Cultivating Emotional Intelligence in the Work Place

Cultivating Emotional Intelligence in the Work Place Executive summary This paper analyses emotional intelligence and its applicability at places of work. The introductory part defines emotions and explains what emotional intelligence, and distinguishes it from academic intelligence or intelligent quotient. In the main body, deeper discussions of the tenets of emotional intelligence are explored.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Cultivating Emotional Intelligence in the Work Place specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The causes and underlying reasons for emotional breakdown are discussed with concrete examples. The paper further explains how modern organizations are trying to adopt emotional intelligence, and how this component of modern human resource management can impact the performance of organizations. Introduction Have you ever been angry with your workmate? What prompted your anger and how did you react? Do you think your reaction was justified? These questions intr oduce us to the subject of managing emotions which is also referred to as emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence commonly abbreviated as (EQ) or emotional quotient is one of the key tenets of modern human resource management. Emotions occupy a very big part of human life, thus this subject deserves much attention. Emotion is defined as the disturbance of the mind and passion, and which excites the mental state of a person. It is usually marked by a strong feeling to act. On a daily basis, people experience different happenings in or out of work. The modern world economy is dominated by economic constraint, for instance the economic recession that was experienced in early 2008 (Weiten, 2009). For a longer period of time, it has been believed that the success of a person at the place of work depends on the level of intelligence of that person known as intelligence quotient (IQ). This is presumed to work in the academic field and not the real open work field. It has been noted that the performance of a person at the place of work goes far beyond the intelligence quotient. The modern workplace demands for varied resourcefulness. What is needed is a different kind of mental smartness; that is, emotional intelligence (Singh, 2006). Since the start of 1990s organizations and researchers in the United Kingdom began to accept and implement emotional intelligence. From then, consultants in management and psychologists have dug deep into research to know how important emotional intelligence is at places of work in relation to productivity, the general management and in sales. They appreciated that emotional intelligence is a basic need more so in jobs where interaction between people is a must (Gold and Mumford, 2010).Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Distinguishing Emotional Intelligence from Intelligent Quotient Chakraborty (2008) observes tha t many people have failed to separate these two subjects. They use these terms in similar contexts with assumptions that each is the antonym of one another. It is good to note that the two have a kind of a complex relationship. Emotional intelligence is based on emotion while rational or intelligent quotient is based on academics. Nonetheless, the two interact in a certain manner and go together in some instances. Emotional responses can be managed well through conscious efforts. When this awareness is inexistent, rational thinking is overridden by emotional actions (Chakraborty, 2008). Emotional intelligence skills There are a number of emotional intelligence skills that are very fruitful when they are learnt and adopted. They include being empathetic. When a leader in any organization has grasped this skill, he or she is able to feel and listen to the demands and complaints from employees (Stein, 2009). Responsibility is also an important skill of managing emotions. Managers who h ave a grasp of social responsibility give room for a participatory approach in management. Such managers take good care of the community and the environment they are working in and respect the rules that govern that society (Stein, 2009). Leaders who are emotionally intelligence know how to relate well with other people. Good interpersonal relationship skills help these leaders to maintain a positive relationship with all other people in the organization. Good interpersonal relation skills help leaders to cultivate relationships they want in the organization (Stein, 2009). Emotional intelligence has to come with the ability to control impulses. This skill comprises of patience, and it allows a leader to listen to the employers of the company. Therefore, employers are able to clearly understand the views of employees and they can make an attempt to integrate these views in the organizational working framework thus drawing away bad feelings and protests at the place of work. Happiness is another important emotional management skill that leaders need to have in order to manage emotions in the organizations that they lead. Happiness pulls people closer to the organization. Employees will always prefer to work with joyful and rejuvenated leaders. On the contrary, they will shun from leaders who are gloomy and unfriendly (Stein, 2009).Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Cultivating Emotional Intelligence in the Work Place specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Emotional intelligence has to be accompanied with tough mindedness. For any leader to gain success, he or she has to have a lot of resilience. This enables one to easily respond to tough and challenging situations. They manage to persevere when faced with obstacles. It is easy for them to overcome challenging situations and easily contain pressure arising from these constraints. Tough minded leaders must have high self-regard because people with high self-regard have confidence and self-assurance. Leaders who possess the skill of self-regard have a strong understanding of their strongpoints and their weak points. They use confidence to counter tough situations and moments of the organization. Tough minded leaders must have high levels of tolerating stress. This means that one must be ready and know how to deal with tough situations as they arise. Though attending to a taunting task, one is able to keep focus and control himself in relation to the activity that he or she is handling (Stein, 2009). Organizational Culture and Emotional Intelligence The bottom line in operation of a business, companies or even the government are impacted by emotions that are derived from the work, the management and the customers. Organizational culture and climate are determined by emotions and how the emotions in the organization and how these emotions are managed. The feeling and performance of employees influences the feeling, satisfaction level and loyalty of customers to the company. These in turn work to affect the performance of the organization. Emotions whether they are positive or negative affects everyone in the organization. In â€Å"What makes a leader† in the Harvard Business Review, Daniel Goleman (2005) states â€Å"When I calculate the ratio of technical skills, IQ and emotional intelligence as ingredients of excellent performance, emotional intelligence proved to be twice as important as others for jobs at all levels† (Stock, 2008, p.18). He goes on to say, â€Å"When I compared star performers with average ones in senior leadership positions, nearly 90% of difference in their profile was attributable to Emotional Intelligence factors rather than cognitive abilities† (Stock, 2008, p.18). There is evidence supported by many researchers that emotional intelligence lays at the centre of efficient leadership. Efficient leaders are modelled by their thoughts and state of mind as they perform their work. Good leaders have self awareness as well as the influence they have on other people.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Self awareness is more vital. Leaders who have performed well in management have high abilities to control or manage their emotions. They do not at any point let emotions control them but rather are always on top of their emotions are good in adjusting their feelings (Stock, 2008). Organizational culture is a combination of different tenets that include values, beliefs and behaviours. These tenets work together to determine the climate of an organization. Analysts argue that emotions have economic value. Profitability of companies are determined by behaviours of employee most of which are shaped by emotions (Stock, 2008). Research ascertains that the manner in which employees behave and treat one another affects the profit making patterns of the organization. The improvement in the attitude of employees leads to an improvement. Research ascertains that the manner in which employees behave and treat one another affects the profit making patterns of the organization. The management of companies are in these times finding it important to handle employees in a nice way. It has been found out that if at any instance, the attitude of employees rises, the satisfaction of customers will equally raise (Spritzer, 2007). Stress normally has a big impact on the management and the workers. Stress emanates from bad emotions and feeling that renders people unable to withstand what the environment demands from them. Demands of the jobs and the social setting of the society are unlikely to change soon. This is making it very important to develop skills to held cope with these demands thus a call for emotional intelligence skills. On the other hand, there is good stress also called eustress. This is fuelled by positive emotions (Stock, 2008). Research indicates that when anxiety, fear or even despair enters a persons mind, a person become defensive and seek for personal security. On realization the people who surround cant offer the security, the person becomes frustrated. This results in a turndown in performance. The taunting nature of tasks at places of work is being accompanied by stress. Jobs that come with a lot of complexities call for high levels of emotional intelligence. At the workplace there is rising need to help manage stress. Stress management is not a simple activity. It requires one to have high levels of emotional intelligence in order to solve this problem without harming the activities of the company where one works. Successful managing of stress and its related conditions has positive impact to the profit patterns of the company (Singh, 2006). Social and emotional intelligence works have been adopted by organizations. A person’s social and emotional intelligence goes deep into making the person successful. If extrapolated, this can be reflective of the entire organizational culture. People who manage famous organizations keep in mind that their workers are their key assets thus by developing them; their organizations are bound to be successful. In order for organizations to maximize on their competitive abilities, they have to pay maximum attention to motivating and satisfying the needs of their employees. Ability of the organization to weigh and fully understand the socio– emotional intelligence is a beginner step to see to ensuring that an organization has reached its maximum potential. Organizations that are devoid of emotional intelligence stand a high risk of not attaining their goals. Emotionally intelligent organizations on the other hand, have a high rate of attaining their goals and objectives. They promote an open culture where issues of openness and transparency are the key norms (Singh, 2006). Merging Organizational Culture and Emotional Intelligence Leslie works in a young advertising, and she has good friendship with the workmates. Much of the leisure time, she spends time with her friends. She describes the manner in which she relates with the bosses. The bosses are very nice, and th ey forward them online emails and jokes. A lot of workers gather on his computer to view latest emailed jokes (Spitzer, 2007). This is so creative of the leadership of the organization. Though, after working for very long hours, she fills guilty leaving earlier whenever she has to do so. The reasons why people or employees get faded up with the work they do originate mostly from their supervisors or bosses. The leading teams in organizations affect the organization through directing, and guiding and the manner of responding both to the employees and the external world. Leaders in any organization are the steers of the organizational ship. People needs to be full aware of where the ship they are travelling in is meant to reach. Employers need to understand that the leadership is competent when it comes to organizational decision making and that they are guided by the interests of the organization they are leading (Stein, 2007). Conclusion From the discussion, it is clear the world we live in today is full of challenges that emanate from both the economic and social spheres of life. These challenges have a great impact on people and their behaviours. Therefore, the modern society has to accept the realities that these challenges pose to organizational performance. In an effort to counter the challenges, they have resorted to introduce and cultivate the culture emotional intelligence and management. Emotional intelligence is however a subject that is still very young. Nonetheless, smart organizations that have adopted this technique are doing well. Emotion intelligence has become more of a necessity in organizations in current time. Each organization faces emotional related problems and thus by adopting this practice can help them maximize productivity. Recommendation Organizations should conduct research about the changes on the emotions of their employees, so that they can determine the best motivational strategies to apply. In addition, employees should be con sulted when implementing strategies in the organization to ensure they accept them. Reference List Chakraborty, A., 2008, Emotional intelligence, Berlin, Springer. Gold, J., Thorpe, R., Mumford, A., 2010, Gower handbook of leadership and management development. Burlington, VT, Gower. Goleman, D., 2005, Emotional intelligence. New York, N.Y., Bantam Dell. Singh, D., 2006, Emotional Intelligence at Work: A Professional Guide. New Delhi: Response Books. Spitzer, D. R., 2007, transforming performance measurement rethinking the way we measure and drive organizational success, New York, American Management Association. Stein, S., 2009, Emotional intelligence for dummies, Mississauga, Ont, John Wiley Sons Canada. Stein, S. J., 2007, Make your workplace great: the 7 keys to an emotionally intelligent organization, Mississauga, Ont, J. Wiley Sons Canada Ltd. Stock, B., 2008, Smart emotions: for busy business people, [Mich.], B. Stock. Weiten, W., 2009, Psychology applied to modern life: a djustment in the 21st century, Australia: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

Battle of Stony Point in the American Revolution

Battle of Stony Point in the American Revolution The Battle of Stony Point was fought July 16, 1779, during the American Revolution (1775-1783). In the summer of 1779, the leadership of the Continental Army decided to mount an assault against Stony Point, NY after the position had been occupied by the British. The assignment was given to Brigadier General Anthony Wayne and the Corps of Light Infantry. Striking at night, Waynes men conducted a daring bayonet attack that secured Stony Point and captured the British garrison. The victory provided a needed boost for American morale and Wayne received a gold medal from Congress for his leadership. Background In the wake of the Battle of Monmouth in June 1778, British forces under Lieutenant General Sir Henry Clinton largely remained idle in New York City. The British were watched by General George Washingtons army which assumed positions in New Jersey and to the north in the Hudson Highlands. As the 1779 campaigning season began, Clinton sought to lure Washington out of the mountains and into a general engagement. To accomplish this, he dispatched around 8,000 men up the Hudson. As part of this movement, the British seized Stony Point on the eastern bank of the river as well as Verplancks Point on the opposite shore. General Sir Henry Clinton. Photograph Source: Public Domain Taking possession of the two points at the end of May, the British began fortifying them against attack. The loss of these two positions deprived the Americans of using Kings Ferry, a key river crossing over the Hudson. As the main British force withdrew back to New York having failed to force a major battle, a garrison of between 600 and 700 men was left at Stony Point under the command Lieutenant Colonel Henry Johnson. Consisting of imposing heights, Stony Point was surrounded by water on three sides. On the mainland side of the point flowed a swampy steam that flooded at high tide and was crossed by one causeway. Dubbing their position a little Gibraltar, the British constructed two lines of defenses facing west (largely fleches and abatis rather than walls), each manned with around 300 men and protected by artillery. Stony Point was further protected by the armed sloop HMS Vulture (14 guns) which was operating in that part of the Hudson. Watching the British actions from atop nearby Buckberg Mountain, Washington was initially reluctant to assault the position. Utilizing an extensive intelligence network, he was able to ascertain the strength of the garrison as well as several passwords and the locations of sentries (Map). The American Plan Reconsidering, Washington decided to move forward with an attack utilizing the Continental Armys Corps of Light Infantry. Commanded by Brigadier General Anthony Wayne, 1,300 men would move against Stony Point in three columns. The first, led by Wayne and consisting of around 700 men, would make the main attack against the southern side of the point. Scouts had reported that the extreme southern end of the British defenses did not extend into the river and could be flanked by crossing a small beach at low tide. This was to be supported by an attack against the northern side by 300 men under Colonel Richard Butler. To ensure surprise, Waynes and Butlers columns would make the assault with their muskets unloaded and relying solely on the bayonet. Each column would deploy an advance force to clear obstacles with a 20-men forlorn hope to provide protection. As a diversion, Major Hardy Murfree was ordered to stage a diversionary attack against the main British defenses with around 150 men. This effort was to precede the flank attacks and serve as signal for their advance. To ensure proper identification in the darkness, Wayne ordered his men to wear pieces of white paper in their hats as a recognition device (Map). Battle of Stony Point Conflict: American Revolution (1775-1783)Dates: July 16, 1779Armies and Commanders:AmericansBrigadier General Anthony Wayne1,500 menBritishLieutenant Colonel Henry Johnson600-700 menCasualties:Americans: 15 killed, 83 woundedBritish: 20 killed, 74 wounded, 472 captured, 58 missing The Assault On the evening of July 15, Waynes men gathered at Springsteels Farm approximately two miles from Stony Point. Here the command was briefed and the columns began their advance shortly before midnight. Approaching Stony Point, the Americans benefited from heavy clouds which limited the moonlight. As Waynes men neared the southern flank they found that their line of approach was flooded with two to four feet of water. Wading through the water, they created enough noise to alert the British pickets. As the alarm was raised, Murfrees men began their attack. Pushing forward, Waynes column came ashore and began their assault. This was followed a few minutes later Butlers men who successfully cut through the abatis along the northern end of the British line. Responding to Murfrees diversion, Johnson rushed to the landward defenses with six companies from the 17th Regiment of Foot. Battling through the defenses, the flanking columns succeeded in overwhelming the British and cutting off those engaging Murfree. In the fighting, Wayne was temporarily put out of action when a spent round struck his head. Battle of Stony Point, 1779. Library of Congress Command of the southern column devolved to Colonel Christian Febiger who pushed the attack up the slopes. The first to enter the innermost British defenses was Lieutenant Colonel Francois de Fluery who cut down the British ensign from the flagstaff. With American forces swarming in his rear, Johnson was ultimately compelled to surrender after less than thirty minutes of fighting. Recovering, Wayne sent a dispatch to Washington informing him, The fort garrison with Col. Johnston are ours. Our officers men behaved like men who are determined to be free. Aftermath A stunning victory for Wayne, the fighting at Stony Point saw him lose 15 killed and 83 wounded, while British losses totaled 20 killed, 74 wounded, 472 captured, and 58 missing. In addition, a host of stores and fifteen guns were captured. Though a planned follow-on attack against Verplancks Point never materialized, the Battle of Stony Point proved a vital boost to American morale and was one of the final battles of the conflict to be fought in the North. Visiting Stony Point on July 17, Washington was extremely pleased with the result and offered lavish praise upon Wayne. Assessing the terrain, Washington ordered Stony Point abandoned the next day as he lacked the men to fully protect it. For his actions at Stony Point, Wayne was awarded a gold medal by Congress.

Obama Administration Budget Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Obama Administration Budget - Essay Example that America has witnessed over the last several years." President Obama also reiterated his pledge to cut the deficit in half over the next five years. (Keck, et. al., 2009). The economic recession that America is presently experiencing is being suffered from coast to coast.   Families, small businesses, and family farmers are struggling to make ends meet.   People are tightening their belts and making difficult budget decisions In order to survive,.  Likewise, Americans expect their government to do the same.   Sadly, the recent budget plan released by the Obama administration failed to meet the citizens’ expectations.   In this time of widespread unemployment and the budgets of families and small businesses are tight, Obama’s outrageous budget outlines a $1.4 trillion tax raise in order to pay for enormous new government spending.   Some Americans believe that this budget is not the answer.   The tax increases it calls for would hurt small businesses, kill jobs, and further prolong our economic downturn (Wicker, 2009). Universal Tax Hike: Obama’s budget plan aims to expand the size and scope of the federal government in every phase of our economy.   Under this plan, spending would be maximized.   Before the country entered this recession, our national debt was about 40 percent of our gross domestic product (GDP).   Drastic increase in government spending and nationalizing things like healthcare and student loans, this budget blueprint would deliver the biggest European-style Socialism that we have ever seen in the country. Instead of guiding our country out of this recession by outlining a plan that would put more money into the hands of taxpayers and job creators, Obama’s budget would increase taxes on every American, stifling investment and job creation at a time when our country greatly needs both.  The budget asserts to increase taxes only on â€Å"the rich,† but in reality the burden would fall on the small businesses that create 70 percent of

Exercise Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Exercise - Assignment Example Fillmore et als main works are comprehensible by application of examples. For instance, Fred and Andy are twin brothers and are recovering in hospital. In the case, a nurse enters the room and finds them in the same sitting position and their health conditions are the equal in terms of eye assessment. In case the nurse reports that: now Andy is able to sit well. In the same format, the nurse reports that Fred is able to sit well now. The two same reports presented by the same nurse are likely to be comprehended in differing terms by other people. The understanding depends on the relativity of the remarks with intensive regards to the background scenes. Fillmore et als mostly entailed the use of term frame with reference to an idealization that entails an articulate and coherent individuatable referent perception, experience, action, memory, and object. Fillmore is mainly entrenched on the frame semantics that is highly aiding with beginning of a brief history (Corrigan, 2009). The use of the frame semantics is normally assumed to be a hugely informal approach with regards to the symbolic meanings but also have certain approaches that relate to frame semantics (Pawlak & Bielak, 2011). The main difference between radical construction and other construction grammar approaches. Radical construction grammar refers to the theory that entails a syntactic that is highly representative that is highly compatible with relevant consequences that border on the facts of grammar. The essence of the radical Construction Grammar highly delves on the proposed or highly minimalist model that entails syntax collected from a universal perspective. Radical Construction Grammar borrows hugely from its s name. It highly indicates an assortment of construction grammar while construction grammar refers mostly to a family of theories that has syntactic

Reproductive Health in Nursing Essay Example for Free

Reproductive Health in Nursing Essay Reproductive Health Bill was introduced by Congresswoman Bellaflor J. Angara -Castillo is also known as  ³Reproductive Health Care Act of 2002 ´,assembled at Senateand House of Representatives of the Philippines, and now known as House Bill 5043 of 2008. It ¶s been years since the bill was approved in the senate, due to some churchconflicts, biomedical ethical issues and some scientific research conflicts. Today thereare still lots of Filipino citizen who are now fully aware about this bill and why this billwas imposed.Before I write this reaction paper I had to read the Bill twice and read somearticles, reaction and comments in the internet I had read books and research which isrelated to reproductive health, sex education and Bioethics, for me to fully understandwhat was the RH bill all about and the reason of the creation of this bill. Poverty, the main problems that the Philippine is facing today and they say thatthe primary factors that lead to poverty is due to overpopulation, the Philippines has apopulation of 64,318,120 in 1990. Today the population is ballooning and estimated toover 94 million according to latest census and the top 12 th  country having the mostpopulation. The population is growing by about 2 percent a year, giving the Philippinesone of the world ¶s highest population-growth rates.This is one of the reasons of the creation of the Reproductive Health bill to give asolution to poverty by eradicating the overpopulation problem, by implementing familyplanning, sex education and prevent the sexually transmitted disease.

Security Threats and Trade Barriers :: Economics Globalization Trade Papers

Security Threats and Trade Barriers "As defence, however, is much more important than opulence..." In 1776, even as Adam Smith was championing the ideals of a free market economy, he recognized that the interests of national security far outweighed the principles of free trade. More then two centuries later, that sentiment proves to still be accurate and in use. Since the early 1900s, the United States has used this precept to defend its position on trade barriers to hostile nations, and through the majority of the century, that predominantly referred to the Soviet Union and its allies. Just as Adam Smith supported the Navigation Acts in Great Britain to protect the navy (their chief means of defense; Smith 1776: 464), the United States has gone to great lengths to protect their chief means of defense: the technologically advanced electronics and machinery areas. The motive for these measures has not changed over the centuries. The desire to maintain superiority over other nations and to retain the ability to defend the sovereignty of the nation have remained an important aspect of both foreign and trade policy. It is the trade policy that we are most concerned with in this paper. It is the desire of the United States to preserve the technological superiority that we have enjoyed for so long. After all, if no other nation equals our level of technology, then it greatly reduces any threat from another nation simply because we can counter anything they may threaten us with. However, if it is not possible to retain such a lead in technology (and it is not, at least not for long), then it becomes necessary to retain the ability to deal with all subsequent security threats in an efficient manner. Smith advocated, and the United States has implemented, the use of export barriers to make sure that crucial goods or intelligence vital to national security does not leave the country or fall into the hands of our enemies. Though the Cold War is over, and the threat that has loomed over the United States and the rest of the world that depended on the United States for military support for the better part of this century has largely been eradicated, does not mean that there are no longer any security threats to the United States. The United States remains cautious in regards to the unstable status that Russia frequently seems to be in, as well as security threats from other nations like Iraq, and to some degree China.

Gentlemen, Your Verdict

Colton Oct 17th Gentlemen, Your verdict In this story Gentlemen your verdict, the captain of a submarine, L-C Oram, is put in a difficult situation which results in him sacrificing 14 of his men including himself, to save 5 men with families waiting for them back home. Of course killing people is wrong, but if I, or anyone else, was put into a situation like L-C Oram was, then I think it would be okay to†¦.. as bad as that sounds. In situations like these, I think there are some exceptions to killing people.He wasn’t trying to murder his crew for fun, he had good   intentions! He did it so that 5 men could go home to their families. He even sacrificed himself! He was being generous and thinking about the wives and children on those 5 men. L-C Oram had no choice! He was the captain, it was his duty to do the right thing†¦. whatever that may be. He had no time to think, and there was no way he could save all the men in the submarine. He was even kind enough to make s ure the crew died somewhat peacefully with the poison.But, this short story doesn’t make any sense at the end when the jury is asked â€Å"So gentlemen, guilty or not guilty? † Obviously he is guilty since he killed 14 other men and himself on top of that. I don’t see why he is on trial in the first place, he is dead! You can’t send a dead body to jail. Oram acted in the moment, anyone else would do the same thing. At least he saved the men that he did. In my opinion, he was a true captain. Everyone makes mistakes, even if this was a big one. I’m sure many others would agree with me that the only thing he is guilty of is being a true captain. A hero.

Eid vs Christmas Essay

In the building with the blue windows and the diamond shaped roof tops, children dressed in red and green with rosy cheeks, were gaily singing: â€Å"Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle all the way! Oh what fun it is to ride in a one more hoppin’ slay! Hey! †¦ Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! † In the building across the street, with the pink windows and the mosque behind it, families were visiting each other in their newly bought clothes and shining shoes, wishing each other: Eid Mubarak, Dear Brother, Dear Sister May Allah’s blessings be bestowed upon you and your family! † The year 2008 is host to Christmas and Eid al Adha during the same month, only a few days apart. One would notice that decorations and celebrations favour one of the Religious Holidays over the other. Why have we chosen to commercialise Christmas and not the Islamic event of Eid? How is it that worldwide Christmas is rejoiced at an extreme point of merriment, whereas Eid al Ad ha is commemorated only within its Islamic communities? The historical references of the birth of Christ (As) and the sacrifice of Ibrahim(As) and his son are known within both religions and are testimonies of social gatherings. Actually, in our Islamic religion we learn that Ibrahim (As) would sacrifice his son Ismael (As) in Makah, while among the Christians, they believe that Ibrahim (As) would sacrifice his son Isaac (As), not Ismael (As), in Palestine. Artists painted the scenes, poets rhymed the stories, authors researched the history, all in tribute to the religious aspect of the culture of their upbringings. So, why is Christmas the prize of the globalization of the market, and not Eid al Adha? Why is Christmas more widely accepted as a commercial Holiday and not Eid? Throughout history, religion has been a battleground for the survival of cultures and traditions. Territory was fought for based on religion, international communications broke down because of different convictions. Yet, the holidays seem to unite even people who are the farthest apart. Thanksgiving, Easter, Ramadan, Eid al Fitr, Eid al Adha and Christmas are celebrations that should be known worldwide; and for the most part they are. In the United States and Canada they honour Thanksgiving, also most westren countries have Easter and Christmas holidays; the Orient celebrate with some of these holidays. However, come Ramadan or Eid, and only the immediate Islamic based countries, like the Middle East and the South-Asian countries, know the details of the holiday. Abu Dhabi is an example of a multi-tradition and multi-cultural city. Every year, Ramadan is noticed and felt all over the city, even its peripheries. Usually, both Eids are just as important as Ramadan is. Nonetheless, this year, because Christmas and Eid al Adha are so close to each other, the shopping malls, hotels and other retail outlets are decorated with the spirit of Christmas and not the joy of Eid al Adha. The controversy is that this is an Islamic country, yet the atmosphere feels very occidental. There are Islamic countries that allow a one-day or two-day holiday scheme for Christmas, whereas Western countries don’t instigate the notion of respecting the religion of others in their society. This demonstrates the respect Islamic based governments have towards their inhabitants, what does it say about the Occident? The Islamic goverments does no justice to the foundation of its roots. It is quite disappointing when the nation’s leaders are not intervening and stating that Eid is as important as Christmas; maybe even more so! This is a country whose laws and government regulations are born from the Quran itself. True, Jesus’ (As) birth is a belief amongst Muslims, but so is the sacrificial symbol of the Adha a belief amongst the Christians and other religions in the world. Why can’t all cultures adopt the Islamic tradition of gifting children with new clothes and taking them out to restaurants and amusement parks? The government does not encourage Eid as much as it allows public places to be enveloped in Christmas decorations. In France, the Arab communities hold visitations and share in Islamic customs within their brotherhood, whilst around them Christmas carols are sung and the city is embellished in tinsel and goblins, awaiting the arrival of â€Å"Santa Claus†, or in their terms â€Å"Pere Noel. In Dubai, much like Abu Dhabi, hotels and restaurants have special Christmas luncheons. Shops and Malls give away special offers during the ‘Festive Season’. There is yet to be established an Eid theme blanketing the cities where Islam is the religion of base, like that of Christmas. What is even more upsetting is that Christmas is in itself less religious and more commercial than it was 500 years ago. Christmas has a face, a fi gure one can imagine when thinking of the Holiday: a jolly man, with a red suit and a white beard. He did not always look like this. â€Å"Santa Claus† acquired his red suit and the big belly through a Coca Cola advertisement in 1931. His image changed, distorted almost, into what we know now as â€Å"Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas! † by many cartoonists. â€Å"Through the centuries, Santa Claus has been depicted as everything from a tall gaunt man to an elf. He has worn a bishop’s robe and a Norse huntsman’s animal skin. The modern-day Santa Claus is a combination of a number of the stories from a variety of countries†*. (Coca-cola. om) Children stop believing in him at a very early age, whereas before, they would reach the age of maturity and only then learn that â€Å"Santa Claus† is a spirit of St. Nicholas. Eid al Adha, was, is and always will be the same. The story never changes. The facts are facts, not subject to individual interpretation. Families pass on the same heritage that remains untouched, untainted, unpenetrated by social ref orm. In conclusion, I strongly believe that the injustice the Islamic governors does, the discrimination between religions should be educated to a halt. Eid al Adha is my upbringing. Within my family, an uncle has a Christian wife, their house is always decorated with Christmas twinkles during the season; this year, they waited with the decorations until after Eid al Adha. As a Muslim in an Islamic society, I have been brought up to respect all religions and beliefs by our Islamic governments; so why now can’t the Islamic governments respect their religion that they take oath to respect, protect, and maintain it?

where the red fern grows essays

where the red fern grows essays Billy is coming home from work one day when suddenly he hears some dogs up the street fighting. He goes to check it out and finds them picking on a redbone hound. He saves the dog and cares for it through the night. It reminds him of his childhood. When Billy was ten years old he lived on a farm in the Ozark Mountains of northeastern Oklahoma. He wanted two good coonhounds very badly, he called it puppy love, but his papa could not afford to buy him the dogs. For many months, Billy tries to content himself with some rodent traps his papa gives him, but he still wants a dog. Then one day he finds a sportsmans catalog in an abandoned campsite. In it he sees an ad for good hounds, at $25 each. He decides he wants to save $50 and order himself two hounds. Billy works hard, selling fruit and bait to fishermen, and gathering fruit that he sells to his grandfather at his store. Finally, he saves enough money and gives it to his grandfather to order the dogs for him and asks him to keep it s secret. When a notice comes that they have arrived at the mail depot in the nearby town of Tahlequah, they decide to go into town the next week. That night Billy decides he can not wait any longer. He packs himself a little food, and heads of for town following the river through the woods. He walks all night, and finally reaches town in the morning. The people in town laugh and stare at the young hillbilly, but it does not bother Billy he is there on a mission to get his dogs. He finally collects his dogs and walks back out of town with their small heads sticking out of his bag. Some schoolchildren mob around him and knock him down, but the town sheriff rescues him. The sheriff is impressed with Billys determination, and says he has grit. That, night Billy camped in a cave with his two puppies. They wake up in the middle of the night to hear the call of a mountain lion. Billy builds a fire to keep th...

How to Create a Mad Scientist Costume

How to Create a Mad Scientist Costume A mad scientist costume is great for Halloween, inspiring images of how science can run amock, creating horrific monstrosities. Here are tips on how to create a great mad scientist costume: Hair ... or not The decision on what sort of hair to have is an important one. You can go with wild hair (such as Albert Einstein and Doc Brown from the Back to the Future movies) or bald, the Lex Luthor route. If going for wild hair, there are inexpensive wigs available in most costume shops. Alternately, you can create your own with a bald cap by gluing fabric hair (from local fabric or craft stores) onto it - perhaps different colored hair. Or, if your hair is long enough, you can use styling gel and unusual hair colorings to get the desired effect. A bald cap (especially nice for female mad scientists) will also do. To really complete the look, you may want to use some fake skin to cover up your eyebrows. This will create an effect that youve lost all your hair due to the bizarre potions youve tested on yourself. A middle approach between the two is to glue chunks of fabric hair onto the bald cap, so that it looks like your hair is falling out in chunks. Again, using hair with strange colors might be useful. Other Headgear Some sort of eyewear is generally a good idea. Find an old pair of glasses with bulky frames, perhaps from a thrift store, and pop out the lenses. You might want to decorate them by gluing or taping object to them, like bottlecaps, beads, etc. Tape (duct tape) or Band-Aids can be used to make the glasses look like theyve been broken and mended. Goggles are also a nice alternative. A goattee is a nice addition for a mad scientist. If you cant or dont want to grow your own, you can glue some fur into your chin. Try to frame it into a sharp point, perhaps using a bent paperclip or piece of cardboard as a frame to mount it on. Lab Coat The lab coat is, of course, the crucial element of the mad scientist costume. This is what translates the costume from random weirdo to mad scientist. Around Halloween, lab coats are pretty easy to find anywhere costumes are sold. You can also get actual lab coats at medical supply stores, thrift stores, and the like. If you have trouble finding one, you can contact your local hospital to find out where they are sold locally. Personally, the best lab coat Ive ever seen is the Mad Scientists Union Local #3.14. I didnt buy it online, so I cant attest to this vendor, but the lab coat is very cool. You can also decorate the labcoat with pins, stickers, stencils, decals, rips, scorch marks, food spills, equations, and the like ... whatever you feel comfortable with based on the cost of the lab coat. Pants - The Easy Part Generally, dark pants or a dark skirt will work to finish the outfit. A goofy pair of shoes, such as bowling shoes, would do well to complete the outfit. Final Accessories A pocket protector (try office supply stores) is a perfect addition to the costume. Fill it up with as many pens and pencils as you can. Throw in a compass, ruler, spiral notepad, and calculator if you can. Heck, carry around an abacus if you can find one. Another nice accessory would be a beaker filled with strange-colored liquid. Exotic colors of punch (i.e. Kool-Aid) can create this. Add some dry ice so smoke will drift off of it. Note: If you do have a potion with dry ice in it, do not drink. A flourescent stick, like what you get at the circus, can be inserted to make it glow ... and is great for stirring up your concoction. Some Last Comments The unbridled wackiness is the best part of the mad scientist costume. Be funny and nuts, and youll pull it off. Anything you can think of to add to the costumes eccentricity is a plus. Try to go as cheap as you can, since you may want to make a real mess of the costume to create the right mood. Old pants, tattered lab coats, funny shoes, out of style glasses ... thrift stores are the perfect place to get components for the mad scientist costume. Mad Scientist Sidekick Costumes Robot costumeBride of Frankenstein costumeCousin It costumeFrank-Einstein costumeGeeky Science Nerd costumeGhostbuster costume

On Orientalism Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

On Orientalism - Movie Review Example The theme of Orientalism and empire is rooted in the reasons used to justify the colonization of the East by the European imperial powers (wings.buffalo.edu). The Palestine question is another intriguing aspect of how the orientalist trend by the West has created an ideal middle east in modern Orientalism. The media coverage of Palestinian people gives a distorted image of Palestine, which depicts its inhabitants as irrational, unreasonable and violent people. The practice of irresponsible journalism by the Western media thrusts the stone throwing brand on Palestine as violent country (wings.buffalo.edu). The Oklahoma City bombing is quintessentially a guiding experience of how the West has a misunderstanding of the Middle East as a terrorist region. The media, especially the London Sunday Times portrayed racist phrases. For instance, the attack was described as â€Å"match made in Mecca†. Said explores the impact of Orientalism in the production of information on a restrained framework that ignorant of the diversity of the Islamic world. Furthermore, the Oklahoma City bombing was not Middle East attack. In fact, the attack was reported to be from a deep-seated Christian origin (wings.buffalo.edu). The American Orientalism is rooted in American, foreign policy mainly influenced by political and economic interests in the East. The American Orientalism features along the theme of barbaric stereotypes of the Middle East inhabitants. The U.S views the Middle East with the notion that it is a terror region with the mission of disrupting peace and stability of the American people. Modern America experiences challenging diplomatic relations with the Middle East that began in the twentieth century demonizing the Muslims and Arabs as anti-western terrorists (wings.buffalo.edu). The Palestinian question is quintessentially an enlightening scenario that ushers modern Orientalism

Operation Pressure Point.The Drug Trade Problem Essay

Operation Pressure Point.The Drug Trade Problem - Essay Example (DEA, 2007) Fantino (2000), a former Chief of Police, states that the role of the policemen is to ensure the safety and security of the members of society against those who may wish it harm. The proliferation of drugs is certainly a threat to society and should be addressed in the soonest possible time. However, even with the many programs instituted by police agencies, the problem still lingers. Zimmer (1987) and the Vera Institute of Justice (1993) relate to us two police strategies that are conceptually effective but are actually insufficient. In the 1980's, the drug problem in the East Side was getting rampant to the point that sales and usage of the illegal substances were blatantly exposed on the streets. The Lower East Side became the proverbial drug addict's heaven as he had unlimited access to drugs with little or no threat of arrest. This state of affairs was the result of the declining capacity of the police to counter the problem due to budget cuts and decline in personnel (Smith, 1982). To counter the problem and to address the increasing community pressure, the Police Department launched Operation Pressure Point which involved the assignment of about 250 officers who conducted buy-bust operations, patrolling, boarding up of abandoned buildings and fencing of parks and vacant lots. Community involvement and improvements and prioritization of drug related complaints were also employed. According to the information gathered by Zimmer (1987), the operation succeeded in halting the blatant drug supermarket and was able to reduce the volume of drugs traded in the area. Nonetheless, Zimmer (1987) argues that the success of the operation was limited as the achievements were only superficial. Underneath the seeming improved situation lies still the drug problem as the trade still continues. To counter the increased police presence, drug dealers employed more lookouts, varied the time and venue of sales, sold in large quantities and made deals only with established clients. The result was that the availability levels were like before. In one of his later papers, Zimmer (1993) points out that the rationale behind the operation was the 'mass-arrest strategy' where the police believe that a major sweep of a drug-infested area could lead to the arrest of many drug dealers. This would ensure that the drug problem would be eliminated in that area. However, Zimmer (1993) argues that even though such strategy "destabilizes the market"; it also "creates opportunity for new people to come into the business". Replacements are not a problem especially in poor communities where "there is no shortage of people who are looking for this opportunity". Reading Zimmer (1987) reveals to us the complex problem of addressing the drug trade problem and breaks our notion that mass arrests could lead to the elimination of this threat. I find Operation Pressure Point praiseworthy because the methods were based on a range of consistent, integrated and comprehensive approaches appropriate to local problems but I also find it lacking in the sense that it was unable to realize that weeds should be pulled at its roots and not only at its stalk. From my point of view, the operation achieved only little because it did not provide for any methods to identify the main suppliers but instead focus on the low end dealers. Instead of focusing only the consumer side, they should also have broken the supply chain right from the