Argumentative Essay on Teen Pregnancy

Teenage pregnancy is a major issue in the United States. Some people say that this is society’s fault. Although having sex and getting pregnant is due to personal choices and decisions, there are a few things society could do to prevent it. Excessive teenage pregnancy could be controlled with appropriate media, more readily available birth control, and people to set good examples for young women. Just flipping through the channels on a Saturday afternoon you can see all sorts of inappropriate media full of sexual suggestions.Even aside from all the sex scenes in movies, there are shows SPECIFICALLY about teen pregnancy. Shows like Teen Mom and 16 and Pregnant make pregnancy seem acceptable and cool. If having sex at young ages didn’t seem like the cool thing to do, many teens wouldn’t do it. Taking inappropriate shows and movies off the air could make a difference in the teenage pregnancy rate. There are many forms of birth control.In a lot of arguments about tee n pregnancy there is talk about making condoms more readily available, but I think that other forms of birth control that are more consistently effective should be promoted instead. Condoms are important to use, but many times they can break or be ineffective. Plus let’s face it, in the heat of the moment lack of a condom doesn’t always keep sex from happening. Birth control pills are a cheaply made, more effective form of birth control. If forms of birth control such as the pill were cheaper and easier to get, more teens would be protected and less would get pregnant.The world in general is in need of good role models. Anyone that tweens and teens look up to should really try to focus on setting a good example. In a world full of bad examples, its especially important to set good ones for the group of people in that developmental stage. Teenagers need role models to protect them from falling victim to the pressures of today’s society, especially the sexual ones . In conclusion, I believe that teenage pregnancy is a very important issue.The sexual society of today’s America has resulted in a large increase in teen pregnancy. Programs that promote teen pregnancy and things that lead to teen pregnancy should be taken off every day television. Although it is going to be impossible to keep teens from having sex, making birth control extremely easy to use and get ahold of could have a huge effect on the teenage pregnancy rate. These two things along with good parental guidance and support, and good role models to look up to, would keep most teens from getting pregnant.

Great Expectations: A Character-Driven Novel

The novel, Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens is heavily a character-driven novel due to the fact that the sequence of events in the novel are causes and effects of the actions of the characters as well as the interactions between them. The novel mainly depicts the growth and development of an orphan named Pip, who is greatly influenced by the other characters and became a gentleman and a bachelor in the end of the novel through his encounters with the other characters.Pip, as the main character, definitely has a lasting impact on the drive of the novel since his decisions are very instrumental and effective towards the other characters as well as to himself. This phenomenon applies to not only Pip, but to the other characters, especially Estella, Miss Havisham, Joe, and Abel Magwitch. Everything a character does and every encounter between the characters in Great Expectation has an effect on the flow of the plot and situation of the novel. Before the very beginning of the novel, the conflict of the novel is already set in motion.Pip is an orphan at the start of the novel as his parents were long gone and he lives with his sister, Mrs. Joe, and her husband, Joe, the blacksmith. As a result of the two siblings and the older sibling’s husband living together without any parents, the family was relatively poor. Thus, in addition to Mrs. Joe’s strict attitude and the fact that his status is in the lower class, Pip had a rough childhood. The fact that Pip had a childhood full of hardship and is poor sets up for his later decision to become a gentleman through a secret benefactor.When Pip do decides to leave for a new life in London, he upsets Biddy and especially Joe as he recently became an apprentice of his; their life-long friendship falls apart. This is one of the major decisions Pip has to make and it changed the entire course of the plot as the setting of the story shifts from Pip’s first known home in Kent to London since the novel fo llows where Pip goes and the direction of the story changes from Pip’s apprenticeship with Joe in blacksmithing to Pip’s new fortune of a career in a new place.If Pip had not been an orphan or lived with a poor family, the major plot would not have existed as Pip’s transformation to a gentleman is the key. Pip would never have met half the characters of the novel such as his best friend, Herbert, Jaggers, and Wemmick. The novel would be driven into a different direction. Dickens was able to produce a novel that makes sense and that reflects his view of what a â€Å"coming of age† novel would be like by making the main character a poor orphan from the start only to turn him into a wealthy gentleman later and then into a hardworking bachelor.Another beforehand affected character, who has a deep impact towards the novel’s state of conflict, is Miss Havisham as she is the mastermind behind Estella’s cold behavior and wants to get revenge on men just because one man, Compeyson, who is supposed to be her husband, left her on their wedding day before the start of the novel. This one particular major event of Miss Havisham’s life changed her life forever as she was heartbroken and turned into a crazy and vengeful woman.She has ever since lived in the moment when she got the note that her wedding with Compeyson was off as all her clocks stayed at the same time of that moment and she still wears her bridal clothing from back then. The fact that she got rejected by her future husband induced her to hate men in general, to never love them again, and to adopt a child for herself, which happens to be Estella, the long-lost child of Abel Magwitch and Molly. All of this leads to the intimidating duo of Estella and Miss Havisham at Satis House, whom Pip fears and terrorizes him for much of the better first part of the novel.Miss Havisham’s background story sets up for her influence on changing and manipulating the beautif ul Estella’s life as well as Pip’s. Miss Havisham reveals that she has been giving orders to Estella to accomplish her goals for her as Estella is very attractive by acting dispassionate towards her suitors. During Pip’s meetings with Miss Havisham, Pip first thought of the idea of becoming a gentleman and leaving his poor life. When he is informed of a fortune that will due to be his, he thought his secret benefactor was Miss Havisham, so he became confident of her kindness and Estella’s hand in marriage.Miss Havisham drives the plot by giving Pip the idea to leave his first known home away from Joe, Mrs. Joe, and Biddy. In addition, she was thoroughly thought to be the secret benefactor of Pip throughout the novel until Magwitch revealed it was him. Later, Miss Havisham changes her personality and became a totally different person as she regrets the pain she had given Pip and it was assumed she attempted suicide by catching herself on fire, leading Pip to rescue her. This event also influenced Pip to realize that his great expectations are not very significant towards him, but human feelings.Thus, he thanks and prays for Miss Havisham’s well being and made up with Joe and Biddy for leaving them in the first place to be a gentleman. Also, Miss Havisham let Estella go free to do whatever she wants, so she married Drummle. However, she realizes that Drummle is not the man for her and after his death, she meets Pip and finally admits that she now sees that Pip has feelings of love for her. Dickens was once again clever to come up with such a disheartening background story for Miss Havisham that can explain her wild behavior and set up her personality change, which to a great extent affected the lives of Estella and Pip greatly.Another major instance of the plot being greatly influenced include Estella’s background story along with her secret connection to Magwitch and Molly. Estella is also an â€Å"orphan,† but n ot as the same extent to Pip because she was adopted by Miss Havisham and both of her parents were still alive at the start of the novel. Estella’s life changed when there was trouble between her two parents in the past as her mother, Molly, was accused of killing a woman over her real husband, Abel Magwitch, or Estella’s father.Molly was also accused of murdering her daughter, Estella, but she is clearly alive, so that clears up the accusation. Also, Jaggers defended Molly in court by saying she was too weak to strangle another person. Then, the family separated afterwards, which lead the three members of the family to different directions in their lives: Molly became Jagger’s housekeeper, Magwitch became an infamous convict, and Estella was adopted by Miss Havisham. All of these events wouldn’t have happened if Molly was a mentally unstable woman, who thought of murdering someone and had destroyed her own child unbeknownst to her husband.The family†™s past leads them to their new personalities in the novel and were important characters that lead the buildup of the climax of Great Expectations. In conclusion, the novel, Great Expectations, has an outstanding â€Å"Literary Quality† as the course of the novel is greatly affected by the effects of character movement and their involvements with each other. There were many pieces in the novel that has led to an impactful shift towards the novel’s plot and conflict story with each and every character in the novel having some contributions towards it.

Breezy case

This case analysis explores the possibility of Breezy, a leading supplier of carburators and air filters in North America, the possibility of developing offshore busines in countries where car manufacturing is growing. The report is structured as follows: First, there are five important questions that Breezy must consider and ask itself before developing a relationship with a new customer. After Breezy decides to go offshore, it will have to go through the negotiating process, which involves five steps. Breezy then, must have capabilities of how an offshore business is organized, consider the many different costs and risks involved in the implementation and decide how it will finance the project. The report also talks about how Breezy will have to modify its corporate strategy. Finally, the report concludes with the best reccomendation for Breezy to maintain its competitive advantage. 1. In exploring the possibility of developing a relationship with offshore car manufacturers, what questions should Breezy be asking? a) Who are the suppliers of carburators and air filters that Breezy will be competing against? This is an important question when conducting an external analysis of the players in the Industry because Breezy will be able to design a strategy that will make their products different from competitors. b) What are the car manufacturers human, financial, physical and organizational resources and capabilities? Breezy should be asking and investigating the firms that it plans on partnering abroad because they would not want to d business with car manufacturers that are not financially stable or have a bad organizational culture. c) How is the business done in the country (Brazil or India)? Breezy must consider the different business styles deriving from different countries in order to succeed in the global market. d) Does the car manufacturer have a good credit? Breezy must make sure its customers can pay for the products in order to avoid having to write off uncollectible accounts. e) Will Breezy be able to gain competitive advantage over local suppliers? Breezy could choose between cost leadership strategy or product differentiation strategy. 2. How should it approach the issue of negotiating with them? The negotiation process involves 5 steps: 1. Define objectives for the partnership: Breezy should have benchmarks in which to compare their objectives with the manufacturers objectives. These will define whether they can meet common grounds when doing business together. Examples of benchmarks include nature of agreement, duration of alliance, expectations, key aspects to protect, etc 2. Assemble a negotiating team: Breezy will have a team that represents all areas of the company affected by this relationship. In addition, the team will be composed of a chief negotiator, an experienced interpreter, and senior management personnel and personnel with knowledge of technical, operational, and legal details. The roles of the team will be to choose a negotiating technique and conduct due dilligence on the parties involved, understand the business and social customs of the country. 3. Establish trust: Breezys negotiating team should first build rapport with the manufacturers before presenting their proposals. 4. Establish the business framework: After rapport has been established, the team should be able to draw an agreement where all parties reach consensus, then outline the alliance in general terms, define objectives, consider how internal politics will affect the deal and define respective contributions of both sides. This should be done in a Letter of Intent. 5. Establish a legal framework: This will allow establishment of structure, definition of rights and obligations and scope of cooperation. (FITT, 6th ed). In the end, set the negotiations with a Memorandum of Understanding. 3. How should any offshore operation be organized? What are the key location considerations? Every offshore operation should have the right people. For example, a senior manager should be in charge of managing all operations with personnel with knowledge of global operations reporting to him. Therefore, there must be clearly designed roles for each person involved. Any offshore operation will be defined by the financial commitment that each party will contribute and the risks and rewards that comes from it. An foreign subsiadiary could be set up in the country they plan to enter in order to have face to face contact with potential and new customers. Regarding the global supply chain, companies will have to create a distribution strategy and implement it. Also, companies should select an intermediary involved to facilitate the shipping of cargo, aid with documentation and customs brokerage. Regarding location, companies going offshore must use the Porters Five Forces model. A location where the threat of buyers, threat of new entrants, threat of rivalry, threat of substitutes and threat of suppliers are all low would be an ideal place to do business and exploit opportunities. The choice of country will be based on the efficiencies or competitive advantages it can gain from being located in that country. These include proximity to market, cheaper labour costs, production efficiencies, etc (FITT, 6th ed). In addition, if the country has trade or economic sanctions, is politically instable, has high tax rates, inadequate transportation systems and undeveloped banking systems, firms should consider going into other markets. 4. What costs are likely to be incurred in this venture? Transportation costs including cargo insurance and freight Labour costs Maintenance charges Taxes and International carges Loading and unloading fees Freigh forwarders, customs brokers fees Export fees Documentation fees such as obtaining licenses and permits Marketing and advertising costs 5. How could this initiative be financed? There are many different ways to finance the offshore venture and implement the plan. Breezy can get a loan from financial institutions, sell shares if it is a private corporation or sell shares on the exchange market if it is a public company. Another source of fund is acquiring a loan from venture capitalists or government agencies such as Business Development Corporation (BDC). 6. What business should Breezy be in? How should it revise its corporate vision? Considering that the North American industry is already saturated with limited scope foor expanding sales and profits have been significantly declining for Breezy, it is certain that the companys industry is in its mature phase of development. It is time for Breezy to take advantage of its competitive advantage by exploring new markets. Breezy should be in the business of producing carburators and air filters for the future popular car in India, in addition to the North American market, however due to the changing trends in the auto industry, where fuel efficiency is going under way, Breezy will have to adapt to the new trends in order to maintain its competitive advantage. Breezy should also keep an eye on countries where car manufacturing is growing. So far, the companys best strategy if it was to go into India or Brazil is to refine its current products , emphasize on increasing the quality of service with new customers, and focus on reducing manufacturing costs and increased quality through process innovations. The original corporate vision of becoming North America’s leading supplier of carburetors and air filters should be revised to becoming the leading supplier of fuel efficient carburators and air filters by expanding Breezys market share to potential markets. 7. What risks does the offshore venture face that the domestic company does not? Theft/ Damage of shipments in transit: If Breezy was to ship their products by sea, there is a risk of pirates or improper handling of containers, improper storage or conditions of the cargo. Missing documentation for customs clearance in the sea ports. Degree of expertise in international business documentation, transportation, payment, etc. Breezy has to find suitable intermediaries such as a freight forwarders to assist with the offshore venture. Culture differences: Breezy needs to adapt to the culture in which it is doing business in. Differences include language, geographic distance, cultural issues. Inadequate infraestructure such as roads, warehouses. If Breezy is going to do business in a thirld world country, it must consider whether it is possible to transport and store their products and maintain its condition and know if they have to spend extra for proper transportation and storage. Environmental considerations: Breezy needs to consider whether it has to alter the design and packaging to withstand the effects of climate. Cost escalation, higher costs: Breezy will have to be able to afford the higher costs that comes with doing business offshore and still be able to outscale competitors. Risk of having contractual disputes with new customers. Conclusion Overall, Breezy was faced with two alternatives. One was to stay in the North American market and extend its product offering and continue working with existing customers even though there was not much potential to exploit opportunities for increasing profitability. The other option is to expand its market share by going into new markets and developing new customer relationships. I believe the latter alternative is the best course of action for Breezy as it will be able to acquire new customers while taking advantage of its reputation and competitive advantage. Breezy will benefit from increased sales and will be able to stay in business.

Should healthcare workers be forced to get annual flu vaccines Research Paper

Should healthcare workers be forced to get annual flu vaccines - Research Paper Example However, for purposes of the article in question, the researchers attempt to answer how useful the flu shot is from a broad perspective of its ability to positively affect overall shareholder health. Moreover, the article makes a case for the manner in which the HCW (healthcare workers) should engage with the notion of the flu shot as a means to bolster their own health as well as provide for the safety and health of the patients they come in contact with. As such, the dual nature of the way in which healthcare workers must engage with this issue has to do not only with their responsibility to their own health but the responsibility they share with their profession and the individuals that rely on their careful attention to promoting healthcare best practices by ensuring they are as disease free as possible so as not to infect any of the patients they come into contact with. Clinical digest. Nurses more likely to take flu vaccination if they believe there will be a personal benefit. (2011). Nursing Standard, 26(12), 17. This article approaches the topic of healthcare workers obtaining flu vaccines from the perspective of gain that a potential flu shot might bring to the worker. In this way, the article discusses the construct of a dual paradigm that exists between the healthcare worker actively wanting to immunize themselves as opposed to the perceived gain that they might experience from this due to a reduced risk of infection from incoming patients. In this way, the article brings to the reader’s attention that although all nurses must swear the Hippocratic Oath, the fact of the matter is that selfish motivations still continue to define the manner in which healthcare professionals engage with decisions that should attempt to balance both the needs of the individual and the concern for patient health. In this way, the full breadth and scope of the issue is seen as something that must either be incumbent upon the individual healthcare professional or wo uld necessarily need to be mandated by the entity which employs them. As the authors note, both alternative measures have their distinct drawbacks. Firstly, with respect to the employer mandating such a course of action, a host of legal issues would dominate such a choice. Secondly, with respect to the individual themselves being responsible for self-administration, the degree to which this would actually occur may be insignificant. Evans, G., & Marill, M. (2012). A house divided: A muddled mandate on health care worker flu shots goes to HHS. Hospital Infection Control & Prevention, 39(3), 25-30. This particular article discusses the legal difficulties surrounding employer mandated flu shots. As previously discussed, when an employer mandates such a course of action, they are acting in the best interest of the patients they will be serving; however, many issues arise in forcing a given employee to take such a course of action. No the least of these issues is the fact that by demandi ng such an action from their shareholders, health care management is oftentimes venturing into the gray zone of what an employer can require of its employees. Due to the host of new healthcare legislation that has recently been passed in the form of HIPPA and FMLA, the extent to which employers can be involved in the medical practices of their employees is severely restricted. However, the case of mandatory flu shots, as these

Project development and implementation for strategic managers Essay

Project development and implementation for strategic managers - Essay Example I am grateful to my parents, who have always assisted me in every step. This study only became possible for their blessings and confidence on me. Thank you all for believing in me and make myself belief that I can fulfill my dreams. Table of Contents Table of Contents 3 Chapter 01 – Introduction 4 Chapter 02 - Literature Review 4 Chapter 03 - Research Methods 7 Chapter 04 - Summary of the Response Details 8 Chapter 05 - Data Analysis 10 Chapter 06 – Conclusion 10 Reference List 12 Appendix 13 Chapter 01 – Introduction A project is referred to as an endeavor that is designed for achieving a unique product or result within a given time frame. The aim of a project is to bring beneficial changes to the end user or make value additions (Anderson, Grude and Haug, 2009). However, the temporary character of project differentiates itself with the usual business operation. As a result of that, the management of these two factors is completely different and requires a diffe rent approach. Project management is dubbed as the discipline that encompasses planning, organizing, motivating as well as controlling the resources of the firm to achieve particular goals (Faiz and Edirisinghe, 2009). A number of scholars have emphasized on the fact that a good project manager should encompass both management skills as well as technical knowledge. The primary goal of a project management and organization is the achievement of the project goals. However, the key constraints in this factor are time, scope, quality and budget. In addition, optimum utilization of the resources and integrating these resources to meet the predefined objectives is another challenge (Eastman, Teicholz, Saks and Liston, 2008). In this assignment, the aim is to develop a new software package and ensure its timely delivery to the client. The software to be manufactured is CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software, for the client company XXX3 Ltd. The company is aiming to implement CRM f or the purpose of managing the relationship with customers. XXX3 Limited is an apparel retailing company and therefore the company is obvious to have a diversified customer base. The software will be designed in such a manner that it fulfills all the objectives of the company. It is expected that once the company implements CRM into their system of operation, the company will be able to maintain a good relationship with its customers. Moreover, in this turbulent business environment, management of relationship with the customers is a key issue and therefore implementation of technology or a system that promotes management of relationship with the customers is a necessary activity (Edum-Fotwe, Egbu and Gibb, 2003). Chapter 02 - Literature Review Project Management Theory Project management is a vast area and requires knowledge of domain, technology as well as administration. Moreover, for better project management a company requires specialized skills. Larson and Gray (2006) states t hat maintaining a positive attitude, remaining clear about the project structure and managing proper communication will greatly help a company to achieve success. Project management encompasses 5 stages that are namely initiation, planning and design, execution, monitoring and controlling and closing. (Source: Alterspark, 2013) Stage 1: - Understanding / Initiation – In the first stage, research about the area of concern is carried out and this can

The Treatment of Women in Afghanistan Research Paper

The Treatment of Women in Afghanistan - Research Paper Example Table of Contents Executive Summary 1 The Treatment of Women in Afghanistan Before the Taliban 3 The Treatment of Women in Afghanistan During the Taliban 4 The Treatment of Women In Afghanistan After the Taliban 5 How Afghanistan is Still Not Where It Needs to be in Respect to Women’s Rights 6 Conclusion 8 Works cited 9 The Treatment of Women in Afghanistan Before the Taliban The treatment of women in Afghanistan before the Taliban is seen to have been relatively quite fair. The Afghan women’s right to freely choose their possession and work is seen to have been written into the 1980 Afghanistan constitution when Afghanistan signed both the UN Convention on the elimination of Discrimination Against Women as well as the International bill of rights for women that had been issued by the UN in 1979 (Verdirame 176). Under the convention, the right to work is considered as being an inalienable right of all human beings and when Afghanistan become a signatory nation, women in the country were seen to quickly emerge as key participants in the country’s economy and held key positions as farmers, teachers, doctors, equal partners in the country’s civil service and engineers. In a 2001, US congress report, it was pointed out that before the Taliban; women were treated in a affair manner that saw them emerge as active leaders in both politics and public life. This is exemplified by the fact that women teachers in the country essentially represented an impressive 70% of the teachers in the country, in addition to their also accounting for an estimated 40% of the doctors as well as a vast majority of the health workers’. Of note also is that, over half of the university students in Afghanistan were women. In fact, in 1977 women were seen to essentially make up an estimated over 15 percent of the country’s highest legislative branch; a percentage that is notably higher than the 14 percent of women that served in the United States con gress as at the time when the report was being presented in 2001 (US Congress 21276). The freedom that women enjoyed before the Taliban was also seen to allow those living in cities to wear western-style clothing and makeup (Banting 23). The Treatment of Women in Afghanistan During the Taliban When the severely repressive Taliban regime first came into power, its treatment of women is seen to have been quite biased an unfair. The Taliban repressed the women’s right to education by issuing an edict in 1997 that sought to try and enforce a nationwide ban on access to public education for all girls and women in the country and transformed most of girls’ schools that were being run by the former state into all-male institutions (Linschoten and Kuehn 108). When determined Afghani attempted to still educating their children while complying with the law by setting up numerous private educational institutions, the Taliban responded by issuing another repressive edict that stip ulated that all private funded education in the country be limited to only those girls that happened to be under the age of eight years in addition to this education being limited to the study of the Koran only. In 1997, the Taliban issued an edict that banned all women from engaging in any work in public places (Crews and Tarzi 98). Although this edict affected all the different sectors of the economy across the country, the health sector is seen to have been most severely affected primarily as a result of the large number of

The Fiscal Cliff and the United States Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Fiscal Cliff and the United States - Essay Example The Fiscal Cliff and the United States: A Future Prospectus of What Actions will Precipitate what Reactions Although a firm understanding how these two relate would require a dissertation length piece on both social, governmental, and economic trends, this brief essay will attempt to summarize some of the key concerns related with these implications as well as seeking to understand and quantify the ways in which a given government can seek to maintain the optimal balance of freedom, equality and solidarity in order to proceed within such a difficult economic environment as the current nation is experiencing. With the situation regarding the United States’ â€Å"Fiscal Cliff† as it has been called, the situation is with regards to a host of tax cuts and new austerity measures that are due to go into affect the first of this coming year – if not legislative or executive actions are taken to ally them. The purpose of this piece is not to argue between either fiscally liberal or conservative policies as a panacea to the ills of our current financial travails. However, igno ring the present viewpoints that exist on the topic and attempting to analyze them to find a middle path is equally foolish. Accordingly, the author has chosen to devote some brief space to the political ideologies that the two party system of the United States has necessarily espoused. The primary obstacle towards a greater understanding between the two political parties with regards to austerity, spending, and the national debt is with regards to how the situation should be handled.... Such a sum for the time was an unimaginable one (Hinch, 2012). Aided by nearly a decade of conflict and two wars, the Republican Party lost any and all credence that they had formerly retained with reference to being the party of fiscal responsibility. However, with regards to the individual positions that the political spectrum retains, there can be said to be two. The Democratic Party believes that the best way to find a reasonable solution from such economic difficulties revolve around raising taxes (specifically on the upper middle class and wealthiest citizens). Such an approach has merits; however, speaking economically, it also serves to penalize those job-creators that most directly influence the level of growth and recovery that the nation would experience if such a deadweight loss were not experienced. Similarly, those that support the alternate view to the one listed above claim that any and all budget shortfalls must be remedied by relying on austerity and/or budget cuts to achieve the desired result. Naturally, neither one of these offerings is reasonable due to the fact that it is impossible for our current society to realize the correct levels of freedom, solidarity, and equality that would be necessary to achieve either of these positions. Therefore, it is the recommendation of this author that the ultimate approach would necessarily penalize (tax) all citizens equally; regardless of their economic stature within the economy (Etzioni, 1993). In this way, the government would be able to highly equitable distribute the tax burden among all of its citizens. Additionally, there would no longer be a disincentive for those that made less to attempt to make even more as all citizens would be equitably dealt with in terms of their overall level of

Synthesis Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Synthesis - Research Paper Example When reflecting upon the value of student services, there are many things that need to be taken into account. One is that the student body is diverse, and is more diverse now than perhaps at any time in the history of higher education Included in this diversity are LGBT students (Komives & Woodward, 2003). Additionally, there are many ethical and legal foundations that must be considered (Hamilton, 2002). Civil Rights laws and affirmative action are the legal aspects that must be considered (Sandeen & Barr, 2006). Diversity is a staple on campus, as there are many ethnicities and first generation students, as well as disabled students and LGBT students (American College Personnel Association, 2006).   Also, as a student professional, I must be concerned with the theory of what guides the profession. There are many learning and development theories, and theories of organization. The guiding organizational theory is one that is considered to be collegial, which means that faculty and staff have autonomy, and may participate in decision-making and governance through committee work and hiring (Komives et al.,   2003). Along the same vein is the theory of leadership that states that collaborative leadership, in which everybody in the community is involved in decision-making, is best (Love & Estanek, 2004). Financial aid is becoming more important to students, as there is increasingly a lack of funding combined with higher tuitions. Other challenges include the fact that technology has increased, which means that e-mail and chat has replaced face to face interaction in many cases.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As a student services professional, I must focus upon not just teaching and training, but also advising. Student professionals must be able to understand the problems of the student body, and be able to craft an acceptable solution to these issues. Interpersonal and problem solving skills are essential when advising students, as well as havin g a thorough understanding of developmental and learning theories. Conflict resolution and community building are other skill sets which are necessary for student services personnel.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To this end, in my role as a student services personnel, I know that I will have to wear multiple hats, while being a part of a collaborative team. The collaboration of the team will be crucial in solving problems which might crop up with our student body. I must not only know all the details about financial aid packages, and be able to advise the students accordingly, but I also must be able to resolve conflicts between students and the faculty, other students or organizations. One of the ways to resolve these conflicts is through mediation, so I must be familiar with the mediation process and be able to listen to both sides and use my mediation skills to help the opposing parties come to some type of acceptable agreement between them. Cognitive and learning theories will come in handy when advising students about the course that they should take to reach their goals outside of college. Some of cognitive theories are that of Piaget. Piaget discovered that there are ways that people think, reason and make meaning from experiences (Komives, 2003). What this means to me is that there must be challenges for the students – they should always be subjected to new and different stimuli, and should be encouraged to seek out ideological positions which are different from what they currently have. This might mean that I will encourage the students to try different coursework that might develop their ideologies, or coursework that would help them look at subjects in

Comstat Transforms American Policing Research Paper

Comstat Transforms American Policing - Research Paper Example Quoting Director Jeff Godown again, Compstat is a â€Å"philosophy of crime control. It is less about procuring state-of-the-art equipment than about adopting a state of mind that police really do count in reducing crime.† The fact that no specialized equipment or computer software is a prerequisite for implementing the Compstat program makes it easier for different police departments across different cities to make use of it; as Godown said, it is basically just a â€Å"philosophy† that needs to be followed. Venturing further into his address on the â€Å"Compstat Process: Four Principles for Managing Crime Reduction,† it is learnt that many members of the law enforcement sector have had â€Å"the opportunity to attend training sessions and/or workshops on the principles, practices, policies, and procedures,† of Compstat, and that â€Å"the CompStat process is not a single state-of-the-art computer equipped with a special software program†; therefo re, not only is the Compstat model adept at tackling the issue of crime, it is flexible, adaptable, and can be used by any police force in any part of the country. According to HabibOzdemir in his article on â€Å"Compstat: Strategic Police Management for Effective Crime Deterrence in New York City,† the best quality of the Compstat model is the importance given to accountability.For Samuel Walker, he has expressed in his paper that â€Å"accountability is an element of American policing,† and â€Å"lawfulness and legitimacy, in turn, are essential if the police are to achieve their goals.† of reducing crime and disorder.† Returning to Ozdemir’s paper, â€Å"Compstat makes operational commanders accountable for being aware of their decisions and empirical results of

Technological society Essay Example for Free

Technological society Essay Nowadays, in a highly technological society, human productivity is made more efficient through the development of electronic gadgets. Now, with the advent of such modernization in education, one way to globalize the process of research is to realize that technology is advancing at an incredibly fast pace. Computers are not confined to being used for entertainment but its role in education is also vast. In School, reading materials are stored in libraries. Library is a place in which books and related materials are kept for use but not for sale. It is also organized for use and maintained by a public body, an institution or a private individual. In addition, it is a place in which we get information in any format and from many sources. The librarian has to keep the room neat so that it is conducive for learning. The librarian is also the person who is liable for monitoring all the books that are borrowed and returned by the borrowers. The proponents will propose the Simple Library System for Benigno Aquino Jr. High School Annex located at Bagong Silang Caloocan City. The Head Librarian stated that they are currently using the Dewey Decimal Library System. They are still utilizing a manual system. The library users and the librarian still use card catalogues in searching for reading materials and use index card for the records of borrowed and returned books. The proponent’s study was what is which encounter to the Library by the user, Librarian and how the Owner or the Administrator of the said school will provide a good service to their clients to have a good feedback. The study will focus on transaction which done inside the Library like borrowing, returning of books by students, faculties and staffs. In this area, the usage of computerized library system is needed because it is more easy and obviously it saves paper compare to the manual library and it saves a lot more time. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY The proponents choose the Benigno Aquino Jr. High School, Located at Phase 3 Bagong Silang Caloocan City. Simple Library System is a process of organizing important information, used to track items borrowed and the scheduled time of returning. This system helps users or people who responsible in recording the data appropriately, it also saves time and more convenient to use than the traditional manual recording. Lack of library system in a school can lead to chaos and troubles, and because of it the librarian is having a problem to serve each students and faculties who wish to use the library. It is extremely useful in the school to use that automated system. From this simple term paper. The librarian can easily monitor the transactions of every students. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY The part of documentation states the purpose or the objective of the proponents in developing their proposed system. It is divided into two parts, the General Objective, which is the objective of the study as a whole and the Specific Objectives, a much defined and detailed enumeration of the objective of the proponents. General Objectives Aside from developing an easier way of evaluating the library, this study aims to improve the system and making it more accessible for both students and faculty. Specific Objectives The following are the list of specific objectives of the proponents in developing this system: 1. To upgrade the style or method of the library they have. 2. To lessen the time consumed. 3. To provide a more reliable and effective library system. 4. To provide a faster way of their transactions.

The Condition of the Working Class in england Analysis

The Condition of the Working Class in england Analysis Originally written in German as Die Lage der arbeitenden Klasse in England, The Condition of the Working Class in England, published in 1845 is a study of the proletarians in Victorian England. It was also Friedrich Engels first book, written during his stay in Manchester from 1842 to 1844. He was only 24 years old and son of a German textile manufacturer. He was sent to Manchester to work in a British textile firm owned by his father. Manchester was then at the very heart of the Industrial Revolution, and Engels compiled his study from his own observations and detailed contemporary reports as he immediately states in the Preface to the German Edition that we will analyse further on. It was his research methods which led to the conclusion regarding the structural inequalities which were, and are, inherent in the capitalist system. After considering other historians point of view in this essay I will argue that Engels and his book can indeed be considered reliable. Engels arrived in Manchester at almost the worst period of what was certainly the most catastrophic slump of the nineteenth century.  [1]  He shows that in large industrial cities mortality from disease, as well as death-rates for workers were higher than in the countryside. In cities like Manchester and Liverpool mortality from smallpox, measles, scarlet fever and whooping cough was four times as high as in the surrounding countryside, and mortality from convulsions was ten times as high as in the countryside. The overall death-rate in Manchester and Liverpool was significantly higher than the national average (one in 32.72 and one in 31.90 and even one in 29.90, compared with one in 45 or one in 46).  [2]   Engels has been accused of everything: from taking too gloomy an interpretation of the conditions of the British working class in 1844, to handling his material in a way which falls below generally accepted standards of scholarship by two Manchester University researchers W. H. Chaloner and W. O. Henderson in 1958.  [3]  The British Marxist Historian Eric Hobsbawm, on the other hand, has defended his account vigorously in his book Labouring Men. Most of the people accepted Engels account as standards, even if they disagreed with the analysis and the conclusions and was consistently in print and widely regarded by non-Marxist historians as a reliable account which they could safely recommend to their students.  [4]   Nonetheless gloomy interpretations have been made by a number of other historians or writers such as Elisabeth Gaskell in her social novels Mary Barton or North and South, J.Philips Kay, contemporaries and contemporary journalists and also official reports like the ones used by Engels himself, the Report to the Home Secretary from the Poor-Law Commissioners or Observations on the Management of the Poor in Scotland and its Effects on the Health of Great Towns or the First Report of the Commissioners for Inquiry into the State of Large Towns and Populous Districts. Far more gloomy descriptions have been written down in the same year by a number of other people. Engels clearly does not want to impress, scare or disgust his readers, he gives details, facts and numbers, you can tell that he both used his personal experience of living in Manchester, when he says I have rarely come out of Manchester on such an evening (Saturday) without meeting numbers of people staggering and seeing others lying in the gutter.  [5]  He uses a number of different sources too, from Dr Kays The Moral and Physical Conditions of the Working Class, to Carlyles Chartism (London, 1840) and many more. Conditions in England were bad, filthy. People lived in an ill-ventilated and abominable state. Engels did not exaggerate at all as he personally states: I am forced to admit that instead of being exaggerated, it is far from black enough to convey a true impression of the filth, ruin, and uninhabitableness, the defiance of all considerations of cleanliness, ventilation, and health which characterize the construction of this single district (Old Town of Manchester), containing at least twenty to thirty thousand inhabitants.  [6]  These descriptions are not even a bit revolting compared to the ones of Edwin Chadwick, Secretary of the Poor-Law Commissioners. He in fact writes: The scene which these places present at night is one of the most lamentable description; the crowded state of the beds, filled promiscuously with men, women, and children; the floor covered over with the filthy and ragged clothes they have just put off, and with their various bundles and packages containing al l the property they possess, mark the depraved and blunded state of their feelings, and the moral and social disorder which exists. The suffocating stench and heat of the atmosphere are almost intolerable to a person coming from the open air, and plainly indicates its insalubrity.  [7]   Even worse is the Report of the General Board of Health on the Epidemic Cholera: The worst circumstance about these slaughter-houses is the accumulation of an enormous quantity of animal and vegetable matter in large holes, where they lie festering, fermenting and putrefying together, and from which there is a constant emanation of offensive vapour poisoning the atmosphere (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) I have seen persons heaving and vomiting. As to the houses, it is utterly impossible to keep the stench out by closed windows; every room is pervaded by it. I am myself obliged to put a handkerchief over my nose and mouth scented with spirits. Most of the neighbours awake with headache, nausea, and loss of appetite. It is one of the most disgusting sights to see the loading of charts; scores of yards of green, blue, or yellow putrid entails hang in festoons over the sides and wheels. I have also seen coagulated blood, and sometimes the whole stuff of a brownish red colour from this addition.  [8 ]   For honesty of intentions I also have to say that other reliable witnesses during the Industrial Revolutions such as British Conservative Statesman and literary figure Benjamin Disraeli or Alexis De Tocqueville in his Journeys to England Ireland do not regard the conditions of the British workers as significantly as Engels or Elisabeth Gaskell. Journeys to England and Ireland heralds Friedrich Engels Conditions of the Working Class in England, but although Tocqueville had been struck by the unhappy conditions of the English working people, he does not seem to have been in touch with Chartist activities in those years.  [9]  Benjamin Disraeli publishes his novel Sybil or The Two Nations trying to trace the difficulties of working classes in England, but then makes one of his characters say that statistics proved that the general condition of the people was much better at this moment than it had been at any known period of history.  [10]  This statistical argument was continue d and affirmed by Professor Silberling and for a generation the cheerful school (Chaloner and Henderson) pinned their faith primarily to him.  [11]  He constructed an index of money wages and of the cost of living for the first half of the nineteenth century and, combining both, arrived at the conclusion that the real wages of the working-class had risen. But he was wrong, because we know that the money-wage rates of a good many, generally skilled workers on time rates, and a lot on piece rates, which are, of course, not very helpful by themselves. We know next to nothing of what people actually earned. How much overtime or short time did they work? How often were they unemployed and for how long? As for the cost of living theory it was equally shaky because it was largely based on guesswork. Chaloner and Henderson point out Engels slips and minor errors, which even Hobsbawm admit that are very numerous. Normally, if a book is full of minor errors and transcription mistakes, it is normal to consider it dishonest, but not in this case. We have to focus on the nature of these inaccuracies. He has been accused to not quote bluebooks textually. A bluebook is a publication that establishes the correct form of case citations or of references to a legal authority showing where information can be found.  [12]  For example he wrote 16 years when the source said 17, he wrote that a sample of children was drawn from one Sunday school, whereas it was two, and so on. This could reduce the credibility of the book, it is true, but in any case readers that want to quote blue-books, should go to the original source in any case. Not that Engels is unreliable: in actual fact, the concrete cases where Engels slips or bias are alleged to have led him to give a wrong or misleading impressi on of the facts, can be counted on the fingers of two hands, and some of the accusations are wrong.  [13]   The first point to make is that most of the descriptions in The Condition of the Working Class in England are not those of Engels himself, but are taken from contemporary reports. Engels used a vast amount of material throughout his book. On a very rough count he used over 30 reports and articles, a number of the second from the Journal of the Statistical Society of London, over 25 official documents, including those of various Commissions of Enquiry (Childrens Employment, 1842 and 1843; Sanitary Conditions of the Labouring Population, 1842) and reports of Hansards Parliamentary Debates (1843 and 1844) and almost 60 newspaper articles. It is true that the majority (30) of the newspaper items were taken from the Northern Star, the central organ of the Chartists, but he also used the Manchester Guardian (10 items) and The Times (8 items) quite extensively. Engels himself says in the Preface to the German Edition:  [14]   Whenever I lacked official documents for describing the condition of the industrial workers, I always preferred to present proof from Liberal sources in order to defeat the liberal bourgeoisie by casting their own words in their teeth. I cited Tories or Chartists in my support only when I could confirm their correctness from personal observation or was convinced of the truthfulness of the facts quoted because of the personal or literary reputation of the authorities I referred to. Always in the Preface to the German Edition he says that he may have made some minor mistakes:  [15]   I know equally well that here and there I may be proved wrong in some particular of no importance, something that in view of the comprehensive nature of the subject, and its far-reaching assumptions, even an Englishman might be unable to avoid; so much the more since even in England there exists as yet not a single piece of writing which, like mine, takes up all the workers. But without a moments hesitation I challenge the English bourgeoisie to prove that even in a single instance of any consequence for the exposition of my point of view as a whole I have been guilty of any inaccuracy or to prove it by data as authentic as mine. Another way of discrediting Engels is to argue that the sources he uses are unpresentative or selective. Henderson and Chaloner say: These blue-books (or books, or pamphlets, or articles) were not disinterested searches for truth. They were compiled by reformers, passionately anxious to abolish certain abuses (or by revolutionaries, passionately anxious to discredit capitalism). Therefore they picked out the worst cases, because these would cause most public indignation.  [16]  But the exact same things and stories came out from nineteenth-century novelist that are reliable without statistics, partly because they are good observers, partly because the episodes described are far from unlikely. There is no strong evidence to the contrary, so why shouldnt we believe Engels? Chaloner and Henderson have tried really hard to shake the gloomy view of the condition of the British labouring people in the first half of the nineteenth-century, they have tried firmly to discredit Engels book , checking every source, discovering every omission and mistake, not to mention some which are not even there. No other book has been subjected to such systematic and scrupulous hostile examination.  [17]  Having basically failed in their attempt to discredit the book, they started affirming that the conditions were awful, but it was not the fault of capitalism, but of the workers themselves that self-induced poverty because of the expenditure on drink, gambling and tobacco. As we already said one of the main reasons that helps us understand why Engels is a reliable witness of the Industrial Revolution is the Preface to the First German Edition where he clearly explains sources and terminology used. We previously analysed the sources, what is now important to understand is the terminology, that always makes things clear from the beginning and leaves no space to misunderstanding. He therefore states:  [18]   I have used the world Mittelklasse all along in the sense of the English word middle class (or middle classes, as is said almost always). Like the French word bourgeoisie it means the possessing class, specifically that possessing class which is differentiated from the so-called aristocracy the class which in France and England is directly and in Germany, figuring as public opinion, indirectly in possession of political power. Similarly, I have continually used the expressions working men (Arbeiter) and proletarians, working class, propertyless class, and proletariat as equivalents. This shows how careful and precise he was. He was very meticulous even when it comes to the structure of his writing: at the end of every chapter he summarizes and repeats the important parts. He wants no confusion, he wants his writing and therefore what he believes and argues to be as clear as possible. For example in a footnote, he clearly states that Dr Kay occasionally confuses the working class in general with the factory workers, but then underlines how excellent the pamphlet is.  [19]   Engels in the fifth chapter, clearly states that he wants to demonstrate that the bourgeoisie is responsible, as a ruling class, for the murder of working-men. The ruling power of society is the class which holds social and political control and therefore bears the responsibility for the conditions of proletarians. Engels is not surprised about what the workers have become given the circumstances they are living in. Obviously their physical, mental and moral status is so badly damaged that they cannot reach an advantage age. He consequently states that their only enjoyments are sexual indulgence and drunkenness to the point of complete exhaustion of their mental and physical energies.  [20]  He blames the society and the bourgeoisie, all throughout his book, making a relation with modern international Socialism, that in 1844 did not yet exist. Engels in the Preface to the English Edition writes that the ideas in his book represent one of the phases of Socialisms embryonic develop ment. Marx, a very good friend of Engels, used his ideas to build up the theory of Communism as the emancipation of society at large, including the capitalist class, from its narrow conditions. The book was received with great approval in socialist circles. For many workers it was the first time they had been aware of the possibility of a working-class movement. However, the revolutionary conclusions within the text were deplored by bourgeois critics, even though they recognized the accuracy of Engels observations. These conclusions might have been revolutionary, but we have to say that they are the result of his research methods and not a preconceived theory of revolution. Engels did not have a theoretical analysis in which to seek the social conditions that would fit his perspective. His early writings such as this book pre-date both his contact with radical thinkers of the time and the formulation of socialist theories. Engels life experience and observations illustrate how the t heory stated in The Condition was informed by reality and shock for what he saw. Engels starting point was therefore not theoretical, but the raw observed facts of capitalist society.  [21]   However what Marx would have probably never done, is describe the Irish as Engels did in chapter 4: Irish Immigration. Yes, Engels by writing this book was trying to support the working class, by blaming disease, poverty and bad conditions on the bourgeoisie. Because of this, of his background thoughts and because of him trying to politically agitate and politically condemn the English middle class, he should have described with a bit more tact the condition of Little Ireland. He should have said that it was because of the industrial revolution and because of the society in which they were force to live, that they were in such awful conditions. He sort of did this at the end of the chapter by stating: What else should he (the Irishman) do? How can society blame him when it places him in a position in which he almost of necessity becomes a drunkard; when it leaves him to himself, to his savagery?.  [22]  However before that we see that not even Engels was immune to racial prejudic e when he describes Little Ireland as a group of a few hundred mean cottages set in masses of refuse, offal and sickening filth, populated by a horde of ragged women and children swarming about here, as filthy as the swine that thrive upon the garbage heaps and in the puddles. The race that lives in these ruinous cottages, behind broken windows (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦), this race must really have reached the lowest stage of humanity. That race, he argued, was disposed by nature and environment to careless and feckless behaviour, and had brought its dirty habits with it into the hearts of the great English and Scottish towns. Filth and drunkenness, too, they have brought with them, importing a mud cabin level of existence into Britain and degrading and corrupting the English workers through their presence and their competition in the labour market.  [23]  Engels made the mistake of confusing the effects of poverty and ignorance on the poor devil, for the effects of racial characteristic s, but the physical conditions of Little Ireland undoubtedly existed as Engels described them. In conclusion I can affirm, along with historians such as Hobsbawm and using David McLellan words that Engels descriptions can be taken, by and large, as probably the best piece of contemporary evidence that we have available to us.  [24]  The Condition of the Working Class in England is an astonishingly precocious work that recapitulates earlier and contemporary complaints about the damage to human beings created by the rise of industrial capitalism. Seeking to denounce the bourgeoisie for its cruel enslavement and exploitation of the proletariat, his work has still to be considered reliable and accurate. Engels took us through the slums of Manchester and other industrial cities, making us realize and fully understand the disintegration of the individual, the demoralizing influences of poverty, dirt and low environment a disorderly confusion that has been indeed brought by the devastating effects of the industrial society.  [25]  

Cinematic Interpretation of Stepping Razor Red X: the Peter Tosh Story :: essays papers

Cinematic Interpretation of "Stepping Razor Red X": the Peter Tosh Story Films are designed for numerous purposes, some entertain, frighten, enlighten, educate, inspire, and most make us think about the world we live in. This paper will be focused on the cinematic interpretation of the film "Stepping Razor Red X", the Peter Tosh Story. The makers of a film from the writer, director, cinematographer and the art director, design, and conceptualize what they want the viewer to see. Movie makers have agendas. They get their ideas across by using cinematic techniques and styles which make us view a certain subject in the light that they put it in. I will discuss the differing techniques used by the makers of "Stepping Razor" and describe what the overall impression of the movie has on the viewer, and what the agenda of the director is. Genre "Genre: A group of films having recognizably similar plots, character types, settings, filmic techniques, and themes." (Konigsberg:165) The Genre of this film is difficult to define because it is not composed of a single agenda. The director makes a point of talking about Tosh’s life, but because of the cinematic themes and the film’s style it is not solely a documentary. This film is also a multimedia film because elements of music and concert footage are added to the essential plot. This film is avant-garde in it’s nature. "Avant-garde [refers to films that] deny the traditional narrative structure and techniques of commercial films by seeking to explore new modes of visual and emotional experience." (Konigsberg:25) It could be considered an anthology film, because of the various concert footage that is woven throughout the movie. "An Anthology film is a full length film made up of excerpts from other films which are related by some theme [or] the appearance of the same performer." (Konigsberg:16) "Stepping Razor" also has elements of Cinema Verite. "Cinema Verite†¦applies to a series of documentary films which strive for immediacy, spontaneity, and authenticity through the use of portable and unobtrusive equipment and the avoidance of and preconceived narrative line or concepts concerning the material." (Konigsberg:57) "Stepping Razor" may also be put under the category of art film. "Art film [is] a type of film with serious artistic intentions as distinct from the commercial films made in Hollywood."(Konigsberg:20) This film also has elements of a propaganda film. "Propaganda films [are] made with the intention of persuading the audience to a particular point of view concerning the subject†¦relying on the apparently real and factual nature of the images on the screen and often using an authoritative voice-over to sway.

California Utility :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Chris Parker   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  482.004 Dr. Singer  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In 1996 deregulation allowed California utility companies to sell power plants and collect over 19 billion dollars in ratepayer subsidies. The money was used to purchase plants in other countries, reward executives with huge pay raises and buy back stock. A handful of unregulated companies withheld power, causing shortages to boost wholesale prices.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Deregulation led many consumers to believe that open markets would bring in an array of choices and lower prices. Consumers will have to settle for a single power provider at higher prices. Rates are nearly 150 percent higher than last spring. Power companies are exploiting the market for their own advantage. Some companies have jacked rates up to 200 percent than offer a deal at a 50 percent hike.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Utility companies promised to modernize the electricity market and reduce business and residential bills. The California public utilities commission is caving in to pressure to make the investor owned utilities look good on Wall Street. Utilities are to use their markups to pay investors for stranded assets incurred during regulation. Utility companies lobbied to pass a law that suited their needs, and now the situation has changed it is trying it again. In 1998 big utility companies lobbied Proposition #9 buy paying a local consum er reporter 106,000 dollars to create a campaign. Proposition #9 would decrease electric bills and promote modernization of the industry. Also, many agency boards are stacked with officials with ties to energy companies, creating conflicts of interest. A member of Public Utilities Commission is being sued for an overseas investment. Taxpayers are paying for his legal bills. The investment was in a company his commission regulated.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A recent study has found incriminating information on the California utility industry. Plant operators would skip maintenance routines. These errors would cause machines to break down and force power cut back. The plants would have sudden shutdowns with no justifiable reason. Shutdowns were calculated to shrink the amount of power available driving up the price. They would hold back power until the state is desperate and vulnerable. They could sell power at super high rates. They sold power to other states. Selling to other states allowed for an increase in wholesale prices.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The California utility companies had planned to make a large amount of profit off of deregulation.

How significant is it that Croesus is not Greek, in Herodotus Histories? :: essays research papers

According to Herodotus, Croesus was the first non greek to come into contact with the Greeks: â€Å"He was the first foreigner, so far as we know to come in direct contact with the   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Greeks, both in the way of conquest and alliance† Although this statement is unlikely to be true, the significance of Croesus not being Greek is obviously very high. Herodotus tells moral stories using historical figures, Croesus being one of them. For example, the story of him and Solon, which is almost certainly untrue when we see Croesus ignoring a wise person’s thoughts and advice. As his Histories were written for a Greek audience, it wouldn’t have been wise to show a Greek to be so foolish and a barbarian like Croesus would have been a good person to choose. Herodotus, at the time of writing, would have been telling the histories to entertain Athenian people. For entertainment’s sake, Croesus being a foreigner would have been very important, as his life would be a new and untold story that his audience wouldn’t have heard before, whereas had he been a Greek, people knowing about him would have been highly likely. Croesus, we see, while being extremely generous towards the Delphic Oracle, questions and tests it and later makes mistakes in interpreting the prophecies. Any message Herodotus was trying to convey here, again is better done so through a non-Greek, being somewhat foolish, rather than a Greek like his audience. The point of Herodotus’ Histories was to tell the story of the Persian Wars with background from both sides so to find a cause for it. He says in his opening paragraph:

Interior and Exterior Concepts of Visual Merchandising Essay

Visual merchandising is the art of implementing effective design ideas to increase store traffic and sales volume. Visual merchandising is known to be silent selling, in the sense that the product should sell itself. It is all about delivering good customer service to enhance the experience in store. There are many tactics and techniques for visual merchandising which are all linked to the physiological ways of the consumer are buying behaviours. Visual merchandising is very important to retailers because it shows how well they know the consumer, it will increase their foot flow in store and their sales if they get it right. It is important because it’s about creating the right experience to make them want to come back and buy things when in store. I will be looking at visual merchandising of three stores. The three stores I have chosen are Bank, JD sports and Farm and Pet place. Bank: Bank has a target market of 15-25, they provide the latest branded fashion and the competitors are arcadia group. JD Sports: JD sells the latest sportswear for their target market of sports enthusiasts. Their competitors are JJB sports and Sports direct. Farm and Pet Place: Farm and Pet place provide farm and get goods to its target market of farmers and pet owners. Its main competitors are pets at home and wynnstays. Findings Location & Visual Merchandising There are three types of locations for retailers these are: * Primary * Secondary * Anchor As the primary location is the main, they are town or city, it is important the retailer makes the store stand out compared to its competitors. Retailers in a primary location usually have standard visual merchandising. The secondary location is the quieter area of the towns and cities far away from main facilities and amenities; this is why there is less foot flow than a primary location. There is normally not a lot of space for retailers to experiment with their visual merchandise and the retailers located in the secondary location usually have poor visual merchandising as they follow procedure instead of being creative as they don’t have a big budget. An anchor store is a store within a precinct or on a high street with large overheads it attracts well known retailers who have the pulling factor to bring other retailers to the area. An anchor store retailer will have a very large budget to be able to become creative with their visual merchandising this why they usually have very food visual merchandising. Bank store in Llandudno is in a secondary location, so is Farm and Pet place and JD sports. Bank and JD are both in outlet centres therefore they have a lot of foot flow even though it’s just a secondary location. I think that Farm and Pet place are situated in a place where there isn’t much foot flow; you’d go there because you knew about it. Purpose Built or Interior Buildings Whether a retailer has decided to buy a previously owned building or buy a purpose built building, it affects the visual merchandising as every building has a different shape. If retailers buy a purpose built building they will have an advantage as they’re much better for visual merchandising because of the shape and the height, it is more suited. The purpose built buildings have considered the needs of the visual merchandising. For the inherited buildings it is not as easy as some of them are listed therefore the shop front cannot be changed, so if a retailer wanted to have a fancy shop front they could not because the building cannot be changed. Also they are really narrow and long therefor it is really cramped spacing to visual merchandise; it limits how much you are able to do. Even though purpose built buildings are more costly they are more cost effective in the long run. Bank has a purpose built building, however they haven’t taken full advantage of it because they have a false ceiling which could be potential selling space but it’s been wasted because they rushed getting the store open. The Farm and Pet place also have a purpose built building which they too haven’t taken full advantage of as they have windows in their store except the glass in the entrance doors. JD has purpose built buildings and they have taken full advantage of their purpose built store as they have put everything to its use. It has two floors, one for clothes products and the upper level footwear selling space. Store Architecture The design indicates the size and prestige of the retailers operation. The use of materials will create different images and effects within the store. As I have mentioned in the above paragraph about listed buildings, retailers are unable to change them to suit the ways of their visual merchandising as they cannot be structurally altered. As all three of the retailers I have chosen have purpose built stores they should be able to store and suit their store to the type of visual merchandising they may have, it should work in their advantage however in these cases it seems to not work as an advantage as they have poor visual merchandising displays. Farm and Pet place have no windows even though there store is purpose built so they could change it they haven’t therefore they have window displays to encourage people to go into the store. Even though JD have ken full advantage of the space of their purpose built store they don’t use their window space properly as they have little displays and Bank haven’t used their second floor and aren’t very creative with their displays. Fascia The fascia of a store is what identifies the store and attracts attention from the public. They also are what able customers to identify the store, what is sold and where the retailer is located. Here are three types of fascia: * Straight Flat Format * Side Hanging Format * Raised Front Format The straight flat format can only be seen from the front of the shop I feel this this isn’t the best option for a fascia as it doesn’t stand out very well they usually use these formats in precincts. The side hanging fascia are usually used in high streets, they are quite affective as customers can see it from both directions, creating more attention. The raised front format is usually illuminated and can be seen from far away I feel this is good as it creates a lot of attention from people walking past or people passing in cars. Many retailers tend to take a safe approach to their logo for example just using a black and white colour scheme, this is not a good approach as the store doesn’t stand out and it may lose out to other competitors. It is replicated throughout the store. Bank and JD have raised front format but Farm and Pet place has a straight flat format, Bank stores sign lights up as does JD which makes it visible to customers in the dark but Farm and Pet Place don’t have a sign that lights up. As is their window isplays in Bank and JD they have timing for the lights to go on and off at appropriate times but because Farm and Pet Place don’t have any windows, as they are a warehouse, they don’t need timed lights. All three retailers have their brand displayed through the fascias. I think as a recommendation to them all they should invest in side hanging fascia this makes it harder for customers to overlook the store because they haven’t seen the sign. As a personal recommendation to Farm and Pet Place they should light up their sign and invest in windows to display their merchandise. The Importance of the Shop Format This is the first part of the store which the customers see, this is where they create there first impression therefore it is important to get it right. There are three recognised types of shop front these are: * The Straight Front * The Angled Front * The Arcade Front The straight front is for shops that run parallel to the street with small entrance; this is hard for retailers with visual merchandising as they have small spaces to work with to be able to make their shop front stand out. This makes it harder to compete with competitors. The angled front enables shops to create a more attractive and interesting front this helps direct customers into the store. It also creates a better viewing angle and can reduce the glare on the window making everything more visible. The arcade front is straight with several recessed window and entrances this provides the shopper with a protected area for window shopping drawing them in and creating a more relaxed atmosphere. The Importance of Window Displays The window displays an important part of visual merchandising as this is what entices the customer into entering the store. In order to pull the customers into the store is through window dressing, it needs to grab the customer’s attention it only takes 3 seconds for a customer to gain an impression. There are two types of window displays these are: * Simplistic * Artistic The UK retailers have tended to stick to the simplistic look for their window displays except for the bigger stores such as Harrods as they have a lot of money to spend. The purpose of the window displays is to represent a small sample of merchandise the store holds and to enforce their corporate image; they are also to be informative to the customers. Informative window displays provide information to customers for example as we have had the Olympics back in 2012, the theme of their window may be based around that theme. The fact that they were themed displays around the Olympics meant that they would be tackling two things at once because you are meant to display them in an informative way. As Farm and Pet Place don’t have a window they cannot display window displays and customers cannot see anything they see in store they actually have to go into the store this may put customers off as a lot of customers like to window shop. Bank fashion has a very simple window display, it shows what offers they have but they don’t show many products displayed in their window, so to improve they could think about extending the window space to display more products to show their range that they stock in store and be more creative. JD Sports don’t have a good window display, they display barely any products and a few pairs of footwear, it doesn’t look appealing to customers therefore they won’t go into the store because of the window display.

Brunos Change Essay the Boy in the Stripped Pyjamas

How does Bruno grow and change in the novel, if at all? Bruno does grow and change in the book but slowly; it is only in the end that he truly evolves. Does he change when he moves to Out-With? And the first time he sees the camp, does he see it for what it is? When he meets Shmuel that’s when he really changes. The writer has Bruno change so he develops personality. This is important because you need to get to know him when you read the book. Bruno does change a little bit when he moves to Out-With. He does get bored more easily (which anyone would if you had to move to the middle of nowhere) and he feels sad that he had to move away from his friends. So Bruno does change but it’s hardly noticeable. When Bruno first sees the camp he doesn’t know what it is. It is only near the end when he goes inside that he actually sees that it’s a cruel, dirty and racist place. Gretel is also confused by it at first, â€Å"A group of children being shouted at by soldiers†¦Ã¢â‚¬ËœIt must be a rehearsal’ suggested Gretel† (page 37) this shows how clueless she was but then later in the book she knows what it’s all about. When Bruno meets Shmuel he changes massively. He starts to forget what his three friends were called. He understands things more. But the main thing to make him change was FRIENDSHIP! Without friendship he wouldn’t have changed. When he finally sees the camp for what it is he changes in a way not many people would. When he dies he holds hands with Shmuel. That is true friendship. â€Å"He took hold of Shmuel’s tiny hand in his and squeezed it tight ‘You’re my best friend Shmuel, my best friend for life’†¦and despite all the chaos that followed, Bruno found he was still holding Shmuel’s hand and nothing in the world would have persuaded him to let go. † So Bruno Does grow and change throughout whole book. But in the end it was friendship that really changed him.

Halloween & Christmas? Similar or Different? Essay

When you think about Christmas and Halloween you think that they are two completely different holidays. But are they really, are they completely different or are they the same thing just celebrated at different times in the year. Well thats what we are going to find out. Christmas celebrated on December 25 and Halloween celebrated on October 31 very unique holidays with many questions to be answered. Lets start with Halloween since that comes first in the year. Halloween is a holiday celebrated at night on October 31st. The word Halloween is shortening All Hallows’ Evening also known as Hallowe’en or All Hallows’ Eve. The traditional activities include trick-or-treating, bonfires, costume parties, visiting â€Å"haunted houses† and carving or painting pumpkins into jack-o-lanterns. Irish and Scottish immigrants carried versions of the tradition to North America in the nineteenth century. Other western countries embrace the holiday in the late twentieth century including Ireland, the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico and the United Kingdom as well as Australia and New Zealand. The ancient Gaels believed that on October 31, the boundaries between the worlds of the living and the dead overlapped and the deceased would come back to life and cause havoc such as sickness or damaged crops. The countries this scary holiday is celebrated in are; Austria, Korea , Belgium, Mexico (day of the dead), Canada, Latin America, China, Spain, Sweden, Czechoslovakia, England, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, and Japan. Christmas is both a sacred religious holiday and a worldwide cultural and commercial phenomenon. For two millennia, people around the world have been observing it with traditions and practices that are both religious and secular in nature. Christians celebrate Christmas Day as the anniversary of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, a spiritual leader whose teachings form the basis of their religion. Popular customs include exchanging gifts, decorating Christmas trees, attending church, sharing meals with family and friends and, of course, waiting for Santa Claus to arrive. December 25–Christmas Day–has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1870.

Malaysia Race Relation Essay

In my opinion, the state of race relations in Malaysia has been good despite the many political agenda that has been thrown onto us. Yes, there are many instances that we feel like our rights have been denied because of our racial background and certain races are given more preference. I have heard of the 1Malaysia concept, but I think we don’t need to be told to be united. We have come such a long way that it should already be embedded in our hearts and minds that we are united. Unfortunately, you can still see racial discrimination and polarisation. There is still this ethno-centric view that the Malays are the dominant group and their rights must be protected, and non Malays are forever the outsiders. For the concept to succeed, I think the government should stop with the race politics. It’s tiring, really. We grew up with application forms asking us to tick our race. We should stop painting a negative image of the other races, stop thinking about ‘us’ and ‘them’ and focus on ‘we’, ‘our’ and ‘Malaysians’. No one should be made uncomfortable in their own home. A dear Chinese friend of mine said to me once, â€Å"I don’t feel patriotic because I am not made to feel like Malaysia is my home, and I don’t feel an affinity to China because I have never lived there. † But even with all this said, I think we have such a high tolerance for our fellow friends of different races. Even though there is ongoing racial tension, we do not take it out on the other races. We do rally for the well being of our own race without offending the others. A great example of our unity would be definitely seen during the festive seasons. Every single open house you go to regardless the festival, Hari Raya, Chinese New Year, Deepavali or Christmas, it would be mix of every other race coming together. The food prepared are taken into consideration of the other races taboo. In conclusion, I think Malaysians are truly tolerant towards each other. In my generation, I personally think race is no longer a social issue and everyone gets along with every other person regardless the race.

The greater power of politics is within the grasp of people Essay

The greater power of politics is within the grasp of people - Essay Example The contract tradition gives verdict regarding what is natural and what is non-natural. Difference of thought among the three authors is most of the time overlooked due to the practice of grouping them together. The â€Å"Social Contract† as a theory was written in the 17th and 18th century. This theory advocated four important points. Firstly the state exists to serve the will of the people. Secondly people are the only source of government power. Thirdly the people are free to accept or refuse to give power to the government. Finally the document advocates for limited government, individual rights, and popular sovereignty. Thomas Hobbes and John Locke were very prominent personalities, and both had a tremendous influence on the future of England. Despite these common personality traits, some of their beliefs are very different. For example, Hobbes believes that politics is based on the desire of power and the fear of death. He wants to create a powerful state and called it à ¢â‚¬Å"Leviathan†. (â€Å"A government to protect the people from one another to keep them in fear†) In the â€Å"Social Contract† Hobbes suggests that men should give up their rights to an authority to act for them, on their behalf. He said that sovereign authority had to be absolute in order to prevail over the fear of death in state of nature. From this it is clear that only reason for existence of the governments was the safety of the people. There are some strange and unusual statements regarding what is natural, what is non-natural and what is merely manufactured by humans. Thomas Hobbes writing is one of the most profound and influential political literature ever written. His Leviathan was written at the time of the English Civil War. The impact and result of Civil War had greatly influenced the ideas of Hobbes. He saw the power of the people in the war therefore he argued that the government’s power comes from consent of the people. This idea was wi dely used in the American Revolution. Thomas Hobbes begins his argument by stating the nature of humanity. No human is perfect and combination of different aspects. One man can be better in some regard than another man but in the end, their positive and negative aspects combine to make them equal. In the state of nature this equality brings fear to men. They begin to suspect and hate one another, which put them on the path of war. When men are at war morals, principles and fairness evaporate. The absence of a central governing authority compels men to act according to their own understanding. Hobbes states three main reasons that force a man to war: Competition, Fear, and Glory. "The first, make men invade for gain; the second, for safety; and the third for reputation". War goes on for a long time without any logic or reason. No matter how successful a war may be, there are always losses. In addition, if man is always at war, he loses civilization, resources, time, culture, and ethi cs. He starts depending on animal surviving instinct, always keeping his guard against any other man. All the war is for the safety and life but it is the fear of death which prevents men from constant involvement in war. There is little time for building and civilizing the world or to enjoy life and resources won in the war. The state of being in constant war, or fearing that there is war, takes up a lot or all of the time. In this

Propaganda and British Cinema Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Propaganda and British Cinema - Essay Example It mostly applies to the human sense of sight. British film descended from French Lumiere brothers in 1892 and their first show was in 1896.The first moving picture was in 1889.The founder and the leader of documentary movement was John Grierson.He had the believe that film and documentary film could make a significant impact in the society by providing an effective medium between the state and the public. The government used the authors and actors of films to execute its propaganda agenda. J and Church -Gibson (1995) During Second World War, Movies were mainly used to promote the popular image of the nation and emphasize on patriotism. These films were about people affected by the war and the effect of war in the society. The Second World War pushed the issue related with censorship to the periphery and this led to direct intervention of the government. The movies at this period combined propaganda on behalf of war effort with dramatic action, romance and other features of entertainment movies. Adler, A. Jay (2004) In the mid nineteen hundred and twenties British cinema was loosing to the Hollywood. There was also war propaganda which was depicted by these movies. Propaganda is highly practical since it is both hidden and clear. Propaganda can be good or can be bad, democratic or totalitarian. Aldgate Anthony (1994) The cinema emerged as one of mass entertainment which had great acceptance among the population. Movies developed from a less developed entity to an important mean of communication, entertainment and mass production. Motion pictures films have significantly contributed in art, politics and technology in twentieth century. J and Church Gibson (1995) The production of the cinema was cheap and quick and the aim was to achieve the quota of twenty percent of screen space in Britain to be reserved to English film production. The first English sound tape was produced in 1929 by Hitchcock .Hitchcock was an artist who has experienced great Germany expressionism. He designed each stage including the minute detail which enhanced forcing of the intensity on the screen. The details included the scenery, music, soundtrack, actors and other obligatory. It so gracefully united horrifying, absurd and the idealistic features in such pictures. In 1940 he was awarded an Oscar award as the best picture of the year in the movie "Rebecca." Aldgate Anthony (1994) The cinema has socially and sensitively reflected many major events which are global historical changes that occurred in the 20th century. These changes include noteworthy events that included fall of empires which led to change in direction of historical and cultural development at the end of 19th century. This proves that the development of a society in connection with art rises develops and falls. J and Church -Gibson (1995) The histories of the twentieth century led to the change in attitude of the people and nations which led to the development of the influential art of cinema. Cinema was the most dynamical art since it embodied the development of Grand National awareness in the state. There is a connection of a propaganda literature of the Great Britain and its reflection in the cinema. Adler, A. Jay (2004) The imperialism theme researches of English cinema starts during the fall of the empires and beginning of the struggling of the public of developing countries. It is in 1960s that a margin of great importance is formed in

MANAGING AND LEADING STRATEGIC CHANGE Assignment

MANAGING AND LEADING STRATEGIC CHANGE - Assignment Example In the next one hundred years, advancements in information technology and communication promise to transform the business landscape in a significant manner. As a result, the success of managers will depend on their ability to identify the skills needed to thrive in a changing business landscape and taking the necessary steps to acquire them (Quast 2011). The paper has adopted a broad approach to the issue. The move is influenced by the realization that changes in the business environment affect all the industries. Consequently, the best way to have a significant impact in the society is to evaluate the issue in a manner that is useful to a broad section of business leaders. An evaluation of the society reveals key trends influencing the change landscape. In this section, those trends will be addressed. In addition, it is necessary to address the best way for business managers to respond to these changes. The first trend involves the creation of a global village. The current physical boundaries are bound to be overwhelmed by the borderless internet. A significant drop in the cost of computing devices and bandwidth has led to a significant increase in the number of internet users. Prominent individuals and established organizations have joined forces to increase the adoption of the internet. For example, the founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg has created internet.org in an effort to get all people online (Eugene 2014). Should such efforts achieve a modest result, then a large part of the world will have access to the internet. Business organizations would have the opportunity to communicate to consumers from different parts of the world through social media platforms. Similarly, they will be able access a large market through the adoption of e-commerce. However, the negative consequences involve increased competition among businesses. Furthermore, the cost of starting a business that can disrupt established

Strategic Analysis on Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Strategic Analysis on Industry - Essay Example The report concludes with key drivers for change and success in the selected industry. The UK Hotels and Motels Industry comprises of establishments that are providing short-term lodging including hotels, motor hotels, resort hotels, and motels. In addition to the lodging services they also offer services, such as food and beverage services, recreational services, conference rooms and convention services, laundry services, parking, and other services1. The UK hotels and motels industry could be segregated into different groups according to the type of customers they serve including domestic consumers, domestic business and international business & consumers. Evaluation of the UK hotels and motels industry suggest that the main revenue drivers other than providing accommodation are from services such as casinos, conferences, matrimonial gatherings, social functions, shops and telecommunication services. A recent survey carried out by Data Monitor, a research company, highlighted that the total revenues of the UK Hotels and Motels Industry were $35 billion in 2008 that implies a CAGR of 5.6% over the period 2004-2008. However, the same report expects that the industry will slow down because of the poor economic conditions currently prevailing in the global market and lower spending on travel and tourism. The industry is expected to grow at a lower CAGR of 3% till 2013 to reach a level of $40.1 billion2. The international political scenario is negating the growth prospects of the hotels and motels industry. The political risks have direct correlation with the investment decisions of international hotel companies in developing countries. Political instability in a country creates social unrest that could affect the flow of travellers to that country that may in return affect the sales of hotels and motels. These political risks could also be viewed as

Technological change and innovation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Technological change and innovation - Essay Example This article examines how organizations can help promote and leverage the use of technology and innovation. While it may be true that there is a proliferation of research and product development centers across the globe, these concentrate on optimizing technology which is readily accessible. Even those tagged as benchmarks of technological and innovative excellence, they are inclined to using the technologies that are domestically available within the region in which they operate (Hunt & Morgan, 1995). Its is not frequent to see that innovative activities synthesize distinctive knowledge around the world as potently as supply chains gather components from , raw materials, labor and services. In addition, the functional units which are accountable for innovation in majority of organizations are frequently poorly equipped to save on costs by availing knowledge from nonconventional, more cost-effective regions (Chesborough, 2003; Malecki, 1991). Despite this, there are exceptional organizations that have managed to establish innovative, integrated supply chain that are indeed global, permitting them to outperform their competitors through the prudent use of technological knowledge (Kotter & Heskett, 1992). They have been able to apply a process for innovating that goes beyond domestic clusters and national boundaries, becoming â€Å"metanational innovators†. This strategy of utilizing local technology, market intelligence, and capabilities has accorded them a potent contributor to competitive advantage: more, higher value innovation that is also more cost-efficient (Chesborough, 2003). To get a clearer understanding of the benefits of metanational technology and innovation, one may evaluate the war between Motorola Inc. and Nokia Corp. in the cellular phone arena. Motorola was an acknowledged pioneer in the industry, establishing a strong foundation through breakthrough research from Bell Laboratories. By using US technological