Are You About To Get Fired, Or Are You Just Paranoid 8 Ways to Tell

Are You About To Get Fired, Or Are You Just Paranoid 8 Ways to Tell It’s easy to think you might be on the chopping block, but sometimes you’re just jumping at shadows. How can you tell if you’re just being paranoid or if you really should be worried? Here are a few signs that your worry is justified. 1. You recently screwed up.A screw-up isn’t necessarily the harbinger of doom. But if you did have a big mistake in your recent past, that’s probably one thing to consider.2. You’ve been iced out.You suddenly find yourself no longer in the loop. You’re hearing about company news from people well below your pay grade. Not a great sign. And if your supervisor or mentor recently left the department? Even worse.3. No one will look at you.None of your colleagues are making eye contact. You’re being ignored. People go out of their way not to cross you in the halls or meet you in the break room. And you find people seem to be whispering when they’re in your ear shot. You could just be a pariah, but it’s more likely that they know something you don’t know.4. There have been mergers and acquisitions.Your company just merged or got bought out. Layoffs are probably to be on the table at some point in the future. This doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to be fired, but if it’s one of many of these symptoms, then you should probably start looking for another job.5. You’re being set up to fail.The last task you got assigned was actually impossible. Or maybe your responsibility has been completely curtailed. Either way, you can perceive that you’ve been fully written off.6. You’ve been downsized.Has your office just been moved somewhere pretty subpar? Or your cubicle split in half to accommodate another employee? They don’t value your space, they probably don’t value you all that much either. Or maybe your pay has just taken a cut- or been frozen.7. They’re hiring your replacement.You found a posting that matches your job description on a job search site or the company boards. That is†¦ well†¦ not a good sign.8. There’s a clear paper trail.Your boss doesn’t have any conversations with you now in either passing or about work. There’s always an email chain. As if they’re trying to cover their bases. Or perhaps your relationship is just getting weird. Either way, weird boss behavior is never a good sign.

How the Spanish Colonized Guatemala

How the Spanish Colonized Guatemala The lands of present-day Guatemala were a special case for the Spanish who conquered and colonized them. Although there was no powerful central culture to contend with, such as the Incas in Peru or the Aztecs in Mexico, Guatemala was still home to the remnants of the Maya, a mighty civilization that had risen and fallen centuries before. These remnants fought hard to preserve their culture, forcing the Spanish to come up with new techniques of pacification and control. Guatemala Before the Conquest The Maya Civilization peaked around 800 and fell into decline shortly thereafter. It was a collection of powerful city-states who warred and traded with one another, and it stretched from Southern Mexico to Belize and Honduras. The Maya were builders, astronomers, and philosophers with a rich culture. By the time the Spanish arrived, however, the Maya had degenerated into a number of small fortified kingdoms, the strongest of which were the K’iche and Kaqchikel in Central Guatemala. The Conquest of the Maya The conquest of the Maya was led by Pedro de Alvarado, one of the top lieutenants of Hernn Cortà ©s, and a veteran of the conquest of Mexico. Alvarado led fewer than 500 Spanish and a number of native Mexican allies into the region. He made an ally of the Kaqchikel and warred upon the K’iche, whom he defeated in 1524. His abuses of the Kaqchikel caused them to turn on him, and he spent until 1527 stamping out various rebellions. With the two strongest kingdoms out of the way, the other, smaller ones were isolated and destroyed as well. The Verapaz Experiment One region still held out: the cloudy, misty, north-central highlands of modern-day Guatemala. In the early 1530s, Fray Bartolomà © de Las Casas, a Dominican friar, proposed an experiment: he would pacify the natives with Christianity, not violence. Along with two other friars, Las Casas set off and did, in fact, manage to bring Christianity to the region. The place became known as Verapaz, or â€Å"true peace,† a name it carries to this day. Unfortunately, once the region was brought under Spanish control, unscrupulous colonists raided it for slaves and land, undoing just about everything Las Casas had accomplished. The Viceroyalty Period Guatemala had bad luck with provincial capitals. The first, founded in the ruined city of Iximche, had to be abandoned due to persistent native uprisings, and the second, Santiago de los Caballeros, was destroyed by a mudslide. The present-day city of Antigua was then founded, but even it suffered major earthquakes late in the colonial period. The region of Guatemala was a large and important state under the control of the Viceroy of New Spain (Mexico) until the time of independence. Encomiendas Conquistadores and governmental officials and bureaucrats were often awarded encomiendas, large tracts of land complete with native towns and villages. The Spaniards theoretically were responsible for the religious education of the natives, who in return would work the land. In reality, the encomienda system became little more than an excuse for legalized slavery, as the natives were expected to work with little reward for their efforts. By the 17th century, the encomienda system was gone, but much damage had already been done. Native Culture After the conquest, the natives were expected to give up their culture to embrace Spanish rule and Christianity. Although the Inquisition was forbidden to burn native heretics at the stake, punishments could still be very severe. In Guatemala, however, many aspects of native religion survived by going underground, and today some natives practice an odd mishmash of Catholic and traditional faith. A good example is Maximà ³n, a native spirit that was sort of Christianized and is still around today. The Colonial World Today If you’re interested in the colonization of Guatemala, there are several places you might want to visit. The Mayan ruins of Iximchà © and Zaculeu are also sites of major sieges and battles during the conquest. The city of Antigua is steeped in history, and there are many cathedrals, convents and other buildings that have survived since colonial times. The towns of Todos Santos Cuchumatn and Chichicastenango are known for their blending of Christian and native religions in their churches. You can even visit Maximà ³n in various towns, mostly in the Lake Atitln region. It is said that he looks with favor on offerings of cigars and alcohol!