Film Reflection Good Bye, Lenin! Essay

I had mixed feelings about the movie Good Bye, Lenin! While I enjoyed watching Alex run into new challenges and come up with new solutions in scene after scene I felt the movie became too long and repetitive. I do however think the movie succeeded as a comedy, and as a glimpse into the history of Germany. I liked how the Becker used comedy to tell a sad story because it made it easier for the audience to watch. There were also many funny characters that accentuated people’s views of the political turmoil during that time. I noticed that the older generation shared a lingering nostalgia for the East Germany of the past while the younger generation saw a whole new world of opportunities and freedom opening up in front of them. The hurdles that Alex would go over for his mother made me really connect to him as a character. He was willing to do so much for this relationship and he believed so fully that what he was doing was right that you didn’t dare question him. In class we talked about how the director could have done more to give us a feeling of suspense and drama. Instead of leaving us hanging Becker actually sped up the scenes so we would get to the climax of if Alex’s scheme worked faster. I understand why people wanted that feeling of suspense but I believe that this was an artistic choice chosen to give the movie the feeling of things moving too fast. No matter how badly Alex wanted to stay suspended in the past the present and future were rushing towards him. By speeding up the scenes we were given that same feeling, the results were always coming quicker than we expected or often wanted. Something I wish Becker had done different was the end of the movie. When the movie finished I felt conflicted and betrayed. This was because Alex’s mother knew of Alex’s scheme at the end because she was told by his girlfriend. They then all pretended she still didn’t know for Alex’s sake. I don’t know why this bothered me but I felt angry at her for ruining all the work and then lying. It angered me the most because he was so close to succeeding. I believe Becker wanted us to feel this way at the end of the  movie to represent the strengths of relationships and the reality that Alex could only twist reality so far. His mother had become confused and in a way it was better for her to understand. I wish however the end had been different and that his mother could have truly passed on in his made up world.

Employee Rights Review Essay

â€Å"Acts of Equal Employment Opportunity and Employee Rights† laws make it illegal for employers to discriminate against an employee or potential employee in certain workplaces. The Family Medical Leave Act of 1993 was created to grant family temporary medical leave. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 was created to prevent employees from being discriminated against because of age. The Drug- Free Workplace Act of 1988 requires some federal contractors and federal grantees to agree that they provide drug-free workplaces as a precondition of receiving a contract or grant from a federal agency. The requirements for organizations are more extensive because organizations have to take comprehensive, programmatic steps to achieve a workplace free of drugs. In the case, Coleman v. State of Maryland Court of Appeals, Coleman, an employee for the Maryland Court of Appeals, requested time-off for the purpose of tending to serious personal health issues. The request was denied and Coleman was informed he must resign from his position or risk termination. Coleman sued his employer, claiming that by denying him self-care leave the state court was in violation of the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993. His employer, the state, argued that the case should be dismissed based on the state’s ‘sovereign immunity’. Sovereign immunity is a legal provision that says a government agency cannot be sued unless they agree to be sued. After dismissal by the Federal District Court and the Fourth Circuit Court, the case was heard by the United States Supreme Court. On March 20, 2012 the Supreme Court ruled that a provision of the Family and Medical Leave Act giving workers time off to care for health related issues such as serious illness, pregnancy, or childbirth, is not enforceable in cases involving state employees (Migdal, 2012). The Court justified the ruling by stating that the lawsuits by state employees permitted under the FMLA would violate the constitutional rule that the â€Å"states, as sovereigns, are immune from suits for damages.† Basically, the Supreme Court ruled that state workers cannot sue the states under the Family and Medical Leave Act, essentially stripping public employees of the job protection otherwise provided by the act. The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 protects employees of organizations with more than 50 employees in the case of childbirth, adoption, their own medical care or the care of a family member. The law has several stipulations such requiring 1250 working hours in the prior 12 months, therefore, accurate recordkeeping and a process in place to determine FMLA eligibility and compliance is crucial. An example of a company HR policy regarding the Family and Medical leave Act of 1993 may read: â€Å"Employees employed for 12 months or more and who have worked at least 1250 hours in the previous 12 months, may take an unpaid Family and Illness Leave for up to 12-weeks per year. Employees are required to use all available paid time accrued for the leave period prior to unpaid leave.† â€Å"The amount of Family and Illness leave will be based on the amount taken in the 12 months preceding the request for leave, and in cases of serious health condition, require adequate medical certification.† â€Å"Family and Illness Leave may be taken intermittently, or for less than a full day. If the employee remains out on leave for more than 2 weeks, additional medical documentation may be required as allowed by law.† â€Å"An employee returning to work from Family and Illness Leave shall return to the position held at the beginning of the leave, or to an equivalent position with equivalent pay and benefits.† â€Å"Employees on a Family and Illness Leave will continue to have the Employer’s portion of the cost for health insurance paid by the Employer during the leave period. It is the responsibility of the employee to make on-time payments for their portion of those benefits while on leave.† Individuals 40 years of age and older are protected with employment by The Age Discrimination Employment Act. Applicants and employees alike have protection under the ADEA. â€Å"The law protects discriminating against an individual with respect to any term of employment, as it relates to age, compensation, benefits, job assignments, hiring, firing, layoff, job assignments, and training† (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 2012). Employers who employ 20 or more employees must comply with the Act. A 70-year-old pharmacist employed by Kmart in Honolulu recently challenged The Age Discrimination Employment Act. The lawsuit charged by the EEOC recognized that Kmart unlawfully discriminated against the pharmacist, and a settlement was reached for $120,000. A Kmart store manager openly â€Å"stated that the pharmacist was too old, should retire and was greedy, for continuing to work at the age of 70† (Inside Counsel, 2012). The age discrimination act protects folks for age harassment. In this case the pharmacist was continually distraught with regard to remarks about her age and the hostile work environment that could have resulted. Employers tend to stereotype older workers as employees’ stuck in their ways, and who cannot adapt to new changes. Additionally, employers believe that training older workers is a cost and not a benefit. The Age Discrimination Act prohibits these scenarios from occurring with people over the age of 40. Regarding the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, certain occupations have an exception to the law if the organization can prove the necessity to enforce an earlier retirement or decrease of job responsibilities. An example of a company HR policy showing compliance with the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 may read something like this: â€Å"The Company complies with the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, and prohibits age discrimination in employment practices of individuals 18 years or older. This policy applies to but is not limited to issues involving hiring, discharge, compensation, terms, conditions, advancement, recruitment, promotion, demotion, transfer, layoff, training, or privileges of employment.† The Drug-Free Workplace Act â€Å"requires institutions that receive grants and certain contracts from any federal agency to certify that it will provide a drug-free work place† (Office Of General Counsel, 2012). The law was enacted in 1988 and it began with federal contracts of $25,000 or more but was later changed to $100,000 or more where it stands today. The court case that has caused the most controversy is Gary Ross v Ragingwire Telecommunications Inc. After California legalized medical marijuana Ross obtained a prescription for the drug and used it as directed. He was later fired by Ragingwire Telecommunications for failing a drug test as a result of the use of medical marijuana. â€Å"The court ruled that drug testing in the state was legal, that firing an employee for use of medical marijuana was not tantamount to discrimination and that employers are not obligated to accommodate the use of medical marijuana—even outside the workplace† (Schwartz, 2010). This ruling is important because while some states have legalized medical marijuana and protect individuals from criminal prosecution, it remains clear that a drug-free workplace is critical to the safety of the entire workforce. To avoid conflict an organization must establish the guidelines for drug testing and communicate the expectation clearly to employees. The human resources team may establish the process for drug testing and implement a plan to assist employees that test positive on drug screens, such as offering the employee rehabilitation (DeCenzo & Robbins, 2007). An example of a company HR policy showing compliance with the Drug-Free Workplace Act may read something like this: â€Å"The possession, use, or sale of illegal drugs while on Company property is strictly prohibited. The misuse of any illegal drugs and/or alcohol while on Company time or during breaks or meals, is strictly prohibited. Any employee under the influence of alcohol or drugs that may impair judgment, performance, or the safety of the employee or others while on Company property, Company business, or during work hours, is subject to discipline up to and including termination. The Company conducts post-accident drug and alcohol testing of employees when an accident occurs during company time as allowed by law. The Company reserves the right to conduct random drug and/or alcohol testing at their discretion for performance or behavior issues. A positive result from any testing conducted may result in immediate termination, or unpaid leave to enter an approved rehabilitation program at the Company’s discretion. These conditions are by no means established as a right of the employee, and may be rescinded at any time without prior notice by the Company.† References Migdal, A. (2012). Blog of Rights. Retrieved from http://www.aclu.org/blog/womens-rights- reproductive-freedom/not-so-secret-war-moms-how-supreme-court-took-protections Swanton, Mary, Inside Counsel, EEOC Wins Settlements in Age Discrimination Cases Involving Senior Citizens, retrieved on December 1, 2012 from website, http://www.insidecounsel.com/2010/03/25/eeoc-wins-settlements-in-two-age-discrimination-cases-involving-senior-citizens U.S. Equal Employment Commission, retrieved on December 1, 2012, from website, http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/publications/age.cfm Schwartz, S. K. (2010). The Drug-Free Workplace v Medical Marijuana. Retrieved from http://www.cnbc.com/id/36179669/The_Drug_Free_Workplace_vs_Medical_Marijuana Office of General Counsel. (2012). Retrieved from http://counsel.cua.edu/copyright/index.cfm Sue Shellerbarger, â€Å"Work and Family,† The Wall Street Journal, August 22, 2001. Retrieved 11/29/2012. http://www.benefitslink/buying-time-off/policy/hr/whitman/press.org http://www2.cortland.edu/offices/hr/affirmative-action/policy-on-the-age-discriminatio n.htm http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/statutes/index.cfm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Employment_(Equal_Opportunities)_Law,_1988

Managing Finance assignment 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Managing Finance assignment 3 - Essay Example 2. Penetration pricing- Penetration Pricing: The strategy of setting a products price relatively low in order to generate a high sales volume. The strategy is commonly associated with pricing new products that do not have identifiable price-market segments. It is used to secure rapid penetration of a market. . This is the strategy use by many Chinese companies. It priced its products very much than its Western counterparts and it is making a head way for a quite number of computer products. 3. Profit Maximization - In economics, profit maximization is the process by which a firm determines the price and output level that returns the greatest profit.. Hence, based on the above concept. The strategy requires the price combinations that would yield the highest profit. Hence, a company can use this to have higher profits. Directly or indirectly this is used my many food business like Jollibee food chains. If one enters an outlet one would observe packaging their meals into different combinations of food items. Such strategy is profit maximization. 4. Competitor indexing. It is a price setting technique used by marketers. Generally, it involves using the price of competitors products in determining the price of your own products. Its main advantage is ease of use. Extensive marketing research and statistical analysis are not required 5. Target rate of return pricing- It is a pricing method used almost exclusively by market leaders or monopolists. You start with a rate of return objective, like 5% of invested capital, or 10% of sales revenue. Then you arrange your price structure so as to achieve these target rates of return.

To what extent do you think that Islamic political thought can be Essay

To what extent do you think that Islamic political thought can be reconciled with democracy - Essay Example In the analysis, different theories of democracy in the western world are given, and also, different approaches of Muslims to democracy are analysed. Then, after analysing one of the common arguments on Islam and democracy, an argument is built to show that the basic tenets of democracy and Islamic political thought are incompatible, and therefore, Islamic political thought and democracy are not compatible. Finally, a conclusion is made based on the findings in the paper. To what extent do you think that Islamic political thought can be reconciled with democracy? Before we explore and critically evaluate both arguments for and against the idea that Islam and democracy are, indeed, incompatible, it is necessary to first define and explain Islamic political thought, and the meaning of Democracy in the western world. This will enable us to give an objective and well considered opinion on the issue. First, let us look at the Islamic political thought as elucidated and practiced by Islami c movements such as Islamic brotherhood. The Islamic brotherhood movement, also known as, Hizb al-Ikhwan al-Muslimum, is one of the oldest and largest Islamic movements in the world, known for a supporting Jihad war all over the world (Muslim Brotherhood Movement, online). Some of the main objectives of this movement are to promote the socio-political integration of all Muslims in the world, to protect Islam as a religion, and to promote the economic well-being of all the Muslims in the world. However, besides these noble objectives of the movement, the main object of the Islamic Brotherhood movement is to subjugate the entire world to the Sharia law, which is the main Islamic law. The motto of the movements clearly summarizes the main objective of the movement (Muslim Brotherhood movement, online): Allah is our objective The prophet is our leader The Quran is our law Jihad is our way Dying in the way of Allah is our highest Hope. As it is clear from this motto, for the adherents of the Muslim Brotherhood movement, Allah is the supreme leader of the Muslims and Sharia is the main law or the constitution of the Muslims. And, although, the Muslim Brotherhood movement has exhibited some elements of extremism and has been severely criticised, the movement, however, espouses many real Islam ideals on politics and governance. The term Islam itself means submission (Dahmus, 1968). Islam as a religion requires its followers to unquestionably follow the guidelines of Allah, in all aspects of their lives, as given in the Holy book of the Muslims, the Quran. For this reason, even in matters of governance and politics, Muslims are supposed to follow the dictates of their Holy Book. And according to Quran, Allah is the sovereign ruler of the Muslims, and Sharia, given by Allah, is the constitution of the Muslims. Having explained the Islamic political thought, let us now turn to the Western theories of democracy, so as to compare the two political ideologies to find out wh ether they are compatible or not. Of recent years, democracy has been associated with the western world. However, the idea of Democracy was first mooted by the Greeks. According to Aristotle, one of the ancient Greek scholars and a severe critique of democracy, democracy is a rule of the people, by the people, and for the people

No topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 30

No topic - Essay Example Considering this, a company may reward performance by appreciating the work of an employee or offering financial incentives to boost them. This involves teams with gifts, money, certificates or recognition of an individual effort. To ensure that employees are compensated fairly, companies should develop a compensation and rewards programs that set targets. These programs help in training employees in their required efforts and the benefits derived at the completion of the tasks (Sims 33). Companies design and administer the benefits of setting goals and drawing strategies that determine the anticipated rewards. It is critical for large businesses to have a human resource department in order to help in the recruiting and administration of the workers. It is apparent that large businesses hire workers from diverse backgrounds because of the skills. The HR department undertakes the responsibility of ensuring that the employees meet the expectations of the firm in terms of skills and experience possessed. The HR department is also critical for large businesses because it helps in facilitating employee relations and organizational culture (Sims 38). This concerns strengthening the relationships between workers in separate departments through evaluating job satisfaction and employee engagement. Another essential aspect of having an HR department is that it enhances discipline within larger organizations. The employees must fulfill the requirements of the organization of face sanctions that may entail reduction of allowances, demotion or suspension. It is also necessary to have an HR department i n large companies to provide training and development programs to the employees (Sims 39). This ensures that the workers update their skills to match the market requirements and offer high quality services in the industry. In order to improve the company, the HR department needs to create a favorable and fair environment for all the

Blog proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Blog proposal - Essay Example In addition, media has allowed increased educational gains for the audiences. Increased research has allowed mediums of communications to serve better than ever (Ward). However, in the recent times, the impact of media has been adverse on the political economy. It is being proposed here that the story that will be written within the field of journalism will be about media terrorism. The concept of media terrorism will be introduced in the blog post as an English expression where it will be studied in the context of news mediums being used for terrorists’ information. The best example that can be taken in order to study the aspect of news terrorism can be Al-Jazeera channel through which the information regarding terrorists’ activities and protocols are broadcasted. Some of the news agencies believe that giving out such information to the general public is extremely dangerous because it is more likely to increase panic within the civic life. Also, it is more likely to ma ke the defensive operations halting or prone to have loopholes. However, at the same time, there are arguments which are posed against keeping secrecy from general audiences. It is stated that nation needs to understand and get informed about problems that may occur in the longer run. It is mainly because anything terrorist activity that is more likely to happen within a country would directly impact the lives of people. Therefore, they must be educated about such issues and aspects (Ward). It should be noted that there are different dimensions to this subject matter. As mentioned above, there are two schools of thought when it comes to the subject of news terrorism. At one point, there can be people who are against the aspect of informing about terrorists threats while on the other hand, there are people who claim that one must be aware of such threats because it can allow respective authorities to take relevant actions to stay alert

Wireless Network Security Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Wireless Network Security - Research Paper Example These days wireless networking has become an attractive trend and the professionals in all over the world are adopting wireless network security with advance trends and new features in order to protect their networks from various security threats. In other words, it can be said that these  networks  have the capability to launch interconnection among various devices. In this scenario, the main advantage that we gain from wireless networks as compared to other networks is that this technology releases us from the use of wires. In view of the fact that the communication among several nodes is established through radio waves thus there is no need of wires for establishing a network. Additionally, the wireless adapter which is located inside the machine transforms data into the radio frequency transmission and later on broadcasts it. In addition, wireless  technology is normally acknowledged as Wi-Fi technology or simply WLAN technology. In this scenario, the wireless security is t he main feature that we discuss throughout wireless networks   (Makker; Moran; Turban, Leidner and McLean). Another  advantage  of these  networks  is that users of this network are not bound to limited location despite of its usage where they have facility of signals. Hence it decreases the  expenditure required for cabling or wires that is required in wired  networks. In addition, wireless technology helps us to release from the copper wires. Here one important thing to remember is the wireless security for Wi-Fi applications.... Hence it decreases the  expenditure required for cabling or wires that is required in wired  networks. In addition, wireless technology helps us to release from the copper wires. Here one important thing to remember is the wireless security for Wi-Fi applications. In this growing era where technological aspects are growing with users of economy related needs, we have to fulfill all the essential requirements for establishing an effective wireless network. Thus, the wireless network security is a major issue that is to be considered while establishing wireless networks (Weber and Bahadur; Makker). Why wireless security is Important? †¢ It is important due to the fact it is now accessible everywhere, and hardware required for it has a low cost that will facilitate a common user to purchase it from market (Asadoorian). †¢ The aspect of Wi-Fi is used in almost every advanced application round the globe. Hence flexibility increases. We can observe that this innovative techno logy is now available easily in everything. We have example of those things that we use in our daily life like mobile phones to our daily life usage appliances (Asadoorian). †¢ Although it is a true fact that the fame of Wi-Fi technological hotspots are enhancing. In most of applications wireless security is not implemented properly (Asadoorian). †¢ As we know that Wi-Fi technology could pass through long distances thus security needs are essential for making our communication secure (Asadoorian). †¢ An important perspective of Bluetooth is that this technology is spreading and almost used in every spot round the world but this one is vulnerable to attack (Asadoorian). Additionally