Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis - Essay Example Examples of these contradictory human traits abound throughout the novel. George believed in material possessions as definitions of his worth, but his discontent with them is evident thus: He hadn't even any satisfaction in the new water cooler! And it was the very best of water coolers,..(p. 26 Chp. 3). His weakness regarding attempts to stop smoking is frequently portrayed, with little plans to thwart himself, such as locking his cigars in a filing cabinet and hiding the key, and his many promises to quit. After his Maine vacation, he had to leave the train to buy a cigar, then later our days later, he again remembered that he had stopped smoking, but he was too busy catching up with his office work to keep it remembered.(p. 116 Chp. 12) When he found himself accepted as a good orator, at the real estate convention, he was full of bombastic pride, but also a simple pleasure in having his ability so recognized. guess some of the folks on Floral Heights will sit up and take notice now, pay a little attention to old Georgie!(p.128 Chp. 13) There is much endearing boyishness in his enthusiasms and frequent attempts to improve in many areas of his life. His continuing success as an orator has something sadly nostalgic about it, as Babbitt harks back to his unfulfilled desire to have been a lawyer. His snobbery and social climbing were evident when, after the alumni reunion, he and Mrs. Babbitt gave a disastrous dinner party for the rich McKelveys. He rationalized the fact that these people would not be their friends by telling his wife ut I like to have a chance to visit with you and the children instead of all this idiotic chasing around.(p. 152 Chp. 15). hey did not speak of the McKelveys again.and these words were applied to the Overbrooks, whom the Babbitts considered beneath them, again after an awkward dinner. Both instances demonstrated the good and bad in Babbitt's character and values. Love and loyalty were shown where Paul Reisling was concerned. Babbitt defended his friend, managed a week of freedom for him from his nagging wife, Zilla and rushed to the prison after Paul shot her. 'm not going to be moral, I just want to do anything I can.(p. 204, Chp. 22) He even offered to perjure himself to get Paul his freedom. With his family, although he found them hard to tolerate, Babbitt showed concern always for their well-being and futures. He spent time with Tinka and Myra and never ignored Ted or Verona, despite their annoying him. When he changed radically in his attempts to break away from his conventional life, he seemed to embrace all that was opposite to his previous character, drinking, dancing, having the affair, and criticizing his old friends. But he showed kindness, loyalty and love when Myra got sick, and returned to being the character first portrayed at the beginning of the novel. There was a depth of self-awareness in the handling of Ted's youthful marriage and desire to leave university. His reactions and advice to his son showed him as an empathetic and even likable character, despite what is known about him. 've never done a single thing I've wanted to in my whole life! I don't know's I've accomplished anything except just get along....Take your factory job if you want to...Don't be scared...of yourself, like I've been. Go ahead old man! The world is yours!(p. 305 Chp. 34) In

Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo Essay Example for Free

Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo Essay Alexander Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo is founded upon historical events and political intrigue. He not only uses historical facts to help the reader understand, he also weaves such details into the story to make it possible for his reader to have an understanding of the current events that were taking place in France, during that time (from approx. 1815 through 1838). Dumas would want his readers to be familiar with French history, and to have it in their mind as they read his beloved tale. In the 1800’s Marseilles was one of the largest ports in the south of France with a â€Å"population between 93,000 and 110,000†, thus trade flourished and it was home to many merchants, and businesses (Marseilles). This is where our story of revenge begins. Marseilles was the hometown of Edmond who we meet as a naà ¯ve sailor who is later to become imprisoned as a political criminal, and altered for life. Marseilles was also the home to both Edmond’s father who dies of hunger soon after his son was imprisoned, and Edmonds beautiful, and noble fiancà © Mercedes who was a poor, Catalan. After Dantes’ imprisonment Mercedes cared for his father until he passed. She lost faith of Dantes ever being released from prison and back by her side, there for she felt she had no choice but to marry Fernand Mondego when he asked for her hand in marriage. Fernand Mondego was the jealous fisherman who also betrayed Dantes because he too was in love with Mercedes. Mondego saw, and seized the opportunity to thwart their love for one another. Military success brought Mondego a fortune, which allowed him to change his name to Count de Morcef, making Mercedes the Countess. The Morrel family (the owners of the ship, Pharaon), were also residents of Marseilles. Mr. Morrel felt a great deal of compassion for Dantes’ family which compelled him to not only invest with great effort, his time and money in an attempt to keep Dantes from an un-warranted life in prison but, he also paid for Dantes’ father’s burial. The cards were stacked against Dantes, and even with the assistance of M. Morrel, his future was written. Once Edmond escaped from prison he visited M. Morrel who was in the depths of despair, and contemplating thoughts of suicide because he could no longer support him self financially. Dantes seeing him as a righteous man who had once gone to great lengths, and knowing the efforts taken by Morrel in attempt to save him from prison, Dantes felt compelled, and anonymously made a financial contribution to Morrel, which, saved him from ruin. While Dantes never revealed himself as the contributor Morrel suspected that it was he, and on his deathbed Morrel explains to his family that he believes that their finical savior was indeed Edmond Dantes. The prosecutor of Marseilles, who was ultimately responsible for Dantes’ incarceration, was Monsieur de Vellefort. Vellefort’s father was a known Bonapartist. Vellefort who disagreed with his father’s stance, and as the prosecutor decidedly took an extremely harsh stance on his policy in dealing with Bonapartist conspirators. Vellefort sought to protect his own name by placing Edmond in prison as a political conspirator because he knew, and feared the letter Dantes carried could be traced back to his (Vellef ort’s) father so, he used his power in a misguided manor to which he would later suffer at the hands of Dantes. Danglars was a man driven by non-other than jealousy who also lived in Marseilles at the time. He despised that Dantes had been advanced to Captain of the Pharaon instead of him, and sought out a plot in which Dantes could be caught with the letter to tarnish his name, leaving Danglar’s the only choice to fill his role as captain. After Edmond’s imprisonment Danglars indeed became the captain and eventually graduated his position to a banker. As a banker he was able to acquire an incredible fortune where he then became a Baron. In the end Monte Cristo destroyed Danglars by destroying his fortune. Dumas purposely created each of these characters to have beginning in a position of poverty, showing us how they were either villainous in their rise to fortune, and would ultimately be ruined by Dantes’revenge. Or, Dumas showed the character to be virtuous with their fortune, and power eventually to be saved, or spared by our protagonist. He also showed us these characters progression from the bottom of the socioeconomic structure, eventually prospering into wealth, their bye showing us, [the reader] there were no misgivings of old money or new during these times in France. Each of these characters rose in the echelons, and were afforded the ability to acquire a title and were able re-create themselves within society in a manner to which they deemed worthy of their amassed fortunes. This ability for one to somewhat procure a title gives us a great sense of the changes that were taking place during that time, it was no longer about being of royal blood that gave you credibility, or worthiness, but about how hard one worked to further themselves and gain their fortune. In the opening scenes of the story Danglars, who is the ships â€Å"supercargo† reports to the ships owner once they docked in Marseilles, that Edmond, acting on what was the last dying wish of his captain, had stopped at the island of Elba to retrieve a letter that was addressed to Noirtier (Dumas 5). In fulfilling his captains last dyeing wish, Edmond’s unknowingly retrieved a letter from Napoleon personally, making it appear as though he was conspiring with the then exiled Napolean, and that he himself was a Bonapartist. Napoleon had been a soldier and then went on to become Emperor of France in the early 1800’s. It was after the French Revolution that Napoleon was elected First consul of France. Napoleon made many great changes for his country. He brought much needed structure back to France. He began by implementing better education, paying off France’s debt, and changing the structure of his army. He allowed not only the affluent to rise within the ranks, but affording the impoverished the same opportunity of growth within the ranks as they proved their worth, and showcased their talents. Napolean’s army was no longer based upon economic stature, but one that afforded an equal playing field to every man (as long as they were anglo). Napoleon also applied this same thought process into the civilian realm of France as well. In an attempt to expand France’s territory he invaded Russia. This invasion turned out to be one of Napoleon’s greatest defeats. During this great siege Napoleon was out maneuvered by Russia’s Alexander I, this resulted in a defeat, and a loss of almost 500,000 French troops. Soon after he stepped down as consul and was banished to the island of Elba. During this time, there were citizens who still loved and supported what he had done for France; these people were considered to be Bonapartist’s. There were also members of the French nobility (and much of Europe’s) who despised Napoleon, they wanted nothing more than to see him removed; they called themselves royalists. Dumas wanted this clearly defined so the reader would feel the internal power struggle between Bonapartist and Royalists. One of these royalists was a man named Villefort. He happened to be the prosecutor Edmonds faced in Marseilles. Villefort knew full well that Edmond was an innocent man, and not a Bonapartist, but made a calculated decision to protect his own ambitions, because it was his (Villefort’s) fathers name that was mentioned in the letter that Edmonds had carried back from Napoleon. His father was a known Bonapartist, so in an effort to show support to the royalists, and put a damper on the Bonapartist efforts, Villefort secretly sentenced Edmond to the political prison of Chateau d’if. Dantes was thrown into Chateau d’ if, and forgotten for fourteen years. During the first few years of his imprisonment Dantes’ father died of starvation, and Mercedes married Fernand; both of which he is completely unaware of. As time passed he became more and more delusional, and even began to contemplate suicide. All the while, his former employer Morrel made efforts to locate Dontes in an attempt to try to have him released, but was unable to find his location. The Chateau d’if, where our fictional character Dantes was imprisoned, was in fact an actual prison fortress. It was â€Å"built by the French King Francis I in 1524† on an island in the bay approximately one mile off the coast of Marseille (Chateau d’if). It’s was originally designed and was intended to be a defense mechanism against would be attackers of Marseille, but soon became the home to, â€Å"3,500 Huguenots (French Protestants) who earned their keep as galley slaves†(Marseille-Provence). This rocky, beach front setting is where Edmond Dantes was doomed to carry out his unwarranted sentence, and spent fourteen long years of his life; just a stone throw away from Marseille, yet no one could locate him. Many of the chateau’s actual guests seem to have had the common theme of being unwarranted prisoners. It was not unusual during the time for individuals to be â€Å"imprisoned without trial under so-called lettres de cachet, supposedly signed by the King, for minor misdemeanors (a popular ploy used by moneyed families to get rid of unruly offspring without causing a public scandal)†(Marseille-Provence). Funnily enough, one of Napoleons Civil Codes warranted it legal for a father to imprison a child for up to 1 month. Many of the Chateau’s inhabitants were lost in the shuffle, and locked up for as long as the family desired. This island for misfits, and unwanted relatives is also the location where Dantes befriends Abbe Faria, who was also a political prisoner. The two prisoners meet when the Abbe was attempting to tunnel his way to freedom; however, a miscalculation brought him directly into Dantes’ cell, instead of out to the freedom he had desired. The two newly found friends spent the next few years passing their time. Abbe dedicated himself to the task of educating Dantes in science, literature languages. He also helps Dantes figure out whom it was that played key parts, and were ultimate responsibility lie for his incarceration. At some point Abbe began to think of Dantes as the son he never had, and confided in Dantes the location to the hidden fortune. Together the two began planning their daring escape, knowing all the while that any escape plan would be difficult, if not impossible due to the fact that the prison is completely surrounded by water, and much of the island had vertical cliff walls that would raise the likelihood of injury if not death, while escaping. Fortunately for the pair, they had nothing but time. During this era in France, prisoners with wealth and title (like the Abbe) could request certain items to make their stay a bit more comfortable. The Abbe used this to their advantage, and was able to order some tools and trinkets for his cell. The same reason Abbe was able to order trinkets is the reason Edmond had none; he was penniless, and unable to purchase items. This was also quite indicative of the times; if you were higher up in society, you were able to purchase more benefits in prison, as well as in life. The Abbe died before the two were able to act out their escape plan. Thinking quickly on his feet, Dantes was able to replace his own body in the Abbe’s body bag, solidifying his own escape. The hopes Dantes held onto, and that drove him to be victorious in his escape were gone. When he did finally gain his freedom he was faced with the fact that his loved ones were either dead, or had moved on, and it was no longer a possibility to be a part of their life, or the one that he had left behind. He was a man who must decide what it was he was going to become, and do with the life that he regained. During this time it is made clear that Dantes was struggling with his purpose in life, and felt lost. It was said that he felt, â€Å"that he belongs to no country, no land, even to the point where he feels more at ease while on the ocean† (D’Ammassa). While contemplating what he was to become and what to do with his life, now that he was a free man Dantes spent some time onboard a ship as a smuggler in the Mediterranean. Where he could confront his feelings, and decide what is was he wanted to do. During one such smuggling trip Dantes had the opportunity to go to the Island of Monte Cristo where he resigned his position a smuggler and proceeded to find the treasure Abbe entrusted him with. The Island of Monte Cristo is indeed an actual island. It is located in the â€Å"Archipelago Toscano National Park† but, is not accessible to people and is now an animal refuge (Montercristo Island). It is presumed that Dumas had visited this remote island in 1842 and thought it perfect for the use as the setting in one of his novels; however, the actual island bears little resemblance to the one portrayed in his tale. In the story Edmond finds the treasure that Abbe Faria entrusted to him, on this island. The resources from the treasure will eventually allow him the opportunity to manifest himself into a count, and begin his ascent into righting the wrongs done unto him. Once his visit to the island of Monte Cristo has ended he proceeds to Rome where he stays for a while rejuvenating himself in upscale hotels, and taking beautiful women to the opera. During his stay there Dantes met Valentine, Villefort’s daughter; this act strikes a chord deep within Dantes and spurs his retribution into action. Dantes also meets Albert de Morcerf in Rome, where he aides in Alberts release from kidnappers. To return this life saving favor Dantes asks Albert to familiarize him with the Parisian aristocrats. For those of us with an appetite for a great revenge novel, this is where you can feel the plot begin to thicken, and Dumas has you flipping through the pages. With Albert as his guide, Dantes makes his way to Paris where the intrigue intensifies as Dantes began to pick off his prey one by one. During the time when Dumas’ tail was released, Paris was the metropolitan center of France, 600,000 people lived there. It was the mecca for European culture, and sciences, and also where many of Dumas’ readers would have been located making Paris an obvious choice to set such a tale; the sale of his writings to readers in the city were booming. Paris was left in shambles until Napoleon became first consul. At which time he began to re-model the city, giving it qualities you might have seen in a more up to date Rome. He added sewers, sidewalks bridges, and wharves. These additions not only brought about a better economy, but better living conditions for many. This city full of Parisian culture was also where the Villefort, the Morcerf, and the Danglars families had all settled. These families migrated to Paris, and with their newly acquired wealth began lavishing them selves in a life of luxury. Once in Paris, and with help the Count finds his way into the midst of each of the families, becoming a most welcome guest. It is from this calculated position that Dantes is able to initiate his plan and ultimately unravel the successes, and happiness of each of the men who had at one time or another plotted against him. Dumas, was able to give his reader an understanding of the setting in The Count of Monte Cristo with ease, he simply embellished upon of the historical occasions that were taking place before his eyes. Dumas expertly tied together the political struggle between Napoleon and the Royalists. By expounding upon well-known, and heavily populated cities such as Marseille, he was able to bestow a bit of history, and expand his reader’s minds, while also adventuring with them to isolated, dangerous places like the Chateau d’if or even Monte Cristo Island. He solidifies the intrigue, danger, and of course revenge in his literary work of art, which is sure to continue to captivate readers for many generations to come. Works Cited Chateau dIf. Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica. Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica Inc., 2012. Web. 21 Nov. 2012 This article describes Chateau d’if the small Mediterranean island off the port of Marseille. I hope to be able to give a more accurate development of the scene where Dumas’ main character spent a great portion time. This article came from the Encyclopedia Britannica online. DAmmassa, Don. The Count of Monte Cristo. Encyclopedia of Adventure Fiction. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2008. Blooms Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. 15

Is Charles Perrault’s Little Red Riding Hood Relevant to the Modern Wor

Is Charles Perrault’s Little Red Riding Hood Relevant to the Modern World? A story commonly spread through word of mouth, Charles Perrault wrote an early rendition of Little Red Riding Hood in 1697. Between the late 17th century and today, there have been a few changes in societal norms, customs, and understandings of social values. To summarize, laws based on religion have given way to laws based on science†¦in turn, scientists have taken their newfound social power and discovered ways to destroy all life on Earth†¦following that, humans have practiced leaving the planet, preparing for the inevitable day when our self-created nuclear holocaust gives us no other choice†¦and lastly, various oppressed social groups, recognizing that they would also like a seat on their starship to salvation, have fought for their civil rights and equality through various social reform movements. A side effect, political correctness, is the attempt to rid the English language of any terms, phrases, or expressions that would encourage our society to rema in rooted in its biased theories of the past. Thus, we are now at an age where a maxim is placed upon the empowerment of the individual, no matter who you are or what formerly oppressed group you may represent, with an equally strong maxim placed upon breaking any barriers that block the empowerment of the individual. That’s great†¦but what does it have to do with Little Red Riding Hood? With so much happening in the past four hundred years, stories which may have previously seemed perfect and timeless have perhaps become socially outdated. This could be the case with many fairy tales, and Perrault’s Little Red Riding Hood is certainly no exception. In general, his vers... ... has taken the civil rights movements of the 20th century and, perhaps, transformed them into raging individualism. The backwardness is clear: Whether it’s a hunter, woodcutter, or doctor, a person trying to save another’s life is admirable and a Good Samaritan, and most certainly not an oppressive chauvinist worthy of reprimand or lawsuits. Political correctness may have its values; however, for Garner and many other Americans, it represents social movements that have been taken too far. Through satire, Garner displays his yearning for simpler times, when wolves just ate little girls who talked to strangers. Works Cited Perrault, Charles. â€Å"Little Red Riding Hood.† The Classic Fairy Tales. Ed. Maria Tatar. New York: Norton, 1999. 11-13. Garner, James Finn. â€Å"Little Red Riding Hood.† Politically Correct Bedtime Stories. New York: MacMillan, 1994. 1-4.

Why Western History Matters :: essays research papers

Critical Analysis for â€Å"Why Western History Matters† by Donald Kagan   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"Why Western History Matters† is an essay adapted from a speech Donald Kagan delivered to the National Association of Scholars, and was reprinted in the December 28, 1994, issue of the Wall Street Journal. Throughout Kagan’s essay, he describes the essential need for the college course, Western History. He does so by examining older cultures and explaining why they were quintessential to the past and to our future development as a society. I strongly concur with Kagan’s standpoint of the necessity of history, and the realization of how exactly our flourishing society came about. History is a key constituent in determining who we are; for to determine who we are one must first know from whence they came. In the words of George Santayana, â€Å"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it†. Donald Kagan argues for the requisiteness of Western History by describing older cultures, and then explaining how these older cultures became a key influence in what our society has become today. He examines the ancient Greek, Christian, and English culture influences that helped form our country. Throughout his essay, his depth of historical research is quite evident. He uses historical research of past cultures to imply the necessity of knowing where we, as Americans, came from. This approach helps establish the author’s credibility, and makes his presentation more plausible. The first ancient civilization that Kagan highlights is the Greek. He writes of their republic city-states, and pioneering of a â€Å"political life come to be shared by a relatively large portion of people†. He uses the Greek culture as an influence of science and reason. â€Å"The Greeks exposed everything they perceived—natural, human and divine—to the searching examination of reason.† Finally he describes the Greek quest for virtue and morality. He uses these examples to show how similar our culture is to the Greek. Second, Kagan explains of the Christian influence on our society. With the controversial idea of Christianity, â€Å"Philosophy led to the powerful divisive quarrels about the nature of God and other theological questions†. The influence of Christianity established itself within great writers of American history, who helped shape our country. Such as John Locke, who influenced our country’s foundation with the idea of God given â€Å"natural rights†, life, liberty and property. All of which define our personal freedom today. Finally, he discusses the influence of the English Revolution.

The Effects of Team Dynamics on Corporate Communication

Good communication skills are one of the required skills from the human being to maintain and achieve the expected outcomes of the organization or team. An effective communicator tends to work well in a team. Working as a team in any environment is more productive and the expected outcomes tend to be more of a profitable than working alone. In this report there will be the discussion on the effects of team dynamics on corporate communication. The topic will be divided into sub sections: developing positive team dynamics, effect of team dynamics on individual’s behaviour, personality types and team dynamics and also the author personality type will be discussed. The communication theories and the categories identified by Belbin will also be discussed. It is clear that people got deferent personalities and different ways of adapting the group dynamics, the personality type and team dynamics will be discussed. The types of personalities as described by MBTI will be discussed individually. What is Team Dynamics? â€Å"Team or group dynamics concern the fluid and on-going interaction between and among team members, their actions and reactions. Team dynamics relate to the interpersonal and interdependent process of work—how things get done by and through people, and how team members relate to their task and to each other†(Team Dynamics. n. d. ). It is clear that if team members have the shared vision, goals and objectives about the performance of the team, the team can reach it objectives and it can build healthy team dynamics. Developing a Positive Team Dynamics People are unique and got different beliefs, it is therefore very correct that you study your team mates very well and emphasis more on what is important for the group. Having well defined standards and reporting standard to a group leader that will lead to a healthy group dynamics. These standards can only be effective if the team members are committed to the positive interests of the team. After deciding on team rules or standards the team can easily develop the personal relations and develop trust to each other. This trust and personal relations became visible by the time we managed to delegate someone to represent the group on dance practise, we trusted the person the he won’t let us down. We also managed to learn the dance from him. And that has made us to bond more. Effect of Team Dynamics on individual’s behaviour Most people are more effect when working as a group than working alone, other people will find this as a problem. Working in a group of people of different cultures could lead to more tensed environment within the team, it is therefore very correct to learn or try to understand the do’s and the don’ts of other members culture and that will lead to profitable results as it stated that â€Å"Teams working together increase problem-solving skills and innovation, quality, and decrease turnover and absenteeism† (Teresa Armstrong, n. ). After developing positive team dynamics, the group will had the common goal of achieving the expected outcomes. This was shown on the camp when we were doing speed introduction, we managed to know each other better and had a chance to know the dos and don’ts of other peoples culture. This made us to perform well on the activities that were given and submit them on time. What is Personality? Hjelle and Ziegler (1987, p. ) explains that â€Å"personality refers to the overall impression that an individual makes to others†, at the same time Robbins (1979, p. 90) explains that â€Å"personality is the sum of ways in which an individual reacts and interact with others† Personality affects the performance of the entire group, and these authors agree on the definition of personality. The team need to study each member’s personality, hence that will create a healthy working environment. Personality Type and Team Dynamics The Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is used to understand the personality of individual, and that can be effective in developing team dynamics. MBTI shows the following characters of personalities: Extroverted/ Introverted, Sensing/Intuitive, Thinking/ Feeling, Judging / Perceiving. Extrovert/Introverted These kinds of people are either described as people who are out spoken, work well in a group (extrovert) or people who focuses on the inner world and this kind of person likes to work individually. Introverts can sometimes frustrate the Extroverts, because of the strength of the Introverts shines when they alone and they are not more in group discussions as it stated that â€Å"Extraverted types who work best by thinking out loud and considering matters in dialogue can be frustrated by Introverted types whose best work on thinking and considering is done internally and detached from active interaction† (Personality Pathways, 2009). Even though these personalities are differing in terms of preferences, they can contribute to the team positively. Hence the introverts in a group will be treated as the knowledge source or the strategist of the group while Sensing/Intuitive Since in the team people have different personalities, here there will be a discussion on how the groups or teams benefits to people with sensing and intuitive personalities. Effective communicators they first identify the problem and then propose solution(s) to the problem, so people with this kind of personality in the sense that they are more realistic, practical and got self confidence. Psychological Types ( 2008a) explains that â€Å"Intuition is an ability to deal with the information on the basis of its hidden potential and its possible existence†, it is therefore clear that this kind of personality can effectively contribute towards the group or team. Hence they are able to foresee the possible outcomes of the task and this will help the group to effectively communicate with vision of the possible solution. This kind of personality is clearly found on someone who is the go-getter and someone who is creative. Thinking/Feeling Psychological Types ( 2008b) explains that â€Å"Thinking is an ability to deal with information on the basis of its structure and its function. Feeling is an ability to deal with information on the basis of its initial energetic condition and its interactions†, people with this kind of personality (thinking) are more in the decision making side. Someone with thinking personality has the greater ability of doing things in logical manner and he ends to pay more attention on the bigger picture of the given task. People with the feeling personality type are more concerned about feelings of other individuals and they are more ethical, which makes them to be good in developing team dynamics. Team with good ethical rules they tend to be more effective and produce quality results. In any working environment there will be some times conflicts and sometimes conflicts can lead a group to informed or uninformed decisions. So people with the feeling personality don’t like conflicts and that could be their weak link, because when working as team there are high probabilities of conflicts and sometimes conflicts are healthy for the survival of the team. Judging/Perceiving Judging Personality type is essential to the success of the group, because people with this kind of personality are creative in making plans, organizing tasks to be done. By having an individual with that kind of personality and the communication channels of the group or team are clearly defined, the team is advantage of achieving its objectives in expected time. The individuals with judging personality is more like the backbone of the group or team because someone with this kind of personality doesn’t give up on the given tasks and that individual can be sometimes be called the information centre of the group, because some of the possible solutions for the group might come from that individual. The other type of personality is called Perceiving. This type of personality is referred to someone who can adapt in any situation that the group find its self in. Individuals with perceiving personality is referred to as more open minded as it stated that â€Å"Perceiving is the preference outwardly displayed. Perceiving people are flexible, and they like to keep their options open and think randomly† (My Personality. Info. n. d). If an individual is described to have the perceived type of personality, the individual need the attention of the group, because the performance of this individual depends on his/her mood. And can be costly to the team performance and the team level of communication, because if the individual is not in mood then the entire team will be affected too. Having well defined ethical behaviour in the group and well established accountability standards that will lead to mutual respect mong group member, effective communication and profitable results in the given activities. The Author’s Personality Type After conducting the online personality type test, the author of this paper was described as ESTJ where E stands for Extrovert, S – Sensing, T – Thinking and J – Judging. The results of the test were exactly the author’s personalities. Even though the test results exactly explain the personality of the author, and the author is strongly agree with the fact that these results are true and also feels that these results are not fully explaining the author of this paper. The reason the author believes that is an extrovert is because of the fact the author can easily adapt to the new group and can easily get along with people of different culture and different backgrounds. This was shown on the camp when I had to be in the cabin with people that I saw for the first time. I managed to get along with my cabin mates and I made many friends from that camp. The effective communicator is not someone who speaks loud but it’s someone who can effectively convey the message to other people without any difficulties and the massage received is clear and unambiguous. The author is also having the sensing type personality, because of the self-confidence that the author has and how realistic the author is. The online personality test also sees the author of this paper as Thinking type of personality, and the author fully agrees with the test results because of the fact that when it comes to decision making for the benefit of the team or group the author excels. Every individual got its own talent and specialization area, and the author of this paper believes that clear communication channels and clear definition of roles in the team, that will healthy working environment. The online personality test has further seen the author of this paper as someone who is having Judging type of personality, and the author strongly agrees with that outcome because of the contributions that the author contribute towards the given tasks of the group and the self discipline the author has. The ESTJ type of personality is more essential towards the success of the group, because in a group there will be different personalities such as INFP. This kind of personality reacts to group dynamics differently as ompared to ESTJ type of personality. So if the group dynamics are well developed to the benefit of the team, and all different personalities are given platform to express its opinions that will lead to effect working environment. Since team dynamics are more concerned about how the group interact, how tasks are scheduled from the start to the end and also how the decision making is made, the personality type of the author of this paper allows the author to fit in any kind of working environment. Knowing what is expected of you in a group, that’s what makes team members to work effectively and deliver what is expected of them. When the team roles are divided is done according to the expertise of an individual member of the group, hence that will enhance productivity within the group. The author of this paper has the very power full mind of looking at things in a way in which will benefit the group. References http://www.personalitypathways.com/MBTI_intro.html http://www.socionics.com/main/types.htm http://www.mypersonality.info/personality-types/judging-perceiving/

Famous Inventions on the April Calendar

Famous Inventions on the April Calendar What famous events happened in the calendar month of April concerning patents, trademarks, and copyrights? Find out who patented roller skates, and discover which famous inventor has the same April birthday as you or what invention was created on your April birthday. April Calendar of Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights April 1 1953- Arthur Millers The Crucible, a play in four acts based on the Salem witch trials of the 17th century and referencing the then-current plague of McCarthyism, was copyrighted. April 2 1889- Charles Hall patented an inexpensive method for the production of aluminum, which brought the metal into wide commercial use. April 3 1973- Francis W. Dorion was granted patent #3,724,070 for a dual razor blade assembly. April 4 1978- Francisco Garcia was granted patent #4,081,909 for orthodontic pliers. April 5 1881- Edwin Houston and Elihu Thomson were granted a patent for a centrifugal separator: the creamer.   April 6 1869- Isaac Hodgson received patent #88,711 for the roller skate. April 7 1896- Tolbert Lanston was issued a patent for a monotype printing  press. April 8 1766- The first fire escape was patented- the contraption was a wicker basket on a pulley with a chain.1997- Hooshang  Bral received a patent for an automatically rinsing baby bottle. April 9 1974- Phil Brooks received a patent for a disposable syringe, although intravenous injections and infusion began as early as 1670. April 10 1849- Walter Hunt patented the first safety pin, based in part on the Roman brooch known as a fibula. Hunt also invented several other famous things, all of which he gave up on before seeing any profit. April 11 1893- Frederic Ives patented the process for a half-tone printing press. April 12 1988- Drs. Philip Leder and Timothy Stewart on behalf of Harvard University were issued the first patent, #4,736,866, for a new animal life form: a genetically altered mouse. April 13 1990- The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie was copyrighted. April 14 1964- Paul Winchell (a ventriloquist whose main dummy was Jerry Mahoney) was granted patent #3,129,001 for an inverted novelty mask. April 15 1997- Bertram Burke received a patent for an automatic philanthropic contribution system called the MILLIONAIRES CLUB. April 16 1867- Wilbur and his brother Orville Wright invented the airplane, which they called a flying machine.1997- James Watkins received a patent for confetti that flutters and darts. April 17 1875- Snooker, a variation of pool, was invented by Sir Neville Chamberlain.1908- The song Hail Hail the Gangs All Here was copyrighted. April 18 1916- Irving Langmuir received a patent for an incandescent gas lamp. Some of his other accomplishments include atomic-hydrogen welding and contributions to the development of the radio vacuum tube. April 19 1939- John Steinbecks The Grapes of Wrath was copyrighted. April 20 1897 -  Simon Lake was granted a patent for an even keel submarine. April 21 1828- Noah Webster published the first American dictionary.1857- Albert Douglas patented a ladies bustle.1931- Ester Kiefer received a patent for ornamental paper. April 22 1864- The United States minted the first coin with In God We Trust on it.1884- John Golding patented a process for metallic silk screening.1955- Congress declared that all U.S. coins would be minted with In God We Trust on them. April 23 1964- My Fair Lady, the movie based on a musical version of George Bernard Shaws play Pygmalion, was registered.1985- The trade secret New Coke formula was released. Coca-Cola was invented by John Pemberton of Atlanta, Georgia. The famous trademark name was a suggestion given by Pembertons bookkeeper, Frank Robinson. April 24 1907- Anchors Aweigh, the march and two-step by Chas. A. Zimmerman, was copyrighted. April 25 1961- Robert Noyce was granted a patent for a semiconductor device-and-lead structure, the integrated circuit otherwise known as the chip. Noyce was the co-founder of Intel Corporation. April 26 1881- Frederick Allen patented a life raft.1892- Sarah Boone patented an ironing board. April 27 1920- Elijah McCoy received a patent for an air-brake pump lubricator. April 28 1908- Leonard Dyer obtained a patent for an automobile transmission. April 29 1873- Eli Janney received a patent for automatic railroad car couplings. April 30 1935- Patent #2,000,000 was issued to Joseph Ledwinka for vehicle wheel construction. April Birthdays April 1 1578- English physician William Harvey, who discovered blood circulation.1858- Italian sociologist Gaetano Mosca, who wrote the Circulation of Elite.1865- Germany chemist Richard Zsigmondy won the Nobel Prize in 1925.1887- American philologist and linguist Leonard Bloomfield dominated the science of linguistics.1922- American computer scientist Alan Perlis was best known for his pioneering work in  programming languages. April 2 1618- Mathematician and physicist Francesco M. Grimaldi discovered light diffraction.1841- French engineer and inventor Clement Ader is remembered primarily for his pioneering work in aviation and as a mechanical and electrical genius.1875- Walter Chrysler founded the Chrysler car company.1900- German musicologist Heinrich Besseler is best known for his Medieval, Baroque and   Renaissance music.1922- Russian atomic physicist Nikolaj G.  Bassov  worked with  lasers  and won the Nobel Prize in 1964.1948- Noted astronomer and educator Eleanor Margaret Burbridge was the first woman to be appointed to the Royal Greenwich Observatory. April 3 1837- Writer and nature enthusiast John Burroughs had the Burroughs Medal named after him.1934- British ethologist  Jane Goodall studied African chimps. April 4 1809- American mathematician and astronomer Benjamin Pierce contributed to studies in celestial mechanics, algebra, number theory and philosophy of mathematics.1821- Linus Yale  was an American portrait painter and inventor who invented the Yale cylinder lock.1823- Karl Wilhelm Siemens was an inventor who laid undersea cables.1826- Zenobe Theophile Gramme invented an electric motor.1881- Encyclopedist Charles Funk produced Funk and Wagnalls.1933- English manufacturer Robin Phillips invented a hand-dryer. April 5 1752- Sebastien Erard invented improved pianos and harps.1838- American invertebrate paleontologist Alpheus Hyatt made important contributions to the study of invertebrate fossils.1899- American inventor Alfred Blalocks invention ushered in the era of cardiac surgery.1951- Dean Kamen  invented the  Segway, and several other things, including the AutoSyringe, a mobile dialysis system, and the first wearable insulin pump.1954- Computer programmer Michael W. Butler invented the TODAY program. April 6 1920- Swiss scientist Edmond H. Fischer won the 1992 Nobel Prize in medicine with Edwin Krebs for their discoveries in reversible protein phosphorylation.1928- Chemist James D. Watson co-discovered the structure of DNA.1953- American inventor Andy Hertzfeld was a co-inventor of the Apple Macintosh; he started a new company called General Magic. April 7 1775- American businessman  Francis Cabot Lowell  invented the first raw cotton-to-cloth textile mill.1859- Walter Camp  was the father of American football and invented many of the rules.1860- Noted American vegetarian  Will Keith Kellogg  was the founder of the Kellogg Company and invented a process of making flaked cereal, corn flakes, for use as a healthy breakfast cereal.1869- American botanist explorer David Grandison Fairchild brought new plants into the United States.1890- Noted environmentalist Marjory Stoneman Douglas was nicknamed the First Lady of the Everglades. April 8 1869- American neurosurgeon Harvey Cushing did the first blood pressure studies.1907- Noted chemist Maurice Stacey is known for his contributions to carbohydrate chemistry.1911- American chemist Melvin Calvin won the Nobel Prize in 1961 for his work on photosynthesis. April 9 1806- Isambard Kingdom Brunel invented the first Trans-Atlantic steamer.1830- Eadweard Muybridge  pioneered the study of  motion photography.1919- John Presper Eckert was the co-inventor of the first  all-electronic  computer called the ENIAC. April 10 1755- German physician Samuel Hahnemann invented homeopathy.1917- Organic chemist Robert Burns Woodward won the Nobel prize in 1965. April 11 1899- Chemist  Percy L. Julian  invented a drug for the treatment of arthritis called cortisone. 1901- Adriano Olivetti was an Italian engineer and manufacturer of typewriters. April 12 1884- German psychologist and biochemist Otto Meyerhof won the Nobel Prize in 1922.1926- James Hillman is credited with developing archetypal psychology. April 13 1832- British designer and inventor James Wimshurst invented the electrostatic generator.1899- Alfred Moser Butts invented the game Scrabble. April 14 1886- American psychologist Edward C. Tolman created behaviorism. April 15 1452- Italian painter  Leonardo da Vinci  was also an inventor. April 16 1682- John Hadley invented the first reflecting  telescope.1867- ​Wilbur Wright  co-invented the first manned and engined airplane. April 17 1934- Don Kirshner invented bubblegum music. April 18 1905- Medical research pioneer George Herbert Hitchings was renowned for developing drugs for several major diseases and was co-winner of the Nobel Prize in 1988. April 19 1768- English entomologist and botanist Adrian H. Haworth was known for his work with succulent plants.1877- Ole Evinrude  invented the outboard marine engine1912- American chemist Glen T. Seaborg discovered plutonium and won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1951.1931- American computer scientist Fred Brooks is best known for managing the development of IBMs   System/360 computers. April 20 1745- Physician Philippe Pinel is considered the founder of psychiatry. 1921- Donald Gunn MacRae is a noted sociologist.1927- Swiss superconductivity physicist Karl Alex Muller won the Nobel Prize in 1987 for his discovery of high-temperature superconductivity in a new class of materials.1934- Lindsay Oliver John Boynton is a noted furniture historian. April 21 1782- German educator Friedrich W.A. Frobel invented kindergarten.1849- German embryologist Oskar Hertwig discovered fertilization.1913- Biochemist Choh Hao Li isolated growth hormones. April 22 1799- Physician and physiologist Jean Poiseuille discovered blood pressure.1853- French anthropologist Alphonse Bertillon devised the crime ID system.1876- Sweden otologist Robert Barany was a vestibular expert who won the Nobel Prize in 1914.1919- American biochemist Donald Cram won the Nobel Prize in 1987.1929- Margaret Pereira was a noted forensic scientist. April 23 1858- German physicist Max Planck wrote the Planck Constant and won the Nobel Prize in 1918.1917- Nuclear physicist Jacob Kistemaker invented an  ultracentrifuge. April 24 1620- Statistician John Graunt founded the science of demography.1743- Edmund Cartwright  invented the power loom.1914- Justin Wilson invented Wise  Potato Chips. April 25 1769- Mark Isambard Brunel was a noted engineer and inventor.1825- Charles Ferdinand Dowd standardized time zones.1874- Guglielmo Marconi  invented a radio system and won a Nobel Prize in 1909.1900- Swiss-American physicist Wolfgang Pauli discovered the Pauli inhibition and won a Nobel Prize in 1945. April 26 1879- English physicist Owen Williams Richardson won a Nobel Prize in 1928. April 27 1896- Wallace Hume Carothers invented nylon.1903- Biochemist Hans Walter Kosterliz is best known as one of the key discoverers of endorphins.1791- Inventor  Samuel Finley Breece Morse  was born. April 28 1846- Swedish astronomer Johann E. Backlund discovered planets and asteroids.            1882- Italian industrialist Alberto Pirelli joined the family small rubber factory in Italy- the first of its kind- and was active in international affairs.   April 29 1893- Physicist Harold C. Urey discovered Deuterium and won a Nobel Prize in 1934. April 30 1777- Carl Friedrich Gauss is considered the worlds greatest mathematician.

TColorButton Delphi Component Source Code

TColorButton Delphi Component Source Code The background color of a  TButton  is controlled by Windows,  not Delphi. TButton is a simple wrapper around the standard Windows button, and Windows does not allow it to be colored except by choosing the colors in Control Panel.   This means you can not set the background color of a TButton, nor you can change the background color of TBitBtn or TSpeedButton. Since Windows insists on doing the background coloring with clBtnFace, the only way to change it is to draw the button yourself by making an owner-drawn button component. TColorButton Source Code The TColorButton adds three new properties to the standard TButton: BackColor  - Specifies the background color of the buttonForeColor  - Specifies the color of the button text. Note that this overrides the Font.Color propertyHoverColor  - Specifies the color used to paint the buttons background when the mouse hovers over the button. Heres how to set color-related properties of the TColorButton at runtime: ColorButton1.BackColor : clOlive; //background ColorButton1.ForeColor : clYelow; //text ColorButton1.HoverColor : clNavy; //mouse over Installing Into a Component Palette The TColorButton comes  as  a single unit file with the .PAS file extension. After downloading the component, you need to install the source component into an existing package.