Analyzing Countee Cullen’s poem “Incident”

The poem â€Å"Incident† (1925) is one Countee Cullen’s famous literary works which essentially narrates the experience of the speaker in Baltimore at a young age. Although Cullen is considered as Black, he did not want other people to refer to him as a Black poet but simply a poet for he believes that poetry is without race. In Countee Cullen’s poem, the speaker narrates the treatment the speaker received from a Baltimorean of almost the same age which reflects the idea that during those times discrimination based on color is evident. Being called a â€Å"Nigger† in the poem, the speaker attempts to emphasize the idea that the social atmosphere in Baltimore during those days was not conducive to Blacks. In analyzing the poem, I intend to use the structuralist frameworks of Ferdinand de Saussure and Roland Barthes. Although both are huge thinkers under the umbrella of semiology, there are apparent distinctions between the approaches taken by both philosophers. Moreover, these distinctions will help us look deeper into the poem from seemingly distinct point of views, thereby allowing the reader to acknowledge the fact that, under the helm of structuralism, there are structural relationships between concepts and that these relationships differ among various cultures or languages. Consequently, the theory asserts that these relationships can be explored and substantially exposed with an underlying purpose. In essence, the paper attempts to critically analyze Countee Cullen's poem â€Å"Incident† by using the structuralist theoretical frameworks of Roland Barthes and Ferdinand de Saussure. The analysis further attempts to elucidate several significant contentions embedded into the poem. Ferdinand de Saussure: signifier and signified Ferdinand de Saussure is the proponent of the dualistic notion of signs where he proposed the idea of signifier and signified. In essence, a signifier is the phrase uttered or the form of the word expressed while on the other hand a signified is a mental concept. Saussure further proposed that the signifier can be related to the signified or that there is a relationship between the two concepts. Distancing himself from the Platonic doctrine of the relationship between the signifier and the object it signifies, Saussure rather contended that there is no apparent or necessary connection between the sign and its presumed meaning. His contention rests on his presumption that the sign by nature is entirely arbitrary which corresponds to the idea that one can come up with a sign for a certain object yet there is no necessary or fixed connection between the signifier and its meaning for the reason that the sign is arbitrarily created. Perhaps Ferdinand de Saussure is also known for his claim that no word is inherently meaningful primarily because a word serves only as a signifier or as the representation of an object. Further, the signifier should be corroborated with the signified or the thing itself within the brain so as to create a meaning-imbued ‘sign'. Roland Barthes: bourgeois interrogations Roland Barthes can be credited for the claim that semiology is of substantial help in interrogating fragments of cultural material in order to reveal how the bourgeois society used these fragments of cultural material in order to assert the values of the bourgeois society upon other individuals. He explained that the ‘myths' created by the bourgeois society are mere significations or second-order signs such as the case where the portrayal of wine as a lively and healthy habit in the societies in France is an ideal perception of these bourgeois societies which, on the other hand, are contradicted by several realities such as the reality that wine can also be inebriating as well as unhealthy. Critical literary analysis In the first two lines of the poem, it can be noted that the speaker was traveling or, more precisely, â€Å"riding in old Baltimore† who appears to be happy that day. While riding, the speaker saw a Baltimorean kept on â€Å"looking straight† at the speaker. These first two lines give us the idea that there is a differing attitude of local Baltimoreans during those days towards Black people. At this point in the poem, it can be noted that a Black individual with a â€Å"heart-filled, head-filled with glee† is an ironic statement since Baltimore, Maryland has a history of Black slavery (Phillips 18). Hence, a Black individual roaming the locality of Baltimore with a cheerful countenance appears to strike the attention of those who have lived there and those who have an understanding of the historical context of the society. Hence, it is no surprise that the Baltimorean kept â€Å"looking straight† at the speaker. In the context of Saussure, the concept of â€Å"old Baltimore† may suggest the presumption that it may not necessarily be the case that the area of â€Å"Baltimore† is not to be taken strictly in the sense of being â€Å"old† in terms of age. Rather, there may still be other ‘meanings' which can be attached to it such as the concept of being ‘weak', ‘physically impaired', or ‘handicapped' in many different ways such as handicapped in terms of being able to provide the protection for its citizens or individuals who are situated in Baltimore. These are just a few of the possible meanings which can be attached to the concept of ‘old Baltimore'. Saussure opens several other possibilities other than what Cullen explicitly states in his poem. In essence, these first two lines indicate that the whole poem is open to several interpretations. The contention of structuralists can be juxtaposed with the reality during the time when the poem was written. Being a state that held slaves of which it was made legal prior to 1850 and where Blacks had a significant presence in the locality, the history of Baltimore and the larger state of Maryland encapsulates a significant degree of importance on the social roles and identity of blacks during those times. In the poem, the speaker highlights the fact that, although Blacks took an important role in the development of Baltimore historically speaking, treatment towards them from local people was still tainted with a discriminatory nature. Roland Barthes, for this matter, will contend that the concept of ‘old Baltimore' may reveal the idea that Baltimore is equivalent to that of a bourgeois society who maintained slavery as a common practice in order to sustain the perception that it is ideal in the promotion of the welfare of the whole society. In the second stanza of the poem, the speaker narrates his experience that time when he was â€Å"eight and very small†. Eventually, after noticing the Baltimorean who kept looking, the speaker â€Å"smiled† knowing that the Baltimorean â€Å"was no whit bigger†. The speaker, then, tried to highlight the idea that, while Blacks attempted to portray a cheerful countenance or at least a normal perception of their society that for once held their race as slaves, their society in return gave them a negative response. This is made evident in the last two lines in the second stanza of the poem where the Baltimorean â€Å"poked out his tongue† and called the speaker â€Å"Nigger† even though the speaker merely â€Å"smiled† at him. The act of poking out the tongue is a gesture that is commonly taken to mean as an unkind gesture, one that depicts sarcasm, mockery, or an insult towards one’s being. Moreover, for a child, the act of poking out the tongue towards somebody of almost the same age or size is an act that shows hatred, disgust, or ideas similar to that. Apparently, this observation reinforces the contention of Roland Barthes that, indeed, there is an underlying bourgeois precept lingering in Baltimore during those times. What is more striking is that the Baltimorean did not only make the gesture of poking out his tongue. He also called the speaker â€Å"Nigger† which, during those early days, translates into a form of mockery or insult. It highlights the idea that, by calling a person â€Å"Nigger†, that person is treated to be as someone who belongs to the lower levels of the larger society. And while Maryland is historically known to have made slavery legal back in the 1800s (Phillips 18), Black people would have been treated as lesser than being human beings. In essence, Barthes' contention of an underlying bourgeois precept in Baltimore during those days is easily seen in the poem. The system of slavery and the racial prejudice present the idea that these concepts are significations where, perhaps, the Baltimorean society altered the way in which the perceptions of races are viewed in order to favor the bias towards the white race and heighten the prejudice towards the Blacks. In the poem where the speaker is called by the Baltimorean as â€Å"Nigger†, one can note the idea that there is social segregation or the idea that there is the separation or delineation of Blacks from the rest of those who lived in the area. By suggesting the idea of social segregation, the poem attempts emphasize the separate treatment for Blacks, delegating them under a lower status and social indifference. It gives us the sense that, while there are perceived demarcations in social hierarchy at least in the context of Baltimore, Maryland, there remains the larger truth that slavery poses a great deal of role in this demarcation. Roland Barthes might very well agree with these contentions for the reason that the social indifference towards the Blacks is a result of the significations brought about by the individuals who hold the financial foundations for the means of building or maintaining the society. As a child of eight years, the psychological effects of the experience of being called a â€Å"Nigger† is emotionally or psychologically devastating which is the idea being presented in the last stanza (Piaget 81). In the third and final stanza, the speaker narrates that he was able to see and experience â€Å"the whole of Baltimore from May until December.† For some reason, the speaker went on to stay in Baltimore for almost seven months, lingering with various people in the place and experiencing many other things as a child of eight years. And during those seven months and â€Å"of all the things that happened there†, the speaker is only able to remember the day when he was given an indifferent treatment from the Baltimorean. Saussure may suggest the idea that the psychological impact of that experience which lingered for all those months, and even perhaps until the speaker grew older, is still open to further interpretation. When an individual is still able to remember every detail of an event or experience that transpired long ago, it might entail that the event or experience was unforgettable which was greatly absorbed into the memory of the person. It suggests the idea that being called a â€Å"Nigger† will not be forgotten. On the other hand, it might also entail that event being signified is relatively flexible in terms of interpretation such that the event experienced by the narrator will apparently be forgotten. In essence, what Saussure might suggest is the presumption that these events, including all of the signifiers and signified concepts and the relationships that appear to be involved, have no fixed meanings. These things are subject to human interpretation as the meanings of these things are not in any way fixed. Works Cited Cullen, Countee. â€Å"Incident.†Ã‚   Caroling Dusk: An Anthology of Verse by Black Poets of the Twenties. New York, N.Y.: Citadel, 1993. 187. Phillips, Christopher. â€Å"Slavery and the Growth of Baltimore.†Ã‚   Freedom's Port: The African American Community of Baltimore, 1790-1860 (Blacks in the New World). Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1997. 18. Piaget, Jean. â€Å"Memory and the Structure of Imge-Memories.†Ã‚   The Psychology of the Child. New York, N.Y.: Basic Books, 2000. 81.   

Honor killingskillings Essay

It is shocking to see that in today’s era when education and awareness has become the most integral part of human and societal development. Moreover, women empowerment and their role in every walk of lives have changed over the period of time. There are still such hideous practices that are being done in some parts of the world under the disguised name of honor killing and Pakistan being one of the countries which holds the highest rates of honor killings in the world. Karo Kari another name for ignorance. This name originated from the rural areas of interior sindh. It is being practiced in areas of Sindh such as Jacocabad, Sukkur, Khairpur, and Larkana along with other areas of Sindh and some places in Punjab. THE TRIBAL SYSTEM Pakistani society is rich with multiple cultures and ethnic backgrounds. Each of these cultures and people from diversified ethnic groups come from distinct backgrounds and live together hence they have their own traditions and customs which they have been following since years. In the rural areas of Pakistan the tribal system still exists such as areas in the interior sindh. This is where the ‘jirga’ system or commonly known as the â€Å"panchayat† system exists. Under this system the rich and the influential class of the village tends to form a committee and takes decisions on behalf of everyone and the decision given by this group is bound to be accepted by every member of the society. They have their own way of judging the case and passing a verdict on that, they take their own time, they think over it and give the date for the decision. The lower and the poor working class is suppressed under this system as they don’t have any say in it and obliged to follow it. KARO KARI Karo Kari is practiced when the women of the family has brought dishonor to the family name by any means. This could be if the woman has any illicit relations with any man, or an extra marital affair, she could be a rape victim or even if she wants to get married to somebody of her choice she is brutally killed by one of the family members themselves in order to bring back the lost glory and name of the family. It is not just this that an innocent women can be categorized as Kari and killed it is also when the family and the brothers want to keep the property and resolve land disputes she becomes a victim of this murder, for example if a man owes some money to a person and that creditor comes to his place in order to collect the money to his place from another village and stays over night. The person who owes the money would kill his wife next day and declare her a Kari so that he doesn’t have to pay the money . in this way the creditor would choose to leave without taking the money rather being declared as Karo and being killed. Similarly a man can be declared a Karo even if he doesn’t have any kind of affair with a woman but he has any form of dispute with some other tribe and he’ll be killed under the name of honor killing. These killings tend to have the most inhuman ways of torturing some one and sentencing them to death. They will bury the girl alive recently in one of the states of Sindh, Khairpur; a girl was thrown in front of dogs to be torn apart as an act of hour killing. THE RISE IN THE NUMBER OF KILLINGS It is very depressing to see that the trend in the number of killings that has taken place due to this has increased over the years instead of dropping. It is estimated that over the last six years in Pakistan the number of deaths caused by Karo Kari have been more than six thousand which included around 800 men too, so it is not just women who fall for this, there are men too but their number is relatively lower than the women. Different societies have different people and thinking therefore they believe what they are doing is the right way but this practice of suppressing the right of women and taking her right to live is a murderous crime and contradictory to the teachings of Islam. It is that barbaric evil of the society that has to be eliminated completely. Even worse is the fact that the rich and influential class tends to get away with this practice while the poor are helpless and they become the victim. THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT As far as the government and other NGO’s are concerned then in the year 2004 there was an amendment made in the constitution which declared honor killings such as Karo Kari as equal to murder however, this amendment never came into practice because under another clause of the constitution it was stated that the accused can get away with the crime if one gets the consent of the family and in this case of Karo Kari the victims family itself is the one who are doing it therefore nobody can be put to trial as they don’t appear in the police station. It is the government’s duty to look into this matter and they should have made an alteration in the other amendment so that this brutal practice can be put to an end, however no concrete step has been taken to curb this. KARO KARI IS UNJUSTIFIABLE Karo Kari is a cultural shock to anyone who belongs to a civilized, developed and educated society and would condemn it. it is a murder not a punishment there could be any other ways of punishing one for their doings but such act is not justifiable on any grounds, it is barbaric and takes away the freedom of speech and expression. The dominating men in the â€Å"jirga† system have curbed the rights of women in these rural areas. It is actually the sardars who are the influential â€Å"waderas† who tend to encourage this practice as this increases their prestige in the society ,over that they get a compensation from the â€Å"jirga† too. Karo Kari is another name for ignorance, Islam has already restricted the Muslims and it has set punishments for the victim therefore any other act that is being practiced under its name is simply ignorance. In Islam having an illicit sexual relationship is condemned and the accused is whipped not subject to killing. How can one justify the killing of a woman who has been subjected to rape? By declaring such a women Kari and killing her society is depriving the soul from getting justice and instead of taking her out of that trauma one is putting an end to her life. Why are women accused more then men in Karo Kari, it is not that men are more faithful then women it is just that women are weak in these areas and men are strong that is why they are able to get away with it. These â€Å"jirga† have no right to take away the liberty to live from such people; they should work for the benefits of the society by coming to a conclusion on the basis of â€Å"shariah† not merely stay ignorant. Women are not property that their life is kept at stake to resolve land disputes. Moreover the killing is done in the most inhuman way. To bury some one alive, throwing her in front of dogs or to burn her alive is unjustifiable. Such practices were there in the olden days when there was no education and no awareness but it’s shocking that it still exists in our society and nobody has done anything to put an end to it. It is unjustly exploited by the feudal land lords and the elite class of the village who use Karo Kari to resolve their personal matters. One such incident took place when a native of interior Sindh came home after years of hard work from Dubai and brought money back home to start some form of business in his native land. He came in the eyes of the feudal lord due to his money and business. The opportunist wanted to trap him in the case of Karo Kari and he got the opportunity when the man by mistake prayed on the grave of some other women, thinking it to be his wife’s grave. The feudal lord took advantage of this and declared him a Karo; the man not only paid 15million to the land lord in order to save his life, he was kicked out of his home land and his business was taken away. There are many such instances when the influential people of the â€Å"panchayat† system tend to trap others for their own good and they use this practice of Karo Kari as a tool in order to get away with it. It is unfortunate to see that such murders are given the name of honor killings. THE URBAN AREAS VERSUS THE RURAL SETUP The tragedy with these women lies in the fact that they are born in such a set up and society where they are considered as a burden on the family. Girls still cannot compete with the boys and neither can they express their opinion. Sons are preferred over daughters. Daughters are not encouraged to go to school or get exposed to the outside world. Therefore their thinking is confined to just one place. They are expected to do what they are asked for and nothing else. Lives in the urban areas are an extreme opposite view of this. If one may not go far and compare with places in the similar province such as Karachi. The region is developed and modern. It is a cosmopolitan city and comprises of people from all caste, color and creed and they all share different cultures and languages and live altogether. Women here are educated and empowered like never before. They are independent, focused and know exactly what they want out of their lives. They are working as well as having a family and they are doing well in every walk of lives and competing with men. They take their own decisions. The living and culture of these societies varies from the rural areas actually there is no comparison. The two societies share the same religion and language yet again there are differences of opinions and thinking process. The urban life of Karachi is mush more modern and liberal as they are adopting the western culture in their society. Apart from the right to go out or make money, women can dress up the way she wants, socialize, make friends and do whatever she wants to. Girls are actually encouraged to go and study in co education and moreover sent abroad for further education and their families and relatives support them in this. In these urban areas there is no such thing as ‘jirga system. Life is different here justice drawn through legal courts and with the help of police. A rape victim can go to the police and lodge a complaint against the culprit and she has the right to live and fight for her right and nobody can stop her. All kinds of disputes pertaining to property, ownership, marriage or anything are resolved through legal procedure in the courts. After the age of eighteen years the girl and the boy have the right to choose her own life partner and get married to him legally. The concept of honor killings does not exist in these urban areas. This society has its own set of evils and drawbacks such as poverty, corruption, unemployment, terrorism. Women in urban areas are as influential and resourceful then men that they can not be dominated unjustly. Tribal system is a sign of backwardness and illiteracy and refusal to accept this fact is what is leading to what it is today. These two societies have completely different set of values, cultures, traditions and norms that they follow. The living and lifestyles of these people are also different. In the urban areas there are also powerful and influential people who tend to subjugate the weaker class, however that is done in entire different way where the free will of everyone is not included like the â€Å"jirga† system where everyone is bound to listen to them? Life in the urban society has made men and women strong and independent that’s the way they are brought up, whereas the tribal system has put them in a much weaker stand. The practice of Karo Kari is a social issue and it can not come to an end until there is no change in the social structure of the society and in order to change to be there, there has to be awareness and education and the powers of the rich and the land lords needs to be curbed so that they don’t exploit the common man who work for them as their slaves. It should not be encouraged but since it has been following from years and the people in the villages associate it as a matter of prestige and honor that is why is strongly accepted and being followed. It is not being used in villages to make easy money. The men’s of the family tend to kill their own daughter, wives and sisters ruthlessly in order to make easy money. it is actually depressing to see this that in today’s time such type of unjust ways of killings are taking place by the wrongdoers and they are justified on the basis of honor killings. 60% cases of the cases of Karo Kari are reported to be where the accused were innocent and yet killed. Every society and every religion have their own set of limitations which are known to all. Yet again those are not being followed that doesn’t mean that one can make use of it and exploit it on the basis of â€Å"ghayrat†. There are officials in the government who haven’t done anything to stop this practice because they feel it is not wrong, not only men, there are women who are seen in the political setup who have the ability to do something, yet are not doing anything. There are different cultures and people living in one country and each of them have their own problems and drawbacks. Whereas in one province one woman can get married by giving a divorce to her husband and in the other society she is buried alive if she has her own opinion. This tribal system has gone so worse that the people who live under it fear their death and therefore few try to escape and the ones who have money give that and get away with everything. Even if people try to escape these killings the villagers look for them and they kill them whenever and wherever they find them. Education is the key in all this that can reduce the gap and disparity among the two societies and give everyone the freedom to live as an independent citizen. ohou Key words Honor killings in Pakistan Karo Kari and the tribal system Women empowerment

Boston Marathon Bombing

The whole issue started when two bombs struck near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, turning the prepared celebrations into a bloody scene of destruction. According to what was said by Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis, the death toll had been three. Scores were injured at the scene. One of the dead was an 8-year-old boy, according to a state law enforcement source. Hospitals reported at least 144 people are being treated. At least eight of the patients are children. At least 10 people injured had limbs amputated, was treated by serial operations later on. Some injuries were so severe amputations were necessary. This all because of two mad young brothers vowed to protect and respect America and praised Allah to bless it. Some words are there about police deep failure said by many Americans connecting it to the failure of the CIA and FBI to prevent the 9/11 attacks, even though many of the perpetrators were known to these agencies and were being tracked. Despite the staggering security lapses that were acknowledged in the aftermath of 9/11, no high-level officials were fired. The American mass media have ignored an a report in the Russian newspaper Izvestia that it is in possession of documents from the Georgian Interior Ministry revealing that Tamerlan Tsarnaev , the guy who operated the attacks, attended a workshop in Georgia in the summer of 2012 sponsored by an organization called the Caucasus Fund, whose purpose was to recruit operatives in the northern Caucasus. The Georgian Interior Ministry has denied Izvestia ’s allegations, insisting that Tsarnaev never set foot in Georgia while all the American agencies were taking a nap out of all this. The US government has a long tradition of cultivating ties with such reactionary forces. It played a central role in fomenting radical Islamism in Afghanistan before and during the Soviet-Afghan war of the 1980s, in an effort to undermine Soviet influence in the region. The emergence of Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda, which evolved out of the organization that oversaw logistical support to the Islamist anti-Soviet fighters, was the direct product of this war. Bin Laden is the first suspect in the attacks of 9/11 and recently killed near the boundary area between Pakistan and Afghanistan. ( New questions on Boston bombing suspects’ ties to us intelligence, 2013) The US intelligence community should change his way of treatment going deeper into the reasons of such attacks to cut them off. No single justification will be accepted if any other American has been killed over the American Land by the hand of a terrorist. There is so much money and endless funds are spent for the sake of the national security. Those people are to work harder without any faults because a small damned fault can cost American people certain death. That’s the only recommendation to be given to prevent any coming attack. References 1. Andrea , P. (2013). New questions on boston bombing suspects’ ties to us intelligence. Retrieved from http://www. wsws. org/en/articles/2013/04/29/izve-a29. html

PROGRAMMING AND CULTURE IN ARCHITECTURE WAY Assignment

PROGRAMMING AND CULTURE IN ARCHITECTURE WAY - Assignment Example On a further note, the other major functionalities of the site include possessing a small grocery store in the restaurant wherein the customers can find traditional Guatemalan foods and setting the environment of the place with beautiful paintings and marimba music. Considering the major functions that have been previously discussed, the element concerning the level of competition prevalent within the site is likely to be less important for Guatemalteca Bakery Restaurant. This can be judged based on the fact that the business of the restaurant focuses on providing superior quality of products and/or services related to various menus of foods as well as other add-on facilities to the customers that enabled towards sustaining its operations efficiently (Pearson South Africa 78). In addition, the element concerning the pricing of the competitors is deemed to be less important for the restaurant. Justifiably, it can be affirmed that the business deals with various services that include sprawling space food, bakery section and grocery store as well as dining area that are likely to grow the attractiveness of the site, without imposing much level of impact on the pricing decisions of the

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Engineering Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Engineering Management - Essay Example The ledge must always balance at all times. There are basics to know when making cashbook entries. The assets increase with a debit and decreases with credit .The revenues and the liabilities decrease with a debit and increases with a credit. Finally , the expenses are increased with a debit and decreases with a credit. Accounting is always subject to interpretation, opinion and consistency. The most important topics in this section are role of accounting and finance. The topic will help me appreciate accounting as an important entity in any thriving institution. Financial statements as a topic will help with interpretation of my personal bank statements .Accounting basics and double entry as topics will help management and development of my own personal cashbook for a local business. Journal entries as a topic will help in reconciling cash book statements of my business with the statement as per the bank. Financial analysis is very important in accounting .It helps in identifying whether the business or the company has made profits or losses. Financial analysis is always done from period to period, when a significant change has been noted or between companies to company. There are various types of financial analysis. These are: current ratios, profitability analysis ratios, activity analysis ratios, capital structure analysis ratios and capital market analysis ratio. Budget is another function of the managers. The financial analysis and statements helps managers to make financial allocations and plans for oncoming activities that require funding. Budgeting is always done annually and allocated to the respective departments. During budgeting, financial history, assumptions, external factors and flexibility must be put into consideration to make the budgeting process effective. Financial accounting also helps in planning. Financial planning helps in control of resources, coordination of activities, time management and improved productivity. Budgeting

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Research Paper on the Key Components of a Successful Blog & the

On the Key Components of a Successful Blog & the â‚ ¬Ã…“Promotionâ‚ ¬Ã¯ ¿ ½ of a blog once it is developed - Research Paper Example However, as Sexton (336) suggests, the graphic design should not be a cause for the visitors’ distraction; and there should be something new with the blog regularly so that it would retain visitors. The voice of the blog also is an important factor because only a blog with authentic voice can retain the visitors for future sales (Webber and Webber L: 20). It means, if the blog does not have a personal feel, it will not succeed in building social networks. Furthermore, it is advisable to attach RSS feeds (Rich Site Summary) to the blog so that the visitors can know whenever a new post is published; and also the RSS feeds allow the blogger to post content from any website with RSS feed (Michie: 268). Another essential feature the blog should have is the guiding links to other sources and older posts of the same blog. The networking and the community building is the core component of a successful blog because it will open up new opportunities and relationships which will enable cross-promotion through guest blogging (Gunelius: 471). Guest blogging is an effective alternative to ease the tension on the paucity of ideas for further posts. Moreover, it would make the blog more attractive and effective as it maintains diverse posts from guest bloggers. As mentioned earlier, in order to maintain a blog reader friendly, it should be updated frequently with new posts and necessary ingredients. It is always better to avoid ghost writers for creating new posts for your blog; and in the same way if the blog allows user’s comments there should be provision to prune the unfavorable comments and spam messages (Webber and Webber L: 20). The success of a blog depends on the time and effort spent on its maintenance and promotion. It is not easy for a blog to obtain visitors since there are hundreds of sites and blogs which use the virtual space for

Problem Formulation and Identification Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Problem Formulation and Identification - Essay Example This reduces the cognitive demands involved in making decisions by restricting the range of issues that must be considered. Typically, past experience in similar situations provides guidance in framing situations. Without prior experiences, decision makers must consider a large array of issues to evaluative standards and derive an appropriate interpretation. Computer supported decision making allows to identity the process of determining what knowledge is relevant. It is made in order to act upon the world, to make sure that the future does not look like the past. This process helps to save time and avoid anxiety, delays in decisions and action. Also, computer supported decision making is about making the best decision at given conditions at the moment; it is specifically about process and only indirectly about outcome. In a computer service support organization, decision makers go to great lengths to insure that they have the ability to control key future events, and controllability is factored into their decisions. The main problem is that observed that corporate decision makers usually rely on their "subjective mode" to make decisions, even when extensive, computerized technology is available. Critics explain that because the databases for deriving probabilities and projecting trends consist of records of past events, the probabilities and trends are "backward looking" and therefore of questionable pertinence to decisions that often concern time frames projecting 20 years or more into the future. A decision making expert system allows managers to solve day-to day problems. By the same token, reliance upon data about the past assumes that the world is static; the data are useful only for predicting what will happen if the future looks a great deal like the past, or if identified trends continue (Decision Making Techniques n.d.). For problem identification and formulation, the organization can use balanced scorecard analysis. One first identifies

Mafia Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Mafia - Assignment Example The mafia is involved in various criminal activities. These include prostitution rings in various cities and towns around the world. These organizations have brothels and operate night clubs to cover up their criminal activities. Most of the women in the prostitution rings are not willing participants but rather victims of human trafficking sold into the sex trade (Artemis 2004). The mafia is also involved in drug trade supplying large quantities of cocaine, amphetamines and other addictive drugs, besides selling to their customers, they also keep their sex workers hooked on these drugs so they have more control over them. Other mafia activities include loan sharking. They use their economic resources to give loans to needy people, most likely gamblers who have been caught up in gambling debts in the illegal gambling dens owned by the mafia. From such people, the mafia will extort large amounts of money to be used in other activities. The mafia is also involved in labor racketeering, smuggling of goods and at times bank robberies. All these activities are used to grow the organizations’ economic resources putting them in a better position to expand the scope of their illegal activities. Where the mafia is involved, slavery is still an issue. The most serious issue is when it comes to the prostitution rings. The mafia will sell young girls and women into sex slavery since most are unwilling to participate knowingly. In rare cases, the mafia will sell people into forced labor.

Can international law change the world Essay Example for Free

Can international law change the world Essay Sir Christopher John Greenwood was born in 1955. Currently he is a judge of the ICC whereby he was elected to the position on 6th November 2008. Before being elected as an ICC judge, Sir Christopher John Greenwood was a professor at London School of Economics where by taught international law. In addition, he was a barrister who most often made appearance before the international court of justice, the English Courts and the European Court Of Human Rights among other tribunals. During an interview as evidenced in the video, Judge Sir Christopher John Greenwood puts it clear that the international law has the power to change the way world operates. He further argues that, while each system of the national law strives to regulate affairs within only a single society, the international law has the concern of the whole world. In contrary, judge Sir Christopher John Greenwood argues that, though the international laws has the power to change the world and the way different systems of the world operate, there is yet no methods of enforcement available to the national legal systems. According to Sir Christopher, the international law can change the security and political stability of the different nations of the globe if only there could be efficient and effective measures put in place that would ensure the different national systems comply. Moreover, Sir Christopher says that if the different national systems could comply with international laws like those concerning weapons and international peace, international health like those stipulated in the world health organization (WHO) among other laws made to ensure that the social welfare of the different socio-economic classes of people would change the world to a greater extend. In addition to this, Sir Christopher further argues that following compliance to the different international economic laws would change the way business is carried globally by different nations. Compliance to the international laws would make the transactions between different nations secure since are governed. Moreover, international economic laws would standardize how business is carried in the world. In a broad spectrum, the international laws can only change the world if the different nation systems comply. It will be of great importance if the different world systems comply to the international laws for better so as to steer development through trade standardization among other things. References Source document

Littlefield Technologies Simulation Game 2 strategy Share Essay Example for Free

Littlefield Technologies Simulation Game 2 strategy Share Essay Littlefield Simulation 2 strategy: Littlefield Technologies Simulation Game 2 strategy Share 1 More Next Blog » Create Blog Sign In Littlefield Simulation 2 strategy Sunday, July 17, 2011 Littlefield Technologies Simulation Game 2 strategy Followers Join this site with Google Friend Connect Just went through this last semester. We ended up in first place even though we made a few minor mistakes. First a few links that helped us: There are no members yet. Be the first! http://archive.ite.journal.informs.org/Vol5No2/Miyaoka/ http://wordpress.shetgar.com/blog/?p=59 http://www.scribd.com/doc/51139499/Littlefield ­Simulation ­2 ­Report Already a member? Sign in Here is what we did: Pre ­Game Activities: The team met the Tuesday before class to examine the data  and discuss strategies. It was apparent that both Stations 1 and 3 were operating at full capacity, frequently hitting 100% utilization. Station 3 seemed more strained since it had higher queues (Mean=506, STD=498) than Station 1(Mean=187, STD=175). Since the average job lead time exceeded 2 days during days 43 through 46, inclusive, we thought it would be unprofitable to attempt to move to the $1,000 contracts. We discussed the options of altering the lot sizes, but decided that the extra setup time would only create more bottlenecks downstream. About Me Blog Archive HB ââ€" ¼ 2011 (1) View my complete profile ââ€" ¼ July (1) Littlefield Technologi es Simulation Game 2 strateg Stage 1: As a result of our analysis, the team’s initial actions included: 1. Leave the contracts at $750. 2. Change the reorder point to 3000 (possibly risking running out of stock). 3. Change the reorder quantity to 3600 kits. 4. Purchase a second machine for Station 3 as soon as our cash balance reached $137,000 ($100K + 37K). This strategy proved successful and after the second machine for Station 3 was purchased on Day 56 and the queue cleared, we were able to switch to the $1,000 contracts. We occasionally lost a few dollars for being a little late, but we always made more than we would have under the $750 contracts. Stage 2: The next goal was to save enough cash to purchase a machine for Station 1 so that we could switch to the $1,250 contracts. During the cash building stage, we made the inventory order quantity as high as we could afford, which was 6,900 kits at a purchase price of $70,000. When the 6,900 kits were delivered, we switched the order quantity back to 3,600 so that we could purchase a Station 1 machine as soon as our cash balance reached $127,000 ($90K + 37K). After 21 factory days, we were able to purchase the fourth machine for Station 1 and immediately moved to the $1,250 contracts. The average lead time declined to under a half a day during factory days 69 through 76. There was a substantial decline in arriving orders during the same time period. The team noticed the drop in lead time and regrets not having moved to the $1,250 contracts sooner. We lost $22,750 of potential revenue for not moving on the information sooner. On the other hand, orders are random and an early move could have backfired on us. Stage 3: During our preliminary meeting, the team discussed the possibility of purchasing a fifth machine for Station 1. We decided to wait and see if the loss of potential ea  rnings was sufficient to justify a $90 K purchase. We knew that if we were going to buy a fifth machine we should do it as soon as possible to maximize the return on investment. We calculated the loss of potential revenue as ($1,250 – actual average revenues * jobs completed). Our initial estimates showed a potential revenue loss of $266 per day, but within a few factory days the rate of potential loss rose to $419 per day. There is another consideration in the decision to purchase a fifth machine for Station 1. The title of the Littlefield Technologies game 2 is Customer Responsiveness. The title implies that we should be concerned about the consistency with which we deliver on our service level agreements (SLAs). The potential loss of $419 per day barely covers the $90,000 machine purchaseÍ ¾ however we were missing our SLAs 13 out of 15 days and the percent of potential revenues lost due to missing SLAs was 3%. We decided to purchase the fifth machine on Day 94 primarily to improve our customer responsiveness. This strategy did not perform as well as we had hoped. While our potential revenues lost declined to 1%, we were still missing our SLAs six out of seven days. Stage 4. During Stage 4, we explored job splitting as a solution to the SLA problem. First, we split jobs into two batch of 30 kits each. This strategy worked so well that we wondered why we hadn’t explored job splitting during Stage 2 or 3. We met our SLAs 12 out of 16 days and our percent of potential revenues lost declined to 0.4%. We calculated the setup times as a proportion of a

Changes And Force Field Analysis Management Essay

Changes And Force Field Analysis Management Essay My bank is a medium type bank. A new change was introduced during the years 1990 and 2003. The changes introduced to the bank are as followers. The first one was bottom-up-approach and the second was top-down-approach. Senior executives of the bank convinced that it was the right time to bring the change for the benefaction of the bank. Therefore, they introduced quality improvement program, which could reduce cost, by using the existing staff to improve quality and customer service. They brought consultants from abroad. Top level believed that the middle level could enlighten the bottom level employees. However, both the approaches for implementing change failed. Some employees could not accept the new change; the workload was increased and when the new ideas were introduced to the middle management level, there was no response. The senior management had failed its intensions to mobilize middle management commitment and local staff enthusiasm. Force field analysis provides an initial view of change problems that need to be tackled, by identifying forces for and against change based on an understanding of the context of change including the existing culture (Johnson et al. 2008). The distinctive feature of force-field analysis is that it involves organizing the categories in to two board types; those relating to force or pressure for change and those relating to forces or pressures supporting the status quo and resisting change. Lewin (1951) argue that, level of behaviour in any situation as the result of a force field comprising a balance of the forces pushing for change and the forces resisting change. Force Field Diagram Driver Force Restraining Force Quality Improvement Work -Load Cost Reduction Top Level Management External Environment Staffs Technology Training Consultants Recommendation Present Scenario (Hazyes, 2010:129) cccPKNBKMV There are different key drivers can found in the My bank case study. However, technology is the best key driver in the My bank case. All other key drivers related to the technology. Anderson and Tushman (YEAR) point out that technological change is cyclical. Each technology cycle begins with a technological discontinuity. Cost reduction, quality improvement, external environments connected to the technology. If technology will not change other drivers cannot Change in fast way. Different kinds of restrain factors present in the case study. The top-level management like chef executives were the main reason for the failure of the change. Other staffs did not get any support from the top level. After the change, staffs opinion was slightly rejected by the managements. This is the main reason of the failure of the change. According to Nadler (1995), four types of organisational change are there. An Organisations response change is proactive or reactive way. Tuning and adaptation can involve minor or major changes, they are types of change that occur within the same period, and they are bounded by the existing paradigm. Reorientation and re-creation, on the other hand, are types of change that, to use Gersicks analogy, target the playing field and the rules of the game rather than the way a particular game is played. They involve transforming the organisation and bending or breaking the frame to do things differently or to do different things Tuning is change that occurs when there is no immediate requirement to change. Mybank organisational change is related to this part. Mybank became convinced of the benefits of a quality improvement programme for reducing cost. This approach to change tends to be initiated internally in order to make minor adjustments to maintain alignment between the internal elements of the organisation and between the organisations strategy and external environment. Adaptation is an incremental and adaptive response to a pressing external demand for change. Reorientation involves a redefinition of the enterprise. It is initiated in anticipation of future opportunities or problems. Re-creation is a reactive change involves transforming the organisation through the fast and simultaneous change of all its basic elements. Type of Organisational Change Incremental Transformational Proactive Reactive (Nadler et al. 1995:24). Reorientation Tuning Re-creation Adaptation Answer2: Organisational Change involves complex process. Managing this kind of procedure is entirely difficult because they are dynamic. That means complex processes are changing. In these dynamic situations, it is difficult to predict the consequences of its actions. Managing a set of complex activities, each of which is crucial for the overall success of change. These complex tasks needs to be completed effectively in order to change, involves achieve a successful come. Managing change involves four complex tasks. The four tasks are as follows. They are appreciating change, mobilising support, executing change and building change capability. Leadership Appreciating Mobilising Change Support L Building Change Executing change Capability CHANGE MANAGEMENT MODEL Appreciating Change Appreciating Change can give an idea about understanding the forces of stability and change in the organisation. This requires inquiry into routines and mental models that sustain the status quo. An organisation can be changed mainly in two ways. Those are unplanned change and planned change. The Unplanned change, which typically involves changes due to new ideas, conflict between individuals, departments or teams and political and power struggles inside the organisation. Nadler (1987) argues that political behaviour tend to be more intense in times of change because individuals and groups perceive the possibility of upsetting the exiting balance power. Planned change, the change has to be planned. Mybank case study involved the planned change. The appreciation phases aims to make aware of the (a) need for change, (b) consequences of changing and not changing and (c) options that have for undertaking change in the organisation. In the case study, the organisation recognised the neces sary of the appreciating change and understood if this change will happen in the organisation, can achieve cost reduction in house; using exiting staffs to improve the quality and customer service and bank can avoid the inefficient works. The senior executives of Mybank appreciated the change and convinced the benefits of a quality improvement program. Mobilising Support Participation, involvement, and ownership are the crucial for the effective change. The organisational change is both cultural and political involves change in mindsets. This involves influencing, inducing, negotiating, persuading and winning over people to the idea of change. The effective communication strategies are crucial to change management. Getting consent and mobilising support is not an easy process. It requires persistence and patience. Strategic plan have a very important role in mobilising support. Organisational change is a political process. Pettigrew (1972) argue that some may engage in political action for ideological reasons, especially when they are fear that a change may be inconsistent with their values. According to Jick (1993), there are three categories of people who play a role in any change process. They are change strategists, change implements, and change recipients. Change strategists are the people who decide that the organisation needs change and set a direction for the change support. Mybank case managing director and senior executives are the strategists. They are in the top of the position. But strategists cant implements the change. Change implements are the people who are implementing the change by creating new structures, rules, procedures in all process. These people are the middle people of the management team. Mangers, outside consultants and accounting firm are change implementers in the Mybank Cooperation. Change recipients are the third category and people whose jobs change as a result of changes launched in the organisation. These people are usually lower level in an organisation. However, the main success in their hands. These people can make or break the effo rt. These people at the front line directly dealing with clients and customers. The main success depends upon the consent of the people in the organisation. Mybank employees, general staffs, are the change recipients. In 2003, the senior management had failed in its intentions to mobilize middle management commitment and local staffs enthusiasm. The middle management fully activated, but management follow some autocratic style and management fail to adopt the strategy. Executing Change Executing change involves creating and putting in place new structures, processes or procedures. Execution is, perhaps, the most critical aspect of change. Obviously, if an organisation has not managed the previous two tasks well, its change plan or programme will never take off. However, even if an organisation has carefully thought through its change issues and options and has gathered enough support for change, it can still fail at this critical stage. Three critical tasks for change leaders to ensure focus and energy during execution: (a) creating cross-functional linkages in the organisation; (b) aligning policies, procedures and removing structural impediments to performance and change; and (c) creating new routines for continuous improvements and innovations. According to Nilkant (Year), a successful change effort requires: (a) adequate appreciation planning, (b) sufficient support by employees, (c) competent execution by managers, and (d) Change managers with appropriate skill sets and capabilities. Mybank staffs accepted their new changes. However, it was not successful in the bank in both 1990 and 2003. In 2003, they bring a new department and try to join the other department together. The Regional Lending managers activities were not accepted by other departmental mangers. This created a big problem in the organisation. Most of the staffs did not express any interest to new executing change. This is because they were not understood the new system. Who are interested this new changes, did not get any support from their higher level. Building Change Capability A well-known model of change management views organisations as going through long periods of stability punctuated by short bursts of discontinuous change. According to Nilikant (2006), mangers or organisations can build capability in four ways. Those are firstly, individuals and groups build capability. Secondly, individuals and groups build capability when they successfully execute challenging projects. Thirdly, building capability involves paying simultaneous attention to both action and reflection. Fourth, leaders and organisations can help individuals and groups build capability by providing a context that aids action and reflection. Self-efficacy is energy and focus for the capability building. In managing change, self-efficacy is a major determinant for success. Employees with higher levels of self- efficacy can overcome obstacles and challenges that are inevitable part of any change. Efficacy is demonstrated when individuals feel secure in avoiding pseudo solutions. Mybank fai led in their both approach. The main reasons are not cooperation between the staffs and management. Who are motivated in these approaches, did not get support from their top level. Staffs got more workload in their work and staffs were lost the interest to extra works. In this way bank cannot maintain capability. Change Agent A change agent is the individual or group that helps effect strategic change in the organisation. For example, the creator of a strategy may, or may not, be the change agent. He or she may need to rely on others to take lead in effecting changes to strategy (Johnson ET .al 2008). Middle managers and consultants are the change agents in the Mybank case, because they are working together with top level and bottom level people within the organisation. Transition Phases Mod Internalization, Reaction And Learning Denial Shock Depression Consolidation Testing Letting go Acceptance of Reality Time .Answer 3: People going through change experience a variety of emotional and cognitive states. Transitions typically progress through a cycle of reasonably predictable phases .this applies to all kinds of transitions: voluntary and imposed, desirable and undesirable. Often people have little warning of changes and they experience the initial phase of a transition as a shock. Feelings of anxiety and panic can determine their ability to take in the new information, think constructively and plan. Mybank employees faced the same problem when they heard about the new change. Denial phase characterized by a retreat from the reality of change. Depression is the reality of the change becomes apparent and the individual acknowledges things cannot continue. Letting go phase involves accepting reality for what it is. It implies a clear letting go of the past. Testing is more active, creative, experimental involvement in the new situation starts to take place. Consolidation stage progress in progresses in parallel with testing but to begin with there is often more testing and rejecting than testing and consolidating. Internalization, reflection, and learning transition is complete when the changed behaviour is normal and unthinking and is the new natural order of things(Hayes, 2010:216). When a new change program implemented in the Mybank, all the staffs passed in these stages. Some of the staffs were getting struggled and other staffs overcome all the problems. The primary leadership task in change management as creating a positive behavioural context that facilitates inquiry, appreciation, and change. Change management model identifies four core tasks. First, mangers need to be cognitive tuners to appreciate change. Second, mangers need to be people catalysers to mobilise support. Third, managers need to be system architects to execute change. Fourth, managers need to be efficacy builders to build change capability. Leadership Cognitive Tuner The main core task of appreciating change requires a manger to tune into both external business environment and the internal organisational setting. The important thing of the change agent is to understand the external environment and assess the organisational capabilities to address the external changes. The change agent should expose different way. The change agent should seek knowledge in all level and awareness of own metal models and assumptions important. The change agent should recognise the assumptions, if it is necessary or not (Reference). Finally listen other people who are disagreeing with the change agent and do not feel defensive or threatened when others challenge the ideas and thinking. My bank case, cognitive tuning was not effective. The management did not listen to the bottom-level staffs opinions; as a result, employees lost their interest in the new changes. The middle level mangers fail to express their feelings into the top-level management. The way of communic ation was not sufficient between departmental mangers and change agents. People Catalyser Organisational change has an element of loss inherent in the process, and it is a loss that is often deeply felt by employees. The Kubler-Ross grief model addresses the emotional issues associated with change. The four emotional stages experienced throughout the change process may be expressed by employees in behaviours that are obstacles to the process of change. By understanding the emotions employees often encounter during change. It will be better prepared to facilitate the change process (Reference). Kubler- Ross grief stages is applicable in the Mybank case. The staffs were faced the situation in the organisation. But the final stage of the Kubler- Ross was fail in the case, commitment from the employees not good. Between the departments problems created. Kubler -Ross Grief Model Stage 1: Denial People encountering a change initiative might be saying to them, I cant believe this is happening to us. Unresolved fears about the change initiative need to be addressed during this phase. Stage 2: Resistance During this phase, people could attempt to slow down or derail the change initiative, it must be able to spot resistance when it occurs and formulate sound strategies for overcoming it. Stage 3: Exploration If people are not able to stop the changes from occurring, they begin to role of the group are specifically defined in this stage. It is important that unresolved issues that continue to surface be addressed. If trust has been created among the group, then peer influenced can be used to encourage behavioural change. Stage 4: commitment Mutual commitment is established , obstacles have been removed .and the focus is on successful implementation of the changes The change management need to catalyse people by building support, manufacturing consent and facilitating cognitive shifts in organisational members. The change agents need to be communicators, persuaders and negotiators. The change agent prepares himself before engaging the people. For influencing the people the agent can utilise all the media and forums. In decision-making time, change agent role is important. There is no chance to run away from the situations. The change should get trust and respect from others, in this way they can develop the credibility. In the case study, at a particular level, the consultants engaged the people and they fail to utilise the forums and media in the organisation. The middle levels mangers did not get the much trust and respect from the staffs. Systems Architect The change agents need to create the systems, process and routines to execute the change plan or agenda. This involves setting explicit goals, establishing cross-functional teams and monitoring progress (Nilikant). In this stage, the change agent role is very important. In the organisation, he/she should clarify individual roles and contribution. The person who selected is SMART or not. Moreover, other team leaders selection responsibility will come under the change agent. Co-ordination between other staffs will come under the change mangers control. Change mangers need to identify the organisational past practices, procedures, and polices and it should eliminate them properly. Mybank change fails in these areas. The selection of the other team leaders performance was not good. They were not SMART. If they are SMART, the change will be successful. Under the control of the middle managers, conducted meetings but fail to share the new ideas and solve current problems after the change. Efficacy Builder The mangers need to make organisational members have faith in their ability to learn, overcome obstacles and engage in change. Jim Collins argues that the effective leaders do not motivate people. They help people motivate themselves. A significant aspect of building change capability is to build a repository of organisational knowledge that captures insights from peoples tacit experiences. Building change capability is closely related to the core task of appreciating change. Store and share the knowledge is very important for a change manager. Renewal must become as important as cash flow or profit maximisation. Organisational members are aware that change mangers are observing what they say and what they do, and they may be making judgements about them and their future role. Mybank case change management selected some people for the leadership positions. However, that staffs were not successes in a particular level. Some of the departments in Mybank were not given any preference to the change mangers. This is one of the reasons to fail change implication in Mybank and plan of joining of the two departments was not success. This was due to the inefficient leadership and responsibility by the change mangers. The change ag Answe4: Recommendation Conclusion

Masking Ends in Deception, Much Ado About Nothing Essays -- essays res

Masking Ends In Deception?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Shakespeare used many literary devices throughout his history to create timeless classics. Much Ado About Nothing is no exception. He used things such as themes, symbols and motifs to create this effect. Masking is the prominent motif in Much Ado About Nothing. It is seen many times over in this play. There are two kinds of masking that Shakespeare used in Much Ado. One is literal masking, this where a character actually wears a mask during the play. This is seen several times. There is also another form of masking that was used in Much Ado About Nothing, this is literary masking and this is when characters hide and/or makeup plots to put into others heads for a benefit or a cause.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Act II, scene i, a â€Å"masked ball† was underway in a hall in Leonato’s house. This is a prime example of literal masking. In the previous scene, Don Pedro learned of Claudio’s love for Hero. Since he is the â€Å"cupid† of this story, he decides that at the ball he will mask himself as Claudio to determine if Hero’s love is returned. So while at the ball, Don Pedro, masked as Claudio, dances with Hero and says, â€Å"Speak Low, if you Speak love.† Of course she agrees, and eventually she and Claudio plan to be married the following Friday.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During Act II, scene ii, Don John sets up a plan of yet another act of masking. His plan is set up so Borachio looks to be making love to Hero, yet he...

Euthanasia :: essays papers

Euthanasia In today's society there are many disagreements about the rights and wrongs of euthanasia. Although death is unavoidable for human beings, suffering before death is unbearable not only for terminal patients but for the family members and friends. Euthanasia comes from the Greek word "Thanatos" meaning death and the prefix "eu" meaning easy or good (Russell 94). Thus, "eu- Thanatos" meaning easy or good death. Euthanasia is a better choice for terminal patients than suicide. In our society, suicide is always traumatic for families and friends. If there is no alternative to relieve the suffering of terminal patients, then the more humane option to suicide is euthanasia. An option for people that are unsure of euthanasia is called DNR or do not resuscitate(McCuen 2). This means that if the patient has a heart attack or another potentially fatal problem in the hospital, the doctors are told to preform a " No Code" which means that they should let the patient die peacefully with any amount of painkillers or medication requested by the patient(McCuen 3). Doctors that are treating a dying patient should treat them with care. They should make them as comfortable as possible and give them medication to dull their pain. Instructors tell doctors in training to treat dying patients as people " that are alive but just that their death is more imminent than our own"(Moroney 2). Many families could rest easy that their relative is being treated well and are receiving the necessary attention. A lot of terminal patients decide to sign DNR forms or request euthanasia so that they would not be a burden on their families. Euthanasia should be legalized in all of the United States because it would end much suffering and pain. Euthanasia is the justified killing or assisted killing of a disabled or terminally ill person at their will or if the patient is incapable of making the decision, at the family's will(Satris 260). The doctor or in some cases, a family member, uses injections, weapons, or other means of killing to act out euthanasia. But euthanasia is usually gentle and quiet. In most of the cases of euthanasia, the patient died by lethal injection or certain life support systems were withheld.

The Struggles of Undocumented Students Essay -- Immigration, Legal Iss

If we talk about undocumented immigrants in United States, we usually focus on the benefits and jobs they take from our country, but have we ever stood in their shoes and imagine what life is like for an illegal immigrant? To live as an undocumented immigrant is a bad situation, but I believe to be a child of an undocumented immigrant is even worse, because their choices are limited and they are unaware of their rights to attend colleges. In this research, I will focus on undocumented immigrant students, who are unable to afford for higher education, and the fear of their unknown future which is mainly cause by their undocumented status. The largest invisible group in America, to explore â€Å"what are the struggles and unsolved problems of undocumented students?† Early statistic provide from scholar article has proved that since the 1970s to 80s, Census by state has documented a high population of undocumented immigrants in the United States. Passel and Woodrow indicate that the estimation of undocumented immigrants is 2.06 millions in 1980s; most of the undocumented immigrants are Mexicans. By the year 2000, more than 1.6 million captures were along the U.S border. In southern California, â€Å"with almost 2.5 million unauthorized immigrants residing in the state, California is home to almost one fourth of the nations unauthorized† (Gonzales 473). This group can split into two major types, which are people who enter U.S illegally and people who enter through admission with their overstay visa. The Mexican group represents 60 percent of those who entered between 1970 and 1980. Mexico is the only single country which accounts the largest number of undocumented immigrants residing in the U.S. In 1980, 55 percent of the illegal immigrants... ...onvinced that my original question is an important one, therefore I am continuing with this formulation: â€Å"This invisible group in United States: the struggles and unsolved problems of undocumented immigrants† is going to be my argument of supporting â€Å"Undocumented students†. They deserve the rights to extend their education in order to achieve their American dreams. Their choices shouldn’t be limited by their statues, if they could achieve their academics successfully. United States cannot deprive undocumented immigrants of their academic rights for long term because this is a lost-lost situation. If U.S gives the undocumented immigrants their opportunities, there will be more educated people in the country, and they will give the country back with their skills. As a result, the entire country can move forward as a whole to becoming a better and stronger country.

A Solution to a Problem

Accomplishing goals and tasks with others is an arduous task. A course I was taking in college required research work, and to make the task attainable and undemanding with the limited time, the professor decided to divide the class into groups.Deciding on what topic to conduct research on was hard enough, but accomplishing the research work was the hardest. Our research work required field work – school visitations, floating surveys, statistical calculations, and result interpretation. There were four of us in a group.The problem was we could not figure out how we would conduct the tasks due to our conflicting schedules and extra-curricular activities – we have different schedules, one works in the office, and one is busy with familial responsibilities.The problem was how can we conduct research and accomplish all tasks as a team, balance research work with other responsibilities, and assign tasks equally to all members of the team. During class, we sat together and tal ked about our problem.We set a time where all of us were available so we can talk about how we can go about conducting research. Once we were able to talk as a team, we laid out our schedules and our free time and listed all the tasks that we need to accomplish – chronologically, from simple to complex – in order to finish the research.Perhaps, this was the most important strategy that we employed in solving our problem, that is breaking down the main problem into simple ones in order for us to get a clear picture on how we can accomplish the smaller tasks to fulfill greater tasks.Another strategy was arranging our plan of action to make it fair and amenable to all team members. So we made it a point that everyone will be assigned simple to complex tasks and that all team members will consent to the task assigned to them. Moreover, the tasks were assigned to team members with related background knowledge and expertise. For instance, one member volunteered to do the sta tistical calculations because he was familiar with the chi-square).Once we settled the distribution and delegation of tasks, we talked about the importance of each task assigned to us to complete our research project. It was important for us to finish the research project, so everyone agreed to do his part responsibly. Finally, we made it a point to meet once a week in order to put together everything that we worked on individually. We also asked for each other’s contact numbers so we can communicate and confer with each other regarding the research.The most important approach that we employed to solve the problem was the planning and discussion process. It was important during that time to divide the research work into smaller tasks, and distribute and delegate these tasks in order to ensure that we can finish the project together as a team, while making sure that we do not neglect our extra-curricular activities.Moreover, our meeting as a team allowed as to communicate how we felt about doing each task, so the tasks were delegated to team members who were amenable to the responsibilities being assigned to them, while assuring the others that they are capable of finishing their duties. With these problem-solving strategies, we were able to finish our research project efficiently as a team. Â  

Opportunities for you and your organization in the maintenance of a blog to address customer issues Essay

Blogs can be fun and very informative. Blogs could have a major impact on students, faculty, and staff. The opportunities for students, faculty, and staff are endless. Most students are fit within an age group that grew up with networking and social technology. They are familiar with blogs and social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. For some, it is their primary means of getting information and learning. With 36,000 students, blogging can be a means of communicating security concerns, major impacts to the university operations, and crisis management. As mention in McNurlin and Sprague (2006), Dan Farber suggests â€Å"One corporate use of blogs is for crisis management. A blog can be more appropriate than e-mail in managing a crisis (such as a fire or a security breach). All the postings can be on one site, in journaling style, rather than passed as disconnected e-mails, notes Farber. † (p. 292) Students and faculty also like to voice their opinion about the way the university is run. Blogs would give them a voice to express those opinions due to the nature blogs. McNurlin and Sprague went on to say that â€Å"What readers seem to trust about blogs, that they do not trust about conventional media, is their opinionated and personal nature. † (p. 293) Blogs would also be a valuable marketing tool for the university. Blogs hosted by students could give direct advice and opinion to prospective students. According to Laudon and Laudon (2006), â€Å"Blogs provide a more personal way of presenting information to the public and prospective customers about new products and services. † (p. 123) Finally, blogs are a way to manage customer relationships. Faculty, staff, and students are considered customers of the information technology department. It is important to communicate changes, outages, and useful information that help to make the customer experience with technology more enjoyable. The more tips and helpful advice IT can give to end-users, the better the experience. In turn, IT can learn the needs, wants, and opinions of their customers. According to Haag, et, al (2005), â€Å"Customers interact with companies in many ways, and each interaction should be easy, enjoyable, and error free. †

Goals: Problem Solving and Population Reference Bureau

Abstract â€Å"To prepare for solving a problem, we must first acknowledge that the problem exists. Then, we must accept it, and clearly define or identify it. Finally, we must commit to solving the problem. Without some degree of personal commitment, the problems that we acknowledge, accept, and identify might never be resolved. 1. using a current local or international newspaper, identify an important local, national, or international concern that needs to be solved.Use the Library and Information Resources Network (LIRN) link by clicking here to locate two or more credible articles that provide background information and an analysis of the problem. You can also access LIRN in your online course by clicking on Course Home tab, then the Online Resources link. Contact your Campus for your LIRN password. 3. Using the articles you found as a resource, explain the concern using the five â€Å"Problem Solving Methods† found on page 104 of your textbook. Use Microsoft Word to resp ond to your problem.Your response should consist of 1-2 pages. Cite your articles using APA guidelines. Visit the APA Guide for assistance with APA formatting. † Week Two Individual Work (1) Introduction Using the articles I found as a resource, I am going to explain the concern using the five â€Å"Problem Solving Methods†. This is a big issue and I think we should all be actively trying to solve this issue. Environmental Problems I am going to be discussing environmental problems. I will use the problem solving methods as they are outlined in our text.â€Å"Problem- Solving Method (Advanced) Step 1: What is the problem? a. What do I know about the situation? b. What results am I aiming for in this situation? c. How can I define the problem? Step 2: What are the alternatives? a. What are the boundaries of the problem situation? b. What alternatives are possible within these boundaries? Step 3: What are the advantages and/ or disadvantages of each alternative? a. What are the advantages of each alternative? b. What are the disadvantages of each alternative? c.What additional information do I need to evaluate each alternative? Step 4: What is the solution? a. Which alternative(s) will I pursue? b. What steps can I take to act on the alternative(s) chosen? Step 5: How well is the solution working? a. What is my evaluation? b. What adjustments are necessary? †(Chafee) The problem is environmental problems, such as we have been polluting our planet’s air, water, and land; depleting its resources; and accumulating a lot of waste for which we need to find places to store.I know this situation needs to be suppressed on some level; because if we continue at this rate, then our environment will not be fit to live in. We have 6. 8 billion people on Earth today (Population Reference Bureau, 2009) and all of these people need food, water, clothing, and shelter. In addition to these minimal needs to survive, millions of people in developed nation s have cars, large homes, air conditioning, heated houses, washers, dryers, heated water for bathing, refrigerators, stoves, and so on.Hence, having nearly 7 billion people on Earth, compared to 5.2 billion people just 20 years ago (Population Reference Bureau, 1990), and having many people with a high standard of living, means that we humans will pollute a lot, deplete a lot, and build up huge amounts of waste that need to be stored. A second major reason why we have a big problem of polluting, depleting, and storing of waste is that during the past 200 years, we have gone from an agricultural way of life to an industrial way of life. Instead of â€Å"living off the land,† â€Å"growing grain to eat, and tending to farm animals, we built  factories and machines and created a new status called the factory worker to produce all kinds of products to consume—as a stroll through a typical shopping mall will show.To create these products, we have used a lot of resources and polluted the air and rivers. One of the most dangerous consequences of our polluting the environment is that we add huge amounts of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere as the result of burning fossil fuels, such as oil and gas, by industries and automobiles.†The result is the warming of our planet and the possible change of Earth’s climate, which could wreak havoc for the growing seasons. What can we do about this? More and more people are coming to the realization that we must consider the long term, what is good for the global community, and what is good for future generations if we want to survive as a species. This will require us to think, plan, sacrifice, and change our ways of living. Many people in our country, and throughout the world, do not realize the seriousness of our environmental problem.Hence, part of the solution is to make Americans more aware of the problem and to educate them about the problem. We must find ways to give these Americans incentives s o that they want to address the environmental problem or at least accept the notion that we must address this problem, regardless of their vested interests. The environmental problem will not go away by denying its existence or by denying that it is becoming a bigger and bigger problem. The oceans and the air are common property that we all share.If air and water pollution stayed only in the country that produced it, the nation producing this pollution could take the initiative and responsibility to clean up the pollution it produced. But air and water pollution does not stop at state boundaries; rather it spreads throughout the world. We as citizens of this world, not just citizens of a nation, will need to work together to clean up our oceans and air. Probably, we will eventually need to agree on some worldwide goals for the planet. We have been moving in this direction by attempting to decrease carbon dioxide and chlorofluorocarbon emissions.We will probably need to make saving o ur environment one of the main goals of our world community. Within this goal, we will need to agree on more specific goals such as decreasing carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and chlorofluorocarbons; increasing the amount of rainforest; finding new, better, and safer ways of storing hazardous waste; and producing more energy without polluting more, depleting more, and creating more waste. Conclusion This is an issue we must all face together. We must realize that there is a problem and work on long term goals to correct this problem.Eventually, we may be able to turn this around. However, we must think long term, not only think about the here and now. Probably, a key factor, if not the key factor, in solving our environmental problem is time. Can we, as a world community, act soon enough to head off environmental trends that could be difficult, if not impossible, to reverse—for example, rising carbon dioxide emissions leading to rising temperatures, melting glaciers, rising s ea levels, and changing cli- mate patterns throughout the world? We must face this with a sense of urgency.

Capital Budget Recommendation: Guillermo Furniture

Capital Budget Recommendation: Guillermo Furniture ACC/543 Monday October 8, 2009 YouKnew Abstract Guillermo Navallez is the owner of a successful furniture and manufacturing company located in Sonora, Mexico. Navallez’s establishment is known for its quality pieces, crafting a variety of chairs and tables from the abundant supply of timber in the area. In the late 1990’s, Navallez competitors became a real threat to the ongoing success of Guillermo’s Furniture and Manufacturing Company, producing like quality furniture for a fraction of the cost.What is more, the competitors were producing these pieces at an alarming rate, and using high-tech equipment and absolutely no labor costs. Over the years, Navallez noticed that his profit margins shirked as prices decreased and costs increased. Navallez decided to do his own research on some of his competitors and discovered that to keep up, many of the local competitors was either consolidating by merger or acquisition . Navallez, being proud of his accomplishments did not want to industrialize his company and contacted Wells Accounting firm to help him with alternatives to match the competitors.Wells Accounting Firm plan of action is to assist Navallez by helping him understand the difference between the various capital budget techniques, and then providing Navallez a recommendation on the best-fit project to bring Guillermo’s Furniture and Manufacturing Company back to excellent financial health. Capital Budget Recommendation: Guillermo Furniture Wells accounting firm was contacted by Guillermo Navallez, business owner after realizing that his company faced considerable profit loss with the onset of competitors producing like quality pieces for a fraction of the cost.Wells accounting firm was challenged to help Guillermo Navallez understand the various capital budgeting techniques and to present a recommendation to restore Guillermo’s Furniture and Manufacturing Company to excellen t financial health. Wells accounting firm immediately went to work, employing various budgeting techniques such as the payback technique, break even analysis, and net present value, internal rate of return, and cash flow expected based on a variety of alternatives. Each technique provides essential information for Guillermo Navallez, and helps the firm best determine how to move forward.To best determine which approach would be most beneficial, the firm must first determine Navallez Company’s current financial position. The figures below represent Guillermo’s Furniture and Manufacturing Company current financial position for previous and current year, respectively. TOTAL ASSETS $1,350,627 USD $1,356,534 USD According to Guillermo Navallez, his company produces two grades of products to service a wide-range of customer: Mid-Grade, and High-End. Navallez believes that his prices are reasonable.The first capital budgeting technique, the payback technique, or the cash payb ack technique is used to identify time periods needed to recover the cost of capital investments from the net annual cash flow produced by the investment. For example if Navallez decides to purchase equipment and continue manufacturing High-End products at faster rates, employing less human capital also deciding to purchase as opposed to leasing the new equipment, we will calculate his payback as following: Payback TechniqueInitial Investment1,200,000. 00 Estimated Useful Life10Years Estimated Salvage0 Estimated Annual Cash flows Cash Inflow from Customer $ 217,630. 33 Cash outflow for Operating $ 77,298. 28 Net Annual Cash Flow $ 140,332. 05 Cash Payback Period $ 8. 55 The payback period is associated with the useful life of the equipment (asset). In this case the payback period is unacceptable seeing that the period is longer than 60% of the life of the equipment (asset), yielding 86%.Another technique is the break even analysis. This technique helps the firm understand the lower ranges of profit where margins are concerned. The firm will be able to determine when Guillermo’s Furniture and Manufacturing Company will begin to make a profit after all expenses are considered. For example, at current Guillermo’s Furniture and Manufacturing Company produces the following: Break even analysis makes the following assumptions: 1. Fixed costs are constant 2.Quantity of goods are constant per output 3. Variable cost are constant per output unit Because Break even is a variation of payback technique, the firm is able to further determine the monthly current or projected sales before Guillermo’s Furniture and Manufacturing Company yields a profit. Net present value is another technique taken into consideration. This technique uses time value of money, and determines the difference between costs and market values of projects. NPV :Investment (150% of book value of assets) $(2,023,244. 07) Year 1 after tax cash flow $ 362,496. 81 Year 2 after tax cash flow $ 362,496. 81 Year 3 after tax cash flow $ 362,496. 81 Year 4 after tax cash flow $ 362,496. 81 Year 5 after tax cash flow $ 362,496. 81 When the net present value of the Guillermo’s Furniture and Manufacturing Company net present value is a positive number, the general rule is to approve the project because this means that the project will add value to the company.The intent of reviewing these techniques is to determine which project will yield positive profits for the company and how much profit can be expected. Similar to net present value is the internal rate of return, which is used to measure an acceptable investment opportunity. The internal rate of return is equivalent to the net present value rate of zero for an investment. When looking at a variety of alternatives, the firm determined that Guillermo’s Furniture and Manufacturing Company could be profitable using a variety of alternatives, thus the recommendation.Wells Accounting Firm determined that Gui llermo’s Furniture and Manufacturing Company should market and push the flame retardant product, while also coordinating the company’s existing distributor network and essentially becoming a representative for the other manufacturer. Reference(s): Edmonds, T. P. et al. (2007). Fundamental financial & managerial accounting concepts. New York: McGraw-Hill. Retrieved from the University of Phoenix eBook Collection. Fast4Cast. (2007). Retrieved from http://fast4cast. com/break-even-calculator. aspx

Does Vonnegut Write Like Kilgore Trout and Eliot Rosewater Essay

Does Vonnegut Write Like Kilgore Trout and Eliot Rosewater - Essay Example The piece of literature will be used for comparison on how best it has been written. The piece of literature has been written by an author known as Vonnegut (Farrell, 10). His piece of literature is being compared with others written by the authors Kilgore and Eliot. Slaughterhouse-five by Vonnegut is a piece of literature that talks about world war 2 life experiences at the time and one thing that can be said about the piece of literature is that it is a fine piece of work. Everything is well expressed in the piece of literature, and there is an assurance that by the end of reading, the reader will have grasped quite a lot. The writing uses literature devices, and this makes the work all the more entertaining and splendid. Looking at the piece of literature, it is written in short and very descriptive sentences that bring the illusion of understanding and a sense of reading (Deneen, 46). The book is written in a setting that can be described as historic, geographic and scientific. Comparing it with the other author’s piece of literature, it is safe to say that this piece of writing is magnificent, easy to read and understand and though complicated, its short and direct sentences provide the reader with a much higher level of understanding. The reading is uncomplicated to interpret and comprehend (Marvin, 100). It places the reader in a situation much like the one the narrator places the main character; in war. The descriptions are vivid and bear meaning. This is a book that would be recommended for rereading since it captures the heart, soul and brings about the realization of one’s dreams and desires. The piece of literature has successfully integrated the aspects of tragedy and comic relief. These two are being used together to bring a blend of the events (Trout, 12). There is one phrase that captures the attention of readers, and it bears meaning to the story that is written. The phrase; ‘so it goes’, has been used frequently by the

Why Do People Go to School Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Why Do People Go to School - Essay Example That is exactly why people send their children to school. They want to see them succeed as lawyers, doctors, artists, engineers and all the jobs that pay well. But I don’t agree with Paul when he says that when children go to school wearing uniforms, they look like as if they are being drafted into something. To a certain point in the school career, children need to learn the basics, that is necessary. No one is pressing and molding children into robots by sending them to schools. There is a reason why there is a greater number of successful people who went to school than those who didn’t. While at school, children don’t only delve into their books, there is a whole package of school education. For instance, the extra-curricular activities are not directly related with job hunting but, they are necessary for overall grooming and development of body and mind, which is something people get as a side dish when they get a school education. When a person goes to school, he meets new people, makes new friends, deals with them in dorms. School education teaches students how to meet deadlines on their assignments and juggle huge workloads of various subjects. That is why when an employer hires a person who has gone to school knows that that person is good at time management and multitasking. Paul Murray probably has the same idea about education and learning as John Holt. Unschooling is a term coined by John Holt in referring to custom learning. This type of learning has a purpose not for the schools or college admins but for the students who are learning those things. There is no imposing of any kind on the child. If he is interested in hot rods, his interest might lead him to learn the mechanics of an engine or even building a complete automobile.   Considering a hypothetical situation, had Rex Walls had sent his children to regular schools, he would be had to get a decent regular job like everyone else and his children would not have to steal lunch from other schoolmates and root trash cans for food. But demonstrating Unschooling, what Rex and her wife taught their children about literature, art, music, history, astronomy, geology, and mathematics added so much useful knowledge to their children’s learning but character training was completely absent from. An d that is why such an intelligent and knowledgeable family had to live their lives like nomads. I don’t disagree with Paul Murray and John Holt on the basic idea about education and it is a fact that deep down inside, no one wants to go to school as it is hard work. But I need more pragmatic solutions to their idea of not going to school or Unschooling. Loitering around, doing nothing, watching movies, playing in the parks and sleep when tired, sounds like a dream life but imagine if everyone starts doing this, then there would be no more technicians and engineers to run a TV station. There would be no journalists and writers to play interesting news on TV and publish interesting books and magazines. Like food and water, knowledge or education is the basic necessity of a successful life and school education is one safe way to achieve that.