Free Essays on A Million Little Pieces

A Million Little Pieces is a Shattering, honest memoir written by James Frey. Frey tells his story and struggles as a recovering crack head, glue sniffer, gas huffer, and alcoholic. This forthcoming memoir begins with the writer awaking on plane with his four front teeth knocked out, a hole in his cheek, and no recollection of the past two weeks of his life. Having come off a crack binge, and on the verge of death, Frey desperately needed help. He was fortunate to have beem scraped off the pavement by a friend, and sent on a plane to his clueless parents. When they saw their son’s battered carcass they knew that his addiction problems were a matter of life or death. They sent James to the famous Minnesota rehab clinic â€Å"Hazelden† to try and cure their son of a disease unbeenounced to them. Thus begins A Million Little Pieces, the raw account of James Frey’s six weeks in an intensive rehabilitation program. James is merely 23 years old when he arrives at Hazelden treatment center. Withdrawn from the outside world, and delirious to his chronic state, James is beginning the first stages of detoxification. He gives the brutally honest details of a less than glamorous day. â€Å"I awake and I start to shiver and I curl up and I clench my fists. Sweat runs down my chest, my arms, the backs of my legs. It stings my face. I sit up and I hear someone moan. I see a bug in the corner, but I know it’s not there. The walls close in and expand they close in and expand and I can hear them. I cover my ears but it’s not enough.† â€Å"I scream. I piss on myself. I shit my pants.† â€Å"I am blinded by blackness. I am gone† (Frey, 11.) Frey spends days in detoxification and contemplates if his life is worth this pain. Unlike other accounts of rehabilitation, Frey doesn’t glamorize the process the intensity of his account is overwhelming. For the first time in thirteen years Frey is sober and unable to run from his problems. He begins m... Free Essays on A Million Little Pieces Free Essays on A Million Little Pieces A Million Little Pieces is a Shattering, honest memoir written by James Frey. Frey tells his story and struggles as a recovering crack head, glue sniffer, gas huffer, and alcoholic. This forthcoming memoir begins with the writer awaking on plane with his four front teeth knocked out, a hole in his cheek, and no recollection of the past two weeks of his life. Having come off a crack binge, and on the verge of death, Frey desperately needed help. He was fortunate to have beem scraped off the pavement by a friend, and sent on a plane to his clueless parents. When they saw their son’s battered carcass they knew that his addiction problems were a matter of life or death. They sent James to the famous Minnesota rehab clinic â€Å"Hazelden† to try and cure their son of a disease unbeenounced to them. Thus begins A Million Little Pieces, the raw account of James Frey’s six weeks in an intensive rehabilitation program. James is merely 23 years old when he arrives at Hazelden treatment center. Withdrawn from the outside world, and delirious to his chronic state, James is beginning the first stages of detoxification. He gives the brutally honest details of a less than glamorous day. â€Å"I awake and I start to shiver and I curl up and I clench my fists. Sweat runs down my chest, my arms, the backs of my legs. It stings my face. I sit up and I hear someone moan. I see a bug in the corner, but I know it’s not there. The walls close in and expand they close in and expand and I can hear them. I cover my ears but it’s not enough.† â€Å"I scream. I piss on myself. I shit my pants.† â€Å"I am blinded by blackness. I am gone† (Frey, 11.) Frey spends days in detoxification and contemplates if his life is worth this pain. Unlike other accounts of rehabilitation, Frey doesn’t glamorize the process the intensity of his account is overwhelming. For the first time in thirteen years Frey is sober and unable to run from his problems. He begins m...

8 Ways to Avoid Barking Up the Wrong Family Tree

8 Ways to Avoid Barking Up the Wrong Family Tree There is nothing more frustrating than finding out the ancestors youve been so diligently researching, and have even come to love, arent really yours. Yet, it happens to most of us who research our family trees at some point. A lack of records, incorrect data, and embellished family stories can easily send us off in the wrong direction. How can we avoid this heartbreaking result in our own family research? It isnt always possible to avoid wrong turns, but these steps may help keep you from barking up the wrong family tree. 1. Dont Skip Generations Skipping generations in your research is the most common mistake made by beginners. Even if you think you know everything about yourself and your parents, you shouldnt skip directly to your grandparents. Or your immigrant ancestor. Or the famous person that youve been told youre descended from. Working your way back one generation at a time greatly lessens your chances at attaching the wrong ancestor to your family tree, because youll have the supporting documents- birth records, marriage certificates, census records, etc.- to support the link between each generation. 2. Dont Make Assumptions About Family Relationships Family terms such as Junior and Senior as well as aunt and cousin were often used very loosely in earlier times - and still are, even today. A designation of Jr., for example, may have been used in official records to identify between two men of the same name, even if they were unrelated (the younger of the two being called Jr.). You also shouldnt assume relationships between people living in a household unless it is specifically stated. The sole adult-aged female listed in your great-great grandfathers household, may indeed be his wife- or it could be a sister-in-law or family friend. 3. Document, Document, Document The most important habit to pick up when starting genealogical research is to diligently  write down how and where you find your information. If it was found on a website, for example, write down the title of the site, the URL and the date. If the data came from a book or microfilm, write down the title, author, publisher, publication date and the repository.  If your family information came from a relative, document who the information came from and when the interview took place. There will be many times when youll run across conflicting data, and youll need to know where your information came from. Often, its convenient to use a spreadsheet for this purpose, but it can also be helpful to keep physical records. Printing out hard copies for reference is a great way to back up information in case the data is taken offline or changes. 4. Does it Make Sense? Constantly review all new information that you add to your family tree to make sure that it is at least plausible. If the date of your ancestors marriage is only seven years after they were born, for example, you have a problem. The same goes for two children born less than nine months apart, or children born before their parents. Does the birthplace listed in the census correlate with what youve learned about your ancestor? Have you possibly skipped a generation? Look at the information youve gathered and ask yourself, Does this make sense? 5. Get Organized The more organized your genealogy research, the less likely that youll mix up information or make other simple, but costly, mistakes. Choose a filing system that works with the way you do research, making sure that it includes a way to organize both your papers and certificates ​and your digital documents and other computer files. 6. Verify Research Done By Others Its hard enough avoiding your own mistakes, without having to worry about the mistakes of others as well. Publication- whether in print or online- doesnt make anything fact, so you should always take steps to verify previous research  using primary sources and other tools before incorporating it into your own.   7. Rule Out the Other Possibilities You know that your great-great-grandfather lived in Virginia around the turn-of-the-century, so you look him up in the 1900 U.S. census and there he is! In truth, however, this isnt him; its someone else with the same name living in the same area during the same time period. It is a scenario that actually isnt all that uncommon, even with names you might think are unique. When researching your family, it is always a good idea to check the surrounding area to see if there is someone else who could fit the bill.   8. Turn to DNA Blood doesnt lie, so if you really want to be sure a DNA test may be the way to go. DNA tests cant currently tell you who your specific ancestors are, but they can help narrow things down quite a bit.

History of economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

History of economics - Essay Example Before the evolution, slave trade was the only trade that people knew and they considered it an economy. During the sixteenth century, people were uncivilized and war was known to be the main economic activity (Canterbery 18). Many economists have come up with many theories to explain the history of economics. The western history of economics is divided into four theories (Deane 1). 1. Classical Greek: This period is also referred to as the feudalism (survival for the fittest). This is a time when political philosophy focused on ethical problems of the Aristocratic slave based. This was a time when people stopped slave trade and there was no economy and people only produced the necessities like food, clothing, and shelter. 2. Mediaeval Scholastic: During this era, economics was a clerical monopoly and the mediaeval economic ideas were essential. Individual economy behavior was relevant in the market economy rather than exchange economy which actually worked. 4. Modern: During the eighteenth century, Adam Smith, a French physiocrat, came up with the study of economics as a distinctive discipline, a science and a technique of analysis, and it was a time when economics was introduced to the people and everyone understood the essence of the economy. The two economic ideologies (classical Greek and mediaeval) which came up were mainly historical. The Greek and Mediaeval was based on political and theological interest and the approaches had little to do with modern economics. The mercantilist theory was developed during the seventh century. Mercantilists described economics as the art of managing a state, and they had created the element of demand and supply. They developed theories of interest rate, which had factors like yield of investment in the capital stock and the supply of loanable funds (Deane 3). The main focus was on external trading relationship on nations,

The 7-S framework model is suggested as a tool for identifying the Essay

The 7-S framework model is suggested as a tool for identifying the interrelationships between different aspects of corporate str - Essay Example The core notion behind the model is that effectiveness in an organization is a result of several interrelated factors (Waterman, Peters & Phillips, 1980). The framework aids to take all the knowledge of the above mentioned organizational variables which are informal, soft or does not require the purview of the senior management team. The model suggests that other than structure and strategy, style, superordinate goals (shared values), systems and skills are also important for aligning the staff to perform certain aspired organizational activities. The model thereby urges users to focus on the interactions between the 7S and propose to bring about a balance in the organization (Bhatti, 2011). Effectiveness of the 7S framework Effectiveness is perceived in diverse manners. This is possible as every individual in a team may have a distinct idea of the meaning of being effective. The task of the management in a firm is to recognize an issue which is already present in the firm. However, the issue is related to effectively diagnosing the problem. The 7S framework is effective in this case as it helps in acting as a guide to taking and making decisions as it aims to provide several suggestions and consultations with respect to issues with respect to structure and organization. This is especially necessary during the change management situations when firms need to restructure the three hard variables, systems, strategies and process. The other soft variables like style, staff, structure and superordinate goals are often neglected by the organization during the change management process and this result in failure. The model, on the other hand, serves as a useful connection to identify certain weaknesses and strengths within the 7S framework. The 7S framework highlights the fact that a change in any one of the 7S affects the other variables in the organization. It helps business leaders to understand that the manner in which interrelated elements come together during th e stage of strategy implementation (Choi et al. 2011). The 7S framework has not only been successful in helping to reorganize structures for enhanced organizational performance but also has proved to be effective in destination management. This is because the McKinsey 7S model helps in effectively implementing strategies – be it in the perspective of an organization or to enhance the image of a destination. This is because it helps in suggesting and arriving at a balance between seven interdependent factors (Oakley & Sugarman, 2013). The effectiveness of implementing the 7S model in destination management is to strategize and implement enhanced plans for marketing and changing the image of a particular place or destination. The same model was used in changing the image of Czech Republic by ably defining and explaining certain soft and hard variables like shared values or superordinated goals, strategy, system and structure, style and staffs and skills (Palatkova, 2011). In to day’s changing world, many business and management models have been rendered obsolete; but there are a few which are still practiced by most business organizations. The 7S framework is one of them. This is mainly because the model focuses on the significant function played by coordination between the hard and soft variables and thereby bringing about a balance during the stages of strategy formulation and implementation. This

Video game controversy Essay Example for Free

Video game controversy Essay Technology has (had) come a long way since the early years of life. The use of technology to humans, is to enhance or improve whatever it may be to have a much quicker advancement or have a better and easy going lifestyle. But in the more recent years, technology has turned for the worst. Specifically speaking, video games. Video games in its early years were meant for a positive use, much like any other type of game; to simply act as a fun activity to pass time. That is not the case anymore because of how dangerously advanced and addicting video games can be. In fact it’s so dangerous nowadays that countries like South Korea are contemplating whether or not to ban video games. Why is it dangerous? Video games influence a type of negative social behavior, has a direct correlation to the cause of Insomnia, and is relevant to the increasing obesity rates in America. Playing video games can lead to many negative effects on a person. Video Games influence a type of negative social behavior. â€Å"The effects of videophilia are substantial and include obesity, attention disorders, lack of socialization and poor academic performance† (Video Game Addiction). The person (game player) may lose social skills and qualities depending on the level of video game addiction. Usually, the player is spending so much time on the game that he/ she is neglecting other areas of life. A common sign of video game addiction is constantly talking about the game almost constantly. â€Å" It is more likely to talk down upon a peer after a violent video game session† (Tiret). These types of social skills are not acceptable to continuously practice. The people that talk down on peers because of the violent video game session could go into depression or anxiety because of what others say or think about them. Young Children love playing rated M 18+ games that contain violence and other profound content (Parks). â€Å" the more time children and teens spend playing violent video games the more likely they are to display aggressive behavior† (Tiret). The more violent the game is, the more violent the player will be. It’s morally wrong to be mean for absolutely no reason towards other human beings. The effects on aggressive behavior can be long lasting (Tiret). A build up in anger is not healthy. If the constant aggression keeps up, the aggressive person will be ostracized by classmates or friends. Insomnia is easily caused by the lack of sleep, which is a common symptom of a video game addict. â€Å"Studies have shown that people deprived of contact with nature were at greater risk of depression and anxiety† (Wilderness Adventure). â€Å"In a study by Breslau and associates, patients with insomnia were nearly 4 times more likely to suffer major depression than those without insomnia† (Johnston). A depressed person will look at everything negatively and have no motivation to go outside. The person may even view his/ her life not even worth living. Stress and depression can be caused by a variety of things resulting in insomnia. Stress may be caused by hours on the computer playing a game without rest. Depression may hit the person, depending on intimacy with the video game, once he/she loses a lot. â€Å" insomnia and its associated daytime sleepiness had significant negative effects on cognitive functioning and impaired their subjects’ ability to perform ordinary tasks† (Johnston). â€Å"Excessive Sleepiness has been linked to learning disabilities in children and cognitive and memory problems in adults† (Johnston). If this keeps up then the next generations will become less capable than the ones before which shouldn’t happen. Remembering what you ate for breakfast will be very difficult. â€Å"Poor sleep hygiene includes an irregular sleep schedule, stimulating activities before bed†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Mayo Clinic). The ‘stimulating activities’ could translate into playing video games before you sleep. The effects of the stimulating activities causes the person to stay awake longer in bed. Some argue video games can be healthy to a person. One of the biggest positive effects video games can have on a person is the fact that makes people happy. As a result, video games have become an easy scapegoat for numerous violent tendencies and social behaviors. Video games are indeed a scapegoat, but it doesn’t hide the fact that the people who play these games as a scapegoat are neglecting themselves from the real world. These people will not get to experience what it’s really like in the real world. Based on solid scientific evidence, video games may actually fill basic human needs that the real world fails to satisfy (Shapiro). This applies to people who have social anxieties causing these people to refrain from the outside even more. The people are not completely solving their problems, only temporarily. It is not the game’s fault for these negative effects. There are millions who play the game and don’t go out and do the negatively portrayed actions on the news. The criminals mention the games’ names and blame the games. Violent games are very influential on a person. â€Å"Reality is too complicated to blame playings games, moving pictures, or letters on a page† (Parks). Games are where people get ideas from. Life is commonly sealed into one perception for a person, and curiosity comes from ideas that have never been heard of before. Addiction of video games can easily lead into obesity which is a dangerous and lethal disease. Video games create an obstacle for children. â€Å"Children today spend an average of 6 hours each day in front of the computer and TV, but less than 4 minutes a day in instructed outdoor play† (Wilderness Adventure). There is an extreme amount of physical inactivity. The calories are not burned which turn into fat later on. â€Å"Getting less than seven hours of sleep a night can cause changes in hormones that increase your appetite† (Mayo Clinic). Less sleep IS a vital cause of obesity. Eating most of your calories at night contributes to weight gain. â€Å"Overweight and obesity are linked to more deaths worldwide than underweight† (WHO). Being overweight and obese brings cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and even some cancers. The obese people are not outside and running which leads into no training for the cardiovascular system. While playing video games, gamers do not pay attention to what they eat which could lead into a massive buildup of diabetes. â€Å"More than 40 million children under the age of five were overweight in 2011† (WHO). 41% of certain cancer burdens are attributable to overweight and obesity. Children who play video games fit into this category. The topic of video games being perceived as a positive thing today is growing out of hand. It’s like spreading a humongous lie to gullible innocents. Affecting social behavior in a negative manner, causing obesity, and developing insomnia are serious matters. The negative effects of playing video games are severe and the idea of playing video games should not be taken lightly.

The Most Important Qualities of An Outstanding Educator Essay -- essay

The Most Important Qualities of An Outstanding Educator   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  An outstanding educator possesses unique qualities that set him or her apart from others in the field. Ask any student about a favorite teacher and listen intently as he or she describes that person with a smile. Ask a parent of a child who will enter first grade in the fall about the teacher choice for their child. The parent would describe the outstanding educator in their desire for that special teacher. The qualities of an outstanding educator are easily recognized by those whose lives they touch, shape, and change on a daily basis. It is in this writing piece that they will be described and discussed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Outstanding educators are caring. While most educators possess this quality, it is the notable teacher that is able to transcend his or her feelings into concrete and measurable ways that demonstrate an investment in the individual student. The outstanding educator asks and continues to ask; what can I do for this child? What does this child need? How will I deliver? What resources are available? The student’s progress and goals are constantly assessed and evaluated. Outstanding educators care about the whole child- academically and socially.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another important quality of an outstanding educator is competence. Outstanding teachers are highly capable. They know how to do their job, and they do it very well. They are smart, well ed...

His Panic: Why Americans Fear Hispanics in the US Essay

Review by Howard Jordan, The City University of New York – Hostos Community College of book His Panic: Why Americans Fear Hispanics in the U. S. written by Emmy-award-winning journalist Geraldo Rivera. Rivera has truly emerged as a true warrior in defense of the Latino community and immigrant rights by dissecting and clarifying several myths that feed the anti-immigrant prejudice against the growing number of United States-born and foreign-born Latinos in our nation. One of the most obvious untrue assumptions surrounding immigrants is that Latinos are more prone to crime than their American counterparts. Rivera confronts the question of whether immigrants are committing crimes at higher rates than U. S. citizens. The debate started with a story about a drunk driver in Virginia Beach who killed two teenage girls in a terrible accident. The driver was an â€Å"illegal† Mexican. Rivera accusing Bill O’Reilly of making this same â€Å"cheap political point,† Rivera said, â€Å"[He] could have been a Jewish drunk, an Italian drunk, or an Irish drunk, would you still care? (p. 5). I believe this is the perfect example to showcase the constant double standard that exists when it comes to use Latinos as ‘scapegoats’ to take the blame for high rates of crimes or other issues. Statistics show that immigrants are no more prone to committing crimes than are the native-born. Another false rumor that causes anti-immigrant hostility is that Latino immigrants come here to take jobs from U. S. citizens. This statement cannot be further from the truth. With agreements like NAFTA, immigrants are not the ones to blame for stealing the jobs of American citizens. Conversely, the ones truly affected before any U. S. citizen is deprived of any opportunity are Mexicans because the jobs that NAFTA secures in the U. S. were jobs previously held by Mexican workers across the border. So, let’s take a moment to rethink who’s taking what from whom? In addition, Rivera cites several studies that show â€Å"Latino immigrants are not displacing American workers†¦ and rarely over-utilize social services†. Those criticizing must know that illegal immigrants are not entitled to receive any governmental assistance, because of their immigrant status. Going further Rivera has evidence in his book about â€Å"nonpartisan, non-ideological, scientific data [that] proves that immigrants contribute greatly to the America economy† (p. 169). Again this corrects the misinformation that immigrants are not a burdensome to the U. S. if not a huge contributing force of this nation whose rights are often violated. A further huge inaccurate detail Rivera addresses in his book is the assumption that immigrants use ‘anchor babies’ presumably to further the parents’ quest for citizenship. Anchor babies are children born of illegal immigrants to help their parents acquire citizenship status in the U. S. That cannot be further from the truth because under current law, an illegal immigrant parent seeking citizenship cannot use the fact that their child is a citizen, until that child reaches the age of twenty-one. However, immigrants are being wrongfully and constantly criminalized for intending to build and raise a family. In conclusion I believe that the United States has to stop using fear mongering to influence, manipulate the opinions and actions of its citizens with the goal of fueling anti-immigrant sentiment. This country was built by immigrants’ sweat and hard labor not just from Latin America, but from Europe and Africa. How can the U. S. carryon with not only taking their land, but also taking their pride, belittle them by inviting immigrants into this country and then deporting them as they conveniently desire when ‘those second class citizens are no longer useful’. I genuinely believe that American are in fear of Latinos. And they act they way they do to keep them at a margin, contain at a place where they are in need to settle and at often times take the poor jobs they get. It is embarrassing as a U. S. citizen that my own country carries this behavior. How can anyone be the cause of such horrible acts, of separating families due to technical issues and then praise to be the most powerful country in the world. The United States is the most powerful country in the world because our predecessors have gone out of their way to steal anything of value, not other communities’ ideas like Iroquois, or from the other developing countries of the world. The U. S must stop this way of politics and reach an agreement. An agreement where immigrants and workers are rewarded for their efforts, where we pay the price they are worth and earned for their hard work, that we restore what has been stolen, where the rich upper class get taxed according to the gross income they are earning. Where the jobs stolen are restored to Mexicans and Africans, restored for everything they have lost as a result of being brought here to build this country. This should be the land of opportunity, where everyone is equal at all levels and topics, not the land of exploiting the weak and enslaving them. Where is all this nonsense going to stop? I know is not that simple, to reverse the damage that has been done after so many years but we must start somewhere, perhaps by acknowledging the truth and not hiding the real facts behind the Latino scapegoat. People must be educated before taking a stand on what spot on the spectrum to be in. It is a very sensible topic that involves the lives of actual people, actual families. Thank you Geraldo Rivera for not forgetting about your roots, and using your position as a media figure to be an activist against the Latino immigrants.

How has environment influenced who I have become? Essay

How has environment influenced who I have become? According to Merriem-Webster, environment is â€Å"the circumstances, objects, or conditions by which one is surrounded.† Many people believe that our environment is not in danger. With advance of technology, certain thinks that we are not in worry of natural resources renew, recycling and exploitation of new energy. There are also many people who believe that one person’s effort is insignificant in global environment change. Colin Beavan is one of several pro-environmental who contribute to provide awareness in how environment is in danger. As the person I have become, environment has affected my everyday life. â€Å"I didn’t just want to have no carbon impact, I wanted to have no environmental impact†, Beavan said. (P.14) This environmentalist has struggled about ways to get the environment clean. As Colin Beavan im against carbon pollution that kill our trees, creates global warming etc. as long as human continues to pollute the environment with carbons from vehicles, airplanes, spill of toxic waste, humanity will get more troubles with the raise of divers illnesses, the lack of vegetation, the growth of desertification especially where I came from. Environmental impact comes from the non-respect of the nature. For example chemicals products use is the major concerned fact. Where I came, the government doesn’t have the economic power to face this, so, everybody does whatever they want without paying attention to the environment. According to Beavan, â€Å"I have to be an experiment in putting the habit first and seeing how that affects us.† (P.16) Beavan, which is the author of â€Å"No Impact Man† try to give the right behavior if wants to be a no impact man. For that him and his family were the first experiment for their project. It influences me too much because everything people want do in life, they have to be the first who will endure that. At the beginning, he stopped driving a car because of car pollution, and then he eliminated the plastic bags, controlled his trashes and eat only natural food. I think if we both start a least by trying to do the same, environment will be much better than it is  right now. â€Å"I blew my nose on a dead tree†, Beaven critiqued. (P.20) Have chosen to be a â€Å"No Impact Man† has it part of recriminations. He as all of us realized that in today’s world it is so difficult to go against our past habits but it is possible. So Beavan did. For example, when we try to make the environment better and accidentally make pollution by any manners, we recriminate ourselves and try to give up, but if we have real objectives to change the environment we could. Environment is not just one person’s conduct, but it could be one person’s conduct to changes others behavior. In conclusion, Colin Beavan is one of impressive people who give the right way to help protecting environment. He put himself as experiment in danger in order to guide people’s conscience. With â€Å"No Impact Man†, I found inspiration to protect in my way the environment. Since that, I try to eat natural food, living with the minimum necessary and try to get my environment clean and healthy.

4 questions to ask when negotiating a job offer

4 questions to ask when negotiating a job offer You have a job offer- awesome! Your work is done, right? After all, you’ve made it through the resume pile/interview/second interview gauntlet and emerged as the winner. Not so fast, champ†¦you still have some work to do. The job offer is just the start of the next phase: negotiating. This is your chance to get as much compensation as you can as you prepare to start this new phase of your career. Let’s review the most important questions to ask as you start to negotiate salary and/or benefits with your new employer.1. How are employees reviewed, and how is this tied to salary increases?This question lets you know what you can expect down the line and what you should negotiate up front. If the salary seems low up front and the company is unlikely to budge very much during this first phase, you can start making your plan- and your case- for an increase later on. If raises at this company are tied to good performance reviews, you can go in to the job on day one with t he goal of achieving an â€Å"excellent† (or whatever the metric is), and can talk with your manager to set specific goals so you’ll be in good shape when it comes time to talk about a pay bump.2. Besides the base pay, are any benefits negotiable?This gives you a sense of the playing field. If you can’t negotiate time off, insurance coverage, or other benefits, there’s no point in spending your time and energy on those points. It also lets you push a bit on the salary, if nothing else is up for discussion. Knowing what’s flexible and what’s not will help you target your negotiation.3. What is the fiscal year for this company?This question is a good one to ask because it’ll tell you when your next window for negotiation or a raise will be. If you’re starting at the beginning of a year and the company’s fiscal year starts in January, then you’ll have a straightforward year before an increase. But if you’re st arting in January and their fiscal year ends after the first quarter (April), you’ll be waiting significantly longer than a year for a potential salary increase. That gives you a bit of leverage to say, â€Å"Since it will be more than a year until I’m eligible for a salary review, I’m hoping we can start with a slightly higher initial salary.†4. Can you send me employee benefit costs?The company should be able to send you a one-pager or a packet outlining the basic benefits offered by the company (insurance, vacation time, etc.) and any related employee contributions/costs. Benefits aren’t usually highly negotiable, but you can use this cost information as part of your proposed salary.As you get started with the job offer negotiation process, the most important part is having as much information as possible at your disposal. That way, you can make realistic requests and have a good idea of how far you can push with your negotiation- or when you sh ould retreat and live to negotiate another day.

Creative Story Writing Lesson for ESL Students

Creative Story Writing Lesson for ESL Students Helping Students Write a Creative Story Once students have become familiar with the basics of English and have begun communicating, writing can help open up new avenues of expression. These first steps are often difficult as students struggle to combine simple sentences into more complex structures. This guided writing lesson is intended to help bridge the gap from simply writing sentences to developing a larger structure. During the course of the lesson students become familiar with the sentence connectors so and because. Aim: Guided Writing - learning to use the sentence connectors so and because Activity: Sentence combination exercise followed by guided writing exercise Level: lower intermediate Outline: Write a sentence with so and a sentence with because on the board: Example: We needed some food so I went to the supermarket. | He studied all night because he had a difficult test the next day.Ask students which sentence expresses a reason (because) and which sentence expresses a consequence (so).Now, write these variations of the sentences on the board: Example: I went to the supermarket because we needed some food. | He had a difficult test so he studied all night.Ask students to explain what has changed in the sentences. Check the students understanding of the differences between so and because.Give the students the sentence matching exercise. Students should match the two sentences that logically go together.Once students have completed this exercise, ask them to combine the two sentences in each pair using so or because. Check their answers as a class.Read the example story to the class as a listening exercise which also sets the tone for the follow Story:A young Swedish man na med Lars met a beautiful young French woman named Lise. They met in a cafe in Amsterdam during the afternoon. As soon as Lars saw Lise, he fell hopelessly in love because she was so beautiful and sophisticated. He wanted to meet her, so he introduced himself and asked her if he could speak to her. Soon, they were talking about their two countries and having a wonderful time. They decided to continue their discussion that evening so they made a date to have dinner in a wonderful restaurant. They continued to see each other every day because they had such a wonderful time together. Five months later, Lars moved to France and they married and lived happily ever after. Have students write a similar story using the guided writing prompts provided on their worksheet. Tell them they should be a creative as possible as that will make their story all the more enjoyable.Circulate around the room helping students with their short compositions.As a follow-up listening exercise which can be a lot of fun, have students read their stories aloud to the class. Results and Reasons I had to get up early.Im hungry.She wants to speak Spanish.We needed a vacation.Theyre going to visit us soon.I went for a walk.Jack won the lottery.They bought a CD.I needed some fresh air.She takes evening courses.Their friend had a birthday.We went to the seaside.I had an early meeting at work.He bought a new house.We havent seen them in a long time.Im cooking dinner. Writing A Short Story Quickly answer the questions below and then use the information to write your short story. Use your imagination to make the story as enjoyable as possible! Which man? (nationality, age)Loved who? (nationality, age)Where did they meet? (place, when, situation)Why did the man fall in love?What did he do next?What did the two do together that day?What did they do after that day?Why did they continue to see each other?How does the story end? Do they get married, do they separate?Is your story a sad or happy story?

MACROECONOMIC Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

MACROECONOMIC - Essay Example 2). The objectives of economic growth, stability in prices and the desired level of employment can be attained through fiscal policies. Instruments of fiscal policy and the effectiveness of the different measures in stimulating aggregate demand There are three main instruments of fiscal policy as discussed below. They are public debts, taxation and public spending. The instruments can be sued by the concerned authorities to achieve the desired level of production, national income as well as consumption. The term aggregate demand refers to the total expenditure made by the households, government and businesses on the goods and services that are produced domestically. It describes the behaviour of the buyers in response to changes in the policy implementations. If the level on inflation rises, the purchasing power of the consumers fall and therefore the aggregate demand curve is downward sloping (Auerbach, 2005, p. 3). This is described in the diagram below. Increase in government spen ding: The increase in the expenditure from the part of the government is likely to shift the aggregate demand curve to the right. The diagram below will provide the realistic picture. The increase in government spending means more money or disposable income on the hands of the consumers. The level of employment will take the upward rising curve and therefore it is natural that the aggregate demand curve will budge to the right as the overall level of demand within the economy will rise. Increase in tax cuts: The increase in tax cuts is expected to have the same effect as the cut will stimulate investment spending and the level of demand exiting in the economy will rise. Therefore the aggregate demand curve will budge to the right in this case as well. Fiscal policy stance 2012 (Australia) The fiscal deficit of Australia reached at the level of 44.7 billion dollars during the year 2012. The fiscal stance that the government adopted during the federal budget during that year was mostl y emphasized upon reducing the government expenditure. There were announcements of several new taxes namely minerals resource rent tax and the carbon price. There were some additional to fund reconstruction after natural disasters. The following diagram will show the government spending for the 2012 for Australia. The following table shows the personal tax rates for the country in 2012. Appropriateness of the fiscal policy stance Variation in outcomes can be witnessed among the different industries. The high commodity prices boosted the national income while the terms of trade reached at the record level in that year. On the other hand the conditions remained subdued in the fields of investments as well as in the arena of household spending (WACE Revision Centre, 2013, p. 12). The rate of unemployment has remained at the level of 5.25% although there was slight improvement in the unemployment conditions in the middle periods of 2011. The expenditures made by the consumers have remai ned at the moderate level with no surprising trends. The ratio of net wealth to disposable income has fallen in the recent years. The business investment rose sharply till the second half which drove in capital imports into the country and the impact of the capital imports had significant effects on the current account balance of the country. The demand stimulus of the country contracted