Experience at clinical hospital Neurological ward Essay

I was a specialist at a children’s clinical hospital ward. Royal Glamorgan Hospital in Llantrisant. This hospital offers services to children such as inpatient neurology, neurosurgeon, radiology, neuropathology and paediatrics neurology with the children department. This work as it sounds is highly specialized and can only be achieved in a center with high and excellent academicians and research done regularly. Some work such as Neuro-radiology is highly specialized and is only provided in a few centers in the U.  K. Which dictates regular increase knowledge by consulting references, identifying learning resources within the center and making use of them. I was a neurologist which means I attended to Brain and Nervous system diseases. Due to the fact that they are few centers taking care of Neurologist. Difficult cases are referred to our clinics. For instance stroke, brain saving treatments are available if the patients are seen, scanned and diagnosed on time in specialist centers. As a neurologists, I was interested in dealing directly with emergency care but hospital senate was usually interested on how many patients are attended which leaves the emergency care to non-specialists. On this particular week I was on duty or what this center called a call. That means for 24 hours a day and 7 days am available for emergency referrals. On Monday that week a very young child was aged 9 years had a brain biopsy, he was on the intensive care unit. I was not sure what is wrong which was a difficult time for me and his family. I requested for a brain test, which helped me diagnose the problem. I had an interest on multiple sclerosis. Children will have an attack once an year, eventually there was no treatment but now we had it only that it is too expensive, money had run out for the treatment, how cumbersome!. In the afternoon, I had a general neurology clinic at the hospital. I was also following on the patient who were fourteen in number those that I had been treating but seventeen have booked in. This was so frustrating because I would not give my patients attention as desired. In the evening I would return to the ward to see a patient I have not been there so files had really piled up. At night I received a call concerning a patient who have fever and there are no doctors so I went back. Tuesday I was on call for emergencies but routine work went on, Traffic was very built up so I had to leave early to get there by 8. 00 am. and its 10 miles. Tuesday afternoon a child with a bad headache was admitted, I was worried she had a clot in her head. Radiologist said the brain scan could stay until morning but I objected and supported an immediate brain scan. Wednesday I began by paper work then proceeded to give attention to my patients in the ward. In the afternoon there was multidisciplinary Neuro inflammatory clinic at 2pm. As the hospital had 15 beds, I could not pay attention to all these patients so I gave advice to those who were in General medicine. I was called to see a patient with a weak leg he had a scan which ruled out an operation but we dint know why the leg was weak I recommended some more scans. Thursday We get to the office and do paperwork, I saw some of the patients, had a long talk with a couple whose child had a massive brain cycles. Friday I had a clinic in the morning. I tried to be as responsible as possible to all our patients. We were attending to three patients each week to assess new symptoms to see if the patients will need a treatment. We also collected disability date with use of questionnaires which we then did a careful neurological examination. I got a call from the bone marrow transplant unit to see a child who had been in a coma for 24 hours. The question was whether he was epileptic. However he was given a sedative treatment for that day. We arranged an emergent brain test and it looked like the coma was from infection or metabolic problems given that his liver was not functioning well or maybe he was reacting from yesterday’s drug. While working at the hospital, the pharmacist working in the department,gave medication to a patient who I had been treating, but the patient died. The family was convinced that the medication was the main reason as to why the child died. The family went ahead and sued him and the regarded it as a second degree manslaughter. He chose me as his attorney as I was the one in charge of neurological children’s ward which I reluctantly accepted. I found myself so confused, I was not sure I wanted to do this but due to the fact that I was in charge neurological ward for children I had to. To be the attorney defending the pharmacist. I was not sure which way to go I was caught up in a moral dilemma. I felt that the pharmacist would have been more careful in serving the customers in accordance to the domains of conduct and competence. On the other hand, I felt that I should be with him in that trying time. It was also a difficult time for me. It was a real test for my ethical standards. This is because I felt so carried away by the family’s reaction which I felt were justified. The second degree manslaughter, is a difficult case an attorney can take. Defending a person against murder charges whether attempted murder or manslaughter requires every possible weapon even if the prosecution is weak. This involuntary manslaughter usually carries four years. The Pharmacist was so worried and nervous feared for the worst since the prosecution seemed very strong. When he stood in the docket to testify, there was nothing he said that seemed to satisfy the judge, which placed us in a worse situation than we were already in. This was the first time I was being an attorney in any ones case so that particular morning I was so confused. I tried to relax and get all the facts right concerning the case. When my time came to stand in the docket I was very composed. So I gave my testimony as the neurosurgeon who was in charge that week. I argued that they were many conditions that surrounded the death of the boy. The death was not necessarily caused by the medication the patient was in bad shape which may have mainly contributed to his death. At this juncture it looked like am convincing the judge who then asked me to give a document backing my testimony which I handed over to him. The patient who was a ten year body had suffered from stroke which was very serious. The pharmacist seemed to relax a little bit when the judge finally started to nod his head in agreement. I concluded my testimony by stating that the death of the patient was surrounded by many instances which was hard to draw any conclusion. The prosecutors were given a chance to give their evidence, they argued that the boy was fine until he took the medication. We were told to came back in the afternoon to hear the judges verdict. We came back at two in the afternoon. There was anxiety and tension in the court room as we awaited the judge verdict. The Judge threw out the prosecution as murder charge which he said the evidence was inadequate to support such a conviction of murder. The prosecutor could not take that and vowed to appeal, calling the judge decision as â€Å"ultra vires†. The lead prosecutor complained to the judge accusing him of committing the offense of negligence. We were very excited and drove to the hospital feeling very achieved. This two experiences gave me more confidence to face future challenges, it was very hard in the beginning. With time I was able to learn so much, the reason I included the week when I was in duty is because it gave me the most experience it was a week of career growth without depending on the more experienced specialists. This week also, I was able to measure my performance and how I could improve. In addition, I discovered my weakness which I hope to overcome as I advance in my career. I also noticed the importance of giving high quality services to my patient as it gives satisfaction and happiness to know that you did you did your best. When I needed to top up my knowledge I consulted other more experienced specialists or visited the hospitals library. which had enough resources. This helped me improve on my knowledge, which I hope to widen further as a advance in my career.

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Conduct a debate on: Most job candidates are concerned with baseline pay. Incentives and benefits do very little to persuade a candidate to accept an organization’s employment offer if baseline compensation is slightly below the candidate’s expectations. Incentives and other benefits are frequently given lesser importance by the candidates who want to join a new job. There are several reasons for this:- 1. Many of the employees do not give enough of importance to benefits and incentives that are not financial. They usually focus on improving their pay packages rather than their non-pay benefits. 2. Many candidates may not be sure whether they would be able to earn the incentives and other benefits provided. They would feel that such packages are merely eyewashes so that the job appears attractive and are able to take it up. 3. People often evaluate growth rate and the development rate in terms of monetary funds than by determining the incentives and other benefits. 4. Baseline pay is given greater importance to fairness by the employees than the incentives. 5. The external competitiveness is greater when the employees are being paid a higher baseline salary compared to incentives. 6. When the candidate comes for the interview for the job, he/she may consider to job duties to be tough. In such a circumstance, he/she would be considering earning the incentives very difficult, and hence would be looking at increasing their baseline salary. 7. People would more easily settle down for a job that offers more security (one that gives higher monetary funds) compared to those that are insecure and offer incentives. 8. Some employees may consider incentives as a form of encouragement for doing extra work. Many employees may even feel that incentives may prompt them to work beyond working areas, which may be not liked. References: Frederiskon, L. W. (1983). â€Å"Contents. † Journal of Organizational Behavior Management. http://www. haworthpress. com/store/Toc_views. asp? TOCName=J075v05n01_TOC&desc=Volume%3A%205%20Issue%3A%201 HRMC (2007). Baseline Pay, Retrieved on June 12, 2007, from My Own Private Radio Web site: http://www. citehr. com/baseline-pay-vt1462. html My Own Private Radio (2006). On employee compensation – note #3, Democracy in Action, Retrieved on June 12, 2007, from My Own Private Radio Web site: http://myownpirateradio. com/2006/02/13/on-employee-compensation-%E2%80%93-note-3-democracy-in-action/

Seven Pillars of Wisdom, by T.E Lawrence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Seven Pillars of Wisdom, by T.E Lawrence - Essay Example The narrator in the four chapters is presented as one who engages his people in essential preparation to ensure that the matter at hand pushes through. Proper coordination of the made plans is also seen to be essentially well thought of. Joyce, Winterton, Young, Rolls, and every other individual involved in the war activities undertake their duties without delay and in an efficient and effective manner. Under the supervision of the narrator, most the plans made end up successful. The main event within and across the four chapters (CVIII-CXI) revolves around war and fights. This is demonstrated by how the involved individuals go about discharging their duty. The narrator-led team ambushes the blockhouse, capturing unsuspecting individuals and injuring others. Demolition of enemy properties is also seen in the way the organized armored car attack brought down a bridge to cut off transportation and possible attacks from neighbors (Lawrence 425). The war context presented in the four chapters is explained through a number of observable situations. First, the intention is to injure, kill, or destroy. The Turks are in most cases at the receiving end. However, this does not mean that Joyce and the rest of the team are risk-free. There are instances where the attacking team has had its members injured, meaning that all the societies involved in this war and fighting are well aware that wars might break out any time. This is evidenced by the fact that even the attacks regions are essentially ready for an attack. The war events and situations, the attackers and those attacked, the collaborating troops and soldiers, and the arming of people in all the aforementioned regions are fundamental in the context of the agenda presented in chapter CVIII-CXI. In the absence of these aspects, the war context is not complete. In such a context, there are winners and losers. Essentially, the narrator, Joyce, Rolls, and the rest of

Product-Service Marketing and the Differentiation of Goals Essay

Product-Service Marketing and the Differentiation of Goals - Essay Example According to most accounts in the literature there is no such thing as a pure good or a pure service. Physical goods may be as objects, material devices, or things, whereas services are defined as efforts or performances relative to a consumer’s stated needs. In these definitions, the obvious factors that differentiate goods from services are delineated. Goods are tangible and substantial. Services are intangible and immaterial. It should be noticed in this construction that goods are best defined positively by what they are materially, while services are defined by what they are not, by their ephemeral and impermanent nature. Too much can be made of this distinction. However, it does point to a central tendency within the marketing, sale, and maintenance of services that is critical to acknowledge. Marketing of services revolves largely around relationships and the variables that are attached to them, such as trust, ethics, and mutual benefit, while goods revolve around the d elivery of a specific material object. Of course, because there is no such thing as a pure good or service, the lines of distinction between the two concepts may be easy to blur. This is especially true in the modern marketplace in which a service economy often presents services as the primary fact of exchange. An example may shed light that will serve to differentiate the nature of the difference between goods and services. When a customer goes to purchase a car, the service that surrounds the customer’s experience of the car is critical to the buying decision. The offering and financing of the car through the sales experience and the maintenance of the car that follows post-sale may affect the customer’s enjoyment of the car to a degree that impacts on the customer’s decision to continue to do business with a given dealer. However, the customer is ultimately taking possession of a product that they will take home with them and become responsible for on a personal level. When a customer buys an airl ine ticket, on the other hand, the service that surrounds the experience of the trip is the ultimate and final value received. While the customer’s buying decision and value judgments may be influenced by the quality of the material meal served on the plane, for example, the customer takes possession of very little material benefit in the exchange, but rather benefits in the experience of getting from one place to another in the most convenient and enjoyable manner possible. The airline provides a service, with some minor goods afforded to support the buying experience. So, given these facts, is there anything that makes the marketing of an educational institution different as a service offered? For one possible answer to this question, consider that on a scale of tangible and intangible goods and services, teaching or education remains at the extreme ends of the intangible side. The value that is offered by the provider and received by the recipient in an educational environ ment revolves around psychological and sociological relationship variables. This is particularly true in a public school environment in which the customer is not only afforded the opportunity to participate in the service but compelled to do so. While there are

Childhood life in Swizterland Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Childhood life in Swizterland - Research Paper Example When students complete their primary school they are assumed to have completed their first portion of their education in different types of grade one school. These schools emphasize on occupational or academic subjects to different degrees. There are then the grade two schools which are not obligatory for students to attend. They include trade and gymnasium schools, which act as opening doors for students to the university. Despite the challenges faced by Swiss government, it has tried to provide standard life for its citizens. Private schools in Switzerland are mostly found in the French speaking cantons. These schools provide quality education, and they offer various academic opportunities. Most of the children in Switzerland complete their primary education and this account for about 98%. There are about 10 universities that are managed by the cantons in Switzerland (Colombo, 2006). Four of the universities are located in areas speaking French, and four are located in the area speaking German. The universities in Switzerland are funded by the cantons as the confederation contributing about 53%. One- third of the contribution in higher education is directed to research and some to development. Research has shown that 49% of adult have tertiary education where the enrollment of men is about 53% while that of women is about 44%. The literacy rate of men and women is approximately 99%. Swiss is well known for the high standard of education that it offers, and it is funded by the public. Switzerland concentr ates on improving its education system because it has few natural resources for improving their economy and a country as a whole (Hug). It is because of this reason that makes many people continue studying even after they have completed their compulsory education. People prefer to take more that one course after finishing their compulsory education as this make them become diverse. It is very unfortunate for the education system because it

How Usability Improves Mobile Commerce Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

How Usability Improves Mobile Commerce - Essay Example An assessment of various effects that come with interaction with mobile devices and a thorough examination on the form factors, user tasks and the general purpose of these applications on the usability easily benefits the interface design in wireless applications. There are various definitions of mobile commerce which are meant to explore the probable benefits of wireless technology across the globe. Mobile commerce is deemed to be the use of the wireless technology, in particular, the handled mobile gadgets alongside the mobile internet in order to facilitate the search of information, transactions and the user tasks in communications, businesses and intra enterprise (Bang, Lee, Han, Hwang & Ahn, 2013). Not only transactions are supported by mobile commerce applications, but also services such as interaction and value added. Thus, the wireless technology is promising to enhance business relationships and revolutionize electronic commerce in its full adoption in various business ente rprises due to the forecasted solutions mobile gadgets can offer. Usability is currently receiving an increasing attention for mobile commerce since the acquisition and retention of customers for the online retail sites has a high cost. In this context, usability focuses on the features of the sites that enhance satisfactory online shopping. The study of usability on wireless or rather mobile applications is centered on the design constraints which are imposed by a limitation of bandwidth alongside the small display of handled gadgets. Thus, the direct access methods are more effective in the retrieval of tasks with smaller screen displays. In the environment of mobiles, the users have sufficient time alongside the cognitive resources which facilitates performing of tasks. One of the greatest design issues that are linked to the wireless application of mobile commerce is the suitability of the user tasks.

Ground Subsidence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6250 words

Ground Subsidence - Essay Example Most human built structures do rely on the ground for stability but what if the ground suddenly becomes unstable What if subsidence occurs This paper aims to answer these questions by discussing the nature of subsidence and its effects on civil works. I will be providing definitions and possible causes of subsidence. For the civil works, I will be enumerating the effects along precautionary and remedial measures that can mitigate its effects. "Ground subsidence" is legally defined as the means or process that is characterized by the downward displacement of surface material caused by natural phenomena such as removal of underground fluids, natural consolidation, or dissolution of underground minerals, or by man-made phenomena such as underground mining. (Colorado Geologic Survey) Subsidence may occur abruptly-virtually instantly-or gradually over many years. It may occur uniformly in a small, confined area as shown in Figure 1a or may occur over a wide area as local depressions as shown in Figure 1b. Subsidence is commonly associated with the dissolution of soluble rocks, such as limestone, beneath the surface while those with crystalline rocks in which most metals are mined have greater strength and are less likely to settle or collapse. The resultant landscape has closed depressions and is known as karst topography. Note that the depressions do not necessarily result to holes in the ground as shown in Figure 2. ... ed subsidence occur as a result of withdrawal of fluids from subsurface reservoirs as shown in Figure 4, from the collapse of soil and rock over subsurface holes, such as those left by underground mining and from the draining of wetlands. (Waltham and Cushaw, 2004) FIGURE 1a. SMALL SINKHOLE. Not all sinkholes are large subsidence features. Small collapse sinkholes, such as this one in Boyle County, Kentucky, are common. (Kentucky Geological Survey) FIGURE 1.b LARGE COLLAPSE SINKHOLE. This sinkhole near Montevallo in central Alabama was dubbed the "December Giant" after it measured close to 120 m (400 ft.) in diameter and 45 m (150 ft.) in depth. (U.S. Geological Survey) FIGURE 2. KARST TOPOGRAPHY. This rolling landscape of the Mitchell Plateau in southern Indiana is typical of karst topography in a humid temperate climate. (Samuel S. Frushour, Indiana Geological Survey) Subsidence can also occur due to expansive soils. There are clay-rich soils which shrink significantly during dry periods and expand or swell during wet periods. The swelling is caused by the chemical attraction of water molecules to the surface of very fine particles of clay. Swelling can also be caused by the chemical attraction of water molecules to layers within the crystal structure of some clay minerals. Figure 3a shows the mechanism by which expansion of soil can occur while Figure 3b shows water consumption by trees as another cause. FIGURE 3. EXPANSIVE SOILS (a) Smectite clay expands as water molecules are added onto and within the clay particles. (b) Effects of soil's shrinking and swelling at a home site. (After Mathewson, C. C., and J. P. Castleberry, II. Expansive soils: Their engineering geology. Texas A&M University) FIGURE 4. PROCESS OF SUBSIDENCE DUE TO WATER

Chinese Contract Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Chinese Contract Law - Essay Example China views this as a way of enhancing political stability. Labor and business interest groups have been the most affected by the contact law. Many businesses have been forced to close as the cost of production increased. History and role of contract law Contracts are perceived to be the backbone of any market economy. China adopted a contract law in 1999. The law was divided into general and specific provisions. Besides, the contract law had supplementary provisions. The Chinese borrowed heavily from UNIDROIT principles. The laws had been drafted to cover a wide scope of contract issues. However, the Chinese needed a superior law that would sustain the economic growth. This led to enactment of another contract law in 2008. Contractual relationships are the essence of business transactions. Many countries agree that one of the keys of economic development is contact enforceability (Chow 2002). The usage of credit and capital is critical to the mechanism of market economy (Glinow & Te agarden 1988). Contracts are enforceable in a court of law, and this secures the possibility of credit sales. Weber argues that rationalization is one of the major characteristics of the modern society. Tasks are completed through broken down processes. The specialized rules are accessed in terms of the exact figures. Through this, future events are managed in a rational way. The process enables large-scale transactions to be conducted (Kitch 1980). A telling example is modern accounting. Accounts are broken down in balance sheets. This is followed by profit and loss accounts. The financial status of a business can be explained in terms of assets and liabilities (Zhang 2006). This explains when contract law is viewed as influential when it comes to economic and infrastructural development. China is no longer a place where cheap knock off products are developed (Jespersen & Skjoett-Larsen 2003). Although the practice of producing counterfeits continues, the quality of modern counterf eits is improved tremendously. The Chinese contact law puts immense emphasis on the clarity of contracts. Article 12 stipulates and describes what the contents of a written contract should be. Advantages of contract law China is nearly meeting the international standards when it comes to contractual legislation. The contract law has eliminated ambiguities when it comes to guidelines on entering into contractual agreements in China. Therefore, the outcome of foreign business contracts is predictable. Benefits The major provision of that gives credible interpretation to Chinese contact law is article 125. The contractual obligations can be supplemented through the provisions of the law (Yongping & Weidi 2008). This occurs when something vital fails to be captured in a contract. Some of those sources include the provision of laws, principle of good faith and transaction usage (Yongping & Weidi 2008). Articles 5 and 6 are firm on the concepts of good faith and fairness. These are some o f the benefits of the Chinese contract laws to the foreigners (Jespersen & Skjoett-Larsen 2003). There is an intentional move by the Chinese contract law to create a conducive environment for the foreigners. However, some of the provisions of the new law have an impact on the profitability of the foreign businesses. The article 92 of the Chinese contract law governs post contractual duties between the involved parties. The article suggests an employee is expected to act in a reasonable way

Argument essay against marxist idea Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Argument against marxist idea - Essay Example For example, our environment is degrading at a rapid pace. The quality water in the oceans and rivers, the pollution levels in the air we breathe and the steady destruction of erstwhile pristine ecosystems can all be attributed to lack of private ownership. If only all these resources were privately owned, it is difficult to foresee how they will be allowed to decline as is presently happening. When valuable resources such as these will have private ownership, the owner will ensure that his property is kept in good condition. This fact makes a strong case for promoting private ownership of property and wealth. Let us take the case of prosperity in America. For long, the cherished dream (the so-called American Dream) for every family is to own a comfortable house, decent car and have the money to be able to send children to college. It is fair to claim that hard-working and sincere citizens should be entitled to this basic aspiration. And the institution of private ownership is what ensures that such wishes are fulfilled. To put it in perspective, we only need look at societies that had embraced the communist view of common property and its effectiveness. In the erstwhile communist society of USSR, the standards of living for a large majority of the population were just above levels of sustenance. Moreover, the spirit of individuality was suppressed and in its place a uniform conformist mentality instated in the minds of citizens. This explains why the USSR eventually, but inevitably, collapsed. And a dynamic capitalist economy has taken center stage in Russia presently. The prosperity of countries in Western Europe can also be attributed to their governments’ active encouragement of private ownership of land, business enterprises, consumer goods, etc. In their defense, Marx and Engels would point to the collateral damage that result from capitalism and private

Description of IT Methodology Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Description of IT Methodology - Coursework Example Quantitative research explores and describes facts quantitatively while qualitative research explores facts in a more qualitative manner. For the present research project, both qualitative and quantitative approaches have been employed. The data was evaluated using a quantitative approach and the attributes of the data were evaluated through a qualitative approach. The qualitative approach has also been used to scrutinize the various approaches to data mining. As per the requirements of this project, qualitative research was conducted in accordance with the objectives. This research was carried out to formulate the questions to be asked by the subjects. The subjects were the medical personnel of Abu Dhabi police hospital. The questions were based on diabetes and they were planned so as to enable the gathering of appropriate data for fulfilling the objectives of the present project. Qualitative research was carried out using books, the web, and other sources. The questions asked and t he answers obtained for the questions have been listed in appendix 1 at the end of the document. The data set obtained after analyzing the answers given by the medical staff was collected through data mining. The data was then examined. This is the quantitative aspect of the research project. Qualitative and quantitative research methods have their own advantages and disadvantages. The utility of each method depends on the objectives of the research. 2.2. Qualitative and Quantitative Research Advantages and disadvantages of qualitative research The major advantage of qualitative research is that the analysis is credible and it requires thoughtful processing of the data to derive a comprehensive conclusion from it. The disadvantage of this kind of research is that it is based only a limited amount of information and that the conclusions derived from the data may vary depending the individual’s ideas and thought process. Advantages and disadvantages of quantitative research The major advantage of quantitative research is that it is cheaper. The data for the research can be acquired easily and compared with other research. The disadvantage of quantitative research is that some types of data may not be easy to get or the data obtained could be incomplete in some aspects. In this research project, it was difficult to obtain medical data due to concerns related to privacy. The quantitative research was based on the data obtained from the hospitals in the UAE. Sequential Language was used to alter the acquired data. This step was required in order to test the objectives of this project. Despite the difficulty in obtaining medical data, the entire project is based on collected data. Review of literature and creation of data file A literature review was carried out before carrying out further research. All kinds of publications including journals, books, textbooks, and online sources that detailed information on data mining were intensively reviewed. Aspects of data mining and their methods were studied and applied to information on diabetes. A data spreadsheet by the name Diabetes.arff was designed keeping the information on diabetes in view. The quality of the acquired data was examined and data mining algorithms then applied to the file containing the collected data. Data processing The data on diabetes obtained from various sources along with information obtained from the

The Lawsuit Essay Example for Free

The Lawsuit Essay When looking for resources I came across a critical review to my story â€Å"The Lawsuit† by Naguib Mahfouz I came across a post which gave me a better insight of the story. My story was about a man who had trouble within on rather or not to help his step mother who he feels stole everything from him and his family. My article tried to evaluate his character and why the son wouldn’t try to get a better understand on why his step mother was asking him for money. The author of the article also tried to put himself into the perspective on why he had so much anger towards her. The son would question how could someone who was so beautiful needs help now. She could get anything with her looks and no twenty years later she was begging not his deceased father but his son for money. Why couldn’t she remarry or get a job like everyone else in the world. The son did not want to look into maybe things in life had prevented her from getting a job. Maybe the widow had hardships. When finally seeing his father widow in court he say that she was fat, ugly, and appeared older then her age. The son finally saw all the hardship she went through and decided to not fight her on her lawsuit but to bless her. For example â€Å"She couldnt rely on her looks anymore and she never knew how to work for her living, so she could only fall back upon the son who sees this and doesnt mind helping her out. † Helping people is better than holding a grudge against. The author’s main point of the story was to help us understand the son’s point of view and why he felt the way he did.

What Is Absenteeism And What Causes Absence Management Essay

What Is Absenteeism And What Causes Absence Management Essay An employees deliberate or habitual absence from work. In todays working organisations everybody misses a day of work now and then. But when an employee misses too many days of work it can be a big problem for the organisation and this can cause serious problems when all other employees have to cover for the missing worker or in worse cases the work simply doesnt get done. Absenteeism occurs when the employees of a company do not turn up to work due to scheduled time off, illness, injury, or any other reason. Recent studies have reviled that Absenteeism sometimes put the figure much higher. One recent Gallup poll did not put a price tag on the sniffles and swollen eyes, but claimed that more than 3 million workdays per year are lost when working people stay home because their allergies are acting up. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology released a study in 1994 claiming that clinical depression alone resulted in more than 213 million lost workdays, costing $24 billion. Furthermore, a 1995 study discovered a correlation between absenteeism and employee turnover. Companies with high rates of absenteeism were found to be more likely to have their employees leave for jobs with other firms. In light of such findings, employers have recognized that a generous absence policy can be profitable and contribute to employee satisfaction and stability.  [1]   If we look back the history, there is only a small written history of absenteeism in business literature, probably because until the 20th century businesses had a simple rule, No work: no pay. Then labour unions forced the companies into contracts to allow employees to take time off from work for illness or vacations and the practice of offering paid sick days become widespread. These practices still vary among companies and union contracts and normally there is an average of four to ten sick days per year is standard. Companies have realized that human absence management policies are cost effective; even many companies were unwilling to off paid leave to their employees. In fact, there is an estimate in the current studies regarding absenteeism that those company who have effective employee absence strategies can reduce their overall payroll costs by atleast 10 percent. HOW MUCH ABSENTEEISM COST THE BUSINESS: Most recent studies on absenteeism have claimed that missing employees cost companies millions of pounds in lost revenue each year. There have been several surveys to find out how much exactly does absenteeism cost the organisations, some of them are as under: According to a new survey by Mercer,  The Total Financial Impact of Employee Absences, the total cost of absence can equal as much as 36% of payroll (compared to 15.4% for health care coverage). Of that figure, 9% accounts for unplanned absences. Planned absences, like vacations and holidays, average 26.6%. For a midsize business, this unplanned absence can account for as much as $4.5 million per year and unplanned absences like casual sick days result in the highest per-day productivity loss, 21% versus just 15% for planned absences like vacation days. On an average, employees have 5.3 unplanned absence days per year.  [2]   The other most recent survey on the common causes of absenteeism by BBC has revealed that within the UK 93% of workers cite cods and flu as their common reason for being away from their work. IHC estimates that 13.4 million working days a year are lost to stress, anxiety and depression, and 12.3 million to back and upper limb problems. And the overall cost to UK industry? A whopping  £11.5bn in 2002 was paid out in wages to absent employees and on additional overtime and temporary staff cover, according to the CBI. One such firm that has decided to tackle the problem of workplace absence is investment management company INVESCO. Based in the City of London and Henley-on-Thames and employing 1,000 permanent staff, it realised that absenteeism, whether to visit a doctor, physiotherapist or councillor, was costing it an estimated  £38,000 a year after carrying out a study into the problem in late 2002.  [3]   Absence from work costs British industry  £10.2bn a year, mainly through minor illnesses, stress and family responsibilities, according to a new report. A survey of more than 530 firms for the Confederation of British Industry estimated that 200m days were lost through sickness absence last year, an average of 8.5 days per worker.  [4]   The  Massachusetts Institute of Technology  (MIT) is a  private  research university located in  Cambridge,  Massachusetts, United States, MIT has released a study in 1994 that, Clinical depression alone resulted in more than 213 million lost workdays, costing $24 billion.  [5]   According to an annual survey report of CIPD in 2009, it is stated that the annual cost of absence, is highest in the public sector, averaging  £784 per employee per year. Manufacturing and production employers recorded the next highest cost at  £754 per employee per year. Absence costs among non-profit organisations also fell slightly to  £698 from  £741 per employee per year.  Private services organisations recorded the lowest annual absence costs, averaging  £666. However, the findings showed that only 41% of employers monitor the cost of employee absence, a figure which has remained stubbornly low over the last few years.  Annual Absence Labour Turnover Survey 2008  by the CBI and insurer AXA revealed that of the 172 million sick days lost to absence in 2007, more than one in ten (12%) are thought to be non-genuine. These 21 million sick employees cost the economy  £1.6bn and two thirds of employers think that people use them to extend their weekends.  [6]   Another company Hewitt Associates  which is based in  Lincolnshire,  Illinois  is a global  human resources  (HR)  outsourcing   and  consulting  firm which delivers a wide range of integrated services to help companies manage their total HR and employee costs and improve their workforces has confirmed that: Sickness costs UK companies more than  £1,000 per employee every year. In addition, absenteeism is costing employers at least  £662 per employee, although this rises by as much as 60% once indirect costs, such as lost productivity, overtime and recruitment, are included. The first Hewitt Healthcare Fundamentals Survey, found that many companies are under-estimating their rate of absenteeism and its financial impact as less than two thirds of companies indicated that they properly record employee absenteeism. The survey showed that the biggest causes of absenteeism are flu, muscular injuries such as back pain and repetitive strain injury, and stress and depression. Some 56% of respondents said that stress is an issue for their organisation yet only a third provides stress management coaching for their managers. The report makes it clear that stress is predicted to be the main cause of employee ill-health in the next three years. If the UK economy worsens, stress levels can undo ubtedly be expected to rise further, making this the biggest threat to employee health in the UK. Poor health and work absenteeism has long been recognised as a problem for UK employers. According to a recent review by Dame Carol Black, the National Director for Health and Work at the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement, the total cost of sickness and absenteeism to the UK economy is over  £60 billion.  [7]   Forum of Private Business (FPB) an online forum has recently conducted a survey on how much absenteeism is costing the business in the United Kingdom. This forum warned that the cost of a single day of workers absenteeism within UK because of the freezing winter conditions could be at least  £230 million. FPB also stated that: Employee absenteeism represents a huge cost for many small businesses. According to the FPBs recent cost of compliance survey, small business employers in the UK spend a total of  £391 million per year on absence control and management more than on any other aspect of employment law.  [8]   WHAT CAUSES ABSENCE? The most common main causes of sickness absence for both manual and non-manual employees have been identified as: Manual Non-Manual Minor illness (cold, flu, stomach upsets headaches) Minor illness (cold, flu, stomach upsets headaches) Back pain Stress Musculo-skeletal injuries Musculo-skeletal injuries Home/family responsibilities Back pain Stress Home/family responsibilities Recurring medical conditions Recurring medical conditions Injuries/accidents not related to work Other absences not related to ill-health The latest studies and surveys have revealed that an increase in stress related absence is continuing in number of employers these days. INTERNATIONAL COMPARISONS International comparison of absence rates is equally useful and informative. The title sick man of Europe was once given to Britain because of apparently poor industrial relations record. This title can be given to any other country now as absence rates in the UK are among the lowest of any EU member country. Table 1 illustrates this point: Country Short-term Absenteeism rate Long-term Absenteeism rate Denmark UK Austria Sweden Ireland Norway Netherlands France Germany Belgium Italy Portugal 3.5 3.6 4.1 4.4 4.5 5.0 5.5 5.6 5.6 5.8 6.9 8.0 9.1 5.5 12.7 3.0 10.4 13.3 11.1 6.5 6.6 5.5 11.2 Source: Adapted from CBI, Focus on Absence, 1989  [9]   THEORIES RELEVANT TO ABSENTEEISM MOTIVATION THEORY The word motivation is used to describe certain sorts of behaviour. The purpose of motivation theories is to predict behaviours. Motivation is not the behaviour itself, and it is not performance. Motivation concerns action and the internal and external forces which influence a persons choice of action (Mitchell 1987).  [10]   HERZBERGS TWO FACTOR THEORY Herzberg used the critical incidental method and his original study was chosen because of the growing importance in the business world and his study was consisted of interviews with 203 accountants and engineers  from different industries in the Pittsburgh area of America. The responses to these interviews were generally consistent and revealed that there were two different sets of factors affecting motivation and work. This led to the Two Factor Theory of motivation and job satisfaction. Herzberg concluded that the factors as company policy, supervision, interpersonal relations, working conditions, and salary are not motivators but are hygiene factors. According to Herzbergs theory, the absence of hygiene factors can create job satisfaction and on the other hand their presence does not motivate or create satisfaction. In contrast, he determined from data that the motivators were elements that enriched a persons job he found  five factors  in particular that were strong  determiners of job satisfaction: Achievement Recognition The work itself Responsibility Advancement  Ã‚   According to Herzberg theory these motivators who also can be known as satisfiers were associated with  long-term  positive effects in job performance while the hygiene factors (dissatisfiers) consistently produced only  short-term changes in job attitudes and performance, which quickly fell back to its previous level. In summary,  satisfiers describe a persons relationship with that she or he  does, many related to the tasks being performed.  On the other hand dissatisfiers have to do with a persons  relationship to the context or environment  in which she or he performs the job.  Ã‚  The satisfiers or motivators relate to what a person does while the dissatisfiers relate to the situation in which the person does what he or she does. Herzberg argued that extra compensation only work in the short term and other hygiene factors only avoid dissatisfaction and that satisfaction comes from intrinsic motivators. Herzberg developed the job enhancement process and brought out the following features in his theory: Direct feedback non-evaluative feedback on work performance which goes straight to the employee, not through a superior. New learning employees given opportunities to learn new and meaningful skills Scheduling employees are permitted to organise their own work patterns within reasonable limits Unique expertise using ones special skills and knowledge Control over resources having an individual budget for which one is responsible Direct communications authority being able to communicate as necessary to get the job done Personal accountability the employee is directly accountable for the work.  [11]   ATTRIBUTION THEORY Attribution theory suggests that we observe a persons behaviour and then try to establish whether internal or external forces caused it. If it is judged to be internal, it is seen as being under the persons control; if it is judged to be external, it is seen as a result of the situation. Attribution is said to be subjected to a number of considerations, because we judge actions in a context. For example, we judge how distinctive behaviour is and whether behaviour is unusual for a particular person. Attribution theory is very much relevant to absenteeism as for example the employee is absent from work and the circumstances are that his or her attendance record is exemplary, then the behaviour could be considered unusual and an external cause (that is, that the behaviour is outside the control of the individual) will be attributed. If the absenteeism fits in with the general pattern of behaviour, then an internal attribution will be attached (that is, it will be seen as being under the persons control). DOUGLAS MCGREGOR THEORY X THEORY Y According to Douglas McGregor there are two distinct views of human beings, the first one is basically negative, labelled as Theory X, and the other basically positive, labelled as Theory Y. McGregor concluded, after viewing the way in which managers dealt with employees, that a managers view of the nature of human beings is based on a certain grouping of assumptions and that he or she tends to mold his or her behaviour toward employees according to these assumptions: According to McGregors Theory X, there are four assumptions held by managers which are: Employees inherently dislike work and whenever possible, will attempt to avoid it. Since employees dislike work, they must be coerced, controlled, or threatened with punishment to achieve goals. Employees will avoid responsibilities and seek formal direction whenever possible. Most workers place security above all other factors associated with work and will display little ambition.  [12]   In contrast to these negative views about the nature of human beings, McGregor listed the four positive assumptions that he called Theory Y: Employees can view work as being as natural as rest or play. People will exercise self-direction and self-control if they are committed to the objectives. The average person can learn to accept, even seek, responsibilities. The ability to make innovative decisions is widely dispersed throughout the population and is not necessarily the sole province of those in management positions.  [13]   HOW TO MEASURE ABSENTEEISM To measure worker absenteeism the most obvious way is to record how many days have employees not come in to work. The companies should have some sort of clock-in or accountability set-up making this step relatively simple. Once the numbers are available, surely it would be interesting to know how many of those workers were genuinely ill. Measuring absenteeism can serve as many as four purposes for organisations, which includes the following: Administering payroll and benefits programs Planning human resource requirements for production scheduling identifying absenteeism problems measuring and controlling personnel costs (Gandz and Mikalachki, 1979) Actual assessment and analyzing is a key aspect of managing absence effectively. Organisations must assess if they have complications with absenteeism, its extent and find out the best way to tackle it. In the latest Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) absence survey, less than half of employers monitor the cost of absence,  and just under  half of organisations have set a target for reducing absence and only 38% of organisations benchmark themselves against other employers.   To analyse particular arrangement of absenteeism and underlying the basis, employers should acquire and use data, for example, the management approach of an appropriate manager or an increase in workloads. This can also provide the evidence of how absenteeism impacts on the bottom line and why it value investing in an effective absenteeism management programme. HOW TO MEASURE TIME LOST? To evaluate absenteeism there are a number of different measures that can be used, each of which can gives information about the different aspects of absenteeism. Some of the factors are described as under: LOST TIME RATE Lost time rate measure  articulate the percentage of the total time available which has been lost due to absence: Total absence (hours or days) in the period  x 100   Possible total (hours or days) in the period   For instance, if the total absence of the employees in the period is 155 person-hours and the total time available is 1,950 person-hours, the lost time rate will be:   155 x 100 = 7.95%   1,950   This can also be calculated separately for the individual departments of different groups of employees to uncover particular absence problems within an organisation. FREQUENCY RATE The frequency rate method shows an average number of absences per employee, which is expressed as a percentage. This does not give any indication of the length or duration of each absence period, nor any indication of employees who take more than one spell of absence and it is calculated as under:   No of spells of absence in the period  x 100   No of employees   For example, if an organisation employed on average 110 workers in one month, and during this time there were a total of 24 spells of absence, the frequency rate will be:   24  x 100 = 21.82%   110   To find out the individual frequency rate, we have to count the number of workers who take at least one interval of absence in the period, rather than to total number of intervals of absence. BRADFORD FACTOR This method expresses the persistent short-term absence for individuals, by measuring the number of spells of absence, and is therefore a useful measure of the disruption caused by this type of absence. It is calculated using the formula:   S x S x D S = number of spells of absence in 52 weeks taken by an individual   D = number of days of absence in 52 weeks taken by that individual   For example:   10 one-day absences: 10 x 10 x 10 = 1,000   1 ten-day absence: 1 x 1 x 10 = 10   5 two-day absences: 5 x 5 x 10 = 250   2 five-day absences: 2 x 2 x 10 = 40   The trigger points will differ between organisations. The underlying causes will need to be identified for all unauthorised absence. ABSENCE POLICIES The companies should have clear policies in place which support their business objectives and culture and this is the first step to managing absenteeism efficiently. Under the current legislation employers are required to provide their staff with knowledge on any terms and conditions relating to inadequacy for work due to the sickness or injury, including any arrangement for sick pay. Effective absenteeism policies must spell out clearly employees rights and responsibilities when taking time off from work due to sickness or any other reason. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) is Europes largest HR development professional body which support and develop the management and development of people within organization, has explained that the following few facts are most considerable and the policies should: Provide details of contractual sick pay terms and its relationship with statutory sick pay Outline the process employees must follow if taking time off sick covering when and whom employees should notify if they are not able to attend work Include when (after how many days) employees need a self-certificate form Contain details of when they require a fit note from their doctor Explain that adjustments may be appropriate to assist the employee in returning to work as soon as is practicable   Mention that the organisation reserves the right to require employees to attend an examination by a company doctor and (with the workers consent) to request a report from the employees doctor Include provisions for return-to-work interviews as these have been identified as the most effective intervention to manage short-term absence.  [14]   HOW TO MANAGE ABSENTEEISM Before we discuss how to manage absenteeism we look the types of absenteeism. There are many other reasons why people take time off from work. These can be categorised as under: Non permitted absence or continuous lateness Long-term sickness absence Short-term sickness absence (uncertificated, self-certificated, or covered by a doctors fit note which replaced the sick note from April 2010) Other authorised absences:  for example,  annual leave; maternity, paternity, adoption, or parental leave; time off for public or trade union duties, or to care for dependents; compassionate leave; educational leave. Other than these above categories of absenteeism there are two main types of absenteeism, know as short term absenteeism and long term absenteeism. We discuss in detail how to manage these two main types of absenteeism: MANAGING SHORT-TERM ABSENCE Short term absence also known as absence interventions. The most effective interventions in managing short term absence include the followings: A proactive absence management policy Return-to-work interviews Disciplinary procedures for unacceptable absence levels Involving trained line managers in absence management Providing sickness absence information to line managers Restricting sick pay Involving occupational health professionals The most common method which is currently being adopted by many organisations is return-to-work interviews which can help identify short-term absence problems at an early stage. These return-to-work interviews provide an opportunity to managers to start a dialogue with staff over underlying issues, which might be causing the absence.   Tim Holden, the Managing Director of  FLUID, draws on more than 10 years experience as an award-winning recruiter and trainer. FLUID works with organisations to enhance their attractiveness to both current and future employees. Holden suggests that: The use of disciplinary procedures for unacceptable absence may be used to make it clear to employees that unjustified absence will not be tolerated and that absence policies will be enforced.  Ã‚  [15]   According to CIPDs recent survey it has been revealed that, only 12% of organisations use attendance incentives or bonuses as a tool of absence management according to our latest absence survey. LINE MANAGERS ROLE To control and reduce the causes of absenteeism, line managers have a substantial role to play, either directly or indirectly. How managers behave is very important because it has a significant effect on employee health and comfort. Many recent researches show that line managers are the type of employees most likely to be reported as bullies within organisations. Management style within an organisation is also one of the top causes of stress at work.  Ã‚   In any organisations the managers need good communications skills to encourage employees so that they can feel free to discuss any problems they may have at an early stage so that they can be given support or advice by the managers before matters escalate. According to all the recent studies and surveys it is stated that despite of all the importance of line manager/supervisor involvement, there are only 50% organisations are training their line managers to get the skills needed to do this effectively. The organisations should train their line managers to get the following skills to handle the absenteeism properly and they should have a good knowledge of: Their companys absence policies and procedures What is their role in the absence management programme How to act upon any advice given by the doctor to the employee. All the related legal and disciplinary aspects of absence including potential disability discrimination issues   How to maintain absence record-keeping and understanding facts and figures on absence The role of occupational health services The proactive measures to support staff health and wellbeing Operation (where applicable) of trigger points Development of return-to-work interview skills Development of counselling skills. MANAGING LONG-TERM ABSENCE The current studies and researches on long term absence have shown that absence of  eight days or more justify about one third  of total time lost through absence and absence of four weeks or more accounts for more than 15%. Consequently it is very vital that organisations have an approved strategy in place to help their employees to get back to work after a continuous period of sickness or injury-related absence. The knowledge of potential disability discrimination claims is also critical these days.   THE ROLE OF LINE MANAGERS   The role and responsibilities of the line manager in the management of absence should be clearly defined. However, these days the role of line managers is paramount. It is the line managers responsibility to manager his or her departmental, or unit. Therefore it is his/her responsibility to see that these resources are used as effectively as possible. This means that levels of attendance should be good and absence kept to a minimum. The line managers should follow the companys approach to management style, organisation and allocation of work, as this will be a vital part of any strategy to control absence. In addition it is his/her responsibility to follow the company absence polices and procedures to staff. In addition, the line manager will be one of the main influences on an individuals view of the company attitude to absence. It is therefore important that the actions, and words of line manager support the companys position. Taking a difference stance on the management of absence, whether more strictly or leniently, will cause problems for the individual manager and for the organisation. Line managers must be able to rely on the support of senior management for decision they take in line with the companys policy, their responsibilities are as under: To effectively organize and allocate work; To use an appropriate management style; To ensure that all staff are adequately trained for their role; To communicate the absence policy and procedures to all subordinates; To apply policy and procedures in a consistent and fair manner; To deal with requests for prior approved absence; To keep accurate and up-to-date records of absences; To investigate reasons for unexplained absences; To carry out return to work interviews; To instigate disciplinary procedures, when required; To provide adequate feedback to senior management; To ensure adequate personal development and training to be able to meet these responsibilities effectively. As we already discussed the role of line manager in managing the short-term absence, now we discuss the role of the line manager in managing long-term absence which is also crucial for managing long-term absence and other interventions are also important, which include:   The occupational health involvement and proactive measures to support staff health and wellbeing The line management involvement as part of the absence management programme Restricting sick pay Changes to work patterns or environment Return-to-work interviews Rehabilitation programme There are also four typical components in the recovery and return-to-work process, which are discussed as under: Keeping in contact with sick employees   The line manager should ensure that a regular contact is maintained using both sensitive and non-intrusive approach with the employee and this should be agreed with the member of staff and manager and, also where appropriate, with the union or employee representative. Planning and undertaking workplace controls or adjustments   There can be some obstacles which may cause delay, interruption or difficulties to an employees return to work. A risk assessment can analyse measures or adjustm

The History Of American Football Physical Education Essay

The History Of American Football Physical Education Essay American football  resulted from several major divergences from rugby, most notably the rule changes instituted by  Walter Camp, considered the Father of American Football. Among these important changes were the introduction of the  line of scrimmage  and of  down-and-distancerules.  In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, gameplay developments by college coaches such as  Eddie Cochems,  Amos Alonzo Stagg,  Knute Rockne, and  Glenn Pop Warner  helped take advantage of the newly introduced  forward pass. The popularity of  collegiate football  grew as it became the dominant version of the sport in the United States for the first half of the twentieth century.  Bowl games, a college football tradition, attracted a national audience for collegiate teams. Bolstered by fierce  rivalries, college football still holds widespread appeal in the US. The origin of  professional football  can be traced back to 1892, with  William Pudge Heffelfingers  $500 contract to play in a game for theAllegheny Athletic Association  against the Pittsburgh Athletic Club. In 1920 the American Professional Football Association was formed. This league changed its name to the  National Football League  (NFL) two years later, and eventually became the  major league  of American football. Primarily a sport of Midwestern industrial towns in the United States, professional football eventually became a national phenomenon. Footballs increasing popularity is usually traced to the  1958 NFL Championship Game, a contest that has been dubbed the Greatest Game Ever Played. A rival league to the NFL, the  American Football League  (AFL), began play in 1960; the pressure it put on the senior league led to a  merger  between the two leagues and the creation of the  Super Bowl, which has become the most watched television event in t he United States on an annual basis. First games Although there are mentions of  Native Americans  playing ball games, modern American football has its origins in traditional ball games played at villages and schools in Europe for many centuries before America was settled by Europeans. There are reports of early  settlers  atJamestown, Virginia  playing games with inflated balls in the early 17th century. Early games appear to have had much in common with the traditional mob football played in England, especially on  Shrove Tuesday. The games remained largely unorganized until the 19th century, when  intramural  games of football began to be played on college campuses. Each school played its own variety of football.  Princeton  students played a game called ballown as early as 1820. A  Harvard  tradition known as Bloody Monday began in 1827, which consisted of a mass ballgame between the freshman and sophomore classes.  Dartmouthplayed its own version called Old division football, the rules of which were first published in 1871, though the game dates to at least the 1830s. All of these games, and others, shared certain commonalities. They remained largely mob style games, with huge numbers of players attempting to advance the ball into a goal area, often by any means necessary. Rules were simple and violence and injury were common.  The violence of these mob-style ga mes led to widespread protests and a decision to abandon them.  Yale, under pressure from the city of  New Haven, banned the play of all forms of football in 1860, while Harvard followed suit in 1861. Boston game While the game was being banned in colleges, it was growing in popularity in various  east coast  prep schools. In 1855, manufactured inflatable balls were introduced. These were much more regular in shape than the handmade balls of earlier times, making kicking and carrying easier. Two general types of football had evolved by this time: kicking games and running (or carrying) games. A hybrid of the two, known as the Boston game, was played by a group known as the  Oneida Football Club. The club, considered by some historians as the first formal  football club  in the United States, was formed in 1862 by schoolboys who played the Boston game on  Boston Common. They played mostly between themselves, though they organized a team of non-members to play a game in November 1863, which the Oneidas won easily. The game caught the attention of the press, and the Boston game continued to spread throughout the 1860s. The game began to return to college campuses by the late 1860s. Yale, Princeton,  Rutgers, and  Brown  all began playing kicking games during this time. In 1867, Princeton used rules based on those of the English  Football Association.  A running game, resembling rugby, was taken up by the  Montreal Football Club  in Canada in 1868. Intercollegiate football Rutgers v. Princeton (1869) http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/2f/Firstfootballgame.jpg/200px-Firstfootballgame.jpg On November 6, 1869,  Rutgers University  faced  Princeton University  in a game that is often regarded as the first game of  intercollegiate football.  The game was played at a Rutgers field under Rutgers rules. Two teams of 25 players attempted to score by kicking the ball into the opposing teams goal. Throwing or carrying the ball was not allowed. The first team to reach six goals was declared the winner. Rutgers won by a score of six to four. A rematch was played at Princeton a week later under Princeton rules (one notable difference was the awarding of a free kick to any player that caught the ball on the fly). Princeton won that game by a score of eight to zero.  Columbia  joined the series in 1870, and by 1872 several schools were fielding intercollegiate teams, including  Yale  and  Stevens Institute of Technology. Rules standardization (1873-1880) On October 19, 1873, representatives from Yale, Columbia, Princeton, and Rutgers met at the Fifth Avenue Hotel in  New York City  to codify the first set of intercollegiate football rules. Before this meeting, each school had its own set of rules and games were usually played using the home teams own particular code. At this meeting, a list of rules, based more on soccer than on rugby, was drawn up for intercollegiate football games. Harvard, which played the Boston game, a version of football that allowed carrying, refused to attend this rules conference and continued to play under its own code. While Harvards voluntary absence from the meeting made it hard for them to schedule games against other American universities, it agreed to a challenge to play  McGill University, from  Montreal, in a two-game series. The McGill team traveled to  Cambridge  to meet Harvard. On May 14, 1874, the first game, played under Boston rules, was won by Harvard with a score of 3-0. The next day, the two teams played rugby to a scoreless tie. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b9/1882RutgersFootballTeam.jpg/180px-1882RutgersFootballTeam.jpg The  Rutgers College  football team of 1882, wearing uniforms typical of the period Harvard quickly took a liking to the rugby game, and its use of the  try  which, until that time, was not used in American football. The try would later evolve into the score known as the  touchdown. In late 1874, the Harvard team traveled to Montrà ©al to play McGill in rugby, and won by three tries. A year later, on June 4, 1875, Harvard faced  Tufts University  in the first game between two American colleges played under rules similar to the McGill/Harvard contest, which was won by Tufts 1-0.  The first edition of  The Game-the annual contest between Harvard and Yale-was played on November 13, 1875, under a modified set of rugby rules known as The Concessionary Rules. Yale lost 4-0, but found that it too preferred the rugby style game. Spectators from Princeton carried the game back home, where it also became popular. On November 23, 1876, representatives from Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Columbia met at the Massasoit House in  Springfield, Massachusetts  to standardize a new code of rules based on the rugby game first introduced to Harvard by McGill University in 1874. The rules were based largely on theRugby Football Unions code from England, though one important difference was the replacement of a kicked goal with a touchdown as the primary means of scoring (a change that would later occur in rugby itself, favoring the  try  as the main scoring event). Three of the schools-Harvard, Columbia, and Princeton-formed the  Intercollegiate Football Association, as a result of the meeting. Yale did not join the group until 1879, because of an early disagreement about the number of players per team. Walter Camp: Father of American football Walter Camp  is widely considered to be the most important figure in the development of American football. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/30/Walter_Camp_-_Project_Gutenberg_eText_18048.jpg/180px-Walter_Camp_-_Project_Gutenberg_eText_18048.jpg Walter Camp, the Father of American Football, pictured here in 1878 as the captain of the Yale football team As a youth, he excelled in sports like  track,  baseball, and soccer, and after enrolling at Yale in 1876, he earned varsity honors in every sport the school offered. Camp became a fixture at the Massasoit House conventions where rules were debated and changed. He proposed his first rule change at the first meeting he attended in 1878: a reduction from fifteen players to eleven. The motion was rejected at that time but passed in 1880. The effect was to open up the game and emphasize speed over strength. Camps most famous change, the establishment of the  line of scrimmage  and the  snap  from  center  toquarterback, was also passed in 1880. Originally, the snap was executed with the foot of the center. Later changes made it possible to snap the ball with the hands, either through the air or by a direct hand-to-hand pass. Camps new scrimmage rules revolutionized the game, though not always as intended. Princeton, in particular, used scrimmage play to slow the game, making incremental progress towards the end zone during each  down. Rather than increase scoring, which had been Camps original intent, the rule was exploited to maintain control of the ball for the entire game, resulting in slow, unexciting contests. At the 1882 rules meeting, Camp proposed that a team be required to advance the ball a minimum of five yards within three downs. These down-and-distance rules, combined with the establishment of the line of scrimmage, transformed the game from a variation of rugby or soccer into the distinct sport of American football. Camp was central to several more significant rule changes that came to define American football. In 1881, the field was reduced in size to its modern dimensions of 120 by 53 1/3 yards (109.7 by 48.8 meters). Several times in 1883, Camp tinkered with the scoring rules, finally arriving at four points for a touchdown, two points for  kicks after touchdowns, two points for safeties, and five for  field goals. In 1887, gametime was set at two halves of 45 minutes each. Also in 1887, two paid officials-a  referee  and an  umpire-were mandated for each game. A year later, the rules were changed to allow tackling below the waist, and in 1889, the officials were given whistles and stopwatches. After leaving Yale in 1882, Camp was employed by the New Haven Clock Company until his death in 1925. Though no longer a player, he remained a fixture at annual rules meetings for most of his life, and he personally selected an annual  All-American team  every year from 1898 through 1924. TheWalter Camp Football Foundation  continues to select All-American teams in his honor. Rules Field and players http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c5/AmFBfield.svg/250px-AmFBfield.svg.png The numbers on the field indicate the number ofyards  to the nearest end zone. American football is played on a field 360 by 160 feet (109.7 by 48.8 m). The longer boundary lines are  sidelines, while the shorter boundary lines are  end lines. Sidelines and end lines are out of bounds. Near each end of the field is a  goal line; they are 100  yards (91.4  m) apart. A scoring area called an  end zone  extends 10  yards (9.1  m) beyond each goal line to each end line. The end zone includes the goal line but not the end line.  While the playing field is effectively flat, it is common for a field to be built with a slight crown-with the middle of the field higher than the sides-to allow water to drain from the field. Yard lines  cross the field every 5  yards (4.6  m), and are numbered every 10 yards from each goal line to the 50-yard line, or midfield (similar to a typical  rugby league  field). Two rows of short lines, known as inbounds lines or  hash marks, run at 1-yard (91.4  cm) intervals perpendicular to the sidelines near the middle of the field. All plays start with the ball on or between the hash marks. Because of the arrangement of the lines, the field is occasionally referred to as a gridiron. At the back of each end zone are two  goalposts  (also called  uprights) connected by a crossbar 10  feet (3.05  m) from the ground. For high skill levels, the posts are 222  inches (5.64  m) apart. For lower skill levels, these are widened to 280  inches (7.11  m). Each team has 11 players on the field at a time. However, teams may substitute for any or all of their players, if time allows, during the break between plays. As a result, players have very specialized roles, and, sometimes (although rarely) almost all of the (at least) 46 active players on an NFL team will play in any given game. Thus, teams are divided into three separate units: the  offense, the  defense  and the  special teams. Start of halves Similarly to  association football, the game begins with a  coin toss  to determine which team will kick off to begin the game and which goal each team will defend.  The options are presented again to start the second half; the choices for the first half do not automatically determine the start of the second half. The referee conducts the coin toss with the captains (or sometimes coaches) of the opposing teams. The team that wins the coin toss has three options: They may choose whether to kick or receive the opening kickoff. They may choose which goal to defend. They may choose to  defer  the first choice to the other team and have first choice to start the second half. Whatever the first team chooses, the second team has the option on the other choice (for example, if the first team elects to receive at the start of the game, the second team can decide which goal to defend). At the start of the second half, the options to kick, receive, or choose a goal to defend are presented to the captains again. The team which did not choose first to start the first half (or which deferred its privilege to choose first) now gets first choice of options. Game duration A standard football game consists of four 15-minute quarters (12-minute quarters in high-school football and often shorter at lower levels),  with a 12 minute  half-time  intermission after the second quarter.  The clock stops after certain plays; therefore, a game can last considerably longer (often more than three hours in real time), and if a game is broadcast on  television,TV timeouts  are taken at certain intervals of the game to broadcast  commercials  outside of game action. If an NFL game is tied after four quarters, the teams play an additional period lasting up to 15 minutes. In an NFL overtime game, the first team that scores wins, even if the other team does not get a possession; this is referred to as  sudden death. In a regular-season NFL game, if neither team scores in overtime, the game is a tie. In an NFL playoff game, additional overtime periods are played, as needed, to determine a winner. College overtime rules are more complicated and are descr ibed in  Overtime (sport). http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5c/NSU_Football.jpg/180px-NSU_Football.jpg A  line of scrimmage  on the 48-yard line. The offense is on the left. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/42/Nate_Longshore_prepares_to_pass_at_ASU_at_Cal_2008-10.04.jpg/180px-Nate_Longshore_prepares_to_pass_at_ASU_at_Cal_2008-10.04.jpg A  quarterback  searching for opportunity to throw a pass. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d8/2006_Pro_Bowl_tackle.jpg/180px-2006_Pro_Bowl_tackle.jpg A  running back  being tackled when he tries to run with the ball. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/63/Shea_Smith-edit1.jpg/180px-Shea_Smith-edit1.jpg A quarterback preparing to throw a pass. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/01/Orton_To_Wolfe.jpg/180px-Orton_To_Wolfe.jpg Forward pass in progress, during practice. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0d/Alabama_Field-Goal.JPG/180px-Alabama_Field-Goal.JPG A kicker attempts an extra point. Advancing the ball Advancing the ball in American football resembles the  six-tackle rule  and the  play-the-ball  in  rugby league. The team that takes possession of the ball (the  offense) has four attempts, called  downs, in which to advance the ball at least 10  yards (9.1  m) toward their opponents (the  defenses) end zone. When the offense succeeds in gaining at least 10 yards, it gets a  first down, meaning the team has another set of four downs to gain yet another 10 yards or to score. If the offense fails to gain a first down (10 yards) after 4 downs, the other team gets possession of the ball at the point where the fourth down ended, beginning with their first down to advance the ball in the opposite direction. Except at the beginning of halves and after scores, the ball is always put into play by a  snap. Offensive players line up facing defensive players at theline of scrimmage  (the position on the field where the play begins). One offensive player, the  center, then passes (or snaps) the ball backwards between his legs to a teammate behind him, usually the  quarterback. Players can then advance the ball in two ways: By running with the ball, also known as  rushing. By throwing the ball to a teammate, known as a  forward pass  or as  passing  the football. The forward pass is a key factor distinguishing American and Canadian football from other football sports. The offense can throw the ball forward only once during a down and only from behind the line of scrimmage. The ball can be thrown, pitched, handed-off, or tossed sideways or backwards at any time. A down ends, and the ball becomes dead, after any of the following: The player with the ball is forced to the ground (a  tackle) or has his forward progress halted by members of the other team (as determined by anofficial). A forward pass flies beyond the dimensions of the field (out of bounds) or touches the ground before it is caught. This is known as an  incomplete pass. The ball is returned to the most recent line of scrimmage for the next down. The ball or the player with the ball goes out of bounds. A team scores. Officials blow a whistle to notify players that the down is over. Before each down, each team chooses a  play, or coordinated movements and actions, that the players should follow on a down. Sometimes, downs themselves are referred to as plays. Change of possession The offense maintains possession of the ball unless one of the following things occurs: The team fails to get a first down- i.e., in four downs they fail to move the ball past a line 10 yards ahead of where they got their last first down (it is possible to be downed behind the current line of scrimmage, losing yardage). The defensive team takes over the ball at the spot where the 4th-down play ends. A change of possession in this manner is commonly called a  turnover on downs, but is not credited as a defensive turnover in official statistics. Instead, it goes against the offenses 4th down efficiency percentage. The offense scores a touchdown or field goal. The team that scored then kicks the ball to the other team in a special play called a  kickoff. The offense punts the ball to the defense. A  punt  is a kick in which a player drops the ball and kicks it before it hits the ground. Punts are nearly always made on fourth down (though see  quick kick), when the offensive team does not want to risk giving up the ball to the other team at its current spot on the field (through a failed attempt to make a first down) and feels it is too far from the other teams goal posts to attempt a field goal. A defensive player catches a forward pass. This is called an  interception, and the player who makes the interception can run with the ball until he is tackled, forced out of bounds, or scores. An offensive player drops the ball (a  fumble) and a defensive player picks it up. As with interceptions, a player recovering a fumble can run with the ball until tackled, forced out of bounds, or scores. Backward passes that are not caught do not cause the down to end like incomplete forward passes do; instead the ball is still live as if it had been fumbled. Lost fumbles and interceptions are together known as  turnovers. The offensive team misses a field goal attempt. The defensive team gets the ball at the spot where the previous play began (or, in the NFL, at the spot of the kick). If the unsuccessful kick was attempted from within 20  yards (18.3  m) of the end zone, the other team gets the ball at its own 20 yard line (that is, 20 yards from the end zone). If a field goal is missed or blocked and the ball remains in the field of play, a defensive player may pick up the ball and attempt to advance it. While in his own end zone, an offensive ball carrier is tackled, forced out of bounds, loses the ball out of bounds, or the offense commits certain fouls. This fairly rare occurrence is called a  safety. An offensive ball carrier fumbles the ball forward into the opposing end zone, and then the ball goes out of bounds. This extremely rare occurrence leads to a  touchback, with the ball going over to the opposing team at their 20 yard line (Note that touchbacks during non-offensive speplays, such as punts and kickoffs, are quite common). Scoring A team scores points by the following plays: A  touchdown  (TD) is worth 6 points.  It is scored when a player runs the ball into or catches a pass in his opponents end zone.  A touchdown is analogous to a  try  in rugby. Unlike rugby, a player does not have to touch the ball to the ground to score; a touchdown is scored any time a player has possession of the ball while the ball is on or beyond the opponents goal line (or the plane above it). After a touchdown, the scoring team attempts a  try  (which is also analogous to the  conversion in rugby). The ball is placed at the other teams 3-yard (2.7  m) line (the 2-yard (1.8  m) line in the NFL). The team can attempt to kick it over the crossbar and through the goal posts in the manner of a field goal for 1 point (an  extra point  or  point-after touchdown (PAT)[19]), or run or pass it into the end zone in the manner of a touchdown for 2 points (a  two-point conversion). In college football, if the defense intercepts or recovers a fumble during a one or two point conversion attempt and returns it to the opposing end zone, the defensive team is awarded the two points. A  field goal  (FG) is worth 3 points, and it is scored by kicking the ball over the crossbar and through the goal posts (uprights).  Field goals may be placekicked (kicked when the ball is held vertically against the ground by a teammate) or  drop-kicked  (extremely uncommon in the modern game, with only two successes in sixty-plus years in the NFL). A field goal is usually attempted on fourth down instead of a punt when the ball is close to the opponents goal line, or, when there is little or no time left to otherwise score. A  safety, worth 2 points, is scored by the opposing team when the team in possession at the end of a down is responsible for the ball becoming dead behind its own goal line. For instance, a safety is scored by the defense if an offensive player is tackled, goes out of bounds, or fumbles the ball out of bounds in his own end zone.  Safeties are relatively rare. Note that, though even more rare, the team initially on offense during a down can score a safety if a player of the original defense gains possession of the ball in front of his own goal line and then carries the ball or fumbles it into his own end zone where it becomes dead. However, if the ball becomes dead behind the goal line of the team in possession and its opponent is responsible for the ball being there (for instance, if the defense intercepts a forward pass in its own end zone and the ball becomes dead before the ball is advanced out of the end zone) it is a touchback: no points are scored and the team last in pos session keeps possession with a first down at its own 20 yard line. In amateur football, in the extremely rare instance that a safety is scored on a try, it is worth only 1 point. Kickoffs and free kicks Each half begins with a  kickoff. Teams also kick off after scoring touchdowns and field goals. The ball is kicked using a kicking tee from the teams own 30-yard (27  m) line in the NFL and college football (as of the 2007 season). The other teams kick returner tries to catch the ball and advance it as far as possible. Where he is stopped is the point where the offense will begin its  drive, or series of offensive plays. If the kick returner catches the ball in his own end zone, he can either run with the ball, or elect for a  touchback  by kneeling in the end zone, in which case the receiving team then starts its offensive drive from its own 20 yard line. A touchback also occurs when the kick goes out-of-bounds in the end zone. A kickoff that goes out-of-bounds anywhere other than the end zone before being touched by the receiving team is a foul, and the ball will be placed where it went out of bounds or 30  yards (27  m) from the kickoff spot, depending on which is mo re advantageous to the opposite team.  Unlike with punts, once a kickoff goes 10 yards and the ball has hit the ground, it can be recovered by the kicking team.  A team, especially one who is losing, can try to take advantage of this by attempting an  onside kick. Punts and turnovers in the end zone can also end in a  touchback. After safeties, the team that gave up the points must  free kick  the ball to the other team from its own 20 yard line. Penalties Fouls (a type of rule violation) are punished with  penalties  against the offending team. Most penalties result in moving the football towards the offending teams end zone. If the penalty would move the ball more than half the distance towards the offenders end zone, the penalty becomes half the distance to the goal instead of its normal value. Most penalties result in replaying the down. Some defensive penalties give the offense an automatic first down.  Conversely, some offensive penalties result in loss of a down (loss of the right to repeat the down).  If a penalty gives the offensive team enough yardage to gain a first down, they get a first down, as usual. If a foul occurs during a down, an official throws a yellow  penalty flag  near the spot of the foul. When the down ends, the team that did not commit the foul has the option of accepting the penalty, or declining the penalty and accepting the result of the down. Variations Variations on these basic rules exist, particularly  touch  and  flag football, which are designed as non-contact or limited-contact alternatives to the relative  violence  of regular American football. In touch and flag football, tackling is not permitted. Offensive players are tackled when a defender tags them or removes a flag from their body, respectively. Both of these varieties are played mainly in informal settings such as  intramural  or youth games. Another variation is wrap, where a player is tackled when another player wraps his arms around the ball carrier. Professional, intercollegiate, and varsity-level high school football invariably use the standard tackling rules. Another variation is with the number of players on the field. In sparsely populated areas, it is not uncommon to find high school football teams playing  nine-man football,  eight-man footballor  six-man football. Players often play on offense as well as defense. The  Arena Football League  is a league that plays eight-man football, but also plays indoors and on a much smaller playing surface with rule changes to encourage a much more offensive game. Another variation often played by American children is called Catch and Run. In this game, the children split into two teams and line up at opposite sides of the playing field. One side throws the ball to the other side. If the opposing team catches the ball, that player tries to run to the throwing teams touchdown without being tagged/tackled. If no one catches the ball or if the player is tagged/tackled, then that team has to throw the ball to the opposing team. This repeats until the game (or recess period) is deemed over.

A Comparison of Two Creation Myths :: Compare Contrast, Creation Stories

Can religions and cultures be anything more than their history? Why do we have a concept of history in the first place? Obviously history exists, but like the human ability to conceive of the future, history seems to be a rare phenomenon tied with our ability for language and the telling of stories. What’s even more fascinating is the human ability to make up a history or to tell a story, such as a creation myth, that seeks to explain something that has not been witnessed by anyone and does not have any role in finding food or creating shelter. We do not have a physical need to know how the earth came to be or to know how it is that we came to be here. Still, creation stories exist in almost all human cultures and, amazingly, many share many of the same elements. The question is, why? Is it a coincidence that so many of them share the same elements? By looking at a comparison of two creation stories, we should be able to understand the meaning of these similarities better . Just look at two creation stories side-by-side and you should easily see their similarities. Perhaps the easiest way to do this would be to take one unknown creation story and compare it to one from one’s own culture. Below is an example of a Mongolian creation myth: Long long ago God descended to earth and made a man and a woman out of clay. Before returning to heaven to get some holy water with the power to animate anything, he ordered his dog and cat to protect the clay people from the devil. After God ascended to heaven, the devil came to harm the people. The dog and the cat protected them, though, thwarting the devil's plan. Finally, the devil deceived them by giving a piece of meat to the dog and a bowl of milk to the cat. While the dog ate the flesh and the cat lapped the milk, the devil urinated on the people and fled. When God returned with the holy water and discovered what had happened, he was enraged. Scolding the dog and cat for neglecting their duty, he forced the cat to lick the hair off the bodies of the people whom the devil had defiled (God created humans with hair all over their bodies). The cat licked off the hair everywhere except their heads, armpits, and crotches, since the former

Morality and Gay Rights Discourse Essay -- Gay Rights Ethics Essays

Morality and Gay Rights Discourse When Aristotle discussed the material premises of enthymemes as being important in rhetoric, he was prescient of the kind of appeals that would be tendered by opponents in the discourse over gay rights issues long after his time. Smith and Windes express the nature of this conflict accurately when they write, â€Å"symbols expressing fundamental cultural values are invoked by all sides† (1997: 28). Similarly, Sarah S. Brown describes the participants in a â€Å"struggle to stake out symbolic positions of good and to frame their side in terms of morally powerful conceptions of right and wrong† (2000: 458). Fascinatingly, she suggests, â€Å"even people with deeply conflicting opinions appeal to the same moral concepts for the force of their arguments† (458). In fact, these same moral concepts are ubiquitous to all discourse and to life. They penetrate the social order at the most fundamental level. They are not static, however, and their malleability gives rise to a constantly shifting landscape of debate wherein, as Smith and Windes (1997) assert, the adversaries literally have so much impact as to drive the process of self-definition for one another. Related to that process is the way in which the landscape itself is defined, which Haider-Markel and Meier see as consequential in terms of â€Å"what resources are important and [what] advantages some coalitions [in the struggle] have over others† (1996: 346). (See also: Kintz, 1998; Smith and Windes, 1997). Particularly, they demonstrate that models of discourse which conceptualize gay issues in terms of morality (or culture) as opposed to politics or civil rights offer a rhetorical upper hand to proponents of anti-gay arguments. It is the objectiv... ...vation in Gay Rights/Special Rights.† In: Kintz, Linda and Lesage, Julia. 1998. Media , Culture, and the Religious Right. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. Patten, Steve. â€Å"Preston Manning’s Populism: constructing the common sense of the common people.† Studies in Political Economy, Vol.50 (Summer, 1996): 95 Schulze, Laurie and Guilfoyle, Frances. â€Å"Facts Don’t Hate; They Just Are.† In: Kintz, Linda and Lesage, Julia. 1998. Media , Culture, and the Religious Right. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. Smith, Ralph R. and Windes, Russel R. â€Å"The Progay and Antigay Issue Culture: Interpretation, Influence, and Dissent.† Quarterly Journal of Speech, Vol. 83 (1997): 28-48 Terry, Jennifer. â€Å"Unatural Acts In Nature: The Scientific Fascination with Queer Animals.† QLQ: A Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies, Vol.6.2 (2000): 151-193

Grapes of Wrath Essay -- essays research papers

Because of the devastating disaster of the dust bowl, the Joad family was forced to leave their long-time home and find work and a new life elsewhere. They, like many other families, moved to California. "The land of milk and honey". The people in the dust bowl imagined California as a haven of jobs where they would have a nice little white house and as much fruit as they could eat. This dream was far from the reality the migrant farmers faced once in California. The dreams, hopes, and expectations the Joads had of California were crushed by the reality of the actual situation in this land of hate and prejudice. The Joads dream of owning a nice white house and being overwhelmed with fruit was quickly put to end after their first night in California. Ma says, "But I like to think how nice it's gonna be, maybe, in California. Never cold. An' fruite ever'place, an' people just bein' in the nicest places, little white houses in among the orange trees." They had been lied to by the handbills and other propaganda that was circulating in the dust bowl region. The growers in California knew that the people of the dust bowl would have to leave their houses because of the crisis. They also knew the more pickers they had the lower they could make their prices. The number of handbills sent out far out numbered the number of jobs available. Many people in the dust bowl were constructing a view of California that was devastatingly false. However most of the people had to go somewhere, and all they knew was agriculture, so the natural thing was to go to the only place in the country at that time that was in peak agricultural condition. This was all true in the case of the Joads. They had no experience with any other kind of lifestyle. They were farmers and they thought that was what they would remain. What they became was job hunters, starving and hungry people, and homeless vagrants. California was no dream land, but the exact opposite. A promised heaven that was revealed to be a very real hell. During the long journey to California the Joads, and other migrant travelers, encountered many warnings of what California was going to be like from migrants who were returning home, mostly destroyed by the true reality of California. They got a warning in the camp they stayed at on the side of the road while Tom, Al, and Casey were fixing the car. There was... ...t at the end of the tunnel because if they stayed where they were they would surely have not survived. The Joads couldn't stay where they were and without a goal to reach, something to look forward to, one just wanders around life aimlessly and hopelessly. They kept the dream alive throughout the journey. Even through the harsh rumors they heard along the road. They still kept that fragment of hope in the back of their heads that California would be everything they hoped it would be. Even in their worst times in California they would still look forward to earning enough money and getting a little white house to live in. Their lives really were destroyed when the dust bowl hit but no one can except those facts so they must tell themselves it will be all right. We will go to California and everything will be even better there than it was here. Unfortunately that wasn't the reality of the situation and the Joads were forced to deal with that harsh reality once in California and on t he hard long journey there. California was no dream land, but rather a sealed fate to a life of fighting for food and watching loved ones die. California was the pain of the migrants summed up in one word.