Working Conditions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Working Conditions - Essay Example According to Andre and Manuel - ' this  principle holds that the morally right course of action in any situation is the one that produces the greatest balance of benefits over harms for everyone affected' (Andre, 2010).  I absolutely agree in supporting the detailed recommendations  of  Human Rights Watch  enlisted below (Compa, 2005). New federal and state laws should reduce line speed in meat and poultry plants and establish new ergonomics standards to reduce repetitive stress injuries. Health and safety authorities should apply stronger enforcement measures. States should develop stronger worker compensation laws and enforcement mechanisms. Employers should not engage in aggressive, intimidating anti-organizing campaigns that take advantage of loopholes and weaknesses in the  U.S.  labor law system. Congress should enact legislation bringing  U.S.  labor law into compliance with international standards (e.g. to prohibit the permanent replacement of striking worke rs) and should also create stronger remedies for violations of workers’ rights. New laws and policies should ensure respect for the human rights of immigrant workers, whatever their legal status. Immigrants should have the same workplace protections as non-immigrants, including coverage under fair labor standards and other labor laws, and the same remedies when their rights are violated   A hog worker from  North Carolina  quotes â€Å"The line is so fast there is no time to sharpen the knife. The knife gets dull and you have to cut harder. That’s when you cut yourself.† If a worker really loses limb or life, who is there to lend a helping hand to his family to earn daily living. Ethically, the employers should open their eyes and weigh the resulting benefits and harms of policies that are  forced upon the workers in meat and poultry industry. The  Ã‚  Ã‚  increase in volume and speed of production  Ã‚  Ã‚  should be backed with quality training and sufficient safeguards making the work less hazardous.  Employers should choose the course of action that provides greatest benefits to the  workers who make up to 30,000 hard-cutting motions with sharp knives in a shift and often become victim of long-term occupational injuries and frequent lacerations. Investigations done by Human Rights Watch have shown that workers often do not  receive compensation for injuries at workplace because companies do not report injuries. The claims are delayed and denied; reprisals are  inflicted  on workers who file them. Workers are loved  as  long as  they are healthy and capable of working like a dog. But once they get hurt,  company will find a reason to fire them or put  them in a terrible job or change the shift so that worker quits.  Ã‚  Therefore, lot of people just work with the pain without reporting their injuries.  To overcome such situations, according to deontology, a right choice conforms to a moral norm. Such n orms are made simply to be obeyed by each moral agent in spite of maximizing such norm-keepings .For deontologists the Right has priority over the Good. If an action is not in accord with the Right, it may not be performed; no matter the Good that it might (Alexander 2008).  In an investigation conducted by Jamie Fellner, director of the U.S. Program at Human Rights Watch, the fact  revealed was that often Public agencies try to protect consumers from tainted meat but do very little to  Ã‚  protect their workers from  unhealthy and terrible conditions. It is also reported that aggressive and unlawful company try to derail workers’ organizing efforts. Employers threat workers who try to defend themselves

Therapeutic Hypothermia After Cardiac Arrest Essay Example for Free

Therapeutic Hypothermia After Cardiac Arrest Essay Cardiac arrest is considered as the prime cause of sudden deaths in the modern world, claiming tens of thousands of lives globally each year (http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/mor_car_arr-mortality-cardiac-arrest).   It has been determined that survival rates after cardiac arrest are very low, due to consequent ventricular fibrillation that immediately results in zero cardiac output and death within a few minutes (http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Ventricular-fibrillation).   During cardiac arrest, oxygen flow in the brain in significantly affected and brain damage may possibly occur if no emergency treatment is given as soon as possible. Emergency treatment of cardiac arrest generally involves manual artificial breathing to facilitate oxygen circulation to the brain, as well as chemical and electrical induction of the heart to reinstate its normal beating.   Such emergency procedures mainly aim to provide a way to reoxygenate the brain and to save it from further irreversible damage.   Consequently, reoxygenation also generates free radicals that are responsible in creating a post-resuscitation syndrome, which is characterized by necrosis of different tissues of the patient. The observation that tissues survive at particular hypothermic settings has been evaluated as a promising emergency treatment for cardiac arrest (http://www.rnweb.com/rnweb/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=158218).   Hypothermia involves subjecting the body of an individual in a temperature that is below the normal physiologic temperature.   The effect of hypothermia in protecting the brain from severe and irreversible damage during the non-oxygenated state of cardiac arrest is currently being evaluated, after successful results in dog models.   Several investigations have been conducted on the direct and immediate positive effect of hypothermia in cardiac arrest patients.    A prospective clinical trial involving the use mild resuscitative cerebral hypothermia in 27 cardiac arrest patients for at least 24 hours showed that hypothermia treatment is reliable and safe (Zeiner et al., 2000).   The procedure involved cooling of the entire body, including the head, resulting in a lowering of body temperature within 62 minutes after commencement of hypothermia treatment. It is interesting to note that no further complications associated with the cardiac arrest were observed after the application of hypothermia treatment.   In a separate investigation, 55% of cardiac arrest patients treated with hypothermia was observed to show positive responses to the treatment, as well as a decrease in the mortality rate 6 months after hypothermia treatment, suggesting that hypothermia treatment favors the prevents deleterious brain damage and death among cardiac arrest patients (HACASG, 2002). However, there are also certain issues with regards to the application of hypothermia in cardiac arrest patients that remains unclear and doubtful.   One of these includes the inclusion and exclusion criteria that will determine whether a particular patient will benefit from such treatment (Skowronski, 2005).   This comment is mainly based on the need for personalized treatment of patients because of the recent observation of inter-individual variations in the response to specific treatments. Such observation explains subtle yet significant differences that should be addressed during medication, diagnosis and testing of patients for any type of illness.   With regards to cardiac arrest emergency treatments, it is of prime importance that a patient’s unique physiological, genetic, metabolic and cardiac profile be determined first before subjecting him to hypothermic conditions.   However, this profiling may also pose to be a hindrance during emergency treatment because the survival of the cardiac arrest patient mainly depends on the speed of administration of the treatment to the patient. Specific risks have already been identified to be associated with hypothermia treatment of cardiac arrest patients (http://www.sca-aware.org/sca-treatment.php#treatment3).   The exposure of the patient to cold temperatures at a prolonged duration may cause bleeding or hemorrhage in specific organs of the patients because the cold temperature slows down the blot clotting capability of the platelets.   In addition, a cardiac patient treated with hypothermia may suffer from infection because the immune system is also inhibited by prolonged cold temperatures. An alternative treatment that is parallel to hypothermia has been proposed to be as effective as hypothermia, and possibly much safer than the more radical hypothermic exposure of the cardiac patient to low temperature levels. The alternative treatment involves intravenous introduction of ice-cold fluid to the patient using automated cooling equipment (Bernard, 2005).   Such settings provide the healthcare personnel complete control over the temperature of the intravenous fluid, which plays a vital role in the emergency treatment of the cardiac arrest patients. Until sufficient clinical investigatory information has been collected from comprehensive and comparative studies on the risks and benefits of hypothermia treatment on cardiac arrest patients, it is imperative that healthcare personnel be cautious in administering such rapid and radical treatment to cardiac arrest patients. There have been active requests from the medical research field that such investigations will provide a better understanding of the mechanisms and pathophysiological routes that are involved in the exposure of the body, most specifically the brain and the rest of the central nervous system, to cold temperature during those critical non-oxygenated states (Bernard, 2004). References Bernard (2004):   Therapeutic hypothermia after cardiac arrest: Hypothermia is now standard care for some types of cardiac arrest.   Med. J. Austral.  Ã‚   181(9):468-469. Bernard SA (2005):   Hypothermia improves outcome from cardiac arrest.   Crit. Care Resusc.   7:325-327. Hypothermia After Cardiac Arrest Study Group (HACASG) (2002):   Mild therapeutic hypothermia to improve the neurologic outcome after cardiac arrest.   N. Engl. J. Med.   346(8):549-556. Skowronski GA (2005):   Therapeutic hypothermia after cardiac arrest- Not so fast.   Crit. Care Resusc.   7:322-324. Zeiner A, Holzer M, Sterz F, Behringer W, Scho ¨rkhuber W, Mu ¨llner M, Frass M, Siostrzonek P, Ratheiser K, Kaff A and Laggner AN (2000):   Mild resuscitative hypothermia to improve neurological outcome after cardiac arrest: A clinical feasibility trial.   Stroke   31:86-94. http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Ventricular-fibrillation      Ã‚  Ã‚  Nation Master- EncyclopediaVentricular fibrillation http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/mor_car_arr-mortality-cardiac-arrest   Ã‚  Ã‚   Mortality Statistics Cardiac arrest by country http://mweb.com/rnweb/article/articleDetail.jsp?id158219 http://www.sca-aware.org/sca-treatment.php#treatment3   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Therapeutic Hypothermia

The Compiled Sync List of The Wizard of Oz :: The Wizard of Oz Movies Music Films Essays

The Compiled Sync List of The Wizard of Oz 001-Echoes 1) The first indicator that everything is going right is the change from "Speak to Me" to "Breathe" which coincides exactly with the fade-in appearance of the name of producer Mervyn LeRoy *Note: In the prologue the word "Time" (one of the songs on the CD) is written with a capital letter even though it isn't at the start of the sentence. Also you will find the word "Heart" capitalized in the middle of a sentence (a sound particular to "The Dark Side of the Moon"). 2) "Leave, but don't leave me ..." Auntie Em appears to say "... Leave ..." to Dorothy and then Dorothy turns to leave looking a bit down in the mouth. 3) Right after the words "... Look around ..." Dorothy looks around. 4) "... Smiles you'll give and tears you'll cry ..." Two men above (Cowardly Lion and Tin Woodsman) are smiling and the man below (Scarecrow) is crying. This one is sort of not on time but worth the mention. 5) "... All you touch ..." Dorothy touches the man (Cowardly Lion) holding a bucket on his arm. *Note: "All you touch and all you see is all your life will ever be" Dorothy's life will only really be all she touches and all she sees in her Kansas home because Oz exists only in her pretty little head. 6) "... When at last the work is done ..." the man (Scarecrow) hits his finger with the hammer (to the beat of the drum no less) and is done with his work. 7) Right after "... Dig that hole ..." the farm hand (Scarecrow) points to the ground as if telling Dorothy to dig a hole. 8) "... Balanced on the biggest wave ..." Dorothy is balancing herself on the fence. 9) "... Race towards an early grave." is said at the moment just before Dorothy falls off the fence rail. ["... Down in the pig-pen sayin' 'keep on diggin' ..." Lyrics from "Pigs (Three Different Ones)" by Roger Waters on the "Animals" CD] *Note: "... Race towards an early grave ..." Perhaps a reference to Judy Garland's untimely death? *Note: Judy Garland died in 1969, the same year we put a man on the moon ... "I'll see you on the Dark Side of the Moon." 10) Song shifts from "Breathe" to "On the Run" at the same time (actually just slightly before) Dorothy falls off the fence.

What is Cancer :: essays research papers

What is Cancer The article entitled â€Å"What Is Cancer?† from the American Cancer Society’s web site discussed how cancer forms and effects people in different ways depending on what type of cancer they have. It also mentioned how cancers are treated and ways to prevent cancer.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cancer forms from the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the body. When we are born we all have normal cells that continually grow until adulthood. We also have abnormal cells that are in our body. As we reach adulthood our normal body cells stop dividing for growth purposes and only divide to replace dead or damaged cells. The abnormal cells in our body continue to divide even into adulthood and form cancerous cells. Most cancers develop into tumors while others flow throughout the body via the body’s bloodstream. An example of this is leukemia.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Not all tumors that are created in the body by the abnormal cells become cancerous however. Some tumors called benign tumors are not cancerous and will not affect the body in as harmful ways as cancerous tumors would. Benign tumors are still dangerous however there size can be harmful to the body by growing in places that they are not needed and putting pressure on other parts of the body.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  All types of cancer are different and respond to different types of treatment. Different cancers also have different rates of growth. These different rates of growth are what cause different cancers to be more harmful than others. Cancer is the second leading killer in the United States. Over half of men and one third of women will develop cancer in their lifetimes. Millions of people are now living with cancer because of new treatments that have become available through extensive research.

American Government Oversight

The government of the United States involves the concept in political science known as separation of powers. This concept means that the different branches of government share power amongst themselves. Intricately connected with this concept is the system of checks and balances, which provides that all com/relationship-between-the-three-arms-of-government/">branches of government may challenge the exercise of power by the other branch. More accurately, this concept ensures that one branch would not encroach upon the power of another branch since each branch is given the power to make sure that the others remain acting within their bounds.The system of checks and balances was conceptualized by the Framers to ensure that no branch would overstep its boundaries in the exercise of its powers. For Congress, the system of checks and balances is made effective through its power of oversight (USConstitution. net). One example of congressional oversight relates to interceding with agencies on behalf of the interests of their constituents. Through oversight, Congressmen could look into the operations of agencies and determine whether the interests of their constituents are taken into account.The oversight power of Congress likewise involves the authority to monitor, supervise, and review the activities of the executive branch. The exercise of this power allowed Congress to look out for the interests and benefit of the American people. Examples in history include the opposition to the Vietnam War in the 1960s, and the investigation of the Watergate scandal that unearthed anomalies involving partisan gain (Kaiser, 1988).Another example of congressional oversight involves other channels, such as meetings with the staffs of legislative and executive officials. Through these meetings and consultations with the executive department, Congress is able to propose changes and suggest policies to the executive branch (Kaiser, 1988). It is clear that congressional oversight is very useful in ensuring that the other branches of government, such as the executive branch, do not overstep their boundaries.As representatives of the people, Congress occupies a special role in ensuring that the people’s will and interests are protected, and this duty is accomplished through Congress’ power of oversight. References Kaiser, F. M. (1988). Congressional Oversight of the Presidency. Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 499(Congress and the Presidency: Invitation to Struggle), 75-89. USConstitution. net. Constitutional Topic: Checks and Balances. Retrieved March 11, 2008, from http://www. usconstitution. net/consttop_cnb. html

Polygraph Testing

Polygraph Testing A polygraph test sometimes known as a ‘lie detector test’ is an examination procedure used to detect lies. This test is done using a machine known as a polygraph. It registers the body’s involuntary responses to an interrogator’s questions. This in turn ascertains the deceptive behavior of the individual being examined (Kozel, Padgett George, 2004).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Polygraph Testing specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Usually, the polygraph test assesses three parts of a human beings system. A forensic Psych physiologist usually analyses several moving lines from a computer, which shows the behavior of the body responses. These lines always differ depending on the emotional reaction of the individual to the questions. Polygraphs are commonly used in criminal investigations, but nowadays government bodies as well as organizations use polygraphs on their potential emplo yees. The first lie detector was invented in 1917 by William M. Marston. In 1923, the struggle to reveal verbal deception through observation on systolic blood pressure was stopped by courts. The D.C court of appeals stated that Marston’s lie detector machine did not give sufficient scientific support. Marston’s invention shed light to the invention of a more advanced polygraph in 1921 by John Augustus Larson. However, this medical student from the University of California got a helping hand from a police officer who was based in Berkeley Police Department in California. Since that time many devices have been made. An example is Berkeley Psychograph which is a blood pressure recorder that was made by C.D Lee later in 1936 and the Darrow Behavior Research photograph developed in 1941. John Reid came up with a device in 1945. It documented any energetic activity. My Opinion The fundamental idea of using the polygraph is to detect lies. This ideology is feasible since whe n someone is cheating, there is always a tendency to become measurably nervous. It has been argued that polygraphs are reliable if well-trained polygraph examiners are used to carry out the procedure. This is because a highly trained polygraph examiner is an expert in both interrogation and technical operation. These qualifications together with experience enable the polygraph examiner to detect the truthfulness of an individual. A recent survey carried in Michigan State, showed that a great number of agencies using polygraphs support its use since it discloses information that cannot be got by any other methods. The survey also shows that background information can be established easily when polygraphs are used to examine individuals and these therefore deters undesirable interviewees. Additionally, the survey also shows that it is a quicker means of selection. Polygraph testing has however been criticized by many people in U.S.A. This makes polygraph testing a controversial matter between the government agencies and the public. Several human rights societies among other institutions argue that polygraph testing can be a source of tremendous anxiety.Advertising Looking for research paper on common law? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It is therefore possible individuals hiding nothing may fail the test. Furthermore, polygraph examinations are interrogations that can scare innocent people who end failing them for no apparent reason. This results into denial of justice and even employment for organizations which use this kind of selection method. Polygraph testing is essential in the law enforcement arena; the procedure can help the authorities achieve their goals in handling cases by carrying out productive interrogations. Polygraphs are accurate since subjects who believe that the device is perfect would rather confess than wait for the device to ‘detect the truth’. It is also com mon for people lying to show the same physiological behavior and vice versa. The test may therefore give desired results and help in the smooth running of law enforcement. It is argued that unless someone is a trained and experienced criminal, a polygraph test evaluation may expose him or her. He continues to argue that since an individual undergoes the test twice or less in his life, it is hard for him to lie but instead say the truth. Polygraph tests deliver facts than lies in the course of an interrogation. Provision of useful information is consequently achieved. Bar-Hillel and Ben-Shakhar assert that many people who expect to be tested would prefer saying the truth than to be embarrassed on their dishonesty (p.78). My Recommendations Polygraph testing is known to provide little basis for accuracy and should not be heavily relied on. Other supporting selection methods should be included in examinations. This would in turn yield the required results. Physiological responses analy zed by polygraphs can at times reflect the opposite of the real scenario due to many factors that may be having adverse effects on the subject. For instance, health factors control the human body. If at all an individual is sick, it is possible that there may be an interference with their body’s normal functioning. This is bound to give wrong signals during a test. Polygraphs should not be used in future since physiological responses measured by the tests are never uniquely correlated with deception. Some responses can consciously be controlled and in turn have an effect on the polygraph measures. References Bar-Hillel, M. Ben-Shakhar, G. (1986). The Prior Case against Graphology. In B. Nevo (Ed.), Scientific Aspects of Graphology (pp.76-80).Chicago: Charles C.Thomas Kozel, F.A., Padgett, T.M. George, M.S. (2004). A Replication Study of the Neural Correlates of Deception. Behavioral Neuroscience. London: Prentice Hall.Advertising We will write a custom research pape r sample on Polygraph Testing specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More

Free Essays on Times Anguish

change. The statue of Ozymandias in Shelley’s poem represents the instability and destruction of all things over time. Whereas, the Urn in Keats poem represents the preservation of moments and the ability of a specific art form to transcend time. Keats intends to question the desirability of timelessness because to transcend time one must sacrifice sensual pleasures. Although the urn depicts history through its pictures, it remains unchanged over time. This phenomenon is possible because unlike other art forms, the urn is not bound by time. Music and poetry are both dependent on time to interpret and understand their forms. However, one can take in the form of the sculpture in a single instant. This is because the urn is spatial rather than temporal. The silence of the urn enables its sense of timelessness. Although â€Å"heard melodies are sweet . . . those unheard are sweeter† (l. 11, 12). This is because when melodies are not bound by time but rather are in one’s imagination they can last forever. However, the silence that emphasizes the timelessness of the urn also implies the cruelty of the urn. For in its sense of timelessness, the urn teases man with the idea of eternal beauty, which may not exist. Keats is uncertain of t... Free Essays on Time's Anguish Free Essays on Time's Anguish Time’s Anguish John Keats and Percy Bysshe Shelley both use a material object as a metaphor in their poems to demonstrate the ability or inability of anything to endure temporal change. While Keats’ â€Å"Ode on a Grecian Urn† is a meditation of the timelessness of an Urn, Shelley’s uses a statue to represent the failure of anything to endure over time in his poem â€Å"Ozymandias.† Keats’ Grecian urn, passed down through countless centuries to the time of the speaker's viewing, exists outside of time in the human sense; it does not age nor die. However, for Shelley, just as the statue of Ozymandias is broken and changed from its intended form, so too does the meanings of words change. The statue of Ozymandias in Shelley’s poem represents the instability and destruction of all things over time. Whereas, the Urn in Keats poem represents the preservation of moments and the ability of a specific art form to transcend time. Keats intends to question the d esirability of timelessness because to transcend time one must sacrifice sensual pleasures. Although the urn depicts history through its pictures, it remains unchanged over time. This phenomenon is possible because unlike other art forms, the urn is not bound by time. Music and poetry are both dependent on time to interpret and understand their forms. However, one can take in the form of the sculpture in a single instant. This is because the urn is spatial rather than temporal. The silence of the urn enables its sense of timelessness. Although â€Å"heard melodies are sweet . . . those unheard are sweeter† (l. 11, 12). This is because when melodies are not bound by time but rather are in one’s imagination they can last forever. However, the silence that emphasizes the timelessness of the urn also implies the cruelty of the urn. For in its sense of timelessness, the urn teases man with the idea of eternal beauty, which may not exist. Keats is uncertain of t...

The 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami History and Its Aftermath

The 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami History and Its Aftermath December 26, 2004, seemed like an ordinary Sunday. Fishermen, shopkeepers, Buddhist nuns, medical doctors, and mullahs - all around the Indian Ocean basin, people went about their morning routines. Western tourists on their Christmas holiday flocked to the beaches of Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia, reveling in the warm tropical sun and the blue waters of the sea. Without warning, at 7:58 am, a fault along the seafloor 250 kilometers (155 miles) southeast of Banda Aceh, in the state of Sumatra, Indonesia, suddenly gave way. A magnitude 9.1 underwater earthquake ripped along 1,200 kilometers (750 miles) of the fault, displacing parts of the seabed upward by 20 meters (66 feet), and opening a new rift 10 meters deep (33 feet). This sudden movement released an unimaginable amount of energy - equivalent to approximately 550 million times the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945. When the seafloor shot upward, it caused a series of huge ripples in the Indian Ocean - that is, a tsunami. The people closest to the epicenter had some warning about the unfolding catastrophe - after all, they felt the powerful earthquake. However, tsunamis are uncommon in the Indian Ocean, and people had only about 10 minutes to react. There were no tsunami warnings. Around 8:08 am, the sea suddenly drew back from the earthquake-devastated shores of northern Sumatra. Then, a series of four enormous waves crashed ashore, the highest recorded at 24 meters tall (80 feet). Once the waves hit the shallows, in some places the local geography channeled them into even larger monsters, as much as 30 meters (100 feet) tall. The seawater roared inland, scouring large areas of the Indonesian coastline bare of human structures, and carrying away an estimated 168,000 people to their deaths. An hour later, the waves reached Thailand; still unwarned and unaware of the danger, approximately 8,200 people were caught by the tsunami waters, including 2,500 foreign tourists. The waves overran the low-lying Maldive Islands, killing 108 people there, and then raced on to India and Sri Lanka, where an additional 53,000 perished about two hours after the earthquake. The waves were still 12 meters (40 feet) tall. Finally, the tsunami struck the coast of East Africa some seven hours later. Despite the lapse of time, authorities had no way to warn the people of Somalia, Madagascar, Seychelles, Kenya, Tanzania, and South Africa. Energy from the quake in far-off Indonesia carried away approximately 300 to 400 people along Africas Indian Ocean coast, the majority in Somalias Puntland region. The Causation of the Casualties Altogether, an estimated 230,000 to 260,000 people died in the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. The quake itself was third-most powerful since 1900, exceeded only by the Great Chilean Earthquake of 1960 (magnitude 9.5), and the 1964 Good Friday Earthquake in Prince William Sound, Alaska (magnitude 9.2); both of those quakes also produced killer tsunamis in the Pacific Ocean basin. The Indian Ocean tsunami was the most deadly in recorded history. Why did so many people die on December 26, 2004? Dense coastal populations combined with a lack of tsunami-warning infrastructure came together to produce this horrific result. Since tsunamis are much more common in the Pacific, that ocean is ringed with tsunami-warning sirens, ready to respond to information from the tsunami-detection buoys arrayed across the area. Although the Indian Ocean is seismically active, it was not wired for tsunami detection in the same way - despite its heavily-populated and low-lying coastal areas. Perhaps the great majority of the 2004 tsunamis victims could not have been saved by buoys and sirens. After all, by far the largest death toll was in Indonesia, where people had just been shaken by the massive quake and had only minutes to find high ground. Yet more than 60,000 people in other countries could have been saved; they would have had at least an hour to move away from the shoreline - if they had had some warning. In the years since 2004, officials have worked hard to install and improve an Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System. Hopefully, this will ensure that the people of the Indian Ocean basin will never again be caught unawares while 100-foot walls of water barrel toward their shores.

P.O.S essay 2 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

P.O.S 2 - Essay Example Benefits of the POS System The POS system being online will ensure that all across the Wal-Mat store there will be real and up dated POS solutions. In addition, since the POS system is custom made it will be custom made and thus compatible with most of the programs and hardware, which are to be installed. Furthermore, it will ensure that there is less inventory shrinkage. This is because through POS system it will be easier to keep track of obsolete and damaged inventories. Because of the effectiveness with which customers are served, it will ensure and lead to more customer service efficiency, customer satisfaction and customer retention and loyalty. It will facilitate timely and accurate reports as well as fast and effective analysis of sales date which is paramount to management information for decision-making process. In addition, the online POS software package will offer the advantage of management through remote access i.e. while in different store and while on leave. Moreover , having installed POS system Wal-Mat can easily expand in case of increased customers. This is because it only needs to mount new computers and other relevant hardware to create a new service station. The other minor benefits that Wal-Mat will get by setting up the POS will be prevention of theft, accuracy, and effective inventory management. ... Furthermore, with the retail POS system Wal-Mat will experience potential security risks with regard to software corruption by viruses, credit cards, and debit cards. Moreover, considering that the POS system is custom made, with the software applications used there will be need for regular updates to the system that may be done at an extra cost. POS Contingency Measures Since running of the POS system will be dependent on the electricity for smooth running, implies that in case of power outages the business will stop. These business standstill means loss of revenue, dissatisfaction of customers and under utilization of resources. Wal-Mat to combat electricity failures has bought and installed a diesel driven generator with the capacity to run the POS system for more than 12 hours. In addition, UPS s- uninterruptible power supply - have been fitted on every computer. This is to ensure smooth transition and business continuation while switching to the generator. Wal-mat has also set u p another back-up server computer in another independent location that store up real-time transactions happening in the main business stalls. This is meant to militate against any outages of the POS system in case of fire breakout in the main business area. In addition, after every 1 hr of the normal business hours, it is a requirement that there be a print out of sales receipts for every one hour. This is to ensure that in case of failure of the two back-up servers there can be hardcopy back up to mitigate it. Weakness and Recommendations to POS System Due to the continued high customer satisfaction, there has been an influx of new clients to our business, which has resulted to slower than normal

Labour Law in Canada Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Labour Law in Canada - Research Paper Example The act relied on voluntary participation. This statute embodied three basic rules; the compulsory investigation of labour dispute by government appointed third parties; the expectations that informed public opinion would bring pressure for government for compromise and the provision of work stoppage pending investigation.1 Fragmentation of Canadian labour law is reinforced by provincial legislation that restricts on unity of collective bargain after negotiation at workplace level. It is further intensified by social class and economic inequality among Canadian workers. Despite the 1960s and 1970s growth of women’s participation in unions and the labour market activities- especially because of public employment that came with, expansion of gender entitlements - they continued occupying positions in low-wage activities and sectors.2 liberty to decide whether or not they want union representation, union pluralism strengthens the complexity of the representative structure, but weakens the potential for union harmony and expansion3 Workers join trade unions in order to join together and face the power of the employer over employees. The most significant role of labour union in regards to workers is to even the inequality of bargaining power between a worker and employer. For example, in case of disagreement, the most important threat issued by the worker is withdrawal of labour or a strike. Such threats will be significant if the entire labour force is involved. In some cases a worker can be fired without cause. The low level of unionisation as discussed by Fudge and Vosco is a result of unemployment, unfair labour union practices and increasing self employment opportunities.1 Corporate restructure focused on destruction of vertical structures and subcontracting, which had a decisive impact on labour market segmentation. This also occurred in small companies, where it is

Cost and Value Management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Cost and Value Management - Case Study Example This certainly shows the pragmatism of the firm with regards to its products in the sense that none of the products are rushed into production whatever the results these said products show on the testing phase. That is directly linked to the cost management practices of the firm i.e. the firm is willing to bear some short-term costs given that these cost can initiate the birth of products that are successful and long-lasting in the long run. In addition, the entire case of the Boeing 7X7 shows the commitment and drive of Boeing towards research and development. It says in the case study before the name was changed to 767, approximately $100 million had been spent on this project which were demarcated as costs for the on-going research and development. Therefore, we can see that the costs management practices of Boeing had a significant place in them for large scale research and development projects. Suffice to say, the cost management practices of Boeing are pragmatic yet expansive a nd directed towards the long run. [1] [2] [3] Now, after determining these facts, we will now look at the strengths and weaknesses of these practices of Boeing in light of the concept of earned value management. Before, I delve much deeper into this topic, it is critical to explain that contrary to popular belief, there is a world of difference between the factors that determine earned value and earned value management systems (EVMS). ... ts importance vis--vis the mechanism can be gauged by the fact that large adapt ably priced military defense contracts have required the presence of these prerequisites in order to ascertain the reliability of the results given by the earned value metric as far back as 1967. It is important to note that despite the great important of these prerequisites, they are not essential for the workability of the earned value method. However, the presence of a management control system that fulfills at least part of the standards that have been demarcated by the prerequisites is extremely essential in this case. From here on, the term "earned value management process" will include the pre-requisites for both the earned value and the EVMS criteria. [4] [5] [6] I will first look at the strengths of these practices at Boeing. The earned value approach of Boeing is directly in line with the cost management practices that we have seen in the case study. Despite the very large initial expenditure that is related to the product, the project only went into productions when commitments to purchase were received from one foreign and two domestic airlines, and preproduction orders totaled at least 100 planes. This showed the risk management abilities of the company in the sense that they wanted to ascertain to the minimum a certain number of prospective clients which would be interested in their products. This also showed the strengths of the earned value management process of the business as they want to determine a flexible budget of costs which they would need to undertake in order to complete a theoretical number of orders. Now, this theoretical number would be based on the pre-posed number of prospective clients who had guaranteed their intere st to purchase. Therefore, the entire

Making a script for Bad-news presentation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Making a script for Bad-news presentation - Essay Example The continuous and dramatic changes in the consumer patterns demand that we become flexible, fluid and capable to adapt to the ever changing global environment, the demand for our products is falling, and if necessary steps are not taken immediately then it would spell disaster for all of us, as production would need to be cut down resulting in the downsizing of the workforce, in simple words, it would mean many of us will lose our jobs and our ties with this company would end. But I am pleased to report that our senior executives have taken the right decision at the right time, and in favor of all of us. After deliberate consideration, it has been decided that the national chain ‘Neilson’s Electronics’ should take Echo Computers under its umbrella and save us from unemployment. However, this is not just a one-sided game; we need to demonstrate our support and cooperation for this acquisition to succeed. You have to believe in yourselves like I believe in you, and we have to be fast and efficient in adapting to changes in our workplace environment. Our product range would widen, and now we would provide not only computer-related goods, but also general electronics and house goods, this would mean an opportunity to prove your salesman potential. The three weeks of retraining at your disposal challenges every one of you to demonstrate your competence and reliability, and gives you a chance to secure your jobs. If you do not cooperate, you would be left behind; therefore I suggest you to be united and strong, as integrity and passion would lead to your success. I must remind you that things could have been much worse if this store would have been shut down. I realize that this transitory phase is a hard time for all of you, but this is nevertheless much better in every measurable way than losing your job (wikiHow, 2010). Your goal herein is to perform up to your maximum capabilities and prove your strength, and I wish you great success and

An essay on Andrew Jackson and the negative aspects of his presidency

An on Andrew Jackson and the negative aspects of his presidency - Essay Example Body During the period of Andrew Jackson’s presidency, a huge amount of population that belonged to the group of Native Americans resided in the regions located east of the Mississippi River as well as West of the Appalachian Mountains (Tucker 667). Although the natives claimed that the land belonged to them, Jackson was against their view and took strong measures against them. He evacuated these Native Americans from their homeland by bribing the leaders of their tribes and even coerced them at the tip of the gun. Due to measures taken by Jackson, these individuals had to travel to look for a new place to settle and due to the difficulty in finding a new location, several of them experienced death and a huge population of those who died included women and children. This event clearly shows that Jackson used his powers in an unethical way and worked against the rights of humans. Human rights are the basis of the foundation of the American society; still Jackson used his power to violate human rights. Due to this move made by Jackson, Native Americans were forced to blend into other cultures and this move is in violation of an individuals’ right of choosing what is right and what is wrong for them. His mal treatment with the Natives did not come to an end even after he kicked them out of their own homeland. The Cherokee, an Indian tribe tried to settle in the region that is referred to as the American Deep South and tried to blend through the act of cultural transformation. While this transformation was taking place, Andrew Jackson again dislocated the Native Americans through the enactment of Indian Removal Act that was enacted during the period of 1830 (Schultz 637). By the period of 1838, the Cherokee community was the last Native American community that was evacuated from their land. Due to this evacuation and relocation a total of 4,000 members of the community of Cherokees experienced death and this incident was regarded as Cherokee Trail of Fears (Seale 259). This movement took place because gold was found in the region where the community settled and Jackson tried to add the region to the state of Georgia, while the Cherokee community protested and took the matters to the court. The court announced the decision in the favor of the community, but Jackson operated against the rulings of the court and took measures to move the community from the region. Again, the rights of the Native Americans were violated by the president. This event even shows that Jackson was misusing his powers as a president and believed that he was above the court of law. When President Jackson came into action, the government system was quite fair in nature, but He reversed fair practices and started operating a corrupt government. He introduced the spoils system; according to this system the president and or the winning political party has the power of electing anybody to any position in the government (Massey 126). He manipulated the governmen t with his powers and replaced the experienced holders of government positions with inexperienced ones. The individuals who were selected to take over government positions were mostly close associated of the president and did not know how to run the affairs. This event even confirms that the president used his powers to manipulate and to obtain personal benefits while disregarding the benefit

Making a script for Bad-news presentation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Making a script for Bad-news presentation - Essay Example The continuous and dramatic changes in the consumer patterns demand that we become flexible, fluid and capable to adapt to the ever changing global environment, the demand for our products is falling, and if necessary steps are not taken immediately then it would spell disaster for all of us, as production would need to be cut down resulting in the downsizing of the workforce, in simple words, it would mean many of us will lose our jobs and our ties with this company would end. But I am pleased to report that our senior executives have taken the right decision at the right time, and in favor of all of us. After deliberate consideration, it has been decided that the national chain ‘Neilson’s Electronics’ should take Echo Computers under its umbrella and save us from unemployment. However, this is not just a one-sided game; we need to demonstrate our support and cooperation for this acquisition to succeed. You have to believe in yourselves like I believe in you, and we have to be fast and efficient in adapting to changes in our workplace environment. Our product range would widen, and now we would provide not only computer-related goods, but also general electronics and house goods, this would mean an opportunity to prove your salesman potential. The three weeks of retraining at your disposal challenges every one of you to demonstrate your competence and reliability, and gives you a chance to secure your jobs. If you do not cooperate, you would be left behind; therefore I suggest you to be united and strong, as integrity and passion would lead to your success. I must remind you that things could have been much worse if this store would have been shut down. I realize that this transitory phase is a hard time for all of you, but this is nevertheless much better in every measurable way than losing your job (wikiHow, 2010). Your goal herein is to perform up to your maximum capabilities and prove your strength, and I wish you great success and

Bilateral Trade in the Economies of Various Countries Essay

Bilateral Trade in the Economies of Various Countries - Essay Example Trade flows from traditional partners is becoming complicated. This means that distance is also an important factor in the bilateral trade. Bilateral trade plays an important role in the economies of various countries. However, a country’s trade with another or others depends on a number of factors. Due to the developments in bilateral trade such as regional integration are major factors (Brun, Carrere and Guillaumont 99). These coupled with the distance between trading partners they impact on bilateral trade. These forces countries to find viable options that help attract trade flow. This study analyses USA’s situation with relation to its traditional trade partners from Europe, Asia, Africa and South America. The countries used in this study were selected on the basis of their GDP, exports volume and traditional trading activities with the USA. As a result, bilateral trade flows’ gravity model is estimated between the USA and its trading partners for the periods 1990 and 2011. The general hypothesis is: The gravity equation is considered probably the most applied empirical trade device for more than a decade now. Its main advantage is that when it is applied to extensive variety factors and goods moving across national and regional borders under varying circumstances, it always produces a good fit (Anderson and Eric 170). This makes it an ideal device for econometric methods of measuring trade. Nonetheless, with the emergence of new economic theory, advancement in international trade, and globalization, a unique empirical application of the model with respect to a country’s GDP and export capability in bilateral trade is required. The Gravity trade model helps in predicting the flows of the bilateral trade and these predictions are with the distance between units in their respective  economic directions as the basis of prediction. The model can be applied in various circumstances to provide an explanation in the flow of commodities on the international scale (Anderson 106).  

Seamus Heaney’s poem “Blackberry Picking’ Essay Example for Free

Seamus Heaney’s poem â€Å"Blackberry Picking’ Essay In Seamus Heaney’s poem â€Å"Blackberry Picking’ the poet vividly recreates a seemingly unimportant event in which he goes blackberry picking as a child. However by the end of the poem this experience acquires increased significance. Throughout Heaney’s description of this event we are made aware of the theme, Heaney’s childhood hopes and dreams in contrast to the harsh realities of life. This theme is effectively conveyed through the tone of excitement and anticipation in the first stanza while picking the berries, which transforms into an atmosphere of disappointment and regret in the second stanza as the berries have rotted. Heaney is able to develop this supposed insignificant event using techniques such as language, sentence structure, imagery, contrast and tone in order to create sympathy within the reader and allow them to reflect upon the transient nature of childhood ideals. During the first half of the poem Heaney makes no attempt to sentimentalise the event that is Blackberry picking, as we can tell when he writes, ‘Our hands were peppered with thorn pricks,† the recurring plosive ‘p’ sound in this sentence allows us to hear the skin of his hands being punctured yet still we can tell that young Heaney was enthralled by Blackberry Picking. The first stanza of the poem also has numerous examples of youthful imagery. The boy anxiously awaits the first glossy purple clot,’ almost jewel like, conveying how significant and majestic these berries were to the young Heaney. He uses this metaphor in order to compare the blackberries to blood, a live-giving force that is full of goodness. Some of the blackberries are green, hard as a knot and this image portrays the boy himself, young and innocent, not yet mature himself. The blood imagery continues throughout the poem with summers blood illustrating a dominance of the colour red t hroughout. The reader associates these images of vibrant red with vitality and life, as is Heaney’s intention, to accurately portray to the reader the sheer excitement of childhood, in stark contrast with the reality to come in the second stanza. The second half of the poem describes how the blackberries rot and there is a noticeable change in tone from youthful exuberance to frustration and disappointment. The image of the boy finding the rotting blackberries is described using alliteration; we found a fur a rat-grey fungus, the harsh fricative f sound illustrates the tone of frustration and disappointment within Heaney which is also transferred to the reader through this shocking visual image which everyone can identify with. The fungus is likened to the fur of a grey rat, an image that is not appealing and directly contrasts with the previous descriptions of thickened wine where the flesh was sweet. Heaney uses visual imagery such as this in order to immerse the reader in a sensual experience so that they almost feel as if they are there in the moment with Heaney and will thus be subject to feeling the same disappointment Heaney feels in the last stanza. Towards the end of the poem we are made aware of how significant this memory is to Heaney. Heaney conveys an emotional reaction when the berries rot: â€Å"I always felt like crying,† Heaney’s tone at this point shows his absolute devastation as it is such a simple sentence, made emphatic by the fact it has been put at the start of the line. This line is also the first time Heaney has used ‘I’ which personalises the statement, making the reader feel closer to the author, as if he is confiding in us. Using the word â€Å"always† suggests that this great excitement followed by disappointment is an annual occurrence for Heaney and so the reader must also feel disappointment when presented with the idea that this disappointment is part of a cycle. In the final line of the poem Heaney’s character conveys the significance of his childhood experience picking blackberries. He introduces an air of naivety when he says, â€Å"Each year I hoped they’d keep, knew they would not.† Heaney uses a paradox here to highlight his sense of naivety as he continuously hopes for a way to make the berries last each year, through this line we can tell that, although aware the poem was an elegy throughout, â€Å"knew they would not,† allows the reader to understand that this is not a traditional Christian elegy in that there is no consolation for Heaney, he is aware that as an adult he cannot recapture his halcyon days, but he cannot accept it, which is evident through the abrupt finality of his last statement. In conclusion, it is evident that Heaney uses a variety of contrasting ideas, imagery and sentence structure in order to his feelings of disappointment to the reader in this poem. Through the contrast between the ripe and rotting blackberries and the youthful enthusiasm transformed into bitter disappointment, Heaney manages to convey the reader, the idea of the transience of the halcyon days during childhood which are never seen with the same excitement through an adult’s eyes and although we are led to acknowledge this disappointment, we are not encouraged by the author to accept it, thus the final tone and lasting impression of the poem is one of disappointment that the ideals of childhood cannot be reclaimed and that with age, comes an unwanted but realistic perspective.

Anger in Children: Causes, Effects and Coping Strategies

Anger in Children: Causes, Effects and Coping Strategies Abstract This project discusses the causes, effects and coping strategies surrounding anger in children. Anger is a natural emotion but children often lack the social and verbal capacity to describe their emotions or to develop appropriate coping mechanisms. This project takes the form of a critical literature review. Anger is caused by many factors but todays children face a particular risk of experiencing anger as a result of divorce. Without aid, persistent anger can lead to overload, characterized by extended periods of upset. The effects of anger problems include physical and health problems, including a compromised immune system and depression. Anger may also cause children to act out, leading to aggression, social problems and even violence. Coping strategies frequently focus upon adults who must provide the support services necessary for children struggling with their anger. This paper offers recommendations for practice as well as some direction for future research. Introduction Childhood anger is a serious behavioral issue. Dr. Bernard Golden (2003) describes the significance of this issue:Whether observing the annoyance of a two-year old demanding to have his way or responding to the hostile, rejecting rage of a distraught adolescent seeking independence, dealing with a childs anger is one of the most frustrating and challenging tasks a parent faces.Anger problems can impact a childs socialization. Anger is frequently viewed as a serious psychiatric symptom in children and is one of the most common causes for a childs psychiatric incarceration (Potegal et al., 2009). The failure to develop healthy coping strategies to deal with childhood anger can result in significant social and behavioral problems in adulthood.The focus of this study is to analyze the causes and consequences of childhood anger and to identify healthful coping strategies. This topic is purposefully broad, allowing for the consideration of how the causes of childhood anger influence the mo st effective development of coping strategies. The purpose of this study is to further understanding on the phenomenon of childhood anger and to provide helpful advice for parents, teachers and psychiatric professionals working with angry children. Another goal is to develop specific recommendations for future study. This topic is explored using a detailed literature review that focuses upon empirical data. Definitions Children: Those under the age of 12. Children are a distinct category of maturity that precedes adolescence and follows infancy. Background Review of the Literature Anger is a natural emotion with which all children must eventually learn to cope. As the NYU Child Study (2004) center notes in a press release to parents, feeling anger is a healthy component of a childs development. Anger poses some distinct challenges for children. Children often struggle with understanding their anger (Marion, 2009). Anger may also become out of hand. While the DSM-IV does not distinguish anger as a separate disorder category, anger is frequently treated as a distinct condition by many psychologists and other practitioners. A distinct psychological problem in children which is separate from diagnoses such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, bipolar disorder, and oppositional defiant disorder Anger may be a brief condition lasting only a few moments or anger may be more prolonged. Anger overload involves an extended period of intense anger. Gottlieb (2008) explains that with anger overload, the child becomes totally consumed by his angry thoughts and feelings the anger can last as long as an hour, with the child tuning out the thoughts, sounds or soothing words of others concurrent with other conditions, such as bipolar disorder or social anxiety disorder. Negative Consequences Anger in children has been associated with a variety of different negative consequences. These include physical illness triggered by an overstretched immune system, depression and aggression. In a review of empirical literature, Kerr and Schneider (2008) conclude that youth who cope inappropriately with their anger are at a risk for problematic interpersonal relationships and negative outcomes in terms of both mental and general health (p. 559). If anger management or coping strategies are not developed by the child, these problems may continue within adulthood.School-based programs typically focus upon containing the most aggressive consequences of childhood violence. Mytton et al. (2006) surveyed school based violence prevention programs and found that anger management is an important subcomponent of these programs. However, such programs fail to offer support services to children who do not display violent tendencies. Focusing upon violent prevention is important but not adequate for dealing with anger in children. Discussion Methods This project focused upon developing a literature review devoted to the topic of anger in children. Specifically, three distinct factors were studied: the cause of anger, the consequences of anger and coping mechanisms that are useful for children. The literature was collected using a variety of different resources, including the internet and electronic databases such as Questia.com and PubMed, the service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine and National Institute of Health. In addition, recent books were surveyed, as were local and regional newspapers. This search method focused upon collecting a variety of high quality resources offering empirical information and analytical discussions.ResultsDivorce is a significant cause of anger in children. Divorce negatively impacts children in many ways because the family unit suffers from a series of different changes that will generate negative emotions (Wallerstein and Blakesleet, 2006, p. 6). Children will often find themselves moved from their home, attending a different school and suffering from the loss of regular contact at home with both parents. Children will be angered by the loss of friends and the loss of the parent without custody. Parents may choose to use their children as a tool to hurt the other and it is difficult for parents to keep our childrens best interests first in the middle of all of the emotional complications of divorce (Emery 2006, p. 3). Such behavior can generate anger, frustration and resentment in children of all ages. Analysis Anger is a persistent problem in children. Considerable research has been conducted on the subject. Coping strategies tend to focus upon behavior modification in children and educating parents and other adults to identify and respond to anger problems.Public attention is primarily focused upon violence in children as a consequent of anger. This focus is not surprising given the phenomenon of violence in American schools. As a USA Today article explained, over the last two decades, the study of violence and aggression has received an increasing amount of attention from behavioral scientists, partly in response to the rising number of incidents among children and youth (Cillessen 48). While the study of the causes of violence is important, anger as a phenomenon in children should be studied as a distinct subject. Children with anger problems may manifest their anger in different ways. Those who turn inward and develop physical or social problems outside of the boundaries of violence ma y be overlooked if the focus upon violence continues. This current research focus provides some grounds for the development of new modes of empirical inquiry, which are discussed in the concluding section. Conclusion Anger in children is generated by a variety of different factors, including divorce. Anger is a natural emotion and its existence is not, by itself, a problem. However, children often lack the maturity to understand their anger. Failure to develop sufficient coping mechanisms can cause lifelong physical and mental problems. Anger management in children begins with responsible behavior by parents and other adults. Adults must learn to identify the warning signs that a bout of anger is going to occur (Gottlieb, 2008). Such warning signs may be specific to the child. Furthermore, parents should concentrate on learning what the anger is intended to express. Children use anger when they cannot otherwise express their viewpoint and understanding the motivations behind the displayed anger can point to a resolution. Recommendations Anger has a variety of different causes, in both children and adults. However, much of the literature focuses upon anger as a result of the trauma of divorce. Parents in particular may be the cause of much of their childrens anger and should be careful to act in a responsible manner. Additional causes of anger may be poor socialization skills and physical problems.The solution to child anger must begin with the preparation of adults. Children are not capable of expressing their needs and this is the primary cause of anger. The lack of autonomy and articulation of children places the responsibility upon their attending adults. Parents, teachers and other adults working with children should become educated on the manifestation of anger in children. Degree programs for youth educators should include child psychology courses to help prepare teachers and other professionals with the tools they need to identify and respond positively to a childs anger.The literature does not offer a consen sus view on how to specifically help children cope. Many different options are available and it appears likely that different children may respond to different coping strategies. Future research should concentrate upon different coping strategies and mechanisms in order to determine the most successful outcomes. Such research may be used to craft a list of best practices that may then be used by child psychiatrists, parents and other interested adults.Further research should also concentrate upon the use of exercise to reduce anger in children. Exercise is frequently used by adults to cope with anger.However, little research has specifically focused upon exercise in children as a coping strategy. Childhood obesity is increasing and linked to both anger and depression(Story et al, 2006). As Blasi explains, obesity, considered the number one health risk for children in the United States today, is now reaching epidemic proportions (p. 321). Given the rise of child obesity, exercise sho uld generally be recommended to all children and its potentially ameliorative influence upon childhood anger poses another reason for the recommendation.

Heart Of Darkness :: essays research papers

Final Rewrite   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Marlow, the speaker of the story, states that them going to Africa is no different than in previous years the Romans entering England. He describes the struggles that the Romans had to go through like the savage inhabitants, diseases, weather, and even to some it meant death. He says that the Romans were conquerors and their only goal was to rob other countries by brute strength, while the British were colonizers who tried to make changes for the better wherever they went.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The monologue isn’t very clear but to me it says that England was a dark place not too long ago. Compared to the existence of the earth 1900 years ago was like yesterday. Also, technology hasn’t changed much and there are many dark places still left on this earth. The things that are intense and seem most important in ones life are insignificant in time. He uses words like â€Å"a running blaze on a plain† and â€Å"flash of lightning in the clouds† to emphasize the quickness of time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The commander sees England as a place like the men see Africa. It is a â€Å"sea the colour of lead† and â€Å"sky the color of smoke† which makes it a dark and gloomy place. There isn’t much to do around as they are on the boat because they can’t dock anywhere and there are â€Å"savages† that would probably sabotage their things if not kill them. Even though the journey might have been scary for them, the commander kept himself happy by thinking that if he survives the journey and gets back to Rome he might get a promotion.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The young citizen goes on the trip to â€Å"mend his fortunes†. He goes out to see what England is like and is simply mesmerized by the power of the wilderness. He thinks that there really isn’t a way to fight against it to survive even though you seem powerless.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Marlow contrast the â€Å"conquerors† to the â€Å"colonists† by showing their reasons for exploration. The Romans were out to conquer the world and they were robbing countries of their land. Their strength rose from the weakness of others and they did what they could to get the most land possible. The Romans were lesser men by doing this. The English at least had a reason to go to Africa.

Of Mice And Men? Is More Than Just The Tragedy Of Lennie; It Shows Th :: essays research papers

The world in the 1930’s was a very uncaring place. Due to the depression, many families were split up, so loneliness was running ramped. Ranch hands were thought of as the loneliest people in the world â€Å"Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world† (page 15). Loneliness wasn’t the only kind of sadness and suffering that was endured by the workers. Lost dreams, discrimination and being disabled were only some of the problems faced. But these were not only limited to workers, women also felt these kinds of sadness and suffering a lot. In the book, Crooks, Curley’s wife and Candy are the main examples of these. Crooks is a black stable hand who has been called Crooks due the hunched back he has after a horse kicked him. In the 1930’s, being black was an extreme disadvantaged. You would be discriminated for your colour and this would lead to loneliness. Crooks was always being blamed for everything that went wrong even though he was hardly involved. The boss picked on him because of his colour â€Å"An’ he give the stable buck hell† (page 21) â€Å"Ya see the stable bucks a nigger† (page 21). Candy says this when George and Lennie arrive at the ranch and after Candy said that Crooks was a nigger, George accepted the boss’ treatment of Crooks. Another time Steinbeck talks about Crooks being discriminated was when he writes about the Christmas party where Smitty took after Crooks and the men did not stop the fight because Crooks was black, but did not allow Smitty to use his feet in the fight due to Crooks’ disability. Crooks has a room to himself because the guys won’t let him into the bunkhouse because he smells. This makes Crooks a very lonely man. Candy says â€Å"Got books in his room† (page 21) as if that is some sort of replacement for the company of another person. â€Å"A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody† (page 72) â€Å"I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an’ he gets sick† (page 72). This Crooks way of trying to explain to Lennie that Lennie is a lucky man to a friend like George, and he is also saying something about his own death to loneliness. Curley’s wife experiences nearly, if not more sadness and suffering than Crooks. She is discriminated like Crooks, but for a different reason.

Implementation and Challenges of Lean Concept in Human resources Essay

Going lean is the talk of the season. Almost all the big organizations are adopting lean practices; not only manufacturing but management. In this write-up I am going to discuss how HR as an organization’s function can help in lean transformation. A critically important issue in lean success, just now coming into clear view, is the relationship between the human resources (HR) function and lean transformation. It turns out that the HR function, even at its best, is often considered as only a passive supporter of lean transformation. At its worst, it is said to be a barrier to progress. There are two facets to the relationship between lean and HR. First, it is self-evident that the HR function—just like any other department in a company—needs to apply lean practices and principles toward process improvement in its own work. Second, the HR function needs to actively support and enforce lean transformation throughout the company. The HR function, by virtue of its interactions with virtually every part of a company, is actually in an ideal position to be a powerful ally in lean transformation, IF lean leaders make the effort to enlist its aid. Here we are discussing how HR makes a significant contribution to lean success with active support in several key areas. What is Lean (concept) Lean principles come from the Japanese manufacturing industry. The term was first coined by John Krafcik. From its inception Lean was considered as manufacturing tool but today lean has evolved from just a tool to a philosophy of success. The core idea of Lean philosophy is to maximize customer value while minimizing waste. Simply, lean means creating more value for customers with fewer resources. A lean organization understands customer value and focuses its key processes to continuously increase it. The ultimate goal is to provide perfect value to the customer through a perfect value creation process that has zero waste. To accomplish this, lean thinking changes the focus of management from optimizing separate technologies, assets, and vertical departments to optimizing the flow of products and services through entire value streams that flow horizontally across technologies, assets, and departments to customers. Eliminating waste along entire value streams, instead of at isolated points, creates processes that need less human effort, less space, less capital, and less time to make products and services at far less costs and with much fewer defects, compared with traditional business systems. Companies are able to respond to changing customer desires with high variety, high quality, low cost, and with very fast throughput times. Also, information management becomes much simpler and more accurate. Lean for production and services A popular misconception is that lean is suited only for manufacturing. Not true. Lean applies in every business and every process. It is not a tactic or a cost reduction program, but a way of thinking and acting for an entire organization. Businesses in all industries and services, including healthcare and governments, are using lean principles as the way they think and do. Many organizations choose not to use the word lean, but to label what they do as their own system, such as the Toyota Production System or the Danaher Business System. Why? To drive home the point that lean is not a program or short term cost reduction program, but the way the company operates. The word transformation or lean transformation is often used to characterize a company moving from an old way of thinking to lean thinking. It requires a complete transformation on how a company conducts business. This takes a long-term perspective and perseverance. The term â€Å"lean† was coined to describe Toyota’s business during the late 1980s by a research team headed by Jim Womack. Lean Thinking Lean transformations think about three fundamental business issues that should guide the transformation of the entire organization: Purpose: What customer problems will the enterprise solve to achieve its own purpose of prospering? Process: How will the organization assess each major value stream to make sure each step is valuable, capable, available, adequate, flexible, and that all the steps are linked by flow, pull, and leveling? People: How can the organization insure that every important process has someone responsible for continually evaluating that value stream in terms of business purpose and lean process? How can everyone touching the value stream be actively engaged in operating it correctly and continually improving it? â€Å"Just as a carpenter needs a vision of what to build in order to get the full benefit of a hammer, Lean Thinkers need a vision before picking up lean tools,† said Womack. â€Å"Thinking deeply about purpose, process, people is the key to doing this. â€Å"

Relationship Between Speaking And Listening

Kelsey responded in a very clear way. I agree that you cannot have one without the other. Like Kelsey said, when you are younger and learning to talk, you listen to what other people say. If no one were to listen when they were younger, than nobody would know how to talk. Joey also brought up a great point He mentioned body language. Although you do not need to listen with your ears to read body language, you still need to focus on what the other person is trying to say. Listening is basically trying to focus on what another person is trying to get out to others whether it is with your eyes, or your ears. Pratt Gag 6, 2009 Speaking and listening go together like best and friend. The reason this is the analogy that I chose is because best friends listen when their best friend is speaking. Although, speaking does not require listening, and listening does not require speaking. Many times when I am talking to someone in my family they tune me out, ignore me. It is in times such as this w hen speaking does not demand listening. Speaking does not always need listening because often times the words being said are little more than idle chatter.For and example, Melinda says on page 86, â€Å"By the time we eat dinner, the Battle is roaring at lull pitch. Grades, blah blah blah, Attitude, blah blah blah, Help around the house, blah blah blah, Not a kid anymore, blah blah blah. † Also, on page 115 Melinda is daydreaming while her parents are talking with the school guidance counselor and the school principal. â€Å"In my headword they jump on Principal Principals desk an perform a tap-dance routine. A spotlight flashes on them. A chorus line joins in, and the guidance counselor dances around a spangled cane. I giggle. Zap.Back in their world. † In neither of these passages is Melinda listening, but people are still speaking. Thus, speaking can exist thou listening. Likewise, listening does not require speaking. It is possible you listen to things that cannot speak. Also, it is possible to listen to others, even when they do not speak. So many times share looks with my friends that say more than a thousand words ever could. To provide a real life example, today at band camp was talking to my best friend, but neither of us were speaking. Yet I know that she was listening to me, and to her.As an example from the book, page 152 is excellent. Melinda is hiding in her closet at school and she talks about her poster speaking to her. â€Å"Maya taps me on he shoulder. I'm not listening. I know I know, I don't want to hear it. I need to do something about Rachel, cometh inning for her. Maya tells me without saying anything. † Even though Melinda says that she is not listening to Maya, she evidently is. Maya isn't really saying anything, seeing as she is part of an inanimate object. Considering this, listening can also exist without speaking just as speaking can also exist without listening.Two different people, independent from each other , yet held fast by an unbreakable bond. Two different ideas, independent from each other, yet held together by an iron link. Best friends are truly just the same as speaking and listening. Choice Gag 7, 2009 The relationship between speaking and listening is that if someone is speaking for a particular reason, there is usually someone or something on the other end listening and possibly benefiting from the speaker. One can exist without the other to an extent. Someone can speak to themselves but the only one listening is themselves.Also, someone can listen to anything. Music, rain falling, cars passing by, and so many other things that are able to be listened to but none of those things are qualified as speaking. So I believe pea king cannot exist without listening, but listening can exist without speaks Eng. Junkyard's Gag 7, 2009 First of all, wow great response Beck! She's right! Speaking and listening definitely go together like brother and sister, however you have the choice to be listening when others are speaking or vice versa.Page 86 as Beck mentioned says, â€Å"By the time we eat dinner, the Battle is roaring at full pitch. Grades, blah blah blah, Attitude, blah blah blah, Help around the house, blah blah blah, Not a kid anymore, blah blah blah. † Page 115 Melinda is daydreaming while her parents are talking with the school guidance nonsense and principal. â€Å"In my headword, they jump on Principal Principals desk an perform a tap-dance routine. A spotlight flashes on them. A chorus line joins in, and the guidance counselor dances around a spangled cane. Giggle. Zap. Back in their world. † Right on again!This proves to us that speaking does not always need listening, and even in our everyday lives we often times speak random words knowing that no one is listening. Beck also mentioned a great example on page 152 of listening without speaking. Melinda talks about her poster Maya, â€Å"Maya taps me on the shoulder. I'm not listening. I know I know, I don't want to hear it. I need to do something about Rachel, something for her. Maya tells me without saying anything. † Although Mel says she is not listening, she obviously does. Therefore, listening can also exist without speaking just as speaking can exist without listen inning. Griming Gag 10, 2009 There is a symbiotic relationship between speaking and listening. One cannot exist without the other effectively. This goes back to the age old saying, if a tree falls in the forest but if no one is around to hear it did the tree actually make any noise when it fell. You can speak all you want but if no one is existing there is no point in speaking. You can listen all you want but if no one is speaking there is no point in listening. This is how Melinda felt, she could talk all she wanted but she thought no one would listen, so she figured there was no point in talking.Referring back to page 1 84 when Melinda speaks out and tells Rachel that she was raped, Rachel believes her at first but then when the person that raped Melinda was Earache's boyfriend she calls Melinda a liar and does not believe her. Dishtowel Gag 1 0, 2009 Beach, think you did a good job of exploring all of the opportunities between peaking and listening. It is true that the two go together like brother and sister, but I think that they can also stand on their own. Harrison, I would like to point out something when you said â€Å"You can speak all you want but if no one is listening there is no point in speaking. I think you have a valid point, but aren't there some people that say things purposely when nobody is listening, just to get it off of their chest without the fear of others' judgment? Think that speaking and listening have a very complicated, semi-dependent relationships with each other. Pratt Gag 10, 2009 Thanks Jean! This was actually my favorite question to answer because it was a challenge, but I knew that I would be able to come up with a good answer. Laur en, I want to bring up what you said about saying things when people aren't listening just to get it off your chest.I think that is something that we as teenagers all do. For instance, people mutter to themselves and someone says â€Å"What? † and you reply â€Å"Nothing. † then they proceed to say â€Å"What? No, seriously, tell me. Want know! † Often times I find that the person who muttered is saying something negative to themselves that they do not want everyone around them to hear, but if they do not say it they will flip. Or also, many times I will go off by myself and just try to explain things to myself to try and figure things out. No one is listening, yet I am still speaking.And as I am speaking, I am helping myself by bringing thoughts to the surface to help organize and collect myself. Speaking aloud helps me a lot, even when no one is listening. So Harrison, I also disagree with your point stating that no point exists in speaking if no one is listen ing, because speaking can be extremely worthwhile, perhaps even more worthwhile when no one is listening, because o one will interject and argue with you. Nanas Gag 12, 2009 In a mix of words Sarah says that though there is a relationship between speaking and listening, not everyone will choose to listen to what they hear.Speaking and listening cannot exist without each other and if you want to be listened to you must first listen to others and speak up so that others hear and listen to you. There is a difference between hearing and listening and if you want to speak you must be understanding and willing to listen to what others have to say as well. In Speak, Sarah states that Melinda does not speak of her rape and this is true. Though many people are willing to listen to Melinda such as her friends, mother and father, David Petrifies, Mr..Freeman and potentially others, she feels as though no one would hear her or just choose not to listen. Sarah quotes Melanin's realization that t hough, â€Å"IT†, meaning Andy Evans raped her and that it might not ever leave her, she can grow from it. When she finally figures out that it is Okay to share what occurred at the party and speak to others about it Melinda begins to grow again. Agree with Sarah that the only way Melinda can over come what happened is by speaking about it and having other people listen to her. Crooking Gag 28, 2009 Sarah Footfall makes a really good point in her explanation.

The Creation of The Bill of Rights and United States Constitution Research Paper

The Creation of The Bill of Rights and United States Constitution - Research Paper Example The formulation of the United States Constitution was a unique at within the course of world history. Inevitably, in discussing the rationale and reasoning behind the Constitution coming to be and being written in the way that it was, the individual is forced to discuss the fact that the ultimate impetus behind this was with regards to addressing and redressing many of the flaws and frustrations that the colonial Americans felt towards the British. As such, seeking to craft and define the rights that mankind should inherently have and those which would determine a future existence for the nascent country was an issue of primary importance1. Oftentimes, in seeking to understand the formulation of the Constitution and the core components that it engendered, the individual is encouraged to engage in a level of historical mysticism. What is meant by this is the fact that the founding fathers are, rightfully so, so revered that individuals within the current era attribute almost superhuma n intelligence and respect; such that the process of the formulation of the Constitution and the underlying rationale behind it is oftentimes diminished in light of the fact that these great intellect were so far and above that which the current individual could grasp that understanding such impetus is effectually useless2. However, even though it is true that the individuals behind crafting and developing the thoughts and understanding that would eventually be incorporated within the Constitution were unbelievably intelligent, it should not be understood that the rationale and impetus behind such a document is somehow without possible comprehension. Ultimately, as a result of the frustration and inefficacy of the way in which the British Empire was administered, and by extension the way in which the colonials were treated, stakeholders within American society came to understand that a fundamentally different approach to governance and the rights of man must be delineated. According ly, this was the fundamental impetus that provided the rationale behind delineating these rights and promoting a new level of integration between society and government. Secondarily, the individuals who crafted the Constitution were aware of the fact that the relationship between the subject and the citizen, as defined by the British and by previous experience, was no longer workable and must have an alternative definition if the United States were to break free and pursue a degree of self determinism. By much the same token, even though the Constitution is able to provide a rubric for the way in which these rights of man should be defined, the actual metrics for how such a system would be engaged and a clear delineation of these rights were most effectively represented within the Bill of Rights; the first 10 amendments to the Constitution. As such, the following section will provide a brief discussion with regards to why these amendments came to be represented and how an underlying appreciation for these rights was incorporated into the United States society. The most cited of these ten amendments is naturally the first. As a

Is the death penalty effective (argument) Essay

Is the death penalty effective (argument) - Essay Example Different studies conducted in different states have concluded differently about the deterrent effects of death penalty, which makes it difficult to deduce the effectiveness of capital punishment (Durlauf, Fu, and Navarro 1). Despite the subjectivity of its effectiveness from statistical observation, and the fact that death penalty is the harshest of all punishments that can be possibly given to the criminals, its usefulness and effectiveness in establishing peace in the society cannot be denied. Spending millions of dollars on death penalty is worth it because it is really effective in reducing crime rate, establishing the right justice system, and inculcating fear of law in the criminals. Capital punishment eradicates the possibility for the same criminal to reengage in crime ever. It is as simple as this; no more criminal means no more crime. Every criminal that is released from prison after completing the assigned duration of imprisonment carries the possibility of reengaging in crime. In fact, many criminals do reengage in crime. After their release, they are exposed to the same environmental, social, and cultural factors that convinced them to commit the crime before. This is the reason why many criminals are returning prisoners. Death penalty provides the most effective solution against crime recurrence. There is no recompense as fair as death penalty for certain crimes. The relatives of a person who has been murdered mostly want nothing less than murder of the murderer. The criminal deserves to be given death penalty because he/she has caused the same to someone else; â€Å"if those murdered are the sort inclined to forgive those who injure them, their murderers can take comfort that on dying they might be forgiven and at one, in the sense of having a morally balanced relationship restored, with their victims† (Aspenson 104). Fair judicial system demands that a criminal is granted punishment commensurate with the weight of the

The Lynching of Persons of Mexican Origin in the United States Essay

The Lynching of Persons of Mexican Origin in the United States - Essay Example They formed organization among Mexican Americans in the Southwest of United States. A number of local southwest social and political clubs were mainly comprised of both Mexican Americans and Mexicans that united and formed the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC). LULAC played a significant in establishing how Mexicans racial identity was derived from their class status and how whiteness played a role in racial and class construction in the Southwest. The leaders voted to limit membership in the organization to U.S. citizens, but half of the members left the conference in protest. However, the LULAC had significant success helping the Mexicans Americans fight for their identity. Carrigan and Webb (412) indicate that the LULAC was the regional equivalent of the national association for the advancement of Colored People (NAACP). It financed a couple of anti segregation and antidiscrimination cases that were brought on behalf of Mexicans Americans in California, Texas and Ne w Mexico. It derived victories in education and jury selection identity. Meanwhile, parents of migrant children won a suit against a California school district for segregating Mexican American and Mexican children from whites. These children travelled miles by bus to attend Mexicans schools in other school districts because it was illegal to attend white neighborhood schools. The origins of this case were due to inconsistency of the binary racial logic of the United States and the racial complexity of the Mexicans based on their unique claims to white identity. Meanwhile, Americans Mexicans fought for their identity by presenting their claims in jury hearings because they were discriminated against as a class. Discrimination indicated there was a lack of their jury rolls in United States. Although they fought for their rights, the discrimination cases indicated that abstract identity was itself internally fractured by class difference. Carrigan and Webb (415) indicate that the fight for identity revealed what is referred to as whiteness and the social construction of Mexicans in Southwest. Mexican Americans were legally referred to as Whites due to the treaty obligations with Mexico that allowed Mexicans to become United States Citizens. The federal laws practiced at that period required that an alien to be White he or she was supposed to become United States Citizen. Thus, the government of Mexico and the U.S department of state forced the United States census Bureau to reclassify Mexican as white. In the Texas school desegregation case, the Jury ruled that Mexican children could not be segregated on the racial basis but it allowed segregation based on linguistic issues or migrant status. Institutions that are controlled by dominant groups have established the legal definitions of a racial group and force them to adhere to their status quo. Thus, the law in United States considered racial group identity when such identity was based on exclusion and subordinat ion of Mexicans. For instance, the Texas court ruling that imposed a definition of Whites on Mexicans Americans and caused them to protest against segregation as a district group in the Southwest. Meanwhile, the court rejected the Mexican American claims for class representation in a class action suit demanding for equal education opportunities. Despite Mexican Americans being legally constructed as white, this status had only marginal

Prices and Problem Solving Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Prices and Problem Solving - Case Study Example Williams, proceeded with it and it was then that Goudberg got in. It was then that they made several trips to the U.S. and that they met with Mr. Herniman which in the course would provide architectural services. It was in September of 2000 that Mr. Herniman got in to the scene. Accordingly, his firm was prepared to undertake a certain amount of preliminary work to assist Williams and Goudberg to get the project happening. In 2002, it was already considered by Williams that the concept was already starting to take its practical shape, but it was in the same year that the project (Industry Food Services Pty Ltd) was incorporated. There was no agreement reached with applebee and no capital was ever obtained. In consideration to the series of events, the work done or performed by both Williams and Goudberg can not in any way considered exploratory or preparatory, but it actually carried out as carrying on a business. In the event that the two were conducting market research, traveling to the U.S. and negotiating with applebee, it can not be concluded as conducting a business at the time that they entered into arrangement with Mr. Herniman. In the conclusion cited by Kellan, and reference with the definition of "partnership, as a relationship which subsist between persons carrying or business in common, with a view of profit." The view of Williams never took to its preliminary stages because as cited in the dispute, nothing really came out, all the activities rendered by both Williams and Goudberg were just exploratory or preparatory in nature. Factual circumstances does not point to any conclusion that there was partnership involved. Herniman, being the respondent was not able to establish that there was really a partnership because as cited "he had never performed any architectural preparations to the proposed project"(reading,2007) Accordingly, his team was prepared to understate a certain amount of preliminary work to assist Williams and Goudberg to get the project happening. Assignment Question 2 Problem Solving A business that is well conceived and well planned possesses certain inherent advantages. At the same time, the fact of its newness may have significant disadvantages(Hamilton 2005) One of these comes in the planning. The starting point of any program of a business is a careful estimate of requirements. The usual starting point of a business forecasts is the record of the immediate past, modified for foreseeable variation during the forecast period. The possibility of substantial errors of forecast is great. Unfortunately, the spirit of optimism which is the necessary accompaniment of new ventures in business tends to produce underestimates rather than overestimates. Lets take a look at one typical case of a business partnership that did not have any starting point of planning. The case of Ken and Maria. The start of their joint venture or partnership is an example of a business that did not have smooth take off. There are rules in establishing a partnership that they have overlooked. At the start, it seemed that Ken was the industrial partner, and Maria was the one who financed everything. Since the registered name of the business bear the names of both

Maths Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Maths - Assignment Example The advantages of using a pocket calculator include calculations being carried out faster. It also allows to successfully complete more difficult calculations. Using a pocket calculator can give you confidence when you are doing difficult problems and can help you focus on the problems, not the calculations. A main disadvantage of using a pocket calculator may give you a false sense of confidence in your calculation abilities and might inhibit your ability to do even basic calculations in your head or on paper. You become reliant on electronic devices and there may be an instance where you need to work out a calculation by hand in the instance where you may not have a pocket calculator to hand. The formulae can be used to instantly recalculate totals. For example, if the builder changed his call-out charge, the total cost would be instantly recalculated taking the change into account. Using excel spreadsheets You can carry out "what if?" investigations. The information can be presented in different ways. For example, the grocer could produce a graph of fruit and vegetable sales by choosing the ranges A4:A10 and E4:E10 in order to make the graph. It is easy to make changes using excel, save your work and print it out again. The presentation is flexible on excel, the column widths and easily delete or add columns and rows. The program makes it easy to find out the relationship between predictable variables and measurable responses. The software also specifies the polynomial terns and their interaction. The software also transforms the responses with the help of the Box-Cox transformations. The average life of the bulb is dictated by the replacement policy. It would be cheaper to practically replace all the bulbs at once. There would need to be a permit to work, availability of manpower and available funding. d) The supplier offers a new type of bulb, Type B that has a mean life of 450 days and the same standard deviation (60

Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance. Essay Example for Free

Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance. Essay In planning we set short term and long term objectives and it is relevant that we anticipate worst case scenarios. That is why planning should be strategic and scientific. Planning should be strategic because every method formulated in planning is integral and interrelated. The strategic characteristic of planning is often applied in military planning not just to produce tangible and intangible results but to establish the greatest possibility of victory. The book entitled Art of War written by Sun Tzu which contains series of formula, tactics, and strategies that has been proven through time is an example of a book which is based on planning. In this book the writer stressed out that â€Å"Planning works in a controlled environment, but in a competitive environment, competing plans collide creating situations that no one plans†. In this analysis of the book, the possibility of the occurrences of uncontrolled variables can be solved if one is able to make a strategic planning. In as much as planning perse is important, planning with strategy is more important. In strategic planning you deepen the planning methods to identify the strengths and weaknesses and the complexities of formulated plans. This process will enable planners to illustrate more alternatives, do more rigorous thinking and be ready to face more challenges. Scientific planning can be taken out of consideration because without this planning is not actually done. We call something scientific if it is â€Å"regulated by or conforming to the principles of exact science: scientific procedures†. Therefore, scientific planning is based on empirical evidences that have been gathered which resulted to verifiable data. So, results are product of tested hypothesis, accurate experimentation, and conclusive results. In doing short term plans which oftentimes have long term effects planning becomes critical. In establishing short term plans the main consideration is the period of time while having limited resources and scope. But since short term planning is more limited in terms of time the planners should be prepared for great and accurate details. Normally the length of short term plans is a week long or a year long wherein two years is the most. It still depends on how complex and extensive the goals are. Projects and activities which need short term planning include doing lesson plans in the part of teachers, planning a wedding ceremony, deciding which course a student will take, family meal planning, or small business planning. For the long term planning there could be two possible ways in doing this. First, the project or event is being planned as a continuity of short term planning. In this case, the assumption is the short term plans were successful thus a long term plan is needed for bigger results. This case often happens in television to film productions, small businesses’ expansions, and career growth and development of a person. For the long term planning a set of actions is adapted not just for today but making future as the major consideration. Though, long term planning needs a protracted time, victory is often at hand. Mao Zedong, the leader of Communist Party of China was able to lead the Chinese revolution composed of mostly peasants victoriously. His effective, scientific, and strategic planning has been admired. This made him one of the most important figures in modern world history. Planning for retirement is another perfect example of a long term plan wherein intelligent planning is a must. In fact there are many professionals who are ready to give assistance to those who want to identify their financial goals and stability in the future. Since, long term planning involves making definite decisions the plans being made still depend on different contexts which need different approaches. Educational planning and marriage planning on the other side are other two examples of contexts that require long term planning and should be handled using appropriate approaches. A classic instance of this long term planning which is familiar to general readers is the parents’ obligations in preparing for the educational needs of their children towards a better future. That is why before entering into family life a couple should be able to carefully plan the â€Å"blue print† of their life from becoming a couple to becoming future parents. So the question Why plan? can be answered practically or relying on products of successful events, knowledge and backgrounds of reliable people, and empirical evidences. The arguments and premises provided in this paper are helpful notes and materials to those who do not know how to answer how important planning is. The answers need not to perfect but they need to be analyzed intelligently by every person who thinks planning is important in making one’s existence purposive and having logical directions in life, whether it will be a short term planning or long term planning. Source Porter, M (1985). Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance. NY: New York Free Press.