suit in identifying faculty development as â€Å"college and university activities that are designed to "help faculty members improve their competence as teachers and scholars" (p. 35). These definitions point out to improving professional skills of the faculty, but on a more personal note, Rostek... This research illustrates that in reviewing the literature, various definitions of faculty development are offered. One is by Nelson: â€Å"Faculty development is any activity that is â€Å"designed to improve faculty performance in all aspects of their professional lives – as scholars, advisers, academic leaders, and contributors to institutional decisions†. This definition identifies the roles that the faculty members take on when they assume their positions in their college or university. The roles enumerated reflect heavy responsibilities that require intelligence and skill. Sullivan agrees with Nelson’s definition in claiming faculty development’s concern in advancing the knowledge in one’s subject matter and mastering one’s own craft as it relates to teaching. Elbe & McKeachie follow suit in identifying faculty development as â€Å"college and university activities that are designed to "help faculty members improve their competence as teachers and scholars". These definitions point out to improving professional skills of the faculty, but on a more personal note, Rostek & Kadivko add that the faculty’s professional development should include "purposeful learning experiences undertaken in response to individual needs". On a more collective scale, Centra defines faculty development as â€Å"college and university activities that are designed to "renew and maintain vitality of their staff†. Trends and issues in education develop in both breadth and depth. This process is faster due to technology and emerging modes of communication.

Survey of European Firms. Financial Management Essay

Survey of European Firms. Financial Management - Essay Example Survey of European Firms. Financial Management They go on to elaborate that they two strategies are very connected to each other, thus insinuating that one could not be affected by investors reactions without the other being affected also. There is some evidence to support the fact that profits have nothing to do with investor over (or under) reaction. In light of the massive amounts of evidence that speaks otherwise, I find myself unconvinced that a market that lives a breathes because of the activity of the investors will be unaffected by their whims. Oumar and Kodjovi (2003) find that there is most certainly a parallel between the stocks that do well and the state of mind possessed by those buying them. They say that someone who has been a recent loser in the stock market will tend to be a bit cautious until they find a new hot investment. Once they come across something that looks promising they will, because of a sense of inflated optimism and hope, buy more than they normally would. Someone who has been a consistent winner, on the other hand, will typically encourage within himself to grow a particular sense of apprehension and reserve. What are the end results of these two separate mentalities trading together o n the market floor A bit of a confusing result to say the least. The market will reflect the optimism and pervasiveness of the investor who knows that he will bounce back. It will also reflect the introverted spending habits of someone who knows that the next big financial disaster is just around the corner. There is another investor whose ability to react rationally and stably (or lack thereof) affects the profits of a stock. This is the investor who has too much money and not enough sense to put it anywhere wisely. He will buy everything one day and sell it all the next for no apparent reason. Playing for market, for a person like this, is just another form of gambling. I will grant that this breed of investor comes few and far between, thankfully, but they are still out there trading with enough force and determination to effect the profits of others. Works Cited Conrad, J. & Kaul, G. (1993) Long-Term Market Overreaction or Biases in Computed Returns American Finance Association: Journal of Finance 48. 39-63 Kodjovi, A. & Oumar, S. (2003) Profitability of the Short-Run Contrarian Strategy in Canadian Stock Markets. Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences Lusua, J. & Norden, L. (2005) Momentum and Contrarian Strategies at the Swedish Stock Market. Independent Academic Paper Question 2 Hackbarth, Hennessy, and Leland (2004) noted that the financial institutions in the United States share many consistencies when it comes to the regularities in their capital structure. Graham and Harvey (2001) not only agree with this observation but they further state that one of the large consistencies, or observed regularities, between modern United States corporations is their established predisposition towards a trade-off model as they feel it lends them a certain financial advantage, or an economical prepotency. Bancell and Mittoo (2004) believe that the observed regularities between companies are not so much a result of companies observing each other, but rather that the legal system has set up certain business models to be more

Summa Theologica Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Summa Theologica - Essay Example Second evidence of the existence of God is based on the concept of efficient cause which means that one thing can only cause change to another. This will result in a chain of questioning the first cause, thus, the existence of God is the answer. The third evidence that Aquinas presented is also based on the chain of causes. According to him, one thing owes existence to another which is based on the view of â€Å"possibility and necessity.† This means that an object’s existence is based on pre-existing things. He argued that all things exist due to a certain need by another and only God exists for His own reason (Aquinas, 1996; Kretzmann and Stump, 1993). These three proofs can be contradicted by most contemporary theories of the existence of things. But in this case Aquinas is theorizing the existence of God through scientific views. Faith is the main evidence in the existence of God since he is the first mover, the first cause and the one who exists based on his own reason. Aquinas’s views on the existence of God though had been refuted by most philosophers specifically in the rise of the concepts of evolution and intelligent design. Basically evolution is the scientific view of the existence of the different entities, both living and non-living in the world as advocated by Charles Darwin. This is the main contradicting view against the religious views of creation. On the other hand, through the continuous study of the said issue, the rise of the concept of intelligent design occurred which is known to be the bridge between the two concepts. It falls between the two concepts. It in fact intersects the two fields of study, sc ience and theology. Based on the said view, the universe existed due to intelligent causes such as natural selection. Thus, it unites the two views (Dembski, 2002). Although, experts from both sides are questioning the said view, the message of unity can be considered as an important merit. Other philosophers such

Investigating Employee Misconduct Research Paper

Investigating Employee Misconduct - Research Paper Example This research will begin with the statement that employee misconduct is a usual occurrence in many organizations. Employers always hope that cases of employee misconduct will not arise, but they are always proactive in setting a compliance committee.   The compliance department takes the critical responsibility for ensuring that all the employees uphold the ethical values defined by the organization. The compliance committee usually receives reports of employee misconduct. After reception of the reports, the committee focuses on investigating the validity of the reported claims. The committee also involves legal investigators, who bring their professionalism, ensuring that the misconduct claims receive the attention they deserve. Usually, failure to investigate employee misconduct may reflect negatively on the public image of the organization. Therefore, organizations have to conform to the existing legal frameworks while conducting investigations of employee misconduct. Employee m isconduct denotes several acts that contravene the ethical and legal laws that define an organization. Some of the misconducts include: Disclosure of information to the wrong party Misappropriation of assets and resources Unauthorized use of personnel and resources Forging of documents Alteration, mutilation, and concealment of documents Authorization or reception of payment for goods not received Disclosure of information to the wrong party Intentional misstatements Accepting or seeking additional benefits from contractors, vendors, and partners Failure to report misconduct Fraud Different forms of corruption

Analyzing Financial Statements answeres Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Analyzing Financial Statements answeres - Essay Example Operating cash flow relates to cash flows that a company accrues from operations to its current debt. It measures how liquidity a firm is in the short run since it relates to current debt and cash flows from operations. (Gregor, 2008) The ratio -0.133 is less than which means Sears Company is not generating enough cash to pay off its short-term debt which is a serious situation in the company. This is a critical concern and a matter of urgency. If it is not dealt with it may lead to liquidation of the company. Therefore, it is possible that the firm may not be able to continue to operate. (Sears, 2013) The price to cash flow ratio is often considered a better indication of a companys value than the price to earnings ratio. It is a really useful ratio for a company to know, particularly if the company is publicly traded. It compares the companys share price to the cash flow the company generates on a per share basis. (Gregor, 2008) This implies that the price to cash flow ratio is quite small and that the ratio price ought to be increased for the shareholders. Ordinarily, share price is usually the closing price of the stock on a particular day and operating cash flow is taken from the Statement of Cash Flows. Some business owners use free cash flow in the denominator instead of operating cash flow. (Gregor, 2008) Normally, Cash flow from Operations/Average total liabilities is a similar ratio to the commonly-used total debt/total assets ratio. Both measure the solvency of a company or its ability to pay its debts and keep its head above water. (Anonymous, 2008) The answer shows how many times over a company can meet its short-term debt and is a measure of the firms liquidity. This ratio means that Sears Company has a low degree of settling its debts by the use of the current assets. (Wood, 2009) The quick ratio, or acid test, is a more specific test of liquidity than the current ratio. It takes inventory out of the equation and measures

Kingdom of Life Essay Example for Free

Kingdom of Life Essay The Kingdom of Monera is the smallest in size in the biological world but are the most in terms of numbers. They can be found almost everywhere on earth. Monerans are the only kingdom of the prokaryotic type, organisms that lack a nucleus. The most common of this kind is the bacteria, which most people know are harmful for it causes illnesses and some degrees of food poisoning. The division of a single bacterium into two similar daughter cells constitutes the bacterial growth. This process is called binary fission which in turn promotes its population to grow exponentially. Bacteria are said to be the first inhabitants of Earth. Protozoa, fungus-like protists and the algae are the major categories under the kingdom of Protista. Members are categorized as colonial, unicellular or multi-cellular. Organisms under this kingdom are all eukaryotic, meaning they all have a true nucleus. Most undergo mitosis for their growth while some by meiosis and fertilization for their reproduction process. All organisms live in a water-based environment. Network forming which is called mycelia is the common process in which members of the kingdom of fungi grow. Fungi cause diseases in plant like smuts and rusts, while severe damage are from stem root and leaf rots. Most common in humans are athlete’s foot and ringworm among others. Animal diseases are very hard to treat because of its genetic and chemical similarity to fungi. Harmful as they may seem, some fungi members play significant roles in the ecological system. Some plants can’t grow without fungi. Breakthroughs in medicine are synthesized from fungi while others are used for food. The environment can not take form without plants. Humans can’t live without them. That is how important the kingdom of plantae is to our planet and to our lives. Said to lived 360 million years ago, plants vary in sizes, from very small kind to tall huge trees. Plants reproduce asexually and grow with the help of external factors. They are the only living organisms that are able to produce their own food through photosynthesis. Members of the kingdom Animalia are all heterotrophs. Animals, for their sustenance and survival, depends on other organisms around them. All organisms of the kingdom are eukaryotic and multicellular. Animals reproduce sexually through their special cells which when united form the zygotes that later grow into a new individual. The first recorded phyla of this kingdom was a marine specie some 542 million years ago. References: Windows Team, (1998, December 17). Windows to the Universe. Â   Retrieved, September 27, 2008 from, http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/life/monera.html Carter, Stein J., (2004, November 3). SC Links. Â   Retrieved, September 27, 2008 from, http://biology.clc.uc.edu/courses/bio106/protista.htm

An Introduction To Theological Reflection

An Introduction To Theological Reflection Stephen Pattison article entitled Some Straw for the Brick: A Basic Introduction to Theological Reflection introduces a model of theological reflection called critical conversation. In this model the conversation is between three parties, namely the students own faith presuppositions, the particular situation/context being looked at and the Christian tradition. Pattison is by no means suggesting that the critical conversation model is the only model of theological reflection. He has chosen it because its derived from others forms of theological reflection and lists seven advantages to it. ( pg. 139). According to Pattison, purpose of this model of theological reflection according is to help people think through and analyse their own experiences, the issues and the situations that they face and in so doing the practical theology gets underway. As far as Pattison is concerned the critical conversation has more to do with asking the right questions than arriving at the right answers. He also appears to suggest that theological reflection has less to do with academic ability than with inventiveness and imagination, creativity that seeks to discern patterns in a particular situation. Why critical reflection one might ask? Pattisons answer to that question is as follows: a). It helps us to bring about an understanding of human and religious experience in contemporary society whether superficial or complex. He suggests that, more complex the situation, require a depth in the conversation by drawing resources from other secular knowledge base, i.e. or Christian theology. b). It connects belief and practice to everyday life. c). Prevent people from making false assumptions. d). Helps one to grow deeper in faith and appreciation of theology. Theological reflection must become the filter of the ministry of the church. Critical reflection serves as a critical tool for the purposes of practical theology It is active enquiry, .dynamic, deep searching and open ended. Not intended to produce universally acclaimed answers by everyone and in every places in all cases. Theological reflection should not be seen as relevant to all people in all situations because of the different contexts. It is worth pointing out that theological reflection undertaken by individuals may well reveal more about the person and their perspective than it does about a secular situation or Christian theological tradition. To avoid that Pattison recommends that individuals be self-critical when doing theological reflection on their own. Theological reflection should be done as a group exercise instead. Helen Cameron illustrates the importance of this through her group work with TAP. Clearly this important point is articulated by all the other writers whose work form part of this review. Theological reflection in group setting is conducive to a deep and enhanced critical conversation likely to produce à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Any enquiry must aim at enriching the individual but crucially must be for the benefit of the Christian community. Such an outcome is bound to give new meaning and new orientation to the ministry of the church as has been the case throughout the churchs history. The weakness of this model of theological reflection is that it can be too subjective as it appeals to peoples particular theological bias, temperament and cultural leaning. Relativism, idiosyncratic are.. mutually interrogative method can lead to further questions, does not provide eternally valid answers which can be applied to everyday life. Asking questions and engaging in critical conversation is not an adequate way of conceiving theological reflection. Pg. 142 (limitations) Also the conversation may no be academic enough. One other criticism to be said about Pattisons model of theological reflection is that it assumes everyone can do it. The fact of the matter is not everyone has the skill Ballard page 2. Elaine Graham Elaine Graham etal recognises that the subject of theological reflection has been research extensively resulting in the production of numerous publications. However for her and fellow writers their article entitled Method or Mystique in Theological Reflection: Methods offers a challenge to the vague manner theological reflection is viewed. They point to the fact received understanding of theological understanding are largely under- theorised and narrow, and too often fail to connect adequately with biblical, historical and systematic scholarship (pg.1). As such they aim to help the reader engage in patterns of theological reflection that are richer in the source they draw on more rigorous and more imaginative. Their introductory chapter gives a history outline of the discourse. We have an account, of understanding practical/pastoral theology as a discipline concerned with practical training which is broader and understands theology as critical reflection in a variety of settings. Graham etal, sites Donald Scon who argues for a shift from theoretical knowledge, technical rationality and scientific precision which is all theoretically and not practically based consequently eroding public trust of experts. According to them, professional knowledge of expertise is only acquired in a particular context or situation that is implicit and problem based. Furthermore the learning takes place by responding with flexibility to situations, willingness to be a proactive learner and risk taking. (pg. 4) This view that knowledge comes by experience is also shared by Kolb in his book on model of experimental learning. (pg. 5) As such theology ought to be understood as a process rather than product. Christi an practice, alongside systematic biblical and historical theology is crucial to theological reflection. In their view such engagement with these traditional Christian resources is weak. It is to this interrelated problem of traditional Christian resources that Theological Reflection: Methods reverts. My third article for review is entitled Characteristics of Theological Action Research by Helen Cameron etal. The article comes from the book written by her and others called Talking about God in Practice. In it a methodology of research called Theological Action Research is introduced. TAR is a brain child of Action Research Church and Society made up of two teams that are ecumenical and interdisciplinary chosen. The team members are all theological practioners and researchers, made up of a team from Heythrop and the other team from outside. ARCS objectives are realised when dialogue goes on in each team and also across the teams. The teams demonstrate willingness to share good practice and ideas of theological research between teams. As a model TAR has four stages called a cycle of theological reflection and are the following; experience, reflection, learning and action. The methodology require that each stage of the cycle is carefully examined and documented using its action research process and social sciences methods of collecting data. Theology plays a key part in all the stages of the practice right from the beginning to the very end. That also includes the shared reflections of the practitionrs and researchers. We can conclude that the lessons learnt are the following: Theological reflection and theology is directed at life situations in every human experience whether be a believer, church community including those who confess to be atheists. According to Metz, as he made reference to Karl Rahners a critical observation of Vatican II. God is a universal theme, a theme concerning all humanity or it is simple no theme at all. (pg 57 M.K). Rahners ascertion is an attempt to address an abserd belief which was sectarian and excluded others in taking part the faith dialogue/God. It is also true to say that when theology becomes self-absorbed by ignoring the worlds reality of human suffering, poverty injustice etc. it loses its purpose. The theological reflection model looked at in this review appear narrowly focused atà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. with a particular racial group, principally white European and middle class. We live in a diverse à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. The church is a reflection of society that is multicultural, ethnic Robert Kinast in his article on the subject makes the same point that theological reflection is a threefold movement, which begins with the lived experience,