The Day That Changed My Life

The Day My Life Changed Forever I will never forget the day when my life was changed forever. I was twenty-two years old and about to give birth to my first child. I was having a girl, who I was going to name Mia Alexandria. Up until this point in my life I was able to go and come as I pleased, but that was about to all change. I knew that having a child would change my life but did not know how much. It was in December of 1996, and was a cold, dreary winter day. I was in my eighth month of pregnancy and I was crabby about having to lug around extra weight that was in my belly.I awoke early that morning and decided to run some errands. I drove a Jeep Wrangler at that time, a red one with a white hard top that consistently bounced around the road with every bump and crack that you hit. I can still feel the bitter draft that seeped through the cracks as I drove. It was a stick shift, which many of my friends did not know how to operate. Reluctantly, I hopped my pregnant body up into it barely being able to move my limbs from being bundled up in my poufy parka. My friend decided to join me that day to keep me company.Our first stop was to the unemployment agency. The unemployment agency back then was located in several buildings scattered throughout the state so you just had to find the closest 2 one to you, drive to it, fill out some paperwork, and stand in line to file your claim. Things were not done as they are now with all the fancy computer technology. As we arrived in the parking lot I was feeling a little anxious, not having applied before, and not knowing what I was going to say to the person behind the counter.I had been released from my waitressing job a few weeks before because of my pregnancy, the owner was afraid I might slip and fall while I was working and didn’t want to be responsible or even take that chance. The owner said I could come back after I had the baby but in the meantime I wasn’t able to pay December’s rent nor did I have any food in my apartment. My mom said I could come eat any time I wanted at her house and always sent a care package with me when I left, but still that did not pay the rent.Needless to say I did not have very much money for gas to drive back and forth to her house either and we lived about 15 miles apart. I wasn’t sure if I was going to qualify to receive unemployment but I knew I desperately needed to do something because of the baby I had on the way. When we walked into the building I saw a tremendously long line, a take a number sign, rows and rows of chairs with other fellow unemployed citizens, and quite a few government workers behind the counters. The place was huge.The atmosphere felt stuffy to me and the room was predominantly filled with men that displayed gloomy faces. I took a number and my friend and I took our place in line. We were standing for about twenty minutes when all of a sudden I felt this rush of wetness between my thighs. I was not sure what had just happened but I thought to myself I could not have just had an accident like a preschooler. As I mentally assessed the situation, the 3 only thing that kept me running from embarrassment was my long parka that came down past a good portion of my back side so you could not see my midsection.My bladder control was not as it was before I was pregnant; however when I realized after a minute or two that maybe the liquid that was uncontrollably releasing from my body was not urine at all, but that my water had broke, which meant I was going into labor. Being twenty-two and it being my first child I think I may have been in shock. Not knowing what else I should do, I decided to walk up to one of the few ladies I saw in the office. I wanted to ask what I should do because I had already signed in. The lady looked at me in disbelief and said â€Å"Leave, who cares that you signed in. You need to go to the hospital†.My friend and I looked at one another and then quickly scurried out to my Jeep and jumped in. My friend thought she should drive but did not know how to drive a stick-shift. I figured it was probably a much better idea if I drove and assured her I was not in any pain and I was fine to drive. I swiftly sped off not really having the next destination in mind but knowing I had towards the hospital. I was not in pain and did not want to rely on someone else to decide what to bring to the hospital for me so I decided to make a pit stop back at my apartment before heading over to the hospital.When we arrived only twenty minutes or so had passed and I thought by now something else should be happening with my body and was anticipating the worse was about to come. I changed out of my miserably wet pants and I quickly gathered up the things I thought I should bring. We jumped back in my bouncy jeep with our destination being the hospital this time and began making our journey there. We had about a thirty minute drive to Royal Oak Beaumont without traffic and even though I was not having any contractions I knew I did not 4 want to give birth in my vehicle.I had heard numerous crazy stories from people throughout my pregnancy about giving birth in weird places and just really wanted to make it to the hospital. When we arrived at Royal Oak Beaumont I entered through the emergency room. The security guard went to get me a wheel chair but I felt that I was fine and decided to walk up to the labor and delivery floor. When I got to the floor the nurses greeted me excitedly and hooked me up to a computer with all this wires that were connected to a stretchy band that fit around my belly.I didn’t know what they were for at the time, but now I know they were to measure my contractions. The nurse checked my dilation status and I was at a four and when you deliver the baby a person’s dilation status is at a ten. The nurse bundled all my belongings in a plastic bag and swiftly rushed me to appropriate room for delivery. When I was walking to my new room the nurses were astonished that I was dilated to four and walking around without feeling any pain. I didn’t have the foggiest idea what was going to happened so it really didn’t faze me.My friend must have been calling every person I knew because people started trickling in to see me. Tons of family and friends rotated in and out of my room baring gifts and helpful encouraging tips. The hospital staff allowed many more people in the room at one time then I thought was allowed. I had been at the hospital for about an hour and a half and still wasn’t feeling any contractions even though the nurse said I was having them. One of my friends had brought a deck of cards and another stopped at the store and brought me candy for my weet tooth I had so we were playing cards and I was eating candy when the doctor showed up. 5 The doctor was a middle age man, probably in his forty’s, which I had never met before. He was the doctor responsible for the patients from the office I went to for my prenatal checkups. I went to the hospital obgyn clinic were the doctors were doing their internships and other senior staff doctors oversaw that they were performing the correct way. He told us I probably would not be having the baby for a few hours, it was now about dinner time and I was starting to get hungry.My dilation status had stayed at between four and five for quite some time and he decided to order for me to have pitocin which tricks your body into starting to have contractions so your body will deliver the baby faster. This drug mimics the effects of the hormone, oxytocin that naturally is released in your body to induce labor. My dad and step-mom did not want to miss the birth of my first child but wanted to leave to go get dinner and they were going to bring me something back.They said I could not eat but they were allowing me to eat the candy which was a little strange. Eventually I knew I would want some dinner though and encouraged them to go and come back. Little did my dad or I know that what he feared was about to come true. He kissed me on the head and said â€Å"Don’t have that baby till I get back, ya hear†. I laughed and replied â€Å"Ok†. My dad left and the nurse came in to administer the pitocin. As the medicine flowed through my IV into my vein it felt not quite cold but a cool trickling rush like some little bugs were invading my body.It had only been a few minutes when I could start feeling maybe a little squeezing of my belly that they were calling a contraction. About seven or eight people were standing in my room talking to one another and asking me a bunch of questions when all of a sudden I felt the biggest kick, it felt like someone punched me in the stomach. Then next came a contraction, it was hard 6 And it hurt. I yelled to the nurse â€Å"I think I’m about to have the baby†, she said â€Å"Let me check probably not just yet†.I shou ted back â€Å"I think I need something for pain then†. Quickly I was administered some Demerol which was supposed to curve the pain. It just made me feel like I was going to vomit as it rushed through my veins and gave me the biggest high I had ever felt. Again I felt a big contraction â€Å"I want everyone out† I yelled. Everyone scurried out the nurse checked me and I was about to have the baby, she pushed the emergency button and the doctor came running. No one was ready, none of the packages were opened up for the delivery, and no one had their proper labor and delivery gear on.There was no time for any of that I had one more contraction and I was told not to push yet but there was no pushing nor any stopping that baby from coming into this world. Next thing I knew this small watermelon size thing came bounding out and it was over. No more pain, no more scary anticipation, and no more extra weight in my belly. And of course my dad had missed it. Mia Alexandria was here and weighed 5lbs 15oz, and was 19 inches long. My freedom at that moment ended forever. I would always be responsible for this other little person forever, or what would seem forever.No more just getting up and going. No more random journeys in my jeep at the spur of the moment not knowing where we might end up. Everywhere I would go from then on out I would have lots of extra things I would have to take with me for the care of the baby. Even though my life changed at that moment forever it was for the better. The birth of my daughter made me think about all my actions and the consequences that may follow. I always tried my hardest to do the right thing and be the best person I could be from that moment on because I wanted to be the best mommy ever.

Military Robotics Essay

A robot sniper is not subject to arm shake, fatigue, or any of the other human factors that throw off a rifleman’s aim, making each shot more accurate and less likely to hit someone other than the enemy. Pilotless drones are more likely to hit the target with better accuracy than bombs being dropped from a plane at 30,000 feet (Gyrnir). In the Army 53 percent of their casualties come with first contact with the enemy. Having a robot scouting ahead or flying above sending back pictures of the ground below to troops would reduce the casualties (Fogarty). Military robots can serve in place of human beings in explosive ordinance disposal (EOD), surveillance, and other dangerous situations. For example, when an EOD team was hunting for improvised explosive devices (IED), by the time the soldier was close enough to see the telltale wires from the bomb, it was too late. The IED erupted in a wave of flames. A soldier would have to be as far as 50 yards away to escape death and as far as half-mile away to escape injury from bomb fragments. Even if a person is not hit the pressure from the blast by itself can break bones. This soldier had been right on top of the bomb. As the flames and debris cleared, the rest of the team advanced. They found little remaining of their teammate. They loaded the remains onto a helicopter, which took them back to the team’s base near Baghdad International Airport. That night the team’s commander did his duty and wrote home about the incident. He apologized for his inability to change what had happened. He wrote, â€Å"at least when a robot dies, you don’t have to write a letter to its mother† (Singer). The â€Å"Soldier† was a 42-pound robot called a PackBot. The PackBot mounts all sorts of cameras and sensors, as well as an arm with four joints that extends over two meters to allow it to examine suspicious objects on EOD missions. If it weren’t for this robot to scout ahead the rest of the EOD team wouldn’t have survive the explosion (Singer). In conclusion, robotic technology is changing the future of warfare. Robots are used to save and protect, not harm innocent lives. The idea of robots replacing humans in the military is very unlikely. In order for a robot to do something it needs a human to program it and tell it what to do (Singer). Fully autonomous robots that may harm the wrong people presents ethical, legal, and command challenges determining who was responsible for the robot’s actions (the officer that put the robot into action and instructed it on its target or the company that manufactured the hardware) raises philosophical problems. Therefore, until these problems are resolved fully autonomous killing robots are unlikely (Gyrnir).

Alcohol Abuse And Alcohol Dependence Essay

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental disorders, Alcohol Abuse is defined as the harmful use of alcohol. Harmful use of Alcohol also implies the abusive use of alcohol and its physical and mental effects. Alcohol abusers according to the study are more prone to drink- seeking behaviors and alcohol tolerance. They can consume large amounts of alcohol to Alcohol abusers also have the psychological capacity to think of alcohol as a way to cure hangovers and exhibit the compulsion or the urge to drink or the compulsive need to consume alcohol. Those who exhibit alcohol abuse also show signs of alcohol abuse. Alcohol dependence is defined as a chronic disease that is influenced by the social and environmental factors. According to experts, Alcohol dependence is used by a person to avoid social and emotional problems in life. There are four signs of alcohol dependence: Constant craving for alcohol Withdrawal symptoms associated with the sudden stop of alcohol consumption Inability to stop alcohol consumption Alcohol tolerance Alcohol dependence brings about certain signs that show that a person is alcohol dependent: The urge to drink every morning Drinking alone and to feel comfortable around people Drinking to the point of experiencing blackout or results to intoxification Drinking to relieve tension or settle emotional or mental problems References Alcohol Dependence. (n.d.). Retrieved from The Health Authority: http://www.healthauthority.com/AlcoholDependence.htm   

Discussion board forum Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Discussion board forum - Assignment Example the required limits in law may keep corporations out of courts, but businesses are ware that holding themselves responsible to a high standard will stand them in good stead as far as their employees, customers, suppliers, communities, regulators and shareholders are concerned. This therefore means that any enterprise if at all it wants to be sustained over a long period of time must maximize its proceeds; nevertheless it should do so in a way that meets the requirements of its stakeholders who in essence allow it to stay viable. When there is a change of those requirements, corporations have got a responsibility to become accustomed to their actions accordingly, if at all they wish to survive. This is the aspect missed by Friedman’s argument. The game and its rules have changed in indispensable ways –and customers today anticipate and even demand more of a corporation than basically that they increase their returns without coming to anguish by some breach of law. Custom ers require and anticipate attributes from what they purchase-safety, value, quality-which of course depends on the price they have paid (Bryan, 2010).Employees on the other hand require more than just a paycheck and the society needs the enterprise to be a better corporate citizen and employ from the community. Regulators require corporations to adhere to the legal line, communities frequently require companies to go an extra mile and do more than is needed of them; leading to a lot of strategic philanthropic efforts that are an aspect of ,but nevertheless don’t by themselves comprise a responsible company, particularly if they seem to be like giving back for a business culture or model that is not desirable (Bryan, 2010). Break-even point is that point at which a product stops costing Sarah’s company/enterprise money to produce, and sell, and thus starts making a profit for the company. Her total expenses for this enterprise are ($12,000+148000=160,000) plus her salary of $35,000.The

Why is a 'Frisk' Considered a Search and an 'Arrest' Considered a Coursework

Why is a 'Frisk' Considered a Search and an 'Arrest' Considered a Seizure - Coursework Example This is within the definition of a search which means the â€Å"examination of a person, place or vehicle for contraband or evidence of a crime† (Harr, Hess, and Orthmann 195-6). When a police officer pats-down a detained person in search for possible dangerous or illegal possessions, obviously, the detainee is just being searched. The person is not being taken into long-term custody --- or at least not yet. It could be a preliminary for an arrest, but as it is, the act of â€Å"frisk† is not a seizure. On the other hand, an arrest is is very much different from a mere frisk. First, an arrest requires the Miranda warning. This is because the detainee will undergo â€Å"maximum interference† (Harr, Hess, and Orthmann 232) that might seriously put at risk his freedom and privacy. A seizure is defined as â€Å"the taking by law enforcement or other government agent of contraband, evidence of a crime or even a person into custody† (Harr, Hess, and Orthmann 195 -6). ... Therefore, â€Å"all searches must be limited in scope† (Harr, Hess, and Orthmann 272). Provide your own definition of reasonable. => Several factors are at play when it comes to defining what is reasonable. The biggest factor to consider is that â€Å"reasonable† is something that is objective rather than merely subjective to a personal viewpoint. To view â€Å"reasonable† as subjective would not only create a chaotic definition, but would also provoke several infringements on the basic rights of an individual. Generally speaking, something that is reasonable should fall under two basic concepts: 1) meeting of fundamental constitutional rules, and; 2) fitting within permissible realms (Harr, Hess, and Orthmann 271). Obviously, anything that is deemed reasonable will be accepted in courts. Therefore, since the courts look at evidences based on â€Å"specific and articulable facts† and the â€Å"totality of the circumstances† (Harr, Hess, and Orthman n 282), what is considered â€Å"reasonable† should also fall under these definitions. The police officer must also consider his or her â€Å"training and experience† (Harr, Hess, and Orthmann 284) as factors that could help define what is reasonable for a specific situation. Discuss the advantages to obtaining a warrant. => One of the biggest advantages of obtaining a warrant is it â€Å"provides a presumption of reasonableness† (Harr, Hess, and Orthmann 272). Furthermore, since there is an â€Å"assumption that people have the right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures,† obtaining a warrant frees the law enforcement officer from the burden of articulating probable cause in a warrantless

Henri Matisse's The Dessert Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Henri Matisse's The Dessert - Essay Example The essay "Henri Matisse's The Dessert" discovers the artwork of Henri Matisse. His style also called for the use of flatter shapes to emphasize the use of the canvas, rather than creating three dimensions and offering a window into the scene. To further develop this flat and expressionist theme, he used organic and floral symbols, such as those seen on the table cloth. The chair, at bottom left, has a flatness to it as well—all of this showing that Matisse hoped to achieve independence from realism and his own expression in this painting. Matisse also had some indecision about the color—the painting was first green, then later he changed it and repainted things blue. Finally, before the piece was sent off to a Russian art collector, Matisse painted over the blue to make the painting red. Thus, it is apparent that colors were very important to the artist, and the emotions that colors inspired influenced him in deciding which color was appropriate. Overall, Matisse's ins piration for the painting was a desire to show what was within his own head, rather than to depict reality—he therefore used his own preference in color, light, and shape, and also avoided creating a focal point in the painting. Instead, he made a sort of scene with multiple subjects in it, and left nowhere for the eye to be drawn to as a center—a sort of protest against older styles that tried to be as precise in color, detail, shape, and scale as photographs may be while trying to draw the eye to a center point using proportions. and invisible lines. What I like most about this piece is that it makes a point of using non-traditional methods of expression and illustration. The Impressionist approach to painting creates a painting that offers a look into the artist's mind, and hence we see a far more unique scene or subject than would be possible if the artist was trying to depict the scene realistically. I also like how the scene uses a dominant color. The use of red as a sort of template color allows the addition of other colors to be more magnified, and thus the contrast against red becomes sharper and more impressive. The way the paint is mixed, the colors also appear very soft and simple, without any sort of gradient or overwhelming vividness. The painting also uses shape in a way that pleases my eye. The organic shapes on the table cloth are the obvious ones. If red is the defining color in the painting, then the curves of the vegetation are the defining shape. I also like how the patterns in blue are echoed in the shapes of the fruit, flowers, and also in the plants on the painting on the wall—the shapes all seem to be juxtaposed with little forcing, yet fit together harmoniously. This makes the painting very easy to look at, rather than a harsh clashing of hard, competing lines. The painting on the wall is another element that I like, as it creates a sort of surreal feeling in the paint—the irony of a painting within a paint ing. The painting is enclosed within a gold frame, and it thus has an obvious separation from the main scene, yet it still relates to the main scene both directly and indirectly. The indirect relation to the main scene is that the painting on the wall offers a pleasing contrast in color, in a way that really complements the entire color scheme. On the other hand, it also seems to be part of a larger set of colors across the whole painting that includes some of the fruits as a residual part of the concentration of green in the wall painting, while the red house and blue sky in the wall painting have the same relation to the larger scene. The final part about the painting that I

Article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 11

Article - Essay Example There are greater chances of conflict arising than there are for a harmonious coexistence. The very differences that make people different and unique, seek to stretch farther the variations in various ways. This situation is manifested through situations like poverty, selfish interests, as well as ethnic differences. At such phenomena, there is an imminent need for the innocent to be protected. That is when law comes as a social control for the society in question (Fuller 1975, pp.89-95). The Law will, therefore, seek to replay the circumstances leading up to the crime and then judge strictly based on the constitution or other guiding statutes. Judgments made, therefore, not only serve as punishments to the accused perpetrators rather they are used to control the public on matters similar. Through the ruling that is served, the public will be wary of practicing such behaviors; in which case the society is tamed for the greater good. Nevertheless, it is challenging at times especially for the court to determine the exact purpose of the law at some instances. The two purposes mentioned above become so intertwined for any clear cut significance to show individually (Fuller 1975, pp.89-95). However, through deliberations, the judges ultimately develop appropriate resolutions. Fuller, L. (1975). Law as an Instrument of Social Control and Law as a facilitation of Human Interaction. Law as an Instrument of Social Control and Law as a facilitation of Human Interaction, 1(1),

The Importance of Retail Information Systems Research Paper

The Importance of Retail Information Systems - Research Paper Example In a highly competitive environment, effective customer services as well as relevant products to the consumers assume a high position in retailers’ priority list in the event of profit maximization. One of the most effective ways to ensure relevant product and effective services to the customer is through collection of information regarding the customer, analyzing that information and finally placing the analyzed information into work by aiding in decision making processes. (Stair, 2010) Information systems include systems that deals with the process of raw data from databases, file storage and file sources to information which are later used by middle level, top level and operational level managers in decision making thus improving their output to the consumers inform of better services and relevant products which in turn increases their returns and profit. (Stair, 2010) Information systems and organizations influence one another. According to Lucey, Information systems are built by managers to serve the interest of their firms. At the same time organizations must be aware of and open to the influences from information systems to benefit from new technologies. The interaction between information technology, information systems and organizations is very complex and is influenced by many mediating factors, including the organization structure, business processes, politics, culture, surrounding environment and management decisions. (2005) All modern organizations have bureaucracies with clear-cut divisions of labor and specialization. The main reason for organization’s failure in implementing information systems is inability to

Challenges of implementing Health IT on the African continent Essay

Challenges of implementing Health IT on the African continent - Essay Example While great strides have been made in managing the affairs of the continent by different countries in the continent, some have lagged behind in development, owing to the political instability and other natural forces such as the adverse climatic conditions and the environmental factors that poses a lot of challenge to the development of such countries. Consequently, the development of the African continent, especially in the field of health is far behind, compared to other continents of the world (Archangel, 2007). It is not unusual to find many people perishing from the very common and preventable diseases, which are non-existent in other continents, due to the inability of the African health systems to address such illnesses effectively (Edoho, 2011). Therefore, the health systems in the African continent highly require to be addressed. Nevertheless, there are major challenges that might face the implementation of the desired changes in the African health systems, especially regard ing the Health IT systems. Therefore, this discussion seeks to focus on the Challenges of implementing Health IT on the African continent, with a view to how such challenges can be overcome. Poor technological infrastructure, normally referred to as the digital divide, is one of the Challenges of implementing Health IT on the African continent (Khosrowpour, 2006).Technology in Africa is not only a challenge in the health sector, but in every other aspect of the technology application. By the year 2007, it was estimated that the access to technology was limited to a small percentage of the African continents population, including the telephone connectivity, the internet and the mobile phones accessibility. It was estimated that by then, only 1.5 in every 100 people had telephone connections in Africa (Edoho, 2011). The access to mobile phone subscriptions was estimated at 22.9% in every 100 people of the African population, while the level of internet accessibility was even lower, wi th the African continent having a meager internet accessibility of 3.7% for every 100 people of the African population. The African technological data is in sharp contrast with the global average technological data accessibility, where the internet accessibility, according to the global average was set at 20.6 for every 100 people globally (Edoho, 2011). The implementation of Health IT systems requires robust infrastructure, to ensure that data and information communication can easily be done by health professionals, health providers and other health institutions and agencies. The application of health IT systems is aimed at ensuring that the health information is gathered, stored, retrieved, analyzed and transmitted to the necessary information users, in the most timely manner (Archangel, 2007). However, all this cannot be achieved without a good infrastructural framework that allows for such gathering, storage, analysis and the transmission of the health information. The challenge with the African continent is that; it does not have a robust technological infrastructure, which would enhance the connectivity of the health systems and health facilities, thus enhancing transmission and sharing of information (Khosrowpour, 2006). Both satellite technology and the internet are limitedly developed in Africa, with only some countries managing to have access to such technology, though on a limited basis and restricted to the urban areas only. Considering the differences in

Mary Kay ash speech outline Essay Example for Free

Mary Kay ash speech outline Essay Faith first family second and career third perseverance and dedication to these principal took Mary Kay Ash to be named the greatest female entrepreneur in American history by Baylor University (Notable biographies) a lady never reveals her age Mary Kay Date of birth unknown Excelled in school Married at 17 had three children son is now owner of the company after her death in 2001 Three things Mary Kay is most known for her generosity her legacy and her drive (Her generosity) (Mary Kay tribute) Mary Kay hoped that anyone who did business with the company would be richer for it, not only financially but also spiritually. She built her business on the golden rule and the go give spirit with honesty and integrity as cornerstones (Mary Kay tribute) (Entrepreneur ) Believing it was important to reward hard workers Mary Kay has given away over 9000 cars to their consultants, from red Grand Ams to pink Cadillacs. Mary Kay also founded the Mary Kay charitable foundation which included programs devoted to the prevention of violence against women. (Notable biographies) She helped raise money for cancer research and in 1993 she was honored with the dedication of the Mary Kay Ash Center for Cancer immunotherapy research at St. Paul medical center in Dallas (Her legacy) (Mary Kay Ash tribute). Pretend that every single person you meet has a sign around their neck that says make me feel important, not only will you  succeed in business but also in life (Mary Kay Ash) This attitude That she portrayed made her known world wide Even after her death in 2001 Mary Kay was honored as the greatest female entrepreneur in American history by a panel of Business historians Mary Kays goal for providing women an unlimited opportunity for personal and financial success still drives the company today. (Mary Kay tribute) (Her drive) (Notable biographies). Her drive was her belief Womens abilities And her willingness to provide opportunities for hundreds of thousands of women worldwide (Entrepreneur website) Today there are more than 500,000 sales consultants in 29 countries, generating more than $2 billion a year When asked what her biggest accomplishment was Mary Kay said The legacy of a whole community of children who believe they can do anything in this world because they watched their mama do it

George IV: The Prince Regent (1811-1820).

George IV: The Prince Regent (1811-1820). When George IV died, on 26th June, 1830, The Times (founded in 1775) published a scathing obituary saying, as Hibbert (1975) quotes: ‘There never was an individual less regretted by his fellow-creatures than this deceased king. This was not an idiosyncratic view, for both as Prince Regent and later as King, George had been roundly criticised. Although he encouraged the idea that he was ‘the first gentleman of Europe and was doubtless a ‘patron of the Arts- notwithstanding the somewhat mercurial and superficial nature of this ‘patronage, in some cases his faults far outweighed his virtues and from his own family to the general populace he was the object of scorn and derision throughout his life. This is widely reflected in the Art and Literature of the era, where George sat as uneasily as Humpty Dumpty atop a mountain of creativity: not so much its head but its target. Prince George Augustus Frederick reigned as Regent from 1811 until the death of his father, George III, in 1820, when he ascended the throne. George III had bouts of perceived ‘madness (now generally thought to have been due to porphyria, which ironically his son inherited) and more than once his ability to rule was called into question by the parliaments of the time. When it was finally realised that he was unable to function sufficiently even to open Parliament, the nine year Regency began. A time of huge political change, encompassing riots, revolution and the abolition of slavery, and against the backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars, the years of the ‘Regency have come to be associated with an artistic renaissance in which architects such as Nash, encouraged by the Prince, would redesign London; artists like Reynolds and Gainsborough would significantly develop portraiture and the powerfully influential ‘Romantic Movement in Literature, which encompassed the work of poets as diverse as Blake, Byron and Wordsworth, began. Crucially, it was also the time when the novel became widely recognised as an important genre, with the writing of such perennially popular novelists as Sir Walter Scott and Jane Austen. Indeed, it is interesting to consider how Austen, not usually regarded as a ‘controversial writer, reflected the contemporary view of the Prince Regent. Austens novel, Emma, was first published in 1815, and ‘given a lavish supply of three Royal Highnesses in its dedication (Tomalin, 1998). However, Austen was not in favour of this effusive wording, since she disliked the Prince Regent intensely, principally because of his treatment of his wife. In a letter to Martha Lloyd, dated February 16th, 1813, (cited in Le Faye, 1997) she wrote: Poor woman, I shall support her as long as I can, because she is a Woman, because I hate her Husband but I can hardly forgive her for calling herself ‘attached affectionate to a Man whom she must detest the intimacy said to subsist between her Lady Oxford is bad I do not know what to do about it; but if I must give up the Princess, I am resolved at least always to think that she would have been respectable, if the Prince had beh aved only tolerably by her at first. Given that this was Austens profoundly held, if ‘private, opinion of ‘His Royal Highness it can only have been a source of great distress to her to accept the ‘invitation, otherwise ‘command, of the Prince, as an admirer of her work, to offer any dedication at all. Austen really had no choice but to agree, as was explained by his intermediary and librarian, John Murray. Her acquiescence is indicative of the Regents power; his failure to acknowledge the work personally, when published and sent to him as a gift, evidence of his rather superficial, vain nature, especially since he offered the suggestion that she write an ‘historical romance based on his family! Yet, more importantly, perhaps, this telling vignette reveals much of the general opinion of the public, if we take Austen as representative of such. Clearly, the Princess is not thought guiltless, yet she is held less culpable than the Prince: ‘she would have been respectable, writes Austen, surely an indictment against Regency Society in general. Certainly, she had parodied the excesses of the Regency mores in Mansfield Park (1814), where the Crawfords have been literally corrupted at the home of their uncle, ‘the Admiral. Austen simultaneously criticises the practices of Regency Society and the Prince Regent, since he is ‘the First Gentleman and director of this. Being privy to her naval officer brothers stories, she is able to show just how indelicate ‘polite society has become, when Mary Crawford makes use of a rather risquà © double-entendre when dining with the Bertrams. Her reference to having seen more of ‘admirals and rears and vices is shocki ng to both the meekly pious heroine, Fanny Price, and Fannys cousin, the future clergyman, Edmund Bertram. Austen also shows the difference between city and rural life when Edmund criticises Marys abrupt dismissal of the influence of the clergy by saying that, ‘We do not look in great cities for our best morality. The Court, at the centre of ‘City life, with the Prince Regent at its head is thus neatly and obliquely criticised. The fact that the Prince was an ‘admirer of Austens work, notwithstanding, displays her subtlety and his obtuseness. It also shows how wrong it is to think of Austen as uninterested in the ‘important events of her time. She is more than aware of the social evils of the Regency period and in no small measure lays the blame for this at the feet of the ‘immoral Regent himself. Criticism of the Prince is of necessity frequently subliminal, though he was often criticised openly, especially in the contemporary caricatures of such as George Cruikshank and James Gillray. These anti-establishment artists contrast strongly with the ‘official view evidenced in the commissioned portraits of the Prince Regent, and later the King, in the work of portraitists like Sir Thomas Lawrence. Peter Ackroyd, in his London: The Biography (2000) records George being referred to at his coronation as being ‘obliged to present himself, as chief actor in a pantomime. Since the coronation cost a small fortune, the Regents ‘play-acting may be seen as akin to Marie-Antoinettes and almost as dangerous. After all, this was uncomfortably close, chronologically, to the French Revolution, of 1789 and the earlier ‘defection of the Americas, in 1776. Indeed, there was a genuine fear of revolution in England at this time, especially after the assassination of the Prime Minister, Spencer Perceval, in 1812, who the Prince had, surprisingly given his previous difficulties with him, confirmed in office. Events such as the Luddite Riots (the backdrop to Charlotte Brontà «s novel of 1849, Shirley) proclaim the unrest which the disparity between the rich and the poor, nowhere more clearly displayed than in the extravagances of the Prince of Wales, was beginning to provoke. The introduction of the Corn Laws, in 1815, made wheat too expensive for the ordinary people whilst increasing the wealth of the nobility via their land and they were simultaneously increasing their workers rents whilst decreasing their wages. As a result, riots erupted throughout the country and led to the Peterloo Massacre in Manchester where eleven people were killed and 400 wounded; an ostentatious heir to the throne was clearly the last thing that was wanted. The early Romantics, stressing emotion over reason, reflected this social unrest and the initial impetus for the writing of such as Blake, Wordsworth, Byron and Shelley was politically radical. Later, when the work of Wordsworth became so imbued in the â⠂¬ËœEstablishment that he was, after Robert Southey, created Poet Laureate, he was severely criticised by his contemporaries and earlier, in the ‘Dedication to his unfinished epic poem, Don Juan (1819-1824) Byron, whose political leanings were towards social reform (he even wrote ‘Song for the Luddites, in 1816) lampooned Robert Southey and, by extension, the Regent, referred to in the poem as ‘Fum the Fourth, our royal bird: Bob Southey! Youre a poet Poet-laureate,   Ã‚  And representative of all the race, Althought is true that you turnd out a Tory at   Last, yours has lately been a common case; And now, my Epic Renegade! what are ye at?   With all the Lakers, in and out of place?   A nest of tuneful persons, to my eye   Like four and twenty Blackbirds in a pye. Southey had mourned Robespierre as ‘the benefactor of mankind on his death (Storey, 1997) but had, like Wordsworth (and even the Regent himself, once a ‘supporter of the French Revolution) modified his views. Byron here castigates his erstwhile fellow reformer and puns on the word ‘pye to link it with the previous Laureate, Henry James Pye, in order to emphasise the satirizing of the principal role of the Poet Laureate i.e. to ‘flatter the ruler, in this case the Prince Regent. Moreover, in the nursery rhyme, the king and queen are diverted by money and pleasure, ‘the counting-house and the ‘bread and honey, a clear link to the excesses of the Regency court. It is worth noting that Byrons ‘Dedication was never published with the Cantos of Don Juan in his lifetime and that the original nursery rhyme is thought to satirise an earlier Kings greed, immorality and excesses, Henry VIII, whom Byron would use to attack the Regent in his poem, ‘ Windsor Poetics. Byron is also scornfully derisive about ‘the Lakers, obviously the ‘Lake Poets, such as Southey and Wordsworth, who Byron saw as having, in modern-day parlance, ‘sold-out to the Tories, having been ‘Renegades in their youth. Byron thus reflects the need for change and the corrupting nature of the Regency court which diverted men from reform by the temptations of the gorgeous trappings of wealth with which the Regent surrounded himself (such as the indulgent ‘Xanadu of the Royal Pavilion at Brighton, largely the work of John Nash). Byron was not altogether wrong to criticise his former ‘allies, for it is certainly true that Wordsworth, in line with the roots of the Romantic ideal crystallized by the ‘spirit of the French Revolution (i.e. to discard an outdated way of life and of thinking when it was illegal then even to speak or write of this) changed his ‘radical views ‘radically. In ‘The Prelude (begun in 1805) Wordsworth e xclaimed, ‘bliss was it in that dawn to be alive, echoing the feeling that this was the herald of a new spirit to be embraced: Yet in the regal sceptre, and the pomp Of orders and degrees, I nothing found Then, or had ever, even in crudest youth, That dazzled me, but rather what I mourned And ill could brook, beholding that the best Ruled not, and feeling that they ought to rule. The idea clearly expressed is that ‘the pomp/ Of orders and degrees is empty, vainglorious and unfair. The poet sees the injustices of the world and that ‘the best/Ruled not; nothing could be more critical of the Regency excesses of early Nineteenth Century England. It was, as Byron, Shelley et al believed, a ‘U-turn of epic proportions for Wordsworth, in later life, to ‘re-assess his work and take an Establishment view, and the mockery of Southey in ‘Epic Renegade is thus largely justified, though Byron was not wholly free of hypocrisy himself, of course, nor was Southey alone in his ‘defection to an altered interpretation of the term ‘Romantic, placing the emphasis far more on the harmony with nature which is nowadays usually associated with the movement. Quite the opposite was true of the early Romantic, William Blake. Never ‘in tune with any ‘movement per se, Blake retained a bold, idiosyncratic, reforming and largely anarchistic line throughout his life. In his poem ‘London, from Songs of Experience (1794) Blake openly criticises every level of authority, even the throne: I wander thro each charterd street, Near where the charterd Thames does flow, And mark in every face I meet Marks of weakness, marks of woe. In every cry of every Man, In every Infants cry of fear, In every voice, in every ban, The mind-forgd manacles I hear. How the Chimney-sweepers cry Every blackning Church appalls; And the hapless Soldiers sigh Runs in blood down Palace walls. But most thro midnight streets I hear How the youthful Harlots curse Blasts the new born Infants tear, And blights with plagues the Marriage hearse. T. S. Eliots famous remark that Blakes poetry has ‘an honesty against which the whole world conspires because it is unpleasant is clearly evidenced here. His view of London is characterised by being taken from the level of the ordinary man and woman. Like Dickens, later, he opted to be the ‘voice of the ‘common man not the ‘mouthpiece of the Establishment; his ‘sensibility causes him to react to the ‘blood on the ‘Palace walls and though a ‘great London visionary (Ackroyd, 2000, p.15) not blind to its faults. Blakes black ‘streets are ‘charterd, hence, governed, under rule, and therefore intended to be protected. The fact that they are not criticises the entire society from the throne down, encompassing the ‘blackning church which seems oblivious to the social evils embodied in ‘the Chimney-sweepers cry and ‘the youthful Harlots curse. The ‘double-standard of this corruptly led society is loathed by t he poet and he does not shrink from proclaiming his abhorrence. Moreover, in the ‘mind-forgd manacles he sees the hand of the monarch (especially since he first wrote ‘German forged links). The poet exemplifies the reforming zeal which informed early-Romanticism. Blake was a consummate uncompromising artist, whose written work was always accompanied by a painstakingly created engraving on bronze, colour washed, then printed. However, his art was as different from his contemporaries as his writing. The Regency saw the development of detailed Landscapes expressing profound emotional depth. This was very much encouraged by the Prince Regent, who developed his own collection and urged the government to do likewise, inspiring the later foundation of ‘The National Gallery. Samuel Palmers simplicity of style combines with the visionary religious feeling derived from Blake; John Constables peacefully, idyllic rural landscapes, innovatively created in the open air, evoked an England already felt to be slipping away and to be the more so with the coming of the Industrial Revolution. Indeed, much Victorian Literature, written in the mid-nineteenth century, is set in the time of the Regency. For example, Emily Brontà «s Wuthering Heights, published in 1847, begins in 1801, with ‘flashbacks in the dual narrative to the late eighteenth century and Lockwood, the ‘intruder from London, and portrayed as a snobbish ‘dandy, represents the Regency idea that ‘the City was ‘the centre of the Universe. (Interestingly, the Brontà « sisters almost certainly took their models for the ‘wild, untamed heroes of their novels from the writing of this era, too, being ‘Byronic in nature; they were also influenced by their admiration of the Duke of Wellington, a critic of the Prince Regent.) This was quite widespread in the mid nineteenth century, to be found in the works of George Eliot and Thomas Hardy amongst others. Turners wild and deliberately indistinct ‘seascapes influenced later authors as well as artists and the Regents sensitivity to the importance of Art is evidenced in his patronage of it throughout his life. Like Kenneth Grahames ‘Toad, he often became obsessed with fads only to drop them without further thought but it is a testimony to its importance to him that this was not the case with Art, to which he remained devoted in his support and appreciation despite the many deprecating caricatures which satirised his life and reign, calling him, in later life, ‘the Prince of Whales (Le Faye, p. 44) due to his corpulent build; Keats even referred to him as ‘fat George'(Gittings, 1970). Indeed, to some extent, he lampooned himself more successfully, albeit unwittingly, by commissioning ridiculously flattering ‘official portraits by such as Sir Thomas Lawrence (1816). ‘Prinny, as he was known by his inner circle, was equally interested in architecture, commissioning John Nash to renovate Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace, as well as to reshape London. In the course of this, the eponymous Regents Park was developed, initially for private use only, from the former Royal Hunting Grounds (Ackroyd, 2000); this, however, was unlikely to endear him to the starving populace of whom he seemed largely oblivious. Even his brother, William IV, later remarked that the Prince Regent had, ‘damned expensive tastes in ‘knicknackery (Brown Cunliffe, 1982, p. 148) but given his uneasy relationship with his family, it was inevitable that any aspect of his life that could be criticised, would be, especially since acknowledgement of Georges defects could only add to the popularity of his successors; the moral and sober replacing the immoral and facile. (This would culminate in the extravagantly ‘wholesome and respectable, Queen Victoria, who is recorded as having disliked being near ‘Uncle King, as she called George IV, saying it was: ‘too disgusting because his face was covered with greasepaint.) Nowhere was this more evident than in the Princes private life, which both as Regent and King, was always ‘very vulnerable; so much so that most of his correspondence was destroyed on his death (Aspinall, 1963). His ‘first love, Mary Robinson, an actress whose stage name was ‘Perdita, received passionate love letters from him in his youth signed ‘Florizel (probably a reference to Shakespeares A Winters Tale where characters so named fall in love: Florizel is a prince, Perdita a royal brought up by a shepherd). Cannily, given the Princes relative penury in later life, she extracted a financial ‘bond from him to be redeemed on his coming of age; surprisingly, the Regent honoured this but then, he was usually generous to his mistresses rather than his wives. Maria Fitzherbert, a twice-widowed Roman Catholic and the love of his life was much less successful financially. Indeed, the Prince frequently borrowed from her and hid from his creditors at her house. Her religion forbade their marriage, but George married her in secret, in 1785, without the consent of the King, thus rendering the union illegal. Nevertheless, he remained close to her to the end of his life and after his death, Wellington, not an admirer of the Prince but keen to preserve the dignity of the monarchy, made it his personal task as executor to burn his correspondence with Mrs. Fitzherbert. This was an exercise in retroactive ‘damage-limitation, because much of the criticism of George had surrounded his ‘marriages and liaisons. His indiscretions made it even easier for the popular press to lampoon him and continue to hold him in very low-esteem, although much of what he achieved was conveniently overlooked or regarded as ‘frivolous. The Times wrote of h im that he preferred ‘a girl and a bottle to politics and a sermon but overlooked the fact that he had this, at least, in common, with most of his contemporaries. George had been compelled by the King, for financial reasons, to marry his cousin, Caroline of Brunswick, in 1795. Caroline, it appears, was popular with everyone but the Prince despite her indiscretions, for which many, like Jane Austen, blamed George (when the Prince first saw Caroline, he supposedly called frantically for brandy). They were separated immediately after the birth of their daughter and George banned her from his elaborate coronation. Caroline, not easily deterred, attempted to force her way in but was repelled by the boxers George had hired as pages (Brown Cunliffe, p.234). Nevertheless, she remained very popular with the general public. George was apparently incapable of achieving similar ‘popularity; indeed, he appears to remain largely indifferent to it, even though his coach was physically attacked in 1817. Instead of reacting positively to the unrest, he chose instead to ‘set styles, taking up Regency ‘dandies like ‘Beau Brummell and using them as his ‘model then dropping them in response to trivial quarrels. (Brummell famously retaliated by responding to a royal snub with the question: ‘Whos your fat friend? but paid for it.) George abandoned the use of wig powder when it was taxed, is largely credited with having spread (on Brummells advice) the adoption of the dark simplicity in male attire which replaced the more elaborate and colourful silks and satins of earlier times and he inspired the wearing of ‘tartan. However, in a time of revolution, war and social upheaval, with his people starving, it is, perhaps, easy to see how ‘accomplished tastes could not be acc epted as any kind of serious substitute for strong, moral leadership. Therefore, although much of the criticism of the Regents appearance was itself superficial, behind it lay a deep disquiet about the future monarch which was in no way dispelled when it became a reality. Byron wrote, in ‘Windsor Poetics, of seeing the Regent standing between the coffins of Henry VIII and Charles I, in the royal vault at Windsor (Byron, Poetical Works, p. 73): Famed for contemptuous breach of sacred ties, By headless Charles see heartless Henry lies; Between them stands another sceptred thing It moves, it reigns in all but name, a king: Charles to his people, Henry to his wife, In him the double tyrant starts to life: Justice and death have mixd their dust in vain, Each royal vampire wakes to life again, Ah, what can tombs avail! since these disgorge The blood and dust of both to mould a George. Byron traces an unhappy lineage to its present ‘sceptred thing: a combination of the arrogance of Charles I, ruling, he thought, by ‘Divine Right, and the corrupt, immoral and headstrong, Henry VIII, who tore the country apart for his own vain fulfilment. These ‘royal vampires, feeding in the style of contemporary Gothic horror from the ‘blood of their people, find a hideous reincarnation in the Regent, ‘the double tyrant, George. Byron does not paint a pretty picture but seems, overall, to reflect a common belief. As The Times printed on his death: What eye has wept for him? What heart has heaved one throb of unmercenary sorrow? If he ever had a friend a devoted friend in any rank of life we protest that the name of him or her never reached us. The birth of the future King George IV, initially announced as that of a girl to his disappointed parents, culminated in a more widespread disappointment. Wellington, Georges polar opposite in most things, called him ‘the worst man I ever fell in with in my whole life but later referred to him more appropriately, perhaps, as a ‘medley of a man. Certainly, both as Regent and King, George presided over a period whose influence is still much in evidence but little of this was due to its ruler. A study into the Indifferent Employee: A study into the Indifferent Employee: To Address the Issues of Indifference in the Workforce and to Consider the Motivational Remedies. Rationale for study Indifference can be described as a lack of interest in doing something, the perception of a task being unimportant or work being carried out with a reduced emphasis; sometimes no emphasis on quality and effort. An indifferent individual could be described as apathetic, with the suppression of emotion. Many companies and human resource departments simply do not acknowledge indifference as the widespread problem it truly is. It is difficult to see what a person or organisation is not doing; it is hard to monitor or observe and therefore the better the knowledge and understanding we have the more effectively we can combat the issue. There is little existing research in the area of indifference amongst the workforce, yet it has been highlighted as a contemporary HR phenomena. EVIDENCE Indifference is a term that is used in many different contexts, Indifferent attitudes and behaviour amongst pockets in the workforce ultimately cost organisations time, money and resources. Indifference cov ers a wide range of subjects such as psychology and sociology as well as business and management. It can no longer be ignored. The research aims to give us a better understanding of efficient and cost effective solutions that ensure successful short and long term motivational harmony for the indifferent elements consisting in the workforce. I will investigate and critically analyse the techniques of motivation and how effective they are in tackling todays generation of indifferent attitudes, this will assist me on making recommendations to quash the effect and impact of indifference. Implications Indifferent individuals reverse productivity and reduce efficiency, inevitably influencing others attitudes. I want to highlight the issue of indifference and suggest the appropriate combatant techniques required to effectively tackle and efficiently resolve the problem. Motivation as a subject has been widely debated over the years and the development of theories have allowed us to gain valuable insights and adopt best practises. Yet it is still important to debate the contemporary thoughts and beliefs on the subject as we enter a new age of indifference we need to think about contemporary motivational solutions, I will be considering the relevance of existing theories. Adopting the right motivational drivers and incorporating effective company culture is ever more helpful for successful business. Indifference and motivation have implications for a number of key functions and areas within all organisations; human resources, culture and performance to name but a few. There simply isnt enough contemporary theory considering the scale and implications of the widely disregarded indifferent employee. Although the subject is relatively new, there is literature in relating fields, motivational tactics may provide us the answer; motivation as a subject has had a great deal of literature over the years. However with ever increasing globalisation and interconnectivity; divisions of labour attitudes, more mixed views and a more wide variety of people we need a more coherent and current idea of contemporary issues like indifference; motivation theory needs to evolve with the 21st century. Motivation and Engagement Through examining the different motivational theories I can gain a better understanding of how motivation has helped engagement and improve employee commitment. Ultimately I will be seeking to how appropriate these techniques are to todays managers with reference to tackling indifference in the workplace. Classic management theory such as Taylor (1911) based the early ideology of motivation. I will talk about the different needs based theories such as Maslows hierarchy, including extensions of the theory. Theories focused on extrinsic and intrinsic rewards, having a wider knowledge base of motivation will aid our understanding and provide better direction and through informed tactics to enable managers to adopt the best practise for the indifferent employee. This will help resolve the issues highlighted. Motivation is the driving force for productivity and efficiency within the workforce. Henri Fayol, an early pioneer of management theory, suggests there are four key elements of management; planning, organising, directing and control. Motivation would be categorised under directing, very similar definitions; directing is leading workers to accomplish the organisations goals and making them perform effectively. Theorizing the phenomenon of indifference will help managers eliminate the problem through motivational implementation they will create more competitive human resource base Cui, 2004 emphasises this point, explaining the; need to groom people to become a source of competitive advantage. The existing research directly regarding motivation contrasts with that of indifference; there is a great amount of literature and a variety of views, however the theory is dated and the methods by which some research was tested is ever increasing coming under scrutiny. The study of motivation w ill aid managers in distinguishing the indifferent employee and enable a higher level of understanding and considerations to effective resolutions for an engaged, committed and motivated workforce. Research Questions To examine the implications, gain a more coherent understanding and properly acknowledge the special needs for the indifferent attitudes amongst employees. To investigate the broader aspects in surrounding theory relating to indifference; to better our knowledge of the phenomena. To support the discussion of indifference and new age motivation resolutions, acknowledging the contemporary problem and considering the application of contemporary motivational theory. Discover the techniques adopted to enhance performance and satisfaction of the workforce and find out which motivational factors will influence the indifferent employee best. Literature review The literature review concerning this investigation leads us to various writings of opinions. Some of these opinions express continuity with one another, but other opinions convey more diverse views. The subject itself is multifaceted and carries a great deal of subjectivity through the questions what exactly is an indifferent employee, how can an organisation identify indifference within the workforce, and what are the best solutions to the problem? Indifference needs to be addressed, as Cuming highlights; what is good for the individual is good for the organisation as well (1993, p. 6). So eliminating indifference will benefit an organisation as a whole, its in the organisations intereset that its work force is engaged if not devoted. Indifference and its Repercussions on the Organisation Radwan, 2009 explains Indifference is the state of feeling where you just dont care about taking an action, the problem with indifference is that sometimes you are aware that doing that thing or taking that action will get you much benefit but still you do nothing, indifference is not like lack of motivation because you may lack motivation if you are not aware of the importance of the activity, however if you are aware but still take no action then you are indifferent. What causes the people to surrender and become indifferent is profound and pro-longed dissatisfaction (Geezla, 1998, 136). It is vital for employees to be engaged in their job and have a positive attitude towards their work and their contribution. I will be seeking to understand why and how indifference comes about in the workplace and from my findings conclude with an effective resolution for the problem. Eslami (2010) states people with (indifference) do not care about the future, because as far as they are concerned, there is no difference between present, future and past. This highlights the problems organisations face with elements of an indifferent workforce; how can an organisation implement tactics and strategic vision with employees that are not engaged in their work and sub sequentially do not conform to organisational culture? Indifferent employees deteriorate in behaviour; this has a negative effect on other colleagues and can slow productivity. The scope of indifference in an organization describes the behaviour of someone who carries out the organizations activities without using their talent or creativity. Indifference threatens to destroy encouragement of the employees; reducing their effort and acceptance of responsibilities (Tabaeian, 2001). Whereas Murphy, 2002 highlights indifference as having a more significant effect on organisational culture, he carried out a stu dy that revealed a perceived discrepancy between the official espousal of the values by the company and their actual enactment  The ambivalence of this group towards such values is reflected in the indifference of staff, for whom the values have little salience as drivers of company policy or practice. He then goes on to state the embedding of company values is represented as part of a larger descriptive framework of salience. It is also argued that political considerations, including powerful, unofficial cultural and sub cultural norms, will override the impact of officially espoused, but unembedded, values. Further highlighting the need for a better understanding and contemporary acknowledgement through his statement; Organizations that look to land a fast fix or play politics, rarely bridge isolated silos of discipline, culture, gender or beliefs. To fully understand the idea of an indifferent individual, I will be touching commitment and focusing on engagement. Literature relating to this field will help provide a better understanding of the motivational remedies.Commitment is a kind of devotion including feelings such as trust and reliability that organisations wish to gain from their employees. Whilst not a lot has been directly written on indifference, there is much literature on commitment. The employee should be a productive member of an organisation, rather than enter an employment relationship on the basis of submission and obligation. Submission and obligation can lead to feelings of indifference. Price states that employees should be committed to the organisations mission and values. Price explains that employees will show dedication and enthusiasm only if they want to, and not out of compliance. Prices model is based on an anti-authoritarian viewpoint, so his view is interesting when compared to managerial methods o f motivating indifferent employees. Price attributes the importance of commitment to an individual level. P15 Indifferent employees do not expect much from their organization, except a pay check and in some cases, benefits. Highly indifferent employees see their life as existing separate from work. Those employees who are low in indifference are generally believed to have orientations contrary to the highly indifferent workers. Behaviour plays a key role in understanding this problem. A reason why there has been so little research on this topic is because even if organisations acknowledge indifference they cannot tell what percentage of their workforce are indifferent; people are aware of its existence but they dont feel it occurs at a wide enough level to be taken seriously and have the perception of appropriate procedures in place to counter act the effects. (Grzybowska 2005) A recent study found that 68% of customers who leave do so because of a company employees indifference. How To Get Your Employees To Treat Customers Better Lisa Earle McLeod,  04.26.10, 01:21 PM EDT Indifference not only slows the company operations and efficiency down but can also lead to consumers having a negative experience with the organisation. Writing in an article regarding organisational brainpower, Weber (2010) explains that an organisation opting for a quick fix strategy for resolving issues regarding organisational discipline, culture and beliefs will not work, He stresses the importance of involvement from higher level management; It takes involvement from an institutes top leadership, a willingness to invest time, and talent within teams that come from many sectors of society. He suggests a balanced variety of workers will help engage individuals and improve performance. Indifference needs to be tackle head on, more interaction between low level workers and their superiors is important in reducing the problem, creating a culture that acts as a disincentive to indifference is important but actually noticing and monitoring the problem of indifference and understanding the wider implications and affects is the only way to implement a successful combatant strategy to effectively eradicate the problem whilst ensuring. Motivation Application and Engagement Effectiveness There has been an enormous amount of literature produced regarding motivation over the last century. Motivation theory was first introduced to the world of business by early pioneers such as Taylor. Latham, 2007, explains Taylors research found money was the primary incentive for motivating the workforce. The classical management theory suggests managers should adopt a militant style, authoritarian technique. I do not believe this attitude should be embraced by todays mangers for tackling indifference, although money may be a primary incentive for an indifferent employee, management need to intrinsically motivate, getting the individuals more engaged; this strategy was proven inefficient and not as productive as alternative methods. The importance of motivational factors and the needs of the employee lead to better management resolution, managers cannot go back to this perspective it will not work on a long term basis Prior to Maslow, researchers generally focused on separate motivational factors separately. Maslow (1954) developed the hierarchy of needs, this introduced a fundamental change to the way employee productivity and motivation was perceived and built the foundations for further motivational theory. The hierarchy of needs is a triangular dimension with five elements; Physiological needs, safety/security needs, need for belongingness, self esteem and finally self actualization. Maslow claims all employees will move along the hierarchy. In order to progress you need to fulfil the requirements a particular element to move up the hierarchy. The indifferent employee in many cases is a former team member and was at some stage a substantial contributor, this theory is not applicable with the indifferent employee due to them being at different levels of the hierarchy when the attitude sets in. Existence-relatedness-growth theory similar to Maslows hierarchy suggests motivation is a result of pe ople attempting to satisfy basic needs, unlike Maslows 5 needs Alderfer (1969) suggests there are three needs; existence, relatedness and growth. This theory is more appropriate for tackling indifference. Existence needs would cover the lower aspects of the hierarchy; physiological and safety needs. Related needs would come under esteem and belongingness and growth needs would tend to be towards the top of the hierarchy at the self actualization level. One conflicting view in this theory is that the needs are not progressive in the way that there is no hierarchy; managers having a more productive role in engagement and employee progression will reduce the potential for indifferent attitudes to establish themselves within employees; resolving the issues before they become a problem. Alderfer suggests people may work on satisfying all needs at once rather than satisfying one need to move on to the next. Process theories of motivation focus on relations between performance and satisfaction; Equity theory was introduced through Adams, J, S. (1965). According to Jones R, G. George, J, M. (2003) the equity theory is defined as a theory of motivation that focuses on peoples perceptions of the fairness of their work outcomes relative to their work outputs. The theory is based on a ratio of input and output. The theory argues that inputs such as training and skills will result in outcomes such as pay and fringe benefits. Similar to performance related pay, equity theory suggests the ratio will create absolute fairness. Having the opportunity to earn on a level playing field will satisfy employees and motivate them to better their performance. Equity theory supports the view performance will increase as a result of increased job satisfaction. With successful application of Alderfer; the equity theory will be more effective or justified. Financial reward is not the best incentive for fully engagement of the indifferent employee; intrinsic motivation is more desired and more beneficial for the organisation as a whole. In contrast to this Vroom developed expectancy theory. His views based on that of Lewin (1935) and Rotter (1955) suggest people expect a certain level of effort or performance to achieve desired objectives and goals. Increasing job satisfaction will come as a result of increasing job performance. Vroom (1964) defines two key elements to the theory: expectancy; a momentary belief concerning the likelihood that a particular act will be followed by a particular outcome. Valence; affective orientations toward particular outcomes valence either comes negative or positive, for example a person who prefers attaining an outcome rather than not-attaining the outcome has positive valence. Expectancy theory suggests motivation depends on how strong the expectancy is and how valiant the person finds the task. This is aligned to that of the indifferent employee; one that has lost their way. This indicates job design is crucial for effective performance. Forde Whiddett, (2002) explain the concept of Instrumentality, also developed through expectancy theory, unlike expectancy; instrumentality suggests one outcome will lead to another important outcome. Porter and Lawyer (1968) researched expectancy theory and their findings supported that of Vroom. One criticism they did have was the theory did not take into account ability and job clarity, expectancy theory focused on extrinsic motivation rather than intrinsic. The indifferent employee needs a shift in philosophy to a more intrinsically motivated state of mind in order to resolve the issue indefinitely. McClelland Atkinson (1965) introduced achievement motivational needs theory, the theory is based on behaviour in achievement orientated activities, there are three specific motivational conditions; willingness to participate, ability or perception to achieve the goal; expectancy and there must be an incentive to carry out the task. Achievement theory categorises everyone into different personalities and needs. McClelland found three different types of need; the need for achievement, need for power and the need for affiliation. All have specific traits and tendencies which are explained in detail. This could be a solution, a balance between fairness and progression will help engage indifferent attitudes. Task motivation theory, or better known as goal setting theory was developed through Locke (1968) his study found three important points, Precise goals which can be measured are a much better tool of motivation rather than just giving general goals. More difficult goals lead to a gre ater level of performance compared with easy goals, Peoples decisions are influenced by their behavioural intention. Indifferent attitudes will be hard to stimulate progressive goals setting may have a negative impact for indifferent individuals yet is an appropriate motivator for the common worker aligned to the organisations culture and has a reasonable level of commitment. Latter theories of motivation include Herzberg (1987) who describes motivation as a function of growth from getting intrinsic rewards out of interesting and challenging work. Herzbergs two factor theory is separated between causes of job dissatisfaction named hygiene factors and positive elements of the job leading to satisfaction, named motivators. In his research he points out the opposite of job dissatisfaction will not lead to job satisfaction rather no job satisfaction. The same is true with the other side of the theory regarding motivators. He highlights extrinsic motivation as hygiene factors which will inevitably lead to no job satisfaction or job dissatisfaction. He also suggests the motivational factors i.e. motivators will lead to motivated or unmotivated workforce. Forde, Whiddett. (2002) explain If job satisfaction leads to greater productivity, it makes sense that any improvements in motivators should lead to an improvement in performance. Satisfaction for the job is c rucial, early motivational remedies can help solve the problem. A paternalistic managerial stance will improve communication and the manager can re-bridge the commitment and increase the performance enabling an all round more vigorously engaged individual. More recent theories and expansions on motivation include the development of emotional intelligence, Goleman (1995) deriving from early ideas on social intelligence from Thorndike (1937). Butler and Waldroop acknowledge the importance of four dimensions of relational work: intelligence, interpersonal facilitation, relational creativity and team leadership. This more common theory should be adopted in order to abolish the indifference before it arises. It can provide the employee with more responsibility and a new calling so to speak although risky in the hand sof the indifferent it may have an outstanding affect on engagement and motivation, management intuition and general people skills and assessment should provide an inkling into what needs the indifferent employee is requiring and what can possibly help drive them and reinstate a good level of commitment. Conclusions and Recommendations for further research Classical Management theory and Maslows Hierarchy of Needs are not best appropriate if wanting to motivate the indifferent employee. Alderfers three needs of existence, relatedness and growth are more applicable, indifference could occur from a lack of these needs, building and growing predominately worse over time as a result of managers failing to acknowledge potential capacity for improvement and an individuals workplace progress or even evolution. For effective engagement and sufficient commitment addressing these needs will help the employees stay focused and committed to the job at hand and ensure successful and proud representation. Equity Theory can in some cases help stimulate the employee and reengages them back into good work ethic. Performance related pay structures for example will motivate employees in the short term, with a less impact on that of the indifferent however financial reward is not top priority for routing out the cause and permanently eradicating indiffere nt attitudes within employees. Intrinsic motivation theory provides the best answer; Herzberg 1987 for example, the motivators on this two factor theory can be adopted and utilised in attempting to reverse the effect of indifference. In order to resolve the issue it is necessary to reverse the growing entrenchment of negative work ethic as soon as possible. A number of motivational drivers should be adopted finding the one that works for the employee swiftly is advocated. Managers need to be effective in reforming the philosophy, ethics and morality of its indifferent employees; it is of the upmost importance; Murphy, 2002 states. leaders need charisma to generate the awareness and sentiment. Indifference in employees based in customer faced roles will have a profound negative impact on the customers perception of the organisation. Helpful and useful customer interaction is ever more desired if not required in todays business world. It improves the organisations competitiveness, retains custom and advocates the reputation of the business. Ensuring customers are more than satisfied with their experience is a top priority; the point of interaction with representatives of the organisation plays an important part in credibility. Evidence Without managerial acknowledgement and a suitable, proactive, response; departments will not be as fully efficient and will suffer from poor representation. This low morale should be addressed through changing managerial tactics and applying different motivational engagement tools. There needs to be a change; one of which implements more desire and passion for indifferent members. Motivation drives the workforce; influencing capacity and capability, it is also crucial for implementing the companys mission and image throughout all levels of organisational structure. Motivation enables employees to better embrace the organisations culture. The indifference issue is very real; individuals will persist and their attitudes will free fall. Failing to resolve the matters effectively will result in a wider and more severe impact over time. Changing the mindset of the individual employee in order to fully engage them will reverse any entrenched attitudes. Through the correct motivational and managerial manner they can become exceptional employees once again. Returning the sound work ethic and standard will result in a noticeable and improved individual contribution; a benefit all human resource managers like to see. Managers should have the opportunity for a more decentralised, motivational policy in order to tackle indifferent attitudes. More managerial discretion for methods that will bridge the needs of the indifferent with that of the goals of the organisation should be promoted. There needs to be a change in perspective away from the mainstream motivation, that of one predominate policy applying to all employees is not the path for the solving the indifference problem. When tackling indifference we need to change the motivational approach for different cases; the manager should be able to pick up on key indicators and measures; productivity for example. (Bratton and Golds, 1999) quest model also highlights main functions of HR and provides other aspects and indicators such as absenteeism. Indifferent employees need to perceive management as sufficiently addressing their needs and wants whilst balancing the organisational or departmental goals, desires and expectations, in a fair way. This i s not best done through an appraisal structure but more similar to that of an informal meeting. Individuals are unique and indifference is best tackled when treating cases individually; assertiveness for individual needs will result in a better management practise and are more likely to settle the issue amongst the individual indefinitely. Further research Relatively long term case studies into finding, observing and documenting individual cases will provide a clearer understanding. Implementing different techniques spoken about can truly test the theories; accumulating a wealth of indifferent strategies for individual types perhaps. I recommend these further research ideas; Comparing Indifference in a number of public and private sector organisations will enable a better insight; revealing the issue to see if it is more prone to certain structures, management styles or sectors. A case study observing different effects of a range of motivational tactics using set trial periods for each. Doing this on indifferent employees would be enlightening; By researching further and obtaining these findings this could enable us to categorise different levels or types and potentially identify key catalysts for indifference amongst the workforce. Ethical considerations may have to be taken into account; if observation is carried out without employee knowledge and consent, it will cause concern. Some will argue this is necessary so the outcome is not manipulated; in order to sustain more accurate findings. There are also many variables to take into account, company culture for example, but identifying indifferent employees needs to be acknowledged. if managers are well equipped with the knowhow and can differentiate between a lack of progress or temporary spells of poor performance with an actual indifferent employee then they can see what works best and gain a wider knowledge base for the themselves and the field of interest. Through using productivity measures and observing progress the issue can be studied effectively. Implementing other comparative and assessable variables will enable a more solid base on which findings can be assessed more reputably; ultimately attaining more conclusive and accredited research will drive the issue into the mainstream.

The presentation of language through texts

The presentation of language through texts Presenting language through texts Texts have been used in language classrooms for many years. There are many reasons for teachers using texts. Firstly, they use texts as a linguistic objects. Secondly, they use texts as vehicle for information. And for the last reason, they use texts as a springboard for production. So texts in language teaching have played the important role in language learning and teaching. The most effective texts in learning process are authentic materials. Leaning English through authentic materials will make the learners feel like the are in the a real language situations. The atmosphere of the classrooms are alive. Research studies on the use of authentic materials reveal that it can promote the students motivation, positive attitude, involvement and interest on the subject. There are several kinds of authentic materials which are audio, visual, printed materials and multimedia materials. The multimedia materials are involved audio, video and graphic presentations. All of these materials are applied for communicating specific dispatches in real situations. Authentic audio materials: Music, news and other audio materials available on the internet TV programming including movies, commercials, quiz shows, cartoons, news and weather Radio including ads, music and sales pitches Taped or eavesdropped conversations, such as one-sided phone conversations Meetings, talks Announcements in airports and stores Professionally audio-taped short stories and novels Authentic visual materials: Images and graphs available on the internet photographs painting and drawings, childrens artwork wordless street signs pictures from magazines, postcards, wordless picture books stamps x-rays coins and currency clocks phones Halloween masks and other holiday decorations Authentic printed materials: web based printed materials available on the internet newspapers including articles, movies reviews and advertisements, astrology columns, sports reports, obituary columns, advice columns, classified ads reports, obituary columns, advice columns, classified ads lyrics to song restaurant menus street signs food product labels such as cereal boxes, candy wrappers tourist information brochures university catalogs telephone books maps magazines including TV guides, comic books, catalogs greeting cards, letters grocery coupons and flyer pins or t-shirt with messages bus schedules mail including bills , missing children flyers and junk mail flyers, posters, billboards school notices forms including leases, tax forms, applications, medical history forms Authentic multimedia materials: TV, Video programmes of various kinds podcasting on the internet we based programes involving multimedia use There are criteria for teachers to consider for choosing the authentic materials for classroom use. Firstly, the interest of the students, the teacher has to ensure that the chosen materials suit the age, interest and background of the students. Secondly, the purpose of language learning, teachers must consider the information in the chosen materials are of value to the learners. Thirdly, the cultural appropriateness, some materials are produced on the basis of the native speakers, the learners might not familiar with the culture of the contexts. Thus, the teachers should carefully select the appropriate second language contexts. Fourthly, the language level, the group of students are different levels like beginner, intermediate or advanced students .because the authentic materials are not made to fit the learning purposes so the teachers must choose the kind of comprehensible input which is slightly difficult in order to sustain their motivation. Lastly, the quality of the materials may be concerned. The chosen texts must have the quality of the text organization and the appropriate picture use. In the same time, the teachers must attentively check for errors and spelling mistakes of the texts. Using authentic materials have great benefits or advantages, specially for the second language learners of English. A large number of evidences of research studies have revealed a wide range of advantages. Firstly, the learners will expose to a wide range of natural language. Next, the reality and the meaningful interactive are brought into classroom. Then, there is a connection between the classroom and the outside world. The teaching and assessment focus on the 4 skills which the facts of language are not included. Moreover, the important objective is not a memorization for the examination but for the communicative proposes. For the next reason, the authentic texts can help the teachers accessing the ready, available, attractive and inexpensive resources of the texts as well as bring the variety to the classroom activities. So, the students have opportunities to practice the skills learnt in the classroom in the outside world when they meet them in the real situations. Using the authentic materials also have some problems. Some kinds of materials may include difficult language and unusual vocabulary items which are not being used in the daily life basis. These kinds of problems cause a burden to the teachers. So to solve the problems, the teachers should carefully pick the authentic materials by using the above mentioned criteria. For instance, the notices, bottled labels and reservation forms are used for the lower level learners. Whereas, the advanced levels need more complex materials. Thornbury claimed that language always happens as text and not as isolated words and sentences Therefore, the basis of foreign language teaching is handling texts for both written and oral. There are three acronyms that have been used to describe texts. Texts based activities presented in the course book Information Technology are marking the statements as true or false, filling in the gaps in the statements, linking each pair of actions ( donating cause and effect ) by a time clause, matching the terms in table A with the statements in table B, making a list of the key features of the facility ( device ) students are reading about, matching the reviews of the facilities to their titles, writing a brief evaluation of the phenomenon you have read about ( at least by listing its good and bad points ), trying to guess the meaning of the given abbreviations, trying to paraphrase the statements, linking each set of sentences to make one sentence ( corresponding to the descriptions given in the text ), completing the forms to record the main details of the problem described in the text, working in pairs, studying the diagram to explain how facility works, putting the described events in sequence, finding words or phrases in the table whi ch mean what is given in the statements below. From my experience as a teacher, I have been teaching young learners, mostly in the Phatom 1-3 students. And I have used several kinds of authentic materials in my class. For example, I use English songs and nursery rhymes when I would like to present new language to my students for promoting the motivation and engagement in learning of my students. Then, I use many pictures to present the new vocabulary in order to promote a better understanding of the meanings of the words. Sometimes, I have them read their favorable books from the bookshelf, so they can choose what ever they like.

Abortion as an Ethical Issue Essay -- Papers Morals Abortion Pregnancy

Abortion as an Ethical Issue In recent years, abortion has become one of the world’s most discussed ethical issues. This has made a huge impact on both men and women’s lives. There are many different views on abortion dating back from the Old Testament to the present day. I intend to show you all of abortion’s conventional arguments. I hope to establish few of these views;  · The Christian views on abortion  · Views that support and oppose abortion  · My personal opinions on the subject of abortion My coursework will include different factors to use in discussion including a definition of abortion, Biblical quotes and references, issues of rape and incest. The following questions (below) on the subject of abortion will be answered in this coursework: a. (i) What is meant by ‘abortion’? (ii) What Biblical and Church teachings might be used in a discussion about abortion? b. Explain how Christians might put their beliefs about Abortion into action. c. ‘Abortion is never justified’ – Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answers and show that you have thought about different point of views. You must refer to Christianity in your answer. August 2003 Ramin Rouhani What is meant by the word ‘abortion’? The definition of abortion by law is the premature expulsion of a human foetus from the womb. There is more than one type of abortion, spontaneous and induced. Spontaneous abortion or miscarriage is naturally occurring termination of a pregnancy causes inside the mother’s womb. Induced abortion is when the foetus is terminated from the mother’s womb surgically or medically. T... ...cerned is wanted or handicapped, it follows that the destruction of unborn life is always wrong.† LIFE Campaign The Humanists agree that everyone has the right to freedom of choice, because opinions are different of when the life of a foetus begins, the minority that is Catholic Church has no right to impose it’s view on others. An open society must respect the rights of the people for the choice of their future, so religious views should not be forced upon the people who do not choose to listen. Every human has the right to want to be a wanted child. Induced abortion brings a solution to the future of unwanted children being born every year. No child deserves to be unwanted or unloved because of poor education and a lack of contraception, which is what would happen if abortion could not be justified.

Priest Celibacy :: essays research papers

Fundamentalist attacks on priestly celibacy come in a number of different forms—not all compatible with one another. There is almost no other subject about which so many different confusions exist. The first and most basic confusion is thinking of priestly celibacy as a dogma or doctrine—a central and irreformable part of the faith, believed by Catholics to come from Jesus and the apostles. Thus some Fundamentalists make a great deal of a biblical reference to Peter’s mother-in-law (Mark 1:30), apparently supposing that, if Catholics only knew that Peter had been married, they would be unable to regard him as the first pope. Again, Fundamentalist time lines of "Catholic inventions" (a popular literary form) assign "mandatory priestly celibacy" to this or that year in Church history, as if prior to this requirement the Church could not have been Catholic. These Fundamentalists are often surprised to learn that even today celibacy is not the rule for all Catholic priests. In fact, for Eastern Rite Catholics, married priests are the norm, just as they are for Orthodox and Oriental Christians. Even in the Eastern churches, though, there have always been some restrictions on marriage and ordination. Although married men may become priests, unmarried priests may not marry, and married priests, if widowed, may not remarry. Moreover, there is an ancient Eastern discipline of choosing bishops from the ranks of the celibate monks, so their bishops are all unmarried. The tradition in the Western or Latin-Rite Church has been for priests as well as bishops to take vows of celibacy, a rule that has been firmly in place since the early Middle Ages. Even today, though, exceptions are made. For example, there are married Latin-Rite priests who are converts from Lutheranism and Episcopalianism. As these variations and exceptions indicate, priestly celibacy is not an unchangeable dogma but a disciplinary rule. The fact that Peter was married is no more contrary to the Catholic faith than the fact that the pastor of the nearest Maronite Catholic church is married. Is Marriage Mandatory? Another, quite different Fundamentalist confusion is the notion that celibacy is unbiblical, or even "unnatural." Every man, it is claimed, must obey the biblical injunction to "Be fruitful and multiply" (Gen. 1:28); and Paul commands that "each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband" (1 Cor. 7:2). It is even argued that celibacy somehow "causes," or at least correlates with higher incidence of, illicit sexual behavior or perversion.

The Influence of Michael Jordan in the World of Sports

When someone says the name Michael Jordan, the first thing that might come to mind is basketball, Nike shoes, or Wheaties. Through the years Michael Jordan has proved time and time again that he is the greatest basketball player ever and by doing that he has gained tremendous popularity throughout the world. People of all ages and from all nationalities have gathered to watch him play. â€Å"Even your Aunt Matilda, who might not know anything about basketball, liked watching him play,† said Daniel. He has become more than just an entertainer, he is a hero and a role model. It has been said â€Å"He†s the most famous American in the World† (Daniel.) After winning his sixth National Basketball Association Championship, Michael Jordan has decided to walk away from the world of basketball for the second time in his life. Why would the greatest player to ever play the game leave at the highest point of his career? He claims the sport is no longer a challenge to him. After his many awards, trophies and titles this is not hard to comprehend. At this time in his life, Jordan wants to devote all of his time to his friends and family. Now that he has left the world of basketball a great void has been left. Many questions have rose as to what is going to happen now that he†s gone. What will happen with the NBA? What will happen to the Chicago Bulls dynasty? Who will be the next Michael Jordan? Could there ever be another Michael Jordan? The first thing any sane person would ask is how could Jordan leave basketball and walk away from all of that money? Last year he was the highest paid basketball player in NBA history. But in dollar terms, Jordan was even more successful as a corporate spokesman, which earned him $45 million in 1998, than he was on the basketball court in which he earned $35 million. (Peyser.) Jordan currently does endorsements for thirteen companies. Out of all the companies, Nike pays the most for his endorsements at $16 million per year. Jordan is by far the best endorser out there in the market. Many of the celebrities can†t compare to Jordan. â€Å"He†s handsome, articulate, classy. He had purity to his performance on court and off. It†s hard to find the perfect celebrity these days,† said Peyser. With such slogans as â€Å"Be Like Mike† and â€Å"It†s gotta be the shoes,† companies have attempted to make consumers believe that if they buy their products they too can be as great as Michael Jordan. Now that Jordan has left the NBA, many are speculating on how well his endorsements will do. Experts say that a retired athlete – even Jordan – can†t compete with a guy who†s still winning championships. With the sports-marketing business already in a slump, there may be no heirs to â€Å"Air Jordan† (Peyser.) Even though Jordan has left the basketball court, he†s not going to leave Hollywood anytime soon. There are plans being made to have Jordan star in at least two films but this time he will be acting with a real cast as apposed to the cartoon cast he starred with in Space Jam. â€Å"He should play a character like James Bond,† suggests movie critic Gene Siskel, a rabid Bulls fan. â€Å"I†d pay to see him before Pierce Brosnan any day, wouldn†t you?† Michael Jordan has made a huge impact on the NBA. â€Å"He has won six NBA championships in the last eight years, ten scoring titles, enough Most Valuable Player awards to stock his own wing at the Hall of Fame,† said Tresniowski. He is by far the greatest player to ever play the game. Many believe the NBA would not be where it is without him and now that he†s gone many can†t imagine basketball without him. Everyone is wondering, if there ever be another Michael Jordan. The chance of someone accomplishing the same great feats as Jordan is nearly impossible in today†s NBA. But that doesn†t mean it won†t happen. When Julius Erving left the league many people were asking the same questions. Will there ever be another Dr. J.? Jordan came along, and the rest is history. Ever since the baseball strike the NBA has tremendously gained in popularity, at one time many Americans where questioning, should basketball be the nation†s new past time? Lately, this attitude towards baseball has changed. Mark McGuire and Sammy Sosa have brought the life back to baseball with the breaking of the home run record. With the NBA labor lockout that has canceled most of this season and now that Jordan has left the future of the NBA is yet to be determined. The outlook doesn†t look good. With fear of a season cancellation due to bickering over money, many fans have turned away from NBA basketball in disgust. The NBA†s image has become tarnished. Today†s NBA is nothing like how it was when Jordan came into the league. There is a new breed of players out there. Instead of the rising stars attending college, they are making the jump from high school straight to the NBA. Kobe Bryant is a prime example of this. The major difference between the stars of today and the superstars of yesterday is that many of today†s stars don†t even earn the right to be called stars. Glenn Robinson, now of the Milwaukee Bucks, was asking for a $100 million contract when he came out of Purdue, yet today he is barely worth $1 million. â€Å"You don†t ever want to say ‘never†,† Starr says, â€Å"but I don†t think the NBA will ever again attain the glory it did with Michael.† Even though Jordan was great, we cannot forget about his supporting cast. Without the team to back him up, Jordan would not have been able to accomplish half of what he has done. The Chicago Bulls have been labeled the Team of the 90†³s. No other team since the Boston Celtics has been able to win more than three championships in a row, but the Bulls have done it twice in the past eight years. They probably could have been champions for at least two more years if the team would have stayed healthy and intact. By far, the Chicago Bulls have been hit the hardest with Jordan†s Retirement. The cause of the breakup of possibly the greatest team ever was rumored to be caused by clashes between the players and Bulls management. The breakup started when management wouldn†t pay Phil Jackson what he deserved after bringing six NBA championships to the Bulls. Rather than coach another team, Jackson decided to retire to practice Zen Buddhism fulltime. When Jackson left, Jordan said he wouldn†t play for a new coach. After Jordan left, basketball great, Scottie Pippen was traded to the Houston Rockets. Only four players of last year†s team still remain on the Chicago Bulls roster for this season. Many have made the prediction that the Bulls will lose more games in this shortened season than they did all last year (Stein.) Rebuilding the Chicago Bulls may turn out to be one of the biggest mistakes ever made by the Bulls organization. There will no longer be sell-out crowds every night, sales from Chicago Bulls merchandise will take a nose dive, and all the Fair Weather Fans† will move on to another team. It could take years and millions of dollars before the Bulls will even be able to compete for another title. Many wonder if Jordan will come back to the NBA, after all he did come back before. In 1993, after winning his first three championships, Jordan announced his retirement. He felt he had nothing left to prove and he wanted to try his luck in major league baseball. When his short-lived career in the minor leagues didn†t work out he decided to return to the NBA, (Greene.) While, competition is what Jordan thrives on. It has had both a positive and a negative effect on his life. Jordan being the very competitive person that he is, got in trouble when he was rumored to have a gambling addiction. Many feared that he might have been gambling on NBA games. However, all allegations of illegally betting on NBA games were false and with time Jordan†s image was rebuilt, (Greene.) The chances of Jordan coming back to the NBA are very good. However, if he comes back it won†t be as a player, his new role would be coach. This time he doesn†t have a team to come back to. He is certainly not going to come back to the Bulls and wait for them to rebuild. Jordan will probably always be remembered as the greatest. It will be a long time before anyone can accomplish half of what he has done. As far as the current NBA cast, the experts can†t see anyone replacing him for a long time. Not only does it take the skills but it also requires a certain set of values to become a role model. Many stars of the NBA lack both of these qualities. But somewhere out there is a young child with dreams of becoming the next Michael Jordan. He is on every playground all around the world. He has the endless desire to make something out of himself. Basketball could be his only chance out of the current situation that he is in, and it is only a matter of time before he will have his big break, (Starr.) Some might think it†s hard to imagine the effects that one man can have on the game of basketball, but when you look at our society and how much we tend to focus on athletes in the sports world it†s really not that hard at all. Michael Jordan played more than the role of a basketball player. He was a hero, a product endorser, and a corner stone in a major corporation, and to the teams that he beat night after night, an enemy. Now that he is gone from the game no one really knows what will happen all anyone can do is speculate. Even though he has left the basketball court, chances are he won†t be leaving your TV quite that soon. The people that will miss him the most are his former teammates and the die-hard fans that loved to watch him night after night. The Chicago Bulls may never reach the greatness that they once achieved but they will always have the memories. It†s hard to tell who will take Jordan†s place, it could be safe to say that no one will ever be able to, but that doesn†t mean there won†t be anyone better than Jordan. Only time will tell. The die-hard Chicago Bulls fans will always hold a special place in their heart for Michael Jordan. They will tell their sons and daughters about him, they will get out the old VHS tapes of games that they have recorded and they will pass along the Basketball cards that will be worth hundreds of dollars. Those of us who have seen him play will always remember him and what he has done for the game of basketball. For those who haven†t, you will have to settle for the endless highlight reels and Nike commercials to keep his memory alive.