Review on the novel Playground of the Gods by Cathy Spellman

Review on the novel Playground of the Gods by Cathy Spellman Cathy Spellman's, The Playground of The Gods is an exuberant novel which deals with murder in a remote tropical paradise but can further be read as an illustration of man's ignorance and invasion of nature."Do it big, or stay in bed."( Larry Kelly). These are words that Thoros Gagarian lives by. He is one of the wealthiest men in the world and when picking his private paradise, only one place on earth could serve his needs and fantasies. This place is Mora Utu-The playground of the Gods-a green jewel in the placid blue expanse of the South Pacific, the most luxurious and seductive private preserve anywhere on the planet. Once his prized-possession has been found, Thoros immediately ships the island natives to a different island and brings in his construction crews to hurriedly build his paradise in order to have it ready for a celebratory visit by 12 of his close friends.Book coverIn the introduction to the story, Cathy Spellman makes clear the notion that the protagonist, Thoros Gag arian views himself as an indestructible god. Her descriptions of his haste purchase of his Island paradise shows a man for whom their is no boundaries. His arrogance is further displayed in his building of his compound.Spellman's voice of reason comes from a spiritual Mexican couple who are Thoros's servants. They not only warn but predict of many consequences to the ignorance to which nature is being shown. "Nature will not permit alteration on such a scale."(Emilio, 114).However, these warnings are ignored by the men who do not appreciate a bizarre servant couple speaking of things which money can't buy and power can't control. This is when Spellman's utilization of irony comes into the picture. A member of the party catches a tropical fever, yet he can't be...

A Childs Promise.

A Childs Promise. This Friday night seemed just like any other with Mom and I lounging on the sofa watching the Grand Ole Opry. I could feel the joy that the Opry brought to my mom just by the look in her eyes as she watched, listened, and sometimes sang. Well she hummed more than she sang but that was my mom's way of singing. As we watched her eyes would glow. Sometimes I would see a sparkle. As I watched her I knew what I had to do. I hugged my mom and said "Mother, when I'm all grown up I'm going to take you there". Mom hugged me in return and said, "I'm sure that you will".As I started dinner, I turned the radio on and to my surprise the station was doing a special on The Grand Ole Opry. This brought my childhood memories roaring back. The Grand Ole Opry played on the radio in the kitchen every evening as Mom cooked dinner.English: Grand Ole Opry House, in Nashville, TN. T...She would hum and I would ask her to dance (as I had seen my father do). She would accept, especially if it were a slow song . Mom said that when it came to fast dancing she was afraid that she would break something and that with nine children she needed every thing she had to keep up with us. We would dance and at the end I would bow and say "thank you madam", she would courtesy and off I would go. Then I remembered the promise that I had made to her so many years before. I had a plan.The following morning at work I put in for a week of vacation. Next came the wait for the approval. One day turned into the next, the next into the following. I...

Case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 17

Case Study Example Labor standards cost is another bottleneck as it is high. Maintenance of the machinery requires people to do the work. These people consume funds that drain the company (Truckseat Case Study, 3). The production line is a bottleneck in the sense that the cost of raw materials has increased by double digits. This impacts negatively on the company has the company is forced to pay more for materials that previously cost less. At the same time the quality of products produced are below the customer expectations. When customer expectations about the product are lowered, loyalty becomes elusive (Truckseat Case Study, 3). The bottlenecks drain the company immensely. The reason for bottlenecks is because when the company does not make maximum gains from the products while spending as much to settle labor cost, maintenance of machines not to mention the quality of the products. Bottlenecks are eminent in the delivery section as well. Case in point is that there is no clear determination as to when products should be made and availed to the customers. Consequently, there is a disconnect in the sense that there is no proper market survey to establish demand and supply chain. So in essence, what happens is that sometimes products are sometimes manufactured and not delivered for the simple reason that there is no ready market to have the goods. Another bottleneck arises when the customers are in need of the products but the production levels are low. This happens due to poor forecasting of the market to determine market needs and wants. The level of customer satisfaction is below average in the sense that the quality is not up to the standards expected by the clients. The qualitative analysis figures are in the appendices. 2. Stocks can be an effective lever to remove the bottleneck: select where (along the production flow) to position the decoupling  point: Compare different feasible alternatives of decoupling

Equations of motion Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Equations of motion - Assignment Example In rotational motion, the forces generate angular acceleration as well as where the point where the force is applied. Thus, angular acceleration is generated by torque. Torque is the product of the applied force and the moment arm, (N-m). Its magnitude is expressed as . In order to understand angular motion, an experiment was set to investigate the rotation motion of objects. The objective of the experiment was to utilize the knowledge in physics in performing it without the assistance of computer simulation to measure time and determine and predict the velocity of a rotating object. Angular motion can be described through the use of linear velocity and acceleration. But it is not convenient to use the same since the linear velocity and acceleration are dependent on the distance from a rotation axis. Angular quantities can thus be used to describe rotational kinematics and dynamics in complete analogy with linear dynamics and kinematics. The angular displacement of a solid disk rotating about a fixed axis is the angle at which the disk turns. The convention is that a displacement is positive if clockwise and negative when counterclockwise. The unit of measurement is the radian (rad), which is dimensionless. A radian is the ration of the arc length to the radius. The total arc length around a complete circle is the circumference, and thus there are 2 radians in 360Â °. Therefore, one radian is equal to 57.3Â °. Angular velocity is the rate of change of an angle with respect to time, and it is the same for all parts of a rotating body. It is a vector quantity and thus, its direction is along the axis of rotation. Its unit is radians/second. Angular acceleration is the rate of change of this velocity and is expressed

Laughing leads to learning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Laughing leads to learning - Essay Example Stambor makes a strong case for humor by quoting Johns Hopkins professor Ron Berk as saying that the use of comedy in the classroom â€Å"helps relieve fear and reduce anxiety." He also quotes Berk as saying that humor can relieve both the physical and psychological stress that students may feel from the pressure of succeeding in the classroom. Stambor also says that there is â€Å"a growing body of research† that humor can result in â€Å"boosting participation and increasing students' motivation to focus on the material.† ! While comedy can be helpful, Stamor also makes the important point that there are ways of using humor which are not useful. He says that researcher Melissa Bekelja Wanzer of Canisius College believes that â€Å"instructors who use distracting or inappropriate humor can actually interfere with students' learning.† Stamor quotes another scholar, Jennings Bryant from Alabama University, who says that â€Å"humor can be overdone to the point t hat students are so busy awaiting the next gag that they miss the teacher's message.† Referemces How laughing leads to learning, By Stambor, Zac, Monitor Staff June 2006, Vol 37, No. 6. Print version: page 62

3(S) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

3(S) - Essay Example sis, human resource management is a very important element in a business or public organization, as it will ensure that the organization under consideration has highly skilled and efficient employees. This in turn will make the organization to serve its customers in an efficient manner, leading to the achievement of the goals and objectives of the organization under consideration. The government of the United Arabs Emirates has realized on the importance of human resource management. In a bid for the government of the United Arab Emirates to decrease unemployment, and increase the efficiency of its work force, the government has come up with a series of policies aimed at addressing these issues (Werner and DeSimone, 2012). One such policy is the emiratisation of the country’s economy. The government of UAE developed this program, in order to train the citizens of the emirates to be highly competitive employees, and this is through the introduction of a good education system, and sponsoring seminars and trainings that focus on the abilities, skills, and competencies that are needed by employers in the Emirates (Yamamoto, 2013). The intention of this program is to recruit nationals who are in the private and public sector in a manner that is efficient and meaningful. Since the inception of this program, the public sector has made great steps in making this program a success. However, the private sector hasn’t made any progress, with statistic indicating that the citizens of UAE only occupy 0.5% of the total workforce in the private sector. Based on this background, the goal of this paper is to develop an efficient human resource strategy for the government of the UAE. This paper aims at achieving this goal by analyzing the various human resource strategies of the UAE, identifying their weaknesses and strengths. This paper mainly concerns itself with analyzing the emiratisation program of the UAE, and this is because it is the main human resource strategy of

An Honourable Policy Pursued by Honourable Men Essay Example for Free

An Honourable Policy Pursued by Honourable Men Essay When Neville Chamberlain came to power in 1937, he was left with the problems of Nazi Germany to deal with. Chamberlain stuck to a policy of appeasement, making peace in Europe his main aim. He went to new lengths to try and prevent war, such as flying to Germany and discuss problems in person (shuttle diplomacy) which had not been done before. For his efforts in trying to keep the peace, perhaps Chamberlain was an honourable man. However there were weaknesses to his approach, such as his arrogance in refusing to listen to his Foreign Secretary Eden, which may be important factors to why appeasement inevitably failed. If not honourable, then appeasement was certainly a logical policy to undergo initially. Not only was Great Britain economically unprepared for a war, but the vast majority of British people did not want another war. World War I was said to be the war to end all wars, so preventing another war was certainly a logical decision, perhaps even a moral one. At this time there was also unrest in the Far East involving Britains colonies. Britain was certainly not in the position to get involved in conflicts in the far east and in Europe. Neville Chamberlain said himself; war wins nothing, cures nothing, ends nothing, therefore appeasement seemed the most obvious solution. As a politician Chamberlain had his strengths. From the outset he never did trust Hitler or Mussolini, which means he was not totally unaware of their danger. Had Chamberlain made decisions involving Hitler or Mussolini without being aware of their aggressive natures, he would undoubtedly have been a naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve and somewhat stupid politician. However he was careful in his decision-making and made it clear how little he trusted Hitler. Chamberlain also surrounded himself with people he knew, and who supported his ideas. His original foreign secretary, Eden, did not agree with Chamberlains approach, and they did not get on. Chamberlain put his faith in someone he knew, Lord Halifax, to partake in diplomatic talks with Hitler in Germany instead of Eden. Although this was undermining Eden, it could be argued that without full support, a government is essentially weak. Having a weak government at this time would be just the thing Hitler would look for. Therefore Chamberlain was not wrong to ensure he had a team of people all working toward the same goal. Chamberlains Plan Z is definitely commendable, as it shows the lengths he went to, to work out Hitlers plans and try and keep the peace. Chamberlain flew to meet Hitler in Berchtesgaden which had not been done before in British politics. Hitler wanted to reclaim the Sudeten land, and Chamberlain agreed. Although some critics would view this as giving in and encouraging Hitler to make more demands, in the short term it was a good decision. Very few people were prepared to go to war over the Sudeten land, including France who even had an alliance with Czechoslovakia. The reality of it was that the Sudeten land was a predominantly German area, and had originally been part of Germany until the Treaty of Versailles. Most people living in the Sudation land actually wanted to be part of Germany again too. Therefore most people believed it was rightfully Germanys anyway, and giving the Sudeten land to Hitler was a far more logical decision than going to war over it. When Chamberlain returned from Germany after his third visit, he returned with a signed agreement saying that Germany and Britain did not want to go to war with one another again. At the time, Chamberlain was seen as a hero, and in the short term, he was, as he had managed to prevent war from breaking out again. Chamberlain stuck to his view on preventing war, despite making alliances which would suggest otherwise. Britains alliance with Poland can be seen as honourable as it was not only promising to protect Poland if it were to be invaded, but instead of encouraging war, it acted as a deter to Hitler. Although appeasement eventually failed, Neville Chamberlain was certainly honourable in his efforts to try and keep the peace in Europe. However, there were definite weaknesses to Chamberlains character and some of his actions. Although Chamberlain made clear how little he trusted Hitler, there were certain incidents which should have shown him that Hitler was unappeasable. Even before Chamberlain came to power, Hitler made clear he was more than a little untrustworthy when Eden in 1936, sent him a questionnaire asking him on his exact terms and demands in Europe, and Hitler never replied. Hitler and Mussolini later together helped in the Spanish Civil War to bomb certain cities, which would look more like practice for a later war as opposed to the actions of men interested in appeasement. In 1937, when Eden said that Germany could chose between co-operation and force, and should they choose co-operation there is nobody in this country that would not assist whole-heartedly to remove misunderstandings, Hitler replied This is not possible until Germany is treated equally. By equality Hitler probably meant scrapping all the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. This response shows that Hitler was not interested in peace, but fighting for what he wanted, which should have shown Chamberlain he was not interested in appeasement. Maybe this should have made Chamberlain realise that appeasement was a weak policy where Hitler was concerned. Perhaps the most alarming indication that Hitler was unappeasable was the fact that he signed the Munich agreement without reading it through thoroughly. Instead of making Chamberlain notice how insignificant this therefore made the Munich agreement, he returned to Britain as a hero. This makes Chamberlain seem much more of a naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve politician than an honourable one. Instead of pursuing with appeasement when Hitler seemed less than dedicated to it, Chamberlain should have concentrated more on rearmament and gaining allies in preparation for a war which was imminent. Chamberlain was right to an extent to surround himself with people willing to work towards the same goals, and who believed in the same as him, as without this a government is essentially a weak one. However Chamberlain was not willing to listen to opinions of people that disagreed with his in any way. This is a weakness for any politician, as politicians need to work together and point out possible improvements in each others ideas. Chamberlain was not honourable in sidelining his foreign secretary Eden, as this was a sly move. Eden was interested in making allies, whereas Chamberlain was interested in lessening enemies. Instead of listening to each other and coming to a compromise, Chamberlain deliberately undermined Eden when he sent his close friend Lord Halifax to Germany for diplomatic talks with Hitler. Not only did he fail to consult Eden on this matter, but it was Edens job as a foreign secretary to have talks with Hitler, not Halifaxs. Halifax was more of a civil servant than a politician as were many of the men in Chamberlains cabinet. Halifax even failed to recognise Hitler when he met him. This was therefore not only a sly decision to make, but also a foolhardy one, which could have ended disastrously, as Halifax did not have the skills or knowledge that Eden had. This shows Chamberlain in a far less honourable light. Both Chamberlain and Eden showed how childish and unprofessional they were when they had a meeting with Grandi, and quite openly rowed to the extent that the following day, Eden resigned. If Chamberlain had any integrity he would have at least have spoken to Eden in private and tried to find a compromise. Showing a public display of discontentment within the British government could also have made Britain look weak, as so an easy target of Hitler and Mussolini. Chamberlain and Eden both wanted what they believed was best for Britain, however Chamberlain was arrogant in his refusal to listen to Edens professional opinion. As the two of them were unable to come to any agreement, this shows how stubborn they both were, or at least how arrogant Chamberlain was in not listening to his own foreign secretary and effectively forcing him out of office. Another foolish and somewhat arrogant decision Chamberlain made, was to refuse to partake in an international conference proposed by President Roosevelt of the USA. This conference was designed to try and solve the current problems and unrest in Europe. However Chamberlain believed the only thing that Britain could rely on from the USA was words. However Chamberlains response was instantly dismissive which could have proved dangerous as the USA was a strong ally to have. Chamberlain was against the idea of America taking the credit for solving the problems in Europe, which at this time was a rather childish attitude to take, as preventing a dictator from causing a second full-scale war was a far more pressing issue than a battle of reputations and pride. As Stanley Baldwin rightly said, Chamberlain had a naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve confidence in his own judgement and powers or persuasion. This shows how Chamberlain was not entirely honourable. Many see. the policy of appeasement as a failure as Hitler seemed the character to fight for what he wanted, not have it given to him. Perhaps the policy of appeasement made him even more aggressive, as Hitler did not want to negotiate terms on land which he believed was rightfully his. Chamberlain seemed to go out of his way to accommodate Hitlers demands, which some believe encouraged Hitler to make new demands. Many believe the Munich agreement was a disaster, as Hitler could have been stopped if Britain had declared war in 1938. Chamberlain also failed to build a Grand Alliance between the USSR and USA. Hitler failed to take appeasement seriously, but nobody could be expected to when Chamberlain signed an alliance with Poland, as this shows even he was getting prepared for war. Appeasement was certainly an honourable policy to the extent that it was a moral and ethical one, as it was designed to prevent war. It is easy to use hindsight to discredit Chamberlains attempts, as war inevitably did break out in 1939. However he went to new lengths, such as shuttle diplomacy, to negotiate with Hitler, who was a difficult man to work with as Chamberlain admitted. Perhaps Hitler was always the stronger character and politician, who was determined to fight for his beliefs, not have things given to him, which could be why appeasement failed. However, Chamberlains attitude towards his foreign secretary Eden was incredibly arrogant. Had he worked with Eden, ensuring they built strong allies such as the USA, this could have deterred Hitler from declaring war. This shows how Chamberlain allowed pride and reputation to dictate his politics and diplomacy. Chamberlain gave Hitler too much leeway, and should have realised sooner that Hitler was not interested in appeasement, but war. Therefore he should have put more into rearmament and ally-building sooner. Chamberlain showed great honour in his determination to try and prevent war, and in essence appeasement was an honourable policy. However appeasement was obviously failing as Hitler made more and more demands, which somehow defeats its honour. Neville Chamberlain had serious flaws to his character and dealings with appeasement which too took away from his honour, as did his and Edens approaches toward each other. Therefore initially appeasement was honourable, as was Chamberlain for pursuing it, but both began to lose their honour when appeasement was obviously failing, and Chamberlain was leading through naivety and over-confidence in his own judgement and powers of persuasion.