My Life Essay -- Personal Narratives Essays

My Life I was born in San Jose, Costa Rica, and moved to California when I was very young. Before I moved to California my dad traveled back and forth for 2 or 3 yrs from California and back to Costa Rica. He spent most of his time working in the Fresno area, in the cities of Tulare, and Visalia. He says he spent his time working in any available job including some farm labor jobs and went back to Costa Rica to spend time with us. After the second time he left Costa Rica to come and work he did not go back. At that time, amnesty was given to immigrants in California, and he moved up north to the Bay area to find a steady job. That is when he saved enough money for my mother, my two siblings, and I to join him in California. My first few years since I moved were adventurous. I had to...

Performance Management Essay -- Business and Management Studies

Performance Management The performance management process provides an opportunity for the employees and managers to discuss goals and develop plans for achieving those goals. Therefore, communication involve between managers and employees that they have to identify job roles and functions related to the company objectives. They get together to devise some performance appraisals to enhance the company overall performance. The performance manager responsible for supervising workforce and the group educates and develops employees’ potential in order to improve workforce performance. Moreover, rewards is directly Employees performance. Essential Managing Performance to the Group 1 Explain how managing performance is a critical element in the success of a business. Employees need to understand their roles clearly An effective Performance Management system is based on these concepts: * Employees need to understand their roles clearly * Performance may be managed * There is a direct relationship between performance and rewards * Employee involvement is critical to performance development * Performance expectations must be set in advance and there must be agreement * Performance management requires on-going coaching, feedback and planning * Performance management can be a positive experience * Facilitate a process to establish clear role definitions and accountabilities. * Create a custom Performance Management program or improve your existing program. * Establish the objectives of your Performance Appraisal and Performance Management program. * Determine your performance criteria and integrate these criteria with your compensation systems. * Create your evaluation format. * Develop policies and procedures. * Conduct training sessions for your managers and supervisors. * Assist with the roll-out and communication of the program to your total employee group. How managing performance for a success of a business To begin the process, you and the employee will collaborate on the development of performance standards. You will develop a performance plan that directs the employee's efforts toward achieving specific results, to support organizational growth as well as the employee's professional growth. Discuss goals and objectives throughout the year, providing a framewo... ...n you and the employee * Help the employee attain performance objectives * Increase employee motivation and commitment * Maintain and increase the employee's self-esteem * Provide support Link of appraisal and review Performance Appraisal The campus carries out its mission through the individual and collective contributions of its employees. To do their best, staff members need to know that those contributions will be recognized and acknowledged. Overseeing performance and providing feedback is not an isolated event, but rather an ongoing process that takes place throughout the year. The performance appraisal is part of that process, and provides an excellent opportunity for you to communicate with the employee about past performance, evaluate the employee's job satisfaction, and make plans for the employee's future performance. Remember that the performance appraisal summarizes the employee's contributions over the entire appraisal period (usually one year). It is not a step in the disciplinary process. It may occur as often as you believe is necessary to acknowledge the employee for accomplishments and to plan together for improved performance.

Business Law and Ethics Essay

Dealing with government regulation in business is an integral part of a manager’s responsibilities. Recognizing what actions might violate particular consumer protection regulations is crucial to protecting the company and to insuring its profitable operation. Government regulation is found every day in the operation of businesses large and small, and once understood, it allows managers to make good decisions regarding business practices. When you have completed this topic, you will be able to: †¢list the common types of regulations designed to protect consumers, †¢identify types of illegal consumer credit practices, †¢describe the warranty protection provided to consumers, and †¢describe the purpose and role of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in consumer protection. Read Chapter 40, â€Å"Consumer Law† Read the following chapter in Business Law and the Legal Environment: †¢chapter 40 (â€Å"Consumer Law†) Then respond to the following points in your notebook: †¢What is the role of the FTC? †¢Describe prohibited sales activities under the FTC Act. †¢How is consumer credit regulated? †¢What is the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act? †¢What government regulations apply to consumer product safety? Consumer Law-statutes that protect consumers from the unscrupulous. Federal Trade Commission (FTC)=Created by congress in 1915 to regulate business. Most important agency enforcing consumer law. Prohibits unfair deceptive practices. FTC options for enforcing the law: 1. Voluntary Compliance When the FTC determines that a business has violated the law, it first asks the offender to sign a voluntary compliance affidavit promising to stop 2. Administrative hearing and appeals If the company refuses to stop voluntarily, the FTC takes the case to an administrative law judge (ALJ) within the agency. The violator may settle the case at this point by signing a consent order. 3.Penalties FTC can impose a fine for each violation of a voluntary compliance affidavit, a consent order, a cease and desist order, and an FTC rule. Section 5 of FTC Act- Prohibits unfair or deceptive sales practices. deceptive sales practices=An advertisement is deceptive if it contains an important misrepresentation or omission that is likely to mislead a reasonable consumer. Unfair acts or practices must meet 3 tests to considered unfair acts or practices: 1. It causes a substantial consumer injury 2. Harm of injury outweighs any benefit 3. The consumer could not reasonably avoid the injury FTC can find unfair if violates public policy w/o meeting tests Bait and switch advertisement= Merchant may not advertise a product and say bad things about it in order to sell a different item. Telemarketing= prohibits telemarketers from calling anyone on the do-not-call registry. And they cannot block their names and telephone number. Do not call registry= prohibits telemarketers from calling telephone numbers listed on the Do not call registry Mail or Telephone Order Merchandise has the following guidelines: Must ship an item within the time stated or within 30 days after the receipt of order; if it can’t ship by that time, they must send the customer a new ship date or the right to cancel order. *unordered merchandise received in the mail Consumers may keep as a gift Door to Door Rules- Salesperson is required to notify the buyer that the she has the right to cancel the transaction prior to midnight of the third business day thereafter Consumer Credit Regulations TILA Truth in Lending Act- requires lenders to disclose the terms of a loan in an understandable and complete manner. disclosures must be clear and meaningful.. Must disclose the finance charge and APR. TILA applies when: 1. It’s a consumer loan 2. The loan has a finance charge and will be repaid in more than four installments 3. The loan is less than $25,000 or secured by a mortgage 4. The loan is made by someone in the business of offering credit. High rate Home equity loans- lender must notify consumer at least 3 business days before closing that 1. He does not have to go through with the loan 2. He could lose his house if he fails to make payments Home Equity Loans-Rescission- Can rescind for up to 3 days after signing and after 3 years if the mortgage lender didn’t comply with TILA. Right to Rescind= Consumers have the right to rescind a 2nd mortgage for three business days after the signing. If the lender did not comply w/ TILA may rescind for up to 3 yrs. Credit card unauthorized charges- under TILA if consumer reports card stolen w/in 2 days only responsible for $50, after 2 days bank will only reimburse for losses over $500. Wait more than 60 days to report bank is not liable at all open end credit(credit card)= credit transaction in which lender makes a series of loans that can be re-payed at once or in installments. open ended credit required disclosures 1. the amount owed at the beginning of the billing cycle   2. amounts and dates of all purchases, credits and payments; finance charges and late fees 3. the date by which a bill must be paid to avoid these charges 4. either the consequences of making the monthly minimum payment or a toll free number at which to obtain such information. Close end credit(car loan)= One loan, borrower knows the amount and the payment schedule in advance subprime loans For subprime loans, a lender: (1) Must verify the borrower’s ability to repay the loan from income and assets other than the home’s value (2) May not charge a prepayment penalty if monthly payments can change in the first four years of the loan (3) Must collect property taxes and homeowner’s insurance for all first mortgages Home equity Loans Home Equity Loans-Enforcement= FTC generally has the right to enforce Truth in Lending Act and Consumers have a right to file suit. TILA provides additional consumer safe guards if: 1. APR is more than 10% higher than Treasury securities 2. Consumer pays fees and points at closing more than 8% 3. Loans that are less than 5 yrs cannot have balloon payments Advertising= Statute requires lenders to advertise their rates accurately. Can’t bait and switch. Bait and Switch= a merchant may not advertise a product and then disparage it to consumer in an effort to sell a different item and they must have enough items in stock to meet reasonable demand. Truth in Lending Act (TILA)= passed to ensure that consumers were adequately informed about the credit terms before entering into a loan and can compare the cost of the credit. TILA enforcement *FTC generally has the right to enforce TILA. TILA requires disclosures: Must be clear and in meaningful sequence, The lender must disclose the finance charge, and the creditor must also disclose the annual percentage rate. TILA advertisements- Under TILA lenders cannot advertise a loan as â€Å"fixed† if in fact its rate or payments will change In the event of a dispute between the customer and and a merchant the credit card company cannot bill the customer if: 1. customer makes a good faith effort to resolve dispute 2. the dispute is for more than $50 3. the merchant is in the same state or is within 100 miles of their home Fair Credit Bill Act (FCBA)- Under FCBA a credit card company must promptly investigate and respond to any consumer complaints about a credit card bill *provides additional protection for credit card holders. It allows a customer to dispute an item on their billing statement and demands that the company respond to your dispute. Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)- helps to ensure that consumer credit reports are accurate and regulates the reporting agencies. Under FCRA: 1. A consumer report can be used only for a legitimate business need 2. A consumer reporting agency cannot report obsolete information 3. An employer cannot request a consumer report on any current or potential employee w/o the employees permission 4. Anyone who makes an adverse decision against a consumer because of a credit report must reveal the name and address of the reporting agency that supplied the negative info Fair and accurate credit reporting Act (FACTA)- created to reduce identity theft by providing consumers with one free credit report per year and making companies update their information. *Permits consumers to obtain 1 free credit report every year from each of the 3 major reporting agencies Fair Debt Collections Practices Act (FDCPA)= a collector must send the debtor a written notice containing the amount of debt, the name of the creditor to whom the debt is owed, and a statement that if the debtor disputes the debt (in writing), the collector will cease all collection efforts until it has sent evidence of the debt. *Debt collectors may not harass or abuse debtors Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA)= Prohibits any creditor from discriminating against against a borrower on the basis of race, color, age, religion, national origin, sex or marital status or because the borrower is receiving welfare. Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act= Requires any supplier that offers a written warranty on a consumer product costing more than $15 to disclose the terms of the warranty in simple and readily understandable language before sale. *Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act does not require manufacturers or sellers to provide a warranty on their products. Consumer product safety Commission= Evaluates consumer products and develops safety standards. Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA)= the goal is to prevent injuries from products. Consumer Leasing Act (CLA)= protects a person when leasing a car. Makes sure that the company discloses all important information in writing, so that the borrower knows what the payments, interest, penalties, rights, and warranties are. Debit Card= This item works like a check because money is taken directly from your account so their is no bill. Rules of a Debit Card: If you report it stolen before any purchases are made, you are not responsible for any amount. If you report it stolen with in two days, you are responsible for $50. If you report it stolen after two days, you are responsible for $500. Chapter Conclusion Virtually no one will go through life without reading an advertisement, ordering from a catalog, borrowing money, needing a credit report, or using a consumer product. It is important to know your rights. Chapter Review 1. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) prohibits â€Å"unfair and deceptive acts or practices.† A practice is unfair if it meets the following three tests: †¢ It causes a substantial consumer injury. †¢ The harm of the injury outweighs any countervailing benefit. †¢ The consumer could not reasonably avoid the injury. 2. The FTC considers an advertisement to be deceptive if it contains an important misrepresentation or omission that is likely to mislead a reasonable consumer. 3. FTC rules prohibit bait and switch advertisements. A merchant may not advertise a product and then disparage it to consumers in an effort to sell a different item. 4. The FTC prohibits telemarketers from calling telephone numbers listed on its do-not-call registry. 5. Consumers may keep as a gift any unordered merchandise that they receive in the mail. 6. Under the FTC door-to-door rules, a salesperson is required to notify the buyer that she has the right to cancel the transaction prior to midnight of the third business day thereafter. 7. In all loans regulated by the Truth in Lending Act (TILA), the disclosure must be clear and in meaningful sequence. The lender must disclose the finance charge and the annual percentage rate. 8. In the case of a high-rate home equity loan, the lender must notify the consumer at least three business days before the closing that (1) he does not have to go through with the loan (even if he has signed the loan agreement) and (2) he could lose his house if he fails to make payments. If the duration of a high-rate home equity loan is less than five years, it may not contain balloon payments. 9. Under TILA, consumers have the right to rescind a mortgage (other than a first mortgage) for three business days after the signing. If the lender does not comply with the disclosure provisions of TILA, the consumer may rescind for up to three years from the date of the mortgage. 10. Under TILA, a credit card holder is liable only for the first $50 in unauthorized charges made before the credit card company is notified that the card was stolen. If, however, you wait more than two days to report the loss of a debit card, your bank will only reimburse you for losses in excess of $500. If you fail to report the lost debit card within 60 days of receipt of your bank statement, the bank is not liable at all. 11. In the event of a dispute between a customer and a merchant, the credit card company cannot bill the customer if: †¢ She makes a good faith effort to resolve the dispute †¢ The dispute is for more than $50, and †¢ The merchant is in the same state where she lives or is within 100 miles of her house. 12. Under the Fair Credit Billing Act, a credit card company must promptly investigate and respond to any consumer complaints about a credit card bill. 13. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act: †¢ A consumer report can be used only for a legitimate business need †¢ A consumer reporting agency cannot report obsolete information †¢ An employer cannot request a consumer report on any current or potential employee without the employee’s permission, and †¢ Anyone who makes an adverse decision against a consumer because of a credit report must reveal the name and address of the reporting agency that supplied the negative information. The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act requires manufacturers or sellers to provide at least a limited warranty on all products. (False) Answer:The Act does not require a warranty, but it does require that any supplier that offers a written warranty on a consumer product that costs more than $15 to disclose the terms of the warranty in simple, understandable language. The federal consumer protection laws are meant to protect consumers from the consequences of bad business decisions. (False) Answer: These statutes were passed by Congress and state legislatures to protect consumers from unscrupulous merchants. Under the Truth-in-Lending Act, the consumer is liable for the use of a credit card by unauthorized persons up to $500. (False) Answer: The Act makes a consumer liable for only $50. When a borrower uses his home as security for a second mortgage, the borrower has the right to rescind for: 3 business days. Answer: The TILA gives the consumer this right for up to 3 days after the signing. A commercial for basketball shoes included a testimonial from a famous basketball player. If the player does not use the basketball shoes in the ad:the ad is deceptive. Answer: Under the FTC Act, an advertisement is deceptive if it contains an important misrepresentation that is likely to mislead a reasonable consumer. The Consumer Leasing Act requires a lessor to disclose which of the following? The consumer’s right to terminate a lease early. Answer: Any right to early termination must be disclosed before a lease is signed.

“I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” by William Wordsworth Essay

For my second test I choose the poem â€Å"I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud† by William Wordsworth because I like the imagery in it of the dancing daffodils. After reading the poem many times I had realized that most of this imagery is produced by the many metaphors and similes. In the first line, Wordsworth says â€Å"I wandered lonely as a cloud.† This is a simile comparing the wondering of a man to a cloud drifting through the sky. I think that the wandering cloud is lonely because there is nothing else that high in the sky besides it. It can pass by unnoticed, touching nothing. Also, the image of a cloud brings to mind a carefree sort of wandering. The cloud is not bound by any barriers and can go wherever the impulse of the wind might take it. The next line of poem says â€Å"I saw a crowd, a host, of golden daffodils.† Here Wordsworth is using a metaphor to compare the daffodils to a crowd of people and a host of angels. The word crowd brings to mind an image of the daffodils grouped together and being amongst one another. The word host makes them seem like their golden petals are shimmering like golden halos on angels. It is interesting to note that daffodils do have a circular rim of petals in the middle that could look like a halo. Later in the poem Wordsworth uses another simile, saying the dancing of daffodils in the wind is â€Å"continuous as the stars that shine and twinkle on the Milky Way.† This line creates the image of the wind blowing the tops of random daffodils up and down in a haphazard matter, so they appear to twinkle momentarily as their faces catch the sun. This goes along with the next metaphor of the daffodils â€Å"tossing their heads in sprightly dance.† It is also interesting how the first image of the wandering cloud contrasts sharply with the second image of the dancing daffodils. The cloud drifts in solitude slowly and placidly across the sky, whereas the daffodils hurry to and from in a lively way. This contrast seems to show that looking at the daffodils made the author feel better than he did before and that they in fact helped cheered him up. This idea is supported by the last line of poem, where he says his heart â€Å"with pleasure fills, and dances with the daffodils† suggesting that’s how he feels whenever he thinks of the daffodils. The speaker says that, wandering like a cloud floating above hills and valleys, he encountered a field of daffodils beside a lake. The dancing, fluttering flowers stretched endlessly along the shore, and though the waves of the lake danced beside the flowers, the daffodils outdid the water in glee. The speaker says that a poet could not help but be happy in such a joyful company of flowers. He says that he stared and stared, but did not realize what wealth the scene would bring him. For now, whenever he feels â€Å"vacant† the memory flashes upon â€Å"that inward eye. That is the bliss of loneliness,† and his heart fills with pleasure, â€Å"and dances with the daffodils.† This simple poem revisits the familiar subjects of nature and memory, this time with a particularly musical expressiveness. The plot is extremely simple, that shows the poet’s wandering and his discovery of a field of daffodils by a lake, the memory of which pleases him and comforts him when he is lonely, bored, or restless. The speaker is metaphorically compared to a natural object, a cloud and the daffodils are continually personified as human beings, dancing and â€Å"tossing their heads† in â€Å"a crowd.† The four six-line stanzas of this poem follow a quatrain couplet rhyme scheme ABABCC. Each line is metered in iambic tetrameter. This poem had great use of imagery which correlated and was shown by using similes and metaphors. The imagery Wordsworth uses is very influential, and made me feel as though I to was there to see the breathtaking sight of the daffodils. In conclusion I really liked this poem. The poems we had read before were not this rhythmic and pleasant to the ear. This poem sounded to me like a song. Overall this poem is very peaceful and gives off a feeling of tranquility. It is about a man confronting external nature and how with his imagination it can fulfill him. His creativity seems to be encouraged by the nature around him. I believe that the main theme of this poem was nature and the tone used was serious. The occasion was him remembering the sight of nature the daffodils and the â€Å"lonely cloud.† He is in a way showing us how he likes to reflect on nature and use it as an inspiration.

Information Paper

Use Daniell Jackson CIS 207 August 1, 2012 Timothy Thacker According to (Anthony Robbins, 2010) â€Å"The way we communicate with others and with ourselves ultimately determines the quality of our lives†. It is imperative that in any organization there needs to be a detailed and efficient flow of information. Communications is the key for a business to be successful, and it provides the solid foundation needed to construct a solid business process. One other very important part of communications in a company is the flow of that information which ultimately produces the results whether good or bad.This paper will describe how information is used and how it flows at Document Logistic Agency (DLA) Document Services Jacksonville in the IT department. It will also describe any concerns with properly controlling the information flow, including keeping it safe from unauthorized use. DLA Document Services Jacksonville is a Department of Defense (DoD) command that provides a web-based solution for ordering documents. The communication flow starts from the customer level as documents such as publications, posters, retirement programs, and many more available products are ordered online.Although the Document Services Online website where most of the communications is done electronically, there is still a need for communication flow for those of us here at DLA in order to produce the customers required results. I thought it would be fitting to compare the communications that I have experienced here at DLA and my military communications experience, to show some of the differences As a 23 year retired veteran of the United States Navy, communications becomes a major part of everyday life.Military men and women are introduced to what is known as the chain of command and the structure in which it is written at each command. Communications is something that we are taught not to take for granted because it could be the difference between losing and saving a life in a give n situation. Once retired and transferred into what most military men and women call â€Å"The Civilian World,† I immediately discovered that there is a difference concerning military and civilian communications, the flow, and the concern of controlling that information.Here at DLA document services we have a variety of personnel that come together to produce products for the customer. The accountants manage and handle financial issues, machine workers print and produce the orders, information technology personnel maintain the servers, and management oversees the entire business process. Upon reporting for work here at DLA, I have been privileged to several communication issues that have caused issues, but have been addressed and changes put in place.One of the main issues I discovered was that as the network security engineer, there was no communications between the system administrators working on the servers. There was no sharing of information, which consistently resulted in changes to the system by the system administrators, but no upward communications of these changes through the IT department. The program manager was not informed of the lack of maintenance on the servers and the only concerned seem to be that the systems stay up to produce orders.This line of thinking was unfamiliar to me and I felt it would be a recipe for disaster. â€Å"Information sharing is critical to an organization’s competitiveness and requires a free flow of information among members if the organization is to remain competitive† (JP Hatala and J Lutta, 2008). Although we held a bi-weekly meeting that consisted of minutes from the last meeting and the old business to new business concept, it was clear that it served no purpose and I was determined to change that concept.I introduced the Configuration Control Board (CCB) to the Program Manager and showed her how it would make our meetings more effective by allowing communications to flow from the bottom to the top. Eventually I was able to get the SA’s to fill out a configuration change form and submit that form through the leadership, so that all parties would be aware of any major changes to our systems. We ensure that our transmission and handling of sensitive information is handled discreetly. The protection of our information is controlled on a need-to-know basis, which is the same as when I was in the military.The only concern that I had was sending and receiving emails with sensitive information such as Internet Protocol (IP) addresses and other detailed information via e-mail without encryption. We started ensure that we encrypted our emails to add that extra layer of needed security on sensitive documents. We also started the digital signature initiative that ensures all CCB documents are genuinely signed by each responsible IT department personnel, using our Common Access Cards (CAC).The DoD CAC card allows employees to have their own unique identification, authentica tion privileges, encrypting, and crypto graphical ability to sign emails and other documents. DLA Document Services Jacksonville delivers quality products to the men and women of our military. Although there were some issues with communications, the improvements have been astounding. We realized that when companies are dealing in the information technology field there is a need for excellent communications amongst team members up, and down the organization so that the best customer service can be provided.We discussed the importance of ensuring that communications is protected and secured because it is the cornerstone of maintaining that need-to-know responsibility. References Anthony Robbins (2010), Power of Giving. Retrieved on July 30, 2012 from http://www. power-of-giving. com/tony-robbins-quotes. html JP Hatala and J Lutta (2008), Managing Information Sharing Within an Organizational Setting: A Social Network Perspective. Retrieved July 30, 2012, from https://ehis. ebscohost. c om/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer? vid=2&hid=3&sid=8a83ca4d-a18d-4679-b2e7-f631c1b0a62c%40sessionmgr11

Opinion Paper - Business Law Class Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Opinion Paper - Business Law Class - Essay Example In the U.S. Supreme Court Ninth Circuit case, heard in 2007, the Court ruled that a group of contract workers from the company, Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), did not have to disclose certain information in the background checks NASA wanted to do. NASA would normally complete all these checks before employing someone on a full-time basis. This information related to the workers’ previous drug use and counseling, and questions about the workers’ honesty posed to the employee’s references. NASA could also force the employees to sign a release so that personal information could be researched from the employees’ schools, previous employers, and other sources (The HR website 2011). The Supreme Court (Ninth Circuit) ruled that the contracted workers’ rights would be violated by such background checks, since previous drug use or counseling for drug use would not be relevant to their present contract with NASA, and that the opinions of previous employers could not be used to decide whether JPL could use these workers for the NASA contract. In both cases, the judgment felt that the workers’ constitutional rights would be violated by such checks. On Appeal, the Supreme Court reversed this previous decision (NASA v. Nelson 2011), making it possible for NASA to do the same background checks on contracted workers as it does on full time employees.

History of English Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

History of English - Essay Example French is essential in meeting the current and future needs of such individuals in the society (Nikolov, 2009). An individual that has prowess in French could utilize the opportunity of offering language classes. This enables the particular individual that teaches French have a means of improving their financial status (Adamson, 2007). This creates the need to learn French for easy interpretation when compelled to have a conversation in the French language. Surveys provide evidence of a great increase in the French speaking demographic. This population is increasing at a higher rate as compared to English and other languages. For instance, by the year 2050 the percentage of French speakers in African states could increase by five percent. The number of French immigrants in the western countries has significantly increased. This has led to the development of interest in the language to determine their exact economic and social assimilation (Garcia, 2010). For instance, there is an increase in the number of intermarriages between the French immigrants and the westerners. This plays a major role in economic