Critical perspectives on Management (this is not the topic of essay) Essay

Critical perspectives on Management (this is not the topic of ) - Essay Example Though management has improved over a period, most things have remained the same. Management theory and practice have been touted as the most important as one of the important strategies however the scientific management and theories and practice differs a lot. In that the scientific theories that we learned from Fall to what really is on the ground brings out its main difference. Whether it’s because of its objectivity, cost or even expertise if fails in achieving its core objective. The focus of this study will be the critical issues about the assumptions in business and also why a lot of careful consideration has to be done and why management theory and practice is not after all the most effective management tool. The practice employed might be realistic it is not enough to administer the same theories over and over. It is easy to describe though some theories have been very important to the world of business they have brought about negative examples to the business industry and it is therefore important to analyze what does not work for the firm and management. The assumption of scientific theories help in managing business not forgetting that they are expensive to incur and set up for any firm and sometimes they are not tailor made for the organization. The critics of this ponder just because a feature like a decentralization worked in company X that is a multinational does not make it a must to work in company Y. Thus, it will not be realistic to assign one organization on the mere fact it worked in another (Schweiger(1991). Though the scientific management theory focused more on employee it failed to realize that sometimes the challenges may not be an employee but the resources and expertise accorded to him/her. It also focused on the human behavior only in the workplace and not everywhere the employee would visit (Schein, E.H. (1980). The other theory is the, general administrative theory which

A Brief Review Of Petronas

A Brief Review Of Petronas PETRONAS is the short for Petroliam National Berhad. As an incorporated company, it was founded on the 17th of August 1974. It was wholly owned and controlled by the government of Malaysia. PETRONAS has ventured into more than 32 countries including Argentina, Russia and Egypt. It currently employs over 30, 000 employees of 38 nationalities. PETRONAS has involved in the entire petroleum activities. From managing the sharing contractors of the foreign production, it has been changed into developing its own capabilities in the upstream sector allow it to take the lead in the exploration and production of the nations oil and gas resources. Vested with the entire oil and gas resources in Malaysia, PETRONAS is entrusted by the government to develop and add value to these resources. Besides that, it also ventured into downstream activities. It seeks to maximize value creation and strengthen of its operations all the way down the value chain. The range downstream activities of PETRONAS includes oil refining, gas processing and liquefaction, gas transmission pipeline operations, petrochemical manufacturing and marketing, property investment, shipping, marketing of liquefied natural gas, marketing and distribution of petroleum products, and trading. Internal Environment There is a high level of interdependence between an organization and its internal environment. The internal environment, also known as micro force, comprises elements that have a direct influence on the operations of the organization. They have an impact on the achievement of the organizations goals. The Micro forces of the environment are: Vision and Mission PETRONAS is a big organization and a corporation which is widely known to the world as a company that exports Malaysian oil. Being a big organization, PETRONAS has its very own vision and mission to achieve its common goal and to serve its customers the best service they can provide. As we all know vision is a long-term plan that exists in almost every company or organization. PETRONASs vision statement is to be a leading oil and gas multinational of choice. It is hoping to become a worldwide known organization and also the first choice among all other oil companies present so far. PETRONAS mission statements, on the other hand, are as follows: We are a business entity. Petroleum is our core business. Our primary responsibility is to develop and add value to this national resource. Our objective is to contribute to the well-being of the people and the nation. (PETRONAS, 2010) The mission and vision PETRONAS believes has made it grows tremendously since it was incorporated in the month of August on the 17th in the year 1974. It is now a fully-integrated oil and gas corporation which is ranked among FORTUNE Global 500s largest corporation in the world. Organizational structure Organizational structure is the internal, formal framework of a business that shows the way in which management is linked together and how authority is transmitted. (Stimpson, 2006) structure.jpg Figure 1: The Corporation Organizational Structure of PETRONAS (PETRONAS Case Study on Education, 2005) As shown in the Figure 1, PETRONAS adopts the functional organization structure. It enables specialization and allowing its employees to focus on their respective areas. There is cross functional bonds between the respective divisions and departments. It is the bond and process of specialization that has led to the success of the organization. Team work is encouraged, all the departments work together to achieve the companys goals and targets. This has proved to rewarding for the organization as a whole and the employees, customers, suppliers and the community as a whole. The line of authority is clearly drawn, orders are sent from the top most level, the president and the CEO. PETRONAS has also hired consultants to improve business and organization results. Functional Strategies Corporate Planning and development division This division plans long term and short term business strategies which lead to the development of the organization. Education division This division undertakes the responsibility of all the educational activities associated with PETRONAS. It involves the scholarships provided by University Technology PETRONAS and the education programs provided to the underserved community. Finance division The Finance division provides the company with its accounting and financial reporting backbone of the company. Its role is to identify financial sources to finance the operations of the company and to locate profitable areas where the business can invest their money to get higher returns. PETRONAS is involved in the sports world through its investment with Mercedes F1team. It has also contributed towards the development of Turkmenistan economy, by investing US dollar $ 1.8 billion in the oil and gas industries. Technical Services division This division is set up to drive and manage the technological activities of PETRONAS. Human Resource division The most important function of the human resource department is recruitment, selection and training of employees among others. PETRONAS selects the best and brightest of employees through talent searches amongst local and overseas graduate. PETRONAS trains and molds its own employees through technical training and innovative program provided in University Technology PETRONAS. Shareholders Shareholders of a firm can directly influence its policies and activities. PETRONAS shareholder is the government. It generates income and value for its shareholder. PETRONAS gave the government RM 52.3 billion from its RM86.8 billion pre-tax profit, in the form royalty, dividends, corporate tax, income tax and export duty. PETRONAS provides shareholders with the opportunity to gain first hand exposure on the Companys operations by organizing several visits to its Gas Processing Plants. Such two-way communication increases corporate transparency and helps shareholders take a longer term view of their investment based on a better understanding of the companys corporate strategy and operation. PETRONAS recognizes the importance of timely and equal dissemination of information to shareholders. Therefore they arrange the Annual General Meeting (AGM) which is a crucial mechanism in shareholders communication. Employees PETRONAS must be committed to enhancing the capability of its employees, as a corporation is only as good as the people who work for it. This phrase is from PETRONAS mission statement. Employees are the most important asset of an organization, since it is the dedication, motivation and skills of an employee that make a business successful. PETRONAS highly values its employees and understands the importance of their motivation. Therefore it arranges various programmes to encourage and support its employees by involving them in voluntary work. Programmes such as Sentuhan Kasih and Jalinan Insan allow their employees to contribute to homes for disadvantaged children and orphans in the areas of their operations. These programmes provide the employees with job satisfaction, which in return highly motivates them to perform better. Community Lord Holme and Richard Watts used the following definition. Corporate Social Responsibility is the continuing commitment by business to behave ethically and contribute to economic development while improving the quality of life of the workforce and their families as well as of the local community and society at large The culture now is to be generous by giving back to the community. Therefore organizations have certain responsibility towards the community they work in. PETRONAS is a responsible citizen of the community, thus is has successfully imitated and supported various social, environmental and community projects. PETRONAS and Education PETRONAS is committed is developing the people and they operate in by providing education particularly in the field on science and technology. They are determined to create a skilled human resource base for Malaysia through various schemes. Scholarships University technology PETRONAS (UTP) provides hands on technical training and innovative programs to help employees build skills and competencies. PETROSAINS provides a rich and motivating environment for the public to acquire knowledge about science and technology. PETRONAS benefits from this program since they are molding their own workforce, by educating them in standards which are important to PETRONAS. PETRONAS and Environment PETRONAS recognizes the importance of conserving biological diversity in order to ensure people, animals and plants. Therefore they developed the KUALA LUMPUR CITY CENTRE (KLCC) PARK, to balance the challenging demands of growing urban populations, with the environmental conservation. A much needed public park and green lung for the city of Kuala Lumpur. External Environment External environment refers to the macro forces that happen outside the business which cannot be controlled by the business. These forces will influence the internal functions of the business and its strategies to adapt itself to the changing environment. Political Environment The Malaysian government chose to create a state company, rather than using taxes, production limits, leasing, or other familiar instruments of supervision. The government sought to assert national rights over the use of the countrys resources. A state company, having both supervisory powers over the majors and production activities of its own, was a workable compromise between allowing the majors full rein and excluding them, along with their capital and expertise, altogether. PETRONAS is given full trust by Malaysia government to conduct business independently from the government. Government holds 100% of PETRONAS and formulates and implements energy policies including oil gas. The company cooperates with the government for the common purpose to develop the country to achieve the level of advanced countries. Regarding the relationship between PETRONAS and the government, one executive in the company said, There is a world, especially in the Third World, where only the government and the government (GG) can open the first door. He claimed that there is the world which does not function well with the absence of mutual trust between the government and the national oil company. http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:pCgz92sE-H0FpM::history.sandiego.edu/cdr2/WW2Pics/04541.GIFt=1h=191w=266usg=__edWYAb0Yxd4yqnM8TXpb2ftbqK8= Legal Environment Legal concepts, principles and issues are affecting everyday business decisions of all organizations. PETRONAS is a multinational organization. Therefore the company is subjected to laws in all of its host countries. Petroleum Development Act 1974 To regulate the oil and gas industry to achieve Malaysias economic development needs, Petroleum Development Act 1974 was formulated, and PETRONAS was established under this act. Through this act, PETRONAS owns the exclusive right of ownership, exploration and production of petroleum and gas. Under the direct purview of Malaysias Prime Minister, PETRONAS is responsible for its planning, investment and regulation of all up-stream activities. Government Taxation PETRONAS is liable to pay to the Federal and State Government in terms of dividends, taxes, export duties and royalties. In the year of 2009, PETRONAS has paid RM 30.0 billion as dividends, RM20.3 billion as income tax, RM 9.1 billion as corporate income tax, RM 2.2 billion as export duties and RM 6.2 billion as royalties to the government (PETRONAS: Media Release, 2009). Laws Regarding Employee Benefits On the other hand, nearly all government pass laws to control recruitment, employment, minimum wages, health and safety at work, and trade union rights of employees. One of its aims is to protect the workers from any kind of physical injuries. It requires the working environment in PETRONAS to be safe with adequate equipment and sanitation. However, these requirements usually add up to the business cost. Consumer Rights In addition, PETRONAS has to protect consumer rights. The Consumer rights seek to protect the rights and interest of consumers, as well as to prevent them from receiving products that do not reach a reasonable level of safety. PETRONAS sternly practices this as to ensure maximum popularity amongst other oil and gas company as well as looking after customer satisfaction. Economical Environment Economical environment refers to the collective of the nature of economic system in the country. It would affect a business in terms of recession, interest rates, exchange rates and global economic factors. Recession Recession is the process when values of goods and services decline in an economy. It results in the fall of demand for certain products, as income is reduced. To keep the demand on going, the prices of products are lowered. According to an article by Jane Lee in 2009, net income of PETRONAS in the year ended March 31 dropped 14%. It was its first annual profit decline in 7 years due to sapped energy demand in global recession and high production cost. Interest rates During inflation, there will be increase in the supply of money associated to the amount of goods available. This will result in a rise in prices of goods and services in the economy over a period of time. For PETRONAS, the high interest rates and fall of purchasing power would consequently affect the cash flow of the organization. Oil Price Oil Price has strong relationship with PETRONAS sales performance. When oil price in Malaysia increase, its sales will strongly increase, and when oil price in Malaysia decrease, its sales also decrease. http://www.thegeminigeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/business-environment.jpg Technological Environment In order to adapt itself to the rapid growing technological environment, an organization has to be versatile and recognises the value of technology to its business growth. PETRONAS is a technology dependent organization that promotes and uses technology vastly for research and development. It pursues the strategic deployment and application of technology to further enhance operational excellence and maximize the potential of its existing assets and emerging opportunities. Technology in Gas Business In the Gas Business, PETRONASs technology emphasizes on mercury management. With the initiatives to remove mercury from raw condensates, the onshore mercury removal system, a technology that is among the first in the world, has been installed at PETRONAS Onshore Gas Terminal in Kertih. This system is able to treat raw condensates at the terminal, to improve operational and Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) performance as well as to assure product quality. Technology in Oil Business In the Oil Business, PETRONAS continue to pursue leading edge technologies to enhance its fuels and lubricants businesses. PRIMAX 3, the unleaded petrol, was developed in-house utilizing a superior quality fuel formulation innovated by optimising base fuel properties through the addition of the Sinar G-05 additive (PETRONAS: Oil Business, 2010). While meeting environmental standards, it enhances engine performance and efficiency. In addition, PETRONAS also believes there are opportunities in alternative energy resources and continue to explore the potential of hydrocarbon resources as well as solar energy and bio-fuels. In building a long term and sustainable energy business, the company looks toward Green Technologies to prepare for the future low-carbon economy. These technologies are believed to be providing a strong competitive advantage for PETRONAS to strengthen its position in global business. Competition In any of the industry, there must be competition among organizations. An organization will try to get more customers to buy their product instead of the one offered by the competitors. The success of organizations depends on which one makes the most attractive products at lower prices. The major competitors to PETRONAS are Shell and Caltex. They produce different type and efficiency of petrol. PETRONAS PETRONAS has designed PETRONAS PRIMAX 3 to provide maximum protection and performance for your car. By formulating with unique additive components, PETRONAS PRIMAX 3 efficiently protects the engine against injector fouling and corrosion, reinstating the car to its peak performance to improve fuel economy. Shell However, Shell is the leader in developing high quality fuels. Shell Super with fuel economy formula is specially designed by Shell experts to give you extra miles at no extra cost. It is formulated with Shells Synthetic Viscous Friction Improver, designed to reduce friction in this crucial part of your engine, helping to improve its efficiency. Caltex On the other hand, all Caltex petrols now include technologically-advanced, patented fuel ingredient, Techron ®. Caltex Techron with cleaning agent is unsurpassed at keeping engines clean and cleaning up deposits to help reinstate original performance. It contains powerful detergents which help in removing deposits from fuel injectors intake ports and valves. The key benefits for using Techron ® are improved performance, enhanced reliability, smoother drive, restored fuel economy and lower emissions. Comparing these petrol brands, each of them has its own strengths. They are having a healthy competition in the petrol industry with the same goal to provide the best petrol they could produce. Social Environment Social environment refers to the factors regarding the society as well as the environment. An organization needs to have social responsibilities in order to contribute to the people of the society and to protect natural environment. Social Responsibility on Consumer Many companies are affected by society and vice-versa. For PETRONAS, it was noticed that consumers are the foundation of the entire business, and dissatisfied customer could be a warning signal to the business. Therefore, it has to take care of societal needs and safeguard human rights. For example, it concerns about the safety and health of consumers. It has to make sure that it supplies safe products to the consumers and provides product knowledge via advertisements, as well as ensures product utility and performance as advertised. Social Responsibility on Environment In undertaking its business activities, PETRONAS cares for the environment by adopting responsible environmental management practices in its operations. At the same time, it also contributes to the biodiversity and conservation of the environment for the sake of the community. PETRONAS is taking every practicable and reasonable step to prevent the risk of injuries, health hazards and damages to properties in according to international Health, Safety and Environment standards. It is also investing in community-related initiatives in environmental conservation and urban renewal, both in Malaysia and other countries. These community projects aimed to create sustainable benefit and tangible value to the communities. http://www.momisteaching.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/social-media-marketing.jpg Conclusion Over the years, PETRONASs unique experience and expertise, coupled with its technical and operational competencies have allowed it to be accepted as the preferred strategic partner by international companies and the host countries. Facing the adverse business and economic environment, PETRONAS is still able to integrate, add value and globalize its operations. These would bring the company towards the realization of its vision to become a Leading Oil and Gas Multinational of Choice. Moving forward, PETRONAS will continue to improve its business performance, strengthen its resilience and enhance its capabilities to confront the challenges in delivering a sustainable energy future for all its stakeholders. Moreover, it will guided by its objective to serve the nation and people with high standards of ethics and integrity, while at the same time maximizing shareholders returns. (3029 words)

Androcentrism Essay -- essays research papers

Androcentrism When I started to think about what to write for this paper I wanted to learn more about androcentrism. Well, I guess I know what it means, but I wanted to see what it means to other people. In Random House Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 2nd Edition the definition for androcentric is centered on emphasizing, or dominated by males or masculine interests. Then I went online and mostly the same definition. The only definition that I found that said anything about women was at http://dictionary.reference .com. It read: centered or focused on men, often to the neglect or exclusion of women. I started to wonder what religious dictionary’s thought of androcentrism. So I looked up some religious dictionaries. After about 10 of them I gave up because I came empty handed. It’s like they didn’t believe it existed. But, to my surprise I did find a definition to androgyny in a few of them. And let’s not forget my personal definition: Men are better than women. A lthough I do not think this is true, that is just how I see androcentrism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Now I am going to talk about the levels of androcentrism that make the study of religions difficult. I am going to refer a lot to the book Feminism and Religion by Rita M. Gross. The first level of andrcentrism is the history. â€Å"As in the study of contemporary religions, many conventional historians are most interested in those who wielded power, which means that not only women, but other disempowered groups hav...

English Literature, the Secret Life of Sir Walter Mitty-James Thurber

Secret Life of Walter Mitty- James Thurber By P. Baburaj, Senior Lecturer, Dept. of English, Sherubtse college, Bhutan Author of: Language and writing, DSB Publication Thimphu Communicative English, P. K. Books, Calicut A perception on Literary Criticism, P. K. Books, Calicut   -A popular American writer, humourist and cartoonist. -A classical story. -Traditional realistic fiction. -A third person narration. Mixture of fantasy and realism. -Can be called a best example of magical realism. -Explores the concept of the â€Å"American Dream†. -Introduces an average American male namely Mr. Mitty. Average Americans try to escape from the world of reality and â€Å"try to live in the world of fantasy†. To make life a successful one, one should keep a balance between reality and fantasy. It is difficult to live always in the world of reality and also it will be impracticable to fly always from the world of reality and resort always there in fantasy.As Robert Frost said in h is eminent poem â€Å"Birches† one should be a swinger of the Birches therefore keep balance between reality and fantasy. Otherwise life will be painful and will be a total failure. Day dreams are equal to Mitty, Mitty escapes from his mundane life (dull and uninteresting) by resorting to elaborate fantasies. The name Walter Mitty has become synonymous for day dreams. Mitty becomes a symbol for a person who enriches his private life with dynamic day dreams while working or while listening to every day conversations. Story focuses on escapism from mundane life into the world of fantasies.The theme of success and failures in life is examined through Mitty? s inability to live an external life, which results in going back to an internal life full of dangers and heroism. -Stereotypical male and female roles. Mrs. Mitty appears as a practical woman (women are more practical than men in America). This aspect of women? s character is established in the story. Man has become weak ine ffectual and overly in aggressive. 1. Five day dreams of Mitty. 1. In the first day dream, which comes in the outset of the story Mitty is presented as the Pilot of US navy hydroplane. 2.In the Second day dream, Mitty is a wonderful doctor performing a serious surgery (appears as a world famous author of a medical book titled â€Å"Streptothricosis†). -An expert mechanic to solve any problem within no time. -Even not worried when he hears from the team of doctors that „A coreopsis? is formed on Mr. McMillan the patient. 3. In the third day dream Mitty is presented as a sharp shooter, a cool assassin, a convict who faces a great trail. 4. In the fourth day dream, Mitty is presented as a Royal Air force pilot -volunteering for a suicide mission to the ammunition dump and proudly says ?We have only one life?. 5 In the fifth day dream, Mitty is presented as an eminent soldier fearlessly facing a firing squad –inscrutable, disdain and proud to the last. 2. -Five trigg ers that stimulate Mr. Mitty. 1. Mitty? s speed of the car above 55 km/phr. 2. Mrs. Mitty? s reference about Dr. Renshaw; hospital, Mrs. Mitty? s enquiry about „? gloves. 3. Newspaper boy shouting at the top of his voice about the water Bury trail. 4. â€Å"Liberty† magazine with glossy pictures of war. 5. Smoke goes up from the cigarette. 3. Mitty brought back into reality by1. His wife? s timely intervene when Mr.Mitty was driving his car above 55km/phr speed (Mitty was in hydroplane). 2. Parking -lot attendant warns Mitty when he is driving his car in wrong lane (Mitty was imagining he is a great doctor). 3. Sudden remembrance of â€Å"Puppy biscuits† (Mitty was in the imaginary scene of trail). 4. Mitty is brought back by his wife (Mitty imagines that he is a member of a suicide squad). Mitty with his wings of fantasy moves in the realms of fantasy-story ends here, story begins and ends in fantasy, so Mitty appears as an unchanged character. By P. Baburaj, Se nior Lecturer, Dept. of English, Sherubtse college, BhutanMitty is presented as an ineffectual person criticized and rebuked by others, he feels he is insulted by his inability to do things properly. His Failures in everyday life is just opposed by the extraordinary successes he plays out in his world of fantasy. His failure in real life and success in the world of fantasy are closely connected with gender role (sex roles) in modern America. The story reveals the lack of opportunities for men to perform meaningful, heroic actions in modern, suburban, middle class America. Men in modern America become weak and ineffectual in front of overly aggressive women.By the characterization of Mitty, James Thurber tries to criticize and mock the modern western ladies who dominate their husband in every walk of life. MITTY IN FANTASY v/sMitty in the world of reality. -He is a hero /heroic in action -Noble in action -Imaginative – An escapist -Man of forgetfulness – Weak/meek. -A s uperman /An extreme risk taker. -He always feels inferior. – Lacks competency -A man of decision. – Dependent. -A resourceful person. – feels sorry for everything. -Absent minded. -Giving orders. -Man of indecision waiting for orders. -Aware everything. -Even unable to park a car properly/chain properly. poor memory. -Not practical -Independent/ Never listens to others -Never mind the consequence. By P. Baburaj, Senior Lecturer, Dept. of English, Sherubtse college, Bhutan . -Powerful in flying Hydroplane. -Great author. – a great mechanic finds out fault within no time. -Bold in admitting. -Man of truthfulness. -A patriot ready to sacrifice his life for the sake of his country. -The theme of success and failure in life is evaluated through Mitty? s inability to live a successful material life, which results him to retreat to a life of fantasy full of images of conquests. Mitty is portrayed as an unaffected rebuked by others –He feels insulted by hi s inability to do things properly. -The failure of his everyday life is just opposed by the extraordinary success he plays in his fantasy life. -In reality Mitty is a man of poor or limited achievement. Mrs. Mitty -Always bully her husband. -Dominating wife. -Worried about Mitty? s health and even notices the small changes. -Always appear as an adviser. -Responsible wife. -Aggressive and short tempered. -Behaves in a rough and merciless manner. Climax -no climax, or no particular climax. since story presents with a story within the story no clear beginning or end. By P. Baburaj, Senior Lecturer, Dept. of English, Sherubtse college, Bhutan -action slowly rises and slowly falls throughout. -no change in Mitty? s character. -Mrs. Mitty is Mr. Mitty? s link to reality. She helps Mitty to avoid losing his grasp of everyday life. -Mitty? s day dreams are harmless but when he awakens he finds himself in anawkward position and finds difficulty to adjust with the reality. Conflicts Internal -Mitty in the real world V/s Mitty in the world of fantasy. External -Mitty v/s his wife. Mitty v/s society (especially his struggles to follow conventional social norms). Fantasy: -eightengined hydroplane is used in the first fantasy by Mitty. In utmost care of class 12 by P Baburaj -in thefirst fantasy ,Mrs. Mitty complains about the speed of the car. -crew members expressesMitty as great and brave and not afraid of hell (death). -Car was in 55km/hr speed. I -Mrs. Mitty went to do her hair done during Mitty? s second fantasy. -patient in second fantasy- Millionaire Wellington McMillan, the great Banker and friend of Roosevelt, famous American president. -team of doctors headed by Dr. Mitty –Dr.Renshaw, Dr. Benbow, Dr. Remington, and Dr. Pritchard Mitford. -Dr. Pritchard Mitford appreciates Mitty for his book on Streptothricosis. -Mitty puts a fountain pen instead of a faulty piston in order to repair the anaesthetizer. – Webley-Vickcrs 50-80 –the brand name of Mitty? s gun in the third fantasy. By P. Baburaj, Senior Lecturer, Dept. of English, Sherubtse college, Bhutan Meanings -Mitty- means –an ordinary, often an ineffectual person who indulges in fantastic day dream of personal triumphs. -Walt- someone who has aspiration to become a soldier, but posses none of the necessary personal qualities. Cocky- to be proud of one self. -A&P- name of a chain of grocery stores. Aupres de Ma Blonde- a song popular among the soldiers in world war I. -Cannonading –continuous firing of cannons. – Carburundum –a trade mark of abrasive chemical not something Mitty would actually need. -Obstreosis of the dual tract; meaningless medical Jargon invented by Mitty. -Streptothricosis- a sore on the skin, title of Mitty? s Book, medical Jargon misused by Mitty. -Overshoes –the shoes worn over another for protection. â€Å"I am going to take your temperature Mrs.Mitty implies that she is going to give a lesson after reaching h ome-this shows that Mrs. Mitty is a dominating and all powerful wife taking control over Mr. Mitty. -„To hell with the handkerchief ? -the courage of Mitty even in the face of great danger, he is powerful enough to face any firing squad without covering his face with his handkerchief. -Inscrutable to the last-it means in this context the mysterious nature of Mr. Mitty, real meaning is- it cannot be understood or known fully till the end. By P. Baburaj, Senior Lecturer, Dept. of English, Sherubtse college, Bhutan *********************

Online School vs. Public School Essay

Sloan Consortium stated that, â€Å"More than one million students attended classes via the Internet in 2008. Of those million, around 200,000 were enrolled in full-time virtual schools, meaning they attend all of their classes online.† I have been doing Online Schooling for two years but before that I went to public school. Online schooling is a better choice than public schooling because you have more control, there is no drama, and you have more free time. I prefer online homeschooling because I can control my pace. I get to decide when I want to work and I don’t have to study all day, everyday like I normally would. The course schedule is also up to me; courses can be done one at a time or in groups. During my first year at an online school I did five courses at one time. It’s now my second year and I am doing one course at a time, which I definitely prefer. At Public schools, course schedules are picked for me and I would have no control. You also can’t control what is going on in your school environment. One of the best things about online school is that there is never any drama. I really hate gossiping, which is a big problem at public schools. Because I only interact with other kids from my school by way of the internet there is no pettiness between us. Kids my age fight over friends and boyfriends or girlfriends. There’s nothing to fight about when you live as far away from each other as we do. At normal schools though, you see everyone everyday. When your constantly with the same group of people, someone’s feelings are always getting hurt and there is constant arguments. Many of situations involve your â€Å"friends†. If your friends with someone you can’t be friends with anyone they don’t like, which can get very complicated. 3 When doing school online, you have much more free time. If I stay caught up, I’m able to do things after school and on the weekends. When I was in public school, I had far too much homework to do anything. Now I’m able to take a few days off for vacation or because I’m sick and not have to worry about falling far behind. While at public school all of my time was filled by homework, but now I’m able to spend hours after school with my horse or just relaxing. Some of my family has expressed concern about me not  interacting with children my age because I don’t go to public school. Because of online schooling, I’m able to hang out with my friends at our barn. Before I switched I never saw any of my friends outside of school because I never had the time. Online schooling is a much better choice than public schooling. The benefits of online school far outweigh those of public schooling. With Online schooling you have so many more choices, everything is up to you! There are many different schooling choices but online schooling has made my life easier and stress free. I definitely suggest that you look into online schooling as an alternative to public school. It may not be right for everyone, but it might be right for you.