Ways of Reading Essay Example for Free

Ways of Reading Essay The Dark Night of the Soul The Dark Night of the Soul by Richard E Miller has been written with a main point always in mind, that reading and writing has very powerful influences people and their imagination but, the act of reading and writing is not being utilized as much in the modern world. Richard has created an essay that proves his point by taking five very different short stories and giving each a twist that helps the reader see the power of reading. As the reader is chronologically going through the essay he or she is given many possible meanings of the essay. The meaning and the relationships that the stories share are not revealed until the last page of the essay. The essay begins with the story of two distraught high scholars named Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold.In this story Miller really shows us the power of imagination. The feeling of being lonely drove them to the point of becoming violent. The boys went on a rampage. Miller also uses the example of Chris McCandless to further prove his point. McCandless threw away his life and went out on a journey to live by himself in the wilderness because of the stories he read. Miller wants to transmit to us that reading and writing have very powerful influences in people and their imagination, but he believes the power of reading and writing is not being utilized as much in the modern world. Through the examples he presents in the Dark Night of the Soul he tries to show different perspectives of reading and writing so that the reader realizes that both are really powerful realities which can have a big influence in someone’s life.

William Faulkner’s novel As I Lay Dying :: William Faulkner, As I Lay Dying

I have both negative and positive things to say about William Faulkner’s novel As I Lay Dying. In the book Faulkner uses a very unique approach for narration. He has very strong sentences and vocabulary, but the story itself was too strange and warped for my enjoyment. Nevertheless there is a vibe given off in this Faulkner Novel that make it a timeless classic.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When I started reading this book it only took me the first few chapters to notice that the vocabulary and sentence structure are superb. Faulkner puts the words in his sentences so perfectly it strikes me as a work of art. Descriptive sentences like this with outstanding vocabulary give the reader a distinct image of what Faulkner is describing â€Å"It wheels up like a motionless hand lifted above the profound desolation of the ocean; beyond it the red road lies like a spoke of which Addie Bundren is the rim† Faulkner uses a myriad of descriptive adjectives, vocabulary and metaphors in this an many of his sentences to give the novel a true ring.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Faulkner novel indeed does have its disturbing strangeness however. The entire family acts as if they each are from a different species of human. Their awkward personalities and strange minds give an unpleasant shutter to the tone of the story making it somewhat uncomfortable to read and even more uncomfortable once you put the book down because it leaves you somewhat bewildered. Perhaps the story would have been better if it were from one narrator’s point of view instead of a plethora of them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Positive or Negative it’s a tough argument to deny that this is truly a classic novel. The artistic sentences and the demented minds of the characters create a whirlwind in the readers mind, sucking them into the book and making them feel as if they were part of the story.

Compensation and Benefits Strategies Recommendations Essay

In this scenario, Team A has agreed to work with a small business, Landslide Limousine. Bradley Stonefield is our client whom we must develop some compensation and benefit recommendations. Landslide Limousine is a small business with approximately 25 employees that is located in Austin, Texas. First, Team A will conduct a market evaluation by researching what companies in the relevant market are providing to employees from a total compensation perspective. Second, recommend a compensation structure. Third, recommend the position in the market. Fourth, create a total compensation and benefits strategy. Fifth, consider the use of performance incentives and merit pay to recognize and engage employees. Lastly, identify laws related to the benefits and pay program. Market Evaluation On account of the tight competition in Austin Texas, it will be challenging as a small business owner starting out to be competing with the larger companies in the market. Luckily, Austin’s average pay for a limousine driver is 6% lower in this city than the national average which will be a benefit to Landslide Limousines. Austin has over 400 different competing companies in the area so having an upper hand on the total compensation of its employees will be highly beneficial. When looking at the area of competitors many do not offer health insurance or offer very little coverage to its employees. Between these companies very few allow the drivers to take all of their tips or compensation for these services. Along with these lacks of benefits, problems that could also occur in this market is the high turnover rate due to low wages. By offering these additional benefits that other competitors are not, it allows Landslide Limousines the ability to find the best drivers and retain them. Over time, retaining drivers will  save the company a significant amount of money not having to train new employees from constant turnover. In addition, being able to retain those that are experts in their fields, the customer satisfaction for the company will continually bring in new business allow the company to expand to 25 employees in the near future. Recommendation for Compensation Structure Based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average pay for a limousine driver in Texas is $10.95 a year or $22,770 based on a full time. This standard includes tenured and new drivers. The minimum wage is for Texas is $7.25 or $15,080. After looking at these statistics, it is recommended that you come up with a hiring structure based on experience and duties for the role. Also consider offering a premium pay for peak or late night hours. Keep in mind if it is decided to provide health insurance it is recommended to keep the wage slightly lower than if it were not to be offered. A business needs to keep a financial balance and by offering both a higher wage along with health benefits it could put Landslide Limousines in more than the fifty thousand in debt than expected. Since the company decided to allow drivers to keep ninety percent of their tips, it is recommended that the starting pay for the driver with 5 years’ experience be slightly below the Texas average given all the additional benefits the driver will receive. By giving drivers the ability to have ninety percent of their compensation pay, it gives them a high incentive to work at their best. It also allows the company the ability to track their best/most profitable drivers. Using this data will be significant when offering annual reviews and raises. Recommendation for Position in Market When looking at compensation and benefits one must look at their main competitors. Knowing one’s competition gives a view of whom in their market might sway or temp employees to the said organization. Landslide’s main competition is Big as Texas Limousine service and Austin Black service. These companies are currently operating in the Austin, Texas marketplace and are a large competitor. In addition, the market can easily offer skilled workers and great benefits. Landslide must offer a benefits package to keep up with their competitor, and if they wish to stay in business, keeping their employees satisfied amongst competition is a must. Team A recommends  that Landslide must offer similar or improved benefits to their employees. Further, Landslide should offer a training program to entry level employees so that the service is exceptional and customers will continue to utilize their business. Compensation and Benefits Strategy When running an organization, managers and other members of leaders needs to take a look at the compensation and benefit strategy. A strategic plan for employee compensation determines how much you want to pay employees and what type of employees you want to attract. Your compensation plan entails a variety of aspects including pay scales, reward programs, benefits packages and company perks. A successful strategic compensation plan allows your business to compete in the market for the best employees in your industry (â€Å"Strategic Plan for Employee Compensation and Benefits†, 2014). Here are a few recommendation I would make to help with the creation of a compensation and benefit strategy plan. Attracting Quality Employees Your strategic plan for compensation plays a large role in attracting competent employees. Paying wages at or above the prevailing wage in the market for your company’s industry allows you to demand workers with more experience and positive work histories. Employing more qualified workers leads to better results, including higher productivity and customer service interactions. This can increase your company’s revenue and help your business establish its identity with consumers (â€Å"Strategic Plan for Employee Compensation and Benefits†, 2014). Rewards for Performance A compensation strategy may also include rewards for employees based on workplace performance. This may include a commission-based system that rewards employees for total amount of sales or for consistent positive feedback from customers. A reward system should be easy for employees to understand and attainable enough at its lower levels to encourage employees to work harder to reach higher goals. A reward system with performance levels too high for employees to reach early on in the process won’t encourage harder work because employees will simply ignore it (â€Å"Strategic Plan for Employee Compensation and Benefits†, 2014). Perks and Benefits Perks and benefits can make or break your company’s ability to attract the best and brightest in your industry. Offering health insurance benefits to full-time workers should be a goal of your strategic compensation plan. You can combine health insurance with other company perks, including paid holidays and guaranteed paid vacation time, to attract more qualified workers to your business. Your decision to offer these benefits is also contingent on the success of your company. You may choose to add health care coverage and paid time off to your benefits package only after your company is showing profitability or makes it past the first year (â€Å"Strategic Plan for Employee Compensation and Benefits†, 2014). Incentives and Merit Pay Subsequently as this is a new limousine service, primarily driven by customer satisfaction. We must consider how to engage staff, by introducing performance incentive plans that support the key business objectives of the Limousine Service; motivating staff into achieving the goals set by management and providing cost-effective rewards for performance. Helm and Holladay (2007) stated, â€Å"Effective performance management involves a complete system of goal setting, training, communication, and ongoing feedback from a practice† (p. 4). Considering the current performance management strategic plan for the business, we will have 25 employees to begin the infrastructure. So we can reasonably consider implementing annual, quarterly annual, and end of year special incentives in addition to merit pay for every employee based on the company’s performance rating. Where the individual performance appraisal is described as â€Å"an important means to achieve goals set by the comp any’s top management, not just a way to change wages,† (Robbins & Judges, 2013, p. 254). The company will outline the quarterly objectives on the 3rd day of the first month of each quarter based on categories such as, leading happy people and driving out risk. Notably each department will have concrete and measurable key performance indicators(KPI)that will align with the Limousine company’s goals; also some defined employee’s will be responsible for multiple areas, and will have specific KPI’s or management by objectives( MBO) unique to their position. The annual portion of the incentive plan will be based on the execution of targets in the following categories; profit before taxes, customer service (gallop score) and service level scores, also marketing our stuff which the  total percentage of all groups equaling 100%. Additionally, an individual incentive will be paid to individuals that exceeded expectations in the customer service. Plus all the regular full-time and part-time employees are eligible, and those working less than 40 hours will receive prorated payments for all plan types. But in order to remain eligible to participate in the incentive scheme, employees must be given a performance rating of ‘fully met expectations’ and nothing less on their annual appraisals under the corporate performance evaluation program. Considerably, the implementation of incentives plans in addition to the performance management plan will create success for the company, and bred a culture of happy people. Related Laws to Benefits/Pay Program Team A has put together a few laws that pertain to Landslide Limousines. These laws will assist in the protection of business assets, employees, and customers. Understanding the laws and what one needs to do to stay in compliance is extremely vital in the success of a business. Otherwise, it can become a detriment and soon it will become the ultimate downfall of one’s brand and company. Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) of 1985 If an employee terminate employment or reduce their hours of employment, they will usually have the right to temporarily continue their health and dental coverage through their employer. This law requires that most employers sponsoring group health plans offer employees and their families the opportunity for a temporary extension of health and dental coverage (called â€Å"COBRA coverage†) at group rates in certain qualifying instances where coverage under the plan would otherwise end. If you are an employee of CWRU and are covered by one of the group health and dental plans, you have a right to choose COBRA coverage if you lose your group health coverage because of a reduction in your hours of employment or the termination of your employment (for reasons other than gross misconduct on your part) (â€Å"Laws Affecting Benefits†, 2011). HIPAA Privacy Rule The Office for Civil Rights enforces the HIPAA Privacy Rule, which protects the privacy of individually identifiable health information; the HIPAA Security Rule, which sets national standards for the security of electronic protected health information; the HIPAA Breach Notification Rule, which requires covered entities and business associates to provide notification following a breach of unsecured protected health information; and the confidentiality provisions of the Patient Safety Rule, which protect identifiable information being used to analyze patient safety events and improve patient safety (â€Å"Health Information Privacy†, n.d). Women’s Health and Cancer Rights Act of 1998 Also known as â€Å"Janet’s Law,† the WHCRA requires health care benefit plans to provide certain coverage following a mastectomy. The law also requires annual notification to all plan participants and their covered beneficiaries (â€Å"Laws Affecting Benefits†, 2011). Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) prescribes standards for wages and overtime pay, which affect most private and public employment. The act is administered by the Wage and Hour Division. It requires employers to pay covered employees who are not otherwise exempt at least the federal minimum wage and overtime pay of one-and-one-half-times the regular rate of pay. For nonagricultural operations, it restricts the hours that children under age 16 can work and forbids the employment of children under age 18 in certain jobs deemed too dangerous. For agricultural operations, it prohibits the employment of children under age 16 during school hours and in certain jobs deemed too dangerous (â€Å"Summary of the Major Laws of the Department of Labor†, n.d). Conclusion In closing, Team A’s recommendations for Landslide Limousines will assist in the success of the company as Bradley Stonefield strives to become the top competitor in the market. Team A has put together a market evaluation. In addition, Team A has provided recommendation for compensation structure and position in market. Further, an outline of compensation and benefits strategy and a merit pay structure for employees. Lastly, laws that pertain to Landslide Limousines that can ultimately protect small businesses, their employees, and customers. References Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2013, May). Retrieved from Occupational Employment Statistics: http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes533041.htm Cascio, W. F. (2013). Managing Human resources (9th ed.), New York, NY the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Experienced Limo Driver Salary in Austin, Tx. (2014, December 6). Retrieved from Indeed: http://www.indeed.com/salary/q-Experienced-Limo-Driver-l-Austin,-TX.html Health Information Privacy. (n.d). Retrieved from http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/ Laws Affecting Benefits. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.case.edu/finadmin/humres/benefits/laws.html#hippa Strategic Plan for Employee Compensation and Benefits. (2014). Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/strategic-plan-employee-compensation-benefits-15613.html Summary of the Major Laws of the Department of Labor. (n.d). Retrieved from http://www.dol.gov/opa/aboutdol/lawsprog.htm

Essay on Ulysses by James Joyce - 1157 Words

Ulysses by James Joyce Many novelists directly reflect their life stories and personal circumstances in their works, so closely that the works may seem autobiographical. Although there are autobiographical parallels between James Joyces life and that of his characters in Ulysses, the novels scattered autobiographical details are more in the line of delightful puzzles to be ferreted out, rather than direct insights into Joyces life. What is really important in Ulysses is not the ties to Joyces personal experience; it is the way he uses his distinctively Irish experience to comment on the human condition in general. We think of Joyce as an Irish writer, and it may be surprising to learn that he left his native land as a†¦show more content†¦Joyce called his novel Ulysses as a conscious attempt to thematically evoke Homers Odyssey, whose hero Ulysses (today generally called Odysseus) also made an epic journey of self-discovery. Yet it is not only the Greek classics to which Joyce ha s turned for inspiration, but the medieval Irish classics as well. One has only to read any cycle of medieval Celtic myth (such as the Irish Noinden Ulad, or the Welsh Mabinogen) to observe the same extraordinary structure at work there. The episodic formlessness of the Irish mythological epics heavily influenced the choice of form -- or, some would say, the lack thereof -- that was begun in Joyces earlier works and brought to full fruition in Ulysses. The story line in either of these cycles flits from one anecdote to another in a manner that foreshadows Joyces own stream-of-consciousness technique. In addition, Joyces words are arranged not in a rational manner but with a wild, intuitive Irishness, with as much emphasis on the magic of language as there is on its intellectual logic. We can see an example of this in Molly Blooms ruminations in the final chapter, which consists of one single sentence extending for forty pages, with thought falling on thought like leaves piling up in the autumn. Consider just a fragment of that passage: Yes because he never did a thing like that before as ask to get hisShow MoreRelatedSummary Of Ulysses By James Joyce2022 Words   |  9 PagesDylan Madden Professor Jeffrey Skoblow English 497A 22 September 2017 First Journal Week 1-5 Ulysses by James Joyce Telemachus Going into this book for the first time, I found it difficult to understand what was transpiring until going back and rereading a number of times. In the first chapter, there were many themes that I discovered surrounding the character Stephen Dedalus. 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The book is full of parallels, metaphors, and experimental literary techniques. However, a dominant theme is that of epiphany. Not necessarily religious in meaning, the Joycean idea of epiphany is a sudden discovery of the essential nature or meaning of somethingRead More Buy Essay Online: Comparing Homers Odyssey and Joyces Ulysses2240 Words   |  9 PagesComparing Homers Odyssey and Joyces Ulysses  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   This essay will analyze the style, genre and plots of the Hades episodes found in Homers Odyssey and Joyces Ulysses. Before entering this small treatise, it is important to understand the etymology of the word Hades, since it is the setting for both Joyce and Homer (of course in Homers case, he was speaking of the literal aidhs and Joyce was referring to the graveyard, where Bloom attends the funeral of Paddy Dignam and broodsRead More Portrayal of Women in James Joyces Ulysses Essay1110 Words   |  5 PagesPortrayal of Women in James Joyces Ulysses The novel, Ulysses, by James Joyce shows the reader hour by hour a single day in the life of one man.   But this epic which specifically deals with Leopold Bloom and has reference to Stephen Dedalus, holds so much more appendage to other areas of life.   One, is the portrayal of women in Ulysses. 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