This is the start of the paper by

The recent headlines that have ecorated The Palm Beach Post include stories of corruption, bribery, influ nce peddling, misuse of public funds and

questionable campaign donations. ile one has come to expect this

behavior from the private sector in the wake of the W oridCom, Health South, Adelphia and Enron scanda s (I am omitting several scandals for the sake of brevity), these recent publi sector scandals will certainly have a negative impact on all public serva 18, most especially in our region.

One must understand the contra t that exists between the experimenting

self and the unnamed serving self. ile we, as public servants, enhance our

critical thinking skills and learn to hirk some established boundaries, we must distinguish between the boun aries that should be jettisoned and those that should remain firmly in place. owever, we must learn how to manage creatively without becoming stagn nt leaders who cannot muster any degree of discretion or variation from the revailing thought on any given issue.

One of the primary troubling ef ects of ethical breaches is that such behavior can cripple an organizati n and result in fear and inactivity. The primary goal becomes the avoidan e of future ethical breaches and this mantra of fear replaces one's abili to think creatively and provide "visionary" solutions to prevailing roblems. While an ethical atmosphere should be the foundation of every rganization, organizational decisionmakers should not be crippled wit fear over their actions. Again, I am not advocating ethical breaches but am simply asserting that the result of such breeches should be to correct the p oblem and attain an ethical atmosphere that is free of fear in the decision- aking process.

South Florida is sadly becomin known as a bastion of political corruption as the headlines regardi g the malfeasance of public officials will not stop. In Palm Beach County al ne, the names Masilotti, Liberti, and now, Warren Newell have become ynonymous with corruption. Lois Frankel has accepted $203,561 fro developers who would benefit from her plans and she is not alone. The co ty has garnered a reputation as a "play to pay" haven for developers as ca paign donations are quickly followed by zoning changes that are beneficial 0 the donating party. We must be wary of these moral lapses while performin to the best of our ability and thinking outside of the established paramete s.

This is the end of the paper by X.o-.

Affirmative Action

Affirmative Action refers to a s t of practices undertaken by employers, university admission offices, and government age cies, with the goal of actively improving the economic status of minorities and wom n with regard to employment, education, and business ownership and growth. Presid nt Kennedy indicated that federal contractors should take Affirmative Action to ensu that prospective job applicants and federal employees were treated in an equal ma er without regard to race, creed, color, or national ongm.

So with all of the above said, w at exactly is Affirmative Action? According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Comm ssion affirmative action is a policy that is orchestrated to " ... overcome the discri 'nating effect of past or present practices, policies, or other barriers to equal employment 0 portunity" (EEOC, 1979). The underlying assumption of Affirmative Action polic is that nondiscrimination alone will not remedy the consequences of prejudice and ineq ality in society (Heilman, 1994).

Affirmative Action generally mans giving preferential treatment to minorities in admission to universities or employmen in government and businesses. But now, I think the policies are no longer needed and th t Affirmative Action leads to more problems than they solve. For instance, many individ als associate affirmative action with mandated quotas; hiring individuals based solely n race or sex, without regard to commendable qualifications. Others feel that affirmat ve action is wrong, where fairness is compromised because of a preferential selection proc ss. Here are a few cases that I want to discuss on my paper towards Affirmative Action.

By the late '70s, reverse discrim'nation became an issue by the famous Bakke case in 1978. Allan Bakke, a white male, ha been rejected two years in a row by a medical school that accepted less qualified mino . ty applicants. The school had a separate admissions policy for minorities and re erved 16 out of 100 places for minority students. Another important case was the "Gratz . Bollinger". Jennifer Gratz wanted to go the University of Michigan as soon as she egan thinking about college. The University told her that even though she was "well qual'fied," she had been rejected for one ofthe nearly 4,000 slots in the incoming freshman cl ss. Gratz was a victim ofthe university's preference to minorities. Gratz won a pial victory in December 2000, when a federal judge agreed that the university's admissions system in 1995 was illegal. Fueled by "angry white men," a backlash against affirmat ve action began to mount. The system opened the door for jobs, promotions, and educatio to minorities while it shut the doors on whites. White Americans have the idea that so e unqualified minorities were getting a free ride on the American system.

In conclusion in terms of educat onal attainment, young women are now more likely than young men to attend and gra uate from college (Jacob, 2002). In the end, whether or not Affirmative Action survives will depend on whether American thinks it is fair to give preference to minorities. U til minorities can agree that they do not need help from the government to make it in toda society, then and only then Affirmative Action can be abolish. One thing we have to r member is that views on fairness are very subjective, it all depend on who you as .

By Dammien

This is the start of the paper y world traveler. ..

Class last week was int resting. Members of the class began to open up. Whether it was about the readings and papers we submit, their discomfort w th the chairs within the classroom, or themselves; people are be inning to speak up.

The exercise using the 10 questions was interesting.

Random topics matched with a series of questions that were chosen by chance led to inte sting discussion. However, I found that the discussions ultimatel led to a depressing state. When faced with issues of communication, the space program, or the job market, the most extreme answers were those that involved a world that no longer exists. I ind this attitude and line of thinking very scary.

I will not deny that I am ne of those who suggested such extreme ideas. But must we Iways think in the negative? Why can't we see the positive pot ntial in the future? Why can't we think out of the box and allow ourselves to dream of a world with possibilities that are idealistic. I guess I am just hoping that all of this creativity will lead to posi ive changes instead of changes being made at the last resort.

The mind room exercise was not for me. I got through the relaxation aspect of the exer ise and then my mind drifted. As I looked around the room at th se of you participating in the exercise, you seemed truly in olved. Congrats to you! I am a more open active person wh n it comes to brainstorming and creativity.

So this week, I am findi g it hard to write for class. I am trying not to let my self-keepi g self get lost. I am in desperate need of a change; a change f job, life, look, and more. I keep looking at the calendar to se when I can find a few days to "escape". I feel as if I am lock d into things by so many rules and restraints. I miss my "wild" da s of traveling, dancing, and just taking time for me. But with a e comes responsibility. So I go on with life and do what I can to till have fun every once in a while.

This is the end of the paper ~y world traveler. ..

This is the start of a paper by *****.

This past weekend was my first time I attended a live reggae concert. Weill must s y it was a wonderful and enjoyable experience. It was an eye op ning experience as well. During the concert one of the things observed was the openness of the audience smoking marijuana ven though law enforcement was present and the smoker appa ently disregard for them. There was a variety of island food a d souvenirs available for purchase and it showed how music ca bring people from all walks of life together. Well my expectatio s were met by the performers whom I heard about and hav listen to their music over the years.

The audience members appeared to be those of the older and more mature generation ven though there were a few members of the younger gen ration but apparently everyone enjoyed themselves. I believ one of the reasons for this was because the performers are f the vintage generation and they are the ones who are the fou ders of reggae music. I was more shock about the variety of ra e and culture that was present and how much each one was abl to sing along and appear to be truly enjoying themselves. I the past when I heard about concerts such as this the mai complaint I would hear about I was that the performers adve ised would not appear but those that were advertised were all resent so I guess the promoters really live up to their word.

Another unusual thing I otice was that the concert whose audience was predominantly lack was held in a predominantly white neighborhood. That is hy I can really say that music does not recognize color, race, ge der or ethnic background. Music is one of the few things that will bring people together.

This is the end of the paper b *****.

This is the start of a paper by Bushwhacker.

Considering Darold Powers' que tions, I would like to contemplate the product Coca-Cola using my know edge and impressions of the product. (l)What did this look like fifty ye s ago? The ingredients were the same in its original mixture fifty years ag . What has happened to force change? Competition from other soft dri s. What would have to happen in the outside world for this to stay the ame? Strict adherence to the Coca-Cola brand loyalty.

(2) If natural events take their co se, how will this look in twenty years? The original ingredients will be e same. The containers will change in design. New variations on the old t erne will be introduced. Could this be, or has this been, used for anything e se? I have heard Coca-Cola can be used as an industrial cleaner and solvent

(3) Is this fulfilling its original' tent? Yes. At the time this was created, what alternatives were discarded. Various other content formulas. Might they be revived today? Yes. There s always a niche for formula alterations. (4) Who or what has an interest i keeping this the same? The Coca-Cola Company, its stock holders, dedi ated consumers. Who has an interest in changing it? The Coca-Cola Co pany and its stock holders (if change increases profitability).

(5) Can any small changes be de that would appreciably change its performance? Yes - by modifyin its formula (more caffeine, sugar, etc.). Can any large changes be made th t would not change its performance? Yes - failed reinventions in formula an package design.

(6) How does this affect living th' gs besides humans? Coca-Cola may not have any more effect on other Ii ing things more than any other human product in the same classification.

(7) Does this have a natural life sp ? No. What would cause it to disappear? Proven diseases caused from the u e of this product.

(8) What complaints have you head about it? Causes weight gain, diabetes, stomach problems. Have you read y predictions about its future? Attempts have been made to curb its use.

(9) What does this institution, pro ct, or service imply about human nature? Humans are very habitual. Hum ns love tradition. Humans will swallow products that make them feel good about their life.

(10) What are the essential feature of the whole system of which it is a part? The need to hydrate the body. Th desire to get high. The want to conform. How else could the system purpos be met? No other way except something similar - coffee, all other caffeina d soda soft drinks, kava or any drinkable liquid concoctions which stimulate the nervous system.

This is the end of the paper by BuShwhacker.

rnis is the start of a paper b~ Hene Dover.

i thoroughly enjoyed ciass la t week. rne mind room is fascinating.

It took a few minutes for me to get' to it but then I started to relax and it was amazing. I can see how gettin into that state of relaxation would allow for new ideas and concepts to deve op. I chose not to bring anyone into my mind room last week. but who kno s. maybe this week I'll find John Lennon in there.

My personal favorite part of lass last week was the enlightening story by the woman who is a security of cer at FAD. She seems to be very sincere in wanting to take care ofh rself and her family. She also seems to approach life with a sense ofhumo and the knowledge that she will do what is necessary to get by. Her though s caused me to think about myself ... my own beliefs and actions towards ot er people. I think it is very easy to put people in stereotypical roles based n our past experiences. It shocks most people when they discover that a p rson does not fit into the mold of the role that they are most often seen in. I' sure most people would be surprised to know that a security officer is getti g a Master's degree. It doesn't fit the stereotype. But, I wonder, does th t then make people ask her why she is doing that job? Does that change l' e way she is treated by people she comes into contact with?

The comments that Renegad 'WTote last week sounded very familiar to me. I tend to get restless at a jo after three or four years. I feel like I am at the point now where there isn't oing to be anywhere for me to go. That is one of the reasons I returned to s hool to get a Master's degree. But, even now, I'm not sure that having the d gree is going to make much difference to me career wise. I enjoy my curr nt job, but I feel like I am stuck. There is nowhere for me to go beyond m current position. I occasionally search for jobs with other companies that ould offer some type of upward movement, but I don't fmd anythin that appeals to me or where there is enough of a financial difference to ake the change.

I had high hopes of winning ~he $42 million lottery, and then work, career~ and school would be the last three things on my mind.

This is the end of the paper ~y Ilene Dover.

- This is the start of a paper by Reneg~de.

I wonder how many people are truly tired of the rat race. Is everyone after the bigger, better, deal? Are most peo Ie willing to hurt those around them just so they can get a bigger piece of the pie?

What would happen if wealth a d individualism were no longer issues?

What if no one wanted to say, "Hey, 1 ok at me!" The novel 1984 is, in my opinion, extreme in its way of portray ng how the world could be. But, I believe that it stimulates the mind to think ab ut a new world order.

Everyone knows that poverty a d hunger is a serious issue throughout the world. Elderly citizens can no longer upport themselves on their pensions and social security and it is as though no ne, especially their own family, cares for or about them. What if the number one al in society was to feed the hunger, provide housing for everyone, and to take ca of those who have taught us so much? Everyone could be entitled to the sam amount the food, to shelter, and the old would not be forgotten and allowed die without dignity. It truly boggles the

mind to think of the number of gove ent programs that would no longer exist

because everyone would automaticall be entitled.

Those with no formal educatio might be placed in service industry jobs such as farming, manufacturing, and ositions that seek out those who are not receiving their entitlement. Those wi formal education would be in charge of the finances of the world. They would be· charge of the government and the businesses that keep the world movin . Those with the highest education would be in charge of society's greatest proble s- such as wiping out diseases and famine. They would be charged with educatin those would want to learn whether they have the funds to pay for it or not.

Those who give the most to the community would be entitled to the nicer things in life- but not in excess. Why ould a family of two need a home with 50,000 square feet? Those homes wo ld undergo conversions to house the homeless possibly become facilities t care for the elderly. Those who come up with breakthroughs or new inventions would be given special vacations at not cost to reward them for the accomplishme ts and contributions to society.

I realize that this type ofth· . g is far-fetched, but is it impossible? Would people be willing to give up the mans·ons (and maybe even federal income tax) in an attempt to make the world a better lace? What is so wrong with rewarding those who make the greatest contribut ons to society? Those who take away something from society, such as those who commit murder, would either be put to death or given an opportunity to spen the rest of their days making some type of contribution to society. Rotting away n a jail cell and getting fed from tax dollars would not longer be an alternative.

- This is the end of the paper by Renest:ade.

This is the start of a paper by E phaba.

I would like to start off my commenting on a couple of writings from last week. First I would 10 e to know if Chutzpah 18 took part in the mind room exercise. I also ave a very creative mind and start each night creating my own dre m land to fall asleep. I am not a huge fan of writing but I read a lot an am always coming up with characters and story lines for b oks. However, I never do anything with them because I don't have the confidence to think that I could actually write 250-300 pages th t someone would want to read. I have the creativity to see the st ry unfold in my mind but I lack the ability to transfer my thoughts t paper.

This has been a problem f mind since childhood. For school projects I would have a vision i my head of how I wanted the project to look and I would get the assi tance from my father, who is an artist, but I could not explain m vision to him exactly and nothing ever came out looking the way hat I wanted it to. It's frustrating that I inherited the creative gene fro my dad but not the talent to transcend my visions to anything concrete.

My mind room experienc was nothing short of magical. My creative mind aided me in ere at ng the most wonderful room I could imagine. I am hoping that in th mind room I will find a way to channel my creativity. It has already ren wed my interest in writing down the stories in my head. I will just st rt with creating my characters and a general story line and see wher it goes from there. Writing takes a lot of time and patience. Those ill be my next two hurdles that I will need to face. I hope Chupzpah 8 had as rewarding a mind room experience as mine has been.

I wanted to save space in my paper to respond to Renegade's paper from last week. I can ide tify with your situation 1000/0. I am fortunate to have a job that for t e most part makes me look forward to going to work each day. I wo for a small company and we feel like an extended family. The pr blem I have is that I do not work in the field that I am interested in nd because my company is so small and I have been there 4 years, here is nothing new to learn and I get board. My boss knows that I a looking for a new job and for the most parts he supports me. Ho ever, he is constantly doing things to try to entice me to stay on with he company. I know I do not want to work there forever, but having boss like him makes it difficult to leave because who knows wha I will find when I'm gone.

This is the end of the pap r by Elphaba.

This is the start of a paper by Anita Bath.

Our last class consisted of t e mind room and futuristic questions.

The futuristic questions allowed u to choose any topic to talk about and answer the 10 futuristic questions. The 10 questions could apply to just about any topic. What was intere ting to know, is that each time the professor asked us a question, we egan to relate the topic to another topic and start talking about something lse. Answering these questions gave us an idea of how our minds work.

The mind room exercise br ught us into a state of relaxation. For those that did not try Dr. Mendell s relaxation exercise you lost out. The students that participated in the e ercise all seemed to have been brought into some level of relaxation. Dr. Mendell started the exercise offby reading the relaxation exercise to s aloud. As he read further into the exercise, I got more relaxed. By t e end, I wanted to sleep. For those that have trouble sleeping or relaxing, you might want to give this exercise a try. Having a stressful day at work? ry this exercise during your lunch time and you might find it to be a nice upplement to your lunch break. I personally tried this exercise with some modifications (reduced it) and it brought me back to state of norm Icy.

Looking further ahead, I tho this relaxation exercise would be a great addition to many organizati ns. With a little training on how to do the relaxation exercise, many employes could benefit from it. During their lunch breaks or throughout the da they use this relaxation technique to reduce stress levels. Looking eve further ahead, it could possibly prevent many employees from becoming isgruntled and make the workplace a much better place to work in.

This is the end of the paper by Anita Bath.

This is the beginning by Chillin 2/12/6

There are many social i justices in the pluralism world that we live in. Everybody that we co e in contact has participated in and has been affected by one or t e other. One of the biggest and most controversial topics is the welfare system and poverty. The welfare system has affected everybod in some shape or form because we all pay taxes that make the sy tem possible.

Welfare is public assist nce programs that provide at least a minimum amount of economic security to people whose incomes are insufficient to maintain an dequate standard of living. These programs generally include s ch benefits as direct financial aid to individuals, subsidized medic I Cqre, and stamps that are used to purchase food. Potential re ipients must apply and qualify for assistance. In the U.S. the pri cipal beneficiaries of welfare are lowincome families with depende t children, as well as certain disabled and elderly persons. Welfare programs are financed from federal, state, and local government revenues. Child Welfare is a form of welfare that is used to describ a broad range of social programs that contribute to the well being of hildren. Few efforts were made by any government to protect th hearth and welfare of children before the 20th century. The main re son the welfare system was invented was to support the poor and verty stricken. Poverty is an economic condition in which people la k sufficient income to obtain certain minimal levels of hearth s rvices, food, housing, clothing, and education generally recognize as necessary to ensure an adequate standard of living. What is c nsidered adequate, however, depends on the average 9fandard of living in a particular society.

Many things must be done to correct this problem in our modern day society. The A erican people have many options to solving this problem of reWar ing the poor. I think the whole system should be erased frortl the burden of society. We already give enough money to our societ and poor countties so we must cut back and reduce the amoun we spend and Waste. America could also limit the amount of mone they give to welfare recipients and the amount of time you can spend on the system. Welfare has become almost a drug for the poor of America. The last option we have is to ignore the problem as all th other problems the American people face but we have to do some hing and make a change for the better and the future.

This is the end by Chillinj

This is the start of my paper by J.P. My September 11 tit experience

In February of2001, I joined the US y. In August of 200 I, I found myselfin a holding

facility (due to overcrowding and back up) in F Benning, Georgia for Infantry School. While in a basic lock down in this isolated facility, Sept 11 tit ha ned; and so, through some weird turn of events, I was cut off from TV, newspapers, and any kind of medi including phone calls. TIle only information I received was through gossip of what happened. I stayed' this facility fOT a month still not being able to get any media coverage on 9/11. Due to tightened securi and being in the wrong place at the wrong time, I did not get to watch a TV or see a picture of9fll till the end of December when I had a leave from training. When

I returned home and saw the civilian world, I astonished. People at the airport approached me and

shook my hand because I was in nniform and pro Iy looked war tom with the bandages on my hand from an amputated finger that had been reattached. Fl gs were everywhere. Unlike 99010 of the rest of the

population, I did not gradually ease into this 9/11 world; I was thrown into it. I remember saying to

myself, '7 want the world the way I left it. "

When I flew home, my mother had a of the coverage of that day. I sat and watched, for the

first time in December, the events of what happe months earlier. On playing the tape, I felt a sense of

horror and a weird sense of longing. This feelin of longing took awhile for me to comprehend. I guess

what 9/11 represented to me was the end of co mity ties and norma! life. It frightened me greatly. While

in training for six months, I had drilled into my that I would not see my family for a couple years and

that I would be going to war. (Not aU is false) I did know when I returned home was that I loved

home, loved my family, and 9/11 showed me ho much I loved my life. My viewing of the tape shook my roots. Death, explosion, it was as if I had a front w seat to the end of the world. I, for the life of me, wanted the world the way I left it. I felt at that oment, mentally exhausted from sleepless nights and

dreams of call-ups for war. All I wanted was to e away somewhere where life was simpler and I could

live my life without the government's pinch or Queda's hatred.

As each minute of that day expired, I ght back to where I had been. I had been in a building

that I had been brought to during the early mo' g hoors. The night had shielded me from my surroundings. It's an interesting experience to . e some-pJace and not know what lies a hundred yards from you. In my eyes, I could have been on Mars I was thousands of miles from anyone I knew or loved.

In this building I stood in a hallway at parade '. Then suddenly, a fellow recruit dipped his head from a

doorway and said, "They just bombed the White Ollse." I remembered a drop of sweat falling from my

forehead, then a gulp. It was there in that dingy way that my life for the next four years changed. I

remembered thinking, What are the odds? TIle c seemed SO :remote when I enlisted months earlier.

Only I should be so lucky as to enlist when I did.

I eventually made my way down that Ge rgia hallway. Made it to a desk then a chair, where I sat:

"Look up, look to your right, FLASH. " I still with me that Military LD. taken in the moment the

world and I changed. That day, aU and everythin changed. The somewhat disgruntled, but still vibrant recruits I came with, now had a cold look, a look as if they had just signed a waiver to end their lives. We were gathered into a reception hall where we we told our fate that day. We were told that we would not

be sent to our training unit for some time, and we would stay here.

Now this may not seem bad unless you the conditions we were in. 400 recruits in a small

bay every 10-20 minutes head checks, fights, co 'on and countless ambulance pick-ups from heat

exhaustion. What really through me into a tailspi occurred when the Rochester man I came down to training with ran away. I was completely alone would be so for sometime. A couple of men, due to the stress and upside down lifestyle, tried to commit 'cide; one, I think succeeded. I can't be sure though, he did a swan dive off the third floor catwalk, which overlooked a dining facility.

Through the training those six months a my unknowing fate, I came to grips with my mortality;

and if need be, my demise. It initially weakened and I thought r d never be the same. Eventually, I

embraced it or maybe it just embraced me. Still, i frightened me how the human spirit adapts and comes to grips with life's fortune.

My career did eventually end in the Mili . Through that time I had lost a finger twice; was

brought back from near death at an Anny Hospi , and had witnessed a fellow soldier's face get blown off.

Sadly, those are just a few of my bomole experie . Oddly, by reading all I had been through, you'd

think I had been in a war, but I hadn't or maybe had. 9/1 I holds the very essence of who I am. It is my humility, courage and fear. It controlled four yea of my life that I cannot get back or forget It will always live with me and, as far as I travel and as ong as I live, I will never truly escape it.

This is the start of a paper by Amazing to Be. I would like to respond to Renegade's last posting regarding 0 ercoming burnout and/or boredom. I found myself in that same position in my la t job and remember cringing when I would wake up in the morning anticipating he day and jumping for joy at any chance to leave even to go to the dentist. My ay was focused on where I would be going to lunch and how much personal int rnet shopping I could do without getting caught. I was there for 7 years total and don't get me wrong it was a great company to work for, lots of benefits and decent pay but after about 5 years I just felt constantly like I was just ano her body taking up space.

I started putting feelers out to see w at else was out there, and like you, I couldn't find anything that compared I was curious, but not courageous enough to really venture out and take a chance on something new. I was comfortably miserable and it started to show. M attitude changed and I just stopped caring. My work got sloppy and eventually a ter enough small silly mistakes I lost my job. The news came as quite a shock be ause at the time I had recently discussed my performance with my manager a d had received very positive feedback. I tel. you what though, when I drove out 0 that parking lot one last time, alii could think was Thank God; I never have t come back here.

Before this experience I never could imagine what life without a job would be like and had envisioned myself begging or food on the street corner and pushing a shopping cart filled with aluminum c rs and plastic bottles. A little extreme probably, but getting canned (pun in ended) turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me. I qualified for unemployment and was able to take a little time for myself to figure out what I w nted. I went on vacation, updated my resume and researched graduate sc ools.

Ironically, about a week or so before all this happened I heard about an opening in government doing almost exactly he same job. Initially I blew it off hoping for something better and different. It tur ed out though, after two and a half months of job searching, filling out applicatio s, and inteNiewing I accepted that job and I am happy as can be. It gave me a hole new perspective on the same type of work and I was able to figure out wh t was missing. My ability to be creative and input my ideas was crucial to finding job satisfaction. And that satisfaction has inspired me to obtain my Master's D gree which is what got me into Dr. Mendell's class and writing to you 0 this forum.

I say go for it and get out there. Yo may very well be in the right job, just not the right environment. I never realiz d what an impact a person's surroundings can have on their whole being. The ne thing I would do different if I ever find myself in that position again would b to put fear aside and get myself out there. The best jobs in my opinion never g t advertised; they are created and sent out into the universe just in time to spurt the growth of an individual who has hit a brick wall. This is the end of the pap r by Amazing to Be.

This is the start of a paper by chutzJoah18 February 6,2006

Firstly I am glad to see that Profes or M has recuperated from his surgery. Secondly to the person who works as a security guard in Ft. Lauderdale, I am sorry that you have had negati e experiences on the job because of because of some people's lack of curtesy. People should not take out their frustrations on you simply because they don't like how something is done and you follow the rules. I agree ith Professor M, you should invest in a "be nice to me button". People sh uld be nice but, it is not always the case, some let their frustrations get the b tter of them the button instructs them to mind their manners, just letting the know that you are a person of value and should be so treated. 1'd like t suggest that you look into comedy as a profession. The class was not laug ing at you, yesterday, but the way you delivered your problems was classi . You took this real problem and lightened my mood; that is a real g ft.

One day, I was in on line in a book tore, I had about 3 hours before I had to be at my last class of the day. The e was a person who seemed to be in a big hurry and the line was long. She g t in line behind me; I stepped aside and said that I had time and she could 0 in front of me. Instead of jumping at the opportunity she looked at me st angely and exclaimed why. I realized she meant why are you letting me et ahead of you when you were here first? Again, I said to her, don't w rry, I have plenty of time, and eventually she went ahead of me and thanked e. It struck me that I was looked upon strangely because I did a little som thing nice.

I find the questions we use in this c ass are very interesting and can be applied to many different subjects. We began talking about cell phones, and ended up talking about the space p ogram. Professor M pointed out that no matter what question we were ans ering, he always came back to the topic of the accreditation meeting. He p inted out that when one wanders back to the same subject, it usually means t ey have an issue about it which they should forget or deal with. I agree ecause I have seen it in my own life. When a topic keeps coming up, I b lieve the person often must deal with the issue since if they could forget abo t it, they wouldn't keep coming back. I did participate somewhat in the "m nd room" exercise; the issue I was dealing with is an issue that I have een trying to work through for awhile, so I didn't learn anything new. It i not the first time that I had been hypnotized. I did participate but us d different visualization. I had an imagined conversation with my hu band and emerged myself early.

This is the end of a paper by chutzdah18

This is the start of a paper by Rbse Stealth.

The "mind room" exercise completed during class allowed for some comparison to actual ad inistrative problem solving issues. The process of the exercise, rei xation and meditation via visualization, led to interesting t oughts on public administration from this student.

During the exercise, the c ass was instructed step by step on how to relax their bodies. It is n interesting note that some graduate students may not even know h w to truly relax their bodies. Many administrators do not know ho to relax - these administrators are probably described as being hi h strung.

The next step of the exer ise was to imagine rising up in a hot air balloon. I imagined the hot ir balloon, the bucket of the balloon, even the ropes attaching the b lIoon to the bucket. As we were instructed, the balloon rose hig er and higher. This rise was a metaphor of our separation fro the conscious state. Interestingly, when I imagined the rising of th balloon, I was stuck on how the interior of the balloon appeared My thought process was fixated on the materials used to make the bucket - rope, wood, or metal? How was it constructed? What did it look like?

This is the most interestin comparison to administration issues from this exercise. Many admi istrators set out to solve a problem or implement new policy. Howev r, once they begin their quest Oust like myself in the exercise), they fo us on minutia that does not necessarily impact the outcom of the initial process.

In the end, the students ere sleepy and somewhat exhausted - just like administrators! Man higher executives in the public sector are exhausted during and after policy change or review of issues. Focusing on the "small stuff" di not help me accomplish the goal of getting to the "mind room", just ike it does not help administrators accomplish their goals. Unfortunately, the small stuff counts in public administration. The fine balanc between the small stuff and the overarching goals needs to be et in order to achieve anything, whether it is getting to the "min room" or implementing something in the public sector.

This is the end of a paper by Rose Stealth.

Ms. Nicky PAD 6061 02/12/07

This is the start of a paper by Ms. Niqky.

I have always believed that anyo e can tap into the seemingly miraculous powers of a hypnotic state. Well, I an admit that I did experience that level of relaxation while conducting an experiment called the "mind room.' During this period of time, I was more recepti e to ideas, images and suggestions that enabled changes to occur easily a d effortlessly. Nonetheless at this natural state of mind, I felt in control.

At first, I was skeptical about the wh Ie experiment. I thought hard to try to make something happen but in my attem ts, I failed to realize that when you try to make something happen, your effort sually gets in the way. Then I realized that our mind do what we want so I all wed myself to listen and let the relaxation cycle develop. As a result, I experie ced different stages of a dream-like state of consciousness, all a very pleasant tri in the subconscious world.

During the relaxation phase, I was lie to get physically relaxed and felt like an instance weight was lifted off my sh ulders. I was able to control my mind to let go of my tensions and in doing so every part of my body became limp and relaxed(all the sawdust had run out y body and there was no a lighter load).

At the next level, I felt like I was drifti g away into a deeper state of sleep and my breathing had slowed down and th re was very little physical movement. As I continued my journey in the subco scious world, I envisioned myself floating among the clouds in the sky like an ngel with wings and no worries. I proceeded to drift further and further away int the sky as I drifted into an even deeper sleep. As I continued onto the final tages of my state of higher consciousness and was instructed to awaken, I b came extremely comfortable and at peace with the universe.

The mind room allowed me to tap nto my mind's potential and harness in its productive, life-changing ways. I also experienced stages of relaxation, deepening, suggestion, application nd termination and can conclude that this was a magical moment. This experi ent taught me that I can make any positive change by accessing more of my ow powers.

This is the end of the paper by Ms. Nicky.

This is the start of a pap r by Middleman. For this weeks journal entry I would like to talk about t e 'Mind Room' and its relevance to the workplace and the creative proc ss. As a young professional starting out I am beginning to understand the i portance of relaxing and finding ways to handling stress. Often this can b tough because it may require changing one's mindset. However it is ve important to channel stress appropriately and when you have down time it is a must to relax, not only for your health but to further the creative proces .

My line of work requires a lot of event planning and developing new programs. Often I am forced to he think outside the box to come up with new ideas for programs and the ways to implement these programs. To stay on task at work and come u with new ideas, I have found it extremely important to leave my work at ork and when I go home it's my time to relax. With a clear conscience can say I have to two personalities. At work I am the outgoing employ e who stays on task, always coming up with ideas and developing the . At home I prefer to be a bum, keep it simple relax and not think about ork. I have not always been this way but I have come to realize that in or er for me to be productive at work I have to relax my mind when I am at h me.

When I participated in the 'Mind Room' exercise last week with Dr.

Mendell I had already knew th importance of relaxation for me as it is related to the creative process. However it made me think about how others mayor may not use simil r techniques to relax (if they relax at all). It made me think of how I co municate with my employees at work. Perhaps I am giving them too uch work or unrealistic goals that in turn have them stressing out and w rrying about work when they are at work and at home. Maybe I should e courage them to take a relaxation class or give them similar 'Mind Room' techniques.

Currently I have good e ployees that are productive and do not appear to be stressed. Howev r implementing some kind of relaxation technique may not be a bad dea, it may allow for them to be more productive and produce new p ograms and events. I am aware of how important it is to surround myse f with good, productive employees. When you are in management your e ployees are ultimately the deciders of your fate with a company. When y ur employees are able to come to work relaxed and ready to use the c eative process, you are more likely to be successful yourself. The 'Mind oom' has reminded me the importance of relaxation in the workplace, s I likely will be implementing something similar in the near future. In he meantime I will be encouraging my employees to leave their work t work and relax and enjoy themselves at home. This is the end of a pape written by Middleman.

02/12/07

This is the start of my paper: by Blul

Tragedy

Tragedy has many definitions, but I c oose to use this definition because it fits

somewhat perfectly; it means a fatall in one's life.

This particular tragedy hurts me a lot because I'm a mother too. I feel so badly that it happened to this particular you g woman, especially, because of her age. Even though, she had a fruitful life, s e's human too; she has feelings just like you and me. This lady, while giving birt to her daughter, her other child is dead because he jumped over board ... Co ld you imagine the pain this lady endured when she heard of this news? I mea, I don't think I couldn't have bare it for as long as she has. I could just imagine earing that news hitting me like a thunder-nlighting. Like a blow to my stomach. My mouth would have dropped, like what da fl< *k "U" say?

I personally believed that she died be ause of the stress, she never had the time to heal after given birth, and she never ad the chance to cope with the death of her other child. Every one just harassed 0 point were as she couldn't ever get the chance to breath, to let it out, express d her self, or to intake what was thrown at her. Then to top it off, the babe daddIes' fighting to calm the little one.

This is the end of my paper, Blu

This is the start of a paper by th Driving Range Golfer. For two brief moments

, during class~ I was physically present ut mentally in my own world. Two topics, discussed in passing, caught my attent 'on and sent my mind wondering down a path of many questions and some answers. The first thing that caused my mental absence was the quote, "The good is the enem of the besf' and second was the idea that things that work perfectly well are stil replaced.

I have added the quote to my 0 ce bulletin board, although I altered it to say, "Good is the enemy of excellence," w 'ch pretty much means the same thing. Ijust prefer the word excellence because I t ink a "best" answer or solution does not always clearly exist. I may be splittin hairs, but if I ask my employees to be "the best," they will only see that possible ith more resources, more facilities, more ... of something. To strive for excellence as s them to use what they have to improve where they are or to create what they n imagine. I am new to my position and I am still feeling my way around managing people. How do I move them? They are all so different in personality, some are pain lly creative and detail oriented while others are task oriented and just want direct rders. Many of them have conducted the same tasks for five to ten years and feel that they do a "good" job. I appreciate their confidence because it leaves me free t shape ideas, not tasks. It will be interesting to learn how to inspire new and excellen ideas that will manifest themselves into renewed enthusiasm and re-designed rograms. I relish this quote because it challenges me not to settle for my cent leadership style, but to investigate and strategize how to inspire excellence.

The other topic that has ind ced much thought Monday and this week is about our society's increased love for eplacing items that work perfectly well. This fact makes my blood boil on many Ie els. This philosophy is not only hurting our ecology, but it is also weakening our i dividual character. It's about having the newest model, the latest technology, d the best looking "stuff." Americans have learned to apply this replacement phil sophy with everything. We no longer need real plates or dishes because we have pape and plastic ones to fill our mountains of trash. We don't need cleaning rags or real m ps because we can throwaway swifters and dusters. We trash last year's electroni products for this year's model with the newest gadget. I appreciate those that take th ir old items to thrift stores so that someone benefits from this philosophy. Sadly, t is replacement philosophy has moved to people. We don't need to work on our marriages because we can just find a new spouse or find multiple people to mee our needs. We may have noses that work perfectly well too, but we can trade th m in for one a little "cuter." I cringe when I hear my friends describe their favor 0 the week. The description usually includes where she works, what she looks like d a list of her faults. Someday we'll all realize having the best "stuff' means e have exerted time and energy on stuff rather than investing in people. This is the e d of the paper by the Driving Range Golfer.

The link database of the class ebsite provides a wealth of information and other resources on a variety f topics that affect managers in both the public and private sectors. One p rticular link, entitled "Lessons from the Healthcare Industry", is a very e lightening examination that demonstrates the attributes of teamwork while till retaining creativity as a guideline for management. The article examin s the organizational structure that is utilized by the Mayo Clinic, whi h is one of the most renowned and prestigious medical organization in the world.

The Mayo Clinic is ahead of t e curve of managerial practices as they organize their physicians into int ractive teams that include the patient and the primary care physician. The linic has adjusted to the age of information as more patients have the ability 0 research the characteristics and potential treatments of their respective me ical problems. The Mayo Clinic establishes a lead physician who ill assume the primary responsibility for direction but is unable to lead wi hout a consensus from the group. There are several advantages to this team-b ilding, consensus-oriented program that help to ensure a quality product £ r each consumer (in this case, patient).

The team-building structure 0 the Mayo Clinic encourages dissent among team members and allows each participant to voice their opinion and advocate for their particular posit on on a given issue affecting the course of action that is to be sought for the atient. The feedback from the team members is a valuable resource a d helps to reduce the risks of the decision makers who are involved throug out the process.

I have personally been assign d to work in several public and private sector teams in which any dissent has been viewed as a threat to the primary decision-makers. This environme t often results in a "groupthink" mentality, which can ultimately result in dis ster. I believe the most successful managers and leaders are those w 0 encourage dissenting viewpoints in order to attain a greater perspecti e of the problems that confront their organizations. The process of su ounding oneself with a team of "yes" men and women will serve to tempora ·ly soothe the ego of the decision maker while setting the organization on direct course for disaster.

This is the end of the paper bylXl.

This is the start of the paper by Nexus

The other day in class, a fellow student ex res sed concern about how others within her organization are upset with her conduct at work. In particular, the tudent felt most of the animosity was the result of her strict adherence to the rules and procedures of her orga ization. In her words, she stated, "I do not bend the rules for anyone and as a result people don't like me or per eive that I am picking on them". The situation is very common in the workplace and exemplifies the difficulty of employee's role to enforce the rules of the organization while maintaining his/her humanity towards fellow employees. To resolve the situation managers must create an environment that enables employees to balance th demands of the organization while maintaining his/her humanity without having to result to an authoritarian approach.

Recent public administration practices hav attempted to blend the demands of an organization to insure efficiency and effectiveness with a more humanita ian approach that satisfies the social and psychological needs of the employee. Examples include new public man gement approaches that seek to empower employees by making organizations run horizontally as opposed to verti ally with communication spread across the organization rather than from top to bottom. As a result, public admi istrators are urged to adopt a more entrepreneurial approach to public policy rather than adhering to the old politi s/ public administration dichotomy that called for neutrality. NPM practices have become very popular as the p blic sector moves closer and closer to a representation of the private sector.

Employee empowerment and choices in th workplace are always beneficial. However, we must remember that government is supposed to be different from t e private sector. Therefore, in regards to democracy we must ask ourselves is anything being lost in regards to t e democratic polity in which the United States was founded upon at the request of being more efficient and effl ctive. In the words of Dwight Waldo, democracy stands for things such as justice, liberty, and equality wherea management has always called for efficiency, effectiveness, and economy. In a world that favors citizens as customers can these two construct make a happy marriage?

This is the end of the paper by Nexus