Hooliganism Essay Example for Free

Hooliganism Essay At first we are being asked as the reader, what we prefer. Wealth or happiness. David Brooks uses the actress Sandra Bullock as an example of the dilemma. Sandra Bullock won an Academy Award for best actress, but then a news report came and claimed that her husband is a cheating jerk. That puts things in another perspective, because who does not want to be recognized for your work, but is that better than loosing your love. David points out that winning this Award is one of the best things that can happened to an actor/actress; not only because of the credit and the money, but it has been proved that Award winners live longer than people who only have been nominated. After that David is very clear with his opinion on this situation. If you need to think about the question, what you want to choose, between the husband or the Award, you must be crazy in his eyes. He says that the relationship between income and happiness is tricky. If you are poor and you earn a lot of money you become happy. Let us say that you are in the middle-class and your income increases. That will not have the same effect as if you go from poor too normal, because you have lived with such a small amount of money you learn to appreciate even a small amount of money; compared to a middle-class person who wins the lottery, because it does not change his life majorly. 2. How does David Brooks engage the reader in text 1? David is very good at engaging the reader. He uses an example from real life and involves the reader by asking questions most of the time. He makes the reader think about what we just read by asking questions about the readers opinion. He is a very distinguished reporter for the New York Times, examined the relationship between wealth and happiness in his article â€Å"The Sandra Bullock Trade†: a seemingly simple – almost clichà © – concept. He is however able to draw the reader in by the use of 2 simple literary techniques. Primarily, Brooks captures the readers’ attention by his title and his intro paragraph. Many newspapers readers make snap judgments about  whether they should or they should not read an article or not by just looking at the title. It was not a mistake that Brooks used Sandra Bullock as his example. She is a famous, beautiful, and successful actress whose general popularity will make his article – not only appealing – but relate able to his audience. Another technique that Brooks utilizes is his choice of language. It is very colloquial and understandable. By using phrases like â€Å"nothing to sneeze at† instead of words like â€Å"insignificant† the author makes his text more relate able to his readers – as if they are speaking with a friend. If they are more likely to understand his meaning and his lively tone then they will more likely to continue to read. The task of a newspapers writer is different than an authors task. Their job is to lure the reader in and to keep them interested for a short amount of time the reader will spend on each article. Brooks does this effortlessly by using simple and accessible vocabulary and comfortable and using a relate able vignette to initially catch his readers’ attention. 3. Based on the opinions voiced in texts 2 and 3, discuss whether spending money makes people happy. In text 2 Stephanie Rosenbloom discuss with herself if it is possible to buy happiness and if â€Å"yes† then would it be an experience or just a simple piece off clothing. It is a longer lasting happiness if you buy a vacation, than a couch. That is the idea. Living in the world we live in now, we need these little things that make our everyday life a little better. Of course a vacation is good because it is something you will not forget that easy and you will cherish the memories for the rest of your life, compared to a simple couch that might only last 5 years. Almost every time you spend money it will make you happy. You do not buy something that does not make you happy. The research there has been made tells us that greater wealth implies greater happiness only at quite low levels of income. But when the researchers have asked people about their happiness they have simply been asked how satisfied they are with their lives. Which is a very difficult question. Because it is not possible by asking people about their life satisfaction, to measure what the amount of money they have in their lives play in their everyday life, in terms of happiness and satisfaction. Spending money can make you happy, but the level of happiness depends on what you buy and it will not be enough. There is more to life than just being in a good mood. Happiness can be more than that, but not just by spending money.

The Crusade for Equal Rights in the United States Essay -- American Hi

The struggle for equal rights has been an ongoing issue in the United States. For most of the twentieth century Americans worked toward equality. Through demonstrations, protests, riots, and parades citizens have made demands and voiced their concerns for equal rights. For the first time minority groups were banding together to achieve the American dream of liberty and justice for all. Whether it was equality for women, politics, minorities, or the economy the battle was usually well worth the outcome. I have chosen articles that discuss some of the struggles, voyages, and triumphs that have occurred. The people discussed in the following articles represent only a portion of those who suffered. The first speech that I chose was written by Martin Luther King Jr. in December 1955. The speech was given in Montgomery, Alabama and spoke to African-Americans who gathered in protest after the arrest of Rosa Parks. She refused to give up her seat to a white passenger on a city bus and was subsequently arrested. The African-American community decided to protest the decision and a mass rally ensued. According to Foner, â€Å"Martin Luther King Jr. invoked Christian and American ideals of justice and democracy in his speeches.† (901) King used these themes to address the protestors and spoke of Rosa Parks’ character, morals, and integrity. Martin Luther King Jr. was a national symbol of the civil rights struggle and advocated for the African-American community by protesting in a non-violent manner. The demonstrations and protests that were led by King evoked the lack of freedom, justice, and equality that African-Americans endured. Even with all of the injustices that occurred, African-Americans were proud to be American and use... ...rations. Segregation, which was once considered the norm, is now a thing of the past because of such demonstrations. Women were considered inferior to men and were forced to stay at home in the traditional role of housewife until the 1960s. The fact that women united together for equality allowed them to become active in politics, professional roles, and have control over their own bodies. Protestors in the 90s brought attention to inequality on a different level. The environment and economic inequality were now pressing issues. Demonstrations brought public attention to environmental, global, and economic issues. Without unity from these groups the United States would be a completely different country. It is with great admiration that I discuss the events and struggles that these people endured, for I don’t know if I would have the courage to do the same.

Incentive Plans

Companies’ presidents, CEOs, and managers for decades have used incentives to attract, reward, and retain employees. Dessler (2011) recognizes that most employees receive salary or hourly wage as well as other incentives (Dessler, 2011). Dessler (2011) reports a variety of incentive plans ranging from piecework plans to the earning at risk pay plans (Dessler, 2011). While there are many incentive plans that can be discussed, this paper will only highlight the advantages and disadvantages of merit pay as an incentive and profit sharing plans.Merit Pay  Dessler (2011) defines merit pay as a salary increase awarded based on performance and becomes part of the employees’ base pay salary (Dessler, 2011). Dessler (2011) asserts that merit pay has advocates who argues that rewards tied to performance can motivate performance and detractors claim that merit pay undermine teamwork and misconception of pay as a whole (Dessler, 2011). As Dessler (2011) defines merit pay with adv ocates and detractors other authors such as Longenecker and Goff (1992) uses the term performance appraisal instead of merit pay.Longenecker and Goff (1992) states that merit pay or performance appraisal is believed to be effective by managers and subordinates because it help clarify employee input about his or her job (Longenecker and Goff, 1992). At the same time, both managers and subordinates viewed merit plans as ineffective for linking pay to performance, ineffective for improving motivation and performance as well as ineffective for managers and subordinates working relationship (Longenecker and Goff, 1992).While Longenecker and Goff (1992) referred to merit pay more as performance appraisal others such as Hayes (1999) questions incentive programs altogether. In the article ‘Pros & Cons of Pay for Performance’ the author claims that no one really knows if incentive programs truly work (Hays, 1999). This article further asserts that incentive programs such as this plan create competitiveness that is not necessarily best for a company (Hays, 1999). This article proposes that rewards control behavior through seduction, that it ruins relationships, create competitiveness, that it reduces risk taking, creativity, and  innovation (Hays, 1999).Profit Sharing Plans Profit sharing plans are incentive plans where employees receive a share of a company’s annual profits (Dessler, 2011). Dessler (2011) asserts that there is ample evidence that profit sharing plans boost productivity, but the effects on profits is insignificant once one factor in costs (Dessler, 2011). In fact, the article ‘Profit-Sharing Plans Work’ the author proposes that cash profits are the best way to let employees know that they are important to the company and profit sharing is a tool that could turn the country around (Profit-Sharing Plans Work, 1988).Further, the article emphasizes how workers worry less about management receiving massive profits at the ex pense of the employees’ earnings and for management it provides a financial cushion that limits losses in economic downturns (Profit-Sharing Plans Work, 1988). All the while, this article argues that profit sharing plans where proceeds go into retirement funds instead of employees’ pockets fail to motivate and improve performance (Profit-Sharing Plans Work, 1988).In any case, this article suggests that company morale can be damaged when upper management or salaried employees are the only participants in the profit sharing plans of the company (Profit-Sharing Plans Work, 1988). Yet, Flesher (1993) article describes the profit sharing plans as the type of contribution plans that enables employees to share in accumulated profits of the company, and it is divided among the participants on a pro rata basis based on the participants and the total income of all participants in the plans (Flesher, 1993).Such plans offer the advantages of immediate tax deductions for corporatio n and no immediate tax payable by the employee (Flesher, 1993). Nevertheless, Hays (1999) questions the use of incentive programs for improving performance and asks the question: why do so many companies claim that incentive programs administered effectively or improve company performance? Hays (1999) reports in his article that personal recognition can be more motivational than money, clearly the times have changed because it is this author’s opinion that people are first motivated by monetary reward, then material reward, and then personal recognition.Conclusion Dessler (2011) describes individual incentive programs as performance based pay and team based incentives as performance pay for the team, as variable pay pays a group for its productivity (Dessler, 2011). Dessler (2011) continued by describing the various types of incentive pay plans ranging from the piecework plan to the earning at risk pay plans (Dessler, 2011). After analyzing some of the authors’ article and this author concluded that incentives are not just for the employees but for the employers as well.Pay incentives such as the merit pay plans and the profit sharing plans can be used as tools in an effective manner to increase productivity for a company, but as for motivational purposed for the employees, this could be in some ways for some employees a positive thing and for other employees a negative thing.Also, when asked the question 🙠 do profit sharing plans improve performance?), people like Hays (1999) seem to think that personal recognition can be more motivational than money. While people like Flesher (1993) seem to think that merit pay and profit sharing offers advantages of immediate tax deductions for corporation and no immediate tax payable by the employee (Flesher, 1993). Last, incentive pay has been and will always continue to be used in corporate America as a tool to attract, reward, and retain employees.

History, Social Factors and Economic Impac of the...

This current paper will examine the history, social factors, and economic impact of the prohibition of alcohol in the United States. Ken Burns and Lynn Novick (2011) delve into the topic of alcohol in America in their documentary Prohibition, and this paper will discuss the events before, during, and after the prohibition of alcohol in the United States. This paper will also relate the prohibition of alcohol to the current drug policies of cocaine in the United States. Alcohol and cocaine were both prohibited in the United States in the early 1900’s. Cocaine was used as an anesthesia and medication in the early days of America until the drug was abused, and the legislature of the day deemed cocaine a dangerous drug. Americans would†¦show more content†¦She would protest by praying outside of many pharmacies and saloons all over the country getting some to close down, prohibit the sale of alcohol, or promise not to fill the prescriptions of alcohol from doctors, b ut in time the men would open the saloons back up and drink again. Francis E. Willard would soon become the leader of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU), and would form a worldwide version of this organization. Willard would be extremely well known in America, and she was a pioneer in the women’s suffrage movement much like Susan B. Anthony. Willard’s contributions to the temperance movement were significant, and she named Mary Hanchett Hunt in charge of educating America’s youth about the degradation of alcohol (Burns Novick, 2011). Hunt influenced textbook publishers to let the WCTU’s message be heard in the public school system. Hunt’s efforts were in good practice, and the public school system would start using terribly fictitious propaganda against alcohol as part of the education program (Burns Novick, 2011). All of the women mentioned previously were pioneers of women’s rights and of the temperance movement. The men of the time also had advocates of temperance such as Wayne Bidwell Wheeler who had surpassed the women’s temperance movement with the