Movie Summary Idiocracy Essay Example

Movie Summary Idiocracy Paper What images come to mind when considering the appearance of the future? Are there flying cars? Can we press a button and have food just appear?It does not really matter who you are, everyone has some mental image of the future with robot butlers and houses built on stilts in the sky.Okay, so that may be from The Jetsons, but you get the idea. Consider, for a moment, though, the advancements in technology that have come along in the twenty-first century, and some of these things may not be far off. The movie Idiocracy, by Mike Judge is an exaggerated assumption of what life on Earth would be like in the year 2025.The story follows Joe Bauer, an army librarian, who was chosen as a candidate for a top secret army experiment in which he is frozen in suspended animation. He was chosen because he was of average intelligence and had no family ties. The experiment is supposed to last a year, however, the person running the project gets arrested and shortly after the army base closes. Joe Bauer is forgotten about for 500 years until a trash avalanche causes his pod to open. Joe discovers he is in a dumbed down society where he is the smartest person alive, and society must now rely on him to resolve all of their problems. We will write a custom essay sample on Movie Summary Idiocracy specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Movie Summary Idiocracy specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Movie Summary Idiocracy specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The movie, which came out in 2006 and takes place in 2004, looks at some aspects of life if our society depended on overpopulation by low IQ individuals because intelligent people are waiting for the right time or when they are financially stable to have kids. Because of this, and due to technology, in essence, dumbing down our society, the English language deteriorates and intelligent people become extinct. The movie may be almost 10 years old at this point, but actually lends some realistic parallels to what is happening in our society today. For example, in the movie, people are watching pointless, meaningless television shows that do not serve any purpose nor stimulate the brain. That can be said of the â€Å"reality T

Slang, Jargon, Idiom or Proverb Explained

Slang, Jargon, Idiom or Proverb Explained Slang, jargon, idioms, and proverbs. What do they mean? Heres a short overview for English learners that explains and gives examples of each type of expression. Slang Slang is used by relatively small groups of people in informal situations. As it is used by limited groups of people, slang also tends to be confused with dialect. However, slang can be referred to as words, phrases or expressions used within a language, in this case, English. Also, slang is used by some to indicate words, phrases or expressions used by various ethnic or class groups. It should not be used in written work unless that work includes quotes that contain slang. This category of vocabulary changes rather quickly and expressions that are in one year, may be out the next.   Slang Examples emo - very emotional. Dont be so emo. Your boyfriend will be back next week. frenemy - someone you think is your friend, but you know is really your enemy. Has your frenemy got you worried? groovy - very nice in a mellow sort of way (this is old slang from the 60s). Groovy, man. Feel the good vibrations. (Note: slang goes out of fashion quickly, so these examples might not be current.) Recommendation You can use the urban dictionary for definitions of slang. If a phrase is a slang, youll find it there. Jargon Jargon could be explained as slang for business or enthusiasts. Jargon can be defined as words, phrases, or expressions that mean something specific in a particular profession. For example, there is a lot of jargon associated with the internet.  It can also refer to specific words used in a sport, hobby or other activity. Jargon is known and used by those who are on the inside of a business or of some activity.   Jargon Examples cookies - used by programmers to track information on a users computer that has accessed the internet. We set a cookie when you first access our site. birdie - used by golfers to state that the golf ball was put into the hole with one less golf stroke than expected on a hole. Tim got two birdies on the back nine at the golf course. chest voice - used by singers to indicate a style of singing that has chest resonance. Dont push so hard with your chest voice. Youll hurt your voice! Idiom Idioms are words, phrases, or expressions that do not literally mean what they express. In other words, if you were to translate an idiom word for word in your own language, it most likely would not make any sense at all. Idioms are different than slang as they are used and understood by almost everyone. Slang and jargon are understood and used by a smaller group of people. There is a wide variety of idiom sources on this site for English learners.   Idioms Examples rain cats and dogs - rain very heavily. Its raining cats and dogs tonight. pick a language up - learn a language by living in a country. Kevin picked up a little Italian when he lived in Rome. break a leg - do well at a performance or presentation. Break a leg on your presentation John. Proverb Proverbs are short sentences known by quite a large part of any language speaking population. They tend to be old, give advice, and be very insightful. Many proverbs are taken from literature, or from other very old sources. However, they are used so often that the speaker does not realize who originally said or wrote the proverb. Example Proverbs The early bird gets the worm - start working early and you will be successful. I get up at five and do two hours of work before I go to the office. The early bird gets the worm! When in Rome, do as the Romans - when you are in a foreign culture, you should act like the people in that culture. Im wearing shorts to work here in Bermuda! When in Rome, do as the Romans. You cant always get what you want - This proverb means what it says, you cant always get what you want. The Rolling Stones knew how to put that to music! Stop complaining. You cant always get what you want. Learn to live with that truth!

Principles of Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Principles of Human Resource Management - Essay Example The current labor market in the UK has grown steadily in accordance with the employment rate and the number of people employed from the years of 1995 to 2008 according to the Labor force survey published in the Blue book 2008. The office of National Statistics 2008 reports, "Employment tends to react to changes in out put with a lag because of the costs of hiring and firing workers. Therefore, it is not surprising that weaker output growth has not caused large falls in employment. Moreover, in the first instance, employers can vary labor input through the number of hours worked, rather than laying off workers." The construction industry today in the United Kingdom consists of over 250 000 firms employing over 2.1 million people. This huge work force is spread over a multitude of namely construction materials and products suppliers and producers, contractors, sub- contractors, professionals, advisors and construction clients. The United Kingdom construction output contributes 8.2% to the GVA (Gross Value Added) of the EU nations, which is the second largest. Below is the trend in the UK labor market represented in a graph. The graph, derived from figures published in the Blue Book 2008 reveal the labor employed in thousands across industries from the Year 1999 until 2007. It is a depiction of the Labor force trend in the UK. The graph showing an upward tren... Source: Fig 2.5 Pg 104 Blue book 2008 The above graph reflects a trend that has been steadily climbing over the years. However, the recent economic turmoil and the rise in the inflation have led to a complete crash of the housing industry affecting construction as a business and the employment in turn. The Olympics 2012 that proposes massive opportunities for this industry does not seem to stir or spur vibrant business in this sector as the people's daily reports "Builders of the 2012 Olympics facilities will have to compete for skilled workers due to a shortage in the labor market, according to Financial Times on Thursday. Construction Skills, a council established by the government to ensure that the industry has enough qualified workers, estimates that building for the Olympics will create 33,500 extra construction jobs over the next years. The peak year for employment would be 2010 when 7,500 workers would be needed, the council said. The construction industry forecast it needed 88,000 new recruits a year even before the Olympics were awarded to London." The above report indicates a shortage of labor in the UK for the construction business. Here's another report from the 'Thomson Financial' explaining the situation even more. The British construction industry has shown a"meek response" towards bidding for London 2012 Olympics projects which in turn could lead to a failure to achieve best value for money on the games, a group of British MPs said Wednesday. In a report, the committee said the 2012 games "represent a massive challenge for the construction industry". "The scale of the programme is twice that of Heathrow's recently opened Terminal 5, but must be delivered in half the time. It will use between

Paper that assesses the legal problems of genuineness of assent and Essay

Paper that assesses the legal problems of genuineness of assent and what condition must prevail in order for a contractual offer to be null and void relative to absense of genuineness - Essay Example Agreements or promises made must be consented to in order to bind all the parties to a contract. Essentially, the contracting process has to be genuine. If the genuineness of assent is questionable, the underlying contract(s) might fail to be legally binding. However, there are legal challenges involved relative to proving lack of genuineness of assent in a contract context. The enforceability of a contract is subject to genuineness of assent (Miller, 2012). Contracts are effectively and efficiently performed where genuineness of assent is not questionable. When genuineness of assent is characterized by doubt or lack of it altogether, legal provisions applicable to the contract context take their course. In this respect, the primary legal problems and challenges that surround genuineness of assent include mistake, misrepresentation, undue influence, or duress (Miller, 2012). The occurrence of these factors in a contract jeopardizes voluntary consent. Mistakes in contracting can be made by one or more parties. In most cases, mistakes in contracting are either factual or value-based. On its part, misrepresentation encompasses fraudulent and non-fraudulent practices that could be perpetrated by one, more than one, or all the contracting parties. Where a contracting party’s free will is overcome by the influence of another party resulting in contract consent that is not driven by free will, undue influence is realized (Miller, 2012). Moreover, an agreement or promise made under threats or force is not genuine; an aspect referred to as duress. All these issues constitute legal problems involved in contracting as far as genuineness of assent is concerned. For a contractual offer to be null and void relative to absence of genuineness, there are conditions that must be satisfied relative to mistake, misrepresentation, undue influence, or duress in contracting (Miller, 2012). Whether the mistake is unilateral or

Large Scale Tunnel And Bridge Construction Project Construction Essay

Large Scale Tunnel And Bridge Construction Project Construction Essay Temporary Works are considered any temporary construction used to construct highway, bridge and tunnel related structures but are not incorporated into the final structure. Temporary works required for construction of permanent structures include: temporary detour bridge, Work Bridge, falsework, formwork, shoring, cofferdams and temporary retaining structures. Temporary Works shall be designed according to the guide design specifications for Temporary Works unless specified otherwise herein. Where failure of a temporary structure would have an impact on environmental protection, traffic, or public safety shall be designed and constructed using the criteria. This report is to discuss the role of temporary works and equipment in large scale Tunnel and bridge construction project with an example of a large scale tunnel and bridge project, explain the impact of temporary works and equipment on the total cost of the project. The aim for this project is to Improve the knowledge and understanding on principles of designing and measurement of bridge and tunnel works in civil Engineering construction. Introduction Temporary work Holmes, R (1995) stated that On many civil engineering projects the cost and design of temporary works forms a very high proportion of the total contract. Therefore care in design and planning is essential. Each temporary structure must be considered on its merits in relation to the importance of the contract and especially the consequences of failure. If under-design could lead to failure in operating conditions, then the cost of delay, together with loss the saving in design. It is therefore important to design all structure to take the full in the erection of such structues in bad weather. Supervision in the erection, removal and maintenance of all these structures is paramount. Where materials are used more than once, for example as in the case of falsework, they should be checked to ensure that they have not been weakened by their initial uses. Second-hand materials should be subject to careful scrutiny before being used in situations where the design was based on new materials. Typical examples of temporary works are: Ground support,eg cofferdams, timbering, underpinning and shoring. Access bridges. Gantries and scaffolding Trackwork for cranes and trains Dewatering systems Specialised topics are dealt with in detail in subsequent chapters of the book. Builders Plant or equipment According to the Chudley and Greeno (2006) page 144 the builders plant ranging from small hand held power tools to larger pieces of plant such as mechanical excavators and tower cranes can be considered for use for one or more of the following reasons:- Increase production Reduction in overall construction costs. Carry out activities which cannot be carried out by the traditional manual methods in the context of economics. Eliminate heavy manual work thus reducing fatigue and as a consequence increasing productivity. Replacing labour where there is a shortage of personnel with the necessary skills. Maintain the high standards required particularly in the context of structural engineering works. Bridge and Temporary Work The bridge I choose for this topic is Juscelino Kubitschek Bridge, Brazil. Juscelino Kubitschek was built in 2000-2002, Juscelino Kubitschek is a Arch bridge suspended deck. According to Holmes, R(2006),stated that Arch Bridge can supprt better loads-carrying member, the arch is in a state of compression throughout. This will make the design suited to materials which are weak in tension. The Juscelino bridge Foundation blocks, of dimensions 24 x 40 x 4m, were cast 1.5m below the water surface for architectural effect. Steel shuttering was installed and the water extracted before the concrete was poured in shallow layers, thus avoiding excessive thermal effects and cracking. 1.2m diameter piles were driven to depths in excess of 50m. Looking back to Figure 7, you will notice that the foundations are much deeper on the right hand side than on the left. The largely poor and extremely variable ground conditions meant that piles were driven until the desired capacity was reached, often exceeding the expected depths. Horizontal thrusts are transmitted into the foundations due to the rotation of the arches out of their normal plane. To accommodate these residual forces, the pile configuration has both vertical and inclined piles. The inclined piers and arch starters were then constructed on the completed foundation blocks ready to accept the deck and prefabricated arch sections. The arch starters are comprised of a curved and tapered concrete hollow section, as shown in Figure 13. Two types of deck construction have been used for the JK Bridge: the approach spans comprises of a profiled steel under tray and concrete slab; whereas the central 720m supported by the three arches is comprised of a steel under tray and orthotropic plate.Temporary piers were erected to support the central portions of the bridge whilst the deck was constructed (Figure 14). Once the deck substructure had been completed, gigantic steel truss falsework was erected from this platform, with the temporary piers remaining in place below. A total of 1,350 tons (approx. 1,225 tonnes) of steel was used in auxiliary structures during the bridges construction. With the falsework in place, the prefabricated steel arch sectors could lifted into place and welded (Figure 15). The final closing weld was welded completed over night to limit internal strain within the arches due to daily temperature fluctuations. The stays are made of galvanised steel strands, protected by a coat of wax and sheaths of high-density polyethane (HDPE). The stay head shown Figure 16 and is fixed, whilst the upper anchor point is turntable allowing for corrections to be made to the stay tensioning. [1] The inclined cable configuration has been adopted to achieve a greater level of lateral restraint within the deck when subject to wind and transverse vehicular loading. The stays were installed in stages (Figures 17- 21) whilst the temporary supports were still in place, to avoid over stressing and damaging the arch. [8] An array of 60 load cells and sensors were installed, along with surveying targets, to monitor the stresses and deformations within the bridge structure during its construction. Many of these devices remain in place today, collecting data to produce a Dynamic Signature which is used to evaluate bridge performance over its service life, and to inform the maintenance programme. A large problem encountered during the construction process was the lack of local skilled labour and knowledge of steel construction. Brazils steel industry is relatively small, and the subsequent lack of use of the material has left the work force unskilled in steel construction techniques. The nations designers also have limited knowledge and experience of working with steel, so the structural design for the arches was outsourced to Danish consultancy COWI. Architect Alexandre Chan hopes that this iconic bridge will act to encourage a wider use of steel within designers, and ultimately stimulate the growth of Brazils steel industry. (http://people.bath.ac.uk/cmb27/proceedings/papers/banthorpe_cm_JUSCELINO_KUBITSCHEK.pdf) Gotthard Base Tunnel and temporary work 3.0 Role of Temporary Works in Tunnel Construction Project. Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) A tunnel boring machine (TBM), which is shown in Figure 3.1, is a machine used to excavate tunnels with a circular cross section through a variety of soil and rock strata. TBM is a one of temporary works of Tunnel Construction Project. They can bore through hard rock, sand, and almost anything in between. Tunnel diameters can range from a metre (done with micro-TBMs) to almost 16 metres to date. Tunnels of less than a metre or so in diameter are typically done using trenchless construction methods or horizontal directional drilling rather than TBMs. Tunnel boring machines are used as an alternative to drilling and blasting (DB) methods in rock and conventional hand mining in soil. A TBM has the advantages of limiting the disturbance to the surrounding ground and producing a smooth tunnel wall. This significantly reduces the cost of lining the tunnel, and makes them suitable to use in heavily urbanized areas. Another advantage includes relatively high degree of safety against flooding and ground collapse, as the TBM isolates the ground and groundwater from the tunnel proper. Contractors are becoming increasingly familiar with the use of EPB type TBMs in North American but, however, not in this range. The ability to excavate and install water tight precast concrete segments as the final tunnel lining in one pass is another advantage of this method. The major disadvantage of this method is the high initial capital expenditure for the TBM and the long lead time to manufacture, sip, assemble and test the machine, plus the normal inefficiency related to the learning curve on startup. TBMs are expensive to construct, and can be difficult to transport. However, as modern tunnels become longer, the cost of tunnel boring machines versus drill and blast is actually less. This is because tunneling with TBMs is much more efficient and results in a shorter project. Another disadvantage is the very large circular tunnel section required to accommodate the traffic lanes, shoulders and sightline, which for vehicular tunnels is not a very efficient use of space. This is also lead to buoyancy issues and the required mitigation when minimum cover under the channel is employed. Also, there is a potential for the loss of line and grade given the very tight turn radius required and steep decline followed by incline to pass under the channel. Temporary Control Room in Tunnel Project All tunneling activities were monitored and controlled 24 hours a day by the Temporary Control Room, through mimic or video view of all mobile and fixed equipment, thanks to a powerful redundant control system able to centralize all numerical/radio/phone communication, vocal and optical alarms. The safety desk (PCS) connected by direct phone to all emergency services (firemen, ambulances, hospital, etc.). Fixed Equipment Desk (GTC) is including visual permanent control of power, ventilation and pumping, connected to 8000 sensors in tunnel and served by 2 calculators, 1 programmable controller and computer networks. Rail Traffic Desk (PCT) includes vocal communication with all vehicles and optical monitoring of all tunnel activities on a large mimic served by programmable controllers. A dedicated software allowed automatic management of itineraries, location and composition of convoys, tracks and catenaries reservations, and even rolling stock status. Temporary control room is high in itial capital expenditure to manufacture, sip, assemble and test the machine, plus the normal inefficiency related to the learning curve on startup. Temporary Power Supply TBM needs a large power to excavate tunnels with a circular cross section through a variety of soil and rock strata. A large temporary power supply is provided during large scale Tunnel construction project. The high-voltage power supply of the site is in 90 kV through two 90/20 kV transformers of 36 MVA each. Medium-voltage distribution included nine specialized substations, with tunnel power supply of 20 kV and 3.2 kV for lighting. An emergency diesel plant was dedicated to TBMs, ventilation, lighting and pumping systems. Temporary power supply is a high impact of cost toward the total cost of the project. Conclusion Bridge temporary work is totally different with Tunnel temporary work. The bridge temporary work is simple compare with the Tunnel temporary work. Bridge temporary work is such as falsework, formwork and temporary retaining structure. Both of bridge temporary works method is low initial capital expenditure and the short lead time to construct. For Tunnel temporary work, the high technology construction is used during tunnel construction project. TBM is the high initial capital expenditure and the long lead time to manufacture, sip, assemble and test the machine, plus the normal inefficiency related to the learning curve on startup. Large scale tunnel construction projects spend high temporary work cost for control room and power supply. At conclusion, total cost of the bridge project is lower impact compare to the tunnel project.

Case Study: Collective Bargaining at West University Essay

1. Employees decide to form a union to gain job security and higher wages or when they feel management is not doing their job correctly or fairly. The labor laws are in place that provides rights to unionize. I am not convinced they encourage, but they provide a protection to workers who feel they need the support of the union. The National Labor Relations Act of 1935 (Wagner Act) basically provides employees the right to unionize. When under a union, employees are protected in ways such as employers must bargain in good faith regarding all issues. Union members have the right to bargain over wages and other terms of their employment. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) takes union power to a higher lever as the members, who were appointed by the president, have authority to determine no unfair labor practices are occurring, appropriate bargaining units, and conducting elections to determine union representation. Basically, the NLRB oversees that the laws of the Wagner Act are being followed and the employers are not conducting any activities that can lead to charges of unfair labor practice. The labor laws give employees the right to choose a union or choose not to participate so it appears the law does not support one over the other, but supports the employees to be able to stand up for their rights when they feel the employer is using unfair labor practices. I believe this to be a very sensitive subject, because in most places I have worked, employees complain about one thing or another. I don’t think that means they should be allowed to decide to overturn the employer’s policies by organizing a union. (DeCenzo. 2010. p.343-346) 2. I believe teaching assistance should be considered employees since this position is represented by the Graduate Employees Organization (GEO) which is a collective bargaining representative. Since it is supported by a union, this position would be considered an employee with the same rights to improve their working conditions. The University recognizes the GEO and seems to be familiar with union practices. It appears the university and the organized unions are able to work together and come to amicable agreements. I wonder if this is because some of the unions are made up of a younger generation who are not as demanding as a union of middle aged workers, mainly because they do not have the work experience to know what to ask for. Or maybe they are more willing to have a good labor-union relationship than the more experienced worker who may have become resentful over the years and may expect more then they deserve. According to the Bureau of Labor statistics, teacher assistants â€Å"perform duties and deliver direct services to students or parents† (Teacher. May 2012.) This position is a paid position that delivers a service so it does not make sense that this position would not be considered an employee. Even those who attend school, such as Graduate Teaching Assistants, should be afforded the same protections as any other paid employee. This is similar to the RAs and CDAs who were awarded the right to unionize, even though they were undergraduate students. If undergraduates can unionize, the teacher assistants are certainly considered employees and would also have the right to unionize if they chose to do so. 3. I believe management’s reaction to employee interest in unionization differs if the employer already has a high union density. This does not mean employers are happy to have a group of employees become unionized, but I think they are familiar with the practices of a union and what is involved in working with the union to hammer out the issues raised by union members. I think the reaction would be much more positive from the employer that already has a high union density that an employer who does not. The employer without any union interaction would most likely be more negative and would not want to recognize a union within their workplace. Employers with no union involvement would most likely feel their rights were taken away or that they have lost their authority within the business. An employer who has union experience knows they are still in control of their business; however, they are aware of the negotiation process and the demands they may have to agree to. This can be a tense process as I feel unions just expect employers to bow down to all of their demands. This type of force seems like it gives the union an unfair advantage, which to me contradicts the whole reason for a union, where it was thought that the employer had the upper hand. I can only assume my lack of experience makes me form judgments that may or may not be true, but it is how it appears to me looking at it from the outside. 4.I believe some of the RA complaints were overstated because they expect to be given the same consideration as a resident, when they were informed in the (MOU) the Memo of Understanding which described the terms and conditions of the position. In the MOU, the university describes the requirements of enrollment, minimum GPA, and disciplinary guidelines. Human resource polices specifically state a violation of these disciplinary guidelines would be cause disciplinary action. It is unclear to me why the RA would compare themselves to the residents when they were entrusted with this position and are held to a higher standard. The complaint of compensation was more reasonable since they do not receive much of a monthly salary for all that is expected of them. After taxes the RA is not left with much. Since they are expected to discipline residents and are faced with the retaliation and anger from the residents, it is no wonder there is such a high turnover rate for the RA position. It is unbelievable that there are so many applicants for the position although perhaps they do not know all of the details of the position. It is most likely the reason why people apply and then quit since such a low paying position demands so much from the undergraduate student to handle. Perhaps in this situation a union is needed since it is obvious that the university is taking advantage of the students by requiring them to do much more than they are compensated for. 5. Unionization could change the culture of residence life in a negative way since the management of the company will have lost the control they once had to freely make changes to the culture and business operations. A union would now require that management to adhere to a distinct set of rules and would not have to agree with the way management decides to do business. I would assume the relationship between union and management can become quite agonizing to management as they might feel they cannot make decisions in their own business. According to an article on newswise.com, a study was conducted to evaluate the impact a union has on organization culture, and I was surprised by the results. It appears a comprehensive study of 10 years of information of both union and non-union groups was provided which included more than 7000 employee responses. It was stated that an organization is only as good as its culture and their ability to be aware of it and make changes. This is not such an easy task when a union is involved since according to the study, â€Å"unions are less likely to endorse the cultures of the organization.† This can create a division between the groups. (Unions. May 2012.) Contrary to what I would have thought, this study revealed less employee involvement and less teamwork or desire for advancement. This was surprising as the power of the union negotiation would make me assume these union members are feeling empowered since their voice is heard and they have job security. Apparently, these employees are not as happy or content as one would think. I feel this may be because the employer now has no room for change when it comes to union members and perhaps the non-union members appear to be a part of the business whereas the union members may feel they do not actually fit in, since they belong to the union. A sense of pride, belonging and appreciation motivate employees to work harder, but the union members do not have this aspect so they are less motivated. 6. Arizona has a â€Å"right-to-work† provision in which â€Å"no person shall be denied the opportunity to obtain or retain employment because of a non-membership in a union.† This protects public employees from being turned down due to non-union involvement. The employees are free to choose, and cannot be discriminated against for not supporting a union. I have never worked for a union, but I have witnessed a strike take place at a previous employer, where only some departments were unionized. The strike was out of control, and those not involved had to be protected by the protests going on in front of the building. In my opinion, this should not be allowed, that employees can use such force and violence to coerce the employer to cave to their demands. (Arizona State Senate, 2012, p.1) The NLRA covers employees in the private sector, such as those employed by Federal, state, and local government, agricultural laborers, domestic service, independent contractor, and those subject to the Railway Labor Act. The rights protected under the NLRA are those concerning the employee’s right to form, join, and assist in organizing a union, or to not participate in a union. The protections are in place so no one is forced to join a union, and union cannot force an employer to hire only union members. (National Labor Relations Board, n.d.). I believe there are protections for those who do not wish to participate in a union for a reason. As I previously described, unions can become harsh in order to get their way. I would not want to pay dues for someone else to be paid a salary to speak for me. I negotiate for myself, and my commitment to the company and desire to excel helps in terms of salary increases and other benefits. I do not believe the negotiation process of a union is a benefit to anyone by the union negotiators and it only appears to create hostility within a company that should be able to run their own business. We have other avenues to explore if we feel we are being discriminated against, such as the EEOC. 7. I agree with the decision of the Labor relations commission (LRC) that the RAs and CDAs are employees and have the right to unionize. The university â€Å"hired† the RAs and had them sign a â€Å"job† description and RA Memo of Understanding (MOU). The university laid out clear terms and conditions and requirements that must be met in order to be eligible. This who met the conditions would be eligible for the CDA, community development assistant, which, to me appears to be a type of promotion since the CDA is a mentor for the RAs although no pay increase. Each position receives compensation and must adhere to mandatory requirements such as working 20 hours a week and preparation before each semester. With all of the requirements of these positions, as well as it being a compensated position, is enough proof that this is indeed an employed position in which the employees should have the same rights as any other employee, even though they are students. It would be discrimination to deny these students the rights that any other employee receives. The LRC was absolutely correct to decide for the RAs and CDAs as these are clearly employees and it appears they are being taken advantage of by the university since they deal with all of the negativity on a daily basis with little support and do not receive a pay increase with added responsibilities of a CDA. The university is not being fair to those in these positions because they are students, but being able to become unionized will help them sort through all of the issues they face. References Arizona State Senate (2012, November 8). Labor Employment Laws. Retrieved from http://www.azleg.gov/briefs/Senate/labor%20employment%20laws.pdf DeCenzo, D. A., & Robbins, S. P. (2010). Employee Benefits. In Fundamentals of human resource management (10th ed., p. 343-346). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. National Labor Relations Board (n.d.). Employee Rights | NLRB. Retrieved , from http://www.nlrb.gov/rights-we-protect/employee-rights Teacher Assistants. (2012, May). Retrieved from http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes259041.htm Unions Can Present Challenges to Organizational Culture and Change. (2012, October 15). Retrieved , from http://www.newswise.com/articles/unions-can-present-challenges-to-organizational-culture-and-change View as multi-pages

Peking Opera

Modern observers in the West may not understand why, but they can certainly recognize when males are used to portray female roles in the Chinese theater. A quote from Act 2 Scene 7 of David Henry Hwang's opera, â€Å"Madam Butterfly,† provides a useful example of how and why males are used to play female roles. There, a male singer who plays female roles in Beijing Opera deceives a French diplomat into thinking he actually is a woman. He explains that males take the female roles â€Å"because only a man knows how a woman is supposed to act† This explanation resonates on multiple levels with varying degrees of irony, suggesting that gender is as performative in life as it is in theater. To this end, this paper examines how men playing the tan role in the Beijing Opera define and enforce the idea of femininity by performing the female role to determine how men perform femininity on stage in the Beijing Opera. A summary of the research is provided in the conclusion. Review and Discussion Background and Overview. The importance of actors and acting has long been celebrated in China; in fact, the first document concerning â€Å"actors† can be found in the Records of the Great Historian, written by Sima Qian (145-90 BCE), who was appointed to the court of Emperor Wu (reigned 141-87 BCE) of the Western Han dynasty (cited in Thorpe 269). Likewise, the use of male actors to portray female characters also has a long history in China, although many contemporary researchers consider its origins to be primarily in the last century and a half. According to Tian (2000), â€Å"The art of male dan –specialists in female roles — is one of the most important issues in traditional Chinese theatre, especially in jingju (Beijing or Peking opera)† (78). Beijing opera, or literally â€Å"opera of the capital,† emerged in the mid-19th century in China by incorporating components of huidiao from Anhui, dandiao from Hubei, and kunqu, the traditional opera that had predominated the country since the 14th century; performed in Mandarin, the dialect of Beijing and of the traditional elite, the jingxi musical verse plays came to be performed throughout China, although most provinces and many major cities developed their own operatic variants using local dialects (Brandon 2). As Beijing opera spread out from its original roots in Beijing to become an actual national theatre in China, there were some issues that arose concerning tradition and innovation. For instance, in his book, Diasporas and Interculturalism in Asian Performing Arts: Translating Traditions, Um (2004) reports that, â€Å"The art as performed in Beijing was considered the ‘pure' form, referred to as ‘jingpai' ([Bei]jing style). But somewhat paradoxically, innovation was only regarded as truly successful if it was recognized in Beijing. For instance, liupai, the schools or styles of acting representative of the creative work of individual actors, could only be established through the validation of Beijing audiences and critics† (161). Before the mid-20th century, Beijing opera was considered to be actor-centered, both in terms of performance as well as the creative process; this mindset meant that all major creative work was either accomplished by or supervised by the actors but even this creative work had be approved by Beijing (Um 161). In fact, â€Å"An actor's original composition, scripting, staging and performance achieved the power of long-term influence and continuity only when Beijing conferred liupai status† (Um 161). According to Brandon (2006), Beijing operas are highly conventionalized in terms of movements, costumes and makeup; the respective attitudes of the individual characters in Beijing opera products are communicated through traditional postures, steps, and arm movements. In addition, both actors and actresses wear carefully applied face paint to indicate which characters they portray and various acrobatic movements are often employed to suggest violence (Brandon 2-3). Other devices are also used in Beijing opera to communicate what may not be readily discernible to uninitiated Western observers, but which are immediately recognized by Chinese audiences. For example, musical accompaniment for Beijing opera is provided by a small orchestra of stringed and wind instruments, wooden clappers, and a small drum; brief interludes of spoken narration allow singers to rest periodically during the characteristically lengthy performances; these devices also carry with them understood conventions that convey important points to be made (Brandon 3). As noted above, the Beijing opera has traditionally employed an all-male cast, including males portraying the female parts; however, during the late 20th century, Beijing opera expanded its scope to admit female actors as well (Brandon, 2006). The most popular male performer in the Beijing Opera was Mei Lanfang, who played mostly female roles; he introduced the art form to an international audience by touring in Japan, the United States, and the Soviet Union (Brandon 3). In her chapter, â€Å"Traditional theater in contemporary China,† Elizabeth Wichmann (1988) reports that, â€Å"Beijing opera has been the nationally dominant form of theater in China for at least one hundred years. However, it is only one among more than 360 indigenous, or traditional, forms of Chinese theater currently being staged† (184). The salient features of Beijing opera today can be traced to the Yuan dynasty, when the particular styles of costume and makeup were indicative of the nature of the character wearing them (Wichmann 184). According to this author, â€Å"At least in terms of refinement and elaboration, the Beijing opera (jingju) and other allied styles of Qing dynasty regional theater probably represent the high point of Chinese stage costume, and their styles of ‘painted face’ makeup are more numerous and complex than the stage makeups of any other culture or period† (Wichmann 2). Likewise, the distinctive Beijing opera walking styles of the dan (female roles) and sheng are clearly recognizable in other traditional forms, just as are the stylized hand and eye movements of the huadan (Wichmann 2). Although some localized forms of theater have not include certain role types (the jing being the role type most frequently excluded), the walk, posture, and gestures techniques used for every other role type traditionally included in each form and can be recognized by modern Chinese audiences without fail as belonging to that role type throughout the various forms of traditional Chinese theater (Brandon 3). Vocal stylizations, though, in many cases are significantly different from one theater form to the next, being reflective of a specific role type and of the specific form of theater (Brandon 3). In Beijing opera, actors portraying female roles typically use distinctly different vocal ranges and tonal qualities, including extremely high natural register production, midrange chest-supported nasal production, and a type of vocal production that is similar to the yodel, in which the performer must have a very wide vocal range (Wichmann 187). According to Wichmann (1988), â€Å"Through their combined imagery, the vocal and physical stylizations of each role type convey the primarily Confucian values and resulting behavior patterns traditionally deemed appropriate by society for each type of role thus portrayed† (187). Historic Influences on the Use of Male Actors for Female Roles in Beijing Opera. Fortunately for contemporary historians, there is a good account of how male actors came to portray female roles in the Beijing opera in the historical records. According to Guy (2001), Beijing opera is just one of more than 360 different regional forms of Chinese opera that differ primarily according to the regional dialect used in song and speech as well as in their musical materials. â€Å"In comparison with many of the world's other great musical theater traditions such as Japanese Noh, Italian opera, or Javanese wayang, Peking opera is a relatively new form. Its birth is popularly traced to 1790† (Guy 377). In reality, though, the origins of the male dan role can be traced back much further in Chinese history. For example, in her essay, â€Å"Male Dan: The Paradox of Sex, Acting, and Perception of Female Impersonation in Traditional Chinese Theatre,† Tian (2000) reports that, â€Å"The tradition of the male dan can be traced back to ancient music and dance. It probably dates back as early as the Han dynasty (206 B. C. -A. D. 219)† (78). A highly regarded scholar of the Qing dynasty (1644-1911), Jiao Xun (1763-1820), cites a source suggesting that in the Han dynasty, there were also male actors that impersonated jinu (female singers and dancers), a tradition that served as the basis for the convention of female impersonation later called zhuang dan (Tian 78). By the end of the Wei dynasty (220-264), Emperor Cao Fang, who reigned from 240-254 CE, was reported to have enjoyed watching his young male jesters portray nubile young women whose excessive wantonness was an embarrassment to onlookers (Tian 78). Likewise, Emperor Xuan Di, who ruled from 578-579 CE of the North Zhou dynasty (557-581), issued a decree that required handsome young men of the city to dress as women and to sing and dance inside the imperial court for the emperor and his entourage (Historical records of the Beijing theatre cited in Tian at 78). During the reign of Emperor Yang Dig (605-616) of the Sui dynasty (589-617), from January 1 to January 15, a period in Chinese history when foreign princes and visitors were taxed by the Emperor in the form of tribute, thousands of singers and dancers gathered and performed in the country’s capital; the majority of these performers were dressed as females, and wore flowers and jewelry (Wang 190 cited in Tian at 78). By the mid-7th century, during the Tang dynasty (618-906), the Chinese empress requested that women be prohibited from taking part in any theatrical performance, a proclamation that resulted in the conventional segregation of male players and female singers and dancers employed at the court (Tian 78). Emperor Xuan Zong, who ruled from 712-756, was responsible for the development of the Liyuan (â€Å"Pear Garden†) and Yichunyuan (â€Å"Pleasure House†); the Liyuan used male performers exclusively while the Yichunyan used female singers and dancers (Tian 78). According to Tian (2000), â€Å"It is highly possible that the performances by the Liyuan actors might have involved female impersonation. It is clear that outside the court, jiafu xi (a performance featuring female impersonation) was part of various performances and entertainments in the Tang dynasty† (78). Historical accounts confirm that many male actors were proficient at playing female roles; furthermore, there is also historical evidence that confirms boys dressed as women performed for aristocratic families (Tian 78). During the Tang dynasty, a highly popular performance that involved female impersonation was the folk singing and dance performance known as â€Å"tayaoniang† (stamping and swaying wife). These performances were characterized by the wife being impersonated by a man, who complains about being beaten by her inebriated husband and sings to the rhythm of â€Å"her† dance while the audience responds in chorus (Cui 1959:18 cited in Tian at 78). Peking Opera Peking Opera Peking Opera is China’s national opera. Opera is so popular in China that they declared a â€Å"Peking Opera Month†. Peking Opera has been around for 200 years. â€Å"Its main melodies originated from Xipi and Erhuang in Anhui and Hubei respectively and, overtime, techniques from many other local operas were incorporated†. Peking Opera is said to have come to the front after 1790 when the famous four Anhui opera troupes came to Beijing. Peking Opera was developed quickly over the reign of Emperor Qianlong and the Empress Dowager Cixi under the imperial patron and became accessible to the common people.Peking Opera was originally performed on outside stages such as a teahouse or temple courtyards. The singers developed a piercing style of singing that could be heard over the loud orchestra. â€Å"The costumes were a garish collection of sharply contrasting colors to stand out on the dim stage illuminated by oil lamps†. Peking Opera incorporates parts from â€Å"The Grand Opera, ballet and acrobatics, consisting of dance, dialogue, monologues, martial arts and mime†. The â€Å"Nueva Cancion† Song Tradition Nueva Cancion† is Spanish for new song. Nueva Cancion â€Å"is a movement and genre within Latin American and Iberian music of folk music, folk-inspired music and socially committed music†. Nueva Cancion is seen as playing a powerful role in the social upheavals in Portugal, Spain, and Latin America during the 1970s and 1980s. Nueva Cancion started in Chile in the 1960s and was known as â€Å"The Chilean New Song†. Soon Nueva Cancion started to emerge in Spain and other areas of Latin America. Nueva Cancion renewed tradtitional Latin American folk music, and was soon associated with revolutionary movements, the Latin American New Left, Liberation Theology, hippie and human rights movements due to political lyrics†. Many Neuva Cancion musicians were often censored, exiled, forced to disappear and even tortured by â€Å"right-winged military dictatorships, as in Francoist Spain, Pinochet’s Chile and in Videla and Galtireri’s Argentina†. Neuva Cancion songs were so politically strong and because of this have been used in more recent â€Å"political campaigns, the Orange Revolution, which used Violeta Parra’s Gracias a la vida†.