Ray Carvers collection Where Im Calling From :: Ray Carver Essays

Ray Carver's collection "Where I'm Calling From" After reading more than a dozen of Ray Carver’s short stories from his collection Where I'm Calling From, I have to ask the question, "Where was Carver calling from?" On the surface, his stories seem very simple. They are about people with average jobs such as hotel managers, waitresses, salesmen, and secretaries, who live unsophisticated, mediocre lives. Below the surface, however, there is always more to be discovered if the reader is willing to put forth a little bit of effort. Carver obviously put a lot of thought into his stories. The least that we, as readers, can do is scratch the surface a little, or better yet, dig deep into his words to see what he is really trying to say to us. This is a task that is easier said than done. One story that does not seem quite as difficult as some others to interpret is "They’re Not Your Husband." Carver actually tells us quite a bit about Earl and Doreen if, once again, we are willing to look for the hidden clues. Earl is a salesman who is currently unemployed. He is looking for work, and he does find a sales job, but not a paying one. When he overhears two of his wife’s customers commenting on her "fat ass" (Magee), and saying, "Some jokers like their quim fat" (Carver 45), Earl realizes who his next sales pitch will be aimed at. Not wanting to be considered a joker, he decides to "sell" Doreen on the idea of losing weight (Magee). Using his sales tactics, Earl cautiously presents his "product" to Doreen. At first she is surprised because he has never brought up her weight before, but Earl is able to convince her that she should go on a diet without upsetting her. "‘All right,’ she said. I’ll try. For a few days I’ll give it a try. You’ve convinced me"’ (Carver 47). After hearing this, Earl replies, "I’m a closer" (Carver 47). Earl feels that he has successfully closed the deal but if we keep digging, we see something more. John Magee, in his article on "They’re Not Your Husband" for The Explicator, says, "Drop the c from 'closer’and 'loser’ emerges, which is what Earl is" (2). Earl is a loser because he thinks that the way his wife looks says something about him. He hopes that if he can successfully help Doreen begin to look better, he may start to feel better about himself.

Week 7 Homework Quiz

Business Valuations – Homework ES 1. (TCO G) A valuation professional who holds a CVA has the credentials of a: (Points : 2) Continuous valuation analyst. Cost valuation of assets. x Certified valuation analyst. None of the above is correct 2. (TCO G) If a shareholder in a closely held business sells his or her stock, the valuation professional typically would: (Points : 2) Increase the value somewhat to get the minority owner out of the business. Do a standard professional valuation in which the minority interest issue is ignored. Discount the value somewhat to reflect the diminished value of being a minority interest holder. Always use a historical cost basis analysis to take conservatism into account. None of the above is correct. 3. (TCO G) The most commonly accepted methods of business valuation use some form of: (Points : 2) Balance sheet analysis.Historical cost basis. Book value method. x Income statement approach. 4. (TCO G) The conclusions presented in FASB No. 157 s upport which FASB Conceptual Framework? (Points : 2) FASB Conceptual Framework No. 2 FASB Conceptual Framework No. 6 FASB Conceptual Framework No. x All of the above None of the above 5. (TCO G) The major business valuation organization that has developed rigorous business valuation standards is: (Points : 2) The National Association of Business Valuation Analysts (NACVA) The American Society of Appraisers (ASA) The Institute of Business Appraisers, Inc. (IBA) x All of the above None of the above 6. (TCO G) In a typical business valuation report, one exhibit that is seldom used is: (Points : 2) Limiting conditions. Definitions of valuation terms. Ratio analysis of the company. Common size balance sheets of the company. None of the above. 7. (TCO G) â€Å"Equitable distribution† in divorce cases is driven by: (Points : 2) The Uniform Commercial Code nationally. x Individual state laws. Supreme Court rulings. Professional standards. None of the above. 8. (TCO G) A â€Å"minori ty interest† in a business: (Points : 2) Technically is less than a 50-percent ownership in the business Might be worth less than a pro-rata share of the business value May have limited influence in the operations of the business x All of the above None of the above 9. (TCO G) IRS Rev. Rul. 59-60: (Points : 2)Deals with the valuation of closely held businesses Provides a list of eight factors that should be considered in valuing a closely held business Is particularly useful for valuing closely held businesses in estate and gift tax situations x All of the above None of the above 10. (TCO G) Preparing common-sized financial statements and performing ratio analyses of financial statements are examples of: (Points : 2) â€Å"Customizing† financial statements. â€Å"Downsizing† financial statements. x â€Å"Spreading† financial statements. â€Å"Simplifying† financial statements. None of the above.

Top German Mistakes Made by Beginners

Unfortunately, there are much more than ten mistakes you can make in German. However, we want to concentrate on the top ten kinds of mistakes that beginning students of German are likely to make. But before we get to that, think about this: How is learning a second language different from learning a first? There are many differences, but the most significant difference is that with a first language there is no interference from another language. An infant learning to speak for the first time is a blank slate—without any preconceived notions of how a language is supposed to work. That is definitely not the case for anyone who decides to learn a second language. An English  speaker who is learning German must guard against the influence of English. The first thing any language student has to accept is that there is no right or wrong way to construct a language. English is what it is; German is what it is. Arguing about a languages grammar or vocabulary is like arguing about the weather: you cant change it. If the gender of Haus is neuter (das), you cant arbitrarily change it to der.  If you do, then you risk being misunderstood. The reason languages have a particular grammar is to avoid breakdowns in communication. Mistakes Are Unavoidable Even if you understand the concept of first-language interference, does that mean youll never make a mistake in German? Of course not. And that leads us to a big mistake that many students make: Being afraid to make a mistake. Speaking and writing German is a challenge for any student of the language. But the fear of making a mistake can keep you from making progress. Students who dont worry so much about embarrassing themselves end up using the language more and making quicker progress. 1. Thinking in English Its only natural that youll think in English when you begin to learn another language. But the number one mistake made by beginners is thinking too literally and translating word-for-word. As you progress you need to start to think German more and more. Even beginners can learn to think in German phrases at an early stage. If you keep using English as a crutch, always translating from  English to German, youre doing something wrong. You dont really know German until you start to hear it in your head. German doesnt always put things together like English.   2. Getting Genders Mixed Up While languages such as French, Italian, or Spanish are content to have just two genders for nouns, German has three! Since every noun in German is either  der, die,  or  das,  you need to learn each noun with its gender. Using the wrong gender not only makes you sound stupid, it also can cause changes in meaning. It can be aggravating that any six-year-old in Germany can rattle off the gender of any common noun, but thats the way it is.   3. Case Confusion If you dont understand what the nominative case is in English, or what a direct or indirect object is, then youre going to have problems with case in German. Case is usually indicated in German by inflection: putting different endings on articles and adjectives. When  der  changes to  den  or  dem, it does so for a reason. That reason is the same one that makes the pronoun he change to him in English (or  er  to  ihn  in German). Not using the correct case is very likely to confuse people a lot! 4. Word Order   German word order (or syntax) is more flexible than English syntax and relies more on case endings for clarity. In German, the subject may not always come first in a sentence. In subordinate (dependent) clauses, the conjugated verb may be at the end of the clause. 5. Calling Someone Sie Instead of du Almost every language in the world—besides English—has at least two kinds of you: one for formal use, the other for familiar use. English once had this distinction (thou and thee are related to German du), but for some reason, it now uses only one form of you for all situations. This means that English-speakers often have problems learning to use  Sie  (formal) and  du/ihr  (familiar). The problem extends to verb conjugation and command forms, which are also different in  Sie  and  du  situations. 6. Getting Prepositions Wrong One of the easiest ways to spot a non-native speaker of any language is the misuse of prepositions. German and English often use different prepositions for similar idioms or expressions: wait for/warten auf, be interested in/sich interessieren fà ¼r, and so on. In English, you take medicine for something, in German  gegen  (against) something. German also has two-way prepositions  that can take two different cases (accusative or dative), depending on the situation. 7. Using Umlauts German Umlauts (Umlaute  in German) can lead to problems for beginners. Words can change their meaning based on whether they have an umlaut or not. For example,  zahlen  means to pay but  zà ¤hlen  means to count.  Bruder  is one brother, but  Brà ¼der  means brothers - more than one. Pay attention to words that may have potential problems. Since only a, o, and u can have an umlaut, those are the vowels to be aware of. 8. Punctuation and Contractions German punctuation and the use of the apostrophe is often different than in English. Possessives in German usually do not use an apostrophe. German uses contractions in many common expressions, some of which use an apostrophe (Wie gehts?) and some of which do not (zum Rathaus). Related to the prepositional hazards mentioned above are German prepositional contractions. Contractions such as  am,  ans,  ins, or  im  can be possible pitfalls. 9. Those Pesky Capitalization Rules German is the only modern language that requires the capitalization of all nouns, but there are other potential problems. For one thing, adjectives of nationality are not capitalized in German as they are in English. Partly due to  German spelling reform, even Germans can have problems with spelling hazards like  am besten  or  auf Deutsch. You can find the rules and a lot of hints for German spelling in our capitalization lesson and try our spelling quiz. 10. Using the Helping Verbs Haben and Sein In English, the present perfect is always formed with the helping verb have. German verbs in the conversational past (present/past perfect) can use either  haben  (have) or  sein  (be) with the past participle. Since those verbs using to be are less frequent, you need to learn which ones use  sein  or in which situations a verb may use  haben  or  sein  in the present or past perfect tense.

Essay on Renaisssance versus Baroque Periods - 967 Words

The baroque and renaissance periods are two different periods. The renaissance period rolled into the baroque era. There were changes made over the years from the baroque to the renaissance period. Differences in style accumulated along with views of art and music. Baroque era covers the period between 1600 and 1750 beginning with Monte Verdi (birth of opera) and ended with deaths of Bach and Handel. The term baroque music is borrowed from the art history. It follows the Renaissance era (1400-1600). It was initially considered to be a corrupt way of Renaissance by conservatives. The dominant trends in Baroque music correspond to those in Baroque art and literature. Some features of Baroque art included a sense of movement, energy, and†¦show more content†¦Instruments such as the harpsichord, the spinet, and the lute became more than just accompaniment for singers; they became a way of expressing emotions. A modern listener can almost picture what the Renaissance composer or musician was feeling when he or she was writing a piece of music. The music of the Elizabethan era had a large influence on the advancement of all music. Humanism was the basic concept of the Italian Renaissance. It is the term used to define that philosophical move ment in Italy at the end of the 14th century and during the 15th and 16th centuries which asserted the right of the individual to the use of his own reason and belief, and stressed the importance and potential of man as an individual. [3] This concept can be identified with a belief in the power of learning and science to produce the complete man. This was the way of their world and the basis of their modern civilization. Modern Humanism originated in the Renaissance when scholars, writers, poets, artists, philosophers and scientists sought regeneration in the free intellectual spirit of Classical times. [4] Art during the Renaissance period stylized religious themes. Artist during the renaissance period had his or her own way of painting. They did not practice the system of geometric perspective, but nonetheless created a convincing appearance of reality. Painting and sculpture were no longer

Leadership in Project Management - 2078 Words

Leadership is one of the most elusive disparities in project management. All successful project managers are not always the most successful leaders. Many of us probably have experienced interacting with such project managers wondering how these managers were able to meet their project goals without having the ability to motivate people and develop a cohesive team. The answer is that these managers were lucky enough to have team members who were passionate about their jobs and delivered the results, which helped the project managers to be successful. The challenge is that project management skills can be obtained through courses, certifications, and degrees but there are not such tools available to become an effective leader. On†¦show more content†¦Project managers’ questions also indicate the level of importance and priority of a certain task or issue that requires attention. In an organization practicing portfolio management system, the wrong leadership selection im mediately sends damaging signals about priority, collaboration, and resources across the organization. Bungled project leadership appointments – inept technical skills, project management and/or facilitation skills – derails and overburdens a well-targeted project due to rework, deterioration of cross-functional collaboration, and clumsy communication. Senior leaders repeatedly get caught up in the dilemma of every initiative being deemed an A priority. Effective project leaders lobby and compete for the active personal and political support by boards and senior leadership in their project. There are just so many projects and initiatives that the senior team can sponsor and monitor. There is an implicit line below which there is no real time, no excitement, no personal payoff – the juice is just not worth the squeeze. These no wow initiatives often fail to get fully airborne as they meander along, searching for senior sponsorship, and consuming political capital and material resources. (http://www.entrepreneur.com/tradejournals/article/188646463.html) Problem Solving â€Å"The measureShow MoreRelatedLeadership: Project Management1237 Words   |  5 PagesLeadership Paper This short paper is about leadership and management. The initial part of this paper will explore the qualities of leadership and its affect on project management. The next section will investigate some of the CEO s management styles and their comparable success rates within industry. The reflection of project management s code of ethics affect on leadership in general concludes the research presentation. The writer concludes with his own summation of leadership. Leadership Read MoreEffective Management And Leadership For Project Managers Essay1567 Words   |  7 PagesMany observers of architectural, engineering, and facilities management organizations have noted how little planning designers undertake for their own benefit. Design and facilities managers continually preach to their internal and external clients of the need to undertake regular planning. However, within their own operations, designers often lack an ongoing planning process, effective management systems, regular evaluation of operations and performance, continual training of their own staff, andRead MoreAtT Project Management Center of Excellence Communications Leader Promotes Project Management Leadership3470 Words   |  14 PagesOUR LADY OF FATIMA UNIVERSITY ANTIPOLO CAMPUS A BUSINESS CASE STUDY ATT PROJECT MANAGEMENT CENTER OF EXCELLENCE Communications Leader Promotes Project Management Leadership Submitted to: Dr, Marmelo V. Abante - CCS Dept. Head / Project Management Professor - Submitted by: Brioso, John Oliver P. - Student - ATT PROJECT MANAGEMENT CENTER OF EXCELLENCE Communications Leader Promotes Project Management Leadership INTRODUCTION As a world leader in communication technology, ATT connects peopleRead MoreAtT Project Management Center of Excellence Communications Leader Promotes Project Management Leadership3459 Words   |  14 PagesFATIMA UNIVERSITY ANTIPOLO CAMPUS A BUSINESS CASE STUDY ATT PROJECT MANAGEMENT CENTER OF EXCELLENCE Communications Leader Promotes Project Management Leadership Submitted to: Dr, Marmelo V. Abante - CCS Dept. Head / Project Management Professor - Submitted by: Brioso, John Oliver P. - Student - ATT PROJECT MANAGEMENT CENTER OF EXCELLENCE Communications Leader Promotes Project Management Leadership INTRODUCTION As a world leader in communication technology, ATTRead MoreThe Practices Of Successful Project Managers, Their Leadership Skills, And Management Roles2206 Words   |  9 PagesPMBOK  ® Guide, â€Å"Leadership is the ability to get things done through others and focusing the efforts of a group of people toward a common goal and enabling them to work as a team† (PMBOK, 2013). Being the project manager or director does not only require the task of a supervisor but also a leader and an authority. The leader manages, communicates, motivates and guides the entire team project and entities involved with it. In this paper, we will discuss the practices of successful project managers, theirRead MoreNursing Leadership Critical Discussion of a Change Management Project Strategy4391 Words   |  18 Pagesï » ¿Nursing Leadership Critical Discussion of a Change Management Project Strategy: EHR and Patient Safety Issues Objective The objective of this study is to crucially discuss and reflect on a change management project of strategy that has been undertaken in a health-related organization and specifically the implementation of Electronic Health Records (EHR) and patient safety issues. I. Aim of the Change (In Relation to Organizational Mission and Strategic Goals/Objectives) The aims of the changeRead MoreA Research Study On Project Management922 Words   |  4 PagesProject Management Institute. (Partington, 1996) States that with the rapid transformation from bureaucratic and hierarchical structures to more flexible, organic and matrix organizations conferences, seminars and organizations proliferated on how to manage projects. The PMI (Project Management Institute) was founded in 1969 as a nonprofit organization with the sole objective to â€Å"foster recognition of the need for professionalism in project management; provide a forum for the free exchange of projectRead MoreLeadership And Management Skills Development And Effective Use Essay1503 Words   |  7 PagesLeadership and Management Skill Development and Effective Use Introduction Leader comprise of people who analysis a situation and take initiative to implement change for the betterment of the business or organization they have enrolled to work for. Good leaders will never observe negative aspects of a business as being weaknesses but as being opportunities to improve the organizations operation and growth. This is the precise situation experienced by the International Institute of Educational ExcellenceRead MoreRoles And Responsibilities Of A Project1174 Words   |  5 Pagesactors of a project determine its eventual success. While projects are regarded as information processing systems, the actors shape the outcome of the project mainly because they are involved in the intricacies of planning, assessing and implementing (Winch, 2012). This is despite any technical automotive system used since the controller is responsible for configuring the system. Consequently, the delegation of roles and responsibilities is crucial to attaining the intended outcomes of a project. SomeRead MoreCase Study : Macon, Inc.930 Words   |  4 Pagesto blame in project delays or quality standards, and have scarce attention to the organization’s interests. Delays were almost always present, quality compromised, customers were choosing their own project managers to ensure their interests, projects were constantly failing, and the president of the company, who was a strong believer of project management, decided that action was needed to achieve excellence in project management. II. Question and response Considering the Management Support element

American Theme Individualism Essay Example For Students

American Theme Individualism Essay Literary works reflect the main ideas of the American mind. An American theme that is seen in various works of literature is individuality. Individuality is expressed in three different literary works from Frost, Chopin, and Paine. These works of literature aid us in developing an open mind about what the American people should expect in society. Following others doesnt guide us in any way because it does not allow for us to express our innermost feelings. Throughout these three works, individualism is expressed in various ways. Although all three works do illustrate the idea of individualism, Paine seems to approach it in a different way. Robert Frosts poem, The Road Not Taken, is an insightful idealistic attempt in illustrating the paradox of free will. In the first line, Frost uses the metaphor Two roads diverged 1, to establish not only the hard decision the traveler must make in the poem, but life itself. The decisions we make in life, like the traveler in this poem are not to be taken carelessly. Many have a desire to be adventurous, yet we fear possibilities of failing if we are different from others. In this poem, the road that he decides to take is wanted wear. This road is not a well-traveled path and no one has taken it before. The central idea of Frosts poem is individualism. Frost shows that being his own person makes life so much easier. Frost shows us that we should all express our feelings and be our own person, even if no one else will follow. He took the path that no one else did and that has made all the difference. Similarly, in Kate Chopins short story The Story of an Hour, the central theme of individuality is also expressed. When Mrs. Mallard received the news of her husband s death, she was in a deep state of grief. After she realized that she would now have freedom, she began to rejoice. Even though she loved her husband and will weep for him again, one thought comes to her over and over again: free, free, free! 546. Mrs. Mallard realizes at that instant that her life from now on is her own to live as she chooses; no more will she have to give in to the needs and wishes of her husband. She experiences a sense of independence to be who she wants to be without having to worry about her husband. This reflects the idea of individuality because Mrs. Mallard would live for herself548. She was delighted to be able to make her own decisions and be free! Body and soul free548. In contrast, Thomas Paines The Crisis, Number 1, expresses the theme of individualism in a different way. I love the man that can smile at trouble: that can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection124. Thomas Paine illustrates the idea that those who are free and can look at themselves and see that they live their own life without anyone else, have courage. People, who decide to be independent and not follow anyone else, demonstrate their bravery. Paine expresses his thoughts on giving up on something. He feels that we should strive for what we want to do for though the flame of liberty may sometimes cease to shine, the coal can never expire125. Therefore, we can see that American themes do imitate the essential thoughts of the American mind. Most American people illustrate the American theme of individualism and it plays a major role in shaping our world today.

Two Tramps In Mud Time Essays (493 words) - British Poetry

Two Tramps in Mud Time On the surface, "Two Tramps in Mud Time" seems to display Robert Frost's narrow individualism. The poem, upon first reading it, seems incongruent, with some of the stanzas having no apparent connection to the whole poem. The poem as a whole also does not appear to have a single definable theme. At one point, the narrator seems wholly narcissistic, and then turns to the power and beauty of nature. It is, however, in the final third of the poem where the narrator reveals his true thoughts to the reader, bringing resolution to the poem as a single entity, not merely a disharmonious collection of words. At the outset of the poem, the narrator gives a very superficial view of himself, almost seeming angered when one of the tramps interferes with his wood chopping: "one of them put me off my aim". This statement, along with many others, seems to focus on "me" or "my", indicating the apparrent selfishness and arrogance of the narrator: "The blows that a life of self-control/Spares to strike for the common good/That day, giving a loose to my soul,/I spent on the unimportant wood." The narrator refers to releasing his suppressed anger not upon evils that threaten "the common good", but upon the "unimportant wood". The appparent arrogance of the narrator is revealed as well by his reference to himself as a Herculean figure standing not alongside nature, but over it: "The grip on earth of outspread feet,/The life of muscles rocking soft/And smooth and moist in vernal heat." Unexpectedly, the narrator then turns toward nature, apparently abandoning his initial train of thought. He reveals the unpredictability of nature, saying that even in the middle of spring, it can be "two months back in the middle of March." Even the fauna of the land is involved with this chicanery; the arrival of the bluebird would to most indicate the arrival of spring, yet "he wouldn't advise a thing to blossom." The narrator points to the conclusion that, while on the surface, things appear to be one thing, there is always something hidden below, much like "The lurking frost in the earth beneath..." In the final three stanzas of the poem, the "frost" within the narrator comes to the surface. The humility of the narrator comes to light, with the narrator saying that the tramps' right to chop wood for a living "was the better right--agreed." The narrator also says, "Except as a fellow handled an ax,/They had no way of knowing a fool," insomuch as admitting to his foolishness. On the surface, the poem seems to be two poems with diverging themes. However, Robert Frost guides there two apparently unrelated thoughts into one idea from the heart: "My object in living is to unite/My avocation and my vocation/As my two eyes make one in sight." Perhaps the narrator is the true Frost coming to the surface.