Essay Samples For Students

Essay Samples For StudentsPersonal essay samples are considered to be a useful tool for students in preparing essays, thesis or dissertation. Nowadays, they are not just provided in various software programs like MS Word, but are also available as PDF files that can be converted to any kind of document that you need. They may be able to give you a preview of what you will have to write, before going ahead with the actual writing process.One can get several essay samples for free if one has an online account with a certain kind of website. An essay is a written document that includes analysis and interpretation of ideas, history, culture, religion, and other related matters. It is an important element in all colleges and universities. Students preparing their essays for university require to use this format for analysis and interpretation of the matter.But for most students, preparing a personal essay would involve more than reading through and analyzing the content. To be able to bri ng their thoughts out to the readers, a student has to learn how to effectively express them. A good essay will be capable of giving an accurate impression about the students' thoughts.The first step in writing a personal essay is understanding what makes it interesting and appealing to others. You can get a vast amount of information and insights from certain essay samples. You need to have an insight about the audience who will read the essay. A sample that focuses on working parents would be different from an essay that deals with science and technology or business.Your essay samples should be interesting. If you have a proper introduction, then your essay samples will be simple to read. There are also essays that you can find in the internet. As a result, you can get many opinions and tips from the Internet as to how to write a good personal essay.The best way to prepare a personal essay for your school assignments is to ask the guidance of a mentor. If you have been in college for sometime, you should be able to trust the guidance of an instructor or professor. With their help, you will know how to prepare an essay that has the perfect blend of creativity and technique. But the best way to learn is by reading through the various essays posted on different websites.The best part about the essays that are posted on these websites is that they include a lot of samples. All you have to do is click on the link provided in the sample and it will automatically open up and display a large number of examples. This will help you learn how to write a personal essay even faster.

Beautiful art Free Essays

string(166) " Other variants argue that Zeus became the consort of Metis when his cult became dominant is said that Zeus swallowed Metis so that she could not bear any offspring\." In my presentation paper am going to describe how the artistic movements of early 1900s and the symbolism in Gustav Klimt’s painting†Pallas Athena† of 1898. I will view the Artist’s artistic representation in Greek mythology. Introduction. We will write a custom essay sample on Beautiful art or any similar topic only for you Order Now Gustav Klimt was an artist who was highly interested in the woman body rather than the essence of woman. From his works it is clear that he was so much interested in the feminist in the female body. To him the female body was something to look at and was not self sufficient. It is seen from his earlier drawings that the aspect of shame was absent. It is also evident that only his paintings were designed for the general public. An example is the painting of the kiss made in 1907/08. In this painting Klimt does a couple that is bound up. We can see various shades of gold and symbols. The couple is sharing a kiss against a bronze background. The male figure is depicted dominating the female and he is holding her face to bestow a kiss. The couple is situated at the edge of an escarpment that is highly flowered. The man is dressed in neutral colored rectangles and has a crown made of vines. The woman has a brightly colored tangent circles and her hair is full of flowers. I can interpret here that the painting shows the beauty, unity and finally selflessness that a couple can have when they first kiss. It is all about the combining forces and the unity of two. On the other hand we are going to have a look at Klimt’s other painting famously known as Pallas Athena. In this painting we see a total contrast of what Klimt enjoys doing rather prefers doing. The female perception is very different from what we get from the previous painting. Sexuality of a woman or heterosexuality is none of the themes in this painting. This research is going top so much dwell on the mythology behind this painting, Pallas Athena, and the iconography that is employed in the same. We are going to attempt to answer the question; what is the unique thing that is depicted in this painting? Why did Klimt sway from his normal theme? What is the female picture in all about in these painting? why does Klimt seem fascinated by powerful, threatening and dangerous female figures? Main Body Overview of the Goddess Athena The cult of Athena existed since time immemorial in Greece. Myths regarding this goddess were often rewritten to adapt the different cultural changing times in ancient Greek traditions. Between 42and 347 B. C. E one of the Greek philosophers, Plato,made identified This goddess with the Egyptian deity and Neith the Libyan deity as a goddess of hunting and war. This was during the early times referred to as predynastic. With time philosophy was applied with cult and hence Athena was referred to as the goddess of wisdom. This happened during the fifth century. She was also represented as the patroness of crafts and weaving, famously known as Athena Ergane. It his believed that she initiated the creation of metals. She is perceived to have had wisdom over the cunning intelligence of some of other figures e. g. Oddysseus. At most times she is accompanied by Nike, who is a goddess of victory who in established icons, as we shall see later, offers Athena an extended hand. And she is also attended by an owl. In late myths, Athena wears a goatskin breastplate which is believed to have been given to her by Zeus her father. The goatskin breastplate was known as the Aegis. In most works she is seen with a helmet and a shield bearing the head of Gorgon Medusa who was referred to as the goddess Gorgoneion and was the hallmark of the early goddess cult in Greece. This shield as we shall see later is believed to be a votive gift of Perseus. We also see that a serpent is always accompanying the goddess and is shown at the base of the staff of her lace. There exists a less in frequency of association of ships, horses as well as chariots with this goddess. Athena is believed by Greeks as a goddess who is a helper of the many other gods and goddesses including Heracles, Oddysseus and Jason. She is also believed, accoding to the classical myth of the Greeks as a goddess without a lover, hence the name Athena Parthenos. A synonym of this is Athena the virgin. There exists an archaic myth that she was the mother of Erichthonius who she conceived by an attempted rape of Hephaestus, which as said to have failed. Another variation story of the serpent, also Erichthonius, say that he was born to Gaia the earth, when the rape to Athena failed and the semen landed on Gaia. Gaia became pregnant and after giving birth he was, the serpent, given to Athena by Gaia. In performing her roles and one of them being the protector of the city, she is also referred to as Athena Polias, meaning Athena of the city. She is believed to have had a special relationship with Athens. This is because of the etymological connection that exists in the names between the goddess and the city. Mythology of Athena Her birth According to Robert Graves an his book, the Greek myths he tells us about some of the early myths of Athena. She is believed to be a goddess who originated from Libya. Her worship to the Greeks came after the visitation of Crete as early as 4 000 BC. It is clear from his book that Hesiod (700bc) had a strong relation of Athena as a parthenogenesis daughter of Metis. Metis is a representation of wisdom or knowledge. He is a Titan who is believed to have ruled the planet mercury and the fourth day. Other variants argue that Zeus became the consort of Metis when his cult became dominant is said that Zeus swallowed Metis so that she could not bear any offspring. You read "Beautiful art" in category "Papers" And also to avoid prophesy when change occurred that Metis was greater that Him. It was further believed that Metis was already pregnant. Metis is believed to have given birth to Athena and natured her inside Zeus. It reached a point when Athena finally busted from Zeus’s forehead. The Olympian version of the birth of Athena It is believed according to this version of Athena birth, that she was a remade favorite daughter of Zeus. Where she was born fully armed from the swallowing of her mother, who was pregnant at the time. The story of her birth is seen in several versions. One of the commonly cited versions states that after Zeus had laid with Metis, who was perceived as the goddess of wisdom, thought and crafty, he immediately feared the consequences. He feared that Metis would eventually bore heirs who would be more powerful than himself. So as to avoid these consequences Zeus decided to swallow Metis all of a sudden. This happened when it was already too late and Metis had already conceived a child. Finally it is believed that Zeus was ion great pain and one of the many gods; Hephaestus, Palaemon among others, depending on the source cut Zeus head with a double headed axe, Minoan in nature. Athena finally leaped from Zeus head and she was fully grown. She was also armed and made a loud shout of war. Ouranos heard Athena cry and was so trembled with fear. According to Plato, the Minoan culture of Crete was a source of the cult of Athena, from which saw the dawn of the Greek culture. It is also believed that, Hera, got so annoyed at the time. Apparently because Zeus produced a child by his own. She forced herself into conceiving and bearing herself a child. The child was known as Hephaestus. It is stated that Metis never bore any child after this incident. Therefore Zeus retained his supremacy in reigning in the mountain of Olympus. Greek myths became static at this point. The Pallas Athena story One of the major origin stories of Pallas Athena involves her mysterious epithets. There is belief that there existed a separate entity called Pallas who is invoked and it is not really defined whether he is Athena’s brother, sister or opponent. They are engaged in a fight and finally Athena wins and takes the name for her. . Gustav Klimt and Pallas Athena Gustav Klimt was born in Vienna on July 14; 1862. He was an Austrian symbolist painter. Klimt’s main subject was the female body He is a product of a time when great change was taking place. This great change was known as a â€Å"self indulgent metropolis(Comini page 6)†. During this period people were listening what was known as Strauss’s operas. They were occasionally debating over sex made by Freud wherein startling postulations were. There existed a famous association during this time whose philosophy was known as â€Å"to the age its art and to art its freedom†. Klimpt belonged to this association. He had both talent and message. Klimt therefore decided that he was going to take eroticism to a step least expected by people of that period. As we can read from Comini page 8 we can clearly see that Gustav Klimt was a man who really wanted not anything les than personal freedom. He had a strong desire to denounce establishment. He once said†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Enough of censorship†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. I want to get free†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦out of all these unrefreshing absurdities that hinder my work, and get back to freedom†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦I denounce everything. † He is seen from his art work that he was a man who was highly provocative. His works are seen to be alluring. His works had different themes ranging from beauty themes to haunting themes. He is seen as one of the most brilliant erotic artists of all time. In his art works and especially the human psyche we can see that he has expressed the inside contained fears and longings of man. His work portrays a contrast of several aspects of humanity e. g. : combination of beauty that is extremely imaginable and horrid ugliness at the same time; dualism of love and fear; insufferability of evil and hopefulness of good. Klimt has used natural figures and natural backgrounds at the same time to manifest the interplay within the above aspects. He has richly used sumptuous jewelry e. g. gold and startling color to give a beautiful touch to his works. Among his paintings are the ravishing paintings of beautiful women, sprawling figures in constant movement and demonstrations of demons of the unconscious mind. Gustav Klimt has applied the use of classical myth iconography as a derivative of antiquity in his many images of Athena. It is evident that Klimt took his inspiration from the 16th century water jar or the famous Attic-style hydria during those times. This work has an innovative aspect of iconography. It is neither inspired by classical myth or tradition. Klimt is inspired by the spirit of creative conflict. I will discuss this aspect using his 1898 painting known as Pallas Athena. Athena or sometimes called Pallas was a goddess of ancient Greeks. She was believed to be a war goddess. The Romans also referred to her as Minerva and placed her in the third position after Jupiter and Juno who were also their gods. The Greeks and Romans worshiped her as the goddess of craft in both weaving and spinning. According to mythology she was a favorite daughter of Zeus, the greatest of the gods in Greek. She was usually shown dressed in a helmet and in her hands a spear and shield. She also wore a goatskin breastplate that bore magic powers just like her father. The breastplate, fringed with several snakes, was believed to produce thunderbolts when shaken. She was also believed to be a representation of the civilized and intellectual aspects of war unlike the war god Ares. The Greeks believed that Athens was capable of protecting all the cities and states. According to this myth it is clear that Athena possesses a curious genderless power. It is why one is left to wonder, is she male or is he male? Maybe her myth persona is just uncertain. To the normal people and maybe non-Greeks war and wisdom might look like strange mindmates of Athena. But it is just fascinating how this persona works in her In his painting Gustav Klimt presents the image of Athena as a different persona since classical antiquity. She is outstanding among his other paintings of the famous femmes. It is unlike the other femme fatals e. g. Judith that was done in 1991 and Danae 1907-8 that expressed so much the overwhelmingness in their sexuality. Klimt was so much interested in the divinity in Athena than her sexuality. Maybe, to Klimt, divinity is the catalyst role those power plays in sexuality. This might be true since over the time it has been found that power is an ingredient to sexual stimuli in human behavior. It is also been found that sexual desire and the desire for power are strongly connected. This posses Athena, an asexual Greek goddess, as Klimt’s most powerful female art figure. He appears to have followed the myth iconography at a fairly strict manner in the Pallas Athene 1989 painting. In his painting we see all the primary and secondary attributes. There is the helmet, an owl, aegis with gorgoneion and the spear. There is an aspect of originality in this painting because of the accomplishments he has done with these images. He has made many statements with the enigmatic nature of this painting. We can derive the element of less romance and more symbolism in Klimt’s classicism. Klimt’s adoption method is seen to have evolved from whole figures and objects used by artists in the 18 through to the 19th centuries. In his subsidiary decoration Klimt has used a remarkable combination of objects. He has successfully merged past and present into a single synthesis. It seems ironic the way Klimt brings up the concept of archaism in this painting. Previously in some of the art works, Athena bore almond eyes an archaic smile and wavy eyebrows. Klimt ensures that there is the philosophical aspect of an older icon bearing greater value than the present icon. He exercises deliberate archaism. He attempts to hack back to the older heavier model possessed by the goddess who was highly and truly worshiped than later. Klimt gets a Homeric trope from previous representation of Athena in â€Å"Child of Zeus of the Aegis† and â€Å"The grim goddess† and adopts the iconography in them. It is also possible that Klimt deliberately chose a helmet that is of a particular Corinthian period for Athena. This helmet seems as an extension of Athena’s head where we see the parting of her coppery hair following from the bronze. This division seems like it was solely activated by mental prowess that is divine oriented. It is evident therefore from this art work that Klimt portrays Anthena as a personified source of power but not as a lover. We can see some aspects of dimensional in Klimt’s work. He has so much prioritized the importance of eyes and this can be seen as scale of sightedness. There is the aspect of mortality in the painting; this can be seen in the left hand side of the painting where the human female is seen on a two dimensional black figure background. We can not see the goddesses’ eyes in this side of the painting. On the right hand side of the painting is Herakles and Triton-Achelous who are wrestling. They are presented on a two dimensional background. This is a representation of the goddess Athena, in a more powerful position than the heroic Heracles. Athena is very powerful such that the monster Medusa and Gorgon, that could turn mortals into stones, is reduced to a bronze ornament on Athena’s breast. We can also see from the painting that Bobus the owl possesses clear eyes that are nocturnal and look like they belong to a human being. They seem like they have been given an animation power by the goddess. These eyes have a very powerful power of penetrating the darkness. And finally we can perceive that the eyes of the goddess are more powerful and full of life. This brings out the immortality and three dimensionality in her as a goddess. In his work, Pallas Athena seems to be more frightening. One is left to wonder, what is the dreadful figure; is it the goddess or the monster? We can see that both faces have been filled with coppery hair. I can say that this shows the aspect of full divinity in Athena as compared to the partial divinity in the monster. Actually Athena is a portray of an epitome of apotropaism. She is not a simple goddess who we can oppose in mind or weapon. She is not a mere mask that is designed to chase away evil but she is seen as the real thing. She is seen by a viewer as a friend, a companion maybe. She possesses strong eyes that look so right with a mortal. She is a figure of strength and wisdom and one is obligated to worshiping her. Another major theme that can be derived from Klimt’s painting is the power of the goddess authority over politics and culture. It is seen from the bottom left corner of the painting that there stands a nude woman that has a mirror of modern man. In the right background is Hercules who looks like a wrestles Triton. Klimt presents Athena with unbridled red hair and a golden helmet. She is emerging from a bluish shadow which is a femme fatele Klimt which Klimt was fond of painting. On his chest is a medusa head that extends its tongue in ridicule of the failures of succession of power. Another theme from the Pallas Athena painting is the theme of Struggle against ignorance. His iconography in this painting is not just an order but imposes the reality of punishment at the hands of sunken eyes and naked female fatales. Though in a deep but yet spaceless world, the victim of justice is seen consumed by a polyp that is womb like. There is an unmasking of law and a fair judgment as an instinctual vengeance and in words respectively Though mythological imagery was largely implied by Klimt in his painting it is evident in Pallas Athena where we see the goddess possessing very powerful eyes which are also stiff. This stance in Athena’s face is very compelling. There is juxtaposition of the Asiatic face and the classical Greek figure which is excellently presented. Mythological imagery was a frequent topic of Klimt’s oeuvre. I find the glaring eyes and stiff, powerful stance of his Athena to be quite compelling. I love the juxtaposition of the classical Greek figure in the background with the vaguely Asiatic face on her breastplate. Summary Gustav Klimt is highly appreciated as one of the greatest decorative painters of the 20th century and an art Nouveau at the same time. He has a place in erotic art through his artistic themes of the female sexuality in the female figure. George Fliedel comments that â€Å"there is no denying that erotic represented one of Klimt’s most important sources of inspiration†. But in Pallas Athena is a totally different representation of the female fatele. His use of iconology is Klimt’s representation of Athena as the goddess of wisdom who is a representation of an embodiment of enlightened philosophy. This representation is designed to impart light to the Austrian nation which is politically and socially ravaged . The Austrian nation was so much in the spiritual and cultural darkness. It is no wonder Klimt decided that the ignorance of people would be subjected to confronting illness of Viennese society through a pictorial concept. He often presented simultaneous ideas that there was a possibility of escaping from the demoralized situation and a possibility of attaining an ideal existence within themselves. Conclusion Gustav Klimt was a highly renowned symbolist artist of the symbolism period. He used to major on the female figure as his central figure for art. He mostly painted and drew the female sexualism as his theme. But it is evident from his representation of the female figure Athena, a goddess of the Greek people, that he had nothing to do with erocism when he was doing this painting. He has implemented iconography to represent the different myths as perceived by the Greece. At the same time he is addressing the modern world and tries to tell people, through his painting, that we should embrace the present in as much as the past was there. Vast themes are ranging from feminine power and wisdom through to the general theme of ignorance and judgment. He remains among us though long dead through his works that gives us life teachings. If he were here today, maybe he would have done one of those themes, politics, which have always done the women proud. Maybe Hillary Clinton as Millennium Athena or what is your opinion? References 1. Mark P. O Marford, Robert J Lenardon, Classical mythology; Oxford University Press, 2002. 2. Herbet Jennings Rose, A handbook of Greek Mythology; Routledge, 1991. 3. Carlos parade, Genealogical Guide to Greek Mythology; P A Stroms Forloag, 1993. 4. Lucilla Burn, Greek myths; University of Texas press, 1990. 5. Gilles Neret, Gustav Klimt: 1862-1918; Taschen, 2000. 6. Colin B, Bailey, Gustav Klimt: Modernism in the making; Harry N Abrams Art, Modern, 2001. 7. Tatjana Paul; Gustav Klimt; Rizzoli International publications, 2001. 8. Nina Kransel, Gustav Klimt; Prestel Publishing Artists, 2007. 9. Gabriel James Worth, Pallas Athene:A book of Attic Greek;Uniiversity Press,1928 10. Karl Kerenyi,Athene:Virgin and Mother;A study of Pallas Athene;Spring Athena(Greek Deity) How to cite Beautiful art, Papers

Social Comparison Theory

With regards to questions about identity, the average person responds by comparing himself to others. However, it is important to point out that the person compares himself to people that are in his immediate vicinity. Comparisons are made based on unique attributes, such as, age, gender, eye color, and height.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Social Comparison Theory specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Thus, the average person relies on distinguishing features in self-description (Kassin, Fein, Markus, 2014). Interestingly, the answer to the question does not remain constant. If the interviewer has the power to change the person’s social surroundings, then, he must also expect a different set of answers based on the same questions. Therefore, the self is a â€Å"relative† social construct (Kassin, Fein, Markus, 2014). The significance of social comparison theory is in the idea that an indivi dual has the capability to change his behavior, and how he perceives himself. Defining Social Comparison Theory The core concept of social comparison theory is the brainchild of Leon Festinger. He pointed out that a person belongs to a particular social group. Festinger added that the said social group influences a person’s opinion and abilities. Social comparison theory asserts that a person’s self-description is dependent on information gleaned from observing family members, friends, acquaintances, and other important person in the lives of the interviewee. Festinger asserted that, â€Å"individuals adopted a group’s standards by comparing their own opinions, and abilities with the consensus in the group, and modifying their views so that they were in accordance with the group’s norms† (Krizan Gibbons, 2014, p.39). Festinger emphasized the idea that â€Å"individuals compare themselves to others in order to seek information about the world and their place in it† (Krizan Gibbons, 2014, p.39).  It is important to point out, that to some extent self-description is even influenced by the â€Å"fleeting, everyday exposure to strangers† (Kassin, Fein, Markus, 2014, p.64). Nevertheless, the average person compares himself to those who are similar to him in relevant ways. For example, a college student will determine his reading ability based on how he sees himself in comparison to other college students. He will not compare himself to high school students.Advertising Looking for research paper on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Significance of Social Comparison Theory Social comparison theory’s biggest contribution is the discovery that â€Å"the more uncertain people are, the more they will rely on those comparison for definition and validation† (Gerber, 1999, p.173). As a consequence, â€Å"individuals resolve their uncert ainties by reference to groups, and that group definition often comes from comparison with other groups (Gerber, 1999, p.173). One of the problematic stages in personal development occurs during the teenage years when an individual is least uncertain and more vulnerable. Teenagers are prone to make choices that will negatively affect their future. It is therefore interesting to apply social comparison theory in crafting strategies that will help solve social problems involving teenagers. There are a variety of ways that social scientists can apply insights gleaned from the study of social comparison theory. Two of the most exciting areas are in the study of gang-related violence, and the creation of more effective intervention strategies in cases involving alcoholism or drug addiction. In this regard it is important to point out that the family is the â€Å"primary and most influential group for comparison, and for establishment of lifestyle† (Gerber, 1999, p.173). The focus must be on the family. It is imperative to support parents. It is imperative to focus resources to families in order to help parents build a strong family structure. Community resources must be redirected to the family. When it comes to gang-related problems, it is imperative to consider the impact of the group when it comes to validation, and the establishment of the person’s lifestyle. It is therefore foolish to attempt reforming behavior without creating a mechanism that can help the individual receive positive validation and develop a different kind of lifestyle. This is perhaps the reason why Alcoholics Anonymous is successful in helping people change their behavior towards the consumption of liquor. Alcoholics Anonymous created a new group or an environment filled with new social interconnections that help the individual create new social norms. Conclusion Social comparison theory has many applications. This theory offers insights when it comes to personal development a nd human behavior. However, one of the key aspects of social comparison theory is the way it explains how an individual’s self-description is influenced by social factors that surround him.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Social Comparison Theory specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More According to this theory, â€Å"self† is a relative construct. This is an interesting insight into human behavior and personal development. This theory can be utilized to solve social issues, such as, gang-related violence and drug addiction. It means that a person is dependent on social factors when it comes to altering behavior. It is therefore important to strengthen family structures. In the struggle against gang-related violence and drug addiction, half the battle is already won if a child belongs to a family that can help him establish a positive lifestyle. With regards to individuals that needed a way out of their troubled past, counselors and intervention specialists must develop a mechanism that will enable patients to generate positive validation. They need a mechanism that will help them establish a new kind of lifestyle. It can be argued that Alcoholics Anonymous is successful in helping people overcome destructive behavior, because they create a new environment that helps patients alter their â€Å"self† construct in a positive way. References Gerber, S. (1999). Enhancing counselor intervention strategies: An integrational  viewpoint. PA: Taylor Francis Group. Kassin, S., Fein, S., Markus, H. (2014). Social psychology. CA: Cengage Learning. Krizan, Z. Gibbons, F. (2014). Communal functions of social comparison.  New York: Cambridge University Press.Advertising Looking for research paper on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This research paper on Social Comparison Theory was written and submitted by user Amanda Mcgee to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

How I Funded My Mission, Wrote My Book and Made Bulk Book Sales with Grants

How I Funded My Mission, Wrote My Book and Made Bulk Book Sales with Grants I started with a heart centered mission and a newly published book, How to Raise Respectful Parents: Better Communication with Teens and Parents. Like all new authors, I was proud of it, but I soon learned writing and publishing a book are only half the journey. I had to market, and I wanted to market it to those who needed my message the most. Grant writing is my day job. I knew funds were available for the kind of materials and workshops I wanted to offer. Often authors think that they can only apply for grants directly to fund themselves as writers to write their book. While that is possible; it’s rare and highly competitive. I sought a large entity/business with which my mission aligned with theirs: the school district. I offered to write grants for school programs for FREE. Yes, for FREE! In exchange for this service, I requested that I be allowed to write my workshops and books into the grant budget. School programs hurt for time and dollars. Since there was no expenditure of time and effort on the part of their personnel, they agreed. First Grant to Write the Book I interviewed the parent engagement coordinator and learned about the unique aspects of her program. I suggested that I use my expertise to better train her parent educators. I was delighted when she said, â€Å"yes.† I wrote a small grant to a local private family foundation and they funded us. I was hired under the grant to conduct training for the school district’s parent educators. The development of those training materials became the basis of my first book. In effect, I wrote the first draft of my book with grant funds while providing a needed service to the school partner. Second Grant with Surprise Bulk Book Sales The second grant funding for my mission came through an existing afterschool program grant. Because of the positive relationships built during the first grant funded opportunity, I negotiated the opportunity to provide a series of teen and parent communication workshops funded through their afterschool grant. I shared that I was willing to donate 10 copies of my book for the workshop. The project coordinator liked the book and decided to purchase more copies. She ordered enough for each family in the workshop a total of 50 books! Just like that, I made my first bulk book sale. Ripple Effects Since my initial success, I’ve helped two author friends find grant funding for their heart- centered missions. I interviewed them and wrote grant proposals for each. One friend funded bulk book sales with her grant template and the other friend funded her one woman show with writing workshop materials with a grant proposal. As a result, I have been asked to write a book about grant writing for authors. The Quick Start Guide to Grant Writing will be released in 2018.

Wilson Murder Trial, Huntsville 1992

Wilson Murder Trial, Huntsville 1992 At almost exactly 9:30pm on the evening of May 22, 1992, Huntsville police were notified by the 911 dispatcher of a possible burglary in progress with an injured victim at the scene. The location was Boulder Circle, an affluent neighborhood nestled among the mountains overlooking Huntsville, Alabama. Murder Within minutes of arriving on the scene, police discovered the body of a male, identified as Jack Wilson, lying in the upstairs hallway. He had been brutally murdered, apparently with a baseball bat that was found lying nearby. Homicide detectives began searching every square inch of the house and grounds and a police dog was brought in to sniff out possible evidence the police might overlook. As they began the tedious task of trying to determine what had happened, none of them realized they were about to become involved in the most notorious murder case in Huntsvilles history. The Scene By talking to neighbors and reconstructing the events, the police determined that Wilson had left his office around 4 p.m. He changed clothes and went outside to his front yard where neighbors reported seeing him using a baseball bat to drive a campaign sign in the ground. This was at approximately 4:30 p.m. Apparently, he then took a stepladder from the garage and carried it to the upstairs hallway where he removed a smoke detector from the ceiling. It was later found lying on the bed, disassembled. At this point, police theorized Wilson was surprised by someone who was already in the house. The unknown assailant grabbed the baseball bat and began beating the doctor. After the doctor collapsed to the floor, the assailant stabbed him twice with a knife. Though the crime had originally been reported as a possible burglary, it had none of the typical signs. There were no open drawers, ransacked closets and overturned furniture usual in most burglary cases. The whole case was beginning to look more like an â€Å"inside job.† Suspects The widow, Betty Wilson, was too distraught at the time to be questioned, but later investigation revealed she had lunch with her husband that day around 12 p.m. After he returned to his medical office, she spent much of the day shopping in preparation for a trip they planned for the next morning. Later that evening, after attending an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, she returned home at about 9:30, where she discovered her husband’s body. She went to a neighbors home and they called 911. By using credit card receipts and eyewitnesses, the police were able to verify Betty Wilson’s whereabouts for the whole day, except for one 30-minute period at around 2:30 p.m., and between 5 and 5:30 p.m. Other family members were checked out but they all appeared to have alibis. Break in the Case The first break for the investigators came when the Shelby County Sheriffs Office passed on a tip they had received the week before. A woman had called, concerned about a friend of hers: James White, whom while drunk, had talked about killing a doctor in Huntsville. The whole story was garbled, but what emerged was that White was supposed to be infatuated with a lady by the name of Peggy Lowe, who had recruited him to murder her twin sisters husband in Huntsville. The lady admitted that she doubted the story. â€Å"White liked to talk big when he was drinking and lately he had been drunk almost all the time.† Never the less she decided to pass it on to the police. After the Huntsville Police learned of the tip it took only minutes to establish that Peggy Lowe was Betty Wilson’s twin sister. Investigators decided it was time to pay Mr. White a visit. Follow Up James Dennison White was a 42-year-old Vietnam veteran who had a history of mental disorders and antisocial behavior caused largely by drug and alcohol abuse. He had been in a number of mental institutions as well as serving time in jail. While serving time for selling drugs he escaped and was captured almost a year later in Arkansas, where he was involved in kidnapping a man and his wife. One of his last mental evaluations described him as suffering from delusions and unable to separate fact from fantasy. At first, as White was being questioned by the detectives, he denied everything. Slowly, as the evening and night grew longer he began to contradict himself, spinning a web of half-truths, lies, and fantasies. He denied knowing Peggy Lowe, then admitting it. He denied knowing Betty Wilson, then said he was going to do some work for her. Gradually a pattern emerged. As he would get caught in one contradiction, he would admit it but deny everything else. The detectives were used to this type of behavior though- almost every criminal they interrogated did the same thing. They understood from experience that it was going to be a long drawn out process in getting White to tell the truth. The Truth Finally, just as the sun was peeking over the horizon, White broke down. Though it would take another several months, and numerous different confessions to get him to tell the whole story, he basically confessed to being hired by Peggy Lowe and Betty Wilson to kill Dr. Jack Wilson. He claimed to have met Peggy Lowe at the elementary school where she worked and where he had done some carpentry work. After he did some work at her house, according to White, Mrs. Lowe became infatuated with him and spent hours talking to him on the phone. Gradually she began to talk about her husband and hint that she would like to see him killed. A short time later, though, she dropped the subject of her husband and began talking about her sister who wanted to hire a â€Å"hit† man. White pretended to play along, saying he knew someone who would do it for $20,000. Mrs. Lowe told him that was too expensive; her sister was almost broke. Finally, they agreed on a price of $5,000 of which Mrs. Lowe gave him half, in small bills, in a plastic bag. Gradually, as his story evolved, it included phone calls between him and the sisters, the twins giving him a gun, a trip to Guntersville to pick up expense money inside a library book and meeting Mrs. Wilson in Huntsville to get more expense money. On the day of the murder, he claimed Mrs. Wilson met him in the parking lot of a nearby shopping center and drove him to her home where he waited for two hours until Dr. Wilson arrived home. He was not armed at the time. He stated later that he had not liked guns ever since Vietnam. Instead, he carried a long rope. White said that although he remembered struggling with Wilson over the baseball bat, he did not remember killing the doctor. After the murder, Mrs. Wilson returned to the house, picked him up and drove him back to his truck at the shopping center. He then drove back to Vincent and went out drinking that night with his brother. To prove his story he led the police to his home where a gun was found that was registered to Mrs. Wils on and a book from the Huntsville Public Library. White was unsure about dates, times and specific events but the detectives expected that. It would take time to sort the whole story out but in the meantime where was enough evidence to arrest the twin sisters. A source close to the case described White after he was brought back to Huntsville, as being in â€Å"physical agony, almost climbing the walls and begging to be given his medicine.† The medicine, supposedly Lithium, was withheld because it was in a different bottle than what it came in and White did not have a prescription for it. Arrest The news of Betty Wilson’s arrest for the murder of her husband exploded like a bombshell in Huntsville. Not only was she a well-known socialite, but her husband’s estate was rumored to be worth almost six million dollars. Adding fuel to the flames was the report that she had helped host a fundraiser for a popular political figure the night before the murder. Huntsville is a small town, especially during political seasons, where rumors and gossip can be passed around so quickly that the daily newspaper is already dated when it hits the streets. By piercing the juicy tidbits of gossip together a portrait of a cold-blooded murderess began to take shape. She was rumored to have always been a â€Å"gold digger† and has been heard cursing her husband. Most of the talk, however, centered on her alleged numerous sexual encounters. When the news media caught up with the story they pursued it with a vengeance. Reporters seemed to be competing against one another to see who could come up with the juiciest story. Newspapers, magazines and television shows from all across the country began following the story the whole affair also took on political overtones as members of the D.A.’s office and the sheriff’s office began leaking information to the press and trying to use the case for political advantage. The case became even more political when the D.A. agreed to a controversial plea bargain for White, which would give him life, with parole possible in 7 years, in exchange for helping convict the sisters. Pundits later claimed the plea bargain spelled the end of the D.A.s political career. Murder Charge At the hearing, the prosecution successfully argued that because Betty Wilson was a beneficiary to her husbands will and the fact she had sexual affair was enough to prove the motive. A tape-recorded confession of James White provided the evidence. After a brief hearing, both sisters were ordered to stand trial for murder. Peggy Lowe was granted bond and released after her neighbors in Vincent put their homes up for security. Betty Wilson was denied bond and remained in the Madison County jail until her trial. A short time later family members of Dr. Wilson filed suit to deny Betty Wilson access to his estate. Despite the posturing going on from all sides, many legal analysts began to doubt if the prosecution really had enough to build a case on. There was no one who ever saw James White and Betty Wilson together at any time and there was no physical evidence linking White to the crime scene. Also, a major headache for both sides was Whites constantly changing stories. He would describe events one day and have a completely different version the following week. New Information Perhaps James White was sitting in his cell thinking about the same thing because suddenly he recalled a fact that he had not remembered before. He had changed clothes in the house and placed them in a plastic bag, along with the rope and knife, and hid them under a rock a few feet from the swimming pool. The bag was supposed to be the same one he received the money from Mrs. Lowe in. Officials later explained the clothes not being found during the initial search by saying the police dog had an allergy. Although the clothes and bag were found exactly where White said they would be, the forensic people were never able to establish if they had been bloodstained, or if they actually belonged to White. The clothes were to become one of the biggest mysteries of the case. No one seriously believed the clothes had been missed during the initial search. Privately, even members of the Huntsville Police expressed skepticism. Many people believed that White had gotten someone to place the clothes there in an attempt to bolster his credibility and escape the electric chair. By this time the case of the Evil Twins had captured national attention. The Wall Street Journal, the Washington Times and People Magazine ran lengthy articles and television tabloid shows such as Hard Copy and Inside Edition ran features stories. When two national television networks expressed an interest in making a movie, agents descended on Huntsville buying the movie rights from most of the people involved. Trial As summer wore on, even the most impartial observers began to take sides. Never in the history of Huntsville had a case generated so much controversy and news coverage. Because of the publicity, the judge ordered the trial moved to Tuscaloosa. When the trial finally began, the case boiled down to one simple question. Who was telling the truth? The prosecution argues it was a murder for hire. The defense claimed the fact that White did not carry a weapon with him made the story unbelievable.The prosecution argued Whites testimony was credible. The defense argued he had changed his confessions so many times it was unbelievable and he had fitted his testimony to fit the prosecutions case in order to escape a possible death sentence.The prosecution argued Whites testimony was collaborated by records of phone calls and the library. The defense argued there was another explanation.The prosecution argued the gun was given to White by Betty Wilson and Peggy Lowe. The defense claimed he stole the gun and offered the fact that the empty box the gun came in, along with shells, was found in the home afterward.The prosecution offered a witness who claimed to have seen James White and Betty Wilson near the murder scene within thirty minutes of one another. The defense argued the witness was not credible because she had been unable to pi ck White out of a lineup. The prosecution claimed the timeline proved their case. The defense argued the timeline did not fit.The prosecution offered a witness who claimed Mrs. Wilson had talked about wanting to kill her husband. The defense argued the story was not credible because it had happened almost 6 years earlier and the woman had continued to be friends with Mrs. Wilson.The defense offered a witness who stated she had received a message from Dr. Wilson on her answering machine after the alleged time of death. The prosecution argued the call could have been made earlier. Regardless of the hard evidence, everyone agreed that a central theme of the prosecution’s case was to paint Betty Wilson as a cold and immoral woman who wanted her husband dead. To prove this the prosecution paraded a stream of witnesses who testified about hearing her curse and belittle her husband. Other witnesses testified to having knowledge of Mrs. Wilson taking men to her home for sexual liaisons. Perhaps the most dramatic part of the trial came when a black former city employee took the stand and told of having relations with Mrs. Wilson. Although the prosecution denied playing the racism card, observers of the trial all agreed it had the same effect. The case went to the jury at 12:28 on Tuesday, March 2, 1993. After deliberating the rest of the day and much of the following day the jury returned with a guilty verdict. Jurors later revealed that the deciding factor in their decision was the telephone records. Betty Wilson was sentenced to life imprisonment, without parole. Aftermath Six months later, Peggy Lowe stood trial for her alleged part in the murder for hire. Much of the evidence was almost a repeat of her sister’s trial, with the same witnesses and the same testimony. New to the case, however, was testimony by expert witnesses who stated that two people may have been involved in the murder. Citing the lack of blood splatters on the walls, the experts theorized the murder probably occurred some other place than the hallway and was caused by something other than a baseball bat. For the defense, the most crucial moment probably occurred when White testified that Betty Wilson picked him up at the murder scene between 6 and 6:30 p.m. on the day in question. This was an hour later than he had previously testified. If the jurors believed White’s story, it would have been impossible for Mrs. Wilson to have participated. The biggest difference in the trials, however, were the people being tried. While Mrs. Wilson seemed to be the reincarnate of everything evil, her sister portrayed the image of a virtuous and compassionate church-going woman who was constantly helping people less fortunate. Though it had been difficult to get people to testify in Betty Wilson’s behalf, Mrs. Lowe’s jurors heard a steady parade of witnesses extolling her virtues. The jury deliberated for only two hours and eleven minutes before finding Peggy Lowe not guilty. The jurors cited James White’s lack of credibility as the major factor. The prosecutor explained the verdict by saying he was â€Å"fighting God.† Although Peggy Lowe can never be tried again, the fact remains that it is impossible for one sister to be innocent and the other guilty. Betty Wilson is serving life without parole at the Julia Tutwiler prison in Wetumpka, Alabama. She works in the sewing department and spends her free time writing her supporters. Her case is being appealed. James White is serving a life sentence at an institution in Springville, Alabama, where he is attending trade school and receiving counseling for drug and alcohol abuse. In 1994, he recanted his story of the twins’ involvement but later took the Fifth Amendment when questioned about it in court. He will be eligible for parole in the year 2000.

Static Equilibrium Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

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HR Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

HR Management - Essay Example Even though man material and machine are some of the essential resources needed for an organization, mobilization or effective utilization of these resources is possible only with the help of the human resources. Cross cultural business or international business is growing day by day because of the huge popularity of the globalization, liberalization and privatization policies. All the countries realized the importance of foreign direct investments in their economic growth. Many of the big organizations which faced saturation in their home country are currently trying to exploit the opportunities in international market and as a result of that international business is growing rapidly today. The growth of international business brought many new challenges to organizations and the communication problem is one among them. Human resource management department is responsible for formulating necessary strategies needed to avoid communication problems in international business. Culture and communication plays a vital role in international business and hence the training given to an employee/ manager before an overseas assignment must target cultural and communicational differences between the native country of the employee and the target country. When organizations move into foreign markets they must adapt to communication, culture and human resource issues. Domestic business and international businesses have more differences than similarities. It is easy to start a business in the home country whereas it is difficult to establish a business in a foreign country because of the difficulties in communicating with different stakeholders in the foreign country. This paper briefly analyses different communication problems faced by companies while engage in international business and the HRM strategies needed to overcome it. Before the establishment of business in another country, the entrepreneur must know some basic facts about the target country. The political, social, cultural, legal and economical aspects of the target country could be entirely different from that of his home country. For example, suppose an American company is trying to establish a business unit in China. China is a communist country whereas America is a democratic country. English is the official language of America whereas that of China is Mandarin. The Chinese economy is developing at a much faster rate than that of America. Human rights and freedom of expression are less valued topics in China whereas these things are extremely important in America. There are many other areas in which America and China vary drastically and the HRM strategies should account for all these differences before establishing a business unit in China. David A Victor (2009) has proposed his famous LESCANT model for knowing more about the communication issues in international business. According to him Language, Environment, Social organizations, Contexting, Authority, Nonverbal communication means, Time concepts etc of different countries are different (Victor) In America, English is the official language whereas in China, it is Mandarin. The importance of language in the communication process cannot be neglected while formulating HRM strategies in international context. If communication is the body of an organization, then language is the blood of it. In an organizational set up, communication can take place between the organization and the