Saturday, November 30, 2019

John Adams- On the Transmigration of Souls free essay sample

For many, attending a performance of John Addams new piece â€Å"On the Transmigration of Souls† written for the New York Philharmonic is like being invited to a party but being given the wrong address as a cruel prank. Early on, one realizes a mistake has been made, one grave enough to potentially ruin the entire evening. All is not lost on this musical experiment, however, which presents itself as a rambling, rather over-zealous source of mockery. What makes it all so frustrating is that everything (save for the music) is perfect: the elegant setting of the auditorium, the acoustics, the warm tonal qualities of the instruments, and the pristine pitch of the Oregon Symphony Choir. The piece, an orchestral homage to September 11, is intriguing in its nature but fails to lift itself from its initial melodramatics, languishing instead in its pretentious and overtly-modern filth. The precision of the symphony is undeniably honed, and although executed marvelously, â€Å"Transmigration† simply looms over ones head, like a pinata which spills forth Brussel sprouts instead of candy. We will write a custom essay sample on John Adams On the Transmigration of Souls or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page If â€Å"On the Transmigration of Souls† teaches us anything, it is to find the humor in any scenario, no matter how disappointing; although this joke is on us, we are all afforded a hearty laugh in retrospect.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Free Essays on Biography of M.C. Escher

Maurits Cornelis (M.C.) Escher was born on June 17, 1898, in the Dutch province of Friesland *lib.utexas.edu/Libs/PCL/Map_collection/europe/Netherlands.jpg*. His parents, George Arnold Escher and Sarah Gleichman Escher, had three sons of which Maurits (called Mauk for short) was the youngest. His father, George, was a civil engineer. The Escher family was living in Leeuwarden in 1898, where George served as Chief Engineer for a government bureau. The family lived in a grand house named "Princessehof," which would later become a museum and host exhibitions of M.C. Escher's works. Young M.C. Escher moved with his family to Arnhem. He attended elementary and secondary school there, and also in the seaside town of Zandvoort, where he lived for a while to improve his health. In 1907, he started learning carpentry and piano. In secondary school, his marks were poor except in drawing. His art teacher took and interest in his drawing talent, and taught him to make linocuts. He failed his final exam and thus never officially graduated. In 1913, M.C. Escher met his lifelong friend Bas Kist in religious school (which he attended at his parent's direction, even though he wasn't very religious). Kist was also interested in printing techniques, and may have encouraged M.C. to make his first linoleum cut works. Amoung these early works is a portrait of his father which is the oldest surviving work by the artist. In 1917, the two friends visited the artist Gert Stegeman, who had a printing press in his studio. Some of M.C.'s work from this year were apparently printed at Stegeman's. Also, in 1917, the Escher family moved to Oosterbeek, Holland. During this year and the following few years, M.C. Escher and his friends became very involved in literature, and M.C. began to write some of his own poems and essays. In 1918, Escher began private lessons and studies in architecture at the Higher Technology School in Delft. He managed to get ... Free Essays on Biography of M.C. Escher Free Essays on Biography of M.C. Escher Maurits Cornelis (M.C.) Escher was born on June 17, 1898, in the Dutch province of Friesland *lib.utexas.edu/Libs/PCL/Map_collection/europe/Netherlands.jpg*. His parents, George Arnold Escher and Sarah Gleichman Escher, had three sons of which Maurits (called Mauk for short) was the youngest. His father, George, was a civil engineer. The Escher family was living in Leeuwarden in 1898, where George served as Chief Engineer for a government bureau. The family lived in a grand house named "Princessehof," which would later become a museum and host exhibitions of M.C. Escher's works. Young M.C. Escher moved with his family to Arnhem. He attended elementary and secondary school there, and also in the seaside town of Zandvoort, where he lived for a while to improve his health. In 1907, he started learning carpentry and piano. In secondary school, his marks were poor except in drawing. His art teacher took and interest in his drawing talent, and taught him to make linocuts. He failed his final exam and thus never officially graduated. In 1913, M.C. Escher met his lifelong friend Bas Kist in religious school (which he attended at his parent's direction, even though he wasn't very religious). Kist was also interested in printing techniques, and may have encouraged M.C. to make his first linoleum cut works. Amoung these early works is a portrait of his father which is the oldest surviving work by the artist. In 1917, the two friends visited the artist Gert Stegeman, who had a printing press in his studio. Some of M.C.'s work from this year were apparently printed at Stegeman's. Also, in 1917, the Escher family moved to Oosterbeek, Holland. During this year and the following few years, M.C. Escher and his friends became very involved in literature, and M.C. began to write some of his own poems and essays. In 1918, Escher began private lessons and studies in architecture at the Higher Technology School in Delft. He managed to get ...

Friday, November 22, 2019

A Study Of The Use Of Microelectromechanical Systems

A Study Of The Use Of Microelectromechanical Systems In this paper, microelectromechanical system (MEMS) has been utilized to make miniaturized ion optics required for making the portable all-in-one mass spectrometer. Four different ion optics components were fabricated using deep-reactive ion etching (DRIE) of n-doped silicon-on-insulator. These components are 1 mm Bradbury-Nielsen gate, 500 Â µm coaxial ring ion trap (CRITter), reflectron optics and 500 Â µm Einzel lens. The Bradbury-Nielsen gate was made using a pattern of alternating electrode wires which either allows ions to pass or stop through the gate. The CRITter was made using five trapping rings and two end caps to make mass selection ion optics and it was also used in testing the alignment capability of fabrication process. The reflectron optics was made using a assembly of fifteen rectangular elements arranged in series. The fourth ion optics component was assembled MEMS Einzel lens which consisted of three lenses. It was used to focus the ions beam to increase the ion current and detectability. All the components were tested using ion produced with 70 eV EI ionization. These assemblies were characterized in terms of breakdown voltage, durability, and alignment. For current devices, the breakdown voltage was reported 750 V. The CRITter was tested with 1% toluene at pressure of 1 x 10-4 Torr. The resolution was limited due to the alignment errors and also aberration in etched designs got more impactful as the size of the ion trap was reduced. Current reflectron optics was not capable of resolving the peaks of toluene. Therefore, in the future analyzer path length will be increased by using multiple reflectrons. These miniaturized components were assembled using an encoded piezo-manipulator with pick and place capability. Resolution and ion attenuation was found to be the greatest concern of the current design at present. Fox, J.; Saini, R.; Tsui, K.; Verbeck, G., Microelectromechanical system assembled ion optics: An advance to miniaturization and assembly of electron and ion optics. Review of Scientific Instruments 2009, 80 (9), 093302. In this paper, a soft landing (SL) instrument has been developed with capability of depositing the ions onto the substrate for preparative analysis. The two important components of this instrument are custom made drift tube and two split rings. The drift tube is consist of 18 concentric rings along with two split rings at the end. The drift tube was filled with an inert buffer gas like He and operated from 1 to 100 Torr of pressure. High pressure gas thermalized the cluster ions on collision to 0.01 to 1.0 eV kinetic energy and separate the clusters formed by laser ablation. This helped in further analysis of deposited clusters on mica surface. Two functions of split-ring are to direct the cluster ions towards either detector or a landing surface. This instrument works on the principle of narrowing the kinetic energy of ions going through drift tube to prevent the fragmentation on landing. The gating function of split ring was performed using a homemade pulsing circuit that changes t he voltage across the split ring. The SL instruments was built with a quick door CF flange which reduced the number of gaskets required and helped in holding, adjusting and removing the detector and landing surface from the instrument without disassembling the instrument. A simple Faraday plate was used in SL instrument as detector. A 15 mm mica disk used for atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used as landing surface. Split ring pulsing helped in selecting and isolating the specific ion clusters. For initial experiments copper was used as analyte and it was ionized using laser ablation using ND-YAG laser. Mass spectrum of Copper was reported to have multiple peaks due to Cun+, CunOm+ ions formation in the presence of O2 as contaminant. After the cluster deposition on mica surface, surface was analyzed using AFM and was compared with the physical vapor deposition (PVD). In the future, other landing surfaces like gold, silicon, and highly ordered pyrolytic graphite can be used to bette r understand the deposition mechanism.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

The movie Maria Full of Grace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The movie Maria Full of Grace - Essay Example Maria, Frida and Tita are women that become faced with challenges in life and had to make hard decisions. In Maria Full of Grace, the character Maria is the main character becomes faced with difficult situations in life. Maria Together with other two girls, engage in transporting large quantities of cocaine, from Colombia to New York. At a tender age of 17 years, the young Colombian girl becomes forced to go into selling drugs after she remained the only daughter her family depended on. Despite her harsh economic status even after quiting job from her previous employer. In addition to her problems, she still got pregnant and refused to marry the guy. With increased financial pressure coming from both sides, Maria decided to make a terrible decision. Maria decides to join the Cocaine business as a transporter while in her pregnancy state just to raise money for the up keep of the unborn and her family. In comparison to Tito in the movie Like Water for Chocolate, she also became faced with challenges that made her take appropriate choices. In the beginning of the movie, one could realize the undying love Tita and Piedro had for each other, though her mother, Mama Elena did not consent their union. Piedro ends up marrying his eldest sister, Rosaura. Tita continued her pursuit for her lover by ensuring she cared her nephew after birth more than her sister. Her mother on realizing how Piedro and Tita came closer each day due to the Rosaura’s child, she arranges for Piedro and Rosaura to move to a distant place. This stressed Tita as she was deeply in love with Piedro and his son. The main character in the film Frida, also proved to be a strong willed woman. Even after getting polio, getting involved in an accident, she still manages to pull herself together and learn how to walk. It is her determination to walk after such an accident that shocks many. Furthermore, after recovery from the hospital, Frida manages to walk, but in pain. Are they fit choices or no t? From the three movies, a lot could be derived from the hardships they underwent to become what they did. These women hard to make tough choices some of which were inimical while others good. Tina after struggling with Mother Elena in life and even after life with her ghost, eventually becomes freed from the snare of tradition to marry her true love Piedro despite the many challenges that stood on her way. Tita knew that her eldest sister became forced to marry Piedro in an attempt to obey traditions and hence still persisted knowing Piedro will do in response. The story hence is a love story of two lovers that became bound to be together for life and afterlife. The main obstacle to Tita was her mother, Elena whom hated her. For instance, even after getting hurt after raiders injured her, she still refused food brought to her by Tita, eventually dying due to ingesting overdose of emetics. Tita’s choice of loving Piedro for life proved a terrific idea. For instance, after Pi edro and his wife moved to San Antonio with their child, it died since it was deriving its love from Tita. In as much as she was the youngest in the family, she treated her mother well, though her mother treated her badly. In the movie, when she becomes tormented by the ghost of Elena, she made a decision to condemn it. This ended up badly as Piedro became consumed with the dying flame from the ghost. Another decision Tita made was telling her husband John of her undying love for Piedro. John accepts, but just tells her to decide. Tita eventually agrees to get married to Piedro which they end up enjoying their passion to death. Maria engages in the illegal

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

How the Environment Affects the Family Unit Essay

How the Environment Affects the Family Unit - Essay Example Fathers are increasingly becoming more involved in child upbringing while mothers delve into occupational, educational and social spheres (Sarah, 2003). The composition of a family structure affects the development of a child .Research shows that children from single-parent families perform poorly when compared to children from a family with both parents. Children from single families are more prone to developing health, social and academic problems. However, in some instances, children with single parents perform well just like children from two-parent families (Sarah, 2003). It is important to study the functioning of the family as a unit to comprehend child development. Whole functioning of the family is a process where a family interacts closely and bond together. The wholesome functioning of the family affects the development of young one through the interactions occurring in the family. Positive characteristics such as warmth, closeness and cohesion serve to enable children face difficult circumstances later on in life (Sarah, 2003). Internal relationships within a family undoubtedly are the most effective way of influencing lives. However, social, economic and physical environment plays a major role in the functioning of the family as a

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Improving Organization Retention Paper Essay Example for Free

Improving Organization Retention Paper Essay Organizations often experiences staffing issues; therefore, one department will be asked to cover for another. However, these issues can be generated from several aspects within an organization such as staffing issues, financial issues, and organization retention. Subsequently, the organization administration must endeavor to sort out the best strategy to resolve these issues. In this particular paper the underlying issues involves staffing. â€Å"Strategies for improving the employee selection process include tracking recruitment sources; using realistic job previews (RJPs); using assessment tools and interviews to predict turnover; and hiring for fit and motivation (Barrick Zimmerman, p. 1 Para 6 2005). Moreover, an organization that implements a successful staffing approach will essentially establish a positive influence regarding employee retention. Nevertheless with this paper organization retention will be discussed in details, and work motivation theories will be applied to improve employee recruitment and retention at JC’s Casino. An examination of potential occupational stressors that are considered as a negative influence on recruitment and retention as well as a significant proposal will be demonstrated. Furthermore, the role of job satisfaction and its influence on retention at the casino, and recommendations for improving job satisfaction of the employees, and how that can play a part in successfully improving retention will be discussed. Ultimately, a discussing regarding counterproductive employee behavior occurring at the casino as well as what suggestions that would reduce the counterproductive behavior and increase productive employee behavior will be demonstrated as well. JC’s Casino This particular casino is in disarray as the result of unpredictable staffing issues, which essentially caused the casino dealers to leave. In fact, the dealers obtain employment with other casino that merely offered a lower wage rate in contrast to his or her former employment. Moreover, the casino housekeeping staff itself was experiencing issues because of the absenteeism and the high turnover of rooms. Consequently, this issue essentially impinged on other departments within the casino because of the required staff needed to manage the casino was lacking. Indeed, this concern did not impress the casino customers; in fact, it merely produced more chaos as the hotel had to adjust the check -in times, and hire additional staff to work in the luggage room. The customers who arrived earlier had to be accommodating as the organization policy entailed. However, the owner is unaware of the magnitude of the issues, which surrounds the casino itself. In essence, the owner merely knows of the specifics such as the dealers was dropping off like flies, and casino customers were becoming increasingly displeased regarding the untimely check-in transformation. Following, these issues and the whole story enlighten; one could understand why this particular organization desires urgent assistance as a means to improving the organization retention. Motivation Work theories One of motivation work theories that will be employed involves the Douglas McGregor’s X-Y Theory. Douglas McGregor (1906-1964) was the creator of one of the leading exceptional management theories without comparison. He hypothesized that a management position is considered as one of the most significant position within a corporation. In essence, he proposed that it was the manager responsibility to encourage and unveil the vast creative capability within people. McGregor introduced two significant forms of management approaches, which essentially started the development of his X and Y theories: the authoritarian and the participative. The Theory X authoritarian management style, employees are inherently lazy, and the individual would generally have to be forced to work. Nonetheless, under the Theory Y participative management style, employees would discover work as favorable. McGregor also emphasize that, under the proper management, all employees are naturally Theory Y employees (Kallio, 2006). The X Theory is primarily centered on a fashion of management and leadership that is authoritarian, whereas the Y Theory tends to employ more constructive aspects of leadership. Consequently, McGregor’s theory can relate to JC’s Casino situation as it expresses organization development. The Y Theory will allow the staff members to make progress and advance. This way of thinking, in view of this aspect it would be a plus to employ as a means to enhance recruitment and retention within The JC’s Casino. To embark on this journey first, the Y Theory will permit the manager to support employees’ incentives in place of reprimand and demerits. The Y Theory managers deem that each employee like work, and work for the good of the organization, which generates capitalization on competency between the employees. The Y Theory manager would give employees the chance of an independence of creativeness, which would form motivated and faithful employees who appreciate his or her job. The Y Theory managers also work toward building meaningful and productive relationships with their employees. These managers contend with McGregor understanding that the responsibility of management is to allow their employees to express their vast creative potential (Skidmore, 2006). One significant aspect, the Y manager would offer an open dialog with employees and other departments and through displaying leadership by leading with example. Domination and reprimand are not always the best, and the only method to create profitable workplace. In fact, the work itself should be asked and not commanded as a manager subscribing to the X Theory would be more likely to perform. However, the success of either of these theories would essentially depend on -the -job as well as the individual. Some people require unvarying direction and others will excel with little or no direction. In essence, it would fall back on what the individuals work best with regarding Theory X and Theory Y would come into play motivational wise. Another significant theory is called the Z theory founded by William Ouchi. This particular theory is identified as the â€Å"Japanese Challenge† within the management, which is employs the Y Theory and modern Japanese management principals. Although the employee within this theory must have the proper mind-set at all times for tasks with complete liability regarding the ultimate result of tasks. â€Å"Nevertheless, Theory Z essentially advocates a combination of all thats best about theory Y and modern Japanese management, which places a large amount of freedom and trusts with workers, and assumes that workers have a strong loyalty and interest in team-working and the organization. An individual behavior and environment can change unexpectedly; thus, this particular theory lacks the strength, and direction contrasting to the McGregor X-Y theory that involves great motivational suggestions and reasoning. Occupational Stressors JC’s Casino organization have a high stress level profession as well as a high stress level that often surfaces between employees. This type of environment entails customers who are commonly inebriated and often irritated; thus, workers must intervene if necessary. Consequently, recruitment and retention should be meticulous because a casino environment can be challenging and not for everyone. According to researcher’s casinos that implement Anger Management courses that include procedures for recognizing and managing stress, which displayed a higher results regarding employee contentment (Internet Reference, Anger Stress in Casinos-www.andersonservices.com). Role of Job Satisfaction To implement employee satisfaction the primary focus would be directed toward researching other successful casino such as Ki-Joon Back, a Korean casino. This casino successfully has applied an employee job satisfaction and organizational assertion. The Korean casino embarks on requiring the employees to engage in a survey questionnaire; consequence aided management by enhancing the condition of employee satisfaction. Moreover, this type of method can be employed within JC’s Casino with the same results. One must first follow- up on the results such as provide ongoing training, health care benefits, and maintain an open dialog with employees. Each aspect should be permanent to ensure employee satisfaction, recruitment as well as retention. Furthermore, the organization should also present employees with necessary supplies according to the resources. When employees are provided with the required supplies it will create a better atmosphere and enhance self-respect and retention. It is significant to bear in mind that integrity generally starts on the top of administration and can seep into the workers (Internet Reference, CQX.com-Cornell Hospitality Quarterly Management). Employee Behavior According to Global Gaming Business regarding employee’s behavior within type of environment by which it emphasizes that when counterproductive behavior occurs in a casino the management should tackle the issue immediately as well as the peoples involved instead evading the situation. Casino policy should be made unquestionably and sincerely to employees who in turn create an appreciation amid management and staff. Management must be the voice of logic when dealing with rumor or complex concerns. Management must take the led to sort out personally grievances and issues on the floor during his or her shift, and one should by no means leave issues unresolved. However, JC’s Casino has two key vital focal points here concerning behavior perceived as counterproductive, which starts with Joe, the tyrannical pit boss, and the above rate of absenteeism among the housekeepers. Management must correct the issue with Joe; in fact, he needs to be taught that his method of working and dealing with his coworkers is causing counterproductive. His behavior is essentially causing the employees to perform inadequately, and resulting in employees to leave the casino. Joe must be retrained and needs to from this point on apply a Y Theory approach in which he works with his employees instead of his former method. In case for some reason he refuses or cannot adjust management must consider reinstating him or shifting him to a position because his behavior is not complimentary to the organization. Another point counterproductive to the company is the above rates of housekeepers as absent from work. The casino pays a fair wage, but because of the shortage of staff the housekeepers undergoing overworked and underappreciated beliefs. The casino needs to employ a new management agenda in which the managers had a better mentality and could create an enhanced working environment for the employees. Conclusion Indeed, based on this finding manager knowledge, skills, and abilities are highly necessary. A management position is considered as one of the most significant position within a corporation. The JC Casino entails numerous significant facets and layers that could be perceived as challenging and are causes for concern. If management maintains this model, change decision-making methods and mindsets, aid employees with healthier working conditions and with respect. This will lead to longer retention and will eventually lead to a better more efficient recruitment process, which will aid the JC Casino as it continues to soar, and becomes profitable. Management must correct the issue with Joe; in fact, he needs to be taught that his method of working and dealing with his coworkers is causing counterproductive. Ultimately, the corporation expects the manager to be prepared to work harder, and to put forth more effort than the others leading by the example. The effectiveness of either of these theories would ultimately come to depend on- the- job and the workers. References Barrick, M. R. Zimmerman, R. D. (2005). Reducing voluntary, avoidable turnover through selection. Global Gaming Business Vol.9. No. 2, (Internet Reference, CQX.com-Cornell Hospitality Quarterly Management. (Internet Reference, Anger Stress in Casinos-www.andersonservices.com (Internet Reference, Motivational theories-www.businessballs.com. (Internet Reference, http://www.businessballs.com/mcgregor.htm. Journal of Applied Psychology, 90, 159-166. Retrieved April 4, 2011 Kallio, B. (2006). Mcgregor, Douglas. Encyclopedia of Educational Leadership and Administration. Retrieved on April 4, 2011, from http://www.sage-ereference.com/edleadership/Article_n368.html Skidmore, M. (2006). Theory X, Theory Y. Encyclopedia of Educational Leadership and Administration. Retrieved on April 4, 2011 from, http://www.sage-ereference.com/edleadership/Article_n566.html /

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Discrimintation Of Aids Patients :: essays research papers

AIDS, or the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome has been one of the most threatening diseases of the 20th century. Ever since it has been discovered in 1981, it has been constantly infecting men, women, adults, newly born children, homosexuals and heterosexuals. In definition AIDS is an extremely serious disorder that results from severe damage to the body’s defense against disease. Even though AIDS was born in an era of sophisticated medical and surgical developments, it still remains incurable. The ways through which the HIV, Human Immunodeficiency Virus, can be transmitted are: blood transfusion, contaminated needles used in drug addiction, from an infected husband to his wife through sexual intercourse, or from an infected mother to her new born baby during pregnancy. Because it is that much spread and so far incurable, AIDS has aroused a lot hysterical fears and a number of controversies and ethical questions related to the patient’s rights, doctor’s rights and the right of the public at large. While some people think that AIDS patients should be isolated in quarantines, alienated from the rest of the world, others find no reason in this harsh form of separation and discrimination against the infected patients. The patients must also have the right to lead a normal life that must be respected by all the public, and government too. Although AIDS is not more contagious than any other disease, its patients are suffering both social and medical discrimination, and that is not only unethical but could also cause an increase in the spread of the disease. The fact that AIDS is no more contagious than any other disease, makes the reasons behind the people’s fear of AIDS totally illogical. All people are thinking of is that it’s a deadly virus, but there is a lot more to know about AIDS than this. People must be more educated about this virus and how it may be transmitted in order to protect themselves and avoid their constant pa ranoia about AIDS patients. AIDS, unlike many diseases, is not transmitted by shaking hands, or through coughs, or by swimming in the same pool with an HIV positive. It has also been proven that even the exposure to body fluids such as saliva through deep kissing wouldn’t transmit the virus. This is because the HIV is found to be very weak in open air; it can easily be killed by ordinary household disinfectants (Kelly 33-34).

Monday, November 11, 2019

Existing Good or Service Business Proposal Essay

The Thomas Money Service, Inc. is a consumer finance company that has been granting loans and financing since 1940. Within the first five years the company expanded its business when it began â€Å"issuing business loans, business acquisition financing, and commercial real estate loans† (University of Phoenix, 2011, p. 1). By 1946 the company expanded to include equipment financing by creating a subsidiary named Future Growth Inc. (FGI). Due to increased demand in forestry and construction equipment in 1951 FGI purchased a manufacturing company so that the company was able to offer financing as well as their own brand of construction equipment. Over the past 67 years, FGI has held a monopoly on financing and manufacturing construction equipment and has seen only increased profits year after year. FGI has also never had to lay off any of its employees. â€Å"This track record has allowed their stock to grow from $5.00 to $85.60 with stock splits from 1975 to 1998. FGI has never issued bonds, and the present stock value is $35† (University of Phoenix, 2011, p. 1). Unfortunately, with the current economic downturns, natural disasters, and a decline in new-home sales, profits for FGI began to decline by 30% from the previous year. Due to the decline in production, the company was forced to layoff a third of their employees. Even with the current drop in new-home sales, there is still the opportunity for demand to increase as the economy becomes healthy again. Below the author will discuss how to increase revenue. Increase revenue FGI has many opportunities to increase revenue. Increasing revenue is not only dependent on the sales price of the product but also on what the companies expenses include. The company will need to re-evaluate the way it spends money and determine how to reduce outgoing costs. The first step FGI should take is to review its vendor list and communicate with the vendor to  determine the best way to reduce costs while saving the vendor money as well. FGI could request that all parts and supplies be purchased in bulk to cut down on freight charges as well as reach out to other businesses in the area to purchase supplies from the same vendor together. They would share the cost of freight, which would reduce the expense for both companies. Advertising is another expense that FGI needs to focus on. Currently FGI has cut back on its advertising efforts and has decided to only advertise during sporting events. This might not be a productive advertising strategy. It would be more lucrative to advertise in several venues such as direct mail, newspapers, and telephone books. This strategy will get the company name and services to a broader area of customers. Another expense is employee hours, schedules, and benefits that could use an overhaul. Currently FGI was forced to layoff a third of its workforce. The company needs to determine the best way to keep its employees while still saving money for the company. Department heads will need to review and re-evaluate employee schedules and hours to ensure that they are using the employee hours effectively. By re-scheduling and reducing employee hours, FGI will be able to save even more revenue. Benefits are also an expense that is offered by the company, but the company is not required to offer them to its employees. FGI should review and determine if it can continue to offer all of the benefits it currently does. If necessary, FGI could reduce 401k matching, reduce or stop employee bonuses and parties, and finally re-negotiate with insurance companies to find a more cost effective insurance package for the employees. Finally, the most effective way to ensure an increase in revenue is to cut t he sales price of the equipment. The chart below shows that the lower the price, the higher the demand. If FGI were to decrease its prices they would increase sales. Communicating with vendors, upping advertising, re-structuring employee hours and benefits, and cutting prices are all successful ways to increase revenue. Another aspect of increasing revenue that FGI needs to  consider is the spending power of its customers. The economy of the United States is currently on the down turn again, heading back into a recession. The credit market conditions are not very strong; the current unemployment rate is unchanged at 9.1% according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The fact that the unemployment rate has had no change means that the economy has not changed. There are no new jobs, which affect the construction industry. People cannot afford to build homes and they cannot apply for loans because their credit history is not strong enough. There is a silver lining for construction companies and equipment companies such as FGI. In 2009, the government created the 2009 Stimulus Package, which included â€Å"$131 billion allocated for construction-related spending† (The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2011, para 1). This stimulus allows for construction companies to bid for upcoming transportation construction jobs. Construction companies will need to upgrade their equipment to newer more efficient equipment that can handle the new workload and conditions. FGI will need to take advantage of the influx in construction equipment purchases by advertising and offering discounts and rebates to all new and current customers. Maximize Profit The concept of marginal cost and marginal revenue is used to determine how much it will cost to produce one more piece of equipment. â€Å"Companies typically look to reach a production equilibrium where marginal cost and marginal revenue are equal. At this point, the company will maximize its profit† (Vitez, 2003-2011). If an imbalance were to occur on either marginal costs or marginal revenue there will be inefficiencies with production. There is a possibility that it could cost the company more to produce the extra piece of equipment than it would profit from. According to Huter â€Å"The quantity that maximizes profit is where marginal profit shifts from positive to negative† (1999-2011). To determine the profit-maximizing quantity it is necessary to know the price, variable costs, marginal revenue, and quantity ordered. Looking at the chart above it is clear that the company is making money off of the maximum of 12 orders. If the order demand were to go from 12 to 13, there is the possibility that it would cost the company more to produce that many than they are able to charge for all 13. With that in mind, the  profit-maximizing quantity would be 13. Suggested Mix of Pricing and Non-Pricing Strategies FGI is no longer the only equipment manufacturing company for customers to choose from. In order for FGI to stay competitive, the company must include a mix of pricing and non-pricing strategies. Non-pricing strategies would include advertising the company as well as any discounts, financing, and warranties the company has to offer. Pricing strategies could include low-interest financing, longer payment terms, warranties, and product bundling. Product bundling could simply state that if a customer not only orders the equipment through FGI but also finances the purchase than they will receive a discount on the total price. According to the Wall Street Journal, â€Å"the Labor Department’s snapshot of the August jobs landscape, cuts in the public sector entirely offset the private sector’s gain of 17,000 positions. Figures from earlier months were lowered, due largely to deeper cuts by government. The unemployment rate remained at 9.1% but is likely to move higher in coming months amid the lackluster pace of job creation†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Reddy, 2011, para 4). Due to the possible economic downturn, FGI must consider a radical change in policy to stay competitive and on top of the market for construction manufacturing equipment. This radical change would be to offer customers the opportunity to rent or lease the construction equipment instead of purchasing it out right. Leasing construction equipment will allow construction companies to save money and will allow FGI to earn income and stand out among its competition. Create or Increase Barriers to Entry It can be difficult to create or increase barriers to entry when there is already competition in place. A few things that FGI could do to increase barriers to entry is to offer customers something that is totally different from the competition. Making the customers want to only purchase from FGI. Those differences would include the ability of the customer to rent the construction equipment for the duration of their contract and increase customer service. Increasing customer service would include offering the customers more options to contact FGI. FGI will need to utilize technology  such as the Internet, Websites, email communication, and QR codes, which allows customers to access company information and discounts. Increase Product Differentiation Product differentiation includes pricing and non-pricing strategies as well as increasing barriers to entry. FGI will need to make their construction equipment stand out from its competitors. In order to stand out, FGI will need to make changes to how it advertises its product, increase offers customers who purchase the equipment, and make the customers experience with FGI unique. Customers want to be excited about spending money, FGI should make their shopping experience exciting and rewarding. Customers who are happy about their purchases will spread the word to other potential customers who will then decide to purchase from FGI over other construction equipment companies. Other Ways to Minimize Costs A few ways to minimize costs for the product includes reducing the amount of employees, which FGI recently did. One way to minimize costs is for FGI to lease their manufacturing centers and financial offices instead of purchasing the buildings. Leasing will reduce costs to FGI because the owner of the buildings will need to pay for the upkeep and maintenance of the building and grounds. Reducing spending on supplies and manufacturing equipment is another way to minimize costs. The issue with reducing spending on supplies and is that the supplies could potentially be inferior products which would then make the products that FGI sells inferior. FGI will need to determine if the quality of their product is worth risking so that the company can reduce the cost of producing the equipment. International Trade International trade is beneficial to both the United States and foreign countries because it is the exchange of goods between both countries. â€Å"Trading globally gives consumers and countries the opportunity to be exposed to goods and services not available in their own countries† (Heakal, 2003, para 4). International trade can affect and is affected by each nations political issues. A current example is the Greek economic bail out. The Greek economy is currently in need of another debt bailout to hopefully  turn its economy around. The affect that the European bailout of Greece could have on the United States is that Europe will have less money to spend on American goods, which will then cause trade to decrease. â€Å"If a full default occurred, other troubled countries, notably Spain and Portugal, could also follow suit, leading to a wave of defaults that would severely affect the European zone and could send shockwaves all the way to Wall Street† (Katrandjian, 2011, para 13). As the Global Economy stands now, international trade has not been affected significantly. There is the possibility of international trade being affected if the European economy doesn’t stabilize. With that in mind FGI must consider how the international economy will affect the overhaul of FGI’s current marketing structure. FGI will need to make its products more lucrative for foreign companies to purchase. FGI would need to create a special package offer to foreign companies that includes special incentives such as discounts, extended warranties, and shorter lead times. Conclusion FGI has been a successful company since 1940. With the recent economic hardships and additional competition, FGI has determined that they need to re-evaluate their current marketing and product strategies. To increase profit and market value, FGI will need to revamp their spending, marketing, employee hours and benefits, and reduce the cost of their product. Another aspect of business that FGI needs to focus on is the marginal costs and marginal revenue to maximize profits so that they are not producing too much product that will end up costing them more than it is sold for. FGI has the opportunity to re-strategies their pricing and incentives to draw in more customers as well as increase blocking more companies from entering the construction equipment manufacturing industry. With the current credit markets being at an all time low, FGI will need to adjust their production and extended forecast to meet the potential decrease in sales. The 2009 Stimulus Package offers hope to FGI that sales will increase due to the government projected construction improvements on all Freeways and Highways throughout the country. Reference: Katrandjian, O., (2011) Greek Debt Bailout Could Affect the U.S. Economy. Retrieved September 5, 2011 from http://abcnews.go.com/Business/greek-debt-bailout-affect-us-economy/story?id=13879426 Heakal, R., (2003) What is International Trade? Retrieved September 5, 2011 from http://www.investopedia.com/articles/03/112503.asp#ixzz1X6dCaTuv Huter, S., (1999-2011) How to Calculate the Profit Maximizing Quantity. Retrieved August 20, 2011 from http://www.ehow.com/how_6713701_calculate-profit_maximizing-quantity.html Reddy, S., (2011) Job Growth Grinds to a Halt. Retrieved September 4, 2011 from http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904583204576546220157206548.html The McGraw-Hill Companies (2011) Construction Stimulus Special Section. Retrieved September 4, 2011 from http://construction.com/stimulus/market_sectors/ University of Phoenix, (2011). Thomas Money Service Inc. Scenario [Computer Software]. Retrieved from University of Phoenix, Simulation, ECO561 website. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2011) Employment Situation Summary. Retrieved September 4 , 2011 from http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm Vitez, O., (2003-2011) What Is the Relationship Between Marginal Cost and Marginal Revenue? Retrieved August 21, 2011 from http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-relationship-between-marginal-cost-and-marginal-revenue.htm

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Kindness and security Essay

At the end of scene IX, a woman comes outside selling flowers for the dead. This brings back her memories of Belle Reve, but she talks of them out loud as if she is reliving them at that moment. This shows that these memories still haunt her. At the beginning of scene X, Blanche has been drinking for hours after Mitch left. She has been packing and drinking, and is now in the soiled dress. She is still trying to forget what has happened by drinking. She is also talking to herself about a fun time, either in the past or in her head. She is trying to escape the present and go into the past by using alcohol. â€Å"Tremblingly she lifts up the hand mirror for a closer inspection. She catches her breath and slams the mirror face down with such violence that the glass cracks†. This shows that she forgets that it is now the present and she is angry that she is no longer who she was and does not look like who she was. Later in scene X, she tells Stanley about what happened with Mitch, but then she says that he returned with roses to say sorry, and then she told him to go. This is what she would have liked to happen, and maybe she doesn’t realise that it isn’t reality. Earlier in the play she had said; â€Å"I don’t want realism†¦ I want magic. † She also says that she had got a telegram from Shep Huntleigh inviting her on a cruise. Once Stanley tells her this is not true, she sees a ‘grotesque and menacing form’ in the shadow on the wall. This shows that she is not able to cope with the harsh reality, so she makes it up and believes it. In scene X, Blanche is raped by Stanley. After he tells her that he knows about her past, Blanche starts to see strange reflections on the wall and hear weird noises. This shows that her past is directly linked to her seeing things, and also with her fear of her past and Stanley’s dominance over her. It also shows that she cannot cope with her past. In scene XI, it shows Blanche cross fully into madness. She believes that the Doctor coming for her is Shep Huntleigh. When the matron turns up to take her, she lashes out and becomes violent, which she would never have done before as she would have wanted to be seen in a good light. Lastly, when the doctor shows her some kindness, she follows him quietly, as all she wants is kindness and security, even if it is from a stranger.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

music influence essays

music influence essays I believe that it is the music of our time that will be remembered long after we are gone, and it is bands like Oasis that led the revolution which took place recently. Oasis, headed by brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher was the first band after The Beatles to lash out against what had become the normal way a band should be, and that is why they will be known for years to come as the band who changed rock music. Noel Gallagher was born on May 29, 1967 in Manchester, he was the second son of Thomas and Margaret Gallagher. Thomas, Tommy to the boys at the pub, was a construction worker. He and his wife, known to her pals as Peggy, resided in the working-class Manchester suburb called Burnage with their first boy, Paul. "God was playing a joke when He made me," Noel Gallagher once said. "You know, 'Let's make this guy a writer and a guitar player, but let's make him write with his left hand but play with his right, and let's have him born in the middle of May and give him a Christmas name like Noel. Little did Noel know that when he grew up he was to become the frontman of one of the most influential rock bands in music history at a time when music was the most influential form of speech on the planet. Little Liam arrived in the Gallagher household five years later, on September 21, 1972. He and Noel were forced to share a bedroom, something that always bothered Noel to no end, seeing how Paul, just a year-and-a-half older than him, had his own room. But Liam and Noel made the best of it, and the bedroom saw the beginnings of the somewhat loving, often heated relationship between the brothers. The boys kept a running record of their childhood by scrawling on their wall, later described by Tommy as their "wonderwall", later to become the title of one of their biggest selling singles. Bits of songs, poems, favourite bands, football teams and the like were all immortalised on their bedro...

Monday, November 4, 2019

Contemporary employment perspectives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Contemporary employment perspectives - Essay Example Today, social work comprises a variety of functions, skills, and obligations. The nature of social work is essentially about dealing with the most serious social problems and reducing the scope of social exclusion, to promote positive change and enhance individual and social well-being. Childcare social worker: Job specification That social work is an indispensable component of social reality and progress cannot be denied. Burducea (2010) is correct in the origins of social work are modern. However, most, if not all, world civilizations were engaged in various social work activities, from sponsorship and personal financial assistance to philanthropy and the development of the sophisticated insurance systems. Although the role and importance of social work in the globalized work is well-documented, little is known about its functions. Childcare social workers are professionals with a Master’s degree in social work, dealing with problematic individuals and population groups, inc luding homeless youths. The goal of a childcare social worker’s job is to work in community, with individuals and families, who need professional assistance and face considerable emotional and social problems. Childcare social workers fulfill broad range of obligations and perspectives, including participation in multidisciplinary teams (Healy 2008). Childcare social workers deal with service users, assess their situation, and provide social and counseling support to those in need (Lyons & Carlsen 2006; Payne 2005). Homeless and runaway youths are rightly considered as one of the most socially vulnerable groups. The key tasks of a childcare social worker include analyzing and addressing new requests for social and emotional assistance to children, visiting their young clients at home, representing children in courts, and taking all actions that are appropriate for promoting children’s well-being. Childcare social workers are expected to contribute to the development of their service and work in multidisciplinary teams of social work volunteers. They must be prepared to work extra hours and pursue high degree of flexibility in job performance. Therefore, the job of a childcare social worker is essentially about detecting and finding runaway youths, assessing their situation and providing counseling support, to promote social inclusion, enhance their wellbeing, and guarantee that young people can meet their social needs. Childcare social work: theoretical underpinnings Social work is usually defined from the two different perspectives: that of science and that of an institutional arrangement with a solid normative and practical architecture (Burducea 2010). The key elements of social work as an institutional structure include benefits and beneficiaries, social work and normative systems (Burducea 2010). As a science, social work exemplifies a complex network of theoretical and methodological approaches to social problems (Burducea 2010). Social wor k as a profession uses multidisciplinary systems to assess the impact of the existing and emerging social problems on people and reduce their complexity (Burducea 2010). The social work paradigm is unique in the sense that it deals with the existing social problems â€Å"without violating the principles of social justice and human rights† (Burducea 2010). It would be fair to say that social workers serve a reliable buffer between

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Grammer & Academic Writing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Grammer & Academic Writing - Essay Example The writer feels that his grammar has improved due to his constant usage of the language itself – be it in the form of written, spoken or reading comprehension. The hard work usually pays at the end on the part of the writer since he has been able to suggest quite a few changes to his repertoire of the vocabulary that he possessed back then (when he was starting on improving his grammatical acumen) and now. The change has been pretty obvious as he has taken giant strides and completely changed the way he sees the language as a result of the same undertakings. He has liked the whole concept of acquainting himself in line with learning the intricacies involved with grammar usage. However the strengths and weaknesses exist side by side and since man is always bent on a learning curve, the writer feels that there is still a long way to go before he could consider himself a fully developed native speaker, writer and a reader of repute. The strengths have been in the area of correct usage of nouns, pronouns, adverbs and adjectives. The writer has noticed that he is putting the required words at the end of the sentences where he used to fumble in the beginning of his quest. He has determined his weaknesses within this area and understood the manner by which the same have started to blossom as his strengths. This is surely a positive sign and suggests some good things for the future as far as acquainting himself with the language is concerned. In the end, the writer feels that he needs to back up his claims of improving his grammar by reading books, newspapers and above all, using the language with the people that he meets up with on a daily basis. He has to be proactive in his approach of the language so that his grammar improves and he starts to speak and write in a fluent manner. It is a given that this fluency would look good if correct usage of grammar is assured,